One last chapter, because writing from Arthur's point of view got me thinking about Gwaine. Again, it is more of a companion chapter than a continuation, and (I'm so sorry, 'Farmgirl) you STILL won't know much more about how Merlin ended up in the cell.

Confirmed

Gwaine stared into the fire and wrapped the blanket a bit tighter around him. Tending Merlin had left his stomach churning and his thoughts simmering with anger. The normally fair skin, now pasty white, had been nearly covered with layered swollen bruises and scrapes. He'd lost enough weight that his ribs were now visible. And on top of all that, whatever they'd given him had left him incoherent and terrified. Why would anybody do that to Merlin, of all people? He probably hadn't even given them any trouble.

Gwaine restrained the urge to kick something. At least they had prisoners. Hopefully some of them could be coerced into explaining why Merlin had been taken, and who was responsible. Gwaine was fairly sure they had not captured the mastermind behind this. The men they'd found guarding the cell had been a disorganized lot, and hadn't seemed to look to anyone in their group as a leader.

Merlin moaned, jolting him out of his thoughts. Almost before he knew he'd moved, he found himself at Merlin's bedside. He caught the rolling head, trying to avoid the swollen bruise they'd found just behind Merlin's right ear.

"Easy," he said softly, "You're safe, Merlin." Even as he said the words, he sighed inwardly. Of course Merlin didn't feel safe. And if Gwaine was right about what he suspected, Merlin probably never did. Nevertheless, Merlin truly was safe at the moment. Gwaine would make sure of it, even if it meant protecting him from Arthur himself. "You're safe. We've got you." He glanced up at Arthur, wondering if the prince had the same suspicions that Gwaine did. Arthur seemed to be frozen in place, standing by the bed.

Merlin twisted, calling for Arthur, and Gwaine felt a swell of annoyance. The glance turned into a glare. Couldn't he see that Merlin needed him now rather than later?

Arthur unfroze and finally responded to Merlin's call. He reached for Merlin, gently restraining and reassuring. Between the two of them, Merlin began to settle, and soon they could let go of him as he sank back into slumber. His sleep seemed a tiny bit less restless. Baby steps, Gwaine reminded himself. A little better is still better. Arthur's words interrupted his thoughts.

"Why do you keep telling him he's safe?"

Gwaine had all he could do to not curse aloud. What had the prince read from his tone or body language? Clearly Arthur suspected something. But what?

As Arthur waited with conspicuous patience for an answer, Gwaine's thoughts were tumbling head over heels, scrabbling for a plan. What could he tell the prince that was true, but would not put Merlin in any more danger than he already was? Then he realized something he could share: Merlin's sunny disposition.

Merlin really was ridiculously happy, and Gwaine was enough of a student of human nature to guess what that probably meant. Surely Merlin was one of those people - the brave ones that have every reason to be afraid but choose to be happy anyway. It was true, beneficial for Arthur to be aware of, and should be non-damaging to Merlin. As the conversation progressed, he watched Arthur's face. To his surprise, Arthur didn't see it, didn't believe it.

Gwaine opened his mouth to correct the problem. Then he stopped. For Merlin's sake, perhaps it was better that way. As long as the prince believed that Merlin had no rational reason to be afraid, he would not be looking for that reason. Unfortunately, leaving it this way meant that Gwaine had inadvertently encouraged the prince's belief that Merlin was a coward. Gwaine knew better. Merlin was one of the bravest people he knew. He just didn't make a display of it. Frustrated with the outcome of the conversation, Gwaine turned away, intending to wrap back up in his blanket and pretend to go to sleep.

Just then Merlin woke - really awoke - for the first time since they'd found him in the cell. He recognized Arthur, who seemed to have taken Gwaine's words somewhat to heart despite not really believing them. Gwaine watched, pleased, as Arthur gentled Merlin back down and ordered quietly, "Look around. I'm here. Gwaine's here. You're safe, Merlin, believe it. Just rest. We'll keep you safe."

