I've Put a Spell on You
“She puts me on edge, this girl,” Uther growled.
“The one we saved? Aren’t you being a little harsh?” Merlin asked amused. “Why’d you invite them to stay in Camelot then?”
“She is the type of girl I cannot trust with my son. I invited them as courtesy, but I’d rather they leave quickly.”
Merlin chuckled, taking a big bite out of an apple, chewing very obviously. Uther rolled his eyes at her.
“Where is Arthur anyway? He’s supposed to meet with me,” he frowned as he gestured for her to hand him a piece. She huffed and obstinately used her magic to make the same apple she was eating fly over to him. He glared at her, but took it anyway, taking a bite himself.
“About that, it’s my fault,” she started out in a bored tone. “I forgot to tell you Arthur went out on a hunt. My fault, really.”
“Don’t cover for my son. He’s with that girl.”
“Yup.”
“You don’t like her either.”
“Nope.”
Uther tossed the apple back at her and she took a bite before sending it back with magic. They did this several times until it was finished.
“You know you’ll have to go to the stocks.”
Merlin groaned, “Do I really?”
“Yes. Part of your façade and all. It would be suspicious if I didn’t punish you for your ‘idiocy.’”
“…Can it wait?”
“Oh, very well. Another apple then?”
Merlin grinned and manually tossed him an apple.
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“I can’t believe him!” Uther ranted to her later. “He disappeared with that girl the whole day, and says nothing but that it’s none of my business!”
“You didn’t make me look like I told you, did you?” Merlin sighed.
“No, I told him I saw him come back with her. Which I did. And the nerve of her, hanging all over him. The harlot is plotting something.”
Merlin didn’t bother to stifle her snicker, and his lips twitched up once before straightening into a thin line.
“I’ll be back,” he muttered, as he passed her and rushed to his wardrobe, ruffling through it and surprisingly coming out with an emerald dress. “Wear this.”
“What? Why?”
“Just do it.”
She looked at him unsure, and then he realized what her next problem was. “I am not a barbarian.”
“Just leave the room for a second.”
Instead, he turned his back to her and folded his arms across his chest. She called out she was done and he turned back around, freezing on the spot.
“Well? How do I look?” she asked impatiently.
“Ingraine…” he breathed out instead, staring at her.
Blinking in surprise, she hesitantly approached him. “Uther?”
He snapped out of it, face not blanking over like she’d expected, but slightly vulnerable. “That…was one of Ingraine’s dresses. For a moment, you looked exactly like her.”
She chewed on her lower lip and didn’t say anything to that. “So…why am I wearing it?”
“I want you to seduce Arthur and make him ever regret meeting that girl.”
“What?!” she screeched. “Why would you want me to do that?”
“Because I want you to take his mind off that girl! What is the problem anyway? I thought you liked my son.”
“What?! What makes you say that? Why do you keep insisting on that?”
“Because it’s true!”
“No, it’s not!”
“It is! Why do you keep denying it?”
“I’m not denying it because it’s not true. I don’t like Arthur like that,” she stubbornly said.
“Just…do it for me then,” and with that lingering pain in his eyes, she had trouble saying no. Not that she even tried, looking at him like that.
“Fine,” she said resignedly.
“You laced it up wrong,” he muttered, turning her around and unlacing the dress. His fingers nimbly re-laced them and she uneasily ignored the wet droplets that fell onto her skin.
“Mead?” she asked softly as he finished up.
He was quiet for a moment before answering her. “Yes…that would be nice.”
Turning the water in his goblet into mead, she moved away and started out the room.
“Best not to get you too drunk,” and she left to nervously head to Arthur’s room. Outside his door, she was already chanting an incantation to make sure things would become hazy (clear enough for him to remember, but hazy enough to be thought of as a dream).
Opening the door, she silently snuck up on Arthur, who was staring at the lit fireplace with a serious look on his face.
“Arthur,” she murmured.
His head whipped around and he gaped at her, “Who…?”
Gently dipping down, she kissed him hesitantly before firmly pressing her lips against his. Arthur hesitantly wrapped his arms around her, deepening the kiss.
Pulling back, he gazed at her reverently. “You…look like Merlin. But he’s a he…”
“Then you may call me that,” she uncharacteristically purred, kissing his neck longingly.
He growled and picked her up suddenly, carrying her over to his bed and laying her down slowly. Attacking her neck with his mouth, he laid hot, open-mouthed kisses there and she moaned loudly.
She winced and tried to gently slow him down. This wasn’t going to plan at all. She had only thought to maybe push him a little, not make him completely wanton and making her feel reciprocating in his desire.
When his calloused fingers dragged their touch down her unlaced back, she gasped and arched upwards into his body.
‘When did he unlace the dress?’ she thought dazedly.
