The Edge of Darkness (3/7)

[mialoco]

Part One

Part Two

"Arthur, to what do I own the honor of your presence today? I rarely get to see your face in mornings, unless I request it. Are you feeling better today?” Uther fired off questions as he walked into the dining hall and found Arthur already at the table.

"I am feeling much better, Father. I managed the day without pain potions yesterday. My head is feeling much less painful today."

"Good, good. Yesterday was a long one. I myself had a headache by the end of the day. I thought that it might have set you back."

"No, but I do want to talk to you about court. I have had some ideas that I thought you might entertain and see if you could do something with them."

"You do realize that you are not yet King, don't you?" Uther said it in jest, but Arthur had no doubt that the warning was real.

"I do, Father. I just realized that the holding court is getting to be a major undertaking right now, with all the dragon damage and people bringing their petitions before you. On top of that, you are extremely busy and pulled in every direction with the rebuilding of the castle and worrying about armies and holding off war with our neighbors."

"Oh, so you were going to offer to hold court for me and allow me to get on with my more pressing business? I think it is a fine idea."

Arthur stopped in the process of reaching for his goblet, his eyes lingering on his father to try to gage whether he was being serious or joking with him.

"Well, that wasn’t exactly my idea, but it runs along the same lines."

"Then spit it out, we do not have all day." Uther sat holding his goblet and cocking his head at Arthur

"If you could set amounts ahead of time that Camelot is willing to pay for each damage and set out rules to govern rebuilding, you could appoint several men to hear the petitions of the people about the damage and rebuilding leaving you free to hear about the same number of cases that you normally hear."

Uther sat in silence with a look on his face that Arthur could not decipher. When he finally spoke, Arthur was shocked at the anger in his voice. “Are you out of your mind? Have you learned nothing about ruling?" His father's face was a bright red and the scars along with the veins on his forehead were standing out. "If we were to put your plan into place the people would see no reason for a King any longer and they would rise up to overthrow us. It may be a lot of work for us, but it is necessary to keep control over the people. They must see us as important to their existence, as having power over them.” The goblet banged down on the table. “Since you are feeling better, but Gaius has not yet approved for you to resume training the Knights, I expect you in all the council meetings, as well as, when I hold court in the future. Maybe you will be able to learn how important it is to keep your finger on the pulse of the people. You are dismissed."

Arthur eyed his half-finished breakfast briefly as he stood. “Yes, Sire.” He bobbed his head and walked out the door quietly seething with rage that he had learned long ago to not allow to show until he was safely behind the door of his room.

"I might have known that Merlin's stupid ideas would make me sound as much like an idiot as he does." Arthur spoke to himself, while leaning back on the door he had just slammed. "My father must be ready to appoint someone else to succeed him at this rate. Just for that I will have Merlin mucking out the stables tonight after he has stood attendance on me all day in council and court." Arthur prowled around the room, leaning on the mantle above the fireplace for a few minutes, leaning against the window for a few more. Finally, he settled himself at his table and followed old scars with his forefinger as he fumed and thought up punishments that would be bad enough for his servant for making him look like a fool to his father.

Unable to sit any longer, Arthur found himself back at the window. Even though Arthur was staring out over the courtyard, he didn’t register any of the movements below until a familiar figure walked through the gate from direction of the upper village. Arthur was about to open the window so that he might yell at Merlin to get his sorry arse up to his chambers immediately, when he noticed that Merlin looked as if whatever had been bothering him lately had settled over his body as heavily as a full suit of armour on a new squire. Arthur wondered again, what might be wrong with his servant.

As Arthur watched, he saw Merlin raise his head and give one of his all-over-the-face smiles at someone that Arthur could not see from his vantage point. As Gwen stepped into view, Merlin stopped near her and chatted for a few minutes, looking almost like he normally acted. Arthur felt something strange curl up in his stomach. He refused to contemplate that he might be jealous of the easy friendship between the two or that she could get one of those smiles out of Merlin when Arthur had not seen one in days, if not weeks. When Gwen picked up the basket she had set down as they chatted and started on her way, Arthur saw Merlin's smile fade and his features take up that weighted down look again. Arthur's anger was back, but this time he realized that it was at whatever had put that look on Merlin and the fact that Merlin refused to share it with him. It was then that Arthur realized that he had been about to add to whatever burdens Merlin carried in his anger at the treatment from his father. He was about to treat Merlin as his father had treated him because of anger, not because he deserved it. Since Arthur did not like that about his father, he decided to make a concerted effort to make sure that he didn’t follow in those particular footsteps.

