The Smell of Revenge

[Deleted]

Nimueh would have preferred something else than a shabby shack somewhere in the lower town of Camelot to be her waiting place. Of course she would, she didn’t like to get anything on herself dirty, be it her shoes, her gown or her hands. But excitement and concentration almost crowded out this dismay. Today was the day, after weeks of planning, dismissing and forging new plans. This would be the day Merlin would finally pay for turning her own weapons against herself, trying to kill her with a lightening bolt. To stoop that low! It was outrageous! Not to mention that he had all but succeeded. Of course he could not vanquish her entirely but she had been trapped as a mere spirit between life and death, unable to free herself… Oh, he would pay! Killing him was to easy, he should feel the dread of utter FAILURE first!

The plan was simple, yet effective. Merlin, always choosing Arthur’s side over hers, even if he never knew what might come out of it in the future, would now become the tool of Arthur’s destruction. But to achieve this, Merlin’s little do-gooder mind had to be twisted. It was an easy conclusion to come by, really, but nevertheless Nimueh was quite proud of it. Merlin, who always saw the good in anyone, would now be forced to see Arthur in the worst light possible, someone worth to be killed. And oh, he would do it, and if Nimueh had to push him further and further.

But first, Merlin needed to come her way. That was why she hid here, she knew he would be about in Camelot, running errands for either Arthur or Gaius. Really, for a sorceror, Merlin’s life was quite predictable, and didn’t she even do him a favor with allowing him to break out of it? Some just needed to be forced to do what was good for them!
With a smirk, Nimueh composed herself, moving both hands towards her temples and send out a silent mind call towards Merlin. He would hear her, no doubt of that!

“Merlin… Merlin… If you want to save Arthur come to me… Merlin… he is in grave danger… follow my voice… he might die…Merlin… HURRY!”

'Swallow that bait, and see where it will get you, little sorceror wannabe!', she thought with another smirk. Oh, she would get him this time! Arthur was and would always be Merlin’s weak spot.


Tag: Merlin, Arthur
Time: s3, after Nimueh's resurrection
Muse song: Kingdom burning down

[pie]

Merlin was, like usual, running an errand for Arthur. Actually... he had to go back and pick up the Prince's armor that he had left in his room, because, well... It belonged wherever Arthur wanted it, not in Merlin's room. So, he had rushed through the castle to get back to Gaius' place, picked up the armor, and was running back, but... well, Merlin got lost, having been deep in thought at the time of walking.

Sighing irritably, he looked around. Well, he believed he knew where he was. Apparently he had made a wrong turn. Thankfully there was an exit to the castle nearby that would lead him outside, then he could go around and work his way from there. Leaving the castle, he took a deep breath of the clean air -- not that the castle's air wasn't clean.

It was during this time that he was walking in the courtyard right outside the castle, when he heard a voice in his head. It spoke of danger... And Arthur! Merlin dropped the armor noisily -- oops, it seemed he might have dented a few pieces... -- and looked around. It appeared as if the voice was coming from somewhere else in the town, because he saw no one that it might belong to. He also noticed that people had looked his way when he dropped the armor.

Making a hasty apology aloud, he picked up all the armor and looked around again. He was told to follow her voice. Usually these kind of things got him in trouble, but it concerned Arthur! Arthur might die?! What did the Prince do in the small amount of time he'd left him that might get him killed?! He didn't think rationally when it dealt with Arthur.

Carrying the armor, he rushed towards the general direction he thought the voice came from: somewhere in the lower town. He was careful not to run into anyone during his haste, and eventually, he came to a stop outside of a shack. Taking a careful glance around and seeing no one, he set the armor down and entered it. "Hello? Where are you? I've come."

Unknowingly, he fell for the bait that the evil sorceress wanted him to...

[Dun dun dun! lol]

[Deleted]

To her relief and even slight amusement, Nimueh actually didn’t have to wait that long for Merlin to appear. It seemed like she had just chosen the right words for him to actually hurry up. She heard scuttling footsteps outside and then the door creaked in its hinches, sending a ray of sunlight in the dark, gloomy room.
Despite all the cool composure she loved to show the outside world as to be her usual mood, she felt her heartbeat pick up a beat. Well, it was only natural, was it not? She was the predator and he was the prey… only that pouncing on him would not work this time. He had given her a good show on how to beat her with her own weapons. Now she would do the same to him! Say anything about Nimueh, say she’s adaptive!

He then called out and for a moment, Nimueh had to stiffle a dark chuckle. He didn’t sound scared, but very worried. How sweet! Was he really so very concerned about this snotty youngster’s wellbeing? Or was it all about fulfilling his famous destiny? Well, today she would make sure he would fail in both! Losing his friend and losing his destiny…
What a horrible blow all in just one day. Good that she wasn’t prone to feel pity. A different person might even feel remorse about ruining someone’s life so thoroughly. But really, he had it coming. No one tried to kill the High Priestess and simply got away with it!

