CHAPTER 7

"You are, of course, more than welcome to stay here." Uther offered generously to Sophia and Aulfric. They bowed in thanks and made their way out of the Great Hall.

"There's something not right with them." Merlin whispered to Gaius who had come to stand beside her.

"Feeling a bit jealous?" Gaius asked teasingly as the two magicians watched Sophia and Arthur share a not-so-secret smile.

"Don't be ridiculous Gaius. Obviously your old age is getting to you if you didn't notice their rather suspiciously magical-looking staffs. They bear the marks of the old religion."

Gaius hummed in agreement, "You are right. That is rather suspicious."

"I'll keep an eye on them."

"Yes" Gaius agreed again, "I know you will."

"What exactly is that supposed to me?" Merlin questioned.

"Nothing at all, my Lady. Everyone at court has been impressed by your diligence. But I would advise some more subtlety in your future approaches, if I had not come upon the scorched body of a sorcerer first there would undoubtedly be a witch hunt going on as we speak."

"I was careful, Gaius. I hid the bones!"

"Ah, but not the ashes, my child."

"They look like fire ashes from a household!"

"Maybe to the untrained eye, but anyone from before the Purge would know differently."

Merlin clenched her jaw, annoyed by his condescendingly paternalistic advice.

"I thank you for your guidance. I will be more careful in the future." She ground out.

Gaius heaved a weary sigh.

"That is all I ask."

With that, he left Merlin and the court to enjoy the rest of their relatively banal day.

"Mer-lin. . ." Arthur drew out her name in that exceedingly childish way he only did when he wanted something from her.

"Yes?" She asked cautiously, "If this is about breakfast, I'm not bringing you anymore food. You'll get fatter than you already are. Besides this," she gestured to the meats and cheeses she had brought to his chambers, "Should be plenty for both of us."

"Oh no," He said, "This breakfast looks wonderful Merlin!" His compliment did nothing to assuage her growing suspicion, "I was actually wondering if you could tell my father something tomorrow."

"It depends." She answered.

"I was wondering if you could cover for me tomorrow."

"Cover what?"

"My patrol. With my father. Just tell him something—anything I don't care what it is. I just want—no, I need to spend time with Sophia."

Merlin stiffened.

"You want me to lie to the King of Camelot?"

"Well I can't order you to lie to the King. But you would be my very, very best friend if you did?"

He made puppy eyes and looked up at her pleadingly.

Merlin's lips grew dangerously thin.

"Please?" He begged, "I promised Sophia that I would take her on a picnic!"

"Pathetic," She spat out, "one pretty face and you've lost your backbone. Where is your honor? I will not commit high treason so that you can go play house with that girl."

"Fine. If I can't count on your help, then I will simply have to find another way to spend time with her."

Arthur pulled on his jacket and marched out of his chambers, Merlin close behind.

When she realized where they were going, Merlin went to pull Arthur back, putting a hand on his shoulder. Arthur swatted it off and barged into his father's rooms.

"Father!" He raised his voice, "Father!" He called again.

Uther emerged from his personal chambers looking groggy and a few cups deep into wine.

"What is it Arthur?" He asked.

"I request special permission to have a picnic with the Lady Sophia tomorrow instead of going on patrol."

"Is that it?" Uther laughed, "With that look on Merlin's face I thought someone had died!"

Merlin's scowl further deepened and Uther took the situation into account. Obviously Sophia was getting in between his son and his Protector.

Good.

Obviously marriage to Sophia was out of the question for Arthur, but if it took his mind off of Merlin then there was certainly no harm in indulging Arthur's school boy crush.

"Very well, I will assign your shift to another knight."

"Thank you father!" Arthur beamed.

Merlin closed her mouth with a click, dumbfounded by Uther's decision. Silently, she trudged after Arthur back to their chambers.

Later that night a knock sounded on Arthur's doors.

"I'll get it." Merlin said as Arthur moved to get out of bed.

"No!" He said dreamily, scrambling to disentangle himself from the sheets, "It could be Sophia!"

He opened the door and let his shoulders slump when he saw their visitor.

Obviously not Sophia, then, Merlin decided.

"Morgana." Arthur greeted, "What did you want?"

"Actually," she answered, "I was looking for Merlin."

"Me?" Merlin asked.

Morgana nodded.

"What in the world would you want with Merlin?" Arthur asked.

