"Why do I always get landed with the donkey work?" Merlin complained as he dragged the heavy bag down the corridor just behind Will who was only carrying some fresh bed sheets as he was on his way to Jem's room. "My arms will be a foot longer by the time I get this lot inside!" 

"You're a servant, Merlin," Will snickered, rolling his eyes at his brother as he walked on ahead. "It's your job. Besides, it's character building. As the old proverb says, hard work breeds....a harder soul."

"It does not," Merlin pouted. "You just made that up!"

"No I didn't," Will said with a smirk. 

"Yes you did!"

"Oh stop whining, you baby," Will teased. Merlin was about to spit out another sassy comeback when a brown haired girl tripped over in front of them and dropped all the clean sheets and pillows she had been carrying onto the floor. 

"Oh, I'm sorry," she cried, looking up at the two boys before crouching down to gather up the fallen goods. Merlin looked at Will, eyes wide with a cheeky smile on his face. It hadn't escaped him that this girl was insanely pretty. Her blue eyes were so piercing that Merlin was sure they could see right into his heart. Will, on the other hand, was not so impressed, simply huffing at Merlin's childish nature.

"Let me give you a hand with that," Merlin said, reaching down and picking up a few pillows to help the girl. "I'm Merlin, by the way. And this is my brother, Will."

"Cara," the girl said, shaking Merlin's hand. "You are James and Arthur's servant, aren't you? That must be such an honour, to be the servant of the two princes." Merlin's grin grew even wider.

"Oh yeah, such a huge honour," he replied. "But, you know, someone's got to keep the place running." Will let out a laugh but covered his mouth to try and hold it in.

"It was nice meeting you, Merlin," Cara said, taking the pillows from Merlin's arms. She nodded to Will before walking back down the corridor. Merlin stared after her, his mouth gaping open.

"Shouldn't you be busy running the place?" Will smirked, elbowing Merlin in the ribs and laughing hard. Merlin only scowled, sending Will a fierce glare. Luckily for Merlin (and very unluckily for Will) Sophie was just walking past on her way to Jessamine's chambers. Muttering a quick spell under his breath, Will suddenly tripped over nothing, an invisible floor pushing him right into poor Sophie, Will practically landing on top of her. 

"William!" Sophie screeched, pushing him off her and rising to her feet. She gave him a swift kick to the ribs before running off down the corridor. 

"That was not funny, Merlin," Will muttered, clutching his side while Merlin was practically dying with laughter. 

"It was kind of funny," he snickered. Will rose to his feet, rolling his eyes at his brother. 

"I've got to go and get Jem ready before the feast tonight," he said. "And you better make sure Arthur is looking tip top. The last thing we need is for Bayard to think Arthur isn't strong enough to be king. That will lead us all back into war." 

"Alright, alright," Merlin sighed. "I'll get to it." He began to drag the heavy bag again back to Gaius's when Will called out.

"Oh, and Merlin?" Will called.

"What?!" Merlin yelled back.

"Make you wear the robes!"

"What robes?!"

***

"You can't be serious," Merlin choked out as Arthur held up the clothes that Merlin would have to wear tonight. They were hideous, all velvet red and adorned with feathers. The look on Arthur's face said it all as he struggled to hold in a laugh. 

"These are the official ceremonial robes of the servants of Camelot," he said solemnly. "I expect you to wear them with pride."

"I'm going to look like a bloody parrot!" Merlin cried. 

"Your problem, not mine," Arthur shrugged. "Now wash my clothes and have me clothed by seven o'clock tonight, alright?"

"Fine," Merlin muttered, silently cursing not only Arthur but Will as well. There were going to be some stern words later.

***

Will did the last button on Jem's tunic, fastening his cloak around his neck. "There you are," he said, brushing Jem's shoulders before showing him the mirror. "Looking handsome as always, James." 

