"Sir!"

Lancelot barged in after a curt knock on the door. Balinor looked up from where he and Hunith were sitting in front of the fireplace.

Balinor stood up, knowing that his most trusted bodyguard wouldn't come in with such urgency if it wasn't important. Merlin immediately shot through his mind, but that couldn't be it, he was at Morgana and Mordred's. "Lancelot? What is it?"

Hunith sensed that the situation would change soon and stood up to stand next to her soon to be husband, wrapping her arms around his.

The security detail looked worried. "There is no easy way to say this, but there is a fire at the Le Fey residence."

Hunith gasped and Balinor deeply inhaled through his nose.

"What about Merlin, is he still inside? And where are Morgana and Mord-"

"They are all still inside since the last time I had contact with the team on the ground." Lancelot said, knowing he just cut off the King but there was no time to lose.

"Why are they still inside!" Balinor breathed harshly. "Where is his security team!"

Lancelot visibly swallowed. "There was – is an arrangement, Sir." Lancelot licked his lips. "When the Prince is with family, the security details would wait outside. But since Drakon Manor is only a few minutes away from the Le Fey residence, they stayed there… as you've agreed to, Sir."

Balinor rubbed his eyes. If only he'd knew what would happen, he would've never agreed to it. But his son had a way with word so he would agree to whatever Merlin was suggesting.

Lancelot cleared his throat uncomfortably. "When. When the team was contacted by Prince Arthur's security they immediately jumped into the car, but by the time they reached the house the fire brigade was already there, and they had corded off the area. They weren't allowed to enter, Sir."

Lancelot wasn't sure how the King would react, so he continued. "Sir, I've made contact with the airport and your plane is being readied as we speak." Lancelot looked between Balinor and Hunith. "We can leave in a few minutes."

Lancelot waited a few seconds to the King's signal and once Balinor tiredly nodded his head he turned and left the room to finish some more preparations.

"Bal," Hunith began, her eyes already glazing over. "H-how? We can't. Please, just call him."

Balinor nodded again and opened his phone and searched Merlin's contact. His breath hitched when he realized that Merlin wouldn't pick up. His eyes searched for Hunith and when they looked at each other he shook his head.

Hunith started crying, falling down her knees. She clutched her stomach in a form of comfort and started to mumble things. Balinor lowered himself down and embraced her shoulders. "I don't know if you should come, love." Balinor began but stopped talking when Hunith promptly raised her head. Her eyes were determined.

"I need to be there; I need to see with my own eyes that he's alright. I'm coming."

~oOoOo~

Uther and Ygraine stood with trained eyes at the front door of the burning house, Ygraine had her hands placed together in front of her mouth. They both were counting down the seconds until someone would come out. The fireman's message they just heard was vague. It didn't mention anything, didn't mention the person who would come out.

Ygraine jumped a bit when the man's radio crackled again.

"Captain, team One here. We've found two men and will come out in a few seconds. One barely conscious, the other has some burns. More update once we're outside."

Ygraine turned around to Uther. "Two men." She whispered. "Is it-"

Her words fell short when there were some figures coming out of the front door, her breath caught in the back of her throat. "Arthur!" She tried to run to her son but was held back by Uther, who grabbed her into a hug.

"Hold on, dear." Uther whispered into her hair. "Let the paramedics see to him first. It's a good thing he walked out on his own." Uther did find Leon's eyes though, and with a raised eyebrow and a nod from his head towards Arthur's direction the guard understood the message and gave the King a nod back.

Leon moved towards the ambulance where Arthur was sat down at. He saw Mordred loaded onto a stretcher and into another ambulance that quite quickly drove off. Coming closer to where Arthur had been led to, he heard his charge coughing and wheezing, and when he finally passed two paramedics he finally got a good look at his Prince.

Arthur had an oxygen mask on, soot stained his face and body and another paramedic was tending to his arm. When Leon focused more he saw that Arthur's lower arm was scalded in a few places.

"Arthur!"

Leon turned his face to see the King and Queen coming closer. The Queen immediately went to her son's side while the King stood a few paces away, just watching.

The paramedics working on the Prince were hesitant to go on as their Queen appeared, but they quickly snapped out of their gaze and knew the top priority they had was to work on their patient. "I'm sorry madam, but we should get him to the hospital as soon as possible to get a proper assessment and treatment. You- err, could ride with us."

