"Edniwe min geogud," Merlin muttered in between his gasps for air as he ran. He always forgot about how difficult it was to move around in the body of an old man. Old men tire out so much quicker and on top of that, their limbs are achy. Merlin couldn't fathom how Gaius managed being on his feet so much. Just running through a couple of hallways had Merlin borderline exhausted.
Merlin didn't hear footsteps chasing after him, but that didn't stop him from ducking into a hidden alcove while his features shifted back to his own.
Once he was confident his wrinkles had disappeared and his normal black hair was back, he took off his blood red cloak and made his way back to Arthur's chambers.
When he entered Arthur's chambers, he realized why no one had run after him. Arthur was far too busy holding Gwen to fetch the guards. Merlin thought he saw a tear fall down Arthur's cheek. He tentatively moved closer, not wanting to surprise Arthur and have him react with a fist… or a sword. When Arthur heard Merlin's footsteps, he looked up. A look of immense relief fell across his face. Merlin began to fear that he had hurt Gwen more than he had intended to, but he pushed that fear to the back of his head.
"Merlin, where have you been? Why are you so late?" Arthur asked. His voice was a mess of emotions that Merlin could barely make out the anger that would normally have been dominant.
"I got held up," Merlin said, intentionally dodging Arthur's question. "What happened to her? Is she alright?"
"I'm not a physician Merlin. I have no idea if she is alright," Arthur said. He tried to sound sarcastic, but the level of fear in his voice significantly reduced that effect. It didn't escape Merlin's notice that Arthur blatantly ignored his first question. He was surprised. It wasn't like Arthur to hide the fact that a sorcerer had hurt Gwen. Merlin decided to let it go for now. He would examine Gwen first and make sure he hadn't caused any lasting damage to her. Then he would question Arthur. That would be the best way to avoid suspicious. After all, Arthur was under the impression that Merlin hadn't been anywhere near his chambers when Dragoon had appeared. Merlin wanted it to stay that way.
"Put her on the bed," Merlin ordered. Merlin expected Arthur to tell him that he couldn't order the king to do something. It was a sign of how scared Arthur was that he immediately obeyed. He gingerly placed Gwen down on their bed. Merlin could see the fear, sorrow, and pain in Arthur's expression. Merlin carefully checked Gwen's vitals. He let out the breath he didn't know he was holding when he felt her strong pulse under his fingers. She was okay. "Where did she hit her head?"
"Right here," Arthur said, motioning to the back of Gwen's head. Merlin lightly pressed his fingers to the area Arthur had indicated. "How did you know she hit her head?" Arthur asked while Merlin worked.
Merlin hesitated only for a moment as he tried to come up with a reasonable explanation. "She was lying unconscious on the floor. I'm assuming if she had been poisoned, that would have been the first thing you told me," Merlin said. He hoped Arthur wouldn't notice his hesitation.
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Is she alright?" He asked.
Merlin nodded. "She didn't hit her head that hard. She should wake up in a little while," Merlin told him. Merlin hesitated before asking his next question. "What happened Arthur?"
Merlin wasn't expecting Arthur to look so torn. "It… I… He…" Arthur started his sentence several times. "Do you remember the man who killed my father?"
Merlin had to force himself not to flinch at Arthur's mention of his father. That was guilt Merlin would never be able to let go of.
"I… I saw him today," Arthur told him.
"What?" Merlin asked, trying to make his surprise sound convincing. "Where?"
"It was him that hurt Gwen," Arthur whispered.
"Did you tell the guards?" Merlin asked. His confusion was increasing. Arthur clearly knew Dragoon was responsible for Gwen's injury. Why wouldn't he alert someone?
"No," Arthur whispered.
"Do you want me to?" Merlin asked, taking a step towards the door. "He may still be in Camelot." Merlin knew they wouldn't find Dragoon, but he didn't mind wasting their time. Especially not after all the grief they've given him.
"No!" Arthur said. Merlin spun around to face him, his eyes widening of their own accord. There was no need to pretend to be confused. He had plenty of confusion to spare.
"Arthur?" Merlin asked. When he looked at Arthur, he was shocked to see the king was fighting his tears.
"Gwen was trying to kill me," Arthur whispered. "The old man… He stopped her. That's how she got hurt. He was saving me." Arthur hesitated for a moment before he continued. "Magic is supposed to be evil. I've seen it with my own eyes. How can a man be evil enough to kill my father and then use his magic to save my life? It doesn't make sense!"
"Maybe that man really did try to save your father," Merlin whispered. This could be it. This could be a moment where Arthur realizes that magic can be used for good.
There was a long moment of silence. "I can't think about that right now," Arthur said, shaking his head to clear it. "There's something else… The dagger Gwen was using to kill me. It's the dagger I gave to Morgana. Gwen is working with Morgana."