A/N- Haha! Here are a few answers you guys wanted! Thank you for all the reviews! Thank you for coming back! So this early update is the result of those! Thank you!
Okay, here it is! Enjoy!
Arthur stumbled backwards, hitting his back on a small shelf. "Gaius!" he finally managed to croak out.
The elderly man ran as fast as his old legs could carry him up the steps. Bursting into the backroom, he immediately headed for Merlin. "Don't!" Gaius turned around to face the prince. Arthur didn't look at him, simply staring at Merlin as his eyes changed back to their normal blue and closed.
"Sire, what's the matter?" Gaius was perplexed.
"Hi-his eyes!" Arthur stuttered. He looked at the physician with panic in his expression. "They turned black!"
Gaius rushed to his ward's side. "Are you sure, Sire?" He quickly checked the boy's pulse and breathing.
Arthur came back to reality when he saw Gaius move. "I am sure of it. They changed back just as you were talking to me."
Gaius carefully lifted one of Merlin's eyelids. "Black? Not… Gold?"
"Gaius, I know what I saw! They were jet-black!"
Gaius was about to say who-knows-what, but those thoughts fled his mind when he heard a weak voice float up from the bed. "What was black?"
Two heads whipped around to face the pale form of the boy. Only Arthur, strangely not oblivious today, saw the thin ring of obsidian around Merlin's irises.
"Merlin," Gaius said. He sat by the bed on a rickety old stool. "How are you feeling?"
The warlock sighed and tried to get in a more comfortable position. He ended up wincing in pain. Arthur was at his side in an instant, helping him to sit up. "Thanks," the boy croaked.
"Anytime," the blonde replied.
"Merlin, you still haven't answered my question. How do you feel?"
The warlock refused to look the physician in the eye. "Fine. I feel absolutely fine."
Arthur looked at Merlin. "What do you mean you 'feel fine'? You've obviously been chained up, you have a gash on your side, and are malnourished, yet you feel 'fine'?"
The young man didn't even flinch, which odd. He usually showed some reaction when Arthur was angry or let another emotion show through. "Yes, Sire. Considering the circumstances I feel pretty well."
He was rewarded with an odd look. Sire? thought Arthur. He never calls me that, and when he does, it's used as an insult. Now he's saying it with respect! With a shake of his head, Arthur left the room, going towards the east wing to think. No one inhibited that part of the castle, so it was sure to be abandoned.
IDIOTTOIDI
The thing in his mind overtook his senses. He had just enough time to choke out a warning before he lost the battle completely. He felt as though shoved, falling backwards and into darkness. Then he opened his eyes, though not of his own accord.
He heard Arthur and Gaius speaking, and understood what they said, but when he opened his mouth to answer, words that were not his own flowed off his tongue. A bit frightened by this, he tried to move his other muscles, to shake his head, move an arm, twitch a toe, anything, but to no avail. He could do nothing but watch.
Merlin was not in control.
As soon as he realized this, the warlock panicked. Or tried to. All he could do was mentally grip his head, mentally pace, and mentally hyperventilate while his thoughts raced at a million miles an hour.
A quiet, haunting voice floated to him through the dark oblivion. "It is no use to fight. You will not win."
Merlin gasped. Well, if he actually were in control, he would have. He was surprised he could answer back. "Mordred?" The warlock's blood turned to ice.
"Yes."
"What's happening? Why are you doing this?"
"I told you I would not forget, nor forgive. An d now, I will have my revenge."
Those few words stung like an arrow to Merlin's heart. He could do nothing but watch as the demon child destroyed his life.
PRATTARP
Merlin came back to work the next day, sneaking out when Gaius was doing his rounds. Arthur was a little suspicious when his manservant arrived on time and was very respectful all morning. He ignored it though, thinking that Merlin was like this because of whatever had happened to him. Simply thinking it being trauma from those events, Arthur didn't give a second thought to Merlin's rapidly decreasing health and proper servant-like manner for a whole week.
It had been eight days since he woke up when the prince took a closer look at his servant.
Merlin had opened the curtains, and when the prince didn't wake, shook him lightly. "Sire? Sire, its time for you to wake up."
Arthur opened his bleary eyes, and almost physically jumped with the sight that awaited him.
Merlin had dark bruise-like bags underneath his eyes. Deathly pale, he had an almost gray tinge to his skin. He had always been skinny, but now his bones pushed out of his skin, with almost nothing in between. All his muscles had dwindled down till there was only the bare minimum for the bones to move. Merlin's clothes sagged, even with his belt cinched as tight as it could go.
"Merlin?" Arthur asked, horrified. "What happened to you?" He couldn't believe his friend looked like this. Something was obviously wrong, yet he wore that stupid grin on his face. It didn't reach his eyes.
"What do you mean, Sire?"
Seeing that he was no going to get anywhere, Arthur got dressed and left to find Gaius, breakfast untouched.
IDIOTTOIDI
Merlin found that he could weaken Mordred by making it so he was unable to eat hardly anything. Of course, this also weakened the warlock himself, but he hoped that the results from both that and the sleep deprivation he forced upon himself would be enough, coupled with how Mordred thought Merlin acted around Arthur, for at least one person to realize something was wrong.
He almost jumped for joy when Arthur noticed the effects. This gave him the courage and strength to temporarily regain control of his body. And seeing as if he told someone what was happening, Mordred would make him kill them, he had to do something much more drastic.
