And here is your next update for the week! I posted on Thursday because I have no self control and I figure the chapter is already written. Have a nice Sunday.
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
Arthur continued to toss and turn. He was hardly getting any sleep, and it was all thanks to his idiot manservant. When he was awake, he worried about Merlin's wellbeing. How badly was he injured? What if he was already dead? What if nothing was wrong at all? Were just some of the questions Arthur constantly asked himself. His mind was also in a state of disarray as it tried to simultaneously convince Arthur to trust Darian and to kill him. Arthur knew that whatever spell Darian had cast on Camelot had little effect on him, for whatever reason, but that still didn't stop the magic from trying. If Arthur pushed off finding Merlin any longer, the euphoric feelings would overwhelm him and cloud his judgment. Every time Arthur saw Darian he had to fight to keep his head clear and focus on the issues at hand. He couldn't believe that one of his oldest and dearest friends was a sorcerer, or at the very least malicious. And those were just some of the thoughts Arthur was trying to sift through and comprehend when he was awake.
When he was asleep, dreams of Merlin dying took over his mind. He had had several nightmares that night, each one showing Arthur a horribly disfigured Merlin. In some of them, Merlin just looked at Arthur and silently begged him to kill him. In others, Merlin would ask Arthur why he hadn't come sooner. Those dreams were the worst as often times Merlin would begin to silently cry, leaving tear tracks down his face. His overly large and expressive eyes would display numerous emotions, ranging from pain and fear, to betrayal and hatred. Merlin's broken body continued to haunt Arthur as he snapped his eyes open for the twentieth time that night and stared at the ceiling. Now that he was awake, his mind quickly began to argue with itself about Darian and Merlin's welfare. Arthur cursed out loud and flopped back onto the pillow. He decided that he couldn't jump to conclusions. Not yet. He was sure that there was something worrisome with Darian's visit. But he had not proof. For all Arthur knew, he was stealing the palace silverware and selling it on the black market. A little voice in Arthur's head said that it was probably much worse than that. Arthur took out the pillow from underneath his head and slammed it over his face, as if that would stop the horrific thoughts from coming to the forefront of his mind. Merlin isn't in any danger! Arthur thought to himself. Then why are you so worried. You know this only happens when Merlin is in trouble. Another voice claimed.
Arthur gave up on trying to sleep and sat up. If his brain wasn't going to allow him the sleep, then he would just put the long hours of the night to good use. He jumped out of bed and began to pace about the room. What Arthur needed was a plan, a battle strategy. He didn't know what game Darian was playing, and that was the first thing he needed to discover. If Darian did hold a much more devious plan than capturing and torturing Merlin, Arthur needed to know so that he could protect the kingdom. Arthur's stomach began to twist uncomfortably, like it often did when he was worried. What if Darian was using Merlin to figure out castle weaknesses? No, with this spell he's cast on Camelot, all Darian really needs to do is ask. Merlin's voice came floating into Arthur's head. Arthur massaged his brow and decided he needed to continue organizing his thoughts.
Arthur figured that he needed to be sure Merlin was in danger. There was no use in doing so much reconnaissance if his friend wasn't even in peril. He had an overwhelming suspicion that Merlin was hurt, the constant twisting of his gut was the main cause. And Arthur never ignored a feeling like this. It was what kept him alive on the battlefield. Arthur decided that though he didn't have any solid evidence that Merlin was injured, his instincts were to be trusted before any other facts. Besides, it wasn't like Darian was going to tote around Merlin after beating him. No, don't think like that. Merlin's fine. Arthur thought desperately as he attempted to turn his attention to another matter.
After much deliberation, Arthur decided that if he were to collect enough information to pin a crime on Darian, he had to act as if nothing was wrong. He wasn't lying when he said Darian could read him like a book. That meant Arthur had to feed Darian half-truths whenever the unofficial knight asked a question. It also meant that Arthur had to continue pretending as if he was under Darian's spell. He couldn't act too fretful about Merlin, and he also could strangle Darian on sight. That probably would be a dead give away that Arthur was immune. He groaned at the thought of facing Darian tomorrow and pretending everything was peachy. This was going to be the hardest thing Arthur ever had to do.
