Sorry this update is a bit late, but here's chapter twelve. (and sorry about all the confusion with it not showing up last night)
Also, sorry Jessica, but you already know what's going to happen here.
And to everyone else, just a general "I'm sorry" for... well for this.

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It had been two months.

Two months had passed since Arthur first returned to Camelot.

Eight weeks and there was still no sign of Morgana or Merlin. As much as Arthur wanted to go out to find and save Merlin from the clutches of his half sister, it was a bit difficult to do considering that they had no clue where to even being looking for them.

From what Gwaine and Leon described, their hunt for Merlin was the same as it had been when they were searching for Arthur – disappointing and hopeless. It was as if Morgana and vanished from the face of the earth.

But every other day, a patrol was sent out, headed by Gwaine, Leon, Percival, or Elyan, in search of some clue or whisper that might tell them where Morgana might be, but each night they returned empty handed.

But without fail, every other morning a patrol was sent out at first light in search of something that might give them some idea of where to start searching for the missing manservant.

While the public didn't officially know about these little trips and their purpose, they weren't exactly a secret either. Besides the knights, Gaius and Gwen were the only other people who knew of the true purpose of these patrols.

But Arthur was convinced that Uther wasn't as oblivious as he pretended to be. It was possible that he didn't know at the beginning, but after two months there was no way he couldn't. But for some reason the king continued to play dumb to Arthur's blatantly obvious attempts at rescuing his manservant.

After awhile it was hard for anyone to miss the patrol leaving at the same time every other morning and returning at the same time in the evening.

But something happened that put all of Arthur's plans and patrols on pause.

Ever since Arthur's recovery, he and Uther both made a point to have dinner together every evening.

Prior to Arthur's capture, during the meals they shared together, when they weren't eating they spent the majority of the time discussing matters of state. Talking endlessly about battle plans, potential threats, allies, and the training of the knights.

It wasn't like they didn't discuss these things anymore, just not during meals. To be honest, Arthur couldn't tell you what it was they talked about during the time the spent together. The conversation between them just seemed to – flow. During those times, Arthur never felt like he was talking to the king, but he felt like he was just talking to his father.

On that particular night, their discussion had some how wondered onto the topic of Guinevere.

"I still have no clue how she managed to get through to you." Arthur said with a laugh, reminiscing over the months when Gwen almost single handedly took care of the king.

"You shouldn't underestimate her Arthur, she's a lovely and capable young woman." Uther said with a laugh before taking another bite of food.

Arthur just looked at his father in amazement. It wasn't that long ago that Uther had attempted to banish the girl from Camelot, and here he was complementing. Shaking his head, Arthur went back to eating his food.

After a couple of seconds, Uther spoke up again.

"You know Arthur," the tone in his voice caused Arthur look up from his plate.

"She really is –" but before he could finish, he was taken over by a coughing fit.

"Father?" Arthur exclaimed as he jumped up from his seat, thinking that he was choking on a bit of food. But Uther held up his hand to tell Arthur that he was okay. Grabbing his napkin off his lap, Uther continued to hack into the cloth until the fit passed.

"Are you okay father?" Arthur asked, clearly concerned.

"I'm perfectly fine." Uther assured him as he wiped his mouth, after setting his napkin on the table Uther attempted to return to their previous conversation.

"Anyways, as I was saying Arthur, Guinevere is…Arthur?" Uther stopped upon seeing the petrified look on his son's face.

"Arthur what's wrong?" Following his son's eye line, he glanced down at the napkin that was resting on the table next to his plate.

In the middle of the white cloth was a vibrant red stain where Uther had just been coughing into.

Without a second thought, Arthur jumped up from the table to tell the guards standing outside to go and fetch Gaius. But Uther remained seated, transfixed on the bit of cloth.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the next thing he knew, Gaius was kneeling on the floor in front of him.

"Sire, what happened?" The physician asked. But it was Arthur who replied.

"We were just talking when he suddenly started coughing. When he finally pulled his napkin away, I noticed this." Arthur explained as he handed the bloodstained napkin over to Gaius to examine.

"Arthur, why don't you take your father up to his chambers while I grab some supplies and I'll meet you both there shortly." Gaius said after examining the cloth for a few seconds.