Focus! She chided herself and slowly made her way to the front room. “Merlin! The Mother be blessed, you arrived!” she exclaimed just as she stepped into the light. She didn’t need to fear to be recognised by him. Small changes to her face which didn’t take a lot of magic had turned her smooth chocolate brown hair into a bushy red mane. Change the eye color to green and add a few freckles – you get a totally different person! Her attire she had already adapted when leaving the Isle of the Blessed: A plain, worn brown cloak and a smiliarly plain bleached out green dress, girded around her waist with a simple leather belt.

Approaching Merlin further, she urgently whispered. “Listen, we don’t have much time. I come from the druids, but I am here without their consent! They would not mind if the things I saw should happen, but I would mind!” She let her words tumble over each other on purpose, to not make it seem like she practised them beforehand. Also she left some important details out for him to ask further. Having it all said in one go would look practised as well.

[gah, sorry, crappy post!]

[pie]

Merlin was deeply worried. What exactly was Arthur in danger of? The Prince managed to get himself in a lot of trouble with different people -- who had he made angry this time? A sorceress? Some mad man upset about losing a son or a fight with him? Or just someone intent on taking his life? There were so many possibilities, and yet it was so hard to determine. Always something new cropped up. How would he have any clue about what was currently unfolding before him?

Just as he was about to call out again, the source of the warning had appeared. A girl with bushy red hair and green eyes stepped into the light, exclaiming in praise about his arrival. He did not question how she knew his name, he just assumed that she would know it because she had come looking for him, because she needed him to help save Arthur. He knew not who the girl in front of him really was.

"I'm here now," he said. "And I'm here to help."

Her clothing style seemed familiar to him. And when she spoke again, he would realize why. She was a druid, or came from the druids, and the mention of her seeing things just made him naturally assume that she was a druid as well. She risked a lot by coming here to try tell him that Arthur was in danger. If anyone on the king's side in Camelot knew, then she would be arrested and killed, information or not.

But what had she seen? And why wouldn't the druids care? As far as he was concerned, the druids owed a lot to Arthur. He helped rescue one of their own, the young boy Mordred, and brought him back to them. Despite the fact that Merlin wished now that he had listened to the Great Dragon and had let the boy die... But still, what was Arthur in danger of? Why did she know it (not that that information concerned him much as of this moment)? How was he to help?

"Shh, it's okay now, the druids aren't here so we don't have to worry about them," he said, mistaking her hasty words as fear. "I'm here to help. Tell me what you saw, and how does it concern Arthur?"

Despite how calmly he spoke those words, his heart was racing in his chest. He was deeply concerned for his friend...

[ I didn't think it was crappy! I liked it! And sorry for the late reply! lol. ]

[Deleted]

Unicorns and dragons, Merlin was annoyingly caring. He didn’t even know her for more than a few seconds and did know even less if he could trust her, but say the magic word ‘Arthur’ and he started to get overeager. And slightly mothering as well. The way her tried to calm her down was almost enough to make her gag. ‘I’m here now’… ‘…here to help’… Wrong, my poor boy! She thought and clenched her teeth. You are here for one single reason. Because I wanted you here, to be the subject and tool of my revenge! You will soon find out about that… but then it will be to late and the deed is done!

Well, obviously that is what you get for acting upset. If it hadn’t spoilt her plan entirely she really would have liked to give him a piece of her mind. She and scared? Worried? Of druids?! They had powers, no question of that, but they were no match for her own! Of course they wouldn’t like to be held responsible for one of her schemes, but why should she care? Maybe, when the fun part was over she even would reveal herself to Merlin. Not for the druids sake, of course… no, but seeing his eyes widen in the revelation who had been the one to make him kill his friend and end his destiny, that suddenly seemed like a very alluring idea.

But back to the task at hand. She was nowhere near finished, maybe not even yet started! “I…I saw…”, she made her voice quiver even if it really rankled her to appear so weak and scared. “Horrible things… Arthur… some sorceror send an evil spirit on its way. It will possess Arthur, making him turn against everything he cares for.” She stopped for dramatic effect, and then continued. “He will forsake his knightly demeanor, his friends… his father!” She actually forced that word out as if it caused her pain. Merlin just had to buy that, he always had a heart for the painstricken! “I saw him kill his father, you understand?! That’s why the druids don’t care, they hate Uther. I don’t like him that much myself” – (oh, truth to my words, she thought with an inward grin) – “but what I saw goes beyond my personal feelings. Son turning against father, this is wrong. It will cause grave destruction!”

She searched Merlin’s gaze and locked it, outwardly forcing herself to calm down from her discomposure, inwardly just starting to tense. “I would try to save him myself, but I would be found out and arrested the minute I set foot in the castle I fear. You are my only hope Merlin, you can get close to him!”

