Hidden Motives

A/N: Thanks for the reviews as always. A few notes about this chapter. Firstly, I haven't researched the legends and origins of Camelot, so if anything I've put in here is completely ridiculous then I apologise in advance. I'll have to class it as AU. Secondly, I promise that we are getting back into the action very soon; this is really the last set up chapter for the next big section of the story. Just wanted to reassure you that I'm not wandering aimlessly through the story.

Anyway, on we go. Please let me know what you think.

Chapter 13

'Here you go,' Gwen said as she came through her door, completely out of breath. She was carrying a huge basket of what appeared to be laundry, but as it was put down on the table with a resounding thud, it was evident that the basket contained something other than pressed sheets from the castle.

Gwaine walked over to it and pulled out the helmets, chainmail and uniform of the palace guards.

'And you're sure nobody saw you?' Merlin asked her.

'I'm sure; the laundry and polishing rooms are empty at this time of day. No-one saw anything.'

'And you've been and spoken to Gaius?' he asked.

'I tried. He wasn't there.'

'Of course,' Merlin muttered; he should have realised. 'It's his morning rounds.'

'I've left a note telling him to come to the archives as soon as he can. And I explained what I could in the note.'

'We could always wait for him,' Lancelot suggested. 'It will look less suspicious to Geoffrey if Gaius is with her.'

'He won't suspect me,' Gwen assured him. 'I've known him since I was a little girl.'

'I don't want to wait any longer,' Merlin agreed.

'Me neither,' Gwaine added, already having dressed himself in his disguise while they were talking. Merlin shook his head and smiled. The knight had been climbing the walls with boredom since yesterday. Sitting and waiting wasn't his forte.

Quickly, Lancelot and Merlin also got changed into their borrowed clothes. Merlin hated wearing chainmail. He always had done. It was one of the reasons why –despite Arthur frequently telling him to do so- Merlin rarely chose to don it. It was heavy and uncomfortable and it hung off him in a slightly ridiculous way; even now, as he put his disguise on, it was obvious that he completely lacked the stockiness of a knight.

'Why don't you try wearing your own clothes underneath?' Gwen suggested hesitantly.

'You really don't look the part,' Gwaine agreed, laughing to himself and giving Merlin a playful punch on the arm.

'That's because I'm not the part,' he sighed as he took all the items off again and disappeared back behind the screen. 'If there was any other way of getting into the castle I'd take it.'

At last they were all ready. Gwen casually stepped outside of her front door and looked up and down the street before nodding. Assured that they would not be seen leaving Gwen's house, the three of them made their way out and quickly sorted themselves into a line. They had practiced the marching technique for at least an hour last night and then again this morning, to ensure that they would look convincing as palace guards.

It was worryingly easy to get into the palace through the soldiers' entrance and Merlin made a mental note to mention the security discrepancies to Arthur when they found him. No-one questioned them as they walked confidently forward and no-one challenged them as to where they were going, even when they took the route down to the archives which, generally, soldiers didn't patrol.

Once there, Lancelot and Gwaine guarded either end of the corridor, while Merlin quickly got rid of his chainmail; it would be far too noisy once he was in there and the last thing they needed was Geoffrey of Monmouth spotting a wanted criminal riffling through Camelot's secret documents.

Just as Merlin had finished hiding the items behind a bronze statue, Guinevere rounded the corner. She looked nervous and kept on glancing up and down the corridors as if expecting a pursuer.

'You need to look more natural,' Merlin whispered to her.

'I'm trying, but this doesn't feel natural. Lying and sneaking around and then searching for Camelot's secrets.' Merlin nodded in sympathy, although he couldn't help but realise that the whole situation felt completely natural to him.

'Well never mind. We've got to go in now.'

She nodded and walked over to the entrance of the archives. It was a simple wooden door, but Merlin knew full well, the maze of arched passageways and bookshelves that it concealed. It would be difficult to find what they needed to in the time they had. Which was why he needed Gaius to hurry up and distract Gwen; with his magic, he could search so much more quickly.

