Cowritten with the lovely Vanillaj1967. Please drop a review if you get the chance, we're honored that you're reading our story! Thank you! Disclaimer: We own nothing.

If you have any guesses as to what's happened, please don't hesitate to say them! *Grins*

The afternoon light was nowhere to be seen where they were. Only the light from the torches, that glinted off of the guards armor, and jumped with the flames. Merlin walked briskly just slightly behind the prince, while they made their way to the dungeons. Arthur hadn't understood Merlin's persstance as to why he had wanted to accompany him to the cells, and hopefully it would stay that way. Hopefully there would be no need for Merlin's magic.

Arthur walked the halls, taking a flight of stairs with ease. The sound of his and Merlin's boots echoed through the long halls. The knights and guards nodded to the young prince as he walked past.

Uther had sent him to interrogate a prisoner; one who supposedly possessed and used magic. Arthur wondered, yet again, if this was really the right thing to do. Surely not all magic users were evil? He shook his head, ridding it of that thought. He wouldln't question his father's choices. The king was more experienced than he himself. He knew that... but sometimes...

Arthur stepped into the main hall of cells, and headed toward the last one on the right. That was where the prisoner was supposed to be kept. The prince turned back toward his servant.

"You know, Merlin, you don't have to baby sit me. I didn't ask you to come," he stated raising one gloved hand as an invitation for Merlin to leave if he wanted to. He knew that Merlin didn't really agree with his father's choices either... probably even less than he himself did.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that," Merlin said under his breath. "Well, if you still have chores for me to do, I just might as well come with you." The warlock looked at the cells that lined the walls, imagining the many wizards, witches, or sorcerers and sorceresses that were kept in them before being executed by way of pyre. It made a chill of cold dread climb down his spine. He swallowed back the rush of emotions and pushed away the mental images and imaginary screams, although, he couldn't make one thing fade. The magic in the ground beneath him screaming in remembrance; in pain.

Arthur nodded. "I'm sure I can come up with something.

The prince kept moving forward until he reached the last door. He turned, standing a bit back from the bars, and looking in. A man stood, looking out the window at the hangman's platform, by which he was most likely to be hung from the following morning. He turned, pulling a brown hood from his head and looking intently at Arthur.

"So the king sends someone else to speak for him?" the sorcerer said. His eyes flicked toward Merlin, then back to Arthur.

"I am the crowned prince of Camelot," Arthur stated, half indignantly, as though feeling he'd been slighted, simply because he wasn't 'the king.'

"Oh, I didn't know..."

"There are reports that you practice sorcery."

"Are there?" the man asked, cocking his head and frowning. "Lies... I was framed. It's not true." The man moved toward the bars, limping slightly, as if from a beating he'd recieved. "I don't use witchcraft. I don't want to die."

Arthur swallowed hard. He didn't really want the man to die either. He looked over the man's shoulder, still appearing to look at him. Honestly though, he couldn't look him in the eyes knowing that he might die, unless he could PROVE without a doubt that he did not, and could not use magic. "Can you prove this?" he asked. "I can't release you unless you prove your innocence."

"Why is magic a crime, anyway?" the man questioned. Again, his eyes darted toward Merlin, then back at Arthur.

Merlin stayed silent, listening intently to the conversation at hand. He looked at the man, clacking his teeth together, jaw muscles tightening. The laws were wrong. Uther was unjust with his punishments, he'd have a man hanged for bending the elements to create a galloping unicorn for a child. But still, the manservant was far from relaxed around the possible 'sorcerer'. A lot of people had grudges against Uther, and the best way to get vengeance was Arthur.

Arthur sighed. "You don't have any defense?" he asked.

"Please... you have to belive me. I didn't hurt anyone! I'm not what the king thinks I am!"

Arthur gritted his teeth together. He hated this. How was he to know if that was true? He couldn't. "I'm sorry. I can't do anything. The choice is up to the king."

The man's expression fell, and he looked desperate. His wide eyes moved to Merlin, then Arthur again. "W... how long... until?" he asked, not finishing, as he knew he didn't need to.

"Two days, unless you can prove your innocence. But we have a witness saying they say you preforming magic."

At that, the man let his gaze drop to the floor. He trembled for a moment, then looked up. He extended one hand forward, toward Arthur, then began speaking. "Otni Ai Esuom!" he chanted, repeating it. His eyes flashed gold. "This is to prove to the king that I did not kill anyone!" the man hissed. "I didn't hurt anyone!" he repeated.

With that, Arthur jumped back. So this man did have magic. What had he done? What was he doing?

"Arthur!" Merlin cried rather suddenly, gripping the blond's shoulders as if expecting him to fall over writhing in pain at any moment. He could feel the magic buzzing in the room now, like a soft whir that only he and the man in the cell could hear or feel. It didn't feel like dark magic, no dark cloud of evil floating around the young Pendragon. "What did you do?" he barked, looking at the other magic user.