[pie]

With each word the girl spoke, Merlin grew more and more tense at the grim situation. An evil spirit from an evil sorcerer. An evil spirit the evil sorcerer wanted to possess Arthur. To forsake his ways and kill... his father?! Of course! Why didn't he see it before! It always went that way! Uther was the current possessor of the throne of Camelot, to cause destruction would cause chaos in Camelot and the kingdom. Arthur would also stand in the way, but if you could manipulate him...

The girl needed his help to stop Arthur, or to stop what would happen. But how was he to stop it? Did she have a plan? He couldn't let this sorcerer succeed. He was sworn to protect Arthur, even if he wasn't aware of it. He was also sworn to protect him because he was his master, and the Prince... and his friend. If anything happened to him and he could have stopped it... he would never be able to forgive himself, knowing that would break his heart...

"Tell me what I need to do," he said. "I will do anything to stop him." When she searched and locked his gaze, he held it. "I won't let Arthur kill his father, I won't let Arthur forsake who he is. Tell me what to do and I will do it." This was all in the hopes that she actually had an idea. If she didn't, than Merlin would just have to come up with his own. He did so frequently, even if most of the time, he made it worse before making it better. But in the end, they always worked.

He couldn't let this happen. To kill Uther and use Arthur to do it would bring great destruction upon Camelot, bring about chaos and who knows what else. Everything relied upon not letting this happen, just as the girl had said. He wanted to run out and go to Arthur right now, but he couldn't because he had to know what he had to do, or anything else that might help him.

"I'll do anything," he repeated. But did he know what this would entail? ...

[Deleted]

This was far better than she thought it to be. Take an innocent face let it meet a do-gooder and then confront said do-gooder with a horrifying tale out of the innocent face’s mouth. Snap! The trap closes around the poor do-gooder and he’s inside it without even knowing that his doom is afoot.
Actually Nimueh was even a bit disappointed just HOW easy it was to trick Merlin. Not even a teeny tiny doubt in his eyes she needed to disperse first? And she had thought him a match for herself once! He had taken her by surprise back then and that was why he had been able to nearly kill her, but really: As soon as she had found his weakness she could lead him like lamb to the slaughter. She didn’t even need to lead him, he ran to the chopping block on his own accord!

“Thank you, Merlin”, she exclaimed with a long relieved sigh. Thank you indeed for making this a walk on the easy lane… “I knew I could count on you! You don’t have much time!” she urged him, just liking to see that gleaming of panic again in his eyes. It made him look almost sweet. Like a rabbit in a snare… of course not many people would find the sight of a rabbit in a snare sweet… Nimueh did.
“Anything…” she said, weighing the word as if it was too great for her to fully fathom. “You must like him a great deal!”

But before she could completely step out of character, she added: “I am glad you feel that way, this is truly the only way to save him. The curse might even be on his way already, I couldn’t see the exact time but I felt it was close. That’s why I hurried here immediately, after the druids council went so terribly wrong.”

Merlin seemed quite determined to fight this evil at once, and Nimueh had to make sure the plan was not spoilt by this hasty overreaction. She held up a hand, while the other rummaged around in a little bag on her belt.
“Listen to me, I have a plan. It is sketchy, but it is a beginning. Here…” she took a flower out of her bag, a big blossom looking very similar to a red lily. Carefully she laid it into her open palm and examined it for any damage. It was still perfect in any way, good!
Then she held the palm closer to him.
“This flower, it is poweful magic and very rare. By good fortune I found it close by the druids dwelling. It shows you the spirit that might have taken over Arthur already. In the beginning he might act the same, so it is of utmost importance that you see its presence.”

She took a deep breath, then continued. “Sniff the flower and keep it close to you, but hidden. The spirit will seem like a black cloud around Arthur’s shape. Only those who see it can defeat it!”
A good tale, Nimueh had to applaud herself. Laced just with the right amount of truth to make the story plausible. This flower was rare and its smell could make you see things. But only those who weren’t there. After sniffing the blossom’s intoxicating odour, Merlin would stop at nothing to kill Arthur, because in his eyes, the Crown Prince would be the worst man on earth!

[gah, sorry this is uuuberly long Nim wouldn't shut up!]

[pie]

Merlin had always claimed to be perceptive, but when the time came down to really needing that keenness, it wasn't there. So fooled was he by the plight of his friend and this girl's innocence and worry, that he was unaware that this whole thing was a giant hoax. His friend would only be in danger when Merlin fully fell for his old -- and still -- enemy's plan. But how could he expect for her to in fact be the sorceress he had believed he had killed? If he had known, he would only have come to try and stop her. But alas... he did not.

