I totally jinxed myself on that last promise. I'm really tired (and have to be back at work in a few hours) but I finally have internet and you need an update. Enjoy!
The first thing he noticed was that his head was throbbing. For a few minutes, he couldn't move, couldn't think past the pounding. He focused on his breathing and counted his heartbeats until the pain was not so consuming. He opened his eyes and squinted. It was night but the moon provided enough light for him to discern that he was standing in the forest. The moonlight flickered – wait, that was not moonlight. There was a fire in the clearing. Confused, he tried to reach up and found his hands were bound. What was going on?
He struggled and realized he was bound to a post. Softly, he moved his feet and winced when he heard twigs snapping.
He was bound to a pyre.
His eyes were clearing and the adrenaline cleared his head. Next to him, on another pyre, was Gaius. He appeared uninjured. Looking around, he saw his knights piled together, not moving.
"They are not dead yet." The voice belonged to Edwin but he was nowhere in Arthur's line of sight. As he watched his men were all lifted, propped up and Arthur was disturbed to see their eyes open, faces pale and sweaty. "But they will be no help to you. They are merely here to be my audience!"
Arthur finally spotted Edwin when he walked past to the fire. It came back to him then. They had successfully captured the sorcerer and drugged him. It was the second day of the trip home when they were overwhelmed. Everyone had been knocked down, the horses frozen in place as they reared. Edwin had walked right up to Arthur, gag still around his neck, and knocked him out with a fist to his head. Obviously Gaius' sedative had not worked and they had underestimated the man's power. He swallowed the nervous taste from him mouth. He had to find a way to save them from this. He had to stall. Working his hands against the rope behind him, he asked, "What have you done to Gaius and my men?"
Edwin laughed. "None of them are dead. The traitor is alive, see!" Edwin incanted and Gaius' eyes snapped open. Arthur was relieved. He wiggled the rope up his wrist towards his hands.
"Why are you doing this?"
Edwin laughed again. His laugh was cold and sneering. He turned away from Arthur completely and approached Gaius. "Do you remember me, old man?"
Gaius scanned the clearing quickly before studying Edwin closely. "No, but I can guess. Very few people mastered that enchantment and I can only remember one with a wife. Only one couple was sent to the pyre, leaving their son an orphan. Edwin, I wondered what had become of you."
Edwin hit Gaius with his fist. Arthur struggled harder against the rope. "As if you cared about anyone but yourself!"
"I tried to keep you from the same fate. I made sure you lived."
Edwin cut him off with a hand on Gaius' throat. "You condemned me to this cursed life. Thanks to you I suffered months of pain while my burns healed. Thanks to you I was left with these scars that make people hate me. Thanks to you I was left all alone in this world!"
Arthur knew Gaius would have done all he could to heal Edwin. He couldn't stand to see his old mentor choked. "Leave him alone!"
Edwin whirled around. "And you. Uther Pendragon is the cause of all of it. He created the purge! I will make him suffer by killing his precious heir!"
"Let Arthur go. He is innocent in this." Arthur could hear the resignation in Gaius' voice. What was he thinking? He wriggled harder and contorted his hands until his thumbs were as pulled in as possible. He spotted his weapons not far away.
"I was innocent. My mother was innocent. Even my father – what was his crime? His only crime was that he used magic to strengthen my mother's cures. So you see, innocence is irrelevant. Uther must pay for his crimes."
Gaius continued to plead with Edwin but was ignored. He took a burning branch from the fire and approached. Arthur struggled harder, he could feel one loop on the edge of his knuckles. Edwin lit Arthur's pyre and then calmly strolled to Gaius. "I thought about letting you watch him burn, like I had to watch my parents burn, but I find I am impatient. I have waited for this a long time." He dropped the branch on the wood at Gaius' feet.
"How does it feel, Gaius? How does it feel to finally face the pyre after escaping it for so many years? After condemning others, even your friends, to save yourself?" Arthur could feel the heat from the flames but for some reason they did not come closer. He could feel his raw skin finally tearing, the blood dripping down. He pulled harder, the blood would slick his hands and help him slip off the rope. He was so close! If he could just get one loop off, the entire bundle would be loosened. Edwin approached him. "And you, Pendragon? How does it feel to be subjected to the same fate your father ordered on so many people? On innocent people!"