"That is none of your business. But if you must know, I need advice about girl things."

"Fine," Arthur waved his hands towards the hallway, "Go discuss your 'girl things.'"

"Thank you for your permission your grace." Morgana bowed mockingly.

"Don't get used to it." Arthur responded before collapsing back onto his bed.

"Alright then." Merlin asked when the door was closed, "What was it you needed, Morgana?"

"Sophia is a threat to Arthur and to Camelot."

"How do you know?" Merlin queried.

Morgana looked unsure. She opened and closed her mouth, not uttering a word.

"You know you can trust me." Merlin reassured her.

"I had a dream last night. In it, Sophia was drowning Arthur."

"Where?"

"I was in my bed."

"No, where was she drowning him? In a lake, in a tub, a fountain?"

"A—a lake. She just looked on as he died, smiling even."

"You dreamt this before Sophia arrived in Camelot?"

"Yes. Do you believe me then? You don't think I'm hysterical?"

"I think the gift of sight is very rare and should be honored where it is found."

"Sight? You think I have the gift of sight?"

"I don't know" Merlin admitted, "There is definitely something off with Sophia and Aulfric" Merlin confided, "Their staffs bear the marks of the old religion. And Arthur is already entirely besotted with Sophia."

"Do you think she has enchanted him?"

"Like I said before, I don't know. I haven't seen her do anything yet and I've been with Arthur this entire day."

Morgana nodded, "Keep watch over him, will you?"

"I will," Merlin promised, "I always do. Thank you for coming to me with this."

Morgana smiled, "I knew I could count on you Merlin."

As she closed door, Merlin was surprised to see that Arthur had not fallen asleep yet.

"So what did she want?"

Merlin debated with herself over whether or not she should share Morgana's premonition with him. Maybe best to leave the revelation of Morgana's magical abilities to another time.

"We both think that Sophia is interested in you for the wrong reasons."

"And what might those be?" He asked mockingly, "My throne? My wealth? All girls are interested in those things. They would be fools not to be." He proclaimed scathingly.

Merlin realized she was wasting her time.

"Yes my Lord." She agreed, and went to her room to sleep.

That night she dreamt of a drowning Arthur, screaming horribly as the water filled his lungs and choked him to death.

"Arthur, darling, would you go get some firewood?" Sophia batted her eyelashes prettily. Merlin wondered if she would ever be able to unscrew this scowl from her face.

"Of course, Sophia!" He bounded off into the wilderness.

Merlin walked twenty paces behind him, making sure not to let him out of her sight.

"Merlin?" Sophia asked, "Can we talk, you know, girl-to-girl?" She asked with a conspiratorial wink.

"Sure." Merlin deadpanned.

"Could you give me and Arthur some alone time?"

"I am his sworn shield. I cannot."

"Oh come now, everyone knows you can leave him for half an hour and that's all I am asking for."

"Nope" Merlin said, popping the 'p' "I'm afraid I can't. These woods are dangerous."

"Indeed they are. Look" Sophia said pointedly, "I don't mean to make you uncomfortable, but Arthur and I really need some private time. I'm sure you understand that."

"No." Merlin said, "I don't. And you don't seem to understand that I don't take orders from you. My allegiance is to the heir of Camelot."

"And if I were to marry the king of Camelot?"

Merlin's face contorted into something unpleasant.

"You are not the Queen and I doubt that you ever will be."

"What if I were to carry his child? The future heir to the throne? Would you obey me then?" This was too much fun, Sophia thought, unable to stop herself from poking at this jealous, insufferable human. "Who would you choose?" Sophia asked, "My child's life or the prince's if my very existence threatened his?"

"If you were to threaten the prince, I would cut the child from your womb the moment it no longer needed you to survive."

"And if I were to be in that stage when the child still needed its host?"

"Then you would be locked in chains until that were no longer the case." Merlin answered tightly, "But that is not the case," Merlin continued, "And any non-hypothetical threats against the prince's life sign your death warrant."

"Oh but I'm afraid that is the case."

Merlin felt as the ice water had been poured over her head.

"What is the case?" She asked dangerously.

"The child in my womb cannot survive without me. Not yet anyways. Are you going to clap me in irons?" She smiled.

Merlin gaped at her. Sophia had to be bluffing.

"Impossible!" Merlin choked out.

"My sheets would tell a different story." Sophia laughed.

"I've had enough of your disingenuous assertions, you treacherous whore!"

