Chapter Twenty-Nine, The Immortal Cup

Hope had turned one years old, two weeks ago, normally parents would be ecstatic and nostalgic; which Merlyn was, but she was also filled with grief as they feared that her best friend, Leon, was dead. The rest of his party had been decimated; that is until there was a knock on the door to her chambers while the family of three were relaxing on the bed. Merlyn was just thankful Gwaine hadn't been apart of Leon's party.
"Come in." Gwaine sighed, pressing a kiss to Merlyn's and Hope's foreheads as the door was pushed open to reveal George.
"What is it George?" Merlyn asked her friend as she finished dressing her one year old daughter.

"The King has requested everyone's presence in the Council Chambers." George informed his friend with a kind smile.
"We'll be there shortly." Gwaine stated. Nodding with a small bow George left the chambers allowing the family to ready themselves.
"Let's go see what the tyrant wants." Gwaine sighed, wrapping a comforting arm around his wife's waist as she held their daughter on her hip. What Gwaine didn't know, however, was that they were expecting another child, Merlyn had just been about to inform her dear loving husband when they had been interrupted.
"I suppose we must. But I have something to tell you afterwards." Merlyn told him, a nervous but excited smile upon her lips.

"What is it? Uther can wait! Are you alright?" Gwaine asked concerned, knowing his wife had been rather sick the past week and a half.
"I'm with child once more." Merlyn whispered, an anxious note to her voice before a startled yelp left her throat as she and Hope were scooped up into Gwaine's muscular arms as a joyful laugh escaped his lips.
"Mama! Dada!" Hope giggled joyfully, clapping her hands as her cerulean eyes flashed molten gold; sapphire coloured butterflies suddenly appeared around the soon-to-be family of four.
"This is wonderful news! I love you my Merlyn bird!" Gwaine exclaimed exuberantly, pressing a loving kiss to her lips. "And I love you my little ray of Hope." Gwaine said, pressing a gentle, loving kiss to his Princess's head of curly midnight locks. 

***

As the family entered full of smiles and laughter at the news Gwaine had just received, it would seem like they were the last ones to arrive if the poisonous glare Uther and Morgana sent them was anything to go by; but they ignored them for another thing caught their attention. There standing in the middle of the circle before the three thrones was the once-lost Sir Leon clasping hands with Arthur.
"Artie! Leo!" Hope squealed excitedly, clapping her hands as she caught sight of her uncles, and gaining everyone's attention once more as she babbled excitedly bouncing in her father's arms. Thankfully her eyes hadn't turned fully gold with her excitement this time, only the barest hint could be seen that it could easily be passed off as a flicker from the candlelight if one looked closely enough.

Arthur and Sir Leon smiled indulgently at their adorable little niece before casting a worry-filled glance at Merlyn who looked rather clammy before they continued their conversation.
"We thought you were dead for sure! You gave us all a dreadful fright." Arthur sighed with relief, nodding slightly in Merlyn's direction towards the end to give his friend a hint at how his supposed demise had affected their sister in all but blood.
"I was dead." Sir Leon told them, causing those who loved and cared for him hearts' to break.

"Or rather, as good as, until the Druids found me. They saved my life." Sir Leon continued only to be interrupted by the resident tyrant.
"Druids?" said tyrant asked sharply, his smile no longer on his face but a fierce desire for revenge as anger burned in his eyes.
"Yes Sire." Sir Leon replied hesitantly, realising his mistake at once. His worried eyes discreetly sharing a look with Arthur, Gwaine and Gaius before the four discreetly looked at the two Mages (the mother-and-daughter duo). "I owe them my life. They didn't have to save me, but they did and I'm eternally grateful."
"Be that as it may, Sir Leon, but how did they heal you? You were as good as dead, you said." Uther questioned sharply, the deranged look in his eyes only increasing as stalked closer to the exhausted Knight coming to stand close in his face.

"I - I don't know." Sir Leon uttered, stepping back slightly so Uther was no longer in his face.
"Did they use magic?" Uther questioned sharply. "Yes or no? It's a simple enough question." He demanded when Sir Leon's reply was not forthcoming fast enough for his liking. However, Sir Leon was lost in his thoughts over what had happened a few months ago. He had been brought to Gaius's chambers by Arthur leaving him feeling rather confused, which only increased as he came face to face with his sister, niece, Gwaine and Gaius.

