*Stares gobsmacked at screen* Wah! Seven chapters in, and you lovely people have already given me 80 reviews! I guess taunting you with what's been happening with Merlin like this really pays off... Who would've guessed it?

Anyway, I'm updating this slightly earlier today (you lucky people) because I'm going out for a meal with a friend I haven't seen in Donkey's years (lucky me). So you should feel grateful for that person XD Not for me- because I'd be perfectly happy to torture you all for a bit longer. Because I'm evil like that :P

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin

Chapter 8

Arthur, breathing hard, stared down at the unconscious Knight on the floor at his feet. The ugly snarl had, thankfully, disappeared from Vidor's face, but there was still something in his expression , even whilst asleep, which made the Prince feel slightly uneasy.

Kennard swooped down from the side, checking on Vidor's breathing.

"Well?" Inquired Arthur.

"He's fine sire. He should hopefully come round in a few minutes. Should I fetch the Physician?"

Arthur shook his head. "No. He won't be seriously injured. But I do want to speak to him when he wakes up- help me get him inside."

Kennard nodded, evidently understanding that Arthur wanted to get Vidor out of view before someone realized precisely what was going on. The two took an arm each, hoisting the other Knight between them so that it looked like he was only slightly dazed (it was the first time Arthur found himself grateful that people had stopped watching his training battles). They took him in to the castle, then slipped into the nearest disused room they could find.

Once there Kennard moved without being instructed, moving a large, wooden chair to the centre of the room for Arthur to place Vidor on.

Then all that was left was to wait.

When Vidor finally came round, about ten minutes later, it was accompanied by several groans and by copious blinking. It took a few moments for his eyes to focus, at which point his gaze quickly settled on his Prince. Arthur hadn't seen a man go so pale so quickly since he'd caught a young servant boy gossiping about the King's marriage to the phony Lady Katrina.

Vidor jolted upright, sheer horror dawning on his face.

"Sire!"

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Now- care to tell me what that was about?"

Vidor opened and closed his mouth, looking as though he was trying to think of the best way to phrase his answer. Then, suddenly, he was still, his body seemingly frozen in place. Hazel eyes glazed over, unseeing. Arthur and Kennard shot each-other worried glances, then leant forwards. All Arthur could think was that Vidor was having some kind of seizure.

But then there was a twitch, and Vidor was moving as though nothing had happened.

His eyes, though. His eyes told a completely different story. They looked more vague than usual- almost mesmerised. And when he turned those eyes to meet Arthur's, the Prince couldn't help but shiver.

"It wasn't about anything." His voice was no better- distant, and slow. It was as though he was speaking in a dream, or as Arthur had always imagined a ghost would speak.

Kennard stepped forward, speaking slowly. Deliberately. "Vidor, do you remember? You were fighting Prince Arthur. You tried to kill him."

A shake of the head. "No. The Prince is fine. I did no such thing. He just attacked me- threw me through the air. I did nothing wrong."

Alright, that was just too much for Arthur. He could feel his anger rising up in him once more.

"Vidor, snap out of it. We all know that you tried to kill me. My tattoo wouldn't have reacted otherwise."

"What tattoo? The Prince doesn't have a tattoo. Never has."

"Vidor, you know I have a tattoo. You were in the throne room when I first told my father about it. And don't you dare say that you did nothing- I know more about how this tattoo functions than anyone. Apart from maybe Merlin. The only time it ever reacts is when there is a danger to my life which I am incapable of stopping. And people are only knocked unconscious when there is intent to kill. There is no mistake on that front- what I want to know is why you tried to do it."

"Nonsense. The Prince doesn't have a tattoo. Never has."

"Vidor-"

"Nonsense. The Prince doesn't have a tattoo. Never has."

"You just said th-"

"Nonsense. The Prince doesn't have a tattoo. Never has."

Arthur looked over at Kennard, then jerked his head towards the far corner of the room. They spoke in whispers, afraid that if Vidor heard them then it would set him off again. That bland repeating was just downright eerie.

"Do you know what's going on with him?"

"Not really, sire. My best guess would be some form of brainwashing."

Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking hard. "I knew there was something wrong with most of the Knights, but I was hoping it was just unrest over the kingdom's situation. I never thought it would reach to this degree." His mind turned back to the fight, shifting through memories to try and find the precise moment Vidor had lost control of himself. That was when he remembered.

