Chapter 58 I don't own Merlin. And I also hope that you can see emojis, cuz I love 'em and I can't figure out the right one for the winky-tongue-out face. I thought it was ;P but it corrected to another winky-tongue out face on my phone, so that's not it….
"Do you think they're done with him yet? Surely they won't execute him?" Cassie said as she paced Gaius' chambers with Merlin.
"I'll be going down in a bit. I thought you said it was flawless, what happened?" he asked, stopping by the window and looking at her.
"Apparently, Lord Seisyll's grandniece is at Court. And she knows her uncle's family very well." Cassie said, biting her lower lip as she paced quicker.
"Cassie, stop. You weren't to know. There's a lot of Ladies at Court and you've not exactly lived here your whole life to know. But you were right, for what it's worth, Uther does know Lord Eldred very well."
"I'm just glad that I stopped Geoffrey before he could find the record of his birth I'd added to the registry. Lancelot would have certainly died- or at least been tortured to find out who in the Court added his forged seal to the registry. It was not easy." Cassie said, taking the seal and the page from the registry out and going over to the fire.
"Let me see it." Merlin stopped her quickly, stepping forward with his hand outstretched for it. "Well, it's certainly good. I don't see where the forgery could be seen."
"You can't tell it's a forgery because it isn-"
"Lancelot's already in the cell, just thought I'd let you know. I have to go now, it's my shift up in the battlements." Owaine said, peeking his head in quickly and nodding to Merlin.
"Thanks, Owaine." Merlin said, walking out the door with Cassie at his heels, rolling her eyes at his obliviousness.
"Merlin, wait up!" Cassie said, struggling to keep up with his long gait. "My legs are much shorter!"
"Sorry." he said, slowing down and grinning at her sheepishly. "Sometimes I forget you're there."
"Because I'm so quiet?" Casssie asked with a sarcastic tone.
"No, you are anything but. It just feels like you're an extension of me or something. I can't explain it."
"Oh, good. I thought it was just me. You're like a brother to me, the younger one who always follows me around obviously." Cassie said jokingly as they neared the entrance to the dungeons and Merlin spoke with the guard on duty.
"Lancelot!" Cassie breathed as she rushed to the bars to talk to him.
"I don't know what to say to you, Lancelot." Merlin said sadly.
"You're not to blame." he said, "Either of you."
"But we are." Cassie said sullenly, tears burning in the back of her eyes as she looked at his defeated form on the floor.
"Yes, I am. I pushed you. I made you lie." Merlin replied at the same time in a defeated tone.
"The choice was mine. My punishment is mine to bear, and mine to bear alone." he said, looking between the two of them seriously.
"I wish there was something I could do." Merlin said.
"There is. You can stop blaming yourself. Both of you. I can see it in your eyes, Cassie, so don't even try to deny it."
"If I had just picked another noble, if I had-"
"Cassie, I mean it. The fault is all on me, it was my choice to make and mine alone. Stop blaming yourself." he said, standing up and putting his hand over hers on the bars, smiling lightly at her small nod and watery smile.
"We should go." Merlin said, taking her shoulders and gently leading her away.
"Tell Gaius the creature's in the book I left on his table. I need to do my rounds." Cassie told him once they got to the courtyard.
"You found it?"
"Yeah, I think it might be afraid of fire, told the King as much anyway. I really need to get going." she told him, walking towards the lower town and quickly making her rounds.
"Hello, Ginevra." Cassie called as she made her way to the last person of the day, finding her walking back to her cottage.
"My Lady." she greeted. "Good news I hope?" she asked, her eyes alight with unadulterated hope.
"No," Cassie said, holding back her smile as the woman's face fell slightly. "Great news! I wish you the best, Ginevra. And I will always be there if you need to talk."
"Thank you!" she cried happily, dropping her basket of vegetables and running to where her husband worked, leaving a giggling Cassie alone with the basket at her feet.
"Guess I'll have to leave these in their home." Cassie muttered to herself, bending down to pick it up and hearing the screeching coming from above and the warning bells begin to clang. She ran into the nearest hut she could find with heavy breaths and a pale face as the occupants looked at her in worry and confusion. "T-there's a beast attacking, that's what the warning bells mean. It would be best for you to stay inside and keep the fire lit, I think the fire keeps the beast away."
"Thank you, my Lady. Would you like some lunch?" the man offered politely.
"No, thank you. I'm not hungry." she told him, knowing they probably didn't have enough food for themselves.
"As you wish, my Lady. Some water?"
"That, I will accept." Cassie said, stepping forward and accepting the cup of water with a sweet smile.
"The warning bells have stopped. I should go back to the castle now. Thank you for your hospitality Severus." she said a while later after some lively conversation with the children.
"Not at all, my Lady." he said as she left his home and closed the door.
"You're riding out, aren't you?" Cassie asked worriedly to Owaine when he walked into their chambers.
"Yeah, I am." he said, closing the door firmly and walking towards her quickly, his lips descending on hers as he slid her dress down and threw off his clothes.
