Sticky Sheets – Part 6/?
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 2800 approx for this part

Summary: Merlin is devastated by his enforced separation from Arthur. Woe and suffering ensues, but not for long I promise.

Merlin was surprised to receive a summons from Uther. The message came from Gaius, who then accompanied him, as Merlin made his way to Uther's private chambers. Merlin asked Gaius if he knew what it was about, but Gaius just shook his head and remained tight lipped. Merlin could see the concern in the lines of his forehead and felt cold tendrils clench in his chest.

When he entered Uther's chambers the king was standing with his back to the door. He didn't turn at first and Merlin stared at his wide shoulders, so similar to those of his son, and tried to slow his breathing.

When Uther finally moved to face Merlin, Merlin could see anger and disgust in his eyes. He looked down at the floor, realising that Uther knew. He waited, dread filling him.

"I am aware that you have been involved with my son, the Prince of Camelot, in a way which is not befitting a master and his servant." His voice was as cold as the stone walls that surrounded them. "I cannot allow you to do anything that will damage the reputation of Prince Arthur, and by association, the good name of Camelot."

Merlin kept his head bowed as Uther continued. "You will cease to serve the prince. I cannot allow you to have any further contact with my son." He paused, "however, Gaius has spoken on your behalf and has persuaded me to allow you to remain in Camelot if you wish. He assures me that you have an aptitude for medicine, and that your skills will one day be an asset to Camelot. You will therefore remain living in Gaius's quarters and continue your training, the rest of the time you will work in the kitchens. They can always use more hands."

"Thank you Sire," Merlin replied hoarsely, dragging his eyes up to meet Uther's. "You are very generous."

"I forbid you to have anything to do with Arthur again," Uther's voice held a warning. "If you try to see him, to speak to him, to send him a message... I will know about it. And you will be banished from Camelot forever. No second chances Merlin, is that clear?"

Merlin swallowed down the lump that was in his throat and blinked back the hot prickly surge behind his eyelids. He raised his chin and looked directly at the king. "Crystal clear, Sire."

"That will be all," Uther turned back to stare out of the window again. "Return with Gaius to your quarters and remain there for the rest of the day. You will start work in the palace kitchens tomorrow."

Merlin turned and led the way through the huge arched doorway. Gaius closed the door behind them and met Merlin's stricken eyes. They didn't speak as they walked back to Gaius's quarters, but he rested a sympathetic hand on Merlin's shoulders.

XOXOXOXOX

Merlin's arms ached as he stirred the huge pot of stew. He wiped the sweat from his brow and continued at his work. The pain in the muscles of his arms was a welcome distraction from the continuing torment of his thoughts.

When they had got back to Gaius's quarters that first night, the old man had tried to get Merlin to talk about what had happened, but Merlin had refused. He just needed to be alone. He had taken to his bed and remained there for the rest of that day and night, until he had to get up at dawn to go and start his new duties as a kitchen hand.

He didn't think he had slept at all. Sleep would have brought relief from the horror that was his new reality, but it hadn't come. Even when his pillow was wet with tears and he was exhausted from crying he had lain awake.

The bleakness of the situation had overwhelmed him when the initial shock began to pass. The realisation crashed over him that he was hopelessly in love. He had loved Arthur for a long time but hadn't really recognised it for what it was. Now it was all he could think about and he was never going to be allowed to be with his love, or even speak to him again. He wondered if Arthur felt even a tiny bit of what he was feeling. He had no idea; they had never discussed what was going on between them.

A few days had passed, but time had done nothing to ease the loss that ached deep in Merlin's soul. If anything the more time he spent away from Arthur, the more desperately he missed him. Arthur was like sunshine and Merlin felt like a plant trapped in darkness, dying from the lack of his warmth and energy.

He allowed the rhythm of the stirring to soothe him a little. The repetitive movement of the spoon in the cauldron and the ache of his arms brought a strange comfort.

Since he had been sent to work in the kitchens he hadn't even been able to catch a glimpse of Arthur. His time was filled with his new duties and if he wasn't in the kitchens he was working under Gaius's watchful eye. Gaius never allowed him a moment alone. Merlin knew this was for his own protection. If Merlin had the opportunity he would have been unable to resist the urge to try and escape, to see Arthur. Even at night Gaius had taken to moving his bed and sleeping in front of the door, there was no way that Merlin could get out without waking him.