* * * * *

The following weeks were a trial for Arthur. As his father had commanded, Arthur was at every council meeting and beside his father when he held audience with the people. He dragged to his room every night with stacks of books and parchments to read and study. Anything about the Kingdom or laws that his father could find he piled on Arthur for study. Each day he took all his meals with his father, where Uther grilled him relentlessly over what he had read. Merlin arrived in his room in the morning more than once to find him asleep at the desk, never making it to bed. Luckily, his headache was gone and Gaius had given him a clean bill of health.

It had been two weeks since the first three cases of strange symptoms had appeared. They seemed to be growing by the day. Not everyone was displaying the same symptoms. So far, there had only been two people over twenty-five summers with symptoms. Both had been elderly and frail women in the Lower Town.

Gaius was busy almost around the clock treating those brought to him and looking for answers in his books. The trouble was that symptoms were not the same with everyone. Some just screamed and talked out of their heads occasionally. Some had stomach upsets. Some held entire conversations with absent people. Gaius had found none to have a fever, but said that some had almost icy extremities. One man had limbs that turned black and fell off without any loss of blood. Uther executed that man’s wife after he found that several of the people displaying strange symptoms were people with which she associated. Things seemed to calm down for a few days, until three new cases developed.

As the number of people presenting symptoms grew, Gaius' could no longer keep going to each house and his rooms were quickly overfilled. He got permission from Uther to use a room in an unused tower for treatment of those who were afflicted. Arthur had sent Merlin to help Gaius, instead of standing around during meetings and court to serve him. For the last few weeks Merlin came to wake and dress him in the mornings then checked back at night. More often than not Arthur would simply dismiss him at night after getting out of his armour that he had taken to wearing after Gaius proclaimed him healthy. Arthur's rooms were clean at night when he returned to them, but he rarely saw Merlin after he left his room in the morning to breakfast with his father until again at bedtime.

The villagers were getting more and more nervous, everyone was on edge. Uther was losing patience. He called Gaius into his chambers every morning for a report on any new victims and a report of anything new the physician had found. Uther became adamant about finding the culprit. He pushed Gaius unmercifully. Uther's temper was becoming shorter and shorter every day and he often took it out on Arthur. Arthur had never been happier to return to training the Knights for a few hours each day. Even if it was just short periods that he could find between all the other training Uther had him doing to be a proper king, it was a time that he could work out some of the frustrations that were building up.

It was as he was leaving the training field one day that Merlin caught up with him. "How is king-training going?" Merlin asked impertinently as only he would dare as they started back to towards the castle.

Arthur groaned. "I don't know if I will ever be fit to be king. My father seems to despair of me." Arthur gave his doubts voice for the first time.

"I'm sure that your father is just being a father and trying to push you to be your best." Merlin came back with.

"He's still angry with me over the suggestions I made on setting up Lords to hold court. That is what got me into all this extra training and work. He thinks that all my ideas are stupid. I think that right now he hates me." Arthur surprised himself by revealing what had long been on his mind.

"I think your father just has rigid ideas of how things should be done and he does not accept things that are different." Merlin shocked Arthur by defending Uther. "I know he doesn't hate you, he loves you very much." Arthur snorted his doubt but Merlin continued. "I have seen him with you when you were very ill, when his guard was down. I could see how much he loves you."

"Well, he has a funny way of showing it." Arthur answered petulantly.

Merlin shrugged. "It's just his way. You can't get something out of a person except what is in them, no matter what you want, need, or deserve. He is probably just trying to teach you in the only way he knows. It'll be up to you to take what he teaches you and apply it to your way of doing things to get the best results for Camelot."

"According to my father I’m not capable of even that."

As they got near the well Merlin asked, "Do you want some water? You look hot and thirsty."

"I would rather have a tankard of stout mead right now," answered Arthur. "I guess I will have to settle for water as well as never being able to get it right enough to earn my father's acceptance and respect."

Merlin started drawing the water up out of the well as he responded. "You may never get your father's complete approval unless you become exactly like him and do things exactly like him." Merlin brought the bucket near his face and sniffed at the water. Arthur watched puzzled as Merlin poured the water back down the well and let the bucket down to begin drawing more up. "I think that your father may only know and accept one way to do things. Any deviation scares or upsets him. You aren't exactly like him, so you will do things differently, but it won't necessarily be wrong if you learn the main lesson from what he is trying to teach you."

Arthur watched as Merlin poured the third bucket of water out and began to draw up another. "What are you doing Merlin?

"I was trying to get you some mead out of this well. You deserve it after that workout you gave the Knights. I can't seem to get anything but water."

