That very same night, Daegal sat waiting and hoping that Merlin would wake up. He was beginning to lose hope when finally Merlin opened his eyes.
"You're alive," Daegal said relieved
Merlin glanced up at Daegal and looked around at his surroundings confused and sat up.
"You have to believe me - - I did not know what Morgana had intended" Daegal explained
Merlin glared at him" You betrayed me"
"She offered me money. You've seen what it's like."
"Do you know what Morgana is planning?" Merlin questioned
"No" Daegal replied "I met the Lady Morgana and the Queen only once"
"I don't believe you" Merlin shook his head. "Please, whatever you know."
"I think they mean to kill the king," Daegal told him.
Merlin rolled his eyes. Of course, that's what they were doing. Merlin went to get up but it was painful as his leg still hurt and he was still weak from the poison.
"What are you doing?" Daegal asked
" I need to warn Arthur before its too late," Merlin replied getting up and quickly limping away.
Daegal hurried after him.
They both went speedily through the forest but Merlin kept falling down due to his leg.
The two stopped on the top of a hill and looked down at a camp.
"Bandits," Merlin said. " they don't see us"
"No"
"We'll edge around the outside. "
"They'll have lookouts" Daegal warned
"We don't have a choice!" Merlin strained to say " We need to get back to Camelot."
They ran across the top of the hill and around the camp. They started to head down the hill when Merlin's leg gave way and he fell down the slope. Daegal helped him stand up and they were about to keep moving but the Bandits had already seen them and were now circling the pair.
"Go" Merlin ordered
"No" Daegal denied
"I can look after myself" Merlin insisted
" I'm not going to leave you this time"
"Get to safety"
Daegal caught sight of the bandit leader and began to look extremely scared.
"If you value your lives, you won't take another step," Merlin warned
The bandits stopped.
"What are you doing?" Daegal whispered
"Trust me" Merlin whispered back.
"Here" Daegal held up the sack of money Morgans had given him to the bandit leader. " It's all the money we have."
Daegal tossed the sack to the leader who easily caught it. The leader then pointed his sword at Merlin.
"You, empty your pockets. " He demanded
"Last chance" Merlin warned
"You don't even have a sword" The leader scoffed.
".... I don't need one" Merlin resorted before he used his now fully powered magic to send the leader flying back with a grunt.
Daegal looked amazed and surprised at what he just witnessed. The bandits fearfully retreated away from Merlin and Daegal back into the darkness of the night.
Merlin glanced at Daegal " Let's go"
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The two finally reached Camelot the following morning.
Merlin was still limping and lent against a tree in pain.
" You have magic, Merlin" Daegal muses
"Yes" Merlin sighed
"And you live in Camelot. Does anyone know?" Daegal asked
"Only Gaius and the princess" Merlin sat down on the floor to check this wound.
"The princess knows but not Arthur?!" Daegal questioned in shock.
"No! And if he ever found out, he'd probably hang me." Merlin replied
"But you still help him"
"I have to. It's my job."
"But he would kill you"
"In his heart, he's a good man. And I know one day he'll bring about a world we all dream of" Merlin contained to check his leg.
"It must be hard," Daegal said
It was silent for a minute as Merlin was finishing checking his leg.
"How did the Princess find out about your magic?" Daegal asked
"I um, I used my magic to protect her and Arthur and she saw me" Merlin replied with a smile.
" And she didn't tell anyone? Not even the king, her own brother?"
Merlin shook his head and chuckled before he started struggling to get up.
" Merlin, you may be a warlock, but you need that treated. I'll help you. Please" Daegal begged
Merlin scoffed not trusting him.
"Please"
Merlin stopped trying to get up and finally let Daegal help him.
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In Camelot, Gaius entered Arthur's chambers. Gwen, who was behind the screen doing her hair in the mirror, listened in on Arthur and Gaius' conversation.
"I'm worried about Merlin. His bed has not been slept in." Gaius states " I fear he's in danger"
"What do you mean?" Arthur asked
" I think we need to send out a search party" Gaius suggested.
" Well, some of the knights are about to leave on a search for Aria. I'll quickly go tell them to keep an eye out for Merlin as well." Arthur said and was about to start heading for the door when Gwen came out from behind the screen.
" What's happened?" Gwen acted as if she hadn't just been listening.
" Not only had Aria disappeared but now Merlin's gone missing as well," Arthur told her with worry.
" I knew I should've said something." Gwen sighed " Arthur, I feel terrible. This is my fault. I know where Merlin is"
"Where?" Gaius asked wondering if Morgana's spell on Gwen had somehow miraculously broken.
"I shouldn't say. I promised him I wouldn't, but... He's gone to visit someone" Gwen lied.
"Who?"
" He's not in danger. He's seeing a girl." Gwen lied again.
Gaius could tell that Gwen was lying but Arthur believe her and looked surprised.
"Merlin?" Arthur said in disbelief
" Gaius, I'm sorry, but there is no reason to worry. " Gwen told the old man.
"Except for the poor girl," Arthur says.
"I should've told you, but I don't think he wanted anyone to know."
"Thank you, milady," Gaius said even though he knew Gwen was lying as he knew where Merlin had actually gone. Gwen just smiled at him fakely.
"Good, that's one mystery solved. Now we just wait for the search party to hopefully find wherever Aria has wandered off to and we can get on with the signing" Arthur begins to walk off patting Gaius on the shoulder when he passed him. "Gaius, you can help me get dressed."