Merlin's days fell into a predictable pattern. He rose at dawn and went straight to work in the kitchens. It was hot, exhausting labour but Merlin was glad to be kept occupied. He spent his day there, barely time for a break. Despite being surrounded by food all day he had no appetite and had to pull the drawstring on his breeches tighter every time he dressed in the morning.

He was dismissed from the kitchens in the late afternoon and spent his evenings studying with Gaius. He had still refused to discuss Arthur with the old man, he couldn't find the words and was afraid that if he spoke of the Prince he would start to cry and be unable to stop. Since that first night it had been easier to keep his anguish locked up tight, pressed down somewhere deep inside and mostly ignored.

By the time he collapsed into his bed at night he was physically and mentally exhausted, but still had trouble sleeping. The ache in his chest and tightness in his throat felt constricting and made him breathless. He tossed and turned, twisting in his sheets until he fell into a mercifully dreamless sleep for a few hours, until he had to rise and repeat the seemingly interminable cycle.

XOXOXOXOX

The whispering started in the kitchens a week or so after their enforced separation. The other kitchen hands rarely spoke to Merlin. They would stare at him, some with amusement and others with sympathy, but none of them seemed to know what to say to him. He overheard them talking to each other though, and when he heard them mention the prince one morning his interest was piqued.

"Well I've heard he has a fever that won't break," said a young man. Merlin stiffened, his heart pounding in his chest.

"That's not true," a girl insisted. "My mum knows Gwen and apparently he is asleep and won't wake up. That's what the Lady Morgana told her anyway."

Merlin rounded on them. "Is this true?" he demanded. "Is the Prince really ill?"

They stared at him, shocked by the ferocity of his tone.

"Y...yes," the girl stammered. "He's very ill, they fear for his life. I'm sorry; I thought that Gaius would have told you."

"Yes," whispered Merlin, as a cold hand gripped his heart. "I thought he would have too."

He dropped the knife he had been holding and turned, running through the kitchens and out through the door. His feet pounded and his chest burned as he sprinted round corners, through archways, heading for Arthur's room. He burst through the heavy door and froze, horrified by the tableau before him.

Arthur lay on his bed, nearly as pale as the white sheets beneath him. His eyes were closed, purple shadows lay beneath the lashes that swept onto his cheeks and his lips – normally so red and beautiful – were almost blue. Uther was seated in a large wooden chair beside Arthur's bed and Gaius stood beside him, a hand on his shoulder.

Merlin gasped in horror and the two men turned to look at him. Uther's eyes were dead and he was nearly as pale as his son. He met Merlin's appalled gaze for a moment, then his eyes drifted back to Arthur.

Gaius finally spoke. "Merlin, you shouldn't be here." There was deep sadness in his voice. "I'm sorry, but you need to go. I will walk with you back to our quarters. We can talk there." He turned to Uther. "There is nothing more I can do for him at the moment. He is stable for now and not in any pain. I'll return soon."

He moved away from the bed, and put a gentle arm around Merlin's bony shoulders as he led him gently from the chamber.

XOXOXOXOX

Merlin sat at the table with Gaius, his head in his hands. He tugged the hair at his temples with his fingers, welcoming the sharp pain it caused.

"How could you?" his voice was broken and accusing, he didn't meet Gaius's eyes. "How could you keep this from me?"

"I'm sorry Merlin," Gaius replied softly. "The king forbade me to discuss it with you."

"What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know," Gaius admitted. "I have tried everything, but to no avail. He lost his appetite last week and became weaker and weaker. He started to slip away from us into sleep. He hasn't woken at all during the last twenty four hours." His voice was grave. "I have to warn you Merlin, we are running out of time and I fear the worst."

"No!" Merlin cried in anguish. He raised his head to look at Gaius, his face streaked with tears. "We must be able to do something. There must be an answer somewhere here." He gesticulated wildly at the books lining the shelves behind him. "I'll help you look. There must be something you haven't thought of."

"Merlin, I have to go back to his bedside now. Uther needs me there. But if you want to try, you can. Maybe you will find something that I've missed." He rose to leave. "I will be in the prince's chambers if you need me."

Merlin lost all track of time as he worked his way through Gaius's bookshelves. He pulled down each dusty book in turn and pored over the pages, looking for something, anything that would give them some hope. The light from the windows dimmed, and Merlin continued reading by candlelight late into the night. He didn't pause to eat or rest, even though his head began to ache and his eyes to burn with tiredness.

