This is a very, very long chapter. Seriously, like 11,000 words. I didn't mean for it to get this long, it just kind of got out of hand. Ah well, who's going to complain? The viewpoint also changes quite a bit here so don't panic if it switches from Arthur to Lancelot suddenly. Thanks to all of my reviewers. I'm sorry for ruining your Sunday.
Arthur groaned and shifted in his bed. Wait, this wasn't his bed. He squeezed his eyes shut and wiggled around a bit, trying to wake up his sleeping mind. Arthur was in his bed, his mind was just confused, the after effects of a weird dream Arthur couldn't remember. Despite Arthur's reassurances, the more he moved around, the more foreign the bed felt. Arthur could tell his soft, plushy mattress apart from anything. What he was on wasn't necessarily uncomfortable, but it wasn't his bed. It was slightly uneven and lumpy, like Arthur was laying a pile of pillows instead of one large mattress. It also felt narrower. Arthur didn't know why, but he felt uncomfortable sprawling out across the pillow bed. He was confined to the slimness that had been set up. Arthur stretched out his hand and felt around. His fingers brushed over soft pillows and then fell onto the icy floor. Yep, definitely not his bed. Arthur was very confused as to why he would be sleeping on a pile of pillows on his chamber floors. He decided to investigate some more. Hopefully an answer would come.
Arthur attempted to sit up; his eyes were still squeezed shut. He didn't fancy the idea of opening them only to discover that he was being kept prisoner in some witch's hovel. Then again, the pillows were awfully comfortable. Perhaps this witch was a good hostess. He placed one hand on the floor and began to push himself up. It was then that he noticed some sort of weight had been draped across his front. It wasn't very heavy, but Arthur wasn't sure what it was. He stopped moving and tried to figure out what it could be. His eyes still didn't seem to want to open, as they remained glued shut. The weight slipped down Arthur's chest slightly. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a breath of air ghost across his collarbone and hair tickle his neck. Alright, he needed to figure out what was going on.
Arthur pried open his eyes and looked down. There, sprawled across his chest, was Merlin. That was weird. Arthur stared at his manservant for a few seconds, trying to figure out why he was using Arthur as a pillow. More so, why was Arthur letting Merlin use him as a pillow? And why the hell were they on the floor? Why did it appear that Merlin was wearing Arthur's clothes? They hadn't gone drinking last night. Even if they did Arthur doubted he would be intoxicated enough to let Merlin make him a pillow bed and then allow his manservant to share said pillow bed. Arthur wanted to shove Merlin off of him. He smiled at the thought of Merlin's face as he would sit up groggily and stare at Arthur, wondering what was going on. Merlin would probably be confused for a few minutes and Arthur would make him muck out the stables. Arthur positioned his other hand (which was certainly not wrapped around Merlin's waist protectively) and prepared to push Merlin off of him and onto the cold floor. Arthur was poised and ready to laugh at Merlin's puzzled face when he paused. His muscles weren't allowing him to harm Merlin. Arthur felt the bottom of his stomach drop out and felt very afraid. Not for himself, but for his manservant. Something wasn't right.
Arthur looked down at Merlin; he couldn't see his face as it was burrowed into the side of Arthur's neck. What Arthur could see was a bruise on Merlin's neck in the shape of a hand. Arthur gasped and brought his fingers up to gently touch the mark. Merlin groaned and shifted, revealing more of his face. It was a swollen, purple mess. Arthur felt his heart beat faster as Merlin tugged on Arthur's shirt. Arthur dropped his gaze to the hand and his worry increased. The hand was clutching Arthur's nightshirt so tightly, Arthur was afraid Merlin would rip the fabric. It was almost as if Merlin was afraid to let go of Arthur. And to be honest, Arthur was just as afraid of letting go of Merlin. Arthur squeezed his eyes shut and tried to remember what had happened to his friend. Arthur gasped as memories of last night came flooding back into his mind. Darian's reveal, finding Merlin, the cries of pain as Arthur reset Merlin's broken bones, they all came flooding back.
The memories continued to hammer themselves back into Arthur's mind. They were relentless and unceasing. Every breath Arthur took brought a new memory, a new image to the forefront. Arthur's heart began beating rapidly as he remembered how sick and frail Merlin was last night. He remembered how the blood from his friend had coated his arms, leaked onto the floor, and stained his shirt. Arthur remembered how Merlin was always whimpering with pain, how he had begged Arthur to let him die. Arthur carefully got his breathing under control and decided to inspect Merlin. He didn't look much better this morning. His face was still swollen and his breathing still ragged. Every so often, his uninjured hand would clench itself harder as he tried to ride out the pain. This was usually accompanied by a gasp escaping from Merlin's pale lips.
Merlin's skin was ashen and he was too skeletal for Arthur's liking. Merlin's bones were digging painfully into Arthur's body. Merlin's bony ribs putting pressure on Arthurs, his bony legs continually pressing against Arthur's well muscled ones. The skin appeared to be stretched across the skeleton. It looked so tight, Arthur was afraid it was going to split open. Merlin's cheeks, though they were swollen and purple, looked more hallow than Arthur cared to admit. In short, Merlin looked like a corpse. In fact, Arthur was sure corpses looked better than Merlin at this moment. Arthur took several deep breaths and gently removed Merlin's hand from its death grip. He maneuvered so he was sitting up, gently laying Merlin's head down on his lap. Merlin whimpered as Arthur's body was taken out from underneath him. He clearly wanted to warmth and protection Arthur had offered. But Arthur couldn't stay in the room holding Merlin forever. There was still a man in the castle who wanted Merlin dead, for whatever reason. Arthur stretched his arms over his head. He groaned and reveled in the feeling as his muscles loosened up. Arthur looked down at the injured boy and decided it was time to interrogate Merlin. Surely he should be well enough to question.
"Alright, let's have you lazy daisy," Arthur said cheerfully, placing a hand on Merlin's uninjured shoulder and shaking him gently. He didn't want Merlin to panic and spiral out of control. It was best to do this gently.
"No, please. I want the pain to end," Merlin sobbed, burying his head in Arthur's lap. Arthur pulled his hand off of Merlin's shoulder and looked at the boy. Arthur began to feel his trousers become damp with Merlin's tears. Arthur gritted his teeth.
"Look, Merlin, I know you want a day off but this is ridiculous," Arthur said more forcefully this time. Merlin let out a sob and attempted to burrow himself farther into Arthur's lap. Merlin's uninjured arm felt around blindly, Arthur obliged him and put his hand in his friend's. Merlin gripped Arthur's hand so hard, Arthur thought he was going to lose the appendage. By this point Arthur was frustrated. Why couldn't Merlin see that he was safe, that he was with Arthur? If the idiot would just open his damn eyes he could stop this whole sobbing business and help Arthur take down the man who did this to him. Didn't he understand that Arthur was trying to help? Arthur knew he should have been calmer, but he didn't care. Merlin shouldn't be making this more difficult.
"Merlin, how many times do I have to say it? Wake up!" Arthur growled, gripping Merlin's hand in his own. Merlin gripped it back, but not out of assurance, out of fear.