Ten minutes later, Gaius walked into the Uther's chambers to see the king lying in bed while Arthur sat in a chair a few feet away. Gaius couldn't help but smile at seeing the two of them. Ever since Arthur's return, the relationship between the king and his son had been completely altered.

He would never say that Uther hadn't loved Arthur before he was taken by Morgana, but the king had been careful about how he showed his emotions, especially in public. Even when if it had just been the three of them in a room, Uther was still reserved, always afraid that he would appear weak if he showed any strong sentiment towards his son.

But now it was as if the king didn't care any longer. It was like Uther didn't want to waste anymore time putting on the face of a strong and unwavering king.

"Ah Gaius, come in." Uther said when he noticed the physician standing in the doorway.

Closing the door behind him, Gaius made his way over to the king's bedside and set down the items he retrieved from his chambers.

"So Gaius, do you have any ideas about what might be causing this?" Arthur asked, motioning to the bloody napkin.

"I have a few ideas, but I can't be certain. I need to run a few tests before I can come to any sort of conclusion." Gaius explained as he pulled a few vials out of his case.

"Arthur, it already late. Why don't you go get some sleep?" Uther suggested. Arthur was about to argue, but Uther continued before the prince could get a word in.

"I will be perfectly fine and besides, Gaius probably won't know anything till morning so you might as well get as much sleep as you can."

Arthur looked to Gaius, who nodded as if to tell him everything would indeed be fine.

Arthur sighed. "If anything happens, don't hesitate to send the guards to retrieve me." Arthur reached forward and rested his hand on his father's. "I'll be here first thing tomorrow morning."

With that, Arthur made his exit out of the chambers, leaving Uther and Gaius alone.

When Uther could no longer hear Arthur's retreating footsteps down the hallway he turned to the physician. "So Gaius, tell me. What is it?"

Gaius fumbled with the vials in his hand, his back still towards the king.

"Excuse me sire." He remarked, trying to sound as normal as possible.

Uther couldn't help but grin at the physicians attempt act as if he didn't already know what was wrong with him.

"Gaius, you have been a trusted friend and advisor of mine for many years now, through good and bad times, you've always been there for me." Gaius set the vials down on the bedside table and sat down in the chair that Arthur had previously been sitting in.

"So Gaius, I know when you're holding something back. So please, just tell me."

Gaius sighed. It was moments like these that really showed how much Uther had changed. Sitting before the physician, for the first time in many years, he could see a glimpse of the man Uther had once been, back in the years before the Great Purge, and before the days of the High Priestesses and the Great Alliance. Being able to see that man in Uther now only made Gaius's job that much more difficult.

"As you're probably aware sire, it is not uncommon for a man injured in battle to sometimes cough up blood due to internal damage. But for a man to cough up blood without being injured is exceptionally rare. I myself have only come across it once before, and that was many years ago."

Gaius paused, trying to decide how he should continue. As much as he wanted to believe that Uther didn't have the same illness that had taken that man, he knew deep down that it most likely was.

"I'm dying." It wasn't a question. It was just a statement. Uther didn't sound angry or fearful; he just said the two words as if it were a simple fact.

"I believe so sire." Gaius stammered, not wanting to believe it himself.

"How long do I have then?" Uther asked.

"At least two months. At most you'll have six." Gaius said, his voice shaking. The king was dying.

"Besides the coughing, what else will there be?" The king asked sounding exhausted.

"Well you will develop a shortness of breath, you will begin to feel fatigued, chest and back pains, night sweats, weight loss, and just a general feelings of being unwell." Gaius listed, as he clasped his hands together.

"How long will I be able to continue on with my regular duties as king?" Uther asked. No dodging or dancing around it, Uther wanted to get straight to the point.

"Two months, maybe three if we are lucky. But you'll begin to struggle with your day-to-day activities well before that. It's at that point that you will probably end up confined to your chambers."

"And there's nothing you can do to slow it down or stop it?" Uther questioned, already aware of what the physician's answer was going to be.

"I'm sorry sire, but no. There's nothing I can do." Gaius admitted feeling defeated. As the king's physician, he should be able to cure the king, but there was nothing that neither he nor anyone else could do.

The first time Gaius came across this unidentified illness he tried everything in his power to save the man that it had infected. But every remedy, potion, and herb he used failed to slow down the sickness, and in the end it took the man's life.

