They waited until night fell. The stars and moon were blocked out by storm clouds that were gathering, turning the darkness thick and oppressive as they crept across the flagstones towards the dungeons. Even still, Arthur and Merlin wore dark cloaks with deep cowls that completely covered their faces to keep them from shining in the light of any torches they passed.

Morgana had gone to the armoury, Arthur's key to the hidden door clutched firmly in her hand. She too would be dressed to hide from prying eyes, and not in the bright red cloak she was inordinately fond of. When she'd moved to head for the door to Gaius's chambers still wearing it Merlin had cleared his throat pointedly and given her this look. Morgana had actually flushed. Arthur was ridiculously amused, but had fought valiantly to hold down a laugh that would definitely have earned him some kind of retribution from her later. Merlin's eyes glinted with amusement when they met his though, so he wasn't sure he'd succeeded completely.

When they'd made it across the courtyard and reached the stairwell to the dungeon Arthur breathed a silent sigh of relief. They hadn't run into any guards yet, and they weren't out in the open anymore. Of course, there would be more guards in the dungeons themselves, but one problem at a time.

'This way,' he whispered, jerking his heard towards the downward-spiralling staircase. Merlin nodded and waved an 'after you' gesture, mocking grin just visible underneath the cowl. Arthur scowled again. Bloody sorcerers.

They continued down in silence, broken only by the soft taps of their leather boots on the stone. Just as they were reaching the bottom, Merlin suddenly jerked to a stop, head whipping around to the side and tilting, as though listening for something. What a stone wall could possibly be telling him Arthur had no idea.

'What?' he hissed, impatiently. This close to the bottom, they couldn't afford to stop now.

Merlin was silent a moment, before facing forward again. With a muttered, 'Sorry,' he continued on. Arthur wished he could see his face properly. What was that?

Shaking off the strangeness, Arthur carried on until finally the sounds of heavy, armoured feet pacing across the flagstones reached them. Arthur reached out and pulled Merlin to the wall where they pressed themselves against it, listening carefully.

'Okay, we're going to have to knock them out. Don't kill them, okay?' Arthur warned. Merlin gave an exasperated huff.

'Of the two of us, who is more likely to end a life?' Merlin retorted, gesturing pointedly to where the dagger concealed under Arthur's cloak sat.

'Just so we're clear, Merlin.'

'Well we're clear, so let's go. How many are there?' Merlin questioned.

'Four I think. That's standard protocol for a night shift,' Arthur responded. 'We'll go two and two. When I say – what?' Merlin had already moved forward, directly into the guards' view.

'Merlin!' Arthur rushed forward, pulling his dagger free as the guards drew their swords and advanced on his apparently-suicidal friend.

As the closest guard demanded their purpose in the dungeons, Arthur saw out of the corner of his eye the glow of two golden eyes the shadows of Merlin's cowl, and heard the faintest whisper. The guards' eyes rolled back in their head and they fell where they stood, swords clattering loudly to the ground.

'What did you…?' Arthur began.

'They're asleep,' Merlin replied cheerily. 'Bit less of a hassle, don't you think? They may still have some bruises when they wake up though. That floor does not look comfortable.'

Sometimes Arthur forgot what Merlin was capable of. He wasn't sure if it was a subconscious coping mechanism to deal with the conflicting views of Merlin as his friend and one of the kindest people he knew, and as the powerful sorcerer who could stop one of his own kind without so much as a word.

'Right,' Arthur said, when he realised that Merlin seemed to be waiting for a response. 'Let's go get this boy then.'

He sheathed his dagger and patted down the guards until he found the keys, as Merlin began to search for the condemned sorcerer. In a cell at the far end of the dungeons where drafts made it the coldest and generally most unpleasant, shivered the young man he was committing treason for.

'Psst. You. Wake up,' Arthur hissed at him. The boy jerked awake and looked around fearfully. Upon seeing two men in dark cloaks and not the knight's red he was no doubt expecting, the fear on his face morphed into confusion.

'Who-?' he trailed off, looking between them. Merlin stepped forward and lowered his cowl, Arthur following his lead.

Arthur was expecting the boy to gasp, or perhaps jerk away when he saw Arthur, the Crown Prince of Camelot in his cell at the dead of night, but he was disappointed. The sorcerer barely even looked at him, as he had eyes only for Merlin. Arthur tried not to feel too offended.

'I don't believe it,' the boy breathed. He sounded almost reverent. Arthur shot Merlin a confused look that was steadfastly ignored.