Arthur couldn't help it, he swatted the back of Merlin's head. "You idiot. You can't get mead from this well. What. Are. You. Thinking?" He leaned over and looked down as though he could see the water below in the darkness. "There is only water down there. You'll have to go down the kitchens where they actually have mead to get mead."

Merlin set the bucket on the edge of the well and handed Arthur a dipper. "Well, you seem to think you can get something from your father that he doesn’t have, so I thought maybe if I wished hard enough I could get you mead from the well."

Merlin walked off leaving Arthur frowning after him, wondering if Merlin really did have a mental affliction.

* * * * *

When another week passed with more people developing symptoms, everyone was ready to point a finger at someone. Rumors were running rife. Uther demanded that Arthur take his Knights and search every house in the upper and Lower Towns for magical artifacts. The search turned up only more afflicted children that parents had been afraid to bring forward. Each day brought more and more people to seek an audience with the King to point fingers at neighbors and family members. The dungeons filled rapidly. Arthur despaired that hysteria, fear even maliciousness were causing innocent people to be executed and wished that his father would look into the allegations more carefully. Uther was talking of instituting a new purge. Arthur felt the need to do something, but he had no idea what or how. He remembered Merlin's suggestion that he talk to Gaius. Gaius had been his father's loyal physician and advisor on magic for years. Arthur knew that his father trusted him and Gaius had been around during the purge, he could tell Arthur something about it. He also recalled that his father had told him once that Gaius had used magic at one time, but had vowed to turn away from it. That set bells jangling in Arthur's head about the validity of his father's belief that any magic turned people evil, but he didn’t have time to work it out when so many things were going wrong in Camelot. His need for answers to the happenings around him took precedence.

Arthur walked into Gaius’ workroom to find both Gaius and Merlin busy at the worktable. “Sire," Gaius said while inclining his head then continuing at the motion from Arthur’s hand. Merlin merely glanced at him, flashing a wide smile before continuing with crushing something in a mortar. Arthur realized how much he had missed Merlin's smile lately.

"What can we help you with this morning, Sire?" Arthur dragged his eyes away from Merlin. Gaius seemed to be doing multiple tasks; his busy hands darting from chopping one minute, to picking up a folded cloth and lifting a bubbling liquid from the fire to pour it into a bowl, to picking up another flask with a different colored liquid and placing it over the flame, to mixing something in another bowl. Arthur watched a minute, slightly amazed at the older man, until Gaius called his attention back to his reason for being here with a single raised brow.

“Have you had any more luck finding if the children are ill or have been cursed?” Arthur directed at Gaius.

“Are you aware, Sire, that five more people were brought in yesterday?” At Arthur’s nod Gaius continued. “We have not discovered anything of importance. We have been carefully observing the children and find that their symptoms do seem more illness related than magical. I have found numerous illnesses that cause one or more of the symptoms in combinations, but have not found any illness that causes all the symptoms displayed at the same time. I have been trying some of the remedies suggested for similar diseases. I have had some success with people that seemed cured and were able to go home, only to return a week or so later worse than ever. I am hoping that your father will give me time to do more research before he condemns any more people to death”

Arthur had been watching Merlin work the pestle in the mortar. “Let me try that.” He commanded. Merlin glanced up at him again, this time with a questioning brow raised, but handed over the pestle. Arthur started crushing whatever was inside.

“No, not like that.” Merlin had been standing to the side reached his hand out and laid it over Arthur’s on the pestle. “More action in your wrist, like this," Merlin demonstrated by moving Arthur's hand in his.

Arthur was surprised to find that the heat down his arm and on his hand felt comforting. He usually didn’t like being touched, but of course, Merlin touched him all the time. He must just be used to it. “Like this then?” He questioned as he demonstrated.

“Um-hmm,” Arthur looked up at Merlin to see him biting his lower lip. Suddenly he seemed to snap out of the daze he was in and quipped. “It seems you can learn some things. There may be hope for you yet.”

“Well, now that you are no longer needed here, I require you to stand outside the door and let me know before anyone gets within hearing distance. I want to talk to Gaius about something important.”

“Yes, Sire.” Merlin gave the answer his trademark lilt that made it more a mockery than homage, but he turned and moved toward the door. Arthur let it go with only an exasperated look at Merlin’s back as he went out.

Arthur waited to hear the door bump into place behind Merlin before launching into his question. “Gaius, is there someone that could tell us if these attacks are magical or not? I fear that my father is coming closer each day to having everyone, including the victims, executed. As you know, between this and Morgana he is not himself.”