The last thing Arthur decided needed to be done, was to gauge the reactions of the other Knights of the Round Table. They were some of Merlin's closest friends and would be worried when Arthur spoke of his suspicions. Arthur grinned as he pictured Gwaine threatening to kill Darian as soon as the words were out of Arthur's mouth. The other knights would try to calm him, of course. But Arthur knew that Leon had a bit of an aggressive streak. If you did something he felt was dishonorable or evil, he would punish you for it. Several visiting lords could attest to that fact after attempting to abuse their power. Since Arthur knew the knights cared about Merlin a great deal, he could use this to test how far Darian's charm went. If they were really being taken in by Darian, that could suggest he was a sorcerer. That would also mean that Arthur had to tread even more carefully. To fool one man into thinking he was still in control was one thing. But to fool five more, he would have to distance himself if they really were under a spell. Arthur wondered if there were enchantments to make a person become more popular. It wasn't out of the realm of possibility. If there were spells to bring the dead back to life, then such a curse would probably be easy in comparison. Arthur walked to the window and looked down at the empty courtyard.
"Darian, if you hurt Merlin in any way, I will kill you," Arthur growled. Arthur stared intently down, as if trying to see a familiar dark head of hair. He sighed when a stray dog ran across the cobblestones and disappeared into another corridor. Was it always this dark at night? Somehow it seemed cold and lifeless. Arthur felt as though he was drowning in it, unable to escape these fears and doubts that were steadfast in his mind.
"Merlin, tell me what to do," Arthur pleaded to his absent friend. Even if Arthur found enough evidence that Darian held ill intentions towards the people of Camelot, he still had Merlin. Arthur decided that as soon as he was done with his investigation, he would find Merlin. It didn't matter if Darian was a sorcerer and secretly plotting the downfall of Camelot, Arthur would rescue his friend before any more harm befell him. Arthur cracked his knuckles and laid back down on the bed. His mind was made up. Tomorrow he would question the Knights of the Round Table and Gaius. If their reactions to Merlin's disappearance were unsatisfactory, Arthur was going to find Merlin and take him away from Darian. Of course, Arthur had a feeling that regardless of what people said to him, Merlin would be in his chambers by nightfall. And Arthur would ensure that he was safe from Darian and his evil plans. With this, Arthur once again fell into an uneasy sleep. His heart pulsating rapidly at the actions he was going to complete tomorrow.
"Hello my little lamb. Time to get up," Darian's syrupy sweet voice rang out in the chamber. Merlin groaned and curled tighter into a ball. What time was it?
"Now don't be like that. I'm in need of your beautiful red blood," Darian chided as he gripped Merlin's injured shoulder and yanked him up. Merlin whimpered when Darian's fingernails dug into the wound. Darian leaned Merlin against the wall and stared at him intently, as if trying to decide the best form of torture for the day.
"Should I reopen some of your cuts, or make new ones?" Darian asked aloud. Merlin glared at him. He didn't care if he looked like an angry puppy. It was way too early for Darian to torture him. Honestly, he didn't even get up this early to serve Arthur.
"Were you crying last night?" Darian gasped softly as he traced some of Merlin's tear tracks with the pads of his fingers. His eyes shone with pride as Merlin attempted to come up with an answer that didn't sound pathetic.
"Well you did torture me for half an hour," Merlin growled. He didn't want Darian to know that Merlin had hallucinated Arthur coming to rescue him. Darian would probably use that against him. The memories of last night caused Merlin's eyes to become watery again. Merlin had been outside this room. He had escaped with Arthur. But Arthur left him again. He left him to die at the hands of this sadistic man. Darian smiled at the sight of Merlin's oncoming tears and walked towards the table, picking up a different knife and kneeling back down in front of Merlin. Merlin took this time to get ahold on his emotions. The last thing he needed was for Darian to believe that he had succeeded. Merlin wasn't broken yet.
