Firstly, this is set after a alternate ending of 5x13 where (obviously) Arthur was saved by Merlin and they both return to Camelot, everyone happy. Also Gwaine is very much alive. I'm introducing new characters - Arthur's cousins who live in a faraway land - the new character who will feature heavily is the (good) sorceress Athea. Also Gauis has died from old age. It was about time.

Some scenes of gory illness.

This is my first fanfic, so please review and enjoy! I plan to write a sequel or other stories from Merlin.

I do not own "Merlin".

Prologue

She gave him that bracelet - 'cuff' as he'd like to call it - so that she could always tell if he was in trouble. Or the other way around, though that wasn't really needed as she was quite capable of taking care of herself. It was brown and had ancient
runes engraved in it, surrounding an amber stone in the middle, and he only had to say her name and both their twin bracelets would burn red in the middle. She would hear him call her name, however far away he was, and she would know he was in peril
and would use her magic to find her way back to him.

She was in the forest foraging for rosemary when her wrist suddenly burned. He needed her.

But she never thought it would be like this.

Chapter 1

Merlin sat down to eat his lunch in his empty chamber. It was eerie, too quiet here without Gaius. He had unpacked his things from a brief visit to Ealdor to check up on his mother, who was well. Arthur didn't even know he was back yet. When Merlin approached
the subject of needing a new physician with Arthur, he had assumed that he'd have to move out, or prepare to share his chamber with the new physician, but Arthur had dismissed it. Of course not, he had said. This is your home, and it will always be your home.

Merlin had been grateful for that. But lately he had been thinking he could do with the company. The new physician, John, was middle aged, short, and nice enough, though preferred the rooms he had already got and was very, er, enthusiastic about his new
job. He had been trained by Gaius when he was younger and had apparently been waiting for him to die to take over.

Merlin sighed, and got up and got his stuff ready to go to Arthur. No doubt he'd have a list full of jobs lined up for Merlin. Suddenly Merlin coughed; his throat was sore. He had a drink and then left.

He waited outside Arthur's room and knocked.

"Come in", came a female voice. Merlin went inside and Gwen looked up from her papers and beamed at him.

"Merlin! I didn't know you were back", she said, coming over to him.

"Yea, well, I only just got back. Thought I'd start work straight away; you know what Arthur's like…" Merlin laughed with Gwen, then coughed again.

"How's your mother?" Gwen asked.

"Fine, yea, she's fine…"

"I'm glad. I think Arthur's in the council chamber, I'll tell him you're back-"

"Oh, no Gwen, you don't have to do that," Merlin said hurriedly. He'd only been gone a few days; he would hardly have been missed. And besides, he didn't want the attention; he didn't really want the company at the moment. Gwen smiled a knowing smile.

"He'll be glad to know you're back, Merlin", she said softly, and left the room.

Merlin sighed, again, and set off to do his chores.

Later that evening, when Merlin was returning with Arthur's freshly cleaned clothes, his stomach started aching again. Earlier he had just thought it had been a stitch, after riding for so long from Ealdor, but here it was again, and this time it felt
as though his stomach was being stretched. He went into Arthur's chambers and started putting Arthur's clothes away in his wardrobe when the door opened again.

"Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed, striding into the room. "Guinevere told me you were back. I see you've got to work already", Arthur raised his eyebrows as he started to get changed behind the screen. "Well, I am impressed, Merlin…" he said in a somewhat mocking
tone.

"Yes, well, these sheets weren't going to clean themselves", he said sarcastically. "And you couldn't even be bothered to get somebody else to do it…" Merlin muttered in an undertone and smiled to himself while putting clean sheets on the bed.

"What did you say?" asked Arthur, coming from behind his screen shrugging into his red jacket as he prepared to go to dinner with Gwen.

"Nothing", said Merlin, his voice was surprisingly hoarse.

"Have you been singing again while cleaning Merlin? No offence, but your singing, though admittedly not as bad as Gwaine's, is enough to wake up the five ancient kings of Albion…" he joked and Merlin laughed, and so did Arthur. Merlin bent down to get
his cloth and bucket and winced at the pain in his stomach.

"Are you alright?" Arthur asked, his laughter instantly replaced by worry etching its way into his tone.

"Yea, 'm fine", Merlin mumbled, and began to sweep the floor. He turned away so Arthur wouldn't be able to see the pain in his face, which was evidently showing. In fact, Merlin was sweating profusely. Maybe he was overworking himself.

"I can always tell when you're lying…", said Arthur absentmindedly, stepping closer to Merlin to check on him. "I know it's been hard for you since Gaius…well…" Merlin inadvertently clenched his jaw and stopped sweeping. Arthur had his hands on his hips,
still looking worried.

"What I mean to say is, you don't have to be alone Merlin. You don't have to busy yourself in work just so you don't have to go back to your empty chamber. Yes, I have noticed", he added, as Merlin looked up. Admittedly, that is what he had been doing;
spending as much time away from his own too-quiet chambers as much as possible. He was surprised that Arthur had figured it out.

"How about you – er-" Arthur waved his hands about, like he does when he gets nervous, gesturing Merlin, "-go and eat with the knights later? I know that Gwaine and Percival will be going to the tavern. You look like you do with a – er – drink…"

Merlin looked at him with a confused expression.

"You are suggesting that I go to the tavern?", Merlin exclaimed, a small smile creeping onto his features.

Happier now that Merlin at least had a smile on his face, Arthur grinned and walked over to Merlin and put his hand on his shoulder in a brotherly way. However, Merlin shrunk away from his touch and gasped in pain.

"Merlin? What's wrong?" Arthur lifted his hand cautiously away and tried to look in Merlin's face; it was crumpled up in pain.

"I…don't k-know. My - body - aches", he whispered, forcing words out through breathes, putting one hand to his neck to try to soothe it and another hand to his stomach to hold it in place; it felt as though it were trying to rip itself from his body.

"Can't you – you know", Arthur said quietly, "use your magic or something?" Arthur grimaced at the word 'magic' - it was still a slightly awkward discussion.

Merlin tried to concentrate. He felt the energy of his magic pulsing in his veins, spreading from his head to his toes and fingertips, and he automatically felt lighter. He stood up straight again.

"Better...?" Arthur asked, but he wasn't convinced. Merlin's face was covered in sweat and was ghostly pale. Suddenly, Merlin's eyes flashed amber and the windows flew open, letting a sudden gust in. Then the doors and the cupboard doors all flew open,
flapping against the evening wind.

"Merlin! What's going on?!" Arthur shouted, looking around wildly. Then abruptly it all stopped. All the doors and windows snapped shut and it all became quiet. Merlin lifted his head, his eyes blue once again. But there was something not right about
his eyes, they were too…unseeing.

"Merlin? Are you-"

Just then Merlin started coughing. It was a deep, terrible, harrowing, sound, and it was like he had no voice left. It looked as though his body was trying to get rid of something.

And it did.

Blood started dripping from his lips. Arthur's mouth opened in horror.

Merlin collapsed on the floor and coughed up impossible amounts of sick and blood onto the floor. Arthur went to hold his shaking, convulsing body. He had to get help. That new physician, anyone, everyone!

This could not be happening. Not to Merlin.

Not to him.