The Problem With Good Intentions Ch. 5
Title: The Problem With Good Intentions
Author: Sakarrie
Artist: finem (Tumblr)
Word Count: 28k
Pairings: Gen (Slight background Arwen, but not a focus)
Characters: Arthur and Merlin with most of the main s4 cast making appearances
Rating: T
Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence
Summary: After being ambushed by bandits on a hunting trip, Arthur catches Merlin using magic to save a severely-wounded Gwaine. Desperate to save his friend from magic's taint, Arthur goes behind Merlin's back in order to find something that could save him. His methods may do more harm than good, though, and soon all of Camelot is in danger.
Art Masterpost: Link
Chapter 5:
Arthur sat at the dining table, listening politely as the groom shared the tale of how he and the bride first met. These ceremonies always dragged on at the beginning as they waited for everyone to arrive and settle down. Arthur had already been here for about a half hour and was already bored out of his mind. At least the food should be arriving soon.
He had been hoping that Merlin’s outfit and his struggles to move around in it would be entertaining, and they had, but Arthur was more worried than amused. Merlin seemed to be having a hard time focusing and every time he moved, it looked like he was close to falling over.
Merlin had been like that for most of the feast. In fact, Arthur had noticed him moving a bit strangely back when he helped him dress for the banquet as well. He hadn’t recovered much color since their earlier conversation and Arthur had been tempted to give him the night off then and there, but that would have led to Merlin wanting to take off the amulet almost immediately.
But now Arthur was regretting it. His servant looked like a ghost in comparison with the vibrant robe and jewels. Gwen and some of the other servants seemed to have noticed too, if the way their amused looks had changed to concerned glances said anything about it.
Arthur was beginning to wonder if the earlier scene and Merlin’s reaction was only so extreme because he wasn’t feeling well. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. On one hand, it meant Merlin probably wasn’t as terrified of Arthur as he had originally seemed, but on the other hand, that meant that Arthur had probably been the one to cause the illness to worsen. Not to mention that it meant Merlin still didn’t trust him enough to mention he was sick.
Arthur forced his brain to focus back on the noble beside him as he finished his story. “What a wonderful tale,” he commented politely, not having heard most of it. “I’m sure your marriage will be a prosperous one.”
With that, he motioned for Merlin to refill his glass and frowned at the way his manservant’s hands were trembling. “Merlin-” he started, quiet enough that only Merlin could hear the question it was.
“Fine, sire,” Merlin said, but he had all his attention on the goblet he was filling and Arthur wondered if that was because he didn’t want to meet his eye or if Merlin was worried he’d miss if he glanced over.
Merlin finished filling his glass and went back to his place by the wall. Arthur wanted to look back over his shoulder to check if he was still having trouble walking, but forced his attention back to the feast.
Grabbing his now full goblet, Arthur stood and the room went silent in anticipation of what he would say. “I welcome you all to this celebration of Lord Merek and his lovely bride, Lady Kaithryn. It is to my absolute delight that I am to host this banquet in their honor...”
Arthur went on, careful to pause at the right moments and not to slip up over his words. Merlin had written this speech for him days ago and, normally, he would have been reading it over constantly the last day to ensure it was memorised. He had completely forgotten about the speech until this morning, though, so he wasn’t quite as prepared as he often was.
Thankfully, Arthur finished the toast without any problems and sat down, signalling for the food to be brought in. Arthur nodded as the couple thanked him for his words, watching as the delicious food was brought in. The last banquet he’d had was for his coronation, and Arthur really hadn’t been in a mood for celebration at the time. As much as he had smiled and made small-talk as he was supposed to, the food had all felt tasteless in his mouth.
Now, though, the dish in front of him looked mouth-watering, the smell permeating through the whole room as more and more dishes were brought in. Arthur glanced around to find similar reactions amongst the guests. The servants certainly had been hard at work this morning. Not just the cooks, though. The whole room had been transformed with decorations. Arthur had been in this room before they left on the hunting trip just yesterday and it had been completely empty. He wondered if Merlin had been involved in much of the preparations. Obviously, his main duties were to Arthur, hence him going on the hunting trip rather than staying to help with the banquet, but he always seemed to be busy with his duties as a servant and Gaius’s apprentice, so it wouldn’t have shocked Arthur if he’d been helping set this up before he’d come to Arthur’s chambers.
