Merlin scurried up the stairs and took a sharp right as he made his way to Arthur's rooms. It was well past time for breakfast, and Arthur was likely raging in as he waited for his servant to appear. The boy winced as he anticipated the yelling and firm chastising he was bound to receive. It wasn't his fault Gaius had needed herbs. It wasn't his fault that he'd run into bandits. It wasn't his fault that he'd only returned a few hours ago and had slept less than one. It wasn't his fault, but none of that would matter. Because the only thing he could tell Arthur was he overslept. Probably the king would throw something at him, accuse him of spending too much time in the tavern. He sighed and continued on, balancing the tray easily.

Well. It was easy until his uncoordinated feed tripped on themselves and sent him flying. His eyes flashed as the tray flew away from him, and all the food stayed put as it lowered slowly. He didn't, however, think to catch himself, and he knew he had a fair number of new bruises on his arms. He groaned as he pushed himself up, grabbed the tray, and kept going. Now Arthur would accuse him of having gotten into a fight at the tavern. He had the bruises to show for it, anyway.

He didn't bother knocking before he pushed the door open. No need to give Arthur time to grab something to throw before he could set the food down. He'd almost lost the breakfast once, he wasn't going to do it again. He hunched his shoulders as he set it down quickly, ready for the pillow to hit him. When nothing came, and the yelling didn't start, he risked a glance up. Arthur was sitting at his desk, running his hands through his hair. He hadn't bothered getting dressed yet, wearing an overlarge night shirt in a faded shade of red, and his hair stuck in every direction both from the abuse it was currently getting and from being slept on. He'd hardly noticed Merlin entering, just a glance up and then a return to the paperwork setting in front of him.

"Sire?" Merlin asked hesitantly when Arthur made no comment on his lateness.

"What is it, Merlin?" Arthur asked, glancing up again before returning to his study. He sighed heavily when Merlin remained quiet and leaned back in his chair. "What, Merlin?"

"What're you studying, then?"

"Reports. We might have some trouble brewing. What're you doing, so late?"

Merlin sighed inwardly. He'd half hoped the king had been so involved in his reports that he hadn't noticed. He should have known better. He did know better.

"No reason. Hungry?"

"No."

Merlin frowned. "I'm already late, you've got to be hungry-"

"I'm not, Merlin. You can go."

Merlin paused. "I… I can go? As in, a day off?"

"I don't care, Merlin, I just don't need your distractions right now. Muck out the stables or something. Go fetch herbs for Gaius. Just go."

For a moment, the servant didn't move. He stared at Arthur, who stared right back for only a few seconds before hunching over the desk again. He picked up a quill and began scribbling on a blank piece of paper, taking notes down from the reports he was sorting through.

"Don't you need anything?"

"What could I possibly need?"

"Your armor polished, your clothes washed, your floors clean-"

"You did that yesterday, didn't you?"

"Well… yeah, but there's always-"

"Go. I'll send for you if I need you."

Merlin still hesitated at the door, and Arthur threw a goblet at his head. He ducked and fled the room, although he frowned. Arthur never gave him a day off. Arthur never let him off with a question when he was late. And he was late. Very late. He hadn't woken until the sun was well up, and then Arthur's food had been cold and he'd had to request… it had just taken a long time to finally make it there. He was also surprised that Arthur hadn't at least made Merlin help him get dressed before sending him away. After all, a nightshirt wasn't exactly appropriate king attire. Perhaps Gwen would be helping him later?

Merlin made his way back to Gaius, because he wasn't quite sure what else he could do. While he always complained about never getting a day off, he actually wasn't sure what to do with one. While he knew Gaius was fully stocked on herbs, maybe there was some other errand he needed run, some delivery to be made.

He was halfway back when he ran into Sir Perth, a knight who had always been rather quiet but a proven fighter. Sir Perth had been leaning against the wall, but he stepped forward into Merlin's path just as the boy was walking forward. Merlin stumbled back a few steps; Perth was certainly a solid man, but knights had to be. He apologized profusely and moved to walk around the knight, but Perth just moved to match. Merlin glanced up and frowned.

"I apologize, Sir Perth, but I must be going."

Perth didn't answer, just took a step forward. Merlin stepped backward, and Perth matched, until Merlin had backed himself up against a wall. He tried to dodge around the knight, but Perth put his arms on either side of Merlin and looked him in the eye.

