Now that the physician watched Uther holding his son who was slowly sliding off the young king's arms and would have fallen down if Gaius had not caught him,
he decided to travel to the Isle of Avalon. He needed to know why the baby boy was cursed.
"Sire." Gaius touched Uther's shoulder and the king startled. "What happened?"
"You need to rest, Sire. I will take care of Arthur."
The young king immediately stood up and took the baby out of Gaius's arms. "No, it is my duty." He walked around in the quarters and observed his son who slept in his arms, only chortling now and then in his sleep of exhaustion.
Gaius watched him for a while, realised that Uther's fear for his son was more than just the concern about the fever. It was the horrible creature that encountered the baby. And, of course, Arthur was now the only one left who was blood, directly related to Uther. And he was the last part of Ygraine
"The fever is gone, the boy is well. At least, eat something." he said.
Uther did not answer but now stared out of the window, ignoring the physician completely.
Gaius turned around, leaving his quarters and the king alone with his son.
Uther looked at the mess he had caused. The plate with food lay on the floor. He did not remember what had caused him to push the plate off the table,
and once again the serving girl Gwen was cleaning the floor, without complaining.
The king wondered if Morgana had ever told her maid servant that Uther was sorry for what he had done to Gwen's father.
What a clear thought this was! For the first time he remembered something that did not have to do with events lying far in his past.
Yes, he remembered that he had felt sorry for Gwen when she cried over the dead body of her father, the man that Uther had ordered to kill when he was impeached of having conspired with a sorcerer who even tried to kill Uther.
The king suddenly crouched down and grabbed some fruit that was lying on the floor.
He paused. What was he doing? Why was he helping the serving girl?
"Sire, there is no need for this, I will clean this up." he heard Gwen saying.
Uther suddenly remembered Morgana and the last words he had heard coming from her mouth. Her face that showed nothing but hatred, her cold, determined voice.
He straightened himself and sat down in his chair, shaking his head when he tried to get rid of these thoughts.
And suddenly the world turned grey again. There were some noises he heard. Noises of scrubbing the floor. It was Gwen, the serving girl.
Where was Arthur? Where was Gaius?
Where was his stepmother?
Then he remembered that she was long gone. Only a few years after she had left, Uther received the news about her demise. He pitied her but felt no sadness about her death because she came into his family at a time when they had left their home and friends and when Uther, whose name was
Ambrosius at that time, was still mourning his mother who had died of a deadly disease.
It was one of those days when the boy waited for his mother in the gardens where they were supposed to meet, like they had been doing for years, as long as Uther remembered, every day at the same place, always at sunset. It was one of the traditions that he loved more than anything, talking to his mother and
listening to the fairytales she told him. Tales about great warriors and mystical creatures.
And then, one day, his mother did not show. Ambrosius waited until the middle of the night but his mother did not come to meet him. And she would never come again.
It was until Constantinus and his sons left Rome for Albion that the boy continued coming to the gardens, sitting on the bench. Every day at the same place at sunset, silently and alone.
Years later, in Albion, Uther was sure that the marriage with a former serving girl must have been the result of his father's madness. It was him who had always warned his sons about servants after all.
Uther did not even know if his father had ever loved the woman.
This all happened long after he had met the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. This girl, only a year younger than himself, still a child when he arrived in the new land after a long and terrible journey that would never lead him back to his home again, back to Rome, never even noticed him.
Her hair was brighter than the sun and her eyes were as blue as the sky in Rome in midsummer.
Ambrosius secretly observed her whenever she was near, and so he did now when she playing with her little friends in the rain in this dreadful, cold kingdom.
The other girls and boys called her Ygraine.
She did not belong to this kingdom but was here with her parents for only a while until her family would take her back home again.
No, she did not belong here, Ambrosius thought.
She belonged to to Rome. She should live in a palace that was built only for her, with a garden filled with flowers and a fountain and her room made of gold!
What was such a beautiful girl doing here in this dark, cold land?
The boy decided to approach her. No. What could he probably tell her?
Ygraine sat down on a bench of stone near the market, soaked wet from the rain, laughing when her friends slipped in the mud.
She suddenly stood up and ran over to them, starting a fight in the mud until all of the girls and boys were dirty with mud and laughing at each other.
Yes, Ambrosius had to go to the girl whose hair was now dark and dirty and wet. At least he wanted her to notice him.
