Merthur - The Blue Butterfly

Chapter 12 - Lost and Found

A/N - Thank you everyone for being so patient! As promised here's the newest chapter!

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The blue butterfly appears to shine in the dimness of the cell. It's like a beacon of light, a ray of hope in this world of darkness. The butterfly flutters off the prince's palm, leaving a trail of blue as it heads towards the door and back out the way it came. With one last look at the cell he follows the butterfly, walking close behind as it leads him through the long hall and back out into the dungeons. While the butterfly continues on without a care Arthur stops just by the gate of the cell, peering around the corner as he waits for the guards to pass him by before continuing on.

He follows the butterfly further into the dungeon, occasionally hiding inside an empty cell when the guards pass. The creature only stops once they reach a large, empty room. There's nothing within site. Only stone walls and hay strewn across the floor, but Arthur knows better. He remembers searching in this room a long time ago. He remembers wondering why his father had built the place and wondering what crime a person would have to commit to be locked in a place like this.

He walks over to the pile of hay the butterfly flutters above, the creature swirling around and around in circles as though excited to discover what's underneath. Arthur kneels down and brushes aside the hay, revealing a wooden trapdoor with engravings etched into the surface. He peers through the little grate on the trapdoor and finds nothing but a dark pit that appears to stretch on for an eternity.

The butterfly flutters around his head, it's excitement growing as it twirls between the bars and down into the darkness, leaving a faint trail of blue in it's wake.

"Merlin?" Arthur calls hesitantly, "are you down there?"

"Arthur?" A voice replies weakly. There's a soft chuckle, "I didn't think that would work."

Arthur's heart skips a beat at the sound of the voice down at the bottom of the pit. Merlin's alive. Merlin's here. His hands are shaking, whether with anticipation or with fear he didn't know, but as he grabs at the handle of the trapdoor and tugs he knows one thing for sure. He's getting Merlin out. And this time he won't let anyone stop him. He won't let anyone pull them apart again.

"I'm going to get you out," Arthur says with a tug, "And then we'll run away together. We can go somewhere nice. Somewhere for just the two of us. Somewhere with mountains."

There's a soft chuckle from down below, "A few fields," Merlin continues.

Arthur smiles as he gives another harsh tug, "Wild flowers."

"A couple cows."

"And a lake. A beautiful lake."

There's a quiet laugh that echoes through the pit, the sound helping to calm the prince from his frenzy of useless tugging. "What about your kingdom?" Merlin asks suddenly, "Are you going to leave it?"

Arthur stops for a moment, staring down at the trapdoor with it's strange etchings. Without having to ask he already knows what these cells were made for and he didn't like it. This isn't the Camelot that he had grown to love. This isn't the kingdom that he wanted to be king of.

"I don't know," he says, giving another tug, "I really don't know."

When the trapdoor still won't open the prince gets to his feet. He raises a leg up, kicking down at the wood but sill it holds firm. Arthur curses, slumping down on the ground. Out of breath. What does he do now? He doesn't have the key nor is he willing to risk leaving to go get it. He growls while staring down at the trapdoor. What else can he do to open this damned thing?