Okay. 16 reviews last chapter- thank you guys sooooooo much XD Well, 16 does technically beat the sort-of 15 for chapter six, so congratulations to all who reviewws- you each get a cookie of your choosing, and a pair of virtual magic golden eyes. Bravo! I've decided that the competition should continue. So, if I ever get more than 16 reviews between the posting of two chapters, those who contribute will earn a either a ride on a Unicorn or the chance to play paintball with Uther.

Now, time for a forewarning. With tomorrow being Easter, it may be that I won't have time to get the next chapter written until Monday. If so, then you can imagine me giving a Dogeza (look it up :P). Just because I've always wanted to do one...

On to the chapter!

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin

Chapter 10

It was, Arthur had decided, about time for him to act. The Dragon in his dream had been right about how he had begun to realize where the true danger to Camelot lay. He had started to work it out long ago. Even before Merlin had told him about Morgana's magic, it had not been hard for him to spot his foster-sister's anger towards her guardian steadily increase over the few years before her disappearance. He just hadn't wanted to admit it. But now it was time for him to stop denying it. Instead, he had to stop her. And there was only one way he would be able to do that.

'You are but one side of the coin.' That was what the Dragon had said. And maybe, just maybe, it would be possible now for him to make it to where the other side of the coin was kept.

He had, of course, tried several times to release Merlin at the beginning of the young Warlock's imprisonment. It was the very least he owed his best friend. Unfortunately, his father had seen fit to position a team of the strongest Knights- each one loyal only to the King- to guard the passageways leading to that dungeon. It had been impossible to get through.

But now those Knights were most likely caught in Morgana's thrall. In fact, he had seen one of them in the throne room. If Vidor was anything to go by then, while so heavily under the spell, the people would be unaware of anything the witch sisters themselves didn't know. Which meant that, hopefully, the dungeon would no longer be guarded. After all, no-one seemed to think of Merlin as alive any more. Perhaps that meant that Morgana and Morgause didn't know?

And so it was that, when Kennard asked him where they would be going, there had only been one answer he could give. They were going to get Merlin.

It was a good fifteen minutes before Arthur deemed it safe to move. Morgana had been whisked off to her room to freshen up, and most of the other people had left, faces blank, to search for the missing Prince. It would only be a matter of time before one of them would think of the small balcony above the throne room. And the two Knights could not afford to be there at that time.

So they made their way through the corridors, slinking round corners, ducking behind pillars, and diving in to rooms if necessary. The castle was packed with people from all branches of life- it seemed as though Morgana had even roped in people from as far as the lower town to aid in the search for her prey. Arthur wondered at first about how she had spread the word so quickly, but after a quick whispered conversation with Kennard he thought he had it figured out.

The spell, it seemed, may not just have the effect of mind control. It may well be possible that the witch sisters had found a way to project their orders mentally. Or maybe the people were tied to Morgana's will. Who knew?

However it was done, it was bad news.

They managed to avoid running in to anyone, although there were several close calls. They made it so that they were just two passages away from the main cells without incident.

Until, that was, Guinevere stepped out from behind a pillar.

Arthur stopped in his tracks, Kennard skidding to a halt behind him. He stared at the woman he loved, relief surging through his body. Surely if she was down here, then that meant that she was safe. That she wasn't affected. It was possible. After all, he had somehow managed to avoid the spell's effects- maybe she had too?

Nevertheless, now was the time for caution. He had to make absolutely certain.

"Guinevere?" He whispered, ignoring the startled expression on his companion's face. "Are you alright? It's me- Arthur. Do you understand?"

She smiled, and it was such a sweet, gentle smile that he had to resist the urge to rush right over and pull her in to his embrace. She was fine.

"Arthur."

He froze. Her voice sounded the same as always, but there was a strange edge to it that told him it would be dangerous to stay with her.

'No,' he thought. 'Please no. Not her.'

And then she stepped out of the shadows, and the first thing he noticed was her eyes. They were blank and slightly unfocused, and her pupils were wide. Then there was the sound of metal scraping against metal, and his gaze was drawn to the sword the young woman was now holding at the ready.

"Guinevere?"

"I've been looking for you." And there it was again- that voice which was Guinevere's, but at the same time so inherently not hers. It tore at his heart to see her like this, leaving him helpless to do anything but stare at her.

