AM I THE ONE? | ARTHUR PENDRAGON [1]

To Kill the King

*Third Person's P.O.V.*

"Pass the salt please, Merlin." Gaius said politely as he, Merlin, and Annabelle sat at breakfast only an hour after Morgana's meeting with Tauren. Merlin, who was staring at his bowl for the past five minutes, slowly reached out his hand, without looking up, to grasp an object on the table before passing it to Gaius. The Court Physician's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and slight worry as he looked down at the apple in his hand, and he looked over at Merlin and Annabelle, who both held solemn expressions as they stared at their food silently. "Are you two alright?" Gaius asked, concerned, as he saw tears in Annabelle's eyes, who strongly held them back, even though she just found out that her best friend is going to betray the King and Camelot.
"What?" Both Merlin and Annabelle spoke up quietly, finally looking up.
"Yeah." Merlin nodded, lying. Even though he is a terrible liar, he decided to take this situation on his shoulders, seeing that Morgana's betrayal has hit Annabelle hard. But of course, being the strong woman that she is, Annabelle refused to break down. She refused to let her tears fall. "We've just got a few things on our minds, that's all."
"Anything you'd like to talk to me about?" Gaius asked gently as he put down the apple, still glancing at Annabelle worriedly.
"I can't imagine you'd be interested." Annabelle spoke up for the first time, and Gaius tried to look into her eyes to find out what's really wrong. Unfortunately for him, unlike her brother, Annabelle was not easy to read.
"So long as you're both sure." Gaius said softly, and Merlin gave a slight nod.
"We should be getting to work." He said, before getting up from the bench he was sitting on and heading towards the door behind him as Annabelle stood up.
"Er, Merlin?" Gaius called as he saw the young man walking towards the door, and Merlin turned around to look at him questioningly. "That's a broom cupboard."

*10 Minutes Later*

    Not keeping to what they told Gaius, Merlin and Annabelle walked down the tunnel stairway, with Merlin carrying a lit torch, and entered the Great Dragon's cave. Looking at the Dragon, who seemed to be asleep on the big rocks in front of them, Annabelle cleared her throat loudly, not having time to be gentle about waking him up.
    The Great Dragon stirred before opening his eyes and looking at the two magicians as he sat up slowly, trying not to yawn.
"Well, young sorceress." He nodded at Annabelle, before bringing his gaze onto Merlin and giving him a nod. "Young warlock." He then looked back at Annabelle. "What is it that you come to ask of me?"
"I need your help." Annabelle said in an unusually shaky voice, forgetting to mention her brother as her eyes pleaded with the Dragon, whose eyes seemed to soften a bit.
"Of course you do." He nodded, speaking surprisingly softly. "But this time, will you heed my words?"
"The sorcerer, Tauren, is plotting to kill the King." Merlin said, stepping forward, not wanting to burden his sister with the explanations. "He's made an ally of Morgana." At that, Annabelle swallowed hard. "We don't know what to do."
"Do... Nothing." The Great Dragon said.
"What do you mean?" Merlin asked, his tone becoming slightly cold. "If we do nothing, Uther will die."
"Don't you both want Uther dead? It is Uther that persecutes you and your sister, and your and her kind, Merlin. It is Uther that murders the innocent-"
"But surely that doesn't make it right to kill him." Annabelle spoke up for the first time, stepping forward. "We do that, we're just as bad as him."
"Only if Uther dies, can magic return to the land. Only if Uther dies, will you both be free, Annabelle. Uther's reign is at an end. Let Arthur's reign begin." The Great Dragon said, looking at the siblings, before leaping off the rocks and up into the air, the shackle on his ankle clattering with every movement. "Fulfill your destinies!"
"Wait!" Merlin called, but was ignored.
"Where does it say our destinies include murder?!" Annabelle yelled, not willing to let the thought of killing an innocent into her head. Even if that innocent was someone like Uther.
"Free this land from tyranny, Annabelle!!" The Great Dragon called from above. "Free us all!!!"