Somebody Help (Merlin FF)

Tag to Wicked Day

By Montez

A/N: Its been a really long time since I wrote anything, I'm hoping to get back into fanfiction. I discovered Merlin and have been inspired to write again. I have a few ideas bumping around and this is just the first. This episode was heartbreaking in that Arthur lost his father. I wanted to write this scene as we went from Arthur on the floor with his father to the next morning. They seemed to have forgotten that Arthur ate an apple laced with a sedative and had also been drinking. Even after what happened I believe he would have lost consciousness at some point and I wanted to include that. Thank you for giving this a chance and I hope you enjoy-Montez

Disclaimer: Merlin doesn't belong to me, but to the BBC.

Summary: Who finally found Arthur and Uther on the floor of the Kings Chambers?

Merlin could always tell when Arthur was bluffing. Tonight during the feast when Arthur had been 'volunteered' for the knife throwing display Merlin could see a hint of…fear? Maybe…

Merlin didn't need Arthur to tell him knife-throwing was dangerous, he'd seen Arthur's own deadly skill of the craft, but now Arthur was trusting his life to a carnival man to save-face during his own birthday feast.

Merlin felt uneasy as he always did at the slightest hint of danger around the Prince, but all he could do was watch as Arthur was tied to the spinning wheel. A moment of panic only Merlin could see flashed in the blonds face as the apple was thrust into his mouth and the wheel was set into motion. Merlin had watched without blinking as each knife was thrown at the Prince and with the final throw he was ready to stop the knife as it pierced the apple if it hadn't stopped as it sunk into the tender flesh of said fruit.

Relieved once Arthur was released and began parading around the hall taking bows to those in attendance for his show of bravery Merlin didn't seem to notice the two carnies throwing strange glances the Prince's way. Arthur returned to his seat next to his father, who was beaming proudly at his son, and the festivities continued with more food and drink readily flowing.

It was a few hours later that the hall began to clear. Arthur, though quite drunk himself had noticed his father growing quite and decided it was time to end the banquet by excusing himself and his father for the evening. Guinevere and another servant had helped escort the king to his chambers as Merlin followed a stumbling Prince to his.

A few minutes after entering Arthur announced to Merlin his want to go check on his father. After a humorous reminder by Merlin that the Prince needed to pull up his pants before wondering the castle, Arthur staggered through the door and Merlin turned back to prepare his masters chamber for the night.

Some time later Merlin became a little concerned that his wayward Prince may have passed out in the hall, as could happen occasionally when said Prince indulged in to much drink. As Merlin left the room he also knew there were times the Prince would fall asleep in his fathers room, chair pulled up next to the bed, one hand resting on the Kings. Either way he needed to check on the blond so he, himself, would know whether he could retire for the night.

The King's chamber was on the other side of the castle, fortunately no stairs were along the way that Merlin would have worried about the Prince having to navigate. However as he neared the King's side of the castle a trace of uneasiness took over his feelings, the same one that seemed to be connected to his knowing of when Arthur was in danger. With this Merlin took off running, fear gripping him as he rounded the corner leading to the hall that held Uther's room and found the guards that were normally stationed there dead in the floor.

"Arthur!" Merlin yelled out as he slid to a stop at the slightly ajar door leading to the deathly quiet room.

The sight before him took a moment to register as the young Warlock took in the room where some sort of a fight had occurred, "Arthur?" His voice barely a whisper as his legs took him further inside. The torn curtains, the overturned candle holder, the discarded swords all disappeared as the sight of three bodies consumed his vision.

"No…" Merlin's legs finally obeyed his commands as he rushed to his Prince and his King. Both men deathly still, Arthur's arms around his father, his head bent onto the older man's chest, a bloodied hand covering a growing stain on the King's nightshirt. He couldn't tell if either man was breathing, his own coming in gasp as he reached toward Arthur's shoulder, "Arthur…"

A shuttered breath from the unconscious Prince was all Merlin needed to set him into action, he needed help, he needed Gaius, he needed the guards, the knights, somebody to help. Racing from the room he started shouting before he ever cleared the King's hallway.

Sir Leon was the First Knight to the King and the second in command of the guards and knights. Though he had enjoyed the festivities of the Prince's birthday celebration, he was a man of duty first and had thus only indulged in one goblet of wine so as to complete his nightly duty of walking the castle and making sure the guards were at their posts and all was well with the King and Prince. He quietly passed outside Arthur's chambers and notice the door slightly opened, knocking softly he called out, "Sire?" Only a few candles were still lit, but signs that both the Prince and Merlin had been in the room were evident by the turned down bed, and Arthur's jacket he had worn at the feast hung neatly on the back of a chair. Curious, but not overly alarmed Leon stepped back into the hallway knowing that over the last year Arthur had taken to occasionally visiting his father's room during the night. It was hard for the Knight to see the state at which his King had fallen, he couldn't imagine how it was all affecting Arthur. With little more thought he continued on his rounds, he would be at the King's chambers shortly.

Sir Leon's hand went to the hilt of his sword as he heard what he thought was shouting, his speed increased as the sound became more desperate the closer he got to it.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

For a moment Leon thought he recognized that voice, was that…

"WE NEED HELP…THE KING…PRINCE…"

"MERLIN!" Leon shouted as he rounded the corner and the manservant slammed into him, the Knight grabbing the young man so he didn't fall. He could see the panic, the unrestrained fear that reflected in the normally jovial man's face. "What…"

"Le…the King, Arthur…" Merlin, his breath ragged, grabbed ahold of the older man and started dragging him as he ran back toward Uther's room.