Gwen walked back behind the screen to continue doing her hair smiling as she thought that she was beyond all suspicion.
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In the woods, Daegal was busy bandaging Merlin's leg as Merlin slightly watched.
"You've done well" Merlin complimented as Daegal finished treating his leg.
"Really?" Daegal asked in disbelief. " I don't think I've done many good things in my life."
"Well, you've done something good now. See? I'm better. You have the gift" Merlin reassured him.
"Must be from my mother"
"So that bit was true?" Merlin asked as he rolled down his trouser leg.
"It was all true, except about my sister. " Daegal admitted
"She isn't sick?"
"I don't have a sister" Daegal chuckled
Merlin also chuckled and began to get up with Daegal's help. "And your mother, she wasn't a druid? "
"No, but she was like you. She had magic and Uther killed her for it" Daegal answered sadly
"I'm sorry" Merlin checked his leg.
" feels good. Come on. "
The two then ran off back to Camelot.
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Arthur and the Sarrum were just entering the throne room as Merlin and Daegal arrived back at the castle.
Merlin burst into Arthur's chambers only to find that he wasn't there so Merlin ran back out with Daegal following.
In the throne room, The Sarrum and Gwen shared a secret smirk as they approached the round table with the treaty laid on it.
Daegal and Merlin were running past a door with Merlin using a spear from the armoury as a walking stick when Merlin noticed that the door was open when it was supposed to be locked.
"What's wrong?" Daegal asked as Merlin stopped
"This should be locked," Merlin said and he and Daegal rushed up the stairs.
The Sarrum was just signing the treaty when Merlin and Daegal got to the top of the stairs and seeing the assassin ready to shoot Arthur.
The assassin noticed them and shot at them instead. But Merlin blocked the arrow with his magic.
The assassin started throwing knives at the two causing them both fall to the floor to dodge them. The assassin then took aim at Arthur again.
He was about to shoot when Merlin used his magic to throw the speer he had been using as a walking stick at the assassin killing him and making him shoot the Sarrum instead of Arthur. The Sarrum's face twisted in pain before he fell on the table dead.
"Leon!" Arthur yelled and pointed up to where the shot came from as Gaius went over to check the Sarrum only to find he was dead.
Gwen was furious. The plan was perfect and it should've worked.
Merlin walked over to the assassin seeing that he was dead before he looked down at the throne room to see if Arthur was alright. He was Gaius checking over the Sarrum's dead body while Arthur watched. Gwen was standing a little bit away from Arthur silently seething about the failed assassination. Merlin looked around the throne room confused. Somebody was missing.
Where was Aria?
Merlin turned back to Daegal smiling in relief." We did it"
Merlin's smile immediately dropped when he saw Daegal on the floor, leaning up against the wall, with a dagger in his chest.
Merlin came and knelt down beside the young boy.
"Did I save Arthur?" Daegal asked in a strained voice.
"Yes," Merlin nodded placing his hand over the wound to try and stop the bleeding.
"Did I do something good?" Daegal asked
Again Merlin nodded.
"Finally, eh?" Daegal attempted to joke
His face twisted in pain and he started to breathe heavily before he relaxed and took his last breath. Merlin stared at the young boy with sadness.
Daegal was dead.
" you did" Merlin whispered sadly.
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Later that night, in Arthur's chambers, Merlin was busy serving the royal couple their dinner.
" I still can't believe how lucky I was," Arthur says " I owe that boy my life and I don't know is who he was or where's he's from. You need to make sure you give him a decent burial"
" I'll do that. If you'll allow me the time" Merlin said as he poured wine into Arthur's cup.
"Oh, so you can go visit that girl again" Arthur teased
Gwen looked at Arthur and smirked slightly.
Merlin looked at Arthur confused
" What?"
"Girl" Arthur repeated smirking teasingly at his friend.
"Don't have one " Merlin says
" That's not what Guinevere tell me " Arthur responded.
Merlin looked at Gwen and she smiled innocently at him while holding her cup out for Merlin to fill it with wine.
"So, why don't you, tell us all about her?" Arthur suggested
"Right" Merlin answered pouring Gwen her drink while glowering at her.
" and why you're walking with a limp?" Arthur adds taking a drink from his cup.
Merlin and Gwen stare at each other until suddenly Mordred came rushing through the doors having just returned from the search.
Arthur immediately stood up and looked at Mordred expectantly.
"Mordred, did you find her?" Arthur quickly asked
Mordred shook his head in disappointment" No, sire. We searched all day. Found no sign of her"
Arthur sighed and placed his head in his hands obviously worried. " Go back out tomorrow, search further then you did today. I'll be joining you this time."
"Yes, Sire" Mordred nodded and left the room. He was also worried about Aria.
" what's going on?" Merlin asked confused as to who they were searching for.
Arthur sat back down in his chair.
" Aria has been missing for the past few days."
"What?!" Merin turned and glared at Gwen knowing that she had something to with Aria going missing.
Gwen just once again smiled at him as if she had done nothing wrong.
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The next day, Merlin and Gaius stood over Daegal's grave. Merlin knelt down and placed a plant on the grave.
" his life had only just begun" Merlin murmured sadly standing up.
He and Gaius then started to walk away from the grave.
"It can't go on, Gaius," Merlin said
"Gwen?" Gaius asked
"She tried to kill Arthur twice now and now Aria's missing. We have to do something about her"
" Yes, but the question is what?" Gaius agreed
Merlin just had a determined look on his face.
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