The Affection Spell

Chapter One: I Thought Today Would Be Normal: Nope

Merlin's POV:

I threw open the heavy curtains to Arthur's room. "Rise and shine!" The prince rolled over, away from the blinding daylight, but his usual noise of protest came out as a whimper of pain. I raised an eyebrow at his unusual behavior. "Arthur?" He offered another whimper in response. I put my hands on my hips and stomped over, towering over his sleeping form. I could tell something was actually wrong. He did not look as peaceful as he normally did. "Alright, we don't have time for this. Get up." I tried to pull his blankets off, but he clutched them.

"No, please, not today." His voice was quiet, his eyes still closed. I tugged again.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't feel good. Everything hurts." I stopped tugging and put my hand to his forehead. His skin was smooth, but not hot. He didn't have a fever. Arthur sighed in relief, the tension draining from his face. I pulled my hand away, letting it rest on the soft blankets. His eyebrows came together in a scowl.

"Quit faking and get out of bed. You're going to be late." I turned away from him. Arthur let out another agonizing whine. Too real to be a lie. I turned to study him, concern making its way to my mind. He grabbed my wrist and slammed my hand to his head. I instinctively pulled back, but his firm grip held me there. "Arthur, what's going on?"

"It doesn't hurt as much when you touch me." Sleep scratched his voice, but his words were conscious thoughts.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Arthur finally opened his eyes, the blue irises were full of pain.

"Everything just hurts." Ok, the way he described it made no sense, but it was impossible that he was faking this. His eyes could never lie. I pried my hand out of his grip and he winced.

"I'm going to find Gaius. I'll be right back." I turned and ran out the door, barely catching Arthur's voice.

"Hurry."

I raced down the stairs to Gaius's chambers. Gaius looked up as I burst through the door. "Something's wrong with Arthur. He keeps saying he's in pain, but he doesn't look sick. I need you to come check on him." Gaius rolled his eyes and followed me.

"Yes, and the love of your life is more important than my patients." Gaius muttered under his breath. I scowled at him as I followed him out. When he spoke so flippantly of my feelings, of Arthur, my blood boiled I calmed myself down and re-prioritized.

When we got to Arthur's chambers, I walked to his side. He made another grab for my hand when I got close, but I pulled it out of reach. His face was pale and his eyes were half mad with pain. Gaius looked on at the sick prince. He asked the standard diagnosis questions like "Are you sure it isn't food poisoning?" or "Have you been involved with any sorcery?" Arthur answered him through gritted teeth. "On a scale of 1-10, how much pain are you in right now?"

"A solid 7." My eyebrows shot up. Arthur was doing his very best to disguise his pain, though his voice was tight. Gaius turned to me.

"Merlin, put your hand back on him." I gave Gaius a skeptical look, but when my hand touched Arthur's skin, he visibly relaxed.

"How about now, Sire?" Gaius asked. Arthur's voice came out much clearer.

"2." My heart did a backflip, and I begged myself to stay calm. I was certain concern showed in my eyes. Gaius continued talking.

"I suspect sorcery is involved." Gaius glared at me. What? Did he think I would do this? "Give me the morning to do research and I'll be back soon. Merlin, you stay here." Gaius walked out of the chambers.