When she informed him that he didn't have much time, his eyes widened slightly. What did he have to do to protect Arthur? He felt his heart racing with the urge of wanting, needing, to immediately do so. "Yes, I care a lot for Arthur," he said, forcing himself to calm. "He is my best friend. I would never wish him harm." But would it appear that way for long? No, it would not...

The curse might already be on its way? But she had a plan, she had to if 'this' was the 'only way to save him', right? The curse was close, that was terrible news indeed. He had to do something, he could not allow Arthur to be possessed! To do so would ruin who the man was! And that in itself would be the fall of Camelot...

"The Druid Council went wrong?" he asked. He could only assume that she meant that they all disagreed to do something about it. Of course, could he blame them? Coming into Camelot even for something like that would still get them killed if they failed to escape. But to literally do nothing...

Merlin stayed still as he watched her reach into her bag, speaking of a plan. She did have one; Great, now he could start right away without the risk of failing. She pulled out a flower -- a red lily perhaps? -- and held it out in her open palm. It was a beautiful flower, and he found his attention attracted to it as the girl spoke. It was a magic flower, rare and powerful, she said. With it, he could see the spirit's presence and save Arthur.

When she continued, Merlin slowly reached out to grasp the flower tentatively in his hand. He lifted it up, staring at it, and looked at her one more time. All he had to do was sniff it? Something in his gut told him not to, but his worry for Arthur told him he had to. He would listen to the latter, and lift the flower to his nose, still watching the druid girl. Pausing but only a moment, he drew in a deep breath, drew in the intoxicating odour that would make him want Arthur dead. The real evil here, would not be a spirit sent by a sorcerer to try and possess Arthur. No... it would be an altered view of perception on Merlin's part.

At first he felt nothing, but then the effects started to take over. He began to feel lightheaded, and swooned a little almost as if he was going to topple over. But he managed to hold his standing position. Something was wrong here... Something that wasn't suppose to be happening, or that he didn't think was suppose to be happening... No... was this a trick? But that thought would quickly be erased from his mind as he failed to fight the powerful magic of the flower. Failed to fight off the 'evil spirit' that would indeed be there, but not to possess Arthur...

He looked up at the girl, his eyes quickly flashing between the gold of his magic and then back to normal in the same instance, almost as if it hadn't happened. He had a new perspective, and he did not want to help Arthur at all. No, he would go to Arthur, but only to drive a dagger through his heart and end his life himself.

"Actually... I think the druids were right," he said slowly, effortlessly like they were his own words. They were his own words. "We shouldn't save Arthur. He is a pressing problem to Camelot and those who wield magic. In fact... I think we should kill him instead."

[ lol, it's okay, because I loved it! Sorry that mine is long, too, lol. ]

[Deleted]

Nimueh really wished Merlin would go on with taking her advice already, sniffing the flowe. This whole ‘he’s my best friend and I would never wish hm any harm’, really got on her nerves after a while. Never wish him any harm? You will be the one inflicting said harm and this time it will be something you will never be able to forgive yourself, Merlin!
And she was sure to enjoy every second of it! She would be there somehow, she wanted to see the devastation flooding Merlin’s eyes, because the spell would be broken as soon as its target was dead. Then Merlin would be either executed or seek a different destiny, now that his old one was no more.
Either way it was a win-win situation for Nimueh!

She forced herself to nod compassionately at his remark, but then waved her hand dismissively as he asked about the Druid’s council. “No time for this, Merlin. I don’t know how much time we have left, and I really fear of being too late!”
Panic was her ally now. She needed to cloud Merlin’s mind with it so thoroughly that he got no time to think this through. He had not heard many bad things from the druids in the past, they were mostly peaceful and even if they hated Uther, their feelings did not extend towards his son. Not yet. Nimueh had always been the one to fight on many different fronts at once. She was already working on getting the druids to do what she wanted.

When he took the flower in his own hands she was on the edge of tapping her foor impatiently. Get it over with Merlin, I want to see some results here! But of course even if this impatience showed in her eyes or in the way she held herself, Merlin would think it was all driven by concern for the prince’s wellbeing. Once again, expectations were helpful in every scheme. Once you set a scene and gave yourself a role you played well, the eyes of your counterparts would be like masked with these role expectations, so minor slips could pass unnoticed.

But then, it was finally time. Nimiueh watched Merlin sniff the flower and tensed. This was the turning point! A powerful magical being like Merlin would be sure to fight whatever was coming his way, that was the reason she had told him it would benefit his cause. A trustful mind would struggle far less against such a curse than if she had thrown it at him unexpectedly. Wasn’t it almost sweet how trustful he was? If he lived that long he would grow more wary in the future, and every new encounter with him would prove even more of a challenge. But if this succeeded, there would be no future for this young warlock. Uther would not rest until he had seen the one taking his son away from him suffer in the worst way possible.

