Thank you so much once again. Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and Happy New Year.

Merlin couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. After the Knights had got Arthur back to his room, Gaius had turned up and immediately sent them all to their own chambers for some much needed rest. There had been the token protests, but the physician had got his way. It was strange seeing them leave. The group had been together for so many weeks now, Merlin couldn't help but note how large Arthur's room seemed when it was just him, Gaius and the unconscious prince present.

But once they had finished settling Arthur, Gaius had turned that gaze onto him, and Merlin had immediately gone defensive.

"I'm not leaving him." He said firmly before his guardian even had the chance to open his mouth. One eyebrow rose in Gaius' trademark expression, but Merlin set his own face. They hadn't gone through everything that they had only for the servant to be sent away at the last moment. Arthur hadn't even moved since they had lowered him onto his bed, the drug keeping him under. The rational part of Merlin's mind knew that he wouldn't stir either, but he still couldn't bring himself to leave his master.

Eventually, Gaius had won. Merlin still wasn't sure how he had done it, but was just blaming it on being more tired than he was admitting to. But then the warlock managed to make himself feel bad. Not only had he left Arthur when he had sworn he would stay by the prince's side, he had managed to get a servant to come and get him the second they knew Arthur was awake. Merlin was no fool, he knew he was exhausted. As soon as he relaxed, he would be gone. But Arthur would stir when the drug wore off, and despite seeming to be excited about coming home, Merlin was not sure the prince would realise where he was.

The warlock was asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillows, the tension and stress draining out of him. They were back, Arthur was safe. He once again had an entire castle at his beck and call to keep him safe, the responsibility was not just Merlin's. Gaius could get what he needed, and Merlin knew the rest of the bandages would be off in a couple of days. Away from the forest and with treatment readily available, they could risk the open air getting to the wounds without worrying about infection. Merlin wasn't even sure there was a risk anymore, barely any of them were still open. Yet he was sure there was something else, almost as if Gaius had kept Arthur bandaged as a way of providing a barrier.

Uther was not one to accept that his son maybe suffering more mentally than he was physically, By making Arthur appear weak, as if injuries of the flesh had not yet been able to heal properly, it stopped Uther from assuming his son was fine for long enough for Gaius to explain the situation. Merlin's mind was buzzing with possibilities of what the physician might have said to the King even as his body sagged against the welcoming comfort of his body, all the tension drained away and the warlock fell asleep.

It was dark when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and used to being on guard, Merlin sat up suddenly with a shout, only just stopping himself from lashing out with magic. An apologetic guard was standing over him, looking awkward and rather large in the small room, and Merlin's heart calmed down from its frantic race.

"What's wrong?" Merlin asked quietly, mindful that Gaius could still be asleep. The guard shifted anxiously, and Merlin realised it was as if he was nervous. Nervous of what Merlin might do because of what he had to report.

"It's the prince." Merlin was up and out of bed almost before the poor man had finished getting the sentence out. Luckily, the guard had quick reactions for the warlock almost lost his balance as his vision swum slightly from moving too fast. Nodding a thank you at the man, Merlin pulled on a clean shirt – itself a luxury - and bid the man to continue.

"We know he is awake, we can hear movement. But he's..."

"He's what?" Merlin didn't realise that the entire castle knew about his constant efforts to find Arthur. He had been so focused during those months; it was as if the story had spread like wildfire that the devoted servant would not give up. Glancing at the guard, Merlin almost did a double take. It was like the man seemed to believe that instead of Gaius, or even his own father, it was the servant who was responsible for the prince's welfare. Why else would they fetch the warlock in the middle of the night rather than waking Gaius? Part of Merlin was glad, he had been increasingly worried about the old man and the exhaustion, but could he really give Arthur what he needed?

"Not sure." The guard said with an apologetic shrug, following obediently as Merlin jogged down the stairs to the main chambers. Even in there, there were signs that Gaius too had been away. Merlin didn't want to think about how long it would take the physician before he made his ward clean the leech tank.

"You're not sure?"

"We can't get in. He seems to have barricaded the door with something."

Oh Arthur, Merlin couldn't help but think sorrowfully to himself. You fool.

Was the prince that scared about being back behind a wall that he no longer realised that he was safe in his own chambers, where nothing would be able to hurt him again? The Knights may not have been directly surrounding him like normal, but they were still there. No one was going to let anything happen to him.

