bitchprince | Camelot, Sunday Morning Fandom Time

It had not been a good night for poor old Gaius. While Merlin had been released in the wake of his arrest, Gaius himself had been cast into a cold cell. Occasionally, Aredian would visit, and the visits were less pleasant every time. Sometimes because of actions, though those weren't the worst.

The worst were the promises.

Gaius had thought to save Merlin and his friends with his sacrifice, but Aredian was now promising him otherwise. Gaius would be only the beginning. After him, Merlin would follow. Then those two little maids, and then perhaps the Lady Morgana. He had spoken to her, too, and well... she had this stench about her...

... though as it turned out, Aredian did not get permission to question Morgana until after he had measured Gaius's reaction.

"You have corrupted them, Gaius. And so they must answer for your crimes."

Morning was not going to be a happy affair.

[[ for those in camelot Warning: for torture references. ]]

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From:

bitchprince

All the staff and all the courtiers of Camelot were called to the audience chamber in the morning. The King had been in the strangest mood, and they all knew about the court physician incarcerated by the Witchfinder. To say the air was tense would be a severe understatement.

Aredian marched in, followed by two guards. The guards were pulling Gaius along with them. The old man looked sodden and desperate, his feet dragging with every step. With a motion, Aredian ordered him to be cast to the ground. "Confess."

"I am guilty," Gaius choked out. His eyes could scarcely flick up to find Uther. "I have practiced sorcery. I conjured the smoke, I have been practicing magic in Camelot in public-- the faces in the well-- I-- I am the sorcerer who conjured the toad from his mouth--"

From:

bitchprince

He could barely even bear to see Gaius like this. What had Aredian done to him?

But Arthur had to, he realised. This had been part of the royal family's orders, and he could not escape the consequences of his actions. Not without turning out to be a coward. He'd have to see this one through.

"You've betrayed me, Gaius," said Uther. Even he sounded stricken. "Betrayed your friends. And above all, you've betrayed yourself."

But Arthur wasn't looking at his father. Or at Morgana, who was slowly starting to hyperventilate. His eyes were tracking right across the room and at Merlin's face.

From:

bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com

Where there was a look that wouldn't be out of place on a Disney character who was just about to cry. Because Merlin had this skill when it came to doe eyes and Arthur.

From:

bitchprince

Arthur's fingers tensed on the arms of his throne.

"Then by the laws of Camelot," Uther continued, oblivious to the exchange, "I sentence you... to death." And then he turned away from it all, stepping back towards his throne so that his face was hidden from the public.

"The magic shall be purged from this sorcerer by fire!" Aredian proclaimed, triumphantly. "He shall be put to death before nightfall!" He beckoned the guards to drag Gaius back up off the floor. "Bear witness and heed this lesson!"

From:

bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com

"You liar!" Merlin started, moving forward because now was the time for dramatics. After Gaius lied to get him out of jail.

Brilliant move, Merlin.

"Liar--!"

Re: Audience Chamber, Morning

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From:

bitchprince

While Aredian busied himself in preparation for Gaius' burning later that day, his rooms laid empty. Behind several cupboards, he had hidden the petals and perfumes and fake amulets he'd need to implicate any further sorcerers, though they were safely locked.

Well. For normal people, at least...

[[ for the Detective Four. ]]

From:

bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com

The best part of being a servant was sometimes simply being invisible to people when passing through the halls.

To a certain Witchfinder's rooms.

"Look around," he whispered. "We have to be quick."

From:

glacial_queen

Karla nodded and silently glided into the room. Because Aredian had only been in his rooms for a few days, his psychic stench hadn't permeated the whole of it yet. Which meant that the place where it had congregated the thickest was where he had stashed things of the most personal importance.

"Over here," she murmured. "There might be something useful in this pile."

From:

thismaskiwear.livejournal.com

Katchoo had moved over toward one of the cupboards, looking it over with no small amount of disdain.

"This is a secret hiding place? Pathetic." She poked a finger at the lock. "Dammit, I left my lockpicks in my other corset."

From:

thatsamilkshake

"Since when do you have a corset?" Francine, your interest is probably appreciated, but focus, please. "I mean, um. We could break it open? If there's something bad in there it's not going to matter if he figures out we were here, right?"

