Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
A/N: *dances* I got one review last chapter. Hey, maybe two this time?
Merlin hadn't thought it possible but his days were even more busy then they had been before. When he wasn't doing chores for Arthur, he was doing them for Gaius or helping Gaius with the rounds that he couldn't complete himself or studying with Gaius to find a solution to their current predicament. On top of that, he spent an hour everyday killing the nasty black bugs due to Uther's degree that every servant and peasant must participate in a campaign to eradicate the beetles from the kingdom and their crops.
His room was piled high with books. Merlin usually enjoyed reading. He reveled in the way that the words passed before his eyes that only he could read. At this moment, though, he was quite certain that he never wanted to see another book for as long as he lived and that included his magic book. His eyes grew blurry and tired from reading long into the night.
He was tired and hungry. But, he couldn't really complain, since he was not the only one. Gaius worked non-stop and Merlin had to force him to rest and eat before he continued his search for the answer.
And when Merlin finally lay down at night, the worrying would steal what precious sleep he should have gotten. For he didn't think there would be an magical solution this time and it scared him. It really really scared him.