Within Your Heart

*headdesk* My apologies to Everyone who might have read this chapter as you might have all thought i've gone mad. It's what happens when your trying to do 10 things at once. So you ended up with the right chapter of the wrong fic! My sincere apologies and thank you to Racheldr for pointing this out.

Ok so here is the correct chapter for this fic!

-x-

The beast led Merlin through the castle. Candles were now lit making the place seem a little less cold than it had been, but the candles created odd shadows and Merlin’s nerves were already wrecked. He kept jumping when he heard things or thought he saw movement when he was certain there was none. Things seemed to move within the shadows, making Merlin even more nervous He couldn’t quite stop himself from crying either. He’d managed to move from being trapped within a town that didn’t want him, to being trapped within castle walls where he would never see another person he knew ever again. At least he wouldn’t have to see Uther again. That was some small mercy. He suddenly found this extremely funny and began to laugh and suddenly realised he couldn’t stop. He continued to walk even as his hysterics overtook him. It was either that or he would start crying his eyes out again. In his state he missed the deep blue eyes looking at him with concern.

“Is he alright?” he asked the sword he had picked up.

“Mmmph?” Lancelot replied. Arthur shifted his paw.

“Is he alright?” he asked once more, annoyance filling his voice.

“What do you think? The boy lost his mother. Came traipsing all the way here. Found her locked in a dungeon, cold and sick. Had her ripped away from him and told he would never see her again. Then finding out he was a prisoner. Now my Lord, how would you be feeling in that situation?” Arthur growled in his throat, but Lancelot didn’t even so much as shudder.

He knew the prince had gone too far with this. He was glad that Arthur had relented as much as to be giving the boy a room. He had seriously thought that the boy would have been left down in the dungeons to rot. It would have been a shame. Merlin was quite pretty, for a boy. Blue eyes, dark hair, skin like porcelain, full lips. Shame about the ears but no one could be perfect, but they were cute in their own way. Lancelot grimaced. That was Gwen talking. And why was he thinking of the lad like that anyway?

However, he had noticed the strange light that had accompanied the boy earlier. Lancelot knew magic when he saw it. It would appear that this almost fragile looking boy possessed magic, at least to some degree. It was hard to tell how powerful that magic was. His mind quickly turned to other possibilities. Perhaps this Merlin could be the one to lift the curse? Free them from the constant reminder of their prince’s failings. With that thought, his mind remembered his liege. What would Arthur think about that? It was something that would have to be discussed in great depth later. But for the time being he urged in a whisper,

“Talk to him.” Arthur raised a scaled eyebrow sceptically.

“About what? The weather?” Lancelot crossed his cross guard. Arthur sighed. “Your name is Merlin?” he finally asked the boy when it seemed he had calmed down from his sudden burst of hysterics.

“Yes,” he replied quietly.

“You can call me; my lord, sire, your highness-” A cough cut him off and he looked back at the sword who glared at him, the prince sighed before correcting himself, “You can call me Arthur,” he grouched.

“Arthur?”

“Yes. Well, I’d rather you didn’t call me ‘beast’ all the time. It is rather derogatory you know. I do have a name.” Merlin wasn’t convinced. This Arthur, no matter what he looked like, seemed to have an ego that matched the size of his castle. He didn’t bother replying though. “This is your home now. You can go anywhere within it or the grounds, but you are not allowed to enter the south wing.” That piqued Merlin’s curiosity.

“What’s in the south w-?”

“I forbid it!” Arthur turned, rising to his full height, showing his teeth and flapping his wings slightly. Merlin flinched, and then nodded. Arthur was a little annoyed at himself seeing the boy recoil like that, but he would never admit it. They continued on until they reached a door. It didn’t seem any different from the hundreds of others they had seemed to pass. Arthur pushed it open. Candles were already sitting in the room, glowing as brightly as they could manage. Merlin walked in but paid little attention to his surroundings.

“Ask him to dine with you,” Lancelot hissed to Arthur.

“You will join me for dinner. That’s an order.” He turned around and slammed the door just as Merlin turned to shout at him. He screamed at the door instead. A mirror in the room shattered within its gold frame. Merlin collapsed on the bed, silent tears escaping once more.

-x-

“Why, that- that impudent wretch! Who does he think he is to refuse an offer like that? I’m sure he hasn’t had better. No one says no to me!” Uther was sitting in the tavern. His blood was boiling with anger and embarrassment. “Rejected and humiliated in front of the whole town. That boy needs putting over a knee and given a good beating. When I get hold of him, I will make sure he gets the beating of his life. I’ve never seen such insolence.” Mordred nodded on cue.

“Would you like more wine, sir?” Uther stood in rage and threw his goblet against the wall. The receptacle dented with the force, leaving the contents to trickle down the stone.

“No I bloody don’t!” He looked as if he was going to hit Mordred for a moment. Everyone in the tavern fell silent, nervous eyes gazing at their leader with worry. After a long moment with his chest heaving with fury, Uther relaxed slightly, letting his shoulders slump a little and the blood drain away from his face again. “Drinking doesn’t help. If anything, it’s making it worse. Those blue eyes haunt me, Mordred. I wonder if he has put a spell on me. I detest magic!” He spat on the floor like the word had a bad taste. He lounged back into his chair with a surprising grace, he propped his arm on the rest and leaned his chin on his hand thoughtfully.

“Surely not, sir?” Mordred replied. He knew his master’s ego needed stroking. It was better for him if Uther was in a good mood. “You are the most powerful man in this room. No mere spell could affect you, sir.” Uther raised his eyebrow a little.