The majority of the ancient books were medical in nature but other stranger volumes rubbed shoulders with them. Superstition abounded in their world, and was sometimes hard to separate from science. Despite Uther's abhorrence of magic, Gaius had kept many books which referred to it indirectly as an aid to healing or a cause of sickness.

Finally in the darkest hours of the night, Merlin pulled out a book that sent a chill down his spine. It was a small book bound in dark green leather, with a golden dragon decorating the spine. It had the words, Prophecies of the House of Pendragon, written in slanting decorative script on the cover. Some strange sixth sense told Merlin that this slender volume might just be the one that would give him the answers he sought.

He opened it with trembling fingers and began to skim through it quickly. The words on the page swam before his tired eyes, but finally he found what he was looking for.

A son and heir of Camelot's king shall find love where he least expects it.
He will be denied his lover and sickness will overcome him.
If they are not reunited the prince shall perish, and the Pendragon line will die with him.

Merlin read and re-read the words, his lips moving in concentration as he took them in. He closed the book and hurried from Gaius's chambers. There was no time to lose, what if it was already too late? And what if Uther refused to believe the prophesy?

He ran through the deserted passageways in the darkness. The book was clasped against his chest and his other hand held a lantern that gave a paltry flickering light. He stumbled on the uneven flagstones in the darkness but continued, driven by fear and a tentative flicker of hope that he tried to suppress.

He reached the door to Arthur's chamber and pushed it open. Uther was still at Arthur's bedside, exactly where Merlin had left him – but his head had dropped against the back of the chair in sleep. Gaius was seated on the other side of the bed. He put a finger to his lips as Merlin entered.

Merlin's eyes went to the prince. He looked even worse than before, deathly pale now and the slight movement of the breath filling his lungs was almost imperceptible. Merlin's heart broke a little more as he saw him, surely he was too late? He beckoned to Gaius to step outside so he could explain what he had found.

Gaius listened intently and studied the words in the ancient little book, his brow furrowed and he pursed his lips in thought.

"I fear Uther may take some convincing," he said, still studying the book. "But I don't see that he has any other options. If this prophesy is true, you are the only one who can save Arthur now." He patted Merlin's back. "Wait here while I go and speak with the king."

Merlin paced back and forth outside the door, wound tight like a spring. He felt as if every cell in his body was craving Arthur, to hold him, to heal him. He just prayed that Uther would allow him the chance to try.

After what seemed like an interminable wait to Merlin, the door finally opened again, and Gaius gestured for him to enter.

"Merlin, it seems that you may be Arthur's only chance," Uther's voice was hoarse and his face was lined with pain. "Please... do what you can for him."

"But I don't know what to do!" Merlin said in despair. "I don't know how to make it right."

"Maybe you just need to be here," Uther said gently. "It was when you were taken away from him that he became ill, maybe it's that simple. Maybe he just needs you close."

Merlin met his eyes and a strange understanding passed between them. "Thank you Sire," he said quietly. "Thank you for giving us a chance."

He approached Arthur's still form and sat carefully on the edge of the bed. He put out a tentative hand and brushed the hair back from the high, smooth forehead. He was shocked at the chill of Arthur's skin.

"Would you..." he swallowed, "could you leave me alone with him? I'll watch him until morning and will come and get you if anything changes." He turned to look at the two men behind him, begging silently, suddenly knowing instinctively what Arthur needed.

Uther's eyes flicked between Merlin and his son. Then he nodded brusquely.

"Look after him Merlin." He turned to leave and Gaius followed. The door closed behind them and Merlin was alone with Arthur.

Heedless as to what was right or proper, not caring that Uther or Gaius could return at any time, he stripped off his clothes and left them in a heap on the floor. Guided by some strange instinct he pulled back the sheets and awkwardly pulled Arthur's nightshirt from his limp frame. His skin was cold and Merlin could feel his ribs, closer to the surface than they once were. He rolled Arthur onto his side and saw the bumps of his spine pushing outwards behind his skin.

Merlin slipped into the bed behind Arthur and curled himself around him, as close as he could. He pulled the sheets and blankets back up over both of them and lay, warming his lover with the heat from his own body. He pressed his head against Arthur's back, and allowed the slow yet steady heartbeat to soothe him. Overwhelmed by tiredness and emotion, Merlin felt his eyes drift shut and allowed blissful sleep to claim him.

End of Part 6