A/N: Sorry for dropping off the face of the earth. The holidays hit and I forgot to update because time became meaningless. So here's two chapters to make up for it.

"Slave!" the self-styled king of this region, Lethervale, barked. "More wine for the guest!"

Gwaine ducked his head as Arthur filled his dinner cup.

Lethervale leaned over the banquet table to Gwaine. "Just a couple of months ago, he was at his own banquet table ordering around people like us. Look at him now."

Gwaine obediently looked at his beaten-down friend, grinding his teeth. Arthur limped over to a woman slave standing at the wall and grabbed a tray laden with meats and fruits.

Gwaine had thought that he only cared about Arthur because Merlin cared about Arthur and Merlin was his only friend, but that wasn't true. Seeing Arthur right now made Gwaine want to fight the entire castle to save him. No one should be treated like that, and to see the only honorable noble he'd met besides Gwaine's own father robbed of his dignity and pride like this burned him.

Arthur stumbled and fell. His tray clattered to the floor. The fruits scattered, rolling across the light brownstone floor.

The guard that had ordered Arthur around in the courtyard stalked forward, a cane in his hand. He snapped the cane down on Arthur's back. "You clumsy fool!"

Arthur lay still, not even covering his head, as the guard brutally beat him.

Gwaine was on his feet before he even knew it. He grabbed the cane and jerked it away from the guard. "Cut it out. He just tripped, there's no need to beat him. Doesn't treating him like this make you no better than you claim the nobles are?" Though, as bad as nobles were, Gwaine had never seen them this bad.

"He's either clumsy or maliciously ruining the food. He deserves a beating," the guard snarled.

"Boar," Lethervale said, smiling. "Perhaps we can let our guest have his way for now."

Boar nodded. "Yes, sir."

Gwaine handed Boar the cane and sat down, forcing a friendly smile on his face even though all he wanted to do was punch Boar in the jaw.

Arthur pushed himself up. Boar snapped the cane across his shoulders one last time, knocking him back to the ground.

Gwaine ground his teeth as he sat down. They just needed to get Merlin out of the dungeons, then they were out of there.


Arthur leaned his forehead against the cool bars of his cell facing the hallway. A guard tossed a plate with his dinner into the cell and slammed the door. The bars Arthur was clinging to shook.

Arthur ignored the food. "Gwaine is here."

"What? Gwaine?" Merlin rushed over to Arthur. "That's great! We can plan an escape and—"

"We already have a plan," Arthur said. "But we need you out of the dungeons. So you're going to have to turn on me."

"What? No!" Merlin leaned over. "Arthur, I can't turn my back on you. You're my friend."

"It's the only way you're going to get out of here. And I'm not going to leave without you, so I'm not going to escape either, and it'll be your fault because you won't do what I tell you to."

"That's a low blow," Merlin muttered.

"Please, Merlin," Arthur said. "I need you to pretend to turn on me and do whatever you need to to convince them you've turned on me or we won't be able to escape. All right?"

Merlin sighed. "All right, fine." He turned to the hallway and hollered. "Get me away from this stuck-up prat! I'm sick of listening to his complaining!"

After a bit, two guards strolled into view.

"Finally got sick of the little prat, did you?" a blond guard asked. "It's about time." He unlocked Merlin's cell door. "Welcome to paradise."

The other guard, a brunet, held up his hand. "Hold on. That long in the cells and you're just now changing your mind? How do we know you're not just trying to help the slave escape?"

Arthur drew in a sharp breath, tightening his grip on the bars. This was it. Merlin couldn't blow it now.

"Why don't you prove that you've seen the light?" The brunet unlocked Arthur's cell door.

The blond gestured Merlin in.

Arthur automatically backed away from the guards. The blond grabbed his arms and held him still. Merlin slowly stepped inside, the brunet's hand at his back.

The brunet spread his hand to Arthur's face. "Go on. Pay him back for every hit, every harsh word, every hard task, every knockdown, every time you wanted to hit him back."

Merlin lifted a shaking hand. Arthur met his eyes and nodded at him. Hopefully that conveyed his acceptance. This was his idea after all. He could forgive Merlin for hitting him if it meant they escaped.

Merlin punched Arthur in the jaw. The punch was light, far different than the punch in which Lethervale had broken Arthur's jaw.

"Hit him again and put your back into it!" the brunet said.

"Go on, Merlin, give it your best shot!" Arthur ground out.

Merlin punched Arthur again. Pain burst through his eye.

"Again!" the brunet cried.

Merlin punched Arthur hard in the jaw. Stars burst behind Arthur's eyes. His body sagged.

The blond dropped Arthur on the ground. His cheek pressed into the cool stone.

Laughter burst. "Good job. I guess you really have seen the light after all," the brunet said.

The cell door clanged shut. Three sets of footsteps clipped away.

Arthur curled up on his side. This plan was his idea, but the view of his only support swinging at him, Merlin's fist smacking into Arthur's cheek…

It was only for one day. Just one day, and then he'd finally be free.


Gwaine strode down the hallway, scanning each nook and cranny for either Arthur or that Boar fellow.

He froze. Merlin was walking down the hallway from the other side. Arthur had succeeded, then.

"Gwaine!" Merlin ran forward. "You're really here!" He was dressed in rather nice clothing reminiscent of the stuff Arthur wore in Camelot. As opposed to Arthur, who looked like death warmed over, Merlin was simply a bit pale and had bandaged wrists.

"You all right, mate?" Gwaine asked.

Merlin nodded. "What's the plan for escape?" he whispered.

"Grab Arthur, find an opening, steal horses, and leave out the gate," Gwaine said in a low voice.

"Well, it's simple," Merlin said. "I'll give you that."

Gwaine snorted and patted Merlin's back. "Come on, let's go find Arthur."