TITLE: The Wisdom Tree

RATING: T

PAIRINGS: none

WARNINGS: whumpage abound! Not so much in this chap, but it'll come :) oh and I've seen all three seasons, so there might be some accidental spoilers? Theres none in this chapter but I thought I'd just mention it incase... I don't think there will be any spoilers though... at least, I'm not planning on putting them in here...

SUMMARY: Arthur receives a miniature tree as a gift from a visiting noble, Merlin ends up taking care of it. How could that possibly go wrong?

A/N: so this is my first fanfic in the Merlin fandom, and only my second ever fanfic, so I'm hoping its ok, but its unbeta'd and I'm relatively new at writing... but hopefully its not too bad :) this fic was inspired by my little bonsai tree (dubbed my tree of wisdom) which refuses to be healthy, and brings much sadness with its pathetic-looking-ness. Anyway, I was watching it the other night as it sat on my windowsill, and BAM plotbunnies :) so heres my first Merlin fic!

Merlin sighed again as he watched the once green petals wilting. The beautiful miniature tree was dying, and somehow there was no amount of water or sunlight that would revive the ailing plant. It remained solemnly on Arthur's windowsill, watching the busy courtyard below as its health slowly declined.

Merlin was not sure quite why, but he felt a strange attachment to the tiny plant, every day since its arrival few weeks ago, he had tended to it, trying to coax life back into its fragile limbs. Despite its frail build and state of health, it exuded an aura of wisdom, like it was old enough to have seen the world and learned its secrets, as many of the oldest, tallest trees in the forest seemed to. The tree had been given to Arthur by a visiting noble, a gift of thanks for the hospitality of Camelot. Gaius had been unable to identify the plant, but its unique beauty and calming aura soothed his concern as he sensed its deep earthy magic. Gaius kept this information to himself of course, the tree was innocent and a rare beauty, something he was sure he could learn from, and telling the King about its magic would only lead to its abrupt demise. So the tree remained with Arthur, which ultimately meant it remained in Merlins care. While the heir to the throne had been flattered that the noble would offer him such a unique and beautiful gift, its care fell to Merlin as another of his duties in serving the young Prince.

Merlin found he didn't mind though, the plant calmed him, whenever he was near it, he couldn't help but feel peaceful. Perhaps that peaceful feeling was why Arthur insisted on keeping it? he wondered idly, the prince had refused all his suggestions at moving the plant to Merlins quarters, as he was the one taking care of it. Although this could also just be the prat being selfish and not wanting to give up something which was his, Merlin mused.

The plant had adapted well to its new home, thriving under Merlins gentle hand, and its calming presence filled not just Arthurs chambers, but spilled out into the corridor and down the halls, allowing any passersby a wonderful feeling of peace. But with each day that passed, the tree grew more melancholy, wilting slowly, the beautiful green dulled. With its health failing, Merlin began to feel increasingly uncomfortable. It started as just a lingering feeling that something was wrong, which faded when he left Arthurs chambers. The past few days though, the feeling stuck with him wherever he went, a niggling seed of doubt that all was not well. When he tried to tell the Prince of his unease, he simply shrugged it off, laughing at his servants superstition.

"Don't be such a girl Merlin. What do you want me to do? You expect me to believe that something is wrong just because you feel a bit down today? Without even any idea of what is wrong?" he mocked. Merlin just huffed at his masters condescending tone. "Oh, I think I know what might be wrong," Arthur started again. "You're just feeling bad because you haven't been busy enough! Ah such a terrible prince I am, allowing you to laze about until you feel positively awful with rest and wellbeing." The prince's sarcasm was really starting to annoy Merlin. "Well I know just how to fix that" Merlin grimaced as he knew now something bad was definitely about to happen. "You can begin by mucking out the stables, and then you can polish my boots, scrub my floor and press my robes" the prince smiled, obviously pleased with himself and his antagonising of Merlin.

The young warlock sighed in resignation. The stupid prat wouldn't believe him, but Merlin knew he felt something odd, something wrong. Perhaps he could speak with Gaius later, he hoped the old man would still be awake when he returned from the long list of jobs he had just been assigned.

"You're welcome Merlin." The smug voice of Arthur broke through his musings, "Feel better won't you." And with a patronizing smirk in his direction, the prince strode off to attend whatever princely duties he was expected to have done.

Merlin sighed heavily as he turned back to the castle, heading up to Arthurs chambers to scrub the floor, deciding to leave the horses til later as they would probably take the longest. He stepped into Arthurs chambers and was immediately met with the oppressive atmosphere of the withering tree. Every bone in his body seemed instantly heavier, and the melancholic feeling of the tree washed over him. He wearily trudged over to the windowsill and stared down dejectedly at the now-brown little plant. He reached out a hand, with no knowledge of how to help it, he tried to offer some sympathy and comfort, only to jerk back as he felt a disturbing flash of hunger lick across his mind.

He stared at the tree in shock, what the hell had just happened? Did that plant just mind-lick him? He took a cautious step away from the miniature tree, eyes never leaving its wilted leaves. The feeling in the room had changed to uneasy foreboding, the air practically humming with tension. He probed out carefully with his magic and stopped at the vast web of magic emanating from the tree. He considered the plant in awe, how could so much power come from such a tiny plant? He stretched out again and placed his finger on the side of the tiny trunk, feeling the thrum of magic warm against his fingertip. He smiled almost affectionately down at the little plant, before a hungry flood of power surged up his arm and into his head. He felt a sharp spike in his skull as the unknown magic invaded his mind, and he found he could not move, could not pull his fingers away from the trunk.

The power in his mind overwhelmed his senses and he felt himself drop to his knees, distantly aware of the sharp ache as his kneecaps collided with the hard stone floor. The pain in his head peaked as a final thorn pierced deeper into his mind, and he was released from the trunk, passing swiftly into the oblivion of unconsciousness...

A/N: see its not so bad right? Let me know what you think! I would really appreciate some reviews! And if someone tells me how, I shall endeavour to reply to anyone who takes the time to review :) thanks!