As Merlin’s eyes glowed and then went to normal again, Nimueh knew it was done. She nodded at his thoughtful remark, grabbing his arm gently.
“Yes, Merlin, yes! You are right, I see it now too! Arthur does not deserve to live another day. Look how he treats you every day. He is not your friend, he never has been! Rid us of his troublesome presence, Merlin. This would be a grand deed for sure!”

[pie]

If Merlin had any ounce of an idea as to what was going on to change his view so, he didn't show it. Why? Because he didn't. Deep down there might have been something that still lingered, but the magic's effects were so strong that if there really was, it wouldn't be able to get out. Wouldn't be able to break the enchantment. And so, believing that Arthur really should die, Merlin was in all words: a different person. Accept for appearance, life, and those things. But in personality, perspective, towards his best friend... he was.

He tucked the flower away in his pocket, not realizing it was a source of magic that made him think differently. And he wouldn't realize it, if at all, until it was too late. He was completely under Nimueh's spell, and still believed that she was a druid girl. So when she grabbed his arm gently, he just listened intently, and gave her a quick nod. "Yes, Arthur is a hindrance. But the question is, how do I kill him?"

He knew how. Any way that he could, that's how. And if the question was how did he get to the Prince to do so, why, he was one of the best people to do so. He was with the Prince nearly at all times, running errands for him, going on journeys with him, doing other things with him. In fact, the Prince was probably wondering where he was at this very moment! Wondering where the hell his armor was, or some such thing.

It would be easy to get to Arthur, catch him unawares and out of public, and kill him. If, and that was a strong if, he could catch the Prince when he wasn't paying attention. And alone. He couldn't let everyone see him kill him! And he had to act natural, like nothing was wrong, lest Arthur detect something was amiss. That could ruin the plan. He didn't want that, he had to succeed in this dangerous task.

"Yes, I can't believe that I ever believed Arthur was my friend," he said calmly, truthfully if that's what it could be called. "He treats me terribly. I always passed it off as jokes, but... Now I see through that, they weren't jokes.

"I will kill Arthur Pendragon."

[Deleted]

Merlin was ready to be led to the slaughter, Nimueh observed with a knowing smile. He was past caring, past thinking, the flower had taken complete hold of his mind and soul. Gone was the clumsy warlock with a heart so golden it made Nimueh nauseous to watch him, and he was replaced with a cold-blooded calculating murderer. Ah, the powers of magic!
If Merlin could only see himself now and reflect. He would see what time and energy he wasted all those years trying to save a royal butt! This was the road to power, and you better did not have a conscience anywhere near you!

But then again, maybe not and so it was a blessing Merlin could not be called in his right mind at the moment. Some flaws ran bone deep and sadly goodness was one of those flaws you almost never could change in a man without severe magical help.
However, Nimueh had managed just that and she was more than just a little smug about it. Beware, Pendragons of Camelot! First Merlin would do his part and then, when Uther’s heart shattered at seeing his son dead, Nimueh would strike herself! Of course she could have used Merlin as a tool to kill Uther as well, but she would not forsake herself this pleasure if there was only the slightest chance of succeeding. Keleth and the druids were her insurance, her ace up her sleeve should anything go wrong, but Uther was to die at her hands, if Arthur wasn’t after all!

“Oh, Merlin, don’t worry about that, I’m sure you think of some magnificent way!” she encouraged the warlock and squeezed his shoulders. “There are so many ways to kill a man, some of them brilliant, some of them just plain effective. You will have to decide for yourself what you want. Do you want him to die quickly…” she smirked, “or do you want to see him suffer?”
Nimueh herself had not lost her taste for the suffering of others, but she was also aware that wanting to drag a person’s death out could lead to him surviving altogether. There was a time to enjoy pain and there was a time when things just needed to be done swiftly so that they were done at all.

Now the question was, should she leave Merlin to it, or should she come along to watch that things were done properly? Hm… after the mistakes she made in previous tries, the question was not even one at all!
She linked arms with Merlin as if the two of them were best friends. “Yes, you will kill him. And I will help you as best I can! Come on, let’s get to the castle! I’m sure he is already waiting for you to butter up his royal behind!”

[pie]

Nothing could break the spell, not now. Would it ever break? Well, only time could tell, but something bad was bound to happen either way. With the magical flower tucked in a pocket, and his mind glossed over with thoughts that weren't his... Maybe they were lingering thoughts, worries, that presided deep down in him that he had always locked away. Maybe they had just been brought to the surface by the magic. Or maybe they weren't.

When she squeezed his shoulder and spoke, he nodded slowly. Yes, he would think of a way, there was no doubt in that. When the time came, he would know how. But it was as she said -- did he want him to die quickly, or watch him suffer? He still retained some of his personalty, the part that "watched out for others". "No, either way, it won't be that long," he said. "The longer it takes, the easier it is to be caught and for him to be saved. No, instead, it will have to be at least somewhat quick. The opportunity will come sooner or later."

