sidhe_faerieTitle: A Bloody Mess
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Arthur/Gwen, Merlin/Morgana
Character/s: Leon, Vivian, Knights
Summary: Merlin, Arthur, and Leon discover something unexpected at the secret vault. Gwen and Morgana take action.
Warnings: infidelity minor character death
Word Count: 917
Prompt:129 Blood
Author's Notes:
The Golden Kingdom (Modern AU Series 3)
xx
A Bloody Mess
Merlin, Arthur, and Leon stood in the middle of the cave where the secret vault was located. Merlin set aside the looking glass he was carrying and tried the door before inserting the key and looking inside. He conjured a ball of light and sent it to float above them.
“I don’t believe anything has been touched.” Merlin said. He picked up the looking glass and put it inside.
Arthur and Leon followed him in with their torches.
“Merlin, what was over there?” Arthur asked as he shined his torch on a recently vacated spot on a shelf.
Merlin looked over to where the light was. He straightened then went over to the shelf. “It was a box with the Crystal of Neahtid in it.”
“What is that?” Leon asked as he swatted at some cobwebs.
“It shows the future and the past.” Merlin said. He moved over to a trunk and said a spell to unseal it. He looked inside and nodded before sealing it back.
“What was that?” Arthur asked. He shown his light over on the trunk.
“That was the Cup of Life. I needed to make sure it was still there.” Merlin said. “Gwen was afraid the Saxons would get their hands on it and everything else that is why everything is here.”
“But why take the crystal and not the cup?” Arthur asked.
“No one knew I had the cup. I took it the night that we defeated the undead army of Morgause’s.” Merlin said. He lifted the lid on another box and a covering over another thing.
“Is everything else here?” Arthur asked as he scanned the room once more with his torch.
“Yes. It looks like it. The crystal is the only thing missing. Alvarr took it last time. I wonder if he is even around this time.” Merlin said.
“With our bad luck, he surely is.” Leon said. “Merlin, what is this?”
“Looks like blood.” Arthur said as he came closer. “It’s not fresh but it is recent.”
Merlin looked at the trail on the floor and followed it to behind a crate. He sighed and looked at Arthur. “I found one of the thieves.”
Leon and Arthur walked over to see who it was.
“I know her.” Leon said. “She lived in the lower town. Her name was Forridel. She was wanted for consorting with the Druids.”
Merlin picked up the sack beside her and took out the box with the crystal and two spell books. There was a bloody jeweled dagger lying beside her.
Arthur picked it up and looked at it. “This was Morgana’s.”
“It was in here too.” Merlin said. “That means she wasn’t in here alone. Her killer must have come in with her and left with something. I’m going to have to do a full inventory of the vault now. I have the list in my book in the vault at the Kingdom Building.”
“We better get back.” Arthur said. “The faster we do the faster Merlin can get back to do the inventory.”
“Take her and the car. Go on ahead.” Merlin said. “I want to look around a little. I can use my magick to get back and forth. There is an old canvas in the boot to wrap her in.”
Arthur nodded. “Sounds like a fine plan to me. Leon, give me a hand.”
Leon and Arthur picked up the woman’s body. As they lifted something fell to the floor of the cave. Merlin bent to pick it up.
“It’s a wand.” Merlin said. “She must have been Dark Brotherhood as well. I didn’t know she had magick in the old days.”
“She wasn’t suspected of it.” Leon said.
“We had better get on.” Arthur said. “We can puzzle it out later.”
Merlin nodded and watched as the King and his Captain carried the body out of the vault. He started to look around.
In the Kingdom building the Queen and Lady Emrys sat waiting for Vivian to be brought before them.
They could hear her before they could see her. Vivian was protesting her treatment as she was escorted into the Queen’s office.
“What is this about? You have no right to treat me like this.” Vivian demanded. She looked behind her and saw that the door was blocked by two young Knights in their blood red cloaks.
“It’s about this.” Morgana held up her phone so the princess could see the photo of Vivian and Alvarr displayed on it.
“I am the Queen of this land and that gives me the right. Why are you consorting with a known enemy of the Crown?” Gwen asked.
“I … I met him on the continent. He isn’t even from here.” Vivian said.
“Oh yes he is!” Morgana said. “His name is Alvarr and he is a very persuasive man. Has he told you how much he loves you yet?”
Vivian went pale. “How did you…?”
“He did the same trick to me in the old days.” Morgana said.
Gwen stood up and walked over to her. “You have a good man in Percival but you chose to be a fool. I should put you in a cell for that alone. I still may do so. Tell us everything he has told you and anything else you can remember about him.“
“If I don’t?” Vivian tried to bluff.
“Then I send you to a cell now for suspected treason.” Gwen said firmly.
Vivian swallowed hard. “What do you want to know?”