I blame Monday. I'm such a dodo. I uploaded this to the Doc Manager. I just FORGOT to actually add the next chapter to the fic. *facedesk* Apologies yet again!
Anyways.. here it is! Let me know what you think! Hope you like it ;)
.*.
Gaius sighed heavily and glanced away from his ward, looking at the prince and his questioning stare. He really wasn't feeling like having this conversation right now. Merlin was still not out of the woods and along with the worry and tending for him took out of the physician, the knowledge of just how dire the situation is weighed down the old man even more; both emotionally and physically. Last thing he wanted to do now was talk.
"Sire, I'm not sure if.." he started, however the young man cut in, "Gaius, I'm not a child!" The prince reminded him to which Gaius raised his eyebrows at him, and it was enough to make Arthur suddenly feel intimidated. - He certainly was, in comparison to the court physician, - but he seemed to be short on his patience at that moment; more then usual, yet the elderly physician figured he cant really blame him for it.
"Please, just.. tell me." Arthur spoke again and there was something in the blonde's voice the warlock's guardian couldn't decipher, however once the prince broke eye contact and glanced at his ward for a mere second, Gaius slowly realized it wasn't just stubborn curiosity of a royal child talking this time.
The old man looked at the young prince with sad eyes, almost pleading not to be pressured for information as such, but eventually figured he will have to ease up on his secrecy and answer the question, at least partially.
"What is a dragonlord?" Arthur repeated slowly.
"Dragonlords were the only ones able to control a dragon; their magic being different than that of other sorcerers'. But they have died out since. They have been executed during the Great Purge." Came the curt as possible reply, and he gently pressed the cool cloth against his ward's neck and cheeks.
Merlin didn't notice. He would mumble between the restless breaths and turn his head, pale skin covered in sweat, forehead wrinkling at times, expression pained. Gaius did as much as he could, by pouring various tonics and considerable amount of potions down his throat to aid his strained body; but the fight was his now.
Gaius would have preferred to be left alone, instead of being interrogated and called into question about the past that he remembered to be nothing but painful for so many people, so many torn families. He would rather have sunk into his thoughts to try and figure out what other concoction could help his ill ward right now.
"Control dragons? What does Merlin have to do with this?"
"I don't know."
This time around Arthur crossed his arms across his chest.
"Gaius.."
The old man looked up at him with an expressionless face, and despite his appearance making Arthur heart ache, from how exhausted the old physician looked, it annoyed him more and more each passing minute, when the man refused to talk and the prince had to pry each word out of him. It felt like he was running out of time.
"Look. I know this has to do with magic. And I know you just don't talk about it, more so that it has to do with the Purge, but If I am to talk to my father I need to know these things."
Gaius was silent for a moment, as he replaced the cool compress again. He was weighing how much to tell. He didn't want to let too much slip, yet he fully understood why Arthur wanted to know. He was unsure, and at some level he had to admit he was scared.
He was scared for the boy's life as he was struggling and in pain right in front of him; and he was scared of Uther Pendragon; - a realization that frightened him.
It happened before; and it wasn't even that far behind in the past for the king to forget, that his rash actions and hatred towards magic had nearly cost him his old friend's life; and now it was Merlin's life that was on the line. He didn't want to infuriate the king even more by telling his son things he might want to keep from the prince; things that were sinful and shameful in Uther's eyes, but none the less true. He couldn't be sure how the man would react, he couldn't be certain he won't come back and finish what he started in a fit of rage; he didn't even know if there was anything left of their friendship right now.
Duty be damned, the boy was dear to him as a son, and he was now fighting for his life.
"There was a dragonlord that escaped." Gaius said tiredly.
"Balinor?" Arthur pitched in.
"Yes, I believe that was his name." He said evasively, but as he expected, the next question had his heart racing.
"Is Balinor Merlin's father?" Arthur asked.