Alaia Skyhawk: TA DA! Yes, here's the first chapter of my Season 2 fic. Since I'm still waiting for the final proof copy of my book to come in the post, I don't have much to comment on here except to say enjoy the chapter :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

Music: N/A

"Whom History Won't Remember" Episode: N/A

~(-)~

Chapter 1: The Curse of Cornelius Sigan ~Part 1~

The pounding reverberated through the castle, resounding up from the passages and tunnels beneath it. All the residents were aware of it it, or at least any who weren't hard of hearing, but all ignored it. When an inconvenience comes as the result of an order by the king, you put up with it...

Perhaps someone should have told that to Arthur.

"Merlin! Merlin, get in here!"

The prince sat up in his bed, climbing out of it with an expression of extreme irritation. Under normal circumstances, his servant would have been in the tower the other side of the castle by now, but tonight Merlin was 'luckily' stuck doing some final chores in the adjacent antechamber.

The servant rushed into the room at that call, looking a little irritated himself.

"What is it, Sire?"

Arthur stared at him.

"Are you deaf, Merlin?"

Merlin tilted his head, listening to the obvious thuds from below.

"I wish..."

The prince was still staring, but now also pointing towards the door.

"I want you to go down there, and tell them to stop."

It was Merlin's turn to stare, and splutter as well.

"But they're working under the king's orders."

Arthur simply turned away, climbing back into his nice soft bed and dragging the covers up over his head.

"Yes, and you're working under mine."

Under the blankets as he was, Arthur didn't see the glare his servant directed at him, before said servant strode out of the room shaking his head and muttering under his breath. He had no idea just how thin he'd worn Merlin's patience the past few months, in the time since his servant had saved him from certain death.

Merlin sighed at that, still shaking his head. Arthur had been making such progress towards not being an ass all the time... Yet a winter with snowfall so heavy and deep it had blocked the castle doors half of all mornings, had sent him sliding backwards faster than drunken knight in full armour on a muddy slope.

Spring was now in the air, the last of the snow having only melted a week ago, and tomorrow was going to be the Grand Spring Hunt to celebrate that event. Which meant a dozen nobles, Arthur included, going out to maim whatever poor animals had managed to survive the winter. All aided by twice the number of men, that is servants, sent along to make excessive amounts of noise to flush those animals out into the open. Long story short, it was the servants making idiots out of themselves just so the nobles could take pot-shots at animals for glory.

Merlin continued down through the castle levels, making his way to the oldest part of the crypts. There lay the source of all the banging, twenty men set to digging out the passages that had been filled in several centuries ago. And this was in the name of an even greater folly than the stupid hunt... Uther had decided that if there were any possible riches sealed in those long-abandoned tombs, then they should make their way into the castle coffers instead of sitting buried in the ground. He was keeping the entire castle awake all in the name of a treasure hunt.

The warlock's snort echoed in the passage as he picked up a torch from the rack of them placed close to the work site, his expression saying exactly what he thought about that. It seemed Arthur wasn't the only one given to losing common sense and doing something stupid when he was bored. It looked like the king was where he got it from.

Merlin headed into the nearby passage, leaving it at the point where dressed stone gave way to ancient cave tunnels. In the space of a week the diggers had cleared a considerable length of them, where they wound their way through the rock under the castle. But he was only halfway to the current part being cleared when a chorus of screams ahead heralded the sudden ceasing of all digging.

He ducked aside as the men dashed out past him, frowning and wondering what possible reason would there be for them to run. Remembering the wraith Nimueh had conjured, he could well imagine some magical foe could have been sealed down here, and with that in his mind he quickly headed to where the men had come from.

If there was a threat down here, then as the only one in Camelot capable of killing any truly dangerous magical creatures, he'd be the one to deal with it anyway. Which meant he also had to get a look at it, so Gaius could research it and they could find out how to defeat it.

It was almost with disappointed that he found the tomb they had just been uncovered, eyes widening when he saw the piles of gold and jewels contained within. The tomb was no mere alcove carved into the passage wall like all the other's he'd just passed. It was opulent, lined with graceful stone columns and presided over by a large statue of a raven. The bird seemed to stand watchful guard over the stone coffin in the centre of the chamber, the lid carved with the effigy of a robed man, one who had a startlingly large blue, heart-shaped jewel set into its chest.