The boy left his hidden place behind the tree and was just about to help Ygraine up while she contantly slipped in the mud and laughed her little soul off, when suddenly her mother came running towards the girls and pulled her daughter up.
"What are you doing, for goodness sake? You are not supposed to play in the dirt!"
The brown-haired woman turned over to Ambrosius. "And who are you? Have you told them to wrestle in the dirt?"
Ambrosius opened his mouth but did not answer. Instead he just looked at Ygraine and her mother while the girl returned the look and instantly stopped laughing.
"Never mind", the woman said and took Ygraine by her hand while they left. Ygraine did not even turn around to deign him another look.
But Ambrosius felt like flying. Ygraine had seen him! She now knew that he existed. This land was not so bad after all.
And later, when they get married, he will build a palace for her. In Rome, where the sun was warm and bright and where her beauty would be appreciated.
Yes, that sounded like a plan. Now he had to work on it.
And his plans fell into place bit by bit later when he met her again, now that she was a young woman, even more beautiful than ever.
It felt like bliss when he realised that she remembered him, and for a while it was enough for Ambrosius to just listen to her beautiful voice and to look into her
big blue eyes, forgetting about her constant rejections whenever he asked her to take her out for a picnic. For the first time in years after his mother had
died and after he had lost his brothers and his father, Ambrosius felt happy again by the mere presence of Ygraine.
He could not stop thinking of her and her face haunted him night and day. Forgotten were the devastating years of loss and sadness, the new, cold land that appeared to be so very strange with all its unnatural happenings, with the fog creeping from the hills in the morning, the harsh winters and the strange, new language.
Forgotten was the madness of his father and his constant rants about the superstition in this land, and forgotten this one night when he had to punch his father
who, in his crazy mind, was strangeling Ambrosius and later lay on the floor, shaking and whimpering. The very night when the young man swore to himself that his children would never ever see him like this, that he would never ever expect them to put up with something like this, hoping that he would die before anything like this could happen to him.
This was all over now. Ygraine was here. Even though she rejected him. Not all hope was lost, he still had time enough to win her heart, and he still had time to strengthen his position once he had conquered Camelot and then rebuild this once so strong kigdom that was almost destroyed by magic.
And if he had to use magic in order to fight the dark magic, against his father's will, so be it. Not all the magic was evil, there was also good in the Old Religion, and he realised this even more when he met a very powerful sorcereress, Nimueh.
She had saved his life when he and his men were ambushed, only by slinging the attackers away with some powerful sorcery.
From this day on, Nimueh adviced Ambrosius in almost everything, telling him where to go and who to ask in order to gain an army big and strong enough to conquer Camelot. It took him a long and desperate time to build the army and he ignored the fact that not all of Nimueh's advices were the right ones, that one time he even lost the support of a neighboured kingdom, Caerleon, and that they were on the edge of war.
Nimueh urged Uther to first attack Caerleon, but Ambrosius knew that challenging Caerleon would be suicide.
The High Priestess probably did not have the necessary insight into strategics and the yong warrior decided to leave Caerleon alone, travelling from kingdom to kingdom and through the lands with his men, towards Camelot. The wealth of his father was not enough for the army that Ambrosius needed, and so three terrible years
of deprivation and journeys followed, three years without Ygraine, until he had what it took to conquer Camelot and until he saw a dragon flying over the towers of the kingdom, like a sign that told him that this was the right time.
Still outnumbered but determined and strong nevertheless.
And when he met Gorlois of Cornwall who promised his support and followed him, contributing his soldiers to the army, Camelot would soon be a place of freedom and peace, released from the dark and corrupted magic that was about to destroy the entire land and be replaced by peaceful magic and progress only.
Now going by the name Uther Pendragon, he was ready to face his future.
With Ygraine by his side. Not in Rome but here, in Camelot.
"No, Arthur. I'm sorry." Merlin lowered his head when he could not ease the prince's pain and could not provide him with the information that Arthur
had asked for.
"It's allright, Merlin. Was a stupid question. Not even Gaius has heard of a cure, so how could you?"
The Prince of Camelot sat behind his table in his quarters and had just finished a speech for the upcoming counsil. Merlin wondered why
Arthur sometimes even needed to write down a speech when he was only talking to his counsil members. It should be easy speak freely.
