A/N: Hello all! I am here to tease you all with the first chapter of my newest Merlin story. : ) The final chapter(s) of Broken should be up in the next week or so, and then this will have my full attention. Will be posting chapter two in about a week, its ready to go. I thank you all again for all your support and comments, reviews really do mean a lot. I want to say a HUGE thank you to my beta reader April29Roses who has been fabulous! Enjoy all!...

Summary: This is an AU linking fiction between season 5 episodes 'The Hollow Queen' and 'With all my heart', but basically with some bromance and whump just how i like it. Gwen struggles to keep her betrayal a secret as both her husband and friends become suspicious.

Chapter One

"I still can't believe how lucky I was! I owe that boy my life and I don't know who he was, or where he was from. We need to make sure we give him a decent burial." Arthur turned to his servant as the plate was placed in front of him.

"I'll do that. If you'll allow me the time," Merlin answered.

"Oh, so, you can go and visit that girl again?"

"What?"

"Girl!" Arthur jeered.

"Don't have one." Merlin hobbled back to the table to collect the wine.

"That's not what Guinevere tells me." Blue eyes flashed over to brown ones.

"So, why don't you tell us all about her?" The King waited for a snide remark to followed.

"Right. " None came.

"And why are you walking with a limp?"

Merlin's eyes remained fixed on the Queen's for a little too long. He knew the real Gwen, and she would never in a million years have plotted to kill her husband and friend. It was never in the kind hearted maid's soul to do it.

"Merlin?" The warlock snapped out of his stare as Arthur called back from across the table. "Well?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he said simply then, placing the jug down onto the table with a little too much force. He was feeling weak again. It had been less than a day since Daegal had given him the herbs for the poison and his stomach still riled at the sight and smell of food. He was surprised he had been to keep up his calm aura for so long. His stomach was doing flip flops, while his leg refused to let up any relief from the burning sensation of the wound. Gaius had yet to examine the gash.

"Like, that is it?" Arthur smirked.

"Will that be everything, Sire?" The servant ignored the remark as his abdomen began to cramp up again, yet he refused to show his discomfort and was half way to the door.

"No!" Arthur stopped him in his tracks. "Considering you seem to have been shirking your duties for a girl, for these last two days, I expect to see all of my armor polished by tomorrow morning and you, out on the training ground by sunrise."

Merlin groaned involuntarily both at the remark and his slowly growing pain. "Of course, Sire," he said through gritted teeth.

He was out the door before his master could add to his duties and by the time the door was closed behind him, he was in agony. He doubled over and leaned heavily on the stone wall for a moment, catching his breath between the waves of nausea. This could not be happening right now. He could hear the King and the Queen's hushed voices from within, most likely gossiping about this girl he was supposed to have seen. The servant grew angered at the thought of Morgana's hold on the Queen. How could he have missed it? Why hadn't he managed to stop the kidnapping in the first place?

A minute or so passed and the pain eased, he struggled to stand back up straight. He needed to get his chores done and then maybe Gaius could give him a tonic for this discomfort. Besides, he had hardly seen his mentor all day. The physician had been busy sorting out Sarrum's body, as well as tending to other ailments across town. The warlock had barely seen his mentor, only bumping into him briefly after Sir Leon had discovered him and Daegal on the balcony. He had quickly brushed off his absence and told the old man he would explain later. Although Gaius had accepted the excuse, Merlin could tell he wasn't pleased.

The warlock managed to get to the armory without seeing anyone. He took shortcuts; besides it was getting late now. Many had retired to their chambers. By the time he had gathered the King's armor and lit a torch in the far corner, with a flash of gold, the pain was returning. He clutched his stomach as it revolted again, but this time he retched, bringing up what little, if any food, he had eaten during the day. He noted it was very little.

"For goodness sake," the servant whispered and sank down against the wall, as sweat began to gather on his forehead. He really had thought the poison was gone. He'd managed to run the whole way back to Camelot overnight and although he had felt drained today, it was nothing like this. 'Well, at least I helped save Arthur' he thought as he let himself sink further down to the floor, allowing the agony radiating from his stomach to simply wash through him. Maybe he should try and return back to his chambers for a potion before continuing, he thought.

