Hiding

Chapter 14

Screaming.
Crying.
Sobbing.
Screaming.
Merlin.
Arthur woke in the middle of the night to the sound of Merlin's screams of pain. Oh no. They must have drifted apart in their sleep. Flailing, Arthur tried to find Merlin. It was too dark. He couldn't see. How would he find Merin if he couldn't see?
Right.
Magic, duh. He gasped the first spell he could think of, and a blue ball of light floated above the bed. Merlin wasn't on the bed. But he could hear Merlin's screams. Had he fallen off the bed? Arthur dove across the bed. Merlin was on the ground, writhing, screaming, crying. Arthur scrambled off the bed to hold his love. He kissed Merlin, desperately trying to get Merlin to stop screaming, because it was hurting Arthur to see him in so much pain.
The guards had heard the screams. Of course they had, half the castle must had heard them. After hesitating only a moment, they burst into the prince's chambers. The sight that greeted them stilled them at the doorway. A blue light—magic, they knew— floated above the prince and his servant. The same servant the prince was currently holding and kissing with a frantic air.
Arthur was almost to the point of tears. He was kissing Merlin, but it wasn't working. He was kissing Merlin, and holding Merlin, but Merlin was still screaming. He didn't look up to see who had burst into his chambers. He didn't care. The only thing that mattered was Merlin.
The guards weren't sure what to do. Someone in the room had used magic. That was evident. But was it the prince or his servant? And Prince Arthur was kissing Merlin—surely that was in violation of some sort of law? No one moved for a minute. Then, someone seemed to snap out of it and said to the other men, "Someone get Gaius. And King Uther."
Two guards went racing out of the room. The other three guards decided they needed to break up whatever was happening. One of the men was a sorcerer. The other was consorting with a sorcerer. Both of them needed to be apprehended. That was their job. When they approached, the prince was sobbing and muttering under his breath.
"Please... Merlin, please... stop screaming, stop it! Come on, please... why isn't it working? It should have worked! Merlin, please..." Arthur punctuated his words in random places with hard kisses to Merlin's mouth, growing even more desperate.
The guards were reluctant to break the two apart, perhaps knowing just how hard it might be. A guard reached out to stand Arthur up. Only then did Arthur notice the presence of the other men. He pulled Merlin closer to his chest, keeping a tight hold on him.
Arthur pulled away from the guards, pulled Merlin away from them. Merlin was still in pain. Nothing he was doing would stop it. He knew what the guards had seen. Magic. Kissing. But he'd be damned if he let them take Merlin away from him right now. Let them see his magic. Let his biggest secrets go free. All of the sudden, none of that mattered. The man he loved was in pain, and he was going to do all he could to stop it.
Arthur breathed. In, out. Just like Gaius always said. He couldn't let his magic get out of control. Not right now. But the guards reached for him again, and the only thing he could think was Merlin.
And he let his magic loose. He didn't want to hurt anyone—they were doing their job, protecting the kingdom. He sent the men flying back, just hard enough to stun them, not grievously injure them. Arthur didn't know what to do. He couldn't run. They'd be found before they left the castle. The guards had seen him use magic. Had seen him kissing Merlin like it was the end of the world.
Maybe it was, Arthur thought grimly. He'd backed them into a corner. Run and be condemned. Stay and be condemned. He decided that he wouldn't run. He wasn't a coward. If he stayed, perhaps Merlin would be spared. Technically, Merlin hadn't done anything wrong. Arthur had been the one to use magic. Arthur had been the one kissing Merlin. Arthur was the only one guilty of anything, as far as the guards knew. And anyone who knew otherwise would keep their mouths shut.
He put up a protective barrier around the pair of them. He knew the king would come running, and he wasn't going to let Uther touch Merlin. He'd give himself up, if it would save Merlin. Oh how he wished for one of Gaius's magic—well, not magic magic—solutions. Gaius always knew what to do.
On cue, Gaius rushed through the doorway flanked by a guard. He gasped at the scene before him. Three guards thrown about the room, a crying Arthur curled protectively around a bawling and screaming Merlin, both of them behind a slightly shimmering gold barrier. He rushed to the side of his prince and ward.
"Arthur, my boy, what happened?" He touched the barrier lightly, wondering if he'd be allowed through it. It appeared Arthur's magic didn't deem him a threat, and he stepped through to kneel at Merlin's side.
