A/N: Hello! I hope everyone has been having a good week so far. I can't even begin to tell you how good it felt to do some writing again today. I had to force myself to focus on studying these past couple days, but as soon as I took my test this morning, I started work on this story again. This chapter contains one of the original scenes that popped into my head and ultimately resulted in me writing this story to begin with. Therefore, I really hope you enjoy this one!
Gaius was worried. Two days had passed since he had had that talk with Merlin and given him the sleeping potion, and still the warlock refused to tell him what was going on.
Every time the physician attempted to broach the issue, Merlin would find a way to change the subject, or insist that nothing was wrong and say that Arthur was expecting him to complete some chores. Then he would leave the room as quickly as he could, and disappear for several hours at a time.
It made Gaius feel increasingly uneasy. Something was terribly wrong, and he couldn't understand why Merlin wouldn't confide in him. He had always shared his troubles with his mentor in the past. Why should this time be any different? All Gaius knew was that he needed to figure this out soon, because the look that he had been seeing in Merlin's eyes recently was really starting to scare him.
Merlin found that he was just trying to avoid everybody. He knew he couldn't allow anybody to discover what had happened to him, because he couldn't risk James exposing his secret. Merlin kept expecting to run into the Prince every time he turned a corner or opened a door, but he had been lucky so far. Of course, it was only a matter of time.
And so it was that on the afternoon three days after James' attack in the armory, Merlin rounded a corner in the hallway and ran right into the Prince of Varelia. At first, Merlin attempted to apologize. But when he looked up and realized who he had run into, Merlin immediately clamped his mouth shut and tried to get away.
But James reached out and grabbed Merlin's arm, holding on tight.
"Ah, Merlin. I have been looking everywhere for you," James said delightedly.
"Let me go," Merlin said, trying to sound threatening.
"Or what?"
Merlin looked around. He couldn't risk doing magic here. Anyone could just walk down the corridor. Besides, unless he was willing to cause some serious harm to James, something that would not bode well for the alliance between Camelot and Varelia, then lashing out with his magic would be pointless. Because then James would expose him for sure.
"What do you want?" Merlin asked, stopping his struggle momentarily.
"To talk."
"About what?" Merlin asked angrily. "Haven't you done enough already?"
"I'd watch my tone if I were you, servant."
Merlin just stared at James, refusing to look away. Refusing to allow those eyes to frighten him. Because Merlin found that he was just ready for all of this to be over. For three days now, he had been a nervous wreck. Everyone had noticed and been commenting on it. Gaius, Arthur, the knights… He couldn't go on like this. So now that he was here, now that he was finally facing James, Merlin couldn't help but feel a little relieved.
"What do you want?" Merlin asked again.
"Oh not much," James said, a twisted smile suddenly settling on his face. "Just a little keepsake or two, to remind me of my time in Camelot."
Merlin raised his eyebrows.
"I want access to Camelot's vaults," James finally said, deciding to no longer beat around the bush. "And you, Merlin, as the King's manservant, are going to give it to me."
Merlin just shook his head. "No. You're insane. I could never…I would never…"
"Need I remind you-"
"Merlin?" a voice called from a hall off to the left.
James' expression morphed into one of annoyance. "Think about it," he hissed to Merlin as he turned to leave. "You do not have long to decide."
No sooner had James disappeared than Sir Leon arrived on the scene, apparently having been the one to call out Merlin's name a moment ago.
The knight frowned. "I thought I heard you. Is everything alright? You look unusually pale."
Merlin just nodded. "I'm fine."
But Leon looked unconvinced. "I know I heard James' voice as well. Were you talking to him? You're supposed to be staying away."
"I was. I mean I am. I just...ran into him on accident is all. Please don't tell Arthur."
Leon raised his eyebrows. "And why not?"
"Because he'll make a big deal out of it. Nothing happened. We bumped into each other and then he left."
"He sounded angry."
"Is he ever not?"
Leon just shook his head. "Okay Merlin. Just this once, I won't tell Arthur. But you better go see him now. He's been looking for you."
