I am so sorry for having waited so long to post this. Life caught up to me and I didn't have this chapter written. I managed to catch up on everything I needed to do so there shouldn't be a long wait for the next chapter. The only reason I updated Great Escapes was because I already had that particular escape written whereas this wasn't written until this week. Again, so sorry and it should not happen again.
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin
Leon sat there mindlessly stroking Merlin's hair. The repetitive motions provided a sort of meditation so that Leon could get lost in his thoughts and make sense of all that had happened. It had been nearly a week since Darian's death and the boy had yet to wake up. Leon had remained unconscious for about two days, his injuries and the excitement finally catching up with him. He had awoken in a guest room not far from Arthur's destroyed chambers. He soon discovered that all parties involved, save the King, had been placed next to each other in separate rooms. Leon supposed it made things easier of Gaius. Trying to heal several injured peoples at once was probably taxing on the old man. Leon wasn't the first to awaken, he was actually one of the last, followed only by Percival. Leon was relieved to see that no one was mortally wounded. He was even happier to hear that all Arthur managed to receive was a scratch and some minor burns. Looking at the states of the other knights made Leon incredibly angry. Darian did not hold back, causing severe injuries on pretty much everyone. Leon wished the man was still alive so that he could take his own revenge, but hearing of his torturous death from Arthur gave Leon a sick sense of satisfaction. It was what such an evil man deserved.
Despite everyone's happiness that Darian was gone, and yes this was real happiness and not some false feeling created by a monster, Gaius had yet to rest. The physician had been working pretty much nonstop to help get everyone back in fighting shape. He had help from Gwen and some of the other servants, but it wasn't nearly enough. To top it all off, Uther had fallen back into his state of depression, though Leon didn't feel too bad about that. Uther was never getting better, that was just Darian's curse. It was sad to think that the king might never recover, especially after yet another traitorous friend, but Leon supposed that Arthur was a better leader. If Uther ever did recover, Leon wasn't entirely sure he wanted him back in the throne.
Whatever apathy Leon held towards the king was made up with a great deal of sympathy and worry towards Merlin. The boy had suffered far too much. Where Leon and the others only suffered minor attacks that were quick, Merlin's were unceasing, brutal, and relentless. He had only been held for two days but Leon knew that sometimes two days was all it took to make a man lose his mind. But even the most tortured of prisoners had something Merlin didn't have, hope. While Arthur had managed to break Darian's spell, Merlin was still under the impression that he would never be free. Leon was surprised the boy didn't break sooner. In fact, he still appeared to be fighting, from what Darian told them. And despite the constant reassurances that it was the spell that made everyone act in such a harsh manner, Leon felt guilty. They all felt guilty. They had turned their backs on a friend and didn't give a damn about him until it was almost too late. Merlin probably wouldn't blame any of them for how they acted, but that still didn't stop Leon from feeling as though he had failed. It was his job to protect the innocent. And who was more innocent that Merlin? There was a knock at the door. The sharp sound of bony knuckles knocking against the thick wood caused Leon to jump. He grabbed his sword and shifted so he was closer to Merlin. Despite Darian being dead, he still felt unease whenever someone entered the room. Everyone did.
"Come in," he called. The door opened revealing Gwen and a plate of food. Leon smiled warmly at her and lowered his sword. Leon couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in his heart whenever someone entered the room. It appeared as though almost everyone in Camelot had taken it upon themselves to ensure the boy healed and returned to his normal self. The knights of the Round Table took turns watching him at all hours of the day and the boy had a constant string of servants, tradesmen, and even nobility that filtered in and out during their free time. Leon had caught several servants piling more blankets on Merlin and giving him pillows that were probably from the King's own stash. The cook had been told Leon and Lancelot to alert her the moment Merlin woke up so that she could prepare him a feast. Several seamstresses banded together to sew Merlin a new pair of pants, a shirt, and a new neckerchief. The cobbler worked hard on a new pair of boots for Merlin that were sturdy and looked fairly similar to Merlin's old ones.
Sir Kay had been the person who surprised Leon the most. He had never really been all that kind to Merlin, thinking he had no sense of respect. But ever since he heard about how Merlin saved Arthur, the man had started to be more congenial and much more respectful towards him. It was difficult to deny Merlin's loyalty to Arthur after the little stunt that he pulled. That was the other thing that surprised Leon, Arthur's version of events that happened in the throne room. Normally, Arthur would play down Merlin's part or take him out of the picture all together. But for this particular case, Arthur recounted exactly how Merlin had been able to save him and how he was still trying to protect Arthur even as he lay injured. Arthur had painted Merlin as the hero. A title Leon thought he deserved.