“There are those with enough power that they can sense magic in people or when it is being used. Aeridian was not one of those, though he convinced many, including your father, that he was. I learned while he was trying to get me to confess that he used a combination of potions, a few learned simple spells, and misleading talk to fuel doubt of people. After he had convinced the people he went a step further and deprived the person of sleep, food and water then beat them and tortured them in other ways while telling them that if they confessed he would stop. Few people have been able to withstand such treatment long without confessing just to get it to stop, and those that could, died from lack of water or the beatings anyway. It would take someone with powerful magic to be able to detect it, but you know that your father would never allow anyone like that into Camelot.“

“Gaius, my first day back at court after the dragon attack, you might remember that a little girl was falsely accused of magic so that the accuser could get her out of the way and align her own household with the King’s cobbler by marrying her daughter to his son.”

“Yes, Sire. That was most disturbing. It is a good thing that you decided to check into the situation and found out the truth in time.”

“Merlin asked me if I thought that a child could or would perform an evil curse. I told him that I didn’t know enough about magic to know if a child could have that kind of magic or be dangerous. He suggested that I learn about magic before I became King and be required to make life or death decisions about it. He suggested that since you counsel my father on magic and are loyal to the King that you would be the obvious person to ask about it.”

If Arthur read the expression on Gaius’ face correctly, the man was not happy about the conversation they were about to have, but his question reassured Arthur that Gaius would indeed honor his request. “What was it that you wish to know, Sire?”

Forbidden to speak of the subject of magic all his life Arthur hardly knew where to start or what questions to ask. He decided to start with the question that Merlin had asked him. “I fear that because I have been shielded from even the mention of magic, unless an evil sorcerer turns up seeking revenge, that I know very little. Could a child of about ten years have enough magic to perform an evil curse?”

Gaius took his time to think before he spoke. “That is difficult to say for certain, but my thoughts would be no. Most magic users learn spells in a certain area of magic. For instance, as you know, I had learned some magic concerning healing. Others might learn earth magic to try to help crops grow better and spells to keep insect plagues away. Most magic users just learned a few simple spells to help them with their day to day lives such as lighting candles and fires, locking doors from across the room, or even sticking doors when there are no locks on them.”

“So someone like me could just learn a spell to,” Arthur pursed his lips and scrunched his nose, “take off my armor?”

Arthur almost had to laugh as Gaius stopped what he was doing and gave him an incredulous look. Arthur gave him his crooked boyish grin that always seemed to allow him to get away with things with everyone but his father. After a minute, Gaius turned back to his work and continued. “Yes, in theory, though not everyone is able to do magic that tries it. Most would never get beyond loosening all the fastenings so that it would make it faster to take off and that only with a lot of practice. Very few would be powerful enough to use as much magic as it would take to actually take the armor off. “Gaius leaned over Arthur’s mortar. “You might want to dump that and start on more. Just put it in this dish here.” He scooted a wooden bowl toward Arthur.

“So children wouldn’t have magic strong enough to do any of the things that the woman was accusing the little girl of?” Arthur questioned.

Gaius sighed. “It’s not likely according to the magic users I met and the studying I did. Most of it is learned. Very few people are born with enough magical abilities or strength to do a lot of magic as a child. Magic takes a lot of energy. Just a single, simple spell might exhaust a child. Even when a child is born with magic, they have to learn how to control it. Magic usually manifests itself in children under great emotion. A child in a tantrum might make something small shake or explode. One that has had a plaything taken away might take it back with magic or shove someone away from them. Children’s magic is what we call ‘wild magic’. They do not control it, it just happens because of the anger or other strong emotion. Sometimes those people, with the right guidance are able to do many kinds of strong magic when they reach maturity.”

“Do you mean like Morgause?” Arthur was looking at the leaves he was grinding and missed the wince on Gaius’ face.

“Morgause was born with magic to a mother that was born with magic. She seemed a bit more powerful as a child than most, or maybe it was that she was just more willful than most. After her mother died she was taken in by a powerful sorceress who hated Uther. She evidently started training Morgause from a very early age. It seems that her intelligence, willfulness, and magic have been used to make her a powerful weapon to try to defeat Uther.”

“A weapon.” That reminded him of something else Merlin had told him. “Merlin says that magic is a tool, much like a sword, and it is the hand that wields it and the mind that controls it that determines whether it is used for good or evil.”

“Merlin says altogether too much. He will find himself roasting over a fire if he doesn’t learn to control his tongue better.” Gaius huffed.