'You're Dale, right? We're here to get you out. Hurry now, there isn't much time,' Merlin told him, kindly but urgently.

Merlin's words seemed to penetrate whatever cloud had fallen over the boy's (Dale's apparently, and when did Merlin learn that anyway?) mind and he hurriedly scrambled to his feet. Merlin ushered him out of the cell and back through the darkened corridors, where the guards remained motionless.

Arthur quickly caught up and took the lead, whispering into Merlin's ear, 'When did you have time to learn his name?'

'I've been in Camelot all day Arthur,' Merlin replied, as though it should be obvious. 'I did tell you I wanted to see it, remember?'

'Are you telling me that while I was out of my mind, hoping that you'd show up in time, you were out sightseeing?' Arthur asked incredulously.

'I wasn't going to come into Camelot with no information, Arthur. And, I'll have you know, I'm more than capable of multitasking,' Merlin huffed, dropping back to walk with Dale.

Bloody sorcerers.

They continued up the stairs before Arthur abruptly turned them into an almost hidden passageway. 'Shortcut,' he explained briefly when he saw Merlin's head turn his way.

'I guess there were some advantages to bringing you along after all,' Merlin remarked, voice completely even. Dale nearly choked, head turning comically between them, but only wounded little sounds escaped him.

'Don't worry, Dale, I'm unfortunately acquainted with Merlin's lack of respect by now. If I was going to take his head off for it, I'd have done it months ago.'

In hindsight, Arthur wasn't sure that was the best reassurance tactic to go with, as the boy probably didn't need reminding of the fate he fully believed awaited him just a few minutes ago. Fortunately, Merlin let out a quiet but carefree laugh and continued on, relieving some of the young sorcerer's tension.

When they finally reached the armoury, Morgana was in front of the shield that concealed the doorway, pacing back and forth with agitation. Arthur cleared his throat loudly to gain her attention, and she whipped around, dark cloak flaring.

'There you are,' she sighed, relieved. Hurriedly, she removed the shield from the wall and opened the already-unlocked, hidden door. 'Quick, the patrol is due to come by here again in about six minutes, I've been timing their rotation. You have everything you need?'

'All we needed was the boy, right?' Arthur asked quizzically, turning to Merlin.

'Oh no, we forgot to steal from the treasury and the kitchens to get supplies. Probably should've hit the stables too, just to make things easier for everyone,' Merlin replied without missing a beat.

'Of course, what a disaster,' Arthur quickly caught on.

'Such fools we are.'

'Aright then, Morgana, hide the high-profile fugitive who will be noticed as missing very soon for a while, so we can go and commit more treason.'

'Fine. You have the boy. Just get moving already,' Morgana ushered, exasperated.

'Wait,' Dale suddenly pitched in. 'Where could I possibly go? I have nothing. I can't return to my family, I'm not even sure if they're still in Camelot. Honestly, I wouldn't blame them if they'd left already.'

'Don't worry Dale,' Merlin soothed. 'That's why I'm going with you. You'll come stay with me for a few days until we get everything sorted.'

Dale's eyes grew wide. 'To a Sanctuary? Emrys's Sanctuary? Truly?' Arthur didn't miss the way Morgana's head shot up during their conversation, and vowed to ask her about it the first chance he got.

'Absolutely, it's what they're for after all,' Merlin smiled.

Well. Filing that bit of information away to deal with some other time, Arthur pushed both Merlin and Dale towards the passageway.

'Excellent. That's all sorted then. Enjoy your trip, and please don't take it too personally when I say that I really hope I don't see you again any time soon,' Arthur said brusquely, helping Dale through the small doorway first.

'That was meant for Dale, by the way, Merlin,' He paused as Merlin looked back, startled, one foot already on the ledge. 'You should take it completely personally,' he finished with a grin. Merlin's face went through a myriad of emotions, before settling on a fond smile.

'Take care, Arthur. Morgana,' he nodded to her and with one final smile jumped into the passage, the door swinging closed behind him with a flash of golden eyes.

Arthur and Morgana were silent a moment, as the reality of what they had just accomplished sunk in. However, the moment was quickly ruined by the toll of the warning bells, spurring them into action. Hastily, Morgana replaced the shield on the wall, and with one final loaded glance between them, they vanished back into the night.

Predictably, the next morning Uther was furious.

Arthur and Morgana sat in uncomfortable silence at breakfast as his father quietly stewed in frustration. Occasionally he would mutter something foul under his breath, an occurrence that had Morgana looking unrepentantly amused. Arthur kept shooting her warning glances that, with great reluctance, she heeded.

