Chapter 16

Hunith had not been surprised when she learnt of the change in her son and the prince's relationship. She had no doubt that Arthur loved Merlin more than life itself and Merlin the same for Arthur. On their last visit she had noticed them acting differently around each other although they tried to hide it, she had over heard them talking late at night when they thought everyone was asleep and seen the innocent touches that lasted a fraction longer then they should, thing that no one would ever pick up on if they weren't watching. Now that it was out in the open the evidence was everywhere, leaving people wondering how they never saw it before, the way Arthur's eyes turned deadly whenever Merlin winced in pain and how he tried so hard to protect Merlin form things he had no control over, or the way Merlin clung at Arthur when he cried in his sleep. The thing that did surprise her was the way Merlin shut everyone out putting on a charade that everything was fine. To anyone who didn't know better Merlin was happy and full of life, they did not see or hear him at night while he slept. She watched countless times as Arthur tried to talk to him, comfort him offer any kind of support, she watch time after time as Merlin laughed at Arthur's face and told him to stop being silly he was fine and after a couple of days Arthur gave up. She saw as Merlin grew paler every day, he only ever picked at his food never actually only eating when Arthur noticed him and feed him as if it was a joke kissing Merlin every time he took a bite. She knew Merlin was trying to shut himself off; she just wished he would let others in and stop his act. She never said a word she just sat and watch as her son sink further into himself and felt her heart break.

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Adianna woke up early the next morning. Long before anyone else opened their eyes she left the house and walked to a place she never thought she'd see again. It was all ash now (thank to Arthur), ash and dirt but it didn't matter this had once been the place she grew up in. Sitting down in the area that had once been her room. As her eyes closed memories flooded back to her. This had been the place her nightmares came from but here she sat on a pile of ash that had been her hell.

"you left early" Adianna jumped at the voice coming from behind her "it's ok Adianna it's just me" she turned her head to see "Arthur what are you doing here" she tried to stand but Arthur just sat beside her "we woke up and you were gone" Arthur shrugged "Callum freaked, then Hunith suggested you might be here so I said I'd go after you" "what about Merlin?" Adianna raised an eye brow "he's with Callum. I think Callum wants to talk to him, maybe he can make him see straight again" Arthur lent his head back looking up at the sun "why are you here Adianna?" Adianna picked up as pile of ash "funny how after all that's happened this place can still get to me. I don't know I guess I just wanted to see that it was really gone, that my father couldn't come after me" she let the ash slip through her fingers.

They sat in silence for a while simply looking up at the sun until Adianna broke the silence "what about you? How are you Arthur?" she played with her hair the way she had done with Merlin before "I'm fine" Arthur shrugged the question off "come on Arthur don't lie we can all see the way your eyes change every time Merlin smiles and claims to be fine even though we can all hear him crying in his sleep" Adianna looked at the ground sadly "I don't want him to have to do this by himself, I...I just wish he'd let me in. Watching him like this, he gets paler every time I look at him and he never eats. Its like I'm losing him all over again and I don't know what to do" Arthur sobbed "no one does. After I left this place I didn't speak for a month, some of my mother's court were afraid I was going to kill myself but really all I needed was the people I loved" Adianna hugged Arthur "but...what if he tries to... what if he tries to kill himself again. What if I can't save him" Arthur shuddered trough his words "I don't know. All we can do is hope Merlin comes back to himself before he does something so drastic". They sat in silence until it was time to go back.

()()()()

Merlin sat and stared at the knife his mother had in the kitchen area of her house. As a child he had never been allowed to touch it out of fear he would somehow hurt himself, even when he had grown and knew how to handle a sword she wouldn't to let him near it. He longed to hold the knife in his hand, feel the cold blade against his skin, and watch as it drew his blood. Looking around Merlin was alone, Adianna had left early that morning, Arthur had gone after her, his mother had gone to get supplies and Callum was nowhere to be seen. Merlin stood and walked over to the knife. Holding it in his hand he gasped at the chill that ran through his body as he pressed the blade against his skin, pressing harder Merlin smiled as blood began to drip from his arm. "MERLIN" he dropped the knife, coming out of his trance Merlin began to shake and sank to the floor, burying his head in his arms.

()()()()()

Callum had been sitting outside Huniths house waiting for Adianna to return. He had promised Arthur to watch Merlin so very now and then he quietly opened the door to check on him. Sighing to himself as he stood Callum opened the door and walked inside. The sights that meet his eyes mad his stomach turn; Merlin was standing in the middle of the room holding a knife against his arm marvelling at the blood that dripped down his arm. "MERLIN" Callum yelled running over to Merlin, by the time he reached him Merlin had broken down, crying hysterically "Merlin" Callum whispered kneeling beside him "Merlin what were you thinking?" Merlin didn't answer he just kept crying mumbling things Callum couldn't understand. Looking down at Merlin's arm Callum noticed the blood again "Merlin show me your arm" Merlin shocked his head "Please I need to heal your wound" Merlin looked up at Callum who looked back with pleading eyes "please" Merlin raised his arm showing the cut to Callum.

Merlin watched as Callum mumbled a quick healing spell and the blood disappeared as his arm healed. "Can you fix everything?" Merlin asked a while later looking down at his arm again "No" Callum answered "there are some things even magic cannot fix, sometimes only time while heal us" "oh" Merlin lowered his head "he still loves you Merlin he always will "Callum looked over at the window "who?" "Arthur. He'll never admit it but it's killing him inside to see you like this" Merlin looked away "I don't want him to suffer with me. I'll deal with it on my own. Its better this way Arthur can't get hurt" Merlin knew Callum wouldn't accept his answer even before he said it "you didn't see him when he thought you were dead. He almost killed a servant because he woke up one morning and they had taken your job" Callum tried hard not to laugh at the memory of Morgona's face when she'd found out about that "why?" Merlin couldn't understand no matter how hard he tried to he just couldn't "I told you he loves you he's just waiting for you to let him back in" Callum answered as if it was the most natural thing in the world "I'll try" Callum smiled at Merlin as he stood and walked out of the room leaving Merlin alone to his thoughts.

()()()()()

That as they lay down ready to fall asleep and end another day Merlin wrapped tighter against Arthur. "Merlin" Arthur looked down and held Merlin closer when he saw the tears in the young boy's eyes looking back at him "what is it? What's wrong?" Merlin shook his head "it's nothing I'm just" Arthur's hand reached up to wipe Merlins tears away "I'm so, so, so sorry. I didn't mean to push you away or hurt you or anything. I just thought it would be better. I'm so sorry" Merlin sobbed against Arthur's chest "it's ok Merlin I told you before you have nothing to be sorry about" Arthur rocked Merlin in his arms "would you do something for me" in his heart Merlin knew Arthur would never deny him this simple wish " anything" Arthur kissed the top of Merlins head " don't let me go" Arthur smiled and brushed so hair out of Merlin's eyes "I never could" he promised, Merlin's face turned into the first real smile he'd had in a while.

Then end of another chapter.

Ok so there should be somewhere between 3-5 more chapters of this to come. I kinda like this chapter, I thought it was about time Adianna+ Arthur and Merlin+ Callum spent some time together, Adianna and Merlin were locked away together and Callum and Arthur found them together so it kinda made sense that the opposite person would be the one to comfort them. I'd love to know what you think.

Nimi1611 ily xoxox.