Edwin stepped closer and said a spell. Arthur flinched back as the flames leaped higher but still they did not come closer. Above them, the wind roared and clouds obscured the stars. With a flash and peal of thunder, rain poured down. Arthur was thrown with the familiarity of this event (could it be?) but the rope finally slipped off and he pushed it off while he watched the flames die. Edwin turned, searching the clearing in the sudden darkness. Arthur used the distraction to run towards his weapons, giving a small satisfied grunt when his hand closed on his sword. He crouched, searching for his knife when Edwin called out, "Who is there?" He grasped his knife just before he was knocked back. Quickly, he sheathed his knife and drew his sword.
Gaius called out, drawing Edwin's attention. "Stop this, Edwin. Your father never intended to use those beetles to harm others! Release the spell and save yourself."
Edwin laughed. Arthur felt himself thrown back and twisted. It saved him from knocking his head on the tree but his back took the impact. He let himself lean on the tree for a moment. He could hear Edwin talking.
"You have no right to speak about my father, Gaius! I am beyond saving. After you betrayed my parents, I was chased out of Camelot and right into the hands of Cenred! Whether or not I like it, he owns me now. But I've learned a lot from him. Would you like to see?"
Arthur had a moment to wonder what was happening before he collapsed in pain. He could hear everyone in the clearing screaming. His own pain was great, but he was able to hold back his scream. He heard a faint shattering sound and then was lost in a new wave of agony. Through the burning he felt an impact and let himself roll with it. The pain disappeared, leaving him gasping on the ground. He looked around and saw Edwin in the moonlight, crouching with his hands extended.
He stood abruptly. "Emrys! Where are you? I know your magic! Show yourself!"
Arthur looked around, searching frantically. He knew it! The sudden storm was just like the one Merlin conjured in Camelot. Merlin was supposed to be in Camelot! Edwin couldn't find him. He sat up. He needed to get Merlin away from here. "Merlin?"
Edwin whirled around to face Arthur. "Merlin?"
Arthur realized his mistake. He could not let Edwin escape this alive now. He did not know what Cenred would do when he found out Merlin was in Camelot, but it would be nothing good.
Edwin was laughing. "Has little Emrys found his way to Camelot after all? Who would have thought! A Pendragon sheltering a sorcerer! And not just any sorcerer- the most powerful warlock to ever exist!" He doubled over laughing. Arthur pulled his legs under him but the pain spell had left him sore, preventing him from standing. He was thrown again.
"Come out, Emrys! Master wants you back! He misses his favorite pet. Come back with me now and maybe you won't be punished. Don't you want to return? Don't you miss your special little room? Your special food? Master promises you more attention!" He cackled.
Arthur's anger flared and he used it to lift himself up. How dare this man try to tempt Merlin out of hiding? How could he stand to send Merlin back to Cenred's clutches? Didn't he know what Cenred would do to Merlin? "After what Cenred did to him, you can't really expect to lure Merlin away with promises of special treatment!"
He found himself stuck to the tree, unable to move, his sword on the ground a few feet away.
Edwin stalked closer. "Lure? Emrys will return whether he likes it or not! Special, hah! It's a joke little Pendragon." He pushed on the spell and Arthur felt his chest compress. "It's our little joke, isn't it, Emrys?"
A joke? What happened to Merlin was no joke! "Leave him alone!"
Edwin leaned close. "Aren't you curious? Did Emrys tell you all about it? Oh, wait, he can't! He's not allowed to speak. Well, I guess I could tell you."
Arthur raged but his air was cut off. Edwin was doing this out of spite, but Arthur didn't understand why. What could Merlin have done to bring Edwin against him?
"His special little room is a cell. Don't you miss that, Emrys?" Edwin's sneer made Arthur angry. He knew exactly what he was doing to Merlin. Arthur could only imagine the torment this was causing Merlin. Edwin continued on without hesitation, "The clanking chains, the chilly drafts, the rotten hay. He liked it. It was better than the alternative. See, unlike Mordred, Emrys hadn't earned a real room. He didn't like earning rewards."