“I would like to think that he is right about magic not being evil or making people evil.” Arthur picked up the thread of the conversation again. "After all, you were able to turn from it." He dropped his earlier thought into the conversation. When Gaius continued to work silently, he realized that the man wouldn’t comment on that and continued. "There has been so much killing in Camelot because of the ban on magic. I hate to think that innocent people, sick people even, might be killed if there is something that can be done.”

They continued working beside each other for a few minutes longer in silence. Something Gaius had said earlier made Arthur’s mind went back to that day in Ealdor when the whirlwind had been conjured. “Can powerful sorcerers control the elements then?”

Gaius started slowly as though he was thinking as he spoke. “I have seen several that could control fire. It seems to be one of the easiest to master. A few can control water to some extent. Like I said before some learn earth magic to help the crops grow, but most don’t really learn to have other control over the earth.”

“What about the wind, thunder, lightning, rain?” Arthur could not stop the line of questioning.

Again, Gaius was quiet as he thought. “Some of the High Priestesses can control the elements to some extent. There are magical potions and objects that have been used through the ages that can help strengthen or gain more control over one’s magic making some people more powerful while using it. One of these in the hands of a very powerful sorcerer might give them the ability.”

Arthur was quiet for a length of time thinking about the time in Ealdor. “There are no others that you have heard of or studied about?”

Gaius in turn was quiet for so long that Arthur thought that he was going to refuse to answer the question. Finally, he sighed and spoke quietly. “There was only one that I have ever known of to have been born with powerful magic that he had control over at a young age without spells, who was able to control the elements and even slow time.”

Arthur swallowed before breathing out his next words in awe. “He could slow time? He must have been a most dangerous sorcerer." He didn’t like to think that Merlin's friend Will was that powerful or that dangerous. Why had he not protected his village without Hunith having to come to Camelot to ask for help? "He is already dead then?”

Gaius seemed to startle. “He was very much alive the last I heard of him. Your father would think that he is a very dangerous sorcerer, but even from a child he has only ever been known to use his magic to help or save others.”

“Well, save or kill with his magic, he better stay away from Camelot or my father will have him burned. He is convinced that all magic is evil and all sorcerers are living on borrowed time before they become evil incarnate. With what you know of magic, Gaius, do you believe that is true?”

Gaius chewed on his lip a moment as if he was trying to decide to say something or not. Arthur sensed that it must be important so he waited. Finally, Gaius seemed to make up his mind and started speaking. “I believe that this powerful sorcerer has been in Camelot many times already though no one noticed him or recognized him for what he was. I believe that he has even saved your life right under your father’s nose.” Arthur’s head jerked toward Gaius in shock, but Gaius continued, “Even the lives of Morgana and your father himself. I only know that I could not save any of you with my knowledge and as if by magic you not only lived, but also made a sudden and remarkable recovery. Many powerful sorcerers and sorceresses along with magical beasts and undead beings that have been trying to harm you since you came of age have been killed. If he had any evil in him, he would have had a chance to kill any of you at any moment, or simply allow you to die. It seems that he has become your protector, a protector of Camelot. Much as you protect Camelot from attacks with your sword, he seems to be protecting Camelot from the magical attacks that your sword has no effect on.”

Arthur hardly knew what to think after that revelation. "Perhaps he merely wants to manipulate me and gain Camelot through me.”

“With a sorcerer that powerful, he would not need you to rule any Kingdom or many Kingdoms, if he chose." Gaius stated confidently.

"Then why would he choose to save me, allow me to rule?” Arthur paused with his grinding and gave Gaius a confused look.

Gaius stopped what he was doing and turned to stare at him with a raised eyebrow. “Have you never heard of the prophesy?”

Arthur felt shock and confusion rock through his body and mind. “There is a prophesy? About me? A prophesy about me and this great sorcerer? I’m surprised that my father didn’t destroy that and execute everyone that had heard it, too.” When Gaius continued working quietly, he asks in horror, “He didn’t. Did he?”

“No, not really, but it is never spoken of. He did threaten, of course.”

“What does this prophesy say?” Arthur’s body felt as tight as a bowstring as he waited for the answer.

“It says that a king will reign that will take a powerful sorcerer by his side and unite all of Albion.”

Arthur frowned. “Then why would anyone think it would be me? My father will tell you that he despairs of me ever being fit to rule Camelot. He is sure that it will fall in short order under my rule.”

“I don't believe that your father really despairs of you, but if you might have any areas of weakness perhaps this sorcerer would have strengths in that area and you would be strong in the areas that he has weaknesses. Perhaps, together you would complement and complete each other.” Gaius continued working without looking up.