Merlin inched closer, entranced and curious, unaware of the digger kneeling beside the coffin until he almost bumped into him.

He looked down, starting to frown, reaching out with a hand to touch the man's shoulder.

"Hello?"

The moment he shook the man gently to try get a response, the digger toppled over to the side and his now grey face was exposed... Staring outwards in a silent scream of death that sent Merlin scrambling from the chamber as fast as his legs would take him. It sent him straight to the one man who really needed to look at this place.

It was with that man that he returned a short while later, leading Gaius into the tomb and crouching down beside the dead man.

"How do you think he died? Gaius? Do you know whose tomb it is?"

The physician was stood gazing about at the room, not drawn by the treasures but rather filled with unease. Something about this place set one's hair on end, if one had sense enough not to be distracted by the treasures contained here. One thing in particular that caught his eye in that matter was the blue jewel set into the coffin lid, and the inscribed golden setting around it. Something just didn't feel right.

He looked now to the statue of the raven, its beak open in silent call, and answered his ward's question.

"I'm not sure."

Merlin, now back on his feet, stepped closer to his mentor.

"Do you think it's cursed?"

Gaius didn't answer this time, instead stepping over the dead man's legs to get a closer look at the coffin... his foot landing on the very same stone slab that had cost the digger his life.

The slab ground downwards under the physician's weight, a whistle of air over arrow flights the only warning Merlin got. His eyes glowed golden, the world slowing around him as he sped his own time up. To buy the few crucial seconds he needed, to lift and place a large silver plate between Gaius and the arrow that had just been fired out of the raven statue's mouth.

The plate rang like a gong as it was struck, a large dent left in its surface as the physician peered around it in shock before turning to his ward.

"You just saved my life. Thank you."

Merlin released the plate from his magic, allowing it to drop to the floor as the sound of the king's voice reached them. Barely ten seconds later Uther entered the tomb, his son following close behind him.

Arthur, having heard the clatter of the falling plate, muttered to his servant assuming Merlin had dropped it under less serious circumstances.

"Are you born clumsy, or do you work at it?"

Merlin had to resist the urge to say something undiplomatic, instead pasting a sarcastic smile on his face as he murmured in return.

"It's just one of my many talents."

Uther didn't notice the exchange, to busy eyeing up the contents of the tomb with a satisfied expression.

"Well this is quite a find. You see, Gaius, I was right. There is treasure to be found under Camelot. Which of my predecessors to I have to thank for all this?"

Gaius glanced at his king, frowning faintly in disapproval. He'd spoken against excavation of the ancient crypts. These vaults had been made during an age when magic was rife, and many rich nobles had paid great sums of wealth to have their graves set watch over with magic. The diggers had been lucky so far, none they'd uncovered had been set with traps. None, that is, until this one.

"I'd have to look into it, Sire."

At his physician's bland tone, it seemed now the king took the hint from it and noticed the dead man on the floor, leaning over it and frowning.

"How did he die?"

Gaius pointed to the pressure plate he himself had stepped on.

"It seems he unwittingly triggered a trap, over here."

Arthur, having shown rather more restraint than his father's almost eager regarding of the surrounding riches, at least showed a little regret for the man's death. Even if only in his solemn expression, which also seemed to say he viewed his father's pursuit of wealth down here to be that which he now spoke of.

"To deter grave-robbers."

Uther nodded at that, not noticing that two of those close to him seemed to be disapproving of this.

"Well there's plenty here that people would want to steal." He turned to his son. "Have tomb secured. Guarding it is your responsibility, Arthur."

His son bowed his head in acceptance of the order, even as his remained subdued.

"Yes, Father."

The king walked out, the rest of them following. None aware that just an hour later, one of the digger's who had fled would be easing his nerves in The Rising Sun tavern. Sat across from a traveller who'd noticed his shaken state upon entering, as he now further eased his terrors by spinning a tale of what he'd seen.