He kicked out, struggling with all his strength. He didn't need to hear what Cenred considered rewards. "We all knew what Cenred really wanted, why he chose Mordred and Emrys to be his special pets! But it keeps the rest of us safe. While he's busy with them, we can live a little easier."
Arthur struggled harder. His chest was still compressed and couldn't expand to take deep breaths. Edwin's hand was merely keeping him from voicing his anger. He wanted to crush Edwin and then do the same to Cenred.
"Don't look so disgusted, Pendragon! It's all your father's fault. He's the one that chased us out of Camelot and forced us right into Cenred's hands. What were we supposed to choose? Death on the pyre or life as pet sorcerers? It's no life at all but as long as Cenred has his entertainment, we can pretend otherwise!"
Arthur's heart was breaking as he struggled. Edwin's statements were wrong on so many levels that he couldn't even begin to fathom it all. He knew, without a doubt, that he would never let anyone hurt a child even if it made his life easier. He remembered Merlin on that first day. Never. He would never let that happen. He renewed his struggles when he spotted Gaius over Edwin's shoulder, sneaking closer.
Gaius called out unintelligible words. Magic? No, nothing happened.
Edwin turned away from Arthur. "Oh, Gaius, you really have fallen far, haven't you?" He spat the same words back and sent Gaius flying away. Arthur felt the spell around him give and he wasted no time. He jumped on Edwin and brought him to the ground.
"Merlin is never going back! He's safe now. You're the disgusting one, letting Cenred torture and abuse children to keep him distracted from you!" His voice was hoarse and he was gulping air down desperately.
They rolled around, each trying to get on top. He pulled out his knife but lost it when Edwin bit him.
"You don't know! You have no idea what it's like to have him controlling you, every minute of every day!" He was right. Arthur couldn't even begin to imagine life like that. It didn't change anything. Merlin was just a boy – he couldn't fight back.
"No! But I also know that I wouldn't let children suffer that! You could have fought! You could have protected them!" Arthur tried to reach for his dagger and Edwin pushed him off balance. He was pinned and brought his hands up to stop the man's dagger.
"You have no right to judge me, Pendragon. This was never about Emrys. At least it was only those two boys and not a new one every week. Besides, to avenge my parents, to see Camelot fall, I would do whatever it took!" He knocked Arthur's hands away and swung the dagger.
Suddenly Arthur felt Edwin's weight lift off and saw him crash into a tree. He slumped there, unconscious. Arthur got up, "Merlin? Merlin, where are you?" He looked around frantically. He had to get Merlin out of here.
"Merlin!"
Gaius came to him. He held him tightly by his arms. "Arthur, calm down, listen to me." He waited until Arthur hushed and met his eyes. "I don't think he's here. He's probably still in Camelot."
"How? That had to be him, he saved us, with magic." Arthur started to look around again. Gaius held him.
"He must have been casting from Camelot. You have to go to him. That much magic, at this distance, it will leave him very weak."
"What?" Arthur was finally calming, listening closely. This could be very bad. "Gaius, what if somebody saw him? Morgana and Gwen don't know!"
"That's why you have to go. Go, we will follow with Edwin."
Arthur startled. His men! He hadn't even checked on them. He pulled out of Gaius' grasp and started towards them. Movement in the corner of his eye stopped him. Edwin was coming awake. Arthur picked up his knife. Edwin laughed weakly but didn't move. "You'd better kill me, Pendragon. I'm dead anyway. Either your father will kill me for my magic or Cenred will kill me for failing."
Arthur stood over him, watching him closely. Edwin did not appear to be in pain but he had not even attempted to rise or move his arms. "You can't move can you?"
Edwin ignored him, his face angry. "Do it!" Edwin met his eyes and Arthur could see him thinking, calculating. "Or do you want Master to find his missing pet?"
Arthur knew when he was being baited. "Would you really send Merlin back to that? You really want me to kill you that badly?"
"I will if you don't kill me. I don't particularly care, but I hate Uther more than Cenred. Kill me, Pendragon, and be done with it. At least at your hands it would be a quick death. If you try to take me to Uther, I won't hesitate to trade Emrys' location for a merciful death. Just do it. I don't feel any attachment to this life."