It was there that Arthur, Gwaine and Gaius threatened him to secrecy and bodily harm if he told ANYONE what Merlyn was about to reveal. Of course, he agreed right away and it had nothing to do with Gaius holding a bottle of an undetectable and untraceable poison in his hands nor Arthur and Gwaine standing with their hands on their swords, but everything to do with the worried but hard look on his sister's face.

Sir Leon had been concerned and wanted that look removed from his sister and agreed to hold the secret with his life and take it to his grave. Satisfied with his oath, Merlyn revealed to him the truth about herself and Hope. That they were Mages which meant they were born with magic and could not help it. But what shocked him was the fact Merlyn was known as the Queen of the Druids and a Dragon Lord through her father.

~ Flashback ~

"Merlyn," Leon said softly, interrupting her hurried spiel. "I know."
"What?" Everyone asked shocked.
"It wasn't hard to put together but I also once caught you use it to save myself and Arthur, I never said anything because I knew YOU. I knew you'd never hurt anyone with it. I'd seen you use to protect your friends, family and Camelot. And a few months ago, not long after Hope's birth, I walked into the armoury and noticed your eyes flash gold followed by Hope's, you got so upset it happened and I wanted to reassure you but I knew at the time you'd neither believe me nor appreciate it." Sir Leon informed them.

"It wasn't that I didn't trust you Leon, Arthur. It was because I didn't want to put you in a position where you had to choose between me and your oath to Uther. And I'd grown up fearing anyone would find out that I became so secretive with it. I don't want Hope to grow up how I and countless others have. Fearing this day might be our last and my daughter being taken from me. I only had Will as a friend growing up, I couldn't risk it. Until Will found out, I only had my mother for company. I had to pretend I was a fool, a shadow." Merlyn whispered, tears running down her face as she got everything off her chest. Her family were quiet as their hearts broke at what Merlyn had been through in her young life.

"I thought I was a monster no matter what my mother and Gaius told me. It was all I heard and after a while, if you're told that long enough you start to believe it. I want Hope to be happy, have friends, and be proud of who she is. I don't want her to live in fear. I cannot even do my duties as Queen of the Druids without putting myself, Hope and everyone else at risk. I don't want to live in fear anymore!!" Merlyn exclaimed, becoming angry rather than sad towards the end.
There was silence for all but a moment before Arthur stride forward purposefully taking Merlyn's hands into his own.

"I swear to you now, Merlyn, when I'm King things WILL be different. I'll start making a new law now so that as soon as I'm crowned King it can be implemented. I will not let anything happen to you or Hope! You're my sister and she my niece and I protect those I love with the fierceness of a dragon." He smirked as Merlyn let out a little laugh. "Neither you, Hope, the Druids or anyone else of your kind will have to live in fear. You won't be hunted nor shunned. I will treat you all as I would any other citizen; meaning, that should they break the law they will be judged and tried fairly as anyone else would." Arthur swore, not even flinching as Merlyn's Magic and the magic of the earth wrapped around him tightly assessing his oath before settling within his skin once it was satisfied he was truthful.

Arthur knew that both magics will hold him to it and the consequences would be dire should he break it. Not that he ever would.
"Thank you Arthur. Sir Leon." Gwaine and Gaius said together, relaxing their posture and setting down the respective sword and poison down now that there was no threat to either Merlyn or Hope. Nodding their heads both men asked Merlyn if she could show them some spells, which is how they spent the rest of their evening.

~ End of Flashback ~

"Well?" Uther demanded of Sir Leon impatiently, pulling Sirs Leon, Gwaine, Merlyn, Gaius and Arthur out of their memories.
"I only know that I drank from some kind of Cup." Sir Leon stated hesitantly, not wishing to damn his sister's and niece's people but wanting the inquisition to stop so he could rest as he was rather weary from his ordeal.
"Cup?" Uther interrupted, a confused yet accusing tone to his voice.
"It was extraordinary, My Lord, I have known nothing like it. From the second the Cup touched my lips I could feel my life return to me." Sir Leon revealed uncertainty almost seeping from his very pores as a tense silence reigned over the Council Chambers, the only sound coming from the thunder outside.

