Wants and Needs: Chapter 7
Title: Wants and Needs
Pairing: Arthur/OC, Arthur/Merlin
Rating: NC-17 (for later chapters)
Genre: Angst
Word Count: ~1700
Disclaimer: I don’t own them, I just take them out to play every now and again. No copyright infringement intended
Summary: Merlin returns to save the city
Warnings:
Wants and Needs
Chapter 7: What The People Need
Merlin left Gwaine on the outskirts of Camelot, telling him to gather whatever loyal men he could find. He agreed to return and meet Gwaine there two candle marks before dawn the following day to strategize. Then, he entered the citadel as the morning broke, with Gwaine’s worn brown cloak wrapped tightly around him. Merlin only saw a few desperate souls darting in and out of the shadows looking frantically at him as they hurried to complete any task that had brought them outside during this day. None of the sunlight seemed to penetrate the cold fog that surrounded every lane and passageway. The people hurried through the streets as though they feared for their lives every moment they were exposed to unseen eyes and ears. Merlin’s anger grew as he watched a young boy trip on a cobblestone in his haste. The sheer terror in his eyes when Merlin reached out to help the boy, quickly had Merlin retracting his hand and his presence lest he should cause the boy more fear and possibly harm. As Merlin slowly made his way to the doors of the castle, fury settled to the base of his spine and he began to feel his power crackle through his hands. Knowing the need for stealth and secrecy, Merlin stuffed his hands into his pockets, kept his head down, and tried to breathe as calmly as he could. He knew he would only have one chance to confront whoever had caused this terrible fear, and to do that, he could not be discovered before he was ready.
Merlin spent the day hiding in the marketplace overhearing the whispered conversations around him. He could feel the people’s despair like a heavy weight. The cold mist that surrounded the castle and township left a metallic taste of blood on his tongue. Everywhere Merlin turned he felt the people’s anguish and fear. This was not the Camelot he remembered. For moment, he considered seeking out Gaius, but he realized his best defense was remaining hidden, and besides, he did not want to cause his old mentor anymore grief should he fail to end whatever this enchantment was.
Just before dawn Merlin crept into the castle itself, and silently moved towards the throne room to hide before anyone could arrive, so he could see Arthur for himself. He couldn't bring himself to believe some of the things he had overheard in the lower town, and he needed to see for himself what had happened to the King while he was away.
The scene that greeted him as he opened the great open doors shook him to his very core. There was Arthur, trussed up in chains, surrounded by men in various states of undress, their red robes thrown on the ground or across several chairs. Morgana sat upon the throne, a cruel grin upon her face, and a crown on her head. Merlin never even noticed Mordred standing in the shadows behind her.
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Merlin gaped at the sight of Arthur lying naked in chains, covered in blood and cum. His howl of rage rang throughout the Hall. Morgana and Mordred momentarily froze in fear.
Then, Morgana lunged at Merlin, her passion for revenge overpowering her control, despite all of the plans she and Mordred had dreamt of. Her only thought was to kill him once and for all. She summoned all her power, but before she could unleash it, Merlin’s eyes rose up from the floor and focused on her. She froze as Merlin’s own fury overpowered her where she stood. She couldn’t speak or move, and for one instant, she felt Merlin’s true power wash through her.
Without a conscious thought, Merlin’s hand rose of its own volition; and Morgana stopped cold and dropped to the floor, dead. There was no dramatic lightning bolt - no spell was cast. Merlin’s rage alone stopped her heart in her chest. Merlin took her life without a thought.
Mordred huddled behind the throne in shock at the sight of Morgana’s prone body. He too had felt the weight of Merlin’s magic on his skin, and he knew he was not powerful enough to stand against him. Although his hatred of Merlin had grown ten-fold, he realized that retreat was the only way he would survive this encounter. Then, he disappeared without a sound, without Merlin ever noticing his presence.
The rage Merlin had been building inside him throughout the day came bursting through every pore of his body; giving off a golden wave more powerful than could be imagined. All the knights in the room turned to ash before Merlin’s very eyes. The golden pulse throbbed once again with the power of a thousand suns, spilling throughout Camelot, reaching into even its darkest corners. Every man, woman, and child froze where they were, and within the space of a heartbeat, the golden aura found them and filled them with peace; with forgetfulness. Their pain was erased, their wounds healed, and their memories of the past month were expunged, leaving only a hazy dreamlike memory of the suffering they endured under Morgana’s covert rule.