Ahead, Gwen pushed open the door and walked in. Merlin pressed himself against it, keeping the door open, and waited. He could just make out Geoffrey sitting at his desk, surrounded by parchments which he seemed to be putting into an order of some sort, but from the looks of it he hadn't got very far.

'Sir,' he heard Gwen's voice politely sound down the hall.

'Ah, Guinevere. I don't see you here very often,' the man replied; an evident affection in his voice.

'No, I don't remember the last time I was here, but I'm helping Gaius.'

'How is Gaius, I meant to go and see him; he's had a difficult few days, what with that boy of his…' he coughed.

'He's coping,' Gwen nodded. 'It hit him very hard.' Merlin felt guilt well up inside him as he realised that he hadn't, aside from his part in their plan, given Gaius a thought since his escape from the gallows yesterday. How was his friend and mentor doing? He would have to reassure him once he arrived at the archives. 'But that's why I'm here; trying to take the load off a little.'

'That's very good of you.'

'He wants to find a few books on rare herbs; he's misplaced some of his own. Could you show me the section?'

'Of course, it would be my pleasure.' Merlin heard the scrape of the chair and pressed himself back a little further, but there was no need to worry; Geoffrey never looked back.

'Gaius will be along shortly,' Gwen was saying, her voice getting fainter, 'I just wanted to get a head start.'

They soon disappeared out of view and Merlin took his chance. He rushed over to the desk and searched for the log book that contained a detailed map of the different sections of the archives. He scanned the list and tapped the page in victory as he spotted the section he was looking for: maps and details of the castle's buildings and architecture. There were so many things in the archives that Merlin was hoping to find a clue as to where Theo might possibly be keeping Arthur. He wasn't under any illusions: the archives might provide them with no answers, but Merlin wanted to try that avenue first. If that failed, then running headlong into the situation completely blind would be their only option, but Merlin was only going to use that as a last resort.

The sound of Geoffrey coming back, calling to Gwen to let her know she could take as long as she liked, sent Merlin diving into one of the arched passageways for cover. He didn't wait to see the man return to his post and instead weaved his way to where he knew Gwen would be. He had looked for books for Gaius enough times to know exactly where Geoffrey had directed her.

He passed hundreds of bookshelves, loaded with parchments and old bound volumes that looked older than the castle itself. Dust clogged the air and made the light coming in from the small high windows duller than it should have been. He soon reached the passage way and saw Gwen waiting anxiously for him.

'How was that?' she asked.

'Great. You were great Gwen.'

'Do you know where we need to go?'

'Yes, it's in the west wing, towards the back, but it might be best if you waited here for Gaius.'

'I can help you,' she argued.

'He won't know where to go when he gets here. You need to direct him.'

'Very well, I-' but she stopped at sounds from some distance away, roughly in the direction that Geoffrey was. 'He's coming back,' she hissed. 'Hide!'

Merlin didn't need telling twice. He slipped back the way he had come into the adjacent passageway. A broken panel on the back of the bookcase meant that he could just about make out Gwen in the next aisle, hurriedly picking up books and flicking through them, trying to look natural. But Merlin saw her jump as the footsteps reached her passage and stopped.

'Arthur?' she asked in surprise, only just managing to keep the fear out of her voice. Merlin's eyes went wide at the implications of Theo being here. What did that mean for Gwen? Had he discovered that she was helping them? Had he found out that Merlin and the knights were back in Camelot? How could he have known? 'I mean…Sire,' she corrected. 'Sorry. It was just a shock to see you.'

'There's no need to apologise Guinevere. I wish you didn't have to call me Sire.' The way he said it, the gentleness in his voice, the affection would -had it been coming from the real Arthur- have touched Merlin, but its flawlessness only served to increase the sense of danger. They had been sure that the imposter didn't know of Arthur's relationship with Gwen. Unless, of course, he had found out.

'Did you wish me to do some jobs, Sire?' Gwen continued. Theo laughed and Merlin heard him step forward. Through the gap in the panel he saw Gwen fight to keep herself from moving away.