"Well, your trials must have left you feeling rather weary, I'm sure. We must let him rest." Uther announced to the Council Chambers at large, however, if you looked close enough you could see the troubled look in his eyes; causing Sir Leon to deeply regret what he'd said.
"All done." Gaius said, standing from Sir Leon's bed with a groan. "He's exhausted, Sire, and severely dehydrated, but I know given time, he'll make a full recovery." Gaius reported his findings to Arthur.
"Thank you Gaius." Arthur said gratefully. Before Gaius and Merlyn could leave the room, Sir Leon stopped them.
"Merlyn! Are you feeling alright? You're looking extremely pale." Sir Leon asked.
"Don't worry about me Leon, I'm fine." Merlyn reassured him, offering a comforting smile.

But neither he nor Arthur, who was now looking at her rather closely a troubled lion upon his face would be deterred.
"Merlyn?" Arthur said reproachfully. Sighing as she knew she was not going to win and she had no energy to fight as she was extremely tired.
"Fine. I was waiting until Leon had rested, but you two are so stubborn." Merlyn grumbled, before a smile took hold of her face. "I'm with child once more." She revealed to her dear best friends who were more like her brothers.
"What?" Arthur and Leon exclaimed. "Where's Gwaine!"
"Enough!" Gaius demanded. "Sir Leon you need to rest and so do you Merlyn. Arthur leave them be!" Thoroughly chastised Arthur and Leon offered their congratulations to Merlyn but swore they'd have a stern talking to her husband later.

***

After his troublesome talk with his father - more like argument - where he was forced to bring Merlyn and Gwaine with him, Arthur met Merlyn and Gwaine at the gates of Camelot at sunrise.
"I'm so sorry to pull you both away from Hope, and to put you in great risk, Merlyn." Arthur apologised as the trio rode on horseback towards Cedred's Kingdom.
"Don't worry Arthur we know what your father is like. Though I have to admit riding through Cenred's Kingdom puts me rather on edge after what happened to the others." Merlyn muttered tersely, looking around her every so often as she rode between her best friend and husband.
"Who knows maybe this time we'll have no trouble.." Arthur said only to tail off as he was shot in the neck with a dart causing him to fall from his horse unconscious.

The next thing Arthur and Gwaine noticed as they came around was they were in the bowels of some sort of modified underground chamber of an old castle, being held in a circular cavern with around fifty other men.
"Where's Merlyn?" Gwaine asked frantically noticing his petite but strong, fierce wife wasn't with them. "Merlyn!"
"Merlyn!!" Arthur called out worriedly.
"MERLYN!!!!!" Gwaine and Arthur shouted besides themselves with worry.
"Right you dung beetles." A gruff voice called from above them.
"Where's my wife!?" Gwaine demanded.
"Your wife? Oh, that beautiful young lass." The man's voice became smug as a sick smirk appeared on his face.

"I swear if you've harmed her or done anything to her, I'll gut you like a fish!!!" Gwaine roared, becoming further enraged as the man simply chucked.
"If you've harmed my sister -" Arthur promised darkly, only to be interrupted by another chuckle.
"You've got fire." The man smirked, the repugnant look spreading further across his face. "Tell ya what. You both beat my champion and then face each other, and I'll maybe tell you where your wife and sister are." Laughing darkly the man walked away leaving his minions to get the men ready.

Gwaine and Arthur had both beaten the champion and were now trying to come up with a plan to get out of the fight against each other, find Merlyn and get the hell out of there. Only they didn't have to worry too much as soon as they were brought into the old throne room they saw Merlyn being held with her arms behind her back by one of Jarl's minions.
"Merlyn." Arthur sighed with relief, noticing she wasn't harmed - as far as they could tell. "Are you alright?" He asked, concerned anyway.
"I'm okay." Merlyn reassured them, offering them a comforting smile. She'd stabbed one of the minions who had tried to touch her. Never again would she feel powerless like she did with the fake Sir Ethan and Sir Oswald.

