Hi! So this is fanfiction number two! I watched all of season four again over the last week (at the expense of my ever growing mountain of homework) and this little idea popped into my head!

So please give this a try and let me know what you think! (I'm always open to constructive crit too)

Like it says in the summary, this is set half way through the episode 'Lancelot du Lac' in season four, so yes, there are major spoilers in here! If you haven't seen season four yet, look away. If you have, read on!

Merlin strode down the corridor, then skidded to a halt as he saw the shade that wasn't Lancelot just ahead of him. He pushed out forcefully with his magic, and the man went flying. The shade flew through the air before slamming onto the floor with a thud. He didn't get up.

Merlin couldn't really describe how he felt. He had just attacked and probably killed a man - a shade - who looked exactly like one of his best friends. Before said friend had sacrificed himself, that was.

Merlin approached the body which he knew by now should be dead. Technically it was dead anyway: Merlin had seen the skeleton that was hidden inside the knight when he had crossed the pattern on Gaius' floor, but the warlock knew that there was no way the once so noble man would open his eyes again. It was so painful, seeing Lancelot again just to have him cruelly ripped away once more, but now he was definitely dead. Lancelot was gone, and the shade was gone, and this whole thing was finally over.

Just as this thought was in Merlin's head, Lancelot's eyes snapped open, and suddenly he twisted and tripped the boy, sending him crashing to the floor. Shock delayed Merlin's reactions, and it didn't take Lancelot long to knock him out cold. One good blow to the head with the hilt of a sword did it.

But Morgana had changed the nature of the man beyond recognition, and smirking, the shade kicked out at the boy's chest. He heard a horrible snapping sound and a sly smile crept across his face. This boy had clearly been close to him once, and possessed magic. By attacking him, the stupid boy had made himself an enemy. And the King seemed to like him: it would surely ruin Arthur if his friend was injured and his wife-to-be betrayed him on the same night. It wasn't in his orders, but surely his Lady Morgana wouldn't object to Lancelot...having some fun?

*M*

"There is something you must see" Agravaine told him, and blearily, Arthur registered the tone of urgency in his uncle's voice. He rose from his bed, and pulled on a shirt without questions. For Agravaine to wake him at this hour, something truly terrible must have happened.

They quickly navigated the maze of corridors, all manner of horrific possibilities running through the young King's head, but he remained silent, falling into step next to his uncle as they strode on.

Was it Guinevere? A Lord or a knight? Had some important magical artefact been stolen?

Their footfalls echoed through the silent corridors, but then the slumbering quietness of the castle was disturbed - Arthur could hear something. A thud, a thump, a crack. Heart beating fast, he quickly rounded the corner to see a figure in black sweeping away around another bend. Arthur's gaze lowered as he saw someone else on the floor. He quickly closed the gap between them, intending to check the body for signs of life, when he saw who it was.

"Shit." He exhaled, then turned to stare at Agravaine. "This was what I needed to see? If you saw this then why didn't you stop it?!" The older man opened his mouth to reply but Arthur didn't give him a chance. "Later. For now, go after the intruder, and hurry."

Agravaine looked as if he might argue, but Arthur glared at him. "Go!" the King commanded, and displeased, Agravaine brushed past him and hurried off.

Arthur breathed in, then glanced down at Merlin's body again. It didn't look good. There was a nasty gash on the manservant's cheek, and purple bruises were swelling on his neck. Arthur clenched his teeth as he saw the blood matted in his friends's dark hair.
"Guards!" he yelled, then called again when they didn't immediately appear. He silently cursed his security system, and was just thinking that improvements needed to be made, when the corridor was filled with noise and two guards came into view.
"You there, fetch Gaius. Tell him it is a matter of urgency. And you, sound the warning bell. There is an intruder in the castle." Both men nodded before running to complete their orders.

*M*

Arthur sat in Gaius' chambers, looking on as the physician finished bandaging the now clean wounds all over Merlin's lithe body. There was the cut on his face, a nasty head wound that Gaius had assured him looked worse than it actually was, suspicious bruising around the throat, and a jagged cut on Merlin's chest. It had taken a very long time to stitch up, and all the while Merlin just lay there, completely still. Arthur didn't want to admit that the phrase that came to mind was 'corpse like', or indeed that Merlin's breathing was so shallow it seemed non existent. That must have been because of the bruised ribs.

No intruder had been found, but one guard had sighted two figures fleeing the throne room before vanishing, seemingly into thin air. Arthur suspected sorcery, but could not understand why anyone magical would willingly come to Camelot. And surely the throne room was not an ideal meeting place for anyone trying to remain undercover. Unless they could have come up with a legitimate reason for being there. Which lead Arthur down a path he didn't want to follow...but Agravaine had been acting strangely. He had presumably seen the manservant getting attacked, and yet rather than step in or call for guards, he had turned his back on the scene and gone instead to rouse Arthur.

Why?

And it didn't help that Merlin distrusted Agravaine. Arthur couldn't understand it - didn't want to understand it - but he couldn't deny that Merlin was rarely wrong...but still, he had known his Uncle since he was a child, and Arthur shook his head as he pulled himself back to the present. Thoughts like those weren't important now. That could come later. When Merlin was healthy again, or at least conscious, he would be able to reveal the identity of the intruder, and if there were still holes in the story then Agravaine could be questioned. For now however, all that mattered was Merlin.

The King suppressed a growl as he gazed at his servant from his seat across the room. How could anyone hurt Merlin? Anger didn't begin to describe what Arthur was feeling, and it was made worse by his sense of utter confusion: what had Merlin done to mark him out as a target? Or had he just been in the wrong place at the wrong time?

And that of course lead to Arthur wondering why Merlin had been there at all. What had he been up to sneaking around the castle in the middle of the night?

Merlin had some serious explaining to do.

The King put all suspicions from his mind as Gaius turned and murmured,

"I have done all I can for him Sire. His condition is stable, and he should make a full recovery, but it will take time. I have given him something to keep him asleep for now, so he may not wake for some time. You must get some rest yourself now, my Lord. Tomorrow is your wedding day."

The wedding. How could they go through with it while Merlin lay alone and unconscious? He wanted Merlin and Gaius to be there, and Guinevere would as well. The date would have to be moved.

"Merlin was looking forward to it very much, Sire, but he would hate to be the reason why your wedding was postponed," Gaius said, jolting the king out of his reverie. He was shocked at how accurately the physican had read his thoughts, and looked up in surprise. Gaius smiled, but it was a small, worried smile that did not quite reach his eyes.

"All you can do for now is remain vigilant all times. Be careful who you trust, Sire. Now, I must get some fresh water."

And with that, the physician left, and Arthur was sitting alone in the cold room, the only noise the sound of Merlin's laboured breathing. Gaius was right, he should get some rest, he thought, but couldn't bring himself to leave Merlin's side. So he sat, and he waited.

Drop me a review if you have time! Always much appreciated. Also, just Incase any of you clever things noticed it, was the word 'lithe' used correctly? Read it somewhere, looked it up, thought it might work there? Let me know.
Kalia x