A/N:
Wow guys! Thanks for the amazing response! All your reviews made me smile!
So the prize for the first prompt goes to *Drum roll* KitKat! This one is for you!
I still don't own Merlin!
CHARACTERS: Arthur, Merlin, Knights & Gaius.
RATED: T
GENRE: Hurt/Comfort.
A part 2 to the Kindness of Kings. Arthur's perspective – How he gets Merlin back to Camelot once he has lost consciousness and various character reactions to the injured boy.
THE ADVENTURES OF MERLIN
The Kindness of Kings II
'I'm s-sorry…' the injured boy gasped, his lids fluttering like the wings of a dying butterfly. Arthur's heart pounded in his chest, panicked and uneven, and soon the fear brought his breaths in painful gasps.
More hot tears spilled forth, dripping from his nose and falling upon Merlin's pale brow. The king was too scared to check whether or not his friend still lived, but he forced himself to take several deep breaths. With his eyes closed to the younger man below him, Arthur could feel his heart rate decrease into some semblance of normalcy.
Feeling more in control than before, at least, Arthur reached down and placed two shaky fingers against Merlin's throat. For a moment, he felt nothing, but there…there it was; an irregular thrumming against his fingers – weak and labouring, like a feeble bird.
But it was something.
It gave Arthur a renewed determination, realising his friend was not beyond assistance. Not yet anyway.
There was still far too much blood for his liking, staining the young man's tunic and the top of his pants. Shuffling back slowly and gently laying Merlin flat, the King crawled to his side and peeled the rough material gently from the wound. In the silvery moonlight, he could see the precious fluid glistening as it oozed from the ragged hole. It was still flowing at an alarming rate, and Arthur knew if Merlin were to make it back to Camelot alive, he would have to stop the bleeding.
He placed two hands over the wound and pressed down. The gore spilt through the gaps in his fingers, and Arthur felt physically ill.
Arthur swallowed the bile that was climbing up his trachea, and kept firm.
The sounds of footsteps approaching near broke his concentration. Had Morgana decided to look around after all?
No, it couldn't be right – he remembered hearing the dogs barking in the distance, the sounds getting further and further away.
So perhaps a new threat – Bandits maybe?
The young king withdrew his sword, careful to keep pressure on the wound as he readied himself for an attack.
But none came.
The door crashed open, revealing the noble Knights of Camelot.
'Sire are you-' Percival began.
'Not me, Merlin,' Arthur interrupted, his sword no longer need, both his hands were upon the wound once more.
'Oh dear Gods, ' he heard Gwaine mutter, rushing forward. 'What do you need me to do,' he asked without hesitation.
The panic in the Knight's deep brown eyes was profound and his face held none of its usual joviality.
Arthur's blue eyes flicked upward to meet those of his friend.
'I need some rags. Clean ones preferably,' he said firmly, but Gwaine knew he was anything but strong right now. The King's hands were shaking visibly as more blood slickened them.
Gwaine discarded his chainmail and removed the tunic beneath, leaving him bare as he began to tear the material.
'C'mon Merlin, you have to fight,' he heard Arthur mutter.
The tenderness and pain in the King's voice damn near broke his heart. He looked so young. Not like a King at all. More like a boy who was losing his best friend.
Swallowing dread, the Knight leant over Merlin, and moved Arthur's hands away. 'You have a little rest mate...maybe get some water. I'll take over for now,' he said soothingly.
Arthur hesitated, but let Percival steer him away, watching as fresh rags were soon red.
The King was losing control – he could hear the small pained whimpers emanating from his unconscious Manservant, and he choked as the dam broke once more.
He sobbed, a King, in front of his Knights, but they looked upon him with deep respect. It took a real king to see the people and not the masses.
Drawing deep, ragged breaths and wiping his eyes, he turned back to Gwaine.
'The blood?' he asked shakily.
'Slowing, I believe,' the Knight replied, peeling back the sodden rags that were once his favourite shirt.
Arthur nodded. It was now or never.
Bending low, he gripped his friend, one arm under his knees and the other under his shoulder blades. He lifted Merlin with ease, moving at a brisk pace towards the door.
The darkness swallowed them as the returned indoors, and down they went, speedily but with great care. Arthur did not want to drop the boy.
When they reached the bottom, Gwaine gripped Arthur's shoulder. 'We weren't able to find your horse, sire – take mine and ride for Camelot as hard as you can. We will be along in a few hours,' he assured.
The King nodded as the party spilled out into the moonlight.
Arthur wasted no time – he handed the secret warlock to Gwaine, mounted the steed swiftly, and took Merlin once again, settling him into the saddle.
He spurred the beast into a canter, unwilling to waste more time, which was surely dwindling.
You better not disobey my order, Merlin, he thought grimly as horse, King and Warlock rode through the night.