He turned to Kennard, trying to puzzle things out. "You figured something out during that fight. Like something had clicked in to place. And another thing- how did you know about my tattoo? You weren't even in Camelot six months ago." It wasn't that he didn't trust the younger Knight- he did, with his life- but Arthur hated not knowing what was going on around him. If Kennard knew something, and had been keeping it from him, then the young Prince had the right to know.

Kennard looked uneasy.

"I didn't really know about the tattoo, per say, sire."

"But you backed off- you knew that it would keep Vidor from killing me."

"As I said, sire, I didn't really know about the tattoo. But I've been on several patrols with you. I noticed that whenever someone attacked while your guard was down, some form of magic blasted them away. I just assumed it was a protective spell from that sorcerer friend of yours- Merlin. I didn't know what form it took."

"Wait- how do you know Merlin's name?"

"I asked my brother about it shortly after my arrival here."

Arthur grinned. He should have known Kennard would find out about the situation. He and Mordon had an incredible bond, so of course the young Knight would have been to see his brother once he'd realized that something was happening in Camelot.

"In that case, there's one thing you should know."

"What?"

"Merlin- he's a Warlock, not a sorcerer." He smiled good-naturedly at the young man in front of him. "Call him otherwise, and you'll only have yourself to blame if he turns you in to a toad."

Kennard laughed. "Well then, I guess I'd better keep that in mind."

They allowed the cheerful feeling to continue for a few moments. Arthur was the first one to break it- there was still one more thing he needed to know.

"You still haven't told me why you didn't seem very surprised by what happened."

"Well, while I haven't seen anything as serious as what seems to have happened to Vidor," here both men looked over at the other person in the room. He was still staring of in to the distance, but at least he wasn't still repeating that same line over and over in that chilling tone. "I have seen some similar instances. Just two days ago, Mordon and Leon got in to a serious fight on their way back from training."

"I wasn't told of this. Is that why Mordon has those cuts and bruises on his face? I just assumed there had been an accident."

Kennard nodded his head. "It is sire. And as for why you weren't told, the matter was resolved quickly. But the circumstances only served to confirm my suspicions."

"Which are?"

The young Knight took a deep breath, steeling himself. Their eyes locked. "I believe the entirety of Camelot's people- bar me, you, and possibly a few others I am not aware of- are under some form of enchantment."

Arthur could hardly believe his ears. Was he to believe that all of Camelot had been placed under a spell, and nobody else had noticed? How blind would they all have had to be for such a thing to occur?

But the Prince had to admit that he had often been more focused on the situation with himself and his father than with the mood of the Knights. And even through all of that, he had still noticed that something was off.

He couldn't keep the images from his dream from barging to the front of his mind. Images of silent city. Of the entire Kingdom in a trance. Those eerie chants of 'Morgana.' And the Dragon's warning.

It all added up.

He gulped. "Tell me what you know."

"Well sire, as far as I could decipher-"

Kennard was cut off by a sudden cacophony of noises from outside of the room. Both men jerked their heads in the direction of the door, just in time to see Vidor dashing out of it. Arthur lunged after him, cursing under his breath. He knew that there was a good chance that they would still need to talk to the entranced Knight.

Yanking the door open, he wasn't expecting to see a stream of what seemed like everybody in the castle rushing towards the direction of the exits. He grabbed hold of the arm of one of the serving boys as he ran past, trying not to flinch as he noticed the same vague look in this boy's eyes as he had seen in Vidor's.

"What is going on?" He demanded. "Where are you all going?"

The boy tried to tug his arm free, obviously desperate to get outside.

So Arthur said the only thing he could. "Tell me, and I'll let you go. What has happened?"

"It's the Lady Morgana. The Lady Morgana has returned to Camelot!"

*Shudders*

Did I make that creepy enough? I mean, it's creepy in my head, but write a practically zombified person is harder than I thought it would be. And I didn't even realize he was going to be zombified until I was half-way through the chapter, so that just made it that much harder. Stupid characters- making me lose control of the story... Well, as long as they stick to the main points, I guess I can't complain. I'm still in control... Just about...

Do I deserve a review?