"I need you to help me. I have no bloody clue what Darian wants with you. He didn't keep you because he felt like it. You have to help me, Merlin," Arthur commanded. His anger was now boiling under his skin, threatening to burst out. At least it was until Merlin spoke again.
"I want the pain to go away," Merlin whimpered, sounding every bit as broken as he looked. Arthur's face softened and he examined his friend. Merlin had begun to shake and tears were flowing freely from his eyes. Arthur loosened his grip on Merlin's hand. Just enough so it wasn't hurting him, but also enough to ensure Merlin that Arthur was still there.
"It has gone away. Darian can't hurt you anymore. Merlin, I need your help. You're the only one who knows what's going on," Arthur replied softly, his anger beginning to disappear and replaced with sadness and guilt. He lashed out and probably scared Merlin a great deal. Now, Merlin would believe that he was still with that monster. He would believe Arthur had never rescued him.
"Oh, Merlin, I'm sorry for getting angry. But you are safe. I promise," Arthur said, giving Merlin's hand a gentle squeeze. Merlin responded well to this and calmed down considerably. What had Arthur expected? For Merlin to be up and walking around? Arthur cursed himself as he realized his foolish and selfish wish had probably done more damage to Merlin. And heaven knows that's what his friend needed right now. Merlin was so injured last night; even under the care of Gaius the boy wouldn't be up and about for some time. Arthur closed his eyes and thought about the situation he had gotten himself into. Darian was in this castle, as his guest. He was using Arthur's hospitality to do this to Merlin, his friend. Arthur brought a hand to the back of Merlin's head and began stroking it.
"All you have to do is wake up for ten minutes and tell me what happened," Arthur said quietly, rubbing the back of Merlin's hand with his thumb. Arthur traced over each cut that decorated Merlin's hand, willing them to get better with each gentle touch. Suddenly, Merlin seemed so small and fragile. Arthur continued to trace his thumb over each knuckle, his hand running gently through Merlin's hair, mirroring the patterns his thumb was making. Merlin began to calm down. Soon his breaths became deeper. Merlin wasn't going to wake up now. Arthur hoped that his brother was dreaming peaceful dreams. That he wasn't still in the antechamber, chained to the wall.
Arthur sat there, one hand petting Merlin's head, the other gripping his uninjured hand. He stared blankly ahead, trying to come up with a plan. Arthur had held onto the irrational belief that Darian was still a good person, despite the overwhelming evidence. He wanted to believe that Merlin wouldn't be injured, that Darian would still be the man Arthur grew up with. Because of this, Arthur didn't think there was any need to create a full on plan of attack. He was completely alone right now. He needed help. He couldn't protect Merlin and reveal Darian at the same time. Revealing Darian would mean he had to leave Merlin alone to find evidence, and Arthur was not willing to do that. He also needed to keep Darian distracted so he could find evidence. It was all so overwhelming. He needed his knights. They could help Arthur protect Merlin and rid Camelot of Darian. The problem was, his knights were currently under a spell.
"Then I'll just have to break it," Arthur stated out loud, hoping to get a reaction from Merlin. Merlin snuffled and rubbed his cheek on the fabric of Arthur's pants.
"You're not a bloody cat, cabbage-head," Arthur chided as he started to think of ways to break the curse. It couldn't be that difficult, right?
"Well if they see you, they'll probably listen to anything I say about Darian," Arthur stated boldly. Merlin muttered his response and sighed with content. Arthur smiled and leaned back against the wall. That plan was probably Arthur's best bet to break the curse. After all, each of the knights cared about Merlin deeply. If they saw how broken and bruised he was, Arthur might just stand a chance. Arthur remembered when the troll had enchanted his father. Gaius and Merlin said the only way to break the curse was for Uther to cry tears of true grief. Arthur hoped it was a similar solution and just seeing Merlin would cause his knights to go into their overprotective modes.
Arthur was also aware that not once had his mind tried to convince him Darian was a good guy. This gave Arthur hope that the curse was broken for good. Arthur felt content with his plan, until a problem wiggled its way into Arthur's thoughts. He didn't trust the knights enough. They were still being affected by Darian's spell. Arthur had fought against it for two days and he still was only able to throw it off completely after seeing Merlin. The knights hadn't once shown any inclination to being aware something wasn't quite right with Darian. If he showed them Merlin there was a good chance his men would take off and tell Darian that Arthur had his "little lamb".
But Arthur couldn't just sit here and do nothing. Darian would know Merlin had escaped soon. Arthur was slightly afraid Darian already knew Merlin was gone, given the fact that he did try to torture him last night. Darian would know the kid would have needed help. He was probably aware Arthur wasn't fully under his spell. Arthur hadn't been acting normal the past few days. And even though Arthur had tried to pretend he still loved Darian, he knew he wasn't convincing enough. It probably wouldn't take long for Darian to put two and two together. The man was smart and methodical. He was a trained warrior and could probably spot a potential threat as soon as it appeared. Arthur figured he had until eight to break the spell on his friends and the rest of Camelot.
"Which means I should probably get started," Arthur stated. He looked down at Merlin and sighed.
"I have to leave you alone now. George will be here soon," Arthur apologized. He slid his hand out of Merlin's and gently removed himself from the boy's tangled mess of limbs. He would have rather stayed in the alcove, curled up next to Merlin, protecting him from the outside world. But Arthur couldn't do that. At least not until Darian was stopped. Arthur stared for a second before deciding to place Merlin on his back to ease his breathing. Arthur carefully turned Merlin over and propped him up with some pillows. Arthur noticed an immediate change. Merlin's ragged and shallow breaths deepened and became less strained.
"The things I do for you," Arthur chuckled before kissing Merlin's forehead. He tucked the blankets around Merlin, ensuring that he was plenty warm.
"You're safe, Merlin. Just open your eyes and you'll see that," Arthur said quietly as he stood up and left the alcove. He closed the curtain so Merlin was completely hidden from view and then went to his own bed. It was time to act like everything was normal. Arthur messed the covers up and looked around the room. Some of the water from the bathtub had disappeared leaving an ugly red ring that stained the inside. There were still blood spots on the floor, smudged from where Arthur had tried to scrub them away, or had accidently walked over. Arthur hoped all evidence of this event could be wiped away completely. He didn't want constant reminders to stain his floor.
Arthur shivered and added another log to the fire. He looked out the window and saw the sun was just coming up over the horizon. He had an early morning training to go to, so George would be knocking on his door soon. He had requested the man wake him before the sun was up. Of course, that was before Arthur knew of Merlin. He was glad that he had, for once, attempted to be on time to early morning training. None of the Knights of the Round Table had anything to do until later today, and Arthur was getting up a good hour and a half before his training. This meant Arthur would have plenty of time to speak to them and break the spell. Hopefully it would be enough. Arthur collapsed onto his bed and waited for George. He noticed how empty he felt. It was odd to lie there without Merlin's weight on his chest. He had barely let go of Merlin the past few hours and now Arthur felt hollow without his friend's warm weight anchoring his thoughts to reality.
