Caught in the Storm

Chapter Twelve

12. The Truth Comes Out In At The Worst Times

Merlin and Arthur were washing off the mashed berries from their faces in the nearby river, "Gaia berries worked. Huh." Arthur says rubbing his face as Merlin pauses to look over at the Prince.

"You didn't know if they worked?" Merlin asked not happy at the risk that they had both just taken.

"Not for sure."

"Now you tell me?! Oh! Oh, what's that Wilddeoren eating? It's all right. It's just Merlin. You trying to get us both killed?" says in a slightly panicked rage of the realization he almost just died, or Arthur could have just died.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't've risked your life like that." the blonde man says which was a rare occasion when the Prince apologized to his manservant.

"Well, they do say love makes you do strange things," Merlin says earning a confused look from the blonde haired man beside him.

"What are you talking about?"

"Why can't you just admit your feelings for Magdelena?" Merlin says, "Or should I say Mags?" Arthur just scoffs at the servant's words, "It's so obvious. A blind man could see it. Is it really that hard to admit you like her? Just say it."

"I can't!" Arthur snaps looking at his servant slightly angered that he was admitting this, "How can I admit that I think about her all the time. Or that...I care about her more than anyone. How can I admit that...I don't know what I'll do if any harm comes to her?" 

"Why can't you?"

"Because nothing can ever happen between us! To admit my feelings knowing that...hurts too much," Arthur says his voice grew softer than the harsh tone he had just used to snap at the raven-haired boy.

"Who's to say nothing can happen?"

"My father won't let me rescue a servant. Do you honestly believe he'd let me marry one?" Arthur asks looking at Merlin with a questioning look, shocked to find Merlin smirking at him.  

"You want to marry Maggie?" Merlin asks.

"No! No...I...I don't know...It's all talk, and that's all it can ever be," Arthur tells him.

"When you're King, you can change that," Merlin says hope was clear in his voice.

"Mags is your sister, aren't you meant to be warning me to leave your little sister alone, or else?" Arthur asks thinking of what he would do if he had a younger sibling who was a female, and as beautiful as- he stopped himself from thinking that.

"She is actually the older twin," Merlin says, "I know she feels something for you." Arthur looked at the man who was watching him with a small smile on his face, Arthur almost hoped that everything that Merlin was saying was possible.

"Wait, you two are twins?" Arthur asked in shock making Merlin laugh, "I couldn't ask Mags to wait for me."

"This may come as a shock to you but Maggie will wait for you if she feels the same way," Merlin tells him, "And as I said she feels something for you." 

"We don't even know if she and Gwen are alive," Arthur points out. 

"No, she is. We will find her." 

"Come on. We've got a long trek ahead. Oh, and Merlin...if you dare tell anyone about this, I promise I will make your life a living hell." Arthur threatens his servant who seemed rather unfazed by the threat.

"You mean, more than you already do?" Merlin asks with only a bit of humor, which is confirmed by the Prince as they begin to make their trek toward the place the assumed the two women would be.

Gwen and Lancelot are tied up in the cage Magdelena was standing in front of Hengist who was staring down at her with a cruel glint in his eyes, "Thought you could escape from me?" 

"Well you are your men looked stupid enough," she says shrugging earning a swift blow across the face, smirking slightly as Uther would have a mark on his face when she returned unless that spell she cast when she went to sacrifice herself was still holding.

"Maggie!" Gwen calls out in fear, as Magdelena sends her a small smile and a wink before turning to look back at the man.

"Is that the worst you have? I have been smack harder by a child," she mocks him earning her another swift blow which she only laughs as, "Hengist for a man of such weight you hit like a newborn babe."

"Shall we spare these two!?" Hengist yells out to the cheering bandits who begin to boo, "Or throw this wench in with them and have a real show!" 

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" the crowd chants, Hengist who dragged her toward the cage as the voices got louder the closer she got, and the wilder the men around her became. Only Lancelot and Gwen could see the smirk on her face and the mischevious glint in her eyes. Suddenly the crowd falls silent as Magdelena begins to remove her dress before the chants of the men grew louder. There was a wrap around her chest once again, which no one saw her do, and Gwen remembered her pulled in off.

From nowhere the jacket she had worn appears on her body as the crowd continues to cheer not noticing she had pulled the clothes from nowhere. She walks to the two tied, and unties their hands allowing them to be free, "Now you may try to kill me!" she calls.

"Maggie perhaps antagonizing the man with such beasts is not a good idea," Lancelot says but she just smirks at him.

"Maggie I hope you know what you are doing," Gwen whispers.

"Give me your worst you fat ugly slug!" Magdelena makes eye contact with Hengist.

"Release the Wilddeoren!" the gate opens and Magdelena turns to watch as one of the pink fleshy beasts enter, she sees movement from the side but pays no mind as she looks at the creature who goes to get Gwen who was holding onto Lancelot for dear life, "Let see how tough you are if your friends are dead."

Magdelena walks forward touching the beast who was sniffing and squealing, "Hello love," the crowd falls silent as the beast calms, "What a handsome boy you are." She says petting the beast who nuzzled into the woman. 

"What is happening here!" Hengist yells out, "Get in there and kill them!" suddenly someone runs and jumps over the cage landing near the two other in the cage, the masked man pulls off his mask showing Arthur.

"Greeting your grace," Magdelena says bending her legs a little while still petting the beast, "Do you think Uther would allow me to keep him?" 

"Lancelot what are you doing here?" the Prince asks looking over at the other man.

"Saving Gwen, I would add Magdelena but she seems to be able to handle herself," he says as the three just look at her confused as she places a kiss on the top of the creatures head. 

"The tunnel, that's our only chance. Merlin! Don't sit there cowering, let's go!" He yells making Magdelena perk up at the sound of Merlin's name, she watches him jump into the cage like Arthur had, at the same time that Hengist entered the cage looking like a red fat glob of human.

Magdelena smiles at the man who goes to open the door but the gate was locked, her smile fell as she made eye contact with the man, "Dinner. Is. Served." the Wilddeoron surges forward snigging the air a few times before finding his target, she was watching but someone grabbed her hand and dragged her toward the tunnel, "Stay safe dear friend!" she yells at the beast who was feasting.