"I brought some broth for Merlin," Gwen said quietly. Ever since the spell had lifted, she hadn't been doing very well with the information surrounding the circumstances. She had refused to talk to Elyan, Lancelot, and Arthur. Gwaine and Percival managed to get some information out of her, though. After Arthur told the council exactly what had happened, Gwen began blaming herself for what had happened. Despite her never openly insulting Merlin, she still continually thought she was part of the reason Darian had succeeded. It was sad, really, the fact that Gwen thought she was more at fault than any of the knights. Leon decided perhaps he could get her to talk. At the very least, he could reassure her.
"He's doing better, my lady," Leon said, sitting Merlin up and tilting his head back to accept the food.
"I told you not to call me that," Gwen said with a small smile on her face. It didn't appear forced, a victory for Leon.
"Your brother is a knight. By default, you are a lady," Leon chuckled, taking the bowl from Gwen and beginning to pour some down Merlin's throat. Merlin accepted the broth willingly and it was no longer a fight to get him to stomach something.
"He looks so small," Gwen said softly, the smile falling from her face. Luckily, Leon was pretty good about comforting people. Maybe not as good as Percival or Lancelot, but he thought he could do a fair job when called upon.
"He's getting stronger. The bruises will fade. The bones will mend. He will get better," Leon said strongly. Alright, maybe that wasn't the most sensitive thing he could have said. But it did get Gwen talking.
"I know. It's just, I wonder if there was something more we could have done, something that could have saved him," Gwen replied. Leon put down the bowl and shifted Merlin so that he was laying back down on his lap.
"Gwen, all of us were so far gone in Darian's charm. Be thankful Arthur was able to do something when he did. Be thankful this didn't go any farther." Gwen nodded sadly and began arranging the room. Not because it was dirty, but because she needed something to keep her in the chambers for longer.
"You can sit with him, if you'd like," Leon said, trying to stop Gwen's relentless work. Gwen looked as though she was about to say something, but then thought better or it. She smiled and pulled up a chair. She fiddled with Merlin's tunic, well Arthur's tunic since no one bothered to give him another nightshirt, and smoothed the covers.
"How are you doing?" Gwen asked while she worked, eyeing the fading bruises around Leon's neck.
"Gaius say's I'm lucky it wasn't more serious," Leon replied honestly, massaging his neck. He didn't feel as though Gwen would care to be lied to. And she always kind of scared Leon. "I might just have to take a leaf out of Merlin's book and wear a scarf until the bruising goes away," he chuckled, trying to make light of the situation. Gwen smiled.
"It's a miracle no one died." Leon nodded and looked out the window. It was a miracle that no one had died this time around. Especially considering Darian was going on a downward spiral. The two sat in silence for a few minutes. The only sound was Merlin's deep breaths that hitched every once in a while.
"Percival should be here soon," he muttered to himself. Gwen pulled up the blankets so that Merlin was better covered.
"I should get back to work," she said quietly. She stood up and slipped out of the door just as Percival walked in. He was walking with a slight limp due to an injury on his back. He had been the one thrown against the wall with the most force. It would eventually heal and the Percival could return to normal. What worried Leon more was the torture Percival had to endure. Gaius said the spell Darian used to torture him wouldn't have any lasting impact, but Leon could see he was struggling with the aftermath. Percival was always jumpy and there was a slight tremor in his hand. The knight was quiet, but not like before. Instead of a comfortable silence, it was now one that was tense and full of fear. It made Leon wonder how Merlin was going to be. Leon doubted Merlin would be the same ever again, but he would try to help him so that he was.
"Percival, how are you?" Leon asked, trying to seem cheerful and nonthreatening. He shifted so that he could move Merlin from on top of him easier. For whatever reason, the boy was extremely picky about the forms of comfort that were given to him. He responded best to Leon when he was on his lap with his hair being petted. For Gwaine he enjoyed being sat up and leaned against his shoulder. Percival was received best when he read to Merlin. And Arthur was the only one with whom Merlin could lay curled up next to. It made Leon wonder why the boy was so particular. This was one thing he didn't resolve to ask him. It was probably very personal and something that Merlin wouldn't want anyone to know about.
"I've been better," Percival answered with a grimace. He sank down into the chair Gwen had recently vacated and pulled out a book. He was a little less stiff when it came to walking and sitting. He also didn't appear to be as jumpy whenever someone spoke to him. Hopefully that meant he was getting better, mentally and physically.
