Of Cures and Consequences Part Three
Title: Of Cures and Consequences
Author: Sasusc
Fandom: Merlin
Characters: Arthur, Merlin
Words: 1072
Summary: Merlin uses his magic to cure the sick. Set before Season 4 (Part 3/?)
Series: 365 Days of Drabbles, Day Six
Part One Part Two
Princes and Warlocks, they discovered together, sometimes have troubled revealing things to each other. Mainly that was because this particular prince never had any chances to reveal anything to a warlock-at least that is what he thought. The warlock, on the other hand, had many opportunities to reveal his secrets to the prince but time and fear and heartache swelled larger in his heart and held captive the words. The warlock was right to fear revealing his secrets no matter when he chose to do so…for if he chose the beginning, their friendship would never have been born and they both would have died long ago, but because time gave them the chance to care for each other, revealing the secrets could only bring them heartache and betrayal.
Four days passed since Merlin had briefly woken up. Gaius assured his prince that Merlin was on the mend. There were no signs of sickness and time would tell if the sorcerer had affected Merlin's health for the worst. Arthur was resting in a chair next to Merlin's bed with his feet propped up and his arms folded across his chest.
The sorcerer had eluded them. There was no traces of how or where or even why the sorcerer breached Camelot's walls. It was as if there hadn't been a sorcerer at all. After all this time he found himself doubting what he saw. Maybe it had all been a figment of his imagination…a dream that felt too real. His father was thinking it was so.
"How long have you been there?" Merlin whispered, his voice cracking with misused.
"Merlin!" His legs crashed to the floor as he leaned forward. "You're awake!"
He licked his dry lips. "What's going on?"
"You've been sick. Guinevere's been very worried. As well as Gaius."
Merlin smiled. That was Arthur's code for: I've been worried. He shifted in bed and propped himself up against the headboard. "I feel fine. Better than ever… My throat's a little dry."
Arthur glanced guiltily towards the night stand. "Guinevere has been keeping a glass of water nearby in case you woke up."
"That's great."
"But I figured you didn't need it. And I was thirsty. I should… I should probably go get Gaius."
"Wait," Merlin spoke. "How long have I been sleeping?"
"Ten days." Arthur was hesitating to mention it, but he figured someone probably would say something. "Four days ago…you were…possessed by a sorcerer."
Merlin frowned. "What?"
Arthur ran a hand through his hair. "He took over your body and spoke some nonsense."
"What did I-he say?"
The stood up and waved his hand. "It was nothing, Merlin."
Merlin didn't think so, but he held his tongue as the prince left him alone. When he asked Gaius about the event a little bit later, he was told that they hadn't found any evidence to suggest a sorcerer had entered the castle. Uther had even started to question whether Arthur actually saw what he claimed to have witness.
"Do you… Do you think it was me? That I woke up delusional with magic?"
Gaius shook his head. "I don't know, my boy. Get some rest."
* * * * *
Arthur, once again, found himself wondering into Merlin's room late at night. He was starting to see the benefits of Merlin moving into the servant chambers. His manservant would be ready to assist him whenever he wanted. He wouldn't even have to send for Merlin when he couldn't find his hair comb; Merlin would be within shouting distances.
"Arthur," Merlin greeted. "What are you doing in here?"
"I'm bored," he admitted. He decided against asking how he was feeling. Clearly Merlin was looking better…and he was awake. "Anything new?" He plopped down on the vacant chair near the bed.
Merlin chucked. "Anything new within the…what? Two, three hours we were apart?"
Arthur gave him a glare.
"Well, after you left Gaius checked me over and declared me healthy. Gwen came by with some flowers. Very lovely flowers, by the way. Gwaine popped by along with Percival and Elyan. They all seemed very relieved to see me awake and healthy looking. And then you showed up."
Silence filled the room. Merlin stared at Arthur, and Arthur stared back and Merlin. Neither said anything for a few minutes. The prince spoke first.
"Do you remember waking up…you know…earlier?"
Merlin shook his head.
Arthur sighed. "I don't know why anyone would want to possess you. Do you?"
"I'm the closest to you, Arthur. Possessing my body would get them to you." He felt compelled to add, "Although that wouldn't be only reason."
"What do you mean by that?"
"If they were powerful enough to take over my body and knew enough of magic-which I should say they would to be able to do that-then they would have unlimited power. I'll try not to boast, sire, but by all accounts I'm uniquely special." Merlin's hands flew to his mouth.
Arthur blinked at him. "What?"
His manservant shook his head franticly keeping his hands over his traitorous mouth.
"If they were powerful enough to take over your body?"
Merlin tried to choke back the words but they still slipped past his lips. "I'm a great warlock, destined to be one of the greatest."
They stared at each other in shock silence.
"I don't know why I just said that…"
"Are you joking with me, Merlin?"
"No."
"Do you think me stupid?"
"I wonder sometimes about that. Only a stupid man would think he could battle all sorts of magical creatures without the aid of magic." Merlin bit his lips. "Sorry, I don't know why I just said that… It's like I can't help myself."
"You're a sorcerer?"
"I prefer warlock. I really don't know I said that."
Arthur stood up. He needed to call the guards to restrain Merlin and collect Gaius. Gaius should be able to tell them exactly what was going on. "You were possessed by a sorcerer while you were sick. I believe you are still under his influence."
"I don't think so," Merlin was quick to comment. "From what I heard from Gaius, it doesn't sound like it."
Arthur nodded. "And you would know this because…?"
"I've done magic before when I was unconscious." Merlin chuckled as something clicked in his brain. "Oh, that's just lovely!"
"What is?"
