Chapter 12-Tears of the emotionless man
Hey guys, so another day another chapter. I am currently writing out the final few chapters to this story so hopefully I will get this done within the next couple of months. Anyway as usual I don't know Merlin, but Elizabeth, Laudine and Kay are all my creations. Enjoy :D
I woke up early the next day to the feeling that I was being stared at I opened my eyes to come face to face with Arthur looking down at me, pure love written on his features, "Hello," I whispered softly to him.
He smiled down at me, "Hello," he muttered back before kissing me on the lips, "As much as I want to stay here forever we have to go to the ceremony."
I run my fingers through his hair, "I'll be with you. Just like I always am."
When we entered the hall of ceremonies it was quiet. I couldn't tell if that was because Catrina was becoming heir or because Arthur was coming into the room. Either way we took our place at the front.
The ceremony started pretty quickly after that, "We are gathered here to bear witness to the naming of Queen Catrina as the rightful heir to Camelot. Are you willing to take the oath?" Geoffrey said his voice sounding even more dull than usual.
I took Arthur's hand and squeezed it gently, remembering when I had seen him say the same words, "I am," Catrina swore.
"Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of Camelot, to uphold the laws and customs of the land?" Geoffrey continued.
"I...do," Catrina said itching her arm.
I felt myself smile slightly, looked like Merlin had done his job after all, "Will you, to your power cause law and justice in mercy to be executed in all your judgments?" Geoffrey asked oblivious to Catrina's suffering.
"I will," Catrina said her voice more clipped than before.
"Will you, to the utmost of your powers maintain the laws..." Geoffrey began.
Catrina interrupted, "Yes, yes."
"I'm sorry, you-you must let me finish. The wording must be exactly right to be binding," Geoffrey explained.
"Well, get on with it then. I mean, really, where did you dig up this old crone from?" Catrina asked, I felt Arthur shift beside me confused.
"She's right. Get on with it," Uther told him.
"Will you, to the utmost of your powers..." Geoffrey began again.
"Yes, yes," Catrina interrupted once more.
"…maintain the laws and customs..." Geoffrey continued.
"I will, I will," Catrina muttered scratching more obviously now.
"...of the land, and serve the people of Camelot?" Geoffrey finally finished.
"Yes! Just shut up and give me the crown!" Catrina ordered. The court gasped while I just laughed behind my hand, seeing Gaius struggling not to do the same. Geoffrey presented the crown to Catrina, "Will you just hurry up!" she yelled out before jamming it down on her head and running out of the hall.
"Catrina!" Uther called after her, before following her out of the hall. I watched as Morgana and Jonas went as well.
"Lizzy, what exactly is going on here?" Arthur whispered into my ear.
I smiled grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the hall, "Oh trust me you are not going to want to miss this!"
We caught up quite easily to find Catrina trying to open a door. Uther and Morgana in front of us, "Yes, yes, I'm, I'm fine. Really, thank you. I just..." Catrina said turning to the door and trying to force it open, "Come on. Come on," she said before her voice changed completely, "Open!"
"Let me," Arthur offered taking a step forward and seeing Catrina's troll arm, he backed away pulling me behind him, "What's that?"
Catrina gasped before she began to transform in front of us, "What's happening? Somebody help her!" Morgana cried out. Uther just seemed to be completely still a love struck expression on his face.
"There's no way you can," I explained as she completed her transformation and where Catrina had been standing there was now a green, ugly troll.
"You're a troll!" Arthur yelled out in confusion.
Uther seemed to come back to life at that point, "How dare you speak about her like that!"
"What is wrong with you? Look at the state of her!" Arthur said pointing at her.
"I don't believe it," Morgana whispered as the troll ripped the door open and exited with a snarl.
"She just ripped a door off its hinges. Doesn't that tell you something?" I questioned.
"Enough!" Uther yelled.
"She's a troll! A giant...grey..." Arthur said trying to come up with the word.
"Stinking," I suggested.
"Stinking troll!" Arthur finished.
Uther leant down to pick up the crown and shoes which laid abandoned on the floor, "Stop it! Haven't you hurt her feelings enough? Insult my wife again, it'll be the last thing you ever do."
Morgana and Arthur both looked at each other completely slackjawed. I just couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. Arthur gave me a look, "I'm so sorry, but you've…I did warn you."
Arthur nodded his head, "I'm never going to hear the end of this am I."
"Oh no," I said before kissing him lightly on the cheek, "Now I'm going to find Laudine, and Gaius and we are going to solve this mess," I said before taking off down the corridor and into Gauis's chamber to find Merlin flicking through a magic book, "It's the necklace," I told him, "I thought it did something to make him obey her at the beginning but now I think it's a charm so he will forever see Catrina rather than the troll."
"Then we have to find a way to break it," Merlin said certainly.
I leant over his shoulder and saw the book he was reading, "You won't find anything in there about it. Troll magic is unique and I think all the books were destroyed about it."
