A Prince of Two Hearts- Chapter 4
Apologies for the delay, I was on holiday. Hopefully this will make up for it, enjoy!
Merlin's chest rose and fell heavily whilst his eyelids made no movement, not even a twitch or a flutter. Why couldn't he just wake up? Arthur slammed his fist on the ground in frustration. It was unbelievable, he thought, that despite everything he was angry at merlin. For getting himself abducted in the first place, for not escaping himself and for not waking up! He rested his chin on his hands and blinked away a few tears. He knew why he was angry of course; it was better than the hopeless desperation or the heart crushing sadness of accepting Merlin's current condition. They had stayed in the same position for days out of fear of worsening his already dire circumstances but to no effect. He had made no sound or movement other than breathing and Arthur watched this constantly, fearing that the only sign of his life might fade. Arthur could hear the group whispering but he no longer cared; if he took his eyes off that steady movement for one second, it may stop and Merlin would slip away without so much as a goodbye. He wanted to take hold of Merlin's shoulders and shout so loudly that he would awaken and he could see that lifeless face change into the animated, alive person he knew so well. At this moment, he would have given all the lands in the kingdom to see those eyes, those blue chalcedony eyes, to light up with the spark of life; to appraise him like they always did with a flicker of mystery, as if Merlin knew more than he did. It always frustrated him so much before but now he longed for that glance. For any sign that he would come back to him.
"We need to do something Morgana, we can't just leave him here and everytime I suggest we need to move he... looks at me." Gwen glanced down at the uncomfortable memory. Arthur moved almost as much as Merlin; his body stiff from where he sat, his lips pressed in a hard line and his eyes never leaving his servant. His hand rested on the hilt of his blade, twitching occasionally whenever someone came close. Frankly, it scared Gwen to death. The three of them sat around a crackling campfire whilst a blanket of darkness slowly fell around them. It marked the fourth nightfall in this spot and they needed to get Merlin to Gaius. Recently, the only way she could convince Arthur to listen to her was through Merlin. His welfare was the only thing of importance to him right now. All other things were hindrances, even her. She saw Gwaine's face flicker with a hint of concern, evidently her face betrayed all that was locked up inside. She forced her mouth to smile but she knew it was broken, recent events had only confirmed what she already suspected about Merlin and Arthur.
"Tomorrow, Gwen. We'll move him, I promise." Gwen nodded at Gwaine and excused herself to her sleeping spot under a tree with a particularly spongy trunk. It faced away from the camp, away from Merlin and away from Arthur. Therefore it was perfect.
A soft hand touched his upper arm and Arthur tensed up, turning towards Gwen who shrank away slightly. He saw her distress and relaxed, making an effort not to hurt her in any way.
"What is it Gwen?" He could hear his own voice, hostile and cracked, but he couldn't change it.
"Look at him Arthur, I know you've done little else but really look. He's getting worse. His breathing is getting shallower and you can see the sweat on his forehead. If we don't get him to Gaius soon-"
"What, Gwen? He'll die? You think I don't know that?" Arthur was on his feet, releasing the emotion he had felt for a long time. "I can't do it though, I can't touch him. You want me to look at him? I see a broken man who could die from the shock of any single touch because every touch hits an injury." He moved around Merlin. "His right knee is broken, shattered more like. His entire body is covered in cuts or bruises and where there are none, his skin is white as a ghost. His forehead is burning up, getting hotter by the minute and there's nothing I can do about it." He fell to the floor again, voice growing softer. The anger was disappearing and hopelessness was gripping him with all its might. It took everything to keep it together. "Tomorrow." His voice was barely a whisper. "We'll head to Camelot at first light." The rustle of leaves grew more distant as Gwen left him. A bead of sweat fell from the end of one of Merlin's fain curls and Arthur took hold of the hem of his shirt. The fabric gave way and he placed the torn fragment on Merlin's head. The impulse to tend to his fever was overwhelming but something held him back. What, he thought, was it? Was he really afraid to touch Merlin's skin? He mopped his brow with the rag tentatively but impulse took over and he reached across with one hand to take Merlin's limp one. He sat like this for a few moments, squeezing Merlin's hand to generate some form of response but nothing happened. Still, he didn't let go. The contact was welcome, something else that he could convince himself would somehow help Merlin. So he kept holding on, wishing that Merlin would return the favour.
Morgana adjusted the girth on her horse absent mindedly, occasionally stealing a glance at the unhappy couple. Though which one, she thought, she could take her pick. Gwen was distraught and in no mood to talk to Arthur whilst he brooded over Merlin. It pleased Morgana that she may not have to kill Gwen, she felt no affection of course but the girl hadn't done anything to harm her. Seeing her like this stirred something within Morgana, something oddly like sympathy. The man she so desperately loved was ignoring her, eyes only for the unconscious man he was currently hauling onto his horse. This was not how the plan was supposed to play out, though it seemed to be running smoothly judging by the lingering hold Arthur had on Merlin. Maybe torturing Merlin into unconsciousness hadn't been such a bad idea after all. She needed to delay the journey further to let Arthur fully establish his feelings before they reached Camelot. Or she could help him out a little.
