The Eyes have It
Author: archaeologist_d
Title: The Eyes have It
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur
Summary: Arthur was very sick, dreaming of golden eyes and sorcery.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 887
Camelot Drabble Prompt bingo 512: hallucinations
Disclaimer: I do not own the BBC version of Merlin; They and Shine do. I am very respectfully borrowing them with no intent to profit. No money has changed hands. No copyright infringement is intended.
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Golden eyes melting into blue, and the mutterings of spells, the voice familiar but it couldn’t be. He would have known.
Writhing, trying to escape, but trapped, trapped with ropes and weight, rough hands tight against him, the traitor pouring vials of poison down his throat as he screamed out his rage.
Filling his mouth with darkness, its venomous claws ripping through his chest as he swallowed. Writhing, helpless, captured, the bonds holding him down, smothering him, as glowing eyes watched him beg for release.
He shrieked again, fighting black-edged terror, knowing that he would die at Merlin’s hands. At the hands of a golden-eyed sorcerer. A Traitor, a fiend, a monster. And beloved.
---------------
When Arthur woke, he felt wrung out, his bedclothes sweat-soaked. Thirsty, with a headache threatening to burst out of his head, he tried to reach for his goblet, but he was tied down, leather manacles and ropes keeping him prisoner.
He didn’t remember much, just the terror of magic and poison and voices talking over him. Golden eyes staring at him that turned back to Merlin’s own colour. Which couldn’t be true. It must have been a vision or hallucination.
But before he could think more about it, Merlin came running in, carrying a pitcher of water and several vials, slopping most of the water onto the tray as he flung it down and hurried over to Arthur’s bed.
“You’re awake.” Merlin grinned.
“Release me, you idiot. Why am I trussed up like a pig to slaughter?” Arthur asked. With that, he started coughing, his throat dry as sand.
With that, Merlin grabbed the goblet and let a few drops of water drizzle into Arthur’s mouth. “Thank goodness, you’re better,” Merlin said, scowling down at him. “You are better, right?”
“Of course, I’m better. I was never sick,” Arthur snapped. “Release me before I send you to the stocks.”
“Well, Gaius said that you would claim to be better, but it might be a trick?” Merlin said, his voice rising.
“I am better, you buffoon! Of all the stupid, incompetent, idiotic servants I’ve had the misfortune to endure, you are the worst. I swear if you don’t release me, you will be on permanent cesspit duty,” Arthur shouted.
With that, Merlin grinned, his smile as delighted as Arthur had ever seen. As he unlocked the manacles and undid the ropes, Merlin babbled, “It was really touch-and-go for a while. You kept screaming that there were eyes on the walls staring at you. And Gaius tried so many potions and every time you’d rage and go after him with knives and fists and throwing things. You even tried to choke me when I had to give you some of his medicines. Not that I blame you. They are pretty awful. Oh,” Merlin turned and grabbed one of the vials, shaking it in Arthur’s face. “And here, you need to drink this. He says it will help you regain your strength.”
Merlin looked almost sorry for him. Gaius’s potions were notorious with their foul stench and vomit-worthy taste. But when Arthur just glared at him, Merlin said, “You can either drink it down or I’ll have Gaius come and talk to you. And you know how he is.”
“Fine.” Arthur grabbed the vial and downed it in one. It was just as awful as Arthur expected. But Merlin was ready with water and then bustling over to the table, gave Arthur a bit of watered-down wine.
“So, you were bitten by a serket and usually people die from it but not you. But could you not do that in future? It’s pretty scary for all of us.” Merlin looked worried.
“Well, perhaps, I have a guardian angel,” Arthur said, sipping more of the wine.
Merlin just rolled his eyes. “Or maybe you’re just too much of a prat to die.”
Still tired, wanting to sleep but feeling awful and grubby, he told Merlin to change his sheets and give him a new nightshirt at least. The idiot grumbled but he was gentle with Arthur and pretty efficient for a totally incompetent fool. He even washed Arthur down a bit.
Lying back on the bed, sighing as he started to drift off, he said to Merlin, “I dreamt that you were a sorcerer with golden eyes. Are you?”
For a moment, Merlin stood there, rigid, staring at Arthur. Then he shook his head, looking at Arthur as if he’d gone mad. “Just a side effect of the poison. Lots of hallucinations. Remember the eyes on the walls and you told me that you loved me. Beloved, I think you said and promised to marry me.” Merlin shrugged. “See, total nonsense.”
Arthur had to agree. It was not something he’d say if he were in his right mind. But as he closed his eyes, Arthur murmured, “Yes, total nonsense.”
His mind drifting into sleep, just as he did, he thought that maybe he should ask again in the morning, that Merlin had never truly answered the question.
But with new problems and new battles to fight, Arthur never asked. And soon it was all forgotten, the hallucinations and the golden eyes, because it was total nonsense, or maybe perhaps Arthur didn’t really want to know.
And he didn’t find out until it was far too late.
