In His Place 2

Words: 2,113
Characters: Merlin, Arthur, Gwaine, Gaius, Sir Asshelm, mentions of others
Warnings: Can't think of any
Summary: A continuation of 'In His Place', the first installment of 'Our Poor Merlin'. The aftermath.
A/N: This was suggested by battlemaiden518 and April29Roses, so this one's for you guys. I promise I am taking note of every prompt given to me, and I'm so happy you guys are sending them in - I'll be doing as many as possible. I don't really know if this one lives up to the first part, unfortunately, but hopefully everyone still enjoys it. Blame any mistakes or confusion on Professor Elemental; as it turns out, not the best music to listen to when you're trying to concentrate. Thanks to everyone supporting this collection of mine, I hope you're having as much fun reading it as I am writing it.

Oh, and I'm hoping to get another chapter of 'Magic of Everyday Life' up today. Tomorrow, at latest.

Gaius had often found it worrying the amount of times his door was slammed open in urgency. There was always some injured knight or poisoned noble or man who had fallen off a ladder to tend to. But Gaius was well trained with many years of experience under his belt. Whenever a victim was dragged through his door, he would be ready with the kind of professionalism worthy of the royal physician.

Of course, he could only remain so stoic when it was his own ward being rushed into the room. When Arthur had suddenly appeared with a limp Merlin on his arm, he felt he was justified to a moment of worry and shock before old habits took over.

"Lay him down here," the old man said hurriedly, gesturing to the empty cot. Arthur did so with a grimace, positioning Merlin as comfortably as he could. The warlock's eyes were half closed and he didn't appear to be lucid. "What happened?"

Stepping back so Gaius could examine Merlin, Arthur forced down an angry growl. "Someone thought he had to be 'put in his place'," he said with disgust, staring down at his manservant. "And that apparently they were the one for the job."

Gaius held one of Merlin's eyes open wide and ignored the anger suddenly coursing through him. "Did they now?"

"I took care of it," Arthur reassured, though he didn't sound quite satisfied with the statement. "Probably let the bastard get off a bit lightly, to be honest."

"You saved Merlin, sire, and that is all that we can ask," Gaius replied. He was at this point gently prodding the back of Merlin's head where there was matted blood in his hair. He frowned. It was a large wound. "Was he struck on the head?"

"Merlin was… up against the wall when I found him," said Arthur. He sounded slightly haunted by the memory. "I don't doubt Sir Adhelm used force to get him there." Gaius' eyebrow raised and he now turned his attention to a dark, boot-sized bruise just to the side of Merlin's left eye.

"Sir Adhelm did this?"

"I am as shocked as you."

It was at this point Gaius noticed the bruises layered over Merlin's throat, half covered by his red neckerchief. The anger within him rose, battling with his forced professionalism. But before he could say anymore, Merlin groaned and turned onto his side, his face going a new shade of pale, and Gaius saw what was going to happen moments before he did.

The disfigured contents of Merlin's breakfast landed in the hastily proffered bucket and Merlin continued to retch, his body shaking with the effort. His eyes squeezed shut and his hand gripped the edge of the cot.

"Gaius?" Arthur's voice came from behind him, sounding worried. Merlin finally finished retching and collapsed back onto the cot, his body going slack.

"Pass me that rag, please. And there should be some water, on the table."

Arthur obeyed silently and watched as Gaius lay the now damp rag on Merlin's forehead. "Is he… okay?" The king winced at such a ridiculous question, but Gaius didn't seem to notice.

"Was he conscious the whole time you were bringing him to me?"

There was a short pause. "He fainted. For a few minutes."

Gaius nodded, confirming what he had already known. "He has a rather severe concussion. Sir Adhelm did not hold back." The old physician couldn't quite keep the anger out of his voice, this time. "We will have to keep a close watch on him."

Arthur nodded as Gaius leant in and tried to get Merlin's attention. "Merlin? Can you hear me?" There was no answer, and Arthur felt himself tense. If Adhelm had done anything permanent to his servant… "Come now, boy, talk to me." This time there was a slight moan of acknowledgement and Merlin turned his head to the direction of Gaius' voice, but still did not open his eyes. This wasn't enough for Gaius; "look at me, Merlin." Quite frankly, it wasn't enough for Arthur either. He needed those blue eyes to look at him, to recognise him, to prove that he was okay. Finally, Merlin cracked open one eye, but swiftly shut it again.

"Hurts," he muttered, rolling onto his stomach to bury deeper into the pillow.

"I know it does, my boy," said Gaius and it was with such tenderness Arthur suddenly felt he shouldn't be there, intruding on the moment. "But please, look at me."

Merlin took a deep breath, as if preparing himself, and turned his head out from the pillow, slowly opening both eyes as he did so. His expression turned pained at the small movement. "'s bright," he complained. Arthur glanced at the overcast sky out the window and the candles, all unlit, around the room. His stomach did a small, nervous flip.

"You're being such a girl, Merlin," he said unhappily, trying to cover up his concern. For the first time Merlin's dazed gaze settled on him and Arthur had never appreciated that pure blue more.

"'rthur?" came the mumble.

"Yes, Merlin. Who else would it be?"

Merlin sighed, his eyes closing again. "'m glad it's you," he murmured, so softly Arthur doubted he'd even realised he had spoken aloud. He was secretly touched all the same and had to quickly look down at his shoes. When he looked up again Merlin's breathing had evened out, his mouth hanging out slightly.