Leon knew something was terribly wrong, but he was not prepared for what greeted him as he entered the King of Camelot's chambers. Merlin again ran to Arthur's side, his pale shaking hands moved Arthur's limp one and placed his hand over the red stain on Uther's shirt.

"Gaius, we need…" Merlin had started mumbling.

Leon was desperately trying to process the scene before him, he quickly pushed his emotions aside allowing his training to take over. His King and his Prince had been attacked, 'were they even alive?' his mind screamed at him. One assailants body lay a short distance from the fallen men, he did not know if others had infiltrated the castle, but it needed to be secured and searched. Passing Merlin attempting to help the injured King, jerking the window open that overlooked the courtyard Leon shouted, "SOUND THE ALARM, SECURE THE CASTLE, THE KING AND PRINCE HAVE BEEN ATTACKED!"

The guards in the square below took off running to their designated posts and the bells soon rang out, within minutes a detachment headed to the Kings chambers, Leon meeting them at the door, "We need Gaius and Guinevere, No one comes or leaves the grounds, all visitors confined to their chambers." The men did as commanded as a contingent of six took up guard outside the royal chambers.

Leon returned to Merlin's side, who had one hand pressed to the Kings injury, the other had continued to gently shake Arthur, trying to rouse him to consciousness. "Merlin, do you know what happened?"

The younger man just shook his head, his emotions clogging his throat as he tried to speak, "found them like…Arthur was drunk, worried he'd pass out on his way to coming…" terrified eyes looked at the Knight, "I wasn't here…why didn't I come with him? Arthur…" Merlin again shook the blond to no avail.

Sir Leon did what had feared the most since entering the room, his steady hand reached for the Prince's neck. A short breath was released "He's alive", the older man mumbled, then upon seeing the amount of blood now staining Uther's shirt he prepared himself for the worst. It took a moment and slightly more pressure before he found the faint pulse of the King.

"What's happened?" Gaius's voice broke the tense silence before his old eyes became wide at the crumbled forms of both men.

"They're alive, the King is injured, Arthur cannot be roused I don't know if he is injured or not." Sir Leon spoke as he moved back for the old physician.

"Sir Leon…" Guinevere called out as she entered the room, not yet seeing what was going on near the Kings bed. Gaius shot him a look and Leon moved to intercept the young women. Everyone knew the feelings the Prince and former handmaiden held for one another, the past year had been hard for the Prince and the young women had been able to give Arthur a small amount of happiness.

"Guinevere…" Leon took ahold of her arms before she rounded the pillar.

"What is it?" She could see Gaius and the very top of Merlin's hair, her heart clinched.

"The King and Arthur were attacked," her hand shot to her mouth as she tried to pull away.

"Arthur…are they?

"They are both alive, the King is injured and Arthur is unconscious, we don't yet know if he is injured. Gwen, Gaius needs your help" Leon watched as Gwen nodded her head and took a deep breath. He released her as she made her way to the injured men.

Her breath hitched when she saw the man she loved leaned over his fathers chest. She shook the image from her mind, one that would haunt her for years to come and knelt next to the physician.

"Gwen, can you raise Arthur up, easily, I have yet to determine if he is injured." Gaius spoke quietly as he continued his assessment of Uther, "Sir Leon."

"Yes Guias"

"I need to get the King into his bed so I can examine him closer, but I also need to access Arthur."

"Of course," Leon moved to the door and had two of the guards enter.

Gaius reached down and took Merlin's hand that was coving the wound. "Merlin, we need to move the King, you've done well, help Gwen with Arthur, see if he's injured." Gaius had noticed that Merlin had not moved from his spot, his hand a constant pressure on Uther's injury and his panicked glances at the Prince.

Standing for a second as Gaius placed some material over the wound until he could better asses it once the King was on the bed, Merlin looked at his hand, covered in red, blood, the Kings blood. He felt sick to his stomach, but quickly refocused his attention on Arthur as both Gwen and Leon, began to shift the Princes upper body so the Guards could move the King.

Once the king was moved the young woman and Knight shifted Arthur's upper body to the side and gently laid him on the floor, Merlin knelt and straighten the young Prince's legs. Between him and Gwen the only blood they could find was on his left hand and arm, no doubt where he had attempted to help his father before losing consciousness. Gwen ran to the chest in the corner, pulling out a blanket to place over the Prince, worried about shock and still not knowing why Arthur was unconscious.

It was once the King and Prince were being looked after that Leon started to take assessment of the room and the body of the man not far from the Kings bed. There had been a ferrous battle, curtains torn down, candelabras overturned, sword marks on both the bed post and table, the ownerless weapons lay discarded nearby. Moving closer to the body Leon recognized the man as the knife thrower from the carnival troupe, one of those knives now lay discarded on the floor behind the man, the blade discolored from what could have only been the Kings blood.

Who was the target? Who was the defender? The Knight knew how good his Prince normally was with a sword, his skill had only been matched by the King himself, but Arthur had been drunk. The King had been a shadow of his former self and it showed in his body as it had begun to take on the fragile appearance of his deteriorating mind, could the King have welded a sword? If his son had been threatened, had been vulnerable Leon has no doubt Uther would have done something to protect Arthur.

Looking at the bed, where Guias continued to address the King's injury, to the place at the foot of the bed where his Prince lay unconscious, Gwen cradling his head as Merlin continued to check him for injuries. Leon knew that only when one of the men regained consciousness would they possibly get an answer to what had happened within the King's chambers. Until then Sir Leon wound make it his mission to make sure everyone involved with carnival troupe were held in the dungeons and questioned relentlessly until he found out who had been responsible for this attack, within the supposed safety of their citadel, and he would do his best to make them pay.