| it seems to be a pattern for me that i usually prefer the second episode in two part episodes. that is the case with these, so sorry that this chapter isn't super exciting |
"i'm just so glad she's alive. i wish i could've been there when she arrived."
[3.1 — The Tears of Uther Pendragon pt. 1]
Camelot had changed in the year since Morgana's disappearance. There was no joy to be found as the city continued to mourn her loss. Yet through it all, Uther never gave up hope that she could be found. He was sending out armies every single day, scouring the land for any sign of her. Many men were lost, and the knights were exhausted, but no one complained. Finding Morgana would be worth their efforts.
Lia could do nothing but anxiously wait for their return each time that Arthur and Merlin left with a new search party. They left for weeks at a time, meaning that she spent more time than she would've liked alone. And it didn't help that she spent most nights waking from horrible nightmares, and Merlin wasn't there to comfort her while off searching for Morgana. But Lia would never complain, knowing that Morgana's safety was more important than her lack of sleep.
It seemed Gaius was the only one with the nerves to say out loud that the continuing search for the ward seemed fruitless. He saw the toll it was taking on everyone's health, mental and physical — Lia, Merlin, Arthur, the knights, and even Uther himself. The King was driving himself mad trying to get Morgana back, and Gaius worried he'd bring Camelot down with him.
As Gaius went to speak with Uther in the Throne Room, Lia silently trailed behind him. The King had his eyes glued to the horizon outside the window, waiting for Arthur and his men to return, hopefully with Morgana.
"Sire, how many more men are you going to lose in this quest?" Gaius asked him.
"As many as it takes," Uther muttered.
Gaius sighed heavily before moving to his side. "I need to speak to you as a friend."
"I have no time for friends," he said bitterly.
"Then I'll speak to you as your physician," Gaius said, not giving up. "This is madness. She has been missing for more than a year now. When are you going to stop?"
Uther finally tore his eyes away from the horizon and sharply looked at Gaius. "When Morgana is found."
| | |
At the same moment that Gaius was trying to convince Uther to give up, Arthur and Merlin were riding through the woods with a group of knights. They were tracking down the men that had attacked and killed a patrol on the outskirts of Camelot's territory.
"Ow," Merlin muttered, shifting around on his horse.
"Is there something wrong with you?" Arthur asked, annoyed.
"I've been on a horse all day," he complained.
"Is your little bottom sore?" he teased.
"Yes. It's not as fat as yours."
Arthur chuckled and shook his head. "You know, you've got a lot of nerve for a wimp."
"I may be a wimp, but at least I'm not a dollophead," Merlin murmured.
"There's no such word," he said, scoffing.
"It's idiomatic."
He shot Merlin a confused look. "It's what?"
"You need to be more in touch with the people."
"Describe dollophead," he ordered, deciding to humor him.
"In two words?" Merlin asked.
"Yeah."
"As Lia puts it: Prince Arthur," he said, smirking.
"Lia does not call me a dollop head," Arthur said, narrowing his eyes at Merlin. If he had something to throw at him, he would have. Then Arthur spotted an abandoned camp through the trees and signaled for everyone to be quiet.
They silently crept through the camp to investigate and search for survivors. It appeared that they were alone, but that was proved incorrect as an arrow sailed through the air and hit a knight in the back. Merlin quickly picked up a sword but was disarmed by a bandit a few moments later. Before the bandit could attack him again, Merlin used his magic to magnetize the sword he was holding. As metal pans and helmets stuck to the weapon, the bandit fell backward from the weight.
He continued to use his magic to take out bandits, toppling a tree on one and throwing spears through the air to save Arthur, though he tripped in the process. Arthur spun around, searching for whoever threw the spear, and found Merlin laying on the ground.
"We're not playing hide and seek, Merlin!" he called, rolling his eyes.
"Dollophead," Merlin muttered before getting to his feet.
The battle was soon won, and Arthur looked down at the bodies. But then he heard twigs snapping in the distance, followed by rustling. Thinking that it was another bandit, he raised his sword and cautiously went to investigate. And then a figure stumbled through the fog — someone he thought he may never see again.
Morgana.
| | |
Lia had spent the majority of her day in the lower town. All of the children in the Aumont family had caught the same stomach sickness, so she was there taking care of them. Once she was satisfied with their condition, she made her way back to the castle. As she walked through the courtyard, she noticed Sir Theodore, who had been a part of Arthur's search party, meaning they had returned.