'Why are you acting so strangely?' he asked. 'We have a rare opportunity to be together at the moment.'

'Forgive me…Arthur,' she stuttered, 'I just haven't seen much of you recently. I thought maybe…'

'I would never forget you. I love you and I'm sorry for my behaviour of late.'

'You don't have to apologise,' she said shaking her head. 'I'm sorry, but Gaius is expecting me and I must get these books to him.'

'Geoffrey informed me that he was coming to meet you here,' Theo said, his voice silky as he closed the gap between Gwen and himself. Merlin felt his whole being bristle. What was the sorcerer doing? What was his plan? He didn't seem to suspect that Gwen knew his true identity. Or did he? Was this another one of his acts meant to draw her in?

'Well, I've found the book now, so there is no reason for him to come down.'

'Then let us make the most of the time we have,' Theo continued and to his horror, Merlin saw the imposter lean in to kiss Gwen. The panic on her face was evident. Merlin knelt, peering through the gap, not knowing what to do. If he revealed himself now then all would be lost, but how far would Theo push Gwen? It was evident now that knew of her relationship with Arthur.

The sound of more footsteps gave Gwen an excuse to pull away and peer down the passage.

'Someone's coming,' she whispered.

'What does it matter? I'm the Prince.'

But Gwen shook her head and smiled at him.

'Hello?' she called; Merlin could see the strain on her face as she turned away from Theo. 'Gaius,' she smiled. Merlin tried to catch a glimpse of his mentor's face, but the gap didn't give a wide enough angle.

'Gwen. I got your message.'

'Yes, I just wanted to help you find those books you've been looking for.' Merlin could see the meaningful expression that she was sending Gaius' way.

'Ah yes,' he replied after a pause. 'That's very good of you Gwen.'

'Well, she believes she's found the book, so let me escort you both out,' Theo said, moving past Gwen. Merlin saw her shake her head forcefully in Gaius' direction.

'Let me see.' Now he did move into Merlin's eye line. He looked well, all things considered. There was still a tiredness in him that Merlin hadn't seen before; it was enough to make Merlin realise that Gaius was an old man who deserved some rest in his winter years, not the constant calamity that Camelot and Merlin subjected him to.

'No, this book isn't the only one I need. It may take a while to find the others; they're very rare. The help would be appreciated,' he added, looking at Gwen.

'Of course.'

'Then I will leave you to it,' Theo nodded, his voice friendly. 'But Guinevere, please come and see me this evening. I wish to talk to you.'

'Of course, Sire…Arthur,' she corrected with a gentle smile that hid all her fear.

For the next minute or so, Gaius and Gwen kept up the pretence of looking for books on plants and Merlin stayed hidden, until at last they both fell silent.

'Gwen, what is it?' Merlin heard Gaius say and took that as his cue to reveal himself. On rounding the corner he was met with the astonished look on his mentor's face and the terrible sadness on Gwen's. He wasn't sure who to go to first, but Gwen made it easy.

'Look who turned up,' she whispered with a sad smile, giving Gaius a gentle push in the right direction.

'Hello Gaius,' he shrugged and was promptly enveloped in a hug.

'You do seem to change your mind at the last possible moment,' Gaius told him, his tone scolding.

'Yeah, sorry about that. My execution suddenly seemed like the wrong idea.'

'Well, I'm glad.'

The sound of Gwen sighing heavily drew Merlin's attention and he moved over to her quickly and hugged her tightly to himself.

'Are you alright?'

She nodded and took a few shaky breaths.

'I don't know what he wants. Why was he here?'

'I don't know, but I think it's safe to say he knows about you and Arthur. You mustn't go and see him tonight.'

'What will be my excuse?'

'You won't need one. You need to hide. Gwaine can take you somewhere safe.'

'But I want to help,' she insisted; wiping away the last few tears that were on her cheeks as if to prove to Merlin that she was strong enough. Merlin wasn't in any doubt of that; he knew of Gwen's strength of character; he knew that it was one of the reasons Arthur loved her so completely and utterly.

