How To Train Your Dragonlord

Gaius, Mentor to Kings

Merlin P.O.V:
Gaius' speech was heartfelt and meaningful. He spoke a lot about his time knowing me. Right from the first time we met, when I saved his life in his chambers, when the bannister broke and he fell. He spoke about helping me to save Camelot countless times. He spoke about the times when I would be so consumed with guilt if I'd accidentally harmed someone in the process of saving Camelot.
He spoke briefly about the days I'd get back to his chambers and moan about the strain Arthur put me under. This was followed on by talking about my complaints of saving the city without so much as a 'good job, Merlin' or a 'thank you, Merlin'. He quoted me at this point. But then he spoke about how, slowly, all of my complaints seemed to change from recognition and work into keeping Arthur safe without compromising my role or my magic. Gaius spoke about me for a good long while, because of how close we had always been. But then, Gaius' speech turned to cover something - someone - else.
"And of course," he said, nodding his head slightly to Arthur and myself, "no coin is complete without its other side. The King Arthur Pendragon."
I noted his use of the coin analogy. The exact same analogy the Great Dragon had used to initially explain how my destiny was tied to Arthur's. He noticed that I had spotted that analogy, but continued speaking regardless.
"King Arthur I have known since his birth, more steeped in magic than his late highness King Uther wished to be known. King Arthur gave me permission, for this speech, to relate to you all the story of his birth. Her royal Highness, Queen Ygraine Pendragon found herself unable to carry a child to term, something that even I, with my prowess of both medicine and magic, could not heal.
"But King Uther needed an heir. And so, hearing about some half-fogged old magic that the high priestess of the time could perform, he summoned her to the castle. He consulted the high priestess, but was so focused on an heir, that he did not heed her warning that, in order to give life, a life must be sacrificed. He ordered the high priestess to help him, so she obliged. She had warned him of the possible consequences. Whether he heeded her warning was down to him.
"The date of the birth arrived, and the high priestess could be found at the Queen's side, assisting with the birth, in an attempt to deliver the baby without the need of magic. She quickly learnt that this would not be possible. Once more she warned the King. Still he insisted that she do as he commanded. So she used the magic to save the baby. Prince - now King - Arthur Pendragon was successfully delivered. But the price was the life of the Queen.
"Driven mad with grief, King Uther forgot the frequent warnings that the high priestess had given him - I myself had been present for the majority, being the Court Physician. He decreed that if he ever saw her within Camelot's walls again, he would kill her, without trial. The high priestess fled, but not before reminding the grieving King that this was his doing, not hers, as she had warned him at every meeting.
"Soon after, Camelot became closed to magic, with witches, wizards and druids alike all tried and sentenced to death, along with many an innocent bystander. I myself, in order to remain in the service of the King, had to denounce all magic, and rid all spell books from my possession.
"Then came the purge of the dragons, and the imprisonment of the Great Dragon, whose prophecies Uther couldn't help but be captivated by. Most of all, Uther would have the Dragon talk of Arthur's future. Perhaps it was why his majesty always pushed Arthur to improve, even when there was little that could be improved."
Gaius eventually moved on to retelling things I'd never heard, such as Arthur's initial conversation with Gaius after I had arrived. It transpired that Arthur had always been intrigued by my actions, despite putting me in the stocks on my first day within Camelot's walls.
He also talked about Arthur confiding many times in him, his worries that I had faced some hardships in my earlier life, that affected me at the strangest of times (such as when I'd just performed powerful magic and felt drained; or when I couldn't see how to save the city, and was having a heartfelt moment with him, without revealing my magic to him).
Gaius talked about the many times that he would hear of Arthur's fogged opinion about magic and it's wielders, whether from myself, or from Arthur. But, of course, Gaius talked about watching it become more and more obvious that Arthur and I had a unique relationship, so much different to that of just a Prince(King) and a Manservant.

~ A/N ~ Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! Happy Midwinter to my fellow pagans! Have fun with your day off to everyone who doesn't celebrate Christmas! This is my present to all of you!