"Are you ever going to give me something to eat or drink?" Merlin rasped. His throat was so dry and he felt really weak. Merlin remembered when the unicorn's death had brought a curse upon Camelot and he had been forced to go without water for several days. That was not an experience Merlin was willing to repeat.
"Maybe later today," Darian mused as he brought the knife to the crook of Merlin's elbow and pressed it into the skin. Merlin hissed as Darian began to drag it up to Merlin's injured shoulder before circling it around his back and bringing the knife to the opposite hip. Merlin didn't know whether he should be glad or worried that the knife no longer brought the same amount of pain as it did the first day. It was as if the nerves in his skin were damaged and unable to hurt like before. The blood began to ooze out of the cut as Darian set the knife down. He grinned with pleasure as he licked his lips hungrily. The more time Merlin spent with the man, the more he began to look like a wolf. Suddenly, Darian's comparison of Merlin to a lamb seemed more suitable. Darian ran his fingers over the new cut. Merlin caught a glimpse of his hand before it disappeared to Merlin's shoulder blade.
"Where's the bite mark on your thumb?" Merlin asked while Darian continued to trace the knife wound around Merlin's back. He was hoping that the wound would cause someone to question Darian's intentions and Merlin's disappearance.
"I healed it. You didn't really think I could walk around with that?" Darian chuckled. Merlin clenched his jaw and continued to glare at Darian as he licked the blood off his hands. He should have known the man wouldn't walk around with such a blatant defensive wound out in the open. Merlin reminded himself that it wasn't the first time Darian had done this, and Merlin probably wasn't the first one to fight back.
"Your little gift was quite painful. And not healing such an injury would be stupid. After all, I do have a reputation to uphold, " Darian explained further as he stood up. Merlin remembered fake Arthur's words the previous evening, 'Make me proud'. Well that's just what Merlin intended to do. He may die here, feeding a man with no conscience. But Merlin wasn't going down without a fight. Arthur would figure it out eventually, what Darian did. And when he realized what Darian was, Merlin wanted him to know that he had fought back. That he hadn't just laid there and let Darian take what he wanted. Merlin wanted his mother and Gaius to feel in their hearts that Merlin didn't give up. That even in the face of death he still was causing Darian pain. He wanted Lancelot, Gwaine, and the other knights to see Merlin's final moments as courageous. When people talked about Merlin, he wanted them to remember that he wasn't passive, and he wasn't weak. He continued to do what he did best, put people in their place. Merlin gathered the remainder of his courage and put his plan into action.
"Heal this, you bastard," Merlin hissed as his foot shot out and connected with the side of Darian's knee. An audible crack resounded in the room as Darian's face contorted into a silent scream, his back arched and his hands retracted from his sides in pain. Darian's eyes widened and the world seemed to move in slow motion as his body reacted with the injury. He crumpled to the ground, giving Merlin a sense of pride. It sounded like Merlin had dislocated his captor's knee. He wondered how long it would take for Darian to heal this 'little gift'. Merlin didn't have long to revel in his victory as Darian roared with anger and lunged at Merlin, his pain suddenly contorting itself into unbridled rage and power.
"You stupid little bitch!" he roared as he latched his hands around Merlin's throat and began to squeeze.
