Merlin: The chance to change fate

The Plan

"Tomorrow there is a ceremony," said Merlin. "A ceremony that the king is hosting, not just for anyone, but for everyone who was involved in war between Morgana. You guys will be up on stage with the king since you guys are his most loyal and trusted Knights." The three Knights glanced around at each other, they wondered if they deserved to be described by those words after what they are going to have to do. Merlin eyed them all and waited till he had their full attention again. "After every ceremony there is a feast." Merlin paused and looked at each one of them, "that is where you guys come in. Gwaine, your job will be to remain beside the King at all times. Make sure he does not get drunk, we are going to need him sober for later. Gwaine nodded as Merlin broke eye contact with him. "Leon, you will be walking around keeping an eye on everything, if Gwaine starts to fail at his job, you need to be there for him." Leon nodded but Gwaine had a different expression on his face, one that showed how offended he was that Merlin thought he could not do one simple task. Merlin sure noticed facial expression. "Sorry Gwaine." Merlin then looked up at Percival. "As much as I don't want to sound selfish, you will be there mainly for me." Percival looked at Merlin confused. "As you all know All Arthur can think about is wanting me dead, which is why me going to this event is the perfect place for Arthur to poison me, and you need to be there to make sure I die."
"Excuse me?" Stammered Gwaine.
"Not literally die. To you guys and Gaius I will be alive, but we need the king, queen, and everyone else in the castle to think I am dead." Replied Merlin.
"And how are we going to do that?" Asked Leon nervously.
"There is no doubt in my mind that I will not be poisoned, because I will be, it's the perfect place to do it. Once Arthur sees me at the ceremony he will think of it. And when I take a sip of my drink at the feast I won't sip a lot, but just enough for the poison to start to kick in. I will make a scene and Percival will come and take me to Gaius." Merlin said once he turned his head to Gaius and smiled as best as he could.
"Gaius will have to try and save me from dying."
"That's a big risk Merlin." Said Gaius worriedly.
"I know, but we need my death, faked or not." Said Merlin directly, causing the others to form worried looks on their faces. "If Gaius saves me, then I will stay hidden in my room. That's when Gaius needs to start fake crying and make his way back to the ceremony, where you will tell Arthur that I have died. Arthur will have no choice but to follow you to see where my 'body is' because he needs to make you guys think that he didn't have anything to do with my death. Gwaine and Leon will secretly follow behind. Once he makes it into Gaius' chambers, Percival will come up from behind the king and simply knock him out." Percival's jaw dropped after what he just heard but Merlin just shrugged his shoulders and carried on. "Then you guys will tie the king up, and wait till he awakens."
"Okay, first of all Merlin," Gwaine said abruptly, "Following your plan is defiantly treason."
"Yes," said Merlin, "but just know, that it isn't Arthur, that thing inside him has taken over him, and the real Arthur would understand."
"What are we going to do when Arthur awakens?" Leon asked.
"Gaius is going to tap on the creature in the back of Arthur's neck which will leave the Fomorroh dormant, just enough time for you guys to talk to Arthur."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"One more thing," Merlin said. "Gwen can not know about my death until after we speak to Arthur, and-" Merlin stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. "Arthur can't know that he was the one that beat me up." There was a long moment of silence before Merlin spoke again.
"And of course, once we are done talking to the real Arthur we will knock him out again and place him in his room where he will wake up with the Fomorroh also awake. Once he realizes that I am dead, he will then go back to Morgana. We will follow him there and kill the mother beast."
"How do you know if he will go to Morgana?" Asked Percival.
"Because Morgana probably told Arthur to come back to her once I was dead so she can then kill him." Said Merlin sadly, "so, are you guys in?"
"We're in," said Leon with a reassuring smile.