Preview of The Trial:
As soon as they had their arms around him, he fainted. Lancelot barely suppressed a yelp of alarm, Merlin going limp in his grip; he held fast, preventing the man from bashing his head on the stones. Leon had no such qualms, and he immediately stepped back, like he suspected some kind of trick.
Lancelot wanted to snap at him: this was Merlin, not some stranger. And he'd just saved all of Camelot—didn't that merit some kind of respect? But Lancelot could only see fear and disdain in Leon's eyes, mirrored in the faces surrounding them. These knights didn't even know Merlin as well as Leon did; they knew only the hapless servant, in contrast to the powerful, fearsome warlock.
Arthur approached, face impassive save for a slight wrinkle between his brows. "What's wrong with him?" he said, leaning down. Was that worry in his expression? No, Lancelot must be imagining it. Mostly, the prince's tone seemed indifferent.
Lancelot could feel Merlin's breath, see his chest rise and fall, which soothed the panic tight in his throat. "Exhaustion, sire, if I had to guess—or perhaps blood loss," he replied. "Sir Leon, if you would be so kind as to help me; I cannot carry him all the way down to the dungeons myself."
The dungeons. A fine place to put their savior, not that Lancelot had been expecting anything different. In fact, he'd been expecting far worse, so he supposed this was the best-case scenario. Still, the cells wouldn't be good for Merlin: the man was pale, bleeding from a wound on his head and shoulder, and other bits of pale skin were already bruising. Worry churned in Lancelot's gut like the storm Merlin had conjured.
"Yes, of course," Leon said belatedly, coming forward to take some of Merlin's weight.
"You will see to his wounds, Lancelot," Arthur ordered brusquely, turning away. There was something off in his voice, in his manner—suppressed anger, perhaps? That didn't bode well, except maybe he would wait to cool down before he decided to pass judgment on Merlin. "Ensure he is as comfortable as can be expected."
AN: This is just to notify you that the sequel is up!