Title: Should he come to harm, your life is forfeit
Disclaimer: Me no own, You no sue.
Warning: Vague Merthur
Note: Takes place immediate after 4x08: Lamia when all the knights are still bedridden.
Note2: Bold italics is flashbacks.
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Chapter one: Should he come to harm
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A torch in your hand and nasty words on your lips... Merlin close, so close – there's fear in his eyes and for some reason that makes you even angrier. So you step closer, into Merlin's space until he's completely backed against the wall.
More hate spills from your lips as a sweet song fills your ears and calls away from this disgusting creature.
You wake from the nightmare with a start and bolt upright.
"Welcome back," Gaius says.
You look over just in time to see Merlin quickly leaving the improvised hospital.
"Shit," you curse under your breath.
"That's one way of putting it," Leon says. There's a deep sadness in his voice that you've never heard from him before.
"Do you remember what happened?" Gaius asked.
You nod slowly, glancing back at the door, wishing in vain that Merlin would come back.
"Where did Merlin go?" you ask as you throw the blanket off, intending to go after him.
"Don't bother," there's ice in this new voice that entered the room. Arthur.
"Why not?" you immediately regret the words as they leave your mouth.
The glare that Arthur sends you makes you flinch and shrink back. The King had his arms crossed over his chest – using his entire body to block the doorway.
You glance around again, all of the knights were conscious now. Arthur slowly stepped forward, casually dismissing Gaius so he was alone with them. You could now sense the anger that radiated off your king.
"'Why not?'" Arthur repeats your question as he glares at each man in turn. "What did I tell you all before you left Camelot?"
Arthur looks at each of you, making sure that everyone understands that what he's about to say is of the utmost importance. "Gwen is going along. If anything happens to her, you'll be locked in the dungeons for a year. Merlin, however..."
A heavy pause permeated the room where the knights and King stood in a loose circle.
"I don't think I have to explain what will happen if I hear a whisper of harm coming to him."
"Merlin has pleaded on your behalf," Arthur said. "He said it was nothing more than an enchantment, that it was an evil creature, that you're not to blame."
Then his next words slammed down on the entire room with all the resonance of the executioner's axe.
"His words have fallen on deaf ears. Each of you will be held accountable."
And, just like the king that he was, as Arthur simply walked out of the room, he took all of the oxygen with him.
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