Arthur gripped his knife and held it up, thinking. He was no executioner. He would rather not kill Edwin, but he couldn't risk Cenred finding out where Merlin was. He knew Edwin was right; a death on the pyre awaited him in Camelot. Who knew what Cenred would do to him as punishment, even given Merlin's location? Besides, this man was responsible for the deaths of countless villagers – and there would be more if he didn't release the spell! His decision was taken away from him by the spell Edwin muttered. Arthur felt the knife pull from his grasp and watched it sink into Edwin. Arthur idly thought that this was about as much peace as Edwin would have ever had.
Gaius was standing behind him when he turned. "He made his choice, Arthur."
Arthur shook his head, he had failed. "But the spell, he didn't – "
Gaius cut him off. "This one releases upon the sorcerer's death. Everyone will be alright."
Arthur looked to his men. They still had not risen. He moved closer and crouched next to Percival. He looked in Percival's ears and found blood trickling out of the left side. "Gaius! He's still bleeding! Are you sure the spell is released?"
Gaius joined him. Taking a scrap of cloth, he wiped the blood away only to have another trickle come out. With the new flow, a small bloody lump was pushed out. Gaius picked it up with the cloth. Arthur watched and was supremely relieved to see the lump revealed as a beetle. "They will be alright, Arthur. It may take some time for them to wake now. Edwin was using the beetles to paralyze them and it will take some time for them to regain consciousness. You, on the other hand, have to go. Merlin will need you."
Arthur didn't move. "You said it would leave him weak."
"Yes, it will, and if he were a healthy man at the peak of his power, this all – "Gaius gestured vaguely around, "– would leave him drained but able to recover on his own with some food and rest. But he is not a healthy man, not even a healthy boy. He will be extremely weakened."
"Will he be alright?"
"It will take some time. I cannot say for certain. I will wait for your men to recover and we will hurry on behind you. Keep him warm and hydrated until I can examine him." Gaius nudged him to stand.
Arthur recognized the urgency in Gaius' voice. He only hoped that nobody had witnessed Merlin using magic or else he didn't know if he would be able to help at all. No, he couldn't think like that. He had to focus on the task at hand, get to Camelot, and Merlin, quickly. He looked at the sky realizing he didn't even know what time it was. "I can arrive before nightfall if I ride hard and take two horses with me. Have one of the knights return to the villages. He can acquire a horse and confirm the spell is released. I'll expect you the day after. Do you need anything from me?"
"No, go on. I may be old, but I'm not yet useless." Gaius smiled and Arthur gave him a quick hug.
"Never said you were. Take care." Without another word, Arthur retrieved his horse. He left the packs from Caradoc's horse on the ground before tying the reins to his saddle. He mounted and with a final wave, he rode off.
He rode the horses hard, alternating every hour and stopping only to water and rest the horses at midday. When he finally came within sight of Camelot he stopped to catch his breath. He didn't want to alarm anyone by riding in like a madman. He rode in calmly through the lower town and took the time to settle his horses with the stable hands. Not seeing a commotion or pyre being built, he allowed himself to relax a bit. As he walked up the steps to the courtyard he glanced at Morgana's windows hoping to see her with Merlin, but the reflection of the low sun prevented him from seeing in. Leon met him right inside the hallway. Arthur clasped arms with him.
"Arthur, how was your mission?"
"It is complete. You'll be very interested in some of it, but first I need to check on Merlin." As he spoke, Morgana and Gwen joined them. Arthur noticed with some trepidation that Merlin was not with them.
"Report to your father first, Arthur. Get that out of the way and then we need to talk."
"Leon, where is he? What's happened?"
"Not what you think. Come, we'll report to your father and then I'll fill you in. Lady Morgana, perhaps you and Gwen could continue without us?"
Morgana nodded. Leon led him to the throne room. "Continue what, Leon? What is going on?"
"Arthur, I need you to focus on this first. You know your father is already worried about your priorities, assure him that your mission is complete and you'll be free to help us. Focus. You are the prince, act like it."
Arthur felt his worry grow but pushed it to the back of his mind. He understood Leon's reasoning. With renewed energy, he led the way to the throne room.