Merlin decked Sophia and in return Sophia slapped Merlin squarely across the face.

This was exactly how Arthur found the two of them not seconds later.

He took in Merlin's stinging face and Sophia's tearing eyes.

"What's wrong, my darling?" He asked Sophia.

"Oh! Arthur, I only wanted to spend some alone time with you, but Merlin said she doesn't trust me! She hit me and called me a whore!"

Merlin's mouth fell open in shock for the second time in as many days.

"Merlin!" Arthur reprimanded, "Apologize at once!"

"I will not!"

Arthur's face flushed red with anger, "If you will not apologize, then leave us!" He commanded.

"As my prince wishes." Merlin bit back, stomping off into the forest.

After several meters, Merlin cooled down and cast an invisibility spell over herself. She needed to stay calm. This was exactly what Sophia wanted.

Arthur's alarm ward went off and she instantly sprinted off.

She returned to see Sophia enchanting Arthur. Swiftly pulling her dragon's-breath blade from its sheath, Merlin threw it true to aim and Sophia bent over at the waist, her mouth bubbling with blood.

Arthur screamed. Sophia fell to the ground and Arthur joined her.

"No!" Merlin screamed as she raced forward.

She pulled Sophia's body off of his and searched his body for wounds.

There was nothing. She slapped his face.

On the ground beside them, Sophia's body had morphed into that of a fairy.

Arthur's eyes blinked open.

"Merlin?" He groaned, "Where am I? What happened?"

Merlin sighed in relief.

"The forest. Sophia enchanted you."

Arthur took one look at the mangled fairy's body besides him and promptly fainted again. Merlin pulled out a jar and scooped the fairy's body into it, fastened the lid, and tied it off to her belt.

Magically lightening Arthur's weight, she lifted him onto her shoulders and began the trek to the castle.

Uther, who just happened to be walking down the stone steps into the courtyard screamed when he saw Merlin carrying Arthur's body through the square.

"Arthur!" He yelled, hurrying forward. "What have you done to him?" He asked Merlin accusingly.

"I have done nothing." She spat, "The brat you were so eager to hoist him off onto enchanted him and this is the result." She lowered him gently onto the ground, "He'll be fine, but Sophia's father needs to be found before—"

Another scream echoed through the courtyard. It was Aulfric.

"Oh great." Merlin grumbled.

"Sophia!" He screeched, "Give me my daughter!" He demanded hysterically, tackling Merlin and pulling the jar off of her belt.

He held Sophia's dead body in his hands, his eyes clouding with tears before they cleared and glowed red.

"You!" He pointed at Merlin with his now glowing staff, "You will die for this!"

He shot off a blasting spell towards Merlin; she rolled to the right and pulled out both her blades.

She needed to get in close to kill him. Merlin ducked behind the refuse that his spell had blasted off of the castle. He continued to bombard Merlin and the courtyard with spells.

The courtyard dissolved into hysteria, screams, and rubble, but Merlin only saw Aulfric and Arthur.

Aulfric was getting alarmingly close to Arthur's prone body.

Merlin sprinted to another piece of rubble, ducking behind it just as it was destroyed by another blast from Aulfric.

She charged forwards, digging her dragon's-breath blade into his chest. Merlin watched as Aulfric's eyes turned from red to blue to brown to black and finally his human form disappeared as he shrunk down to his fairy form.

Merlin scooped up both his and his daughter's bodies, allowing them to burst into flame once they were inside of her second, opaque jar.

It certainly paid to be prepared, Merlin thought.

"I'm sorry Merlin." Arthur repeated.

"It's fine." She said.

"Then why are you still punishing me?" He demanded to know.

"Punishing you?" She asked incredulously, "How am I punishing you?"

"By giving me the silent treatment! I'm sorry that I ignored your advice, alright? I was enchanted, for God's sake!"

"Arthur," she began searchingly, "How much do you remember?"

"Everything." He said with certainty, "Gaius said that if she had gotten further into her spell I wouldn't have remembered anything. But she didn't, so I remember. . . Why?"

A beat.

"Sophia told me—that, well. . ."

"What, Merlin?" Arthur's voice was tinged with impatience, "Whatever it was it was probably a lie."

"She told me she was pregnant."

"Well maybe you were right to call her a whore then." He laughed.

"That's not funny, Arthur. She told me that she was pregnant," Merlin took a steadying breath, "And that you were the father."

