Author's Note: So sorry for the delay in updating the story. Life has been hectic lately and I haven't had much time to work on my stories. Anyway, here's the final chapter of Threats Within A Hollow Kingdom.
After an hour passed, Gaius emerged from Merlin's chambers. Only to find Arthur, Leon, Mordred, Percival and Gwaine waiting for him in the hall.
Knowing that they wanted to know about Merlin, Gaius spoke before any of them could voice the question. "He lost a fair amount of blood, but not a dangerous amount. He's also developed a fever, which will hopefully break by morning. It wasn't the wounds that caused him to pass out. It was the events from over the course of the past few days and the poison still making its way through his system."
"We gave him the antidote, though," Mordred stated. "How could the poison still be in his system?"
"Most antidotes work in cycles. First, it removes as much as it can as fast as it can. But the person has to remain resting for a few days while the rest of the poison is forced out by the antidote. Merlin didn't remain resting. He was too concerned about saving Arthur," Gaius explained.
"How long will he remain unconscious?" Arthur asked.
"A couple of days at best, Sire," Gaius answered. "I gave him a sleeping draught to help him rest easier."
"Let me know the minute there's a change in his condition," Arthur ordered as he looked at the closed door behind Gaius.
"I will," the old physician promised.
Daegal sat with his back to the wall and his legs curled up to his chest. He was staring at the wall across from him, thinking about all the harm he had caused when a familiar Druid walked up to his cell. Mordred, he recalled.
"The king would like to speak with you," Mordred said.
Daegal stood up and looked at the man. He was dressed differently than when they had met. The Druid was dressed as a knight of Camelot. The boy briefly wondered why the king would allow someone with magic to be a knight, but he pushed the thought to the side. He had other things to worry about.
"Why?" Daegal asked.
Mordred unlocked the cell door and walked in. "Just tell him the truth. It'll make things easier. Come on."
The man placed his hand on Daegal's shoulder and led him out of the cells and towards the throne room.
As Mordred and the boy neared the throne room, Daegal began to wonder about Merlin. He had overheard the guards talking about him and what he did to save the king the night before.
"How's Merlin?" he asked.
The knight remained silent as if thinking how to answer the question. "Recovering," he said finally not going into detail.
Daegal only nodded as they entered the throne room.
"Sire," the Druid said getting the king's attention.
King Arthur looked up from what he was reading. "Thank you, Mordred. Leave us."
Mordred bowed his head in respect and promptly left the room. Leaving the two of them alone. The king and Daegal looked at each other in silence, neither of them daring to speak first. One was trying to form words. While the other was too scared to say anything.
"You helped save Merlin's life. For that I am grateful," the king spoke finally, but slowly, trying to keep his tone even. "However you took part in a plot to kill me. You lied to get my servant out of Camelot, endangering his life."
"I did not know he would get hurt," Daegal pleaded. "I was told no one would get hurt."
"I believe you, but you are still a traitor to the crown," King Arthur stated. "My father would have executed you without a single thought. He wouldn't have listened to what you had to say. I, on the other hand, am not my father. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I had sentenced you to death. Your life has barely begun Therefore my only other choice would be to banish you, but I can not find it in my heart to do so given the circumstances."
There was a long uncomfortable pause between the two.
"What are you going to do?" Daegal asked, terrified of what the king would do to him.
"I'm granting you a pardon because you saw the errors of your ways and helped save my friend. You are allowed to remain in Camelot," the king answered.
Daegal got down on his knees. "Thank you, Sire."
"Don't thank me yet," the young king dismissed. "You are to get a job in the stables. From now on you have to work for money and food. If you do not do your job or if you commit an act such as the one you performed, you will be banished from Camelot."
Daegal remained on his knees. "I will not let you down, Sire. I will perform the work that is given to me without complaint and try to the best of my abilities."
"Make sure that you do," the blonde king warned.
Merlin woke up to the sunlight streaming in through the windows, followed by the sound of someone walking into the room. The young warlock opened his eyes and looked at who was in the room with him. Mordred.
"Glad you decided to join the world of the living," Mordred stated as he sat down at the table.
"How long have I been out?" Merlin asked as he pushed himself up into a sitting position.
"Three days," Mordred answered. "How do you feel?"
"Like a human training dummy," Merlin replied. Everything hurt. Even his hair, which he didn't think was possible.
"I thought he would go with 'human pin cushion'," Arthur said as he walked into the chambers unannounced. "I guess I owe Gwaine fifty gold pieces and a tankard of mead."
"Why would I say that?" Merlin asked.
"Because you have roughly twenty stitches in your arm. And ten more in your leg," Mordred pointed out.
Merlin looked at his bandaged arm, briefly wondering how that had happened. Before he could ask about it, a memory came to the surface. He killed the assassin after falling down. He vaguely recalled Leon telling him he'd been injured.