"Sir Theodore, how did the hunt fair?" she asked, smiling as she approached him.
"Good news, My Lady. We found the Lady Morgana," he told her.
The basket that Lia had been holding slipped from her hands. "What?"
Theodore smiled brightly, knowing how much Lia had missed Morgana, so the news had come as a shock to her. He leaned down to pick up the basket and hand it to her. "I hear that Gaius has already seen her and she's resting."
"I must go ask about her condition," Lia said, still having a hard time believing it. She wouldn't believe it until she saw Morgana with her own eyes. "Thank you, Sir Theodore, and I am glad you all returned safely."
Lia rushed as quickly as she could to the physician chambers, where Gaius had just returned and was speaking with a nervous Merlin.
"Did you talk to her?" Merlin asked, jumping to his feet when he saw Gaius.
"She's sleeping," he told him.
"Did she say anything about me?"
"Nothing as yet."
"Well, she's going to," he said, sure of it. He was happy that Morgana was back, but he knew what he did wouldn't remain in the shadows for long now that she was.
"Does she know your secret, Merlin?" Gaius asked, worried. "Does she know you have magic?"
"No, she doesn't. No one does," he assured.
"Good. Because if Uther finds out—"
"She knows I tried to poison her," Merlin interrupted. "She knows that."
"You had no choice," Gaius said softly. "Camelot was dying. Morgana was the source of the enchantment. Either you poisoned her, or the kingdom fell. Even Lia has forgiven you."
"But she could easily hate me again now that Morgana has returned," Merlin said, sighing. "And Uther won't know all that. All she'll say is I tried to kill her."
"We can't be sure, Merlin," he said, not wanting to jump to conclusions.
"What do you think Uther will do to me?" Merlin asked nervously. He was convinced that Morgana was going to reveal his betrayal as soon as she woke up.
Gaius sighed. "Let's just wait and see what tomorrow brings."
A moment later, Lia frantically ran into the physician chambers. "She's back?" she asked, her eyes wide with hope. "Is she alright?"
Gaius moved to Lia's side and put his hands on her shoulder to calm her down. "Yes, Morgana has returned. I have already treated her, and she has no injuries. But she has been through a lot and needs rest. She's sleeping now, but she asked to see you when she wakes."
Lia nodded in understanding and sighed in relief. "I'm just so glad she's alive. I wish I could've been there when she arrived."
"Well, I don't know if she'd admit it out loud, but you are her favorite physician," he said, smiling lightly. "But she understood that you were helping Matthew and Alluson's children."
Then Lia anxiously glanced at Merlin, who was silently leaning against the wall. "Did she... say anything about what happened?"
"Not yet," he said, frowning.
Lia walked over to him and squeezed his hand comfortingly. "Try to have hope, Merlin, that everything will be alright."
"I'm gonna remind you that you said that when I am sitting in a jail cell," he muttered.
| | |
Restless nights weren't a new thing to Lia, meaning she was already awake when the sun rose the next morning. Gaius saw how tired she was, but knew she would not rest until she saw Morgana. So, after making sure she ate breakfast, he sent her off to check on Morgana. When Lia arrived at Morgana's chambers, she was sitting on her bed, still in her nightgown and eating some fruit.
"Gana," Lia said softly, knocking on the door.
Morgana looked up, her eyes wide. And then an impossibly large smile broke across her face. "Lia," she breathed out.
Lia was quick to rush across the room and over to Morgana. As Lia wrapped her arms around Morgana, the Ward practically melted into her arms. A few tears slipped out of Morgana's eyes as she leaned her head in her neck.
"I missed you so much," Morgana whispered.
"I feared I would never see you again," Lia said.
"I know. I could scarcely believe it when I saw Arthur in the woods. When I woke up, I was terrified that it had all been a dream," she said. "That I would wake up back in that place."
"You are home and you are safe," Lia told her, running her hands through her hair. "Now, let me check you over. Did you manage to get some sleep last night?"
"Yes, though I am still tired," she said, nodding and smiling sadly. "I almost forgot what sleeping on a mattress felt like."
