Merlyn - Arthur x Female Merlin [1]

Chapter Forty: A Reason To Hate Her

The woods were beautiful as usual and Arthur found them to exacerbate Sophia's beauty. Sophia had wanted to walk to the river so Arthur immediately decided to take her there, after all the river was gorgeous. Having left their horses tied up elsewhere, the pair continued on foot. The leaves crunched underneath their feet as they made their way through the dense trees. Coming across a fallen tree, Arthur quickly walked over it before he turned and offered his hand to Sophia who held her staff in one hand whilst her golden cloak billowed behind her. At his silent offer Sophia smiled and slipped her hand into his, allowing him to help her across the tree.

"The river's not far. It's just down here" Arthur said as he released Sophia's hand and began walking ahead of her, being her guide. However, Sophia suddenly called for him, asking him to stop. Immediately the man stopped and turned to face the beautiful woman as she placed her staff against the fallen tree. "What is it?"

A thrill ran through Arthur as Sophia grasped his hands gently, her blue orbs locked with his own. She smiled up at him pulling a smile from him as well. For a moment the two just locked eyes, though there was an unforeseen dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Túce hwón frec'úre, Arthur."

Sophia's eyes glowed red as did Arthur's. She was finally getting somewhere with the spell - the first attack on the prince had given her an opening, given her slight control over his actions, now she just had to finish the job and the prince would be fully under her command. As she spoke Arthur frowned, the foreign words confusing him, he couldn't understand what was going on but once again the all too familiar blurry haze appeared in his mind. What was going on?

"MERLYN!"

The shout shattered the silence and lost Sophia her concentration. Arthur immediately was pulled out of his trance recognising Morgana's voice. But it was the horror in her voice along with the name she shouted that caused Arthur to completely forget about Sophia in front of him. Without a second thought the prince ran towards Morgana's scream, fear trickling into his mind as the possibilities over what the hell had happened to cause Morgana to sound like that raced across his mind. Arthur found Morgana quickly; the Lady was stood over a drop with a look of horror on her face.

"Morgana what's going on?" Arthur asked his sword poised for use if necessary. At his voice Morgana span around to face him.

"Merlyn fell" Morgana explained as she trapped his arm tightly in her grasp. Fear flooded his system at her words; the drop beside them was low enough that bruises could be the only issues and yet high enough it could kill her if she landed wrong. Arthur was almost too scared to look over the drop. "She doesn't seem to be moving. We have to get down to her." Knowing Morgana well Arthur grabbed her arm before the Lady could go anywhere.

"Calm down, I'll get her" Arthur announced before he looked over the cliff. His heart leapt into his throat the moment he looked down. Merlyn was lying on her back, on the ground, not moving. Her eyes closed, her body surrounded by the broken ground. Even from his position Arthur could see the deep red liquid that ran down the side of Merlyn's face - it seemed that some falling ground had caught Merlyn across the forehead (Arthur hoped). For a split moment Arthur's face mirrored Morgana's with fear and horror but those feelings would do no good. Steeling himself, Arthur sheathed his sword and began climbing his way down the drop. Each of his movements was precise and strong, ever the prince even though inside fear was the only emotion he felt.

Eventually his feet hit the forest floor that Merlyn lay upon? He wasted no time in running to her side.

"Merlyn?" he said as his hand cupped her cheek, turning her head towards him. Up close the cut that ran across the side of her forehead did not seem as bad or life threatening. However, the fact that Merlyn wasn't awake worried the prince greatly. As his eyes scanned the rest of her body which was still but did not seem to be on any odd angles, Merlyn's eyes twitched. Hearing a groan from Merlyn, Arthur's head whipped around to her face. "Merlyn?"