It did not go as quickly as he hoped. His father wanted to know all the details of what happened. As he praised him for killing the sorcerer, Arthur had to suppress the urge to scowl. He didn't feel right taking credit for the man's suicide, especially given that he still did not understand everything he'd said. He was going to have a long talk with Gaius when he returned. After mulling over Arthur's report, his father reminded him of his earlier promise and it was all Arthur could do to persuade him to wait until Gaius reexamined Merlin.
To his surprise, Uther sighed. "Arthur, I realize that my last encounter with the boy was perhaps not conducive to establishing a rapport, however, if you want him to remain in Camelot, I insist on studying him for myself. One day you will understand that the needs of the kingdom must come before anything, including the feelings of a single child."
Arthur knew that was about as close to an apology as he was ever likely to hear. "Sire, I understand the need for you to examine Merlin. I only ask that you allow Gaius to examine him first. It has been several weeks since his last medical examination and I am sure you remember the extent of his injuries." Arthur met his father's eyes, not expecting any other indication of agreement. "I am not trying to prevent you from meeting Merlin, Sire, I only want to prevent a repeat of the last time."
Uther was silent as he sat back in his chair. "Very well, Arthur. Gaius may examine him first and he will report to me if Merlin is ready. You may go."
Arthur bowed. "Thank you father." Leon followed behind him as they left. As soon as they turned the corner, Arthur slowed to look at Leon. "Now?"
Leon stood stiffly. "Merlin is missing."
Arthur looked around them out of reflex. "What? When?"
"He was here last night. When Guinevere went in to wake Morgana, he was already gone. They came to find me and we have been discreetly searching since then. I was just about to search outside when you arrived, thinking maybe he wanted to meet you."
Arthur shook his head. He headed toward his room. "That doesn't make sense. How would he know where to wait? I wasn't even supposed to arrive until tomorrow. I don't believe he would have left on his own. Did something happen?"
Leon followed closely. "I cannot say for certain. I…"
Arthur paused again to look at Leon. Leon rarely hesitated. "What is it?"
"I got the impression that something happened last night. Guinevere would not know, but when I asked Morgana what happened, I don't think she answered honestly. I think she omitted something. A bit like your report."
Arthur continued on his way. "I had to omit certain portions. I could hardly tell my father that an unknown – "he paused, "– person helped us. I will tell you about it. What do you think Morgana's hiding?"
Leon had questions; Arthur could tell that he was ordering them in his head by importance. They were outside his chambers. Leon glanced around before answering. "Arthur, you said someone helped you? With – you know – "here he raised an eyebrow knowingly. "Could it have been Merlin?"
"I am fairly certain it was Merlin, but he couldn't have been near us, not if he was here for bedtime last night."
"I tucked him in myself. But, Arthur, what if Morgana saw him doing whatever he did? That would explain why he's run away."
"Yes, but that doesn't tell us where he is. Where is my blasted key?!" Arthur had checked his pockets twice. "I must have left it in my pack." He turned to head to the stables. Leon stopped him. Footsteps approached.
A servant came down the corridor carrying Arthur's pack. When he saw Arthur, the man straightened and hurried. "Prince Arthur, I brought your pack." He bowed.
Leon took the pack from him. "Thank you." They waited until the man left. Arthur pulled his key from a side pocket. "Think Arthur, you know him best. Where would he go, if that's what happened?"
He finally got the door open. It was cold in his chambers. He kept his cloak on while he moved to the fireplace intending to build a big blaze. "I hardly know him that well, Leon. He knows magic is banned in Camelot, so it's possible he tried to leave and if that's the case then we had better hurry to find him. It's too cold for him out there. It's probably too cold for him in here!"
Arthur stilled. Cold. Gaius had told him Merlin would be weak. Merlin could have left Camelot, but it was just as possible he tried to get to Arthur too. Except Merlin couldn't have known where to find him… but he knew where Arthur would return. Arthur looked around his room. "Merlin?" he called out.
Leon was watching him, letting him think. Arthur's gaze settled on the bed. The servants would have left the curtains up to show the bed had been made, but the curtains were down. His room had been locked. They wouldn't have prepared his room until tomorrow morning. He rushed over. He yanked the curtains open.