Lia felt her heart break for Morgana and all the things she must have gone through. "You'll need a lot of rest over the next few days," she said while checking her vitals. Just as Gaius had said, Morgana had no injuries, but it could take a long time for her to mentally recover. "Do not tire yourself out trying to please everyone that wants to see you."
"Would you stay with me while I rest?" Morgana asked, taking her hand. "I know you must be busy, but after a year of isolation, I do not want to be alone."
"I will remain as long as you want," Lia promised. She scooted up the bed to lean against the headboard while Morgana remained tucked under her arm.
They spent the morning just talking — not about the things that Morgana had been through as Lia didn't want to upset her. While Morgana finished eating, Lia caught her up on meaningless things and gossip around the castle, including how Arthur daringly "killed" a dragon all on his own. It was nice to spend time with each other.
However, it was not long before Arthur interrupted, knocking on the door as he entered. Morgana smiled at him as he sat on the end of the bed. Though it was difficult for Morgana to talk about, he needed to know what had happened to her in the past year and would need to report back to Uther.
Morgana leaned against Lia as she recounted how she was taken by bandits and held captive somewhere in Essetir. Her voice trembled as she spoke, gaining sympathy from both Lia and Arthur. They couldn't imagine how terrified she must have been — and still was.
"I was kept in a cell for almost a year. I thought I'd go mad," she told them.
"How did you escape?" Arthur asked.
"They moved me about a week ago," she said. "I don't know why. It may have been the patrol from Camelot."
"The patrol found you?" he asked, surprised. It must have been the same patrol they found dead.
"I thought I was gonna be free," she said, tearing up. "But then I saw them killed. Every one of them cut down. But that night, the bandits were distracted by their spoils. I took my chance. When I saw you, I couldn't believe it."
Morgana left Lia's arms for a moment to hug Arthur tightly. As she looked up, she caught Merlin hovering in the doorway with an anxious look on his face as he watched them. Lia and Arthur followed her gaze and noticed his arrival. Morgana slowly pulled away and leaned back against Lia.
"I think I need to rest," Morgana said.
"Everything's gonna be alright. You're safe now," Arthur promised.
She smiled at him as he got up and left. Merlin began to follow after Arthur, but Morgana stopped him. "Merlin. I want to speak to you." Lia bit her lip as Merlin remained, worried about what was to come. "I know what you did. You tried to poison me."
"I didn't want to," he said nervously.
Morgana squeezed Lia's hand tightly, who ran her thumb over her knuckles. "It's alright, Merlin. I understand. You were just trying to protect your friends. I would have done the same."
"Really?"
"I was so naïve, Merlin. I don't think I really understood what I was doing," she told them, tears slipping from her eyes. "But, believe me, I have seen the evils in this world. I have seen firsthand what it is that Uther fights against. You don't know how much I regret everything that I've done. I just... hope that you can forgive me."
"I am so sorry for everything you've been through," Merlin told her. Morgana sighed in relief, glad he was not mad at me. "It's good to have you back."
Morgana smiled happily at him as he left. Then she turned to Lia, looking up at her slightly. "Can you forgive me, Lia?"
"There's nothing to forgive," Lia told her, brushing some of her dark hair back. "You were in pain and angry at Uther. Morgause was there to offer a solution."
"You do not think I am a monster for what I did? For how I used my magic?"
"No," she said, shaking her head. "You could never be a monster. Everyone makes mistakes, Gana. I am just so glad that you are alive. Morgause may have been an enemy to Camelot but she saved your life. For that, I am grateful."
| | |
Everyone in Camelot was ecstatic about Morgana's return. For the first time since her disappearance, Uther was smiling. All of the hard work and long days that the knights and guards had put in paid off as she was rescued. No one, not even Merlin, suspected a thing — easily believing her lies about being captured by bandits.
As the sun set, and Camelot went to sleep, Morgana snuck out of the castle. No one noticed her as she readied her horse and then rode off into the night. She traveled to a cave deep in the forest where no one would find her. As she walked to the mouth of the cave, she saw the Bloodguard that stood nearby but paid them no mind as she entered. It was there that Morgause was waiting for her.
"My sister," Morgause greeted. "How have you fared?"
A devilish smirk fell on Morgana's lips. "Camelot has welcomed back its daughter with open arms."
"Uther does not suspect?" she asked, taking her hands.
"He laps up my lies like the sniveling dog that he is."
