Hello everybody! Are we ready for the next installment of "Torturing Merlin"? If not, then I direct you to another fandom where they do not cause such harm to the main character that everyone claims to love.
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
It wasn't very challenging to find the other members of Arthur's "Knights of the Round Table". In fact, Arthur was surprised they ever managed to stay quiet at all. Honestly, the racket they were making was loud enough to be heard from the other side of Camelot. Arthur smiled to himself, thinking of all the good times he and the other knights had had together. Merlin, of course, usually joined in the fun as well. Arthur quickly drove Merlin's wellbeing out of his head. He refused to let his mind imagine the pain Merlin was going through at the hands of Darian as he pushed open the door to the armory. An amusing sight greeted him as he stepped inside to see Gwaine and Percival in the middle of an arm-wrestling contest. Arthur looked around at the faces of his men. Leon was sitting in the corner, sharpening his sword and looking rather displeased at the situation. Lancelot was hovering near the table, teetering between amusement and horror. Elyan was right next to Gwaine, cheering him on. Arthur chuckled to himself as he went to go sit by Leon. Even though Merlin was probably dying, it helped ease Arthur's mind to see that his men were still alive and enjoying themselves. He hated when his people were worried. And when the knights were worried, they often faltered at their job. If Arthur really was going to defeat Darian, he needed his men to be as sharp as they could manage.
"I see you lot are getting work done," Arthur joked as he sat next to the senior knight. Leon shook his head disapprovingly and continued to sharpen the sword.
"Honestly, they're like a group of children," he said, snorting with slight amusement. Percival managed to knock Gwaine's hand to the floor, followed by the rest of Gwaine. Gwaine laughed as he attempted to untangle his feet from the chair he had been sitting on.
"Hello, princess. Fancy a turn?" Gwaine asked as he got up from the floor and dusted himself off. He turned to Arthur and Leon with an enormous smile plastered on his face. Arthur's heart dropped as he remembered the way Merlin used to look. He would always be smiling, no matter what. Merlin was the one who made everyone happy. Merlin was the one who was always optimistic no matter the odds. It was Merlin that Arthur desperately needed if he were to continue running the kingdom fairly.
Arthur didn't realize how much he would miss Merlin. The servant had only been gone for about two days! But it wasn't even Arthur's worry that kept him missing Merlin, it was the little things Merlin did that no one else had the heart to try. Only Merlin would mock the visiting nobles when they got back to Arthur's chambers after a council meeting. Only Merlin would constantly smile to try and cheer Arthur up. Arthur felt his heart drop as he counted all the reasons he needed Merlin by his side. This longing for his friend to be with him once more caused Arthur to move his plan along. If he wanted to get his Merlin back, then he was going to have to question these knights.
"Unlike you, Gwaine, I know I won't win against Percival," Arthur snorted as he took his sword out of its scabbard and began mirroring Leon's actions. Just relax. Arthur told himself as he tried to calm his shaking hands. This is to help Merlin. You need to calm down. He continued repeating these sentences in his head, hoping the others wouldn't notice his nerves.
"Suit yourself," Gwaine said as he flopped down onto the floor. It appeared that no one had caught onto Arthur's anxieties yet.
"It is your day off, sire. Why are you here?" Lancelot asked as he helped Elyan set back up the chair Gwaine had fallen off. Percival continued to look at Gwaine with a sense of smugness surrounding him. Arthur became aware that he had yet to answer Lancelot's question. He cleared his throat and prepared his lie.
"Darian's visit has brought to my attention just how little I do. I need to be in the eyes of my people so that they feel free to approach me with their problems. After all, how am I to help my citizens if I don't even know what's going on in my kingdom," Arthur stated in what he hoped was a very kingly manner. Gwaine snickered, causing Percival to whack the back of his head playfully.
"Darian really is something," Elyan breathed, his eyes glossing over with a look of infatuation. Arthur wondered if that's what he looked like whenever he talked about Gwen. Merlin mentioned something similar happening. Right, Merlin. Arthur quickly steered the conversation back to where he wanted. Hopefully the knights were all too love struck to comprehend what Arthur was doing. Leon was probably the biggest worry since he was a trained interrogator.
"Gwaine, I know you were having some reserves about the man," Arthur said, turning towards the knight. Gwaine sat up and stared at Arthur.
