Once & Forever
Savior
"How long 'til he wakes?" It was the first thing Arthur heard.
"I'm not sure, Sire. He lost quite a deal of blood."
"I was able to patch up the wound, and stop the bleeding, but he was already unconscious when I reached him," said a female voice, that he had never heard before.
"And the men that were with him? Any signs of life?"
"None, Your Highness. They were eviscerated. Only your boy and his servant made it out."
Arthur began to open his eyes, to peer at the people at his bedside. They were blurry, but he recognized Gauis, Merlin, and his father. But there was a woman there, too. Her long, gold hair was pulled back, but he could tell it still cascaded halfway down her back. She was dressed all in black; some kind of knight's garb. She looked vaguely familiar; stored somewhere in his recent memory.
"He's waking up!" Merlin exclaimed.
"Oh, thank the gods," Uther sighed. He pushed through Gaius and the woman. "I was afraid I was going to lose you, my son." Uther brushed some of Arthur's blonde hair from his face. "You did a good job summoning the Mercenary. She was able to save your live!" The King stepped back and regarded the woman near the head of his bed.
The prince blinked slowly, his blue eyes focusing on the blonde, with her dark, dark eyes. His widened. "You're the mercenary?" His voice cracked, as he spoke for the first time. "But you're... You're..."
"A woman?" she finished, with a smirk. There seemed to be a certain pride she took in being a female, and a deadly assassin.
"You saved me?" He was incredulous.
"She did," Merlin interjected. "She showed up a couple hours after you sent off the arrow."
Arthur knew he wasn't the one that sent off the arrow. He was grateful that Merlin was giving him that, however. His father would never understand how Merlin did it, while his knight of a son lied unconscious on the forest floor. Arthur didn't understand it, himself.
"How...?" He was too exhausted to finish his sentence, and his shoulder was aching something fierce.
"Gaius," the woman said, as she turned to face the court physician. "Do you have something for pain? I imagine the prince is feeling a great deal of it."
The old man nodded and turned to head off to his chambers. Merlin paused for a moment but then turned to follow.
Uther mentioned something about having business to attend to, but he assured Arthur that he would be back to check on him later in the day.
It was just Arthur and his savior. He refused to make eye contact, for a couple of reasons. One: he was barely clothed, and two: it was a woman that had saved him. It hardly made him feel like the knight that he was supposed to be.
The woman watched Arthur for a long moment, making him feel even more uncomfortable. "Do you mind if I take another look?" she asked, gesturing to his throbbing shoulder.
"I'm pretty sure Gaius knows what he's doing," Arthur replied, somewhat sarcastically. "Besides, you're... You probably wouldn't know what you're looking at." It didn't slip by her that he almost made another reference to her gender.
"I may not be a physician, but I've seen plenty of battle-wounds in my days. The only reason you didn't bleed out in the forest is because I was able to treat you right there."
"So you are the mercenary I saw standing in the woods." Arthur finally looked up at her. "How did you get me back to Camelot?" He raised an eyebrow. But it wasn't close to the kind of raise she'd seen on Gaius. It almost made her laugh, to think of the old man's questioning expressions.
"Horseback," she said, simply.
"But there were no-"
"I found one of your own, wandering aimlessly. I assume you came with others, but they weren't anywhere close."
Arthur was quiet for some time, trying to imagine how exactly this woman retrieved his nearly lifeless body, and transported him back. "Were there any bandits?"
"No. They probably assumed they had looted you for all you were worth and there was nothing left for them. They had moved on."
Gains returned, holding a tiny bottle filled with a clear elixir. "Drink this," he said, as he handed it to the prince. "You should feel the effects immediately."
Arthur downed the tart liquid, making a face, before handing the bottle back to Gaius. "How long is..." His speech stopped as his head began to spin. He groaned as he leaned back against his pillows, closing his eyes. "God, that feels... so... good..." He soon lost consciousness.
After he had faded, the woman followed Gaius out of his chambers. "It's good to see you again, old friend," she said with a smile. Merlin watched the two from down the hall. Gaius leaned in, giving the slender female a hug.
"It has been far too long, Katrina. Especially when you've been like a daughter to me."
"Oh, Gaius, you know I would still do anything for you. Time does not change love, or family."
The physician's face darkened slightly. "But I fear that it does." He put his hand on the small of her back and guided her down the corridor. "Come, let's talk in my chambers. There are too many wandering ears around here."
