Thank you everyone for reviews.
We do have a few things to clarify. First, this story is pre-Agravaine. We're pretty sure they'd die if Agravaine was in the court during these events. At least, the way the story is going they would. Second, the moment before Gaius walloped Arthur's leg: Gaius was trying to keep Arthur from realizing what he was about to do. Third, we don't know off the tops of our heads a bunch of herbal remedies, certainly not herbal remedies for menopause. How we came across the dock leaf and its uses is a long story that we doubt you care about.
Now, on with the show!
"Arthur, I do not need a babysitter!" Merlin snarled.
"They're not babysitters," Arthur corrected. "They're knights. And if you don't stop acting like a child, I'll get you real babysitter."
"You could use one," Merlin retorted sullenly.
"You nearly died yesterday!"
"And I'm still here."
"Merlin, if you get yourself killed..." Arthur stopped himself. He had been about to say that he wouldn't be able to forgive himself because he would feel responsible for Merlin's death. Then he remembered that he wouldn't have to live with the guilt. It was strange to think of his life so connected to Merlin's.
"Yes, you'll die too," Merlin incorrectly finished Arthur's sentence.
Arthur winced. The tone Merlin used suggested that Arthur wouldn't care about his servant's life if it didn't affect his own. Merlin of all people should know that wasn't true. Arthur would lay down his life—No, Arthur couldn't lay down his life for anyone now! He could no longer sacrifice his life without ensuring that Merlin died as well. Arthur would happily offer his life to save another, but he couldn't in good conscience also offer Merlin's life.
"We'll both die," Arthur said. "You can't be careless."
"I was only collecting pots for Gaius!" Merlin objected.
"I don't care what you're doing. I told you to never leave the citadel without an armed escort."
"Don't you think it would look a bit odd if a servant is being escorted everywhere by knights?"
"That's why Lancelot, Gwaine, Elyan, Percival, or Leon is supposed to keep an eye on you."
"I still don't need a babysitter. And they have better things to do than follow me around."
"Well, now that you mention it, they do have better things to do. I should just throw you in the dungeons."
"What will you say to Gwen?" Merlin reminded Arthur.
"She already knows about the situation. She was the one who suggested the 'babysitters.'"
Merlin's jaw dropped and his eyes bugged out a little.
Taking advantage of Merlin's shocked silence, Arthur continued, "If you leave without protection one more time, I will throw you in the dungeons."
Merlin didn't try leaving the citadel again that day without guards. He didn't have the opportunity. Arthur had assigned a constant watch on Merlin. Two knights would stay on standby, often outside a door, while Merlin waited on Arthur or did chores in Arthur's presence. Then, if Merlin left for any reason, the guards would follow him.
The original plan was to only stick one guard on Merlin. However, then Arthur stated concern that Gwaine would take Merlin to the tavern. Therefore, Gwaine would be the constant guard while the other selected knights would rotate.
Merlin was irked that Arthur would go so far as to feign a distrust of Gwaine in order to double up Merlin's "protection." Merlin usually enjoyed the company of the knights, but not when they were assigned to him, not when he had to listen to lame babysitter jokes all day, and not when their presence made him vulnerable. Protecting himself would be more difficult now that he couldn't be alone. He also wouldn't get as much of an opportunity to continue last night's research of the predicament he and Arthur were now in. Merlin now wished he hadn't pushed the issue of not needing guards. At least before he was only watched if he left the citadel.
Now, Merlin, accompanied by Gwaine and Percival, was polishing Arthur's hauberk in the armory while the prince sat in some private meeting that servants weren't supposed to have any part in. Merlin was confident though that Arthur would tell him if anything important was discussed.
"So, Merlin, why doesn't princess trust me?" Gwaine asked as he leaned over a rack of swords.
Merlin rolled his eyes, but didn't turn his head up from his work. "It's not you that he doesn't trust," he said. "It's me."
"Since when?" Gwaine questioned.
"He's worried that I'll go to the tavern," Merlin half-lied.
"So he doesn't trust me," Gwaine translated.
"No," Merlin tried. He looked up. "Yes," he then agreed, breaking under Gwaine's incredulous stare. "He thinks I'm always in the tavern and that you'd be a bad influence."
"First, you're never in the tavern. I should know. Second, I like the tavern. A lot. But I like my friends more. I'm not risking your life in favor of the tavern. But now that you mention it..." Gwaine stopped fingering the sword hilts and smiled deviously. "One of us should sneak off to get a tankard. One drink wouldn't hurt. And it'd probably do you good," Gwaine indicated Merlin's injuries.
Merlin smiled in spite of himself. He couldn't deny that a little ale sounded nice right now. He probably couldn't get tipsy without Arthur knowing though. Besides, even without that factor to consider, Merlin generally avoided getting drunk. He had more reason to avoid the tavern than to dispel the drunkard image Arthur had of him. Merlin had a responsibility to protect Arthur and Camelot that could call him at any moment. That, and Merlin was scared of accidentally causing a magical spectacle.
"Not right now," Merlin evaded. He tried to focus his mind back on polishing, which the knights seemed determined to make difficult.
"C'mon, Merlin," Gwaine encouraged, "you deserve a little fun. And Arthur will never know."
"So Arthur was right to not trust you," Merlin concluded.