Arthur pulled out his sword, ready for anything, and expecting the worst. He repeated Merlin's question, surprised by his servants loud barked question.

"I did what I had to to prove I didn't hurt anyone! I'm not... evil! You'll see!" he exclaimed, then looked on Merlin with desperate eyes. "Please... help me. When you know... when it's over... help me." he whispered.

Arthur turned, shaking his head and pulling Merlin along with him hurriedly. Nothing had happened yet. He hoped nothing would. Until then, the man would stay in the cells... he would stay there until the end... or, his end. Again, Arthur pushed the thought away, and left the cells, calling back to the guards, "Double the guards at the entrance to the cells, and be careful."

Merlin didn't turn away from the man, only walking backwards with Arthur dragging him by his bicep. He only turned when his legs refused to continue to cooperate somewhat gracefully and nearly sent him clumsily sprawling to the ground. The dark haired man glanced at Arthur, then over his shoulder, then once again at Arthur. If the man in the cell had recognized him... As Emrys, then why would he have put a spell over Arthur? Wouldn't he have known about the Once and Future King, known about 'Emrys' destiny? But something told him that the man was telling the truth. That he really did just wish to prove his innocence. An instinctive pull.

Arthur wondered what he did. He didn't know. That proved only one thing. The man was guilty of sorcery.

"What do you think he meant?" he asked absentmindedly, talking to Merlin, as no one else was around to hear. "He 'did what he had to, to prove he didn't hurt anyone? And what did he do? I don't feel any different... maybe... hungry, but not different." Arthur said, tilting his head back and sneering slightly as his stomach growled in agreement.

His thoughts turned back to the spell the man had spoken. He'd seen the gold in his eyes... he thought he'd felt a wave of power hit him, but nothing had happened yet. No one else seemed to be concerned either. If the king, his father... Uther, had been affected, he would know. So, apparently, nothing had happened.

"What about you? Did he enchant you?" Arthur asked, turning to look at Merlin and slugging him on the shoulder gently, waiting for the answer.

"No," Merlin ground out, frowning at the floor. He looked back up. Did he enchant Arthur? What had he done? "Arthur, are you sure there's nothing different? Do you- do you feel any strange urge to kill anyone?" the younger man prodded verbally, the concern in his eyes wasn't hidden.

Arthur stopped waking, looking at Merlin with a 'really?' expression. One eyebrow was pulled higher than the other, and his ocean-blue eyes were wide and disbelieving. He pursed his lips and shook his head. "No, Merlin, and if I did... it'd be you. You're still alive, so..." he paused, looking around, then back at Merlin. "No. I'm fine."

He continued walking, smiling ever-so-slightly as he did. He headed up the stairs that lead to the hall where his chambers were.

Merlin huffed in exasperation, glaring. "This is serious, Arthur!" he said in a hushed, somewhat frantic tone. "You're SURE? There's nothing?" he looked suspicious, eying Arthur. He'd tell Gaius about what happened. Gaius would know what had happened, right? Maybe it really had been nothing. But he'd felt the magic.

"Yes, Merlin, I know, probably better than you do. I mean, honestly, what do you know of magic?" he asked, then continued on. "That's right, nothing," he called back 'cheerily.'

Finally, they arrived outside his door. He yawned, and stretched out, looking at Merlin. "I've a knighthood to bestow tomorrow, so my armor needs to be polished... that'll be all for tonight."

"Of course, Sire," Merlin sighed, drawing out the title perhaps more than he needed to. "Anything else you would have me do, you know, because sleeping is for the birds." Merlin's eyes sparkled and he smiled cockily. Honestly though, it was a facade. He was still worried about the spell.

Arthur breathed out a puff of air in an almost-laugh, removed his glove, and batted Merlin over the head with it. "No, you've bothered me enough for one day," he teased.

Merlin coughed out a sound as he got swiped over the head by the glove. "Yeah, well, it's good to know I'm not the only one doing the bothering!" he returned, grinning broadly. "You should get some rest," Merlin said hastily, before Arthur said it himself, because he would. Merlin smiled and half waved, half nodded his head in a halfhearted servants bow. He spun around, heading off to the armory.

Arthur pulled open his door, nodding once to Merlin, and walking in, closing it after himself. He moved across the room, toward his bed. He pulled his shirt off, then toppled face first into bed. He tugged the blankets up around himself, and leaned against the pillow with a sigh.

For some odd reason, Arthur was still hungry. He decided that he was hungry enough to naw on paper if he had to. He frowned and shook his head. That was an odd thing to think. He'd do something about it tomorrow.

For now, he had to worry about the sorcerer. He ran a hand over his face. Whiskers. He frowned and pursed his lips, rubbing his jaw and chin. He'd need to shave tomorrow... he hadn't remember those whiskers being there that morning. Oh well... he'd fix that tomorrow, as he'd already decided.

He glanced once around the room through sleepy eyes. It looked bigger than it normally did... probably because he was tired, he figured. He nodded once, shut his eyes, then drifted off to sleep.