He was there!
"Merlin!" Arthur kneeled on the bed and reached to pick him up. Merlin didn't respond. His eyes were half closed and glazed over. Arthur sat down and pulled Merlin on his lap. Merlin was barefoot, wearing only his sleeping clothes. A quick glance showed that he hadn't even tried to pull the blankets over him. Arthur raised Merlin's head, worried by how cold Merlin felt. Merlin's eyes were completely unfocused and Arthur could see dried tear tracks. He patted his cheek gently, trying to get a reaction from him but there was none. He looked up at Leon. "Leon, I don't know what to do."
Leon at him blankly, shrugging. "It looks like he's in shock but I've never dealt with children in shock before. My first thought would be to take him to Gaius. "
Arthur nodded. This did look like shock. He didn't know if this was due to the amount of magic Merlin used or simply the way he'd used it. Remembering what Edwin had said, he wondered if Merlin had retreated into his memories again. If that was the case, Arthur knew that Merlin would eventually come around as long as Arthur stayed with him. He just needed time.
"He always seems to come around eventually. All Gaius said was to keep him warm and hydrated." He remembered the girls. "Can you tell Morgana that we've found him?"
Leon nodded. "I'll do that now."
Arthur wrapped Merlin in a blanket before he ventured out behind Leon. He found a servant and asked for a bath and food, as well as more firewood. His room was usually ready before his arrival, but because he had rushed back without warning, nothing was prepared. He returned and found Merlin exactly as he left him. He wanted to move him to the fire but knew that the servants would soon be heating water there for the bath so instead he hugged Merlin close.
"Merlin, can you hear me?" This time Merlin whimpered. His eyes moved but remained unfocused. "Merlin, it's me. Arthur. Can you tell me what's wrong?" Merlin whimpered again, but didn't respond and only turned his head away. Arthur didn't know what to do so he simply sat rubbing Merlin's back and murmuring reassurances.
The room settled into a few minutes of peace which seemed to soothe Merlin all the more. He began breathing deeper but when Arthur checked, Merlin was still awake. There was more color to his face, a slight flush on his cheeks and nose. As Arthur reached to check his temperature, the doors flew open and he found himself standing, on guard. He was puzzled when Morgana closed the doors behind her.
She walked right up to them. "Is he alright?"
Arthur shrugged and took a breath to explain but she interrupted him. "Arthur, we have to get Merlin away from here." Her voice was urgent, worry plain on her face. Merlin stiffened and gripped Arthur's shirt.
"What?" Arthur tried to think about what could have happened since he arrived. Or was this from last night?
"I can't tell you why, you just have to trust me. It's not safe for him here. Please, Arthur, we have to get him out of Camelot." Merlin whimpered softly. Arthur noticed wearily that Merlin's eyes were red but no tears were forming. He must be dehydrated. When would the servants arrive with food and water?
Arthur didn't answer her. Morgana must have seen Merlin's magic but rather than turning him in, she wanted to get him out. He knew that Morgana always hated Uther's executions, fought with him to judge the accused for their actions. He weighed his options and knew he had to admit to Merlin's magic. He was reasonably certain he could trust her. Glancing at the door, he asked quietly, "Morgana, did you see him use magic last night?"
Morgana looked shocked. Arthur sighed as he searched through his pack to find his water skin. Her expression was all the confirmation he needed. He uncorked the skin with his teeth and shifted Merlin's head back to try to help him drink. Morgana came over and held the skin to Merlin's lips. With that action alone, she completely won Arthur over. He spoke as he watched Merlin drink. "I already know he has magic. I knew it from the beginning. I wouldn't have brought him here if I thought he was dangerous. He needs protecting and Camelot is about the safest place to hide him."
Morgana trickled more water from the skin encouraging Merlin to swallow with her other hand. "Arthur, if you knew… why on earth did you bring him here? This is the last place he should be. If Uther found out – "
Arthur interrupted her. "He won't. Only Leon, Gaius, and I know about it. And now you and probably Guinevere as I can't imagine you keeping secrets from her. Merlin knows to be careful. What he did last night, he did to save my life. He also saved Gaius and my knights. Trust me when I tell you that he did not do any of it with malicious intentions."