But perhaps Arthur was not as good with words as Merlin was, the young wizard thought, smiling to himself. There were things in which Merlin was better at, better as Arthur. A lot of things. Oh yes.
Perhaps Arthur was just pretending to have good ideas and perhaps he was nervous when everyone looked at him and perhaps...
"Read it over." Arthur's voice interrupted Merlin's thoughts.
"Hmh?"
"The speech." Arthur held up the parchment. "I want you to read it. It is a new edict because we need to strengthen our army."
"Oh." Merlin took the parchment and read it through. The prince was about to slightly raise the taxes and to recruit new soldiers.
Morgana's attacks had weakened Camelot's army even more and with the news about Uther's mental condition, Camelot was even more in danger.
An easier target for conquerors. And for sorcery.
The young warlock nodded and raised his eyebrows. "Your father would like it".
"Merlin. "Arthur stood up and took the parchment out of his servant's hands. "We need new soldiers. I won't expect you to understand. I take no pleasure
in raising the taxes but we have to be able to defend ourselves."
"Yes, I know."
"And my father did not even have to raise the taxes." The prince looked at the window. "Sometimes I wonder how he has managed to hold up the prosperity of the kingdom and the strength of the army without taking away the entire income of the people."
He looked directly into Merlin's eyes. "What am I doing wrong?"
Merlin shook his head. "Nothing. You are doing nothing wrong, Arthur. It's Morgana's fault."
Arthur lowered his gaze. The young wizard knew that his prince suffered from the latest events. He not only had learnt about Morgana being his half-sister which not only dishonoured his father but also himself as well as Morgana and Gorlois' House, but he also witnessed Morgana's open enmity when she conquered Camelot, killed thousands of people and tormented her own father. And Merlin knew that Arthur did not know what to do next. It was more than
conspicuous that he avoided speaking, and perhaps even thinking about Morgana.
"What about the treasures of Camelot?" asked Merlin.
Arthur nodded. "They are what keeps this kingdom alive but we cannot spend all of it entirely for the army and the materials. We are still repairing all the damage all around the castle in the lower towns."
Merlin raised his eyebrows. "I didn't know that treasures can keep a kingdom alive."
"You know what I mean." The prince walked over to the cupboard and picked a dark-blue velvet jacket. "The taxes won't be too high. And it will only be temporarily."
The young servant hurried over to Arthur and grabbed the jacket out of Arthur's hands which the prince answered with a surprised look.
"What are you doing?"
"Helping you to dress?"
"Don't you think that I can do it alone?"
Merlin shook his head. "Evidentally, no."
Apruptly, Arthur now took the jacket out of Merlin's hands. "You better clean my chambers. I want a clean and proper room when I come back."
The prince grabbed the parchment and headed towards the door.
"Well, then I suggest you don't spread your clothes all around the bed!" shouted Merlin, but Arthur had already left his chambers.
Merlin sighed and grabbed some clothes that were lying on the floor. His thoughts wandered back to the events with Morgana when she asked him if he thought that she deserved to be killed only because she has magic. How close he was to tell her everything! Everything about himself and his powers, about him being a sorcerer, the one who understood what she was going through when being afraid of her true nature and the consequences in
this kingdom that forbid magic. He had almost told her who he was and he had almost risked his life. He knew about Morgana's hatred but at that time, he had not known how strong her hatred was, how much she despised Uther and everyone else in Camelot, even her half-brother Arthur.
His words, telling her that only she could ever soften Uther's heart, were being left unheard. Morgana did not want to change Uther. She did not want to be loved by him and she did not want him to have a change of mind. She was already far beyond that. All that she wanted was to kill and to hurt.
Merlin did not understand what had changed her so much, why she has lost her mind. Oh, he knew that Uther would have killed him instantly if he had learnt about his true nature. But Morgana... Would he really have harmed her? Merlin was sure that he would have made an exception, just like he did when he asked Gaius for magical help in order to heal his daughter. And was his current condition not proof enough that he indeed
would not have harmed her? She was his daughter after all.
But she did not care. Whatever it was that drove her insane, she was beyond redemption. The young warlock once again regretted that he had not helped her when there was still a chance, when she came to him, desperate, trying to get some help when her new powers scared her to death.
If he had just... He could have...
But it was too late now. And perhaps even his help would not have changed anything, except his own life in case that Morgana had turned him in.
