Chapter Thirty-five

Leon and Merlin lowered Arthur down on to the couch and stepped back as Gaius came over with a basin of water and a cloth and began to clean the wound. He handed Arthur a cup of something.

"Here, drink this. It should full some of the pain."

Arthur drank and then leaned his head back again the couch with a sigh.

"I don't understand…" said Leon, shaking his head. "He's…"

"The Prince," said Merlin, himself still dazed. "The Prince of Camelot."

"And he can still hear you, you know," muttered Arthur through clenched teeth.

"Sire," said Leon, "I beg your forgiveness again. I almost killed you I-"

"It's alright. You didn't know."

"Merlin," said Gaius, "Can you fetch me that vial over there…thank you. I'm afraid sire this is going to sting a little."

Arthur let out a cry of pain, as Gaius applied an ointment to the wound.

"Look on the bright side Arthur," said Merlin, attempting to distract him. "It's a good thing you're really a prince because you made a rotten blacksmith."

Arthur gave a snort that sounded somewhere between laughter and pain.

There was a knock on the door and Sir Helrid entered, followed by Gwen. She ran over to the couch and knelt down on the side opposite Gaius.

"Arthur," she looked down at the cut on his side. "Oh no…"

"It should be fine Gwen," said Gaius soothingly. "He's weak at the moment from blood loss but there should not be any permanent harm done save for a few new scars."

Gwen took ahold of Arthur's hand. He smiled at her but seemed unable to say anything.

"I need you to move on to your stomach," instructed Gaius. "I need to look at your back."

For the next hour, Gaius cleaned and closed Arthur's wounds. Fairly early on Arthur had passed out from exhaustion or pain, Merlin wasn't sure which. Gwen stayed by his side and the two knights stood a little ways off watching.

Merlin fetched things for Gaius and helped when he was needed, but most of the time his brain was screaming at him in shock.

Arthur…Arthur Pendragon. Arthur was prince. Arthur was his destiny. Albion was his destiny. He knew things were looking bad at the moment. He had exposed himself as a warlock in front of Uther and half the court, and despite the fact that Arthur had temporarily prevented his arrest he doubted that that could continue for long. From the way Gwen shifted uncomfortably every time she looked at the knights or someone said something about Arthur's true identity, he suspected there would be problems there too. And who knew what would happen with Morgana. Or, he realized, remembering she had supposed to have been with Gwen, where she even was now.

But despite all the problems that seemed to have risen up, he felt at peace in a way he hadn't felt for eight months. He knew what he was supposed to do. He knew his destiny. And he knew he could make a difference.

Arthur woke up feeling woozy. His body ached all over but there was none of the blinding pain he had been experiencing before losing consciousness. Gwen was sitting on the floor, her head lying on the couch, sleeping. The sun was shining through the windows and judging from the brightness he suspected he had slept through to the next day.

He couldn't see Merlin anywhere or Sir Leon and Helrid, but Gaius was moving around the room quietly, putting things away.

Trying not to wake Gwen, Arthur slowly got up and crossed over to Gaius. He tapped the man on the shoulder and then gesturing towards Gwen to show why he wanted to be quiet he led the man over to the door and then out into to the courtyard. He was surprised to see two knights outside standing guard on either side of the door. They bowed to him. It felt so strange after so long. These had…still where? his friends once. They had been his knights. Now Arthur didn't know what they were.

He moved a little farther away from the two men and then asked Gaius, "Why are they here?"

Gaius heaved a heavy sigh. "Supposedly to protect you. But I suspect they are here to keep an eye on Merlin."

"What?" Arthur asked alarmed.

"I tried to persuade him he should try and escape the city but he wouldn't. He said now that he finally remembers it is his job to protect you he's not going throw it away and run."

"His job to protect me?" asked Arthur raising an eyebrow.

"Yes….he's also concerned," added Gaius after a pause, "Of how accepting you will be of his magic now, now that you are a prince again."

Arthur paused and then sighed. "I think I was always a prince…no matter how many times I wished I wasn't these past months." He shook his head. And then he remembered another concern. "Where's Morgana?" At Gaius' troubled expression, he pressed, "What?"

"Uther had her put back in the dungeons."

"No!"

"I am afraid so. He came during the night to sit by you," said Gaius. "Thankfully I had already persuaded Merlin to go up to bed or the sight of him might have led Uther to order his arrest at once. You have to understand what a shattering experience this is for...your father . All of us are still reeling…remembering who you really are. But it's more than that. We had a new set of memories replacing everything involving you, and now we have to readjust. It's very confusing. And your father…the realization of how close he nearly came to killing you…it's shaken him deeply and magic was involved…and Morgause…"

"Has nothing to do with Morgana! Anymore then with Merlin! All magic isn't the same and it's time Uther learned that! He has for years been blaming all magic for one evil action and it's time it stopped!"

"Morgause was Morgana's sister," explained Gaius simply.

"What?" Arthur blinked.

"Yes. The first time Morgause came and challenged you to the duel? I figured out who she was then and told Uther. The fact that she was involved in this and now he's found out about Morgana's powers…it looks bad for Morgana. Try and understand it from his perspective. Morgana has always been very important to him. Then you are removed from his mind and she becomes doubly so. She becomes everything. And then she commits what Uther views as the ultimate betrayal. But he still loved her so deeply. And now you are returned to him and he's horrified at his own actions towards you, and left feeling even more confused about Morgana…and understandably is made further suspicious by her and Morgause's connection."

Arthur stared at Gaius for a long minute. "Does Morgana know?"

"No. I don't believe so."

Arthur nodded. "I'm going to talk to my father."

"I don't know if now is a good time," warned Gaius, noticing the look in Arthur's eyes.

"Maybe not. But it's long overdue."