Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

Hello! This is my first Merlin story but once I started watching the show a few weeks ago (late-comer, I know), I knew I had to write at least one fanfic for it. I hope you enjoy =)

"You look cheerful," Merlin greeted Arthur as he came striding into his chamber.

"I won," Arthur answered, throwing his sword onto the table. His face was flushed with exhilaration and he was beaming.

"You always do," Merlin said matter-of-factly. "The bath's ready for you," he added.

Once Arthur was bathed and dressed, he sat at his table while Merlin went to fetch his dinner. He should be ravenous after a full day of training and fighting his knights but the idea of food was surprisingly off-putting.

"Here you are," Merlin said, setting down a plate of food and removing the cloth. "One of your favourites."

Arthur looked down at the roasted duck unenthusiastically.

"Is something wrong?" Merlin asked. Arthur glanced up at him.

"No, why do think that?" Arthur unfolded his silverware from its linen napkin with an extra degree of determination and Merlin raised an eyebrow.

"You hesitated."

"I did no such thing," retorted Arthur, spearing a piece of potato. He knew Merlin was watching and forced himself to swallow the potato.

"You did," Merlin argued. "Are you alright, Arthur?"

"Yes."

Merlin's eyebrows knit together slightly as he studied the prince.

"Are you sure? Your face is still awfully red."

"The only thing wrong with my face, Merlin, is that you are still in it."

Merlin looked at Arthur a second longer and then nodded.

"Fine," he said. "If that will be all?"

Arthur nodded and Merlin left the chamber. Once his servant was gone, Arthur put down his fork and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his forehead with his fingertips. Abandoning his food, Arthur ambled over to his bed and fell into it haphazardly. When Merlin returned an hour later, he found the food untouched on the table and Arthur snoring in his bed. Concerned, Merlin cleared the meal away and tucked the blankets around Arthur. He wondered if he should tell Gaius, decided not to, blew out the candle, and left the prince to his slumber.

Arthur was still fast asleep when Merlin entered his chambers the next morning. He had fully expected to be scolded; he was running late and Arthur was usually awake by this hour. Thankful for the prince's exhaustion, Merlin flung open the curtains and let the sunlight stream in.

"Rise and shine," he chirped and Arthur groaned as he normally did.

"Go away, Merlin," he muttered, rolling over.

"It's time to get up for training."

Arthur very much wanted to say "Not this morning" but he wouldn't let his knights skip training because they were ill without a consultation from Gaius so he could hardly use the excuse himself, prince or not.

"Fine, I'm up," he sighed, sitting. His head ached but he swung his feet to the floor. Merlin turned from the wardrobe, tunic in hand, and stared at Arthur.

"What?" Arthur demanded.

"Do you feel alright, Arthur?"

"Is it really your place to ask?"

Merlin ignored the sharp tongue and crossed the room. Without hesitation he felt Arthur's forehead and in the brief moment he maintained contact, his suspicions were confirmed.

Arthur slapped Merlin's hand away.

"What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.

"You've got a fever," Merlin answered.

"I don't get fevers."

"Sure you do," retorted Merlin. "Need I remind you about the time after the Questing Beast? Or how about when you competed in the jousting tournament as Sir William? Or when the entire city fell asleep? You were burning up right before my eyes on that instance."

"I could say that same for you."

"Or my personal favourite," Merlin continued, ignoring the interruption. "The time you decided to get sick in the middle of Cenred's country while searching for Balinor."

"Yes, alright, you've made your point," said Arthur, holding onto the edge of the mattress to stop the feeling of the room spinning. "But none of those fevers were my fault. I get injured; I do not get ill."

"Everyone gets ill sometimes," Merlin replied. "Even me," he added with a charming smile.

"I know you get ill," scowled Arthur. "It's part of what makes you the most useless servant I've ever had. My other servants would have never dared to get ill."

Merlin was pleased to hear Arthur's banter hadn't been affected; after all, he still thought Merlin useless so how sick could he be? Still, banter or not, Merlin knew Arthur was sick enough that he ought to stay in bed.

"I'm serious, Arthur. You look terrible."

"How I look is none of your concern," Arthur snapped. "Fetch me my breakfast, I need to be at the training grounds soon."