"Show me."

"Show you… what?" Merlin asked. He could feel his heart beating faster, could feel the magic swirling beneath the surface of his skin. He was both ready for anything and afraid that he needed to be ready.

"You know what." Perth said quietly, his gray eyes staring deeply into Merlin's blue ones. "Show me the gold."

"The… gold? I… I don't have any. If you were looking for a pay raise, you'd be better to ask Arthur, he's the one with the treasury and-"

"Stop playing dumb." Merlin gasped as he felt Perth's fist connect solidly with his stomach, but his instinctive attempt to double up was halted by Perth's arm across Merlin's throat. "You know what I mean. I want to see it."

"I- what gold? I live with Gaius, if I had gold-"

Another solid punch to the gut. Merlin struggled as the arm against his throat pressed harder, cutting off his airway.

"Don't play dumb, Merlin. I know you have it. I just… I have to see it. You'll show me, or I'll beat it out of you."

"Have what-" Merlin couldn't regret his feigned ignorance as he felt another punch to his gut, but he really wished he could. He didn't know how Perth had found out, and internally he was panicking. Who had told him? How had he found out? He hadn't seen, Merlin was too careful for that, was wary of even his friends among the knights, let alone the unknowns. He knew what they all thought of magic, of sorcerers and magic beasts. Someone must have told him, Morgana or… he had a lot of enemies out there, any one of them could have put the knight up to it-

Merlin choked for breath as Perth pressed harder.

"I don't need to see it. I wanted to be sure, but… it makes a lot of sense, doesn't it? How else would you always make it through those battles with the knights? You don't belong, you never have. You came out of nowhere and wormed your way in, close to the king. You have to be." Perth seemed to make up his mind. "I can't let you continue this. I have to stop you. For the good of Camelot."

At this point, Merlin was fighting to get air in his lungs, but he knew he didn't have long left before he passed out. He thought he could hear footsteps coming, but that could just as easily be his heart, pounding frantically in his ears.

The pain between his ribs was quick, sharp, too much. He made a strangled noise of protest, could feel the now warm metal pull back and the blood spill down his blue shirt. The pressure let off of his throat then, and he fell to the ground, gasping for breath. He could see the blood shooting from his mouth with every hard exhale. It was not good. Oh, it was not good. Merlin put a hand to the hole and pressed down, knowing he couldn't do much. Not here, in the middle of Camelot. If someone saw him- He could hear the footsteps. Perth had run away, assuming Merlin was as good as gone anyway and couldn't tell. Or perhaps he didn't care if anyone found out. Maybe he planned to out Merlin's magic if he lived through this, have him burnt at the stake. Why hadn't he just done that in the first place?

Merlin's thoughts were swimming, probably in too much blood. He choked on a laugh as his mind filled with the image of a fish, shaped strangely like a brain, swimming in a pool of blood inside his skull. It wasn't funny. It really wasn't funny.

The footsteps stopped, there was a yell of surprise. Someone rushing towards him. He wanted to see who it was, wanted to look up, but it was too much work. So much work. He waited until Gwaine was kneeling in front of him to make sure it was someone safe. Not that he could do much if Perth had wanted to give him another taste of metal.

"Merlin-" Gwaine didn't bother finishing whatever he had planned to say. He yelled for help and pulled Merlin's hands away from the wound. It was easy enough. Merlin was feeling awfully weak.

Gwaine cursed and pulled his own shirt off, pressing it against Merlin.

"Look at me, Merlin. Look at me." Merlin had to work hard to focus on Gwaine's face, which seemed strangely colorless and blurry. Or maybe that was just his vision. "Gaius is coming, just hold on a while, alright?"

"Is Arthur alright?" Merlin muttered, although the bubbling blood in his throat must have made it hard to understand. He could feel it dripping down his chin.

"The princess is fine, I'm sure. You're the one I'm worried about now."

Merlin felt his eyes closing, but Gwaine protested so much that he pushed them open again. It was hard.

"Be quiet so I can sleep."

There was insincere chuckling from Gwaine. "I don't take orders from servants."

"I don't take orders from prats."

"Well, the princess isn't here, but you can take orders from me. Hey. Hey. Open. Keep 'em open for me, Merlin, just a little longer."

"Tired." He muttered, watching Gwaine's fake smile quiver.