"I just gave him some broth so he shouldn't need to eat anything until Gwaine comes in later," Leon explained. He set Merlin down gently and put some pillows under his head to ease the boy's breathing.
"Gaius wants to see you so that he can check your ribs and throat," Percival said.
"He wants to give me another one of those awful potions," Leon chuckled. He wished he hadn't. His throat still burned when he talked. Laughing just made it much worse.
"Gwaine and Elyan are still complaining about not being able to go down to the training field and work out their anger," Percival said.
"Yeah, well. They'll just have to deal with it. It's better that they heal up now so that they can be there for Merlin later," Leon said. He gave Merlin once last reassuring pat and opened the door.
"Do you think he'll forgive us?" Percival asked quietly. Leon paused and looked back. Percival. The man was sitting there, his head bowed and his shoulders slumped.
"I think he will," Leon responded softly. He closed the door behind him and began to make his way to Gaius' chambers. Back in the room, Percival sighed and propped his feet up on the bed.
"Thanks to you, I've read through half the library," he said teasingly. He tried to be more congenial when he spoke to Merlin. He wanted to believe that his cheerful voice helped Merlin feel safe and at ease. However, Merlin didn't even stir. Percival had got used to this lack of response so it didn't bother him when Merlin made no indication he knew what was going on. For the first night, he had been very active. Despite being unconscious he was still fighting valiantly against everyone who tried to come near him. He was also muttering nonsense about dragons and a girl named Freya. Arthur was the only one who could calm him down. It was a long night, but in the end it was worth it. Gaius said that everything Merlin was going through was completely natural. His body was healing so it made sense that he would be in a coma. The old physician explained that the fact that Merlin was getting stronger meant that he should be fine. Indeed, the boy was looking much better than when Percival first saw him almost a week ago. There was more color in his face. His bruises were healing nicely. And his breathing was no longer as ragged and harsh as before. Percival only hoped that Merlin would be able to heal just as well emotionally as he was healing physically.
oOoOoOo
Arthur stood at Gaius' door trying to figure out how to best phrase every question he had for the old man. He needed answers, about Darian, about Merlin, about everything. But he hadn't asked all week because Gaius had been so busy trying to heal seven people who had all suffered extensive injuries. He was handling the situation excellently, but the toll was evident. It didn't help that Merlin bore the brunt of Darian's rage. Arthur knew that this was all very hard for Gaius, to stay emotionally distant from a patient who was like a son. But now, all the knights were doing better and even Merlin seemed to be getting stronger each day that passed. The worry in Gaius' eyes had started to dissipate and he was having more time to himself. Arthur felt confident that the man could answer his questions and that bringing up the memories wouldn't be too painful for anyone. Arthur took a deep breath and pushed open the door. Gaius looked up from his work and smiled.
"Sire, what can I do for you?" he asked. He looked as if he had slept better the previous night. The bags under the physician's eyes were starting to disappear and he didn't look so tired. Arthur's hands shook as he stepped into the chamber.
He quickly stopped the tremors and gave Gaius a small smile. Arthur trusted Gaius. He really did. But the words the man had spoken about his ward still played over and over in Arthur's mind. He wasn't keen on leaving anyone alone with Merlin, Gaius included. Even now Arthur was afraid that someone would snap and hurt Merlin. It had been a fight to get Arthur to leave Merlin's side for even a minute those first few days. He was learning to trust his men again, but it was a long way from being completely healed. Of course he would feel more at ease if Merlin decided to stop lazing about and wake up. Honestly, if he wanted a few days off he should have just asked for them. Arthur took another deep breath and began fiddling with a ring on his finger.
"I need to know more about what happened," Arthur stated vaguely. He tried to stop his fingers from constantly twisting the ring but they appeared to have a mind of their own. They continued to twist the ring, showing Arthur's nerves as clear as day. If Gaius noticed, he didn't give any indication. This helped Arthur feel more at ease.
"I was wondering when you would come by," Gaius sighed. He pulled a large book from the shelf and flipped it open. "What do you want to know first?"
"What exactly did Darian want with Merlin?" Arthur asked, sitting down at the table. Gaius' smile fell. Arthur didn't mean to be so blunt. This was probably a very sensitive subject with Gaius. But Gaius continued on, his face set in stone.
