AM I THE ONE? | ARTHUR PENDRAGON [1]

The Druid Boy

*Annabelle's P.O.V.*

    I whipped around as an ear-piercing scream reached my ears. I shared a look with Merlin before turning around to walk in the opposite direction of where we were heading in the first place, with him following me closely. The scream sounded like a scream of a child, and I had to find out what was going on.
Help! I suddenly heard, making me freeze in my tracks. I definitely heard a voice of a young boy, but there was no one in sight except for Merlin who was walking next to me, looking as confused as I was. We looked around the corridor, but didn't see anyone. We then decided to head out of the castle and to the courtyard. Help me! Merlin and I once again froze at the top of the stairs that led down to the courtyard, looking around for the source of voice. But, once again, there was no one in sight. Please. I touched my temple with my hand, trying to ease the pain that I got from the voice inside my head. Merlin and I scanned the courtyard once again, slowly walking down the stairs. Once we reached the bottom, my eyes fell on a young boy around the age of 8 or 9, with black hair and  large bright blue-grayish eyes, huddled against one of the wooden chests that held food for the market in the Lower Town. He wore peasant clothes; a simple white shirt and brown pants and brown boots. He also wore a dark turquoise cloak, with its hood covering his head and shading his face. The boy was also clutching his left arm, as if in pain. Please. I heard the voice once again as the boy's eyes fell on me and Merlin. I shared a look with my brother. Was this boy communicating telepathically with us? You two have to help me. Now I am pretty sure that the boy was 'talking' to us. But my eyes still widened in shock at the fact that his lips weren't even moving, yet I could hear him clearly. At the guess based on Merlin's face, I could tell he was just as shocked. Help me. The voice, or rather the boy's voice, whimpered. I then saw the Camelot guards running into the courtyard, looking all over for someone. I then realized that they are probably looking for the boy.
"You." One of the guards stopped one of the peasants in the courtyard. "Have you seen a boy running through here?" Now I am 100% sure that they are looking for that boy. However, I still shared a skeptical look with Merlin. If the guards are looking so intensely for the boy, then that means they must have a reason.
They're searching for me. My eyes snapped to the young boy once again as he stared at me and my brother pleadingly.
Why are they after you? Merlin decided to try and ask the boy a question using his mind, and it seems it worked, seeing as I could hear it, and so could the boy from the looks of it. The boys however, just closed his eyes briefly as if in pain, before looking at me in particular.
They're going to kill me. I sighed and looked at Merlin pleadingly. We can't just leave this child to die!
"Guards! In here!" One of the guards called for the rest of the guard, and they all ran off in the opposite direction of where the boy was hiding. Suddenly Merlin grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the servants' entrance that is well hidden in the shadows. Merlin then turned to look at me and gave me a silent signal to pull the boy in here while he ran further in so that we wouldn't be noticed. I looked at the guards, only to see them run off, so I then turned to the boy.
This way. I jerked my head towards the entrance I was standing in front of. Run. Run! The boy seemed to trust me, because he got up from the ground, still clutching his arm in pain, before running to me as fast as he could.
"Hey! Over here!!" Unfortunately, one of the guards noticed him, and unsheathed his sword before running after the boy. I quickly took a few steps back, hiding in the shadows so that the guards wouldn't see my face, seeing as I was known by everyone, being the Lady Morgana's maid, and I didn't quite feel like loosing my head just yet. "Alert the rest of the guard!!" The boy reached me just in time, and I quickly grabbed his right hand, while Merlin grabbed mine, and pulled him up a set of stairs. We wanted to run to Gaius, but stopped immediately once we heard the guards' voices from that direction, so I quickly pulled the boy and my brother up the set of stairs behind us, which led to my best friend's chambers. I then quickly threw the doors open and barged in, pulling Merlin and the boy with me, as Merlin shut the door behind us.
"Have you two forgotten how to knock?!" Morgana exclaimed, slightly irritated, but I just pulled the boy to my side.
"Sorry, we didn't really have time." I apologized quickly as hers and Gwen's eyes fell on the boy, who was clutching my hand tightly. "The guards are after him. We didn't know where to go."
"My Lady!" A guard called, knocking loudly on the doors, making me gasp quietly in panic. However, Morgana didn't seem to pay attention as her eyes fell on the boy. "My Lady!!" The knocking grew louder, and I looked at Morgana pleadingly. She then snapped out of her trance, and looked around quickly before gesturing for us to hide behind the screen and a curtain.
"In there." I quickly placed the boy's hand in Merlin's, and gestured for them to hide as I tried to quickly compose myself so that I wouldn't look like I just ran through the castle. Morgana then went to open the door, but stopped for a second to check if my brother and the boy were hidden. Merlin quickly pulled the curtain, covering himself and the boy, as Morgana opened the door, revealing a couple of Camelot's guards.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, My Lady." One of the guards bowed his head. "We're searching for a young Druid boy; we believe he came this way."
"I haven't seen anyone." Morgana lied easily. "It's just me and my maids." She said, gesturing to me and Gwen in the process.
"Please keep the door locked until we find him."
"Of course." Morgana agreed quickly. "Thank you." The guards then quickly left, and as soon as Morgana closed the door, we ran over to where Merlin and the Druid boy were hiding, only to see the boy in Merlin's arms, sweaty, pale, and unconscious. My brother took his hand off of the boy's arm, only to reveal it covered in blood as there was a deep gash on it. So that's why he screamed; one of the guards must have slashed him with their sword. My blood boiled. How can anyone be so cruel to harm a child?!

*1 hour later*

    Morgana, Merlin and I now stood by an open window in Morgana's chambers, watching the Druid boy's guardian stand on small wooden podium, in front of a chopping block, with his hands chained behind his back. Uther and Arthur then appeared on the balcony on our right.
"People of Camelot." Uther spoke. "The man before you is guilty of using enchantments and magic. Under our law, the sentence for this crime is death. We're still searching for his accomplice. Anyone found of harboring the boy is guilty of conspiracy, and will be executed as a traitor." Morgana, Merlin, and I all shared a look, before glancing at the Druid boy who way lying on top of a few blankets with his head resting on a pillow. We took off his cloak and shirt, revealing the Druid mark  on his chest. He was now awake, breathing heavily as he listened to the King. "Let this serve as a warning to your people." Uther spoke, this time to the Druid man.
"You let your fear of magic, turn to hate" The Druid spoke up with confidence. "I pity you."
"I can't watch this." Morgana said to us quietly, before walking over to sit down on a chair by her dining table and covering her face with her hands. I looked at her worriedly, and then glanced at the Druid boy, only to see him trembling with fear. I then quickly walked over to where he was and lied down next to him, wrapping my arms around him comfortingly. He looked up at me with fear in his eyes, so I stroked his hair soothingly, trying got calm him down a little bit. After a few seconds of silence I heard metal cut through flesh, and saw Merlin look away quickly, before also closing my eyes.
NO!! My eyes snapped open, as did Merlin's, as we heard the boy's scream in our heads. Morgana didn't seem to hear anything, but that quickly changed as her mirror which was on the wall be the window shattered into pieces. Morgana looked at it in fear, before glancing at the boy in my arms, as I covered his and my heads with one of my arms so that the pieces of glass wouldn't cut us. As soon as the pieces stopped falling out of the mirror frame, I looked at the boy with wide eyes. He surely possesses powerful magic.