Merlyn watched anxiously as the two important men in her life battled against each other, while she tried to figure out a way to help them so they could all get out of there alive. When she noticed that Jarl was getting angsty when neither Gwaine nor Arthur were injuring each other, instead were now rolling around on the floor, she rolled her eyes and set fire to the rope holding the chandelier up; the fire spreading at such a ferocity that it caused everyone to scarper to avoid being burned which gave the trio the opening they needed to escape.

Once they were far enough away from the castle ruins, the trio leant against some trees to catch their breath while Arthur and Gwaine ceaselessly ribbed at each other.
"One more minute -"
"One more minute and you both would have been dead." Merlyn interrupted a look of annoyance on her face as her cerulean eyes darkened to a turbulent blue. "If I hadn't caused that fire, we would have left Hope an orphan! Neither of you won. Your plan was a half-baked disaster!" She scoffed, rolling her eyes once more as she stormed off towards the cave where her poor people were forced to hide. That was no place for anyone to live let alone the children that would be in the camp.

Why should they all have to pay for Uther's mistake? For the crimes of the likes of Nimueh, Morgana and Morgause?

As the sun started to set the trio arrived at the cave to find that it was deserted, but they all knew by now that looks could be deceiving. Arthur spotting some fabric move darted forwards and grabbed whoever was hiding beneath it, yanking them out before they had a chance to escape, only to find that it was a young boy, not four years older than Hope. Immediately Arthur let go of the boys' shoulders and instead crouched in front of him to appear less intimidating but still forceful in his tone.
"It's okay none of us will harm you." Merlyn offered a sweet smile which widened when the boy offered her a tentative one in return.
"We just want to know where the Cup of Life is, that's all." Arthur stated, if anything the boys' eyes seemed to widen impossibly large and full of fear.

'It's okay.' Merlyn told him within his mind, knowing the other Druids would hear her as well, as the boy whipped his head towards her. 'I'm Emrys and this is Prince Arthur and my husband Gwaine. There are some bad people coming for the Cup and we wish to protect you. You are my people, my Kin. My childrens' Kin. They will hurt you for this Cup, but if it's not here they cannot do that.'

"You have shown us a great mercy, Emrys and for that we are in your debt." The leader said, nodding his head towards Merlyn as the boy ran back to him.
"Thank you, but there's really no need -" Merlyn trailed off, asking for his name.
"My name is Balfor, Emrys." Balfor nodded to the Queen of the Druids before he held out the Cup for Arthur. As Arthur reached for the Cup Balfor's demure demeanour suddenly changed as he became rather stern. "You meddle with a power you do not understand, Arthur Pendragon. By taking the Cup of Life, you risk more than you know."
"I know, but I have no choice. If I did not come my father would only send someone else, and they would not be as courteous." Arthur explained. "Let's go." He added to his friends.

'Emrys. The Cup is in your care now. Guard it well. The future of this land depends on it.' Balfor asked.
'I shall do my best.' Merlyn promised, nodding to the Druids, her Kin, as she followed her best friend and husband out of the cave.
However, their journey home seemed to become even harder than the arrival had been as they were soon ambushed by Cenred and his men, causing the trio to fight for their life.

While Merlyn was distracted trying to even the odds by cursing some of the men and spooning the horses of the others causing their riders to fall off as they ran, Arthur was shot in the leg with a poisoned arrow. As he fell with a yell of pain, Arthur hit his head on a small rock knocking him unconscious and the Cup to go flying out of his hand rolling down the cliff face and into the waiting hands of the men below.
"No!" Merlyn moaned, just as her fingers missed grasping the Cup by an inch as it fell from the cliff.

"Merlyn!? Sweetheart!?" Gwaine's worried voice shouted from beside Arthur's slumped form. He was terrified when he came across Arthur as he immediately feared the worst especially as he hadn't seen his wife since the fight began. "MERLYN!!?"
Turning away from the men fleeing the scene Merlyn made her way back towards Arthur and her worried husband.
"I'm okay." Merlyn announced arriving at their makeshift camp. "But Cenred's men got the Cup. And I promised Balfor that I would protect it!" Merlyn exclaimed, slumping besides Arthur as she immediately started tending to him as he appeared worse than her husband who barely had a scrape on him; but just to be sure ...