Finally, the King broke the silence in typical Uther fashion.

Questioning Arthur's competence.

'Is there any word yet from the search parties?' he asked, voice steely.

'No father. No one can find a trace of them anywhere,' Arthur replied in a steady voice, showing none of his inner indignance.

'This is ridiculous. How could this have happened on your watch Arthur?!'

And thus, the shouting begins.

'We believe that the sorcerer had outside help, father,' Arthur tried to reason. 'Probably another sorcerer, and a powerful one at that, judging by the state of the guards when we found them. I have to imagine that someone with that kind of power wouldn't have any difficulties in making sure they remained unseen as they escaped.'

Arthur was mildly concerned with how well he was getting at bending the truth. He felt briefly guilty, but then Uther began another tirade on the evils of magic, and the guilt vanished as quickly as it came. Arthur was fairly certain that it was becoming painful for Morgana to resist rolling her eyes, so she clearly had no qualms whatsoever in the treasonous acts they'd performed the night before. That should probably have worried Arthur more than it did, but right now he couldn't help but find it an endearing quality.

It took a moment for Arthur to realise that Uther had finished, and was waiting on a response of some kind. Thinking quickly, Arthur answered, 'Yes father, we won't stop looking until they're found.'

Uther was appeased, and he mentally patted himself on the back.

As they left the great hall, Arthur tugged on Morgana's sleeve and gestured tightly that she should follow him. After the warning bells rang the night before, Arthur had been completely caught up in organising search parties and finding 'leads' that would send them in the opposite direction of Merlin and Dale. Consequently, he didn't have the chance to ask her any of the questions burning in his mind.

He led her to his chambers, briskly dismissed George with a list of chores that would keep him busy at least until sundown, and closed the door behind him.

'My goodness Uther was unhappy this morning, wasn't he?' Morgana said gleefully. In the privacy of Arthur's chambers, she could let a full, Cheshire grin cross her face.

'Yes, yes Morgana. I know you like seeing him squirm, but please try to be a little more discreet in your happiness next time or I'll start kicking you under the table. I've done it before, I'll do it again,' Arthur warned.

Morgana rolled her eyes.

'Childhood reminiscence aside, why am I here Arthur? I'm sure you have things to do today.'

'I have questions,' Arthur said. 'Some things I heard last night. I know you know what they mean.'

'I know a lot of things, Arthur. You'll have to be a bit more specific.'

'Two things; something called a "Sanctuary", and someone called "Emrys".'

Morgana drew a sharp intake of breath.

'I'd… never have believed it. The boy said Merlin lived in a Sanctuary but to think, he would be involved with someone like that…' Morgana seemed to be talking to herself at this point.

'Sharing is caring, Morgana.'

'Well, Sanctuaries have been a myth since the Great Purge, but they're beginning to reappear with the reforming of the Circle,' she stated, as though that didn't raise a plethora of new questions.

'The Circle? What's the Circle?'

'Merlin really didn't tell you any of this? Well, I suppose if he's working for Emrys, I wouldn't want to risk it either.'

'Morgana please.'

'Alright, alright. The Circle of Magic is… a council of sorts. A representative from each area of magic – totalling seven people – gather to maintain the balance of the Old Religion. Supposedly, these are the most powerful magical beings of the era.'

'I'm honestly not sure whether that sounds incredible or terrifying,' Arthur said, taking a seat at his desk. He figured he would probably want to sit down for this conversation.

'What's incredible is that they were able to come together again after the Purge,' Morgana said wondrously. 'It takes truly remarkable people to pick back up like that.'

'You sound quite taken by them, Morgana. Anyone you know?' Arthur asked carefully because now, the more he thought of it, the more it made sense. Of course Morgana would have someone dear to her practise magic, why else would she be so invested in this?

'That, is a story for another time I think,' Morgana replied slowly. It wasn't an outright refusal though, so Arthur accepted her answer and carried on.

'I'll hold you to that. But you still haven't explained about Emrys or the Sanctuaries,' he prompted.

'Right. The Sanctuaries were each established by a member of the Circle to, as the name suggests, provide a safe-haven to anyone who needs one. I believe they were originally to keep people away from warring clans or rival species, and acted as totally neutral ground for peace talks and such. But that was a long time ago. I'm sure you can guess their main purpose these days,' Morgana added with a humourless smile.