But as soon as he began to start peeling her dress off, her hand automatically snapped up near his head and she panicked, incanting a spell.
“Swebban.”
Arthur immediately started to become drowsy, until he collapsed onto her and was asleep. Breathing deeply and feeling the crushing weight of Arthur still on top of her, not to mention feeling him hard against her leg, she struggled to push the Prince off of her and onto the bed.
She ran out of the room and to her quarters, finding Gaius still up and gaping at her entrance.
“Merlin, what on earth?”
“Don’t ask, Gaius. You don’t want to know. It’s a long story and it’ll give you a headache.”
“Is that Ingraine’s dress?”
“…Like I said, you don’t want to know.”
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After dressing in regular clothes, Gaius had told her about what he’d found in Aulfric and Sophia’s rooms, ornate staffs with Ogham runes carved into them. Aulfric had caught him and Gaius had glimpsed his eyes flash red in anger. She conveniently put aside the knowledge that Morgana was a Seer and that Arthur was in mortal danger from Sophia, simply because she knew her mind would overload.
So she wasn’t that surprised when Arthur asked her to cover for him again as he went out with Sophia the next morning.
“I don’t understand! Did you not seduce him well enough? You’re prettier than that girl. I would choose you over her any day of the week,” Uther ranted to her again.
“It’s not surprising.”
“What?” he stopped his pacing to look at her incredulously.
“She’s enchanted him somehow. Gaius snooped around their rooms and saw staffs with Ogham runes carved into them. If that was true, then I’m surprised I was even able to break through the enchantment like I did last night.”
“It’s because Arthur cares for you much more than an enchantment can have hold over him. Once you’d left, the enchantment took hold of him again,” Uther muttered to himself.
She didn’t even bother to argue that Arthur felt nothing for her, like she usually would.
“Find out more about them and watch over Arthur.”
Merlin nodded and turned to leave when Uther’s voice stopped her.
“Stocks.”
She winced, “Again?”
“Again.”
Later, she accidentally overheard Sophia saying her magic’s worked and that they could use Arthur for their own purposes tomorrow. Then Aulfric was talking about going to the Elders. When she’d followed him, she was awed to find him summon faerie-like creatures that emerged from the lake, and learned that this was the Gates of Avalon (when Gaius told her later) and that Aulfric and Sophia were like those faerie-like creatures, trapped in mortal forms. They were exiled because he’d killed another like them. And while he may never return, Sophia could –as long as they sacrificed a mortal prince to them.
“Arthur,” she growled under breath.
Hurrying back, she told Gaius everything, finding out Aulfric and Sophia and those faerie-like creatures were called Sidhe. Afterwards, she’d gone to Uther, who was furious.
“I knew there was something wrong with that whore!” he roared, eyes bright with fury.
Merlin stayed quiet, watching him.
“I ought to burn her alive –I can’t, can I?” Uther snarled. “I don’t know what I’m dealing with. Can they even die by fire or axe?”
“They are in mortal bodies. They can be killed any way any of us can be killed.”
He looked at her with a strange gleam in his eyes, “You do it.”
“What?”
“Whatever happens, you go after Arthur and save him,” the King stated decisively.
“But I thought…”
“It’s your job anyway. You’re always off saving him at any rate, I trust you to do so again now.”
Merlin gaped at him, but he ignored her and began taking off his gloves and his cape. When it was clear he was undressing, she turned red and hurriedly turned around.
“You could warn me here! Or wait until I leave,” she grumbled.
“I’m the King. I wait for no one.”
“Stubborn ass. Just like his son,” she muttered to herself.
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“I want to marry Sophia.”
Merlin narrowed her eyes. Yes, this whole infatuated beyond reason thing was expected, but the idea that Arthur would actually ask for Sophia’s hand in marriage actually ticked her off.
“You’re kidding, right?” Uther’s mouth twisted into a grimace, and he glanced at her. She had a stony look on her face.
“No, I want to marry Sophia, Father,” Arthur resolutely declared.
“Absolutely not.”
Arthur looked at him in confusion and anger, “Why not?”
“Because this is ridiculous. You’ve only met her two days ago, and you’re acting like a complete fool over her. Throw your silly demands elsewhere; I will not listen to them. Once you are listening to reason, then you may ask something of me.”
Arthur’s jaw dropped and he stared at his father for a few moments, before clasping Sophia’s hand and hurrying out.
“I hate her.”
Surprisingly not Uther this time. Merlin was the one who’d spat it out.
“Agreed.”
That night, Merlin headed to Arthur’s room angrily, and her anger grew as she saw him packing. She forced herself to cool down.
“Get out,” Arthur growled curtly.
“I thought the King was a bit harsh.” His tone was pissing her off, which leaked into her own tone.