Jem rolled his eyes but smiled slightly, moving over to the desk where his gold crown sat. He sighed slightly as he put it on and immediately, Will saw the tension in his posture. Frowning slightly, he walked over and wrapped his arms around Jem's waist, resting his chin on his shoulder from behind.

"Everything alright, my love?" he asked softly. Jem hummed in response, unconsciously leaning back into Will's touch. 

"Just been having an off day, that's all," he replied. Will nodded. Off days weren't too much to worry about but it did mean Jem would be more tired than usual. He would be fine soon enough but there wasn't any harm in keeping an eye on it, especially as he could see Jem was feeling under the weather.

"You want me to stay tonight?" Will whispered. "We could slip away after the feast. It's always a good cover." Jem smiled and nodded.

"That would be nice," he answered. Taking a deep breath, he gently detached Will's arms from him. Will watched as Jem straightened his posture, schooled his expression and suddenly became the prince everyone thought they knew. It was always the part of the day Will hated, to watch Jem become distant when really all he wanted was to be who he was. It was hard though, to be a prince, and Will knew that. 

"Ready to go?" Will asked. Jem nodded and the two left the prince's chambers. By the time they arrived at the feast, the party seemed to be in full swing. Will spotted Merlin across the room and chuckled to himself at the outfit he was wearing. It seemed Arthur had taken his gentle suggestion very seriously indeed. Jem seemed to notice the source of Will's amusement and shook his head disapprovingly, although Will did not miss the slight smile that graced his lips.

"I should go see to Tessa and Jessamine," Jem said. "When the treaty is signed, we can go then."

"Sounds perfect," Will said with a smile. When Jem was gone, Will sneakily made his way up to Merlin who was now talking to Gwen.

"Nice hate, brother," he smirked.

"I knew this was your idea!" Merlin hissed as Gwen giggled into her hand. Will shrugged.

"I may have put the thought into Arthur's mind, yes," he said. "But I certainly didn't make him do anything." Merlin would have argued further but Uther clapped his hands and called for silence. Merlin and Will watched together as the treaty was signed and the two kings, who had been enemies for so long, gripped hands in a show of friendship. 

"People of Camelot, for a great many years we have been mortal enemies," Bayard called out, beginning his speech. "And the blood of our men stains the ground from the walls of Camelot to the gates of Mercia. And though we remember those who have died, we must not allow any more to join them." From behind him, a serving girl brings out a box and presents them to the front table where the King, Arthur and Jem were seated. "As a symbol of our goodwill, and of our newfound friendship, I present these ceremonial goblets to you, Uther, and to your sons, Arthur and James, in the hope that our friendship may last."

"Merlin!" the voice made both Will and Merlin jumped. They turned around to see Cara standing there, gesturing urgently to Merlin. "I need to speak with you!" The two brothers exchanged a look and Will raised an eyebrow.

"Go on then," he muttered. "Just be back here in ten minutes." Merlin rolled his eyes but followed Cara out into the abandoned corridor by the main hall. Once they were gone, Will subtly walked behind the head table to stand just behind Jem, making sure he was with him when it was time for them to make their escape. 

But then, out of the blue, Will's gut suddenly clenched. He felt sick, his head pounding like a drum as a horrible feeling settled over him. He made a small whimper but it was inaudible to anyone but Jem, who glanced at him with worry in his eyes. 

Not now, Will begged, hoping that the horrible feeling wouldn't become a Vision. Not now, please not now.

It was no use though. He suddenly went rigid, the images flashing before his eyes. He saw silver goblets, the ones that Bayard had just presented to the royal family, being raised in a toast. He saw a girl's smile twisted into an evil smirk. He saw someone bringing the goblet to their lips...and then a body on the floor, shaking and convulsing in pain. The boy's face seemed unclear until Will noticed the strange clothes, ones that seemed vaguely familiar...

Oh god.

Merlin.

