A/N: So it took me a couple of days, but here's Chapter 14. Enjoy!
Arthur moved along the corridors as quickly as possible, hoping that by now, Gaius would have some answers regarding Merlin's condition. He rounded a corner, and nearly ran into Gwaine, who had been headed in the opposite direction.
"Careful, Princess," Gwaine said, although the normal playfulness in his voice was absent.
"Gwaine, what are you doing here? Didn't Leon take you out with the others to investigate the sorceress?"
Gwaine just shook his head. "He told me to stay here. Of course, when I heard what happened to Merlin-"
"Have you gone to see him?"
"Not yet. I was actually hoping to run into the royal Prince of Varelia." Gwaine clenched his hand into a fist.
"Let me deal with him," Arthur warned.
Gwaine just rolled his eyes, but seemed to change his mind about his current destination, for he turned and fell into step beside Arthur, heading back the way he had come, and towards Gaius' chambers.
When the two men finally reached the physician's chambers, they found the old man sitting at the table, looking weary and exhausted. He had several books opened and spread across the surface in front of him. He looked up as they both entered, giving them both a nod in greeting.
"Sire," he said in acknowledgement. "Gwaine."
Arthur and Gwaine both greeted Gaius solemnly, and then made their way over to the bed where Merlin lay, sleeping.
The anger once again boiled up inside of Arthur when he caught sight of all the bruises that littered Merlin's body. Most of his fury was directed at James, but he found that a small portion of it was directed at his manservant. Why hadn't Merlin told him that James had hurt him? Beside him, Gwaine also wore a look of rage. It was really going to be hard to keep the man from doing anything rash, Arthur realized.
The sound of voices caused both men to look up then. The source seemed to be coming from Merlin's bedroom. Arthur looked questioningly at Gaius.
"King Phillip is speaking with Nicholas," Gaius said. Arthur nodded and then turned his attention back to Merlin. "Has there been no change?" he asked.
Gaius sighed at this. "Actually, he did awake earlier, Sire."
"He did?" relief filled Arthur's voice. "So he'll be okay then? He'll just need some rest and-?"
"Arthur," Gaius interrupted, and the tone of his voice was enough to make both Arthur and Gwaine turn their gazes on Gaius, their expressions suddenly nervous.
"What is it, Gaius?" Gwaine asked.
"Merlin-hit his head really hard," Gaius began.
"What's wrong?" Arthur asked immediately, his heart now pounding in his chest.
"He can't see. His eyesight is gone."
Silence.
Gwaine just stared at Gaius in disbelief, as if waiting for the physician to suddenly correct himself. Arthur began clenching and unclenching his hand as he tried to process what Gaius had just said. He slowly turned to look at his manservant again.
It didn't make any sense. These things didn't happen to Merlin. They couldn't, because he was-well, he was Merlin. And after everything, all the battles and quests he had come home from, Arthur found it difficult to believe that now would be the time for Merlin to suffer such damage. And with these thoughts swirling around in his mind, Arthur found that he couldn't speak.
Gwaine tried. "So he's- he's-?"
"He's blind?" All three members of the room looked up at this new voice. It was King Phillip, standing in the doorway of Merlin's room, having just finished speaking with Nicholas.
The King descended the stairs into the main room and looked inquiringly at Gaius.
"Yes," Gaius replied, unable to keep his own anger out of the word.
Phillip turned to Arthur. "We have much to discuss, it would seem."
Arthur just nodded. He suddenly felt lost, unsure of himself. He couldn't think of what to say or do. Right about now would be a good time for Merlin to pipe up with a few of his words of wisdom, Arthur thought bitterly. He looked down at his friend and sighed. Finally, he looked back to King Phillip.
"I'll meet you back in the council chambers in half an hour," he said at last.
Phillip simply nodded and made his way to the exit. Once he had gone, Arthur turned back to Gaius.
"Is it permanent? His eyesight?" Arthur's voice was almost pleading.
"I'm afraid I don't know. It very well could be temporary," Gaius responded. "But it may not be."
Arthur just ran a hand through his hair. He suddenly felt very tired.
"What am I going to do, Gaius? About James?"
