The two made their way up the stairs when Arthur stopped "How am I going to get my father away from Morgana? He won't leave her for just anything."
"He will need to rest won't he?" Merlin said "we could go in then"
"I don't think he will leave her not even then" Arthur thought for a moment then went down to the courtyard where he spotted Leon "Leon, could you do me a favour, go and get Gaius out here, say he is needed please"
The knight looked at Arthur and frowned "Why should I say he is needed Sire"
"Whatever you think, I just need to speak in private for a moment" Arthur admitted to his friend
Leon shrugged and went to do as he was asked. Not for the first time Arthur was proud of how his knights trusted him. A few moments later Leon come out with Gaius. Arthur had waited in the corridor. Seeing Gaius come towards him Arthur gestured and Gaius followed "What is it Sire I really should be with the Lady Morgana"
Arthur looked at Leon "What excuse did you use?"
Gaius snorted "He told me that one of the knights had hurt themselves in training, it's a good job your father was distracted or he would have realised training finished hours ago." Gaius looked at Merlin who was stood by Arthurs side. He raised his eyebrow and looked at the Prince. "What are you up to?" he demanded.
Leon had left them and once he was gone Arthur turned to Gaius "I need you to get father out of your room for ten minutes or longer, we have been to see the dragon and he has given Merlin a way of healing Morgana, but he can't do it with the king there"
Gaius looked surprised and then concerned "What possessed you to do that!"
"I want Morgana to live Gaius, she's the nearest thing I have to a sister, I will do anything to help her." Arthur hesitated "I trust Merlin now will you do as I ask?"
Gaius looked thoughtful "I will do my best but if I can't you will have to think of your own way" the old man turned and went back into his rooms. Once there he checked Morgana and then looked at the King. "Sire the lady sleeps, it might be best if you took some rest yourself. I can call if anything changes, she might be like this for some time."
Uther looked up he was clearly upset "Is there nothing you can do Gaius? I would allow you to do anything to save her" he was clearly hinting at magic.
"What you ask is against the law, you would ask me to do that when you hold my family and treat my grandson worse than a slave!" Gaius said bitterly.
"I had no choice Gaius, he had magic, I could have had him burnt" Uther snapped "I showed mercy"
"Your own nephew!" Gaius turned away in disgust.
"Do you need a collared one?" Uther asked again
"No…..no I don't, I will do what I can for her" Gaius said "But not for you! But for my lady"
"Heal her and I will relax my restrictions on the boy, but I can't set him free" Uther stood up. "I will leave you to consider, you are right I do need to rest, I will be back in a few hours, but think on what I have asked, if she dies….." he left the rest as a threat hanging over Gaius. Uther kissed his ward's forehead and walked out. He didn't notice Arthur and Merlin who had waited round the corner. As soon as Uther had disappeared round the corner Arthur and Merlin went into Gaius's rooms.
Gaius turned round "Did you hear?" he asked his voice broken
Arthur shook his head "Your door and walls hold out sound, how did you manage it?"
Gaius gave a bitter laugh "I didn't not really, I asked him to rest, he told me to heal his ward by whatever means and he would relax his treatment of Merlin and if I didn't….. well let's just say it better work and not just for the Lady Morgana's sake. I'm sorry Sire but your father is a hypocrite" Arthur had never heard Gaius sound so bitter.
Arthur didn't say anything he turned to Merlin "Are you ready?" merlin went and sat by Morgana and prepared himself then he nodded at Arthur.
"You need to leave the room and so do you" Merlin looked at Gaius "Kilgarrah said I must be alone with her"
The two men went to the door just as they went out Arthur released what control of the collar he was able and then shut the door. Merlin took Morgana's hands in his and started to peak in the old tongue, his voice deepening and becoming more powerful then he opened his mouth a wisp of smoke came from his mouth and into Morgana at his side. This continued for about a minute before it stopped. Morgana shuddered and Merlin sagged. Just before he collapsed he called out for Arthur.