"And the boy?" Morgause asked, referring to Merlin.
"Merlin? He believes I've changed. And he's right," she told her. "Soon he will see exactly how much."
Morgana held out the handkerchief that she had used to dry Uther's tears earlier — the last thing they needed for their spell. "You've done well," Morgause said, taking the handkerchief and smiling at Morgana. "The tears of Uther Pendragon have only begun to fall."
Morgause dropped the handkerchief into a giant cauldron which was filled with boiling mud, and it sank to the bottom. Then she grabbed a large mandrake room. As she placed it in the cauldron, a piercing shriek sounded throughout the room causing Morgana to flinch and cover her ears.
"The mandrake root is very special. Only those with magic can hear its cries. But for those without magic, the magic pierces the very recesses of the soul, twisting the unconscious into the very image of fear and dread," Morgause explained with a delighted grin as she stirred the cauldron. "Uther Pendragon will find that his great kingdom counts for nothing when he has lost his mind."
Morgause's eyes glowed gold as she chanted the spell. Once it was complete, she pulled out the mud-covered mandrake root and handed it to Morgana. She wrapped it in a piece of cloth to keep it from making a mess on her ride back.
"I know you have fooled the boy, but what of the girl?" Morgause asked. She smirked as Morgana smiled softly. "How was it to see her again? I know you missed her."
"Sister, to be in her arms again was a dream," Morgana said, sighing. "Camelot does not deserve her kindness and understanding. Once it and Uther fall, I will show Lia how magical the world was before Uther's reign of terror."
"Then you must go quickly. The sooner the mandrake takes hold of Uther's soul, the sooner you may do so," Morgause said. "I shall see you in a few days' time."
| | |
"How is Morgana?" Uther asked.
Lia and Gaius were in the King's chambers reporting on Morgana's condition. He wanted to hold a celebration for her but make sure that she was healthy enough for it.
"She seems to have made a remarkable recovery, My Lord," Gaius told him.
"She was always like that as a child," Uther said, smiling. "Very brave. She inherited much from her father."
"Gorlois was a great man," Gaius said, nodding.
"Indeed," he muttered, an unidentifiable glint in his eyes. "I trust she will be well enough to attend the feast."
"I see no reason why not," Lia said, grinning. "She sounded very excited about it, My Lord."
"Thank you," Uther said.
Once Lia and Gaius were dismissed, they went their separate ways while Uther resumed getting ready for the day. All of them were blissfully unaware of the mandrake hanging under the King's bed, about to wreak havoc on his mind.
| | |
Lia paused as she was passing the knight training grounds and watched. Arthur had a blindfold tied over his eyes and was fighting two opponents. It was quite impressive to see him not only face them but win against the two other knights without his sight. Once he disarmed both the men, he removed the blindfold. She bit her lip to hide her amazed smile, not wanting Arthur to catch a glimpse of it and take it as a compliment.
Arthur approached Merlin to get a drink of water before the training continued. "Let's change weapons. What'd you think?" he asked.
"I've seen better," Merlin said, lying to mess with him as Lia wandered over to them.
"Course," Arthur said, rolling his eyes. "Well, you are the expert at fighting with your eyes closed."
"But you didn't see what I did when we rescued Morgana," he said.
"Because you were hiding behind a tree."
"No," Merlin said, scoffing. "I was not."
Arthur clearly didn't believe him and returned to his knights. "I'm not going to use the blindfold, I'm just going to fight like Merlin here." Then Arthur began to tremble and whimper with his sword held out, causing the others to laugh. "I'm Merlin. Don't hurt me."
Merlin rolled his eyes and took a seat on a bench. Lia placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, knowing that he wouldn't let Arthur's words get to him. Once Arthur was done mocking Merlin, he looked over at them. He caught Lia's eye and winked before facing his knights once more.
"Ready?"
As the fight began, Arthur continued to use a sword while the two knights were both using a mace. It started out in Arthur's favor with him easily dodging their attacks. But then Merlin, feeling the need for payback, decided to intervene. He magically pulled Arthur's sword from his grasp. It left him defenseless as Sir Marcus hit him directly in the stomach with his face.
Arthur fell face-first into the mud and groaned as he rolled onto his back. Before he had the chance to yell at, well, anyone, a soft giggle reached his ears. He sat up instantly and his face went red when he saw Lia trying to hide her amused smile behind her hand as she laughed at him.