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From:

bitchprince

They rode Gaius out to the courtyard in a prison cart. The man had not been allowed the dignity of his own garments, but rather filthy white robes had been thrown carelessly onto his frame. Aredian opened up the cart when it arrived, and dragged him out--

"Easy there," Arthur snapped, from the audience. "Show some respect!"

Behind him, Uther turned away from the scene, wordlessly retreating back into the palace. He couldn't watch.

From:

glacial_queen

Coward, Karla thought, and only her ~~minimal and grudging respect for Arthur~~ nascent guilt about being part of the problem stopped her from saying it aloud. Still, to condemn a subject--a friend--to die by one of the most horrifying ways imaginable meant you should at least have the balls to watch that sentence carried out.

Still, she was glad that they'd found a way to stop the proceedings in a way that Arthur could work with. Otherwise, she didn't think she'd be able to stop herself from interfering.

From:

thatsamilkshake

Francine couldn't look at the pyre after that first glance, even unlit as it was. It was far too easy for the sight and smell of a burning child to flood her senses as if it were happening now, not just in her memory of Silent Hill. Looking anywhere else while she twisted her hair nervously in her fingers was the only thing that made it die down.

Pleaseletthiswork, pleaseletthiswork, pleaseletthiswork...

From:

bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com

Merlin was just going to do as Merlin's did and dash through a crowd toward Arthur without any regard to decorum. "Arthur!"

From:

bitchprince

"Merlin."

You'll have to excuse Arthur if he keeps on staring, as composed as he can, at the pyre.

From:

bigdamndestiny.livejournal.com

"You have to stop this," Merlin said oh so needlessly. "We found--there's proof Aredian framed him."

From:

bitchprince

That made Arthur's attention dart his way. "Merlin, we're already in the middle of an execution..."

So this had better be good.

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From:

thismaskiwear.livejournal.com

It took all of Katchoo's already frayed resolve to keep from ranting about cowardice (she and Karla could have formed a chorus all by themselves) and shoving her way through the crowd to do something.

Well, she was shoving her way through the crowd to do something, but it wasn't peeling someone's face off; they had a plan. And they didn't have much time.

From:

bitchprince

After Merlin had put forth his evidence to the king, an almost relieved Uther had consented to a search of Aredian's rooms. His guards barged into Aredian's quarters to give it the same treatment as they had earlier given Gaius's. They began to upend trunks and push aside papers. Arthur ordered them about the search, his father and Morgana behind him, watching.

It would not be long until they found the 'evidence' that had been planted.

But Aredian didn't know that, and so he stood in the center of the room, arms crossed, watching them.

Edited Date: 2011-02-06 02:20 pm (UTC)

From:

thatsamilkshake

Pretending to show up for some inconspicuous dusting was a pipedream in this room; Francine didn't even offer an excuse for following along behind Arthur and Morgana. If someone tried to challenge their presence, Morgana would no doubt speak for them, but so far all eyes were on the Witchfinder and the guards.

So were Francine's, her hand groping rather blindly for Katchoo's because she didn't want to cast any meaningful glances towards her co-conspirators. Someone sharp of ear might still catch the pleaseletthiswork chant under her breath, though.

From:

glacial_queen

Karla stood quietly off to one side, very much trying not to draw attention to herself. Or look too familiar with the room. Or like she had any idea what to expect. Or...well, or a lot of things.

Her breath caught as the search drew closer to the cupboards in question.

Darkness, have mercy, she prayed silently. Let the innocent go free and the guilty be punished...

From:

thismaskiwear.livejournal.com

Dresses like the ones she had to wear in Camelot were useful for one thing: Katchoo could shift a little bit so that the folds of the skirt at least partly obscured the fact that she was squeezing Francine's hand in reassurance. She couldn't forget Darcy's fury when they'd convinced her Samantha had stolen the money; she had to wonder if this situation would shake out in a similar way.

And hope for it, at that.

From:

bitchprince

It took a few minutes, but finally one of the soldiers marched up to one of the cupboards and yanked it open. Dozens of amulets fell to the floor with a clatter. Uther's eyes widened.

"These things don't belong to me!" Aredian cried, dropping his composure as he ran for the cupboard. "This is a trick! That boy plots against me!"

Arthur stared at him. Especially when he suddenly doubled over and staggered forward. His eyes flew to Merlin. What had he done to the man...?