Arthur took the opportunity of everyone being focused on the food to glance over at Merlin. He still didn’t look too well, but he seemed capable of standing on his own. When looking closer, though, Arthur realised Merlin was using both hands to hold the wine bottle and they were still trembling slightly.
Merlin caught him looking and flashed a smile. It didn’t seem as exuberant as his typically did, but Arthur felt slightly reassured. It looked like Merlin was just getting a little sick. As soon as the banquet was over, Arthur would dismiss Merlin for the night and tell him to go straight to bed. He’d be fine by the morning.
As much as Arthur didn’t like seeing his friend look so unwell, there was a small part of Arthur that was relieved that minor illnesses were the worst danger Merlin would have to deal with. The amulet was tucked inside the robe, whether because Merlin had been trying to downplay his outfit or the amulet had just slipped under on its own, Arthur wasn’t sure. But the cord was clear against Merlin’s pale skin, so Arthur was confident it was there. Besides, Arthur was the only one who could take it off, so Merlin would be safe as long as Arthur needed him to be.
He wasn’t ignorant enough to think that Merlin wouldn’t notice eventually, but Arthur could come up with that excuse later. Perhaps that would be the time to finally confront Merlin about the spell.
Though with Merlin’s reaction earlier that day and how unstable he looked now, Arthur figured he’d be able to come up with enough excuses to get Merlin to leave it on until he was better. No need to have him passing out because Arthur told him before Merlin had fully recovered.
It seemed that all the fear for his friend’s soul hadn’t worn off yet-now he was jumping at mere sickness. Arthur snorted at the absurdity and started to eat. The food was a great distraction from worrying about his manservant and soon Arthur found himself pulled into more conversations.
As the night went on, the conversations got more and more amusing as the guests emptied their wine glasses again and again. Arthur knew his limits well and had been careful to only drink what his senses could handle. He had learned his lesson on that already.
He eventually finished his wine glass again and Merlin dutifully came forward at Arthur’s motion. “Go fetch me some water for the rest of the evening, I think I’m done with wine tonight.”
Merlin set down the wine jug on the table and Arthur glanced up, confused. Merlin stood there, both hands being used to support himself against the table. His eyes were squeezed shut and Arthur was alarmed at the palor of his friend. Merlin had always been pale, so Arthur had just assumed it was natural for him to look paler than other people when sick, but now he looked inhuman. His eye bags had grown and his face looked more gaunt than Arthur had ever seen. Had this all occurred within the last hour? Perhaps Merlin was sicker than Arthur originally thought. It certainly looked like something was seriously wrong.
“Merlin, are you okay?” Arthur asked, reaching out an arm to help steady him but stopping when Merlin suddenly opened his eyes and pushed himself up.
“I’ll go get you that water then,” Merlin said and Arthur honestly couldn’t tell if he was ignoring him or if Merlin just hadn’t processed Arthur’s question.
Arthur didn’t miss the fact that Merlin left the wine jug on the table as he turned back around. He swayed, but started forwards as if nothing was wrong. Arthur struggled to pull his seat out, it having gotten caught on the table leg, when he heard a loud sound behind him. He knew that sound well, having heard it many times after pulling his blade out of an assassin’s chest.
Finally freeing his chair, Arthur turned to find Merlin sprawled out on the ground, Gwen and a couple other servants crowded around him. All but Gwen moved away as Arthur approached.
He swallowed thickly at the sight of his friend passed out on the floor of the banquet hall. Between the costume and the blank expression on Merlin’s face, it seemed far too similar to when the idiot had drunk poison for him all those years ago.
Gwen glanced up worriedly, a hand wrapped around his wrist. “His pulse is weak and he’s far too cold. We need to get him to Gaius, Arthur.”
Arthur forced himself to stop thinking so much and focus on the situation at hand. He glanced around the room, but only a few of the people were actually paying them attention. Most were raving drunk at this point and the couple was so enthralled with each other that Arthur knew he wouldn’t be missed.