'You have been of more help than I can say, but now it's time for you to leave it to us. Arthur would want you safe.'

That, more than anything, seemed to convince her.

'What is going on?' Gaius interrupted, looking bemusedly between the two of them. 'Since when does Gwen avoid Arthur and since when do you hide from him,' he added, pointing to where Merlin had been crouched a few minutes before, '…besides because you've annoyed him?'

'This goes a little beyond annoyance,' Merlin told him soberly. 'There's a few things you need to know.'

To say that Gaius was surprised when he heard Merlin's explanation of the situation would be an understatement. The man had seen enough things in Camelot over the last few years to be open minded about plots and plans, but in this instance, he seemed to find it hard to set aside his disbelief. Theo was a key factor in his confusion; he struggled to see how such an unassuming quiet man could have been so subversive and malevolent underneath. Soon, however, when the initial shock was over, he began to go through the names of possible sorcerers who could have survived the purge and possessed the skills that were required to pull off such a complex plan.

Key in his suspicions was a sorcerer named Sythe who had worked in Camelot and been in charge of warfare and training well over a century ago. His chief attacks had been rooted in the art of disguises and drama to mislead and confuse enemies. He had become incredibly adept at it and, with his impressive powers and slightly unpredictable behaviour, those who did not have magic decided that he was more of a threat than the other sorcerers. It was them who sought to kill him. Of course, he did not take kindly to that. Hundreds died before the plan was abandoned.' The information made Merlin even more wary of what the man could do. Many sorcerers had lived back then and had been mostly accepted by non-magic users. For them to rise up against Sythe, they must have been truly fearful of what he could do.

'He enjoyed playing games, becoming his disguises. He loved to manipulate people,' Gauis said gravely.

'Which is exactly what he's done,' Merlin said, running a hand through his hair. 'What happened to him?'

'His attack on the non-magical population caused outrage among some of the other sorcerers who wanted to live in peace,' Gaius explained. 'They turned against him, but no-one knows what happened. Neither Sythe, nor the other sorcerers were ever seen again.'

'Until now,' Gwen whispered.

'Until now,' he nodded.

'What does he want?' Merlin pressed.

'Revenge, power,' Gaius said slowly. 'He no doubt lost friends and family in the purge and as much as he loved to play a part, he preferred to see other people heedlessly playing the parts that he had chosen for them; doing as he wanted.'

'What better way to do that than take over Camelot?'

'Exactly.'

'But how can we defeat him?' Gwen asked. 'If he's that powerful, what can be done?'

'I do not know,' Gaius said quietly. Merlin hoped that he was feigning ignorance because Gwen was there, but one look at the man's face told him that Gaius genuinely didn't know how to defeat Theo…Sythe…whoever he was. That did nothing to lighten Merlin's mood.

'We must find Arthur, first,' he said quickly, deciding that ignoring the futility of their situation was the best course of action for now. 'Will you help us search for information?'

'Of course,' Gaius nodded.

The search was long. Gaius frequently went and assured Geoffrey that all was well, but that they had decided to do further research while they were here. The archivist showed no suspicion or surprise, but then he and Gaius had been friends for years.

The architectural records were stored in a part of the archives that were rarely visited. The parchments and books were all but disintegrating and they had to handle them carefully. Gaius managed to keep Gwen occupied in a slightly different part of the archive for a few minutes every now and then, giving Merlin a chance to use magic to scan through more records, but he wasn't sure what he was looking for.

If he found anything that he thought would be useful, he showed Gaius, but with every shake of his mentor's head, Merlin grew more and more disheartened. It was several hours later that he heard Gwen give a little shout. He turned to her, at first worried that someone was coming, but she was pointing excitedly at a shelf high up on the bookcase that she was searching. She was stood on a stool and, from what Merlin could see, was attempting to tidy the shelf. When he asked her if that was the case she blushed and shrugged, but then told him to pull up a second stool. He did so and could see instantly what had drawn her attention.

