Arthur turned away, scowling, and strode from the balcony, grim faced. Another dawn, yet another execution. He'd never understand why his father so often opted for the method of burning alive, it was an unnecessarily cruel method of execution and had never stopped turning his stomach since he'd first been made to watch as a child. He let the heavy doors swing closed behind him and hoped they would help muffle the poor girl's piercing screams. It worked briefly, until they began to increase in intensity again, growing clearer as he stalked towards his chambers, but there was a difference in timbre. Something was wrong, very wrong. That was definitely a different voice, though the agony was undisguised. His hand automatically went to his sword hilt as he realised the tortured sound was emanating from his chambers. He stilled behind the door as he realised that he recognised the voice, that was Merlin's voice, how dare anyone hurt his Merlin? Why? Arthur growled and opened the door.
He was wholly unprepared for the scene that confronted him. There were no assailants, no weapons. No one was visibly hurting him at all, yet there he lay, in the middle of the room, back arching, and every muscle tensed. There was blood trickling from his temple. Gasping in horror Arthur slammed the door behind him, hoping no one else would investigate, and crossed the floor swiftly, grabbing a pillow from his bed. He knelt down beside his servant, stuffing the pillow under his head and stroked sweat soaked hair back from his face. Arthur didn't know whether Merlin was conscious or not but he seemed not to recognise anything, the desperation in his screaming seemed to ease a little though. He began mumbling in between, gasping for breath and muttering something about druids and not knowing, and sorry. He opened his eyes just long enough for Arthur to see the anguish, "She's in my mind. Burning with them." he gasped, before his eyes rolled backwards and he went into a convulsion. Arthur held him, feeling utterly helpless. He couldn't move Merlin, nor leave him alone, and calling for help right now would be risky even if there was anyone. When Merlin stilled, what seemed like hours later his eyes flew open and Arthur could see the vivid gold whirling in them, every candle in the room lit, fire sprung up in the hearth, and the shelves rattled. A chilling scream tore from his already raw throat and suddenly it was over. The room stopped shaking, the candles went out, and Merlin's body went completely limp in Arthur's arms. The Prince was shaken to the core by what he had witnessed. He didn't want to think about what Merlin had said, or the golden eyes, or...Well, any of it. When he was sure that it was over Arthur stood, lifting his servant and cradling him like a child or a maiden, and headed for Gaius quarters as fast as he safely could, avoiding all common stairwells. He didn't bother knocking, it was Merlin's home anyway. Yelling for the physician he took Merlin to his own bed rather than the main room. He was paler than Arthur had ever seen him, and the boy was ghostlike even on a good day. He covered Merlin with the blanket. Inadequate, he thought, resolving to replace what appeared to him to be little more than a threadbare rag. He pushed the boy's magic to the back of his mind as it tried to surface.
"Hold on Merlin, not long, he'll get here soon." At least Arthur hoped he would. The man seemed to stir, curling in on himself and groaning, a sound which became a sob. Arthur stared awkwardly, he could deal with pain, but emotions were different, and he had no idea how to soothe someone who was crying. No one else was present though so he had to do something. Arthur moved so that he was on Merlin's other side and in his line of sight. He placed a hand on his shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting way. "It's okay. You're safe now, in your own bed. I didn't see anything unusual, but am assigning you a day off to recover. You were taken ill unexpectedly and I am sure will need quarantined." Arthur spoke gently to his manservant, willing him to understand, and as the bloodshot, deep blue eyes opened and fixed on his own, the Prince knew that he had. He nodded stiffly. "Thank you Sire. I was...I was unprepared today. It won't happen again." There was a brokenness to his whisper that betrayed the lie, and Arthur's heart constricted. He didn't tell Merlin to sleep. He knew that terror could follow a man into his dreams and be its own torture. Instead he sat silently with his manservant and waited for Gaius' return. At some point Merlin must have given in to sleep, because when he turned to say goodbye Arthur found that his breathing had settled into a gentle rhythm and though his face was tear streaked and lips swollen from bites, his eyes were closed. Arthur left Merlin and almost closed his door, grabbing Gaius. He studied the court physician's guarded expression intently. How much did Gaius know, was he too close to Uther to trust or did he know about his ward? He had to risk it, Merlin needed care. He let go and schooled his own features. "Gaius, Merlin was taken ill in my chambers earlier and is relieved of duty until you clear him for work. He was extremely distressed and suffered a seizure before the worst was over, I brought him here to recover and you will find him asleep on his cot." He paused, lowering his voice "Gaius, I don't ever want to see him in this city for another burning again. Is that understood? I don't care how you get him out or what you tell me, just give him as much distance as possible. And if anything odd happens with My manservant you come to me. Not Uther. Ever." The Prince glared at the old man with all the arrogance and authority he could muster, jaw set and eyes burning into him. Apparently Merlin's guardian knew something as he bowed low and looked both relieved and more anxious than Arthur might have expected. "Of course Sire. Thank you for your care of him." Arthur knew he meant more than just sitting with him today and nodded, satisfied. "If Merlin asks when he wakes I am surly about him leaving me with boring George, and will be impatiently waiting for him to finish my half washed floor." Watching as the Prince disappeared, not quite slamming the door behind him, Gaius pondered his response. He wouldn't, couldn't ask what had really happened, though he had a fair idea. Whatever he had thought the Prince might have reacted with this wasn't it. Apparently Merlin had found an ally in Arthur, whether or not he knew it yet.
If Arthur was harder on the Knights over the next few days they put it down to irritation and his manservant being ill again. Not noticing that the only two who barely limped conscious off the field were the pair to have delivered another rogue druid girl to the King three days past.
The next time someone was burned at the stake Leon was careful not to comment on Prince Arthur's decision to go on an extended hunting trip with only his manservant the night before. Making it very carefully not his business, as he had done with every other anomaly since Merlin first drank poison for Camelot's Prince.