Work Text:
Left.
Arthur had tossed and turned in his bed, confused at not hearing his servant being needlessly loud and generally annoying, or the curtains being flung open and food being forced down the still half-asleep prince's throat.
He stood up, slowly wandering, looking around, trying to find Merlin.
That's when the conversation from the night before caught up with him.
Gaius had run away, in the middle of the night, leaving Arthur and Camelot behind him, unable to face the consequences of his actions. He had betrayed his friends, practising magic under the noses of the king and Arthur for years. Maybe he had never stopped.
That pain alone had been enough to make Arthur suffocate, but then Merlin had to talk about kidnappings, about Agravaine, Arthur's uncle, kidnapping Gaius, maybe torturing him.
“ I have already lost a friend ,” the king had said to his servant, “ I would hate to lose another .”
“Merlin!” Arthur screamed, getting up fully dressed from the bed and starting to run all over the castle.
Perhaps he was collecting his breakfast from the kitchens, but the cook had not seen him. He wasn't in the armoury, he wasn't with the knights, he wasn't in the doctor's rooms.
He wasn't in Camelot.
Merlin had left him.
Arthur had pushed him away, recognizing that they were friends only and only to threaten him. Had he ever said that before? Did Merlin know that Arthur could no longer conceive of life in Camelot without him?
First, Arthur searched his king's eyes to see if he had succeeded in making him proud. Now, Arthur searched the servant's eyes to see if he had managed to prove himself worthy of his infinite esteem.
He had pushed Merlin away .
“Merlin!” Arthur shouted, almost running through the halls of the Castle.
“What is it, my Lord?”
Arthur turned at the voice of his uncle, there with a few guards. He didn’t question his presence, of what he was trying to do at that time, already ready to fight something or someone. Instead, he said.
“Find me that dollophead!” Arthur exclaimed, trying to not think at Merlin’s usual answer ‘ That’s my word !’
Then, he gave an explanation for his unreasonable behaviour. “I have a counsil session to attend to.” Arthur grabbed the hem of his shirt. “Does he expect me to dress myself?”
Does he think I don’t need him anymore? Is he tired of running after me, repeatedly helping me without being considered in exchange?
“Fetch Merlin from his chambers.” Agravaine told one of the guards with him.
“He’s not there.” Like if Arthur didn’t look everywhere trying to find his best friend. As if seeing the way those chambers were, the books ripped apart and the chairs broken didn’t break Arthur’s heart. As if he didn’t lock Merlin’s room, just to be sure that no one entered his personal space. As if that act could repay all the pain that Arthur put him through.
“Check the armoury.” Agravaine then said, talking with another guard.
“I’ve done that.” Arthur replied, looking around in the hall, hoping to see his servant, late and appearing from nowhere like he did other times.
“And the Stables?” Agraivane asked, looking at Arthur with a concerned look.
“No sign of him.” Arthur said, turning to look at his uncle, before realising that he was just losing precious time. He needed to find Merlin, not talk with Agravaine.
“Where else could he be?” Agravaine asked.
“You tell me!” Arthur exclaimed, before walking away.
“When did you last see him, my Lord?”
“Last night!”
Right before I ruined my best friend . Arthur thought. Right before I pushed him away with his concerns, and threatened him with exile.
Arthur knew why he was so freaked out. Merlin had disappeared before, but Gaius was usually there, and the old man had never seemed too worried about Merlin. And his lack of concern reassured Arthur in return.
Yet, at that moment, Gaius was not there, and Merlin was sure that Gaius had been kidnapped.
And he was gone too.
Would he ever come back to Arthur?