Arthur continued to look at Gaius as he tried to puzzle it out. When Gaius refused to look at him the answer came to him. “You aren’t telling me everything.” It wasn’t a question because he was now sure of it.

“Your father forbids me to speak of the rest. I made a vow to your father, as did anyone else who knew of it. You will not find information from anyone else either. Suffice it to say that there has been enough come true to believe it is you, Sire.”

Arthur chewed on his lip as he dumped the contents of the mortar, refilled it and continued crushing leaves. “Is that what caused the great purge? I know that it had something to do with my mother. She is not the one who prophesied it is she?” He felt his breath locked into his lungs as he waited for Gaius to answer. Luckily for him the answer came quickly albeit loudly.

“Of course not!” Gaius was at his indignant best. “Where did you get an idea like that? It could not be further from the truth.”

Arthur swallowed then bit both lips between his teeth before deciding to tell Gaius what had made him jump to that conclusion. “Morgause gave me a vision of my mother.” Arthur swallowed back his emotions again as he remembered his mother enfolding him in her arms and how he wished it had been a real memory. “In the vision my mother told me that my father had killed her.”

“No, Arthur. I was there. Your father did not kill your mother. Your father,” Gaius paused for a minute whether in thought or to swallow back emotions himself Arthur did not know. “Your mother and father” he started again, “asked for a special magical blessing from a powerful sorceress. She did as they asked, but none of us, not even she, realized that there were consequences to the spell she used. The result was that your mother lost her life. The sorceress and I both did all that we could, but we still lost her. That is what turned your father against magic. She had been a friend and afterwards he turned against her and tried to kill her. He thought, still does, that for some reason, she did it on purpose. She used her magic to get away from him so he banished her from the Kingdom forever then made the laws against magic and started the great purge, killing many of her friends and relatives that had too little powers to save themselves. She is the one who raised Morgause.” He tacked on in a soft voice.

Arthur had stopped grinding the leaves again and stood staring at Gaius as he had been speaking. He couldn’t even sort out how he was feeling as he heard these things about his birth for the first time. The words that came slipped from his mouth unbidden. “I wish my father could have talked to me about my mother. I wish I had memories of her other than a vision from a woman that was raised to hate my father.”

Gaius seemed to be torn. “I don’t have the kind of memories of your mother that your father has. I can tell you that you are much like her in looks and action. You have her kindness and concern for others. She loved you very much. You gave her great joy from the time she realized that she carried you. She clutched you to her chest the moment you were born, rubbing her face against yours and refused to let go even with us working to try to save her. We had to take you from her afterwards. She died telling you how much she loved you and wanted to stay with you, but knew that you would be well loved and cared for and would be a great King someday.”

Arthur knew that he had tears that he could not blink back sparkling in his eyes. Trying to swallow around the massive lump in his throat, he dropped the pestle and tried to speak, but his voice would not come. Giving Gaius a nod, he headed toward the door. As he reached for the handle, he managed to croak out, “Thank you, Gaius.”

He opened the door to find Merlin leaned up against the wall. One look toward Arthur had him asking, “Arthur, is something wrong?”

Arthur couldn’t break down in front of Merlin. He just kept walking, but managed to throw out over his shoulder in a tight voice, “I’m fine. Gaius needs you for the rest of the day. I will send for you when I need you.”

Keeping his head down and using all the knowledge of the castle that he had gained as a child, Arthur avoided having to speak to anyone until he reached the little round tower room above the nursery that was his sanctuary as a child. He had enjoyed sitting there to read or just be alone while looking out in all directions over Camelot. There he allowed the mother he had seen in Morgause’s vision come to him again in his memory. This time she spoke the words that Gaius had told him his real mother had said as she embraced him. ‘At last,’ he thought as tears bled from his eyes unchecked, 'he had a memory of his mother to cherish.’

* * * * *

That afternoon brought even more horror for Arthur. Uther had some of the afflicted children brought to him for questioning. He pressed and pressed them. The only thing that turned up was that three of the children had played with the little girl falsely accused of magic nearly a month ago. Uther ordered her arrested again and sentenced her to execution. Arthur was horrified. He had gone to his father and argued long and hard. That resulted in Uther ordering him locked in the dungeons overnight. Unfortunately, he released him and commanded his presence during the execution. It was the hardest thing Arthur had ever had to face.

Things quieted a bit for several days after the girl's execution and Uther appeared to relax for the first time in weeks. Gaius even pronounced that a few of the children in his care were well enough to go home. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. A week later, when the children that had gone home were back, sicker than ever and several of the animals had died hysteria broke out. Every day the court was full with people accusing neighbors and family members of sorcery. Uther filled the dungeons with those accused. When Gaius could not find a medical cause Uther ordered those stricken into the dungeons. Arthur wondered if his father would start ordering the execution of the affected people soon.

