AM I THE ONE? | ARTHUR PENDRAGON [1]

Treason

*Annabelle's P.O.V.*

I jolted awake as I suddenly felt a sensation of a very strong magic, and looked over at Merlin, only to see him sitting up in his bed as well.
"What was that?" I asked quietly, and he looked over at me.
"I don't know."
Suddenly, the feeling got stronger and I sat upright, making Merlin look at me, slightly concerned.
"What is that?" I murmured, and got out of bed, Merlin following suit as he continued to stare at me worriedly, and opened the door of our room before slowly walking down the steps, entering Gaius's head quarters which were filled with light from the candles.
"Can't sleep?" I heard a soft voice, and looked over to see Gaius sitting on a bench with his glasses on, working on some papers.
"Something woke us." Merlin said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
"What?"
"I don't know."
"A feeling." I said as I looked down, lost in thought.
"What kind of feeling?" Gaius asked, looking at me and my brother.
"Powerful magic." I said, finally looking up. "Here in Camelot." I was going to say something else, but was interrupted by the main door opening and a distraught Gwen running in.
"Gwen." Merlin immediately let go of me and grabbed her by her arms gently, looking at her concerned. "What's wrong?"
"My father's been arrested." She said, breathing heavily from running as Gaius stood up and walked over to my brother and friend, with me taking a few steps forward as well.
"Arrested?" I asked in disbelief, not being able to imagine the gentle, kind Tom committing any crime.
"What for?" Merlin asked.
"They say he was making weapons for some sorcerer. They're charging him with treason." Gwen explained, and Merlin immediately wrapped his arms around her comfortingly.

*1 Hour Later, Dungeons*

"What did he say?" I asked Gwen after she finished speaking to her father, who was in the dungeons, and came over to where we were waiting. Merlin, Gaius, and I offered to go with her for support, all three of us believing that Tom never meant to commit treason.
"He said Tauren came to him at the forge, offered to pay him a fortune for his help." Gwen said, before quickly adding, "Not to make weapons. For an experiment or something." The man she spoke about, Tauren, is a sorcerer who leads a notorious gang of wizards with the aim of bringing Uther down.
"What kind of experiment?" I asked, and Gwen shook her head.
"Tauren didn't say." She sighed. "But he used some kind of stone... Some kind of magic." Merlin, Gaius, and I all looked at each other worriedly. If Uther finds even the slightest evidence of magic in Tom's forge or his and Gwen's house, the blacksmith doesn't stand a chance; he will be executed.

*1 Hour Later, The Court Physician's Chambers*

"She's sleeping now." Gaius said, referring to Gwen, as he came out of my and Merlin's room.
"I don't understand." Merlin said quietly. "What would a sorcerer want with Tom?"
"His forge, Merlin." Gaius replied. "It's the finest in the kingdom."
"You think Tom was lying?" Merlin asked. "You think he really was making weapons."
"No, I don't."
"Then what?" I asked quietly.
"When Tom was arrested, they found gold on him." Gaius explained gravely.
"So?" Merlin asked.
"And from what Gwen was saying," Gaius started, and we all looked over at Gwen, who was sleeping peacefully in my bed. "Tom's experiment bears all the hallmarks of alchemy."
"But alchemy's impossible, isn't it?" I said, confused.
"To change the very nature of one thing to another has defeated all who have tried, but if you used magic..." Gaius trailed off pointedly, and I straightened my back in slight alarm.
"You think that's what woke us." I asked, though it came out more as a statement than question.
"It is possible, I suppose."

