Hello again! This chapter has six short stories – one each for Merlin, Arthur, Gwen, Morgana, Gaius and Uther – based on exhaustion. They are set sometime between Seasons 4 and 5, so there are some spoilers up to the end of Season 4.

Disclaimer: The characters and the show aren't mine – they belong to the BBC.

….

Merlin was exhausted. Day after day he rose early to be ready for work and spent the whole day running from one place to another. If he wasn't doing things for Arthur he was doing chores for Gaius, and during the rare moments when he wasn't running errands he was busy saving Arthur's life. It seemed that either Arthur or Camelot was being attacked every second day and he was so tired of saving the entire kingdom, all the while concealing who he really was because if anyone knew he could be killed.

There was only one thing to do in these situations. Merlin dragged his weary body into bed and promptly fell asleep.

…..

Gwen was exhausted. Now that she was Queen the whole of Camelot looked up to and respected her. They all relied upon her to provide support – for Arthur and the entire kingdom. Poor Gwen was doing her best, but being looked upon as the answer to all problems was daunting and she almost wished for the days when she was just a serving girl.

Gwen buried her face in her hands, trying to compose herself. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Arthur smiling down at her. She smiled back and felt her worries slip away as he embraced her.

…..

Arthur was exhausted. Attacks on Camelot were frequent and day after day he rode out into danger with the knights, not knowing if he would see his loved ones again. His heart ached for Guinevere and he knew she missed him, although she never said anything. He had noticed her tiredness, and distress when her duties seemed too hard to bear. He had seen her willingness to help others in the thousands of small tasks performed by gentle hands, and he had never felt prouder of his new Queen.

So when he found her with her face buried in her hands he reached out to comfort her, smiling down at the woman he loved. She looked up at him with the most beautiful smile in the world and he pulled her close, savouring the moment.

…..

Gaius was exhausted. Day after day he rose at the crack of dawn and worked tirelessly until he collapsed into bed that night. His days were spent picking herbs, mixing medicines and compounds and tending to the sick. He was frequently asked for advice from Merlin and Arthur – who seemed to think he possessed the knowledge of the world – and occasionally used his powers to save Albion.

Gaius was an old man; he was nearly seventy and all of his demands sometimes seemed too much. He got slowly to his feet and walked over to the shelf where he kept his potions. He uncorked a bottle of rheumatism tonic and poured a small amount into a vial, then gulped it down, turned and began mixing a remedy for fever.

…..

Morgana was exhausted. She was tired of coming up with new plans to attack Camelot and new ways to kill Arthur. He had been within her grasp dozens of times and had somehow always managed to escape. She was sick of it. She was sick of living rough, of being persecuted and feared for something she couldn't control. She was sick of the armies, thousands of men she had hired simply to put an end to Arthur's reign and, ultimately, his life. None had succeeded, and she had almost given up hope that they ever would.

Morgana shook her head and her eyes opened wide in surprise and shock. No. What was she thinking? She must begin a new plan at once!

…..

Uther was exhausted. He was dead, and had thought that death would be peaceful. But watching day by day as his daughter attempted to kill his son had worn his nerves almost to breaking point. And Morgana wasn't the only one who had fallen out of grace with the dead king. She had used witchcraft to try to kill her brother, but the said brother had abolished almost all of Camelot's (and Uther's) traditions and customs. Arthur had allowed commoners to become knights; he had married a serving girl and his most trusted advisor was his own servant.

Uther sighed as Morgana began yet another plan to kill Arthur. He wondered why he hadn't killed them both when he was still alive.

….

Hope you liked this chapter! As always, please review and let me know what you thought. Thank you for reading!