"Sire? You need to rest; you almost died-"

"GUARDS! GUARDS!"

"Sire, please! What is wrong?"

Uther ignored him.

"GUARDS, ARREST THAT BOY!"


Gaius watched on paralysed as his pseudo-son was dragged, nearly carried, bodily out of the hall. The man responsible collapsed back onto the roughly hued bed, spent for energy.

It was over; all the subterfuge, all the teaching and caring and protection, all for nothing. Merlin had been discovered. His life was over. The boy who he had cared for like a son for over three years. And for what? A vindictive king with a grudge? To protect a kingdom which despises the very nature of who he is?

The king was struggling to get out of bed just an arm's distance from where Gaius stood, but Gaius didn't see it. Frozen with shock and the sinking reality of what was happening, he just watched as the king muttered continuously to himself, his brow still hot and wet from fever.

Gaius watched as Uther's lips moved, but he didn't hear him. The words had no meaning. He didn't hear anything.

Gaius felt his dry throat choke out before he realised he had even spoken. Beyond his control, words just tumbled forth of their own accord.

"Sire… Why? Merlin isn't any-"

Merlin isn't any danger.

Uther spun on him.

"You! You were harbouring a sorcerer! You…"

"Sire, Gaius couldn't possibly have known." Sir Leon interjected. "Merlin is just-"

"No… no; you knew! You knew, he lives with you! He…"

"Sire, Merlin is just a servant boy, no one could possibly-"

From the back of the hall, a male voice piped out indignantly "But, Your Majesty- that boy just—"

"You! You all knew! And you let him use his heathen powers …"

Uther started thrashing about, his eyes wild as Leon tried to calm him before pinning him to the bed with a sturdier arm than Uther could displace. Uther stilled, his sweat-beaded head flopping back onto the damp pillow with a muted thud, all energy spent.

"No… no, I…." Uther looked about him, haze-filled eyes glancing around and yet not really seeing.

"I must return to my quarters. I must— I have business to attend to; I must return immediately… Now! I demand to be removed from here!"

Two guards hesitated forward, looking at each other and around for some sort of confirmation as to what to backed off, however, when Leon shook his head at them.

"Sire, you are still unwell. You must remain here so Gaius can care for you with the others. It will only be for a short while."

Leon passed a glance towards Gaius; he knew the timescale was unrealistic. He only needed the king to agree.

Gaius wouldn't return his glance.

Uther, meanwhile, turned on Gaius as if seeing him for the first time.

"You? No… And why would I return to Gaius's care when I know that he is a traitor? When he has been harbouring those who wish to kill me! He harboured that boy! He took a sorcerer into his care; he let a sorcerer into my court! Take me back to my quarters! I refuse to be treated here, I must return to my business. That boy is dangerous- I must— " Uther broke off as he looked round the room in alarm. "Now, I must leave now! I demand to be removed from here!"

Leon began barking orders as Uther continued shouting, the guards rushing forward as urgency broke in the knight's voice.

"Men, take the King back to his chambers. Remove him from here immediately; get him out!"

Leon watched as the guards hustled the still-feverish king out of the hall, each holding a corner of the ground sheet like a stretcher, then sighed and turned towards Gaius.

Gaius sunk into a stool, his pained face torturous.

"Do not worry, Gaius. He will realise you couldn't have known. He will come round."

Their eyes met, knowing; an understanding passing between them. Gaius nodded, muttering just, "thanks," not ready to vocalise the real reason for his gratitude.


Gaius looked down at the sweat-tangled bed the King had just vacated, and the empty spot where until just a few moments previously, Merlin had stood. And he just sat there. Staring. Thinking. Trying to process it.

"Gaius?" Leon muttered.

The physician just stared at him. Merlin, his boy, had just been dragged away. He had been finally found out, and under such circumstances as saving the King's life. Gaius shook his head. Merlin was going to be executed. This was the end of things.

From the back of the hall, a deep, baritone voice bellowed, "What? Did he just… that boy just saved out lives. Surely he cant- Well, of all the injustices… This is preposterous!"

There was a spattering of hesitant agreement throughout the hall.

Leon placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Gaius, there is nothing that can be done. We just have to wait until the king is strong enough to see reason."

The old man heaved himself up from the stool he must have collapsed into and pushed past the knight. But he didn't have anywhere to go. He doubled back on himself, facing Leon again, his face even more stricken then before. Leon came up to him arms outstretched.

"There is really nothing you can do at the moment. Uther can not set anything up immediately, there is still time before anything serious is underway- he is just being taken down to a cell for now. There is still time."

Gaius shook his head and spun away from Leon. The knight sighed.

"You must keep strong, but Gaius, the only thing that you can do now is help those who are in need of it. Return to your quarters, and the weaker of us here can visit you there. Magic may not be condone-able, but it appears that Merlin did a good job of healing us. Most of us here should be well enough to leave. Some of us may just need bed rest now, but others may still need your care."

Gaius spun around on Leon.

"But that won't stop Uther, now, will it?"

Leon sighed.

"No. But it's all we can do for now."

The head knight gestured towards a guard as Gaius stormed off down the centre of the room again.

"Take Gaius back to his quarters. Make sure he stays there. I'm sorry, but you need to calm down."

Gaius gave him a look of utmost outrage as two men came up alongside him and ushered him back towards the building's exit.

"I can make sure Uther takes time to cool down. But you need to trust me, Gaius. I'm trying to help you - we need our physician, you cannot lose it now, or we will lose you too."

And with that, Gaius felt everything fade away as he was marched out of the building.