Merlin sighed but did as he was instructed – or so Arthur believed. However, as soon as he had left the room, Merlin ran for Gaius and together they re-entered the chamber. Arthur was at the wardrobe, holding onto the open door for support. He had taken off his nightshirt and his skin had a fine sheen of sweat that was glistening in the sunshine.

"Merlin, where have you put my –" Arthur stopped when he saw Gaius. He rolled his eyes and glared at Merlin.

"What did I tell you? I am fine."

"I don't care what you say," Merlin said. "You're burning up. You need to let Gaius look at you."

"Merlin is right, Arthur," Gaius said, tilting his head as he studied Arthur. He stepped forward and gestured towards the bed. "If you will please lie down, I'll get to the bottom of this."

Arthur shot Merlin a deadly look before lying down. He wouldn't admit it but his soft bed felt wonderful against his aching body. Merlin stood back as Gaius conducted his examination.

"And?" he asked once Gaius had straightened up. Gaius sighed and Arthur looked up at him with concern.

"Surely it is nothing serious," he said.

"I hope it isn't," answered Gaius.

"What does that mean?"

"I fear that you have scarlet fever, Sire."

"How can you not be certain?" Merlin asked, unable to hide the worry in his voice.

"The preliminary symptoms are there," Gaius explained. "The most prominent being the bright red cheeks and tongue. The rash is what will confirm the diagnosis but it takes at least twelve hours to appear once the fever starts."

"I do not have time for this," Arthur said, sitting up. "If you aren't certain, then there's a chance it's not scarlet fever."

"Regardless," Gaius said, putting his hand out to stop Arthur from moving any further. "You have a fever which means you need to stay in bed. I will make you a potion to ease the aches and pains and have it sent over."

"I can fetch it," Merlin volunteered and Gaius shook his head.

"No," he said. "Scarlet fever spreads easily. Arthur must be quarantined until it passes. Neither you nor Arthur may leave and no one else can enter."

"What about you?" Merlin asked.

"I have already survived a bout of the fever; it has no effect on me anymore. I will arrange to see you twice a day and ask Uther to post guards outside the chamber. Now, if you excuse me, I must tell the king."

Gaius bowed towards Arthur and then left. Arthur glared at Merlin for a third time.

"See what you've done? Not only do I have to put up with being ill, I'm a prisoner in my own chamber."

"It could be worse."

"How?"

"You could be me. I'm stuck in here with you."

Arthur angrily threw a pillow at his servant and then rolled over so his back was to Merlin. The warlock sighed but still made the effort to replace the pillow, walk around the bed, and pull the covers up. Arthur promptly turned the other way.

"Come on, look at the bright side," Merlin said.

"I fail to see how this situation can have a bright side."

"You don't need to pretend to be fine anymore," Merlin tried to keep his voice cheerful. "You can freely admit you feel terrible and rest comfortably knowing that I can't leave the chamber so you can make my life a living hell for the next few days."

"Hmph," grunted Arthur. "Well, I suppose that's something."

Merlin sighed.

"Can I get you anything?"

"No, but you can draw the curtains again."

Merlin did as Arthur requested and the room became semi-dark. Merlin was at a loss; Arthur was clearly going back to sleep but what was he supposed to do? For a while, he wandered around the chamber and straightened things up. He adjusted the table settings and refolded all of Arthur's tunics. Just when he couldn't think of anything more to do save scrub the floors, there was a knock at the door.

Merlin opened it a crack, remembering what Gaius had said about the spread of the disease. He smiled when he saw Gwen's deep brown eyes filled with concern.

"Gaius has sent over some supplies," she said. "And I have some food."

Merlin opened the door further and took the tray from her hands. He set it on the table and then returned to receive the satchel Gwen had removed from her shoulder.

"Gaius said that there are potions in there for the fever and pain," she said. "He also said to carefully monitor the fever as it will get worse as the disease progresses. Keep his forehead cool."

Merlin nodded to show he understood.

"I can fetch some water if you need it," Gwen added. "There are guards posted but they know to send for me if you or Arthur needs anything."

"Thanks, Gwen."

Gwen bit her lip, uncertain if she could ask the question she was desperate to know the answer to. Merlin smiled kindly.

"He'll be fine, I promise. I won't let anything happen to him."

Finally the female servant smiled back.

"I know you won't," she said. "I'll come back when I can."