"Then what are we going to do?" Merlin questioned.
"We have to ask Kilgharrah how to do it," I explained thinking it through, "Although dragons and trolls were once close allies he should help with the knowledge it would save Arthur."
Merlin nodded and we made our way to the Dragon's cave meeting no resistance on the way, everyone was still at the Ceremony, or waiting for the King and Queen to make their appearance. I tried not to think of what they would have been doing.
When we reached the cave Kilgharrah was awake, "Young warlock and guardian come to seek my advice?"
"Do you know what's going on?" I asked him.
"I cannot see everything that takes place unlike some," Kilgharrah said aiming his comment at me, "What is it you seek?"
"Uther's married a troll," Merlin informed him. There was a moments silence before Kilgharrah dissolved into a fit of laugher that echoed around the cave, "This isn't funny," Merlin tried to argue.
"Oh, it is, it is. The thought of Uther marrying a troll! Was it a very public affair?" Kilgharrah chuckled.
"Public enough," I admitted. While Kilgharrah laughed some more, "Don't laugh! If she can't be stopped, Arthur won't become King. Albion will never be born."
Kilgharrah began more serious, "I'm sorry. You are right, of course."
"How can we break the enchantment?" Merlin asked.
"These are not trifling tricks. Troll magic is very powerful," Kilgharrah pointed out.
"There has to be a way," I said firmly.
"The only way you could break this enchantment is if Uther were to cry tears of true remorse," Kilgharrah explained.
Merlin looked annoyed, "How do we make him do that?"
Kilgharrah shook his big head, "That I can't answer. Uther's heart is cold as stone. He's never been sorry for anything."
"Oh I know," I smiled suddenly thinking of an idea, "I think I have a way."
Merlin nodded and we started walking out of the cave stopped by Kilgharrah voice, "Young warlock, guardian, it was some time ago you promised to set me free. The help I give is not unconditional," he pointed out. We nodded before travelling back up into the main castle and into Gaius's chambers were Gaius, Laudine and Kay were waiting patiently for us.
"Your idea?" Merlin asked once we settled down.
"Who is the one person that Uther will listen to?" I questioned.
Merlin caught on, "Arthur."
"And do you remember the only time we have seen him cry for Arthur, it was when the Questing Beast attacked. So the only way…" I started.
"Is for Uther to see Arthur die," Gaius finished for me.
"There is a poison…" Laudine began looking at Gaius.
"Yes my dear that could work," he said catching on to what she meant.
"Do they really have to leave their sentences unfinished?" Kay asked me softly.
"I don't think they'll ever change," I laughed before turning to Merlin, "Time for Arthur to know where you've been hiding."
We went into Arthur's chambers and Merlin hid under the bed while I waited by the table. Arthur came into the room, "Arthur," I greeted him softly.
"Lizzy what are you doing in here?" He asked me coming up to stand in front of me, and kissing me lightly on the lips, "You know if you spend another night in my chambers people will beginning to talk," I felt myself blush as Merlin coughed loudly under the bed. Arthur grabbed his sword and pointed it, "Who's there?" he asked.
Merlin poked his head out smiling, "Me!"
"You're back," Arthur stated.
"I never left," Merlin confessed.
"You mean to tell me…" Arthur began.
"Yes," Merlin answered before he knew what the question was.
Arthur tightened the grip on his sword, "You've been under there this whole time."
"No, he hasn't Arthur," I said quickly taking the sword out of his hands before he did something stupid, "He's been with Gaius. That's where I put him when he escaped."
Merlin got up, "So your, er, your stepmother is a troll, then."
"If you say "I told you so"..." Arthur threatened holding up a dagger.
"I wasn't going to. I wouldn't. But it's true that if you had listened to me earlier, then..." Merlin began before seeing that Arthur was moving for the sword in my hand again, "Sorry. Gaius, Elizabeth and I believe your father's been enchanted, now we found a way to break the spell, but we need your help."
"You know about this?" Arthur questioned in confusion.
I nodded, "I realized there was something wrong when he couldn't see her for what she was."
Arthur went behind the screen while Merlin grabbed Gaius from outside. Once Arthur was dressed we got down to business, "So what do you need?"
"You to die," Merlin said bluntly.
"So your great plan is to kill me?" Arthur questioned unimpressed.
"No, well, yes. It's…complex. Gaius has made a potion that gives the appearance of death while you will still be alive," I explained.
"There's nothing to worry about. It'll only bring you to the brink of death," Merlin continued cheerfully.
"Oh, only to the brink," Arthur said sarcastically.
"We don't have a choice," I said taking his hand.
Gaius spoke up next, "We have to make your father cry."
"He doesn't care about me anymore," Arthur argued.
"Nonsense. That's Catrina's influence. I've known your father for many, many years. There's never been anyone or anything he's treasured more than you. It's perfectly safe. A single drop of the antidote will reverse the effects immediately," Gaius said.