“Right,” Arthur said and stooped to lift Merlin. As he started pulling Merlin’s torso up, a small moan came from him and Arthur was surprised to find foggy blue eyes looking up at him confusedly.
“Arthur?” Merlin asked, clearly not very focused, but aware enough to know that Arthur usually wasn’t what he first saw when he woke up. He glanced down at the hand still holding his wrist and gave the same confused look to Gwen.
“You’re sick, Merlin. Arthur’s going to assist you to your chambers so Gaius can help you.”
It spoke to how out of it Merlin was that he didn’t protest, and Arthur was easily able to loop one of his arms under Merlin’s shoulders. He hoisted them both up, Gwen watching carefully in case she was needed.
Merlin’s legs didn’t seem to be taking much of his weight, but they weren’t collapsing beneath him, so Arthur took that as his signal to get moving.
Gwen glanced at him, a question in her eyes, but Arthur shook his head. He was confident he could get Merlin back to Gaius’s chambers by himself. Giving Gwen a reassuring look, he started moving towards the door.
Merlin was doing a good job of keeping up with Arthur’s movements, but it seemed to be taking all of his concentration. Normally, Merlin would either be dismissing the obvious need to be checked out or making some sarcastic comment about how Arthur did care. The lack of any conversation at all was disconcerting to say the least.
They continued down the hall at an agonizingly slow pace, but eventually even that seemed to become too much.
Arthur felt Merlin slip slightly and paused to resituate the arm over his shoulders. It appeared that Merlin was using all his energy to keep pressing forward, as the entire top part of his body was now slumping in exhaustion.
Arthur grunted, surprised by the sudden dead weight. “You know, you are far heavier than you look, Merlin,” he grumbled, hoping to get a rise out of his friend.
Merlin didn’t respond, his steps becoming increasingly more uncoordinated before stopping all together.
Arthur paused immediately, trying to see his friend’s face. “Merlin?”
With the way Merlin was hunched over, Arthur couldn’t keep him upright and see his expression at the same, but his labored pants were sign enough that they needed to get him to Gaius now.
“Merlin!?” Arthur called again, this time not bothering to hide the concern in his voice. He started to lower Merlin down against the wall, when Merlin’s free arm latched onto Arthur’s own and pulled himself back up.
“M’fine,” he mumbled unconvincingly. “I c’n keep goin’.”
Arthur hesitated, not at all reassured by the slurred words, but knowing that Merlin wasn’t going to get better until they got him to Gaius. This illness had come so suddenly and was getting worse at a terrifying pace. As much as his instincts said to pause and let Merlin rest for a bit, it was unlikely that it would help Merlin actually recover. But what if it was the extra exertion that was making him deteriorate so quickly? Pushing him forwards might get them to help faster, but could he risk making Merlin worse?
The decision was taken away as Merlin’s grip tightened painfully. Before Arthur could move, Merlin let out a yelp of pain. His knees gave in and his body slackened, bringing Arthur crashing to the ground as well.
Pushing himself to his knees, Arthur looked over his friend. Merlin lay unconscious, sprawled on his back with his hands draped over his chest as if he had been trying to claw at his robe. His face was bloodless and had the slightest tremors not been wracking his body, Arthur might have thought he was dead.
Arthur’s eyes fell to the dark cord that stood out against the pale skin of Merlin’s neck and a cold feeling swept over him. Gently moving Merlin’s hands away from his chest, Arthur found a slight bulge under the fabric where they had lain.
His breath caught in his throat. Had he been the one to do this to Merlin?
Carefully pulling the fabric away, Arthur gasped as he saw the blistering skin underneath the amulet. He removed it immediately, stomach rolling at the way he needed to tear the pendant away from Merlin’s chest and the smell of burnt skin that immediately filled the air.
Arthur stared at the burn, struggling to understand what had happened. Had he been mistaken in the amulet’s effects? No, he couldn’t be. Arthur had read the accounts of the amulet’s previous uses thoroughly and none of them mentioned anything about sickness or even discomfort. It couldn’t be the wrong amulet. It looked exactly as described, and Arthur had tried it on himself to verify that it would have no ill effects such as this.
