Disclaimer: As much as I would like to, I don't own Merlin!
Thanks for the reviews! I got so many pleas for Merlin to live that I didn't really have much choice while writing this chapter. :D Enjoy!
Every breath Merlin took sent a throb of pain through him. He tried to measure his breathing out properly, take shallower breaths to stop the pain, but he just couldn't seem to do it. Come to think of it, he couldn't do much of anything... his body wasn't responding to his brain's instructions... he felt a sudden sinking feeling, as if he were falling away from all feeling...
No.
Somehow, he couldn't let himself fall back into that cold, numb darkness. There was something very important he was supposed to be doing, or something important he had done, or was about to do, or something... he could almost feel a presense nearby that was calling him. If he could just wake up, then maybe he would be able to answer. But it was so hard...
Come on... breathe...
With a huge effort, Merlin pulled his eyelashes apart. Colours blurred and shifted before his eyes, preventing him from seeing any real shapes or objects. He blinked once, twice, squinted into the wavering mass. Firelight. He frowned, watching as the flames danced and leapt in the stone fireplace. His chest was hurting even more now, and he could hear his own breathing rasping loudly. What was wrong with him? His memory was smudged, like a charcol picture. He couldn't figure out what had happened. All there was was a ghost of what had happened. Something to do with magic? Something to do with Uther... he couldn't remember. He rolled his head to the other side, wincing as black dots danced before his eyes. Then his eyes widened, surprised.
Arthur was slumped in a chair beside him, asleep. He was rolled dangerously close to the edge of the chair, threatening to fall off at any moment. And they were in Gaius's chambers, Merlin realized. But what was Arthur doing here? Why was Arthur sleeping here? Merlin tried to speak but his voice caught in his throat. He tried again, the words scratching like sandpaper.
"A-Arth-u-ur?"
His voice was barely more than a whisper. Even the tiny task of speaking seemed to take a huge effort. He swallowed hard. Pain instantly flared up in his chest again and he gasped, tears pooling at the corners of his eyes. He tried to steady his breathing but it was too late now. The pain was growing and growing, and he couldn't see, he was hyperventilating...
"Merlin. Merlin, its alright."
Merlin forced his eyes open, wincing. Gaius's stern face came into sight above him.
"G-Gai..."
"Its alright, Merlin, don't speak. And stop trying to sit up, you'll make it start bleeding again."
Make what start bleeding again? Merlin tried to angle his head to see the source of the pain, but he couldn't see anything. Gaius firmly pushed his head back down and moved out of his line of sight. Merlin obiediantly lay still, blinking slowly. He turned his gaze on Arthur, who was still asleep. Gaius suddenly returned, a cup in his hand, and Merlin looked up at him.
"Sorry, Merlin," Gaius said ruefully. "You'll have to sit up. I need you to drink this."
He put an arm behind Merlin's back and slowly pulled him up into a sitting position. Merlin let out a yelp of pain and clutched at Gaius's sleeve, trying to fight back the darkness that was swarming in on his vision. And then, suddenly, two new arms were wrapping around him and holding him steady.
"Its alright, Merlin. I've got you."
Arthur!
Merlin fought his eyes open and found himself staring straight into Arthur's face. The Prince was crouched right beside him, arms wrapped firmly around his chest, supporting him in position. Dark bags hung under the Prince's eyes, as if he had not slept for days, and his face was pale. His hair was lank and dull and his face unshaven. And all of a sudden, gazing at Arthur, Merlin remembered everything. Panic surged through him and he looked down. A large white bandage was wrapped around his chest. Then he had survived. But what of Loiran?
"Merlin. Merlin, look at me."
Merlin looked, Arthur's voice breaking through his thoughts.
"You have to drink this. Can you do that?"
Merlin realized that Gaius was still holding out the cup. He nodded. Gaius leant forwards. It tasted disgusting - Gaius's remedies always did - but Merlin forced himself to drink it all. Gaius stepped back and moved out of sight once more. Arthur had reached behind him and was doing something out of sight. Merlin shut his eyes tightly as the pain made his head swim. He couldn't faint now, he had to stay awake. He needed to know what had happened to Loiran. Arthur finished whatever he was doing and laid Merlin back against the pillows he had just arranged, propping him up slightly more than before. He moved with such care that Merlin had to look at him again to make sure that it really was the Prince sitting beside him and not just some mild-mannered look-alike.