The stench of burned flesh had hung constantly over Camelot for the last week when Gaius came to see Uther with a discovery. Gaius had realized that only people of the Lower Town were coming to him with the affliction. None of the nobles or Upper Town had symptoms. Arthur's stomach turned when he remembered one of the Noble's wives burned on the pyre last week when the man had accused her of sorcery. He wondered if the man had found a simple means to get rid of a wife he no longer wanted. Gaius also told Uther that only children, young adults and older people had symptoms. He had concluded that it must be an illness. He was still researching it since he had not found an illness that presented the exact array of symptoms. The little girl from the Upper Town that Merlin and Arthur had rescued from execution only for Uther to execute her later with only evidence that she had played with some of the children afflicted haunted Arthur.

The information had not seemed to affect Uther. He had just demanded that Gaius keep up his research and the Knights keep up their searching for a sorcerer. The executioners ax kept falling at the drop of his hand. He had switched to the ax after the smell had become overpowering with so many executions.

Arthur was horrified at the procedures. He realized that it was a breeding ground for bigger troubles and was at a loss as to how to stop it. Sometimes at night in his chambers alone, he allowed his mind to turn over the problems and wondered if Uther might not be wrong. He wondered if the people were not teaching him a much bigger lesson about being a king than all that Uther was trying to teach him. He would never be able to voice such a thought though. He felt guilty enough just having the thoughts

It was the first time that he ever acknowledged that his father might not have been as prepared to be King as he had previously thought. He was able to see the weakness that the hatred and fear of magic had become for his father; a weakness that Arthur feared might bring the Kingdom down. Wondering if he could be man enough to step up and overthrow his own father to save the Kingdom if it came to that kept him awake nights. During those long nights, fear that it might not be enough or be too late caused him much anguish.

* * * * *

A few days later, a rider had delivered a message from the small village at the foot of the Ascetir Ridge. They had need of a shipment of grain because they had suffered a damp growing season the year past causing a blight that had made their supply so limited they did not have enough to last until they could harvest a new crop. He had also reported that many of the youth of the village were suffering from unusual symptoms that when disclosed were similar to the ones that had been affecting Camelot. Arthur insisted that he be the one to lead the group of men sent out to deliver the grain and to assess things in the village. Gaius had promised to mix enough potions to take along for treatment and he assured Arthur that Merlin knew what to do. The trip was set to begin in two days. Arthur kept busy overseeing that everything was ready. It would be a relief to get out of the city for a while and be able to think. He would relish being on horseback again and riding away from the castle.

* * * * *

Arthur jumped when the door to his chamber slammed against the wall then ricocheted back into its frame again, barely missing Merlin as he stormed in. Arthur was already reaching for the hilt of his sword and half standing when the message reached his brain that it was only Merlin. By that time Merlin was speaking. No, Merlin was yelling.

“Do you know what your father has done now?” Merlin stalked angrily toward Arthur as he yelled the words.

“Merlin keep your voice down before the guards come storming in here, then you will have sentencing you to thirty lashes to add to whatever it is you think my father has done.” Arthur clipped as he reseated himself and tried to appear much calmer than his blood slamming through his veins made him feel. “In almost three years have you yet to learn that this is my private rooms and I am the Prince. You must learn to knock on the door before entering.”

“Waste of time.” Merlin had the audacity to shrug his shoulders. “I knock, you ask who it is, I tell you, you say enter after you know it is just me. After all, I dress and undress you. It’s not like I am going to barge in on you half dressed.”

“It is still polite to knock before you enter my chambers. You never know when I might have company in here.”

"You never bring your dalliances here."

Since that didn’t seem to faze Merlin, Arthur tried again to shock him. “Or I could be pleasuring myself.”

“You have a whole room to yourself after I leave at night and a whole Kingdom to choose from to take your pleasure. Why would you resort to that during the daytime when you have to take off your amour then put it back on? You also have the privilege of having a lock on your door. If anyone catches you in an embarrassing situation you have only yourself to blame.” Merlin walked across the room and opened a drawer, taking out a sharpening stone he returned to the table to pick up the sword Arthur had laid there and took a seat on the other side of the table from Arthur sharpening the sword with long sure strokes.

“Besides, that is changing the subject. I was just down in the dungeons with Gaius today, checking on the someone locked up down there that is ill. Your father has a healthy baby locked up down there, Arthur.”

