I'd like to dedicate this to mersan123 for being the first to review, and so soon after I posted too! Thanks so much, because your reviews really make me smile!
And of course, everyone else who bothered to review as well, a shoutout to them as well for definitely making me want to update this is as soon as possible (i confess, I already had this typed out ;)
(Starts with Gaius POV, then Arthur, then lastly Merlin fyi :)
"Merlin?" Gaius opened the door slowly, feeling older than ever as he pushed his way into his ward's chambers as silently as possible. The poor boy was sleeping, looking peaceful as he dreamed, and Gaius feared this would be the last time he ever saw his ward, much less peacefully.
Except... as Gaius moved closer, he feared his heart might have skipped a beat, thought that was the least of his worries; Merlin wasn't breathing.
"Merlin!" Gaius positively yelled, and he would never be ashamed to admit how his heart felt like it leapt out of him through his throat as he ran faster than should be possible for his age and weaknesses.
He put his hand on the warlock's neck, hoping against hope that he could find even the slightest of heartbeats, but as time went on without any motion under his fingers, Gaius felt his legs start to give away under him.
Until he felt a weak pulse.
"Merlin!" he shouted again, this time joy mixed with his heavy despair, and not wasting another moment, he let the physician state of his mind take over, letting it lead him to his chambers to start looking up an antidote, and ignoring the guard that had burst into his chambers at the sound of his shouting…
However… what was he looking for an antidote for?
But when Gaius got his answer, through the symptoms of his ward, and the scent coming from the shattered piece of glass under the boy's bed, not to mention the one vial that was missing from his medical cupboard that he knew for a fact had always been there until today, Gaius almost wished he hadn't known the answer.
"Gaius!" Arthur burst into the physician's chambers, his heavy annoyance thoroughly blended to his anger avoiding him from realizing the state of his physician.
He did however, see the guard he assigned standing hopelessly to one side and holding several vials in both hands.
"What exactly are you doing here?" Arthur bit out angrily, and not waiting for an answer he looked back at the guard.
"I thought I told you to escort M- the sorcerer to the council room at dawn?" Arthur said, his voice almost reaching a shout.
However, when Gaius did open his mouth to reply, and before the hopeless looking guard, he did shout.
"I am trying to make an antidote for the poison Merlin had ingested. Isn't it our luck though, sire, that he managed to take it long ago leaving barely enough time for me to make one? And of course, its hard to make an antidote without the poison in question, one which I very much don't have because my boy deemed it to be fit to empty the whole bottle!" Gaius' face was red by the end, completely opposite to Arthur, who while never having seen ever composed Gaius like this before, had gone completely pale himself at the man's words.
"…W-What?" he asked shakily, not daring to believe it.
"You heard me!" Gaius snapped, grabbing a vial from the haphazard stack in the guard's hands, making the guard struggle as he tried not to drop anything.
"Now move!" He was grinding whatever herbs was in the mortar with an assortment of liquids, one of which he had poured directly from the vial he had taken from the guard, as he made his way to the room at the back. Hesitantly, and feeling dizzier than ever, he followed.
He may have fainted at the sight that met his eyes, and it was only just that he managed to keep himself upright.
Laying in bed with his skin paler than the sheets below him, Merlin didn't seem to breathing, looking like he was dead already with his gaunt eyes and darkened veins visible through his skin, despite the sheen of sweat on his face.
Almost throwing the pestle on the nightstand by the bed, Gaius forced open his mouth, shaking hands letting the thick liquid make its way down to Merlin's mouth, though probably half of it spilled outside Merlin's mouth due to Gaius's intense shaking.
But when the cup was finally emptied of its contents, Gaius promptly put the cup on the nightstand as well, before making his way back to Merlin to stare at him worriedly as he put a finger to the pale boy's neck.
Arthur didn't dare breath, waiting as his own heart seemed to have stopped as he waited for Gaius to say something - anything.
And when Gaius finally stood back with an obvious sigh of relief, letting himself fall onto the bed by Merlin as he took in a deep rasping breath, his back almost arching from the bed, Arthur let himself fall as well, sliding down to the ground with his back to the wall.
