Destiny - a Merthur fic

Chapter VIII

Arthur's POV

I had been walking for ages and still there was no sign of Merlin. I had gone back into the woods and tried my best to retrace my steps, although it was hard because it had been dark before.

Things started to look familiar. I pushed a shrub out of the way and then I looked around. I was in a little clearing. I took a few steps forward and put my hand out to lean on a tree.

I looked around, and then I looked at the tree again.

"Oh. Oh God." I took my hand off the tree and stepped back to look at it. Yep. This was the tree. The same tree I'd kissed Merlin by.

I bent down and took a closer look at one of the branches. Snagged on it was a piece of red cloth. Red like Merlin's shirt.

I straightened. I took another look around. There were some trampled bushes on the other side of the clearing that I hadn't noticed before. I immediately started towards them and then I felt a hand grab the back of my shirt. Merlin. I whirled around.

It most definitely was not Merlin.

"What the - Morgana?" I grabbed for my sword, but she flicked her hand and the belt that was holding my sword flew off. 

"Now now, dear brother, I just want to talk." She motioned for me to sit down.

"I'm the king! I'm not sitting on the forest floor." I said indignantly.

She smirked. "How arrogant of you." She flicked her hand again and a force thwumped me to the ground.

She stood over me. "Now. I propose a deal." She stepped aside and revealed a fallen form lying on the ground beside her. It had jet black hair and a red shirt. My heart skipped a beat.

"What have you done?" I growled. 

"Oh, he's just unconscious." She paused. "For now. You see, I have a deal to propose. I want you and your pesky servant out of my way, and you two want to be together -"

"What?" I scoffed. There was no way she could have known about last night. She was bluffing.

"Oh yes," she smiled coolly. "I know all about your feelings for each other. Wouldn't it be such a shame if the queen were to find out? What about all of Camelot? How do you think they would react to such news?"

"They wouldn't believe you." I countered. "They are loyal to me."

She raised an eyebrow. "I can be very convincing."

I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath. "So, tell me, Morgana, what is your deal?"

She giggled. "I'm so glad you're being cooperative. Well. My deal is that I send you and Merlin far, far away, out of harms way, and you don't have to worry about a thing."

"What about the knights? Guinivere? Gaius? Will they be all right?" 

"I won't kill them," she said vaguely.

"No torturing, either."

Merlin let out a moan. Morgana whipped her head around to him, and back to me. "Quickly now, dear brother, deal or no deal?"

I froze. I couldn't just abandon my kingdom. What kind of king would I be remembered as? A cowardly one?

"If you don't take it I'll kill you both, as soon as he wakes. I'll kill him first, while you watch -"

"Fine! I'll take the damn deal!"

She closed her eyes, smiling a devilish smile, and lowered her head. Holding out her hands, she started to chant, and a purple mist swirled around myself and Merlin, engulfing us.

She stopped chanting and raised her head, but the purple mist still surrounded us. "Say goodbye, brother!" she shouted above the windy noises. And that was the last thing I heard.