Three days later, Merlin finally returned to Camelot, much to the relief of Gaius (the Royal Physician).
So why was he three days later than Sir Kay? Well, it was a simple matter of bad luck. Kay and Merlin got caught in the rain while traveling. Since Great Britain is an island nation with the Gulf Stream bringing in a ton of moisture, the chance of rain is always high—the whole island averages over 40 inches of rain a year, and November and December are the wettest months.
And winter on the British Isle is pretty intense! Even though it was just rain, the temperature was still frigid. Add strong winds to that, and those raindrops felt like little knives hitting your skin. If they had a choice, most locals would actually prefer snow, because once you get soaked by rain, your body loses all its heat—it's far colder than being out in the snow.
Expecting a weakling like Merlin to travel full-speed in those conditions? That was basically asking for trouble. So, at first, they kept stopping and starting. Eventually, Kay couldn't wait any longer. He just told Merlin to take his time and pushed ahead at full speed by himself.
Poor, weak Merlin desperately wanted to keep up, but his "weakling" nature meant his body just couldn't do it. The guy actually caught a cold halfway there! Thanks to the medicine Gaius had packed, he wasn't in any real danger, but trying to keep up with Kay's pace would have been a death sentence.
In the end, Kay just left Merlin in a cozy inn in a nearby town and took off for Camelot on his own.
Because Kay pushed himself so hard, traveling non-stop through the wind and rain, he actually got sick himself upon returning to Camelot. Logically, given Kay's strength and physique, this shouldn't have happened. But he was seriously drained after using the Holy Grail, which had sucked a lot of life force and soul power out of him. His body was in a vulnerable state, and the non-stop, high-stress travel, coupled with his worry about Prince Arthur, finally caught up to him. He was genuinely sick.
When Merlin finally arrived back in Camelot, healthy and hale, the difference between the two was pretty obvious. Kay had rushed back, battled the elements, and now was bedridden. And Merlin? He was totally fine, took his sweet time, was three days late, and had even managed to gain a pound or two! King Uther, who is always a little biased, could not handle this at all.
"A respected Knight nearly worked himself to death saving Arthur, and you, a servant, had a cushier journey than he did? What kind of nonsense is this?!"
So, less than thirty minutes after Merlin returned, King Uther had him dragged to the courtyard to resume his normal routine as the "Prince of the Public Square." Because Merlin hadn't been around for days, all those rotten vegetables and fruits in Camelot were just going to waste. The citizens were starting to feel strange about it—after all, tossing them at Merlin was a productive use of garbage!
Now that Merlin was finally back, the public's pent-up enthusiasm just completely flooded him. And I mean flooded in every sense of the word.
They say that the soldiers eventually had to dig Merlin out because he was literally buried under a mound of rotten produce and couldn't get out on his own.
But this little spectacle of Merlin's return actually lifted the spirits of the usually solemn palace. At least a lot of people got a good laugh out of it, including Arthur.
"Hahaha, what the heck, man? You get back and immediately get punished?" Arthur sat cross-legged on his bed, eating and loudly mocking Merlin's ordeal.
Merlin had just finished a shower, his hair still dripping wet. Hearing Arthur laugh, he turned his head, flung the water off, and shot Arthur a serious glare. That was his revenge. If Arthur hadn't been close to kicking the bucket, Merlin would have totally laid into him with a few sharp words.
After laughing for a bit, Arthur sobered up and looked at Merlin with sincere intensity.
"Thank you, Merlin." Arthur didn't know the details about the antidote, but the fact that Merlin was willing to go with Kay to find the cure was the greatest kindness anyone could show him. He had to say thank you.
Arthur's sudden seriousness made Merlin a little uncomfortable. He fumbled with the food, placing the tray next to the bed, and finally stammered out, "It's nothing. It's what I should do."
"No, it wasn't your job at all. You did it because you see me as a friend and you risked danger to help me. Thank you, Merlin. I really mean it!" Arthur isn't an idiot. The fact that even Kay got sick showed how much trouble a 'weakling' like Merlin went through. By the letter of the law, Merlin is just a servant and didn't have to suffer through that. But he went anyway, and Arthur knew exactly why.
Merlin calmed down then. He suddenly felt like the punishment from King Uther didn't matter. He and Kay went for Arthur, not for King Uther's approval, and he didn't need recognition for his achievements from the King. It was all for Arthur, and Arthur's simple "thank you" made Merlin feel like his efforts were totally worth it. But just like any guy, Merlin isn't a fan of mushy, emotional talk.
So, he deliberately rolled his eyes and handed the food tray to Arthur.
"You have time to talk about all this mushy stuff? Don't you know that Sir Kay is furious with you? Kay hasn't forgotten all the trouble you caused—first starting a potential war between the two kingdoms, and now almost getting yourself killed fighting some monster. I heard from Gwen that Kay was already itching to come find you from his sickbed. If Princess Morgana hadn't talked him down, you'd probably be half-dead from his beating right now. You're pretty much recovered, so I bet Kay is coming for you any minute. And you're just sitting here laughing?"
Merlin's sharp tongue is legendary. With one sentence, he kicked Arthur's happy mood straight into the basement.
Arthur had caused major chaos before, and Kay hadn't forgotten—he just couldn't address it while he was fighting on the front lines. Then, as soon as Kay wrapped up the war, Arthur almost got himself killed again. Kay had to go through hell and high water just to save the Prince's life.
And Kay even got sick because of it!
Arthur started a war, almost died, and dragged the entire royal household into a panic. Those two offenses combined were enough for Kay to break both of Arthur's legs.
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I think I'm still sick! I need to rest! I can't do this, I can't! Merlin, hurry up and get Gaius to check me—I'm not better, I'm definitely not better!"
Arthur immediately flopped onto the bed, rolling around and throwing a dramatic tantrum. Just thinking about Kay made him shiver. For the sake of his own skin, he decided faking an illness was the best bet.
"Oh? You're not better? Let me check you out!" Just as Arthur was carrying on, Kay suddenly appeared in the room.
Arthur froze, staring blankly at the murderous look on Kay's face. After a moment, he desperately looked at Merlin, hoping his friend would run for help.
"I learned a bit of medicine on my travels—some very special 'medicine.' Just a few moments, and I promise you'll be cured instantly." Kay forced a 'sinister' grin and pulled out his belt.
Then, with Merlin watching with an "I'm so sorry, but I can't help you" expression, Arthur received Kay's version of 'tough love.'
"Help! Aaaah, stop hitting me! I know, I'm sorry, NOOO!"
After two months, life returned to Camelot's palace, especially with Arthur's loud, powerful screams making everyone feel a certain sense of 'vitality.'