But what did that mean for Merlin? This amulet had helped other magic users stop before it was too late. Several of them went on to never use magic again, and the rest of the accounts were magic-free for years with no signs of change until they had fallen back under the temptation’s power. If Merlin was having such an adverse reaction to the wearing of an item meant to stop magic form tainting one’s soul...
Then Arthur must have been too late.
The thought made Arthur’s world spin, and he was grateful to already be sitting when the wave of grief washed over him. His gaze fell to his best friend’s prone form. A little bit of color was beginning to return already and, though he looked so small and vulnerable right now, when he woke up, things would never be the same again. Slowly but surely, this Merlin would be replaced with a twisted, vengeful one and, from his experience with Morgana, no one would be able to tell when.
Arthur’s throat tightened with emotion as he considered what that meant. Merlin would become a danger to everyone around him. His father wouldn’t have faltered in having him executed, but could Arthur really do that to Merlin? Merlin, the first person who ever saw past the crown and cared about Arthur for him? The thought of having him executed was nauseating. Isolated imprisonment was the only other option he could think of. They had seen what happened when a magic-tainted soul went loose, and Arthur couldn’t allow another Morgana to plague his kingdom. But was imprisonment for the rest of his life really any better than death?
Arthur clenched his fist at the injustice of this all. Earlier that day, Arthur had assured Merlin he had nothing to fear from him. Yet, here he was just a few hours later, condemning his friend for saving someone’s life.
A small whimper brought his attention back to the present moment, and Arthur cursed himself for getting so caught up in it all. Gently sliding his arms under Merlin's knees and back, Arthur hoisted Merlin into the air and started walking. The position did nothing to make Merlin look less vulnerable and Arthur forced himself to look away. Arthur pursed his lips, focusing on moving forwards. There was nothing he could do for Merlin now but get him to Gaius. Hopefully he would be back from wherever he was when Arthur had been looking for him earlier-
Arthur's breath caught. There was still one option he hadn't tried.
But could he really make a deal with a creature of magic? How could he justify consorting with magic to save one man, a man who by the current laws should be put to death?
A shudder ran through his manservant, his face scrunching in discomfort and Arthur knew his answer. Merlin had done so much for him and his kingdom. He would not allow a foolish choice made in loyalty to destroy his friend.
He quickened his pace, reaching Gaius's room a couple minutes later. "Gaius!" he called, relieved to see the old man through the open door.
The physician turned around quickly, alarm crossing his features as he spotted Merlin in Arthur's arms.
"What happened?" he demanded, already clearing the cot for Arthur to lay him down on.
Arthur felt a bit of shame, knowing his use of the amulet was likely what caused Merlin to fall so ill. "He fainted at the ceremony. He's been looking pale all day."
Gaius sent him a quick glance, and Arthur knew that the older man could tell he wasn't getting a full story. Before he could ask any further questions, though, Arthur asked one of his own. "Are Valkyries dangerous?"
The question clearly surprised him, but after the brief hesitation, he replied. "I've never heard of one being so, sire, but what does this have to do with Merlin?"
Ignoring the followup question, Arthur shot back, "Would you consider them benevolent?"
Gaius's brow furrowed further. "I suppose so. Traditionally, yes."
Arthur nodded, eyes focused on Merlin, and Gaius resumed assessing his ward. Placing a hand across Merlin's flush face, he said, "He's hot. How long has he had a fever?"
Frowning, Arthur examined Merlin closer, surprised to find his servant had recovered a fair amount of color and was indeed, starting to look feverish. "I'm not sure. I would guess it only just started rising. He felt cold earlier today." Cold as death. Pale as death. What would have happened had Arthur not removed the amulet when he did?
Gaius started to remove the heavily bejeweled belt, not a trace of amusement on his face at the extravagant outfit. As Gaius slid the belt off and reached to open the robe, Arthur realised he needed to leave before Gaius saw the burn mark. Who knew how long Merlin had before magic claimed him completely. He didn't have time to stick around and answer the old man's questions.
"I must go," Arthur stated, and Gaius looked up in surprise. Ignoring the question in his look, Arthur called for the guard who was stationed down the hall. "You are to get the physician anything he requires until I return," he ordered, barely waiting for the guard to nod before racing off down the hall.
He would need to bring along some knights who could keep a secret, and he knew just the ones.
