To You I Pledge (BBC Merlin)

Chapter 10 - A Plea

"Merlin," Arthur said, shaking the motionless man in his arms.

When Merlin had spoken those words, Arthur had felt it in his soul; he knew Merlin had just done something with magic, but he was more worried that Merlin wasn't moving.

"You idiot," he said even though he was pretty sure Merlin couldn't hear him.

He hurriedly stood up, lying Merlin back onto the bed. Merlin was barely breathing, sounding as if he was almost struggling to do that and Arthur knew he had to act fast. Not caring what the guards outside might see he ran to the door and wrenched it open.

"Fetch Gaius," he all but roared at one of the two men on duty.

The two guards looked at each other as if unsure.

"Fetch Gaius now," this time he did roar with the full fury of which a Pendragon was capable, "unless you want to be flogged within an inch of your life and put in the stocks from here to eternity."

That got the man moving.

He went back to Merlin, leaving the door open and it seemed as if Merlin was breathing a little easier just from that. Yet Merlin was still so still, not moving in any way to give signs of life and it reminded Arthur too much of when they had first brought Merlin to the west tower.

"Merlin," he said, hoping for some reaction, smoothing the hair off Merlin's face and praying for any sign that Merlin was still with him.

He was so busy trying to get a reaction out of his manservant that at first he did not notice the gold glow, but then his eyes travelled down Merlin's chest. Under the thin nightshirt he could see something and it made his stop. He knew well enough that the light was coming from just over Merlin's heart and he dreaded what he might see. It occurred to him that this might be the end of his sorcerer, that, that glow might be the last magical moment of Merlin and the idea froze him. However, he was not a prince for nothing and if there was anything he lacked least it was courage, so he shook himself and carefully moved the material away from Merlin's skin. What he found made him pause even more.

There, over Merlin's heart, about the size of a man's palm was a dragon, the Pendragon dragon in an outline of gold and even as he watched it was changing. Under his gaze it slowly filled in, forming the full crest, only overlaid on it was a red and gold A. It was the Pendragon mark, the mark of kings, but it was his alone as well and looking at it, he knew that Merlin's oath was sacred. Merlin had meant every word of his strange little speech and Arthur could feel the tie that bound them together. Without a doubt he knew that Merlin was his and the protective feeling he had been nurturing for some time grew even more.

"Sire, what happened?" Gaius' voice brought him out of the daze he seemed to have fallen into.

"I had him out of bed like you asked," Arthur said, stepping away so Gaius could move in, "and I think he saw something. He swore an oath and then he collapsed."

He indicated the sign on Merlin's chest.

"It was magic," he said, and then wished he hadn't as he saw his father appear in the doorway.

It appeared Gaius had been with his father when he was summoned. Not that that was surprising, since Uther had taken to talking to Gaius about Merlin quite a lot.

"Magic?" his father jumped on the word.

Uther stepped into the room and slammed the door, making a dramatic entrance, but Arthur's eyes went straight to Merlin. As soon as the door closed Merlin's breathing became laboured again.

"I believe he has over taxed himself severely," Gaius said almost immediately.

"Father please, open the door," Arthur all but begged; he could see Merlin slipping away before his eyes.

"He dared do magic," Uther said in a completely cold tone; "he brought this on himself."

All the times his father had spoken to Merlin, everything people said about Merlin, Arthur had hoped it had begun to sway his father's opinion, but it sounded like they were back to square one.

"He bound himself to me," Arthur threw the truth at his father in a desperate attempt to make his parent see reason. "He pledged his magic and his life to me; that is the magic he did. See for yourself. He is not our enemy."

The crest was more than obvious on Merlin's chest now, swirling with what little magic Merlin had left.

"Gaius?" Uther asked and Arthur prayed his father would relent.

"It is something Merlin would do, Sire," Gaius said in his usual calm tones. "If he felt that proof was needed of him, he would not hesitate to give it. I doubt he thought of the consequences."

That was Merlin through and through; jump first, ask questions later.

"Father, please, the door; he is slipping away," he did not bother to hide how much he cared. "There is not enough magic in here to sustain him."

There was a moment when he thought his father would refuse, but to his shock, after a few moments his father turned and opened the door. Immediately Merlin's breathing eased, but it was still weaker than before and Arthur did not know what he could do. He waited, hoping that Gaius could tell them what was happening. It seemed like an age as the old physician went about his task.

"I believe, Your majesties," Gaius said, eventually standing back and turning to look at them, "he may be unconscious some time. I think the oath has drained what little reserves he had managed to recoup and we are back where we were when we first removed the bindings."

Arthur looked at his father and the king did not look happy about that. There was only so long this could go on and he knew, the longer it took the more face saving his father would have to do. He knew this was a political mine field that he was helping cause, but he could not regret it.

"Let me take him out of here, Father," he said, pulling the mantel of Prince around him, as well as appealing as a child to his parent; "Merlin will heal far faster without these enchanted walls."

He looked to Gaius.

"I have seen Merlin recover from illness and injury far faster than a normal person," Gaius back him up. "I believe his magic helps him."

"He is a prisoner," Uther pointed out, but to Arthur's surprise his father did not sound angry, more resigned than anything else.

"And I give you my word he will remain under my watch at all times," Arthur replied, looking his father full in the face. "I will keep him at close quarters at all times as if he were a hostage."

It pained Arthur to see Merlin so weak and helpless. He knew that for Merlin to regain strength he had to be outside the warded room and he prayed his father would see reason. He was almost holding his breath.

"On your head be it, Arthur," Uther finally said and he could barely believe his father was relenting. "If he escapes you will be punished and you will hunt him down."

"Of course, Father," he said, princely mantel fully in place.

He knew what was at stake, but all he could think about was Merlin. Before his father could change his mind he turned and picked up Merlin, his manservant's frame feeling like almost nothing in his arms and then he walked out. Merlin was his now, his beyond a shadow of a doubt and he walked straight to his rooms, ignoring every one along the way. Only when he placed Merlin on one side of his bed did he even realise that Gaius had followed him. His father, however, was conspicuously absent.

"Make him comfortable, Gaius," he said and let the man do his work.