"I have been far to patient with you," Darian cried as his breathing became erratic. Merlin weakly tried to pry off Darian's hands, but to no avail. Darian looked akin to a crazed animal while his hands continued to squeeze Merlin's throat even harder. Black spots began to dance in front of his eyes as the need for air became too great. It appeared that Darian was going to kill Merlin here and now. Merlin supposed it could have been a more painful death. Strangulation wasn't necessarily something he would want to happen again, but he had had much worse. Darian growled and then grabbed Merlin's hair and yanked him up. Merlin gasped for oxygen as the hands released his throat. Perhaps Darian still had enough self control not to kill Merlin quite yet. Darian dragged Merlin over to the hook on the wall and proceeded to wrench Merlin's hands over his head forcefully. Darian viciously hooked the chains up, leaving Merlin to hang. Merlin felt tears streaming down his cheeks as Darian stormed out of the room. Merlin winced when the chains reopened several of his wounds and cut into his wrists. He flinched as the door was thrown open again, cracking against the wall and revealing Darian with a white-hot poker. Darian slammed the door closed and gripped the poker with determination in his eyes. Merlin bit the inside of his cheek, watching Darian limp forward with the iron tool gripped tightly in his hand.
"It seems as though I have been too lenient on you, boy," Darian growled as he pressed the poker into Merlin's side. Merlin couldn't stop the scream that escaped from his lips. Darian began laughing, removing the tool and proceeding to burn another section of Merlin's skin. Once again, Merlin's screams echoed in the chambers. Now was as good of time as any to test the so-called 'sound proof qualities' of the room.
"Now we're getting somewhere!" Darian cried triumphantly as he continued to burn Merlin's skin haphazardly. By the time Darian was done, Merlin had screamed so much, that his throat was now raw. Darian stepped back and was breathing heavily. His eyes shown with triumph as he began to walk around Merlin's limp form, examining his new additions to the art he so carefully crafted over the past few days. Merlin was sobbing and attempting to regain his composure. After a few minutes, Darian decided to finish the session.
"Perhaps now you won't fight back. No one is coming for you. You will die alone and unloved," Darian growled as he stepped out of the door and slammed it behind him. Merlin tried to regain control of his own breathing and stop the freely flowing tears. But this act was proving difficult. His wrists burned from where the chains were putting pressure on them. His torso was on fire from where his cuts had been split open and his skin had been burned. Darian's words echoed in his mind as he tried to unhook his wrists from the chain that held him up. He couldn't help but believe they were true. The only comfort he had received was an apparition of his master, and even that gave Merlin more pain than consolation. His friends had forgotten about him. Soon, Merlin would just become another faceless servant that would fade into oblivion. He wondered if his mother would notice. Would she storm into Camelot, demanding to know where her son was? Would that be enough to break the spell on Gaius? Merlin felt the blood flow down his back as he continued to try and gain enough leverage to unhook his hands. He gasped with pain, falling back down limply. The strain on his shoulders was now unbearable.
"I'm sorry, Arthur," Merlin gasped as he gave up on trying to escape and just hung there. He hoped Darian would come back and unhook him soon. But this was just another dream Merlin doubted would come true.
Arthur stood up straighter as he traversed the nearly empty halls. He was on a mission to find out as much about Merlin's disappearance as possible. Arthur was lucky that today was his free day. That meant he could spend the entire day investigating. George had been quite surprised to come into Arthur's chambers to find him already dressed. Normally, when Arthur had a day off he just lounged about in bed, not really doing anything. Occasionally, he and Merlin would go on a ride and spend the afternoon wandering through the forests, sporadically competing in horse races. Arthur's heart squeezed painfully at the thought of Merlin. George hadn't even tried to suggest Arthur take the day to relax. Arthur was beginning to realize just how much he needed and truly wanted Merlin by his side.
"Sire, may I inquire why you've decided to do things on your day off?" George asked Arthur while he straightened the bed. Arthur couldn't very well tell George that he had suspicions about Darian. Luckily, he had prepared an argument for anyone that might ask.
"Darian's presence here has shown me just how little I actually do. A day off from training and meetings should be used to get ahead with my work, visit the people, ensure Camelot is running smoothly," Arthur lied as he continued to eat his breakfast.