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That night, everyone was gathered in the Hall of Ceremonies for the feast behind held for Morgana. Everyone was in high spirits and enjoying the good food. Lia sat next to Leon, watching as Uther raised his goblet to address the crowd.
"Standing here, seeing so many happy faces, seems almost like a dream. I can tell you, I have not felt like this in a long time," Uther said.
"What, drunk?" Arthur joked.
Uther playfully hit his arm as the crowd laughed. "Drunk with happiness. I would have searched the entire world, the seas, the skies, the stars, for that smile," he said, gazing lovingly down at Morgana. "To have it stolen from me was like a blade to my heart. Morgana, there are no words. You mean more to me than you will ever know. To Lady Morgana."
"To Lady Morgana!" everyone chanted, raising their goblets.
Uther hugged Morgana tightly before stepping outside for some air. People began getting up and moving around the room, chattering while they ate. It was not long after Leon got up that Arthur was approaching Lia.
"It's nice to see you so happy, My Prince," Lia said, smiling. "I have missed seeing your smile."
"I have plenty reason to smile. Morgana is safe. My father is happy. And I have you," he listed off. More than anything, Arthur wished to pull her close and kiss her but knew he could not in front of everyone. "For the first time in a long time, I will not have training or a rescue party to lead. Perhaps we could sneak away for the afternoon tomorrow."
Lia smiled shyly as her cheeks heated up. Alone time had been scarce for the two of them with Arthur leaving for weeks at a time to search for Morgana. And when he was in Camelot, he was training new knights while Lia was running all over as court physician. Perhaps with things going back to normal, they could steal away more moments together.
"Well, I haven't been to the wildflower field since the daffodils bloomed," Lia told him. "I suppose it'd be nice to have someone to accompany me on the walk."
"I shall count the moments until then," he said quietly. "I should return to Morgana, but—"
Arthur was cut off by a guard rushing up to him. He said something to him in a hushed but frantic tone. Whatever they told him, Lia could tell it wasn't good as Arthur's eyes widened in worry.
He wasted no time running from the room. Lia caught Merlin's eye across the room and they hastily followed him, fearing something horrible had happened. As they all hastily exited, it caught Morgana's attention who followed them out. Arthur ran all the way to the main square.
Uther was curled up on the ground, surrounded by guards, and rocking back and forth, muttering to himself. Gaius was kneeling next to him, trying to calm the King down. As soon as he noticed Arthur's arrival, Gaius claimed that Uther needed to be brought back to his own chambers. Arthur carried his father all the way through the castle and to his room. On the way, Uther had stopped shaking and eventually fallen asleep. When they reached Uther's chambers, Morgana rushed to pull the covers on the bed back as Arthur set him down.
"Careful," she said. "Is he going to be alright?"
"He should sleep til morning," Gaius told her.
There wasn't much they could do until he woke back up. Morgana stayed by Uther's side to make sure he was alright while the others left them alone. Gaius did not say anything more as they walked through the corridor, but his silence did not sit well with Arthur.
"What could've made him like this?" he asked, glancing back at his father's door.
"I've no idea," Gaius told him.
Arthur had to refrain from scoffing, doing his best to not take out his frustration on Gaius. "Gaius, he was lying on the ground crying!"
"Exhaustion," Gaius quickly said.
"Gaius," he said sharply. "What aren't you telling me? What's wrong with him? Tell me."
Gaius hesitated for a moment but decided to be honest with him. "When I found him, he was mumbling. Most of it was incoherent, but..."
"What?"
"He kept mentioning your mother's name."
"He never talks about her," Arthur said, frowning.
"He claimed that he saw her," Gaius continued, keeping his voice low. "In the well."
Arthur looked around the corridor to make sure no one was within hearing distance. "Did the guards see him in this state?" Arthur asked, whispering.
"I think you're worrying too much," Gaius said, trying to calm him down.
"If the people get to know about this—"
"We say that he was ill, but now he's recovered," Gaius said in a level tone.
Arthur didn't want to accept the situation but knew that he had to. They could only hope that whatever had happened to Uther was a one-time occurrence.
| | |
When the court met in the morning, Uther seemed better than the night before, but those that knew to look for it could tell he was not back to normal. He sat on his throne as Arthur reported back after the latest patrol.