"I'll get in." Merlin responded confidently. He was certain that Arthur would let him in, and if he didn't, a mere barricade was not going to stop Merlin. He knew that once again, he would have to be exceptionally careful of how he used magic, but he was not going to let that stop him from getting to Arthur. It had been too easy in the woods, Arthur being more oblivious than normal and Merlin just making sure the knights was looking the other way. With both Gaius and Lancelot out there with him, he had relaxed with how he used it. Possibly also because he had been forced to use magic on the prince time and time again, and Arthur had never realised.

They made it back to the room in silence, the castle deserted apart from the odd servant or guard here or there. It was strange being back after this length of time. But as they approached Arthur's chambers, Merlin frowned.

The guards were trying to do their job of protecting Arthur. Unfortunately, they saw it as from himself, and were attempting to force the door, making loud noises as they did so.

"Stop!" Merlin immediately ran forward, grabbing one man by the arm and trying to tug him away. The man spun sharply, and it was only a lucky duck that stopped Merlin being cuffed over the head. The servant groaned- it was one of the more senior guards who had been summoned when the normal ones couldn't get in- and Merlin knew this man did not approve of his relaxed relationship with Arthur. Little did he know how that had changed.

"I told you to get reinforcements." He snapped at the guard who had fetched Merlin, glaring. Merlin stepped in front of the poor man.

"He did." He said coldly. He had not battled through everything in order to be kept from Arthur now. "I can get in, let me try. You're sca... not doing him any good, trust me."

"Go back to bed, boy. Let those who have sworn to protect the prince do their job." Merlin suddenly knew where some of that bitterness came from. He had found, and saved, the prince when those who had spent their whole lives trying to protect Arthur had failed. He had a feeling they wouldn't be too happy with the rest of the Knights either – commoners succeeding where nobility could not.

"You're not helping, let me through!" Merlin protested, moving forward and trying to force his way through. The other guard had stopped, looking conflicted, and Merlin knew the man could see the sense in letting Merlin try. What harm could it do?

"Back away, servant," the man snarled, grabbing Merlin by the front of his shirt and bodily pushing him away as the young man tried to push through.

"Let him through." Everyone froze, Merlin feeling like his heart was going to burst out of his chest it was hammering so hard. Leon was standing there, scowling at the man who was technically his second. But that wasn't what had Merlin's mouth going dry. Uther was standing next to him, and it had been the King's voice that had rang out.

"But Sire, we can hel..."

"The boy helped when no one else could. And the physician has explained that the prince often only reacts to his servant now. Something he assured me Arthur will get over." Here, Uther paused and almost glared at Merlin, who lowered his eyes to the floor. It was clear Uther was reacting as they thought he would to finding out his son and heir only responded well to his servant, but Merlin was just glad that Gaius had said something. At least it meant that he had a few more days of getting Arthur settled before he was forced to draw back.

The captain moved back a pace, gesturing at the door with a movement that could almost be considered sarcastic. Merlin knew it was only the King's presence that stopped anything else being said, but he had to feel thankful for Leon's reassuring presence. He would have been a wreck of nerves if it had been just him and the guards.

Slowly approaching the door, Merlin experimentally pushed against it. Whatever Arthur had barricaded it with wasn't strong, and frankly, Merlin was surprised the guards hadn't broken through. As the original guard who had fetched him gave a small smile, Merlin's eyes widened in understanding and surprise. It wasn't until the captain had arrived that they had even tried. They knew Arthur had taken measures, so immediately came to fetch Merlin. People may not have known what had befallen the prince, but they knew how to react to it.

"Arthur?" For once, Merlin was forgetting the king was there. Arthur wasn't going to react to him if he tried the approach formally, and he just hoped that Gaius could give Uther another explanation that would let him allow Merlin to talk to Arthur any way he wanted. There was a shuffling noise, but the door didn't budge. "I know you are in there. I'm right here, Arthur, just as I said I would be. Come on, let me in?"

There was no response, but Merlin could sense that Arthur was listening. Judging by where the noise was coming from, he sounded as if he was the other side of the bed. Merlin gave the door another small push, and shut his eyes. The golden glow that flooded his irises was lost behind the closed lids, but something on the other side of the door shifted slightly. If Arthur was looking, it would simply look like it was falling.

But it was enough. Merlin managed to get the door to open just enough for him to squeeze through. Certainly no man bigger could have made it. As soon as he was in, the warlock shut and locked the door, moving the barricade back into place. If that was what Arthur needed to feel safe, then that was fine by Merlin now he was on the right side of the door.