Arthur half thought of crawling back in the alcove with Merlin, but that would be too risky. Arthur had asked George to knock on the door, the man never agreed to stay outside until Arthur gave him admittance. If Arthur wasn't prepared for the servant's entrance, everything he had worked for would be destroyed. Arthur would have failed Merlin. He rolled over and stared at the alcove. Arthur felt his ears ringing with the stifling silence. He never knew Merlin could be so quiet, and that in and of itself was wrong. Merlin should be constantly talking. Aside from the few words Merlin had said today, Arthur hadn't heard a sound from him. This was good, since he didn't want George to know he had Merlin. But Arthur still felt uncomfortable with the silence that seemed to follow his friend. It was as if nothing could be heard, all because Merlin wasn't awake. A knock was heard at the door. Arthur jumped at the sudden noise but prepared himself to face George. It was time.
"Come in," Arthur commanded. The door opened. It groaned and scraped against the floor. Arthur never noticed how loudly his door echoed through the room. He desperately wanted it to stop, for the door to be silent once more. George slipped in, bowing to his prince before lying the breakfast out on the table. The door clicked shut, once again the sound reverberating through the room. It was unnaturally loud. Arthur made no indication that he was nervous and stood up. He made a show of stretching before walking to the table and sitting down.
"Good morning, sire. You have training in about an hour and a half. Is there anything you wish for," George stated, bowing again. He sounded like a genie, asking Arthur for his three wishes. Arthur rolled his eyes and looked at the food. Now that Merlin looked less mangled, his appetite had found him again. This was good since Arthur had the feeling he was going to be fighting an enemy today.
"I need you to find Sirs Leon, Percival, Gwaine, Elyan, and Lancelot. Bring them to my chambers immediately," Arthur commanded as he plucked a sausage off his plate and munched on it. Merlin always snagged a sausage from Arthur's breakfast, maybe even a grape if there were enough. Arthur wasn't sure why this thought made him sad. Possibly because Merlin always tried to pretend he hadn't, which usually led to a playful argument about Arthur's weight. It was something Arthur looked forward to in the morning. It was like clockwork, something that had to happen. If Merlin wasn't there to yell at Arthur for eating too much, then the day just wouldn't be the same. It wouldn't seem as bright. Arthur could use some brightness right about now.
"And what should I tell them? They will wonder why you wish to see them at this hour." George said, bowing again. Arthur was sure that doing so much bowing was bad for the back, but he thought he should keep this to himself. Instead, he came up with a lie that was actually a truth.
"Tell them it's about Darian," Arthur responded, trying to keep his features even and not spit the name out like poison on his tongue. George's face brightened considerably.
"Oh, is it a surprise? I'm sure he'll love it," the servant exclaimed happily.
"I'm sure he won't suspect it's coming," Arthur smirked. Arthur was quite pleased with himself. He believed he had done a pretty good job with not giving away that he was currently planning on repeatedly beating Darian's head in with a hammer.
"I'll get them right away," George replied, bounding out the door without so much as a goodbye. The door clicked shut and Arthur's mind went into overdrive. He began panicking. What if they didn't believe him? What if the curse was too strong? Arthur decided he could deal with that later and poured some water into a goblet. Right now, he needed to take care of Merlin. He walked over to the alcove and opened the curtains.
"Time to drink up," he said, lifting Merlin and dribbling some water into the boy's mouth. It was strange how natural this felt, Arthur taking care of Merlin. He wasn't sure why, but he wasn't uncomfortable with helping Merlin. Normally, the prattish part of his brain, which always sounded like his father, would be screaming at him that princes weren't supposed to take care of their servants. This side remained absent and the other side that said Merlin wasn't a servant and deserved to be helped in any way continually badgered Arthur's thoughts. Arthur didn't care how improper it was, he was going to sit here and care for Merlin for as long as it took. The last of the water dripped into Merlin's waiting mouth. Merlin smacked his lips and burrowed his head into Arthur's neck. Arthur felt a pang of sympathy as he realized Merlin couldn't stay like this.
"Sorry, kid. I have to talk to the knights. I'll be your pillow later," Arthur promised, gently laying Merlin back down. Thank the gods Merlin wasn't actually awake. Arthur didn't think he could stand the teasing if Merlin knew just how much Arthur was letting him get away with.
oOoOoOo
"Stupid princess and his stupid whims. Worse than a woman," Gwaine grumbled as George herded him and the other knights through the corridors. Gwaine was still trying to fasten the buckle on his cloak. He wasn't awake enough to deal with Arthur and whatever he wanted. Honestly, just because Arthur had to get up early, didn't mean the rest of Camelot did. Gwaine resolved to teach the princess some boundaries.
"This is ridiculous, even by his standards," Leon groaned as he continued to fumble with his belt. There was a series of grumbles that indicated their agreement with Leon's statement. Gwaine grinned. If even Leon felt the need to complain about Arthur, then the prince had gone too far.
"Why does the prince want us to see him?" Lancelot asked, trying and failing to stifle a yawn. His brain was fuzzy and attempting to work through the details of the morning. However, Lancelot found it difficult to even set one foot in front of the other. Whatever. He could just pretend to listen to Arthur and the demands he had.
"Prince Arthur wants to speak to you about Darian," George stated proudly as he turned the corner. He reminded Gwaine of a peacock, fluffing up his feathers to impress the other males and females. This made Gwaine want to strangle the man even more. George had rudely awaked all the knights about ten minutes ago. George started with Elyan, then Percival, then Lancelot, then Gwaine and finally Leon. Each knight trailed behind George as he went to round up the others. There was always a look of sympathy as George roughly pulled another of their companions out of sleep and into the hallway. The knights hadn't really received any indication as to why Arthur suddenly wanted them all in his chambers before the sun even came up. All the knights were given was Arthur had wanted to speak to them. They figured it be best not to argue with Arthur in the morning, as he was extremely temperamental, and allowed themselves to be shepherded through the corridors. Elyan rubbed his eyes and yawned.
"At least tell me there's food," he groaned. Arthur better have the decency to give us food. He thought angrily. He had a feeling that Arthur wouldn't be so kind. George stopped in front of the familiar doors and knocked. The knights looked at each other questioningly as the prince failed to answer.
"Sire, I have completed your request. The knights are all here," George called nervously through the door when no response was given.
"If he fell asleep…" Percival growled, letting the threat hang.
"I'll help you," Leon replied, yawning again. Gwaine looked at the knight and grinned. Leon's dark side was well rumored throughout these castle walls, but never before had Gwaine gotten to see it. Clearly it was an early morning occurrence.
"Sire?" George called out again. He turned and gave a nervous smile to the knights.
"Are you sure he wanted us to come here now?" Lancelot asked. Elyan closed his eyes and began nodding off. Percival shook him gently, causing Elyan to jerk awake.
"I'm sure. I don't know what's gotten into him," George answered quietly, shaking his head in despair. He was about to knock again when Arthur answered.
"Come in," Arthur commanded through the doors. The knights glanced at each other. Arthur sounded tired, which made sense given the time of day. But he also sounded… almost afraid. What could have gotten their prince so worked up? George opened the doors and revealed Arthur standing regally in the middle of the room.
