Author's Notes: Part II has arrived! I planned for it to be done sooner. And also for it to be longer. But uhmm... I ran out of time and wanted this done before Christmas? So please accept it in its truncated form, and expect a long and adventure-filled Part III post-holidays. Okay, enjoy!
--
The Heart of the Matter: Part II
When Arthur finally came round, Merlin had almost dozed off himself.
Merlin couldn't remember how long he'd been sitting there watching the dozing prince-- it felt like it could have been twenty minutes, or several hours... or a year. Or an eternity. Time just seemed to have disappeared-- a concept forgotten to the steady rhythm that was the rising and falling of Arthur's chest.
"Hrrrrmmm..." Arthur stirred, presumably roused by something he'd seen in a dream. He blinked hard at the low light in the room. When his eyes brought the room into focus, Arthur was a little confused.
"Merlin?" his voice rumbled, husky with grogginess.
"Yes."
"Should you be...?" he screwed up his brow, trying to remember what he'd just been about to ask. He was so exhausted... "Have you lit candles?"
Merlin sat up straight. Yes, actually, he had-- when it had started to get very dark, Merlin had mindlessly set light to a few wicks with a wave of his hand. It had seemed odd to be sitting there in the dark, was all. At first he was frightened that Arthur knew, but then he remembered that it was entirely possible to light candles without magic. Arthur was asking a completely innocent question.
"Er, yes."
"Well, douse them. I'm going to bed."
"Of course." Merlin jumped up and offered a hand to Arthur.
"What's that for?" Arthur frowned sourly. Or maybe his face was just resting in that position from drowsiness.
"Er..." Merlin hesitated, his outstretched hand twitching a little. "To help you up..."
"Oh." Arthur blinked. "Right..." He grasped Merlin's hand and pulled himself up--
But what about the candles?
"Don't worry, I'll get to them. Let's just get you into bed first," Merlin said, trying to steady the wobbling Arthur.
"What are you talking about?"
"What do you mean, what am I--"
It's so cold in here. What does he mean? Get to what?
Suddenly, a lurch of understanding hit Merlin. The spell. The spell was working at last. But this was not the time-- Arthur was almost completely indisposed in his current state-- it still seemed like taking advantage. Besides, he probably wouldn't have any coherent thoughts to share anyway.
"D'you... do you think you can make it by yourself?"
"Of course-- I'm perfectly capable." But as soon as he said so, Arthur took an ill-considered step and nearly fell over. Merlin reached out to stabilise him again.
Idiot... twist your ankle again, why don't you...
Again? Had Arthur ever done anything so clumsy before, Merlin wondered? Then again, if this was what he was always like when he was half-asleep, maybe it wasn't that surprising.
Merlin pulled Arthur's arm across his shoulders, and assisted him as one might a limping soldier wounded in battle.
Ask him about the--
Arthur plopped limply onto the bed, his arm falling away from Merlin and breaking contact.
Merlin's heart jumped. Ask him about the what? Would it be too conspicuous to touch him again now in order to catch the end of that thought?
...No, he'd hesitated too long. It would be gone from Arthur's mind already, for sure. Best to just put out the candles and leave him be...
"Merlin," Arthur said through a yawn.
"Er, yes?" Well, maybe he'd find out after all.
"Is there... something that's been bothering you? Something you want to talk to someone about?"
HIs voice was still groggy, but he seemed much more lucid all of a sudden. Merlin could tell that whatever Arthur was trying to ask was very important to him.
"No, not really."
"Don't lie to me Merlin."
So important to him, it seemed, that he was not going to let it go easily. Fine, then...
"Well... there is something. But this isn't really a good time to talk about it," Merlin hedged.
"Tomorrow, then," Arthur said, pulling the blankets over him. "Over breakfast."
""Right." He would have to spend all night trying to come up with some story...
"You can come to me with these things, Merlin. I'll listen."
"Right," Merlin repeated, not knowing what else too say-- and was surprised at the sound of his voice having risen several octaves. Luckily, though, it was quite possible that Arthur had not even heard his response-- he appeared now once again to be dozing peacefully.
--
Three miscreants rode through the night, carrying stolen cargo on stolen horses.
"What if someone recognises this thing and knows where we've got it from?" one of them piped up.
"Nonsense," growled the one leading the pack. "It hasn't been seen for decades-- no one remembers where it's last been seen." he gave a zealous jerk to his horse's reins to change her direction. "Besides, it'll be well out of our hands before it gets to anyone who'd be inclined to ask questions."
"But what if," the inquisitive one wanted to know now, "someone discovers the girl's grave has been dug up, and works out what's happened?"
"Not to worry," the leader said. "She was an outcast in life, and she's forgotten entirely in death. No one cares to visit the grave of a nobody like that."
--
Gaius awoke in wounded indignation. Before he could place what he was so upset about, however, he was distracted by the sound of the door creaking shut.
"Hello, Gaius," Merlin said. "Did I wake you? I'm sorry."
