Sorry this chapter took so long to get up. I had a reenactment this weekend and right now my mind is still back in the 1860s so this chapter was rrreeeeaaaallllyyyy hard to write. Here's hoping the next chapter is easier and gets up quicker! haha This chapter and the next are/will be fairly boring and slow, but the action should be starting chapter after next (should be, the way my mind works that's not set in stone)

And I'm sorry if the characters (Mostly Gwaine and Gaius in this chapter) are out of character, I've tried to get them as close as I could, but with my mind still in the 1860s it became doubly hard. Anyways, I'll shut up now and just let ya read.

Disclaimer: I own nothing that you recognize.

Chapter 5: Something's Wrong

Gwaine took a glance back toward the room as he slowed to a walk. He shifted his armor slightly, his mind racing a mile a minute. He wondered through the corridors, not paying attention to where he was going. Questions filled his mind, blocking out everything else. What was wrong with Merlin? Why had his eyes glowed red? Why was he not acting like himself? What should he do?

Gwaine shook his head to try and clear it. He was almost out of the castle now, so he turned to the right and headed to a spot in the royal gardens that he technically wasn't supposed to be at. Hadn't stopped him before, though, and it wasn't going to stop him now. He walked through the gardens until he reached a large shade tree. He sat down roughly, laying his armor to the side, and leaned his head back against the tree and closed his eyes as his thoughts started to organize.

Merlin was enchanted. There was no other explanation for why his eyes had glowed red. But who had enchanted him? And why? The who was simple; Morgana was the only witch he knew of who had the power and reasons to even think of enchanting Merlin. The why was harder to answer. Gwaine knew it had to have something to do with killing Arthur.

"Stupid princess is too big a target." Gwaine muttered, opening his eyes and looking around the gardens.

Now that he had that figured out, the question was: What was he to do about it? He couldn't confront Merlin about it, that much was sure. Besides, what good would approaching Merlin about being enchanted do? No, Gwaine decided with a shake of his head, he would leave Merlin be and just keep a close watch on him for the time being.

But he had to tell someone, he was sure of that. The problem was who was he to tell? Arthur would just laugh him off; the stupid princess hardly ever believed anyone except Merlin, and Merlin was sure to deny being enchanted. No, Arthur wasn't an option. Not yet at least.

Gwaine slapped himself on the forehead and got to his feet, feeling stupid all of a sudden. Gaius! If anyone would know what to do it would be Gaius. Gwaine lifted his armor back up and hurried back toward the castle.

"After this," He said quietly, "I'm getting a nice cold drink."

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Merlin sat down slowly, watching Gwaine's retreating form. He picked the chainmail up and started going over it, looking for broken or rusted links. He wasn't 100 percent sure why he had taken such offense at Gwaine's questions. Somehow, in Merlin's mind, Gwaine's pressuring had come across as an insult to his Queen.

Merlin's thoughts rarely strayed from his Queen and his orders. After a few minutes, all thoughts of Gwaine had faded from his mind. It didn't take him long to finish polishing and fixing Arthur's armor. He quickly placed the armor and sharpened sword in their places and headed out of the armory. He had about an hour of free time, much to his dislike. He wanted to work. His orders were to go about 'business as always' and usually Arthur overloaded him with chores. In Merlin's mind, business as always was doing what chores Arthur gave him.

He turned toward the physician's courters, planning on telling Gaius to keep a bucket of water for him to wash up in for he knew when he went to muck the stables he would get covered, as always. He was almost to his quarters when he saw Gwaine, armor still in his arms, a few yards in front of him. Merlin slowed his walking and stepped as gentle as he could, not wanting to attract the knight's attention. He frowned slightly as Gwaine turned into the physician's rooms and shut the door behind him.

Merlin speeded up once more and put his ear to the door. He could hear Gwaine and Gaius talking, but the thick wooden door prevented him from making out any of the words. He frowned slightly, trying to remember a spell to let him hear through doors.

"Cynyddu fy gwrandawiad." He whispered and felt his eyes glow gold.

He placed his ear back to the door and grinned triumphantly as the words said in the room came through crystal clear.

"What makes you think that?" Gaius was asking.

"His eyes glowed red, Gaius." Gwaine replied, frustration in his voice. "If that doesn't say 'I'm enchanted' then I don't know what does."

"Are you sure his eyes glowed red?" Gaius asked, worry starting to creep into his voice.

"Positive." Gwaine answered. "They glowed red twice when I accused him of being hit by a girl."

"Why did you accuse him of being hit by a girl?" Gaius asked in confusion.

"He has a cut on his cheek," Gwaine explained and Merlin couldn't help but touch his cut cheek. "He claimed he fell and cut it on a table this morning, but I know a cut from a ring when I see one."

"He didn't fall this morning." Gaius said, more to himself than anything. "And he was alone half the morning collecting herbs."

"Morgana must have caught him and enchanted him then." Gwaine supplied and Merlin felt his anger rise as these two… peasants talked about his queen in such a rude manner.

"We must tell the King." Gaius said and Merlin heard footsteps coming toward the door.

He started to back away, but Gwaine's voice stopped him.

"What good would that do? The princess would just believe Merlin over us."

"Then we'll have to find some way to make him believe us." Gaius replied.

Merlin drew away from the door, canceling the spell, and hurried away to hide in one of the alcoves near the door. He waited about five minutes before the door finally opened and Gwaine hurried down the corridor. Once he was sure he was in the clear, Merlin left his hiding place and hurried to his quarters.

"Hello Merlin." Gaius greeted when he walked in.

"Gaius." Merlin said with a nod of his head. "I'll be in my room if anybody needs me."

Gaius looked at him curiously, but didn't say anything so Merlin hurried to his room, shutting the door and locking it behind him. He wasted no time in getting his spell book out from its hiding place under a loose floorboard. He climbed onto his bed and started leafing through the book. After a few minutes of searching he found the spell he was looking for. He mouthed the words a few times before closing his eyes and reciting the spell.

"Agor cysylltiad rhwng fy frenhines Morgana yn meddwl a minnau. Gadewch i ni siarad â'i gilydd yn awr."

His eyes glowed gold beneath his closed eyes and it felt like his head was being tightened. Merlin gasped and tried to open his eyes, but they were closed firmly and no matter how much he tried he couldn't open them. The tightness increased until it felt like he was going to implode, then it just suddenly vanished and his queen's voice echoed in its place.

"What are you doing to me?"

"My Queen," Merlin said in his mind, "We have trouble."

Spell Translations

(All still in Welsh. Can't find a good Old English translator still.)

Cynyddu fy gwrandawiad—Increase my hearing.

Agor cysylltiad rhwng fy frenhines Morgana yn meddwl a minnau. Gadewch i ni siarad â'i gilydd yn awr.- Open a connection between my queen Morgana's mind and mine. Let us talk to one another now.