“Well, of course not. Spells like that are only for the feeble minded. I am not feeble minded. Magic is for the weak to hide behind. Merlin for example would be nothing without it. The boy doesn’t compare to me in strength of course. Perhaps I can beat it out of him. Teach him who rules around here.” His voice was little more than a growl as he glared around the room as if daring someone to say otherwise. Everyone else had returned to their drinks when they had realised nothing was going to happen.

“But of course sir. Every man in this room wants to be you and every woman wants to be with you. But no one compares to you, sir.” Mordred continued slowly teasing at Uther’s ego to bring the stern man into a better mood.

“That’s because I am the best. No one will dare to deny it either.” His eyes sparkled at the thought. Mordred nodded, seeing his master finally starting to pull out of his anger and returning to a more tranquil mood.

“You are the strongest man here. The bravest. The best fighter. The best hunter. No one can stand against you. You are the most handsome man in Ealdor, the most powerful. Why would you worry over a mere farm boy? He will bend to you, sir.” Uther stood once more and looked around the room to see if anyone disagreed with Mordred’s adulation, but they were all nodding in agreement with what the boy had said. Uther was too self-centred to notice the fear in some of their eyes.

Most of what the servant had said was true. Uther was the strongest and was certainly a good hunter, skills he could use to his own devices. Uther would probably kill them if they disagreed. It wasn’t unheard of in Ealdor for an unfortunate person to have been found dead with an arrow through their heart. No one pointed the finger. There was no need. Everyone knew who had done it, but no one dared speak up in fear of sharing the same fate.

There were a few present in the tavern who really did agree with what had been said. Trusted lackeys of Uther’s, a group of men more than willing to strengthen Uther’s grip on the town in hope that they would gain in the future. No one disagreed with them either. They could be just as cruel as their leader. Black eyes and broken limbs had been common symptoms of a run in with one of them.

Helen and Sophia sighed happily in a corner. They would never disagree with what had been said either. They kept their gleeful eyes on the man of their dreams. They both knew that if they could win Uther they would have the whole town at their feet. It was their hunger for power that fed their lust and they wouldn’t have Uther any other way or a word spoken against him. They could be just as spiteful and cruel as the men, although their power lay in their tongues. It was just as easy to break people with gossip as it was with fists.

“Of course he will. He just has a lot of spirit. I like that.” He frowned a bit and lowered his voice so only Mordred could hear. “It will make it all the more pleasurable when I break it. And I will break him.” Mordred was about to reply when the door swung open with a loud bang letting in the cold wind. Everyone paused their drinking once more to look.

“Please! Someone help me!”

“Hunith?” Aulfric, one of the townsmen standing at the bar sneered as the woman stumbled in.

“What’s she doing here?” another replied.

“Crazy old cow,” yet another whispered into his tankard and continued drinking. Hunith ignored them.

“Please! I need someone to help! He’s got him! He’s locked up!” She looked around pleadingly, eyes wide with fear. Uther stood lazily, swaggered over to the woman and held onto her arms a little too roughly.

“Now, Hunith. What’s this about?” Hunith didn’t care who she was talking to, she just knew her son needed help.

“Merlin! Merlin’s a prisoner!” Uther smiled down at her cruelly.

“Of course he is.” Hunith pulled away from the firm grip, taking a few steps back, a frown marring her face.

“In the castle in the forest, there’s a monster. He’s got Merlin.” Everyone in the tavern paused then laughed heartily.

“A monster!” a villager cried. “Listen to that! Is it a big monster, Hunith?” he said, maliciously encouraging her to continue.

“Yes, huge! Bigger than you!” she told the speaker without realising she was being mocked. She turned to Uther and pointed a finger. “Bigger than you even.”

“Is he really ugly?” Kanen, one of Uther’s men sneered. Hunith nodded violently, eyes still wide,

“Like a nightmare.”

“Large teeth and claws?” Valiant added, getting in on the joke with the others.

“They would rip a man to shreds!” the hysterical woman replied. “Please, someone help me.” Tauren and Kanen moved up beside her and looked to Uther who smiled once more and gave a quick nod. Hunith looked at the two men beside her warily, suddenly noticing their proximity.

“Of course we’ll help you my dear. We’ll help you… Out of the tavern.” He nodded to the two men once more and they picked her up by her arms. Hunith struggled against them and screamed. She tried struggling but their grip was too tight. Uther laughed heartily as she was thrown unceremoniously out of the door. They shut the door behind her, shutting out the chill and returned to their drinks amid cheers and pats on the back. They saluted their friends with their drinks and continued downing them.

“Crazy woman,” Kanen smiled to his companion who nodded in earnest. Uther caught the insult and paused.

“Are you alright, sir?” Mordred asked his master carefully, cautious as to not arouse his anger again, unsure how his master was after the strange intrusion. Uther slowly looked down at his servant with a grin that made the boy flinch. There was a slight madness in his eyes that Mordred knew spelt trouble for someone.

“I have been thinking. That woman is Merlin’s mother.” Mordred nodded. Uther crossed one arm across his chest while his other hand rested against his chin thoughtfully. “I believe, Mordred, I have a way of getting Merlin’s attention in such a way that there is no way he can refuse me.”

-x-

Outside, Hunith pushed herself off of the ground, ignoring the scrapes on her hands and face. She stumbled across the square and continued her cries for help in the silence as the first snow of the year began to fall.