"Let's see what he wants," Leon said, walking through the doors.
oOoOoOo
Arthur finished checking all of the bandages and decided that Merlin was okay for now. The makeshift bandages were spotted with blood, but none of it had seeped completely through. Merlin's ankle, wrist, and shoulder were all still in place and the bones appeared to be knitting themselves together nicely. Arthur didn't have enough honey or yarrow to put on Merlin's cuts again. And he was not going to use the bathwater again. So Merlin would just have to sit there as he was and wait. When Arthur convinced his knights that Darian was the spawn of the devil, hopefully one of them could go to Gaius and Merlin would be able to receive proper medical care. No infection was setting in and the cuts had all appeared to be scabbed over. Now, all Arthur could do was wait for his knights to return.
He closed the curtain and sat in the chair. Before long his nerves made him stand up and pace about the room. He didn't want to sit still, not now. The pacing caused Arthur to think through his plan. His heart fell as he began to realize he had no plan whatsoever. He didn't even know how to begin breaking this curse. Merlin would know. He always knew those kinds of things. Well, you've spent four years with him. You should know what he would say. Arthur thought. He stood there for a minute, his mind slowly going blank. Alright, maybe he didn't know Merlin as well as he thought. Arthur groaned and put his head in his hands. It was time to go back to the basics.
"Just present the evidence, and go from there," Arthur said, taking a few calming breaths. Every time Arthur needed to convince his father and the council something dangerous was happening, Arthur would present everything he knew for sure, and then form his argument based on that. By starting with the facts, it was easier to convince people his position was right. Arthur felt slightly better with this plan, but he still needed a few minutes to polish up his thoughts. Sadly, George took that moment to knock on the door.
"Sire, I have completed your request. The knights are all here," George said nervously through the door. Arthur's head jerked up and stared at the door. He wasn't ready for George! Damn him and his efficient nature! Arthur tried to answer, but his mouth had gone dry and was now refusing to work. If he waited any longer, everyone would know something was up. Though they were probably already suspicious, given the fact that Arthur had pulled them all from their beds without a good explanation.
"Sire?" George called out again. Arthur closed his eyes and took several deep breaths. This was for Merlin. He had to be calm for Merlin. With that, Arthur opened his eyes and prepared himself. Just present the facts and go from there. Arthur reminded himself.
"Come in," he commanded. It didn't escape Arthur how his voice shook ever so slightly. It wouldn't have escaped his friends either. He stood up taller as Leon slipped in through the open door, followed by the rest of the men. Arthur blanched when he saw that each had had the foresight to grab their swords before they left. They're not going to use them. Arthur scolded himself. He became aware of just how clammy his hands felt and just how dry his mouth was.
"Sire?" George said, rushing forward as he noticed Arthur's paling face.
"I'm fine. George, you are dismissed until further notice," Arthur stated, getting ahold of his fleeing emotions. George stopped midstride, and stared at Arthur.
"If you need me to get Gaius-"
"I don't. You are dismissed," Arthur stated again. George looked taken aback but nodded and bowed before leaving the room silently. Arthur walked over to the table and sat down in the chair. His legs were shaking so much that he was afraid if he stood any longer, he would collapse. That would definitely be cause for Leon to go get Gaius.
"There better be a good reason why you got us up at the crack of dawn," Gwaine growled as he flopped onto Arthur's bed. Arthur ignored him and decided that he didn't like the others standing. He was too vulnerable in this position. If they wanted to, the knights could easily take Arthur down. He really should have grabbed his sword. It would look skeptical if he tried to get it now.
"Please, sit down," Arthur commanded, gesturing to some chairs. The knights looked at each other and shrugged. One by one, they all sat down.
"Sire, what is this about? Has something happened to Darian?" Leon asked, leaning forward to stare at Arthur. Arthur tried to avoid Leon's gaze. He knew his eyes would give away too much. Then again, not looking at his friend would give away just as much. Arthur opted for looking at everyone at once. It seemed to work as Leon leaned back and didn't try to look Arthur in the eyes again.
"Yes, something has happened with Darian," Arthur replied stiffly. The other knights leaned in at the information, anxious to hear every word that came out of Arthur's mouth. They didn't want anything bad to happen to this saint they had come to know so well.
"What happened?" Percival asked quietly. Arthur felt his heart beat faster. He became more restless under the scrutiny of his friends.
"That's the thing. It's a delicate situation and someone's life hangs in the balance," Arthur replied, standing up abruptly and pacing around the room. His feet seemed to echo loudly on the stone floors. He was not nearly as confident as he would like to be at the moment. Leon sensed this and decided to be Arthur's anchor. Whenever Arthur needed someone who was levelheaded and calm, he usually used Leon. The knight was able to keep Arthur's thoughts focused and straightforward, something Arthur was clearly struggling with at the moment.
"Start at the beginning," Leon said calmly. Right, that was probably the best course of action. Arthur took a deep breath and began. Hopefully the knights would believe him right away and the spell would be broken. Stick to the facts. Arthur thought. Once he felt calm enough, he started.
"Well you see, I started noticing strange things. Well, they didn't really seem strange but on closer examination they are strange. And his laugh is so cold. How could no one notice it? But there is some sort of spell that he's placed on Camelot. That's the only logical conclusion I can come to. After all, people don't just disappear. And the way he said things. Once you notice you won't ever stop…" Arthur rambled. He was slowly spiraling out of control. Everyone looked at each other. The man was making absolutely no sense. Leon decided to put a stop to it.
"…But really it's my fault. I should have protected him better. I know he won't say anything, he's probably already forgiven me, but you should feel guilty as well…"
"Arthur," Leon called gently. Arthur continued to ramble, no one quite understanding what was his fault or what this had to do with Darian.
"Arthur," Leon tried again, this time louder. Arthur still didn't pay any heed to the knight. Leon was beginning to get frustrated, but also slightly worried. Arthur was never this unsure. Even giving a bad report to his father, Arthur always managed to keep himself fairly calm and collected. Leon's only conclusion was that something terrible had happened. Something so bad it shook Arthur's very core. If this was the case, then Leon had to figure out what happened and ensure it wasn't a threat to Camelot and her citizens.
"Arthur!" Leon practically shouted. Arthur stopped his pacing and rambling. He turned to the knight. Leon sighed with relief. He hoped Arthur would begin to calm down. It was almost as if he were afraid of the knights. If he was afraid of them, there was no way he would be able to properly explain the situation. Leon decided that he needed to be as gentle as possible. He needed to show Arthur that they weren't a threat.
"You haven't really explained anything," Leon stated gently. Arthur sat back down and took some deep breaths. Leon was right. Arthur had given them no information. Why couldn't he do this? You might feel more comfortable if they don't have their swords. Merlin's voice came floating into his head. Arthur gritted his teeth. Great, now you decided to help me out. Why couldn't it have been before? Arthur grumbled in his head. I like listening to you squirm. Merlin chuckled impishly. That definitely sounded like something Merlin would say. And as much as Arthur hated to admit it, Merlin's suggestion would probably help him a lot. If the knights didn't have their weapons, it would be harder for them to hurt Merlin. Arthur looked up to see all of his men staring at him worriedly.