"Thanks, Leon!" Merlin said, clearly relieved.
The knight just clapped Merlin on the shoulder, his bruised shoulder, and left.
Once alone, Merlin rubbed his shoulder. His entire body still felt sore from James' attack. From his jacket pocket, he pulled out another bottle of pain medication. Though his pain had been greatly reduced over the last couple of days, he still ached, and the tonic continued to offer some relief.
Once he had consumed the potion, Merlin replaced the empty bottle in his jacket pocket and headed off for Arthur's chambers. He knew he was probably in for it. He had been neglecting his chores these past few days, and now he was sure that Arthur was going to yell at him.
But Merlin just hadn't been able to concentrate, what with thoughts of James constantly occupying his mind. And now with this recent encounter, Merlin's head was once again spinning. What was he going to do? If he didn't comply, then James would expose him. The secret that he had worked so hard to keep his entire life would be no more. And Arthur…
Merlin did not want to enter Arthur's chambers. He didn't think he could look him in the eye right now, not when he was currently contemplating whether or not he was going to allow James to steal from the vaults of Camelot. Wait, was he actually considering this? Merlin shook his head, trying to push the thought to the back of his mind as he reached the doors of the King's chambers. He paused for just a moment, taking a deep breath as he did so, and then walked in without knocking.
Inside, he found Arthur sitting at his desk, writing on a piece of parchment, his brow furrowed in concentration. He looked up at the sound of Merlin's footsteps, and immediately set his quill down.
"You wanted to see me, sire?" Merlin, asked, fidgeting slightly, hoping that this was not going to be a long conversation.
Arthur didn't say anything right away. He simply stared at Merlin with a scrutinizing glare. Merlin looked away, uncomfortable.
"What have you been doing, Merlin?" Arthur asked at last, his voice calm.
Merlin continued looking away from Arthur. "Um…well, I've been…uh-"
"Merlin, look at me."
Merlin reluctantly turned his gaze back on Arthur.
Arthur folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Have you been avoiding me?"
Merlin shook his head. "No. Of course not."
"Then where have you been these last few days? I've hardly seen you at all. Just look at the state of my chambers."
Merlin took a quick glance around. The bed hadn't been made, there were clothes and papers strewn all over the floor, and the fireplace was in desperate need of a cleaning.
Arthur continued. "You didn't even bring me my breakfast this morning. I had to send for another servant to bring it to me."
Merlin closed his eyes and groaned at this. How could he have forgotten? Had he really been that distracted? He opened his eyes again. "Sorry, sire. I'll just get to work-"
"Merlin." Arthur suddenly stood up and walked around to the front of his desk so that he was directly in front of his manservant.
"Sire?"
"Something's up with you, Merlin, and I want to know what it is. You're supposed to be my manservant, and you've been completely neglecting your duties. This behavior can't continue."
Merlin sighed. "I know. I'm sorry."
"Tell me what's wrong," Arthur pressed.
"Nothing," Merlin said automatically. "Really, Arthur." As he spoke, Merlin caught sight of the ring of keys hanging from Arthur's belt.
One of those keys was the key to the vaults. And it would be so easy to take. Hadn't Merlin done this before, anyway? With the whole dragon egg incident?
'Yes, but this is different,' Merlin thought to himself. 'You're actually considering letting James steal from the vaults to protect your own skin.'
But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, Merlin knew that it wasn't true. Not really. He could never do that to Arthur. Not just so that he could protect his own secret. Besides, Merlin suspected that James would probably expose him anyway, when this was all over with. He was certainly cruel enough to.
So, with that decision made, Merlin now had another to consider. Should he just tell Arthur now? Before James got to him? In the armory, he had vowed that he would be the one to tell Arthur about his magic. But as he stood before the King now, staring into his eyes, Merlin couldn't help but feel that it wasn't time yet. He didn't think that Arthur was ready. Or perhaps it was just him that wasn't ready. Either way, Merlin found that he couldn't bring himself to say the words. Not now. Not at this moment in time.