"No, no, not to worry. It's just these dreams again--" Ah, but that was beside the point. "You're in late," Gaius observed.
Merlin blinked. "Er... yes, I guess I am."
Gaius waited.
"Oh! Because... because Arthur was having trouble sleeping."
"I wonder if this is becoming something of an epidemic," Gaius mused with a sigh.
"Oh, no, I don't think it was the same thing. Actually, it's not so much that Arthur was having trouble sleeping, to be more accurate-- he was sleeping a bit too well. He dozed off in a chair and I had to wait for him to wake up again so I could get him into bed." As soon as the words were out of Merlin's mouth, he wished he could return them. His ears burned. Surely there could have been a wiser choice of phrasing there. Luckily, Gaius seemed not to notice.
"Indeed?" Gaius nodded. "I am relieved to hear it's not a case of my ailment spreading."
Merlin pulled up a chair across from Gaius and gave the physician his full attention as he sat. "They've been going on for a while, these nightmares," he observed. "Can't you take something for them? The draft you make for Morgana."
"I have," Gaius said. "To no effect, I regret to say." And no sooner could he say so than he fell forward, tumbling face-first to the floor.
"Gaius!" Merlin was at his side in an instant. He pulled the physician into a sitting position and shook his shoulders gently. "Gaius, can you hear me?"
"Vivianna," he breathed.
"No, Gaius, it's Merlin," he urged. "Can you open your eyes?"
"No," Gaius said, which seemed somewhat contradictory because his eyes fluttered open all the same. "The grave... I must go at once."
He tried to get to his feet, which Merlin wouldn't have for an instant.
"Don't. Stay put-- is there anything I can do?"
"No," Gaius said again. "There is only one thing that can be done."
"And what's that? Anything."
"I have to go. I have to go her grave--" Again, Gaius tried to stand, and again, Merlin restrained him.
"Grave? What grave? Where is it?"
"Far. If I don't go now, it'll be too late."
"Gaius, you're not going anywhere." Merlin looked him directly in the eyes. "Now tell me what's wrong."
"It's nothing."
"It's something." Merlin would not relent. "Do you know what happens when people try to keep things from me?"
Gaius sighed heavily. "They find out anyway."
"Exactly."
"Very well." Gaius took a moment to gather his thoughts. "Years ago, a woman named Vivianna was buried in the north woods," he said, and grabbed a nearby book that was already open to a faded map. "Here." He pointed. "I was meant to visit every year, but I've been getting old. Weak. And besides, I have duties here which I cannot always skip out on."
"Right," Merlin said, prompting him to continue.
"I believe perhaps I am being punished," he said.
"For not visiting the grave?"
"Yes. She had magic, Vivianna. It would have been entirely within his abilities-- and personality-- to cast a spell tying me to the obligation she set out for me. I've tried to find a way to break the enchantment's hold on me, but..."
Merlin was alarmed to see tears rising in Gaius's eyes. "No good?" he guessed.
Gaius shook his head and averted his eyes, staring off into space. "It was her dying wish, Merlin." And then his face changed, as if he'd just remembered something. "Something has been taken." His voice sounded with the epiphany. "From her grave-- something stolen. A ring." He snapped his fingers. "Of course-- that's why... the dreams... yes. If I can return what the thieves took from her, I feel sure the enchantment will be lifted."
"I'll do it."
"No, you won't," Gaius said. "It's far too dangerous."
Merlin pressed his lips together tightly. "What will happen if the ring isn't returned?"
"I don't know," said Gaius wearily.
Merlin made a split second decision. He didn't like lying, he really didn't. It just ended up happening all too often.
"I'll look through the books for some other way to break the enchantment."
Gaius surveyed Merlin, trying to read something in his face. "Good. Thank you."
Merlin smiled and helped Gaius up.
"Don't stay up too late," the physician warned.
"Right."
"And Merlin."
"Yes?"
"...Don't do anything stupid."
Merlin smiled. "I won't. I promise."
--
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Merlin's anxiety was almost tangible.
"Of course," Arthur said, holding up his arms so Merlin could assist him with his chain mail. "I care about Gaius as much as anyone does."
Merlin made sure all the metal links fell neatly and that none were damaged, which of course required him to run his fingers over Arthur's back, shoulders, and arms.
I can't let you get hurt, Merlin heard in his mind. You mean too much to me. You should know that by now. He smiled, and chuckled silently to himself. As usual, Arthur was haphazardly kind.
"And your father?"
"My father would want to see the hold of magic on one of his subjects dealt with directly."
"But he won't," Merlin said, "you know, see. Because you're not going to tell him this ever happened."
Arthur sighed. "To him, it's another hunting trip. I can't risk any delays that might result from my reporting to him." He turned to Merlin and placed his hands on his servant's shoulders.
And in doing so, he unknowingly let Merlin hear something. Something that startled and confused Merlin.
"W-w-we should go," Merlin stammered. "The sooner the better-- we don't know how far the thieves have gone."
"Yes," said Arthur, arms falling to his sides again. "Are you ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be."