Arthur laughed again, "Is that what she told you?"

"Arthur! It's not funny!" She said beseechingly, "I killed your child!"

He sobered as she looked into his eyes searchingly.

"Merlin." He began, placing both of his hands on either side of her shoulders, "You did no such thing. I did not have. . .intimate relations with Sophia. Whatever she told you was a lie. You saved my life. Again. What does that put us at now 6 to 3?"

Merlin allowed herself a small smile of relief, "More like 6 to 0." She joked back weakly.

"I was right, wasn't I?" Morgana asked Merlin later at dinner.

"I wouldn't exactly say you were right, she didn't try to drown him. But she was aiming to kill him. Maybe your premonitions are more general notions than exact predictions of the future."

"Or maybe by telling you, the future changed!"

"Maybe." Merlin conceded.

Morgana's shoulders slumped forward.

"Oh Merlin," she whined, "I don't know what to do! Uther would kill me if he found out!"

"No," Merlin shook her head, "He wouldn't. In fact, you could be the only one left to convince him that magic isn't the evil he has decided it is."

"I want to believe you, Merlin, but I can't. Ever since I was a little girl, Uther has taught us that magic is the most heinous force on this earth."

"Well he's wrong and he knows it. He just needs someone else to know it to."

Merlin looked at Morgana meaningfully.

"Maybe." Morgana conceded, echoing Merlin's earlier sentiments.

Merlin felt nearly delirious with fear as Arthur and his guards searched Morgana's rooms for Mordred. Why was she doing this? Why did she feel such a propensity towards the young boy? He was destined to kill Arthur! She should slit his throat now and be done with it!

She nominally joined in the search checking Morgana's bureau to kill time.

"Honestly, Merlin!" Arthur scolded, "Do you really think a little boy is hiding in her drawers?"

One of the guards snickered and Merlin elbowed him in the ribs, "Oh sorry" she simpered, "Didn't see you there."

The guard glared and Merlin returned to following Arthur around the room.

"Honestly Arthur! I think I would know if someone were hiding in my rooms."

Arthur said nothing.

"Oh very well then," she acquiesced, "he's behind that curtain right over there."

Morgana's betrayal hit Merlin like a sack of bricks.

"I don't have time for this." Arthur ground out, believing Morgana's admission to be sarcastic.

Merlin nearly collapsed with relief, vowing to visit Kilgharrah the moment Arthur's head hit his pillow that night. She needed to know why she felt such an affinity for this young boy.

Kilgharrah shot out a breath of flames when he saw Merlin approach him. She easily blocked it with a raised hand.

"Merlin!" He growled her name, "You have not fulfilled your promise! When shall you release me?"

"When you prove your loyalty to Camelot." She offered.

He snorted, shooting flames out of his snout again.

She rolled her eyes.

"I need your help."

"Indeed?"

"Why do I feel the need to protect Mordred?"

"Because you are a fool."

"That's not as helpful as you might think it is."

"Mordred will kill Arthur if you do not kill him first; it is as simple as that."

"If you want Arthur to die, then by all means, aide the boy in his escape, nourish his relationship with Morgana. Thwart everything you and I have worked towards making Albion united and peaceful."

"I don't know what to do. Tell me what to do."

"Could you live with yourself if you did not prevent Arthur's death?"

She shook her head 'no.'

"I cannot live without him." She confessed in a hoarse voice.

"Then you have your answer."

Merlin nodded. She knew what needed to be done.

That night, after Gaius had treated the boy and Morgana made her first escape attempt, Merlin did not interfere.

It was fate that the boy should be caught. Nothing at all to do with Merlin.

"Please Arthur? He's nothing but a child!" She pulled her cloak around him.

Arthur said nothing.

"Merlin?" She asked tearfully.

Merlin said nothing and Arthur looked at her questioningly.

Merlin remained silent as Arthur's knights arrested and imprisoned the child.

Merlin had every intention of allowing Mordred to be executed, but when Guinever delivered a letter to her from Morgana, explaining her idea for an escape plan, Merlin agreed to it before her head could tell her heart 'no.'

It was only at the very last moment, after Mordred had said goodbye and rode off on his horse that Merlin's resolve finally collapsed.

Reaching into her vest she threw her dagger straight and true through the boys torso. She collapsed on the ground, sobbing as his voice resounded in her mind, "Why, Emrys?" He demanded to know.