"Darian was an evil man. I doubt by the time he died there wasn't a piece of humanity left in him." Arthur nodded but said nothing. He had never heard the physician's voice sound so cold. It was as if he were spitting out poison, a poison that was Darian. Then again, Gaius was dealing with the same amount of grief, betrayal, and guilt as the rest of them. The only difference was that Gaius still needed to heal the sick. He couldn't spend a great deal of time going over what-if scenarios in his head. Arthur and the other knights spent most of their day doing what-if scenarios. They only served to worsen the mood and distract Arthur from the work he needed to do.
"The spell is called the heorudrync cwiclác spell. Basically, the person drinks the blood of a human victim who embodies innocence. He then says a spell which activates the blood and gives him both strength and a form of immortality," Gaius explained.
"What do you mean a form of immortality?" Arthur asked, leaning forward. He ignored the twisting in his gut that went along with "a human victim who embodies innocence". He knew that Merlin fit that bill fairly well. Actually, he fit that bill perfectly. Darian probably couldn't have chosen a better victim to feed him.
"Well, the person is only immortal for a period of time. For example, three months. After that the spell stops working and he either has to find another victim or live out the rest of his days," Gaius stated coldly. His eyes were storming with hatred and disgust. They sort of scared Arthur. Arthur didn't think there was a time that he had ever seen Gaius look so cruel and cold. Arthur dropped his gaze from Gaius' face and instead looked at the book laid out in front of them. That was a mistake. There were gruesome pictures of men drinking blood from their victims. It was very detailed and very disturbing. Arthur tore his eyes from the book and focused on the wall behind Gaius. There was no horrible pictures of people being butchers and no form on hate that Arthur could see. It was perfect.
"If all he had to do was drain the blood, why did he torture Merlin?"
"That, I can only speculate. I couldn't find anything about torture making the blood more potent. However, Sir Gwaine did tell me that Darian didn't use that torture spell on Merlin because it would make his blood sour," Gaius said. Arthur understood what Gaius was trying to say, even if he didn't want to believe it.
"And you think that Darian tortured Merlin to get a particular taste," Arthur breathed. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore Merlin's screams that he heard every night in his dreams. Gaius nodded, confirming Arthur's suspicions. This made him furious. To torture Merlin because the spell required was one thing. It was despicable and made Arthur want to kill everything who had ever tried to hurt Merlin, but at least there was a reason for doing it. But the fact that torture wasn't even required for the spell was what made Arthur livid. Darian didn't even respect Merlin enough to give him a quick death. He didn't respect any of his victims enough to give them a quick death.
Why should I respect them? Darian's voice came floating into Arthur's head. They are nothing more than a means to an end. They are my lambs. He was my lamb. Arthur gritted his teeth and tried his best to ignore whatever taunts Darian was throwing at him from beyond the grave.
"What was the spell he used on Percival?" Arthur asked, regaining his composure and determined to see this through to the end. Gaius sighed.
"It is a newer spell. What happens is it causes the body to feel pain without doing any lasting physical damage. The damage come mentally. The body can't understand why it is in pain when there is no physical torture. In the end, most men go mad if they are subjected to it for more than a few minutes," Gaius said sadly. Arthur nodded. Percival, while clearly suffering from the trauma, didn't appear to have lost his mind. Arthur was thankful Darian had enough control to keep Percival from going crazy. Gwaine was the one who told Arthur what had happened in the room. Though it wasn't very easy to comprehend the whole story, considering Gwaine was pretty drunk and every other word was a curse word.
"Why was I immune to Darian's spell?" This had been gnawing at Arthur's mind ever since he began having doubts about Darian. While the man did say that the weaker the mind, the stronger the spell, Arthur didn't think that no one in the five kingdoms had ever come close to defeating Darian. He was smart, but he wasn't as smart as, say Leon. And he was sure that if all it took to break the curse was a strong will, then others should have seen the pattern. Other nobles who held weight in the council. Arthur could see Gaius was thinking about how best to explain this. It was probably a very complicated spell or something.
"I can only speculate, considering the man who knows the most about this is dead, but I do have a theory. Lancelot mentioned a necklace."
"As soon as he smashed the pendant, my father seemed to be drawn out of Darian's enchantment," Arthur confirmed.
"Such pendant usually promote a sense of happiness and trust within the person. However they aren't very far reaching and are easy to fight if you know what to look for," Gaius explained.
"So only those next to Darian would have been affected?" Arthur asked.
"Not necessarily. I've seen some that could influence entire villages. But like I said, the effects can be fought. What Darian probably did was another spell to ensure his hold over the people."
"Then why didn't it work this time around?"
"Because Darian was overly confident. He had been doing this for so long, he probably thought he was invincible," Gaius said tiredly.
