18When they arrived back at the castle, Arthur carried Merlin in his arms and was met by his other brothers, the knights. They saw Merlin and saw Arthur's mad face. Arthur was not surprised to see Lancelot anywhere in the throng.
"Arthur…." Merlin sighed as he flinched from pain. Arthur looked down at his non blood brother and gently gave him to Percival who took him. "shh, it will be okay.," Arthur whispered.
"What happen?" Gwaine asked watching Merlin disappear into the castle and then looking back at Arthur who gave a laugh as mad as hell. He then said in a cold tone, " It seems we have a traitor lurking about. Someone raped Merlin," here the knights looked disgusted at the thought and curled their hands into fist, " and abused him because he found out where there real loalyiys lie. He did it to protect me and I fear all of the kingdom."
Gwaine licked his lips and stepped forward, he looked madder than a hell hound and was ready to cut the person's throat's out for what they had done. How could they have been so blinded, he thought. He looked to their king and he wondered if Arthur blamed himself more than he did the person.
"Who was it Arthur," Leon asked in a soft tone, " Who was the basterd. I will tear him to pieces you hear me."
Arthur looked at the knights and then said, " do not blame yourselves for what has happen nor for not seeing the person's actions, Merlin will not want that. The person, as I have found out, is on Morgana's side and is not all alive, but merely a shadow of his former self. The person, or should I say sprit that has done this, is none other than our dead brother and knight, Lancelot Du Lake."
There was a stony silence then Gwaine shook his head, " No, Arthur that cannot be true, but I fear it is, isn't. Dead men cannot come back to life. "
Arthur gave a small nod of the head, " My sister brought him back and tainted him with orders. We shall have our revenge!" and then stalk up the steps of the castle and to the throne room, where he paused, his mind of Merlin and what he had been told. He looked to the others who looked stricken as he must have had and anger full. He looked to the guards of the door and said to them, " Bring me Lancelot Du Lake. He is a traitor of the kingdom and shall be dealt with within this hour."
The guards glanced at each other and rushed to obey, and then Arthur's uncle came in his hair looking windswept. He looked at his king and nephew, " I have heard what as happen, can you be so sure Arthur the mere boy speaks the truth?"
Arthur looked at his uncle, " His body can tell it for him, uncle, do not question my actions or my sources. And do not ever question Merlin he has done far more for this kingdom then anyone gives him credit for." He looked to the knights, " Stay with Merlin and protect him as if he were me if something happen to go wrong."
"But sire, we want to-" Elyne started to say to his king.
"No, this is something I must do alone. I stand belter chance of hearing what he has planned and keeping my anger in check unlike you might be in this situation. Besides Merlin needs his friends and brothers. Go."
The knights went and as Arthur watch the door and then looked outside where he could see the yellow dappled sun, the door opened and in came in Lancelot, the dead knight, traitor, and the tormentor of Merlin. The guards dropped him at Arthur's feet and Arthur bade them leave as well as his uncle who hesitated but Arthur ordered him to stand watch outside and that he would call should he need him. He left and the knight smiled as if he knew everything, and he did.
"So the little magic wilding shit is still alive, then? And here I hoped that I had kicked him far too many times and heard his yelling as I made use of him for my own….ah…needs, but I guess it was too few. Such a shame seeing how he did it all for you." Lancelot grinned up at Arthur but as Arthur knew it was not the Lance who he had knighted all those years ago. " I shall have great fun killing him this time around and letting Morgana fuck the little shit's brains out of him. And then we shall all watch Camelot fall.
Arthur licked his lips and matched over to the man, he backhanded him, but unlike a living man who would have groaned and bleed the dead knight just laughed, and that is when Arthur knew he would not be able to keep his anger in check. Oh now his control went out the window as it did whenever his family, the knights and Merlin, was concern.
"Tell me why you did it?" he asked and the man did not answer him. Arthur pulled at his head and leaned him back so he could see into his lifeless eyes, " Tell me damn it! Why Merlin? Why did you hurt him?"
Because, sire," he spit out, " I am not the knight you thought me to be. That Lancelot died and I was reborn into this body for my mistress who will rule the kingdom after you fall of death. I was to infiltrate the castle, make you all trust me, and you did, I was to, on the eve of the full moon, lead a garrison into the kingdom and watch as all fell down. Morgana was to kill you, kill the knights, kill the whore you so love, and then take Merlin and get anything she could out of him, the boy knows too much and is always there when her plans go wrong."
Arthur shook his head; this would have happen too would he not have gone after Merlin when he ran. He thanked the gods that he loved Merlin so, that was his only family left.
"But, then, Merlin found me out. Saw me talking with Morgouse in the forest. He tried to attack me to keep you` and the others safe but he is not at all strong as he thinks."
Arthur kept silent about that but he said, " and you started to do all these things to him to keep him quite, then? What made you think he wouldn't tell me or someone else, Merlin values other lives over his own."
"Yes," Said the not Lancelot and he laughed, " that is true and that is why I told him if he were to tell then I would take you and do everything I did or will do to him to you but tenfold. He was a good boy after that, you should ask him. He liked it."
"Shut up," Arthur snapped, " you are a harbor of disgust and what you did to Merlin will be turned back onto you. You would have broken an honorable and courageous man, but he ran before you could finish him off. What you have done is an act of killing and for that you will pay. And tell you Mistress, that is if you see her shall you still be alive- no even though you are dead you shall not see her, I will find a way to kill you once more, for real this time, and send your head back to her."
You wouldn't kill a brother would you Arthur. I am your knight after all."
"No you are not." Hissed Arthur at him and then he called for his guards.
"Take him to the dungeon for now, I shall deal with him soon, first I must find how to kill the dead and make you feel like a living man would." He said and then watched him get dragged off he went down the hall and headed to guais' chambers to see Merlin, the knights, and learn from his no-blood uncle Gaius just how to kill a dad man and let him feel pain. Yes, and maybe he would leave the others in there with them as they must have seem Merlin's true condition. Yes, he had hell to pay.
Sorry for taking soooooo long to update but this story is hard to write for some reason. So thank you to those that have reviewed and alerted. I have one more chap left for this story so until then…please review!