She untied the horse and set him free, hoping that he would ride far away from Camelot.

She gave Mordred a knight's funeral, setting his pyre to sail before setting it aflame. When she returned to the castle, she was still crying and her tears mixed with the rain from the thunderstorm above. The storm reflected her inner turmoil, growing stronger and stronger as she fell into despair.

Every thunderclap dissolved into Mordred's voice in her mind echoing "Why?" over and over in his child's voice.

She had killed a child.

She had killed a child.

She had killed a child.

Would Arthur know? She wondered. Would Morgana know? Would the entire court be able to sense the dark kernel that lay at the center of her very being, eating her alive?

Did Arthur know how much of herself she had sacrificed for the promise of his future safety?

She sent word to Morgana's chambers with only three words: It is done – M. She would never speak of this again.

The next morning after the drama over the druid's escape settled down, Merlin demanded that she and Arthur go training.

"Why?" Arthur asked, "I'm still sore from yesterday."

"Just because you're content to get fat and incompetent, doesn't mean that I have to suffer the consequences."

He gave her a strange look, "I thought you'd be happy. After all the druid boy escaped. Did you know him?"

She said nothing, but Arthur followed her still as she stalked to the training grounds.

He groaned when they reached the practice arena.

"Sit on your arse for all I care." She declared.

Arthur did just that, watching as she practiced.

After three quarters of an hour Sir Leon came to sit down next to the prince.

"I reckon you'll need to replace that dummy by the end of the morn." He pointed out.

Arthur hummed in agreement.

"Think she wants to talk about it?"

Arthur looked at Leon appraisingly.

"No. I don't. And if she did want to talk about it, she would. And she would talk to me, not you, Leon."

Leon held up his hands in defence.

"Right. Understood."

He got up and returned to sparring practice with the other knights.

Arthur remained, keeping watch over Merlin.

Time passed. Things returned to normal and suddenly Arthur's coronation day arrived.

"Are you nervous?" Merlin asked as she helped him pull his shirt on.

"No." He scoffed.

"Good. It's not like anything's actually changing." She brushed some dirt off of his shoulders, "Just that you now embarrass the entire kingdom every time you act like an immature prat."

"Oy!" Arthur whined, "I am the prince! I could have you locked up." He warned.

"You're not the prince yet," she reminded him, "And besides, I'd like to see you or your men try. We both know they wouldn't stand a chance."

Arthur shook his head in defeat, "Remind me never to make an enemy of you."

"Another feat you could not accomplish if you tried, Sire."

"Thank you. I think."

"Come on," she clapped him on the shoulder, "we need to go."

Together they headed down to the Great Hall. Merlin watched silently as Uther crowned his son the heir apparent of their great empire. She allowed herself a small smile as he placed the crown upon Arthur's head.

Like a strike of lightning, a horse and rider crashed through the stained-glass window above-head. Within seconds Merlin stood in front of Arthur, blades flashing.

The other guards moved forward and crouched into position around Arthur. The knight on the horse threw down his gauntlet.

Both Merlin and Arthur stepped forward to accept the challenge, but before they could an anonymous knight picked up the piece of abandoned armor.

"We need to go to Gaius, Arthur."

"But why?"

"You don't find it suspicious that someone none of us recognize literally crashed your coronation and challenged you to a duel."

"Nah," Arthur shrugged, "Seemed like a pretty routine threat to my life to me, wouldn't you say."

"That's not funny," she admonished.

"Here we are." Arthur gestured to the worn wooden door in front of them.

"So we are." She agreed, rapping on the door three times.

The door creaked open and Gaius' head poked through.

"Arthur. Merlin," He greeted, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Who was that man on horseback?"

"I don't know Merlin."

"Please, Gaius. I can't kill him if I don't know why he is here."

"I wish I could help you more Merlin, but I am afraid that the knight's identity is as much of a mystery to me as it is to everyone else in Camelot."

Merlin nodded, "We should leave you to your work then."

"Sleep well Merlin, your grace." Gaius gave a slight nod and shooed them out the door.

"He's lying." Arthur declared.

"I know." Merlin answered, "What I don't know is why."

A/N: Sorry Mordred fans! If you're looking for an incredible Fem!Merlin/Mordred fic Cross My Heart by Mango-llama is amazing!

This chapter was exhausting to write, exciting to see the upcoming Merlin/Tristan confrontation though.