Merlin could feel a burning heat on his fingers, warmth he so desperately needed. He tried to flex them, to take hold of the heat source but his own body was betraying him. All he could see was the blending colours of sun on his eyelids. Straining to open them had no effect, his entire body felt disconnected from his mind and would not react to anything. Incoherent voices babbled relentlessly but he couldn't make anything out, he couldn't make them aware of his presence and he couldn't even scream. He was trapped. One voice stood out, a deep soothing one that stirred something in his memory but sounded different somehow. He struggled to make it out, willing his hand to grip whatever it held. Light flooded his senses, stinging his unadjusted eyes as his eyelids fluttered and that one voice was next to him all of a sudden and it was calling his name.
"Merlin!" Arthur stayed fixed on his servant's eyes. Was his mind playing tricks on him? He could have sworn Merlin's eyelids had opened, just for a second, long enough to see the sun reflecting off them. The golden light that had caught his eye had also taken his breath away as it was the brightest gold he had ever seen. Nothing could compare to it; not the golden coins in the treasury, not the grand crown that sat atop his father's head or even the purest gold ingot he had glimpsed just once in the tomb of Cornelius Sigan. It was the gold that alchemists would aspire to create, all produced from the sunlight hitting Merlin's eyes. It was also the most beautiful and important thing to Arthur at this moment. Hope flooded through him, filling up every fibre of his body as he called Merlin's name again and took both of his hands in his own, squeezing them tightly, desperately. Then, faintly but definitely, Merlin squeezed them back.
Arthur's eyes were boring into his own but Merlin would not look away. He was still weak and groggy, with almost no memory of recent events but he didn't care. Even the agonising pain radiating from his knee was second to Arthur. He held Arthur's gaze for as long as possible but the light of the sun was forcing his eyelids closed. He was blinking rapidly, desperate to hold his gaze but his eyes betrayed him and snapped shut.
"Shade, I need shade." The words formed perfectly in his head but caught in his throat, making no sound whatsoever. No matter how hard he tried, how loud he screamed, no sound escaped his lips. Scrabbling at the front of Arthur's shirt was his only option and he winced when he felt his nails pierce flesh but he had to make Arthur understand him. Strong, sturdy hands restrained his own and Arthur spoke to him more softly
"Merlin, can you hear me? You're safe now, you have my word." Merlin struggled to open his eyes but he had to tell Arthur somehow.
"Arthur, we need to get him into darkness. He spent so long in that cell that he won't be used to the light." At once, some kind of fabric covered his face. For that, he was incredibly grateful as he could open his eyes again. The light filtered through small holes in the material but it was a huge improvement and he could feels his eyes slowly adjust. His whole body ached and stung but at least he was out of that wretched cell. Which begged the question, why was he there in the first place? Cenred had an entire army at his disposal, he could have easily killed Arthur once he was there but he didn't. He needed to tell Arthur that he was in danger but words continued to fail him and the frustration was unbearable. When they got back to Camelot, he could find a spell to end it but until then he was next to useless. Arthur was still holding his hands, the sensation was very strange, and he could feel his breath on his face. That was even stranger.
"Please, Merlin, talk to me. I'm desperate out here." Talking to a brown rectangle of cloth certainly felt unnatural but the relief he felt at Merlin's current state was holding him high on euphoria. However, no matter how much he talked to Merlin, there was no reply. Only the occasional frantic pressure on his fingers that was beginning to border on being painful despite Merlin's clear lack of muscle. He wouldn't remove Merlin's grasp however as he was thankful that there finally was one. Merlin removed his hand from his own and removed the cloth from his face. His pupils were still constricted but he seemed to be reacting better to the light. There was desperation in his unusually dull eyes, they still lacked his unique spark that made him... Merlin. Merlin seized the front of Arthur's jacket and drew their faces level, eyes desperately boring into Arthur's. Arthur was suddenly aware of the close proximity as his heart began to pick up speed, his pulse throbbing in his head. He tried to draw away but Merlin kept hold whilst Arthur tried to avert his eyes to no avail; they were drawn to Merlin's like their gazes were chained together. From somewhere behind them, Gwaine cleared his throat and let out a low whistle. Arthur pulled away immediately, why did they have to ruin everything? If he had come alone then he could talk to Merlin himself without others getting involved. He let out an exasperated sigh and marched off to be alone with his thoughts.
Arthur was brooding again, he had done little else for the past hours of daylight and night was slowly taking hold. Merlin's power of speech had not returned to him though Gwen had spent the journey informing him of everything he had missed, including his current condition. It appeared that she still had unanswered questions though and, try as he might, he simply could not answer. He was settled beneath another tree, his body aching from the day's ride. He had not complained for obvious reasons but he also saw the look in Arthur's eyes every time he so much as winced . They had his leg strapped up to the best of their ability so he could ride on the back of Arthur's horse, a very interesting journey to say the least. It bothered him somehow, Arthur's concern why did it bother him so much? He remember nothing of his time in Cenred's castle, for that he was grateful.
