The Curse of Anteros (a MERTHUR story) - Complete

Whomsoever takes ownership of this heart

For many weeks, Merlin kept his distance, only coming in contact with Arthur when necessary. Arthur seemed like a flower, wilting and embrittling slowly as the days passed. He completed tasks as Camelot's king but he did not do much else, he even refused to participate in knights' training more often than not.

Once, when Arthur was eating dinner alone in his room-- Merlin entered without knowing he was there. When he realized that Arthur was there, he nearly turned on his heel to dash out but stopped when Arthur asked kindly for Merlin to sit with him. Merlin looked at the circles beneath his king's eyes, the growing slimness in his face, and did so, feeling miserable and guilty.

"I have missed you, Merlin," Arthur said softly.

"Of course, sire, the curse has made it so," Merlin said, avoiding his eyes.

"I used to be able to tell, between the curse and myself," Arthur's eyes seemed to lose a little light in them. "I can't tell anymore."

"I'm not sure what has happened, I was supposed to be the one cursed," Merlin admitted, looking at his hand which still bore the mark. Nothing he had done had helped. No spells could he find to discern the maker of the curse. Nothing he had tried in the passing days seemed to have made a lick of difference.

"Don't leave my side," Arthur requested, eyes looking hopefully into Merlin's. He gently placed his hand over his servant's hand, "You are my best friend."

"But, Arthur--"

"Do not force me to suffer alone, Merlin."

With this, Merlin felt the breath catch in his throat, he could not refuse. All the times which he felt his struggles alone, and wished for someone, he could not do refuse companionship for Arthur in a time it was his own fault.

"Of course, Arthur." Merlin smiled weakly, squeezing Arthur's hand gently in reassurance. "I am here."

...

The days passed in a fugue, one melting into the next as Arthur's face seemed to regain some color. Once, quietly, Arthur even admitted that he was having trouble simply eating, bathing, or even sleeping because of the sorrow of being parted from Merlin. All Merlin could seem to find the words to say were, that it was just a curse, that it was not real, and that eventually, it would pass. Arthur looked more like himself but the atmosphere around Arthur and Merlin began to make others uncomfortable.

"Did you two have a fight?" a knight asked, "You haven't called each other rotten names in weeks. Typically you two are like a married couple, at each other's throats--"

"We're fine," Merlin lied.

"I just wanted to make sure... his mother's birthday is tomorrow, and he typically wants to be alone then." The knight whispered, "I've known him since he was a boy, but with how he has been acting, I really don't think he should be alone this year."

Merlin understood the implication and swallowed thickly, walking away before a wave of emotions (predominantly guilt and concern) flooded him. He went straight to Gaius's books again, a last-ditch attempt to find some spell to help them through this.

...

Merlin tried searching for lost property spells, locating spells, identity spells, summoning spells, anything he could that may help; However, nothing seemed to be what he was looking for. Finally, it occurred to him, that he could use a memory spell. He could pull the memories and emotions embued in the box when it was cursed, in hopes of better understanding the reason for the curse and perhaps how to reverse it.

The potion would have to sit for one day and one night under the sky, completely undisturbed until it was finished, but it would be the main thing he needed to connect to the memories within the box. This potion, if done correctly, would be like a scrying mirror in which he could hopefully see why they were being punished this way. And, better still, he would be able to solve it all on his own without disclosing his use of magic to Arthur. Indirect use of magic is key; because should there be a failsafe of the curse doubling down with magical interference, the consequences could be irreversible.