Clang! The bandits sword clanged off of Arthur's own sword, deflecting it away as Arthur thrust his own sword into the gut of the man who had attacked him. Around him he caught glimpses of Leon and Percival also dealing with their respective assailants, and not far from Arthur, Merlin scanning the trees from where the bandits had jumped them. Seemed a king couldn't even go hunting these days without someone taking a pot shot at him, mused Arthur as he engaged another bandit.
Merlin scanned the trees watching for any other attackers. That they had been attacked, again, only proved his theory that someone in Camelot, someone who was well aware of Arthur's movements was selling him out to the enemy.
"Merlin!" Merlin ducked, hearing Percival's warning as a large sword passed inches above where his head had been moment's before. Merlin turned and kicked out, tripping the bandit who sprawled onto the ground, before Merlin grabbed his sword for his own use. He caught Arthur glare at him for some reason, but put it out of his mind as he turned, hearing a soft click from nearby. Merlin turned in time to see a crossbow bolt heading for Arthur's exposed back. With a roar Merlin slowed it briefly, before knocking Arthur out of the way, a second later pain erupted in his right shoulder as the bolt struck him instead. Arthur turned around, eyes wide in anger as Merlin staggered forwards. The man with the crossbow took aim again, then screamed as a large heavy branch in the tree above him broke away, crushing him. Arthur looked around the small battlefield, the bodies of dead bandits littered the ground.
"I think that's all of them sire" said Leon as he looked around. Percival meanwhile was helping Merlin to stand, the others well aware of the arrow that was jutting from his shoulder.
"Good, you mind if I collapse now?" asked Merlin, before he promptly did so. Arthur glared at him.
"Idiot" he muttered, turning away, Leon and Percival looking at each other briefly, they were used to the kings banter with Merlin, but the way he had spoken then was in a tone anything but playful.
"No, its not too deep, fortunately it missed his major artery otherwise you'd have been bringing his corpse back" Gaius said later that day after they had returned to Camelot. He had removed the arrow gently so as to not cause more damage, but as it was there was surprisingly little blood loss. Merlin was still out for the count, having been moved to his room to recover, and now Gaius watched as Arthur angrily paced the main room of the Pharmacy.
"I would have thought you might have welcomed the news" Gaius prompted as he watched Arthur pacing.
"What am I going to do with him?" Arthur suddenly snapped.
"Sire?" asked Gaius confused,
"Look at him, Gaius, I don't know what's got into his head lately but sometimes I think he believes he can fight better than the knights!" Arthur stated.
"I'm sure Merlin doesn't-"
"Don't say it Gaius" Arthur cut him off. "This has gone far enough, Inform me the moment he's awake" Arthur said.
"Sire, what are you planning?" asked Gaius.
"That is between myself and Merlin" Arthur snapped, then walked out, leaving Gaius looking at him wide eyed.
Arthur stormed into his chambers, Gwen looking up as he did so. She turned to her handmaiden and smiled.
"Thank you Rebecca, that's all" she said. The handmaiden bowed to her and Arthur, then left the room, Gwen watching as her husband threw his sword onto the table with a clatter.
"How's Merlin?" she asked, fearing the worst with his temper. Arthur glared at her.
"He'll be fine, no thanks to that crazy stunt he pulled out there" Arthur snapped. Gwen frowned, not understanding her husband's anger.
"then-" she began. Arthur held up a hand to cut her off.
"I would appreciate it if we had a different conversation" he replied shortly. Gwen felt her anger rise ever so slightly at being so dismissed, even before they had been married he had never been that short with her.
"Of course" she said. "Perhaps the weather? Or the new tapestries in the great hall?" she asked mildly. Arthur glared at her, then sat down in the chair, sighing as he did so, but he remained silent.
"Did Merlin do something?" asked Gwen softly. Arthur glanced up at her.
"Gwen, please just leave it, this is something I have to deal with" Arthur stated.
"Arthur he's your friend, whatever he did to so… upset you-"
"I am not upset!" Arthur roared.
"Anger you then, it will have been in your best interests" she said.
"Gwen, you're new to your role as Queen, so I don't expect you to fully understand certain things, so leave this to someone who does understand to deal with it" he replied. Gwen raised an eyebrow then stood.
"Very well Arthur, I'll leave you to your thoughts" she said, walking out. Arthur watched as she closed the door, then sighed again, before slamming the table.
Merlin woke slowly, still feeling the sharp pain in his arm, but at least when he looked he just saw a bandage covering his shoulder rather than an arrow. Slowly he looked around recognising his room, and the sunlight that illuminated it.
"Bugger" he muttered. It must have been well past eight am, Arthur was going to kill him. Slowly he sat up and swung his legs over the bed, the room spinning for a few moments. There was a click from the doorway and he looked up to see Gaius watching him.
"And would you mind telling me where you think you're going?" he asked.
"I'm late, Arthur's going to kill me, he probably hasn't had breakfast yet, and you know what he's like when he's not fed" Merlin said.
"Arthur will be fine for the few days it will take you to recover" Gaius said.
