"You have magic." That's all Arthur could say as the bandits took hold of him and said, man. He couldn't believe it. A man who he had called his friend, no his brother! Had MAGIC! After everything they had been through he had magic!

"Well. The prince's manservant has magic. I bet he's been slowly taking apart Camelot for years." One of the bandits said grabbing a tighter hold of his the servant and gagged him. All the bandits looked dirty and rugged. Most of them had uncontrolled hair and/or facial hair. There weren't many of them. Around five. Wait, one-two-three-four-five-si. Six. Six bandits.

"I'll make you a deal. " Arthur said. Anger burning in his eyes. "You let me go. You keep him. No fight. It's not like he can come back." Arthur's face is full of disgust and evil.

"Now you see I would get no pro-" The bandit started.

"Your profit would be me letting you be until your next attack." Arthur cut in. He wanted to leave as soon as he could. He had to tell his father. He held out his hand. The bandit thought about it. Looked back at his friends and nodded.

"Alright then. Pendragon, you have yourself a deal." The bandit shook his hand. That's it. They shook hands. It was done. There is no way that sorcerer would survive.

The bandit let him go causing him to fall down. Arthur stood up. Nodded to the bandit and took a look at his ex-manservant.

"Goodbye, Merlin." With that Arthur got on his horse and left him there.

Merlin watched as Arthur rode off. Just like that. Just like that, he sentenced Merlin to death. Just like that Merlin's fate was decided. He would die at the hands of these bandits. And if he lived the bandits they would probably sell him and that would be bad. He looked at the bandits. The one that Arthur had negotiated with was obviously the leader. He was bigger and taller, and all the others looked at him as if asking what to do?

The last thing he remembered them saying was "we can question him." Before his felt something hard hit his head and saw his world go black.

They rode for hours. All the way to the caves of Pryborne. Pryborne was a small village far from Camelot. The bandits had chained his arms so they were resting above his head. Then they tied his legs together so he couldn't kick them.

"Now this is simple. You tell me what I want to know. And you live. Don't, and you die." The leader grabbed a whip and showed it to the warlock.

"Understand?"

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Arthur was about an hour away when he realized what he'd done. He'd left Merlin. All Merlin had done was try and save his life, for Arthur to hand him to bandits.

He had Magic. A tiny voice that sounded like his father spoke sharply to him.

That shouldn't matter. Another voice that was more like Merlin spoke.

He LIED to me! He tried to justify what he did to himself.

Becuase he knew you would sentence him to death. Just like you did back there. Arthur paled, Merlin was going to die.

And it was his fault.

Arthur finally noticed that he was in Camelot by the time he had come to his conclusion. And by the time he realized he returned he was standing in Gaius's chambers.

"Gaius, I think I killed Merlin." Gaius... Well, he just kind off stared.

"Sire, I believe I heard you wrong. Could you repeat yourself?" Gaius asked praying to god he had heard wrong.

"I think I killed Merlin." With each word Gaius's chest got heavier. Gwaine and Lancelot, who had happened to be looking for Merlin stood up.

"You. Did. What?" Gwaine yelled.

"Where is he?" Lancelot walked over to Arthur and put his hands on his shoulders.

"I don't know."

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Merlin looked up from the whip to the man and the back to the whip. "I won't tell you anything."

"We will see about that." With that, the other bandits left. Leaving Merlin and his torturer alone.

"Now, I'm going to give you a taste of what will happen when you ignore me." The whip came down with a loud crack. Merlin's eyes squeezed his eyes tight at the pain. After a moment the man asked a question, unheard by Merlin because he was trying to ignore his pain.

When Merlin failed answered the muffled question, three new cracks were heard.

This went on and on for hours.

"Does Arthur have a lover?" Silence Crack

"Does Uther have a weakness other than Arthur?" Silence Crack

"What are Arthur's weaknesses?" Silence Crack

And so on.

Merlin's back felt as if it were on fire. He could feel the warm blood drip down his back and soak into his, now blood stained, shirt. Merlin wanted to scream. Merlin wanted to cry. Merlin wanted to do anything other than hanging there, helplessly. But he would never give them that satisfaction of harming him.