He didn't want that to happen, the chance that someone would spot the scene and stop him, would save Arthur. No, the Prince needed to die quickly, so that the world could be free of him. So when the girl linked her arm with his, he smiled a little at her. It wasn't the usual gleefully-happy smile that he would wear, it was more grim, but still friendly. A silent promise to her that he wouldn't fail.

"Yes, I am sure our Prince is already waiting," he replied. "Let us not keep him waiting any longer, then, shall we?" He'd lead her out of the small building and towards the castle -- assuming that she would readily follow -- and towards "destiny".

[Deleted]

Nimueh nodded in agreement as Merlin was voicing her own thoughts. Just like she knew it! Take that overdeveloped love for mankind away and the young warlock was not so much different from herself. From the first time he had acted against her she had seen his potential, even though she had been fooled by his clumsiness at first. Merlin could achieve great things when he finally freed himself of the burden her carried around with him: A conscious so heavy it would bring an ox to its knees and a petty belief in the good side of everyone. Nimueh now had done him the favour of ridding him of these, and look how they already excelled as a team!

Looking at it from that point of view, the High Priestess even debated on saving Merlin after he had killed Arthur. She could try to keep him under that spell for the rest of his life, or at least so long until he was persuaded enough to go without it. Merlin’s talent would be wasted if Uther killed him. It would not be the first time that sworn arch enemies such as Nimueh and Merlin were could join forces when the preconditions… changed!
“Good choice, Merlin! Yes, make it quick. It will be best for us all! Even a quick kill can bring satisfaction, you will soon learn that, my friend!”

Nimueh laughed as they entered into the street, it was a cruelly amused laugh, fit to send someone chills down the spine. “Now, we shall hurry to make him meet his end! Oh, and one more thing!” She leaned closer as a few people were passing by, some absentmindly nodding to Merlin as he was surely a known face in Camelot. “You might need to find a reason for me to stay close, in case you should need help. Maybe I could be some cousin visiting you? Oh, I’m sure Arthur would love to meet one of his ‘friend’s’ relatives, right?”
She laughed again, more merrily this time and flashed a young soldier guarding the gate a dazzling smile, which send the respective man flushing and awkwardly nodding.

Oh yes, Nimueh Ó Liatháin was in very high spirits!

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur was going to kill Merlin. Where the hell had his servant run off to now?! He was supposed to be here a while ago! Arthur did not like spending extra time in his room, waiting for his idiot servant to come when he had more better things to do. This was the problem with relying on someone so unreliable! Of course the Prince didn't really think Merlin was that unreliable . . . these were just his impatient thoughts getting the better of him. He paced around his room, only dressed in a loose shirt -- which he had buttoned wrong -- and pants, and his boots. And it was a wonder he had gotten that far in his ability to dress himself.

He still needed to get some of his armor and Merlin was supposed to have picked it up, but clearly, the imbecile felt as if he had better things to do with his time than his actual job! Arthur was going to give him hell, absolute hell when he came. He was already searching around his room, trying to find the perfect thing to throw at him as soon as he walked through the room. A pillow was too soft. A cup was too small. Maybe he would take his shoe and just chuck it at him! The thought that his servant was in danger, did not even occur to the Prince. All he could think of was how slow and neglectful he was in his chores today.

[[Ahh sorry its so short! Just building up the suspense, aka, Arthur's annoyance!]]

[pie]

Merlin was sure that a quick kill could bring him satisfaction. Just seeing Arthur dead, laying at his feet, killed by his own hands, would be satisfaction enough. After everything that they had been through, all the times Arthur had picked on Merlin, this would be his ultimate satisfaction. And as a bonus, he would be ridding the world of a man who would hinder magic from Camelot even when he was king, someone who followed Uther's wishes.

He did not stop to think about the prophecy about them, about their destiny. It was as if that thought never existed, for it tied his thoughts to his friendship with Arthur. Though, it was more of a will not to remember that kept it locked away, for the matter seemed unimportant to the now "evil"-warlock. It was the magic's doing, though, that would twist his mind and alter his thoughts. There was nothing unmagical that could make Merlin hate Arthur. For all the pretending in the world that he did, he just possibly could not.

But with the flower's magic, came hating the one man he claimed never to hurt. The one man that he had promised to protect and stand beside until his end. His best friend.

Merlin's lips curled into a smile at her laughter, and he even chuckled at the same time. Normally, it would have creeped him out. But he was hardly normal at this moment. "Then you shall be my cousin visiting from your return to Ealdor. I think I need a name for my cousin though?" he prompted, realizing she had yet to tell him her name. "Arthur will be pleased to meet you."