"Gwaine, are you all right?" Merlyn asked worriedly, her eyes flitting rapidly over her husband.
"I'm fine, my love. I'm just glad you're safe." Gwaine sighed with relief pouring from every pore that it was almost vibrant in the air around them, as he pressed a tender loving kiss to her hair. "I'll fetch some wood and start a fire while you heal the Princess."
"Be careful. I love you." They said simultaneously, with a shared laugh with his wife Gwaine set off to find some wood while making sure Cenred's men had well and truly left.

***

The next morning after a restless sleep for both Gwaine and Merlyn, Arthur had finally regained consciousness, the fever had finally subsided as had the poison slightly thanks to Merlyn's magical poultice; but not as much as she would have liked. And so started a slow and arduous journey back to Camelot which took two days. As the second day was drawing to a close they arrived on the hill over looking Camelot only to see smoke rising from the villages, lower town and the castle, plus of was also too quiet.
"HOPE!!" Merlyn screamed, falling to her knees with a heart wrenching scream as her magic burst forth tearing at the ground around them and ripping the branches from the trees.
Gwaine and Arthur's hearts broke at sound of Merlyn's heart breaking screams, fear for her daughter twisting her heart; much like it did theirs.

Merlyn was the strongest person they knew and to see her like this.....
"Merlyn she'll be fine. I promise you Sir Leon and Gaius would've protected her with their life." Arthur swore, kneeling in front of her as she sobbed in Gwaine's arms as he silently prayed to any who would listen that his words were true.
"Plus, you know Gaius would've used magic to make sure Morgana, Morgause and their Immortal Army couldn't touch her." Gwaine added, struggling to keep his own voice steady as silent tears fell down his cheeks. Sniffling, Merlyn nodded her head accepting their hands, they helped her to her feet, before they marched hurriedly towards Camelot in silence.

However, the closer they got to Camelot the more carnage they saw. More and more Knights, villagers and townspeople - their friends - lay dead in the road, the street and the hill banks.
"They never stood a chance." Arthur muttered sadly, leading the way towards the gate limping but he refused to stop. Not only was his one year old niece in danger but so was everyone else he cared about especially Gwen, Gaius, Sir Leon, Elyan and his father. If he ever saw Morgana he'd kill her himself even if he died in the process. But he knew he couldn't for if he was dead he couldn't bring about the change he'd promised Merlyn, but that didn't mean he wouldn't fight like it was his last.

As they made their procession through the lower town they paused outside Gwen's house where the door had been ripped off it's hinges, pausing only briefly for Gwaine and Arthur to un sheath their swords and Merlyn the dagger she kept hidden as her eyes burned molten gold ready to use her magic at any given moment, the trio hedged their way cautiously into the house; only for someone to suddenly jump out at them sword raised. It was when Arthur went to strike the figure down that Merlyn realised who it was - allowing the magic to quickly fade from her eyes as she called out to her friend.
"ELYAN!!!" Merlyn yelled.
"I'm sorry." Elyan apologised, lowering his sword and looking rather worse for wear.
"Where is everyone?" Arthur asked drowsily.
"I - I - I thought that - -" Elyan stuttered.

"Elyan please." Merlyn begged. "Where's our daughter? Gaius?" Merlyn asked clutching at Gwaine's hand as if it were a lifeline.
"What happened?" Gwaine asked, wrapping his arms around Merlyn from behind clutching her as close as he possibly could.
"They came out of nowhere, a mighty army. Weapons were useless against them. They were men, Sire, but not men. Nothing could kill them. Nothing." Elyan explained, traumatised.
"And everyone else? Where's your sister? Where's Guinevere?" Arthur asked desperately, noticing the heartbroken looks on Merlyn's and Gwaine's faces.
"They were in the Citadel when they attacked." Elyan said, but there was an edge to his voice as if he was preparing to give them some bad news.