*~*M*~*
Arthur spurred the horse on, feeling bad for the strain he was putting on the poor animal, but if he were to choose between the beast and his friend, he would ride until it collapsed, put it out of its misery and run back to Camelot with Merlin over his back.
The forest flew by in a blur of green and brown – the well ridden path illuminated by the silvery moon.
'Just a bit longer, Merlin...hang in there, you'll make it,' Arthur assured, to himself as much as to Merlin.
The king silently wondered why he cared so much for the life of his idiot friend – but as the word flickered through his mind, his question was answered.
The boy was loyal almost to a fault, constantly risking life and limb to protect his King. He seemed like a bumbling coward a lot of the time, but when it really came down to it – he would fight. It was then Arthur realised Merlin really was the bravest man he knew.
He did not once whine about his wound, he even insisted on walking instead of being carried and the king knew, once Merlin was conscious, he would come back to serve him almost immediately, whether he was fully healed or not.
The boy was almost an unofficial Knight of Camelot, and Arthur had never known such a pure and kind soul.
Tears pricked his eyes as the rode on, the battlements of the citadel growing ever closer. Right now, he wanted to pull the boy close and hold him, apologise for being the biggest royal prat in the history of Camelot and tell Merlin that he was his first and closest friend.
They approached the men guarding the gate at a gallop, he didn't need announce himself – they could see the look of steely determination on his dirty face, and the slumped form of another on the saddle in front of him.
He pushed the horse just that little but further, but gradually slowed to a trot as they entered the courtyard of the Citadel.
The king noticed a petite maidservant about to enter the castle, but he called her back.
Her green eyes widened at the summons and meekly approached, her head dipped low.
Arthur dismounted and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. 'Don't fear me, please,' he asked desperately, his face open and kind. She nodded, her eyes flickering to the serving boy in the saddle.
'I shall go and tell Gaius to prepare his chambers for a patient,' she said, reading the expression in Arthur's face. The young girl gave him a small smile and raced away.
'Come on you lazy sod,' Arthur murmured, sliding the still unconscious boy from the saddle and cradling him close.
Feeling the lightness of the young man, he made a mental note to organise a small feast in his honour for when he awoke.
Leaving the steed to cool down, Arthur raced towards the Physician's chambers as fast as his fatigued legs would allow.
*~*M*~*
'Put him on the bed,' Gaius ordered firmly as the king kicked the door open. Arthur noticed the flicker of fear in the old man's eyes as he saw the blood that stained both his ward and his king.
'How long has he been unconscious?' the physician asked, as Arthur set the boy gently upon the bed.
'About three hours. I managed to slow the bleeding somewhat, but he's already lost so much,' Arthur replied as Gaius cut Merlin's shirt away from the wound. 'He wouldn't allow me to carry him earlier – we were being pursued by Morgana and he insisted on walking,'
Gaius nodded slowly, probing the ragged wound. 'You have done well sire. Fortunately there doesn't seem to be internal damage, but he is burning with fever. I need you to cool him down whilst I clean the wound,'
Arthur nodded, finding a bucket of cool water and a rag. He soaked the material and squeezed it out, placing it upon Merlin's fevered brow.
Gaius worked deftly, cleaning the injury with warm soapy water before producing a bone needle and fine thread to stitch with.
The old man only hope the boy would stay unconscious.
He sewed quickly, closing the hole before applying a poultice to reduce swelling.
'Will he be alright?' Arthur asked, soaking the cloth again and pressing it to his cheeks.
Gaius gave him a small smile. 'He will live – and you are to thank for that, sire,'
The king nodded, returning the smile as he sat on the stool by Merlin.
'Do you mind? I mean, can I stay with him until a regains consciousness?' Arthur asked quietly, find Merlin's hand and gripping it gently.
Gaius 's gaze softened as the King, looking tired and frightened as a child, thumbed a lock of Merlin's dark and sweat-soaked hair from his forehead.
'Of course sire – I'm sure it will help. Besides, I am weary and the boy needs monitoring. Do you mind if I retire?'
Arthur shook his head, and soon, he was left alone to his thoughts.
Merlin had fought – he had been so close to death, and for a moment, Arthur feared he would not survive. But the young man was rather resilient and had obeyed an order, for once.
The king smiled at Merlin as he slept. His brow was no longer creased in pain and his breathing was deeper and more even.
And that is when Arthur swore that he would protect the boy as much as Merlin protected him.
The king would do anything to ensure the boy would never come to harm again.
He would rather die than see Merlin like this again. He would die a hundred times for his servant.
His Merlin...
His friend.
I hope that was satisfactory KitKat! Let me know if you liked it!
Next prompt goes to FranGipani6181!
What if S04Ep2 – Merlin sacrifices himself to the veil instead of Lancelot?