Long Live the King

A/N [show-me-your-tardis]

Plot – They were told he would rise again, but none believed it. That is... Until now. Something is coming, it is scratching at Camelot's safety and clawing at it's heart. When a familiar stranger appears at the walls of Camelot, the search is on for the long lost warlock with power beyond measure. Will they find him in time? And will Camelot survive it's final battle?

Chapter Nine

Vampires sleep. There was something no one knew about vampires.

Arthur could fill a book with all the things people didn't know about vampires, all the things he had found out in the past few days.

It had been roughly two days since vampire Merlin had revealed himself. Arthur was at breaking point, if he didn't find Merlin by the end of the week, he'd be dead, without a doubt.

So Arthur was busy hatching a plan. He was sat at his desk, writing a list of vampire facts, intending to write them into a book when all of this was over. And it would be over soon, if Arthur had his way. Merlin walked in.

"Gaius wanted me to give you these." Merlin walked over, holding several bottles of green liquid outward.

Arthur quickly shifted the papers in front of him, hiding the vampire facts page and accepted the potions. Gaius had been sending up the potions daily, despite knowing by now Arthur's voice should be fine. Soon he'd grow suspicious.

"Thanks." He croaked.

His voice had come back slightly, it still hurt to talk though, like a rock passing over several blades, but at least he could speak. Merlin kissed Arthur on the nose before retiring to bed.

"See you in an hour or so." He muffled into the pillow.

Arthur didn't reply, instead he continued writing his passage about vampire sleep, taking a long drink of potion.

Fifteen minutes later, Arthur was making his way to the tavern. He pushed the door open and looked around for his knights. He saw them sat in the corner, jugs of ale in front of them.

He ran over and took a seat.

"Okay. I don't have much time." Arthur's voice was coming out in a croaky breath, but the four knights – Arthur decided to trust Will after all – seemed to understand him, "Merlin isn't Merlin."

"What do you-" But Arthur didn't let Gwaine finish.

"He's a vampire. The real Merlin must have been taken on the first patrol, he had cut his finger or something, it's not important. I need you to find him. I have no idea where he could be, but I know it isn't in Camelot. According to the vampire it would take roughly half a day to find it, so map out a circle for half a day and travel to anywhere you think he'd be. Dark hidden cabins or old castles, places like that. I don't care if it takes you three days to find him, I need him found and I need him safe."

"How do you know he's a vampire?" Will asked.

Arthur pulled down his shirt, revealing several pairs of puncture wounds. The older ones had blackened, while the fresh ones were still pink, and in some cases, dripping blood. All four knights gasped.

"He's been feeding on me. Forget about me though, find him. Set off now, take whatever you need. Don't forget stakes and trust no one beyond yourselves. Got it?"

The knights nodded and rose from their seats.

"He'll probably be with other victims and under high protection, so be careful. I'll go to Gaius and find out if there is anything he'd recommend you take and I'll meet you in the stables."

With that Arthur ran off back out the tavern, calculating he had roughly forty minutes left before vampire Merlin woke up and went looking for him.

Arthur burst into Gaius' chambers and found Gaius leaning over a vampire body, writing measurements down.

"Gaius listen. Merlin's a vampire."

"What-"

"No time to explain! I'm sending a patrol out to find the real Merlin tonight, I just need to know if you have any important information for me."

Gaius seemed to just accept Arthur's word, and he sprung into action.

"I have been developing an antidote to the venom, it's untested but it's better than nothing." Gaius quickly picked up a large glass bottle of yellow liquid, the same one that smelt like honeysuckle, and thrust it into Arthur's arms, "Tell them to administer this to any victims that are likely to survive the journey back here. Also I found an old text that tells us how to identify a vampire."

"Go on." Arthur said, calculating so far another ten minutes had passed.

"A vampire will burn when touched with dead man's blood. Luckily I do have a few bottles of dead man's blood." At Arthur's face, Gaius explained, "It's a long story and I'm guessing you don't have time."

Arthur nodded and added the blood to a small leather bag he had found.

"Arthur." Arthur turned away from the door to face Gaius, "Bring him back."

"I will."

Twenty minutes left and Arthur was stood in the stables wondering where the knights were. They finally made an appearance with their bags, swords and stakes all ready. Arthur had had four horses prepared for them.

As they jumped onto their horses, Arthur quickly explained the use of the antidote and the blood. He stuffed the bottles into Percival's bag.

"Good luck." He said.

"Are you sure you don't want to come?" Leon asked.

"No, Merlin can't know we're going to find the real Merlin. He knows where Merlin's hid and if he suspects anything, he'll kill Merlin before you can find him."

"And if he's... If Merlin's dead... Bring him back anyway." Arthur asked, fighting back tears.

The knights nodded.

Leon pulled out the freshly marked map and lead the way to their first destination. Arthur stood and watched them go for a few minutes before running back to his chambers.

Arthur opened the door slowly, careful to make sure it didn't creak. He quickly and quietly ran back to his seat at the desk with five minutes to spare. He quickly shuffled his papers and began to write a patrol report, in case Merlin awoke and asked.

Seconds later Arthur watched the bump under the sheets move and Merlin sat up. He stretched, his neck cracking loudly and got out of bed. He walked over to Arthur and sat in his lap. He kissed Arthur on the nose again and then looked at the patrol report in front of him.

"Yawn. Isn't your job supposed to be fun? You know, starting wars because you're bored, stuff like that." Merlin asked.

"That's not really how it works..."

"Aw you're such a goody-goody. So cute." Merlin leaned back and kissed Arthur, his tongue poking out and trailing across the bottom of Arthur's lips.

Arthur couldn't deny how good it felt.

If only it was actual Merlin on top of me Arthur thought, and then shook himself away from that thought. He did not love Merlin.

Vampire Merlin pulled away and said, "I'll go get you some food and then you can feed me. Deal? Okay deal."

He stood and after one more kiss, left the room heading for the kitchens.

Arthur leaned back in his chair and breathed out a sigh of relief. He had done it. Right now, thanks to him, a rescue party was heading straight for Merlin. Now he had to act normal and pray each night Merlin comes back safe.

Because if he didn't... Well, Arthur didn't know what he'd do.

But it would likely involve him joining Gwen and Merlin in the afterlife.