Merlin tried to resist but by now he knew it was futile. "Answering all your questions."
Author: Sasusc
Fandom: Merlin
Characters: Arthur, Merlin
Words: 1072
Summary: Merlin uses his magic to cure the sick. Set before Season 4 (Part 3/?)
Series: 365 Days of Drabbles, Day Six
Part One Part Two
Princes and Warlocks, they discovered together, sometimes have troubled revealing things to each other. Mainly that was because this particular prince never had any chances to reveal anything to a warlock-at least that is what he thought. The warlock, on the other hand, had many opportunities to reveal his secrets to the prince but time and fear and heartache swelled larger in his heart and held captive the words. The warlock was right to fear revealing his secrets no matter when he chose to do so…for if he chose the beginning, their friendship would never have been born and they both would have died long ago, but because time gave them the chance to care for each other, revealing the secrets could only bring them heartache and betrayal.
Four days passed since Merlin had briefly woken up. Gaius assured his prince that Merlin was on the mend. There were no signs of sickness and time would tell if the sorcerer had affected Merlin's health for the worst. Arthur was resting in a chair next to Merlin's bed with his feet propped up and his arms folded across his chest.
The sorcerer had eluded them. There was no traces of how or where or even why the sorcerer breached Camelot's walls. It was as if there hadn't been a sorcerer at all. After all this time he found himself doubting what he saw. Maybe it had all been a figment of his imagination…a dream that felt too real. His father was thinking it was so.
"How long have you been there?" Merlin whispered, his voice cracking with misused.
"Merlin!" His legs crashed to the floor as he leaned forward. "You're awake!"
He licked his dry lips. "What's going on?"
"You've been sick. Guinevere's been very worried. As well as Gaius."
Merlin smiled. That was Arthur's code for: I've been worried. He shifted in bed and propped himself up against the headboard. "I feel fine. Better than ever… My throat's a little dry."
Arthur glanced guiltily towards the night stand. "Guinevere has been keeping a glass of water nearby in case you woke up."
"That's great."
"But I figured you didn't need it. And I was thirsty. I should… I should probably go get Gaius."
"Wait," Merlin spoke. "How long have I been sleeping?"
"Ten days." Arthur was hesitating to mention it, but he figured someone probably would say something. "Four days ago…you were…possessed by a sorcerer."
Merlin frowned. "What?"
Arthur ran a hand through his hair. "He took over your body and spoke some nonsense."
"What did I-he say?"
The stood up and waved his hand. "It was nothing, Merlin."
Merlin didn't think so, but he held his tongue as the prince left him alone. When he asked Gaius about the event a little bit later, he was told that they hadn't found any evidence to suggest a sorcerer had entered the castle. Uther had even started to question whether Arthur actually saw what he claimed to have witness.
"Do you… Do you think it was me? That I woke up delusional with magic?"
Gaius shook his head. "I don't know, my boy. Get some rest."
* * * * *
Arthur, once again, found himself wondering into Merlin's room late at night. He was starting to see the benefits of Merlin moving into the servant chambers. His manservant would be ready to assist him whenever he wanted. He wouldn't even have to send for Merlin when he couldn't find his hair comb; Merlin would be within shouting distances.
"Arthur," Merlin greeted. "What are you doing in here?"
"I'm bored," he admitted. He decided against asking how he was feeling. Clearly Merlin was looking better…and he was awake. "Anything new?" He plopped down on the vacant chair near the bed.
Merlin chucked. "Anything new within the…what? Two, three hours we were apart?"
Arthur gave him a glare.
"Well, after you left Gaius checked me over and declared me healthy. Gwen came by with some flowers. Very lovely flowers, by the way. Gwaine popped by along with Percival and Elyan. They all seemed very relieved to see me awake and healthy looking. And then you showed up."
Silence filled the room. Merlin stared at Arthur, and Arthur stared back and Merlin. Neither said anything for a few minutes. The prince spoke first.
"Do you remember waking up…you know…earlier?"
Merlin shook his head.
Arthur sighed. "I don't know why anyone would want to possess you. Do you?"
"I'm the closest to you, Arthur. Possessing my body would get them to you." He felt compelled to add, "Although that wouldn't be only reason."
"What do you mean by that?"
"If they were powerful enough to take over my body and knew enough of magic-which I should say they would to be able to do that-then they would have unlimited power. I'll try not to boast, sire, but by all accounts I'm uniquely special." Merlin's hands flew to his mouth.
Arthur blinked at him. "What?"
His manservant shook his head franticly keeping his hands over his traitorous mouth.
"If they were powerful enough to take over your body?"
Merlin tried to choke back the words but they still slipped past his lips. "I'm a great warlock, destined to be one of the greatest."
They stared at each other in shock silence.
"I don't know why I just said that…"
"Are you joking with me, Merlin?"
"No."
"Do you think me stupid?"
"I wonder sometimes about that. Only a stupid man would think he could battle all sorts of magical creatures without the aid of magic." Merlin bit his lips. "Sorry, I don't know why I just said that… It's like I can't help myself."
"You're a sorcerer?"
"I prefer warlock. I really don't know I said that."
Arthur stood up. He needed to call the guards to restrain Merlin and collect Gaius. Gaius should be able to tell them exactly what was going on. "You were possessed by a sorcerer while you were sick. I believe you are still under his influence."
"I don't think so," Merlin was quick to comment. "From what I heard from Gaius, it doesn't sound like it."
Arthur nodded. "And you would know this because…?"
"I've done magic before when I was unconscious." Merlin chuckled as something clicked in his brain. "Oh, that's just lovely!"
"What is?"
Merlin tried to resist but by now he knew it was futile. "Answering all your questions."