"Gaius... Gaius help him... He must've fallen off the bed, and then he started screaming, and I woke up, and I kissed him like last time, but it's not working Gaius. What do I do?" Arthur had tears streaming down his cheeks in despair for the person he loved.
"I don't know. I've never seen this before, Arthur. If what you did last time didn't work, then I have no idea what will. It appears you must do more to make it stop this time. Maybe that will end the spell."
"What—" Arthur didn't get to finish his question, because Uther stormed into his chambers at that moment.
"Arthur! Get away from that sorcerer! Can't you see he's enchanted you?" The guard must have told him what was going on, because Uther wasted no time trying to figure out what happened.
"I won't! I won't leave him, Father!" Arthur realized he sounded like a child, but he couldn't care less.
"You will get away from that sorcerer, or I will make you!" The king stalked over to where the pair were sitting with Gaius by their side.
"I won't, because he's not the sorcerer! I am! I made the light, I threw the guards away. And you can't get near us, because I made this shield!" Arthur cried. Merlin's screams became a little quieter.
"Don't be ridiculous, Arthur. The sorcerer has obviously tricked you. If you kill him, you'll be free from his spell. He did all of those things, Arthur."
"He didn't, because he's not a sorcerer! And I'm not under a spell. Merlin is the one under a spell, and he's screaming because I can't help him!"
"Arthur, this man is not your friend or your great love, or anything. He's a sorcerer. He must be gotten rid of."
"Father, are you not listening? I've condemned myself, I've told you the truth. I have magic. I'm a warlock, Father. And I've had to hide for ten years because of your hatred of magic. I was too scared to tell you. But you know now, so go ahead and chop my head off! Strap me to the pyre! I don't care! But make sure Merlin is okay, because he has done no wrong!"
Gaius watched the exchange nervously. He had no idea how the king would take to finding out that his own son had magic. But as Arthur spoke, he noticed Merlin was screaming less and less. When Arthur was done yelling, Merlin was only whimpering and squirming slightly, grasping at Arthur's clothes. Arthur seemed to notice, because he looked down, frowning slightly, and started petting Merlin's hear, whispering reassurances to him.
Uther took a moment to collect himself from Arthur's disobedience. When he did, he was raging. "Arthur Pendragon. See some sense. Are you so so far gone in his spell that you'd give your own life up? I'll murder that boy myself." Uther tried to walk the last couple feet to where Merlin was curled up in Arthur's lap, but was knocked back onto the ground by the shield.
"Father, you're blinded by your hatred. Your own son sits here, admitting to the worst crime you can think of, and you refuse to see the truth. Do you need proof? Is that it? Will you believe me then? When I reduce the country I'm meant to rule to ashes? Is that what you want me to do? I'm not evil, Father. I've known that for a long time. But I have magic, and to you that means I'm evil."
"I don't know why you keep insisting you have magic, Arthur. You don't. You can't. I won't allow it."
Arthur laughed bitterly. "I suppose I have to show you what you refuse to see, then."
Arthur stretched his arm out, palm up. He spoke a simple spell, one of the first he'd learned, and a small flame appeared in his hand. He smiled softly at it. Merlin whimpered only once more, then stopped, only clutching Arthur's shirt as he seemed to tire himself out. Arthur continued to stroke Merlin's hair.
Uther pulled himself to his feet and drew his sword. "I will not have a sorcerer for a son." He grit out.
"Then you don't have a son." Arthur looked his father—not his father anymore—in the eye as he spoke.
"Sire, think about what you're doing. Are you prepared to lose your only son because of this? Arthur is your heir. Surely there is another way?" Gaius spoke up frantically.
"No. I will not kill my own blood, but magic has clearly corrupted him. He will remain within his chambers until I see fit to release him."
Uther stalked out of the room. Gaius cast one last panicked glance at him before returning to Merlin. Arthur was cradling Merlin in his arms, whispering softly. Gaius would have smiled at the sight of he wasn't so concerned for the health of his pseudo-son. He made Arthur set Merlin down while Gaius looked him over.
Gaius  was surprised to find that Merlin was only sleeping, not in a coma or anything of the sort. He wondered what Arthur did that released them  of the spell.
Arthur knew what he did. He told his greatest secrets to the one person he'd never wanted to find out. He did it to protect Merlin. That was greater than a kiss of true love. This was an act of true love. He was absolutely terrified of what would happen after this, but he and Merlin would face it together, he knew.