Mistaken Identity

- 5 -

Merlin continued to visit Arthur regularly over the next few days. Each time the prince's smile became more ghostly, as though he was fading into himself and his hope was being pulled away from him, leaving his mind in shreds and his resolve shattered. He spoke less, too, avoiding conversations and giving only short answers to any questions Merlin tried to ask him. Eventually it got too much for the servant to bear.

"We have to get him out Gaius. We have to get him out before Uther does something he regrets."

Gaius' eyes widened in surprise at his ward's outburst and he nearly choked on the water he had been drinking. "Merlin! You know we can't! We have to get the king to see sense-"

"You know he won't. He has too much pride to go back on his judgement now."

"Well what are you going to do then?" The physician retorted sarcastically. "Walk in there, unlock the door and walk back out through the front gates?" He sighed and shook his head. "There's too much security Merlin. We can't break him out. The only way to get him out now is to prove his innocence. Dextrin is sure that he saw Arthur. But it's impossible. Then who did he see?"

"Perhaps he didn't see anyone. Maybe he was lying, Gaius he could be the sorcerer for all we know."

"We can't just tell the king that his honoured guest is a sorcerer! Sometimes I wonder if there is a brain at all inside that head of yours, do you have any common sense at all? We need evidence, Merlin. And we're going to need help to get it."

The boy nodded. Gaius was right, they couldn't do this without help. But who could he trust? Who was loyal to Arthur before anybody else, even the king? Two people sprang to mind.

Gwen and Morgana.

He was out of breath by the time he reached Morgana's chambers. Pausing for a moment to gather himself and a suitable explanation of why he was here, he knocked. No reply. The door creaked slightly on its old hinges and Merlin tensed, but it revealed no sign of movement within. Relaxing, he pushed the door open and took a step inside. The bed was made and the room was clean and tidy, but Morgana was nowhere to be seen. "Morgana?"

He was met only with silence and the echoes of his own voice. Sighing in frustration, he left again, setting a fast pace down the corridor, and asking servants and knights if anyone had seen the Lady Morgana, without much luck. Some said she was in her room, shrugging off Merlin's insistence that she wasn't, some said she was with Uther, others with the knights, some even said she was with Gaius. Even Leon insisted she had gone for a ride in the woods. It seemed she'd told everybody a different excuse. And that told Merlin exactly where she was.

He was relieved to see the dungeon guards, sleeping peacefully on the floor, and was obliged to put his hand over his mouth and nose when he reached their prone position. Stealing down the corridor towards Arthur's cell, he kept a close look out for anybody else, until eventually, he almost ran into Morgana, jumping backwards as she let out a shout of alarm. "Morgana! It's me, Merlin!" He wondered how many times more he would have to say that before this was over. Everyone in the kingdom seemed jumpy and nervous now.

"Merlin! Thank God it's you!" She breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you were a guard."

Merlin couldn't help but grin at the idea of him being a guard. "Me? Seriously?"

"Yes you, Merlin." Moragana had obviously failed to see the funny side of it. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you doing here?" She tensed again.

We need to get him out, Morgana. We can trust Gwen. You can trust me, I promise. We have to find the sorcerer or at least some evidence to prove that Arthur's innocent." It was then that he noticed the tear tracks on her cheeks. "What's wrong?"

"It's too late Merlin."

"What do you mean?"

She brushed past him and fled down the corridor.

-

"He's sentenced Arthur to death in three day's time."

Merlin slammed his fist down on the table, causing Gaius' potions to clink together and some to teeter ominously. "He's done WHAT?"

Gaius bowed his head sadly. "I know, my boy. I know."

Merlin raised his head. "But this just proves that we need to show his innocence: we can't let him die, we CAN'T!"

"We will Merlin, give it time, Gwen and Morgana will figure something out-"

"We don't have time. We have to do something now!"

"Merlin, please, don't rush into this. And please, don't tell Arthur yet..."

For the second time that day, the door slammed.

Gaius buried his face in his hands. Merlin would be the death of him yet.