And then it was gone. Just like that, Will was back in the room with the speech coming to an end. He could feel Jem's concerned eyes on him but he ignored it, desperate to find his brother. It didn't take him long though. 

"STOP!" Merlin's voice echoed through the hall as he bolted back into the room, snatching Arthur's goblet from his hand. "Don't drink it! It's poisoned!" At these words, Will ran forwards and grabbed Jem's drink, spilling the liquid onto the floor in panic. Jem's eyes widened as he looked from Will to Merlin then back again, suddenly connecting the dots.

"What?!" Uther said, rising to his feet.

"Merlin!" Arthur hissed, also standing. "What are you doing?"

"Bayard laced Arthur and Jem's goblet with poison," Merlin announced. The crowd gasped and Will was suddenly very relieved that he took the goblet from Jem.

"This is an outrage!" Bayard fumed, drawing his swords. Around the hall, others did the same until every knight of Mercia faced off with a knight of Camelot, ready to defend their king's honour. "I will not allow this insult to go unchallenged!" Bayard screamed. 

"On what grounds do you base this accusation?" Uther demanded of Merlin.

"Nothing, Father," Arthur tried to cover. "My stupid servant has just been on the slow gin again, haven't you Merlin?"

"I'm not lying!" Merlin cried. "He was seen lacing it."

"By whom?" Uther asked, approaching Merlin and Arthur. Merlin swallowed hard, his eyes flicking to Cara who stood at the edge of the hall.

"I can't say," he replied bravely. Uther studied him carefully. 

"Pass me the goblet," he ordered Arthur. The king turned to face Bayard, staring into the goblet thoughtfully. "If you are telling the truth, and this goblet is not poisoned, then you have nothing to fear, do you? But you will not drink it. No. If this is poisoned, I want the pleasure of killing you myself." To Will's horror, the King turned to Merlin, offering the goblet to him. "He'll drink it."

"No!" Will cried, striding forwards despite Jem's protest and taking the goblet from Merlin's hands. "Please, sire, he's just a boy. He doesn't know what he's saying. I'll drink it, I'll prove if this is poisoned or not."

"Will, no!" Jem said, rising to his feet.

"The boy accused Bayard, and so it should be the boy who drinks it," Uther said carefully, taking the goblet back and giving it to Merlin. "You should have taught your brother better if you wished for him to stay alive." By this point, Jem had got to Will and pulled him back from the group.

"Merlin, this is a mistake," Arthur said. "Just apologise! I'll drink it."

"No, no, it's alright," Merlin said, staring into Bayard's eyes with absolute certainty. He raised to glass, toasting both kings before downing the goblet in one motion. For a moment, nothing happened. The entire hall was silent, practically shivering with anticipation. 

"It's...fine," Merlin said, confusion written all over his face. Will was about to scold him for scaring him like that but suddenly, Merlin choked, doubling up on himself and turning red. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he collapsed, falling to the floor unconscious. Will didn't really remember what happened after that. He fell to his knees at Merlin's side, cradling his head in his lap as Arthur tired to wake him up. 

"Merlin, come on wake up!" Arthur yelled, slapping his cheek lightly. Gaius then appeared at Will's side.

"I need to get him back to my chambers," he said. "Bring the goblet. I need to identify the poison." Scooping Merlin into his arms, Arthur rose to his feet and ran from the room, Gwen hurrying behind with the goblet in her hands. Jem practically lifted Will to his feet, guiding him from the hall where chaos had broken out as the knights arrested Bayard and his men. 

"It's alright, Will," Jem whispered, gently pulling him along the empty corridor. "It's alright. He'll be okay. Gaius will cure him. He always does." But Will couldn't answer. He had seen it happening in his Vision and yet he could do nothing about it. This was the cruel reality of being a Seer. You saw the future. You could warn those it effected. And yet you could not change it yourself. It was up to others to do that and not everyone had the strength. 

"He can't die, Jem," Will choked out.