"We've had reports that mercenaries are streaming into Cenred's kingdom," Arthur told him.
"Do we know why?" Uther asked. Though as he spoke, he sounded almost unconcerned.
"There is rumor that Cenred is amassing an army. I think we should send a patrol out to assess the situation," Arthur said. However, Uther did not respond to the idea and seemed to stare past Arthur, not even realizing he was there anymore. "Father?" Arthur questioned.
Arthur turned to follow his gaze, wondering what was distracting him. However, there was nothing past the members of the court except for an empty doorway. Everyone turned back to Uther, who began to shake, looking as if he had seen a ghost.
Slowly, the King stood and pointed to the empty air. "Leave me alone," he whispered, his face full of terror at whatever he was seeing. "Get out of here.
Arthur hesitantly stepped towards Uther to get him to sit back down. "Father, will—"
"I said get out!" Uther shouted, pushing past Arthur. Everyone was startled at the anger in his voice. "Get out! I'll have you hanged!"
Uther charged forward but Arthur and Leon held him back. He continued to shout, glaring at the same spot as they dragged him from the room. Lia glanced worriedly at the spot where no one was standing before following after them with Gaius.
Something was happening to the King. Something bad.
| | |
Uther had calmed down somewhat but still remained confined to his chambers. He had gone on about the Druid child that he was sure was standing in the Council Chambers, one which was supposed to have drowned years ago. Even after Gaius and Lia left, Arthur remained by his father's side — though it wouldn't be long before he'd have to leave and take over Uther's duties for the day.
Merlin met Lia and Gaius in the hallway, where they had quietly explained to him the situation. He couldn't quite understand what was happening to the King. "There must be some explanation."
"During the Great Purge, Uther drowned many he suspected of sorcery. And some, God help them, were children, killed for the magic they were born with," Gaius explained.
"The conscience is a strong thing," Lia said softly. She couldn't bear to think of all those innocent children that Uther had murdered. "It could be playing tricks on him finally after all these years."
"Whatever it is, we can no longer hide this. A king's hold on his people is a very fragile thing, Merlin," Gaius said, sighing. "If they start to lose faith in him, I fear for Camelot."
And then as if they hadn't already had an overwhelming morning, the warning bells began to sound. It was not long before they figured out the cause. All three of them were brought to the lower town, at the gates of the outer wall. There, lying on the ground, was a guard who had been stationed as a sentry the night before.
"Take this man to my chambers," Gaius instructed Leon. But before they could take him away, he pulled the odd-looking dagger out of the guard's body. "I need to speak to Arthur as a matter of urgency."
No time was wasted in gathering the court once more. Arthur stood before Gaius who briefly explained the body that was found. "The sentry must've been attacked at some point during the night."
"Who could've done this?" he asked. The last thing they needed was something like this, not while his father wasn't well.
Gaius pulled out the dagger and handed it to Arthur. "That is a sigil of the Bloodguard."
Arthur frowned as he studied the small weapon. "The Bloodguard?"
"Warrior priests sworn to protect the high priestesses of the Old Religion," he explained.
"Surely they were wiped out during the Great Purge."
"Not all of them."
"So you believe there is a traitor in Camelot?" Arthur asked.
"It is possible, Sire," Gaius admitted. "The sentry will be able to tell us soon enough."
"He's still alive?" he asked, thinking that the guard had died.
"Indeed."
No one seemed to notice as Morgana slipped from the room. The meeting continued as Arthur had a few more questions about the Bloodguard. If there truly was someone in their ranks in Camelot, then it would not bode well for them. Extra guards were sent out to patrol the city. Once the council was dismissed, Gaius, Lia, and Merlin returned to the physician chambers.
While Lia started getting supplies sorted out, Merlin walked over to check on the guard. However, he paused to study him.
"Gaius," he called, frowning. Gaius glanced at Merlin before looking at the still guard. He made his way over and quickly checked for a pulse. "You said he was recovering."
"I thought he was," Gaius said. Both he and Lia were confused, not understanding how the guard had died so quickly while they were gone.
"Then what happened? You don't think it's strange?" Merlin asked.