*10 Minutes Later*

I froze for a few seconds as I suddenly felt the same strong sensation of magic once again, before shaking my head to snap out of it and continued walking down the corridor of the castle. Merlin stayed behind, not wanting to leave Gwen even a second, so I decided to go on my own.
Once I reached my destination, I took a deep breath before raising my hand and knocking on the wooden door.
"Come in!" I heard a voice from the other side of the door, and opened the door, stepping inside the chambers. "Annabelle."
"Arthur, am I disturbing you?" I asked as I saw the Prince look up from the papers on his desk.
"No, not at all." He smiled. "Come in." I returned the smile with a small one of my own, and closed the door behind me, before walking over to the Pendragon. "What do you need?"
"I wanted to ask about Tom." I said somewhat hesitantly, and Arthur sighed. "What's going to happen to him?"
"My father believes he has committed treason."
"Gwen spoke with him." I said, making him look at me. "Tom didn't know that Tauren is a sorcerer. He simply showed up one day, and told him that he will pay a fortune if Tom helps him with some kind of experiment. Gwen's father wasn't making any weapons."
"That was my theory." Arthur nodded. "I told my father I don't believe that Tom is a traitor and that he is just an unknowing pawn in Tauren's plans." I smiled a small smile, despite the horrible situation my friend's in. Arthur is truly a good man in heart, a much better one than his father. "But my father is a stubborn man. Even if Tom didn't know what Tauren was planning, he still broke the law by conspiring with magicians and therefore, my father believes he should be punished."
"Is there nothing you can do?" I asked, and Arthur sighed before standing up from his chair and taking my hands in his.
"I will do everything I can." He said sincerely, making me nod shakily, afraid of Tom's fate. "But I can't promise anything." I nodded in understanding, before giving the Prince a small smile.
"Thank you." I said, before gently pulling my hands out of his and turning around to leave.

*5 Minutes Later*

As I opened the door to my and Merlin's room, I was a little shocked, though not much, to see Morgana there as well. To be honest, I definitely expect her to come and check on Gwen. She is a person of a kind soul and heart, and will always protect her friends 'till her last breath. Gwen is one of her best friends, so naturally she would check on her to make sure she's as alright as she can be.
"Morgana." I gave her a small smile, and she returned it before looking back at Gwen, who was still sleeping peacefully.
"We should let her rest." The Lady said, and Merlin and I nodded before following her out of the room, though Merlin was a little reluctant to leave.
"Morgana." I called quietly, and my best friend turned around to look at me. "Have you spoken to Uther?"
"He must realize this is a mistake." Merlin said.
"Whatever Tom was doing, it wasn't plotting against the King." I agreed, and Morgana sighed.
"I know that, of course I do." She said. "But Uther... Uther only sees enemies."
"But... Tom is the most gentle soul I've ever met." I said quietly, and Merlin nodded in agreement.
"But he was seen with Tauren." Morgana shook her head sadly. "That makes him an enemy." She said, before turning around to leave.
"Then..." Merlin started, and Morgana turned around to look at him. "There's little hope?"
"There's no hope, Merlin." She shook her head, her voice suddenly becoming cold. "None at all." She said, and walked out of Gaius's chambers. I sighed sadly and closed my eyes, putting my hand over them as Merlin sighed as well and looked over at Gwen sadly.

*2 Hours Later*

I stopped walking down the hallway with a laundry basket in my hands, and looked out the window, sighing sadly as I saw guards escort some men into the Square. They are all to be executed by the order of the King for giving a man, a sorcerer, a bed for the night. I shook my head and closed my tear-filled eyes, not wanting to see anything else. But I couldn't help but wonder.... If all these men will be beheaded for giving a stranger a bed for the night.... What would happen to Gaius if Uther ever found out that he allowed two magic user to live with him, knowingly?

*Night*

My eyes snapped open as I heard the alarm bell ringing through the castle. At first, I felt a small feeling of joy. Maybe Tom escaped. But then worry settled in. What if he was caught?

*The Next Day*

"NO!!" Morgana and I shared a look as we heard the wail from outside, and I immediately walked over to the window, Morgana following suit, and opened it, feeling my heart break as I saw a tearful Gwen run down the steps into the Square. "No, father!!!" She cried as she ran over to Tom's body, which was carried off on a cart by two guards. "No, FATHER!!" She cried, and I felt Morgana tense before she stormed out of her chambers, while I stayed where I was, watching my friend below with tears of my own. Guinevere just lost her father. Tom is dead.