"He won't-" Jem tried to sooth but Will shook his head.

"No, you don't understand," he murmured. "He can't die. If he dies, we all die." Jem just pursed his lips and nodded, continuing to pull Will down the corridor until they made it to Gaius's chambers. 

When they entered, Merlin was lying on the bed, shaking and muttering as fever took control of his mind. Gwen was placing a damp cool cloth on his forehead as Arthur paced the room. 

"Ah, found it," Gaius said from his desk, looking up from his book. "The poison is the Mortaeus. It can only be cured from a leaf of the very same flower, found deep in the caves beneath the Forest of Balor." Both Will and Arthur approached Gaius at the same time, leaning over his shoulder to read the passage from the book. 

"It's guarded by a Cockatrice," Will muttered. He had heard of them before. They were dangerous creatures, their bite packed full of venom. "No man was ever crossed the Mountains of Isgaard in search of the Mortaeus flower and come back alive, Gaius." Arthur sighed, standing up straight as he made his way to the door with purpose.

"Sounds like fun," he said.

"It's too dangerous, Arthur!" Gaius protested.

"If I don't get that flower then Merlin will die!" Arthur yelled. "He saved my life; I am not going to let him suffer because of it."

"Then let me come with you," Will said suddenly.

"Will," Jem whispered but knew he could do nothing to stop his lover. 

"Sire," Will said, striding forwards and dropping to his knees at Arthur's feet. "Please, I am begging you to allow me to accompany you. He's my brother. I have to help you save him. Please..." Arthur looked over at Jem, pursing his lips together.

"You can come," he replied. "But first, I need to let father know. Will, follow me there. I'll be needing your assistance from now until we return, understood?"

"Yes, sire," Will said, rising to his feet. As they left, he glanced over his shoulder at Jem who was stood at the foot of Merlin's bed. Locking eyes for a moment, Will understood the message perfectly. Jem would watch over Merlin while he was gone, and Will knew nothing would happen while Jem was there. 

"Will, let's go!" Arthur called from the corridor. Looking one last time at his brother, Will left Gaius's chambers and followed Arthur up the stairs.

***

As expected, Uther would not allow Arthur to leave the castle that night. Despite Arthur's efforts to convince the King to let him go, Uther ordered that him to remain.

"One day you are going to be King, Arthur," he said as he marched down the corridor with a battalion of guards following him. "You cannot throw your life away on a fools errand, especially not for a servant boy. You are the Crown Prince, you need to start acting like one."

"He saved my life," Arthur said, gesturing to Will to keep chasing after them in the corridor. "I have a duty to do whatever I can to repay that debt."

"You do not owe debts to anyone but me," Uther said. "Your mother died to bring you into this world and I will not let you waste her sacrifice."

"I will not watch him die, father!" Arthur cried.

"Then don't look!" the King spat, storming off without another word. Arthur looked at Will whose face was emotionless.

"I'm sorry, Will," he said. "I really am."

"With respect, sire," Will said stiffly. "What kind of King do you want to be? One who would risk his life to save a serving boy? Or one that listens to his father? I know who the people would want. But it's up to you to decide." Arthur stared at Will, letting the words sink in. He suddenly realised why Jem seemed so attached to his servant. Will seemed to have an air of wisdom around him, as if he knew all the answers to everything. Arthur decided that he couldn't let him down.

"Gather your things and ready the horses, but do it quietly," he said. "We leave in half an hour."

***

Will carefully slipped through the castle, slinging his bag across his back as he ran across the courtyard to the stables. He quietly saddled two horses, one fine black stallion for Arthur and a smaller brown mare for himself before leading them out by the reins back into the courtyard.

Arthur was there waiting for him and he took his horse wordlessly, tying on his saddlebags. "You know, sire," Will said softly. "I spoke out of turn earlier. You don't have to do this. I can go by myself."

