Arthur lay on his bed, watching Sir Leon attempting to move his shirt up, Arthur had a wound, it was bleeding and Sir Leon was trying to wash it, only every time his finger touched Arthur's skin Sir Leon would just as though he had been stocked. Arthur supposed this had something to do with him being a prince and Leon was being an ass, well no, he was just jumpy at the idea of hurting or touching Arthur's skin, which was sort of amusing to Arthur, but it was getting annoying now.

They was a knock on the door and in walked Gaius! Arthur smiled at him, at last, he can get that cut healed. "I'll be outside if you need me Sire" Leon bowed low and walked out. Arthur rolled his eyes

"At least you don't squirm up at the thought of touching me, am i really that repulsive?" Arthur asked in mock concern. "How is Merlin, I heard he collapsed on me again, that boy must like the idea of using me as a pillow" Arthur's light-hearted behavior stopped when Gaius opened his bag and took out some liquid. Gaius had used it before and it had stung, and that was on a smaller cut.

"He'll live, but as for you, this will..." Gaius said but Arthur finished with a "Hurt?"

"It will sting, but it cleans and heals in seconds" Gaius held it on Arthur stomach, who breathed in fast.

"Now your eye Sire" Gaius said lightly, noticing the look on Arthur's face.

Gaius rubbed the cloth under Arthur eye.

"I walked in as it sounds as though your murdering him Gaius, please say it's true" A women's voice.

"Morgana I did not give permission for you to enter my chamber" Arthur moaned at her, he had yelped when some of the healing liquid went into his eye.

"How bad is he? Will he live? Shall I go inform the court our, beloved, cherished, pampered prince will pass in the night?" Morgana came around the bed for a closer look at Arthur, who was now laying in bed, topless but the dressings.

"Leon! I need you" Arthur shouted. And in he came, with a bow "Sire?"

"Removed the Lady Morgana from my chambers" Arthur shout her a smile and a wink as Sir Leon walked to her, and held her arm and started to walk her out "Unhand me, coward" and she was gone.

Gaius finished mopping Arthur until the prince was blood free, helping him into his shirt he wore to bed Gaius left him to rest.

Walking back into his chamber the first thing he seen was...Merlin.

The boy was sat up on the table, eyes blank and staring. Just looking straight ahead, not blinking.

"Merlin?" Gaius hurried over to him "Merlin" Gaius waved his hand in the boys face. Nothing

Merlin's eyes where black again. Gaius looked in terror at him, Merlin's head slowly turned to look at Gaius, just staring at him

"Hey Gaius" Merlin smiled. He blinked the eyes blue again.

Gaius put his hand up to Merlin's head, he felt cool, not burning up or anything.

"Look at me" Gaius said, holding Merlin's head in his hands. The blue eyes met his. Merlin just looked puzzled. "Everything ok Gaius?"

Gaius let go off Merlin, and looked him up and down, the boy looked in great health to Gaius but he had something, a feeling, which told him something was not right.

"Yes" Gaius rubbed his eyes, it was late and he had been caring for the injured in the halls all night, he could be tired, not seeing right, he looked back at Merlin, who was watching him.

"It's late Merlin, you should get some sleep" Gaius watched Merlin as he got down off the table and walked to his room "Night" Merlin called back down to Gaius. Who waited until his young apprentice was in his room before cleaning up for the night. He got ready for bed and laid down. Thinking.

Merlin was also lying in bed

His eyes clouded over again, this time the colour went a little darker. He was seeing in black and white but a few little dots of colour still reached his eyes, there on the floor was his red scarf, he could tell it apart from his blue as little red rays flicked her and there.

"Arthur is in his chambers..." Came a voice from deep down in his mind "He will be sleeping...big wound my little friends give him....go see him Merlin.....he wants to see you" Merlin sat up. He tried to fight the voice and fight his body, but the voice had him locked behind his own eyes.

