Hidden Motives

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! They're so much appreciated as always. Just to warn you in advance: I'm going away in a couple of weeks time, and the story won't be finished by then, so if I disappear for a while, that's why. Anyway, on with this chapter. Had fun writing Gwaine in this section. Please let me know what you think.

Chapter 20

'Alright, I know that it's been a rough few hours,' Gwaine burst out suddenly as they were all eating a surprisingly good meal –it seemed the black market inn keeper had decided to keep his guests as happy as possible-, 'and I get that the whole Sythe-taking-over is tricky, but are either of you,' he nodded at Merlin and Arthur, 'going to ask how I set up all those distractions?'

Merlin couldn't manage to stifle a laugh at the petulant tone in the knight's voice; it reminded him of Arthur during his moods, not that he was going to voice that opinion; he didn't think either man would take kindly to it. He glanced over at Arthur who had paused mid bite at the accusing tone in Gwaine's voice. He swallowed slowly and then looked round at the others as if to check that the question was serious.

'Oh, yes,' Gwen nodded to him, a smile on her face. 'I've heard it three times already.'

'Very well,' Arthur said, a slight look of disbelief on his face before he switched to a smile of feigned interest, 'Gwaine, I've been dying to know how you set up all those distractions. I'm a particular fan of setting fire to Camelot and putting its citizens in danger through riots.'

Merlin couldn't help but grin at the cutting sarcasm, which Gwaine chose to ignore wholeheartedly.

'It was tricky, I'll tell you that, but I knew that the distraction had to be a good one.'

'Riots and fires?' Merlin ventured doubtfully.

'Well his highness doesn't deign to appear in the lower town for much less does he,' Gwaine pointed out. 'I needed to force Sythe down here to keep up pretences.'

'I come down to the lower town all the time!' Arthur protested. Gwaine just grinned at him and Merlin rolled his eyes; Arthur always let the knight bait him into arguing. On realising this, Arthur glared andthen gave a sigh of resignation, which Gwaine took as permission to continue his story.

'The fires were easy. I just picked a deserted part of the town –some old houses that were falling apart- and laid down the straw and oil, well the others helped me.'

'Others?' Merlin asked.

'Leon, Elyan, Percival. They were all in on it. It was almost impossible for me to convince them not to come and join us in our illegal black market cellar adventure, but I figured it would be better to have them on the inside.'

Merlin saw Arthur get a slightly faraway look in his eyes. They had tried to work out whether the other knights could somehow draw Sythe out or interfere with the sorcerer's plans, but it had seemed like a blind mission that would no doubt end badly, and the last thing Arthur wanted to do was send them into the battlefield while he was in hiding.

'So they started the riots as well?' Merlin asked.

'No of course not. Elyan in a bar fight!' He opened out his hands to Gwen for confirmation and she nodded.

'You started riots across the town singlehandedly?' Arthur asked him.

'I told you it was impressive.'

'It's not impressive! It's…' he blustered, but he didn't follow it up with anything else.

'Impressive,' Gwaine nodded. 'I started it off here; I'll admit that old John upstairs did give me a hand. Made sure he got all his rowdy regulars in to ensure it would spill over, but I did the ground work. A few rumours about other people that were drinking in The Rising Sun and the rest of the taverns, along with all the people in The Midnight, that sort of thing. I did my hooded disguise thing just to add to the mystery. They don't like people they don't know, caused plenty of mistrust. Threw one punch, blamed it on someone else and then sat back and watched.'

'And they just went and started fighting with everybody?' Arthur asked incredulously.

'Well, I told Leon to turn up and do his pompous act on them, which made them even worse, and I made sure that I got chased into a few of the other taverns as well, just so it would carry on. Mix that with Percival and Elyan sending the soldiers the wrong way and there you have it!' He clapped his hands together and took a bite of the huge chunk of bread in his hand. 'One brilliant distraction and probably the only reason you three made it out of the castle at all.'

'That is quite impressive,' Merlin told him.

'Merlin!' Arthur told him sharply.