For years Gaius researched the illness, but every book he read and every person he came across all said the same thing: there was no cure.

"You say I have two months until I am bedridden yes? Is there a possibility that it could progress faster?"

Gaius was a little surprised by the question, but nodded. "There's no way for me to tell how far along it has progressed until you start showing other symptoms. If it moves fast enough, it may only be two weeks, but there's no way for me to tell."

Uther starred into space as his brain processed the new information.

"If you don't mind me saying sire, you seem to be taking the news exceedingly well."

"I'm a bit surprised myself." He admitted with a laugh. "I can't explain it, but deep down I think I've known for awhile now."

After a few moments of silence, a thought struck the king.

"Gaius, you do know that I trust in your counsel above all others yes?"

Gaius smiled and gave a small nod.

"I have a idea and I would like to hear your thoughts on it."

At first Gaius was shocked to hear the king's proposal. But after Uther explained his reasoning behind it, the physician couldn't help but feel both saddened and proud of the king's choice.

Late into the night, the king and the physician detailed the plans for what would need to be done during the next few days and weeks. But the majority of what needed to be done would have to wait until the next day.

It would have to wait till Uther could talk to his son.

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As promised, the minute Arthur woke up the next morning, the prince dressed himself and started making his way across the castle.

The week following his initial recovery, Arthur had a significant amount of difficulty when it came to dressing himself in the mornings. On multiple occasions, there would be a knock at the door and Gwen would come in to find Arthur trapped in one of his tunics. But he eventually learned how to do it himself.

His father had tried to get him to use George as his servant, but he just couldn't do it. George's stay as his manservant lasted all of two hours before Arthur just asked him to leave. It wasn't that George was a bad servant, he was anything but that, he was perfect example of what a servant should be. But he just wasn't Merlin.

Yes Merlin was clumsy, forgetful, and borderline useless, but those were the things that made Merlin…well that made him Merlin. And to hear George bustling about his chambers, never dropping his armor, and never offering up some snide comment, it just made Merlin's absence that much more painful.

So for the better part of two months, Arthur had survived without a servant. Well, except for Gwen who still insisted on bringing him his breakfast in the morning.

When Arthur finally walked into his father's chambers, he was surprised to see that Gaius was already there and that they were both sitting at the table. He all of a sudden felt his stomach drop.

"Father? Gaius?" Arthur asked uneasily.

"Ah Arthur, we've been waiting for you. Come have a seat." Uther said, his voice calm as he motioned to the seat next to him.

Arthur slowly made his way to the table. Nothing had really been said, but he could feel that something was terribly wrong.

Once Arthur took his seat, Uther looked at him with a smile.

"Arthur, it's hard to believe how much you've grown. In the last four years alone you've grown into a completely different man. You're no longer the boy who use to run around terrorizing the city." He said with a chuckle.

He could remember the days when a young Arthur would sneak onto the practice fields to pester the knights. Thinking about those days and seeing that same boy as a man sitting in front of him now filled his heart with pride.

"Father, I don't understand." Arthur said, clearly confused with the direction of the conversation.

"Arthur, you are an intelligent and capable man and I'm incredibly proud to call you my son." He paused to delight in the look of confusion on Arthur's face.

"And there is not a single doubt in my mind that you are ready to become king." The confidence in Uther's voice was unwavering and he meant every word of it.

"Wait – king?" Arthur stuttered, the panic washing over him as his father's words repeated over again in his head.

"Yes Arthur. King."

For the next two hours, Gaius and Uther explained everything that had occurred the night before to Arthur. They told him about the king's illness and his plans to renounce his title to the throne.

In a week's time Arthur would be crowned king of Camelot.

During the short period of time that Uther had left, he wanted to be there to help Arthur make the transition from prince to king. Since his death was imminent, there was no reason for him to drag out his reign any longer.

Once upon a time he might have hung onto his title tooth and nail until the very end, but not anymore. All he wanted to do was to watch his son as he took his rightful place on the throne of Camelot. And during the time he had left Uther would act as his advisor; aiding Arthur is any way possible.

For Arthur, the next seven days passed in a haze.

That's how Arthur found himself standing in the middle of his room surrounded by Gwaine, Leon, Gwen, and Gaius.

