Tonight we celebrate yet again. 29k views! =O I am so humbled and happy and grateful and love you all and... wow. Thank you!
And I also want to thank all the lovely reviews and attention you give this fic. I noticed many of you pointing out how poor Arthur actually notices things :P So I thought I put something in the next chapter for his defense, he is the Once and Future King after all... ;)
So here's the next chapter. Bit shorter again, but there will be more tomorrow ;) Hope you like it none the less, feedback is much appreciated!
Onward!
.*.
Gaius hated it. He really did.
He hated it with a passion and the fact that it was something necessary, made him hate it even more. Though, it wasn't like he didn't have years of practice in it.
Not even Merlin knows.. he thought sadly, looking at his restless ward, while battling between keeping the truth hidden and not telling lies; so he resolved to his usual manner towards slippery questions: that was, giving slippery answers.
"I wouldn't know for sure.." The physician said quietly, seeming to be deep in thought and furrowing his brows; then turned to wipe the sweat off his ward's face, dabbing the cool cloth over his neck and shoulder as well, and prayed to the Gods Arthur won't notice how he cannot look him in the eye as he did so.
It felt bad to say that. Very bad. But it would be unfair for the prince to know and not the warlock; not to mention the implications that information could have. A dragonlord's son wouldn't be safe amongst the walls of Camelot. Revealing something like that would get him into more danger then he already was in; and he really didn't need that now. No. It better be kept a secret. Least for the time being.
Gaius wondered what Merlin would think about it; however he had a feeling the raven-haired wasn't too fond of the foreign name right now; not after all he went through while being questioned about it in the manner he was. It was Hunith's wish not to tell him who his father was and Gaius found it uncomfortable to stumble right into the middle of the topic, more so because of the circumstances it all happened in. He will find out now, for sure. And then he can decide what to do with the information. Yet still, the physician felt guilty for putting the blonde man off the lead that was so on spot, but he again convinced himself, it's for the best to keep him in the dark about this. For now.
The prince was quiet and unaware of the elderly man's musing, and Gaius was uncertain what to make of his silence. He didn't see as the prince scrutinized his manservant's features.
Another thing that troubled Gaius, was the young man's sudden skill of observation. All this time, the blonde was oblivious to whatever went on in the background; to whatever Merlin did that involved small uses of magic or the threats the warlock fended off without him knowing anything, yet Arthur picked the time to put two and two together just now. It felt irksome in a way and somehow he wondered just what the two of them might have gone through during their time of imprisonment. Did anything change, that he, Gaius was unaware of; was something different between the two young men..?
However, it was more important to distract the prince from all of it right now.
„What do you suppose my father saw in him? Does Merlin resemble this Balinor?"
Damn it, Arthur.
„I saw Balinor almost twenty years ago!" Gaius said with an incredulous tone, raisin g his eyebrows and turning in his seat to face Arthur, making it clear it was far too long ago for an old man like himself to recall a single man's traits. – or least have the prince believe that.
"Right." Arthur nodded.
It worked. Gaius thought.
Merlin will tell him if he wants to, if... when he wakes..
.*.
Irene: Thank you again for your review~ No, you didn't miss anything, there just was a little time-hop between the two. Hope it wasn't too big of a gap~