Camelot, Sunday Morning Fandom Time

[bitch_prince]

It had not been a good night for poor old Gaius. While Merlin had been released in the wake of his arrest, Gaius himself had been cast into a cold cell. Occasionally, Aredian would visit, and the visits were less pleasant every time. Sometimes because of actions, though those weren't the worst

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Audience Chamber, Morning

[bitch_prince]

All the staff and all the courtiers of Camelot were called to the audience chamber in the morning. The King had been in the strangest mood, and they all knew about the court physician incarcerated by the Witchfinder. To say the air was tense would be a severe understatement.

Aredian marched in, followed by two guards. The guards were pulling Gaius along with them. The old man looked sodden and desperate, his feet dragging with every step. With a motion, Aredian ordered him to be cast to the ground. "Confess."

"I am guilty," Gaius choked out. His eyes could scarcely flick up to find Uther. "I have practiced sorcery. I conjured the smoke, I have been practicing magic in Camelot in public-- the faces in the well-- I-- I am the sorcerer who conjured the toad from his mouth--"

Re: Audience Chamber, Morning

[bigdamndestiny]

Which meant Merlin was going along with him in a manner that could be called meek. If one were so inclined. "Thank you," he muttered, eyes dropping to the floor.

Re: Audience Chamber, Morning

[bitch_prince]

Arthur took another two steps into the dungeons. "Just go and see him," he said, hand slipping down to grip Merlin's for a second.

Re: Audience Chamber, Morning

[bigdamndestiny]

Merlin squeezed back, looking around to make sure they were actually alone before pressing a kiss to the corner of Arthur's mouth. "Thank you, really."

Re: Audience Chamber, Morning

[bitch_prince]

Arthur pulled a spectacular grimace. "Don't," he said. "He shouldn't even be in there."

Which meant he'd failed.

Re: Audience Chamber, Morning

[bigdamndestiny]

"We'll figure something out," Merlin promised, moving away to talk to Gaius.

Re: Audience Chamber, Morning

[bitch_prince]

I wish I could be that optimistic, he thought.

Arthur tore himself away from the cell - that conversation was private - and instead moved to stand at the door to the dungeons, keeping an eye out. Hopefully Merlin would have enough time to say what he had to say.

Re: Audience Chamber, Morning

[thismaskiwear]

Because her other reaction would have borne a striking resemblance to Merlin's, just with a lot more foul language and the hitting of things, Katchoo -- who'd been present for the, er, 'extraction of confessions' before -- had opted for Choice B.

Her expression was absolutely stony, giving nothing away -- because they couldn't afford that right now, and if she let loose she might not stop for who the hell knew how long.

All she really needed was a martini glass in her hand, and she'd have borne a frightening resemblance to Darcy Parker.

Re: Audience Chamber, Morning

[glacial_witch]

"We have to do something," Karla hissed, watching the spectacle with a stony expression of his own. "I can feel him. He's just so smug and pleased with himself. He's happy to be doing this and he knows Gaius is innocent. He's just reveling in his own power."

Her eyes narrowed to slits as she watched Gaius condemned to death. He was already going to be executed. Would it really make things that much worse if she decided to stop end Aredian now?

Re: Audience Chamber, Morning

[thismaskiwear]

Katchoo was in favor of that herself, actually. Sadly it would probably cause more problems than it solved, but really, they did have to do something, but what?

. . . damn, those years in L.A. kept being more useful than she wished they were.

"There's a way," she said through her teeth, thinking of Samantha and Senator Chalmers's stolen money. "He's got the king's trust -- we can make it look like he's abusing that."

Re: Audience Chamber, Morning

[thatsamilkshake]

So, um, how much did it cut down Katchoo's Darcytude to have a bambi-eyed... well, bunny-eyed, girl's hand grabbing hers, in place of that martini? "He is."

Not that, to be honest, Francine cared a lot about Uther's trust in reality, considering her scared her just as much as the Witchfinder, in his way.

"How could we prove that, though?"

Re: Audience Chamber, Morning

[glacial_witch]

"We find the evidence," Karla murmured, pitching her voice to carry no further than Katchoo and Francine. "Or we make it."

Dishonest, yes, but Karla wasn't really all that concerned about being fair to a male who sent innocent people to be burned at the stake. Darkness, the very idea was barbaric.

"I don't care how much people fear something. How can burning someone alive ever be an acceptable punishment?"

Re: Audience Chamber, Morning

[thismaskiwear]

Katchoo chose not to address the question of the acceptability of burning at the stake; her opinion on the matter was somewhat mixed, and now was really not the time.

"All in favor of option B?" she asked quietly.

Re: Audience Chamber, Morning

[thatsamilkshake]

There were a very few people Francine had similar mixed thoughts about -- until she actually saw someone burned alive. She wasn't touching that either.

"I don't care if it's option Q as long as it works. You saw Merlin; if we can't save Gaius, it's gonna kill him too."