"Sir Darian's presence here has done wonders. I do believe that that man is a saint," George beamed, picking up some clothes that had been left on the floor. Arthur clenched his jaw. After a painful night of thinking, Arthur came to the conclusion that "Sir Darian" was anything but. He decided that silence would look skeptical, so he answered George.
"Yes. Darian always makes Camelot a better place," Arthur said. His stomach felt sick at the mere thought that he was singing this man's praises.
"Tell me, how's Merlin serving him?" Arthur asked. It was time to see what George's reaction was. If yesterday evening was anything to go by, Arthur would have to try to not to break George's face.
"That idiot? I'm surprised Darian hasn't fired him yet. The boy is an absolute nuisance. He is stupid, lazy, and all around horrible. I'm surprised his mother didn't drown him like a sick dog," George snorted. Arthur choked on his food at these words. He had never heard such language from George, and in such a disgusted tone.
"Are you okay?" George asked Arthur, he had returned to his normal, overly compensating tone of voice.
"Something went down the wrong pipe," Arthur explained hurriedly. George seemed to take this excuse and continued to tidy up.
Arthur shuddered at the memory. Something was definitely wrong with George. Now, Arthur needed to see if something was wrong with Gaius. He paused in front of the physician's door and prepared his speech. Arthur silently prayed that Gaius would be his old self, and that he would still care about Merlin. Arthur regained his stoic composure and opened the door.
"Sire, what can I do for you?" Gaius asked, looking up from a large book. Arthur stepped into the small room and looked around. It certainly seemed like Gaius was normal. Then again, George seemed normal until Arthur asked about Merlin.
"I was wondering if you were enjoying Darian's visit. I know you love discussing different herbs and medicines from different places," Arthur lied. He smiled at Gaius as the physician stood up and dusted off his robes.
"Oh it's most wonderful that he is here. I just love talking to him about all the different techniques he has the opportunity to discover," Gaius beamed. Arthur chuckled. So far, Gaius seemed normal. But he was fawning over Darian like he was the sun and the moon. Arthur's stomach twisted with worry as Gaius continued to speak.
"In fact, just the other night we were discussing the effects of holly berry on heart problems," Gaius said enthusiastically. Arthur decided to stop him before he got too much into his rant. Merlin often warned Arthur never to get Gaius started on anything medical related. Apparently, a simple question about what yarrow looks like can turn into an hour lecture about how to heal stomach ulcers. Arthur really didn't need any lessons at the moment. He put up his hands to stop Gaius mid-lecture. Gaius looked taken aback but allowed Arthur to continue his questioning.
"I also wanted to know if Merlin is enjoying Darian's company," Arthur said earnestly. He silently begged for Gaius to have the opposite reaction of George.
"Why should I care what that boy thinks. He's a leech and the sooner he's gone the better," Gaius snorted. Arthur's heart dropped. What was going on with his people? Arthur laughed nervously so that Gaius wouldn't become doubtful of where Arthur's loyalties lay. Arthur suddenly felt a hand clasp his shoulder and his knees almost buckled from the newly introduced weight that had been placed upon his body.
"Arthur, my dear boy!" Darian's voice rang out from behind him. Arthur almost turned around and took off Darian's head. The only reason why he didn't was because he had yet to discover where Merlin was. Arthur quickly regained his composure and turned to face Darian with a large smile plastered on his face. Hopefully it looked real.
"Darian! How are you?" Arthur asked with fake cheer. Gaius walked up to Darian and shook his hand eagerly.
"We were just discussing you, old friend," Gaius smiled as he led Darian inside. Arthur gasped when Darian walked down the stairs with a severe limp.