The warlock stayed slumped there for several minutes. It could have been hours, he didn't know, until he could feel the waves of pain waning again. The annoying buzzing had returned to his ears now. That sound was all he could hear as he lay half conscious and paralyzed on the forest floor the night before. Letting out a small groan he managed to his feet again, placing an outstretched palm over his aching forehead. "Think I might get that potion first, after all," he thought, though the haze of his throbbing head.

"Merlin?" The servant suddenly straightened up at the sound of his master's voice. "Merlin, are you in here?"

Arthur's form finally came into view.

"I'm here," the warlock said, a little too quietly from the far corner. "Is there something I can do for you?"

The king huffed, placing hands onto his hips in annoyance. "I thought I told you to polish my armor?" He scowled at his friends form with a questioning look.

"Ah" Merlin shuffled his feet over to the pile of metal, "I was just..."

"Sulking?" Arthur interjected. "I saw how you were earlier" he continued before the warlock had a chance to answer. "I know you're upset about something, perhaps this girl?"

"Ha!" Merlin stifled a laugh then as his body rippled with another wave of pain. It was definitely not getting any better. He turned sideways letting his face grimace at the agony away from his master. "There is no girl," he blurted out quickly, not trusting his voice much further.

"Then, what is it?" Arthur moved closer, but stopped short as he noticed his servant shaking slightly.

"Nothing" Merlin cried, a little too quickly in response, he pulled a hand to cover his mouth, feeling the bile rising in his throat. Not again. Leaning heavily on the wall, he dry heaved several times.

"You're sick!" The king rushed forward, only to help his friend gently sink to his knees.

"M' fine." The warlock swallowed back the nausea, desperately trying to clear the vile acidic taste in his mouth. "It's nothing." He avoided eye contact with his master.

"Nothing?" Now Arthur sounded concerned, not that he'd admit it. He bent down and placed his hands on his friend's shoulders, steadying the servant from swaying violently. "You don't look like it's nothing," his brows furrowed looking at his friend. Merlin's forehead was now covered in a light sheen of sweat. He was shaking, and even in the dim lit room the King could see all colour had drained from the man's face. His eyes darted from one side to the other in a bid to not look at the King. Arthur shook him gently to try and rouse him out of his state.

"Something I ate," Merlin slurred out, struggling with consciousness and the pain which was beginning to become unbearable. The world was beginning to spin around him, his vision blurring in and out, in waves.

"Don't be an idiot. I'm taking you to Gaius." Arthur tried to pull him up, but his friend's weight seemed to become heavier then. "Merlin?"

The servant let out a short deep moan and then pitched forward into Arthur. The king guided his friend's body gently to the floor and the warlock began to twitch. Subtly at first, until quickly, his whole body was jerking violently and convulsing.

"Merlin?!" Arthur hollered in panic. His friend twisted and writhed on the floor, letting out low moans as every twitch and spasm wracked his body. His eyes rolled back and flicked furiously. A small trickle of crimson coloured saliva tracked down his white cheek from the corner of his mouth. His neck muscles seized up, throwing his head back into an unnatural angle. Merlin's breaths came in short gasps from between his jaws locked together. Arthur had heard of fits and never before had to deal with one, but he remembered Gaius's words from many years ago. He turned his friend quickly onto his side, allowing more of the warlocks saliva to escape his rigid mouth. Ignoring the kicks and blows from his friends twitching and uncontrolled limbs, the King tried not to close his eyes against the sight of his friend so helpless. His heart pounded maybe even faster than the servant's and his own hands trembled in panic as he tried to steady his friend's shaking form.

"Guards!" Arthur shouted. He pulled the warlock half onto his lap, cradling his head so it didn't collide with the stone floor. "Merlin, wake up, you clot pole! Stop playing games" Arthur felt as if his heart was going to beat so fast it would actually break his ribs, surely this had to stop. He thought his friend had been convulsing for an age, yet it had only been around a minute. "Merlin!" The servant made no response except to whimper as the spasms began to subside. Finally, as the twitching came to a stop, his body relaxed. Arthur saw his eyes roll back forward, glazed and unseeing, and then his lids closed.

"Guards!" The king shouted. "Merlin!" He was practically screaming like a girl, "Wake up!"