A/N: I meant to have this up yesterday but I forgot, whoops. I do have this all written btw, so updates should be fairly regular
As the sky out the window began to take on the vibrant hues of sunset, Gaius checked on the meal he was cooking for dinner that night. Merlin inevitably returned from Arthur's hunting trips dirty, exhausted, grumpy, and starving, but a good stew would cheer him up. Provided, of course, he had time to eat it, but Arthur was typically a bit more lenient after a good hunt. Which, of course, depended on it being a good hunt, and with Merlin and only Merlin accompanying the prince, that was a bit of a longshot.
Ah well. Gaius would do what he could to care for the boy – God only knew exactly how many secrets and responsibilities rested on his shoulders, let alone how heavily they weighed on him. The least Gaius could do was make some dinner.
The door swung open. "Ah, Merlin, welcome- Merlin!"
Gwen led the way inside, holding the door open for Arthur. In his arms lay Merlin, unconscious, his shirt covered in blood. Gaius's heart quite literally stopped for a moment, fearing the worst as he followed them into Merlin's room. Gwen pulled the blanket back and Arthur set him down, backing off so Gaius could check on him.
Gaius's terror was quickly assuaged. Merlin's breaths and heart were strong and steady, and despite the blood, there was no wound he could find. "What happened?"
"We were attacked by bandits," Arthur answered. "Merlin was…" He trailed off then, looking at Gwen. "You should leave."
Gwen crossed her arms. "He's my friend, Arthur."
"And if you hear what happened, it could put you in danger should it ever be discovered," Arthur told her, his voice soft with concern. "Just… wait outside. Please."
Gwen hesitated, considering both young men, before dipping her head to Arthur. "Tell me how he is," she requested.
"Of course," Arthur promised.
She looked at Merlin once more before taking her leave, closing the door to Merlin's room behind her. As the lock clicked shut and her footsteps faded away, Gaius looked at the prince. "What happened?" he repeated.
Arthur took a deep breath, crossing his arms. "We were returning home – without any of our catch, I might add – when bandits attacked. One shot Merlin, and I was severely outnumbered. But… we were both saved. A sorceress took out the remaining bandits and healed his wound with that enchanted bracelet."
Gaius's eyes widened in shock. "You allowed this?"
"I…" Arthur shuffled his feet, uncharacteristically nervous, but given what he had evidently done, Gaius couldn't blame him. "I told Merlin that I would punish neither him nor the sorceress if he agreed, and he did."
"But sire, if your father were to find out-"
"I couldn't let him die!" Arthur snapped.
Gaius lowered his gaze, resting a hand on his ward's hair. "And I am grateful for that, sire."
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you," Arthur sighed, dropping his arms. He looked back at Merlin. "It was worth it, right? He'll live?"
Gaius checked his heartbeat again. "He is strong, and there is no wound to get infected. Yes, Arthur, he will live."
"Good," Arthur murmured. "I must tell Guinevere."
Gaius nodded absently, beginning to remove Merlin's jacket. It was then he spotted the bracelet Arthur had mentioned, and for the second time that night, his heart stopped. He picked up his ward's wrist, bringing it close so he might investigate the design on it. "Arthur?"
Arthur paused in the doorway. "Yes, Gaius?"
"This sorceress. What did she look like?"
"Um… She was an old woman. Long white hair, a bit of a hunchback. Why?"
An old woman. "Nothing. Go, you must be tired."
Arthur paused a moment longer before leaving, closing the door behind him. Only then did Gaius allow himself to react, leaning back and taking a shuddering breath. Only two people he knew of had genuine cause to wear a bracelet with that particular design on it, but neither were old. She must have come by it in a more morally dubious way. Because if she hadn't…
Gaius shook himself. She would not dare return to Camelot, and she certainly would not save a Pendragon. His concern had to be unfounded.
"Oh, Merlin," he sighed, returning to getting his blood-soaked clothing off, "you cause me stress in ways even you do not know."