"Don't be an idiot, Will," Arthur told him. "You said exactly what I needed to hear. Besides, Jem would kill me if I let you go. Good servants like you are hard to find, especially ones that do not fear his condition. You're a good servant to my brother, so this is the least I can do in repayment." Will didn't say anything for his was afraid he'd let slip just how much Jem meant to him. So he kept quiet, hoping that Arthur would take his silence as gratefulness.

They mounted up and rode out of the castle, easily slipping past the guards and galloping at full pelt into the forest. They rode through the night, the trees becoming blurred at the speed they were going. At some point just after dawn, they broke out of the forest and were met with the mountains.

"I think we're about ten miles off," Will said, pointing to the collection of trees at the base of the mountains. "We should be there in a few hours before we find the caves." Arthur nodded, flicking the reins of his horse.

"We better get moving then," he said. "There isn't much time to lose."

By the time they reached the forest, night was falling and the dark was closing in. Will and Arthur dismounted from their horses, seeing the the path was becoming too dangerous for them to ride anymore. Leading the horses slowly forwards, they came across a clearing, the entrance to the caves just ahead.

Will looked around suspiciously. Something really didn't feel right here. He could feel magic, deep and old and threatening all around them as they advanced. Will had never felt anything as powerful as this, apart from Merlin. But even then, Merlin's magic felt pure. This...this just felt corrupt. The worst part was he couldn't warn Arthur about it, nor could he see the source. So he just kept moving, his hands tightening on the reins of his horse in apprehension.

As they approached the caves, they suddenly heard a sob from behind them. Arthur and Will whipped around, only a girl sitting on a fallen log and crying.

"Cara?" Will asked, walking forwards to the servant girl he had met only a day ago. "Care, what on earth are you doing here?"

"I-I-" Her blue eyes met Will's. "I ran away. Uther was putting everyone in prison. I was scared...so I ran." Her eyes flicked up to Arthur, suddenly looking scared again. "Have-Have you come to find me? To bring me back to Camelot?"

"No," Arthur replied. "We won't hurt you. It was Bayard who poisoned the chalice, not his staff. It's alright." Will looked back to Cara who nodded. There was something off, though. Something that Will just couldn't escape. He had felt it the first time he had met Cara, when Merlin had been hopelessly flirting with her. He just couldn't quite put his finger on it.

A roar cut through his thoughts as a Cockatrice burst from the treeline, growling at the group and showing its teeth. "Stay back!" Arthur yelled as he drew his sword. Will grabbed Cara, pulling her back and out of the way as Arthur battled the beast, going back and forth between the trees as he ducked the claws of the monster. At one point, Will was sure the Cockatrice had gotten Arthur with its jaws but breathed a sigh of relief when the prince appeared again, brandishing his sword.

Dodging another swipe from the monster's claws, Arthur rolled away underneath it, leaping to his feet and throwing his sword. It spiraled in the air, hitting its mark with a sickening thunk. The beast collapsed, screeching one last time before life left it.

"Are you two alright?" Arthur asked Will after retrieving his sword.

"We're fine," Will said. "Good work, sire."

"Can we please go now?" Cara pleaded.

"Not yet," Arthur replied. "There's something I have to do first. We're looking for something."

"What is it?" Cara asked. "I know this place; I could help you." The cold, horrible feeling washed over Will again at the words. It was Cara, he realised. It was Cara who was channeling the dark magic that he had felt since the moment they had walked into this forest. He could almost feel it radiating from her like some sort of virus.

"Arthur," Will said, trying to keep his voice neutral. "I don't think we should tell her."

"She's fine, Will," Arthur replied, waving his hand at him in dismissal. "We're looking for the Mortaeus flower," he told Cara. "It only grows inside the cave."

"Oh, I know where they are," Cara said, taking Arthur by the arm and leading him down the slope and into the caves. Will had no choice but to follow, hoping against hope that his feeling was wrong. But, in his experience, that was never the case.

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