Captured Heart

She's Powerful

MMMMMM

Leon went to rush forward and aid his King and fallen comrades, but Merlin held him back, holding a finger to her lips and creeping quietly into the room, ducking into a crouch and successfully crab walking into the throne room before creeping quickly behind a pillar. Leon, Lancelot, Percival, and Gwaine all followed her lead. Merlin was especially impressed when Percival turned out to be the lightest on his feet. She shrugged silently to herself and turned her attention back to the scene once more. The bandit queen did her best to ignore the dying King on the ground. She knew it would only distract her from the scene.

After the five of them had surveyed the throne room for a few minutes, Leon whispered solemnly, "Our only option is the element of surprise. In so far, they don't know we're here, so we have to use that to our advantage."

Merlin peaked out from behind the column again and bit her lip, thinking. After a beat of silence, she realized that everyone was looking to her to think of something. She scowled at them for a second before whispering, "I can put an invisibility spell over you all. If I distract Morgana and Morgause, Gwaine and Lance can fight off Geoffrey and Gaius' guards and hopefully sneak them through a door that I'm pretty sure I see back there. I would be more helpful if I actually knew the layout. Anyway, Percival can grab Mordred and Elyan and Leon can carefully grab Arthur. I don't know where to go from there."

Gwaine and Leon nodded quickly, ready to get going, but Percival said quietly, "There is a place in the woods we prepared for situations like this after Morgana took over last time."

Merlin nodded quickly, but was prevented from saying anything by Lancelot asking quickly, "How are you going to fight off two powerful sorceresses while keeping an invisibility spell on us?"

"Trust me, brother." Merlin whispered back before her eyes flashed gold and she spoke gently, "Àcwincan." They disappeared in front of her and she blinked rapidly, her eyes turning gold again and then she could see the outline of their bodies in shimmering gold. She knew she was the only one who could see them.

They all nodded to her and she nodded back. It was time. Merlin stepped out from behind the pillar, walking confidently to the center of the room while watching the others out of the corner of her eye. Morgana's attention was still focused on Arthur's prone body and Agravaine's attention was focused on her. Morgause, however, saw Merlin immediately, eyes narrowing at the bandit queen, hand tightening minutely on the new queen's shoulder. Morgana's intense emerald gaze lifted to her sister and then to the slight girl standing in the middle of the room.

Merlin saw Leon glancing between the group of enemies on the raised dais, Merlin herself, and Arthur's body. She knew that if their attention stayed focused to where she was then, then Leon wouldn't be able to get to Arthur and the young King would bleed out in front of them. She had to get in front of them and cast a silent spell, blinking to hide the change in her eye color, that will make it seem as if nothing was moving behind her. So, the bandit queen did what she did best and went into business mode.

She blocked out all thoughts of fallen kings and their sweet, loving kisses. She blocked out all thoughts of silly, desperate knights trying to save their friends. She ignored all thoughts of Loren and her clan back out in the woods somewhere. She straightened her back, lifted an eyebrow, and adopted her customary smirk. She swaggered forward, stepping daintily over her love's body as if it wasn't even there. Merlin was aware that all of the knights were staring at her with a mixture of awe, fear, and horror. She didn't mind.

Morgana spoke first, spitting out her words, "You! I told you to beware my wrath and you dare to come into my court! Fool!"

Merlin's smirk widened and she raised her hands in mock surrender, "Hey, I was just coming to say that I might be willing to join forces with you, but you know what, never mind. I'll just leave now." She turned on her heel and started to walk away, taking a more circuitous path around the fallen king so as to draw attention away. The young woman heard Morgana's furious leap out of the throne and heard Morgause hold the queen back, whispering words in her ear.

It took longer than she expected, but the emerald eyed beauty eventually called, "Wait! Bandit Queen! Perhaps we could find a way to forge a partnership out of this."

The powerful sorceress turned around to face the witch, shrugging slightly and walking back towards the trio surrounding the throne, "I wouldn't say partnership. I've heard that bandits are notoriously difficult to do dealings with. I was looking for more of a... a mutual understanding." Merlin saw Gwaine and Lance leading Gaius and Geoffrey out through that back door, Lance already leading the two away while Gwaine held the door open for Percival, who was carrying two unconscious knights in his arms.

Morgana thought for a moment before plastering a forced smile onto her face, grinning magnanimously, "What were you thinking would come of this... mutual understanding?" None of the people on the dais had noticed the rapidly diminishing population in the room. Leon was in the process of dragging Arthur towards the door; Gwaine was still holding it open.

"You provide the occasional manpower and relatively constant supplies such as food, water, fresh horses, and the likes. Details can be worked out later. In return, no bandit will ever pray on Camelot again. We'll pillage the other kingdoms around you and make sure that your part in the deal is never discovered. The other kingdoms will believe that you scared us away and will think you powerful. My bandits will get aided access to the other kingdoms. It's truly a win win situation, don't you think?" Merlin flashed her best winning smiling at them and then returned to her smirk.

Lancelot's voice sounded urgently in her head, You need to get out of there now! We've all made it through the door and are waiting in the woods, but it won't be long before they realize that all the bodies are missing.

Merlin sent a response quickly, You guys go! I'll follow close behind. I just have to wrap this up, disappear dramatically, and then cover your tracks magically as I follow you. I'll catch up soon.He sent her a mental nod and she sighed to herself, relieved.

Morgana nodded and said, "That seems fair. We will need to discuss the finer details of this, but I believe the idea has merit."

Merlin nodded graciously and said, "Then I will get my second in command and reconvene with you at a later date." With that, her eyes flashed golden and, in a rare display of power, she disappeared in a golden halo of light. Then she set off doing what she had told Lance she would do.

In the background, she heard Morgana scream in anger, things crashing loudly. Merlin threw back her head and laughed.