"And so he didn't perform the spell as often as needed," Arthur clarified.
"Precisely." It made sense to Arthur. He had a feeling Gaius was keeping something from him, but he didn't press. He could see where Darian would become overly confident and feel as though doing a spell every morning or how ever often he had to do it was unnecessary. Arthur knew that he first began to fight the effects when George mentioned Merlin might be in danger. After that, Arthur became speculative of the bliss and began to fight the effects more and more. This was probably what Gaius was talking about when he said one could fight the effects if they knew what to look for.
"One more thing."
"You want to know why the knife killed Darian and not your father's blade." Arthur nodded. Gaius leaned back and gave Arthur a sad smile. He had been waiting for this question ever since Arthur stepped into the room.
"The spell Darian used gives him immortality, I've already told you that. However, the person from whom the immortality was taken is the only person who can harm the user," Gaius explained.
"That would be why Merlin managed to kick out Darian's knee when all I did was make him stumble," Arthur supposed.
"Yes. And I imagine the knife you used was probably covered in Merlin's blood. It's a bit of a loophole, however I believe that is the reason. Merlin's blood was on the blade so it was Merlin who killed Darian. There was nothing special about the knife," Gaius said. Arthur took in the information and decided that all of his questions had been answered for now.
"Thank you, Gaius. I know this wasn't easy," Arthur said, standing up and making his way to the door.
"I'm just glad no one else will have to be subjected to Darian's evil ways ever again," Gaius spat bitterly.
"Now that we know what to look for, hopefully we can stop others before they end up hurting innocent people," Arthur added quietly. He made his way out of the door and down to a council meeting. He would like nothing better than to go back to Merlin's room and curl up next to him, but he still had a kingdom to run. Besides, Percival was in there now and probably some other random servants. Merlin would be safe. Although Arthur thought he was safe before and now Merlin was lying an a bed, injured and unmoving. Arthur stopped and shook his head.
"Merlin won't blame you for this," he said quietly. But that was just the problem. Merlin wouldn't blame Arthur for any of this. He would pretend like he was okay with what happened and slowly sink further into his own mind. Merlin would be torn apart by guilt when he found out how close to death his friends had come in an effort to save him. Merlin would try to keep everything hidden until the eventual depression and fear consumed his very soul. Arthur vowed he wouldn't let that happen. He was never one for talking but he would not let Merlin slip through the cracks again. He would force his friend to face what happened so that he could move on.
oOoOoOo
"How many more do we have?" Elyan asked Lancelot. He stretched his arms over his head and groaned. He didn't have any broken ribs, but he was still bruised all over from hitting the wall. The scabs from his burns stretched painfully. Elyan put his arms down and the pain reduced to a dull, throbbing sensation. He couldn't wait until the burns were all healed and the bruises had all faded. Lancelot looked over the list and sighed.
"About a hundred," he responded. He looked every bit as tired as Elyan felt. Lancelot had a nasty cut along the side of his head from where he was thrown into the bed posts. There were bruises decorating his face and probably other sections of his body. His eyes looked tired and old. Anyone's would after reading through over 300 years of death and destruction. Darian's diaries were not a source of pleasant entertainment. Elyan tried to lighten the mood.
"It's a good thing a lot of them were so long ago that their entire family probably isn't around any more," Elyan said. He picked up another piece of paper and looked over the list.
"Another page for Mercia! Darian must have really liked it there," he said sadly. Lancelot nodded and looked over his own list for Odin's land. They sat across a table from one another, not really talking. The scratch of a quill on paper was the only sound that was a constant accompaniment to their own thoughts.
"At least the families can get closure," Lancelot spoke softly. Elyan said nothing but continued to transcribe names onto his piece of paper. Lancelot and Elyan had been tasked with alerting the families of all of Darian's past victims, at least the ones with families still around. Now that the spell had been broken, many people were remembering their loved ones. There were servants who remembered husbands that had disappeared long ago. There were children who remembered one night when their mothers didn't come home. No one remembered until now. Of course, Lancelot and Elyan managed to find most of the people in Camelot and send them word about the fate of their family members. Lancelot was glad he didn't have to be the one to tell them what really happened to their sons and daughters, husbands and wives. He was also glad that Darian kept such a good record as to where he found his victims.