"Arthur..."
"Save it until later, Merlin," Arthur replied firmly. "You remember what happened?"
He nodded. Arthur sighed, shaking his head.
"Merlin... I have so much to thank you for. And yet I just can't find the words." He looked Merlin in the eye, suddenly nervous and uncomfortable. "I... I'm so sorry, Merlin. Truly, I am."
Merlin stared at him in amazement. He had actually just provoked a sinceire apology from the prince of Camelot. He could barely believe it. Maybe he was still unconscious and this was simply some weird dream. Arthur took his stunned silence for anger and looked at the floor, biting his lip.
"I don't expect you to forgive me, of course I don't. Just please know that I'm sorry... I was angry before, I wasn't thinking clearly. That's no excuse, I know but-"
"S'alright," Merlin said weakly. "Really..." he swallowed hard, trying to speak properly. Still, all he managed were one-word sentences. "L-Loiran...?"
"Is dead," Arthur said quickly. "You killed him. You were amazing, Merlin, you really were."
Loiran was dead. Merlin let out a short sigh of relief, relaxing a little for the first time. Arthur fell silent as Gaius returned. The old man sat down on Merlin's other side and leant forwards, peering into his face.
"Look at me, Merlin?"
Merlin squinted blearily at him. Gaius looked at him carefully and then nodded, as if satisfied. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you how lucky you are. We almost couldn't save you. If you hadn't cast that spell right before you passed out..." Gaius shook his head, clearly not wanting to think of those consequences. "You must rest for a while, Merlin. You're very weak and if you go rushing off on some perilous task any time soon I'm sure you'll aggrivate your wound and set it bleeding again."
The corners of Merlin's mouth quirked in a smile. He definitely didn't feel like 'rushing off' right now. His whole body felt leaden, unmoveable. Gaius glanced at Arthur and then stood up and moved away.
"I'm obliged to report to the king. Do not excite him," he muttered to Arthur as he went.
The door shut behind him, and there was silence. Arthur was wringing his hands uncomfortably, careful to look anywhere but at Merlin.
"We found the man Loiran was possessing before," he said suddenly. "Aden, his name is. He's alright. Sent home yesterday."
"H-How long?"
Arthur glanced at him. "You were unconscious for three days."
Merlin blinked. It had felt like merely a few hours. He put his mind to his next question.
"Uther?"
Arthur paused. "I think he may still be in shock from what happened. He hasn't said anything about you yet."
Merlin's heart sank. After this whole mess, there was no way Uther would allow him to survive. He would be either killed or chased out of the kingdom, never to return. Surely this would have proven once and for all to Uther that Merlin was never to be trusted. His one last chance at a life in Camelot, and he had blown it. Arthur suddenly reached out and gripped his shoulder, and Merlin looked up.
"Don't look like that. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Merlin, especially not after all this. You've saved us all."
Merlin looked at him, hesitating. Arthur held his gaze steadily.
"However this turns out, when I take the throne of Camelot, you will be by my side. I promise you that."
Just like that, everything fell away. All the panic, the fear, the anxiety - it all vanished like dust blown into the wind. If Arthur said it, it would happen. Merlin smiled, his eyes growing heavy once more. He tried to stay awake, but the weight of tiredness pressed down on him relentlessly. Arthur let go of him.
"Go to sleep, Merlin," he said. "I'll be here when you wake up."
Merlin's eyes closed, and he let himself drop into the darkness, Arthur's words ringing in his ears.
Everything was going to be alright. The two sides of the coin were reunited. No matter what happened next this would never change - Prince and Manservent side by side. As they should be.
The End.
I know I said there would be two more chapters, but this just felt like a good place to end it. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and thanks for reading this story! Hopefully the ending did not dissapoint.
SUPRNTRAL LVR.