"I know, mate, I know. Been there, done that. Best to stay awake."

Merlin tried. He really did. He kept his eyes open longer than he'd thought possible. He wanted to tell Arthur, before… if he fell asleep, he might not wake up. He knew that.

M-M-M

Arthur sighed heavily as he pushed the papers aside, laying his head on the desk. This looked bad. Really bad. Reports showed increased bandit movement all over Camelot, as well as some strange movement of armies in a nearby kingdom. Arthur knew, deep down, that it wasn't a coincidence. That Amira was about to make her move on Camelot, and Arthur would have to fight. He didn't want to fight Amira, they had been allies when his father had been alive. But once Uther had died… they'd become restless with the young king. Queen Amethyst was intent to move in and either make Arthur grow up or take the kingdom for herself. And by grow up, she meant do things the same way Uther always had.

The door burst open and Arthur hardly moved. "Merlin, get out." He said, a little too harshly, perhaps. But he didn't need the clumsy manservant interrupting him. From his self-pity. He sighed and glanced up, only to be surprised by a panting Leon at the door.

"Leon. What is it?" Arthur was a little embarrassed to still be wearing his nightclothes, but the look on his knight's face told him it couldn't have mattered less. Something had happened. Arthur immediately suspected Queen Amethyst, and his hands clenched into fists. She was going to be a real pain.

"Merlin." At first, Arthur didn't understand what he'd said. He'd been expecting 'attack' or something of that nature. When he finally understood the word, he didn't understand the meaning. He frowned at Leon.

When the knight didn't continue, Arthur demanded, "What?"

"He… he's been attacked."

Arthur didn't need to know more. He pulled on a pair of pants that he'd worn a few days ago and happened to still be laying on the floor before taking off. Leon ran only a few steps ahead of him, and when Leon stopped, Arthur didn't. He fell to his knees in a puddle of blood next to Merlin. Small, still, but getting larger.

"Merlin. Merlin, who did this?"

Gwaine backed up for Arthur, although it was only a few inches. Arthur took hold of the shirt on Merlin's side and pressed, not bothering to look at it. He could tell it was bad without; the blood dripping from Merlin's mouth and the paleness of his skin said it all. They needed Gaius now, or there wasn't hope.

"Arthur." He said quietly, a small smile flitting on his lips. "Those pants… they… should be…"

"You didn't clean them yesterday. For whatever reason, you skipped them. I'll have to make you muck out stables for a few weeks."

"Told me-" Merlin's eyes shut for a moment. When they opened again, they weren't focused. "To take… a… day." His breathing was harsh, but the small smile was still there.

"I didn't. I just told you to leave." And Arthur was really wishing he hadn't right about now. If Merlin had stayed in his room, he might not be dying against a cold stone wall right now.

When Gaius arrived, he was pushed out of the way, and he let it happen. The wall across from Merlin was just as cold, and Arthur leaned against it to make sure… if Merlin needed him, he wouldn't be far.

"To my rooms. Quickly." Gaius said after looking at the wound. Arthur immediately stepped forward and scooped Merlin up, moving as quickly and smoothly as possible. Merlin's eyes were closed now, and Arthur wasn't sure he'd get to see them open again. But he had to. He had to.

Once Merlin was laid on the cot in Gaius' chambers, Arthur and the knights were told to leave. Arthur didn't want to, and thought about demanding that Gaius let him be of some use in saving Merlin's life, but Leon gently pulled him out, reminding him of the threat from Amira. It wasn't a good diversion, not at all, but it was true, at least. He had to come to some decision about Amira, and that couldn't wait. At least, not while he was waiting to see if his manservant would die.

Leon gave him a sympathetic nudge as they walked away. Gwaine was keeping watch just outside the door, in case whoever had attacked Merlin cared to show up. Arthur had ordered another guard there as well, and expected them to switch out on watches periodically. But someone was to be on that door at all times, because Merlin-

Arthur couldn't push Merlin from his mind, so his planning went very poorly, but at least he completed some of the paperwork he'd been putting off. It was only then that he felt the tears on his face. He didn't know if they were angry or scared tears. It didn't matter. They were there because of Merlin. Arthur wiped them away quickly and scolded himself for being weak. Then he began his search for Merlin's attacker. He was going to make them wish they'd never been born.