'Well it is! And it did save our lives.'

'A little gratitude would be good,' Gwaine added, looking pointedly at Arthur. Merlin watched the Prince give Gwaine a half exasperated, half deeply appreciative look before he eventually spoke.

'I am grateful,' he told him, a genuine tone in his voice. 'You gave us the time we needed.'

'My pleasure,' Gwaine replied. 'What else are the knights of Camelot for?'

This time everybody, with the exception of Arthur, who rolled his eyes, had to stifle their amusement, but the tale had served to lighten their mood somewhat, even if it was unlikely to last very long.

Soon they fell back into silence, and the monotony of the day began to fray tempers. Arthur, particularly, became quite angry and sharp. Merlin and Gwen did their best to try and level his emotions out, but eventually Gwen had to take charge of the task. Past a certain point, Arthur tended to use Merlin more as a vent for his emotions, throwing all Merlin's attempts at reassurance straight back in his face. Normally, Merlin could counter them and ignore them until he could push through the barrage of insults once more and speak to Arthur on a deeper level, but he was so tired at the moment that he couldn't endure Arthur's rants with his usual patience. Not when a plan was beginning to form fully in his mind, one that would likely cost him more than he could afford to give. And so he left Arthur to Gwen, knowing that she could soothe him in a way that no-one else could.

By nightfall –which they only knew because Old John came and told them- many of them, despite doing nothing, were ready to sleep. Arthur seemed to loose whatever secondary strength had kept him awake earlier that day and fell asleep quickly. Gwen, too, disappeared into dreams as soon as she lay down on the mattress.

Gwaine, who had been climbing the walls the entire day, had managed to convince Arthur to let him try and rendezvous with the other knights in the hope that they could give a clearer picture of what Sythe was doing in the castle. Gwaine had proven himself so skilled when it came to staying hidden that the Prince let him go with a lot less argument than Merlin had expected.

That left Gaius –who was on watch duty-, Lancelot and himself still awake which was what Merlin had been waiting for. Quietly, he picked up his guard helmet and then, with a nod of his head, signalled to Lancelot that they should go and join Gaius in the tunnel.

'Gwaine's not back yet then?' Merlin asked as they reached the end. Gaius was sat on a stool that had been provided for them by Old John. He seemed smaller somehow as he sat with his back hunched forward. He shook his head at the question.

'He'll be fine,' Lancelot said. 'Probably in a tavern somewhere.'

'Hopefully not starting another bar fight.'

The two of them sat down on the floor beside Gaius and silence crept up on them quickly as they all considered the best way to broach the next subject. Merlin decided that it was probably best if he was direct.

'I'm going to go after Sythe.'

It was a testament to how hopeless the situation was that both of them were silent for several seconds before they tried to talk him out of it.

'Merlin, he is a very powerful sorcerer,' Gaius began slowly. His words were cautious and quiet. There wasn't the firmness in them that Merlin had come to expect when Gaius wanted to talk him out of a plan. It almost felt like he was simply going through the motions. He already knew how the conversation would end.

'And you're injured,' Lancelot added, but even he seemed somewhat resigned; there was something about his hesitancy as he spoke. The statement seemed more like a question.

'I don't need my leg for casting spells.'

'You know what I mean. You're exhausted,' Lancelot pressed.

'I'm fine,' he replied gently. 'I can't see any other way. It's too risky for Arthur to try convincing Uther again. And if we try to fight then we will loose. At least this way we have a chance.' Neither of them said anything in reply to that; the hours sat talking about their options had filled them all with a deep sense of helplessness. Merlin's suggestion did seem like the only way.

'Can you defeat him?' Lancelot asked quietly, his eyes searching Merlin's; wanting to know the truth. Merlin didn't answer. He wasn't sure; he still didn't have a good grasp of the full extent of his power. He knew that one day he was destined to be the most powerful sorcerer the world had ever known, but he knew that he most definitely wasn't there yet. The potential was in him, but he wasn't sure how to tap into it. He turned to Gaius.

