A/N: Sorry guys, didn't mean to leave you in the lurch- would've had this written yesterday but I had a surprise visit from my landlord and an exterminator (apparently one of my neighbors is having insect problems). Pretty much the worst time for it too since I'd just been letting trash and dishes pile up while I was sick (mostly better now, it's basically just a cold at this point). Then I had a family visit this weekend- got to see Midori (a world-famous violinist) live in concert for free and pwned me some noobs in a game called Dominion (lost Settlers of Catan at the last moment though).

Nance: I didn't even think of the parallel there... led to an amusing image

I'd also apologize to anyone thoroughly creeped out by my story last chapter.
I'm sorry.
There, done.

But we all know this isn't what you're here for so let's cut to the chase.

His body was paralyzed, in denial of what had just happened.
Then the pain hit.

Merlin's mental scream of anguish catapulted Daegal back into bleary consciousness and, in another wing of the castle, Mordred ceased his search for the assassin's accomplice as the sound washed over him.

"Emrys?"

Two panicked cries echoed in his mind, but he was past hearing.

Sparing only a moment to note his own lack of injury, Daegal lunged to Merlin's side and stared at the dagger in horror.

What do I do?

There was hardly any blood leaking from the wound, but the druid knew that would change once the blade was removed- clearly something he should not do at this point.

He hovered ineffectually over the body, hands fluttering over the man's shuddering chest.
He noticed a growing dark patch on the shoulder above the knife hilt and, careful to avoid jostling the weapon, put pressure on this second hurt.

Merlin gasped, still feeling the increased pain through his shock, and his back arced as his feet pushed against the smooth surface of the marble floor as if to escape the agony.

Spine and legs settling back down, the dark-haired head began to crash against the stone and Daegal hastened to slip a restraining arm around the other man's head and neck.

It was in this position the king of Camelot found them.

"Merlin?"

The druid boy looked up at the royal, hazel eyes wide with fear.
"What do I do? He's been stabbed!"

Arthur stumbled forward, taking a second to absorb the information his eyes and ears were giving him before he snapped into action.

"Gaius!" He yelled down into the hall, quickly gaining the attention of the elderly man who had been tending to hysterical nobles.

"Get up here- now!"

The physician wasted no time on questions, sprinting out of the hall and up the staircase as quickly as his old bones could carry him.
He was panting and red-faced when he arrived, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw his ward on the floor.

"He's been stabbed." The king explained in a detached tone that clearly demonstrated he had not yet fully accepted the situation.

"Well I can see that..."
The physician muttered to himself, stumbling forward to kneel at Merlin's side.

Soulless blue orbs slowly swiveled toward them and Arthur nearly shivered at the way they seemed to stare directly into his own eyes.

"What do we do, Gaius?"
The blond looked to the old man imploringly.

Daegal, now putting all of his strength into staunching the flow from the shoulder wound, also stared with watery eyes.

"There's nothing we can do, Sire. He's dying."
The physician's voice was flat, despair already gripping his heart.

"What-" the royal swallowed thickly "what if we take the dagger out?"

"Then he will die more quickly."
He paused a moment.
"It may be a mercy to do so."

Arthur's head jerked back and forth mechanically.
"No, no... we can call that healer back. Surely magic can-"

Gaius interrupted him before he could get his hopes up.
"Sire, Merlin is dying now. Best- best to just... say our goodbyes."

The physician choked off a sob, laying one hand against his precious surrogate son's ashen face, lovingly closing his sightless eyes before leaning over to press their foreheads together.

Daegal turned away, not wishing to intrude on the others' grief.

"Gaius... what's happening?"
The king's voice was confused and oddly hopeful.

The elder turned his gaze back to his ward's chest, not immediately noting what had incited the question.

Then the knife moved.

The attention of all three men was fixated upon the dagger as it seemed to be pushed out of the wound by an internal force.
Blood gushed for only a moment before gold sparks erupted around the gaping hole, rendering Merlin's body unbearably bright.

When the trio turned back, dark spots still dancing across their vision, the huge puncture had been reduced to a shallow cut.
Daegal rushed to check the shoulder wound, finding it had scabbed over.

Silence reigned.

"What-" Arthur's voice came out in a croak and he stopped to clear his throat.
"What was that?"

"Magic, Sire."
Gaius answered, still rather aghast at the situation.

"That much was clear to me." The royal responded, ire beginning to rise to flush out the fear.

"Forgive me, Arthur, but this- all I can think is that some of the healer's magic was still at work in Merlin's body and when his life was threatened anew it reacted to save him. Truly remarkable..."

Of course, what he was really referring to was the remarkable ability of Merlin's magic to save him from a fatal injury without so much as a word uttered.

"So he'll be alright?"

"I believe so, Sire- though he will need to return to bed rest and likely wear a sling until his shoulder fully heals."

Letting out an explosive sigh, Arthur rose to his feet and paced a bit to release the nervous tension; hands suspended where they had stopped halfway through his hair.

Kneeling down beside the druid, he asked "what happened?"

Daegal swallowed and haltingly told his (carefully edited) tale.
"E- Merlin, he woke and told me-"

"He spoke?"

"Ah, no, sorry- he wrote me a message saying that Morgana was planning to kill you at the treaty signing and he got out of bed to save you..."

"And you helped him? He had no business getting up!"

The druid looked shame-faced and Gaius cut in.

"Sire, you know how stubborn Merlin can be- would you rather he had gone stumbling about the castle on his own?"

Grudgingly accepting the truth of the statement, Arthur gestured for Daegal to continue.

"When he realized this door was open, we came up the stairs and discovered the assassin right over there" he pointed to the banister "about to shoot you with a crossbow. Merlin charged him and they fought a bit. I- I helped and the assassin fell over the rail but I was knocked out. I'm sorry, but I don't know who attacked him- I didn't wake up until right before you arrived."

Arthur stared at his servant in concern.
"And there was only one man up here that you saw?"

"Yes, Sire."

Where had Merlin's would-be murderer come from, and why?
Arthur did not like the look of this.

Just then a wild-eyed and rosy-cheeked Mordred arrived, freezing when he saw the monarch.

"Sire!"

"Mordred? What are you doing here?"

"Ah, I was just looking-"

"Nevermind that now, help me get Merlin to Gaius' chambers."

"Of course, Sire."

The two men gently lifted their fragile burden, the king's brow wrinkled in thought.
There was more to this than met the eye, and he didn't like it.