He and Elyan had managed to compile a pretty complete list of people that were going to be sent around to various kings and queens. Hopefully they would do their part in spreading the word to the loved ones so that they didn't have to wonder what happened to them. Although Lancelot wasn't sure if knowing what happened made it better or worse. He and Elyan had agreed not to give every detail about the deaths, just the fact that they were killed by Darian. Still, Lancelot could see where families would be more distraught with the information than happy. There would be no hope that their missing would come through the door. But it was their duty to let the families know. Lancelot would have wanted to know what happened to Merlin, even if the information provided more pain than happiness. Lancelot realized just how lucky they all were that Merlin was still alive and healing. He couldn't take knowing that his friend had been so close and so desperate to be saved, but because of Lancelot's own weak mindedness he died. He pushed these thoughts out of his head and continued organizing the next page. Each name that he wrote down Lancelot became happier that Darian was dead. The world didn't need a man like him.
oOoOoOo
Gwaine made his way over to Merlin's temporary chambers with a heavy heart. He couldn't shake the feelings of guilt that consumed him. He had been told repeatedly by Leon and Gaius that Merlin wouldn't be upset with Gwaine, but Gwaine didn't bother to listen to them. He couldn't get Merlin's face out of his head along with Leon and Lancelot's broken bodies, surrounded by debris. And he certainly couldn't just forget Percival and Elyan's torture. It wasn't fair that everyone ad gotten hurt when Gwaine could have done something. Alright, he knew he couldn't have done a lot, but he kept going over the scenarios in his head, trying to come up with a solution that didn't involve everyone getting hurt.
These little situations that Gwaine imagined only made him feel worse. What if they hadn't gotten to Merlin in time? What if his friend died thinking no one cared about him? What if Gwaine hadn't been released from the curse and had helped Darian hurt his friend? Gwaine shook his hair and tried to think of more positive things. Merlin was getting stronger, Percival's limp was less pronounced, and Lancelot's ribs were healing nicely. It wasn't enough. Gwaine should have tried harder to protect Merlin. In the end, it wasn't any of them that had killed Darian, it was Merlin. Granted Arthur was the one who stabbed him. But if Merlin hadn't been there with the knife, Arthur wouldn't have made it. He really shouldn't be thinking so much. Dangerous things happened when Gwaine started to think. That was how he managed to get banished from almost everywhere he set foot. Gwaine was a better person when he could just kill whatever needed to be killed, and then drink the rest of his time away. He wished Gaius would let him back down to the training fields so that he could tear a practice dummy to shreds, pretending it was Darian.
Gwaine stopped in front of the door and stood outside. Percival would be in there now, reading another book he had found in the library. Lord Geoffrey helped the large knight find all of Merlin's favorites. Gwaine smiled and wondered if the man knew how much of an impact he had made with everyone. Merlin was modest and humble, he probably underestimated just how much everyone cared for him. Though the constant stream of visitors would help put his influence on the people into perspective. Gwaine pushed open the door. Percival stopped reading and looked up.
"How are you feeling?" he asked Gwaine. Gwaine gave a weak smile and climbed next to Merlin.
"A raging headache but other than that I'm fine," Gwaine responded. He had long since stopped taking any of Gaius' pain medication. He felt as though he deserved to be in pain, to suffer. He didn't do enough to protect Merlin so this was his punishment. Though Merlin would never find out. He wouldn't forgive himself if he knew what Gwaine was doing. Gwaine kicked off his boots and lifted the blankets. He gently maneuvered Merlin so that he was sitting up. Gwaine's heart leapt with hope when Merlin reached out to pull himself closer to Gwaine's body. Gwaine looked at Percival and grinned.
"Maybe he'll wake up," Gwaine said hopefully. This was the first time since almost a week about that Merlin had moved. It made Gwaine feel very warm and fuzzy inside. Things were looking up. Percival smiled and marked the place in the book where he had stopped.
"I'll let Gaius know," he said. Percival silently slipped across the floor and out of the room. Gwaine watched him go before trying to figure out how he was going to pass the next few hours. He grinned when an idea came into his head. Gwaine wrapped another arm around Merlin and held him closer.
