Hi my dear readers !

As promised here is the sixth chapter of this fic ! I took such a long time to write it because I honestly didn't know what I would write until I was in it and I think I'm pretty happy with how it get out ! I hope you''ll tell me what you think about it so please, please, REVIEW !

Oh and the idea of it was given to me by LunaShadowWolf13. I know it isn't what you had in mind but I hope you'll enjoy it !

Good reading !

Chapter Six:

After all, Merlin had spent the rest of the day tumbling through his old magic book. The sun hanged low in the sky, casting long shadows in the room, and he felt discouraged. During all those hours he had found nothing even slightly interesting and was tempted to just throw the thing back in its hiding place. In fact, he had almost done that when his eyes had fallen upon the recipe of a Potion written in a corner of a page at the far end of the book. He gasped as he read the description of its' supposed effects. His heart took pace and he bounced out of his bed. Ignoring the cold floor under his feet he went to the main room, finding Gaius reading near the fire.

"Gaius! I found it!" he announced before his mentor had noticed him.

"What?" said Gaius in his surprise.

"Something that could help me! Look!"

Merlin nearly hadn't been able to contain his excitation as the old man slowly read the page he had pointed. Gaius was frowning when he finished.

"I'm not sure Merlin…" he said finally looking up to his Ward.

"But it has to be that Gaius! I'm sure it will work!"

"Merlin…"

"No! We have to try! It's the first thing we found in weeks of searches!"

"It looks pretty dangerous…"

"I don't care!" exclaimed Merlin, his anger surging again as he began to pace the room. "Do you think you can make it?"

"Yes but…"

"No buts, we'll do it!"

Gaius eyed his Ward. The boy had that determinate look on his face that the Physician knew all too well and had come to fear. He knew that even if he refused to help him Merlin will do what he wanted, regardless of his advice.

"Okay… Okay… Tomorrow though. I have to buy some of those ingredients."

"Thank you Gaius!"

"Yeah… Now stay here and eat."

Merlin sent him one of his dazzling smiles that Gaius loved and took his place at the wooden table.

The following morning, Merlin woke up feeling more optimist than he had been in weeks. He got up and went to take his breakfast. Gaius was still in his Chambers but he left soon after Merlin arrived to make his rounds. During that time the Warlock had once more taken his magic book out and had carefully read everything that will have to be done for the Potion to work. He had to admit that in all honesty he would have preferred to find something else but if this was the only mean to have his magic back then he will do what was necessary.

As he was feeling better, he decided to resume his work. It would put his mind off waiting for Gaius and, at the same time, prevent Arthur to come barging in for him. That's why he had reluctantly made his way towards the Prince's Chambers after having fetched breakfast. He was hoping that, thanks to some miracle, the Prince wouldn't be in his Chambers but eating with his father and that he could just leave without any chores to do. When he opened the doors, he thought that his wish had been granted. The room was seemingly empty and Merlin made his way to the table to set breakfast on the table. He had finished and was turning to get out when he came face to face with Prince Arthur, wearing his armor and looking tired.

"Ah, Merlin" He said, smiling slightly. "I was hoping to find you here. Could you help me out of my armor and polish it afterwards? That early training was tough."

Merlin said nothing but heaved a quiet sigh before setting to work as quickly as he could, knowing that Gaius would probably soon be back. He had finished in matters of minutes, without a word or a look to Arthur, and asked:

"If that's okay with you I'll go polish your armor now Sire. If you're hungry there's food ready."

Arthur looked incredulously at his manservant without knowing what to say before nodding slowly. Immediately Merlin picked up the armor and darted out of the room, arms full of armor. Arthur blinked after him, saying in the empty air:

"What the hell was that?"

He shook his head and decided he would find his manservant later to see if something was wrong with him.

Meanwhile, Merlin made his way back to the Physician's Chambers and dumped the armor in a corner of the room with a clatter. Gaius eyed him with reprobation but wisely said nothing.

"You have everything." Merlin asked eagerly.

"Yes but I'd like you to reconsider…"

"There's nothing to reconsider Gaius. Will you help me to brew that potion or not?"

"You know the answer." The Physician answered with a sigh.

"Thank you." Said Merlin before going to his room. He came back seconds later, magic book in hand, and began to look for what they would need.

"You want to do it now?" asked Gaius.

"Of course! Why wait? No time like present!" explained Merlin without stopping his preparations.

Gaius gaped at him and wanted to say something but in the end he realized he didn't kwon what and kept silent, helping his Ward.

It was more than two hours after that that they finally finished the potion. They were both sweating lightly when Gaius hold the glass vial over Merlin's book to compare the color of the potion with it.

"It looks good. One ingredient left Merlin."

Merlin nodded and took the blade his mentor is holding out for him. His hand shook slightly but he ignored it and extended his other arm. He was about to cut his wrist open when the door opened with a crash making both men jump than freeze in place.

"Gaius! We need you. There has been an accident in the lower city. People are hurt." A breathless Guard informed.

"Okay, I'm coming. Go inform the King." Gaius commanded without moving.

The Guard leaved immediately, running back in the corridor and Merlin released a breath in hadn't noticed he had been holding. Gaius waited for the Guard footsteps to vanish before turning to Merlin and telling him in his most serious voice.

"I have to go. We will finish this when I come back. During this time, clean everything and move your book and the potion back to your room. No need to risk anyone finding it if I come back with people hurt." He turned to take his supplies than turned once more to his Ward who had still to say something. "I mean it Merlin. Wait for me."

"Yes… " The boy finally answered, eyes never leaving the knife in his hand.

"Merlin!"

"Yes, yes, I will!"

"Good."

