"No one made any suggestion that any one else has been hit by such a plague."
"It does not take long to spread. It is like wildfire, I know that myself Gaius." He took a deep breath "he said.. Arthur said it was plague. Plague
Gaius."
"Please. You displayed a worry that Arthur would be affected, and he has not been."
"You have one very, very minor error."
"What is it Merlin?"
"Arthur. We told him not to visit his father."
"I don't understand you."
"We do live in the same castle as each other, am I correct?"
"Merlin. Please just simply tell me what you mean."
"He will have gone to the king."
"You mean to say he is dumb enough to go against our wishes?"
"Finally!" Merlin brought his hands up into the air in a mock praise "Yes. Now can we go and stop him?"
"I'm too old for running Merlin, you know that."
Merlin grinned at Gaius as he patted his stomach, and then headed off to find Arthur.
He tried the King's chamber first.
For the first time, he found Arthur on the first attempt.
"Arthur!" He sighed "get away from him!"
Arthur turned.
His face was filled with tears, yet for some horrific reason the tear tracks steamed and hissed.
"It hurts." He cried like a child, causing more and more tears to fall. "Merlin. It hurts."
"Come with me." He screeched, grabbing his sleeve and pulling him to Gaius' chamber; he threw him down onto the table, clearing it of bottles
and documents.
"Merlin! What in the name of Camelot was that fo..." He saw Arthur's state and rushed over to the table side. "What is that?"
"How do I have any idea! Check something, some piece of paper somewhere will have something! Just go! Go now!" He shouted, his face
flushing red and his ears also.
Gaius raised his eyebrows though carried out Merlin's command.
"Arthur? Arthur?" He cupped his face in his hands, it was hot and where the tears fell on his skin burned. "Speak. Say something. Say anything!"
"It hurts." He murmured, his eyes rolling as his eyelids dropped.
"Gaius!" Merlin screamed at the top of his voice "help me!"
"I cannot find a thing!" He retorted "nothing in any spell, in any document, in any book. Nothing."
"Is there not one person that could help? Somewhere? Arthur has friends, surely other kingdoms would help.."
"The King has created more enemies than friends, you out of anyone should know that Merlin. Yes, surely in other kingdoms there will be
someone who can help, but I doubt his situation would improve if you left to go galavanting off to the neighbours and crossing your fingers for a
witch or warlock, the chances of finding one alive is unlikely.." He paused, in thought.
"What is it?"
"Dochraid."
"Bless you."
"No, Dochraid. She would be the only one able to even fathom an idea to stop whatever is happening to Arthur.." He gestured to the prince
who was now convulsing, with blisters and welts across his cheeks. "You need to go to her, I will stay with Arthur and try to calm the symptoms
down."
"So I just stroll in and ask her?"
"A little more complicated than that I am afraid. She will require something.."
"An object, as a use of payment?"
"Not necessarily. She knows what she requires, and will not give away her knowledge until you give it to her. This can be knowledge, emotion,
an object, or even pain."
Merlin was silent, causing Gaius to raise one eyebrow - he knew exactly what Merlin was thinking.
"Are you going to tell me the truth about you and... "
"No. Yes. There is nothing to tell. He is the Prince, my boss and I his servant. There is nothing to tell." He said this too quickly, too script-like.
Gaius continued to keep one eyebrow raised whilst Merlin's face turned from red to purple.
"You need to banish what ever feeling you have for him. Surely you know nothing can ever come of it? He will be king one day, no kingdom will
gladly take two kings. Gwen is perfect for him. Whatever you think, he does not love you. He cannot love you. He must not love you. You need
to ensure, not for your emotions but for the safety of Camelot, that you pursue Dochraid. She will know whether the King is under a spell or
whether he is just ill of age, and she will know whether Arthur can be saved. Remember Merlin, do it for your duty and for friendship and for the
kingdom of Camelot. Not for your own selfish and wasted emotion."
"Merlin?" Arthur rolled over, his eyes opening a fraction. He murmured something inaudible and fell back into his slumber.
"The emotion is not wasted." He hissed into Gaius' ear to ensure Arthur could not hear "it is not wasted. I will do this for Camelot, yes. I will do
this for friendship, yes. I will do this as it is my duty, yes. But I will also do this for Arthur. And myself."