Morgana put down the skin with a huff. "I know that! I just – I didn't know what you would do. You grew up with Uther and his ruthless purge. I didn't know what you believed."
Arthur thought about what she said. How could she know what Merlin's magic was used for? He would have to consider it later when he wasn't so tired or weighed down with worry. "Well, I won't turn him in. I promised to protect him and that's what I intend to do. I know that not all magic is evil and Merlin much less."
Morgana looked thoughtfully at him. "You really believe that?"
Arthur met her eyes. "I believe everything I just said." He could see that she wanted to say something else and it made him come back to her earlier assurance that she knew why Merlin used his magic. An idea grew at the back of his head but before either of them could say anything else a knock sounded at the door.
Arthur wrapped Merlin a little tighter and passed him over to Morgana. To his surprise, Merlin's arm reached out for him. Morgana passed him back with a sad smile. "He missed you terribly. Why don't you hold him?"
Arthur took Merlin back and watched as Morgana went to open the door. There was quite a crowd waiting to enter and Arthur made sure to turn Merlin away, not wanting to overwhelm him.
Gwen and Leon entered first and lead in a stream of servants. Arthur suspected that many of them had volunteered in order to catch a glimpse of Merlin. All of them glanced towards him but he was grateful that as they worked they did not linger. They carried in buckets of water and the large kettle, Merlin's cot, medicine chest, clothing (of which there was a surprising amount), blankets, and just an endless stream of things. He was surprised to see so many servants pitching in as he knew that it was quite late. Before he knew it, his bath was laid out, his bed changed, his floors covered in clean rugs, and Merlin's belongings arranged neatly near his wardrobe. Even his dirty clothing had been taken from his pack. Gwen appeared at his side. "Sire, we thought you might like to bathe first. When you are ready, we will bring up the food and take away the tubs."
He thanked her and after a moment the room was empty again. Leon and Morgana must have left during the commotion. He looked around and settled Merlin with some pillows near the fire. As he worked, he explained to Merlin his plan. "I'm going to keep some water warm for you in this kettle while I bathe. You just stay there and keep warm. It's alright if you fall asleep."
Arthur would have liked to stay for a good long soak but he had Merlin to think about and in this cool weather the water cooled quickly despite the fire. He was sore from the fighting and the long ride. The deeper soreness was probably a remnant of Edwin's magical attack. His head had begun to pound more forcefully but he ignored it. He wondered if Merlin had been hurt by any of Edwin's attacks. He reminded himself to check during the bath.
By the time he stepped out, the water was barely lukewarm and he shivered in the cool air. Dressing quickly, he found Merlin's tub and placed it close to the fire. He soothed Merlin as he unwrapped him. Merlin was fairly unresponsive but at least his eyes were clearer. Arthur bathed him quickly. He wasn't sure the bath was a good idea given that it made Merlin uncomfortable and he was so cold, but he knew how relaxing baths could be and hoped that it would at least help Merlin feel safer. He was pleased that Merlin had healed well, his bruises gone and the open wounds disappeared into faint pink scars. Gaius would have to remove the stitches as soon as possible. There was no evidence of new hurt though Arthur knew the magic may not have left visible traces.
He wrapped Merlin in a towel and went in search of clothes, picking out the warmest shirt and trousers. After dressing him, he brought Merlin to the bed and called for a servant. It was another surprise to see so many remained behind, working quickly as a team to clear away the water and tubs. As they moved out, two servants entered with the food. It all seemed so wonderfully coordinated. Arthur was somewhat happy to realize the amount of teamwork he was witnessing. It pleased him to see that even the servants of Camelot could exhibit such unity and pride in their work.
Before the last servant left, he told them that they could go home now. The dishes could be taken away in the morning – it was unnecessary to have them walking around on a cold winter's night just to ferry his dirty dishes. He nodded away the thanks and locked the door behind them. He snuffed the candles around the room, leaving only those on the table and near the bed lit.
