Catrin: Sister of Emrys

Chapter 8: The Wicked Day Part 1

Two days passed and Cade recovered. Soon, Gaius declared her well enough to return to Arthur's service, which she gladly welcomed. Upon entering Arthur's chambers, she found Merlin already there. He was looking out of the window behind Arthur's desk, which Cade found odd. Walking towards the window, she bowed her head in respect to Arthur and looked out of the window beside her brother. She now saw what had captured all of Merlin's attention: A parade of entertainers, jugglers, acrobats and such, had entered the gates of the citadel.

When one of the acrobats had tossed another in the air and than caught them in an amazing fashion, Merlin and Cade gaped in awe. "Oh!" Cade exclaimed. "Did you see that!" Merlin nodded while Cade felt Arthur lean over the siblings to glance at what had excited his servants.
"It's a man throwing sticks in the air." He said without enthusiasm. The siblings looked oddly at each other before looking after Arthur as he turned away. The two pulled their heads back into Arthur's room and looked at him curiously.

"What's wrong?" Merlin asked. "It's your birthday. A huge feast is being prepared. You've got dancers, jugglers and acrobats to entertain you."

As Arthur walked away, Merlin and Cade followed him. Cade leaned in closer and said, "It must be a terrible burden."

"Perhaps I'm less easily impressed than you." Arthur snapped.

"We've been really looking forward to it." Merlin said.

"Because you have minds of children." Arthur indicated, walking further as Merlin and Cade stopped. They looked at each other and smirked.

"And yet we're still more intelligent then you." Cade muttered softly.

"I heard that!" Arthur exclaimed, causing the siblings to smile widely.

Later that morning, Cade walked down the corridors, all the while, still chuckling at how she and Merlin were excited for the entertainment that was to come that night, while Arthur found them childish. As a result, Cade was not paying attention to whoever ended up walking in front of her. She only stopped when her small, pale, thin body collided with another body that was much bigger and broader than her own.

"Oh, sorry, I wasn't-" Cade stopped her attempt at an apology when she saw who it was exactly that she had run into: Micheal. The knight grinned at her.

"You should really cast some spell to make it so you won't run into people." he suggested, his grin widening. Cade smirked.

Cade still relished in the fact that it wasn't just Lancelot and Gaius that knew the two siblings had magic, but Micheal as well. Similar with how Lancelot had discovered Merlin's magic, Micheal had discovered Cade's, and by chain, Merlin's, magic the day Morgana and Morgause had overthrown Uther and overtaken Camelot the previous year. Cade had actually been stupidly practicing some of her more controllable spells right out in the open where practically anybody could've seen her. But Cade had assumed that she had outsmarted everybody. She had been very wrong.

She hadn't counted on Micheal returning with water from the nearby stream. He had walked in right as Cade was getting the best part of the spell done. He had accidentally startled her, making the spell cease automatically. When Cade panicked, Micheal promised her that he wouldn't turn her in. From there, he made the connection that Merlin possessed powerful magic just as Cade did. Cade had no choice but to confirm it, seeing as she had been found out already.

Cade narrowed her eyes at Micheal. "You know why I won't do that." she said. Micheal smirked. "Yes, unfortunately." he answered. "Uther would have your head if your magic was discovered."

"Not so loud!" Cade exclaimed. "Are you trying to give me away?" Micheal smiled apologetically.

"Sorry." he said. Cade grinned.

"I'd better get going." She informed. Micheal nodded and Cade walked off.

That night, at Arthur's party, Cade saw that Uther had actually managed to show. The king hadn't been quite right in the head since Morgana's betrayal, and honestly, Cade couldn't blame him. She'd seen the way Morgana had used her influence on Uther to help Morgause and only Cade and Merlin had noticed it.

Cade looked up when a knife thrower asked Arthur to participate and show everyone his "legendary" bravery. Cade and Merlin both looked as Arthur smiled and stood, saying,

"Of course." The two siblings walked over as Arthur took off his cape and jacket, handing it to them.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Merlin asked. Cade looked warily at the knife thrower.

Arthur frowned slightly. "It's a knife thrower, of course it's not safe." he replied. "But I couldn't refuse in front of all these people, now could I?" Cade rolled her eyes at Arthur's need to satisfy his ego. Arthur walked up to the spinning table and, after he was strapped to it, the knife thrower leaned in closer.

"Don't worry, my lord, I never miss my target." He said. Arthur smiled and nodded.

"Good." He said. "Glad to hear it."

"May I?" The knife thrower said, sticking an apple in Arthur's mouth. The strong man began spinning the table round and round as the knife thrower prepared his knives. He threw the first one, which landed right close to Arthur's left ear. The guests all gasped in awe as Merlin and Cade watched the knife thrower carefully. The second knife embedded itself close to Arthur's right ear.

As the knife thrower threw the last one, Merlin and Cade kept their gaze locked on this one, should their magic be needed to once again safe the prince's life. Thankfully enough, this one embedded itself in the apple in Arthur's mouth. The crowd all sighed as the strong man helped Arthur down. Merlin helped Arthur get his jacket back on as Arthur took a big bite out of the apple. He smiled at the siblings.

"See you two, nothing to worry about." he said and begin showing off in front of the crowd as the two servants smiled after him, glad that they were apparently wrong to fear for Arthur's life.

Neither sibling heard the knife thrower's next words: "As soon as the sedative on the apple takes hold, we shall strike."