_____________
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Chapter 6
Author: Sakarrie
Artist: finem (Tumblr)
Word Count: 28k
Pairings: Gen (Slight background Arwen, but not a focus)
Characters: Arthur and Merlin with most of the main s4 cast making appearances
Rating: T
Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence
Summary: After being ambushed by bandits on a hunting trip, Arthur catches Merlin using magic to save a severely-wounded Gwaine. Desperate to save his friend from magic's taint, Arthur goes behind Merlin's back in order to find something that could save him. His methods may do more harm than good, though, and soon all of Camelot is in danger.
Art Masterpost: Link
Chapter 5:
Arthur sat at the dining table, listening politely as the groom shared the tale of how he and the bride first met. These ceremonies always dragged on at the beginning as they waited for everyone to arrive and settle down. Arthur had already been here for about a half hour and was already bored out of his mind. At least the food should be arriving soon.
He had been hoping that Merlin’s outfit and his struggles to move around in it would be entertaining, and they had, but Arthur was more worried than amused. Merlin seemed to be having a hard time focusing and every time he moved, it looked like he was close to falling over.
Merlin had been like that for most of the feast. In fact, Arthur had noticed him moving a bit strangely back when he helped him dress for the banquet as well. He hadn’t recovered much color since their earlier conversation and Arthur had been tempted to give him the night off then and there, but that would have led to Merlin wanting to take off the amulet almost immediately.
But now Arthur was regretting it. His servant looked like a ghost in comparison with the vibrant robe and jewels. Gwen and some of the other servants seemed to have noticed too, if the way their amused looks had changed to concerned glances said anything about it.
Arthur was beginning to wonder if the earlier scene and Merlin’s reaction was only so extreme because he wasn’t feeling well. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. On one hand, it meant Merlin probably wasn’t as terrified of Arthur as he had originally seemed, but on the other hand, that meant that Arthur had probably been the one to cause the illness to worsen. Not to mention that it meant Merlin still didn’t trust him enough to mention he was sick.
Arthur forced his brain to focus back on the noble beside him as he finished his story. “What a wonderful tale,” he commented politely, not having heard most of it. “I’m sure your marriage will be a prosperous one.”
With that, he motioned for Merlin to refill his glass and frowned at the way his manservant’s hands were trembling. “Merlin-” he started, quiet enough that only Merlin could hear the question it was.
“Fine, sire,” Merlin said, but he had all his attention on the goblet he was filling and Arthur wondered if that was because he didn’t want to meet his eye or if Merlin was worried he’d miss if he glanced over.
Merlin finished filling his glass and went back to his place by the wall. Arthur wanted to look back over his shoulder to check if he was still having trouble walking, but forced his attention back to the feast.
Grabbing his now full goblet, Arthur stood and the room went silent in anticipation of what he would say. “I welcome you all to this celebration of Lord Merek and his lovely bride, Lady Kaithryn. It is to my absolute delight that I am to host this banquet in their honor...”
Arthur went on, careful to pause at the right moments and not to slip up over his words. Merlin had written this speech for him days ago and, normally, he would have been reading it over constantly the last day to ensure it was memorised. He had completely forgotten about the speech until this morning, though, so he wasn’t quite as prepared as he often was.
Thankfully, Arthur finished the toast without any problems and sat down, signalling for the food to be brought in. Arthur nodded as the couple thanked him for his words, watching as the delicious food was brought in. The last banquet he’d had was for his coronation, and Arthur really hadn’t been in a mood for celebration at the time. As much as he had smiled and made small-talk as he was supposed to, the food had all felt tasteless in his mouth.
Now, though, the dish in front of him looked mouth-watering, the smell permeating through the whole room as more and more dishes were brought in. Arthur glanced around to find similar reactions amongst the guests. The servants certainly had been hard at work this morning. Not just the cooks, though. The whole room had been transformed with decorations. Arthur had been in this room before they left on the hunting trip just yesterday and it had been completely empty. He wondered if Merlin had been involved in much of the preparations. Obviously, his main duties were to Arthur, hence him going on the hunting trip rather than staying to help with the banquet, but he always seemed to be busy with his duties as a servant and Gaius’s apprentice, so it wouldn’t have shocked Arthur if he’d been helping set this up before he’d come to Arthur’s chambers.
