A\N UHH so sorry, this is later then I would like it. But I really hope you guys like this chapter let me know what you think! thank you for reading

| chapter 4 |

"I need you to get something for me," Katrina said.

Merlin looked at her. His eyes filled with fear.

"We need Arthur's keys"

"Why would you need that?!" Merlin snapped.

"That is none of your business! Now you will get them for me or... Well, you will find out soon enough" She said. Merlin, he thought his mind would explode with rage.

"Up and at em!" Merlin said as he opened the curtains. Light hit Arthur's face and he shoved his face into his pillow. "Go away I'm trying to sleep! It's too early"

Merlin rolled his eyes. Arthur picked up a pillow and threw it at Merlin. Merlin ducked. "Prat!" Merlin spat as he picked up the pillow and threw it back at Arthur. It hit Arthur in the back and he jerked his head up from the pillows.

"Now, get up," Merlin said as he got a shirt for Arthur. "Why?" Arthur asked as he sat up. "Because you're the king, remember," Merlin said walking to the other side of the bed. Merlin saw the keys next to Arthur's bed. Am I really going to do this? Merlin asked himself.

He leaned over the bed and pushed Arthur off it.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled from the floor. "There now you're awake," Merlin said, little did Arthur know that Merlin grabbed the keys off his bedside table. Merlin put the keys in his pocket. Arthur got off the floor.

"You ever do that again!" Merlin rolled his eyes. Merlin helped Arthur get dressed. Merlin was fixing Arthur's collar, he looked up for a moment and Arthur was looking right at him. Their eyes met and locked. Merlin felt his heart race. Merlin never realized just how close they were. He could feel Arthur's breath on his face. The feeling made him shutter but he couldn't take his eyes off Arthur's. Arthur was frozen. The feeling of Merlin's breath on his lips was almost enough to send Arthur crashing to the floor.

"Uh, there," Merlin said taking a step back. Arthur almost stepped forward and grabbed Merlin, almost. Arthur had to meet with the knights in the council chambers, but as Arthur was about to walk away the warning bell started tolling.

Merlin looked at Arthur. They ran to the door and ripped it open, running down the hall side by side. As they ran two guards came around the corner.

"What's going on?!"

"Sire one of the maids has been attacked," one of the guards said. Merlin and Arthur looked at one another. Fear swallowed Merlin's face.

"You, go get Gaius," Arthur said pointing to one of the guards. All the knights came running up.

"All of you come with me!"

"yes, sire," Gwaine said. "Show us to the maid" The other guard nodded and they ran down the hall. As they turned the corner of the hall Merlin saw what looked like Gwen.

All their faces went white. "No, that can't be" Merlin whispered.

"No," Arthur whispered. Elyan ran up to his sister. Blood was on the wall and the back of her head. Merlin got down on his knees and checked her pulse. They all looked to Merlin waiting to see if she was still alive.

"Well?" Elyan asked holding her head. Lancelot was standing in the back watching in horror.

"She's alive" Everyone sighed in relief. "Thank the gods... we need to get her to Gaius now!" Arthur said, helping Elyan picking her up. Lancelot ran up beside them and took Gwen's hand in his.

Merlin nodded and they headed Gaius's chambers. they met Gaius halfway there.

"what's happened?!" Gaius yelled as he came up to the knights.

"She was attacked that's all I know," Arthur said. Gaius nodded and looked over at Merlin. Merlin looked awful, Gwen was his best friend but Gaius could tell that there was something else going on. They rushed into Gaius chambers.

Merlin ran up to the table and pushed everything off it. Arthur and Elyan placed Gwen on the table and Gaius started to look over her.

"There was magic used here," Gaius said looking up from Gwen. "Very powerful magic." He said shifting his gaze over to Merlin. His eyes were wide and his face was pale.

"well can you save her?" Arthur asked. Gaius looked up at Arthur. "She has a cerebral hemorrhage, but I will do everything I can" Gaius replied. Arthur nodded, his heart sinking like an anchor in the sea.

"Merlin go tell the knights to double the guards," Arthur said turning to face Merlin.

"Yes, sire" Merlin said turning to run out of the room. He ran down the hall and saw Katrina standing at the end of it, leaning against the wall. Merlin stopped and stared at her. His eyes filled with hate and his chest burned with rage.

"you told me... I had two days to get the key to you" Merlin said but nobody else but Katrina could hear him. Katrina wanted Merlin to still be scared of what she could do, so she lied about what really happened.

"I thought that was more time then you needed," Katrina said in a low evil tone. Merlin's forehead was soaked in sweat. "do you have the keys?" Merlin didn't answer, he pulled the keys out of his pocket and held them out.

Katrina's eyes went wide. "GIVE THEM TO ME!" She quickly started walking to him. Merlin's hand shot up, she stopped dead in her tracks fear and frustration filler her eyes.

"You wouldn't dare challenge me" Katrina snapped.