Ygraine was about to answer when Arthur interrupted her. Arthur grabbed at the oxygen mask, pulling it from his face. "No," he rasped. "I- I need..." Arthur was out of breath, felt like it too. But he couldn't leave. He needed to know if Merlin was alright.

"We're coming out. Where's that stretcher!"

Arthur heard the message on the radio coming from the captain that passed by and he stood up from the stretcher.

"Arthur!"

Arthur heard his mother call him, but he needed to know, he needed to see. He took a few steps but then a coughing attack overcame him and he fell into Leon's arms, clutching him tightly for support. He could barely look behind Leon through his teary eyes, but he saw who was being lied down onto the stretcher.

"N-no!" Arthur rasped. "She- she…"

He wanted to shout, wanted to run to Morgana, wanting to give her hell for what she had done. But it was futile. He could hardly move, hardly speak, hardly breathe. Everything hurt and his body gave up on him. He felt so so tired, but he didn't want to give into it. He barely even registered his father placing his hands on his shoulders and tugging at him slightly, gently guiding him back onto the stretcher.

His mind registering the slight sting in his arm moments after it had been done, and when he turned his head he saw the paramedic holding a now empty syringe. He felt his eyes drooping and just seconds later he felt the mask being put onto his face again. The last thing he registered before falling asleep was his mother grabbing his hand into hers.

~oOoOo~

His head felt heavy and his eyelids even heavier, but he finally managed to open them after several failed tries. The first thing he was met with was an all-white ceiling, and then he heard some beeping. There was something placed over his mouth and he lifted his hand to remove the thing that was plastered on his face. That was the moment the door opened and Arthur's hand froze mid-air. His eyes flicked to the door and he saw his parents enter.

"Arthur." Ygraine breathed out and all but ran to the bed and grabbed the hand that was still lingering in the air. Her other hand went to his hair and she stroke it a couple of times while pressing kisses against the hand clutched into her own. His father quietly came to stand behind her, but Arthur could see relief into his father's eyes.

"M-mum." His voice sounded uneven, hoarse.

"Shh, don't try to talk just yet." His mother whispered, and she continued to rake a hand through his hair. Arthur frowned, and looked around him. Why was he lying in a bed?

The thing on his face still bothered him, and he moved his other hand to remove it but after a stern no from his father he stopped what he was doing. He frowned again and his father walked around the bed to sit down on the chair standing there. "Arthur," Uther softly began. "You're in the hospital."

Arthur only looked at his father, he had figured as much. But the reason was, why?

"Do you – do you remember what you did?" His father pressed. Arthur softly shook his head, barely noticeable. He heard his father sigh and felt his mother's grip tightening his hand.

The doctors had warned him that Arthur could be confused at first, but also told him that he could remember everything as quick as that too. Uther hoped that the latter would be the case for his son as well.

"Arthur, you – you went into a burning house."

Arthur's eyebrows pinched together just slightly. He did?

Arthur closed his eyes, why couldn't he remember anything that had happened that would cause him to be in the hospital. There were some flashes going through his mind, but he couldn't grasp a concrete memory. The only thing he saw was fire.

"Arthur, it's okay. Take your time." His mother's soft and reassuring voice broke through his concentration and he slowly opened his eyes to look into his mother's bright eyes. She tried to smile at him, but didn't quite succeed. Arthur closed his eyes again, trying to recall anything. The images of fire flashed in front of his eyes again, but nothing much more than that and it frustrated him. He even balled the hand of his free arm until he felt his father's hand being placed on top of it and his father's thumb starting to stroke the back of his hand reassuringly. He took a deep breath, noticing that whatever was on his face made it a little bit easier to do that.

Images of fire made way for an image of a door and his eyes flew open. "Mordred." He croaked out. Then he went to sit up. "Merlin!" He coughed, gasping for air and his father was pushing him back against the pillows. Arthur kept shaking his head, looking up to his father. "M'rl'n." He tried again, and his father looked down at him with an apologetic expression.

Arthur felt his eyes well up. Was he too late… did Merlin -?

"Shhh." His father was the one saying it now, and was still making sure that Arthur would keep lying down. "He's out. They got him out." His father whispered and it was all it took for Arthur to close his eyes and give in to the darkness.