"I was so wrong about him. He's possibly the greatest man I've ever met," Gwaine responded, wide-eyed. Arthur held back a laugh. It almost seemed as though the very thought of hating Darian brought shame to Gwaine's mind. Arthur remembered feeling that way for a brief second whenever Darian walked into the room. He hoped that the more he fought the possible enchantment, the less it would affect him. The last thing Arthur needed was to be dragged completely under and forget all about Merlin. That won't happen. I won't leave him. Arthur told himself sternly as the other knights began to worship Darian.
"He's the embodiment of Sir George the Brave," Percival concluded with a smile. Lancelot's face broke out into a wide grin.
"If I ever met a man I wanted to emulate, Darian would be it. There is no man braver, no soul wiser, and no human being more worthy of my love," Lancelot beamed. Arthur felt as though he was going to be sick. His men were acting like a bunch of teenagers who were in love for the very first time. He wouldn't be surprised if they had started building a shrine to the man in their rooms.
"He's not perfect," Arthur muttered, his self control fleeing his mind for just a second. He panicked at how accusatory the statement sounded. Hopefully it would just pass off as Arthur being his normal prattish self. Arthur quickly attempted to regain control over his emotions, he couldn't let out anything else. It would be too dangerous to both his and Merlin's safety.
"Oh, don't be jealous," Leon chided playfully as he elbowed Arthur. "You love Darian just as much as the rest of us."
"Yeah, I guess," Arthur huffed. Thank the gods his men hadn't realized Arthur's true emotions. Arthur gritted his teeth and prepared himself. He still needed some answers if he was to solve this puzzle. It was time to put the next phase of his plan into action.
"I was just about to find Merlin and see what he thought of Darian." The words were barely out of Arthur's mouth before Lancelot burst out laughing.
"Why would you care what that servant thinks?" he said between laughs. Everyone turned their attention towards Lancelot. Arthur felt his heart leap with joy. Perhaps the others were immune to Darian's spell as well, except for Lancelot apparently. Arthur was just about to ask what had gotten into Lancelot when Leon spoke.
"He has a point, Arthur," Leon said. Arthur's heart plummeted. They are under a spell. He reminded himself.
"Come on princess. You shouldn't care about what that boy thinks," Gwaine snorted.
"I suppose," Arthur said nervously. He cursed his voice for not being strong.
"Arthur, really. He's just a servant," Lancelot said, calming down considerably. "He's easily replaceable. If anything, you should ask Darian what he thinks of the bastard."
"He is a screw-up," Percival added seriously. Arthur clenched his jaw. They don't know what they're saying. They are under a spell. Arthur repeated in his head. What if they weren't? What if this was how everyone saw Merlin? No wonder Merlin didn't trust Arthur with protecting him. His own friends thought he was nothing but a screw-up. But that couldn't be right. If the knights really didn't like Merlin, then Arthur should have found out much sooner. Never before had any of them even hinted at their dislike of Merlin. Sure when Merlin first came to work for Arthur, Leon constantly asked him why he allowed the boy such free rein. But Leon still never thought less of Merlin. And the only reason Gwaine and Lancelot were even here was because Merlin asked them to be. They were certainly more loyal to Arthur' servant than they were to the prince.
Arthur willed himself to move, to leave before his men said anything too upsetting. But he couldn't. Arthur was unable to tear himself away from the scene that was playing out before his eyes. Merlin's friends now hated his very existence. You should have known this was going to happen. A syrupy sweet voice that sounded a lot like Darian whispered. You should just forget about the boy. You always complain about how useless he is. The voice continued to gloat. Arthur tried to shut it out of his head. Yeah he constantly berated Merlin for his tardiness, inability to properly clean, how he managed to ruin several of Arthur's clothes, and other aspects of his work. But Arthur wouldn't have it any other way. Merlin was allowed to get away with so much because Arthur didn't mind it. He found it funny when Merlin used shoe polish on the floors instead of the actual cleaner. Or when he put the blankets on the bed in the wrong order. Arthur may complain about Merlin, but his heart would break if any other servant tended to him for more than a week. Leon's voiced dragged Arthur out of his thoughts.
"Perhaps we should replace such a useless boy with someone more suited for Darian's needs," Leon said cheerfully. Arthur shivered at Leon's tone. He sounded sadistic, like the thought of Merlin dying a horrible death was a source of pleasure. Arthur was never more scared of the senior knight than he was now.
