Sunlight streamed through the open window, and sweet birdsong could be heard over the loud snoring of Gaius, former court physician- former, because at 82 years old he wasn't up to the job anymore, and his eyesight was failing him. The room was as it always was, experiments and equipment haphazardly balanced on the table amongst books and loose paper; he'd fallen asleep on a book about poisonous plants, his half-moon spectacles still perching precariously on the edge of his nose. There was a sudden, unexpected knock on the door, alarmingly loud, and he leapt up, slightly disorientated, losing his glasses completely as he scrambled around. "Yes? Who is calling at this ungodly hour?," he called aggrievedly, heading towards the door; a joking voice replied, "Oh, nobody important. Just Merlin!" Gaius eagerly opened the door, his happiness soaring at the sound of his ward, his son, who he hadn't seen properly for a long time; they embraced, the familiarity a comfort. "What happened to your robe?," he questioned- Indeed, Merlin wore no robe today, only his normal clothes, and it was a strange sight as he was so often seen wearing it. "The King requested my presence and he also requested that I didn't wear my robe, although I'm not certain why. Has the new physician been appointed yet?," Merlin replied, sitting down at the desk and picking up an apple like he'd never left- there was a worrying hole near the base, but he didn't notice. "Tis strange indeed," Gaius agreed, pouring a cup of water, "And no, not yet. The King has rejected almost every physician in Camelot."
Merlin frowned. "Almost?" Gaius didn't reply, but instead took a long drink; Merlin wondered who, then, would be the new physician, considering that there weren't that many to choose from anyway- perhaps from another village or town? He left Gaius to his work and set off to the castle, deciding to raise the issue with the King during their meeting.
Since Arthur's return, the castle had come back to life- the windows were flung open, the steps scrubbed clean, the servants once more bustling in and out, and around the courtyard; Queen Guinevere was often seen walking in the square, dressed brightly, face alight with happiness and contentment. Merlin hurried up the steps with a smile on his face, a strong feeling of peace filling him from the bottom up, and headed to the throne room- but it was empty, the table deserted. "Excuse me," he said to a maid in the corridor, "Do you know where the King might be?" She nodded. "The king and queen have retired to their chambers, sir." She curtseyed shyly, a faint blush creeping up her pale cheeks, and Merlin smiled. "My name is Merlin, and I am no sir. You've no need to bow to me." The maid scurried off, and Merlin's smile faltered- the attention, the respect, the admiration and awe, it was a huge burden that sometimes he wished he didn't have to bear. He was not a sir, and he never would be, if he had his way, and he was really, in his mind, no better than anybody else. They were all equals, in his mind, and deserved to be treated just the same, regardless.
With a decidedly lessened mood, he approached the royal chambers and knocked on the door once, tentatively. "Enter," he heard Arthur call; the King looked tired, but healthy, skin glowing and eyes bright. "Merlin!," he said cheerily upon seeing his friend, "You're early!" Merlin smiled. "Well, you know me, sire!" He looked around- the room was decorated sumptuously in colours of deep red and maroon, and gold, the royal colours, and it was magnificent. "Where is Gwen?," he enquired; Arthur looked at the window absentmindedly as he said, "She's visiting the market with her maidservant. She'll be back soon." There was a moment of silence, during which Merlin sat at Arthur's desk, before the King turned and spoke. "Merlin..I trust you've heard the news?"
Merlin nodded. "You're looking for a new court physician?" Arthur turned to face him, and his expression was neutral. "I was wondering if you'd like to step up. Gaius trained you, I presume?"
Merlin was flabbergasted, although deep down he'd known why Arthur had called for him. His training had been sparse, although he remembered everything, and he wasn't the best at treating injuries or maladies, but his magic would surely be an advantage in this? "Would it matter if...if I used magic?" Just saying the word, in the presence of the King, made him feel slightly sick- it was the same King who had once said with certainty that all magic was pure evil, and mentioning his powers still seemed slightly taboo, but Arthur looked sorry, and almost guilty, when he spoke. "Merlin, I..I have seen many things, things that I could never have imagined, during my time in Avalon, with the Sidhe, and I saw magic. Magic, and it was only ever used for good. They helped me see that it's the person, not the magic, that is evil, and I'm so, so sorry for everything I and my father did to your people. It was wrong, it was unjust, it was sick. I would be honoured to have you at court, as sorcerer and physician, although I know it's not nearly enough to repay you."
Merlin was speechless, and was close to tears- this was more than he'd ever expected, and he was overwhelmed.
Meanwhile, Gaius was busy looking for a spell book, on the very top balcony, with the intent of gifting it to Merlin , and his stool's legs were rather spindly for his weight- he pulled books out, one by one, checked the titles and pushed them back in; as he pulled the one from the middle, his stool wobbled and quickly, he got down, not wanting to have an accident. He was halfway down the steps when a strange scratching caught his attention- it sounded like a stray dog, and he ignored it, but it continued, growing more insistent until Gaius was forced to open the door; what he saw made him recoil in utter terror.