The Citadel, Camelot, Saturday Evening-ish Fandom Time
Things had been going from bad to worse, and they were just degenerating by the second. First, Aredian had paraded in three more 'witnesses' who had all seen 'horrible visions of magic' around town. Arthur's father had been appropriately moved, and had of course promised to do whatever Aredian wished.
Arthur was fairly sure Merlin hadn't done anything that stupid. He hoped.
"The sorcerer laughs in your face!" Aredian intoned. "Even now, magic flourishes on the streets of Camelot!"
"I scarcely believe it," Uther breathed, his face growing pale.
The frown on Aredian's face was downright triumphant. "And yet it is the truth, my lord!" he called. "Fortunately, I have utilized every facet of my craft to bring this to a swift resolution."
"The sorcerer..." Uther leaned forward. He watched Aredian as the man paced between the courtiers. "You have a suspect?"
"Oh, I do, my lord," Aredian promised. "I regret to say--" He didn't look like he regretted anything-- "that they stand among us in this very room."
A collective gasp passed through the courtiers present. Arthur privately felt glad he'd had the forsight to tell the girls to stay away from the audience chamber this time around, but he couldn't help but glance Morgana's way. She looked even paler than usual. God-- he hadn't even thought about what this might mean for her.
"My methods are infallible!" Aredian, meanwhile, was revving up to his final speech. "My findings, incontestable! The facts point to one person, and one person alone! The boy, Merlin!"
And that was when it really went to hell.
---
And now Arthur was standing here, arms crossed, fingers twitching to do something, as Aredian had several of his guards destroying most of Gaius's chambers looking for some proof. Fortunately, even Uther would not burn a man simply on an accusation. They needed some material proof, and Arthur knew that anything Merlin might have owned that was in any way suspicious laid in Arthur's rooms, not Merlin's chamber in Gaius's home.
Merlin didn't actually go back there a lot, these days.
Still, it took him everything not to push into the fray and demand that Aredian stop and now - in fact, the look on Gaius's face as some of his life's work was manhandled nearly broke his composure.
"There is nothing here, Aredian," Arthur snarled snapped at last.
Aredian turned around very slowly. "I'll be the judge of that," he said, his voice pitching low.
Arthur squared his shoulders. It was a fight now. He didn't like the man threading on his territory as it was.
"You there, upend that stool! Be sure to check for hollow legs!" So much for Gaius's favourite chair. "And you! Upend those powder jars!"
A jar went smashing to the ground into a million pieces. But it wasn't just powder that hit the ground. It was something else, too. A bracelet. Aredian paced towards it and picked it up off the ground, holding it up triumphantly.
The blood in Arthur's veins ran cold.
"An amulet of enchantment," Aredian observed, "Were you aware, physician, that your assistant kept instruments of sorcery?"
"No," Gaius breathed. He looked as devastated as Arthur felt.
Oh, Merlin. You couldn't have possibly been that stupid, could you? Please... (He might have been less optimistic if he'd known that right that minute, Merlin was down in the dungeons, covertly watching videos of squirrel-like kittens being fed with the aid of chopsticks on his iPhone and flipping through pictures of Arthur sleeping.)
"Now, my work here is done," Aredian said, pleased. He turned around and marched for the door. "I must inform the king."
Something-- Arthur would have to break Merlin out of the dungeons when he had the chance. Arrange some kind of distraction with Karla's help, then take him out of the citadel and to the borders. Or perhaps to Karla's Kaeleer, or Francine and Katchoo's home. To be safe. Somewhere.
"Aredian!"
Gaius's voice broke through Arthur's panicked thoughts.
"I know for certain that does not belong to Merlin," Gaius snapped. "It belongs to me."
Aredian smiled.
Sir Leon gently grasped a hold of Gaius's arm. Then with the help of a guard, he began to drag the old man out of his home.
Arthur felt relief, and then a desperate, clawing guilt, and finally, despair. It was Gaius; they would not recover easily from his loss.