"What happened? My idiot servant didn't accidently trip you, did he?" Arthur asked, rolling his eyes. Setting eyes on Darian helped dissipate some of Arthur's suspicions. Darian was a carefree guy. There was no reason to doubt him. In fact, Arthur should start admiring him like everyone else. Arthur smiled as his mind began to clear from all his worries and joy began to take over. Merlin's broken body flashed into Arthur's thoughts for a split second, drawing him out of the spell. He quickly slammed a lid down on the bliss that was beginning to overtake his mind. Something is wrong with this man. He is probably hurting Merlin. Arthur reminded himself as he attempted to stop the happiness from overwhelming his rationality. It was a struggle, like a constant tug-of-war with his emotions. The rational side was fighting valiantly to keep from being overpowered by the untroubled attitude that Darian's presence seemed to force upon Arthur. This made Arthur even more suspicious of Darian's motives. Arthur decided to focus on attempting to read the labels on several potion bottles and ignore Darian's presence in the room. Gaius helped Darian down into a chair and quickly rolled up his pant leg, gasping at the swollen knee.
"If my parasite of a ward did this to you, he will be punished," Gaius growled as he examined the wound. Arthur's head snapped up and he decided to get a closer look at Darian's injury.
"No, it wasn't Merlin's fault. There was some water on the stairs and I slipped and fell," Darian laughed, though it was forced.
"It looks as though someone kicked in your knee," Arthur muttered to himself as he examined the injured limb. Arthur didn't miss the flash of fear that had crossed Darian's eyes. Something was definitely up with this man. Arthur chose to make Darian think he hadn't seen it. Do not draw attention to the fact that you are wary of Darian. Arthur reminded himself as he stood back up.
"It must have been the way I fell," Darian winced when Gaius began rubbing some salve on the appendage.
"Well you're lucky it wasn't dislocated. It looks like it could have been," Gaius responded dryly as he began to wrap it. "Try to keep weight off of it and don't do so much physical activity," Gaius commanded.
"Arthur, can you get me a pain potion? The ones on the far left of the table should do," Gaius said. Arthur pursed his lips and went over to the small cluster of bottles. If Darian was hurting Merlin, the last thing Arthur wanted was to ease his pain. However, he also couldn't risk Merlin's life. Arthur silently begged for Merlin's forgiveness before picking up a bottle and handing it to Darian.
"Thank you my boy," Darian said cheerfully. Arthur forced a chuckle.
"You don't have to act so happy. You did almost dislocate your knee. You're allowed to be in pain," Arthur said lightly. Darian grimaced as he swallowed the potion in one go.
"I have a reputation to uphold, Arthur. If I'm not happy, no one is," Darian said with a smile. Arthur stared intently at the man before deciding he should leave and organize his thoughts before he beat Darian's head in or the merry feelings completely took over.
"I need to go talk with Leon. Sorry I can't stay and keep you company," Arthur said with an apologetic smile.
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure Leon already thinks I'm a bad influence," Darian laughed good naturedly before waving Arthur out of the door.
"I'll visit later," Arthur falsely promised as he stepped out into the small corridor.
Arthur practically ran to an empty chamber before slamming the door shut and sinking down into the floor. Arthur had seen injuries like Darian's. It came from when you kicked a person's knee from the right angle. Arthur smiled shakily to himself. Merlin appeared to be fighting back. Though this was probably making Darian even angrier. Arthur's smile fell as he began to picture the condition Merlin was in. Bloody, bruised, broken, all words that flashed into Arthur's mind as his imagination began to run wild with thoughts of Merlin's condition.
"Stop it. That won't help you save him," Arthur scolded. He scrubbed his face with his hands. Arthur decided that now was the time to look at the facts he had obtained.
First there was everyone's reactions when Arthur mentioned Merlin's disappearance. He had yet to talk to the others, but he had a feeling they were going to be the same as Gaius' and George's. Both men had basically said they didn't care about Merlin. Arthur understood that George and Merlin weren't that close. But for Gaius to think Merlin was nothing but a pathetic leech, that was almost overwhelming. Arthur thought back to some of his previous thoughts. He too had started to fall into the trap of think Merlin was rubbish.
