Merlin was surprised when he woke up. He felt the return of the use of his limbs. As he stood up, gingerly, using a bench next to him as support. What happened? Merlin was sure that he had met his end. Then again, Gaius had remarked on numerous occasions that he could be a bit dramatic at times. He looked down beside him to see the dead assassin right next to him. At least that meant he hadn't dreamt the entire encounter between them. He shook his head before he felt a bludgeoning headache take hold. He grimaced before he rubbed, in circular motions, his forehead with his hand. For a moment, his hand felt odd before his headache subsided.

As he brought his hand down, he remembered why his hand felt odd… it was still covered in his blood. He cursed under his breath and walked to the pail of water they kept in the armoury for cleaning weapons. When he reached the pail, the lower half this face was completely covered in dried blood. He groaned before he started scrubbing his hands and the lower half of his face. It took awhile before he looked somewhat passable.

He took one last long look into the pail of, now bloodied, water before he nodded. He will change the water later, or another servant will do it. He started walking out the armoury, before he remembered the assassin, he turned around to see the assassin still laying were he left him. He rolled his eyes and decided to leave him.


"So, there's nothing wrong with you?" Gaius said as he pried his eyelids apart with his fingers and looked into his eye.

Merlin gave him his usual smile and pulled Gaius away from his eyes, "No like I said I'm fine. The Viper is dead all that happened was that I passed out and woke up." Gaius didn't return his smile, he looked serious.

"Nothing else?"

"Nope, everything is good." Gaius hmmed to himself, "I wasn't his target… I guess he didn't want to kill people who he isn't getting paid for."

Gaius nodded slowly, "I see."

Merlin clasped his hands together, "So can I go?"

"Yes, off you go to work, before Arthur comes bundling down here." Merlin groaned. He forgot about Arthur for a moment.


As he carried Arthur's breakfast, he remembered that he hadn't had breakfast yet. He looked down… Arthur had too much food. He smiled to himself and helped himself to some chicken.

He ate as he walked down the hallway, he had forgotten how good Arthur's food was, then again Arthur was a king. He was so focussed on eating that he accidently bumped into a Lady when he went to apologise but she kept walking not focussing on him or his apologises. He walked for a moment before he realised. Wait… Lady!? This was the Servant passageways… no Lady comes here. He spun around to see the back of Morgana in her green gown... in his shock he nearly dropped Arthur's breakfast. He ran to catch up to her before she vanished as quickly as she appeared. He stood there in shock as he looked around, there was nowhere Morgana could have gone, the next bend was several feet away. A bead of sweat travelled down his forehead. He shakily exhaled before inhaling deeply… Teleportation spells, at least with Morgana's, were a tad windy. It was just in his head. He took another calming breath. Before continuing to walk down the hall, going to Arthur's room where the guards wordlessly allowed him in.

To his surprise Arthur was awake by the table and smiling… which could only mean bad things for Merlin. "I was just about wondering where you were!" Arthur said before looking up, and that smile was replaced by confusion, "You alright? You look like you've seen a ghost?"

Merlin shook his head and dumbly replied, "You're awake?" Arthur tilted his head to one side in slight disbelief, before standing up straight, and walking to the window.

"Yes, I am, contrary to your belief, I can actually manage just fine on my own." Merlin felt an easy smile pass over his lips, Arthur seemingly ignored the question he had earlier posed to Merlin.

"Ah so you won't mind me eating what the kitchen has supplied to you... because you can manage on your own?" Arthur spun around in an instant.

"If you eat my breakfast, I'll throw you into the stocks." Merlin nodded.

"I think I'll take my chances." Arthur was on to him in an instant and snatched his breakfast from him. Merlin was trying, and failing, to supress a chuckle and walked to the window and looked outside as Arthur ate his breakfast. The sight of Morgana, despite being a hallucination, had thrown him off his hunger, "What's got you so happy, Arthur?"

"Wot?" Merlin turned around to see Arthur's mouth crammed with food, it was only then Merlin noticed again, for the third time this week, Arthur was wearing his shirt inside out. He would have to remind him or else he would look like a complete prat. Then again no one would question the king.

