Forbidden Love - Merlyn [2]

Chapter Thirty-Eight: A False Confession

Night had come around and with it, Arthur's duties. He had been ordered to sit at the dining table beside the king with Aredian at the other end. The two people he really didn't want to see at that moment he was being forced to dine with. As usual their meal was one of luxury, and the candles that covered the table provided the light they needed. Arthur kept his head down and ate his food in silence.

His mind was firmly locked on his poor servant. When they had returned to her chambers, she had gathered enough energy to stand on her feet. However, she was met by a horrible sight. Her entire home had been ransacked, everything her and Gaius owned was all over the place. It was fair to say that Merlyn had not been expecting such a thing. She had been in a state of complete shock and then had asked after Gaius. Arthur hated being the one to tell her but the moment he revealed that Gaius was now in prison, Merlyn had broken down into tears.

Arthur had spent the rest of the afternoon comforting Merlyn – hell, he even cleaned up her room so that she could sleep on her bed. Once she was flat out, Arthur knew he had to leave. He did have the dinner to attend with his father and Aredian. Though on his way to the meal he had found Leon and asked the knight to take some other guards and help tidy up Gaius and Merlyn's chambers – it was the least they could do after they had been the ones to destroy the place.

"Gaius served me with unfailing dedication" Uther said strongly. Thankfully, the king had decided to treat Gaius with more respect than he had treated Merlyn – he had only locked Gaius in a cell, he had forgone the Iron Chains. However, the sudden conversation change had caught Arthur's attention. "Without his knowledge, his wisdom, I would not be sitting here today." At least the king seemed to understand Gaius' importance to him.

"You show great faith in him, Sire" Aredian mocked with a chuckle. A sound that got Arthur's attention as well as agitated the man. "Great faith, indeed, considering he was known to practice sorcery." Now that surprised the prince completely. Gaius practiced magic!

"Gaius?" Arthur questioned in disbelief. In actuality, Arthur couldn't believe such a thing – in fact he wasn't going to. "You are mistaken." It was a simple dismissal.

"No, Arthur. He speaks the truth" Uther contradicted causing the prince to snap his head around to face his father. How many other secrets did this man have? "I'm well aware of his past, but I have every reason to believe he's turned his back on sorcery." Arthur was left to view the argument from the side-lines.

"Until now" Aredian commented with a smirk. Arthur narrowed his eyes in suspicion, Aredian was far too happy over Gaius' circumstances.

"We don't know that. And this amulet you found; it could just be a stupid mistake" Uther argued back. Arthur, for the first time, saw his father's connection to Gaius in its completeness. Uther cared greatly for the old man, in where he was quick to kill a sorcerer, the idea of Gaius being one still was debatable.

"Or maybe he's fallen back into old habits" Aredian said pushing the king. Something that Arthur feared would be all too easy to do.

"We must give him the benefit of the doubt, surely?" Arthur said, turning to face his father. however, it seemed that Aredian didn't care for such a suggestion.

"Why?" Aredian asked sharply with a pointed look. The issue was Arthur didn't have an answer to his question. A fact Arthur did not like. "Anyway, there's a sure way to establish his guilt." Aredian fixed the king with a harsh gaze but Arthur had no idea what he meant. Looking towards the king, Arthur watched as Uther shuffled uncomfortably.

"I know your methods are effective, Aredian, but Gaius is an old man, he could not withstand such ... treatment" Uther expressed in concern as he took a gulp from his wine glass. The word treatment was clearly exchanged for torture – Arthur could see it written all over Aredian's face. The Witchfinder was going to enjoy this.