"Days?" asked Merlin.
"Yes, now perhaps you might explain to me why Arthur was a stones throw from tearing up the pharmacy yesterday?" Gaius asked. Merlin frowned and shrugged, causing him to wince.
"Did he see you use magic?" Gaius asked.
"No, he was behind me when I killed the bandit, so were Leon and Percival" Merlin said. Gaius sighed.
"Well you did something to annoy the King Merlin" Gaius told him. Merlin shook his head.
"I don't know"
"Then perhaps we should find out, he asked to speak to you when you were awake" Gaius said. Merlin nodded and went to stand.
"And for pity's sake just stay in bed!" Gaius shouted as he left the room. Merlin blinked a couple of times then settled himself back into bed.
Arthur had been in the audience chamber when a guard entered, and quietly informed him that Merlin was awake. Arthur, his mood even fouler this morning than the previous evening nodded and carried on with the meeting, which went on for another forty minuets, before he dismissed the council. He made his way quickly to the pharmacy entering it quietly and looking at Gaius who was busy making up a poultice. Gaius indicated towards Merlin's room, and Arthur moved over to the door opening it and walking in.
Merlin looked up as Arthur entered the room.
"Sorry I missed your breakfast" Merlin attempted, Arthur just glared at him and let the door slam shut.
"I just cannot figure you out Merlin, you do know that right?" Arthur said as he walked over to the bed, Merlin looking up at him.
"Can't fathom me out is that it?" Merlin asked, trying to make light.
"Don't make jokes Merlin, this is neither the time nor the place" Arthur told him. Merlin looked down briefly.
"sorry" he muttered, before looking back up at him. "Gaius said you were annoyed about something"
"Yes. As a matter of fact I am" Arthur said. "But not something, someone. You for instance" Arthur stated.
"Me?" Merlin replied confused.
"Yes Merlin, you. I don't know where you got this grand idea that you were some kind of fighter from recently, but I want it out of you head, now" Arthur said.
"But-"
"You constantly disregard my wishes, you do as you please, you come on missions with us, and I admit, this is partly my fault, but Merlin you are a servant, not a fighter, not a knight" Arthur told him.
"Arthur, what is this?" asked Merlin confused.
"This Merlin is me doing what I should have done years ago. My father always asked why I took you on missions and the such. And I could never explain it to him, not fully. Servants are meant to stay in the castle, doing their chores, while the rest of us go out and do the other work, but not you" Arthur said. "And it's come to the point where you're becoming a liability, you can't defend yourself, relying on the rest of us to do it for you"
"I've defended myself enough in the past!" Merlin shot back. "And look at yesterday, if I hadn't been there, then what? No king" he added.
"I am grateful for yesterday Merlin, but the truth is, I can't take you with me on missions anymore. As it was I might have died yes, but instead you get it into your thick skull to play hero, and you keep trying to do it" Arthur said.
"Is that what you think I was doing?" asked Merlin sadly.
"Merlin, to be honest I have no idea what goes on in that head of yours" Arthur said.
"Arthur, please, you might not realise it but you do need me" Merlin said.
"No Merlin, enough is enough. I nearly lost you yesterday, and several times before because of your reckless behaviour" Arthur said. "As of this moment you are no longer my manservant" Arthur told him bluntly.
"What?"
"I need a servant who will do as he's told, and not get into situations he can't get out of" Arthur told him.
"Arthur please-"
"I'm sorry Merlin, its over" Arthur said turning away.
"And if I follow you anyway?" asked Merlin.
"Then you'll spend a week in the dungeons" Arthur told him, not looking back. "And if that fails then I'll have no option but to banish you" he said walking out. Merlin watching the door as it closed. He stared at it for a good minuet before it opened again and Gaius entered the room. Gaius stood there for several moments watching as Merlin absently rubbed at the bandage on his shoulder. Slowly he walked forwards and sat on the bed.
"Gaius?" Merlin asked softly, unaware his eyes were watering.
"I heard it all" Gaius said softly rubbing Merlin's back. Merlin looked at him.
"He said I was a liability" Merlin said softly.
"I'm sure he'll come to his senses" Gaius said. Merlin shook his head.
"No. He thinks this is right" Merlin said. "I know him Gaius, he means this"
"Merlin" Gaius said gently, then watched as Merlin rose shakily to his feet. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"I can't protect Arthur from here, he can only banish me once right?" asked Merlin.
"Don't be absurd, where would you go?" asked Gaius.
"I'll manage" Merlin told him.
"At least wait until your shoulder has healed" Gaius told him. Merlin looked at him, and shook his head.
"I'll take some fresh dressings with me" Merlin told him. Gaius shook his head and stood, walking out of the small room, then out of the pharmacy. Merlin watched the old man go with sadness.
"Goodbye" he whispered as he slowly began to pack his meagre belongings.
Arthur looked up as the door to the audience chamber opened and Gaius walked in. Beside Arthur Gwen also sat up a little straighter.
"Gaius?" asked Arthur.
"Might I have a word?" asked the old man.