The words seemed to calm Merlin to the core. He went right back to sleep, this time a deep, quiet sleep. That was more than a baby step, Gwaine thought, feeling his lips stretch in a relieved smile. Merlin was really on the mend.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Merlin had been sleeping peacefully for several hours, based on the hints of light Gwaine could see over the eastern hills. Gwaine had gotten a few hours catnap, and then pestered Arthur into getting some sleep himself. The prince was out cold in the other bed, and hadn't so much as twitched in quite a while.

Between the catnap and the enforced quiet and solitude, Gwaine was regaining his balance. He'd wanted a drink - badly - but had known that Merlin should not be left alone. So he had powered through without that comfort. Bit by bit, the churning in his stomach had faded, and the anger had dissipated. Merlin was better, really better, and that helped.

As he alternated his attention between the sleeping Merlin and the slowly growing glory of dawn out the window, he mulled over the events and revelations of the last few hours.

He thought he knew why Arthur had not accepted his explanation as to why Merlin was so determinedly cheerful. Arthur did not believe Merlin had any reason to be afraid. The prince saw the walls, the knights, the guards, and the king of Camelot as powerful protection. It was almost laughable, in a way, because if Gwaine was right in his suspicions, those walls only trapped Merlin in with the very king and knights and guards who were his greatest danger and probably his greatest fear.

A murmur drew Gwaine's attention back to the bed. Merlin was mumbling in his sleep. But this time, to Gwaine's amusement, the tone was not distressed; it was exasperated. "Climb! No, don't do that. Leave it there! Just climb." Merlin rolled a little, flung up a hand, and said something else that Gwaine couldn't make out. Gwaine froze. There was something glowing in Merlin's outstretched hand, an opalescent blue ball the size of an apple.

Gwaine could feel his jaw drop. It was one thing to suspect that Merlin had magic. It turned out it was quite another to actually see evidence of it. But there it was - a ball of light floating gently in Merlin's hand. He managed to unfreeze enough to sneak a glance at the other bed. Arthur was turned away and still. Gwaine remembered to breathe.

Gwaine forced himself to set surprise aside for the moment and think. If anybody walked in, or Arthur woke up, Merlin's secret would be out. He stepped silently to the bed. Would a blanket hide it? Or would it set the blanket on fire? There was only one way to find out. Gwaine gingerly dropped a corner of the blanket over the glowing orb, ready to yank it away and put out the flames.

The blanket settled over hand and orb, bulging slightly as if the orb had substance. The blanket did not catch fire. However, the glow still showed through the weave. Gwaine added another fold of blanket and the job was done. No blue. Just then, Merlin sighed hugely and turned over. His hand slipped from under the blankets and Gwaine saw that the light was gone, as if it had never been.

After a moment he stepped back and dropped into his chair with a quiet chuckle. This was entirely unexpected. Proof positive. Merlin, happy kind-hearted Merlin, actually was a sorcerer. He'd had his suspicions - how not? - from plates that flew a little too straight and tree limbs that fell a bit too precisely. And of course there was that strange little man on a bridge who referred to Merlin and himself as Magic and Strength. But now he knew for sure.

Should he tell Merlin?

Gwaine's first instant response was yes, of course. It would help Merlin. Would it put Merlin in greater danger, though? If Merlin's behavior changed enough, even the oblivious Arthur would notice. He supposed that it didn't matter at the moment, anyway. Merlin was asleep, and in any case it wasn't a conversation that could be had with Arthur in the room. So the decision would wait.

Gwaine went back to enjoying the sunrise that was now pouring all the colors of the rainbow into the sky while he mulled over the rest of it. Why hadn't Arthur ever guessed? He'd seen as much as Gwaine had, other than the ball of light just now. Clearly, though, he had no idea, or he would know that the walls of Camelot were no protection to his friend. Maybe that was why. Arthur tended to look outside of Camelot for threats, and this situation was no different. Magic was a threat. It couldn't be in Camelot.

Merlin rolled over again, drawing Gwaine's attention, and this time the eyes opened. They tracked sleepily around the room, snagging on Gwaine's face. A weak smile bloomed.

Gwaine gave him a grin in return. "Welcome back, mate. How do you feel?"

