grabbed Gwaine's sword and ran down the hall, Percival just behind him.
One minute, Merlin had been being dragged gently along with Gwaine towards a destination unknown. The next, Gwaine was flying forward, head smacking into the wall. Merlin was thrown off balance and almost went tumbling down with him, but a vice-like grip latched onto his left arm. He tried to pull away, but fingers like claws dug in and twisted his arm brutally behind his back.
Merlin, still strung out from his encounter with the king, went limp and was pulled along with whoever it was without a fight.
He was pushed abruptly into a room, left shoulder stabbing with pain, and almost fell over. There was the click of a door shutting, and he looked up to find a woman watching him with unreadable brown eyes, long blonde hair tumbling down.
"Morgause," he gasped . But that wasn't possible, was it? Morgause had died, and besides, it had been Morgana in his – oh. One of the half-formed memories that had rushed forward earlier surfaced again, of Morgause yelling and then nothing but blinding agony.
"You've promised me something, Emrys," she said, and Merlin's throat seemed to close in on itself. She knew about the magic, then. For the life of him, he could only stare at her with his mouth hanging open. "You've promised me something, and I am here to collect on that."
"Wh-what," said Merlin, and forced himself to stop. Then, with a slightly stronger voice, he said, "I don't have a clue what you're talking about."
Somewhere outside the room, a voice loudly yelled out, "Merlin!"
"It seems Prince Arthur's discovered that you're gone," she said. "Strange, that he's so worried over you. Especially after he made you leave like that."
Merlin stilled, and a second of the half-formed memories that had ripped it's way forward while Uther questioned him drifted across his mind. Arthur's voice, ringing out, snapping something at him. Merlin, however, couldn't remember the actual words. "I don't know."
Morgause, silent, just stared at him for a while. Then, eyes narrowing, she said, "You have no idea what I'm talking about. How interesting. You have no idea."
"I've no idea about what?" Merlin said. He knew straight down to his bones that listening to Morgause could only end badly. But he wanted answers, answers she seemed to have.
From outside, closer this time, Arthur bellowed, "Merlin, answer me!"
"This changes things," she said, "This changes everything. Did you know that I was going to take you with me today? But, no...No, I think you're best here."
She moved closer, and Merlin backed away until his back hit the wall behind him. When he didn't answer, her eyes flared gold and she pressed her palm against his forehead, and –
He hurt, everywhere. The chains were biting and cold, burning and freezing his skin at the same time. His magic was screaming to get out, tearing and raging at him. Every inch of him throbbed and ached, stabbed and crawled with agony.
"You can make it stop, you know," a voice whispered softly, gently in his ear. "It is easy."
Merlin couldn't concentrate, couldn't think, couldn't do anything, except hang there and beg for it to stop. "Please, please, just ta.. take it away..."
A hand grasped his chin. Grave, brown, uncaring eyes stared back at him. "Then swear it."
He stared back. A week ago – two weeks? Three? He didn't know anymore, didn't know anything anymore, only that he hurt, everywhere – he would've spat right in her face, and snapped exactly what she could do with that offer. Now, though, he just sobbed and pleaded.
"Then swear it, Merlin."
"Yes," he gasped, "Yes, whatever you want, just, please...I-I-I c-c-c-can't –"
Merlin jerked away. "What did you do to me?" he whispered.
"It's nothing that I did," she said, "It's what you've done. It's what Arthur's done. I'm just helping things along. You're no good to me like this, no memories of the Pendragon's betrayal."
She leaned forward again, eyes beginning to glow gold. Merlin had backed himself straight into a corner, no way to escape. A strangled yell jumped from his throat, and with a lurch that left black spots dancing in his vision, his magic lashed out at Morgause. It was barely enough to make her stumble backwards. But Merlin, as soon as the burst of magic had finished, could feel a cut on his back quietly open up, and he winced.
Gaius had been right about his magic healing him, then.
Immediately, Arthur's voice, just outside the door, called, "Merlin? Merlin!" The door shuddered with the force of an overprotective prince slamming into it. Then, Arthur, bellowing again, this time with an edge of panic, "Percival!"
