Author's Note: Thanks for the support guys. You did cheer me up actually. :) For those of you who haven't already, check out my other Merlin fic, "Connected." Hope you enjoy!
Arthur had been anxious – as he went back to his chambers after running in to Prince Henry and his knights, he couldn't get an uncomfortable feeling out of the pit of his stomach.
Gwen was waiting for him, with a kind smile that instantly calmed him. He kissed her gently, but despite feeling much better for seeing his wife, Guinevere immediately knew something was wrong.
"Are you getting on alright?" She said, pulling him over to sit on the edge of the bed.
"Yes. Yes, I'm fine." Arthur sat beside her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Why do you ask?"
"Well… dealing with the visitors… on your own…" Gwen placed a hand on his shoulder. "And I know you're missing Merlin."
Arthur scoffed, annoyed that his wife had so quickly identified the real issue at hand. "I do not!"
Gwen's eyes glinted with just a touch of amusement. "He is your friend. It's alright to tell him that every once in a while."
Arthur frowned. "I think he's having a hard time with Prince Henry."
Gwen sat up, raising her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
"I don't – " Arthur stopped, thinking of the marking on Merlin's face, and the cold glint ever-present in Henry's eyes. "I think – I need to go."
Gwen just nodded, her face concerned. "Go."
Arthur felt his heart pounding as he walked outdoors and toward the training grounds. He heard the shouts from far off, and picked up to a jog, finally arriving on the scene.
A grouping of knights were partially obscuring Arthur's view of a prone figure on the ground, curled up and shaking. A few feet away, two men were on the ground. The knights – both Camelot's and Dareth's – were trying to pull Gwaine away from Prince Henry.
"What the hell is going on here?" Arthur barked. The shock was enough so that Percival could get a hold on Gwaine and haul him away from the cowering prince.
"Gwaine!" Arthur growled, voice shaking with fury. "Explain yourself."
The group fell eerily silent. Gwaine stood in front of Arthur, breath heaving and sweat glinting off his brow. "Merlin," he finally said, voice terse.
Arthur's heart stuttered and stopped for a moment. A few knights shuffled, and Arthur caught a glimpse of the cowering figure on the floor.
Prince Henry had managed to get to his feet just as Arthur dropped to his knees. He reached a hand out and placed in on Merlin's shoulder. His eyes jumped form Merlin's black eye, split lip, to – most terrible – the blood running along his chest and over his hands.
Arthur was on his feet again, without knowing how. He propelled himself forward, grabbing the collar of Henry's shirt and shoving him roughly against a post on the edge of the yard.
"What did you do." His voice came out in a flat growl, and his vision had turned blurry.
Prince Henry was shaking, pale, and silent. Arthur pulled him back a few inches and slammed him again against the post.
"Arthur, stop!" Voices were speaking to him but he had ears only for Prince Henry. Vaguely, he felt a hand on his shoulder, amidst the voices behind him.
"Arthur." It was Leon. "Arthur, he can't breathe."
The red haze of fury slowly faded from Arthur's eyes and he slowly released his hands.
Prince Henry straightened up, trying to look dignified. Arthur started to turn away from him, but then spun around once more, smiling grimly at Henry's flinch.
"If you touch him again.." he let the threat hang there, and watched Henry's face turn from white to bright red.
Merlin was sitting up, with Gwaine supporting him. His eyes were wide with shock, having just witnessed Arthur's furious display.
Arthur didn't have the energy to pretend he wasn't worried. He dropped beside Merlin again, grimacing at the blood staining the blue tunic and coating his pale hands.
"Arthur, I'm fine!" Merlin said, his voice shaking.
"Shut up," Arthur said. He pushed aside a scrap of fabric from Merlin's chest and grimaced. "I ought to kill him," he said, but he seemed to have calmed down some.
"Really, I'm alright…"
"Just stop talking," Arthur said. Then, in the same breath, "Are you alright?"
The caught each other's eye and Merlin smiled in amusement. Arthur's lip twitched. "Shut up," he said again.
Between Gwaine and Arthur, they were able to support Merlin back to Arthur's chambers.
"Fetch Gaius," Arthur said to Gwaine, lowering Merlin onto a chair. "Shirt off," Arthur ordered.
"You are over-reacting," Merlin said, as Gwaine closed the door behind him. Arthur's face left no room for argument, however. Merlin peeled the shirt away from his skin, wincing as the fabric scraped against the wound.
It did look rather gruesome. Merlin looked down at the wound, and at the bruising on his arms and stomach.
"Why – " Arthur started, with a catch in his throat. He couldn't seem to meet Merlin's eye, but fixated instead on the coloring of bruises dotting his skin. Arthur coughed. "Why on earth didn't you tell me?"
Merlin was silent for a moment, and then he shrugged. "I didn't want to bother you."
Arthur's eyes widened and in one movement he turned and slammed his hands against the table, jaw clenched. There was a very small part of Merlin who feared Arthur in this moment. This, out of everything, he could not tolerate. He had never been afraid of Arthur before, and he wasn't about to start now.
"I'm completely alright," Merlin said harshly. "You need to calm down. Right now."
"I can't, Merlin! I can't! Do you know what I have to do now? I have to…" Arthur stopped, grimacing, and then slammed his hands down on the desk again. "I have to apologize to that creep. Publicly. In front of his father and in front of my knights. I have to stand there and say I'm sorry for my behavior towards Henry."
Merlin was silent. He couldn't think of anything to say.
"And you know what? I am sorry. Really, I am."
There was silence for a long while. "That's… good. I mean – I think you did over-react a bit," Merlin said, trying to keep his voice at a calming decibel. Arthur chuckled darkly.
"No. I'm sorry I didn't punch him out while I had the chance."
Author's Note: Review and you get an imaginary cookie!