"Umm. Confused?" Merlin rolled to his side, pushed up on one elbow, and scrubbed at his face with the other hand. The movement caused him to wince. Gwaine wasn't surprised. Merlin had so many bruises that it was hardly possible to so much as move with kinking at least one of them.

"Take it slow, yeah? You're, well, you're going to need some time to regain your strength."

Merlin's eyebrows furrowed, and he looked around the room again. "Where are we? What happened?"

"We're in Hendrick's Inn at Gosford. What's the last thing you remember?"

Merlin was using both hands to push himself up to a sitting position as he answered, "Dreams. Really intense vivid ones. I feel like I've been dreaming for a week."

Gwaine was fairly sure sitting up wasn't a good idea, and Merlin didn't seem to have any intention of stopping there, either. "Merlin, you should stay put-"

"Gwaine, I really need to, um-" He swung his legs off the bed, blushing, and Gwaine realized what he meant.

Oh.

He helped Merlin up and got him over to the screen, and waited as Merlin disappeared unsteadily behind it. By the time Merlin emerged, he was shaking violently with exertion. Gwaine wrapped one arm around his shoulders and tried to remember where the relatively unbruised spots were so he could get a grip on Merlin without hurting his friend. "Easy," he said, "Let's get you back in bed."

Merlin pulled toward the stool by the fire, but Gwaine was having none of that. Merlin was not going to be able to support his own weight for more than a few more seconds. He steered Merlin back to the bed and eased him down. As he did so, Arthur awakened and sat up.

"Merlin!" the prince said, mostly failing to mask a delighted smile. "You're awake!"

"Think so," mumbled Merlin, shifting to get comfortable and hissing with pain as he tried to adjust the pillow under his head. Gwaine reached over and did it for him, then scooted back to sit at the foot of the bed, back against the footboard. Arthur took the chair, running a critical glance over Merlin as he did so.

"You look a bit better," he judged. "What do you remember?"

Merlin gave him a mildly suspicious look that swiveled to include Gwaine. "Gwaine just asked me that. Why do I have the bad feeling that there's something I should remember that I don't?" he asked with cheerful resignation.

Gwaine nearly laughed aloud. Merlin had no idea how true that statement was.

"Just answer the question, Merlin," the prince prompted.

"Well, the last thing I remember that I think might have been real was hearing you and Gwaine talking to me. At the time I thought you were still part of the dreams."

"And before that?"

"Umm. The last thing before that was walking out to Marek's farm. Gaius has been sending me out to check on his broken leg every other day or so. There was a cart stuck in the mud, and I helped get it unstuck. The man offered me a drink. I couldn't really refuse, and besides, I was thirsty. And then I was dreaming, and then I was here." He yawned hugely. Gwaine looked up to see Arthur meeting his eyes.

"One more question, Merlin, and then I want you to go back to sleep. What did the man with the cart look like?"

"Ordinary." Merlin yawned again.

"Merlin."

"Brown hair and beard, going grey, light colored eyes, maybe grey or light blue. No scars, no special markings, dressed like a farmer. Ordinary." Merlin's eyes were closing.

"Alright, Merlin." Arthur's voice was gentling as Merlin's body relaxed into the mattress. "Rest now."

The prince watched for a moment as his servant rapidly faded into sleep, and turned to look at Gwaine.

"Keep an eye on him. I want to find out what Leon and the other knights got from our captives. I'll be back." He turned and strode toward the door. Halfway there, he stopped. He turned back to Gwaine, opened his mouth and closed it again. The unspoken words rang in the air.

Keep him safe.

You know I will.

Arthur nodded, turned and left.

Gwaine looked back at the peacefully sleeping Merlin. They would both keep him safe. And when Gwaine got a chance, he was going to tell Merlin what he knew. He grinned in anticipation. It was going to shock Merlin right down to his boots, probably. It would be fun to watch his expression. And besides, Merlin already had defenders, whether he knew it or not. What he needed now was to know that he wasn't alone.

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Dear Readers,

Hope you liked my one-shot that became an unintentional character study! Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think! This is now, for real and for sure, the end. If ever Merlin or Arthur fills me in on the rest of the events, such as who was really responsible and why, I will publish it as a separate story!

Respectfully,

Vanvdreamer