Merlin was sitting at the edge of Arthur's bed with his hands over his head and his eyes locked on the floor. He shouldn't have done it. He shouldn't have told Arthur about Gwen. She is going to be really, really mad at him. On the other hand, a worried and angry Arthur is more dangerous than a free dragon.
If he hadn't said anything, Arthur could have him executed, tortured to the death, or worse, make him work to the death, cleaning up stables and shinning armors.
However he believed it was the right thing to do. Gwen was getting worse every day. The previous day she had tried to kiss him, believing he was Arthur. That was something the Prince of Camelot should never know, for Merlin's sake.
Merlin got up and stood by the window. Suddenly he heard someone coming from the servants' hall. He opened the door quickly, seeing Arthur, wet to the bone, carrying someone rapped with his cloak.
"What happened?" Merlin asked worried.
"It's Gwen. I found her lying on the floor. Someone hit her!" Arthur said walking towards his bed and placing the young girl on it, revealing her face.
"Go get Gaius! Hurry up, Merlin!" Arthur yelled at the young warlock.
"Yes, sire." He said and ran to the door the Prince had just entered.
"Merlin!" Arthur called.
"Yes, sire." He replied.
"No one should know Guinevere is in my chambers." He said lowering his voice.
Merlin nodded and disappeared behind the door.
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Merlin entered Gaius's chambers looking for the old man.
"Gaius! You've got to come with me!" Merlin said pulling the old physician's arm.
"What is it Merlin?" Gaius asked.
"It's… Arthur, yes. Prince Arthur has a headache. He is not feeling well, you've got to come." the young man said.
"If it is a headache I am not needed, Merlin. I will give you this medicine and you will take it to him." Gaius said.
Merlin rolled his eyes. "You don't understand! He wants to see you, now! Come on Gaius, you know Arthur." He said while pushing Gaius out of the room.
"Why are we coming this way Merlin?" Gaius asked the young warlock, not getting an answer.
They reached Arthur's room and Merlin got in without knocking.
"My lord, are you alright? Merlin told me…" the old physician lost his words when Gwen's form was revealed next to Arthur.
"Gaius, please do something. I found her like this at her home. She was bleeding by the head." Arthur told Gaius, approaching him.
The old man was taken aback. He had examine Gwen two days ago diagnosing a common flu.
"I have to examine her again, sire." Gaius said.
"Do you think you could have made a mistake, Gaius?" Arthur asked not getting an answer. "Then someone attacked her!" Arthur said angry.
"I am not saying anything, sire. The chances of me making a mistake are equal with the chances of someone attacking her. Now, I am afraid you have to leave the room." The old physician said making the two young men hide in the bathroom chambers.
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"Why would anyone attack Guinevere?" Arthur wondered.
"How are you so sure she was attacked?" Merlin asked him.
"She has a huge bruise on her forehead and she was bleeding five minutes ago!" Arthur yelled at him.
"Don't shout! We will be heard." Merlin said looking outside the window.
It was still raining. Everyone was home.
Arthur stood right next to the door trying to overhear Gaius's comments. He knew it was a habit of the old man thinking out aloud.
Half an hour later, Gaius knocked on the door making Arthur jump off his place and waking up Merlin.
"YOU WERE SLEEPING!" Arthur yelled at Merlin.
"No, I was thinking with my eyes closed. I got dizzy by the rain." The young servant said.
"Sire, you have to see this." Gaius said calming them down.
"Do you see this, sire? The bite right above this small bruise?" Gaius said.
"It looks more like a love bit to me." Merlin said trying to cheer things up. However he received a deadly look from his master.
"Yes, I see it." Arthur replied.
"It's a bite from a Todrum." Gaius said leaving the two men speechless.
"A Todrum?" Merlin asked.
"It's a small creature at the size of a spur. It exists in the south side of the forest. What I don't understand is what Guinevere was doing there in the middle of the night. Todrums only hunt at night and never leave the forest." Gaius said making Arthur look at the ceiling while Merlin was giggling.
"It is not funny, Merlin! Why didn't you find it earlier, Gaius? Give her the cure?" Arthur said.
"I thought she had the flu, sire. The symptoms matched, besides the flu is a curable illness." The old man said.
"What do you mean?" Arthur asked not actually wanting to hear Gaius's answer.
"There is not a known cure for Todrum bite, sire." Gaius said. Arthur's lower lip trembled and hid his face from the old man's sight. He didn't want to admit what Gaius was telling him.
"What about the hit on her head?" Arthur asked trying to be tough.
"It must be from the fall. She may have hit on the table or the floor while passing out. I don't believe she was attacked, sire; at least not in the way you mean." Gaius said receiving confused looks by both Merlin and Arthur.
