Diviner Captive

Property of Gaius

…

When they reached the hall where the physician's quarters were located they could hear a racket coming from inside, framed by the sound of breaking class.

Gaius started to run and the knight's followed his lead. He flung open the door and stopped in dread in the doorway.

Arthur came to stand behind the old man who was blocking the entrance. He peered over his shoulder and saw that Percival was trying to stop two guards from destroying the physician's workspace any further.

"Stop what you are doing this instant!" Gaius commanded as he ran to pick up some of his papers strewn all over the floor before a red colored potion that had been spilt ruined them. "I demand to know the meaning of this?" He asked as he shuffled his papers into a proper pile.

"Commanded by the king on account that your ward has been charged with sorcery. Both yours and the boys quarters are to be searched for any magical objects." Jarrett informed. Arthur could tell from the draining of color in Gaius's face that he had reason to worry because he already knew the accusation to be true. "Stopping us from doing this would be treason." They walked around the frozen man to continue their search.

Elyan took the old man by the arm and led him to a chair before he fainted. "Watch out for the broken glass." He placed the physician in a chair by the fireplace.

When one of the guards made a move towards Merlin's room the prince sprung into action. He moved to block his path. "I'll search this room myself." Finley shrugged and went to search somewhere else.

Arthur walked up the short set of stairs and opened the door into his ex-manservant's room. Looking just the same as all the other times he'd been in it to fetch him when he was late.

Gwaine followed the prince. "What are you doing?" He shouted when he was greeted with the sight of the royal turning over the bed upon entrance.

Arthur struggled to move the heavy bed frame and straw mattress out of the way. It made a loud smack as wood hit wood. "I've searched Merlin's room before, there must be something I've been missing." He explained as he started to feel around all the floorboards.

Gwaine snatched the wooden dragon off the top of the side table before the prince carelessly knocked the piece of furniture over. While he had been rooming with Merlin he'd indicated before to how much the dragon meant to him. He slipped it into his tunic, wanting to keep it safe just in case they ever got Merlin back.

Turning his attention back to the prince when he made a sound of triumph.

Arthur finally came across a board that came out of place easily because all the nails had been removed. He reached inside and pulled out two items both rapped in plain clothe. He untied the first one that was long; it turned out to be a familiar staff that he hadn't seen in years. He turned his attention to the second one that ended up being a book of spells.

Gwaine observed as the prince just glared at the magical objects like the power of his stare would make them seize to exist in his presence.

Arthur felt really stupid, like the idiot he was always calling Merlin. When he thought back this whole thing had been starring him right in the face. Merlin really hadn't been that careful, it was just that he chose to ignore any weird occurrence when it came to his friend, because what reason did he have to doubt him. He flipped open the book and laughed at the first thing he read.

"What could possibly be so funny?" Gwaine asked in confusion. He sighed in exasperation as he pushed the open book so the knight could read the caption too. 'Property of Gaius'. He understood then.

Arthur Had been in denial that Gaius had known; hoping even. How could the physician have missed the fact that his ward was a magic user after having him live with him for four years? He could feel his anger coming back so he stood and prepared himself for a confrontation.

.

The prince stomped down the small stairs followed by the knight. "Out, I need to talk to Gaius alone!" Arthur commanded the two guards.

Jarrett and Finley shared a confused expression. A command from the crown prince was second only to the king. It was hard to refuse. "I think we're done here anyways." Jarrett gave in, signaling with his head for his partner to follow him. He could see that the prince was very serious and he knew he'd only feel his wrath if they stayed.

"Do you want us to leave?" Gwaine asked because technically he wouldn't be alone with the old man if three other knights were present. The prince just waved him away; seemed he didn't care if they stayed or went.

Arthur turned his attention back to the physician after the guards left. "You knew."

"Knew what?" Gaius asked in confusion since he'd missed everything that happened before. The prince held up the magic book he'd found. Gaius recognized it instantly. "Oh." Now remembering one of the guards mentioning his ward being charged with sorcery.

"Yes, oh. You don't seem surprised at all. How long have you known?" Arthur questioned.

"Since the first day he arrived." Gaius answered. He continued a short explanation to distract the prince because of the expression he was giving him. "I was organizing some of the books on the second landing when the ladder brook, he made one of the beds move to break my fall. Merlin was so confused when I asked him what spell he used, said he didn't know any. That boy had no idea what he was doing when he first arrived." reminiscing about their first meeting and how far he had come.

"You've known this whole time and never told anyone?" The physician just nodded. "Gave your loyalty to him without even knowing him for a day. How'd you know he wasn't going to try and take over Camelot just like all the other magic users before him?" Arthur questioned in confusion.