As if reading his mind, Arthur asked the dreaded question. "What's the last thing you remember?"
Merlin thought for a moment, trying to organize the memories as they resurfaced. "I remember looking over the balcony to make sure you were okay. Leon said I was hurt. After that nothing."
"Do you remember how you stopped Albin?" Arthur questioned.
"I channelled a stunning spell through my cane," Merlin said. "He fell over the railing. He didn't survive, I'm guessing."
"No," Arthur confirmed. "Gaius tried tending to his wounds after caring for you, but he didn't live for very long."
"What going to happen to their bodies?" Merlin asked, stifling a yawn. He'd only been awake for a few minutes, yet he was already exhausted from this conversation.
"They are being sent back to Amata," Arthur replied. "With a report detailing all that had happened."
"What's going to happen to Daegal?" Merlin asked, rubbing his tired eyes.
"I'm allowing him to remain in Camelot, as long as he works for his food and money. If he pulls something like this again, I'm banishing him," Arthur answered, noticing the tired look on his best friend's face. "Get some rest, Merlin. We'll let Gaius know that you woke up for a little bit. I'll still need to talk to you about what happened. Hopefully, you'll be able to remember more details."
Merlin laid back down. He was not about to argue with the king, no matter how much he wanted to.
Merlin sat in the armoury, polishing Arthur's helmet. It had been two weeks since everything had happened and things were finally starting to return to normal. Well if you called a bewitched queen still roaming around the castle normal.
Merlin, himself, was still recovering from his wounds. Gaius didn't want him going back to work just yet, since he could only put a little weight on his leg and the bruising on his torso hadn't fully faded. The warlock knew that if he remained in bed any longer, then he'd be plotting alongside Gwen. He'd managed to convince Gaius to let him return to doing light duty, with the promise that he'd see him every few hours.
Just as Merlin was finishing the clotpole's helmet, Mordred walked in.
"How are you feeling?" the Druid asked, striking up a conversation as he put his sword on the rack.
"Sore, but better," Merlin replied as he got up to put the helmet away. "Is the Hollow Queen currently plotting anything?"
"Not that I'm aware of," Mordred said. "Listen, I was wondering if you could help me with something?"
"Sure. What do you need help with?" Merlin asked.
"Spells," the Druid answered. "I know a few, but not enough to help me in the future."
"I could lend you my spell books," Merlin suggested. "I hardly look at them anymore, since I've memorized pretty much every single spell."
"Thanks," Mordred said, with a small smile.
"Come by later and I'll give them to you," Merlin planned.
"Why don't we go get them right now?" Mordred asked, not really wanting to wait.
"I have to go and get the prat's lunch," Merlin answered matter-of-factly.
"Oh," Mordred replied. Given the king's mood for the past couple of weeks, he knew that if Merlin was late, things would be thrown. And the warlock had been through enough, he didn't need any more injuries.
Mordred leaned against the closed door as he watched Merlin gather all the spell books from his wardrobe.
"How many do you have?" the knight asked.
"Eight. All of them are gifts, so take good care of them," Merlin warned as he handed one to Mordred.
"I will," Mordred promised as he took the book. "Who gave you this one?"
"Alator of the Catha. He once was in league with Morgana, but switched sides when he heard about the world Arthur and I are destined to create. He had one of his many servants hand it to me, as he was in hiding," Merlin explained. "It's a book of Catha spells."
"Aren't they still illegal?" Mordred asked. "You know because Cathas usually specialize in torture."
"Don't let Arthur see the book then," Merlin said as he stacked the other seven spell books onto the one Mordred was holding. "And Cathas also specialize in how not to give in to torture. That book can give you a general training on how to separate your mind from your body."
"How do you know so much?" Mordred asked, curious as to how the older man gained so much knowledge given his position in life.
"I've had some great teachers," Merlin said as he opened the door. "Now get out of here, before Gaius sees you wandering the halls with all my books."
Mordred balanced the eight huge books and left. Once the Druid knight was gone, Merlin carefully got down on his hands and knees and pulled out a book from under his bed. As he opened the book he smiled. It was his very first spell book. The one Gaius gave him after he saved Arthur's life and became the prat's manservant.
Just then the clotpole himself charged into Merlin's chambers interrupting his thoughts. "Sorry to ruin your you time, but Percival just saw Gwen leaving the castle through one of the tunnels."
The warlock put the book back under his bed and stood up. Time to get to work.
Author's Note: This chapter marks the end of Threats Within A Hollow Kingdom. I will not be doing an AU for the episode With All My Heart. I see no real reason to write it. The only change would be Merlin doing it as himself instead of disguising himself as an old woman. I might make some mentions of it in my next story A Stranger's Prophecy (AU to Kindness Of Strangers).
Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the story. Reviews are much loved. Please stay tuned for the next part of my Price Has Been Paid series.