Arthur stopped his pacing, "Antidote. What antidote? You didn't say anything about the antidote!"
Merlin shrugged, "Er...I didn't think it was important."
"The potion will lower your heart rate and breathing. For all intents and purposes, you will be dead," Gaius explained.
"And the antidote reverses the effects?" Arthur questioned.
Gaius nodded, "Yes. If it's administered in time."
"If it isn't?" Arthur asked.
"You will be dead," Gaius said reluctantly.
Arthur turned to glare at Merlin and exclaimed, "You just said it wasn't important!"
"Erm...yeah, I suppose it is a bit important," Merlin muttered.
"Merlin will have the antidote. Once Gaius has administered the poison…er I mean potion he'll have half an hour to get it to you," I explained, remember what Laudine had told me on the walk over.
Arthur nodded reluctantly, "Don't be late."
"Am I ever?" Merlin smirked back.
The room fell silent with worry, "Probably not the best thing to say," I muttered under my breath at Merlin before turning to Arthur, "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"
Arthur looked me in the eye and nodded, "For Camelot," Arthur grabbed the potion and down it. We waited nothing seemed to be happening, then Arthur fell forward.
Merlin and I caught him placing him on the floor. I kissed his forehead lightly as I closed his eyes, "Time to break the bad news to Uther."
"You need to look sad," Gaius informed me.
I nodded my head, "I know," I said softly before focusing on something I knew would make me cry, my mother's death. I relived the moment in my head about three times before opening my eyes, there was tears now streaming down my cheeks, "Off we go," I muttered before running through the corridor and pounding on Uther's chamber door, he opened it and stared at me with a confused expression, "My Lord," I gasped out, partial cause of the tears and partial from being out of breath, "Arthur, he's...you need to come now. He's...I think he's dead."
Uther didn't need to be told twice he ran down the corridor ahead of me and reached Arthur's chambers in record time, "My boy," he whispered collapsing down next to him. I stood off to the side counting minutes in my head to see how long it had been, "It was my fault. I pushed you away," Uther confessed tears filling his eyes, "My son. My son," Uther said as the troll entered the room.
"Come away. There's nothing you can do for him now," she said trying to drag him away.
Uther cried out, "I killed him. I killed my only son!"
"No, no, no, no. Nu meaht þú begalan. Nu meaht þú..." she muttered the spells as she pulled on his arms. I stayed hidden in the shadows of the room.
Uther finally turned to face her free of the enchantment, "Catrina? What kind of trickery is this?" he asked as he backed away.
"How I've suffered these last weeks. Allowing you to touch me! Having to share a bed with you!" Catrina complained. As I saw Merlin walking back into the room, "It's repulsive."
Uther and Catrina were both too distracted, "I know the feeling."
"Ooh, I've been looking forward to this," Catrina said moving in closer for the kill. I grabbed the sword that I had placed in Arthur's room earlier for myself.
"Guards! Seize...it!" Uther yelled out and the battle began. Catrina easily taking out the guards. I ran over to Arthur just as Merlin reached time. Putting his antidote soaked neckerchief to Arthur's mouth and squeezing out one drop. Arthur stirred looking up at us for a moment before being distracted by the troll heading towards his father. He got up and tried to take her down.
"Is that any way to treat your dear old stepmother?" she questioned before throwing Arthur into the wall and going back to fighting Uther and the guards. I moved over to Arthur as Jonas did. He raised his sword ready to kill Arthur before he was kicked backwards by Arthur straight into my sword, I used my leg to pull it out of his body noticing the troll heading our way.
Merlin must have muttered something because one minute the rug was under her feet and the next she was laying on the floor. I didn't give her time to get back up instead standing over her, "Please, mercy," she begged me quietly.
"You took my wedding from me," I snapped before swinging the sword straight into her stomach, "Go to hell."
She gurgled and farted before finally dying. I turned to Arthur and swung my arms around him, "It's over," he whispered in relief in my ear.
Uther ended up inviting both Arthur and I to eat with him later in the evening. We picked at our food, not really speaking. The air was awkward. Uther was the first to speak, "I'd like to thank you for exposing this attack on our state. Once again, magic was used to strike at the heart of Camelot."
"You mean, your heart. How many nights did you share a bed with a troll?" Arthur asked trying to keep a straight face.
"Obviously I was under its spell," Uther tried to make excuses. I couldn't help but snigger, "I did many things that I...regret."
"Father, I really don't want to know the details," Arthur said before looking at me and bursting out laughing. I couldn't help but join in.
"I am sorry you didn't get your wedding through," Uther said generally seeming apologetic.
Arthur began more serious, "I regret that."
"You should plan again immediately," Uther encouraged.
I looked at Arthur and nodded, "I think I would love that more than anything else."
Hope you liked this chapter, please review and let me know what you think. I promise to start publishing more regularly now that I have more time.
Until next time
Artistic-Blue-Eyes
xx