"My lord, I am afraid you are confused and that's my fault. I am afraid I have told you half of the truth." Gaius said. "Speak up, Gaius, what's wrong?" Arthur asked.
"Todrums are magical creatures, my lord. They are fed with fear, every kind of fear. Their favorite meal is people in love. They bit them making them seriously ill with nightmares of losing their lovers haunting them down until…"
"…until?" Arthur was afraid of what Gaius was about to say.
"… until they die, sire." Arthur sat at the edge of his bed devastated.
"However, Todrums do not have will of their own." Gaius added. "To bite someone, man or woman, they have to be ordered by their master."
"A witch?" Merlin asked.
"Most likely." Gaius said.
"I don't care what you are saying. There must be a way to make her well. So go read those books of yours and find a way to reverse this!" Arthur yelled, his face red by anger and sorrow.
"I'll do my best, sire." Gaius said.
"Gaius! Merlin! No one should find out about her. No one should get inside this room." Arthur said looking at Merlin who nodded.
Merlin and Gaius left the room from the servant's door.
#######################
Arthur looked at Gwen. His heart was shattered. No matter what Gaius had said, he was the one leading her to the forest and the one responsible for her situation now.
He lied down, next to her, holding her in his arms. Her breath was quick, like she was running. He could hear her calling his name, scared. He held her closer.
"I am here Guinevere. I won't let anything happen to you. You are going to make it, I know you will. You are going to be fine so you can be my Queen. The Queen you are meant to be, the one people needs. I need." He said closing his eyes and tightening his hug.
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"Oh my God! I'm going to be late!" Gwen said while running towards the Great Hall. Today was the big day of Camelot. Prince Arthur was about to be King.
She entered the room along with the first guests. Knights, Princes and Kings with their daughters, of course, from all Britain were invited; Ladies and Princesses aiming for the empty throne next to Arthur.
"I want even look at them." Arthur had promised her.
Now she was standing near the throne, wearing her formal uniform, waiting for her King to be. They were a step closer to their dream.
Half an hour later Arthur entered the room. He preceded the throne and stood in front of him. The ritual was starting. Geoffrey opened his big scroll and started reading.
"Do you promise to protect Camelot's people and to serve them for their good?" he asked.
"Yes, I do." Arthur replied.
"Then I pronounce you King of Camelot!" Geoffrey said giving him the crown under the cheers of the guests. Arthur looked at Gwen and smiled.
"And now the feast!" Arthur said.
"My lord!" a soldier yelled entering the room, interrupting the feast.
"What is it?" Arthur asked as his soldier looked rather dirty and hurt.
"The Mercians, my lord, they are attacking us in the north borders." He said.
"War? In my crowning day?" Arthur said.
"They've burned the villages, sire, and stole people's food." The soldier added.
"How dare they? Knights! Prepare for battle!" Arthur yelled leaving the Great hall full of surprised guests.
####################
"Why would anyone attack Gwen?" Merlin wondered while searching for a book in Gaius's shelves.
"Someone who doesn't want Arthur to fulfill his destiny." Gaius said.
"What does Arthur's destiny have to do with Gwen?" Merlin asked placing a huge book on the desk.
"We, people, Merlin are mysterious creatures. Our behaviour and future selves depend on those around us and our past." Gaius explained to the young man.
"You mean Gwen is destined to be the Queen of Camelot." He said getting a confusing look from his teacher.
"Even so, who would do this? Nimueh is dead." Merlin said returning to the selves.
"Nimueh is not the only powerful witch hating Camelot. New enemies are added in our list, Merlin." Gaius said.
"Do you mean Morgana?" Merlin said twisting on his heels nearly falling off the chair.
"I mean nothing." Gaius said not looking at the young warlock.
"Do you believe she knows? Do you believe Morgana is capable of doing such a thing to Gwen? They were friends!" Merlin said letting a big book fall on the desk.
"When you are in the dark side there are no friends. You only have enemies. I am not saying Morgana is the witch we are looking for, I am saying that darkness has swallowed her heart and she can see only evil things around her." Gaius said looking Merlin in the eyes.
#######################
The sun rose once again in Camelot. It was a cold and ill sun.
Gaius and Merlin approached the prince's bed quietly. He was sleeping holding Gwen tight.
"Arthur." Merlin whispered making him twist in his place.
"Sire." Merlin said in a normal voice but Arthur still wouldn't wake up.
"Prince Arthur!" he said a little bit louder.
"Merlin, do not shout! You will wake up Gwen!" Arthur said opening his eyes. He looked around the room and as soon as he saw Gaius he jumped off the bed.
