Enemies Within - Merlyn [3]

Chapter Two: When Magic Warns

To say the night had been a long one was an understatement. Merlyn had been up all night fearing the worst, waiting for the barging knights to come into the chambers and whisk her away for some god awful torture she would have to endure as punishment for her crimes before Uther would try to kill her.

Merlyn had watched the sunset and the sunrise. Beginning of a new day had come and so her prays had been left unanswered. It was only moments later that noises from the main chambers occurred informing Merlyn that Gaius was awake and moving around. Merlyn proceeded to listen to the old man's wake up routine. Everyone else was about to go about their days as if nothing had happened and nothing was to happen whilst Merlyn knew this was far from the case.

Eventually her thoughts came true. Merlyn heard the sound of knocking echo through the chamber to her ears. The murmurs of people talking came seconds later as did the closing of the main door - they hadn't come to arrest her it seemed. It wasn't long before her bedroom door was opening and Gaius was coming inside. His face said it all. This was not good news.

"Merlyn, Arthur's requested your presence ... in Morgana's chambers." Merlyn nodded her head in understanding. Silently she swung her legs off of her bed and pushed herself to her feet. She would simple get ready in her servant's gown as required before moving off to find Arthur. One step at a time. If she thought any further ahead she would be going nowhere, she would be running for the hills.

~8~

The walk to Morgana's was excruciatingly short. Merlyn had tried to make it as long drawn as possible but somehow she had done the opposite. Merlyn couldn't drag her feet anymore. With a heavy heart, Merlyn moved towards Morgana's chamber, the open door almost shrouded in darkness as Merlyn realised the danger she was potentially in. Though Merlyn was quick to come out of her thoughts as Morgana's and Arthur's voices reached over and came to her ear.

"I was kept in a cell for almost a year. I ought to have gone mad"

Morgana was discussing her time away. Though Merlyn did not believe those words - she hardly believed that Morgause would allow her to be in a cell for a year, and no one would come out unscathed from that treatment.

"How did you escape?"

Hearing Arthur's voice caused Merlyn to walk faster to the room. Her desire to protect him overtaking her fear of Morgana spilling the truth, forcing Arthur's hand to tell his father. As she entered the room she kept entirely silent. She didn't want to bring attention to herself.

Morgana was before her sitting on the far side of her elaborate bed whilst Arthur sat beside her, their backs facing Merlyn telling her that they didn't know that she was there. The Lady Morgana had clearly been pampered upon her arrival. She was clean and fresh, back in an extravagant white beaded gown with her silky hair running down her back in waves. The perfect image of a Lady.

"They moved me about a week ago. I don't know why" Morgana continued unaware of Merlyn's piercing eavesdropping. "It may have been the patrol from Camelot."

"The patrol found you?" Arthur questioned. Merlyn sighed at the news. It explained why the patrol had detoured. If they believed they had found Morgana they would leave their trail.

"I thought I was going to be free. But then I saw them killed, every one of them cut down." Morgana's voice croaked as she held back tears. Meanwhile, Merlyn was trying her hardest to keep herself under control as sorrow raced through her as she remembered the littered field of Camelot's Knights. They deserved better. "But that night, the bandits were distracted by their spoils. I took my chance. When I saw you, I couldn't believe it."