Secrets of the past - Prince Merlin fanfic

Chapter Twenty-One

Merlin heard a loud crash as the doors hit walls while opening but all he saw was Gwaine escaping from his place and rushing towards him. The knight's usual, smooth smile was replaced with cold terror. 

Before Gwaine reached him, Keane quickly incised the skin on Merlin's shoulder through the soft fabric, staining the spot to dark red. Shooting pain appeared immediately. After all the torturing he had gone through, he thought it would be easy to block the pain away and to concentrate on something else. But it wasn't possible. The pain was the one thing you couldn't get used to. It was always going to hurt.

Merlin wriggled to get farther away of the tight grip the giant had on his upper arms. He couldn't hear anything else than his own cries of pain and Keane's disgusting laughter.

Before closing his eyes, he saw Keane lifting the knife for another cut. Surprisingly, the pain didn't come this time.

Slightly, opening eyes he saw Gwaine sitting on the ground, on top of Keane and punching him as hard as he could with his fists.

The giant holding Merlin let go. He hurried to help Keane and pushed Gwaine away. The giant took Keane's knife with intentions to deal with Gwaine but Percival appeared on his friend's side, handing over a sword for him and attacking the giant. Together they forced him to back out. Their teamwork was so effortless that it looked like they were able to read each other's thoughts.

Merlin looked at the door. It had been James, who came inside. Apparently, he had brought weapons because Arthur, Leon, and Elyan were also fighting with swords among James' knights.

Total chaos had started. Clanging of swords and yelling of the fighting people. Merlin slowly rose from his spot to help. Looking at his hands which were still locked in shackles, he realised how useless he was right now. Without magic or even free hands, he couldn't fight. He was no help to his friends.

He was pulled out from his thoughts by loud yelling. A knight from Keane's side, swing his sword towards Merlin's head but he bent down to avoid the blow. While evading another strike, Merlin saw Keane disappearing through the side door. That coward.

Jumping away from the blows wasn't a piece of cake. All the wounds he had got from being alone with the giant were slowing him down.

Trying to see if anyone was in trouble he scanned through the room. Percival and Gwaine were still fighting with the giant. His size was the biggest asset but the knights didn't go easy with him and the giant looked like he was in trouble.

Some of Keane's knights were laying on the ground. And the last ones were also losing.

A sword swung awfully close his ear which made him focus on the man attacking him. Luckily the next blow directed to his stomach was blocked by another sword. This time Merlin's rescuer was Sir Lancelot.

"Thanks," Merlin breathed while Lancelot killed the man.

"Are you alright?" Lancelot's worried eyes were studying him.

"Never better," Merlin joked.

"You look terrible, sire," Lancelot said.

"Please stop with the formalities," he weakly said. The title reminded him of the things he would be glad to forget. He didn't want to remember how he had disappointed everyone.

"I was just checking that your brains still work and clearly they do if you can't stand the title," Lancelot smiled.

"Very funny," Merlin also smiled through the pain.

"Although, you still look terrible," Lancelot anxiously pointed out taking in Merlin appearance.

He must have looked appalling. He could feel the stinging pain all over his body. He could hardly see with his left eye because the skin beneath it was swollen. And the blood flowing from his newest cut was staining his right side with red color.

With trembling legs, he tried not to collapse to the ground. Lancelot came to his side and help him to walk closer to the others.

But at that moment, more battle cries were heard from the doors. At least forty men ran to the throne room. As skilled as the knights of Camelot were, even they wouldn't be able to beat all of them.

I'm so sorry I made you wait for this chapter. But good news is that next chapter is coming on Monday! Have a great weekend!

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