"This is going to be difficult to explain. Before I begin, I need you all to put your weapons in the antechamber," Arthur commanded. I was right. Leon thought to himself. Arthur was afraid of them.
"Sire?" Lancelot asked.
"I need this to be done," Arthur commanded. Leon looked towards the other knights before purposefully walking over to the antechamber and placing his sword inside the room. If it was going to help Arthur get ahold of his emotions, Leon was all too glad to disarm himself. The other knights followed Leon's example. They walked over to the antechamber, each disarming themselves before returning to their spots in the room. Percival closed the door after placing his sword and a small knife in the room. He looked down and gasped. There was a brown-red stain on the floor, a stain he knew all to well.
"Sire, is this blood?" he asked, bending down to examine some smudges left on the floor. Leon bent down to examine the drops as well. There appeared to be small stains of blood all over the room. Everyone looked at Arthur. Leon noticed he seemed calmer now that all the knights were disarmed.
"I will explain in time," Arthur said. He stood up and walked to the antechamber, locking the door before repeating the motion with the main doors.
"Sire?" Lancelot asked again. It was one thing for him to ask the knights to disarm themselves, but to lock them in the room was something else entirely. Arthur ignored Lancelot. He sat back down at the table and stared at his men. His mind once again went blank. Any ideas, Merlin? Arthur thought to his unconscious manservant. Wing it? Merlin added unhelpfully. Arthur could practically see Merlin shrug his shoulders and grin apologetically. Arthur sighed and attempted to come up with something slightly more helpful. After what felt like a lifetime, Arthur decided to focus on the knights' relationship with Merlin. Once he was convinced they remembered how much they cared for Merlin, Arthur would show them the boy. Then they could come up with the next step. The knights had all returned to their seats, waiting expectantly for Arthur to speak. He looked at each of them before settling on the one Arthur felt could easily break the curse. Arthur cleared his throat and turned to Gwaine. Remember, they think Darian is wonderful. This has to be done carefully or you risk a backlash. Merlin reminded Arthur. Arthur nodded his understanding and carefully arranged his question.
"What were your thoughts on Darian?" Arthur asked. The statement wasn't accusatory. It was simple but could provide Arthur with necessary information. Arthur could manage Gwaine's answer and tell the truth from the lie. Gwaine looked at him questioningly for a moment before answering. He was trying to figure out the princess' game, only to discover that he didn't know. He didn't know why Arthur had asked him this. The only way to find out was to answer the question.
"Well, I think he's a wonderful person-"
"No," Arthur cut off Gwaine midsentence. Gwaine stared at him. "I meant before he came to Camelot," Arthur clarified. He was pleased his voice was stronger and that he was no longer as afraid. Now that he had started, it was becoming easier to question his men. Gwaine screwed up his face in concentration and thought deeply for a second. His head hurt as he tried to muddle through his thoughts. It felt as though he was continually hitting a wall. Any ideas about Darian before Gwaine had met him were somewhere where Gwaine couldn't find them. He closed his eyes and tried to think. It was only four days ago. He should be able to remember it. A hazy image flashed into his mind briefly. He was standing in the courtyard, awaiting Darian's arrival, but he wasn't happy. He had a tight grip on his sword.
"I-I didn't trust him," Gwaine answered softly. He opened his eyes to see everyone staring at him. Gwaine lowered his head. It was shameful of him to not trust Darian, but he had changed. Was this what Arthur wanted? To bring to light the fact that Gwaine didn't trust Darian? Gwaine prayed this would be the end and Arthur would just let him apologize to the man. But Arthur wasn't done yet.
"Why didn't you trust him?" the prince asked in a low voice. He sounded like he was threatening Gwaine. Gwaine looked up to see Arthur's eyes narrowed, like a wolf hunting his prey. Gwaine didn't have to take this. He liked Darian now. That should be enough for Arthur.
"I don't know," Gwaine stated strongly. Indeed, he didn't want to try and work through his memories again. It probably had something to do with it being morning, but it was causing him a headache just trying to think about a time before Darian.
"Yes, you do," Arthur stated coldly. Gwaine stared at Arthur. He decided to try and humor the princess. Once again he fought to remember his thoughts in the courtyard. But the image never stayed long. It was always replaced with afterwards, when he and Darian had gone to the tavern. Why couldn't he remember anything? Surely there was a reason why he hadn't trusted Darian?
"I don't know," Gwaine repeated. It was the truth. He couldn't focus long enough to sort through his emotions and thoughts of the day. "It's like those memories are all…hazy." Arthur nodded. His eyes grew even colder. Gwaine had never been very afraid of Arthur. Sure the man could order his execution if he wanted, but for the most part, Gwaine figured he wasn't anyone to fear. However, now Gwaine felt himself shrinking away from Arthur. He wondered if the other occupants in the room felt just as frightened as him.
"Last night, you told my father I was doing an inspection of the barracks. Why?" Gwaine whipped his head up to look at Arthur. How had he known about that? Arthur hadn't been there when Gwaine ran into Darian and Uther. Gwaine remembered the events of last night. It was also a battle to see clearly though. This was beginning to worry Gwaine, the fact that everything seemed foggy. He was struggling to remember even the most basic of thoughts. Finally he was able to break through the wall and remember parts of his conversation with Darian and Uther.
"I just had a feeling. They were discussing something, someone. I felt the need to protect the person," Gwaine answered softly. He felt so drained by Arthur's questioning. Not because it was intense, but because the simplest questions had been overwhelming to try and think about. Now that Gwaine had broken through the initial wall, he began to see a lot clearer. Something wasn't right in Camelot.
"Sire, what is this all about?" Leon asked, resting his hand on Arthur's forearm. He really didn't understand why Arthur was badgering Gwaine. Sure, it was odd that the knight had lied to Uther about Arthur's whereabouts, but something wasn't adding up in Leon's mind. What did this all have to do with Darian?
"Leon, about four days ago you yelled at me for what?" Arthur asked, turning to look at the senior knight. Leon removed his hand and began working through his memories. Four days ago, what had happened four days ago? Leon smiled as he remembered he received word Darian was coming. But that wasn't why Leon had scolded Arthur. Leon groaned and massaged his temples. He couldn't focus on anything. The room was too hot and there wasn't enough air. Arthur said Leon had yelled at him, but Leon couldn't find any reason why. Focus, Leon. The knight told himself as he continued to work through his memories. Leon was beginning to realize that there were blank spots everywhere. Hours where Leon couldn't remember what he had done. Wait, he could remember what he had done, but something was still missing. And it didn't help that everything was a struggle to see and hear. Leon's mind wandered towards a conversation he had had shortly after he told Arthur Darian was coming. Something had happened then, Leon was sure. He concentrated even harder and slowly the gaps began to fill themselves in.
"You-you didn't treat someone, Merlin! You treated him like some sort of possession to be given away," Leon answered proudly. He collapsed back into his chair, completely exhausted by the amount of work he had just completed. Arthur smiled. That was the first time since Darian's arrival that he heard someone speak about Merlin without mentioning the boy's uselessness.