Things were uncontrollable, everything went out of control when Merlin tried to help Morgana and sent her to the druids.
Hundreds of people were killed only due to this. It was his fault. he should have listened to Gaius. And Morgana was not trustable, perhaps she has never been.
Merlin bent over to grab the rest of Arthur's clothes and turned around. He frightened out of his wits when Uther suddenly stood in front of him.
The king just stood there, wearing black trousers and a blue shirt, not moving or talking, just staring at Merlin.
"Sire?... I... I did not see you. Sorry, I..."
Merlin put the bunch of clothes onto the bed. "Arthur is not here. He... he has a meeting with the counsil."
His words seemed to have no effect on the king. The tall man with grey hair stared at Merlin and did not move. And it was only his eyes that appeared to be so innocent in this moment that made Merlin feel compassion with the once so strong and feared king. Instantly, the young warlock shook off his thoughts and braced himself.
Compassion was out of place now. Uther's reign had to end, Arthur's reign had to start. Merlin had helped Uther often enough already, he had been risking his own life for long enough. This was the way things were now, this was the end and the beginning, this was what Uther deserved.
While Merlin silently took the king's arm and directed him out of Arthur's chambers, he tried to get rid of the doubts he had about what this man deserved.
He did not want Uther to suffer but he also did not want to have him around any longer, neither destroyed nor recovered.
Suddenly he realised that his thoughts were not so very different from what Morgana wanted, and it was Uther's helpless attitude and his insecure walk that alerted Merlin and made him cringe when being once again slightly shocked about his own thoughts and the realisation that his attempts to help were slowly disappearing and being replaced by selfish thoughts.
The king did not fight against being led back to his chambers by a servant and remained silent.
Merlin felt like taking care of a child and he had a bitter taste in his mouth. A taste of coldheartedness.
The Isle of Avalon. How much Gaius loved this place. This beautiful green island with its buildings of stone that looked like being made by sculptors with their round shapes on one side of a palace and the crystalline pointy shapes on the other. Some walls looked like being polished when they gleamed and sparkled in the sun. The most fascinating flowers and trees grew high and colourful, and the torches that guided the way to every place chased the darkness away when the night closed in. And this all could only be seen once the passenger had left the mists behind that hid the Isle of Avalon from its surroundings.
It was so rich in knowledge, so mystical and calm.
Gaius looked forward to it. He was close, only a few more hours, then he would reach the lake. The physician descended from the horse and paused at a creek. The clear water was cold and fresh and Gaius watched the swirling reflection of his face on the surface, his face dancing in the slowly streaming water.
He touched his light-brown hair that Alice loved so much. Gaius did not know why Alice even bothered but he was more than content that this wonderful woman returned his love.
Soon he would propose to her. Gaius smiled. He tasted the water again and was about to stand up when he suddenly saw a spherical-like big drop of water floating above the surface of the creek. A face showed in the sphere.
The physician slightly backed off.
"Fear not, Gaius. We will not harm you."
The voice of this creature was soft and warm, almost like the voice of a mother talking to her child.
"Who are you?"
"We are Vilia", said the creature. "We are spirits of the stream. You seek guidance from the Hight Priests and Priestessess of Avalon."
Gaius relaxed. "This is true. How do you know?"
The Vilia came nearer and gave the physician a look that he could only interprete as being concerned. "Do not continue your journey. No good will come from what you desire to know, no benefit will come from those who answer you."
"Why? What do you mean?"
"It is the king and his son you are concerned about. Darkness has encased their lives. Your good will is not welcome in the hearts of those who cursed these mortals."
The physician frowned, yet he trusted this creature even though he had never seen the Vilia before. Perhaps it was the soft voice, perhaps the mild facial expression and look.
"I need to know why Arthur was cursed and why the curse that was laid on the king has not been broken."
The creature who called herself the Vilia gently and slowly floated up and down.
"There are forces in the Old Religion that fear Uther Pendragon and his rightful heir. The king does not embrace the Old Ways."
Gaius blinked and tried to remember what Uther might have done wrong. He knew that the king has defeated some of those who used the darkest of magic, but he did not fight the Old Religion.
"I do not understand. Uther befriended a High Priestess and asked for magic in order to receive a son. He ended the wars caused by the misuse of magic and paved the way for peace among man for and peaceful magic in the land."