"Then there's still hope." Arthur sighed with relief.
"Sire, the citadel has been taken." Elyan refuted. That did it. Once more Merlyn's overwrought magic lashed out at their surroundings destroying the already destroyed furniture, she would have collapsed to her knees if it hadn't been for Gwaine's arms around her waist keeping her standing. Luckily
Elyan didn't look at her as if she was a monster, instead he looked at her with sorrow as his friend sobbed for the unknown accountability of her daughter.
"I'm sorry but she might be okay." Elyan hedged, not wanting to give the couple false hope but he also couldn't stand to see Merlyn like this.

"Let's go. We'll head for Gaius's chambers check for him and Hope there first." Arthur ordered, he knew Gwaine and Merlyn would look for no one else first and he respected that. Besides, he wanted to know about his niece and whether she was okay or not himself.
"How much longer can he keep going like this, Merlyn?" Elyan whispered, noticing Arthur's badly injured leg.
"I don't know." Merlyn muttered, her fists balled so tightly that her nails dug into her palms not that she cared right now, she needed something to ground her so she wouldn't do something dangerous and something she wouldn't even regret either.

"I'll look for them in the dungeons first while you three find Hope and Gaius and get Arthur treated." Elyan whispered, once they had managed to reach a hallway where there was no Immortal army.
"You can't go alone." Arthur argued drowsily.
"I'll go with him." Gwaine pitched in, wincing as he didn't really want to - it wasn't due to not wanting to go with his friend but that he didn't want to part from his wife while she was pregnant, he knew she could take care of herself better than they could for sure, but she also had an injured Arthur to deal with who looked like he was seconds from collapsing once more. Plus, he wanted to see his daughter and hold both his girls in his arms and never let them go. Elyan clapped Gwaine on the shoulder with a grateful nod, he knew how hard it was for him to pitch that; not personally, but he could empathise.

"You sure?" Elyan asked, only to receive a terse nod. "Okay." He agreed, turning to Arthur and holding him up so Merlyn and Gwaine can have a quick but tender moment as they shared a kiss and Merlyn making Gwaine promise to come back to the three of them otherwise she would feed him to Kilgharrah. It was then (and Arthur's sour look) that put it all together for Elyan; Merlyn was pregnant. He vaguely remembered his own father being overprotecting with his mother when she was pregnant with Gwen despite her knowing how to fight and take care of herself.
"I'm going with them." Arthur interrupted, pushing off the wall only to nearly collapse.

"No you're not." Merlyn argued, slinging Arthur's arm over her shoulders as the quartet went their separate ways for now. 
"You may be my best friend and sister, Merlyn, but that's an order." Arthur argued.
"To hell with your orders. You're coming with me". Merlyn insisted firmly. Without too much trouble they arrived at her old chambers to find it as trashed as the rest of the castle, with her heart in her throat Merlyn laid Arthur across a bench as she went searching for what she needed and any sign of her daughter and uncle only to hear a noise coming from the cupboard. Grabbing a fire poker just in case, Merlyn crept hesitantly towards the cupboard and wrenched open the door a startling sound of relief wrenching its way out of her throat as she threw the poker to the floor with a clang.

There in the cupboard hidden with magic from Morgana's men, Morgana and Morgause themselves were Gaius and a sleeping Hope in makeshift cot behind the elderly man.
"Gaius!! Hope!!" Meryn cried exuberantly, relief pouring from her every soul as she wrapped her arms tightly around her uncle.
"Merlyn!!!" Gaius sighed with relief, feeling like he could finally breathe now that he had his niece back in his arms and unharmed. "Are you alright? And before you ask; I'm fine and so is Hope. I fed her a mild Sleeping Draught so it would be easier to hide her from them even with my magic. She'll wake up shortly. It's perfectly safe I promise." Gaius promised as he pulled back assessing his niece.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Merlyn asked as she stepped aside allowing her uncle to pass so she could scoop up her daughter pressing kisses all over her cute little face.
"I'm all the better for seeing you. I was worried sick." Gaius sighed with relief, pressing a kiss to Merlyn's forehead. "And Hope was missing her Mummy and Daddy. No matter how much she loves this old man." He jested, only for the moment to be broken as Arthur let out a moan of pain. "Arthur?" Gaius gasped.
"I've treated him which cured his fever and lowered the severity of the poison but not all of it." Merlyn informed her uncle. "I'm not sure it was the correct poultice for this particular poison but I made do with what we had."

