Amelia's Story (BBC Merlin Story)

Chapter 66: With All My Heart

Anne's POV

"What should we do about Gwen?" Merlin asks as he and Anne lie awake in their bed one night.

"I think we need to tell Arthur," Anne says. "He needs to know that something is wrong with Gwen, he deserves to know. She's his wife!"

"Yes, but how do we tell him his wife tried to kill him?" He looks at her. Anne sighs. "He wouldn't believe us."

"We need to catch her in the act." Anne muses. "We need Arthur to see her meeting with Morgana and Amelia."

"But she might not anymore." Merlin murmurs. "If she knows that we suspect it's her, which she probably does now, she'll be more inclined to try and not meet with them or communicate in another way."

"Then we have to catch her making an attempt on Arthur's life again?" Anne frowns. "I don't like that idea."

"Nor me." Merlin agrees, thinking. "We need catch her in the act that way Arthur can't refute it."

Anne nods. "Good idea. We'll bide our time. She'll drop her guard and then we can catch her."

——

After their conversation, Anne and Merlin both keep an extra eye on Gwen, waiting. Eventually, it pays off when Anne spots Gwen readying herself to leave the Castle. Merlin is the one to sort out retrieving Arthur and arrives by the stairs, at which Anne had seen Gwen slip through to get to the tunnels and the Crypt under the Castle, with the disgruntled King who blinks in surprise at seeing her.

"Anne?" He asks stupidly.

"Arthur," Anne replies, her tone all blasé.

"Wha—"

"We need to hurry up. We're falling behind." Anne says to Merlin, cutting off Arthur. Merlin nods in agreement and begins to move down the stairs.

"Falling behind?" The King echoes.

"Yes, falling behind," Merlin says forcefully. He turns to Arthur expectantly. Anne puts her hands on her hips and taps her foot expectantly because they really need to go now. "Come on!"

They charge down the stairs and Arthur huffs behind them before following for a few moments it's quiet but then Arthur starts talking again.

"Anne, Merlin, where are we going?" Arthur asks, probably now clocking that their path leads down, towards the crypts and the networks of empty tunnels that lead out of the Castle into the Lower Town.

"Silence!" Anne snaps. They really can't risk Gwen hearing them and the whole plan falling apart.

"Merlin, you are forgetting yourself." Arthur retorts. Anne rolls her eyes because, really?

"Think of it as a hunt," Merlin suggests, a brilliant smile suddenly all over his face. "As you said, it requires stealth, speed and an agile mind."

"We're not on a hunt now, Merlin."

"No, we're on a hunt of a different kind." Merlin retorts. "And you're scaring away the prey. Come on or are you too out of shape to keep up with us?"

Arthur recognises the insult "I'm not fat, Merlin!"

"Sure, tell that to your belts." Anne quips.

"Anne!"

They are deep down under the castle. The air is cold and draughty here. Arthur has these corridors patrolled regularly to make sure that nobody got into the Castle that had no business being here. To make sure Morgana and Amelia cannot get in. The sisters are aware of these tunnels too and who knows how many times they've potentially used it.