"Never mind eat your breakfast." Merlin then watched Arthur swallow his mouthful of food… doesn't he chew?!

"No, you said something?"

"You were smiling when I walked in?" Arthur looked confused for second, before a dawning realisation fell over him, and his excitement was reignited.

"Remember when we got news that the Assassin infamously known as The Viper was hired by a third party to kill me?" Merlin shook his head slowly and Arthur's excitement died down a bit, "He's been found dead in the armoury."

"I see."

"Must have been one of the guards on patrol that did him in." Merlin nearly scoffed; those guards could barely see anything in front of them let alone a trained assassin. Merlin nodded once again and Arthur returned to his meal. Merlin turned around to face the window, to see the comings and goings of the people in the citadel.

Before his eyes seemed to focus on one in particular, a man who wasn't moving who just stood there. Merlin didn't know why his mind was so attracted to this man in particular and it felt peculiar. He felt like he knew him and for that reason he just couldn't stop staring at him.

The man then slowly looked up to match his gaze and Merlin felt his heart pound louder as if they were right next to his ears. That… This isn't possible! The familiar brown hair… the gait… It was Will. Merlin scrunched his eyes closed and rubbed them and still Will didn't disappear. Will stood there looking at him and it paralysed him. Merlin tried to will his body into moving, but it was like when The Viper dosed him. He couldn't move.

He heard footsteps approaching him. He stayed stock still as he focused on Will. The footsteps suddenly stopped, and he could feel someone's breath on his neck. His heart was thudding in his chest.

"What are you looking at?" Merlin spun around to see Arthur right next to him, trying to see what Merlin was looking at. Merlin stood there for a second and suddenly his senses awoke.

"Nothing."

"You're sweating and you look like you've seen the fear of god. It can't be nothing!" Merlin rubbed his forehead… looks like Arthur wasn't wrong he was sweating, "Merlin whatever it is you can tell me." Merlin took another calming breath, for like the fifth time today, and then gave him the best smile he could, "If you say it's nothing, I'll whack you." Merlin pondered a lie for moment before landing on the fact that Gaius was always good back up.

"Ah! It's just some medicine me and Gaius are working on." Arthur looked really confused.

"W-What?!" Merlin gave him a reaffirming smile.

"Gaius and I are working on a cure for… er boils." Arthur took a step back, "I don't have boils you cabbage."

"Then why on earth would you take a cure for boils?!" Merlin didn't really have a good answer for that question which he probably should have foreseen, "MERLIN?!"

"Hold on I'm trying to remember what Gaius told me!" Great that bought me a few moments! Now why would Gaius let me try experimental medicine… Side effects! "To uh… make sure it doesn't have bad side effects."

Arthur, try as he might, failed to follow this story, "I don't have time for this… here I am worried about you and here you are trying… Gaius's strange concoctions!"

"To be honest, we both made and researched it together so I like to think it's more Merlin And Gaius's Strange Concoctions!" Merlin said with a grin, Arthur on the other hand didn't seem all to pleased, "Right not funny."

"Yes, quite right. Not funny at all." Arthur sighed and turned around and walked to his desk to go back to his breakfast he picked up some chicken and froze and looked at Merlin, "So it makes you… sweat?" The incredulity of his voice nearly made Merlin laugh.

"A side effect of the… treatment." Arthur scoffed.

"Well try to keep your sweating… together, MERlin?" Merlin chuckled.

"I will try my best." Arthur shook his head.

"Now I need you too…" That's when Merlin stopped listening… he knew the drill by now. Sharpen the sword, clean the armoury yada yada yada! His mind wandered off… and tried to think about whatever was in that cloth. He was stupid to leave it behind. But at that point reason was the last thing on his mind. Even now he felt odd. That something was rising within him… then it dawned on him what was rising within him. Oh god I'm going to throw up! He quickly started running to the door and pulled it open, "I haven't-!" was the last thing Merlin heard before he ran out of the room.