"Darian said Merlin is doing a fine job," Arthur interjected quietly. He struggled to keep his voice even. He mentally smacked himself. He was giving away the fact that he wasn't under Darian's spell. Arthur needed to get in control of his feelings and fast.
"I don't see how. The servant only manages to mess things up. You really should fire him and let him starve on the streets," Elyan said. They don't know what they're saying. Arthur repeated to himself again. He realized that everyone was staring at him, awaiting his agreement.
"I really should get rid of him," Arthur mused, trying not to wince. I'm so sorry Merlin. "He does more harm than good most of the time, and I would rather keep pathetic cowards out of my sight," he finished. Arthur hated the words he had just spoken. Merlin would understand why he had said them, but it still didn't stop Arthur for feeling guilty that he wasn't doing more to stand up for his friend. It has to be done. Arthur thought to himself. His declaration seemed to go over well with everyone as they nodded their approval. Arthur heard a clicking tongue and turned around to see Darian staring at the group. Arthur felt anger overwhelm the happiness that was trying to take over. He felt a sense of pride as the pleasure was quickly squashed, not even remotely affecting Arthur as it did in the past. Now, he was able to keep his mind focused of saving Merlin. Arthur was more than prepared to kill this man right there in the armory. The only problem was that he had five people who would probably behead him before he even took out his sword. Arthur had to remind himself that his knights were under a spell, and they would probably do anything to protect Darian.
"We shouldn't talk that way about the help," Darian sighed as he limped into the armory. Good, Arthur thought to himself. At least Merlin managed to injure you, you bastard.
"Merlin is a human being like everyone else. Sure he is weak and more of a leech than anything. But shouldn't we try to improve the lives of those who are simple-minded," Darian spoke. His voice was now overly sweet and Arthur had to continually remind himself not to strangle Darian before he had Merlin safe and sound. Now that Darian's spell no longer seemed to have a hold on Arthur, he was beginning to see and hear Darian for what he really was. His eyes seemed dark and soulless. They no longer held the same warmth and comfort as they did before. And Darian's laugh, was it always forced and merciless? Arthur remembered a time when hearing the booming laugh from across the courtyard meant a good friend was here. Now, it seemed that Darian had put on a mask, a mask that only Arthur could see.
"But the boy really is nothing but a sick dog. Why should we care about his wellbeing," Lancelot scoffed, scooting over so that Darian could sit.
"Some people should starve and grace the world with their absence. We are not so lucky to have Merlin gone," Darian replied. Just find Merlin and then you can slit Darian's throat. Arthur clenched his jaw and attempted not to murder the knight. Perhaps if Darian was dead, the spell on Camelot would be broken. Arthur decided not to test that theory.
"So we just need to accept that that pathetic excuse for a human is going to stay on this earth with us?" Arthur sneered, trying to seem as though he was still under Darian's spell.
"That's correct, my dear boy," Darian said with a curt nod. Arthur stared into his eyes. Darian's icy eyes bored into him. Arthur almost faltered under the man's gaze. It was as if Darian was daring Arthur to reveal his immunity to his enchantment.
"Darian, what happened to your knee?" Percival said, changing the conversation. Arthur was overjoyed. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take of Merlin being insulted by his "friends", or how long he could be scrutinized by Darian.
"I fell down some stairs. Gaius patched it up nicely though," Darian responded, patting his leg. He winced as his hand hit the injury. It was then that Arthur decided he had had enough. Any longer and either he or Darian would be dead.
"I need to go. And Darian, Gaius said to keep the weight off of your leg," he said hurriedly as he walked out of the armory, leaving behind his startled friends. Arthur didn't care that Darian was probably aware of his resistance. Arthur had all the evidence he needed, he was going to rescue Merlin.
oOoOoOo
Merlin prepared himself for Darian's session. His talk with Gwaine and then a subsequent one with Leon really helped him regain his drive.
"You're doing well, Merlin," fake Leon said as he laid Merlin's head in his lap and petted Merlin's hair gently. Merlin was glad Leon wasn't telling him to survive. It wasn't that Merlin didn't appreciate fake Arthur and Gwaine's pep talks, but it made it sound as though he wasn't trying hard enough. The way Leon spoke was one of admiration. Merlin wondered if the real Leon thought of Merlin in the same respect.