Merlin used all of his magic to erase the memories of the entire kingdom - except for Arthur. He could not reach into Arthur’s heart, nor his mind because Arthur had shut him out long before. Merlin had not known he was capable of such power, and it shook him. With the same speed that his magic left him, it returned with an explosive throb back into his body. With it, came all of the pain and suffering he had erased from the hearts and minds of the people of Camelot. Performing this much magic carried its own unbearable cost, and Merlin sagged under its weight in his already weakened condition.
Merlin could not withstand all that he had just absorbed. Slowly, Merlin blinked his eyes and tried to regain control over his magic and his body. He staggered, and almost tripped on Arthur’s prone body. As his vision began to clear, and his eyes stopped glowing, he could still see Arthur chained on the floor, cold shivering and alone. "Tóspringe -- Ic þe þurhhæle þin licsare mid þam sundorcræftas þære ealdaþ æ!” he cried before he collapsed to the floor.
Gwaine, who had arrived in the city when Merlin failed to meet him, ran into the castle to find his friend. He discovered him in the throne room moments after the golden glow had ended. Gwaine had not been touched by its power, but he quickly understood that Merlin was its source and had followed it. He saw Merlin fall to the ground unconscious, and he threw himself onto the floor to rouse him. Just as he heard a faint moan coming from Merlin, he spotted his King still lying on the floor, naked and dazed.
"By the Gods" Gwaine cried. The sound forced Merlin to open his eyes. He propped himself up with his arms and, with Gwaine’s help, rose shakily to his feet.
"Help him," Merlin told Gwaine. Gwaine rushed over to Arthur to find him crying and shuddering on the cold stone floor. When Gwaine touched him, Arthur shrank back in fear.
"Shhh, Arthur It’s alright. I'm sorry it took me so long. But it's over now you're safe. She's dead Arthur, Morgana's dead. Can you see her? She's right there and she's dead. She can't hurt you any longer. It's safe now. It's over. Please Arthur, please open your eyes. The nightmare has ended.” Gwaine lurched up and grabbed a cape from one of the tables. With a single stride he returned Arthur and gently tucked it around him.
Arthur opened his eyes “Gwaine?” He rasped. “Is that really you? You’re back?”
“Yes Arthur, it's me. I brought Merlin back and he saved us, all of us. You don't have to be afraid anymore. It's over, I promise.”
Arthur reached out to the cloth and wrapped it around him. "Who, what, Merlin? No, Merlin isn't here anymore.”
“He came back Arthur." Gwaine replied softly. "He came back to Camelot to save you. Morgana is dead. See? She’s right over there. She can never hurt you again. It's going to be all right. Merlin's fixed it.”
Arthur began to keen and rock back and forth, as though he could not make himself believe that the nightmare had truly ended. He kept staring at Morgana’s lifeless form, crumpled by the foot of the throne.
As Gwaine knelt by the weeping King, Merlin turned away and staggered from the throne room. His mind, his body, and even his soul, were slowly coming apart. He simply could not endure the pain of a thousand memories tearing at his mind. His only instinct was to flee. He knew he could not remain Camelot, that he no longer had a home here. Before anyone could stop him, or even take notice of his presence, he staggered through the corridors, and out the castle doors towards the stables. He entered the first stall he saw, and threw himself upon an unsaddled horse. Alone, he rode out from Camelot barely aware of his surroundings. He drifted in and out of consciousness as the horse slowly took him further from Camelot. After a few hours, finding himself in clearing, Merlin fell from the horse, and then using the last of his strength, he called out to the Great Dragon “Arthracana Emala Suva Tane Komenta. Gashoot Manakess” as he collapsed to the ground, unconscious once again. Kilgharrah arrived a few minutes after Merlin’s call, and seeing the frail, unconscious body lying in the grass, gathered him gently into his great claws, and rose into the sky, carrying the wounded warlock back to his cave.
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