Gaius leaved and Merlin finally began to do what Gaius told him. In no time he cleaned the main room, restacking the supplies they had used at their right place then took his book and the potion back to his room. He hesitated but finally took the knife with him too. He sat on his bed and set the potion on his bedside, keeping the blade in hand. He played absently with it, watching the sunlight reflect on his edge. His mind wandered far away. He reflected on how ironic it was that something which will hurt him will also save him by giving him his magic back. It was like magic. He can do both harm and good. Merlin shook his head, willing the thought about magic to disappear as they were only hurting him.

He waited for a long time, judging by the sun but he finally couldn't take the wait anymore. He stopped playing with the knife in his hands to grip it in his right hand. He clumsily managed to open the vial containing the potion than put his left wrist above it. He took a deep breath to steady himself and put the blade on his wrist. His shaking hand pushed too hard and blood fall heavily from the wound. He managed to make it fall in the vial, changing the color of the potion, straining it in red.

Once it was the right shade, he took his hand away and closed the bottle again before shaking it to mix its contents. He smiled and set it back again to let it stand for a few minutes as instructed in his book. He knew he should probably bind his still-bleeding wrist but he couldn't see the point as, with luck, he would be able to magically heal it a bit later. All is attention was focused on the potion in front of him. He was so absorbed in it that he failed to hear the sound of the Physician's door opening and closing and someone approaching. The exclamation that followed, however, makes him jump and he hadn't time to react before someone grabbed forcefully his neckerchief and bound it tightly around his wrist, making him cry out from the pain of it.

"Merlin! You idiot! What are you thinking?" asked the slightly panicked Prince Arthur.

Merlin gaped at him, not understanding why the Prince was looking so agitated about.

"I didn't though you were a coward Merlin!", exclaimed the royal, anger taking the place of his concern.

"What?" Merlin finally managed.

"If there is something upsetting you you know that you can come to me or to Gaius if you prefer but… Death is never an option."

Merlin raised his eyebrows at his friend, wondering if he has lost his mind.

"I… I know this Arthur but… Why are you saying that?"

It was Arthur's turn to look at Merlin with an incredulous expression.

"Merlin… You cut your wrist open with a knife." He explained very slowly as if he was talking to some frightened child.

"Oh!" Merlin explained, finally catching up. "No! That's not what it seems!"

"Really?" The Prince responded, clearly not believing his manservant.

"Yes! It… It is… An experiment! For a new healing salve!" Merlin lied clumsily and it didn't help Arthur's doubt.

"Merlin, I meant what I said. You can talk to me if something is bothering you. You're my fri-manservant and I wish to help."

"There isn't anything Arthur." The Warlock insisted more confidently this time.

"Okay", reluctantly said Arthur after a long time. "But you promise me that if anything was wrong you would come and tell me right?"

"I swear Arthur" Merlin said and felt guilty because he knew he wouldn't keep that promise.

He must have been convincing because Arthur slowly nodded once before letting go of him and getting up. Merlin willed him to go but the Prince seemed uncertain and was looking around the room.

"Where is Gaius?"

"Oh… He has been called in the lower town, there's been an accident… You should probably go there too by the way, being the Prince and all that. But he should be back soon." Merlin was beginning to ramble in his will to make the Prince go away and snapped his mouth shut. Arthur eyed him, unfazed.

'I'll wait for him then." The Prince decided.

"Arthur! There's no need! Really!" Merlin protested, outraged.

"There's every need Merlin. And while I'm here, I'm going to patch you up. We can't have you leaving a trail of blood everywhere."

Merlin tried to protest once more but Arthur totally ignored him and went back to the main room. The Warlock heard him moving things and sighted, knowing that it was him who would have to tidy everything again. He pushed himself to his feet only to fall back again, the room spinning slightly around him. He waited a few second before making a second attempt. He felt light-headed but nothing he hadn't coped with before. He made his way to the main room only lightly swaying. He found it far less organized than the last time he saw it and cursed silently Arthur.

"What in hell happened here?" He exclaimed while descending his stairs. "Do you know how long it had taken me to clean that room?"

"Doesn't look like it." The Prince said, still searching through a cupboard. "I'm looking for linen to bind that wound of yours."

"Let me." Merlin interrupted and in a minute found what the Prince had been searching.

Arthur made Merlin reluctantly sit at the table and took his left hand. He was about to untie Merlin's neckerchief when the door opened, revealing a tired-looking Gaius. Immediately, Merlin took his hand back to hide it and stood up. Well, tied to stand up would have been a better description because the blood loss and residual illness had definitively taken the little balance he had and he just swayed before sitting back again. White spots danced in front of his eyes.

"Merlin!" Both men cried out.

"I'm fine!" Merlin replied quickly but neither was listening as Arthur was telling the Physician what happened. Fortunately, Gaius didn't look surprised but just weary and backed Merlin's lie. Arthur seemed reassured even if he was still sending Merlin concerned glances.

"Don't worry Sire. Merlin will be fine in no time." Gaius said once more.

"Okay… I'll leave you then…"

Gaius waited for a few seconds after the door closed behind the Prince before turning to his Ward.

"What were you thinking?" He cried out loudly while sitting beside the Warlock with a glare. "I thought I told you to wait for me?"

"You did… But…"

"Don't ever finish that sentence!"

Merlin looked down, looking ashamed. Worry took the place of anger in Gaius and he sighted.

"Give me your wrist before you faint you idiot!"

Merlin obeyed without complains and the Physician carefully unwrapped the neckerchief. He tutted when he saw the too profound wound and announced:

"I will need to stitch it Merlin. You weren't supposed to cut that profound."

"I'm sorry Gaius."

"Yeah… Let say that pain will be your punition because if you want to take your potion I don't want to give you anything else."

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