"We need to find out why you were there in the first place Merlin. Please, just nod if Morgause told you why." Merlin looked Gwen straight in the eyes and shook his head slowly. She sighed but continued to quiz him. She was obviously just as concerned as he was and he was desperate to answer her questions or his own but he could neither communicate nor remember a single thing.
"Can you remember what happened? Anything at all?"
"Gwen!" Arthur's voice rang loud and clear. It was furious. "He's clearly traumatised! Have you no sense? Look at him!" Gwen stepped back, tears welling in her eyes. Arthur stared at her until she fled, stifling sobs. Merlin stared in surprise, had he missed something? Arthur would never speak to Gwen that way. Something was terribly, terribly wrong.
Arthur kept stealing glances towards where Merlin was sitting. What was happening to him? When he had looked into Merlin's eyes earlier he had to keep himself from...he just couldn't believe it. Of course, he couldn't deny that he admired Merlin as an ally and as a person and that he had always been very protective but he needed to be. The idiot couldn't fight a butterfly, it was only natural! His late feelings were anything but. If his father wouldn't let him marry a serving girl, there was no way that he would let him marry a serving boy. He wanted to marry Merlin? Arthur rested his head in his hands. Right now, his brain felt so messed up that he wanted to rip it out along with his stupid beating heart. The heart that beat faster whenever Merlin was near, whenever his overlarge ears lifted up as he smiled, whenever his eyelashes brushed his cheekbones when he looked down, whenever he...Arthur had to stop thinking about it and quickly.
Merlin heard the soft thunk as Arthur sat down beside him. Hunter or no, he could take lessons in grace and elegance.
"Merlin." Merlin would never tire of hearing Arthur say his name, even as much as he had today. He looked at Arthur directly, hoping that by some miracle his speech would return and he could tell Arthur everything. Everything that he had been thinking about in the day's journey about Arthur's strange behaviour towards him. For instance the close proximity, the unnecessary hand holding and the lingering glances. What worried him is that he didn't mind at all. Quite the opposite. He had been harbouring feelings towards Arthur for a while, especially now he had matured from being a narrow minded dollophead. However these feelings were detached from reality, just a mad fantasy he appreciated every once in a while. He could never have imagined that Arthur would return those feelings, anyway he cared far too much for Gwen. Arthur was off limits, he always will be. So what was happening? He had to force himself to look at Arthur sooner or later so he took a deep breath and slowly transferred his gaze upwards. Arthur's gaze was soft, earnest and (dare he say it) dreamy. The kind of gaze that made Merlin's brain completely disconnect from the rest of his body, leaving him helplessly lost.
"I need to apologise to you for... how I've been acting over the past day. I don't know what's come over me, only that you're something to do with it." Facial expressions were the only thing Merlin had right now and, despite his internal screaming, he resigned himself to furrowing his brow in confusion. Arthur just carried on looking into his eyes and, somehow, it spoke louder than any words could have. That one look accelerated both his heartbeat and his breathing. Neither of them had to say a single word and that suited Merlin just fine. Arthur's fingers softly trailed down his bruised cheekbone and across his aching jaw whilst never losing eye contact. Merlin caught his hand and held it loosely, finally giving in to the moment and leaning in to meet Arthur's lips in a long anticipated kiss. The first brush of lip on lip sent a spark through Merlin more powerful than any magic he had ever performed. Merlin's free hand wound itself through Arthur's sandy blond hair of its own accord, he certainly had no control over his body any more. One kiss turned into more as both men forgot any inhibitions and ravaged each other's lips eagerly. Arthur's free hand ran through Merlin's hair as he pressed him against the tree and began biting his lower lip. Merlin's thought process was blocked considerably as he tried to comprehend exactly what was happening but he no longer cared, Arthur was pushing him against a tree whilst his hand cupped his neck sending lighting from each fingertip as it sunk into his skin. The pressure was becoming painful now, Merlin was still bruised but he couldn't bring himself to pull Arthur off. Whatever change had come over Arthur was welcome to Merlin, even if he had spoken so harshly to Gwen. Wait, that wasn't like him at all. Merlin pulled Arthur away from him with every ounce of physical and mental strength he possessed. Arthur was looking at him with complete and utter devotion, a look he had only seen when Gwen was around.
"Merlin, what are you doing? We are in love! I will shout it at the top of Camelot's tallest tower if I have to! Everyone shall know of this." Merlin's spirits dropped like they had been thrown off that very same tower. His breaths became choked up as his throat burned and tears began to force themselves out of his eyes. His vision blurred, he scanned Arthur's body until he looked upon a small jewel, glowing softly, with a lock of dark hair wound around it.
Please don't give away the love charm twist in the reviews, it may spoil it for people who read the reviews first. Thank you!