"I thought it was you he didn't trust," Percival, who had been testing the weight of a recently forged hammer, calmly pointed out.
"I was wrong," Merlin said. "I take it back."
"Actually," Gwaine straightened a bit, "I think you might have been right. There must be a reason he's giving you babysitters. What did you do?" He then leaned in closer.
"I went to collect pots," Merlin replied.
"Danger business, collecting pots," Gwaine taunted.
"It seems Merlin broke the most important law in Camelot," Percival jibed. "Never collect pots, under pain of babysitters."
"That's it," Merlin announced. He threw down his polishing rag, jumped to his feet, and strode to the door.
"Where are you going?" Percival asked, replacing the hammer.
"To let Arthur know how I feel about the situation," Merlin said without any break in stride.
Gwaine and Percival exchanged looks before dutifully and speechlessly pursuing Merlin. Neither knight expected Merlin to suddenly insist on immediately protesting to Arthur, especially considering that Arthur was in an important meeting. But neither knight wanted to stop Merlin. The sight could be fun.
After following an irate Merlin for a while, Gwaine pointed out, "The council chambers are that way."
"I know," Merlin answered almost cheerfully, not caring that he had walked straight past the most direct route to Arthur's most likely location.
A minute later they passed the most direct route to Arthur's chambers, which Percival pointed out.
"I know," Merlin said again.
"Aren't you going to give Arthur an earful?" Gwaine asked.
"I need to get something first," Merlin answered almost as though his intentions were obvious.
"And what do we need to get first?" Gwaine pressed.
"A bucket of water."
Arthur wasn't sure he'd ever get used to feeling Merlin's pain along with his own. He would be only sitting in a council, like was he was now, and he'd feel his pulled muscle tug and knife wound occasionally sting. Hopefully, he wouldn't be stuck under the enchantment long enough to become accustomed to it.
He listened intently as one of the councilors recounted what he knew about reports of nearby sorcerers. Normally, Arthur would skim past the reports about sorcerers. Those stories weren't always accurate. Usually somebody was just being paranoid. Besides, such matters could be handled in a more public council.
However, now someone was trying to kill him via killing Merlin. Of course, no one else knew that except Gwen and Gaius. The fewer people who knew, the better. Since Arthur drunk in every magic report and no one in the council knew of Arthur's predicament, the prince probably appeared more obsessed with destroying magic than his father ever had.
Though many of the councilors would probably disagree, Arthur personally thought this almost-finished meeting had been quite successful. He had plenty of leads to follow. He planned on leaving with Merlin to investigate as soon as possible.
Then Arthur's arm suddenly began to tug so fiercely that it seemed to threaten tearing itself. Arthur grunted in pain. He had to assure the councilors that he was fine even though he wasn't. Whatever Merlin was doing, it wasn't polishing.
Flabbergasted, Gwaine and Percival had watched Merlin draw water and carry, no swing, it through the halls. They tried telling him that he'd hurt himself, but Merlin wouldn't release the bucket. He obviously realized that he was harming himself. His jaw gritted in pain and determination attested to that. The knights wondered if they should take the bucket from him, but never acted on the idea.
Now, they had tromped halfway across the castle still without a clue as to why Merlin needed a bucket of water. He didn't want to splash it on Arthur because splashing the water would "defeat the purpose." Merlin simply maintained that Arthur would understand the meaning behind his actions.
The knights attempted talking Merlin into visiting Gaius before protesting to Arthur. When that didn't work, they continued the interrogation about the water. They made several conjectures about Merlin's method of protest.
"Are you going to flood Arthur's chambers?" Gwaine guessed.
Merlin was too annoyed with Arthur to even crack a smile. "That would take too long," he stated.
"Dump it on his bed?" Percival put forth.
"Maybe later," Merlin said.
They neared Arthur's chambers. Then Merlin stopped by the door. He insisted on waiting there for Arthur. All the while Merlin rocked the bucket to and fro.
Before too long Arthur arrived looking livid. "Merlin! What are you doing!" He shouted. "Drop the bucket!"
"Call off the babysitters," Merlin contended.
Arthur stomped forward. "Don't be stupid, Merlin! You're hurting yourself."
"Yep," Merlin said defiantly.
"Do you want to go to the dungeons?"
"I'll make you hate every second of it."
Arthur lunged for the bucket. Merlin recoiled and cried out, looking anguished. Water sloshed about as Arthur wrested the bucket from Merlin's grasp. Arthur then thrusted the water into Gwaine's arms.
"Get rid of it," he ordered. "Now! Both of you!" He pointed to the knights and then away.
As the knights hurried away Gwaine muttered loud enough for Arthur and Merlin to hear, "I didn't know a bucket of water could cause so much trouble."
"What were you thinking?" Arthur demanded as soon as he thought the knights were out of earshot.
"Arthur—" Merlin began.
"Shut up, Merlin! Don't you dare—"
Merlin's body jolted. He had to stop himself from looking around in alarm. The uncomfortable sensation of magic other then his own pulsed through him. Somebody had released some extremely powerful magic.
"Merlin," Arthur said, "what the h— is that?"
Before anyone asks/wonders, no, Arthur is NOT getting magical powers. What's going on will be explained in depth next chapter.
Review please?