"How pathetic. Do you miss Arthur?" Asked a voice, laced with malice, before tossing a piece of moldy bread into the cell.
Merlin looked up from the puddle he had been staring at on the floor. The water continuing to slowly drip from a hole in the ceiling of the stone prison cell. The noise of the water slowly dripping had been the only thing to keep him company, aside from the rats that scurried around the prison. But he wished that he was left alone now. "What do you want, Morgana?"
"I just came to see how you are" Morgana answered, her expression gleeful and taunting.
"You set me up" Merlin glared at Morgana.
"Because once that stake has been lit.. Arthur will have nobody to protect him" Morgana sneered, her motives being revealed along with her cruel nature.
Merlin jumped to his feet as he ran at the door to his cell "Stay away from him! I'm warning you!"
Morgana smiled evilly, enjoying Merlin's anguish "I am a priestess. You could not even dream of stopping me".
Merlin's rage festered as the words of a spell came to mind "Aspringe!" His eyes flashed gold as he yelled the spell, but the prison door remained locked. Preventing him from protecting Arthur.
"Stupid boy, I have casted wards around this prison in preparation for this moment. Only a knight of Camelot can open the doors, and that knight will be the last person you'll see". Morgana sneered, her eyes flashing gold to match Merlin's "Good luck protecting your precious Arthur now".
"I will destroy you if you so much as harm one hair on his head! Do not underestimate me, Morgana. You will regret it" Merlin warned, his eyes glowing gold in a threatening gesture.
Morgan just laughed at the harmless threat "I would like to see you try. Sleep well, Servant" she smirked before exiting the prison, leaving Merlin alone in the dark again.
Drip… drip… drip
The slow tapping of the water echoed throughout the prison, the noise irritating Merlin as he tried to ignore the sound.
Drip… drip… drip
Merlin kicked the moldy bread across the cell, shouting in anger and frustration. His eyes continuously flashing gold as he used every spell he knew to try and break open the door. But it was no use.
"Merlin!" A concerned voice called, the sound of feet frantically running down the stairs.
Merlin's head snapped to face the door to his cell, and his eyes caught a glimpse of Arthur running towards him "Arthur!"
Arthur reached between the bars of the cell as cupped Merlin's face in his hand whilst holding onto the warlock's hand with the other "I will get you out of here. I have a plan".
"It was Morgana! She set me up and then put up wards around the prison. Only a knight can unlock the door" Merlin explained, not caring that he had revealed Morgana's magic to Arthur. She had made her choice to betray him and then threaten Arthur's life.
"What?" Arthur asked, his heart breaking at the betrayal "How could she do something like this? You're her friend".
"She came here, revealed herself and then threatened your life. She's after the throne and she won't stop until she gets what she wants" Merlin explained, holding onto an iron bar and Arthur's warm hand. The simplest of touches made him feel safe and he long to feel safe in Arthur's arms.
Arthur nodded "We are leaving tonight. It's going to be just you and I, to hell with my father and Morgana. We could escape and then build a life together".
As much as the thought of running away with Arthur was a dream come true, Merlin could not help but worry for their friends "We cannot leave everyone here. Morgana will cause devastation to Camelot and our friends would suffer. I need to stop her".
Arthur sighed, he knew that what Merlin was saying was true "We will think of a plan". He stated as a guard began to walk towards him "I love you, never forget that!"
"I love you" Merlin nodded as Arthur kissed his hand.
As the night drew near, all Merlin could do is watch from his cell window as a group of Uther's knights prepared for his execution. Positioning the stakes and piles of logs around the stake. Merlin could not help but wonder if the chains secured to the stake were to prevent the condemned from escaping or just to add more torture to the ordeal. He felt utterly powerless to prevent his own fate, and he loathed the feeling of being helpless. Waiting for his Prince Charming to come to his rescue.
In any other circumstance, Merlin knew that Arthur and his huge ego would have been thrilled to come to Merlin's rescue. To show off his skills as a knight and rescue the damsel in distress, and Merlin knew it. The idea of being a damsel in distress made Merlin's skin crawl in frustration. This fairytale felt more like a nightmare, and he was the butt of some cruel joke. It was mortifying.
And to top it off, that persistent dripping noise was driving him insane! It was as though he was being mocked for whatever sin he had committed.
Drip… drip… drip
"Fuck off!" Merlin yelled, his frustration echoing through the cold prison.
With a deflated huff and having spent all of his built up frustration, Merlin collapsed onto the 'bed' of straw. He never imagined that he would have to sleep on a bed less uncomfortable, than the one he usually slept on, but he found himself missing the feeling of the old mattress and creaky headboard.