"Of course"
"In private" he said, glancing around at the council members.
"Gaius, I am in no mood for games" Arthur said.
"And neither am I" Gaius replied coldly. Arthur sighed and nodded at the council members who left the room, shutting the door, leaving Arthur, Gaius and Gwen alone.
"Now would you care to tell me what's troubling you?" asked Arthur.
"You know damned well what's troubling me!" Gaius practically roared at him. "The way you acted towards Merlin this morning, I would have expected that from your father, not from you" Gaius stated.
"So this is about Merlin" asked Arthur. "I thought I made my thought's on that clear" he said.
"As clear as mud, you have no idea do you of the amount he really does for you do you? Of the sacrifices he's made over the years, for you" he said.
"Arthur what did you do?" asked Gwen, looking at him.
"I pointed out a few truths" Arthur told her.
"A few truths?" asked Gaius. "You took that man's dedication to you, ripped it to shreds and threw it in his face" Gaius told him.
"Merlin will get over it"
"Will he? Then perhaps you might want to tell him that, because at the moment he's packing his stuff and getting ready to leave"
"He'll be safer without me Gaius" Arthur said.
"Will he?" asked Gaius.
"Arthur, how could you" Gwen asked him, not believing what she was hearing.
"Sire please, just go to him, tell him he is needed" Gaius said.
"As I said to him I need a servant that will do as they're told, who will stay out of battle when it happens" Arthur said.
"From what I hear yesterday Merlin had no choice but to join in" Gaius said.
"That was one occasion Gaius, and to be honest it was not even the first time he's been told to stay back, only to go wading in!" Arthur shot back.
"And every time he did you came back alive!" Gaius yelled.
"Arthur, why would you do that?" asked Gwen. Arthur looked at her, then stood storming over to the pillar nearby.
"Because when I saw him yesterday, first holding the sword, then with the arrow in him. I just… I was scared" he said quietly.
"Scared?" asked Gaius softly.
"I have so few family left. In fact I have only Gwen. The rest of them I have had to choose, and I can't do it, I can't watch someone I care about facing danger over and over. When he got shot a part of me… It went from being the big brave king to being a scared five year old, I thought I was going to lose him, that's why I did what I did" he said.
"So you did it out of what? Love?" asked Gaius.
"Gaius, Merlin means more to me then I can ever admit, but if he were to die, part of me would shrivel and blacken and just stop existing" Arthur said.
"And threatening to banish him?" Gaius's voice was gentle now.
"At least if he was banished I'd know he would be safe with his mother or somewhere" he said.
"Arthur, all of us face danger's everyday just for knowing you" Arthur turned around to see Merlin standing by the door. He hadn't even heard it open.
"Pushing away those who care about you, it won't solve anything, not in the long run" Gaius told him gently.
"Then what do I do? The people I consider closest to me now, all of you are in this room. My guardian" he said looking at Gaius. "My wife" he said looking at Gwen "and my brother" he finished, looking at Merlin. "So tell me what to do, because I can't risk losing any of you" he said. Gwen stood and took his hands.
"Arthur, you are a wonderful man, and a great King, but we all know the dangers we face. You can't shield us from the world, no matter how much you would want to" she said.
"The hardest thing to do is trust Arthur, and we trust you, but we also need to do what we can to protect you and you need to trust us to do it" Merlin said moving over to them. Arthur looked at them both.
"And to guide you as best we can" Gaius added.
"But I can't do it, I can't face losing one of you" he said through wet eyes.
"Arthur, there will come a day when one of us may fall, no matter what you've done" Merlin said. "But I ask you, please, if that day is to come, then let it be when we are doing what we can to protect you" he said. Arthur looked at Merlin, then at Gwen who nodded encouragingly, then at Gaius who watched the proceedings with a fatherly eye, before finally turning back to Merlin.
"Merlin.."
"It's forgotten, all of it" Merlin said gently. Arthur shook his head.
"No. no its not, I was selfish, pig headed.. How can you still speak to me after what I said?"
"because I know you Arthur." he said. "You might want to work on the delivery next time however" Merlin said breaking into a cheeky grin. Arthur broke a small smile, and Gwen chuckled.
"Why are you so loyal to me?" Arthur asked gently.
"Because I believe in you, and what you can do Because like these two people here, I do care about you" Merlin said. "I might not be as flashy as you with a sword, but I do what I can for you" Merlin said. Arthur nodded.
"I take it this means you'll still be coming on missions with me?" said Arthur.
"I'll be there, no matter how much you grumble" Merlin said with a smile. Arthur nodded, his gaze going to Merlin's shoulder. Merlin smiled and looked at Gaius.
"I told you to take it easy" Gaius grumbled.
"And when do I ever do that?" Merlin replied as Gaius led him out. Slowly Arthur looked at Gwen who kissed him gently.
"What was that for?" he asked.
"For making me proud" she said. Arthur smiled as she moved away, finally realising how lucky he was to have these three people in his life. Three ordinary people as dedicated as any knight or noble, and for once the light seemed to glow that much brighter.