"Are you ill?" Arthur was saying. "Has Gaius taken a look at you?"
"I'm fine," Merlin said. "It won't happen again, Arthur. I promise."
Arthur sighed, getting frustrated. Why did Merlin have to be so difficult?
"We'll continue this discussion later," he said at last. "But right now, I need to get ready for training with the knights. Go collect my armor and bring it back here. Then when I'm down on the practice field, you can start straightening this room out."
Merlin nodded, only too eager to have this interrogation be over. "I'll be right back," he said, hurrying from the room.
When he was gone, Arthur just stared at the door where his manservant had just disappeared. Perhaps he would speak to Gaius later. Surely the old physician had noticed Merlin's unusual behavior as well. Maybe he'd be able to shed some light on the situation.
Merlin would have to remember to thank George later. Apparently, when the servant had entered the armory a couple of days ago to discover that the King's armor was still lying out, and only half polished, he had taken it upon himself to finish the job. Of course, as soon as Arthur got back from training, the armor would need to be polished again. Merlin sighed. The last time he'd polished Arthur's armor, he'd been attacked by James, and the memory was still fresh in his mind. It was one job that he really just wanted to avoid right now.
Merlin made his way slowly down to the armory. Once inside, he quickly gathered Arthur's armor and left, trying not to let the memory of what had taken place there a few nights ago take over his thoughts. He moved away from the room as quickly as he could without dropping any of Arthur's armor, only slowing down when he reached the flight of stairs that he needed to climb.
But halfway up the stairs, Merlin stopped dead in his tracks. A shadow had appeared at the top of the stairs, and the chill that went through Merlin's body told him exactly who it was before he even caught sight of the man's face.
James stood there, smiling down at Merlin, who was peering warily at the prince from behind the pile of armor he was holding.
"There you are," James said, his voice full of malice. "So what is your decision then, Merlin? Will you be giving me what I want?"
Merlin didn't move. He just stared up at the prince. Finally, after taking a deep breath, he shook his head. "No." He said the word firmly, his voice resolute and strong.
James' face began to turn red. He stomped down the stairs to meet Merlin, who was wondering how he was going to escape. He should just drop the armor and run. But before he could move, James had grabbed one of Merlin's shoulders, and began to speak in a threatening voice.
"Do you think I will hesitate for one second to tell my father what I saw in that courtyard?"
Merlin froze. What? King Phillip? Why would King Phillip care about Merlin's magic? It was Arthur he didn't want James to tell.
James must have seen the look of confusion cross over Merlin's face, for he spoke very slowly then.
"I saw you, Merlin."
But Merlin was still puzzled. He continued to stare at James, his eyebrows slightly raised.
James rolled his eyes. "You really are stupid, aren't you? I saw you and Catherine in the courtyard. Talking and laughing. How do you think my father would react to such behavior towards his precious daughter? And you're only a servant. You saw how unhappy he was when I told him about the knights at dinner."
Merlin's mouth fell open slightly. Had he really just heard correctly? About what James had seen in the courtyard? There was no mention of magic, no retelling of how James had seen Merlin's eyes glow gold. He had only seen Merlin talking with Catherine, after Catherine had helped Merlin regain his balance after nearly falling over.
James didn't know his secret. And as soon as this revelation hit Merlin, a small smile came to his face, and a wave of relief washed over him. Then, without warning, he let out a laugh.
James tightened his grip on Merlin's shoulder. "Do you think this is funny, servant? Do you think for a second that I wouldn't tell?"
Merlin's face turned serious then. "You saw nothing but a friendly exchange in that courtyard. You hold no power over me. I will not help you."
A look of pure rage crossed James' face. Angrily, he shoved Merlin away.
Only they were currently standing on a staircase. And when Merlin stumbled back, he lost his balance. A second later, he was falling, the armor leaving his grasp as his arms flung out to the sides. Merlin was unable to stop himself though. There was nothing to hold onto. And so he fell all the way down the stairs. His head banged hard against the floor, and the impact was enough to knock Merlin unconscious.
