Merthur - The King and His Guardian Angel

Chapter 15 - To Care For Another

Arthur doesn't move from his spot by the wall until he hears a knock at the door. Immediately, his eyes shoot open. The first thought that enters his mind at the noise is Merlin. Merlin is here. Merlin is outside. Everything is fine.

He dashes forward, almost slipping on the goblet in his rush toward the door. He unbolts it as quickly as he can, fingers fumbling over the wood as he pries the plank off the hooks. A loud thud sounds behind him as he tosses the timber to the floor, not bothering to set it in its proper place. Merlin will clean it up after all.

He yanks the door open, ready to pull the boy inside and just embrace him, but his hopes are instantly dashed when he sees the men in red capes gathered out in the hall. They all gaze at him worriedly, giving him forced smiles as they wait to be let in. Arthur sighs, shoulders slumping and head hanging. He rubs at his eyes, trying to rid himself of the image of a smiling Merlin while he turns away.

He's about to slam the door shut when a hand reaches out and jerks it back open. Arthur growls at the man, who he already knows is Gwaine without needing to even look, before trying to forcibly shove him from the room. The drunk, miraculously, manages to stand his ground. He glowers at the king, arms crossed as he stands in the doorway.

Arthur scowls back while turning into his room. He grabs an empty goblet off the tabletop and fills the cup to the brim with wine once more. He's about to take a swig when Elyan gently pries the goblet from the his grip. The man tries for a smile, "That's enough for you. You're drinking more than Gwaine," he says.

Again, Arthur only scowls. He spins on his heel, heading towards his bed in hopes of being able to fall asleep and finally wake from this nightmare, but yet again, his knights stop him. Percival blocks his way while the others circle around him, not allowing him to avoid them any longer. Arthur growls at the group, trying to push past, but the circle holds firm. Begrudgingly and with one last glare the king stops struggling, deciding to listen. He has no other choice after all.

"Sire," Lancelot begins, chewing on his lower lip with nervousness. He glances around at the others, seeming to search for some reassurance before continuing. "We feel that... you should, perhaps, reconsider Merlin's sentence."

Arthur turns on his friend instantly. His eyes are almost red with anger as he stares at the man, making the normally fearless knight shrink in on himself. "What?" He growls. His fists clench at his sides, a movement none of the other knights miss.

Lancelot swallows, straightening his back and steeling his expression before continuing. "It has yet to be an hour since you delivered his sentence and you're already a mess." He bends down, picking up the spilled goblet to present to the king. "I've never seen you drink this much before, not even after your father died." Arthur flinches at the mention of his father, his demeanour faltering slightly. "We all could see how much Merlin meant to you. Can't you at least reduce the sentence?"

Arthur looks away. The vision of Merlin being tied to the stake flashes through his mind, making a cold shiver shoot down his back. "He committed treason. He tried to kill the king," Arthur replies, more to convince himself than the knights.

"And he's assured you he didn't do it," Leon points out in the servants defence. "And a true man will stand by his words."

Arthur turns to face the blonde knight. "You expect me to take his word against evidence? You all heard my uncle. Merlin had the root in his chambers and besides... he's a sorcerer."

"Not just any sorcerer. He's Emrys," Gwaine corrects, "I'm sure you've pieced that together by now."

Arthur stiffens at the words, the impact of the revelation coming in full force now that the truth has been said aloud. He hadn't wanted to believe it at first when he made the connection. After all, how could he believe that Merlin, the innocent boy that adopts a dozen rabbits because 'those poor rabbits needed him', was Emrys? How could he believe that Merlin is the same man who has been prophesied to become Morgana's doom? He couldn't. He just couldn't fathom the idea. He had almost wanted to laugh in Agravaine's face when he first heard the accusations against his servant, but after seeing the guilt plastered on Merlin's face throughout the whole trial he wasn't sure what to think anymore. Thus, when the servant had pleaded his innocence, swearing on his mother's life he wouldn't lie, Arthur didn't hesitate to take the chance to find any form of truth in those words. Yet, all he found was more evidence supporting Agravaine's accusations and his own conclusion about Merlin. He had no reason anymore to doubt his uncle's words. No excuses to hide behind. Merlin is a sorcerer. Merlin is from Ealdor. Merlin is Emrys and he had just committed treason. Therefore, Emrys cannot be trusted. The rest of the trial was a blur in Arthur's mind. He could vaguely remember Agravaine speaking to him and the sentence being given, but anything more he couldn't remember. Not that he wanted to remember.