"Keep holding on. I have a feeling you will survive," fake Leon smiled as he continue to brush the dark locks off of Merlin's forehead. Merlin laughed softly.
"You're my mind. Of course you would say that," he said, leaning into fake Leon's touch.
"You do have a point," fake Leon responded with a soft chuckle. Merlin smiled and closed his eyes, allowing his mind to drift to happier thoughts. When he no longer felt Leon's fingers running through his hair, Merlin knew that it was time to make his friends proud.
Merlin sat up as straight as he could as he prepared for Darian's entrance. He grinned as he thought of the man's face when he realized Merlin had gotten himself off of the hook. Darian probably wouldn't be too happy, but Merlin didn't care. Merlin knew he probably should have been trying to figure out a way of escape, except he was so tired. He had lost so much blood, and the constant pain of his body made it hard for Merlin to concentrate. Merlin simply didn't have the energy to escape. And he was fading fast. Every hour a little of his strength left him. Merlin was surprised he was able to last this long to begin with. He had been in Darian's care for almost 48 hours and he had yet to eat or drink anything. That coupled with the extreme torture sessions his body was forced to endure, Merlin was surprised he was able to hold out. Merlin thought that his magic was still helping him a tad. Even if it was pacified, he was magic and so it was probably working hard to keep Merlin alive. Merlin tensed as he heard the footsteps walk up to the door. He was prepared for anything Darian had planned.
"How the hell did you get down?" Darian growled as he flung open the door. It hit the wall with a crack, causing Merlin to jump slightly.
"You'll be happy to know that it caused me considerable amounts of pain," Merlin responded strongly, well as strongly as he could manage. His voice was raspy and quiet from lack of water and screaming himself hoarse earlier in the day when Darian burned him. Darian simply grunted and hooked Merlin back onto the chain. Merlin winced as the pressure returned to his shoulders. They still hadn't recuperated from his earlier hanging session.
"What to do, what to do?" Darian muttered to himself as he examined the tools on his table. Merlin was pleased to see the man was still limping. He probably should have stayed quiet, but the urge to gloat was just too much to resist.
"Did you not heal your knee?" Merlin asked, a smile breaking onto his swollen and bruised face. Merlin's lips began to crack and bleed as they stretched in an attempt to show smugness. Darian stopped examining the tools and turned slowly to Merlin.
"I managed to get it back into place and fix the break on my tibia. I didn't have enough energy to fix it completely," Darian growled. Merlin's smile got even larger. He knew that he had done some damage to Darian's leg. He never imagined that it would have been so extensive. Arthur would be proud. Darian became frustrated with Merlin's pleasure and decided he needed to remind the boy just who exactly he belonged to now.
"I talked to your friends today," Darian laughed callously, regaining his calm composure. Merlin's smile fell.
"If you hurt them…" Merlin let the threat hang. He knew he couldn't actually do anything while he was in this state. But if Darian did hurt Merlin's friends, that would give Merlin a new reason to keep fighting. If Darian believed Merlin to be difficult now, just wait until someone Merlin loved was in danger.
"My lamb, why would I hurt them? I can't just go around Camelot killing people. That would be suspicious," Darian replied as he stepped up to Merlin and began walking in circles around him. Merlin shivered as he felt Darian's breath run across his exposed back. He was standing too close for Merlin's comfort.
"Just so you know, they think you are pathetic and should starve in the streets," Darian added from behind Merlin, his breath ghosting across Merlin's skin. Before Merlin could respond he felt a fist slam into his kidney. Merlin gasped with pain as Darian began raining blows down on Merlin's unprotected body, circling him like a wolf circled its prey.
"I should thank you though," Darian said after the beating had stopped. He walked to the table and picked up the whip.
"If it wasn't for your stunt, I would have never realized how much fun strangulation is," he said proudly as he brought the whip down on Merlin's back. Merlin bit his cheek and tried not to cry out as his back was torn to shreds. He didn't believe for one second that Darian had never tried to choke a person to death. This man would want to try every technique, just to see how good it felt to see the person's pain. Darian sat there and laughed as he continued to deliver the lashings in increasing power. Merlin's skin continued to split open and his shirt became even more torn and bloody. New cuts were added to his collection and old ones reopened with free-flowing blood. Merlin jerked his head down as Darian delivered a particularly nasty blow. His eyes landed on a pool of blood that had collected underneath Merlin's feet. Never before had Merlin felt so helpless. If Darian didn't stop soon, Merlin would faint and probably wouldn't wake back up.