Title: The Eyes have It
Rating: PG-13
Pairing/s: Merlin/Arthur
Character/s: Merlin, Arthur
Summary: Arthur was very sick, dreaming of golden eyes and sorcery.
Warnings: none
Word Count: 887
Camelot Drabble Prompt bingo 512: hallucinations
Disclaimer: I do not own the BBC version of Merlin; They and Shine do. I am very respectfully borrowing them with no intent to profit. No money has changed hands. No copyright infringement is intended.
--------------------
Golden eyes melting into blue, and the mutterings of spells, the voice familiar but it couldn’t be. He would have known.
Writhing, trying to escape, but trapped, trapped with ropes and weight, rough hands tight against him, the traitor pouring vials of poison down his throat as he screamed out his rage.
Filling his mouth with darkness, its venomous claws ripping through his chest as he swallowed. Writhing, helpless, captured, the bonds holding him down, smothering him, as glowing eyes watched him beg for release.
He shrieked again, fighting black-edged terror, knowing that he would die at Merlin’s hands. At the hands of a golden-eyed sorcerer. A Traitor, a fiend, a monster. And beloved.
---------------
When Arthur woke, he felt wrung out, his bedclothes sweat-soaked. Thirsty, with a headache threatening to burst out of his head, he tried to reach for his goblet, but he was tied down, leather manacles and ropes keeping him prisoner.
He didn’t remember much, just the terror of magic and poison and voices talking over him. Golden eyes staring at him that turned back to Merlin’s own colour. Which couldn’t be true. It must have been a vision or hallucination.
But before he could think more about it, Merlin came running in, carrying a pitcher of water and several vials, slopping most of the water onto the tray as he flung it down and hurried over to Arthur’s bed.
“You’re awake.” Merlin grinned.
“Release me, you idiot. Why am I trussed up like a pig to slaughter?” Arthur asked. With that, he started coughing, his throat dry as sand.
With that, Merlin grabbed the goblet and let a few drops of water drizzle into Arthur’s mouth. “Thank goodness, you’re better,” Merlin said, scowling down at him. “You are better, right?”
“Of course, I’m better. I was never sick,” Arthur snapped. “Release me before I send you to the stocks.”
“Well, Gaius said that you would claim to be better, but it might be a trick?” Merlin said, his voice rising.
“I am better, you buffoon! Of all the stupid, incompetent, idiotic servants I’ve had the misfortune to endure, you are the worst. I swear if you don’t release me, you will be on permanent cesspit duty,” Arthur shouted.
With that, Merlin grinned, his smile as delighted as Arthur had ever seen. As he unlocked the manacles and undid the ropes, Merlin babbled, “It was really touch-and-go for a while. You kept screaming that there were eyes on the walls staring at you. And Gaius tried so many potions and every time you’d rage and go after him with knives and fists and throwing things. You even tried to choke me when I had to give you some of his medicines. Not that I blame you. They are pretty awful. Oh,” Merlin turned and grabbed one of the vials, shaking it in Arthur’s face. “And here, you need to drink this. He says it will help you regain your strength.”
Merlin looked almost sorry for him. Gaius’s potions were notorious with their foul stench and vomit-worthy taste. But when Arthur just glared at him, Merlin said, “You can either drink it down or I’ll have Gaius come and talk to you. And you know how he is.”
“Fine.” Arthur grabbed the vial and downed it in one. It was just as awful as Arthur expected. But Merlin was ready with water and then bustling over to the table, gave Arthur a bit of watered-down wine.
“So, you were bitten by a serket and usually people die from it but not you. But could you not do that in future? It’s pretty scary for all of us.” Merlin looked worried.
“Well, perhaps, I have a guardian angel,” Arthur said, sipping more of the wine.
Merlin just rolled his eyes. “Or maybe you’re just too much of a prat to die.”
Still tired, wanting to sleep but feeling awful and grubby, he told Merlin to change his sheets and give him a new nightshirt at least. The idiot grumbled but he was gentle with Arthur and pretty efficient for a totally incompetent fool. He even washed Arthur down a bit.
Lying back on the bed, sighing as he started to drift off, he said to Merlin, “I dreamt that you were a sorcerer with golden eyes. Are you?”
For a moment, Merlin stood there, rigid, staring at Arthur. Then he shook his head, looking at Arthur as if he’d gone mad. “Just a side effect of the poison. Lots of hallucinations. Remember the eyes on the walls and you told me that you loved me. Beloved, I think you said and promised to marry me.” Merlin shrugged. “See, total nonsense.”
Arthur had to agree. It was not something he’d say if he were in his right mind. But as he closed his eyes, Arthur murmured, “Yes, total nonsense.”
His mind drifting into sleep, just as he did, he thought that maybe he should ask again in the morning, that Merlin had never truly answered the question.
But with new problems and new battles to fight, Arthur never asked. And soon it was all forgotten, the hallucinations and the golden eyes, because it was total nonsense, or maybe perhaps Arthur didn’t really want to know.
And he didn’t find out until it was far too late.