Merlin rides back into Camelot as swiftly as the horse can carry him. He enters the gates and dismounts, handing the reins to a stablehand.
Arthur sees him return, alone, and meets Merlin as he is sprinting up the stairs.
"I told you not to come back until you've found her," Arthur says quietly, irritated, and walks with Merlin, who is striding purposefully through the corridors of the castle.
"I did find her," Merlin says curtly.
"Well, where is she?"
"My mother's house."
"Why didn't you bring her back?"
Merlin says nothing. He is still walking as quickly as his long legs can carry him.
"Merlin!"
Merlin stops and Arthur nearly runs into him. He looks around, making sure no one is within earshot and says, 'Look. You can either shut up and come with me, or stay here and wait till I come back."
Arthur stares for a moment at Merlin's stern face. He nods, indicating that Merlin should proceed. "Where are we going?"
"The dungeons. I need to see the cell where Gwen was kept."
Just then Gaius intercepts them. "Ah, Merlin..."
"Gaius, come with us, please," Merlin says, slowing his pace so that the older man can keep up.
They arrive in the cell, and Merlin starts looking around.
"What are we looking for?" Arthur says.
"A bracelet," Merlin is peering at the floor, into the cracks and corners around the edges of the cell.
"A bracelet? I don't remember Guinevere ever wearing a bracelet," Arthur says, puzzled.
Merlin turns and looks Arthur straight in the eye and says, "Exactly."
"Over here," Gauis calls from one corner. Merlin runs over to see Gaius prodding something shiny with his toe. Merlin crouches down and reaches for it, but hesitates. He can feel the magic coming from it, so he pulls a handkerchief from a pocket and picks it up. He gives Gaius a meaningful look. Gaius nods.
Arthur leans in and looks at it. "Gaius?"
"These are symbols of the old religion, Sire," Gaius says, pointing at the engraved surface of the bracelet. "It is very likely that this has been enchanted."
"Morgana," Arthur says.
"Most likely," Gaius agrees.
Merlin wraps the bracelet in the cloth and the three men make their way out of the dungeons.
"Merlin..." Arthur begins.
"I'll leave immediately, sire."
They pass Sir Elyan on their way to the doors. Arthur calls to him. "Elyan, take this bracelet and destroy it."
Merlin places the cloth-wrapped bracelet in Elyan's hand.
"Destroy it, my lord? How should I do that?" Elyan asks, confused.
"You used to be a blacksmith. Surely you can figure something out," Arthur tells him.
Elyan opens it. "Why does it need to be destroyed?"
"Because it is enchanted, and it is the pinagmulan of your sister's betrayal. The least you can do is destroy it for her," Arthur tells him.
Elyan's mouth drops open in shock.
"Elyan," Merlin says.
"Hmm?"
"Whatever you do, don't put it on," Merlin says with a short laugh. He turns to race back to Ealdor and bring Guinevere tahanan to her king.
Arthur sees him return, alone, and meets Merlin as he is sprinting up the stairs.
"I told you not to come back until you've found her," Arthur says quietly, irritated, and walks with Merlin, who is striding purposefully through the corridors of the castle.
"I did find her," Merlin says curtly.
"Well, where is she?"
"My mother's house."
"Why didn't you bring her back?"
Merlin says nothing. He is still walking as quickly as his long legs can carry him.
"Merlin!"
Merlin stops and Arthur nearly runs into him. He looks around, making sure no one is within earshot and says, 'Look. You can either shut up and come with me, or stay here and wait till I come back."
Arthur stares for a moment at Merlin's stern face. He nods, indicating that Merlin should proceed. "Where are we going?"
"The dungeons. I need to see the cell where Gwen was kept."
Just then Gaius intercepts them. "Ah, Merlin..."
"Gaius, come with us, please," Merlin says, slowing his pace so that the older man can keep up.
They arrive in the cell, and Merlin starts looking around.
"What are we looking for?" Arthur says.
"A bracelet," Merlin is peering at the floor, into the cracks and corners around the edges of the cell.
"A bracelet? I don't remember Guinevere ever wearing a bracelet," Arthur says, puzzled.
Merlin turns and looks Arthur straight in the eye and says, "Exactly."
"Over here," Gauis calls from one corner. Merlin runs over to see Gaius prodding something shiny with his toe. Merlin crouches down and reaches for it, but hesitates. He can feel the magic coming from it, so he pulls a handkerchief from a pocket and picks it up. He gives Gaius a meaningful look. Gaius nods.
Arthur leans in and looks at it. "Gaius?"
"These are symbols of the old religion, Sire," Gaius says, pointing at the engraved surface of the bracelet. "It is very likely that this has been enchanted."
"Morgana," Arthur says.
"Most likely," Gaius agrees.
Merlin wraps the bracelet in the cloth and the three men make their way out of the dungeons.
"Merlin..." Arthur begins.
"I'll leave immediately, sire."
They pass Sir Elyan on their way to the doors. Arthur calls to him. "Elyan, take this bracelet and destroy it."
Merlin places the cloth-wrapped bracelet in Elyan's hand.
"Destroy it, my lord? How should I do that?" Elyan asks, confused.
"You used to be a blacksmith. Surely you can figure something out," Arthur tells him.
Elyan opens it. "Why does it need to be destroyed?"
"Because it is enchanted, and it is the pinagmulan of your sister's betrayal. The least you can do is destroy it for her," Arthur tells him.
Elyan's mouth drops open in shock.
"Elyan," Merlin says.
"Hmm?"
"Whatever you do, don't put it on," Merlin says with a short laugh. He turns to race back to Ealdor and bring Guinevere tahanan to her king.