He would steadily walk into the castle, keeping her close at his side. After all, how was she to know layout of the castle? He'd lead her to the Prince's chambers, and gave a small, quick knock before taking a deep breath, casting a look at the girl with a small nod, and letting go of her. He grasped the handle, thinking, Well, here goes nothing, before gently pushing it open, peering in. "A-Arthur?" he stammered out, forcing himself to appear as if nothing had changed. "Um, look... about your armor..."

Didn't matter anyway, he forgot it at the shack in the lower town.

[Deleted]

While walking Nimueh always flashed Merlin quick sideglances, to make sure the spell didn’t wear off by any kind of bad luck. Whenever he caught her glance, she smiled at him to not make him suspicious. If he was still capable of suspicion towards her was highly questioable, but Nimueh was in no mood to take risks.
But until now everything seemed to be fine. There was still that certain gleaming in Merlin’s eyes, very unusual for him, showing a hint of malice and calculation. If Arthur took a close look he might get suspicion before the time was right, but surely he would be far more occupied by other things

First, Merlin had left the prince’s armour in the old shack, and Arthur surely would be very interested about their whereabouts and the reason why exactly Merlin had disobeyed his orders. Second… well Nimueh would not be Nimueh if she didn’t plan on proving a reasonable distraction as well. It had been a succesful scheme before, as Arthur was in any way responsive to beauty. It would be her dearest pleasure to fool him yet again, should there be the need.

“Oh yes… a name”, Nimueh mused aloud as they entered the castle. Yet again a foreign name to think up. Not that she didn’t take pleasure in it. This time, however, it would not be a common name, but some kind of an inside joke.
“Call me… Searu”, she decided with a little amused chuckle. She didn’t know if Merlin was enough of an expert of the old language to understand the meaning of this name. It might well be he just chanted his spells without even knowing what he was saying. Nimueh however had been taught in this language since birth.
Searu… that first and foremost meant ‘death’. But it was a special kind of death, inflicted by cunning and treachery. It could also just mean cunning in general, and so it was a perfect name for this occasion.
Both Arthur and Merlin would meet their ends inflicted by her cunning and lies.

Before Merlin entered Arthur’s room, she gave his arm one final squeeze, nodding at him encouragingly. “Stay calm, my friend, I am right behind you!”
With that she stepped over the threshold as well, her eyes cast to the ground, waiting to be either introduced or acknowledged by Arthur himself. This was just perfect. A front seat on the show and able to intervene should something go wrong!

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur had been having trouble getting dressed. He had been shifting from shirt to shirt, and with the absence of his servant, he was having trouble putting it on properly. Damn Merlin! When Arthur heard his door open, and heard Merlin's voice, he was getting ready to lash out at him. He had his back towards the door, so did not see who he was with right away. "Merlin! Where the hell--" He had turned around just in time to see a woman standing alongside Merlin. That in itself was an odd scene to see, Merlin with a woman. Arthur tried to remember the last time he had seen Merlin standing with a female, that had not been his mother. But Arthur's voice abruptly and immediately stopped when he saw her. His expression also transformed from anger and annoyance, to curiousity and slightly confusion. And well . . . a strong discomfort for Arthur was standing there, shocked and shirtless.

Who was this, that Merlin brought to his chambers? Arthur was planning to yell at Merlin for that, more so than having been so late. Why was she here? This was his room; he personal area. if she wanted some sort of help, then Merlin should have asked him alone, without just presuming, and bringing her here. It was a huge security risk for the castle . . . but then again, surely Merlin knew all this. Which was why this must have been some sort of emergency. Even Merlin was not that stupid to allow a stranger to just waltz in next to him when he entered his room. And he was shirtless! Clearly not prepared for company! "Who's this?" He asked, his tone authoritative but not overly demanding; he would not speak too rudely in front of the company of a woman. Later, he would kill Merlin.

[pie]

"Searu it is, then," would be his only response to the name he was given. No, he had no clue what it meant. He knew a few meanings of the words of the Old Religion's spells, but this one wasn't one of them. And so no comment would be forthcoming from him about it. And so, confident in the task at hand, he would march forward, perhaps looking a little too confident and unlike himself, but no one made any comment about it. So finally, they would reach Arthur's chambers.

He gave Searu a small smile at her encouragement as they entered. Yes, everything would be okay. And she was here to help hide the truth behind the matter. Oh, how he didn't know that she really was hiding the truth! He just had to act like his usual self around Arthur, to keep him off guard, so that no one would suspect him. Or more so, so Arthur wouldn't suspect him.

He had known all along that Arthur would be angry about him taking so long, so he wasn't surprised about that part. But he did raise an eyebrow as he noticed that Arthur wasn't wearing a shirt. Well, was he having trouble getting dressed again? He forced a sigh and walked in, allowing Searu to come in more, and walked over to the wardrobe and took out a shirt. "Really, Arthur, you should learn to get dressed on your own!"