'Even goblins have higher living standards than this' Merlin thought, willing himself off into a less than peaceful slumber. He needed his rest if Arthur was going to help him escape. So for now, he would endure sleeping in the cold cell; doing his best to drown out that insensitive dripping sound.
Whilst Merlin attempted to sleep, Arthur was pacing around his chambers as he awaited for the sky to grow dark. Glancing out towards the window every few minutes, checking for any changes in the sky's colour. It felt as though the evening was dragging on, tormenting him as he worried about Merlin. His mind was going a hundred miles per minute, even the fastest stallion would struggle to keep up with his thoughts. He cursed Morgana, he cursed the discriminatory views of his father and the laws he had created. His anger bubbling as he thought about how cruel Uther was to magical beings, sorcerers and creatures, and most significantly in Arthur's opinion, to Merlin.
Arthur's self dug pit of thoughts was only interrupted when the door casually opened, resulting in him turning around to see that Gaia's had finally arrived. The physician noticed how Guias's movements were casual, but how there was a look of determination in his eyes as he approached the prince. Holding a small vial containing a yellowish liquid.
"Are you certain that this will work?" Arthur asked.
Guias nodded, handing the potion to Arthur "It will buy you some time. Just enough to get passed the gates. After that you will have to get as far away as you can, before a search is ordered." He then handed Arthur Merlin's satchel "There's enough water to last you both a day or so, you could make it last if you ration it. I had Gwen collect some bread and fruit to sustain you both for a few days" he explained.
Arthur nodded as he grabbed the bag, examining the contents of it "Thank you, Guias".
"Good luck, Arthur" Guias said before he turned, hesitating to leave the room before he looked back at the prince as Arthur pulled a cloak on "Look after him".
"I will" Arthur nodded, pulling his cloak hood over his head "You have my word".
Guias nodded, reassured that Arthur would keep his word.
Arthur watched as the physician left the room, the plan set in motion as a dark hue finally overtook the sky. "Guard!" Arthur called, making sure to sound distressed before handing behind the door as he waited for the guard to enter.
The guard jumped to attention when Arthur called for aid, rushing into the room only to be ambushed by Lancelot who had been waiting close by as Arthur grabbed the guard. The guard struggled against the chokehold that Arthur had him in, before eventually falling unconscious as Lancelot entered the room.
"Are you ready?" Lancelot asked as he pulled on the guard's armour.
"Yes, we have to do this now" Arthur answered as he pulled the guard towards the bed, dressing him in one of Arthur's tunics and laying him down on the bed "Are you certain that you want to help? I understand if you want to walk away".
Lancelot shook his head "Merlin has saved my life dozens of times. It is about time that I repay the favour" he stated, affirming his involvement in the plan.
Arthur nodded as he tucked the unconscious guard into the bed, dripping some of the potion into his mouth to ensure that he was not going to alert the other guards. With the decoy in position, Arthur left his chambers through the servants tunnels whilst Lancelot stood outside of Arthur's chambers, pretending to be the guard. Arthur moved with practiced stealth, using the hidden servant tunnels that snaked through the palace's underbelly. Every step he took was measured and silent, his movements a testament to the urgency of his mission.
The passageways were narrow and dimly lit, the flickering torches casting eerie shadows across the stone walls. Arthur kept his hood low, his eyes scanning for any sign of movement ahead. The prince instinctively held onto his sword, ready to use the weapon if he needed to fend off obstacles that blocked the path to the prison.
Upon reaching the prison's threshold, Arthur peered through a small grate that overlooked the guards' station. As expected, the guards were leisurely sipping their mead, unaware of the impending sedative. Arthur carefully uncorked the vial of potion and, with precise aim, added it to the mead vat. The liquid swirled briefly before becoming indistinguishable once more.
Arthur waited in tense silence as the guards continued to drink, their laughter and chatter slowly fading into drowsiness. One by one, the guards succumbed to the potion, their heads lolling forward as sleep overtook them. Seizing the moment, Arthur crept into the room, his movements swift and deliberate. He carefully extracted the keys from the head guard's belt.
Keys in hand, Arthur hurried down the dimly lit corridor to Merlin's cell. His heart pounded in his chest, each step bringing him closer to his goal. Reaching the cell door, he fumbled with the keys for a moment before finding the right one, the lock clicking open with a sound that seemed to echo down the corridor. Arthur froze at the sound and listened out of footsteps, relieved when he heard none.
"Arthur?" Merlin's voice was weak but filled with relief.