Darian dropped the whip and picked up the large knife. It gleamed in the candlelight, a familiar red color still coated parts of the knife. It appeared as though Darian had never cleaned Merlin's blood off of the weapon. He walked over and dragged in down Merlin's breastbone, almost as if he wanted to cut Merlin's body in half. A metallic taste filled Merlin's mouth as he realized that his cheek had now split open with the pressure Merlin's teeth had been placing on it. Darian withdrew the knife before slashing it across his stomach. It was a shallow cut, much less painful than some of the other one's Merlin had been dealt. It was then that Merlin realized Darian was getting less methodical with every torture session. Merlin wouldn't be surprised if this one was his last. Darian continued to circle around Merlin, slashing wherever he saw fit. The cuts ranged from barely breaking the skin, to going incredibly deep. It was at random so Merlin could never prepare himself for the amount of pain he would receive. Darian then dropped the knife and tried to catch his breath. Merlin was trying not to cry. After Darian had calmed down, he licked his lips and reached a hand up to Merlin's torn body.
Darian began wiping Merlin's blood off and licking his fingers. Merlin regained some of his other senses and tasted the blood in his mouth from where he had bitten his cheek. It was in that moment that Merlin decided he may hardly be able to lift his head, but he could still show Darian he wasn't lying down. Merlin took what little strength he had left and raised his head so that he was staring right into Darian's eyes. Darian stopped licking Merlin's blood off his hands and stared questioningly at the boy. Merlin spit the blood out onto Darian's face, getting a glob stuck in Darian's dark curls. Darian cried out in disgust and stepped back, trying to wipe it out of his eyes. Merlin's head fell back down into his chest. It wasn't much, but it was all Merlin could manage. Gwaine would understand.
"I am done with you!" Darian spat. Merlin smiled and awaited the end. It appeared that this lamb had pushed the wolf too far. But the end never came. Instead, Darian cried out with wild rage and crashed what felt like a chair over Merlin's head. Merlin couldn't be entirely sure that he screamed as he felt his shoulder dislocate and his wrist crack. His hearing became muffled as blood rushed to his head, almost causing Merlin to be sick. It felt as though his entire arm was being ripped from his body and his vision went dark. But Merlin was still awake. That was probably the worst pain of all. He wasn't unconscious so he still had to feel everything. Merlin was distantly aware that Darian was speaking to him.
"You should have been docile," Darian growled as he unhooked Merlin and let him fall to the floor in an undignified heap. Merlin continued to lie there, gasping with pain. Never before had he just wanted it all to go away, had he wanted it to end. Darian reached down and gripped Merlin's hair and yanked up his head so that Merlin was staring straight into those cold, brown eyes. Merlin felt ashamed as tears began to make their way down his face. He whimpered with pain as Darian tightened the grip on his hair, as if trying to rip it off of his scalp.
"Tomorrow, you will die. I would do it tonight, but I want you to suffer," Darian snarled as he slammed Merlin's head back into the floor, causing spots to dance in Merlin's vision. Darian slammed the door closed as Merlin just lay there, wanting nothing more than for his death to come. If he died before tomorrow, then Darian couldn't feed on his blood. It would have started to break down. Merlin decided that he needed to die tonight, before Darian had a chance to finish him off. That way, it would be on his own terms and his blood wouldn't be as salvageable for Darian's use.
"Merlin, please stay alive," Lancelot's voice begged. Merlin didn't even look up to where fake Lancelot was. He was too tired and he was waiting for the end.
"Merlin, I am begging you!" fake Lancelot tried again. Merlin felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Go away!" Merlin sobbed. He wanted to die without any guilt. He had already failed Arthur, disobeyed Gwaine, and disproved Leon. He didn't need Lancelot to try and force him to stay awake. He knew that no matter what happened, he would be dead by tomorrow evening. Why couldn't Lancelot and the others accept this? He had failed them. It was over. Merlin wept as he curled into a ball.
