Hi everyone!

Wow, it's been quite a long time since I've written the last chapter. My apologies to everyone of you who waited for this update. My life has been very crazy and stressful within the last months. That's why I couldn't spare any time for writing at all. To make it short: I had to care for my niece and nephew nearly fulltime because my sister and her husband were heavily injured in a car accident. Gladly they've survived although it was very close. The children kept me more than busy and of course I still had to work meanwhile. It was a very hard time and I needed some weeks to get back to my normal rhythm after my sister left the hospital. And right now I have to get along with my new job. It really sucks.

However, I'll try to continue my stories from now on though I can't promise if I'll find time for this every week. Please don't be too mad at me.

And please excuse all the mistakes. I guess I wouldn't get this done if I would use more time for proofreading.

Still I hope you'll enjoy reading this.


Note: I know, the 4th season had aired meanwhile which means that this story doesn't make sense anymore because of Uther. So please think of this story as if it had happened after season 3.


It ran through Arthur's mind when he returned to his chambers. Why had there been no weapon in Merlin's room? He couldn't imagine how his clumsy servant could have harmed himself without anything sharp. The wound was too precise, the cut far too clean as that it could have been caused by anything else but a sharp-edged blade. So if there was no knife maybe this really meant someone had attacked Merlin.

But still, despite his looks, Arthur knew that his servant was no idiot. He could have just thrown it out of the window. But would Merlin really think of something like that when he was in such confusion?

Arthur doubted this. Checking on it would be the only way to find out the truth.

There wasn't enough time to go out looking for it by himself, so the prince ordered a nearby servant to do so while Arthur would check on another possibility: Merlin could still be wearing the knife.


When Arthur entered his chambers Merlin was already there, pacing around while staring on his right arm. But as soon as he realized the prince he quickly dropped it and looked as if he had done nothing special.

After a hesitating look of suspicion Arthur decided not to speak about it and just waved his hand signalling Merlin to take a seat on the meanwhile set table. The servant obeyed and waited for the prince to seat himself as well.

The silence between them was horrible. Arthur just didn't know what he should say. He clearly saw Merlin was thinking about something intensively.

More than one time the prince wanted to ask his servant about it but Merlin seemed somehow inaccessibly.

Suddenly Merlin looked up, realizing the prince's staring.

"What?"

"Well, nothing. Just … what is … what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

"You're aware that you're lying in front of your master?"

Merlin was a little bit shocked by this sudden accusation. Looking away from the prince's eyes he admitted.

"Sorry."

"Just tell me the truth."

"It's not that easy."

"I'll listen to it."

Again Merlin hesitated. But after a final look at the prince he began to speak.

"I'm thinking about the night. I can't really recall what had happened. It's as if … everything went blank in my mind."

"The shock about Gaius?"

"Maybe."

This didn't sound convincing at all. Something was nagging on Merlin but obviously he wasn't able to tell the reason for it.

Arthur finally gave up on it just to realize Merlin's full plate. He hadn't eaten anything until now.

"Hey, if you don't answer my questions you should at least eat up."

"I'm not hungry."

"You will eat at once or I'll make you!"

Merlin's doubtingly twitching eyebrow revealed a short moment of some normal behaviour. But it vanished as fast as it had come.

Arthur sighed.

"Do you really want me to feed you?"

"Fine, I'll eat something."

Finally Merlin guided some bites to his mouth but stopped before his plate looked any emptier.

Again Arthur admonished his servant to go on. But it was still difficult to persuade Merlin to eat more though at least he obeyed without the need to being fed.

Arthur was relieved about this because he felt very awkward, imagining that he would really have to feed his servant, though he would have done it if necessary.

When they had finished Arthur told Merlin about the upcoming funeral and of course Merlin agreed to attend it as well.

"Fine, then you better use the bath before it starts. Here are some clean clothes for you, I had them brought here from your room."

"Okay, but don't you need the bath on your own?"

"No, I used it earlier this morning. Just go ahead, I'll be out to see to the preparations for the funeral. I'll send Gwen to you later so that she can make a proper dressing for your arm."

Merlin nodded and grabbed the clothes to make his way to the bath behind the screen while Arthur went towards the door.

As soon as the servant had vanished out of his sight, Arthur opened the door and closed it again but without actually leaving.

Merlin assumed that Arthur had left the room and stripped off his clothes. As the prince always did he hung them over the screen and went into the comfortably warm water.

Now it was Arthur's time to make his move. Without causing any noise he sneaked over to the screen and pulled away Merlin's clothes. For his luck the bathtub was directed to the wall so that the screen was in the back.

Quietly the prince searched through the clothes but found nothing. Soundless he placed the fabrics back on the screen as they had been before and left the room.

Outside he received the report of the servant whom he had sent down to find the knife.

"I am sorry, Sire, but I've found no knife or any other weapon below the window."

"Are you absolutely certain?"

"Indeed, Sire. But maybe someone has taken it, often people pass the area."

"Maybe. Allright, inform me if anyone had found it."

"Of course, Sire!"

The servant vanished and left Arthur back thinking.

Was it just an unreasonable feeling which alarmed him that something seemed odd here? No knife to spot – though it could still have been taken away by someone outside. But not many people passed the way below at such an early hour, so the chances were quite slim.

However, Merlin couldn't have it. There had been nothing in his clothes and if he had put it down behind the screen, Arthur surely wouldn't have missed the sound of the metal touching the stony ground.

And there was something else that Arthur had just realized while eating with Merlin: The prince had never really paid any attention to it but now he was absolutely sure. His servant was right-handed. Why the hell would someone who intended to kill himself use his weak arm for such an action?


It was short, I know. But better than nothing (I hope). Reviews are – of course – welcome. ^^

Bye, Cennamace