As they talked amongst themselves, Arthur tried to recall what had actually happened since his father had told him about the plan to pass the crown onto him, but the seven days in between were just a blur of council meetings and discussions about what needed to be done to insure a smooth transition.

But here he was, standing in his chambers, wearing the clothes that he would soon be crowned king in.

Within the hour he would be crowned king of Camelot. Up to that point he had managed to keep a steady head about the events that were about to occur, but with every minute that passed, he was getting closer to losing it.

"Gwaine and Leon, would you mind leaving us for a few minutes?" Arthur asked, trying to not sound as panicked as he felt.

"Sure mate, we'll see you at the ceremony." Gwaine babbled as he slapped Arthur on the back before he and Leon made their exit. "See you soon King Arthur." Gwaine added with a laugh, before closing the door behind them.

As soon as the door was shut, Arthur let out a gasp.

"I can't do this." He muttered as he started to pace back and forth across the floor.

Both Gaius and Gwen stopped what they were doing and looked at the soon to be king.

"Arthur –"

"No Gwen I can't, I'm not ready, I just –" Arthur fell down into the nearest chair and put his face in his hands.

"Gwen, why don't you go check on Uther?" Gaius whispered. With a small nod, Gwen left Gaius to handle the situation.

Pulling a chair up, Gaius sat down in front of the prince.

"Arthur, you are more than ready to become king."

"But Gaius I –" But the physician cut him off,

"Please let me finish Arthur." He said as he tried to find the right words to ease his mind.

"You may not see it, but we all have faith in you Arthur, and I'm not talking about just your father and me. All of us, Gwen, Gwaine, Leon, Percival, Elyan, and everyone else that truly knows you. We all know that you are going to be a great king. I truly believe that you will be one of the greatest kings that Camelot has ever seen."

Arthur couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped his mouth at hearing Gaius' words.

"You sound like Merlin." He admitted. Lifting his head from his hands, Gaius could see the sadness that covered the young man's face. Gaius couldn't help but let out a small laugh as well.

"I do don't I." He sighed, remembering Merlin's complete and unwavering confidence in Arthur and the future that he would bring to Camelot.

"More than any of us, Merlin believed in you – believed in your destiny to one day become a great king."

"My destiny." He scoffed, shaking his head, but his face abruptly turned solemn.

"He once said that he would be happy being my servant until the day he died." Arthur said, the lump rising in his throat.

"That doesn't surprise me at all." Gaius replied with a sad smile.

Arthur looked around his empty chamber, and everywhere he looked there was a ghost of Merlin. Snide comments, goblets being thrown, armor dropped. But that's all they were now – ghosts.

"He should be here Gaius." Arthur whispered.

It wasn't till that moment that he realized it, but Merlin had become such an important part of his life that he never expected him not to be there. Deep down he always expected that Merlin would be there when he would eventually be crowned king. But here he was, about to crowned king, and Merlin was nowhere to be found.

Realizing that Merlin wasn't going to be there, standing there in the crowd as the crown was placed on his head, cheering with the rest of the court, it felt like someone was stabbing him in the chest.

The sadness over the realization hit Gaius as well. This was the moment that Merlin had been working and waiting for since he first came to Camelot all those years ago.

For four years Merlin has stood at Arthur's side, fighting with and protecting so that he would one day become king of Camelot.

That day had finally arrived and Merlin wasn't going to be there to see it, and it broke Gaius' heart.

"He should be here Gaius." Arthur repeated, his head dropping back into his hands.

If it were possible, Gaius' heart broke even more at seeing the extent of Arthur's grief over Merlin's absence.

Gaius sighed as a few tears escaped his eyes.

"I know Arthur, I know."

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A/N: Don't kill me. I know a lot of you were hoping that Merlin would be found quickly, but yeah. So I'm sorry about that.
And just so you all know, Uther's 'disease' is essentially TB just in case you didn't already guess that. Originally he was going to die in this chapter, but I decided that I really wanted him to be around for background information purposes later on in the story. Plus I'm not gonna lie, but I'm really enjoying writing this version of him.

Also, originally I was originally going to include the actual ceremony, but I decided that I'm much happier with this ending.

And just so you all know, this is pretty much the last 'filler' type chapter. From here on out we are entering the biggest plot section of the story.
And as excited as I would like to think you guys are, I'm probably about 10 time more excited!

So I'll be seeing y'all next week! Cheers! :D