Then another metallic sound to his right jolted him from his reverie, and he jerked his head around just in time to see Kennard readying his own sword. Alarmed, he thrust his arm out to take hold of the young Knight's sword arm.

"What," he hissed, "do you think you're doing?"

Kennard's brow furrowed ever so slightly. "We need to make our way past, sire. And I don't think she's just going to let us go. We're going to have to knock her out."

"What?" he shook his head. "No. No, we can't."

"Sire, we must. Don't worry- there won't be any lasting damage."

Arthur couldn't refute the man's logic, but every ounce of his being screamed against the idea of seeing Guinevere injured in any way, shape or form. And to see it done under his own volition would, he was sure, haunt him for months.

Kennard must have seen the panicked indecision in the Prince's eyes, because he frowned, his silver eyes shifting between the blond-haired noble and the mesmerised maidservant. Then his expression softened.

"I understand sire."

Arthur sighed in relief, then began scanning the surrounding area, thinking hard. Surely there was a way for them to get out of this without hurting Guinevere. There had to be.

Then a clash of metal made him swing back to face the source of the sound.

"No!"

But there was no stopping the battle in front of him now, and Arthur knew it. If he tried to step in, then at least one of the people fighting would most likely end up dead.

So all he could do was watch. Watch as the girl he treasured most in the world held her own against one of the most promising Knights he had trained in years. For a moment, he found himself unable to decide who he should be rooting for. Logically, he should be willing for Kennard to emerge victorious, but Arthur just couldn't bring himself to wish any form of harm on Guinevere.

But, after about half a minute, it was clear who the winner would be. While it was undeniable that Gwen had talent, she wasn't putting all of her concentration into beating Kennard, but instead she was simply trying to force her way through to Arthur. A dangerous strategy, and one Arthur had no doubt she wouldn't have chosen were she in her right mind. So when Kennard broke through the maid's guard and hit the back of her neck, sending her crashing to the floor, the Prince couldn't honestly say he was surprised.

But that didn't stop him from diving forward and kneeling at Guinevere's side, gently feeling the back of her head to make sure she was alright.

Reassured, he glared up at Kennard, trying to restrain the urge to punch the younger man.

"What did you do that for?"

Kennard looked suitably repentant. "I'm sorry sire. It was the only way."

"No- no, we could have found something-"

"Arthur. You know that's not true."

It was the use of his name, more than anything else, which made Arthur stop. He looked back down, stroking the back of one hand down the side of the unconscious maid's face, for that single moment not even caring about the fact that someone was watching. Besides, knowing Kennard, he had probably realized the truth of the Prince's feelings anyway.

He gulped, knowing that they had to move on, but unwilling to leave Gwen just lying in the hallway. However, he was not stupid enough, or blind enough, to think that they would make it the rest of the way carrying her. What if they ran into more entranced citizens? What if she got hurt? No, there was only one place where she would be safe for now. And then he could come back for her later.

With that in mind, he hoisted the young woman in to his arms, then struggled to his feet.

"Come on."

"Sire, we can't take her with us."

Arthur rolled his eyes. It looked like they were back to formal titles. That certainly hadn't lasted long.

"I know that. I just want to get her out of the way. Now let's go."

Kennard didn't say another word, and they begun to move once more.

A couple of minutes later (although it seemed much longer than that) and they were locking a cell door behind them, Arthur taking a few moments to stare sadly down at the sleeping woman now lying on the cell floor. 'I'll be back,' he thought, hoping beyond all hopes that Gwen would know it when she woke up. 'I promise.'

Then they were moving again, dodging through corridor after corridor, going deeper and deeper in to the bowels of the castle, grabbing a torch on the way. And, finally, breathing heavily, they drew to a halt outside beside a solid metal slab of a door.

Arthur stood for a moment, staring at the door. This was it. He had finally made it.

He snapped himself out of it, and begun fumbling through the keys at his waist, searching for the one he had prepared all those long months ago. The one he never went anywhere without. And then, with his hands shaking, he reached out and fitted the key in the lock.

Then, with a sharp, resounding click, the door unlocked, and Arthur pushed it open.

He could hardly believe what he saw.

La la la *Skipping away from any and all projectiles thrown my way* Enjoy the wait :P

ps. Review. Or I may be even more mean *grins maniacally*