Chapter 14
It was already dark when the carriage finally entered the fortress of Camelot. Merlin could feel the prying eyes of the few people still on the streets, but he knew they were well-intended, kind people worrying about their king. Arthur, though, didn't seem to be aware of it. He was beyond any caring after all he had had to bear throughout the day. The knights and Merlin had wanted to stop several times for him to rest, every time a painful groan escaped Arthur's lips unwillingly after a bump on the road. But the King had refused, insisting to go on: the sooner they made it to Camelot, the sooner he could finally rest on his bed, eat good food and start his recovery once and for all. Seeing the pain he was in, no one dared to contradict him, and they kept on riding as they had been asked.
Percival and Leon refused the offer of the knights standing guard at the gates of the castle to take the King to his chambers and once again lifted their friend, carefully, and took him themselves, happy to be able to do something to help him. It was then, and only then, than Arthur let go of Merlin's hand, after having held on to it during all the hours they had spent travelling. Merlin, with a strange feeling of emptiness in his hand and heart, immediately followed after the knights, only stopping for a second to ask a servant nearby to get Gaius and send him to the King's chambers.
Leon and Percival carefully deposited Arthur on the bed, after Merlin had moved the covers aside, and offered their help to undress the King and make him comfortable. Both Arthur and Merlin refused: Arthur only wanted to be left alone, so miserable he was feeling; Merlin only wanted to have some time with Arthur before Gaius appeared, hoping they could talk and let him know how much he still loved him in spite everything that had happened between them.
"You alright? Are you comfortable?" Merlin asked, after the two knights had left, while he gently removed Arthur's chain mal from his upper body.
"Yes" Arthur answered shortly, more from the pain than the anger.
"So... Arthur, can we talk now?" Merlin asked hesitantly.
"I can't, Merlin" Arthur refused, closing his eyes in exhaustion.
"You only have to listen to me, Arthur" Merlin pleaded.
"Now it's not the time for talking, boys" Gaius announced as he swiftly entered the room. He knew he was interrupting something important, but he also knew Arthur's health was the most important issue at the moment. "I need to check on my patient right now, it's been too long since I last did"
"No need to pretend, Gaius" Arthur responded. "I'm very aware of how my wound was treated"
"Then you also know it's far from healed and you still need me to take care of it" Gaius answered, totally playing down the importance of Arthur's words. He was far too old to be intimidated by a young boy he had treated since he was born, king or not.
"I should be angry at you too, shouldn't I?" Arthur asked, his voice slurred with fatigue, as Gaius started removing the bandages to take a look at the wound.
"Probably, but you're too tired for that right now, you can yell at me tomorrow if you're up to it" Gaius answered in a joking tone, hoping to relieve some of the tension he could feel in the room. "The wound is looking good, sire, but I need to clean it and rebandage it to make sure we avoid infection"
"Do what you have to do" Arthur said, already preparing himself for Gaius probing on the wound.
"Have this first, sire" Gaius ordered him as he handed him a small bottle filled with a purple liquid.
"What's that?"
"That's for the pain. I bet it's near unbearable after all the jolting of the day, and you don't want me to make it worse as I clean it"