Morgause looked like she wanted to say something. Instead, she backed away to stand by the window. The door flew open. Percival came in first, and Arthur just after him, both with swords drawn. Morgause, a smirk unfurling on her lips, disappeared with a loud bang. Merlin, leaning over the chair, barely able to stand, let out a large sight of relief.
Arthur dropped the sword – but not his, Merlin noted distantly, Merlin had sharpened Arthur's sword enough times to know when a blade was not it – to the ground with a clatter, and with two large steps crossed the room to Merlin's side.
"Are you alright?" Arthur said, grabbing Merlin's shoulders and pulling him upright. Merlin cleared his throat and tried to answer, but his voice didn't want to work. His legs were shaking beneath him, threatening to give out. Arthur shook him slightly, which really did little to help matters, and repeated, louder, "Are you alright?"
Merlin started to nod, but his knees buckled instead and he crashed forward. Arthur caught him, and, with a tone that Merlin could only describe as panicked, said, "Are you hurt? Merlin? Tell me where she's hurt you. Your back's bleeding."
"I'm f-fine, I was hurt th-there before," he said, voice muffled by Arthur's shirt. That wasn't strictly true, of course. Now his left shoulder hurt just as much as his broken arm. Still, though, he could move it. Small victories, and all that. A terrible thought slammed into him. "Gwaine?"
"Is fine," said Arthur, "He just had a bump on the head. Are you sure you're alright?"
No, actually, now that he was thinking about it. Merlin meant to take a step back, just to realize he was still leaning most of his weight on Arthur, the prince's arms just about the only thing holding him up. His cheeks burned slightly with embarrassment and he tried to pull away. Arthur apparently didn't notice, and was busy glaring daggers at the spot that Morgause had vanished from.
"Arthur?" Merlin said.
"What?"
"You can let go of me now."
"What?" Arthur said, sounding perplexed. Apparently, he hadn't realized he had Merlin still leaning on him either. He let go rather abruptly, and Merlin stood. He was still shaky and felt more than a bit sick, and his arm hurt, but his pride demanded that he try and stand on his own.
"Right," said Arthur, cracking his knuckles in what he clearly hoped to be a manly fashion. Percival snorted quietly. Arthur gave him a glare, and then turned to Merlin to say, "All the same, Gaius is going to take a look at you. I can't leave you alone even for a moment, can I?"
Anger, icy and scorching, swirled around in Merlin's stomach. "But you can for the past two weeks, can you?"
Arthur blinked, taken aback at the vehemence with which Merlin spoke. Merlin couldn't bring himself to care. Arthur, still looking rather gobsmacked, said, "What?"
Instead of pushing that further, Merlin said, "How did I get captured?"
Arthur frowned, apparently thrown by the question. "Pardon?"
"At the beginning, when all of...of this started," Merlin said, swaying slightly, "How did I get caught? Was it on the patrol, or what?"
Now the prince wasn't meeting Merlin's eyes. "Why are you bringing this up now?"
"Because I want to know."
"I'll tell you later," said Arthur, "You've had enough stress for one day."
"No," Merlin said, "No, I'm sick of people telling me later, because later never comes. I want to know now."
"Enough, Merlin," said Arthur. Percival hung back, looking very much like he wanted to flee. "It'll only upset you more, I think."
"Or it won't," said Merlin, "Why don't you want to tell me?"
Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Did Morgause say something to you?" he asked, "You can't trust her, she's – "
"I know that," Merlin snapped, "What I want to know is why you, who I am supposed to trust, haven't come and spoken with me since I got brought back here, and I want to know what it is you aren't saying."
"Later, I –"
"No," Merlin said, dangerously close to yelling. "No, you do not get to pick and choose what I know and what I don't. What aren't you telling me?"
"Merlin," Percival said, laying a hand on Merlin's shoulder, "Calm down–"
Merlin jerked away and said, "Don't touch me."