Gaius shared a look with Lia. "Very."
| | |
Merlin was alone when he entered Uther's chambers to deliver a potion to help him rest easier. The King was asleep as he set the potion down on the nightstand. Before Merlin could turn to leave, he thought he heard a faint dripping sound, which was odd as it wasn't raining. He glanced down and saw drops of what looked like mud on the floor, just under the bed. Before he could investigate, he heard footsteps approaching.
As quietly as he could, he slipped under the bed. However, Merlin was startled when his face bumped into some dangling object, which was where the mud came from. He could not ponder it for long though because Morgana stopped at Uther's bedside and reached down, yanking the object away. Thankfully, she did not look under the bed and spot Merlin.
Sensing that something was wrong, he quietly snuck after her. He followed her as she snuck from the castle, remaining well hidden. Morgana continued outside and all the way out of Camelot, through the woods. Merlin wasn't sure what she was up to, but he had a horrible feeling about it. That was soon proved correct as she finally stopped and was approached by a few people on horses after a short wait.
Morgause was among them.
"Sorry you had to wait," Morgause said, getting off her horse. Merlin couldn't believe his eyes. "There was much to discuss."
"But your visit was successful?" Morgana asked her, taking her hands in her own.
"Cenred's army ride for Camelot on my command."
Morgana grinned brightly at the news. "There is nothing you cannot do."
"It is you that gives me strength, sister," she told her. "How goes the battle for Uther's mind?"
Merlin's face fell realizing the truth. Uther wasn't really going mad. They had put him under some kind of spell to weaken him in preparation for Cenred's attack.
"When Cenred marches on Camelot, he will find a kingdom without a leader," Morgana said. Merlin crept past a fallen tree, trying to remain hidden while getting closer.
"Finally, we are ready."
"Not quite," Morgana said, turning. Merlin quickly crouched down to keep from being seen. "Merlin suspects me."
"Has he told Arthur?" Morgause asked, worried that the servant could become a problem.
"Not yet, but he will," Morgana said, sounding sure.
"Well, then we must stop him."
She smirked. "That will not be difficult."
"Why?"
"Because he's already here."
Merlin cursed inside his head for being detected but wasted no time standing from his hiding spot. Morgana and Morgause were only a few feet away from him, both glaring fiercely at him.
"Did you really think I was that stupid, Merlin?" Morgana asked, scoffing.
Merlin bolted, running back towards Camelot as fast as he could. But he wasn't fast enough. Morgause had sent the Bloodguard after him, and it was not long before they caught up to him. Before he could even think of saying a spell to defend himself, he was knocked out.
| | |
Everyone in Camelot was non the wiser to the imminent danger that Merlin was in. There was too much to focus on to notice his absence. Between Uther's dwindling condition, the possible threat of Cenred's army, and trying to locate the one who had killed the guard, there wasn't much time to realize that Merlin was missing.
Most of Camelot was asleep, but not Arthur, who was staying up later than usual to look over documents that his father was not well enough to. Gaius and Lia, both worried about how he was handling the current situation, went to check on him. The room was dark, save for a few candles that were lit on the table.
"How are you, Sire?" Gaius asked him.
"It's not me who's sick," Arthur said, not looking up from the papers he was signing.
"It can't be easy to see your father this way," Lia told him. He finally glanced away from his work and up at her.
"No," Arthur admitted to her. "He's always been so strong. He lifted his kingdom from its knees, Gaius. To see him now..." He trailed off, knowing that if he continued, he'd have a hard time getting the words out.
"I am sure that, over time, he will recover," Gaius assured him. Arthur nodded in understanding, glad to hear it from a physician. "But until then, we have to make plans, Arthur. We need you to assume control."
"That's ridiculous," he muttered, looking down.
"Camelot needs a leader," he said while Arthur stubbornly shook his head. "It falls to you. You must fulfill your role as regent. This is not just me talking. Members of the court have spoken."
Arthur sharply looked up at him, his face darkening. "So now you've taken to whispering behind my back. What kind of treason is this?"
"It's for the good of the kingdom," Gaius said, staying calm when Arthur would not.
"I'm not going to usurp my father," he said, stalking away from them.
"The palace is awash with rumors. The people are restless," Gaius told him.
"I swore allegiance to my King, and as long as there is breath in his body, it is my duty to uphold that," Arthur said, clenching his fist.
