"Why didn't you say anything?" Arthur demanded angrily dragging Merlin back to his rooms for some rest.

I, I didn't know it was the curse that was making me sick, I just thought with the lack of food and water and all" Merlin babbled

"Arthur! Merlin!" Came the stern cry of their father and for a second of dread Arthur thought Uther had seen him with Anhora but it was not the case.

"All our remaining supplies have rotted, every single grain" He he spat clearly furious, "We need to find this sorcerer quickly and Arthur I need you to stop distributing food from the palace stores, we need the food for our army"

"But what about the people?" Merlin gasped horrified that they were going to be left to starve.

"It is the way things must be" Uther sighed, it was then that Uther's eyes landed on Merlin. Arthur could tell their father was seeing exactly what they had both missed, Merlin had dark circles around his eyes along with his skin having a sickly yellow tint, made even more terrible by the thin layer of sweat from the fever.

"Did you not eat enough Merlin?" Asked Uther concerned, Arthur could see his fathers ees flick to him, looking for the same afflictions.

"It's the curse" Arthur admitted "We found the sorcerer, he told me that it was the curse on Camelot making Merlin sick"

Only half of that was true, Anhora was magical but he didn't put the curse on Camelot, he did. It wasn't Anhora's fault Merlin was ill, it was his, but he couldn't tell him father that.

"Merlin you will go straight to your chambers and rest, Arthur get Gaius" Uther ordered quickly giving Merlin a light push on the shoulder towards his rooms, Merlin glanced back at Arthur sadly.

-Break-

Uther accompanied Merlin to his chambers, he mentally slapped himself for not noticing the boys poor appearance. Why that blasted sorcerer has targeted Merlin to be effected by the curse he did not know, but he did know that he wanted them to die slowly and painfully for it.

"Really father I don't need to stay in bed" Merlin argued feebly as Uther called for his servant, within minuted Merlin had been changed and practically dragged into his bed. It worried the king how after he was blinking, his vision was obviously giving him trouble.

"Do not worry, Gaius will be able to cure you of these afflictions" Uther said boldly, even if he didn't believe it entirely himself he wanted top put his son at ease. Gaius and ARthur came back into the room a few moments after, it was almost exactly the same as the incident a few months ago with the poison.

"If you will leave me to work on him I will alert you once my diagnosis is complete" Gaius said in his 'leave me to work or you will suffer' voice. The king and Prince hastily left the room. As he closed the wooden doors he could hear Merlin's voice insisting that he was "fine".

Arthur spent a lot of time pacing before getting frustrated and stomping off somewhere, no doubt to go and smash his training dummy into a thousand pieces. Uther stayed, he had more patience than his son. Though by the time Gaius emerged from the chamber even Uther was beginning to feel the temptation of breaking down the door.

"I have given him medicine to keep a fever at bay but it seems mostly ineffective" Gaius sighed "He refuses to rest so I have had to drug him to sleep, but he is fight that too, though I doubt he can for much longer"

"Thankyou Gaius" The king sighed before entering the youngest princes chamber, silently. The boy was leaning on his side with one elbow trying to get up and loosing the battle with Gaius sleeping draft. It was almost comical.

"You should rest" Uther said quietly giving Merlin a light push back onto the pillows.

"I should help Arthur, fin' the sorcerer" He slurred, eyes glazed and half closed, "Pretty pathetic prince rnt' I?"

Uther felt his spirit dampen at that. It was true that Arthur was well respected and loved b the people, as was Merlin, but they didn't see Prince Merlin, they saw a boy who got lucky. They didn't see Merlin as a protector of the people like they saw Arthur, even after Merlin had killed a wraith.

"You do fine Merlin" Uther assured, Merlin seemed to have the smallest of smile flick ono his face before he finally succumbed to the sleeping draft and his head lolled to the side.

-Break-

Arthur marched into the forest angrily, he had had enough.

"Anhora!" He bellowed "Come out!"

"What do you want?" Came the mans tired voice from behind him, couldn't this guy ever appear in front of him for once?

"Another chance, please, I know it's my fault" Arthur admitted "PLease, If you give me another chance to lift the curse I will pass it"

"You truly believe that?" Anhora asked "You will pass the test?"

"Yes, please" Arthur begged, he could just image his fathers disgust at him begging a sorcerer for something.

"Very well"

-Break-

Merlin awoke with a start. Arthur was going to take another test. He wasn't sure how he knew but he did, he could almost hear his brother asking Anhora for a second chance, he had to get to him.

He carefully got out of bed, he knew he could never walk to wherever Arthur was, he was going to have to teleport, he had only tried this spell once when trying to get to the dragons chamber without having to distract guards. It worked easily enough then.

"cyningæðe Bacerrn Arthur" He chanted, feeling more of his strength leave him as he said the spell and a silent, magical wind picked him up and then deposited him roughly on the forest floor. He looked up and saw Arthur standing with Anhora, the latter summoned two similar boxes onto the tree stump.

"Arthur!" Merlin called feebly getting got his feet, thanking the gods Arthur had not seen his magic.

"Merlin! What are you doing here?" Arthur scolded

"Arthur, do you wish to take this test or not?" Asked Anhora seriously, "Merlin rest by the foot of the tree"

Merlin was all too happy to comply, as long as he could stop Arthur from doing anything stupid and self sacrificing he was happy.

"Now, here is how the test works" Anhora stated pointing tot he two boxes, "I shall give you a key that can open either of these boxes, however once one had been unlocked, the other will be destroyed, in this red box is a counter curse, it will top the famine effecting Camelot and your crops will re grow"

Arthur smiled, obviously the red box was the one to pick.

"However, this counter curse will not cure Merlin, he will still die" Anhora continued to Arthurs horror, "In the blue box is the cure for Merlin's illness, you simply have to choose which box to unlock"

Anhora handed Arthur an ornate golden key then stepped to the side to watch Arthur's choice. Arthur felt so torn, if he saved the kingdom Merlin would die, if he saved Merlin then the kingdom would die.

"Do it Arthur" Merlin said seriously "Don't sacrifice thousands of lives just to save one"

Deep down he knew Merlin was right, besides the youngest Pendragon could never forgive himself if his saved life cost thousands of others theirs.

"I'm sorry" Arthur sighed, holding back the tears that pricked his eyes as he picked up the red box, "Please forgive me for this Merlin"

"You know I already do" The boy smiled, Arthur took a deep breath and forced the key into the lock and quickly twisted it, the lid flew open and a stream of silvery light flooded out. Faintly he heard Merlin gasp behind him before going completely silent. God, he had killed his own brother.

"You have shown that you know the needs of the many out weight the needs of the one, even if it pains you, you chose the option that would save more lives, you have past"

"You made me murder my own brother" Arthur sighed as the box and key disappeared, he turn to see Merlin leaning against the tree, still.

"Your brother lives" Anhora smiled "He is simply sleeping, the illness took much of his strength"

"He's alive?" Arthur sighed smiling.

"Yes" Anhora confirmed before disappearing, though Arthur found he didn't care. Camelot was going to be ok.