Behind the age-old parchments that Gwen was currently moving out of the way, there was a wooden panel made of oak wood built into the wall. Merlin felt around the edges and forced his finger nails into the cracks, slowly working the cover out of its hole.

'What have you found?' Gaius asked.

'There's some sort of hidden panel,' Merlin replied as the cover came away in his hands. He passed it to Gwen and then cautiously reached his hand into the hole. It went a long way into the wall and Merlin had to stand on tiptoe to reach to the very back, but when he did his fingers enclosed around a leather-bound folder. He pulled it out and handed it to Gaius as both he and Gwen got down from the stools.

They crowded around the ancient leather case as Gaius opened it. On it were some of the most extravagant plans that Merlin had ever seen. He carefully picked up the various sheets and studied them with an increasing sense of awe.

'What are these?' he breathed, but Gaius didn't answer; Merlin looked at him and saw an expression of shock and deep reverence etched into his features. 'Gaius?' he asked.

'I have never seen this with my own eyes.'

'What is it?' Gwen asked. 'It's so beautiful.'

'The city of the old religion,' he said slowly, a reverence in his voice.

'The one on the Isle of the Blessed?' Merlin prompted.

'No. That was the second city. The first…the first was a structure unlike anything ever seen. It has been lost in myth and legend. Nobody has ever seen a record of what it looked like, only a few tales remain.'

'So these plans…?'

'The plans are unique in the land.' The faraway look in his eye suddenly cleared and he looked at Merlin. 'The city of the Ancient Religion – Veneficus was its name- was the centre of all magical power in the times before the lands were ruled by kings. It was carved out of the earth itself.'

'Where was it?'

Gaius paused before answering and then looked at them both in turn. 'Here,' he whispered. 'Camelot is said to be built on its ruins. There was a war between the powers of magic. The city fell and Camelot was built by those who won –sorcerers, but ones who wished for peace. By building a new city, using no magic at all, they wished to put to rest the terrible history of Veneficus.'

'Why doesn't everyone know this?' Gwen asked. 'How could this be forgotten?'

'Because everything related to it was destroyed by the sorcerers seeking to protect it. I only know because I spent time with the druids.'

'Does Uther…?'

'No, I have never told him, but the cave where the great dragon was held captive was once the main hall of Veneficus, or so legend goes.'

Merlin took in the information with the same air of disbelief that Gaius had displayed earlier, but it soon dissipated, leaving a deep sense of the enormity of their discovery.

'If Camelot is built on top of the ruins, then is it possible that Sythe found a way into it from the castle? A passage maybe; one left by one of the builders?'

'It is possible. Sythe no doubt knew of the legends of the city.'

'Then if this is the main hall, where the dragon was kept,' Merlin said, pointing to the designs, 'then the section of the city underneath the armoury would be…' he looked through the parchments, '…the courtroom,' he finished, his finger hovering over the room.

'We still have to find the passage,' Gwen pointed out.

'No we don't. Look…' he said, '…the courtroom was a level below the main hall and to the east of it.'

'You're not suggesting…' Gaius said incredulously.

'Yes, I am,' Merlin nodded. 'We can go through the dragon cave and find the courtroom from there. It must be where Sythe is keeping Arthur. And if not, we'll at least be on the right track. We can search.'

'And how do you propose getting down to the next level?' Gaius asked him; the familiar tone of irritated despair creeping into his voice.

'Rope,' Merlin replied. 'Lots of it.' He carefully placed the plans back into their leather case and hid it underneath his clothes. 'Come on, we need to go. Gwaine and Lancelot will be dead on their feet.'

Merlin snuck out of the archives while Gaius engaged Geoffrey in a lengthy conversation about the history section of the archives, taking him off to show him where damp had crept in and was ruining the books there. By the time his mentor left the archives with Gwen, Merlin was already dressed in full chainmail and uniform, marching towards Gwen's house; the case pressing against his chest.

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