Second, there was the feelings of ecstasy that always seemed to accompany Darian. Arthur began to realize that every time the man was near Arthur, Arthur had to struggle to keep from feeling happy. And not just marginally more at ease, no this was full out bliss he was trying to keep from taking over his mind. This solidified Arthur's theory that Darian was using magic. Or he at least had some sort of magic pendant that helped control people's feelings.
Arthur's next thoughts were of Merlin. Why would Darian be keeping him prisoner? Arthur would have thought that it was maybe because Merlin saw Darian do magic, but that didn't fit completely. Merlin had been missing for almost a day and a half. The injury on Darian's knee was only about an hour old. Why keep Merlin alive if he saw Darian do magic? And why work so hard to make people hate him? Arthur leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.
"Come on, Merlin. Give me something to work with here," Arthur whispered. He was glad Merlin had injured Darian's knee. It would serve as a reminder that Darian had someone Arthur lo-, cared deeply for, and hopefully would keep Arthur from falling under Darian's spell. Arthur chuckled humorously to himself. Darian's attempt to make Arthur happy was probably saving the man's life. It was the only thing that stopped Arthur from cutting his head off, that and Merlin's life.
"Just stay alive a little longer Merlin. I will come for you," Arthur whispered again as he stood up and prepared himself for the confrontation with his knights. Hopefully, they wouldn't say anything too upsetting about Merlin. Arthur just had to keep reminding himself that they were under a spell, and that they didn't have any control over their words or actions.
"They better be under a spell. Because if they aren't, I will banish them," Arthur grumbled. He poked his head out of the door and checked to make sure the coast was clear.
Merlin hung there. His toes weakly scraping the floor as a constant reminder that he was unable to release himself. The clock in the courtyard chimed again. Three hours, he had hung there for three hours. Merlin's wrists and shoulders burned at all the weight that had been placed on them. The bleeding had stopped and the burns on his torso had gone from searing pain to an annoying, constant, throbbing sensation. Merlin gasped for air as he continued to swing ever so slightly back and forth.
"Keep fighting," Merlin grunted as he weakly raised his head to look around the room. He had a feeling Darian wasn't going to come and release him any time real soon. Merlin's head flopped back down onto his chest. Merlin shivered as his exposed back caught a slight breeze that was coming from underneath the door.
"Keep fighting," Merlin grunted again as he looked around for anything that could help him. Merlin sighed with defeat. He realized there was nothing he could get his footing on. And he didn't weigh enough to try and break the chains that held him. Not that he hadn't tried. Merlin hadn't given up for the first hour. Ever minute he was attempting a new form of escape. After that hour, though, Merlin had lost all hope and resorted to looking around the room every once in awhile. As if something would magically appear to help him out of his predicament.
Merlin began swinging his legs back and forth to try and keep the blood pumping through his body, though he had long lost feeling in his arms. Merlin continued to swing his legs back and forth before the chains on his hands raised off the hook ever so slightly and fall back down. Merlin stopped his swinging for a few seconds. Perhaps he could try and swing his way off of the chain. If he got high enough, he should be able to swing his arms off of it.
Merlin bit his lip and began to swing again. He climbed higher and higher until the cuffs began to come off of the chain for a split second before crashing back down. Merlin whimpered as his shoulder wounds opened back up. The pressure was almost too painful to bear. Still, he kept swinging back and forth until he felt the cuffs leave the hook for another second. Merlin gritted his teeth and continued to try and swing higher. He was getting closer. After a few more minutes and managing to almost release himself, Merlin delivered a powerful pump of his legs. The chain swung up and Merlin felt the cuffs leave the hook. He cried out in pain as he wrenched his arms up and over the hook. Merlin gasped as he came crashing down onto the ground, his ankle snapping with the pressure that had suddenly been placed on it. Merlin half laughed and half cried, the blood rushing to return to his arms. He shakily attempted to sit up and scoot back against the wall. His ankle was now throbbing with the recent break. His arms were burning from being held above his head for so long, and his shoulders were pounding from holding up so much weight. The door opened and Merlin looked up.