"Arthur?" For a long moment, he couldn't see the prince. The bed was empty, as was his chair. Then Merlin heard a slight noise and followed the sound, moving to the other side of the bed. Arthur was on the floor, sitting against the wall with his knees drawn up to his chest, the bedclothes spooling around him.

"What happened?" Merlin asked gently, moving forward and crouching down in front of Arthur, but making sure he kept back. Arthur was fine with contact from Merlin, if he initiated it. There would have been a time when Arthur denied that anything was wrong, despite the fact that he was pale and had obvious tear streaks down his face. He had his sheet in one hand, and as Merlin watched, he was twisting it anxiously.

"So many hands... they were everywhere," he whispered hoarsely, and Merlin sighed. He had hoped the sleeping draught would have made Arthur forget what had caused him to panic in the first place. But luck had never been on their side.

"He can't hurt you again, Arthur." The servant was quick to reassure his prince, and without thinking, he reached out a hand and tugged the sheet from Arthur's worrying hands.

"And the bed was so b..big... yet I couldn't move, it was too heavy." Merlin didn't see that one coming.

"Arthur, it's just your bed. The one you've had for as long as I've known you. Your nice, big, luxurious, comfy bed..." Merlin stood up, intending to climb onto said bed to show that it was fine. But his foot caught in the sheet and he stumbled, and was suddenly hit with a flash of understanding. They had put Arthur to bed properly. For someone who hadn't had that for over a year, the covers would have been heavy for the prince, almost suffocatingly so. He would have been weighed down, barely able to shift them as his body fought off the rest of the drug, whilst hearing guards outside. No wonder he wasn't happy.

"Do you want to sleep on the floor?" Merlin asked quietly. It was just a show of how bizarre things were that he even considered it. What was stranger was that Arthur, the Crown Prince of Camelot and Future King, tentatively nodded. Merlin smiled, moving the sheets around until he had them laid out across the floor and gestured for Arthur to lay on them. He had to find a way of working Arthur up to the bed, and although he would still feel the reassuring hardness of the floor that he was now used to, it would be softened somewhat dramatically at the same time.

As Arthur fidgeted, Merlin stood up. He picked up one of Arthur's blankets, bringing it down to the floor and slowly drawing it over Arthur's legs. As the prince slowly relaxed into it, Merlin drew it up to his waist. Time and time again they repeated the process as Arthur adjusted to the weight. It was heavier than the blanket they had been using in the forest, but nowhere near the weight of the full covers. Hopefully it would be a good adjustment for him.

Finally, they were ready, and Merlin was pleased to note that Arthur was already beginning to drift back off to sleep. With any luck, he wouldn't have been awake long. Unfortunately it was long enough for him to panic. Pushing a pillow under the sleepy prince's head, Merlin leant back on the wall, watching Arthur closely. Before long, the man had drifted back off, and Merlin felt a great weight leave him, almost as if they had just overcome something big.

With a wave of his hand, he unlocked the door and removed the barricade. It didn't sound as if anyone had tried to get in whilst he had been in here, Uther no doubt wanting to give the servant time to settle Arthur. But whether they heard the lock click, or just knew that Arthur had relaxed, the door creaked open.

There would have been a time when Merlin jumped to his feet at seeing the King enter the room. But his movement would have disturbed Arthur, and Merlin was not going to let that happen. Instead, he merely raised his eyes in acknowledgment, making sure Uther knew he wasn't being ignored.

The king may not have been ignored, but Merlin was. Uther only had eyes for his now sleeping son, the distress still apparent by the clear sign that Arthur had been crying, not to mention the fact that he was sleeping on the floor. The father watched the son for a long moment, conflicting emotions shooting across his face. Merlin could almost see the battle – King or Father? Was Arthur a prince or a son right now?

"Look after him." Uther muttered gruffly and strode from the room without a backwards glance. But that was good enough for Merlin. He took it as the man accepting Arthur was not alright, and it would possibly take a long time until he was. He was also accepting that Merlin could help, despite their differences in status.

Merlin couldn't ask for more. Watching the steady rising and falling of Arthur's chest the same way he had done for many nights now, Merlin found himself relaxing. They were actually home. Arthur's hand flung out to the side, but Merlin was too comfy to now move. He too drifted back off to sleep, their fingertips touching.