"You what?" Gwaine growled. He had been focusing on Leon. It was clear the man was working through the exact same problems as Gwaine. Leon now looked utterly exhausted. Gwaine wasn't sure why he felt a sudden urge to punch Arthur in the face over Merlin. Then again, Arthur had treated Merlin like a possession. Gwaine groaned and collapsed back onto the bed. He was worried about a servant, but he also was trying to forget him. Never had Gwaine been more confused than he was now.
"Stop. We'll get to that," Arthur commanded. Gwaine wanted to shout at Arthur for treating Merlin so poorly, but he reminded himself that Merlin was just a servant. He was a possession. Arthur turned to Lancelot. Lancelot paled. He had been watching the interaction between Arthur, Gwaine, and Leon. He had seen how Arthur questioned the men until they were unsure of themselves. Lancelot tried to prepare himself for what was coming. All of Arthur's questions seemed to be focused on Merlin. Lancelot struggled to come up with some connection between him and the boy, but he could never grasp anything concrete.
"Lancelot, you have been protective over Merlin. Why?" Arthur asked. Lancelot laughed uncertainly.
"Why would I worry about…about a…" Lancelot's sentence dropped off. He looked at his hands as if they were the most interesting things in the world. He couldn't complete the sentence because it wasn't true. He did worry about Merlin, but he couldn't figure out why. A fuzzy image of him and Merlin sitting together in the armory came into Lancelot's mind. Lancelot struggled to make the image clearer, to hear to conversation. He was trying to comfort Merlin. That he could be sure of. But trying to hold onto the other details was like trying to catch smoke. They were falling away from Lancelot faster than he could grab onto them.
Arthur noticed that all his men were starting to have these pained expression on there faces. Each one was beginning to fight the spell. But Arthur wasn't sure if it was enough to show them Merlin. They still seemed uncertain in their feelings towards the boy, so Arthur decided to continue his questioning. He was beginning to break down the walls Darian had so expertly built. His men were becoming unsure of their own thoughts and actions. After Gwaine's outburst, Arthur was sure that he would be the first one to throw off the spell completely. It was time to test that theory.
"Gwaine, what were your feelings towards Darian before he came to Camelot?" Arthur stated again.
"I hated him," Gwaine answered without missing a beat. Arthur smiled. He was so close to his goal. He now felt more confident, which was strange considering his men were becoming less confident.
"Why?" Arthur wanted to be sure Gwaine was worried about Merlin, that he remembered how much he cared about him.
"Because I've never met him," Gwaine responded, exasperated. His head was pounding, he had blank spots in his memories, and Arthur was continually harassing him. Gwaine just wanted to go back to sleep and never wake up again. But he knew Arthur wouldn't allow that. Arthur had a plan and he was following through with it. Gwaine just wished it didn't involve so much pain.
"That's not good enough. What else?" Arthur demanded. It was then that all the walls in Gwaine's mind were shattered.
"Merlin! I was afraid he was going to hurt Merlin!" Gwaine shouted. His eyes widened and he clamped a hand over his mouth. It felt so wrong to say that about a servant. But Merlin wasn't just a servant, at least not to Gwaine. Arthur nodded and turned to Percival.
"How do you feel every time Darian enters a room?" he asked the large knight. Percival looked around uncertainly before answering. He had been trying to sort through his thoughts ever since Arthur started questioning Gwaine. He was finding it incredibly difficult. The answer came quickly enough, but Percival was no longer sure if it was correct.
"Happy, but stronger. More like…"
"Bliss?" Elyan suggested with a smile. Though he didn't sound too sure of his word choice. Percival nodded. Even now he was having a hard time trying to think of any other emotion associated with Darian. He always felt happy when the knight was around, or even just thinking about him. But now Percival realized it wasn't natural. He should be able to feel something other than joy when around a person, but he couldn't. Percival looked around the room and realized that the others were coming to the same conclusion.
"Elyan, what was your mother's first reaction when she met Darian?" Arthur asked.
"I've told you to ease George's mind, she didn't have…one," Elyan said, his tone weakening with every word.
"I also asked to ease someone else's mind. Who was that?" Arthur pressed. Elyan knew the answer, but what worried him was the fact that he couldn't remember Arthur ever mentioning the person in question.
"Merlin," Elyan responded quietly. Arthur had asked about Merlin, but Elyan couldn't remember the conversation about Merlin. He only remembered George. Arthur nodded. It was time to break this curse once and for all.
"Gwaine, do you care about Merlin?"
"No," Gwaine answered a bit too quickly. Arthur could tell his men were still fighting the spell. Right now they would be arguing with themselves about how useless Merlin was, but they would feel a great deal of worry for him as well. The seed of doubt had been planted in their minds. They were remembering more and beginning to think for themselves. Arthur was going to prove they cared about Merlin if it was the last thing he did.
"Wrong. What did you do three weeks ago," Arthur growled. He wasn't particularly fond of the memory but it would serve as a reminder to Gwaine what his true feelings were.
"I punched you in the face," Gwaine answered. Everyone in the room nodded, they had been on the training field when it had happened. They would have remembered the incident well.
"Why?"
"I thought, I thought you hurt… Merlin," Gwaine finished weakly. He couldn't deny that he cared deeply for Merlin. Why had he been trying to deny it in the first place? Gwaine had hoped that things would start falling into place as the conversation went along, but instead it left him with more questions. Questions Arthur didn't look like he was going to answer at the moment.
"Lancelot, do you care about Merlin?" Lancelot looked at Arthur with pleading eyes. He wanted to answer truthfully, but he didn't know what the truth was. Merlin was a servant, but Lancelot had a feeling that he was so much more. He closed his eyes and the image of him and Merlin in the armory came floating back. Lancelot had been worried about Merlin. He had comforted his friend. Yes, his friend. That answered Arthur's question and cleared away the doubts and worries in Lancelot's mind.
"Yes," Lancelot responded quietly. He wanted to ask Arthur why he had forgotten about Merlin, but he figured he should let Arthur finish. After all, the others had been fighting the same thing Lancelot had. It was only fair for them to break away from whatever enchantment had been placed upon them as well.
"Gwaine, do you care about Merlin?" Arthur asked. Gwaine nodded his head weakly. Merlin was his first friend. How could he have forgotten that? How could he have forgotten all the times Merlin covered for him, or carried him home after a night at the tavern, or even just listened to Gwaine complain? He was ashamed that he had ever thought of Merlin as nothing more than a servant.
"How about you, Leon?"
"Yes, sire," Leon stated tentatively.
"Why did you yell at me four days ago?"
"Because you hurt Merlin emotionally. You don't always know when you go too far and I didn't want you to push the boy away," Leon stated, his voice becoming stronger with each word. It was like the fog was cleared from his head. So many memories with Merlin were coming to the forefront. Though Leon had to wonder why they had been buried at all.
"Percival?" Arthur didn't even have to state his question, the large knight nodded.
"Elyan?" Arthur finished.
"Yes," Elyan stated. Arthur smiled. The men were free from the curse. But they still weren't free from Darian. Darian had spun his web well. Even though everyone had started to remember how much they cared for Merlin, Darian was still a golden boy. Arthur knew they weren't going to react very well to this next piece of news.