James just stared emotionlessly at the servant who now lay sprawled out at the bottom of the staircase.
"What have you done?" a voice said from behind him.
James whirled around. At the top of the staircase stood his own manservant, Nicholas. And the young boy was staring horrorstruck at the scene before him, eyes wide and mouth hanging open.
James immediately started sprinting up the stairs, intent on catching the young boy, but Nicholas had already started running.
"NICHOLAS!" James bellowed after him. "GET BACK HERE!"
But Nicholas was fast, and he had gotten a good head start when James had been on the stairs. James knew he wasn't going to catch the boy. So after only a minute of pursuit, he stopped and turned down another hallway. When the King's manservant was discovered at the bottom of the stairs, he needed to be as far away from the scene as possible. So he quickly made his way back to his chambers. If anyone asked where he had been, he would say that he had been in his room all day. And if his manservant dared to dispute that claim, James would make sure he paid for it.
Nicholas ran as fast as he could down the corridor. He couldn't be sure if James was still following him or not, but it didn't matter. He needed to find someone to help Merlin. Where was everybody? The halls seemed to be empty. Where were the guards? The servants? Nicholas just kept running. He knew where the physician's chambers were. He would head in that direction.
Just as he was rounding another corner, however, Nicholas ran right into someone who grabbed onto Nicholas to steady the boy as he tried to catch his breath. Looking up, Nicholas recognized the King of Camelot staring down at him.
Arthur frowned at the fear and panic in the boy's face. He recognized him as James' servant. "Is something wrong?" he asked.
Nicholas' eyes widened as the King spoke to him, but he swallowed his fear, and began to speak in between gasps for air.
"It's- Merlin, sire. He- fell...down some stairs."
"Show me." Arthur said immediately, and Nicholas turned around and took off once more, this time with the King of Camelot close on his heels.
As he followed Nicholas, Arthur felt a fear come over him. Merlin had been taking far too long to gather his armor, and he had just been on his way to look for him, thinking that the servant was perhaps neglecting his duties again. He had been half expecting to run into his servant on the way to the armory, heading back to his chambers. He did not expect to instead meet the small and scared manservant of Prince James. Arthur tried not to think about how injured Merlin might be. He simply followed Nicholas until they reached the top of the staircase.
"Merlin." Arthur wasted no time in racing down the stairs and kneeling down next to his servant, who showed no signs of movement save for the slow rising and falling of his chest.
Arthur looked up at Nicholas, who had followed Arthur down the stairs.
"Do you know where the physician's chambers are?" he asked urgently.
Nicholas nodded.
"Go tell Gaius what happened. Tell him I'm bringing Merlin up to him. Help him prepare."
Nicholas nodded once more, and then turned and ran back up the stairs to carry out Arthur's orders.
Once alone, Arthur looked back down at his manservant. Had Merlin always been that pale? He noticed that Merlin's right arm was lying at an odd angle on the floor. Arthur took a quick glance around. There was shattered glass on the floor. Arthur suspected that it may have come from Merlin's pocket.
He felt under Merlin's head then, and his stomach clenched when he felt the wetness there. He took his hand away to see that it was now covered in blood. Merlin's blood. He needed to get him to Gaius now.
As he made to pick up his servant, however, Arthur caught sight of something else. Strewn all across the floor were pieces of his armor. And suddenly, a memory hit Arthur so hard that he gasped.
It had been at the welcoming feast for the royal family of Varelia. He had just asked James what had become of his manservant, Graham.
"Clumsy oaf took a nasty fall down the stairs. He was carrying my armor, too! You should have seen the dents!"
Arthur suppressed a shiver. Because now here he was, staring at the unconscious form of his own manservant, who was surrounded by pieces of his own now dented armor. Suddenly, Arthur felt sick.
A/N: So what did you think? I absolutely love getting feedback. Until next time! :)