He had also known that Arthur would wonder about the girl that was with him. Coming up from behind now, he hid a smile before walking around, indicating for Arthur to lift his arms up so that he could help him put on the shirt that he had grabbed. "This is Searu, she's my cousin. She recently moved back to Ealdor, but thought to come and pay me a visit when she heard I was in Camelot. I hope that it's okay that I brought her with me. Gaius wasn't at home, and I didn't want to leave her all alone without knowing her surroundings. Besides," he continued as he pulled the shirt over Arthur's head, whether he was ready or not, "she was very eager to meet you."

Yes, very eager indeed...

[Deleted]

Nimueh subconsciously held her breath as she entered Arthur’s chambers, even though there was really nothing to worry about. There was no way Arthur would recognize her in this look she had inflicted on herself. He remembered her as a dark haired, blue-eyed beauty, not a redhead with green eyes. And just why should he suspect anything to be wrong? Merlin often was thoughtless enough to pull such stunts, like bringing a totally foreign female into the Prince’s chambers while he was - -
Shirtless…

Woah, she definitely hadn’t seen that one coming, and she couldn’t help a catlike smirking flickering over her face. The sight was nothing bad to look at for sure! She could only just refrain from licking her lips, which might have made everyone suspicious in the circumstances. Who would have thought the sapling had matured to such a fine man while she had been… gone? He hadn’t been bad to look at before, but she never had seen him like this… simply because she had thought it childish to stalk people with her scrying font in private moments. Now she only just realised what she had been missing…

When Arthur addresses her, she turned to him and did an awkward little curtsy, willing herself to blush. Blushing women were harmless women, and harmless women could stay in the background, unnoticed.
“I am sorry, your Highness, I didn’t want to intrude…”, she stammered. “Had I known…” This of course was directed to his… state and she trailed off on purpose, letting the sentence hang in the air awkwardly.
What she saw just now however made her want to slightly play with him again, just like she had done more than a year before. He surely was now more worth it than ever, and Nimueh hadn’t unlearned any of her tricks. How funny would that be… continuing were they had left off… too bad really she had just set Merlin to kill him before her eyes. This almost made her question the course of action. Almost…

“And yes, Merlin is right!” she commented as her fake cousin sadly began to dress his master. “I’ve heard so many things of you and when I learned Merlin was your personal manservant, I just… had to pay him a visit!”
Ah, the ace of hero worship! Let’s see if he still was responsive to that!

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur was using every ounce of strength within him to not strangle Merlin right then and there. He was so casual about this! It didn't even look like an emergency! The idiot had just strolled in with a random woman, and then act as if it was no big deal that he was standing there, half naked, exposed to a total stranger. Yes. Arthur was going to murder Merlin; giving him a slow and painful death. But for now, he had to compose himself . . . for the sake of her. His what, cousin? That was no excuse! This was not the time or place to meet her! What was wrong with the moron. Had he just come from the tavern, too drunk to realize just how inappropriate this entire situation was!

He was not going to bloody change in front of them! He snatched his shirt from Merlin before it went too far onto his head. "Excuse me," he said, more for the benefit of the woman, though he spoke through gritted teeth as he was glaring at Merlin. He then went behind his changing curtain and as quickly as he could, slipped on his shirt. Taking a few deep breaths to compose himself -- and not kill Merlin where there was a witness -- he stepped out from behind the board and now looking at the woman, knowing that if he looked at Merlin, he would not be able to conceal his anger so well.

He hoped it was okay? He hoped it was okay?! It wasn't damn well okay! But the woman was not to blame, and Arthur did not want her feeling guilty over this. He blamed Merlin, just as he blamed him for everything but this time it was really his fault. He looked at the girl as she gave a bit of a curtsy to him. She seemed shy, and respectful, and he had just been standing shirtless in front of her. Still, he acted composed, as a Prince was expected to act. He was a changed man though -- and not just in the literal sense. A couple of years ago he would have recognized this woman's beauty -- those she seemed too beautiful to be related to Merlin, but oh well. He may have even pursued it a bit, despite the fact that she was a peasant. He had been far different back then, before he had fallen in love, and committed himself into that relationship with Guinevère.

Now, while her beauty did not fail his eyes, he did not acknowledge it as much as he would have before. He did not get that same pleasure in her subtle hero worship in him. No. She was just a woman, and he was a man who's heart belonged to another. If nothing else, his relationship with Guinevère had matured him, and he was not about to revert back to his old ways. "Its alright Searu," he said, speaking in a formal voice, wanting that reassurance to now be vocalized. She seemed harmless enough . . . but either way, he was going to have a small talk with Merlin once she was gone. "Welcome to Camelot then. I hope your visit here will be fruitful." He said still holding that necessary formality and it was apparent in the way he addressed her, his expression, his stance, everything. Despite the awkward situation, he would still try to alleviate her worries.