"Did I ever tell you about the time I was banished from a small village?" Gwaine stated happily. If Merlin did happen to awaken, he wanted everything to seem happy. He didn't want Merlin to feel as though everything was depressing. Merlin would probably blame that on himself. Gwaine couldn't ask for a better friend than Merlin. It was because of this that he decided he needed to be a better friend. One that Merlin deserved. His smile widened as Merlin muttered something in his sleep. Perhaps his friend would wake up and they could put this whole thing behind them.
oOoOoOo
Merlin couldn't really tell where he was. He felt as though he was floating, but he didn't feel dead. There was something very strange about this place that he was in. He opened his eyes, only blackness surrounded him. Perhaps he didn't open his eyes. He felt worried for a second. Why would he be feeling that? Merlin could tell based on the twisting feeling in his gut that something wasn't right, but he really couldn't place the sensation. He tried to move his limbs only to find they would really cooperate with his wishes. Merlin grunted and tried to open his eyes again. He felt so weak. Why was that? Whatever the reason, Merlin didn't like the feeling. He felt helpless and scared. Really scared. Things weren't adding up. Merlin struggled for a few minutes before collapsing back onto the ground. Well he thought he collapsed. For all he knew, he didn't even move.
Merlin once again tried to open his eyes or move his arms, but they weren't cooperating with him. He was beginning to panic. He couldn't wake up but he was awake. He couldn't feel his arms move, but he could feel the pain. Nothing was making sense. It was like he was stuck in a pit, tied down so that he couldn't move. He was distantly aware that he was probably whining, though he was to scared to do anything about it. There was more feeling in his arms, but it wasn't a good feeling. It hurt, a lot. Everything felt like it was on fire. Everything felt as though thousands of knives were stabbing into his skin. Merlin realized that he could feel tears rolling down his cheeks. If he could feel things, then why couldn't he wake up? Merlin's brain wasn't being rational anymore. It had gone into full blown panic mode. Merlin continued to whine and cry and attempt to move. He felt a hand gently wipe away the tears and another one brush back his hair. The person was also saying something, some nonsense about how everything was okay. Well everything wasn't okay. It was far from okay. But still, this person was calming him. Merlin didn't want this person to go away. He felt childish and weak for even wishing such a thing. But he didn't care. Something wasn't right.
Merlin's senses became clearer. He could hear better and feel better. Though he would have given anything to stop feeling. His whole body felt as though it had been dragged behind a horse for three miles and then trampled by a herd of dragons. With this newfound awareness, Merlin decided to try and open his eyes again. He tried to take deep breaths, only to find that his ribs were painfully tight. Merlin jerked his hand. Pain shot through the appendage. Merlin cried out in pain and his eyes flew open.
oOoOoOo
Arthur returned to Merlin's room after a long day of council meetings and training. He had been by far the least injured member of the attack team. So while the others were commanded to having bed rest and keeping physical actions to a minimum, Arthur was allowed to continue a fairly regular schedule. It wasn't like Gaius had any say in the matter. With Uther returning to his depressive state, Arthur was the only one who could run things. Sure the council might have been able to take care of things for a week or two, but that was only under the best of circumstances. Darian's reveal had the entire kingdom in a panic. Everyone was scared and unsure of what was going to happen. The council members were in a state of shock and didn't really do much of anything. Arthur had to be strong for the kingdom, though right now he would rather just stay with Merlin until his idiot decided to wake up and get better.
He pushed open the door to see Gwaine on the bed with Merlin, and George pouring a bath. George bowed but did not meet Arthur's eye. Where Guinevere had been avoiding anyone and everyone, George had become extra skittish. He was scared, though Arthur didn't really know what he was scared of. He had an idea that it was because of the servant's attitude towards Merlin during Darian's stay, but he couldn't be sure. What Arthur could be sure of was that George would give himself a heart attack if he continued to act like this. Arthur decided he had to talk to the man before George completely broke. Gwaine had also gone into a sort of depression. He was taking Darian's treatment of Merlin much worse than even Lancelot. It was probably because Gwaine had been the most vocal about protecting Merlin while Darian was here. Arthur and the others had tried to convince Gwaine that it wasn't his fault, but the man was stubborn. So when Arthur walked into the room, he was surprised to see Gwaine sitting with Merlin and actually smiling.
"How was training, princess?" Gwaine joked. George gasped but made no move to scold Gwaine for his blatant disrespect.
"I pretended the training dummy was Darian," Arthur responded truthfully. Gwaine was almost back to his normal self. That was amazing. Arthur wondered what had brought about this change. Perhaps Gaius managed to slip medication into Gwaine's food to force him to stop feeling pain.
"Any chance I could pretend as well?" Gwaine asked hopefully. Arthur shook his head.
"When you're all healed," he replied. Gwaine scowled but said nothing.
"Sir, the bath is ready," George said quietly. Gwaine shifted so that one arm was under Merlin's knees and another was behind his shoulders. Gwaine gently lifted Merlin up and brought him to the tub. George made quick work of undressing the boy and helping Gwaine set him in the tub.