"Have you met Merlin?" Gaius asked rhetorically. "Hunith had asked me to take her son on as an apprentice since he didn't fit in anymore in Eldor. I didn't know what she meant by that, it was a surprise when he finally arrived. Knowing my second niece had raised him, yes Merlin is related to me distantly, I gave him the benefit of the doubt that he had been raised right. I'm also very good judge of character."

"Enough interrogation for now, I need to know what happened to Merlin? Judging from the way you've been talking he isn't just locked up in the dungeons." Lancelot demanded, sitting up on the patient bed so that he could look the prince in the eye.

"How about you tell us what happened to you and in return I'll tell you what's become of Merlin?" Arthur asked as he pulled a chair to sit in front of the knight.

Lancelot nodded in agreement. "I was taking a shortcut through the guest wing to my chamber's when I overheard the Dyfred king talking, saying that Merlin wouldn't know what hit him. Gaius had informed me the day before that the king had seen Merlin performing magic, for a stupid reason too…"

"Wait…you knew too! Does everyone know but me?" Arthur glared between the knight and the physician, then glanced at the others present. Gaius knowing was one thing but Lancelot was a completely different matter.

"I didn't." Gwaine said sulkily. Percival shook his head in denial, at least he wasn't the only one. He was feeling left out. Merlin not telling Percival made sense since they hadn't known each other very long, not informing the prince was only logical but why didn't he tell him. He thought they were really good friends and could trust each other with anything.

"How long?" Arthur asked.

Lancelot hadn't meant to let that slip out so soon. He'd hoped to work his way into it but the concussion was confounding him. The prince didn't need to finish his question completely for him to know what he meant. He sighed. "I found out the first time I was here." The prince looked hurt that Merlin trusted him more after such a short amount of time. "It looked like I defeated the griffin but really I was only capable of doing it because Merlin enchanted my lance. That's why I didn't feel I deserved the place you offered me as a knight of Camelot back then, I wanted to earn it myself. He didn't tell me on purpose, the idiot didn't think I'd notice a glowing lance. I promised to keep his secrete though."

The prince didn't say anything in response and just frowned at the knight like if he glared hard enough the knight would just disappear so he decided to continue with his original tail. "…I was turning around to leave and warn Merlin, when I crashed into a servant; hence my current state." Lancelot indicated to his food covered clothes. "The tray made so much noise when it landed it must have gained their attention. Next thing I knew was darkness."

"How long ago was this?" Elyan asked.

Lancelot sneaked a peek at the current position of the sun. " Hour's ago. I was knocked out right after breakfast. Now Arthur, I told my story so you tell yours."

"You want to know what happened?... Merlin got himself taken because he couldn't keep his secret of his magic to himself anymore!" Arthur yelled before storming out. The forced of his stomps managed to jiggle a bottle of a table that broke with a crash.

"Well that wasn't very informative. It was nothing I didn't already know." Gaius commented.

Elyan took a deep breath. "We immaturely agreed to play a prank on the princess, which somehow Gwrthfyr managed to swing around in his favor so the king would sign Merlin into his service. Then he put a magical collar on him, told us all about how powerful he was and then explained how he now had full control over him. When Arthur denied his accusations he gave a demonstration by forcing Merlin to blow up a wall."

"I'm also guessing judging from Arthur's dramatic exit he didn't take the news very well." Lancelot commented.

"Princess is just being a princess, it's his time of the month and he's just being moody about this. Once he calms down, he'll be storming the Dyfred castle." Gwaine said hopefully.

"I don't think that's going to be happening anytime soon. I'll go talk to Uther in the morning, maybe he'll be calmed down by then." Gaius looked even more worried. "Is that all? I need to know everything."

"He also explained how Merlin was the son of Balinor which made him a dragon lord. Uther didn't take that part well at all." Gwaine added in.

Gaius rubbed at his temples in frustration. He thought it was going to be hard to convince Uther before but it would be impossible now since the boy's dragon lord background had been revealed. "Thank you for filling me in."

"We'll clean up while you get some rest." Percival offered his and the others services. The physician just nodded as he stumbled over to his bed.

…

Arthur forced the doors to his chambers out of his way. Pacing the length of the room a couple times trying to calm down. Mumbling to himself in gibberish in his frustration.

He tripped over the line up of boots Merlin had been polishing before he was forced to follow the guards. The prince spotted that there was a hole at the end of the furthest one. Growling in the back of his throat, he kicked the offending foot wear, causing it to hit a painting ripping a hole through the middle of it and knocking it off the wall.

The prince signed in frustration. He decided to just crawl into bed and hide beneath the sheets. Kicking off his boots. 'I never should've gotten out of bed this morning.' Arthur thought to himself.

And the sun hadn't even set yet.

...TBC