A tomb filled with gold and treasure, a deathly trap... and a blue gem the size of his fist.

But the man to whom he spoke of these things was no random wanderer, but rather a sly opportunist who lured him with drink. A bribe of coins got him the information he wanted, a distraction and slight of hand returning them to him without the digger's knowledge. By the time the dark-haired crook retired to the room he'd rented, he knew exactly how to get into that tomb.

Because only the prince had the key to get through the gate placed on its entrance, but only one other person than the prince and his father were allowed open access to his chambers... The prince's manservant.

~(-)~

"Hurry up, Merlin."

"Sorry."

Merlin pasted a long-suffering smile on his face, descending the castle steps to where Arthur waited beside his horse. It was the day of the hunt and all that it entailed, which meant that after tramping through the woods all day, when they got back he would have a wonderful pile of chores to do that resulted from it.

But first... First he got to play 'mounting block' for Arthur. Because out of apparent wish to vent his displeasure at being kept awake so late last night, the prince pointed at the floor in clear command for his servant to kneel down beside the horse to provide a step up.

Never mind the fact that Arthur was perfectly capable of getting into his horse's saddle in full armour. Right now he was wearing only a shirt and jacket.

Keeping any smart-mouthed comment to himself, Merlin went down as ordered with a grumble of disgust. Yes, he'd decided last autumn that no matter what he was going to stay by Arthur and protect him. But right now his resolve to keep to that decision was already being severely tested. Arthur was definitely due a mental slap round the ear to get his ego back into line. It was just a pity that, after a quiet winter with nothing to threaten the kingdom, there hadn't been an opportunity for the Great and Wise Merlin to give him another lesson on common sense.

Which was probably why when Arthur's saddle slipped a few moments later, dumping the prince to the cobbled ground while his horse skittered away in a clatter of hooves, that Merlin didn't know whether to be horrified or amused by it.

Horror won out though, followed by confusion. How had the saddle slipped? He'd checked it all before leaving the horse there to grab the rest of the gear he'd need for the hunt.

Arthur, a very angry Arthur, rose to his feet and glared at him.

"Merlin!

The servant, rising to his feet from where he'd been crouched, reached out to help him up but had his hand slapped aside.

"I don't understand. I did that girth up myself."

Arthur looked inches away from punching him, and probably only held back because it would be undignified.

"Well that might have been the problem!"

"Well it wasn't my fault! I checked it!"

Their discussion was interrupted, by a slightly scruffy-looking middle-aged man. A man who was leading Arthur's horse back over to them, all courtesy and manners.

"Would you like me to fit the girth properly, Sire?"

At Arthur's nod the man deftly secured the saddle, the prince starting to straighten his jacket.

"Thank you."

The man bowed, smiling.

"It is an honour to be of service to the prince."

That prompted Arthur to glance at Merlin, raising his eyebrows and pleased at the way he was being sucked up to.

"Did you hear that, Merlin? An honour."

The man, noting the dust on Arthur's jacket, now hurried to him and started to clear it off with brisk use of a small brush.

"Allow me the honour of brushing your clothes down."

Arthur continued to eye his manservant while the man did indeed get all the dust off him. His expression both a taunt and a reprimand for the fact that Merlin never pandered to him to this extent. Merlin was all about treating him as a man and not a prince, giving respect in return for respect, but this guy...

This guy was like an even more annoying version of Bern, before Arthur's former manservant had admitted defeat and gone on to serve someone else.

Merlin might have said something at this point, but was prevented from doing so when the man pocketed his brush.

"Can I help you with anything else, Sire?"

Arthur turned to him, regarding him speculatively before idly gesturing to his servant.

"Well you can give Merlin a kick up the backside."

The man lowered his head, hiding a slight smile.

"I wouldn't want to deprive you of the pleasure, Sir."

Arthur laughed at that, definitely taken by this stranger's attitude.

"What's your name?"

"Cedric. I've come to Camelot in search of work."

Arthur looked pleased, gesturing to the gathering crowd of hunters and servants.

"Good, you can be a Beater on the hunt. We're short of a man or two."

