"Arthur! Did you have to scare us" Morgana demanded
"You just want to be thankful it wasn't father." Arthur glowered at the pair. "Have you no sense of self-preservation"
Hunith looked up her eyes red and puffy "I'm sorry Sire it was my fault, please don't blame my lady, There is nothing either of you can do, please for all our sakes forget you heard anything."
"I doubt very much it was all you doing Hunith, but you need to find somewhere else to talk or lock the doors. Father would not hesitate if he heard you" Arthur was growing up fast. He had already killed his first men in battle and regularly led then on patrols, as Prince he had had to grow up fast. "I have locked the outer doors so you are safe for now but take care."
Arthur looked at Hunith "So the young sorcerer is your son, how did he come to get caught?"
"He wasn't caught I was, it is a long story Sire and one I cannot tell you. But my son was born in the dungeons, he has never been free"
Arthur and Morgana looked at each other in surprise Morgana then asked "The Court Physician is your Uncle?"
"He is but please we cannot do anything each of us knows that any action will result in the death of the other two. Please both of you forget you know of this please I beg you" Hunith was in a panic. How had she allowed herself to be found out?
Arthur gave Hunith a reassuring smile "We will do nothing that endangers any of you. Allow me to think this through. Morgana I suggest you don't discuss this for now. We need to keep them safe"
Arthur walked out of the room a thoughtful expression on his face, he immediate walked down to Gaius's chambers, closing the door after he walked in he looked at the old man stood at his work bench.
"Hello Sire how may I help you?" Gaius asked. Arthur looked at the man who he had known all his life and noticed the underlying sadness and the heaviness of heart that surrounded the man. He had always put it down to dealing with the sick and dying but perhaps there was more to that than he had thought.
Speaking quietly Arthur said "The Lady Morgana overhead your conversation with her maidservant this afternoon. I would like the full story but we need to be careful we are not overheard."
Gaius gasped, this could be disastrous for his family "Sire….please don't tell your father Hunith was deeply upset or she would never have spoken"
"I realise that and I have no intention of saying anything but I do need questions answered." Arthur was determined,
"Sire I'm afraid I have been called to the dungeons it seems the young sorcerer we speak of has been flogged, I need to treat him. It seems your father doesn't want him to get infected" Gaius said bitterly "I understand he made the fire burn too quickly and needed a lesson. The boy is only eleven!"
"I'm sorry Gaius I will let you go on your way, but please I do need to have that talk"
Gaius left the room carrying his bag and headed to the cells, he was let in and saw his great nephew led face down on the pallet, his back torn to shreds, he could hear whimpering, it seemed Merlin was conscious.
Alvarr looked up at the healer. "He came round a few minutes ago, the bastards used a knotted whip" Gaius knew this was used to make the damage worse and more painful "Poor sods only eleven he doesn't deserve this."
Gaius lifted Merlin up enough to poor a sedative in his mouth "All right my boy you will soon sleep" As soon as Merlin drifted off Gaius cleaned the wounds stitching the areas that needed it, then he bandaged the boy. Alvarr and Ari helping where needed. "I will leave some pain reliever give it every four hours. I will come again tomorrow. I will ask he be sent some broth. Thank you for looking after him"
"It is the least we could do, it's bad enough for the rest of us, but the boy is too young for this." Alvarr said
"You should let him die, it would be kinder" Edwin told the physician "Uther will keep driving us all until we die"
Gaius actually wondered if the sorcerer was right, was he doing Merlin any favours. Full of anger he made his way up to the throne room to see the King. As he approached the guards let him in and Uther turned and looked at his old friend "Well what do you want?"
"I need to speak to you about Merlin, did you order a knotted whip to be used?" Gaius demanded
"All sorcerers have a knotted whip you know that"
"He is a child! Any whipping could kill him did you have to be so cruel" Gaius shouted
"Take care old friend I have allowed you your freedom, don't push me. He is a sorcerer and a future dragonlord."
"He is your nephew! You allowed me to stay free what not him. He wouldn't do anything while you have his mother"
"He is no relative of mine, he is the son of a traitor, he should be lucky I didn't kill him and the bitch who gave him life" Uther raged
"You did worse than that you have enslaved him! And now you whipped him. Let me care for him out of the dungeon for pity's sake, he is a child" Gaius pleaded.
"No he remains, and if I hear another word from you he will be flogged again. You forget your place physician, I have allowed you your freedom and your niece her life take care or I will change my mind" Uther warned.
Gaius looked at the man who had once been his best friend "What would Ygraine think now if she could see how you treat her brother's child?"
"NEVER MENTION HER NAME AGAIN!" Uther glared at Gaius his face red with anger "Get out"
Gaius walked out knowing he had pushed the King too far. But he was angry and in many ways he knew that Edwin had been right, Merlin would be better off dead than used how Uther planned. As he left the room he saw Arthur stood nearby looking shocked he had clearly heard everything. Arthur followed Gaius and grabbed his arm and pulled him round "Merlin is my cousin and Hunith my Aunt!" he demanded.
Gaius nodded "Come to my chambers at midnight when the castle is asleep" with that he walked off. Leaving a stunned Prince behind him.