The Vilia closed her eyes and paused. Then she said: "This is not enough. Those who fear him need his obedience."
"The Old Religion took his wife although he welcomes magic in his kingdom." Gaius' voice was turned louder. "Why did they do this and why is it not enough? The creature that cursed Uther told me that he will have to embrace the Old Religion and that he chooses his path. Only then his future will be altered."
Again the Vilia glanced at Gaius in deep concern. "The boy, Ambrosius, was one of the first. One of the first who would bring a life of progression and self determination to man. His acceptance of magic does not undo the future that he and the others will bring about, a future without the Old Ways."
She came even nearer. "There are powers in the Old Religion who do not agree with some of the Old Ways, but there are also those who desperately cling to them. They represent what is evident all over the land."
"But..." Gaius shook his head in disbelief. "Why did the Old Religion not just kill him when they are so afraid of him? Why did they let him live and why did the creature say that he can decide when his fate and future is written already?"
"The Old Religion needs Uther and those who are like him to confess and to bow to them. Only then they can proof to the mortals that a life without the Old Ways is impossible."
The physician groaned. "It is not impossible."
"You are right."
Gaius blinked again. "I am? But you are a creature of the Old Religion."
"Yes."
"So you belong to the forces that do not agree with the Old Ways."
The Vilia did not answer but Gaius knew that he was right.
Then she said: "Uther Pendragon will never bow to the Old Ways and neither will his son. The death of the queen has determined the path and a dark time lies ahead of every sorcerer and magical being. The Old Religion is preparing for war, and the king is no longer a friend of magic."
The physician gazed at the creature in deep dismay when he realised what the Vilia was talking about. "Ygraine's death made him an enemy of the Old Religion... If this is so, then why did they choose Ygraine?"
"Those forces of the Old Religion demand obedience, no matter what they give to or take from their followers."
"But who would submit to those who make someone's life miserable? If they wanted him to obey and to entrust his whole life to them, they better had not cursed him to cause him pain from the day he was born."
"Desperate souls turn to higher powers."
The physician paused. Of course... It made all sense now. "They want to break him," whispered Gaius.
"Only those who accept the Old Religion unconditionally are true followers, "cofirmed the Vilia. " And only those can lead man into a future of dependency and subjection. The king of Camelot is not one of them."
The Vilia closed her eyes again. "This land will be stricken with disaster."
"Then do something about it and prevent it all from happening!" demanded Gaius.
"We cannot. We are not almighty. We have, however, sent one of us already. The future now lies in his hands and it is he who will have to decide what future to bring about. It is he who can break the curse for the Pendragons and it is he who can free the land from all opression on all sides.
And it is his fate who has determined the young prince's destiny already. Only his wisdom can save us all and end the reign of the Old Ways. Our hopes lie within his decisions."
Gaius stared at the Vilia, trying to understand what she had just told him. She was talking about a saviour in a time of peace.
"And who is that?"
The Vilia smiled at Gaius. "You will know when you meet him. And you will know your duty. Farewell, Gaius."
In only a blink of an eye the creature disappered.
Gaius was still kneeling in the grass and he stared through the clear water on the ground of of the small creek. The saviour will be his duty? Uther was his duty.
It was Uther and his fate for which Gaius had spent decades already, and now a saviour will be his next duty?
What was Uther up to do and what was Gaius supposed to do? When he became a physician, he did not think of becoming a mentor and guardian for people who obviously were important in a war of the highest forces of nature. All he wanted was a life as a physician, and now all he wanted was a life with Alice, the woman he loved and whom he wanted to marry.
Gaius took a deep breath. He understood now that he had been right whith his suspicion. The curse would cause Uther pain by losing the ones he loved.
And there was even more to it. Those he loved were doomed, too. And Arthur? The boy was cursed because his father would fail in submitting to the Old Ways. Now it was his son who was supposed to be broken and it was he who was supposed to be saved by the saviour the Vilia talked about.
He and Uther. And the entire land. What had Gaius brought himself into?
The physician fought his thoughts of simply leaving the land, leaving Camelot, Uther, Arthur, the mysterious saviour and the fate of everyone behind.
It should be easy to just turn a blind eye and to start a life. To finally start a life, far away from Albion. Oh, he deserved it!
Gaius rubbed his eyes and sighed. It was time to go back to Camelot.