-BBCM-
Guinevere very nearly pounced on Arthur the moment he stepped into the hallway. "Is he all right?"
Arthur looked around carefully before taking her hand into his. "Merlin will be fine. If he's lucky, he'll be back to work bright and early tomorrow morning."
Guinevere squeezed his hand in relief. "I'm not sure he would consider that lucky."
Arthur laughed. "I have no doubt."
She nodded, her smile slowly fading. She stretched up onto her tiptoes to place a warm kiss on his cheek. "Whatever you did to save him, thank you. You're a good man, Arthur."
He tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear. "I think I owe that to the person who taught me that servants are worth breaking a few rules for."
"You know you were risking your life for Merlin long before you fell in love with me."
But even as she pointed that out, Guinevere was smiling softly at him, leaning into his touch. She gazed up at him with those warm eyes, so full of love, and he found himself leaning in, his hand slipping to her waist to pull her against him, his eyes drifting shut as his lips neared hers…
Footsteps echoed down the corridor, making them spring apart. He cleared his throat, running a hand through his hair. "I should retire for the night. It's been a long day."
"And I should check on Morgana," she said, stepping back and sinking into a curtsy. "Good night, my lord."
"Good night, Guinevere."
She hurried away, glancing back once as she turned the corner. Arthur longed to follow, but he had already pushed too far, risked too much, trying to get a kiss in a public place. He turned around and trudged to his chambers, cursing himself somewhat. Being exposed could get Guinevere fired, banished, or perhaps even worse. He had to stop losing control like that, stop giving in to the heat of the moment. He should know better.
Why can't we care about servants? he wondered. What did they ever do but have the misfortune of not being born rich? Merlin didn't even think it was a misfortune, he simply didn't know any different. It's not his fault he's not a prince.
He sighed, giving himself a mental shake as he neared the door to his room. This was just how society worked. Nothing would change that.
A guard at the end of the hall stopped him, looking at his hair in concern. "Sire, are you all right?"
Arthur stopped, confused. "Why wouldn't I- Oh."
He glanced up, spotting a smear of red in his hair, and looked down to see Merlin's blood still on his hands. He winced internally, hoping he hadn't left any noticeable traces on Guinevere or her dress. "Yes, I'm fine, it's not my own blood. Find a servant to draw me a bath, would you?"
The guard dipped his head. "Yes, sire."
Arthur headed inside, hardly waiting for the door to close before kicking his boots off and beginning the process of undressing. He dumped it all in a pile to wait for Merlin to clean it, rubbing his hands mostly clean on his shirt. The blood was mostly dried – his light touches shouldn't have left any on Guinevere, he realized in relief. Wearing his trousers only, he found one of his older robes to wear while waiting for the bath. Then he settled at his desk to skim the reports left on it.
A knock sounded. "Come," he called.
He was expecting some bumbling gangly serving boy, but that was not what he got. No, in walked a woman, shrouded in a black cloak, but that could not hide her beauty. Golden curls tumbled out of her hood, framing deep brown eyes and a beautiful smile. He sat back, suddenly hyperaware of his state of undress. "Can I help you?"
She reached into her cloak and produced a small scroll. "My mistress requested that I give you this."
"And who is your mistress?" Arthur checked.
"I believe you encountered her earlier this evening, when she saved the lives of both you and your servant."
He held his hand out, and she crossed the room to place it in his palm. He unrolled it to find a map. "Is this where I am to meet her?"
The woman nodded. "In two days' time, with your servant at your side."
Arthur rolled the map back up, searching her eyes for her response. "Why so insistent upon Merlin's presence? The challenge was issued to me, not him."
She trailed a finger idly over a drawing of the Pendragon crest on one of his reports. "I am afraid I cannot answer that, but I do know that you will come to understand in due time."
Arthur leaned forward. "I agreed to possibly risk my life, not his. I want more information before I do so."