He sat on the edge of the bed. His heart sank when he saw tears on Merlin's face. He had hoped to get some food in Merlin before talking about what happened but it seemed his plans were for naught. He propped Merlin up and held up his chin. "Merlin – "he realized he didn't know where to start. There was really only one thing he absolutely needed to say, "thank you."
Merlin averted his eyes. Arthur wiped away his falling tears. "Merlin, why are you sad? You saved my life. You saved Gaius. You gave us the information we needed to figure out this mess and be prepared. You have helped us all and you should be proud about it. I am proud of you. What's wrong?"
He paused to see if Merlin would respond. He only shook his head. Arthur pulled up his chin again. "Merlin, I can't help you if I don't know what is wrong. From where I stand, you are a hero." He paused again, thinking. "Is this about the things Edwin said? Merlin, I know he was trying to hurt you. Don't let yourself be sucked into those memories. You're safe now. I'll keep you safe."
Merlin's lower lip quivered. "I –"he coughed, "I'm…" Arthur could see him trying to push the words out, his chest rising too quickly. He placed a hand on Merlin's chest.
"Breathe, Merlin. Hush now. Breathe. If it's easier, can you tell me up here?" He gestured to his own head.
Merlin looked more frightened. "Sorry, s-s-sorry, sorrysorrysorry – "
Arthur didn't let him turn his face away. "Merlin, look at me. You have nothing to be sorry for. Absolutely nothing. Where is this coming from? Are you upset because you revealed your magic to Morgana?"
Merlin's eyes flashed and Arthur saw the moment when Edwin was thrown against the tree. It repeated, this time lingering at the end where Edwin laid on the ground. Arthur was confused. "Merlin, if you hadn't done that he would have killed me. You saved me."
Merlin didn't look reassured, quite the contrary, he looked more upset. "Would you rather he hurt me?"
Merlin shook his head frantically. Arthur felt frustrated and it must have showed on his face. Merlin ducked his head and pulled away. He cleared his expression. "Merlin, I don't understand."
He heard Merlin whisper something. Leaning closer, he held his breath. Very quietly, he heard it again. "K-killed-d. Killed him-m. S-s-sorry."
He took a deep breath, relieved. This he could deal with. He very nearly laughed with relief! Controlling himself, he pulled Merlin up and held him so that his face was close to Merlin's face. "You didn't kill him, Merlin. You knocked him out. That's it." Merlin didn't need to know that Edwin had been paralyzed. Already, Merlin's eyes were more alert, searching Arthur's eyes. Arthur held his gaze confidently. "He came around and threatened us again. I killed him then. Not you." He hugged Merlin close as he felt the boy relax dramatically in his arms. "Merlin, I really hope you never have to kill anyone, at least not until you are grown. I will do my very best to protect you to make sure it doesn't come to that and keep you innocent in this."
He moved them to the table. Settling Merlin on his lap, he said, "For now, Merlin, you have my thanks for your help and all you need to worry about is resting. Remember your promise." Merlin looked up at him. Arthur could already see the change in him. Merlin seemed more present and less frightened. "You promised to get stronger for me, remember, before I left?" Merlin nodded. With renewed determination, he slowly ate whatever Arthur set in front of him. Arthur made sure he drank enough water. It wasn't long before they finished, both yawning widely. Arthur grinned at Merlin as he saw the younger boy's eyes drooping. His own eyes felt leaden.
"We make quite a pair, don't we Merlin? Let's get to bed. I locked the door so we can sleep in. We both need some sleep," he said as he banked the fire and snuffed the candles. Finally, he settled them into bed. Merlin curled close to him and Arthur pulled him closer, checking his temperature. Merlin was finally warm though he shivered slightly against Arthur. His forehead was a little warm but not worryingly so. Arthur pulled up the blankets and tucked Merlin tightly against him. "Good night, Merlin." By the light of the last candle, Arthur saw the knight figurine appear from thin air and perch on the tabletop. He checked Merlin again. He looked deeply asleep already, his thumb firmly in his mouth and other hand curled loosely in Arthur's shirt. He had so many questions but they could wait until tomorrow. His last thought was to wonder how long they could sleep in.
I hope you liked it. Let me know! I really enjoy reading your reviews. It makes my day! Thanks for reading.