Merlin, being a prime example.
"I'm not sure, Sire. He lost quite a deal of blood."
"I was able to patch up the wound, and stop the bleeding, but he was already unconscious when I reached him," said a female voice, that he had never heard before.
"And the men that were with him? Any signs of life?"
"None, Your Highness. They were eviscerated. Only your boy and his servant made it out."
Arthur began to open his eyes, to peer at the people at his bedside. They were blurry, but he recognized Gauis, Merlin, and his father. But there was a woman there, too. Her long, gold hair was pulled back, but he could tell it still cascaded halfway down her back. She was dressed all in black; some kind of knight's garb. She looked vaguely familiar; stored somewhere in his recent memory.
"He's waking up!" Merlin exclaimed.
"Oh, thank the gods," Uther sighed. He pushed through Gaius and the woman. "I was afraid I was going to lose you, my son." Uther brushed some of Arthur's blonde hair from his face. "You did a good job summoning the Mercenary. She was able to save your live!" The King stepped back and regarded the woman near the head of his bed.
The prince blinked slowly, his blue eyes focusing on the blonde, with her dark, dark eyes. His widened. "You're the mercenary?" His voice cracked, as he spoke for the first time. "But you're... You're..."
"A woman?" she finished, with a smirk. There seemed to be a certain pride she took in being a female, and a deadly assassin.
"You saved me?" He was incredulous.
"She did," Merlin interjected. "She showed up a couple hours after you sent off the arrow."
Arthur knew he wasn't the one that sent off the arrow. He was grateful that Merlin was giving him that, however. His father would never understand how Merlin did it, while his knight of a son lied unconscious on the forest floor. Arthur didn't understand it, himself.
"How...?" He was too exhausted to finish his sentence, and his shoulder was aching something fierce.
"Gaius," the woman said, as she turned to face the court physician. "Do you have something for pain? I imagine the prince is feeling a great deal of it."
The old man nodded and turned to head off to his chambers. Merlin paused for a moment but then turned to follow.
Uther mentioned something about having business to attend to, but he assured Arthur that he would be back to check on him later in the day.
It was just Arthur and his savior. He refused to make eye contact, for a couple of reasons. One: he was barely clothed, and two: it was a woman that had saved him. It hardly made him feel like the knight that he was supposed to be.
The woman watched Arthur for a long moment, making him feel even more uncomfortable. "Do you mind if I take another look?" she asked, gesturing to his throbbing shoulder.
"I'm pretty sure Gaius knows what he's doing," Arthur replied, somewhat sarcastically. "Besides, you're... You probably wouldn't know what you're looking at." It didn't slip by her that he almost made another reference to her gender.
"I may not be a physician, but I've seen plenty of battle-wounds in my days. The only reason you didn't bleed out in the forest is because I was able to treat you right there."
"So you are the mercenary I saw standing in the woods." Arthur finally looked up at her. "How did you get me back to Camelot?" He raised an eyebrow. But it wasn't close to the kind of raise she'd seen on Gaius. It almost made her laugh, to think of the old man's questioning expressions.
"Horseback," she said, simply.
"But there were no-"
"I found one of your own, wandering aimlessly. I assume you came with others, but they weren't anywhere close."
Arthur was quiet for some time, trying to imagine how exactly this woman retrieved his nearly lifeless body, and transported him back. "Were there any bandits?"
"No. They probably assumed they had looted you for all you were worth and there was nothing left for them. They had moved on."
Gains returned, holding a tiny bottle filled with a clear elixir. "Drink this," he said, as he handed it to the prince. "You should feel the effects immediately."
Arthur downed the tart liquid, making a face, before handing the bottle back to Gaius. "How long is..." His speech stopped as his head began to spin. He groaned as he leaned back against his pillows, closing his eyes. "God, that feels... so... good..." He soon lost consciousness.
After he had faded, the woman followed Gaius out of his chambers. "It's good to see you again, old friend," she said with a smile. Merlin watched the two from down the hall. Gaius leaned in, giving the slender female a hug.
"It has been far too long, Katrina. Especially when you've been like a daughter to me."
"Oh, Gaius, you know I would still do anything for you. Time does not change love, or family."
The physician's face darkened slightly. "But I fear that it does." He put his hand on the small of her back and guided her down the corridor. "Come, let's talk in my chambers. There are too many wandering ears around here."
Merlin, being a prime example.