The woman shook her head. "I cannot answer," she repeated. Arthur took a breath, ready to push on, but she interrupted. "All I can say is that, if he does not accompany you, then you needn't bother showing up at all. And if you do not come, then you will never learn what my mistress knows about your mother."
Any retort Arthur might've made died on his lips. His hands came together of their own accord, his fingers going to twist his mother's ring around and around his finger. It was his only link to her, and he'd always longed for more. Here was his chance – he couldn't give that up. "I will leave the decision in his hands," he allowed.
She dipped her head. "I suppose that is all I can ask. Though I must admit, I am surprised you would give such consideration to a mere servant."
"I would give it to any person."
She smiled. "You are a good man indeed, then."
Another knocked sounded. "Just a minute," Arthur called. To the woman, he said, "You should leave now."
She curtsied, turning to obey. She paused beside the foot of his bed, and after a moment, looked at him over her shoulder. "I do hope you find the answers you have been seeking," she murmured.
"Thank you," Arthur said. She curtsied again and made it to the door before Arthur realized something. "Your mistress – I do not even know her name. Or yours, for that matter."
A beat. Then, "Morgause."
"…Which one of you is Morgause?"
She swept out the door without responding.
-BBCM-
Gaius finished tucking Merlin in, now dressed in his pajamas, his dirty clothes set aside for Gaius to clean and mend while he rested. He set a glass of water and a piece of bread on his bedside table in case he was in need of either when he awoke, and with one last check of his steady heartbeat just to reassure himself, Gaius prepared to leave him be.
When he rose, he found a young woman standing in the doorway. "May I help you?"
She looked up, blonde curls swinging beneath her black hood. "Sorry! The door was open. I hope you don't mind, though in hindsight, my barging in here was rather rude."
"No harm done," Gaius assured her. "However, if we could take this into the main room, my ward here must rest."
"Ah. I would love to, but you see, the boy is why I'm here. My mistress gave him a healing bracelet earlier, and it's rather important to her. I was hoping I might have it back?"
"Of course," Gaius said, taking it from Merlin's wrist. He shifted slightly, mumbling a faint word or two at its loss, but settled down quickly. Gaius looked again at the worryingly familiar design. "If I may be so bold, I don't suppose you know how she came by it?"
The woman took it, settling it onto her own wrist. Her shoulders slumped the tiniest bit, as if its safe return to her brought her comfort. "I do not know for certain," she answered. "It may be a family heirloom, perhaps. She speaks of it fondly."
And yet you are the one who seems fond of it.
Gaius studied her carefully. He was certain he had never seen her before, and yet… he felt that tug of familiarity. Perhaps there was something in her eyes… "Have we met before?"
"I was here once before," she admitted. "But I was a baby at the time. It is unlikely you would remember me if we had."
Gaius clasped his hands together, counting on the long sleeves to hide how his tight grip turned his knuckles white. "I see. Might I ask your name?"
"Morgause."
Gaius smiled tightly. "No, I do not believe we met."
"A shame. You seem like a kind man."
"You're very kind, Morgause."
She smiled. "I must take my leave of you, Gaius. My mistress wishes me to deliver this bracelet to Lady Morgana."
"Morgana? Why?" Gaius asked sharply.
"To ease her troubled nights," Morgause said. "The prince mentioned she has nightmares. No harm will come to her, I assure you."
Gaius pursed his lips. "Healing bracelets are forbidden."
"Then it'll just be our little secret, won't it?"
"I suppose," Gaius allowed grudgingly. He had no real proof that she was dangerous, and if she was who he suspected, he could not stop her. "Travel safely."
"Thank you."
She swept outside, and as she walked, her cloak shifted the tiniest bit, revealing expensive red fabric and shimmering jewels on her dress beneath. Gaius sat heavily, realizing she came from a family with money. Combine that with her familiarity, her story of being in Camelot as a baby, her fondness of the bracelet, and her decision to gift it to Morgana…
He feared what would come of this day.
A/N: Did I expect to get to write a soft Arwen moment in a fic about Merlin and Arthur? No, no I did not. But I love that I did