She glanced towards the guards as if to say "as often as they let me" and then hurried away. Merlin closed the door and took the bag to the table. It was very similar to the one Gaius took with him when he went to the villages and Merlin opened it. Neatly arranged inside were the bottles of potions clearly labelled in the physician's small, cramped script. Merlin also found several worn but clean handkerchiefs. As he picked them up, a piece of parchment fluttered to the ground. Merlin bent down and picked it up.

Merlin, do exactly as the potion bottles instruct. Do not try to heal Arthur yourself, it will have grave consequences.

Frowning, Merlin stuffed the paper into his trouser pocket and went about his work. He filled the washing basin with water from the pitcher he had brought in that morning and took it, along with the stack of handkerchiefs from Gaius, to the table near Arthur's bed. The medicine bottles also found their way to this surface.

Once he was set up, Merlin carefully read the label on the potion bottle labeled "Fever Reducer". He found a clean goblet and added three drops of the liquid to the water and swirled it around till it was mixed.

"Right," Merlin said to himself. "Now the hard part."

He put the goblet down and reached over to wake Arthur.

"Arthur," he said quietly. "Arthur, you need to wake up."

Arthur grunted and Merlin shook the strong shoulder with a bit more force. Finally Arthur's eyes opened and he glared at Merlin – Merlin assumed that for the next couple of days, every time Arthur set eyes on him it would be through a glare.

"What?" he asked.

"Gaius has sent over a potion to help your fever," Merlin said, holding out the goblet. Arthur eyed it warily.

"Did you prepare it?"

"Yes. Gaius sent instructions. Why? Do you not trust me?"

"I'm not sure," Arthur muttered, sitting up and taking the goblet. He sniffed it uncertainly.

"It's water with three drops of the potion mixed in."

Arthur decided it was safe and swallowed the mixture in one gulp.

"Anything else?" he asked dryly, handing the cup back to Merlin. "Or may I go to sleep again?"

"Gwen brought up breakfast if you're hungry."

"Guinevere was here?"

Merlin smiled at the small spark of life the woman's name had caused in Arthur's already-bright, fevered eyes.

"Yes, she brought the breakfast tray and the potions from Gaius."

"How was she?"

"She seemed fine," Merlin answered nonchalantly, if only to get a rise out of Arthur.

"Did she come into the chamber? Did she see me?"

"No, there are guards posted outside."

"Good." Arthur declared and Merlin raised an eyebrow.

"… why is that good?"

"I would hate for her to get sick from being too close."

"And what about me? Aren't you concerned I'll get scarlet fever as well?"

"You don't need any help getting sick. It's a miracle you haven't already had it, you've managed to come down with every possible illness known to mankind."

"Your concern, as ever, is touching."

"I do my best," Arthur said. "If there is nothing else, I am going back to sleep."

"Am I to take it that you don't want any food, then?"

"No," answered Arthur, lying down and pulling the blankets up. "I'd rather keep my stomach contents where they belong, I'm sure you'd appreciate that."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

Arthur sighed deeply and closed his eyes again. Merlin turned to his work station and picked up a handkerchief from the top of the pile. He soaked it in the water and wrung it out before placing it on Arthur's forehead. He was still leaning over Arthur when the blue eyes opened again.

"Merlin," Arthur said flatly. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Gaius said to keep your forehead cool," answered Merlin. "The fever is prone to worsen."

Arthur blinked tiredly. Merlin found it slightly concerning that the prince did not seem to have the mental or physical energy to argue but instead he stayed silent and his eyes drifted shut. Merlin adjusted the cloth and then stood back.

He gazed out the window. There was a brilliant blue sky with puffy white clouds and a warm breeze brought the sweet smell of spring but the chamber already had the stuffiness of a sick-room. Merlin sighed and looked at his sick master; it was going to be a long week.

Okay, the historian of medicine in me is making me admit that this isn't historically accurate. As someone who's made a career out of studying sickness, I can tell you that scarlet fever was not called such until long past the timeframe of the Arthurian legend. However, the first recorded case was actually written by Hippocrates himself, circa 400 BC. During Arthur's time, scarlet fever would have had a long, Latin name which referenced the virulent rash and redness but for simplicity's sake (also, *fanfiction*), I stuck to the common and easy to spell name.

I'd love to hear what you think of it so far, thanks! Also, if you have any scenes you'd like to read, please let me know and I'll see what I can do (this goes for in this story but one-shot ideas are welcome as well)!