"Hold on, Merlin, we're getting you out of here," Arthur whispered, pushing the door open and rushing to Merlin's side, the plan now accelerating towards its critical juncture. "We are leaving now". He stated as he cupped Merlin's face in his hands, pulling the warlock into a desperate kiss as Merlin held onto his waist. "Morgana must have forgotten that I'm a knight" the prince said as he pulled a cloak out of the satchel and draped it over Merlin's shoulders.
Merlin's eyes flashed gold, locking the cell door as they quickly made their way out of the prison. Merlin leading the way as they navigated through the courtyard, ducking behind barrels and piles of hay to avoid the line of sight of patrolling knights. They eventually made it to the stables, creeping towards the horses that had been saddled up in preparation for their escape.
However, just as they were about to punt the saddles, the sound of a alarm horn erupted through the knight. Arthur froze when he realised that the alarm was coming from his chambers, which meant that the guard had awoken and sounded the alarm.
"Find the prince!" A shout echoed through the night, causing Uther's nights to rush around Camelot as they ransacked the kingdom.
"Fuck!" Arthur cursed under his breath as he turned to Merlin "Come on!"
The prince had only just managed to help Merlin up onto the horse, when he caught a glimpse of the glow of a torch.
"Halt!" A knight shouted, causing Merlin and Arthur to look towards in in panic.
Arthur had the realisation that the was not enough time for both of them to escape, so he unsheathed his sword in preparation for what he had to do to ensure that Merlin was safe "Get yourself as far away from here as you can!"
"Not without you!" Merlin stated, worried for the prince and fearful of their new predicament.
"I will be right behind you, just go!" Arthur instructed as he rubbed Merlin's leg "Merlin, go!"
For once, Merlin listened to an instruction. He galloped away, urging the horse to go faster as Arthur lunged at the knight who had discovered them. The sound of his sword clashed with the knight's, echoing through the stables. Merlin momentarily glanced back, his eyes flashing gold to put a protection spell over Arthur, his heart pounding as he rode through the narrow streets of Camelot. The horse leaped over barrels and dodged market stalls, Merlin holding on tightly, his eyes set on the distant gates as he neared freedom.
"Close the gate!" a knight shouted, his voice carrying through the night as the kings knights ran around the fortress walls in a desperate attempt to prevent Merlin from escaping their grasp.
Merlin urged the horse on, the gates drawing nearer with every thunderous beat of hooves. Just as all hope was lost, Arthur emerged from the stables clutching his sword as he sprinted through the kingdom just as the iron gates began to groan and the horse burst through, escaping into the dark forest beyond.
"Come on, Merlin!" Arthur yelled, cheering the warlock on. Relief washing over him as Merlin and the horse leapt to safety, before disappearing into the night "Yes!" He cheered, but his celebration was short-lived.
Hands gripped Arthur's arms, forcibly pulling him back towards the palace. Struggling against the guards, Arthur was dragged through the corridors and into the grand hall, where Uther stood waiting, his face a mask of fury.
"Arthur," Uther's voice was cold, his eyes burning with anger as he addressed his son, "You have betrayed your king and your kingdom. You aided the escape of dangerous traitor."
Arthur stood tall, defiant, no trace of regret in his eyes as he met his father's gaze. "I did what I had to do," he replied, his voice steady, "To protect what I believe in and the man I love."
"You could never love someone of that kind!" Uther shouted.
"His name in Merlin and I love him with everything I have!" Arthur shouted, his eyes filled with anger and protectiveness "It is because of your prejudice, that people like Merlin and other magical creatures have been hunted for sport and unjustly slaughtered!"
But the sound of a gentle voice in his head instantly calmed Arthur's rage, 'Don't let Uther antagonise you'. The Merlin said, causing Arthur's heart to swell now that he knew Merlin had made it to safety.
'Merlin? Are you alright?' Arthur thought, talking to Merlin.
'I'm here and I'm safe' Merlin answered 'Are you alright?'
Arthur glanced towards Uther as the king continued to shout insults about Merlin. Uther did not hesitate to show his displeasure at Arthur's betrayal 'I will be when I see you'.
'I'll wait' Merlin said before he ended the connection to Arthur's mind.
Arthur felt a sense of pride at how he had gone against his father's beliefs, a proud look in his eyes as he stood tall and addressed Uther "I will never stop fighting to protect magical beings and you cannot keep me and Merlin separate forever" he stated, noticing the annoyed look on Morgana's face, he then turned to address the king's ward "You have underestimated Merlin and I. Your poor judgment will ultimately be your undoing". He warned, relishing in the brief look of fear that flashed across Morgana's face before she masked in with a look of fake concern.