“What do you mean he has a healthy baby locked up in the dungeon?” Arthur allowed the confusion to show on his face. No reason to waste the energy to keep a passive face when it was just he and Merlin and Merlin knew perfectly well that he usually confused Arthur.

“Your father has a healthy baby locked up because he is an orphan and no relatives can be found.” Merlin continued to stroke the stone over the sword blade. As Arthur watched, it seemed to calm the surging blood Merlin’s dramatic entry had caused.

”I checked around.” Merlin continued. "His father started having problem with his stomach. Then he started screaming in pain though nothing was found to cause the pain. Eventually some of his pain seemed to ease, though many of his extremities turned black or had black dots on them suggesting gangrene.

Arthur frowned, but Merlin rushed on so he held his tongue.

“The man lost an ear, the end of a finger, toes over a period of a few days. Then he lost a whole foot. No bleeding, no rot, Gaius said it just fell off cleanly, unlike anything he had ever seen. Two days later the man died. Because it was a bit different than the other afflicted people, and the limbs fell off cleanly Uther had the man’s wife arrested for sorcery. For some reason she brought the baby with her and Uther left him in there after the woman's execution. He is about two years of age and has been living in a dungeon cell since his mother died."

“What do you want me to do about it?”

“Wha...Arthur! Don't you care that Uther has an innocent baby in the dungeons? That man is your father. You have to talk to him. Make him let the baby out.”

“Yes, Merlin, he is my father. However, he is also the King and I took an oath to serve him and the laws he makes. I do not have as much influence on him as you seem to think that I do.“

“Surely, you can talk to him. Maybe he has just forgotten about the baby in all that has been going on. If there are no relatives I will take care of him until I can find someone else to.”

“You?” Arthur sputtered. He couldn’t help it, he tilted his head back and let loose with a laugh that shook his whole body. “What do you know about taking care of children?”

Merlin put his hands on his hips and cocked his head to one side. It looked silly when he was sitting down. “I take care of you all the time? How would this be different? But I doubt he will be as much of a prat.” He smirked at Arthur.

Arthur picked up his empty goblet and threw it at Merlin’s head, which missed, narrowly, as he ducked and continued.

“If Uther is afraid that he may have magic, I know a couple in Ealdor that have always wanted children, but haven’t had any in seven years of marriage. I am sure that they would love to take this baby in. We leave for Ascetir tomorrow first light. We can take him along. It is only a short distance from there over the border to Ealdor. I could take him on to the couple and visit with my Mum a bit then meet you back in Ascetir. Merlin’s face took on a deep sadness that Arthur hadn’t realized had been easing somewhat until he saw it back again. “I really need to talk to her anyway. Tell her about… well, things.”

“You are not taking a child into Cenred’s Kingdom by yourself. It is too dangerous. However, my men and I certainly cannot cross the border because it could cause a war. There have already been reports of unrest along the border. Cenred will use any excuse to go to war with Camelot. He has been spoiling for it for years."

“We would be fine, Arthur. I lived in Cenred's Kingdom for years and managed to get over the border and into Camelot by myself without mishap.”

“And we all recognize the miracle that was.” Arthur muttered under his breath. “I still refuse for you to travel by yourself. We can have guards go with us to the border and I suppose I could wear peasant clothes and accompany you myself. Surly two peasant men with a small child wouldn’t be stopped and bandits usually have little reason to attack peasants.”

Arthur grinned widely as a new thought came to him. “Better yet, a peasant family would be even less of a target. You, Merlin, can dress as a woman and carry the child. We should be quiet safe then.”

“I will not be dressing as a woman.” Merlin had a determined look on his face.

“You will if you want to take that child into Ealdor.” Arthur was adamant. “Go talk to one of the servants about your size and find a dress and pack something for me that will make me look more like a peasant. I need to go talk to my father about this.” Arthur rose and took the sword from Merlin then started for the door with Merlin dogging his heels.

“Arthur you can’t be serious. I would make a ridiculous looking woman. Moreover, I don’t even have long hair. It is impossible.”

“So wear a hat or scarf on your head. After all, you seem to have an affinity for women’s dresses. Or do you only have an affinity for silk dresses? “Arthur opened the door and stepped back for Merlin to precede him through it and raised his brows at Merlin.

Merlin just stalked through the doorway and down the hall toward the stairs without commenting, never seeming to realize that he had just committed a treasonous act walking through the door in front of the Prince.

“Don’t forget the dress and extra clothes, Merlin. And that’s an order.” Arthur commanded to Merlin's back as he pulled the door closed. He smiled and realized how much he had missed this.

Merlin kept stalking away without answer.

Part Four