For the Love of Camelot

3. Protection

"Arthur?" Merlin's eyes were downcast as he spoke to his king for the first time since he'd confessed. "We leave at first light."

"I'll decide." Arthur looked up at him, his eyes hard and filled with betrayal. Merlin swallowed as he glanced at his king's face, not meeting his gaze, but then regained his power. He needed Arthur to live, no matter how much he was hated by him.

"I can't let you die." There was so much more he wanted to say, so much more that he had kept locked inside of himself, waiting for this moment. But he would have to wait.

"It doesn't change anything." Arthur looked away from him and hurt throbbed in his chest. Merlin opened his mouth to speak but Gaius stopped him.

"Let him sleep. It's late." Gaius paused as Merlin walked over to him, blinking away tears. "You cannot travel tonight." What if he dies in the night? Merlin looked into the dark forest, letting the tears fall. We don't have much longer. "You were right to tell him." Gaius stepped away from the young man, preparing a bed for himself in the dry leaves. Merlin was left at the edge of the clearing, staring into the blackness, four words repeating themselves over and over again in his head:

I will save him.

...

Morning came slowly, but the warlock had no trouble staying awake, even when the sun rose over the trees, casting a brilliant golden light over all that he could see. It shone off the water, off the rocks, off his king's hair. First light. Merlin readied the horses, knowing very well that Arthur needed as much sleep as he could get, but they still had to work quickly. Once he had finished with the horses, Merlin travelled back to the encampment to find Gaius making breakfast.

"How is he?" Merlin sat down across from his uncle.

"Asleep. He'll need to wake soon." The physician handed Merlin some soup, which he took one sip of before heading over to the tree that Arthur was still slumped against.

"Arthur," Merlin whispered, placing a hand behind his king's head. "Wake up." The king groaned, opening his eyes slightly. Merlin felt his forehead. His temperature ran high.

"It's alright." Merlin smoothed Arthur's hair before fetching him another bowl of soup and the canteen of water. He opened the canteen and pressed it against Arthur's lips, letting him drink the cool water. "Gaius, do we have any yarrow?"

"I couldn't find any yesterday," Gaius responded, sitting at the campfire. "You need to eat, Merlin."

"No." Merlin closed the canteen, setting it on the ground behind him. "We need to leave."

...

Arthur struggled to sit upright on his horse. He was so weak, and he felt so cold. So undeniably cold... His eyes began to close as Merlin pushed him upright, but soon snapped open again. He was dying, he was going to die. And when he died...

"Gaius." The words came out as a whisper, but to him they sounded like a roar. The physician turned to face him as he removed the seal from his neck. "Give this to Guinevere."

"It's the royal seal, Sire." Yes, yes. Arthur knew that very well.

"If I am to die, I can think of no one who I would rather succeed me." Well, he could, but that one person, the person he now trusted with his life, had lied to him. Merlin had magic. And that changed everything. Gaius nodded as he took the seal and walked over to Merlin.

"You know I was betrayed." Merlin said to Gaius. "That girl, Eira, cannot be trusted."

"I know." Gaius nodded, turning the seal over in his hands.

"How long does he have?" Merlin sounded genuinely concerned, but Arthur's ears were ringing so loudly that it may have been his imagination.

"At best, two days." Merlin was pacing now, and Arthur's eyes began to close. He tried to open them again, but he couldn't see. Everything was strange.

"Merlin, I'll have your favorite meal waiting for you." Arthur could hear the rustling of leaves as Gaius spoke. "Now go. Look after him. Go." There was that crunching again as Merlin walked around Arthur, and his horse began to move. As Merlin led them off towards the lake, Arthur knew that he would never see Gaius, or Camelot, again.