Arthur took the opportunity of everyone being focused on the food to glance over at Merlin. He still didn’t look too well, but he seemed capable of standing on his own. When looking closer, though, Arthur realised Merlin was using both hands to hold the wine bottle and they were still trembling slightly.
Merlin caught him looking and flashed a smile. It didn’t seem as exuberant as his typically did, but Arthur felt slightly reassured. It looked like Merlin was just getting a little sick. As soon as the banquet was over, Arthur would dismiss Merlin for the night and tell him to go straight to bed. He’d be fine by the morning.
As much as Arthur didn’t like seeing his friend look so unwell, there was a small part of Arthur that was relieved that minor illnesses were the worst danger Merlin would have to deal with. The amulet was tucked inside the robe, whether because Merlin had been trying to downplay his outfit or the amulet had just slipped under on its own, Arthur wasn’t sure. But the cord was clear against Merlin’s pale skin, so Arthur was confident it was there. Besides, Arthur was the only one who could take it off, so Merlin would be safe as long as Arthur needed him to be.
He wasn’t ignorant enough to think that Merlin wouldn’t notice eventually, but Arthur could come up with that excuse later. Perhaps that would be the time to finally confront Merlin about the spell.
Though with Merlin’s reaction earlier that day and how unstable he looked now, Arthur figured he’d be able to come up with enough excuses to get Merlin to leave it on until he was better. No need to have him passing out because Arthur told him before Merlin had fully recovered.
It seemed that all the fear for his friend’s soul hadn’t worn off yet-now he was jumping at mere sickness. Arthur snorted at the absurdity and started to eat. The food was a great distraction from worrying about his manservant and soon Arthur found himself pulled into more conversations.
As the night went on, the conversations got more and more amusing as the guests emptied their wine glasses again and again. Arthur knew his limits well and had been careful to only drink what his senses could handle. He had learned his lesson on that already.
He eventually finished his wine glass again and Merlin dutifully came forward at Arthur’s motion. “Go fetch me some water for the rest of the evening, I think I’m done with wine tonight.”
Merlin set down the wine jug on the table and Arthur glanced up, confused. Merlin stood there, both hands being used to support himself against the table. His eyes were squeezed shut and Arthur was alarmed at the palor of his friend. Merlin had always been pale, so Arthur had just assumed it was natural for him to look paler than other people when sick, but now he looked inhuman. His eye bags had grown and his face looked more gaunt than Arthur had ever seen. Had this all occurred within the last hour? Perhaps Merlin was sicker than Arthur originally thought. It certainly looked like something was seriously wrong.
“Merlin, are you okay?” Arthur asked, reaching out an arm to help steady him but stopping when Merlin suddenly opened his eyes and pushed himself up.
“I’ll go get you that water then,” Merlin said and Arthur honestly couldn’t tell if he was ignoring him or if Merlin just hadn’t processed Arthur’s question.
Arthur didn’t miss the fact that Merlin left the wine jug on the table as he turned back around. He swayed, but started forwards as if nothing was wrong. Arthur struggled to pull his seat out, it having gotten caught on the table leg, when he heard a loud sound behind him. He knew that sound well, having heard it many times after pulling his blade out of an assassin’s chest.
Finally freeing his chair, Arthur turned to find Merlin sprawled out on the ground, Gwen and a couple other servants crowded around him. All but Gwen moved away as Arthur approached.
He swallowed thickly at the sight of his friend passed out on the floor of the banquet hall. Between the costume and the blank expression on Merlin’s face, it seemed far too similar to when the idiot had drunk poison for him all those years ago.
Gwen glanced up worriedly, a hand wrapped around his wrist. “His pulse is weak and he’s far too cold. We need to get him to Gaius, Arthur.”
Arthur forced himself to stop thinking so much and focus on the situation at hand. He glanced around the room, but only a few of the people were actually paying them attention. Most were raving drunk at this point and the couple was so enthralled with each other that Arthur knew he wouldn’t be missed.
“Right,” Arthur said and stooped to lift Merlin. As he started pulling Merlin’s torso up, a small moan came from him and Arthur was surprised to find foggy blue eyes looking up at him confusedly.