"Owaine?" Cassie asked with a giggle, letting him lead her back to the bed. "Do we have time?"
"Enough, maybe thirty minutes before I need to be down there and your magic can help me don the battle gear quickly." he mumbled against her lips, his trousers on the floor and his weight on top of her as they made love fervently.
"I couldn't figure out a way to kill it. I'm no good at aggressive magic." Cassie whispered worriedly as she helped him don his battle armor once their heavy breathing subsided.
"You've just never tried it, my Queen. Now's as good a time as any. Especially since you've already tried one new type of magic today." he replied, looking down at her with a loving smile.
"Yeah, you're right. I'll talk to Gaius, maybe he remembers from before the 'Purge.' Stay safe, my love."
"You too." he replied, kissing her deeply and holding her body close to his.
Cassie watched as Owaine ran down in full body armor to await his Prince's instructions from an empty hallway, thinking deeply on how to kill the beast and deciding to just tell Merlin and Gaius about her magic. It would make everything so much easier if she did.
"Cassie! Cassie, please tell me Merlin's in there?" Gwen cried, breathing heavily as they wound their way up the stairs to the Physician's Tower.
"Well, yeah, I suppo- Wait, Gwen!" Cassie yelled, stopping on the stairs as Gwen ran ahead of her, staring up in shock and pushing against the wall as Merlin flew down the stairs a moment later.
"Great! Now I have to follow him!" she mumbled to herself, gathering her skirts and running down after Merlin.
"Merlin, you're not a soldier." Lancelot said as he finished saddling his horse.
"You said it yourself, Lancelot, Arthur needs all the help he can get." Merlin told him, walking away to saddle his own horse, missing the petite blonde just around the corner as she realized what Merlin was going to do, deciding to be reckless and follow after him anyways as she waited for them to take off before taking another horse and riding after them bareback. She dismounted and crept through the bushes quietly when she heard the screeching of the beast, hiding in a particularly dense thicket as Merlin drew nearer and Lancelot prepared to attack the beast.
"Okay, Merlin, it's now or never." she heard him say to himself as Lancelot's horse reared. "Bregdan anweald gafeluec."
"Que hace, por que no está pasando nada?" she asked herself quietly, closing her eyes and feeling the magic in the air, reeling as she felt a very powerful source in front of her. She shook her head clear and redoubled her efforts, focusing on the magic right in front of her and realizing his mistake. "He's not directing it completely!" she realized after his third attempt, her head spinning from the effort to move past his magic.
"Bregdan anweald gafeluec!" Merlin said slowly, enunciating every syllable, not noticing the small sliver of foregin magic braiding into his and helping to guide the magic into every word as their eyes glowed gold and the lance started to glow a misty blue, engulfing the Griffin in blue-white flames when the lance struck.
"Merlin's really powerful." Cassie breathed as she swayed on the spot, overwhelmed by the magic that had been freed, and Merlin cheered the win.
"Yes!" he cried happily, starting when he saw Arthur was stirring, and running away after sparing Lancelot a frightened glance.
"Lancelot." Arthur said as he saw him mounted on the horse.
"Sire."
"You did it. You killed it, Lancelot!" he cried in happy astonishment, walking over and clapping him on the shoulder as the other knights began to rouse. "The beast is dead! By Lancelot's hand!" Arthur shouted as they all rose and cheered boisterously.
"Come on! Let's go back, the first round's on me!" Sir Pellinore yelled, going over to where his sword lay discarded and in pieces and sheathing what was left of it quickly while the others did the same.
They all mounted their horses and galloped back to the city, talking happily and congratulating Landelot on his valour, none noticing his slightly forced smile.
Cassie waited until the hoofbeats could be heard no more and went to ride the horse she'd taken back, still slightly lightheaded at all the power she felt coming from Merlin.
"Cassie! I was so worried when I came back and you weren't here. Where were you?"
"Trying to figure out how to kill the beast magically. Guess I didn't need to." Cassie said, hating the lie she was telling her husband, but she had to keep her friend's secret.
"I'm glad you didn't have to. Come here, you look exhausted." he said, hugging her tightly and kissing the top of her head.
"I am slightly tired, but not enough to let you go to the tavern without loving me first."
"Who said I was going to the tavern at all. I'll have much more fun here, my love." he replied cheekily, his lips pressing on hers hungrily as she worked the laces of his trousers.
"It's like we're of one mind, my Knight." she mumbled against his lips.
"No, we just have a one-track mind, my Queen." he replied cheekily as he picked her up and tossed her onto the bed, smiling at her excited giggles.
MERLIN'S POV
"Okay, Merlin, it's now or never." he said to himself as Lancelot's horse reared. "Bregdan anweald gafeluec."
'Damn, it didn't work!'
"Bregdan anweald gafeluec." he repeated watching Lancelot trot past on the white horse, feeling a sliver of something very powerful brush against his magic but ignoring it aas he thought it was the Griffin's.
'What am I doing wrong?'
