To You I Pledge (BBC Merlin)

Chapter 14 - New Arrangements

Arthur knew that his father had been planning everything for some time when he walked into the rooms that should have been shut up for nearly a decade and discovered they had been aired out. He also realised how focused he had been on nothing but Merlin recently, since he had failed to notice servants preparing the room right next to his for habitation. Placing Merlin on the freshly made bed, he was not surprised to find Gaius at his elbow.

"If I might, Sire," Gaius said and urged him gently out of the way.

With a nod he stepped back and let Gaius check Merlin over, just in case it was more serious than the exhaustion it seemed to be.

He had known from the very first moment he had challenged his father about Merlin that he had put Uther into a very difficult position. The laws were there for a reason, he was well aware of that, and even if he didn't agree with the letter of them he could see how they helped keep order. Merlin was a political disaster waiting to happen and he had to give his father his due; Uther had found a solution that neither involved killing Merlin nor changing the law. One day he would have to ask Merlin what Merlin and his father has talked about when they were sequestered in that room together alone. No other sorcerer had ever found anything but the sharp edge of an axe in Camelot.

The court was still surreal in his head. He couldn't really believe that it was done, settled and he would not lose Merlin to it. The best he had allowed himself to hope for was banishment, but it seemed his father knew him better than he knew himself, as he realised he would have found that unbearable.

"He is just sleeping, Sire," Gaius said, stepping back from the bed. "For once I believe he may have followed an order to the letter."

Arthur found himself half smiling at that and Gaius returned the gesture. He was not the only one who was feeling amazed and overjoyed at the verdict, he could tell.

"I find that highly unlikely," he replied in a similar tone.

"If it is alright with you, Sire, I will return to my quarters now," Gaius said, glancing back at Merlin. "I fear all this excitement is a bit much for me at my age. I will send someone along with Merlin's things and if you would be so good as to make sure he eats something when he wakes up, I would be most grateful."

"Of course," Arthur replied, smiling properly, "I can't have him wasting away on the first day he is my bodyguard. What kind of reputation would that give me?"

Gaius actually grinned at that.

"I can't think, Sire," the physician replied and headed towards the door.

When it closed and Arthur found himself alone with Merlin, he let himself just look for a while. Merlin was still paler even than usual, not yet fully recovered from his injury or the ordeal which had followed it, but there was pink life in Merlin's cheeks and hidden strength building under the surface. Now that he knew, now that he knew what he was looking for, he found it incredible to believe he had not seen the power in Merlin from the beginning. It was written all over Merlin as plain as day and seeing Merlin devoid of it in those bindings had made his heart break.

Happy that Merlin was not about to expire at any moment, Arthur began to look around the room. It had been a long time since he had had a bodyguard and the room was devoid of anything resembling personality. It had a bed and a table and chair and was similar in layout to his own, just a little smaller, but it was missing any life. Merlin would undoubtedly make a mess of it; Arthur had seen enough of Merlin's current room to know that, but he began to make a mental list of things to acquire for it anyway. It would not do for the prince's bodyguard to not have things in his room.

There was a nice spot above the fireplace that would look good with some swords, or maybe a pike. Bodyguards were supposed to have weapons and even if Merlin's weapon was magic, making sure the room looked the part would be a good idea. He was pretty sure he'd seen a tapestry in one of the far corners of the castle with a sorcerer on it as well. It had been very fine and looked very expensive, which was probably the only reason it hadn't been burnt, but Arthur thought the wall on the other side would put it to good use.