"You have no idea who you're messing with," Merlin said looking her in the eyes.

"careful Merlin" Katrina said taking a few slow steps closer.

"Stay back!" Merlin yelled. Katrina was shocked and scared. Did she really fail? What would Sara think? All this ran through her head.

"I will not let you hurt me or my friends!" Merlin snapped. Magic coursed through him going to his eyes and hands. Merlin's hand shot up and a blue ball of light came flying at Katrina. She jumped to the side and hit the wall with a thud.

"You will regret this Merlin" Katrina said in a low tone. She pushed her self off the wall. She shot up and cast a spell at Merlin, his hand shot up and the fireball absorbed in his hand. "You may have some magic but you are no match for me!" Merlin said casting yet another spell at her.

Katrina's eyes went wide as the yellow ball hit her chest sending her flying back. She hit the wall and her body slowly turned into nothing but dust. Merlin took a deep heavy breath and stumbled back a few steps.

His energy was drained but he had to get it together and tell the knights about the now dead sorceress. But they wouldn't know that. Merlin closed his eyes and then opened them again. He started to run to the knights.

Arthur was sitting by Gwen while Gaius did everything he could to stop the bleeding. Merlin burst into the room looking like he just ran the whole five kingdoms. Lancelot and Elyan were sitting by Gwen while Arthur was pacing the floor.

They all looked over to Merlin. "Where the hell have you been?" Arthur asked with a little anger in his voice. "I was doing what you told me to do you prat... the knights probably need all of you," Merlin said. They left shortly after that.

"Merlin what were you really doing, did you find the person who did this to Gwen?" Gaius asked looking over to Merlin. "I can't explain right now," Merlin said sitting down next to Gwen. Just then Morgana came bursting into the chambers.

"Morgana..." Gaius said. She had tears running down her face. "what happened to her?" Morgana asked rushing over to Gwen. "She was attacked by... Someone" Merlin said Morgana looked over at him fear had struck her face.

"Do we know who did it?" Morgana asked. "No, we don't… But we will, Arthur will find who did this" Merlin said knowing that Arthur would never find the person who did it. Merlin's cheeks went a little pink at the thought of Arthur.

"Can we save her?" Morgana asked looking over to Gaius who bringing a bottle with a green like liquid in it. "This should stop the bleeding, it will take her a long time to recover," Gaius said, he leaned over Gwen and opened her mouth and poured the liquid into her mouth.

"She should wake up sometime tomorrow if this works," Gaius said walking back over to the table.

"if?"

"Yes, let's just pray it does," Gaius said looking over to Morgana.

"And if it doesn't?" She asked. Gaius was silent for a moment. "she will die." Morgana felt sick and her face went cold. Merlin walked over to Morgana and sat next to her. Putting his arm around her shoulder.

"Gwen is strong she will make it" Morgana nodded. Arthur doubled the guard and had Gwaine and Lancelot go out on the border with five of other knights. Lancelot couldn't concentrate all he could think about was Gwen.

It was later that night Merlin went up to Arthur's chambers. Lancelot and Morgana where with Gwen they took shifts sleeping and watching Gwen. Merlin knocked on Arthur's chamber door and heard Arthur call out.

Merlin opened the door and walked in. Arthur saw it was Merlin and immediately felt at ease, but the way the firelight hit Merlin's face made him look stunning which made Arthur's heart race.

"Merlin… Uh, how's Gwen?" Arthur asked trying to hide the fact he was completely dumbfounded by Merlin. Merlin noticed that Arthur seemed a little off. It's probably because of Gwen. Merlin thought to himself. He felt a bit of jealousy.

"she's doing pretty good, Gaius said she should make a full recovery" Merlin said looking Arthur in the eyes, his eyes were so stunning. Arthur let out a sigh of relief.

"good… How are you doing? you haven't even been home a week and all this happens" Merlin was quiet for a moment. He wasn't alright. What happened still haunts him.

"I was doing ok till all this happened" Merlin lied. He wanted to tell Arthur everything but he knew he couldn't. Arthur could tell that Merlin wasn't telling him something. Arthur wanted to get up and hug Merlin but he didn't, of course.

"Here, sit," Arthur said pointing to the chair across from him. Merlin walked over and sat heavily in the chair. "you probably want dinner" Merlin said resting his head in his hands.

"Don't worry about it, I will get another maid to do it" Arthur said locking eyes with Merlin. "No, I don't want a poor maid to have to deal with you," Merlin said giving Arthur that smile he so loved.

"Merlin... I sometimes wonder if you want to be put in the stooks" Merlin rolled his eyes. Merlin got Arthur dinner and Arthur shared some of his food with Merlin.

Merlin came back from Arthur's chambers rather late and when he got back to Gaius chambers he saw Morgana asleep by Gwen and Lancelot in a chair on the other side of the bed sleeping as well.

Merlin snuck into his room trying not to make a sound.

A\N Thank you all so much for reading, leave a review and tell me what you think! :P