“Arthur?” Merlin asked, clearly not very focused, but aware enough to know that Arthur usually wasn’t what he first saw when he woke up. He glanced down at the hand still holding his wrist and gave the same confused look to Gwen.
“You’re sick, Merlin. Arthur’s going to assist you to your chambers so Gaius can help you.”
It spoke to how out of it Merlin was that he didn’t protest, and Arthur was easily able to loop one of his arms under Merlin’s shoulders. He hoisted them both up, Gwen watching carefully in case she was needed.
Merlin’s legs didn’t seem to be taking much of his weight, but they weren’t collapsing beneath him, so Arthur took that as his signal to get moving.
Gwen glanced at him, a question in her eyes, but Arthur shook his head. He was confident he could get Merlin back to Gaius’s chambers by himself. Giving Gwen a reassuring look, he started moving towards the door.
Merlin was doing a good job of keeping up with Arthur’s movements, but it seemed to be taking all of his concentration. Normally, Merlin would either be dismissing the obvious need to be checked out or making some sarcastic comment about how Arthur did care. The lack of any conversation at all was disconcerting to say the least.
They continued down the hall at an agonizingly slow pace, but eventually even that seemed to become too much.
Arthur felt Merlin slip slightly and paused to resituate the arm over his shoulders. It appeared that Merlin was using all his energy to keep pressing forward, as the entire top part of his body was now slumping in exhaustion.
Arthur grunted, surprised by the sudden dead weight. “You know, you are far heavier than you look, Merlin,” he grumbled, hoping to get a rise out of his friend.
Merlin didn’t respond, his steps becoming increasingly more uncoordinated before stopping all together.
Arthur paused immediately, trying to see his friend’s face. “Merlin?”
With the way Merlin was hunched over, Arthur couldn’t keep him upright and see his expression at the same, but his labored pants were sign enough that they needed to get him to Gaius now.
“Merlin!?” Arthur called again, this time not bothering to hide the concern in his voice. He started to lower Merlin down against the wall, when Merlin’s free arm latched onto Arthur’s own and pulled himself back up.
“M’fine,” he mumbled unconvincingly. “I c’n keep goin’.”
Arthur hesitated, not at all reassured by the slurred words, but knowing that Merlin wasn’t going to get better until they got him to Gaius. This illness had come so suddenly and was getting worse at a terrifying pace. As much as his instincts said to pause and let Merlin rest for a bit, it was unlikely that it would help Merlin actually recover. But what if it was the extra exertion that was making him deteriorate so quickly? Pushing him forwards might get them to help faster, but could he risk making Merlin worse?
The decision was taken away as Merlin’s grip tightened painfully. Before Arthur could move, Merlin let out a yelp of pain. His knees gave in and his body slackened, bringing Arthur crashing to the ground as well.
Pushing himself to his knees, Arthur looked over his friend. Merlin lay unconscious, sprawled on his back with his hands draped over his chest as if he had been trying to claw at his robe. His face was bloodless and had the slightest tremors not been wracking his body, Arthur might have thought he was dead.
Arthur’s eyes fell to the dark cord that stood out against the pale skin of Merlin’s neck and a cold feeling swept over him. Gently moving Merlin’s hands away from his chest, Arthur found a slight bulge under the fabric where they had lain.
His breath caught in his throat. Had he been the one to do this to Merlin?
Carefully pulling the fabric away, Arthur gasped as he saw the blistering skin underneath the amulet. He removed it immediately, stomach rolling at the way he needed to tear the pendant away from Merlin’s chest and the smell of burnt skin that immediately filled the air.
Arthur stared at the burn, struggling to understand what had happened. Had he been mistaken in the amulet’s effects? No, he couldn’t be. Arthur had read the accounts of the amulet’s previous uses thoroughly and none of them mentioned anything about sickness or even discomfort. It couldn’t be the wrong amulet. It looked exactly as described, and Arthur had tried it on himself to verify that it would have no ill effects such as this.