"He was moving around today. And muttering, though I couldn't make any of it out," Gwaine said. Arthur smiled and sat down at the table. He began to eat the dinner George had brought up for him. Everyone returned to silence. It wasn't uncomfortable like before. It was hopeful. Arthur looked over to see Gwaine gently washing Merlin and George standing in the corner, waiting for instructions.
After some time, Gwaine lifted Merlin from the bath and redressed his wounds. He pulled back on the boy's clothing and laid him gently down onto the bed. Arthur was glad to see that his tunic was still being used to dress Merlin. Gaius said it would be easier to take off the garment since it was larger that anything Merlin owned. Arthur had a feeling the old man was humoring him. It made Arthur feel as though he had done something to help Merlin heal, even if that something was just to lend him a tunic.
"I gave him some broth, so he shouldn't need anything else tonight," Gwaine said. He stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, torn between leaving and asking to stay.
"I'll let you know if anything changes," Arthur said softly, effectively taking the decision out of Gwaine's hands. Gwaine was taking the whole thing pretty hard. He needed to rest and recover if he was going to help Merlin. "Take those sleeping draughts Gaius made for you. You need to rest if you're going to practice taking Darian's head off with one swipe," Arthur added. Gwaine smiled and walked towards the door.
"Keep him safe," Gwaine whispered. Before Arthur could say anything, the knight left. George was still standing awkwardly in the corner, as if he awaited Arthur's shouting. Arthur decided to do just the opposite.
"Thank you," he said awkwardly. George's head shot up.
"Sire?"
"Had you not expressed your unease about Darian, I probably would have never suspected him," Arthur explained. It was the truth. George's unintentional warning about Darian was what first allowed Arthur to fight the enchantment. Had George never said anything, Merlin probably wouldn't be here and Darian would still be alive.
"You don't blame me?" George asked cautiously.
"No. We were all so far gone with Darian. How can I blame you when even my most trusted knights fell victim to his charms," Arthur explained. George's face broke out into a half smile.
"There is something that I need to discuss with you, though," Arthur stated regally. George's smile fell.
"What's that, sire?" he asked.
"You mentioned that some of our citizens and guests have been less than kind to the servants."
"I'm sorry, sire. It was not my place to say-" Arthur held up a hand to stop him.
"You misunderstand. I cannot allow my people to live in fear of those who are supposed to protect them. I want you to compile a list of every noble who has abused his position. Make sure to include what exactly they have done." George nodded his understanding.
"I then want you to try and find as many witnesses as you can. I can't guarantee each man will be convicted of crimes, but I can assure you that I will not tolerate any more abusive behavior," Arthur stated.
"What about those I can't find any witnesses for?" George asked.
"Let me know what you are accusing them of. The next time they visit us or I them, I will keep an eye out for any inappropriate behavior," Arthur explained.
"I am hereby removing you from the position of servant. It is now your job to ensure the safety of the staff. Do you accept?"
"I do, sire," George said with a bow. Arthur could see he was trying very hard not to smile.
"Good, you are dismissed for the evening. I expect you to start your work tomorrow," Arthur commanded.
"I will, sire," George said happily. He grabbed the dishes and skipped out of the room, well awkwardly hopped, but it made Arthur smile none the less. He dressed for bed and blew out the candles.
"Did you hear that Merlin? No more abusive visitors for you," Arthur chuckled. Merlin made a noise. It looked like Gwaine was right, Merlin was becoming more active. Arthur smiled, but immediately it fell. Merlin was starting to toss and turn. It wasn't as if he were waking up, it was as if he were in pain. Arthur quickly shifted so that he could comfort Merlin in a better position. He began stroking his hair and trying to calm him down.
"It's okay…you're okay…you're safe," Arthur muttered. Merlin wasn't comprehending the words. He continued to thrash about, whining in pain and fear. Arthur began to panic when tears started falling down Merlin's cheeks. Arthur worked quickly to wipe them away, only to have more take their place. He was at a crossroads. Merlin was probably going to hurt himself if he continued this. Arthur needed to get help. But there was a chance Merlin would wake up in a panic and hurt himself even more. Arthur desperately tried to calm him but had no success. He continued to whisper more nonsense words when Merlin's injured arm jerked upwards, stopped only by the fact that it was bound to his torso. Merlin cried out in pain and his eyes flew open.
"Merlin?" was all Arthur managed to get out.
Again, so sorry for the delay. I should be back on Sunday. I hope this chapter was well worth the wait. If it wasn't, then so sorry to disappoint. Have a great rest of the week.