"Stand boy" The voice ordered. Merlin felt pain in his legs, which moved themselves. Merlin give a little moan in his head, the voice laughed at him.

Merlin was forced to the door, his feet moving slowly, Merlin had no control over himself.

"Wait"

Merlin stopped.

Gaius had stopped his thinking and rolled over in his bed. He closed his eyes

"Wait"

Merlin waited for an hour, just stood motionless, at the door.

"You may exit Merlin....Use magic" Merlin felt his hand raise by itself. His mouth opened and heat grew from his chest to his fingers. The eyes flashed gold and the door opened.

"Move"

Merlin didn't want to, he wanted to go back to bed, then he felt pain in his lower back, it burned him. Making him moved

Merlin walked to the door and his hands opened it. Merlin watched though his eyes as he was forced into the corridor.

"To Arthur we go" His eye glowed gold and the door closed noiselessly.

Cornelius Sigan forced Merlin to move, letting the boy feel pain every time he tried to fight, soon the boy will lean to be obedient. At one time Merlin had tried to fling himself in front of a group of guards, nearly getting himself and Sigan killed. Sigan had great pleasure in holding the boy in pain for so long, his body had started to shake, looking pale. The best thing was, the boy was screaming on the inside but no word escaped his mouth.

Up the corridor to Arthur's chambers there went. Stopping outside.

"In we go now" Merlin's eye flashed gold as magic opened Arthur's door

"Hood up" Merlin's hand rose to his head, and pulled his hood up over his head

"Now, see there on the table, they is a knife, pick it up"

Merlin was forced to the table, his hands closing on the handle

'No please, he's my friend' Merlin's voice sounded distant, locked up somewhere in his mind

"He is not, he is your enemy, he hates our kind" more pain, this time in his arms.

"To the bed"

Merlin turned. Walked over to Arthur. The prince was laid on his back, a dreamy look over his face, his lips moving a little as he dreamed.

"Slash him"

Merlin's arm moved, his head looked at Arthur's blankets, his eyes glowed and the blankets fell down past the prince's waist. The same time the knife came down and slashed through Arthur's night shirt. The prince woke with a scream.

"Run"

Merlin turned and dropped the knife, ran from the room.

On the other side guards ran into site, they didn't see Merlin, for some force was making him run faster than any human. He was back in his bed before the guards could shout "Sound the alarm bell".

Uther ran into Arthur's chambers, the lights where on and Sir Leon and Gaius where with...

"Arthur" Uther ran to his son's side.

"Father" Arthur chocked out through sobs, "Father"

"What has happened to him?" Uther sounded angry to Gaius but to Arthur he knew it was concern

"He was attacked, sir" Sir Leon step closer to Uther "While he was sleeping, someone came in and slashed him, he's going to be ok, Gaius has tended to him but he's badly shaken as you can imagine"

Uther held on to Arthur free hand, he was sweaty and fresh tears formed in his eyes.

"Sire" a new solder had knocked and stood at the door, "We have looked the full castle for a hooded figure and found nothing"

Uther turned to him "search the lower town, the grounds, the full of Camelot if you have to, i want whoever done this found and punished"

"This was on the floor" Sir Leon showed Uther the knife. The blood was smudged.

Uther turned back to Arthur and started to stroke his check.

"Get some guards and put them outside Arthur's door, get guards outside to stand guard under Arthur's window, I do not want my son to be panicked in his own castle"

Sir Leon left to call the guards.

"Gaius, if you have done all you can for him then you can go too, I will stay with Arthur tonight" Uther moved the blankets back up to Arthur. Gaius bowed to the king and left closing the door behind him. Uther turned out the candles and put his arm around his son.

Merlin had discarded the hooded top and climbed back into bed. He felt his eye lids close. The chamber door into Gaius' main room opened and closed again. They both heard the old man get back into bed.

"Job done for tonight boy" came the voice of Cornelius Sigan