But there was nothing he could do.
[[ open for reactions from anyone in Camelot who isn't currently incarcerated. ]]
Arthur was fairly sure Merlin hadn't done anything that stupid. He hoped.
"The sorcerer laughs in your face!" Aredian intoned. "Even now, magic flourishes on the streets of Camelot!"
"I scarcely believe it," Uther breathed, his face growing pale.
The frown on Aredian's face was downright triumphant. "And yet it is the truth, my lord!" he called. "Fortunately, I have utilized every facet of my craft to bring this to a swift resolution."
"The sorcerer..." Uther leaned forward. He watched Aredian as the man paced between the courtiers. "You have a suspect?"
"Oh, I do, my lord," Aredian promised. "I regret to say--" He didn't look like he regretted anything-- "that they stand among us in this very room."
A collective gasp passed through the courtiers present. Arthur privately felt glad he'd had the forsight to tell the girls to stay away from the audience chamber this time around, but he couldn't help but glance Morgana's way. She looked even paler than usual. God-- he hadn't even thought about what this might mean for her.
"My methods are infallible!" Aredian, meanwhile, was revving up to his final speech. "My findings, incontestable! The facts point to one person, and one person alone! The boy, Merlin!"
And that was when it really went to hell.
---
And now Arthur was standing here, arms crossed, fingers twitching to do something, as Aredian had several of his guards destroying most of Gaius's chambers looking for some proof. Fortunately, even Uther would not burn a man simply on an accusation. They needed some material proof, and Arthur knew that anything Merlin might have owned that was in any way suspicious laid in Arthur's rooms, not Merlin's chamber in Gaius's home.
Merlin didn't actually go back there a lot, these days.
Still, it took him everything not to push into the fray and demand that Aredian stop and now - in fact, the look on Gaius's face as some of his life's work was manhandled nearly broke his composure.
"There is nothing here, Aredian," Arthur snarled snapped at last.
Aredian turned around very slowly. "I'll be the judge of that," he said, his voice pitching low.
Arthur squared his shoulders. It was a fight now. He didn't like the man threading on his territory as it was.
"You there, upend that stool! Be sure to check for hollow legs!" So much for Gaius's favourite chair. "And you! Upend those powder jars!"
A jar went smashing to the ground into a million pieces. But it wasn't just powder that hit the ground. It was something else, too. A bracelet. Aredian paced towards it and picked it up off the ground, holding it up triumphantly.
The blood in Arthur's veins ran cold.
"An amulet of enchantment," Aredian observed, "Were you aware, physician, that your assistant kept instruments of sorcery?"
"No," Gaius breathed. He looked as devastated as Arthur felt.
Oh, Merlin. You couldn't have possibly been that stupid, could you? Please... (He might have been less optimistic if he'd known that right that minute, Merlin was down in the dungeons, covertly watching videos of squirrel-like kittens being fed with the aid of chopsticks on his iPhone and flipping through pictures of Arthur sleeping.)
"Now, my work here is done," Aredian said, pleased. He turned around and marched for the door. "I must inform the king."
Something-- Arthur would have to break Merlin out of the dungeons when he had the chance. Arrange some kind of distraction with Karla's help, then take him out of the citadel and to the borders. Or perhaps to Karla's Kaeleer, or Francine and Katchoo's home. To be safe. Somewhere.
"Aredian!"
Gaius's voice broke through Arthur's panicked thoughts.
"I know for certain that does not belong to Merlin," Gaius snapped. "It belongs to me."
Aredian smiled.
Sir Leon gently grasped a hold of Gaius's arm. Then with the help of a guard, he began to drag the old man out of his home.
Arthur felt relief, and then a desperate, clawing guilt, and finally, despair. It was Gaius; they would not recover easily from his loss.
But there was nothing he could do.
[[ open for reactions from anyone in Camelot who isn't currently incarcerated. ]]