"Arthur, please," Gaius said, trying to get him to see reason.
He crossed his arms and stood facing the window. "You are giving up on my father. That is something I will never do."
Gaius sighed, knowing that he would get nowhere with Arthur, at least the night. He accepted it and left the room, bidding Arthur goodnight, but Lia did not follow. She remained, keeping her eyes trained on his tense back. Slowly, she approached him, not speaking as she did.
As she gently placed her hand on Arthur's shoulder, his tense stance crumbled and a defeated sigh left his lips. After a moment, he turned his head and placed a kiss on her knuckles before covering her hand with his own, squeezing it tightly.
Even though she did not speak, having Lia at Arthur's side was enough.
| | |
It was early in the morning when Merlin woke, chained up on the forest floor. Morgana was long gone as two of the Bloodguards forced him into a sitting position, and Morgause stood over him.
"You intrigue me, Merlin. Why does a lowly servant continue to risk everything for Arthur and for Camelot?" she asked, eying him curiously. Merlin looked away, not wanting her to learn of his magic. "You know the answer, but you're not telling me. Why? Come on. Time and again you put your life on the line. There must be a reason."
"I believe in a fair and just land," he told her, keeping his tone level.
"And you think Arthur will give you that?"
"I know it."
"And then what? You think you'll be recognized, Merlin? Is that it? All this so, one day, you can be a serving boy to the King?" she taunted. "No. There's something more. Something you're not telling me, isn't there?"
"I told you," he said stubbornly.
"Well, you can take your secret to your grave," Morgause said, smirking. "Morgana will have a fine time comforting Lia over your death."
Merlin glared at her as she brought up Lia, not wanting Morgana anywhere near her. But there was nothing he could do as Morgause said a spell. The chains around him glowed before growing even tighter. Morgause stood menacingly over him.
"You chose to poison one of my own. You may regret that."
| | |
On the rare days that Lia did not wake screaming from nightmares, Merlin and Gaius made habits of not waking her up as early. That was why Gaius hadn't disturbed her the next morning. However, Merlin did not get the same courtesy, who had slept in far later than he should've.
"Merlin," he called, heading to his and Lia's chambers. "You're going to be la—"
He cut himself off when he opened the door and found Merlin's bed empty — it hadn't even been slept in. Lia stirred in her own bed, having heard Gaius come in. She yawned and sat up, brushing the messy curls out of her face.
"Morning, Gaius," she said, rubbing her eyes. Then she glanced at the window, seeing that the sun had been up for some time. "Sorry for not getting up earlier. I will be ready in just a moment."
Usually, Gaius either excused her for sleeping in or simply gave her a list of things to do once she was ready. Instead, she saw that he had an almost concerned look on his face.
"When was the last time you saw Merlin?" he asked her.
"I was in bed before he returned," she said, frowning as she stood up. "And I would've heard him when he came in with how loud he is. Where would he be?"
"I don't know," Gaius said, clearly worried. With everything going on, a missing Merlin was the last thing they needed. "That is what worries me."
| | |
Meanwhile, Merlin was alone in the woods. He muttered spell after spell, trying to break the chains he was bound in, but it was useless. Each attempt to free himself failed. Then he heard the sound of some kind of creatures approaching. Scorpions crawled across the ground, but they were not what worried him.
It was the giant Serkets approaching.
Merlin wiggled in his chains, but that did nothing to loosen them. He once again muttered a spell to try and break whatever Morgause had enchanted the chains with, but again, it did not work. The Serkets grew nearer, circling around him.
He fended off the Serkets the best he could by shouting spell after spell, keeping them back. But one had crept up behind him and stabbed him in the back with its stinger. His eyes flashed gold as he yelled and threw the Serket back with his magic.
The poison ran through him, quickly weakening him. As he fell over, the ancient language that belonged to dragons left his lips, calling for aid. The Serkets stayed back for a few minutes, wary of his magic, but soon they realized he did not have any more fight left in him. The Serkets continued to close in around Merlin. Just when he was convinced that it was over, the Great Dragon appeared. Kilgharrah flew over the trees and fiery breath left his mouth, roasting the Serkets around Merlin.
Then the dragon swooped down and picked Merlin's body up with his talons. There was only one thought on Merlin's mind as he slowly lost consciousness from the poison in his system — he had to get back to Camelot.