A/N: Well this is almost a first. A very quick update. Ive had an inspirational day and a lovely review which has spurred me on today. Thank you so much April29Roses. I am very drawn into writing at the moment. Also many apologise for the typos etc from the last chapter, i must have been in a rush. Just one thing that may be useful to know in this coming chapter/story is the time frame is set around the season 4 mark, though no exact time. Anyway. Enjoy! R&R as always. More whump to come in the coming chapters.
Chapter 9
"I warn you Arthur, one step closer" Morgana sneered, looking so pleased with herself. It sickened Arthur.
"Put him down, he has nothing to do with this Morgana" Arthur remained still, knowing the slightest movement from him meant almost certain death to his friend. "this is between you and me"
"I don't think so" the witch pulled the dagger higher causing the warlock to gasp and stand taller avoiding the blades piercing edge. Arthur flinched. She was enjoying this and he knew it. Her smirk said it all. "Why?" she almost laughed. "why is it your so fond of such a lowly servant may I ask?"
"Put. Him. Down" Arthur said through gritted teeth.
Morgana smiled. "Ok". In one swift movement she pulled the blade away and bringing the hilt down she struck the back of the warlocks head. Merlin crumpled bonelessly to the floor at her feet and lay still.
Arthur said no more, he launched forwards in an attack. Morgana's eyes glinted golden and he was thrown backward into the air and hit with the ending wall of the corridor. With a loud and deadening crack his head collided with the stonework and he joined his friend on the floor in oblivion.
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Arthur's head pounded, he couldn't ever remembering having a headache this bad. Even after a days ride with Gwaine babbling in his ears. He groaned and attempted to rub his head, only to find his wrists bound tightly behind his back.
"Finally" a voice came to his humming ears.
Arthur lifted his thumping head and cracked open his eyes. He found himself face first on cold stone, the smell of damp, mold and urine met his nose. Where was he? The flickering of torch lights met his eyes and he groaned again as the light pained his vision. As his sight began to return he gently sat up as not to jar his agonizing brain until eventually he was on his knees attempting not to sway in his dizzy state.
"Lets have you lazy daisy"
"Shut up Merlin" Arthur shot, looking to his friend who was behind a wall of bars. His own voice echoed off the nearby stonework and pierced his agony again. He screwed his eyes shut and swallowed away the pain before opening them. Merlin wasn't faring much better than he. The servant was bound in a similar fashion. His wrists tied tightly together behind his back, Arthur could just make out a thick rope extending from his bounds to the ceiling above. The King knew this place all to well. They were in Camelot's dungeons. How ironic, a King bound and locked up in his own city prison, Arthur started to wonder what his father felt in the same position all those years ago.
"Are you ok?" Merlin whispered this time, and Arthur detected an edge of shaking in his voice.
"I'm fine" Arthur lied and took a sharp intake of breath, "Just a bang to the head" he winced.
"Know how it feels now do you?" The warlock smiled and joked in the dark but Arthur could not make it out. "this is my second one this week" Merlin could hardly feel the wound on the back of his head, but he could make out the dried blood matting in his locks. Thankfully his tincture was not yet waring off. Telling him it had not yet been 4 hours since leaving camp.
"Don't try and be clever now Merlin" The King was clearly losing his patience and becoming edgy, emphasizing his friends name in annoyance. The servant was not sure if it was the dire situation or the head injury causing his friend to become so angry all at once.
"Its ok" the warlock tried his best to keep calm as he could almost hear his friend seething in the neighboring cell. "We will find a way to get out"
Arthur's temper snapped then. "You idiot Merlin, this is all your fault!"
"My fault?" he hissed back, losing his own patience "if you hadn't been such a dollop head being all royally prattish you might have noticed her"
"Well if you hadn't been playing magic tricks we might have got somewhere!" The king shouted
"Got somewhere" the warlock voiced hitched a higher pitch. "like where Arthur, dead? We were totally outnumbered"
"I could take them."