"You're up early," Merlin said, setting down Arthur's food. He hovered, then, unsure of what to do. Arthur was up. The curtains were open. Currently, the prince was struggling to get his shirt on right. Merlin, finding his way to reenter the land of the normal, walked over, and reached out, "Here, let me –"
"Don't touch me," the Prince snarled, slapping his hand away.
" –lin? Merlin, what's wrong?" Arthur was saying. Merlin opened his eyes – when had he closed them? – and found himself sagging against the wall once again.
"What?" he said. His ears were ringing slightly.
Percival, hovering behind Arthur, said, "We should find Gaius."
"N-no," Merlin said, shaking his head. He forced himself to stand up straight. "I'm fine."
Neither Arthur nor Percival looked convinced. "You've remembered something, haven't you?" Arthur asked.
"I didn't even go on the patrol," Merlin said, heart in his throat, "Did I?"
Arthur was quiet, and said, "No. No, you didn't."
"Then how did I get captured?" he said. Arthur still wasn't meeting his eyes. "Arthur, how did I –"
" – know, Merlin," said Arthur. "I know all about it."
"Know about what?" Merlin said, frowning.
"What do you think?" Arthur all but spit out.
"I-I don't know," said Merlin, "If I've done something wrong, I'm sorry, but I have –"
"That's how it's going to be, then," said Arthur, turning away ever so slightly, "You're going to make me say it."
"Say what?" said Merlin, "If this is about your boots, I'll have you know that I'm not going to clean them again until –"
"Magic, Merlin!" Arthur bellowed.
And the world ground to a halt.
Oh. Oh, no. No, no, no. Arthur couldn't know. He couldn't. "You," he said, staring at Arthur. "No, you c-can't. Y-you ."
"Okay, that's enough of this," said Arthur, "You need to calm down before you pass out."
"Arthur," Merlin said, "You –"
"You have magic. I trusted you, and you used me," Arthur snarled, "You used me to get into the castle. You've been using me since the start."
"Arthur, think about this," Merlin pleaded, "When have I ever tried to hurt you or your father? I've only ever –"
"Stop lying to me," said Arthur, shoving Merlin roughly so that the servant sprawled on the ground. Merlin, heart hammering, could only gape wordlessly up as Arthur towered over him. "I don't pretend to know how the minds of sorcerers work. You were probably waiting so you could take the throne for yourself –"
"I would never," Merlin said, scrambling to his feet, "Arthur, please!"
"Enough!" Arthur bellowed. "You're lucky I don't kill you where you stand."
"Merlin, please," Arthur said, and Merlin realized that once again the prince was the only thing keeping him standing. Strange, since he was, at the same time, the one who was ripping Merlin down. "Merlin?"
Merlin just gasped for air.
"Percival, go and find Gaius. Now!"
"What are you going to do with me?" Merlin said, rubbing his shaking hands against his thighs in a desperate attempt to get them to still.
"I should turn you in to my father. I should have you executed."
Merlin flinched.
Arthur continued, "But I'm not going to. Because you've lied to me, but you've also saved my life several times, no doubt to reach your own gains."
"Arthur," Merlin said, and couldn't find anything else to say.
"Your intentions aside, a debt is a debt," Arthur said, turning away from Merlin to face out the window. "You're a traitor and a liar. You and your kind, you're all the same. You , Morgana, Morgause – get out of my sight, Sorcerer!" Arthur bellowed, "And if I ever see you again, I will kill you."
"Arthur –"
"Go!"
Merlin scrambled to his feet, and ran out the door. He didn't look back.
"What's taking Gaius?" Arthur muttered. Merlin jerked away from his grip. He staggered away, pressed against the wall. But his legs were done holding him up, and he slid gracelessly to the floor. Arthur moved closer to him, hovering, obviously unsure what to do. "Merlin? I need you to talk to me."
"Please," Merlin whispered, squeezing his eyes shut. "Please, don't kill me, I didn't have a choice, I...I wanted to tell...about the magic...but...please, don't kill me..."
The last thing that Merlin saw before his body finally gave out on him was Arthur, rigid and still, face as shocked as if someone had just slapped him.