Disclaimer: As much as I would like to, I don't own Merlin!

"Gaius, I'm alright," Merlin said thickly, wincing as Gaius pressed a cloth against the back of his head to stem the heavy flow of blood. "Stop it, that hurts..."

Gaius slammed his hands away, his face taught with anxiety. "Merlin, if you interrupt me one more time..."

His voice trailed off threateningly. Merlin gasped with pain as Gaius increased his pressure. The large bloody gash in his skull was thanks to his latest enemy, the man they had encountered in the courtyard - he had thrown Merlin back against the castle and introduced Merlin's head to a sharp stone corner. When Merlin had come to, the expression of horror on Arthur's pale face was enough to tell him how bad he looked. Now, as he looked up, the look Arthur was wearing at that moment as he watched them from across the room was exactly the same. Merlin shut his eyes and steeled himself as Gaius began to dab at his head with a foul-smelling liquid.

"So you still have no idea who he is or what he wants?"

"Well, I don't think he's looking for new friends," Arthur growled, seemingly eager to have something else to focus on rather than the blood pumping out of Merlin's head. "He's bad news. The only thing we need to think about is how to get rid of him."

"He knew Nimueh," Merlin said, his words slurring together. "He said, 'she was mine.' What do you think he meant by that?"

"Who cares?" Arthur demanded. "The only important thing is that we stop him from destroying Camelot-"

He broke off as the door burst open and a guard appeared, red in the face and panting hard. "Gaius!" he cried. "You're needed upstairs, Lady Morgana, she's unconscious and Uther says..."

He stopped as he took in Merlin and the blood drying slowly in his hair. Gaius hesitated, a worried frown creasing his forehead.

"I can't leave right now-"

"Its alright, Gaius," Merlin said quickly, sliding his hand upwards to take hold of the cloth. "You go, I'll heal this myself when my head clears a bit."

Gaius faltered, torn. "I... oh alright, then!" he snatched up his bag and moved to the door. "Merlin, don't you dare do anything strenuous," he threw over his shoulder as he followed the guard.

Merlin managed a smirk and took the cloth away from his head. "Arthur, can you pass me that book?"

Arthur glanced around and then picked up the book he had indicated and passed it to him. Merlin began to flick through it, the words wavering before his eyes as his head throbbed insistently.

"You're sure you can heal that yourself?"

Merlin nodded. "Yeah. I just need a few minutes..." he broke off as the pain abruptly swelled and shut his eyes until it passed. Then he continued. "A few minutes to get myself together again."

Arthur opened his mouth - and the door banged open for a second time. They both flinched and looked up as a second guard barrelled into the room.

"Prince Arthur - sire - his majesty is asking to see you."

"Tell him I can't right now," Arthur began, but the guard shook his head.

"I'm sorry sire, he was most insistent. He wouldn't take no for an answer."

Arthur sighed heavily and then nodded. "Fine," he muttered, straightening up. "I'll be back as soon as I can, Merlin."

He and the guard left the room quickly. Merlin tried to focus on the book but his head was still roaring with pain. He closed his eyes, trying to collect himself, and wondering fleetingly what was wrong with Morgana.


Arthur entered his father's hall to see Uther sitting motionless on his throne, staring into nothing. The king blinked and looked up as Arthur approached and then got to his feet.

"Have you heard?" he asked in a carefully controlled voice.

Arthur frowned. "Heard what?" he asked. Did his father know about their encounter in the courtyard?

Uther's lips twitched. "About Morgana," he said quietly. "She has been cursed."

Arthur stared at him. His mind had resorted to single word sentences. "What? Cursed? How? When?"

Uther wet his lips. He, too, seemed shocked; his eyes had a glazed, blank look about them. He cleared his throat and then spoke slowly. "Her maid found her almost unconscious in her room. I've been up there already, I've seen her... I recgonize this magic, I have seen it before."

"What can we do?"

"There is very little we can do," he replied, turning towards the window. "Gaius could not cure the victim last time and I doubt he will this time."

Arthur gazed at him, aghast. "How can you talk like that?" he demanded. "We cannot just give up on her! She's... this is Morgana..."

"And what would you have me do?" Uther growled furiously, spinning around to face him. "Work up a miracle? Ask your little sorccerer pet for help?"

"Yes!" Arthur said, hope flaring up in him. "Merlin! Merlin can help her, Merlin will save her."

