Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin, this is an alternate universe fan fiction, in which I have used the characters, story, places and quotes from the BBC TV show which I do not own.
A/N: So this one is a lot of dialogue, but I think that I am right in saying that an update is long due. And yes I'm back - thank you for the wonderful reviews - I've never had so many for just one chapter...I guess you guys like that kind of thing...maybe I should do more of it..."
No-One Knew
~ARTHUR~
"Sorry to disappoint, but my lips are sealed!"
"Merlin!"
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3 Months later in Camelot's Great Hall
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"We have to get you out!" Gwain was shouting at him in anger.
"No! Gaius, do whatever you can quickly - just make sure I can wield a sword."
"The citadel is overrun. We can't hold back much longer: minutes at best. Sire, if they find you they'll kill you!" Percival said .
"I don't care - I would rather die than abandon my people."
Lancelot watched the argument in between the two faithful knights and their King, knowing that they were running out of time. It would have been rather amusing if not for their dire situation. It had stared with the fire in the lower town, and before they could say 'Camelot', the Southrons had infiltrated the castle walls. No one had even bothered with the alarum bells. Everything was so panicked that there was little time to stop and ask the important question. How?
Their bickering had gone on long enough, Lancelot decided - they needed to get Arthur out now.
"And when you die, how will you protect your people? Will you leave the lives of your people in the hands of Morgana?"
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The forest, somewhere between Camelot and Essetir
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The knights were traversing the forest with an angry king. Suffice to say, had Arthur not been the king, his frustrated ramblings about Morgana and Camelot, and whatnot, would have been silenced by one of the thoroughly irritated knights.
They had had to restrain Arthur, when upon seeing the scene of the burning Camelot, Arthur had changed his mind. They were all still shooting him with wary looks now and again, but they knew Arthur too well, and dare not disrupt him.
"How did they even breach the gate in the first place! I trust each and every person in my court. No one would have betrayed me! And the siege plans! They were safe! It must have been Morgana - to think that I ever thought of her as a sister! How can we even defeat her magic? She has become stronger and stronger! And where is Emrys when you need him!? Every time, whether it be sorcerer, assassin, bandit. But when the city is burning, infiltrated right to the citadel, and at the mercy of a mad sorceress, no! Not a sign of him! No! Not one glance!"
"Oi!" a voice came from between the trees, a figure following it. "I have fought off no less than fifty men on my way here!"
The three knights and Arthur spun around in shock to see Emrys appear behind them.
"Speaking of which, I suggest we run. NOW!"
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Back in Camelot's citadel
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"Now...do the the people of Camelot welcome me as their queen?"
Morgana asked, sitting on her throne, with her signature smirk in place. Aggravaine was hesitant in his reply, still fearing Morgana's power. Though he liked to show it, his heart was not as dark as Morgana's had become.
"They will swear allegiance to no one but Arthur."
"I expected no less. Burn their crops. Let's see how they feel when their children begin to starve."
It was at times like this that he regretted his decision to join the enemy of the light. He did not want this any more, but he was afraid. Afraid of what would happen should he stand up to Morgana. And though he mocked others of cowardice, he knew that no one fitted that description better than himself.
"And what of Arthur?"
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The forest again
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"Well, that was close."
Gwain was first to break the not so silence of heavy panting after they had, with a lot of luck (and a little help from Emrys), managed to outrun the southrons.
"I'd say."
Emrys agreed, and wandered a little away from them, apparently thinking or looking for something.
"Everyone okay?"
Arthur asked, assessing each one of his knights' conditions.
"We are all good, princess. You are the only one who managed to get struck in the ribs in the first few minutes of the battle. I am surprised that you dodged all the arrows to be honest." Gwain joked.
"Yeah. It must have been the work of Emrys." Lancelot joined in, and all four of them joined in laughter, their spirits rising a little in the calamitious events of the past hours.
"Shush." Emrys said suddenly. "Someone is following us.
They all looked at him, confused. Surely, between the best knights of Camelot, they would know if they were being followed?
"Tristan! Isolde!" It's just you, thank God."
If anything, the knights became even more so. Who were Tristan and Isolde? To answer their question, two figure appeared from between the trees. How had none of them heard anything?
"How did you know it was us? No one has ever managed that before." The lady said, who Arthur presumed was Isolde.
"What can I say? I am just amazing." Emrys replied with a air of importance and pride before shaking his head and laughing with her; she seemed to be a pleasant woman, and Arthur was ready to trust her, she was a friend of Emrys' anyway.
The same could not be said for Tristan, who was eying the knights with a frown upon his face.
"What happened?" Emrys directed the question to Tristan, having caught sight of the offended look on the said man's face.
"What makes you think anything happened?" Tristan retaliated in a sour tone.
Emrys just looked at him pointedly.
"Fine, fine. The rest of our camp were too slow and dimwitted. The Southrons ambushed our camp, and killed everyone. They took our wagon on top of everything else. If we had stayed a second too long..." he said bitterly and trailed off with a scowl and put an arm around Isolde protectively.
Meanwhile the knights were loitering in the background, and feeling extremely awkward. They needed hadn't worry, because Emrys turned to them, and introduced his friends in a overly jovial manner (so much that if could have been false...nobody caught that little bit of apprehension in his tone).
"This is my good friend Tristan, and his beautiful partner Isolde. Tristan, Isolde, may I present to you the knights of Camelot, Lancelot, Percival and Gwain, and my King, Arthur Pendragon."
Before the two parties could even acknowledge the other, Emrys hastily said:
"Well, I'm sure that being six of the most smart, strong, stealthy, and generally not slow-witted people I know, you all will be able to put aside...uh...your dis-similarities, and work together to keep all of you ship shape and safe until I return from my little...um search."
And was quick to disappear into the trees, thought not before whispering something into Lancelot's ear, who's eyes widened comically.
"Way to go with the s's!" Gwain called out to the trees, being the first person to recover.
"Ha! I was thinking the same thing. Thought I bet he didn't even do it on purpose." Tristan replied, much to everyone's (but probably most his own) surprise.
"Well, if I gambled on that, it'd be an abuse of my talent of best gambler of the taverns of Camelot."
"Five gold coins."
"Done."
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Camelot's Citadel
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"What do you mean you lost them!"
Morgana was seething. She cut Aggravaine off mid-speech (not that she had been listening to what he was saying) and glared at him.
"You and the army will leave immediately. You will search everywhere for him, and if you don't find him, you will look again, and again until Arthur Pendragon is found and brought to me."
There was no warmth in her voice to suggest that they were on the same side of the war. Her eyes, filled with the hate and void of love, glinted with mad fury as she warned:
"And Aggravaine, fail me again, and you will take Sir Leon's place."
For once, he was truly afraid of Morgana, and had no doubt that she would keep to her words."
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The same place in the forest, just after Merlin left
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"Five gold coins."
"Done."
A silence fell upon the group, each person unsure what to do or say next. One would think that Gwain's gambling would ease the tension. How wrong they all were.
Finally, Percival thought to save all of them (or not, depending on how you look at it) with a few well chosen words.
"What did he say?"
Lancelot hesitated, and looked at the couple with apologetic eyes, then resigned and turned to Arthur.
"They're, er..smugglers."
A/N: Well I hope you liked it...I know it is not much, but there is more to come...Happy reading.