When the leader left Merlin almost let a sigh of relief leave his lips. But Merlin was stopped short when two more men came in. Walked over to where Merlin was hanging and just beat him. No questions. No yelling. Nothing.

Nothing other than pain.

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"Why don't you tell us from the beginning?" Gaius said causing all three knights to turn to him. Gaius gestured for the trio to sit at a table. All three took their seats with Gaius and waited.

"Well, I found out about Merlin." He said assuming that Gaius would know. "About his talents."

"You know about his magic?" Lancelot asked shocked.

"You knew about Merlin's magic?" Arthur retorted. He couldn't believe it. Merlin has told Lancelot before Merlin.

"Merlin has MAGIC!?" Gwaine shouted. Right Gwaine was here.

"Yes Merlin has Magic. Now, what do you mean you 'killed Merlin?" Gaius askes getting Arthur back on task.

"Merlin and I were walking and we got attacked by bandits. Merlin tried to fight them off with his magic, and I saw. I was furious. I told the bandits I would let them go if they let me go. They didn't see their profit. I told them-" Arthur cut himself off when he felt the tears build up in his eyes. He breathed in then put his head in his hands.

"Their profit was they could keep Merlin. A sorcerer who has been spying on Camelot for years. They agreed and I left. I left Merlin to his death. For all I know Merlin is already dead, because I was angry." He looked up and saw that the three listeners looked as if they were about to kill him. Well, Gaius more just looked worried but the knights, they looked mad.

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Merlin woke up and could tell he had atleast two or three broken ribs. His lung also could have been bruised seeing as he could breathe, just painfully.

There were no guards in sight. He smiled slightly, he could let go. He let his magic, which had been almost burning to help him, do whatever it wanted to do.

He opened his eyes and he was just outside of Camelot without shackles. But he was still injured, badly. His adrenaline was still high though.

Merlin ran. And when I say he ran, I mean he ran. Merlin ran faster than he ever had before. Once he was somewhat close to Camelot he allowed himself to clasp.

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Arthur, Gwaine, Lancelot, and Percival rode off and started to look for Merlin. They rode for hours until finally Arthur saw it. That ridiculous blue shirt of his.

"I found him!" He shouted as he ran over to him. When Arthur reached him, he recoiled, as if something had jumped out at him to attack.

Merlin was covered in blood. There were bruises all up and down the visible parts of his body. And his shirt was torn in the back to show dozens if not a hundred whip marks.

"We have to get him to Gaius." Lancelot's voice had caused Arthur to jump. He hadn't noticed the men had reached them.

------

Merlin slept for three days. Each day the prince would walk in in the morning. And leave around noon to do his princely duties, or whatever. On the fourth day Merlin finally opened his eyes.

"Mornin' mate!" Merlin focused on the man who had shouted to see Gwaine.

"Morning." Merlin mumbled. Then fell back into his deep sleep.

The next time he woke up he saw Lance. They talked for a minute about how Arthur found out then Merlin went back to sleep.

When he opened his eyes for the third time, he was meet with Arthur's. Merlin quickly found interest in his bed. Arthur opened his mouth but closed as no sound came out. Merlin looked up to see there were tears in his eyes.

"How much did you tell them? It's obvious they tortured you. How much?"

"Not a word." Was all Merlin could say. Arthur looked into Merlins eyes to see any sign of lies, and saw none.

"Why? What did I do that made you keep quiet? Why are you so loyal?" Arthur couldn't believe it. After what he'd done, he wouldn't have been surprised if he had told them everything.

"Nothing. But, your my best friend."

"But I sentenced you to death. You almost did die. I betrayed you."

"Did you think that you mean so little that it would change anything?" Arthur was shocked. All Arthur could do was stare.

"I don't deserve a friend like you." Arthur pulled Merlin into a hug.

"Sorry mate, but I'm exactly what you deserve." Merlin whispered as he hugged Arthur back.

They just stood there for a while. Neither of them spoke.

Not a word.