But what did that mean for Merlin? This amulet had helped other magic users stop before it was too late. Several of them went on to never use magic again, and the rest of the accounts were magic-free for years with no signs of change until they had fallen back under the temptation’s power. If Merlin was having such an adverse reaction to the wearing of an item meant to stop magic form tainting one’s soul...
Then Arthur must have been too late.
The thought made Arthur’s world spin, and he was grateful to already be sitting when the wave of grief washed over him. His gaze fell to his best friend’s prone form. A little bit of color was beginning to return already and, though he looked so small and vulnerable right now, when he woke up, things would never be the same again. Slowly but surely, this Merlin would be replaced with a twisted, vengeful one and, from his experience with Morgana, no one would be able to tell when.
Arthur’s throat tightened with emotion as he considered what that meant. Merlin would become a danger to everyone around him. His father wouldn’t have faltered in having him executed, but could Arthur really do that to Merlin? Merlin, the first person who ever saw past the crown and cared about Arthur for him? The thought of having him executed was nauseating. Isolated imprisonment was the only other option he could think of. They had seen what happened when a magic-tainted soul went loose, and Arthur couldn’t allow another Morgana to plague his kingdom. But was imprisonment for the rest of his life really any better than death?
Arthur clenched his fist at the injustice of this all. Earlier that day, Arthur had assured Merlin he had nothing to fear from him. Yet, here he was just a few hours later, condemning his friend for saving someone’s life.
A small whimper brought his attention back to the present moment, and Arthur cursed himself for getting so caught up in it all. Gently sliding his arms under Merlin's knees and back, Arthur hoisted Merlin into the air and started walking. The position did nothing to make Merlin look less vulnerable and Arthur forced himself to look away. Arthur pursed his lips, focusing on moving forwards. There was nothing he could do for Merlin now but get him to Gaius. Hopefully he would be back from wherever he was when Arthur had been looking for him earlier-
Arthur's breath caught. There was still one option he hadn't tried.
But could he really make a deal with a creature of magic? How could he justify consorting with magic to save one man, a man who by the current laws should be put to death?
A shudder ran through his manservant, his face scrunching in discomfort and Arthur knew his answer. Merlin had done so much for him and his kingdom. He would not allow a foolish choice made in loyalty to destroy his friend.
He quickened his pace, reaching Gaius's room a couple minutes later. "Gaius!" he called, relieved to see the old man through the open door.
The physician turned around quickly, alarm crossing his features as he spotted Merlin in Arthur's arms.
"What happened?" he demanded, already clearing the cot for Arthur to lay him down on.
Arthur felt a bit of shame, knowing his use of the amulet was likely what caused Merlin to fall so ill. "He fainted at the ceremony. He's been looking pale all day."
Gaius sent him a quick glance, and Arthur knew that the older man could tell he wasn't getting a full story. Before he could ask any further questions, though, Arthur asked one of his own. "Are Valkyries dangerous?"
The question clearly surprised him, but after the brief hesitation, he replied. "I've never heard of one being so, sire, but what does this have to do with Merlin?"
Ignoring the followup question, Arthur shot back, "Would you consider them benevolent?"
Gaius's brow furrowed further. "I suppose so. Traditionally, yes."
Arthur nodded, eyes focused on Merlin, and Gaius resumed assessing his ward. Placing a hand across Merlin's flush face, he said, "He's hot. How long has he had a fever?"
Frowning, Arthur examined Merlin closer, surprised to find his servant had recovered a fair amount of color and was indeed, starting to look feverish. "I'm not sure. I would guess it only just started rising. He felt cold earlier today." Cold as death. Pale as death. What would have happened had Arthur not removed the amulet when he did?
Gaius started to remove the heavily bejeweled belt, not a trace of amusement on his face at the extravagant outfit. As Gaius slid the belt off and reached to open the robe, Arthur realised he needed to leave before Gaius saw the burn mark. Who knew how long Merlin had before magic claimed him completely. He didn't have time to stick around and answer the old man's questions.
"I must go," Arthur stated, and Gaius looked up in surprise. Ignoring the question in his look, Arthur called for the guard who was stationed down the hall. "You are to get the physician anything he requires until I return," he ordered, barely waiting for the guard to nod before racing off down the hall.
He would need to bring along some knights who could keep a secret, and he knew just the ones.
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Chapter 6