"Bregdan anweald gafeluec!" he yelled, watching the beast and Lancelot getting closer to each other.
'It has to be… Of course!'
"Bregdan anweald gafeluec!" he repeated one last time, allowing his magic to coat every syllable he uttered and watching as the lance glowed bright blue, and engulfed the beast in its flames.
"Yes!" he yelled, ecstatic that he'd been able to cast the spell, jumping up and down in celebration before the stirring form of Arthur caught his attention.
'I have to go.' he thought, looking panicked over at Lancelot before turning tail and running back to Camelot, bursting into his chambers breathlessly.
"You did it?" he asked hopefully
"I did it." Merlin said with a wide smile, hugging his guardian tightly with a wide smile.
"Thank God!"
"I should go see Lancelot." he said after a moment, catching his breath and turning to go back down the stairs to the council chambers where Arthur was likely to be with Lancelot.
"What are they doing?" Merlin asked after the doors blocked out Uther's yells.
"Deciding my fate." Lancelot said, leaning against the wall.
"Arthur'll do the right thing. I know it." Merlin told him, pacing back and forth. "They'll restore your knighthood, of course they will. You killed the griffin."
"But I didn't kill the griffin." Lancelot responded, walking forward so they'd be out of earshot of the guard. "You did."
"That's ridiculous!" Merlin said at once with a scoff.
"Bregdan anweald…. I heard you, I saw you." he said quietly, both of them casting furtive glances back to the guard as they spoke. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. But I cannot take credit for what I did not do." he said at Merlin's wide-eyed look of panic. "There'll be no more lies, no more deceit."
"What are you going to do?" Merlin asked, looking at him seriously after allowing himself a small smile of relief and hope.
"The only thing I can do." he replied, looking at him decidedly as he went over to the doors and pushed them open, resisting as the guards restrained him. "Let me speak!"
"Wait! I'll hear him." Uther said, nodding to the two guards to release him.
"Forgive me, Sire. I've come to bid you farewell."
"What is this, Lancelot?" Arthur asked, shaking his head in confusion.
"I lied to you both and now there is conflict between you. I cannot bear that burden, as you should not bear mine. I must start again, far from here. Then maybe one day fate shall grant me another chance to prove myself a worthy knight of Camelot." he said, his hand resting nervously on the hilt of his sword.
"But...Lancelot, you've...already proved that to us." Arthur said, walking closer to Lancelot.
"But I must prove it to myself." Lancelot told him, looking at his eyes to convey his seriousness. "Your Highness. Prince Arthur." he bade farewell, bowing to each respectfully before backing out of the Council chambers.
"Goodbye, Merlin."
"Cassie's going to hate you if you leave without saying goodbye. Gwen too." he pointed out, walking with him down the corridor.
"Well, I saw him going to their chambers in quite a rush, she's probably busy at the moment." Lancelot said with a chuckle.
"Newlyweds." Merlin told him as if it explained everything.
"Even if they weren't, and if my wife was half as pretty as she was, I wouldn't stay out of bed for too long." he said with a pointed look.
"Well, I'm sure Gwen's worried about you. And you have to return the armor." Merlin said, grinning knowingly and nudging Lancelot with his shoulder, laughing as Lancelot returned the nudge good-heartedly.
"Hello, 'Gana. I was wondering if you and Gwen would like to come with me on a ride?"
"I would love to! Did you see these flowers? They're beautiful!" Morgana said with a wide smile, becking her over to the flowers she was currently admiring while Gwen stared out the window forlornly.
"Who sent them? Not Arthur?"
"No, not Arthur. I don't know, there was no note." she said, glancing at Gwen and dropping her voice, "Although, I did find this with it." she said, taking out a long, slender hairpin inlaid with rubies and pearl in an intricate knot.
"It's beautiful, you have an admirer with expensive tastes, 'Gana." Cassie whispered with a small smile.
"It's not a gift. I wore it at your wedding, and forgot about it until now." Morgana replied quietly, stroking the flowers.
"Are you saying…?"
"Yes, I am." Morgana whispered, not being able to help the wide smile on her face.
"Gwen, do you want to go riding?" Cassie asked, looking at her.
"Gwen? Guinevere?" Morgana asked, going to the window slowly. "Lancelot?" she asked as she spotted the red cloak billowing out behind him.
"Oh. Yes." Gwen said, startled out of her reverie.
"Come, Gwen. We've a busy day ahead." Morgana said smiling sweetly.
"Yes, my Lady." Gwen said.
"Get the stable hands to saddle three horses and pack a picnic. Cassie's invited us to go riding today."
"Shall I bring our preferred form of entertainment on our rides, my Ladies?"
"I should think so, yes." Cassie said, a wicked smile on her face as Morgana disappeared behind the screen to change into more appropriate attire.
"Do you need something to wear?"
"I've come prepared." Cassie said, hiking her skirt up slightly to reveal her riding trousers.
"Great." Morgana said with a toothy grin, walking out with her and Gwen and spending a few hours in a clearing sparring and laughing.