'As for Emrys, I heard he was one of the members of the Circle this time around, but I confess I couldn't tell you much about him. My… friend only ever calls him Emrys when she talks about him. Though, she isn't especially fond of him, so I'll admit her accounts may be slightly… biased,' Morgana shrugged.

'Why doesn't your friend like him?' Arthur questioned.

'Because he's powerful. Supposedly, Emrys is the most powerful sorcerer to ever live – even more powerful than her, though she'll never admit it. They also have differing views on many things, which creates quite a bit of tension between them. Although, if Emrys really was the one to send Merlin to help the boy, perhaps they'll finally have some common ground? She has different methods, but ultimately, she really does just want to be free to use magic again,' Morgana finished earnestly.

'Something tells me we should come back to talk about those "methods" another time as well, Morgana, but for now that's enough. So, Merlin is working for the most powerful sorcerer to ever live, and has taken Dale to the Sanctuary established by said sorcerer. The moral to this story is that they're completely safe, right?' Arthur clarified.

'Right,' Morgana affirmed. 'No one, magical or not would be stupid enough to attack a Sanctuary. Not even Uther could manage it during the height of the Purge.'

'Good to know,' Arthur sighed in relief.

'He still managed to destroy them of course, but he did it by killing the ones who made them,' Morgana continued.

'Lovely.'

'He's your father, Arthur. You should really be familiar with his methods by now.'

It was a full two weeks before Uther finally gave up the search for Dale, no longer being able to justify the extensive use of castle resources.

A month after the search was called off, he was still griping about it.

Arthur was Suffering.

He'd received a rather cryptic message during that time though, reassuring him that Dale was safe. Clearly, Merlin fancied himself a jester, as in lieu of a written note he'd sent a bottle of Gwaine's favourite, troll-worthy alcohol. And by sent, he meant magicked to appear.

Right. In front of him.

Arthur had promptly vowed to never touch the stuff, though he couldn't bring himself to throw it away either. Once his heart restarted, he hid it inside his official chest, underneath piles of important scrolls, and jewels that he wore only for the most special occasions.

Life seemed to go on. Morgana still refused to tell him who her 'friend' within the Circle was, but Arthur realised that if he was serious about reforming the law around Uther then he would need her help, so he was reluctant to press her for information. He didn't forget about it though, nor the presumably questionable methods of said person.

Everything was good though. Dale was safe, Merlin was safe, Uther was back to his regular level of intensity in ruling his Kingdom and he and Morgana were closer than they'd been since they were children.

Then, in true Camelot fashion, that was when it all went wrong.

Just when it seemed that the entire Dale-fiasco was about to blow over, a war council meeting was interrupted by a shady-looking bounty hunter. At least, he'd claimed to be a bounty hunter. Arthur didn't think he looked like much – most hunters he knew tended to have arms like tree trunks and a countenance to match. This man was small and weedy, his aged face marred with scars, and his limbs looking barely strong enough to lift a tankard, let alone a sword.

So no, the man did not look like much, but it was what he brought that received Uther's full attention. Evidently, he'd managed to capture not a sorcerer, but a rumour. One that made Arthur's stomach drop out from under him in abject horror.

The Circle has gathered again.

The council was immediately in uproar. Some called falsehood, others were already planning for next Purge. Gaius remained conspicuously silent, as did, to Arthurs great concern, the King.

After a few minutes of arguments back and forth around the table, Uther finally stood and raised a hand, ceasing the racquet instantly.

'Guards, please escort this man outside and ensure he's paid handsomely for this information,' Uther commanded.

As the guards scrambled to follow his orders, Uther turned to the rest of the room.

'Men, this is a joyous occasion.'

The awful feeling in Arthur's gut worsened.

'We finally have the opportunity to rid this world of the evils of magic, once and for all. For what people could stand to see their leaders fall a second time to the same great enemy?'

The entire room held its breath.

'These… people are clearly the ones behind the sorcerer boy's escape all those weeks ago. We can use this to our advantage to draw them out, and to do this I have one, infallible solution,' he paused, clearly enjoying the rapt attention of the tale. 'We invite them here for a peace talk. We'll say whatever we need to – even that we're considering lifting the ban on magic, if that's what it takes. And then? We destroy them.'

Silence.

Arthur wasn't sure what he expected. Perhaps a cacophony, like before? But it probably wasn't the crushing weight of stillness that fell onto the chamber. He wasn't sure if the council's hush was out of respect for their King, or if they could all see the image of his father as a man who stands for justice in his Kingdom shattering, as Arthur could.