“I don't need sympathy, Merlin, especially not from you.”
“But I did think he had a point,” she tried to rationalize.
“I ordered you to get out. Now leave me!” Calm, Merlin…Keep calm…
“I know you think you know what you're doing and I know you think you're in love with Sophia...”
“Who are you to tell me what I'm thinking?” Any more smart mouth remarks and she was going to beat him to a pulp.
“I'm your friend.” Reluctantly so, at that.
“No, Merlin. You're my servant.”
Merlin flinched as if she’d been struck. Okay, now that had stung. Enchantment or not, it was going to be hard letting Arthur get away with that. She wasn’t up to making allowances for him and she admitted that had hurt.
“You don't know what you're doing. She's cast a spell on you! You're enchanted!”
Sophia entered with Aulfric, haughtily glaring at her but addressing Arthur. “I told you people would try to keep us apart.”
“I know. I won't let that happen,” Arthur looked pathetically at her.
“Look, don't listen to her, she's controlling you!” she tried to talk sense into him.
“We can elope together. Get away from this place, these people.”
‘Not on my life, bitch.’
“I saw you. I followed him. They're planning to sacrifice you,” Merlin looked to her and then Aulfric, before finally gazing at Arthur.
“You let your servant talk to your guests this way?” Aulfric arrogantly scoffed.
“I know what you're going to do because I followed you to the lake and I heard everything! You have to believe me!” She was starting to get desperate here.
“Don't listen to him, Arthur. Let's go. Let's leave tonight.” Pathetic girl. Couldn’t even tell Merlin was a woman, like Edwin had.
“She's going to kill you. Sophia plans to sacrifice you to buy a life of immortality. If you go with her, you'll die.”
“It doesn't make sense. We're in love,” Arthur said, looking confused. But Merlin took heart in that because it meant that Arthur wasn’t completely under their spell.
“They're magical beings. Look at the writing on the staff,” she pointed out, lunging forward to grab Aulfric’s staff. Aulfric's eyes flashed red. “Look at his eyes! Look at him! Do you believe me now? Arthur, do you see?”
Arthur turned around, his eyes are also red.
“I see everything.”
“Damn,” she cursed, eyes wide.
Aulfic chanted and knocked her back forcibly, and she slammed back against the wall. She was knocked out cold.
Sometime later, she felt herself being gently shaken awake.
“Merlin?”
“Uther?” she groggily asked, blearily blinking herself awake.
“You missed your night report and I got worried. I was told by others that they’d seen you come here. You were knocked out. What happened?”
Groaning, she told him what had happened before she straightened herself out. “I have to go after them.”
“Are you well enough?”
“I’ll make due. I cannot delay any longer. Arthur is in danger.”
Uther nodded, “Bring him back. Go swiftly…and take care of yourself as well.”
Rushing out of the castle, she followed the same path she had gone on before when she’d trailed after Aulfric. Arriving just as the ceremony was starting, Arthur already in the water, Merlin found their staffs and took one. Pointing at Aulfric first, she unmercifully chanted a spell that instantly killed him.
Sophia screamed and slowly tried to wade through the water towards where Aulfric had been. Feeling no remorse and definitely no pity for her, Merlin coldly pointed the staff at Sophia next and killed her as well.
Throwing the staff down, she ran into the water and dived in. Swimming towards Arthur’s body, she could tell from there that he was unresponsive.
‘He needs air.’
Reaching him, she plastered her mouth over his and breathed into his mouth. Swimming them both up, she took a deep breath when she emerged from the water, dragging his body with her. Pulling him to shore, she pushed him onto his side and violently hit his back until he finished coughing up all the water he’d swallowed.
His eyes hazily looked up and slightly gaped. “I know you…” he dazedly said before falling unconscious.
Well, unconscious but at least he was breathing.
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“Arthur?”
“What happened? Where am I?”
“Can you remember anything?”
“Oh, my head. There was a girl. Sophia. She... I asked my father something about her...I asked him...What was I thinking?”
“Well, we did wonder. Especially when you eloped with her last night.”
“I did what?”
“Merlin had to bring you back to Camelot.”
“I don't recall any of this.”
“It must have been some blow.”
“What blow?”
“Well, when I caught up with you, I couldn't persuade you to return. You were beyond reasoning. So I had to make you.”
“You managed to knock me out?”
“Yep. With a lump of wood.”
“He only did it to bring you back safely.”
“No one can know about this. Any of it. Is that understood?”
“And my son bought that, did he?” Uther asked amused.
“Sadly enough.”
Uther barked out a laugh, “Of course he would. Joke well played. But you do know what this means?”
“Stocks.”
“Off you go then.”
Merlin sighed with a slight grin, “The things I do for your son.”