'Did you find out anything else about Sythe? Anything that I could use against him? Any weakness?'

'No,' he replied grimly. 'He is clever, cunning and manipulative, but there is very little record of his magical abilities; too much information was destroyed during the Purge.' Gaius held his gaze for several seconds, an unspoken sadness passing between them.

'Then I will have to go in and try.'

'How, Merlin?' Lancelot asked with a frown. 'You can hardly walk up to the castle and demand an audience.'

'Actually, I might be able to,' he replied heavily. They both looked at him warily. 'He knows I have magic,' he said slowly.

'What?'

'The black cloud in the room,' Merlin prompted.

'Arthur said that Sythe conjured it.'

'Because that's what Arthur thinks. He thinks Sythe conjured the black cloud to make Arthur look like the sorcerer trying to flee the scene; trying to draw out the game for longer.'

'It was you.'

'Of course it was,' Merlin said sadly. 'Arthur was loosing the duel; I had to get him out of there.'

'Sythe doesn't know that it was you that conjured it, though,' Lancelot pointed out. 'It could have been one of the guards.'

'He does. When he cut me with the sword, I sent a blast of magic at him on instinct. He knows it's me. If I ask him to face me, he will do.'

'Even if you do convince him to meet you, what's to say he won't bring Uther and a whole army of soldiers with him?'

'He won't,' Gaius answered quietly. 'He likes playing games. He'll want to use his magic and he can not do that if the King or anyone else is present.'

'So, you just meet up with him and then…?'

'Try and beat him,' Merlin shrugged. 'What else can I do?'

'What about Kilgharrah?' Gaius asked quietly. 'Surely he cane help.' Merlin shook his head slowly. So many times it had crossed his mind to call Kilgharrah –he would welcome the dragon's council- but he had left it too late.

'I can't talk to him unless he's close by and I can't risk bringing him to Camelot. It's safer for him if Uther believes he's dead.'

'Then go somewhere he won't be noticed,' Lancelot suggested urgently. 'He's helped you before.'

'I can't leave Camelot now; I just can't,' he sighed heavily. 'If Sythe tries anything you'd all be powerless to stop him. It's why I need to go and find him as soon as I can.' He looked at the other two, hoping for their understanding, and just about finding it. Lancelot, however, still looked unconvinced.

'Arthur will never let you go.'

'I know; which is why I'm going now.'

'What?' this time it was both of them.

'What do I need to wait for?'

'You're still recovering, Merlin,' Gaius told him. 'Your magic doesn't rely on your physical strength, but it does help.'

'I feel much better than I did,' he countered. 'One more day will hardly make a difference. The longer I leave it the more damage Sythe will do.'

'And what are we supposed to tell Arthur when he wakes up and you're not there?' Lancelot asked him. 'You know that the first thing he'll want to do is go and find you.'

'Then tell him you don't know,' Merlin suggested. 'Just pretend that one of you fell asleep whilst on watch and I snuck out.'

'That won't work.'

'Trust me,' Merlin told them. 'Arthur will believe a lot of things, especially when it comes to me.' Neither of them tried to protest. They had heard some of the ridiculous stories that Merlin had come up with to explain strange occurrences. By rights, Arthur shouldn't have believed any of them, but for some reason, the Prince took Merlin at his words. He trusted Merlin, probably more than anyone.

The continuing silence convinced Merlin that he had said enough. Wordlessly, he got up and moved to the latch that would open the door into the alley.

'Just be careful, Merlin,' Lancelot told him as he, too, got up and opened the door a crack to check outside. 'Arthur won't thank you for getting yourself killed.'

'That's not my plan,' he answered, but his smile was shaky. His plan was to defeat Sythe; it didn't require him to come out the other end alive. 'Just delay Arthur for as long as you can. Don't let him come after me.'

A few claps on the back and firm embraces later and Merlin found himself out in the night air of Camelot. As he walked cautiously down the alley, he couldn't help but wish that he could have said goodbye to Arthur.