"I know you are all wondering what that was about. Darian has placed a spell over Camelot," Arthur stated bluntly. Present the facts, then go from there. Arthur repeated in his head. He was hoping that his men would have figured out what he was suggesting before. They didn't.
"Impossible!" "Arthur, you've gone crazy", and "Darian would never do such a thing!" Were some of the expressions Arthur heard. He was unfazed by the comments and continued. He hoped his men would put the pieces together. He was well aware that probably wouldn't have been the case. Still, since his men didn't hate themselves completely, Arthur decided to remind them of the incident yesterday.
"Yesterday afternoon, I came to the armory. What happened?" Arthur stated coldly. The memory was still fresh in his head. It hurt him what had gone on. Arthur was comforted by the fact that his men would soon realize the extent of their condition and their thoughts.
"We were joking," Percival started. He smiled at the memory of the arm wrestling match that went on between him and Gwaine. But Arthur's expression told Percival he wasn't talking about that.
"You asked use what we thought of Darian," Leon added with a smile. It fell quickly. Leon's eyes widened to new proportions and his mouth fell open.
"And then you mentioned Merlin, and-oh gods!" Gwaine cried, burying his head in his hands. "We- gods- the things we said!" he continued. The conversation about Merlin wouldn't leave Gwaine's thoughts. All he wanted was for it to stop. He hadn't meant any of the things he said. But deep down, Gwaine knew every word was intended. "Come on princess. You shouldn't care about what that boy thinks," Gwaine snorted. "The servant only manages to mess things up. You really should fire him and let him starve on the streets," Elyan said. "The boy really is nothing but a sick dog. Why should we care about his wellbeing?" Lancelot scoffed. Gwaine gasped at these thoughts, except they weren't thoughts. He and the other knights had said these horrible things about Merlin.
"We wanted he to die," Leon stated quietly. He was just staring ahead blankly, completely broken by the memories of yesterday. Nothing but a sick dog. Leon reminded himself. He didn't know he was capable of thinking such thoughts about someone who was… who was Merlin.
"I-I still don't understand why you think Darian did any of this?" Elyan said, his voice thick with emotion. How could they think such horrible things about Merlin? Elyan didn't know how Merlin could forgive them after this. He was sure they didn't deserve forgiveness.
"Who showed up and joined our conversation?" Arthur asked. "Some people should starve and grace the world with their absence. We are not so lucky to have Merlin gone." The words floated through everyone's mind. Percival closed his eyes and slumped back against the chair.
"Gods, Darian. He told us Merlin should starve, a-and grace the world with his absence," Percival said softly. Merlin didn't deserve any of the things that had been said about him. Personally, Percival thought he was brave and incredibly kind. If anything, Percival thought there should be more people like Merlin in the world. Someone who was innocent but strong, young but wise. These thoughts and words should never be directed towards Merlin. Percival resolved to make this right in any way he could.
"What did Darian do?" Gwaine's voice ceased being weak and instead became poisonous and vicious.
"What?" Arthur asked, taken aback by the knight's abrupt change in behavior. Gwaine let out a feral growl. He was done beating around the bush. Whatever Arthur set out to do he had accomplished. The knights all remembered Merlin and all felt bad about the things they said. It was time to get some answers.
"The only reason you think he did something is because you have proof. Now, what. Happened. To. Merlin?" Gwaine snarled. Arthur steadied himself for what was going to come next. He knew Gwaine's temper wasn't at its most stable at the moment. He had to be careful so Gwaine wouldn't accidently put Merlin in any more danger.
"Before I tell you, you have to promise to continue as if nothing it wrong," Arthur warned. Gwaine jumped off the bed, his face contorting into unadulterated fury.
"Why the hell would we do that?" he screeched. Leon sought to quickly calm him down. The noise would surely bring more guards if they weren't careful.
"Gwaine, calm down. If Darian really does have the castle enchanted, that means no one will listen to our reasoning when we flay him and roll him in salt," Leon said. Gwaine sat back down. His breathing was still heavy and he still like punching a hole in Darian's gut, but Leon was right. More importantly, Leon was scary. His form of punishment that he had suggested was painful on so many levels. Apparently, everyone held the same opinion as they all stared at Leon.
"I'm assuming it's bad if Merlin isn't here with us," Leon explained cautiously. Honestly, he was surprised Arthur hadn't killed Darian yet. That was perhaps more worrisome than Merlin not being here. Clearly Arthur was uncomfortable leaving the boy alone. He had to lock the knights' swords in a room to protect him! Something wasn't right with the situation. Leon prayed that Arthur would hurry his explanation along so that the group could come up with a plan.
"Leon's right. My father has been taken in with this enchantment. He thinks Darian is a saint," Arthur said carefully. Gwaine took a deep breath and decided to keep on everyone's good side. Rushing in blindly against a sorcerer was a good way to get himself killed. And Merlin was still in danger. Merlin needed to come first at the moment.
"Fine, I promise not to cut the bastard's head off," Gwaine huffed. He was still seething and the anger was coming off of him in waves. Arthur nodded his approval and began the second part of his tale. He didn't want to waste much more time. Merlin had already been alone for almost half an hour. It was still too dangerous to leave him unattended for even a minute. Infection could set in at any time. Darian could discover his absence at any time.
"I became suspicious of Darian after George told me he had warned Merlin about the man. I started keeping a closer eye on Darian in order to make sure Merlin was safe.
"I began noticing things were off about his mannerisms, things weren't adding up. I resolved to keep an eye on Merlin only to discover that he had vanished. Last night-" Arthur's voice broke as the memories of Merlin begging to let him die became fresh once more. Just keep going. It's alright. Merlin's voice said calmly. Arthur thought that the situation was anything but alright, however he relented. Arthur cleared his throat and continued.
"Last night, I went to Darian's chambers and found Merlin. He's still alive, but…" Arthur decided it would be best for the men to see Merlin themselves. He stood up and walked over to the alcove. He was painfully aware that all eyes were on him. He swallowed the lump that was beginning to form in his throat and pulled back the curtains. There was no going back now. Arthur stepped away to reveal a very injured Merlin.
"No," someone whispered. Arthur couldn't be sure who. He was surprised that Gwaine hadn't launched himself at Merlin to check and see if he was as alive as Arthur promised. For a second, Arthur just stood there, staring at Merlin. His chest was still rising and falling, which meant he was still alive. Arthur began to turn around, only to be shoved out of the way by Leon. Thank the gods his friend could still be a warrior when looking at someone like Merlin. Leon pressed his fingers to the boy's wrist and took his pulse. It was time for some battlefield medical treatment.
"Was he ever awake?" Leon asked, feeling Merlin's head for fever. He wasn't hot, a bit warm but no fever. It appeared infection hadn't set in yet. Arthur caught a glimpse of the others. They seemed frozen with shock. Arthur was sure he had never seen the group look so…so lost.
"Arthur! Was he ever conscious?" Leon barked again. He didn't have time to deal with Arthur's guilt. Leon needed to get this boy to Gaius immediately. Arthur jumped and returned his gaze to the senior knight, who was now checking Merlin's shoulder.
