The Speechless Sea

Chapter 12

Merlin! Merlin you foolish boy! Kilgarrah cried with his mind on returning to the window sill of MErlin's temporary rooms.

What? What is it now? Merlin replied groggily, disturbed from his sleep by the large diomed.

It's Nimueh. She hath enchanted Arthur. The albatross explained mentally. Merlin sat up precipitously in shock, suddenly, he was awake. Without a word he flung back the covers off his bed and dashed from his room and down the corridor. As he approached the gallery he heard voices from below and slowed his gentle pace to listen.

"...very sudden. Are you sure?" the court physician, Gais's, voice drifted up from below. He sounded concerned with whom ever he was talking to.

"Yes." the reply came from Arthur sternly. He sounded.....odd. In just one word he sounded so unlike himself. Merlin risked a step closer hugging to the shadows he peered over the granite baulastrade to see the elder man facing his and speaking to Arthur, and another mysterious figure, cloaked. Their backs were to his so he could not see their faces.

"What of MErlin?" Gaius queryed gently and the man in question felt his heart skip. How could he come into this? What was happening?

"What of him?" responded the blonde prince with a dismissive sneeer that seemed to peirce through the air to Merlin's own chest, knocking the air out of him.

"I had thought that you...." Gaius ventured with a vague gesture of his wizard hands.

"You had thought wrong. I wan this to be arranged immediately. Today in fact." Arthur snipped insusciantly, and the figure next to him leaned in grasping his arm delictely. Merlins heard dropped to the floor as long pale fingers wrapped around the blonde princes bicpe.

"Sire that's-" The physician sputtered in shock at the request and a glower came over the prince.

"Are you questioning mine orders?" He demanded authoriatively, his blue eyes glinted greye with steel. There was a pause of hesitation.

"....No, sore. I will prepare the chapel at once." Gaius relented, he gave a short bow and shuffled away quickly to fulfill his directive. Arthur turned towards Merlin and he shrank back intot he shadows but the princely man wasn't looking at him, he was gazing into the face of the mystery woman. She reached her pale hand to rest on his tan cheek, reminding merlin of the touch of death. He stared at her with eyes glazed, almost unseeing.

"And then we can be together. Forever." Said the woman in a familiar voice. A voice that wound like tentacles latching on with their suckers and pulling everything down around it. Nimueh's voice. Merlin's heard dropped to his tail.

"Yes. Forever." Arthur repeated, his voice lacking all it's vibrancy, a dronoting monootne of enchantment.

As the lonely day wore on so did Merlin's gloom, which swirl around him in a cloud like the grey skies of misery. He felt sick and panicked as he saw the swathes of people milling about the castle, carrying flower arrangements and cake, and delicate entroupés. Eventually as the day lengthed the castle grew empty as all went to attend the wedding.

"Aren't you going to do something?" Kilgarrah's milky voice eased its way through Merlin's troubles and into his mind.

"What can I do?" he exclaimed in desperation.

"You've been communication fine this whole time" pointed out the wryly bird with a great fluster of his wings. The feathers on his wings, shuffled.

"This is different" Merlin whinged petulantly like a perpetual ant, about to be crushed under the shoe of life but hoping fruitlessly to scurry through its treads.