Arthur was startled out of his sleep by loud boots pounding against stone. Instantly, he was alert and reaching for where his sword was beside him, but as the world came into focus, it was Gwaine's smiling face that he saw. With a sigh, he dropped his head back to the mattress and closed his eyes.

'How long have you been gone?' Arthur asked him, not bothering to open his eyes.

'Not that long. It's about midnight. Talked to Leon, though; we've got a secret meeting place worked out, arranged it along with the distractions. Another reason why you should be impressed.'

'What did he say?' Arthur asked, deciding that maybe it was worth his while to try and wake up a little. He sat up and gave Gwaine his full attention; the knight came and crouched beside his bed. 'Is there any news of my father?'

'Just that he and Sythe are getting the city under control together. Leon says that everything seems fine from the outside. The fires have been put out and the riots were sorted. It's just us traitors that haven't been dealt with.'

'So Sythe hasn't hurt my father?'

'No.'

'What's he waiting for? Why would he wait to take over?'

'Perhaps he needs you dead first,' Gwaine suggested, reaching over and helping himself to some bits of dried fruit that were left over from a previous meal. 'No point killing the King and taking over if the true heir's unaccounted for. Oh, and everyone knows that there's an imposter. Sythe has to be dressed in ceremonial clothes the whole time because-'

'-because they're one of a kind; they have to arrest any Arthur not dressed that way,' Arthur finished for him.

'Yep,' he nodded, 'Although if you really were a sorcerer, I'd have thought you could just magic some up. Wouldn't your father have realised that?'

'I don't know; I don't even know if he's in his right mind at the moment.'

'Arthur?' Gwen's sleep filled voice sounded from behind him and he turned to see her looking at him in confusion. 'Is everything alright?'

'No worse than it was yesterday,' he told her with a smile.

'How are you feeling?' He reached over and cupped her face with his hand.

'I feel better,' he nodded. And it was true; he did feel a lot better than he had done since leaving the ruins. His body felt stronger again and he felt more himself. The injuries to his hands and side still caused him a great deal of discomfort, but there was an evident improvement. His sleep for the past few hours had also left him feeling refreshed and hopeful. Not enough that he truly felt like Camelot would be theirs again soon, but enough that the despair wasn't quite as crushing as it had been the previous day. Perhaps they could now begin to form a new plan. They were rested and fed; maybe this time they could find a solution.

Sitting up, Arthur rubbed his eyes and scanned the room. Gaius was asleep on the mattress that Merlin had been using. He, out of all of them, still looked the most worn out. No doubt the current situation was taking its toll on the older man. Perhaps Merlin had recognised that and given the physician his mattress while he was on duty.

'Where's Lancelot?' he asked, on realising that the knight was not where he had been when Arthur went to sleep. Perhaps he had decided to keep Merlin company while he was on watch, although Arthur knew that Lancelot had already done more than his fair share of keeping lookout. The knight was as much in need of sleep as the rest of them.

Gwaine looked at him with an expression of confused amusement.

'What you on about?'

'Where's Lancelot, means: where is he,' Arthur answered sharply, annoyed that Gwaine should find such a straightforward question so funny. 'Is he on watch duty with Merlin?'

'Merlin?' Gwaine asked, frowning and looking quickly round the room. He stood up and did another sweep of the small space, his movements becoming more urgent. At the raised voices, Gaius was beginning to stir.

'What's the matter?' Arthur asked Gwaine as the knight took several steps towards the tunnel.

'Merlin isn't on watch duty,' Gwaine said grimly.

'What? But…' Now it was Arthur's turn to stand up. He copied Gwaine's movements, looking frantically round the room, but a familiar feeling of anxiety was creeping up on him.

'I've just spoken to Lancelot; he's the one on duty,' Gwaine said. 'Merlin isn't with him.'

Arthur felt his heart beat fast in his chest. He looked around the room again, desperately hoping that he'd just missed the manservant, but he wasn't there. Gwen was looking just as anxious and Gaius, who had now woken fully and sat up, had gone pale.

'Then where the hell is he?' Arthur asked.

No-one had an answer.

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