"Just let me go," he whimpered as he closed his eyes, and finally gave up. Emrys was now no more.
oOoOoOo
Arthur stood in front of Darian's door, staring intently at it. On the other side could be the evidence that either convicted Darian, or pardoned him. Arthur clenched his jaw and attempted to gather his courage. He had about an hour and a half before George would bring him his dinner. If Merlin really was on the other side of this door, then Arthur would need to be prepared for whatever shape he was in. Arthur glanced around the hallway to ensure no one was coming and lifted his hand to knock on the door. Arthur sighed and lowered it. How could he put Merlin before Darian? Sure Merlin was a good friend, but Darian had never caused anyone any harm. At least, not that Arthur knew of. Arthur shook his head vigorously and shut down the thoughts quickly. Though Darian's presence had less influence on Arthur than before, he could still sometimes feel the spell attempting to worm its way back into Arthur's subconscious. Arthur ran his hand through his hair and stepped back from the door.
"Merlin's not just a friend," Arthur said out loud, trying to remember exactly what Merlin meant to him. Then what is he? Darian's not so innocent voice whispered. Arthur couldn't answer that question, at least not yet. But it didn't matter if Merlin was just another servant or his brother, he needed to be saved. Arthur squeezed his eyes shut and prepared to knock.
"He'll be fine," Arthur attempted to reassure himself. "He'll be sitting on the floor, sharpening a sword. He'll have a stupid grin on his face. He'll be fine," Arthur continue to say. He knocked on the door before his courage fled him again. There was no answer. Arthur knew this was going to be the case. Darian was out drinking with some of the knights. Arthur arranged that outing so that he could snoop around the room without fear of being caught. Although if he was caught Arthur had prepared a perfect excuse for being in Darian's room without his permission. First off, he was the prince and could go wherever he wanted. Secondly, he wanted Darian's advice on how to best lower taxes on some of the outlying villages. Since the two were such good "friends" Arthur wouldn't have felt the need to knock. After all, friends didn't keep secrets from one another. Arthur's hand gripped the handle and turned it slowly. His heart pounded in his chest as the heavy wooden door swung open to reveal Darian's room.
"Hello," Arthur called out cautiously as he stepped inside. He carefully closed the door behind him and began to look around. "Merlin, are you in here?" Arthur whispered. The room looked as though a servant hadn't tended to it in sometime. There was a fire crackling in the hearth, but there was a heavy buildup of soot on the floor in front of it. That was a clear sign that no one had swept up the ash. The bed also showed no signs of being made, or the sheets being changed. He stepped farther in the room and continued to examine it. There were several maps littering the table. Some soiled shirts were thrown on the floor. It looked as though the room hadn't been swept in some time. Arthur picked up a worn leather bag from next to the bed. Hadn't Darian brought two bags? Arthur remembered him telling Merlin he only had two bags to take up to the room. Arthur set the bag down and continued to creep around the room. He cursed softly as his search turned up nothing out of the ordinary. He was stupid to think Darian would keep Merlin or any spell books in the room with him. There was too much of a risk with people walking in here at random. Arthur looked under the bed for good measure before beginning to walk out the door.
"Merlin, just give me a sign. Point me in the right direction," Arthur pleaded as he put his hand back on the door handle. Arthur turned to stare at the room one more time before leaving. His eyes scanned the entire room before catching sight of something. Arthur let go of the handle and walked to the right side of the fire place.
"Of course, the antechamber," Arthur whispered to himself as he found the hidden door. He gasped as his eyes fell on a small cluster of symbols in the upper left corner.
"Runes?" Arthur wondered aloud as his fingertips traced the ancient symbols. Gaius had drilled the topic of runes into Arthur's head. They were used in enchantments and Arthur needed to know some of the dangerous ones so that he didn't end up trapped at a magic-user's mercy. Although, he didn't recognize the ones that decorated the door. Arthur clenched his jaw and gripped the hilt of his sword. There was only one reason why a magical enchantment would be placed on the door of an antechamber.
"Hang on, Merlin," Arthur whispered as he pushed open the door. Arthur squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to look at what state his friend was in. He knew he would have to do it eventually, but he still put it off. Arthur gasped as the stench of blood, dirt, and, possibly the most worrisome scent, burnt skin filled his nostrils. Arthur's eyes flew open as he gagged on the smells that were attacking his olfactory senses. The stench was overwhelming.