~oOoOo~

Arthur woke up for the second time, and he was certain that he had just woken up from one of the weirdest and most vivid dreams that he ever had. He blinked sluggishly against the bright sunlight and trying to get his eyes a bit more focussed. He smacked his lips together and when he swallowed some of his saliva, he felt his throat burning. Something bothered him at his nose and Arthur was about to reach up before he heard a voice.

"Hey buddy." Arthur heard from his left side and turned his head, only to see his father sitting in a chair and looking like he hadn't slept in over a year. Arthur blinked some more and realised that this wasn't his room and he tensed up. His father must've noticed the sudden change in his body, because his father leaned forward, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Just take it easy. The doctor's been around when you're asleep, and even though you'll feel poorly for a few weeks, you'll be fine."

Uther then nodded to his arm, and only then Arthur realized his left arm was bandaged up.

"Your arm has several burns, but the doctors are optimistic."

"Whe-" Arthur coughed deeply and his whole lungs seemed to be wrung up like a dry sponge. His father offered him a glass of water with a straw and he greedily drank it until he had enough and pushed the straw away with his tongue. His father sat the glass down.

The water cleared up some of the fogginess in his head and he realised he was in the hospital. His head trying to recall what the reason was of him being in the hospital.

And then he remembered.

He nearly chocked and he wanted to sit up, but just like some moments ago his father must've sensed it because he was hovering above him with his hand now pressed a bit more firmly on his shoulder. "Arthur, don't try to move too much. You need to rest." He added stern, but Arthur heard the underlying concern as well and he nodded, but it didn't hold him from asking about Merlin.

"Merlin?" Was the only thing he said and his father only looked at him for a second too long before sitting down.

"He's… here." Uther rubbed a hand over his face as he sat down again.

Arthur didn't liked the tone his father used. 'Here' could mean a whole lot of different things. Before he could ask for further explanation, his father gave it to him. "They, the firemen, found him after an extensive search. They didn't have much time anymore; the place was about to collapse. But then they found him on the top floor, unconscious, barely breathing."

"No." Arthur croaked, lifting himself up. His father stood up again, but Arthur didn't want to listen anymore. He needed to see with his own eyes. He turned on his side and had already one leg over the edge of the bed when his father pushed him back again.

"Arthur, listen to me. Merlin has been inhaling smoke a lot longer than any of you and he already has a slightly bad lung because of-" his father sighed. "The doctors weren't hopeful. And the last time I checked he was still in surgery."

Arthur's eyes teared up.

Uther inhaled, "Your mother is with Balinor and Hunith right now. I can – I can get her for you."

Arthur nodded. Maybe if his father was out the room, then he could slip out of the room as well. He needed to see with his own eyes what was happening.

The second his father was out of the room, he sat up. He only then figured out that he had a nasal cannula in and he was actually glad he had, because the second he sat up he started to wheeze. Just breathing in and out was a lot harder than normal.

Because all of his attention went to getting his breathing right, he didn't even notice that his father had come back. Only when he felt hands on him, slowly coaxing him down on the bed again he noticed that his parents were back in his room. He stared bleary up and saw his mother smile down at him.

"You're going to be fine." Was what his mother first said to him, but he actually couldn't care about himself right now, he needed to hear about Merlin. He already opened his mouth, but his mother already knew he was about to inquire about that. "Merlin, he's a fighter, he'll get through this. The surgery is over, but we don't know how it went yet."

Arthur exhaled loudly, even though it hurt his scratchy throat. Then a thought passed him and his eyes widened. Merlin might be out of surgery, but Arthur didn't know where Morgana was. She could be going after him in the hospital. He sat up. "Morgana," was all he said. It was barely a whisper as his voice was still carrying signs of hoarseness. He looked at his mother and then his father. "It was Morgana. She started the fire, she -"

His mother nodded at him, shushing him as she took one of his hands into her own, while pushing him down with her other hand. "We know hunnie." She said soft and then looked up to her husband before turning back to Arthur. "Mordred told his uncle everything. But we don't know how Morgana is. She- she must've slipped when she went up the stairs, because they found her at the bottom of the stairs. In the hospital they found out she had quite some brain damage, they don't know if she'll ever regain consciousness."

Ygraine sighed as she saw her son's confused look and then cupped her son's cheek, her thumb stroking the skin underneath. "Just get some more sleep, you need it. We'll talk about this later." She smiled at him again, pressing a kiss on top of his hair.

"Hopefully, when you're awake again, you'll be able to see Merlin."