Merlin snorted in amusement at both his answer and their new predicament. Great, this was just great. "stop being such a self centered cabbage head" he threw back.
"Well if you hadn't fallen down that ridiculous ravine we wouldn't even have lost the damn city at all"
Merlin silenced. He paled and looked to the floor. The King had done it now.
"I didn't mean..." Merlin turn himself away as best he could and Arthur stopped. The warlock did not look up, but continued to stare at the cold stone floor he was sitting on. He slowly counted the rat droppings trying to ignore the idiot a few feet from him.
"Merlin I... " Arthur stuttered and tried to backtrack but he lost his words. Both sat then in silence, almost with their backs to one another. Slowly many minutes passed and the Kings head began to slowly clear. His rising nausea began to subside, leaving a dull yet still painful thud in his brain. How were they going to get out of this one.
"Cant you just magic us out of this one" Arthur finally said.
"Not funny Arthur" the king heard the defeat in his fiends voice "not quite that simple"
The two silenced once again as the distant sound of opening and closing doors sounded. Footsteps could be heard, slowly but surely getting closer until finally a familiar figure came into view.
"Hello dear brother, i hope your enjoying your stay" Morgana smiled in the dim light, looking at the king with scrutinizing eyes through the iron bars. Arthur did not answer her, only stared coldly back into her gaze.
"I need to ask you some questions" she shone in her ever blissful yet evil tone.
"I answer to no one Morgana" Arthur growled low.
She paused and smiled and he watched as she stared at the locks of his friends cell, shining gold in her eyes the metal fixture opened. She let herself into the warlocks cell, closing it carefully and precisely behind her. "Oh" she questioned, circling around Merlin as the warlock watched her. "Shame Arthur, i do believe you will"
Arthur growled low again, "Whatever you want Morgana you wont have it"
Morgana cackled then, slowly at first until she was full on laughing. "You just don't get it do you Arthur Pendragon, I will get what i want, you just don't know how do you?"
With a sudden flick of her hand, Merlin's rope leading to the ceiling was pulled taught. The servant's arms were hauled upward and above his head so they were stretched at full length. Merlin stifled a small whimper. Maybe his pain relief was waring off after all. His wounded shoulder began to burn. The pain intensifying by the second.
Arthur said nothing, he did not break eye contact with his sister. "What say you Arthur?" She smiled contently.
"Say nothing Arthur!" Merlin spun on his heels so he now faced his friend, blue eyes met his once again.
"You will hold your tongue" Morgana grabbed the boys chin twisting his head to face hers. "or i will have it and feed it to the wolves" she leered. "Come now Arthur, is he really worth all this effort, just to answer some questions" she tutted.
Arthur remained silent still.
"Very well" she flicked her hand again and this time the ropes tightened and sent the warlock almost off the floor and suspended by this wrists and tiptoes. Merlin could no longer hold his pain and let out a short and agonizing scream sending icy tendrils straight through the kings heart. The boy struggled hard for a moment, pain shooting down his arms, spine and swelling around his serpents wound. He could feel Gaius's neat stitches popping and coming apart and fresh blood beginning to run. He soon came to a stop, fearing the more he struggled the more likely he was to dislocate his shoulders. The Kings eyes widened and he felt saltwater welling behind them.
"Well?" Morgana smiled. Nothing.
She gently kicked at the warlocks feet, sending him off balance and swaying violently in his bound. He cried out again, and Arthurs stomach muscles tightened in anguish.
"Wait!" The king cried.
Morgana steadied the boy and looked to the king quizzically.
"No Arthur!" A strangled groan came from the warlock. Morgana kicked him again.
"What did i just say boy!" she shouted, without turning her gaze. "Well Arthur?"
The Kings face twisted in torment but he said no more.
The witch seemed to lose interest then. She turned away, walking back to the door of the cell and opening it, then magically locking it behind herself. "I'll give you some time to think on your options" she gloated at the warlock, teetering on his tiptoes in his bounds. "Then maybe you can rethink your answer" And with a swift steps she sauntered out. Leaving the King to muse on there situation once again.