"It was Merlin and his magic that brought us here in the first place!" Uther roared. "Ever since he came here, nothing but evil has come to Camelot! If he wasn't here, Morgana would be smiling and laughing right now! It is all his fault and deep down, you know it!"

"Merlin is not evil-"

"Merlin may not be evil, for all I know he is the purest soul in Camelot," Uther said. "But that is what magic does to good people. It corrupts them, it destroys them and I have seen it happen before."

"But..." Arthur swallowed hard. The shock of what had happened to Morgana was still shaking him, still pushing its way into his head. "But I know Merlin-"

"But do you know the power possessing him? Magic cannot be controlled, Arthur," Uther said, striding away to sit down on his throne. "Haven't you seen that, when you saw Nimueh? I exiled magic for the greater good, so that nothing like this would ever happen again. Did you even know that he's been visiting the evil dragon I have chained under the castle?"

Arthur blanched. Merlin had been visiting that snake? He didn't know what to say. "I..."

"Its obvious that I cannot influence you now," Uther muttered. "Maybe its time you discovered the evils of magic for yourself. Go and see Morgana. Maybe then you will understand."

Arthur stood motionless. Then he turned away and strode out of the hall. He made his way up to Morgana's tower room. Gaius was inside already, bending over Morgana's bed, Gwen hovering anxiously beside him.

"What do you mean there's no cure?" she cried as Arthur entered. "You must be able to do something!"

"I'm sorry, Gwen," Gaius said, straightening up. "This curse is too powerful for me to break. I doubt even Merlin could do anything."

"How long does she have left?"

"A day, maybe more if she's lucky..." Gaius stopped quickly as he noticed Arthur. "Prince Arthur! Did you want some privacy?"

Arthur stared down at Morgana. Her skin was pale as marble against her dark hair, her eyes closed. She looked as if she were already dead. Magic had done this to her... he swallowed hard, trying to fight through the huge range of emotions that were rolling through him - fear, anger, grief, horror, shock... rage. A cold, dark rage that he had not felt for a very long time. He turned away without replying and strode out of the room.


Arthur leant heavily against the window in his room, looking down at the empty courtyard below. He felt as if someone had torn his chest apart, leaving a raw, gaping hole behind. The rage flickered between his thoughts, stopping him from thinking clearly.

Merlin would never hurt anyone...

But ever since he arrived more people have been hurt than in the last decade...

He doesn't abuse his magic...

But I've never seen anything good come out of magical occurences...

Magic isn't evil...

Then why does something bad always happen when magic is involved?

He took a deep breath, trying to collect himself, but he just couldn't when there were so many emotions burning inside him. A sudden knock on his door made him flinch, but he didn't turn. The door creaked open.

"There you are. I heard about Morgana."

Merlin. Arthur scowled, keeping his back turned.

"I tried to visit her but Uther's placed guards at the door and they won't let me through. Gaius said she didn't look good..."

"Why do you want to see her anyway?" Arthur muttered.

"Well, according to Gaius, I might be the only one who can save her if-"

"You think you're so special, Merlin!" Arthur roared, spinning around.

Merlin jerked back in surprise, but Arthur was beyond caring. Fury blinded him, coursing through his veins like poison. He took a step forwards and Merlin pulled away, his eyes widening.

"Arthur, calm down-"

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down after everything you've done! Why are you even here? Why couldn't you have stayed in your village with your precious mother instead of ruining my life?"

Merlin's eyes darkened. "Ruining your life? I am your life, Arthur! Its our destiny, we're two sides of the-"

"For god's sake, Merlin, I - don't -care! I don't care what your dragon said. What makes you think he knows everything anyway?" He glared at Merlin for a few moments, and then turned away abruptly and strode to the window."Just get out, Merlin," he snarled. "I don't want to look at you. I don't want to talk to you. I don't want anything to do with you."

"Where am I supposed to go? Your father-"

"GET OUT!"

Arthur's voice echoed through the room, silencing Merlin in seconds. He heard soft slow footsteps as Merlin turned and left. He shut his eyes and hit the wall hard with his fist, not even noticing the blood that began to trickle down his knuckles.

"My father was right," he whipsered. "Magic is evil."

Gasp! Looks like the mysterious stranger is getting his wish - Merlin is slowly but surely being stripped of his firends... what will happen next? Please REVIEW!

SUPRNTRAL LVR.