Arthur panicked. Wasn't Merlin supposed to be staying awake? "Merlin - "

"It's alright sire. Let him rest." Gaius remained seated by his ward, watching him quietly. "I will wake him soon to check on his condition. That is all we can do for now."

Arthur nodded briskly and straightened. "Good. Okay. Very well." He paused awkwardly and Gaius looked back at him, almost amused. Arthur tried not to go red. "Do you need - "

"I will send for you if I need you, sire." Gaius reassured. "There is not much you can do for Merlin now."

"Right." Arthur nodded again and headed to the door, still hanging open from when he barged in. He stopped with one foot outside the chambers and looked back at the physician, who's attention had gone back to Merlin once more. "Gaius?" The older man looked to him and Arthur fought to keep eye contact. "He'll be okay, of course?" He fought to keep his voice steady, authoritative.

Gaius inclined his head with a small smile. "Of course, sire."

"Good." and with that the king left.

"He what?!" Gwaine stood up so quickly he almost knocked over his mug of ale, but he barely noticed. It was late afternoon and Arthur had found him easily enough at the tavern. "Merlin's concussed? Who did it? Who did that to him?"

Arthur shook his head. "It's not important - "

"Of course it's important, princess. I'd hate to end up throttling the wrong man."

"I took care of it, Gwaine."

Gwaine studied him suspiciously. "Did you?"

"Yes," was the answer through gritted teeth; Arthur did not need Gwaine's doubts adding to his own. "And there is a much more productive way you can help."

"I'm all ears," Gwaine said seriously, and anyone would have thought he hadn't already downed three drinks.

"We need someone to keep an eye on Merlin. Gaius has to go to the lower towns tonight to assist in a birthing, and I've been called into a council meeting."

"And naturally council meetings always come first," Gwaine said sarcastically. Arthur glared at him.

"I'm not exactly happy about it either. Look, can you just, stay with him for a while?" 'Please' would never escape the king's lips, but Gwaine heard it hanging desperately on the end all the same. Even if he hadn't, his answer would have been the same.

"Course I can."

"Merlin?" Gwaine nudged the young boy's shoulder gently, waking him up every hour as instructed. The last few times Merlin had awoken very grudgingly, slower each time, and it seemed this was to be no exception. "Come on, mate, rise and shine."

There was no response. Merlin's chest continued to rise and fall, settling the irrational part of Gwaine's mind that was just one wrong move from full-blown panic mode, but he still did not take this as a good sign. He nudged his friend's shoulder slightly harder. "Wake up, Merlin." Still no reaction. Not even a twitch of his nose. The panic began to rise, and after a full minute of trying, Gwaine could take no more. He rushed from the room and found the nearest person he could, regretting every moment he spent from the unconscious servant's side. He gave the serving woman a message of most urgency and without haste ran right back to the physician's chambers and his friend within.

Merlin had been okay in the end. After a smoking concoction from Gaius held under the boy's nose, Merlin had startled awake, and was forced to remain awake the rest of the night. It was only when the sun had risen the next morning Merlin was allowed back into the land of slumber, and the rest of them had breathed a sigh of relief.

"We are lucky Gwaine sent for me at once," Gaius had murmured quietly to Arthur across the room from where Gwaine was sitting at Merlin's side. At some point through the night the other knights had heard the news and were currently with Gwaine, having to see with their own eyes that Merlin was indeed alright. Arthur vaguely wondered if Merlin knew just how much of an impression he had made with his time here. Gwen had visited earlier but was ushered from the room by her concerned husband, insisting she got some sleep. "Merlin's mind has been active enough now that there should be no problem, but at the time it had been slowly shutting down. If no one had been there to wake him…" Gaius had not finished the sentence. He hadn't needed to.

As it was now, Arthur was stalking down the quiet corridors of a slowly waking castle. He was fully dressed and completely awake, and he was on a mission. Finally reaching the right door Arthur opened them without ceremony.

The occupant of the large bed immediately jumped awake, his eyes widening in sleepy surprise. The man shook his head to focus but when he saw who was standing unannounced in his room, his eyes widened even more. "M-my lord," he tried.

"Sir Adhelm," said Arthur, and silently he revelled in how calm he sounded. "It seems I made a mistake earlier, regarding you and your… actions."

Adhelm's posture relaxed slightly, and he smiled. "Oh, sire. I do not blame you for being upset, he is your manservant after all. I was only doing my duty of keeping the order."

Arthur shook his head, never looking away from the snake. "You misunderstand me, Adhelm. I obviously let you off much too easily."

Adhelm's face became one of confusion. "But - sire?"

"I would have let it go. I wouldn't have been happy, but I would have," Arthur explained. "I would have simply kept an eye on you and made sure you would know the consequences if you had tried anything like that again." One hand came to rest easily on the hilt of Arthur's sword, but he put it down to nothing more than instinct, rather than threat. "Except last night I almost lost the manservant you had hurt with such cowardice. And so I have reconsidered what to do with you." There was a slight pause where Adhelm looked scared, looked older and more vulnerable than before, and Arthur revelled in it. "You are stripped of your knighthood and nobility. I expect you out of this castle by midday."

"But - my lord, please, I - "

"You were right, Adhelm," said Arthur, cutting him off. "People must know their place. And yours is not within the walls of Camelot."

That was it. No ceremony, no official decree, no public humiliation. Arthur simply wanted the stain out of his home, and finally he felt he had done right by Merlin. He sustained his regal expression until he had walked out and was heading back to his own chambers for some much needed rest. Only then did he allow the satisfied smirk to grow.