"Oh gods!" he gasped as he saw Merlin. Arthur's legs no longer seemed to support him as they gave out. Arthur crashed to his knees and he attempted not to be sick at the sight of his mangled friend.
"No," he breathed as he crawled over to Merlin's shivering form. Arthur didn't trust his legs to hold his weight "Merlin no!" Arthur cried as his eyes began to adjust to the darkened room. He lay a hand on Merlin's cold cheek. Too cold. He's too cold. Arthur's brain chanted as he tried to regain control of himself.
"Please, Merlin, look at me," Arthur begged as he moved his hand down to Merlin's bruised neck. Arthur's hand shook as he pressed his fingers to the artery that ran through the damaged skin. He exhaled with relief when he felt the pulse. It was weak, but it was there. That was all Arthur needed to put his emotions away and fall into a calm mindset. Panicking would not help Merlin.
"Merlin, I'm so sorry," Arthur said as he shrugged off his jacket and placed it on Merlin's prone form. He couldn't get the icy feeling of Merlin's skin out of his mind. It seemed to continue to burn Arthur's skin despite the fact that he was no longer touching Merlin. Arthur rested a hand on Merlin's shoulder and gasped when he noticed the joint was lax. Darian had dislocated the shoulder.
"Arthur?" Merlin's voice called out as he rolled over and stared straight at Arthur.
"Merlin!" Arthur cried out with relief as he brushed some of Merlin's hair out of his eyes. But there was something wrong. Merlin didn't look pleased that Arthur was there, if anything he looked scared and sad. Those eyes, with tears leaking from the corners and pain not even bothered to be hidden, were almost enough to break Arthur completely. They were so empty and hopeless. They were the eyes of a man who had given up.
"Please," Merlin whimpered as he turned back to lay on his stomach. "Just let me go," he sobbed. Arthur inhaled sharply as he tried to come up with a way to keep Merlin fighting for his life.
"No. Merlin I'm not losing you," Arthur said, trying to keep the anger out of his voice. He wasn't sure if he was angry at Darian for hurting Merlin, Merlin for giving up, or himself for not being fast enough. It didn't really matter to Arthur.
"I tried Arthur. But I can't do this anymore. I'm so sorry," Merlin apologized, burying his face into the stone ground, as if the sight of Arthur was just too painful. Arthur jolted with realization as Merlin probably saw the anger and thought that it was directed towards him. Arthur squeezed his eyes shut as he pushed the anger away and thought of another way to convince Merlin to stay alive.
"You have to Merlin. You have to keep fighting," Arthur pleaded. He didn't really have time to argue with Merlin. It didn't look like the boy would be in any shape to walk back to Arthur's chamber, which meant Arthur had to carry him.
"I just want the pain to end," Merlin said quietly. Arthur looked at his friend's form before going out of the antechamber to look for the keys in the main room. His blood boiled at the thought of Darian chaining Merlin to the wall and torturing him for two days. Merlin should never look so broken, Arthur decided. He should never be in so much pain and he should never be forced to endure something so traumatic. It wasn't fair that Merlin, who was the kindest person Arthur knew, was the one who undergone this agony. It should have been him. Arthur was the prince. He should be the one to suffer, not his people. And certainly not Merlin. These thoughts continued to bombard him as Arthur tore through the room before crying out in triumph when a set of keys fell into his hands from a pocket in the leather bag. Arthur ran back inside to see Merlin still awake, closing the door behind him. Merlin flinched as the door clicked shut. He turned his overly large eyes to Arthur and smiled slightly.
"Thanks for visiting me again, before I die," Merlin whispered. Arthur let out a sob as he tried to unlock Merlin's cuffs. His hands were shaking so much, he couldn't fit the key into the lock. Arthur sat back on his heals and took some deep breaths. You need to help Merlin. He commanded himself. His hands stopped shaking and there were no longer tears causing his vision to blur.
"Don't say that, Merlin," Arthur commanded softly as he fit the key into the hole and turned it. There was a satisfying click as the cuffs opened.
"I need you to sit up Merlin. I need to see if your ribs are damaged," Arthur said as he carefully lifted Merlin into a sitting position. Already Merlin appeared to be better. There was more color in his cheeks and he seemed to glow as Arthur removed the cuffs.