Arthur and Gaius came back in, Arthur caught Merlin before he collapsed completely and Gaius checked him over "It has drained him, let him sleep he will recover" Then the physician went to Morgana and looked at her. Satisfying himself he turned "She will sleep, she will be fine. I will make her sleep for longer with a draft, the King must not know how quickly she has recovered he will suspect if it's too quick. I have some healing magic but not as powerful as the Great Dragon"
Arthur picked put Merlin in his arms "We'll leave you, let me know if you need anything else. I will look after Merlin"
Gaius looked at Arthur "You are a better man than your father, care for the boy, he means more to me than I can say"
"I will" Arthur left and used the servant's stairway to get to his rooms not wanting anyone to see him carrying Merlin. When he was nearly there he stood Merlin down "Wake up Merlin just until we get past the guards"
Merlin opened his eyes and stood with very wobbly feet and stumbled after Arthur. The minute they were in Arthur's rooms he fell onto his blanket on the floor. Arthur fetched him some watered down Wine and sat the sleepy boy up "Drink this then you can sleep" he told Merlin "And thank you I won't forget what you have done for me"
Merlin drank then sank onto his ratty blanket. Arthur covered him with the other slightly better blanket then pulled on off his own bed and placed over Merlin and put the boys coat under his head. He couldn't do more without arousing suspicion otherwise he would have placed the boy on his own bed. Arthur longed for the day when he could claim Merlin as a cousin and treat him with the care and love he deserved. But he knew now was not the time.
Back in his chamber's Gaius kept an eye on Morgana and when he was happy with her he gave her a strong sedative that would ensure she slept until the morning, long enough for his 'weak' magic to have possibly healed her. He was pleased to see her healed but hated how Uther could bend the rules to suit himself. If Gaius had ever been found to be using magic with anyone else this family and himself would have been burnt. One thing he did intend was that Merlin would in some way benefit from what he had done, after all it was him that had saved the Lady Morganas life.
It was several hours later when Uther came to sit by his ward once more. He looked at Gaius "She looks better is she?"
Gaius looked at Morgana "I believe she will life Sire, but she will need rest"
"Thank you Gaius I will not forget my promise the boy shall have increased rations, he looks thin"
Gaius looked at Uther in disbelief "You promised you would life restrictions on him"
Uther looked at the physician who had once been his friend "That is what I am doing. Sorcerers are limited to two bowls of gruel a day. I will left his food to that of a servants."
"Is that all your wards life is worth?" Gaius said angrily.
"Would you not have healed her anyway Gaius? You are a physician after all" he looked at the old man "Alright I will allow him an extra blanket and clothing, although I note my son seems to have already improved on the clothing, it seems he is shamed by the boy's previous allocation which I will ignore in recognition. And don't think I haven't noticed that your daughter seems to be getting better clothing and rations than is normal for her new rank."
Gaius turned "I must check on my other patients" with that he left the king.
Uther sat and brushed Morganas hair back from her forehead and kissed her. Then quietly and because he was alone he allowed himself to say what he had wanted to say for many years, the relief at her recovery loosening his resolve. "Oh Morgana if only I could acknowledge you for the daughter that you are instead of pretending you are nothing but my ward. It would solve so many problems I could arrange a better marriage for you, and stop the worry that you and Arthur may wish to marry, for that can never be for he is your half-brother."
Unfortunately for Uther his daughter was not as asleep as he believed and she heard what he was saying. If it hadn't been for the spell that Gaius had used to make her appear to be recovering slowly she would have reacted. As it was she listened in horror. First at his broken promise to Gaius then the confession of her parentage. What he muttered next was to be his undoing. Uther stroked her forehead and absentmindedly as if he was just going through things in his mind he muttered "Now I must find a way of getting the boy back from Arthur, he cannot have such a powerful mange under his control, he doesn't even know he has a dragonlord under his wing. Your brother is to young yet to be trusted with such a power."
Uther stopped as he heard someone coming to the door. The door opened and Arthur walked in "How is she father?"
"She has improved over night, Gaius says she will live she just needs lots of rest." Uther told his son.
"Thank goodness!" Arthur was relieved the spell had worked.
"Once Gaius is back we will move her back to her rooms, this is hardly decent for her" Uther told his son "Oh I was talking to Gaius he seems concerned that the boy mange is too thin. You may have his rations increased to that of a lower servant and arrange for him to have one more blanket from the servant's store."
Arthur kept his face blank "I will order it Sire" such a small reward for all that Merlin had done, but with the extra he had been sneaking Merlin at least it would help starve of the cold a bit more with winter coming up.