Merlyn - Arthur x Female Merlin [1]

Chapter Three: The Truth

Merlyn had been dragged down to the dungeons and thrown into one of the many cells that had a layer of hay on the floor and a rough, tattered and torn blanket that she assumed was meant to be a bed. As Merlyn sat down on the blanket she cursed herself for not wearing her coat this morning, she had no blanket and the cells were cold and as night loomed it would only get colder. Merlyn sighed as she leaned back against the wall of her cell and placed her hands on her bent knees. How could she have been so stupid? She picked a fight with a knight, who turned out to be the bloody prince! Now she was in a heap of trouble if Arthur decided to press charges; assaulting royalty could end up with the worst kind of punishment. Merlyn didn't know this prince, the prince she had met all those years ago was kind and sweet, he wouldn't have hurt anyone unless he had to, this prince was quite happy to punish his servants for nothing ... god only knows what he does to people who damage his reputation.

Merlyn closed her eyes and thought back to the day she met Arthur. She only spent a few short days with the boy but she had been so happy. She had learnt so much about the boy and she never forgot how excited he was about her magic, how he looked at her with wonderment. In that moment, for once, she had felt like her magic was a gift, it was something special and beautiful. It was something she would never forget ... but now that boy was gone.

Deciding to forget about Arthur, Merlyn lay down on the hard stone floor that she could still feel beneath the blanket and hay and closed her eyes. She was in for a long night.

~8~

Arthur hadn't slept all night. He had laid awake thinking about Merlyn. He was certain that the Merlyn who fought him yesterday had been the young girl who had saved his life all those years before. Arthur had never forgotten the girl, it was the first time he had ever seen magic being used. It was because of her, Arthur had always privately questioned his father's actions against the magical community. That girl had saved him, buried the dead and returned with him to Camelot and not once did she use her magic against him. She was just a child but Arthur knew that Uther would have still had her head, yet for what reason?

Arthur had kept his promise to her, he had never told a soul about her gifts. He had never thought he would see her again yet here she was in Camelot, questioning his actions against Morris. He had to admit that maybe he had been a little harsh on Morris but then it didn't excuse Merlyn humiliating him in front of his knights and the townsfolk. Arthur sighed as his mind once again ran over the situation. He wasn't sure whether or not he was angry at her for her actions or happy to meet someone who treated him as an equal or if he was almost relieved to see her again.

Swiftly, he made his way down to the dungeons, whatever was the case Merlyn didn't need to be in the cells any longer. Knowing his way around the castle Arthur got to the dungeons quickly. He ordered the guards to give him the keys before he made his way down to the cell which Merlyn currently resided. He stopped just outside her cell. She was sleeping on the floor with no blanket on, her dark locks trailing down her back. She looked so peaceful.

Arthur wasn't sure how to act around her. This was his Merlyn, the Merlyn that everyone else had obviously forgotten about ... but she was a commoner and he couldn't have a friend who was a commoner even though a part of him did want to be her friend. Hell, a part of him was curious to know what magic she had learnt to do over the last decade. That's when a thought struck him still. What if she didn't know him? What happens if she hadn't remembered like he had? A decade was a long time.

Suddenly, Merlyn's eyes flashed open. She stumbled to her feet and was staring at the floor of the cell. Hay was stuck in her hair and she looked quite dishevelled. However, Arthur felt a twinge of concern as Merlyn stared at the ground in confusion. He silently watched as she dropped to her knees and placed her head against the floor like she was listening for something. He had no idea what she was searching for though. He couldn't hear anything. After a few more moments where neither of them moved, Arthur sighed and slipped the key into the cell's lock. At the noise, Merlyn shot to her feet and froze at the sight of him.