"Darian is really upset with me," Merlin said as he leaned into Arthur's shoulder. Arthur was about to push Merlin off and call him a girl, before he remembered his friend was not in his right state of mind. He needed this comfort. Arthur brought up a shaky hand the Merlin's back and steadied the boy as he continued to slump further into Arthur's shoulder.
"I probably shouldn't have bit him, or broke his leg, or spit in his hair," Merlin continued. Arthur let out a laugh.
"Wonder's never cease." He ran his hands over Merlin's torso, taking note of all the places Merlin gasped with pain. Arthur was going to murder Darian when Merlin was out of harm's way. Arthur looked down to see Merlin's wrist hanging at an odd angle. It was on the same arm that had the dislocated shoulder. Arthur gently brushed his fingers across it as Merlin gasped and yanked away the damaged appendage. It seemed that Merlin's wrist was also broken.
"What happened to you?" Arthur asked softly as he tried to picture what went on in this room.
"You can go now, fake Arthur. I'm glad I got to see you one last time," Merlin smiled as he leaned back against the wall. Arthur was floored. Merlin thought he wasn't real, that he was just an illusion. Furthermore, it sounded as though Merlin had given up on life. This was not going to fly with Arthur. He put his hand on the back of Merlin's neck and leaned in so their foreheads were touching. Merlin looked questioningly at Arthur.
"You are not going to die Merlin. You want to know why? Because I haven't given you permission. If you want to make me proud, you are going to keep fighting and you are going to survive," Arthur said strongly as he rubbed the back of Merlin's neck with his thumb.
"But I'm in so much pain," Merlin whispered, his eyes dropping down to his damaged wrist.
"I know, kid. But do this for me," Arthur said, he didn't care that he sounded as though he was begging. He just wanted his Merlin back.
"Can I go to sleep?" Merlin asked softly. Arthur had never seen his little brother look so damaged and lost. The longer he spent with Merlin, the more he vowed to make Darian pay for his crimes.
"Only if you promise to wake back up," Arthur replied with a soft smile. Merlin smiled back and closed his eyes, leaning heavily into Arthur. Arthur's arms wrapped around Merlin and steadied him as he continued to sink into Arthur's embrace.
"Promise," he said weakly but happily as Arthur leaned Merlin into his shoulders. Arthur's eyes fell on a hook hanging from the ceiling. He gently picked up Merlin's uninjured wrist and examined it. Arthur growled with anger and tightened his hold on Merlin as he realized Merlin had probably been hung from there.
"He will pay, Merlin," Arthur promised his friend as he prepared to lift Merlin up into his arms. He had secured his grasp on Merlin's shoulders when his heart sped up exponentially. The door in the main chambers burst open, cracking on the wall, causing Arthur to panic and Merlin to start shaking with fear.
"No," Arthur gasped as he heard heavy footsteps thundering across the floor. Darian couldn't have returned already. Merlin was still in danger. Arthur wildly looked around the room to see if there was any other way out. He looked back down at Merlin and buried his head into the boy's dirty hair.
"Merlin, I'm going to have to leave for a couple minutes. I will be back though," Arthur said as he gently lowered Merlin back onto the floor and unsheathed his sword. He would have charged Darian right there, except he was unsure where Darian was at in the room. If Arthur charged him, he could give away his position and decrease his chances of success. And Darian knew some magic, which meant that Arthur really needed to sneak up on him if he was going to subdue the man. Merlin whimpered from his spot on the floor. Arthur prayed that Darian couldn't hear what was going on inside the chambers.
"I'll be right there, Merlin," Arthur said quietly. Merlin's whimpering ceased and he turned his head towards Arthur. Even in his unconscious state, Merlin was still aware that Arthur was really here. Arthur leaned back against the wall as he heard the footsteps come closer to the door. His hand gripped the hilt of the sword as the doorknob began to turn. Arthur dropped into a fighting stance and prepared to spear Darian. He wanted the man to suffer like Merlin had. But he also couldn't drag out the fight for too long, since Merlin was unable to defend himself. Arthur's eyes narrowed as the door swung open.
"Hello my lamb. Are you going to behave yourself today?" Darian said sweetly as he stepped into the room.
Oh no! Will Arthur be able to keep Merlin safe or will Darian have the last laugh? We shall see on Sunday.