Cedric watched as Arthur went to his horse, nodding.

"You're too kind, Sire."

Behind him, an extremely disgruntled Merlin was picking up his bag and one of the sticks the Beaters would be using, heading over to Cedric with it wearing a false smile.

"Here, you'll be needing one of these." He practically slammed it into Cedric's gut, knocking the wind from him. "Oh, sorry."

He walked away to follow along behind Arthur, leaving the visitor to narrow his eyes at his back. Cedric could tell that Merlin suspected something, and Merlin knew that no self-respecting man fawns around like that unless he's looking to gain something. He'd protect Arthur, even if it was only protecting his interests from grubbing weevils like Cedric.

But that job became a whole lot harder just a few hours later, thanks to a rampaging giant boar and a magically thrown spear that Merlin couldn't take credit for without revealing his magic... Because Cedric, the self same man who'd spoken to the digger at the tavern, did. And for 'saving' Arthur's life from the rampaging boar, he got what he wanted.

He got himself hired as a second servant to the prince, and gained access to Arthur's chambers.

It was a thoroughly dejected young warlock who returned to Gaius' chambers that evening, his sullen expression drawing a raised eyebrow from the physician.

"What happened?"

Merlin dumped his bag on a stool, forcing a supposedly cheerful smile.

"I saved Arthur's life, someone else got the credit. Just the usual." He walked over, standing behind Gaius to look at the book he was reading.

"What are you doing?"

Gaius was holding a scrap of parchment, one upon which he'd written two lines of text in odd symbols.

"I sound this inscription around the jewel on the coffin."

Merlin looked at it closer, frowning when it wasn't something he recognised. Which was saying something, considering that a prince stuck inside a castle all winter meant he generated fewer chores such as cleaning amour. It had meant more spare time for Merlin, and he'd spent quite a bit of it studying some of the other languages that magical texts were often written in. There'd been three he'd focused on, and it had brought his total of languages, that he could read at least reasonably well, up to six.

"What language is that?"

Gaius eyed the text also.

"I don't know. Sigan would have known many languages."

That got Merlin's attention.

"Sigan?"

Gaius nodded, picking up and showing him the ring he'd found in the tomb. It had the head of a raven marked on it.

"It's his tomb. I was able to identify it with the symbol from this."

Merlin grabbed a stool, pulling it over and sitting beside his mentor.

"So who was he?"

Gaius seemed a little startled that his ward didn't know, turning in his seat to regard him even as part of what he said was done so with irony.

"Merlin, Sigan was the most powerful sorcerer to have lived."

The young warlock also saw the irony in that. If Sigan had been the most powerful known to date, then he was fated to lose that title to him.

"Really?"

Gaius sighed.

"You didn't grow up in Camelot. But for those of us that did, Cornelius Sigan is a figure of nightmare."

Merlin started to get a bad feeling about this.

"Why?"

Beside him, Gaius became grim, clasping his hands before him on the table as he explained.

"Sigan's powers... He could change day into night, turn the tides, and legend has it that his spells helped build Camelot itself."

"What happened?"

Gaius looked at him. It was clear that he was deeply concerned.

"In the end he grew too powerful, and the king at that time ordered his execution."

Both of them stared at each other, Merlin starting to frown.

"If he's dead, then why are you so worried?"

"Sigan couldn't bear the thought that his wealth and power would die with him. He became obsessed with finding a way to defeat death itself."

Both felt the chill that those words sent down their spines, Merlin now becoming as concerned as the physician.

"Do you think he might have succeeded?"

"Let's hope not, for all our sakes, because the king will not heed my warning." Gaius was grim. "I tried to convince him to seal the tomb, but he will not. Uther will not bow before 'foolish superstition'. I have been ordered to keep the identity of the tomb's occupant a secret. I am not to make the people panic."

Merlin frowned at that, lips pressed together in an unhappy line.

"He seems to do that a lot... And it's always me who ends up picking up the pieces."

~(-)~

Alaia Skyhawk: Oh so true, Merlin, oh so true. Uther has a bad habit of ignoring Gaius, and it's always Merlin who ends up saving his ass.