"You've done well Merlyn, well done. I'm proud of you." Gaius praised after checking on the wound. "The wounds' infected. I'll have to redress the leg to reduce the inflammation." Gaius informed Arthur. "What did you do? Walk all the way here?" He scoffed sardonically knowing that's exactly what they did. Both Merlyn and Arthur looked a second away from collapsing.
"No. No there's no time. How's Hope is she all right? What about you, Gaius? Just give me something to keep going." Arthur fired off.
"Very well Sire." Gaius muttered, as he was going against his better judgement but knew there was also no time to argue. "We're both fine. Hope is now within Merlyn's arms." Gaius added.
"Good. Good." Arthur muttered, as he heaved himself into a sitting position.

"It's the army of Immortals, isn't it?" Merlyn asked worriedly, whispering so Arthur didn't hear.
"We'll be lucky to get away with our lives, any of us." Gaius muttered, fetching the potions and draughts he needed just as the door opened and in came Gwaine and Elyan. While Gwaine was having cuddles with Hope, Merlyn rushed to her old room packing a bag of clothes and necessities for Hope, her grimoires, poultices, and the Water of Avalon, before finally she grabbed her Shide staff.
"The King, Sire, he's alive." She heard Elyan stating as Merlyn arrived back in the main chamber.
"Where is he?" Arthur asked, jumping to his feet - the Pain Draught already taking effect.
"They're taking him to the Throne room as we speak." Gwaine pitched in, not even looking up at Arthur as he kissed all over his daughter's sleeping face. They hoped she would stay sleeping until after they had all escaped.

"This may be my last chance." Arthur muttered, spinning around to grab his sword only to be stopped by Merlyn.
"Arthur don't be stupid! There's too many of them. You'll never make it, and you certainly won't make it out alive!" Merlyn snapped.
"I won't leave my father here to die alone." Arthur argued. "Gwaine, Elyan, take Gaius and Hope and make your way to the woods beyond the castle. I hope we meet again."
"You better look after my wife, Arthur Pendragon and make sure she comes back to me alive and unharmed." Gwaine ordered. "Otherwise I'll bring you back just to kill you myself."
"I swear it!" Arthur promised. Satisfied Gwaine gave Merlyn a soul-scorching kiss before Merlyn kissed Hope and her uncle's cheek as they went their separate ways for now.

Arriving at the viewing gallery above the throne room, the pair remained hidden in the shadows as they saw there was no way to get to Uther alive, least of all get out of there alive. Not only was there over a thousand Immortal soldiers within the room but so was Morgause, who was standing beside a chained Godfrey of Gedreth, smirking as Uther was forced to his knees in front of her by two more Immortal guards.
"Oh how the mighty have fallen Uther."
Morgause smirked wickedly.
"Stop it!" Merlyn hissed sharply, grabbing hold of Arthur as he went to rush stupidly down into the Throne Room. "The guards are Immortal. They'll cut you to ribbons. What use are you to anyone if you're dead." Sighing Arthur slumped against the post they were crouched against fuming as he felt helpless that he couldn't do anything but watch.

"I don't think you'll be needing this anymore." Morgause grinned wickedly, plucking the crown from Uther's head.
"This is unlawful! You have no right to the throne!!!" Uther shouted apoplectic with rage.
"No, she does not." Morgana agreed as she entered the room dressed resplendently in a white bejewelled gown. "But I do." She smirked, as wicked as her sister. "I am your daughter after all." She sneered at him. A shocked and hurt look passed over both the male Pendragons at the lengths Morgana was willing to go to. While Morgana was being crowned Queen of Camelot, Arthur and Merlyn snuck away to the woods where they joined up with the others who were thankful to see them alive.

As Arthur informed them what had transpired in the throne room and told them where they could hide, Merlyn quickly sent off a couple of notes knowing they were going to need all the help they could get.