'But Sire,' Gaius finally spoke up. 'Surely, the Circle will see right through you. Even if they were to humour you and send a representative for a peace discussion, there's no way all of them would be foolish enough to come.'

'They wouldn't have to,' Uther explained. 'I must applaud the tenacity of the Circle for managing to reform in so short a time, but it can't have been without cost. These new members must have been old enough that they were wise enough to escape the Purge twenty years ago – surely past their prime by now – or so young that they were missed entirely. They cannot be the formidable group of sorcerers we all remember. Even if only a few of them fall, it will be a crippling blow. We must show our people, and theirs, that Camelot is as strong as it has ever been, and that it will not allow any resistance to its laws.'

'Sire–' Gaius tried again, but Uther cut him off. Arthur recognised the manic glint in his eye – there was no changing his mind on this.

It's his obsession.

'Then it is decided. Send out word that Camelot is offering a chance for a talk of peace with the members of the Circle. It will be held in this very hall at noon, two weeks henceforth. Gather all materials used to imprison sorcerers from the vaults. If any come, we will be ready. If they don't, the realm will see them for the cowards they truly are.'

Arthur began screaming every expletive he knew inside his head, praying it wasn't showing on his face. He knew that if he made a fuss he'd be frozen out of this project altogether. He couldn't help anyone if he wasn't involved, after all.

'Get to work men! There is much to do.'

Two weeks later, everything was ready. Cold iron chains and bars were installed in the dungeons, and runes deeply engraved into their walls, supposedly stopping them from being susceptible to any magical damage or influence.

Arthur had done everything he could to get word out to Merlin of the true goal of these 'peace talks', but he'd heard nothing in return. Morgana too was frustrated, as she hadn't heard anything from her friend in the Circle either. And the day had finally arrived.

Arthur sat in his chambers with Morgana, awaiting the call. Even through her flawless make-up he could see her face was white as a sheet. Arthur knew she was praying to whatever deity may be listening that her friend would not appear when the noon bells rang. Arthur had little comfort to give.

The only consolation was the knowledge that should anyone appear, he and Morgana had devised a plan to get them out of Camelot as soon as possible. Preferably, they could pull it off without being caught, though they'd both acknowledged the impossibility of helping the Circle member unseen. Uther had arranged it so that the talks would, in fact, happen, to keep up appearances and lull whoever came into a false sense of security. Personally, Arthur didn't believe that any 'kindness' Uther granted would be enough to make a sorcerer let down their guard in the heart of Camelot. But still, the representative would be paraded around and given all the same benefits a visiting delegation from any other allied kingdom would, ensuring that eyes would be on them at all times. Uther went to great lengths to make it difficult for anyone to help them escape. Arthur and Morgana just hoped that if they were the ones caught helping, he might show leniency.

Or at least, Arthur hoped. Morgana was not convinced.

When George knocked on his door and announced that it was time, they quickly stood and shared one last, loaded glance before marching arm-in-arm to the Great Hall. There, the full court was dressed in their finest, anticipating a party that might never show. But Uther was confident. He never faltered, sitting regally upon his throne – the epitome of arrogant grace. They took their seats by Uther's side, and settled in to wait.

The bells tolled.

The doors opened.

A terrified, yet bewildered-looking squire entered and announced, 'Your Majesty, the Circle of Magic has sent two members as representatives for the peace talks.'

A murmur rose up from the court, quieted by Uther with a stern glance. Arthur couldn't believe it. The Circle had actually sent not one, but two of their seven members. It was utterly insane. Who in their right mind would be willing to step into the lion's den when it was so obviously a trap?

The squire continued. 'Presenting Lord Taliesin, Medium of the Circle, and Lord Emrys, Dragonlord of the Circle.'

And then Merlin walked through the door.

Hello everybody! So yes, it's been a few months and I don't really have an excuse, but I'm super excited about this chapter and I'm so keen for the next one. The whole next scene is what originally gave me the idea for this fic and I have so many different versions of it it's ridiculous. ONE MORE CHAPTER and we'll be done, but honestly there's a lot to get through so it'll probably be a long one. There will most likely be a bit of Uther bashing, because this is the kind of fic that needs it, but I'll try to make it subtle, political bashing so it's not too crazy.

There was a bit of confusion from the last chapter that I'd just like to sort out. Yes, Merlin does know that Balinor is his father. Sorry if I didn't convey that clearly enough.

Thanks so much to everyone still reading this and all those who've picked it up along the way. The comments have been so supportive, you guys are absolutely fantastic.

Happy reading!

~Seagrass12