Merthur - The King and His Guardian Angel

Chapter 6 - Convergence

"Gaius!" Merlin says happily, dashing forward towards the old man.

He throws his arms around him, giving the physician a welcoming embrace. Merlin's first thought is to ask Gaius if he had brought any more spell books for him to study from before he remembers the king sitting on the bench behind him and bites his tongue. He backs away, a smile still on his face as Arthur limps over, face filled with shock.

"Gaius? Wh-What are you doing here? Why are you here?" he asks, the words tumbling out of his mouth in an awkward stream.

Gaius raises an eyebrow, eyeing the king with interest as he looks him up and down. "I should be asking you such a question, my lord. As for me, I had come on a visit. I told you before, an old friend of mine lives here. Might I ask, what happened to you?"

"I... um..."

"He jumped off a cliff," Merlin says, trying to hide a smirk as Arthur turns to glare at him.

Gaius' eyes widen. He looks towards Arthur, who has shrunken in on himself, looking embarrassed by his actions. The physician sighs, gesturing for Arthur to seat himself down onto the bench. Arthur obliges, sitting down and lifting up his injured leg for Gaius to examine. 

Merlin stands to the side as Gaius works, watching his mentor intently. He asks questions from time to time, taking a keen interest in the old man's duties as a physician. He helps by gathering Gaius' supplies. He dashes back and forth around the two rooms, occasionally digging through his trunk to bring out a herb or a potion Gaius had requested. 

Once Gaius is finished he stands, his old bones creaking with the movement. He hands Merlin his supplies to store away before turning back to the king. "You're on your way to recovery, sire," Gaius says, "though you will need to stay off that leg for at least another few weeks."

"Another few weeks?! Gaius, I need to find Emrys and I have a kingdom to run! You can't expect me to stay here until I'm recovered."

"If you wish for it to heal properly then you must wait."

Arthur mutters under his breath, arms crossed over his chest. "Is there no other way?"

Gaius shakes his head. "Unless you use magic, my lord, there is not."

Merlin stiffens immediately at the words. He peers over his shoulder nervously, pretending to act busy while watching Arthur's expression turn stone cold. The king scowls, putting his leg back down rather roughly. His brows furrow in concentration, making Arthur look anguished. Merlin sighs. If he's to be honest with himself, he enjoys the king's company. He wants to be his friend, but clearly, judging by the king's previous look of disgust at the mention of sorcery, that won't be possible. He can't stop the slight ache in his chest at the thought. 

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Arthur catches Merlin's gaze in the middle of the boy's brooding. He sees Merlin's expression drop, looking sullen as he watches the king from where he's storing away the supplies. Arthur feels a faint sting in his chest at the sight. It's the kind of sting that didn't hurt much, but will persist for some time, throbbing under his skin and causing irritation throughout the rest of the day. He's unable to pinpoint why his chest hurt. Perhaps it's from seeing the usually cheerful boy with such a sour look on his face. Perhaps it's something else entirely. He can't be sure. Whatever the reason may be one thing's for sure, he didn't like to see Merlin with a frown on his face. 

He relaxes himself. The furrows on his brows disappear. He lets a smile cross on his face, making sure to show Merlin there is nothing for him to worry about. He sees the boy smile back, albeit a little wistfully. 

"If you do not mind me asking, sire," Gaius says suddenly, startling the king back to attention. Arthur tears his gaze away from Merlin, feeling the stinging in his chest once again. "How did you manage to meet Hunith?"