Gaius was silent. What James had done to Merlin was enough to make anger flare up inside of the old physician at the mere mention of the prince's name.
Arthur let out a sigh at the expression on Gaius' face. He felt the same way as the physician, but what was he supposed to do?
"I have a few suggestions," Gwaine said from behind Arthur. He had simply been staring down at Merlin for the past minute or so, and his fury was growing by the second as he took in the unconscious form of his friend.
"Gwaine-"Arthur began, but he was immediately cut off.
"What? That coward needs to be taught a lesson, and if you're too much of a princess to do it yourself-"
"I'm the King!" Arthur snapped. "I can't go around solving problems with my fists like drunken men in a tavern brawl!"
"Fine. Then allow me to-"
But Gwaine broke off his statement abruptly at the soft moan that came from the bed on which Merlin lay.
"Merlin?" Arthur was immediately at his side, placing a hand on one of Merlin's shoulders.
Gaius hurried over to the bed to examine his ward. Arthur backed away to give the physician some room.
"Well?" he asked, after Gaius turned away from the bed.
"He is still asleep, Sire."
Arthur let out a breath. What was he going to say to Merlin once he was conscious? Offering words of comfort had never exactly been a strong point of his. He would have to think about that later, he decided.
Turning back to Gwaine, Arthur spoke once more, trying to seem as calm as possible on the outside even though his mind was currently in turmoil. "I will be speaking to King Phillip about a course of action regarding James," he said. "I will do what I can to get justice for Merlin."
Gwaine folded his arms and looked at Arthur. "Just don't be a coward, princess." And with that he turned to leave. "Or a prat, for that matter," he added before he was gone.
A memory stirred in Arthur's mind.
"Just don't be a prat." It had been Merlin who had said that to him, after the whole questing beast incident all those years ago. The conversation from that night still puzzled Arthur. Merlin had been acting so strangely. But he remembered how Merlin had stated that Arthur would one day be a great king. Even way back then, Merlin had believed in him.
Arthur looked down at his manservant once more. He still wasn't quite sure what he was going to do, but he knew that he couldn't let Merlin down. And it was with that thought in mind that he made his way to the council chambers several minutes later to speak with King Phillip.
For once, Gwaine didn't feel like drinking. He was alone on the training field, swinging his sword at a practice dummy. He was too upset to even think about the tavern right now. He wished the others would get back from their quest to locate the sorceress soon. He needed someone else to vent his frustrations to.
His swings were clumsy, he knew. His aim was completely off. But right now, he really didn't care. He was just concentrating on trying to put as much force as possible into each blow, not really concerned with where they landed.
"Pitiful," a voice said behind him.
Gwaine turned. It was Arthur. How much time had passed? Had he already finished talking to King Phillip? He must have, Gwaine realized.
"Well?" he asked, trying to interpret the expression on Arthur's face. There seemed to be determination there.
"The royal family of Varelia will be departing Camelot tomorrow morning. James will be spending the night in a cell in the dungeons."
"That's it?" Gwaine didn't attempt to hide the fury in his voice. "One night in the dungeons? For everything he's done? For beating Merlin? For blinding him?"
Arthur held up a hand to silence the knight.
"I told you already, Gwaine, that as King, I cannot do to James what I would really like to do."
Gwaine was about to speak, but Arthur cut him off. "I am placing you in charge of the prince."
Gwaine's mouth fell open. "What?"
"From now until James leaves Camelot in the morning, you are in charge of him. This means that you will of course need to escort him from his chambers down to the dungeons, so I suggest you go do that now."
Gwaine just stared at Arthur, eyebrows raised and mouth still hanging open. Finally, he cleared his throat and asked, "Why me?"
Arthur gave a small smile at this. "Because, Sir Gwaine, I know that you will give the Prince of Varelia nothing but the best of care." Arthur's eyes pierced Gwaine's and he gave the knight a meaningful look. Then he placed a hand briefly on Gwaine's shoulder before turning around and heading back towards the castle.
A/N: I so wanted Arthur to get the chance to get at James, but in the end I really thought that his position as King would prevent that. Maybe if he was still a prince. Anyway, I thought that this scenario would be the next best thing. So what do you guys think?