"Are you real or fake?" Merlin asked as Gwaine came strutting in.
"What do you think?" he asked quietly. Merlin didn't answer and turned his head to the side.
"Would you like to talk here, or somewhere else?" fake Gwaine said gently as he took in Merlin's current appearance.
"Somewhere else. I don't want to be here anymore," Merlin said, his voice cracking from sadness and thirst. Fake Gwaine nodded and helped Merlin to his feet before leading him out the room and into the hallway. After walking a few feet, fake Gwaine stopped the pair and lowered Merlin to the ground. He then sat down beside Merlin and threw an arm around him, pulling Merlin closer. Even though Gwaine wasn't real, Merlin still felt the warmth from his body.
"He really did a number on you this time," fake Gwaine chuckled, dabbing some blood off of Merlin's torso.
"Why are you here?" Merlin asked as he put his head on fake Gwaine's shoulder and attempted to leach some of the heat he was giving off. Fake Gwaine adjusted his grip and began to run his fingers through Merlin's hair.
"I think this is more comforting than sitting in that room by yourself, mate," fake Gwaine said. He pulled Merlin tighter into his side. Merlin smiled at the protective gesture.
"You know, when Arthur said to keep fighting, he meant stay alive. He didn't mean tick off Darian and cause him to almost kill you," fake Gwaine scolded gently. Merlin huffed in amusement.
"You're not coming for me. Why should I try to prolong my life?" Merlin replied bitterly.
"You don't know that you'll die here. You still have your destiny to fulfill. Hard to do that from beyond the grave," fake Gwaine joked. Merlin rolled his eyes dramatically.
"Maybe I'm not Emrys," Merlin grumbled. "And am I going to get a visit from everyone I know?" Merlin said, sitting up and staring fake Gwaine in the eye.
"Maybe. I guess it's whatever your brain feels it needs," fake Gwaine shrugged. He really hadn't answered Merlin's question, though Merlin let it slide. This was his mind, it only could be sure of what Merlin knew. And he didn't know if he could expect a visit from every friend he ever had.
"Well could you bring water next time," Merlin muttered as he leaned back into fake Gwaine.
"Sorry mate. This is all in your head. It's an escape, a reminder of what you're fighting for," fake Gwaine replied sadly. Merlin nodded his understanding as tears began to prickle his eyes. He should have known. But that didn't stop him from wishing Gwaine could provide even more comfort.
"How long are you going to stay?" Merlin asked. He hated his voice for shaking. Fake Gwaine pursed his lips thoughtfully for a second before answering.
"As long as you need me to," he replied, wrapping another arm around Merlin and holding him closer. Merlin burrowed his head deeper into Gwaine's shoulder, desperate for the comfort he had been starved from for the past few days.
"Thank you," Merlin sniffed as tears began to fall from his eyes, his voice muffled by Gwaine's shirt.
"Don't cry. Things will work out in the end, you'll see," fake Gwaine murmured. He stroked Merlin's hair soothingly as Merlin continued to cry into his friend's shoulder. Fake or not, it was what Merlin needed to continue fighting. After several more minutes fake Gwaine released Merlin and wiped away some of his tears.
"Be strong for me," he said quietly. Merlin nodded and sat up from his place on the floor. He heard some movement from within the room. Merlin looked around and smiled weakly while his next visitor sat down beside him.
"I don't suppose you'll tell me to be strong?" Merlin said as he prepared himself for another pep talk.
"There's no need. You've always been one of the strongest people I've know." Merlin smiled and allowed himself to once again, imagine that he wasn't alone.
I hope you all have some tears to shed for Merlin's pain. Who do you think the next visitor is going to be? And is Arthur ever going to stop dragging his feet and find Merlin? I mean really, the man is moving like a turtle in frozen peanut butter. Hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next week.