Merlin had to act quickly, before Mordred took over.
IDIOTTOIDI
Merlin and Arthur were walking in the market. Arthur was secretly glad that Merlin seemed to be back to normal.
The warlock, however, set his plan in motion.
He turned his back to the prince and spotted a cart with two horses attached. Liquid gold covered the normally blue irises.
The geldings charged forward, people screaming and flinging themselves out of the way. Arthur didn't notice till they were almost upon them. The warlock pushed Arthur out of the way, making him fall sideways into a puddle of mud. Merlin lifted his hands, literally welcoming death with open arms.
PRATTARP
Arthur was content. Merlin was back. Not that lifeless shell. His goofy grin reached his eyes, and he regained the bounce in his step. That horrible obsidian ring around his irises were gone.
Just as they passed a merchant selling meat pies, Arthur heard frantic neighs and terrified screams. Turning towards the source of the racket, the prince was horrified at seeing the horses and cart hurtling straight for him and his manservant. The next thing he saw was the ground and a sideways view of the still-charging horses race at Merlin.
Time seemed to slow down. The manservant opened his arms and closed his eyes, an expression of peace filling his face.
And then…
Merlin collapsed. His back arched, he screamed.
His eyes turned black.
He rolled out of the way.
"Merlin!" Arthur yelled even though he knew he was unharmed by the horses. Rushing over to the young man's side, he offered a hand to help him up.
Merlin didn't take his hand, instead getting up on his own and brushing himself off.
"Merlin, are you alright?" the prince asked, worried about why he fell to the ground before the horses hit.
Merlin just shrugged. He looked away for a moment, then looked back. He reached behind him and pulled a bloody arrow out of his thight. "Someone tried to kill you again, but I took the hit for you."
Arthur gaped. "You saved my life! Twice!"
The warlock's mouth twitched into a grin that did not reach his eyes. "Your welcome, Sire."
Merlin passed out.
IDIOTTIOIDI
"No! No, damn it, no! That wasn't supposed to happen!" Merlin ranted. He was meant to be run ober, and then Mordred would bee weak enough for the warlock to take back control for long enough to find a cure to be rid of him. And if that didn't work, he would at least gain temporary control and pick his poison. Literally.
The plan had backfired. Of course. It seemed like everytime he came up with a viable plan, it would inevitably go horribly wrong.
Now, he watched as Mordred used magic to summon an arrow in his thigh. It hurt, but if it hadn't been for the blood loss he would've stayed conscious. He supposed he was being carried to Gaius right at that moment.
Maybe, just maybe, he could still regain his body and find a cure.
And that gave Merlin hope.
PRATTARP
Many people gasped when they saw the arrow. Some of those same people screamed when Merlin started to slump to the ground. Arthur lunged forward and caught him. "Somebody help me!" he yelled. Sir Leon seemed to materialize before the gathered crowd. Together, they lifted the warlock, Arthur at his head and Leon the feet.
As they rushed into the castle, the prince saw a plump woman, probably in her forties, run past them and head in the direction of the physician's chambers, no doubt going to wan Gaius.
Sure enough, the old man had the patient's bed cleared off, and jars of differing poultices and liquids covering the nearby table. He was also standing just off to the side, looking very worried. As he should be.
They had had no time to bandage the wound, so by the time Merlin was in Gaius' care he had lost a good deal of blood.
"Lay him on the bed quickly. He's losing a lot of blood." They hurriedly complied.
Arthur stood off to one side, watching the physician clean the hole. When he went to dress it, both Arthur and Leon stepped forward and took over. After that, Leon left the physician and prince alone.
"What happened?"
The prince jumped. "What?"
Gaius looked at him sternly. "I want to know why my ward has come back to me with an arrow wound in his thigh."
Arthur sighed. Hopefully he didn't get Gaius too mad. He could be scary when he wanted to be.
"A horse cart got out of control. It was headed for us. Merlin pushed me out of the way. He dropped and rolled out of the way. He seemed fine, until he said someone had tried to kill me, and pulled the arrow out of his leg. That's why he dropped. But Gaius… Gaius, when the cart was coming for him, he… He lifted his arms, like he knew that he would be killed and was fine with being hit. He actually looked peaceful." Arthur sank down heavily into a chair and put his head in his hands. "Gaius… Merlin smiled."
Gaius was shocked. What could drive the young man that far? "Sire… It looked like something else is bothering you. What is it?"
Arthur looked back up, expression troubled. "When he fell, he arched his back and opened his eyes. They were pure black again. Evil. It was not Merlin."
Gaius, of course, believed him. "Then we can't be sure what it was until he wakes up. I have a suspicion about what it could be, but until he is conscious I cannot be sure."
"What do you think it is? Please, Gaius, tell me. I need to know."
Gaius turned and stopped at the door. "You don't want to know." He went out.
PRATTARP
As Merlin woke up, Arthur rushed to his bedside. He was only coherent enough to ask if it was Arthur there. Then he fell back asleep.
But his eyes weren't rimmed in black. They were completely blue.
And that gave Arthur hope.
A/N- *grin* I know, that's probably a cheesy ending, but I thought to be nice to you since last chapter was such a cliffie! I did add action, though!
Please review! You'll get an earlier update, plus a virtual devil's food cake! Or if you hate chocolate, some desert of your choice! Please review!
Once more, please review!