Gold Coin • Arthur Pendragon

The Labyrinth

--A unicorn is pure of heart. If you kill one, you must make amends by proving that you also are pure of heart. Arthur was willing to sacrifice his life to save yours. He has proven what is truly in his heart. The curse will be lifted. —

Days later, everything had returned to almost normal. This might have been thanks to the fact that Merlin didn't use magic any more than he used to, which meant that Arthur found it rather easy to forget that anything had changed.

Every once in a while, though, Merlin would startle Arthur by popping up seemingly out of nowhere, and all of Arthur's doubts came flooding back.

The one thing that now distracted him was the hunt. A real one this time, with several of his knights in tow, not just a scrawny sorcerer.

There was something ahead, too. It was a large animal. A deer, perhaps. Arthur sent two of his knights around another way and whispered to get Merlin's attention.

"What is it?" Merlin asked.

Arthur kept his eyes trained ahead. "I don't know. We will surround it. I want you to go in there and flush it out."

"You want me to go in there?" Arthur could almost hear Merlin silently telling him what a prat he was. "You just said you don't know what it is. It could be dangerous."

"And if it is," Arthur reminded him, "I know you'll be fine. Now go."

Merlin disappeared into the trees and Arthur followed distantly, at last glimpsing a bit of white fur. So it wasn't a deer then. He aimed the crossbow. Whatever it was, it was perfectly in place. Maybe he'd have caught something special. Maybe it would be something his father would be proud of.

As Arthur let the arrow fly, he thought of what Uther might say. Earning approval of his father had been even more important to him of late. It was as if Arthur felt the need to do extra well to make up for the fact that he was breaking the King's biggest and deadliest law.

Arthur walked closer, and he could see what is was now.

"Ha-ha! A unicorn!"

"What have you done?" Merlin said.

"Don't be such a girl, Merlin." He'd shot a unicorn. A bloody unicorn! It would be the most prized catch of the century! And Merlin was - Merlin was looking behind him?

"What are you looking at?"

Merlin didn't answer, and in context of the recent jubilation, Arthur didn't bother to ask again.

0o0o0o0

"Father!" Arthur announced. "A unicorn's horn to grace the walls of Camelot!" The whole unicorn hadn't been brought up to the council chambers, but Arthur had gotten the horn removed and had Merlin carry it in on a pillow.

It looked magnificent.

"Magnificent." Uther said, repeating Arthur's own thoughts. "It's the first one I've seen." He took the horn and held it up. "Gaius, look at this?"

Gaius dipped his head in acknowledgement. "It is very impressive, My Lord."

The resigned, insincere praise had arrived, and Arthur wanted to swing at it with his sword, smash it with a mace, do whatever it took to get it to go away. Arthur deserved this moment of pride, and here Gaius and Merlin were trying to ruin it.

"What is it, Gaius?" Uther asked, recognizing the same symptoms Arthur had. "Speak your mind."

"Unicorns are rare and mystical creatures," Gaius said. "There is a legend that says that bad fortune will come to anyone who slays one."