"Why did you do it?" Gaius' voice was a whisper as he held Merlin's hand tightly between his own. Merlin lowered his eyes, unable to answer. The voice which had pestered him for so long was now quiet ever since he woke up, and he wasn't sure how he felt about the sudden disappearance of it as of yet.
"Oh Merlin," Gaius sighed when he realized no answer going to come, and he let his hand drop down to their joined hands.
It had been four days since he woke, and since then it had only been Gaius, Gwen, and Gwaine who actively visited him. The other knights had dropped by only recently, and that too hesitantly as they stood behind Gwaine, looking unsure and also alert, their hands near their swords. Merlin had refused to meet even Gwaine's eyes then.
He was finally able to feed himself properly, and Gaius was reluctantly letting him leave his bed though only to walk around his room. Merlin wasn't sure if Gaius wasn't letting him out of his room for fear of Merlin losing energy out of Gaius' sight, or for something to happen to Merlin in the form of the knights or people of Camelot.
He highly suspected it was the latter.
It was on the fourth day that a knock sounded on Merlin's door, much different compared to how the others would knock making it stand out more to Merlin.
He didn't reply, he never had to as anyone who knocked would let themselves in afterwards, and surely enough the door opened slowly.
Merlin paled when he saw it to be Arthur.
He was already in bed, and while every cell in his being was screaming to run away, he fought the urge as he stared at his king with unmasked fear.
It was Arthur who broke the silence first.
"You're an idiot."
Merlin blinked.
"What?" he finally managed to get his voice working, and never mind that it was hoarse from disuse - he hadn't actually spoken to anyone either since he woke up, letting the others do the talking, which Gwen and Gwaine easily did.
"I said you're an idiot," Arthur repeated. And while there weren't much trace of amusement of much fondness either in his voice, he didn't seem angry at all either.
"What in all of Camelot possessed you to - to do what you did?" Arthur suddenly exclaimed loudly, his hand gesturing wildly before he retracted it to rake his fingers through his hair.
Merlin swallowed heavily.
"Morgana's spell," he answered quietly, for the first time actually voicing out what had happened.
"What?" Now it was Arthur who looked dumbfounded.
Merlin cleared his throat.
"Morgana's spell," he said louder, though he was still looking at the blanket, refusing to meet Arthur's eyes.
"The spell she cast in the council chambers - it was a spell that was supposed to voice all the doubts, the negative side of a person and use them as valid reasons to drive them to their death," Merlin coughed lightly. It had definitely been a while since he had spoked this much.
"And… you were going to execute me anyway," Merlin mumbled, wringing his hands under the blanket.
Arthur stared.
"What… makes you say that?" Arthur asked, his voice low, and Merlin finally dared to look up.
"Its what you would have done, right?" He frowned, suddenly realizing the unsureness of his own sentence and looked back down. His uncertainty didn't go unnoticed by Arthur.
"And you were so sure of that," Arthur stated drily, but his voice was still quiet, almost soft.
Merlin blinked.
"Like I said then," Arthur stated, suddenly louder as he gingerly set himself down on Merlin's bed by his feet, his face an emotionless mask.
"And like you just proved, you really are an idiot," Arthur turned to look at Merlin, and it was only when Merlin raised his head to meet his king's gaze did Arthur continue, his eyes softening.
"But don't you dare ever do that again."
For a moment there was silence as Merlin continued to frown, ready to argue about the trial before Arthur cracked a small smile, and though his eyes held a light warning in them, Merlin's heart considerably lightened as he understood what exactly Arthur was implying.
"Yes sire," And for the first time, the respective term held no signs of mockery either as Merlin uttered the words.
Arthur still may be unsure as to where he stands with Merlin now, and there will still be many paths to cross for the two to rebuild their trust again what with many secrets having to be revealed. But the day wasn't too far ahead of them, and with it, the uniting of Albion to fulfill their prophecy as not just the Once and Future King and Emrys; but as two friends. Two brothers.
:D Review please! I'd love to know your thoughts!