"Yes, but he thought I was a hallucination," Arthur said, hanging his head. Leon wasn't fazed by the comment. He moved his hands down to the ribs and pressed them lightly. Merlin gasped in pain and attempted to squirm away. Leon decided that several were broken and a few were cracked. He began to check the bandages and assure that nothing had started bleeding again.
"What condition was he found in?"
"He was chained to the wall, the wounds hadn't been cleaned, and he hadn't eaten or drank since Darian first took him," Arthur explained. He heard gasps of horror from behind him. Leon didn't allow this to faze him. Yes it was horrible, but he could lament later. Right now Merlin needed a physician. Leon did take Arthur's comment about not drinking or eating seriously. He looked around Merlin's body for the signs of dehydration.
"He's not dehydrated," Leon noted. He knew if Arthur took the time to clean and bandage the wounds, surely he would have taken the time to give the boy some water.
"I gave him some water last night and this morning. I've also given him some broth and tea," Arthur explained. Leon nodded his approval and moved to the ankle. Leon ran his hands along the legs, ensuring nothing else was broken. He was aware that Merlin was dressed in Arthur's clothing. They were several sizes to big and Leon didn't think Merlin owned any white shirts. Leon knew Merlin's clothes were probably dirty, so Arthur would have changed them to keep the wounds clean. However, there was another option Leon didn't want to think about at the moment. Sadly, he had to.
"His clothes?" he asked, almost afraid of what the answer might be. For Darian to physically torture Merlin was one thing. But to do something so, so vile would break Leon's will completely. He was already having trouble not marching out of the room and wringing Darian's neck. He was amazed Gwaine hadn't stormed out of here yet.
"His shirt was torn to shreds, but he wasn't undressed," Arthur explained, knowing what the knight was asking. Arthur didn't think Darian would really take the time to redress Merlin if he really did violate him. Apparently Leon didn't think so either as he moved on to the next question.
"When he was conscious, did he know what was going on?" Leon asked, pealing back Merlin's eyelid and examining the pupil.
"Other than thinking I was an illusion, he seemed pretty competent," Arthur responded. He didn't want to answer these questions again. He didn't want to go through exactly how bad Merlin looked not twelve hours ago. Leon didn't care about what Arthur wanted. He only cared about getting Merlin the help he needed, and Arthur was grateful.
"You cleaned the wounds?" Leon asked, unwrapping the bandages around the uninjured wrist and examining it.
"Yes, and put a honey yarrow mixture over them," Arthur explained. The others had started to move. Lancelot was now kneeling by Merlin's head and was stroking it gently. He was careful to stay out of Leon's way. Merlin muttered something and leaned into Lancelot's touch. Arthur stepped back and allowed the others to take a closer look at Merlin. No one said anything as Leon checked a few more things. He rolled Merlin onto his side and examined his back. He gently felt Merlin's head for any bumps or cuts that was hidden by the hair. He checked the handprints around Merlin's neck. Everyone was silent while Leon worked.
"We need to come up with a plan," Percival stated from behind Arthur after Leon sat back. "He needs Gaius," Percival added. Leon nodded and stood up. Arthur wasn't going to like what Leon had to say next.
"Arthur, you need to get to training," Leon stated. He was prepared for Arthur's answer before Arthur even comprehended Leon's statement.
"I'm not leaving him," Arthur growled. He had just gotten Merlin back; he wasn't about to let him go again. Leon knew how much Arthur cared for Merlin, but right now they needed to do what was best for the boy. And that involved Arthur going to training.
"You have to. Darian will find out Merlin is gone and he will come looking. You have to act like nothing is wrong. You have to train with your knights," Leon stated, his arms crossed over his chest. Arthur relented. It was always impossible to argue with Leon's logic.
"He won't be alone," the senior knight assured Arthur gently. If anyone thought for a second that Merlin was going to be left alone while Darian was still free, they were kidding themselves. "Gwaine will stay here with him."
"Why Gwaine?" Lancelot asked, the hurt evident in his tone. He stopped stroking Merlin's hair and stared up at Leon. Arthur knew Lancelot and Merlin were very close. Lancelot probably wanted to be the one to stay with Merlin during the day.
"Because I don't trust Gwaine and his anger right now," Leon stated. Gwaine didn't look upset by this statement, if anything, he looked like he agreed. Though truthfully, Leon wasn't sure he could trust anyone's judgment at the moment, not even his own. It was bad enough that Darian had been putting a spell on Camelot, but to see someone like Merlin suffer because of it, it was almost too difficult to ignore.
"Lancelot, Elyan you go to Darian's chambers and see if you can find anything magic related," Arthur said. He hoped that giving these two something to do would help lessen the blow that Lancelot had received.
"Why?" Elyan asked. He wanted to do all he could to help Merlin, but he also wanted to know why digging around a guest's chambers was his assignment.
"Because, my father won't be swayed by some servant's injuries. We have to show him that Darian has magic," Arthur stated. The two men nodded their understanding.
"Percival, you get Gaius. Don't give him any information. Just bring him here. Hopefully you can break the spell," Arthur said. Percival nodded. He didn't feel comfortable with trying to break a spell he had no information on. He just hoped Gaius' love for Merlin would be enough.
"I can distract Darian. I can take him around the lower town and keep him from Merlin as long as possible," Leon stated. It was going to be difficult, but Leon knew he was the best person for the job. And he was also the only one left that needed to do something.
"We'll probably only be able to keep him for the day, if that. He seemed hell bent of hurting Merlin when I was with him," Arthur added thoughtfully.
"He came back?" Gwaine growled. "He was there and you didn't take his head off?"
"I couldn't without putting Merlin in more danger," Arthur cried. Gwaine backed off, but was still glaring at Arthur. He shouldn't have been too angry with Arthur. After all, he was the one who saved Merlin, not Gwaine. Arthur was also right; any moves on Darian would have just put Merlin in harm's way. Leon glanced out the window and realized how late it was getting. Arthur also noticed and unlocked the antechamber door.
"We must hurry. Darian will be up any minute now. Lancelot, Elyan, follow me and wait until I have removed him from the room," Leon commanded, turning towards the door. Gwaine moved the blankets and slipped in beside Merlin, taking out his sword and tucking the boy under his chin. Merlin reached up and gripped Gwaine's tunic with is hand. Gwaine was surprised that for as injured and weak as Merlin was, he still had a strong grip. He made a pact with himself, looking down at Merlin. If Darian wanted to hurt Merlin again, he would have to go through Gwaine's cold, dead body.
"Keep him safe," Arthur requested quietly, closing the curtains and blocking the two from view. Gwaine didn't miss the pleading nature of his voice. He wasn't going to let Darian hurt Merlin ever again. Once all evidence of Merlin and Gwaine's existence had been wiped from the room, the party gathered their swords and prepared for the day. Leon opened the door and the party trailed out of Arthur's room. Arthur took one last look at the alcove before closing the door. It was all up to fate now.
Aaaannnnddd done. How'd ya'll like that chapter? I think it's pretty evident that I love Leon and all his awesomeness. I hope the scene with the spell being broken was descriptive enough for everyone. I'll probably update on Thursday but there's really no guarantee. Have a great week.