"Did you find anything?" Arthur asked.
"My lord, I have both good and bad news." Gaius said.
"Speak up." Arthur said.
"I think, I may have found a cure, but I do not posses all the ingredients needed." Gaius said.
"What is it that you need?" the prince asked.
"I miss five ingredients. One more difficult than the other to be found." The old physician said.
"Gaius, do not hold your words. Tell me what has to be done." The prince demanded.
"I need a flower called Albicans; it is a white flower, growing at the edges of Elcove forest.
Merlin's eyes rolled at the name of the forest.
"I am going to need some blood from an El, a tall and mighty creature which looks like a tree.
A tooth from an Imgo, a creature, half snake and half bear.
A blastor, a blue rock at the size of a fist, lying at the bottom of the lake Aldica, in the forest of Elcove.
And finally, a tear from the witch ordering the attack." Gaius finished. Arthur kept his head down all the time as Merlin's eyes were growing bigger and bigger, altering between Gwen and Gaius.
"Merlin!" Arthur yelled. "Get ready, we are leaving at once."
"But, sire, the forest of Elcove is two days away, four until you return. I doubt if Guinevere has so much time." Gaius said.
"I'll make time!" Arthur said looking the old man in the eyes. He was serious.
"But, my lord, it is a guest beyond any man's powers. Your death may be more than certain." Gaius warned him.
Arthur looked at Gwen lying on his bed, straggling in her own dream.
"Come on Merlin, we have a new adventure." Arthur said leaving the room from the front door.
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Arthur was now in front of his father. He couldn't leave Camelot without his permission. However he couldn't tell him his true reason of leaving.
"So, you want to go hunting. On your own." The King said.
"Yes, father." Prince Arthur replied.
"Why is that?" Uther asked him.
"I am afraid that training in the castle has made me soft. I want to face a challenge, out in the woods, without my knights." Arthur answered.
"Are you sure, my son? Leaving the castle alone may be a chance to know your true strengths, but it is also dangerous. Someone may want to assassin you." Uther said.
"I am not a boy, father! How do you expect me to be King some day if I am hiding behind my knights?" Arthur yelled.
King Uther thought about it for a moment. His son was right. Leaving Camelot for a while would make him good.
"When are you leaving?" he asked his son.
"As soon as everything is packed." The prince replied.
"How long are you planning to stay in the woods?" Uther asked him
"Three or four days." Arthur said.
"Alright, you may go." The King answered.
"Thank you, father." Arthur said leaving the room.
##################
The King was walking down the halls, going to his chambers. He was a bit worried about his son's trip, but it was time the boy would face the world alone. After all, some day he will be King and he will have to make some tough decisions and face many enemies.
"Hello, my King." Sir Leon and sir Hector said simultaneously.
"Hello, Sir Leon. Hello Sir Hector." The King replied passing by them.
"I heard the prince is going on an adventurous trip, alone." Sir Hector told Sir Leon being a few meters away from the King.
"Really? Then I don't know what a maid is doing in his chambers." Sir Leon said making the King change direction and follow them, in order to hear more.
"A maid?" Sir Hector asked surprised.
"Yes, Gwen. I overheard a discussion between two maids in the kitchen. They were saying that James, the guard outside Arthur's Chambers, saw her lying on his bed as the Prince left his room this morning." Sir Leon said.
"Then the Prince must have had an interesting night." Sir Hector said with a naughty face.
"I don't believe it. Gwen is not that kind of girl. Besides the guard glimpsed Arthur's servant and the physician as the door opened." Sir Leon said and the King changed his direction once more.
#################
Outside the palace the horses of Prince Arthur and Merlin were ready.
It was time. The Prince got out of the palace wearing his shining armor, his sword in its place, a bow on the horse and other things to be used in case of danger.
"Are you ready, Merlin?" Arthur asked his servant while getting up to the horse.
"Yes, sire. Are you?" the young warlock asked him as his was getting up to his own horse.
"Since the day I was born." Arthur said with a serious look on his face making Merlin smile slightly of pride.
The two men rode to the castle's north gate silently.
"Hold!" a soldier said blocking the north gate.
"What are you doing, idiot? Open the gates! It's me, Prince Arthur!" Arthur yelled at the soldier.
"Sorry, sire, but I am afraid I can't do that." The soldier said.
"Nonsense! Open the gates at once!" Arthur yelled.
"My lord, we have orders from the king himself not to allow you to leave Camelot." The soldier said meeting Arthur's angry look.
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Coming up … Arthur's quest at the Elcove forest and the meeting with a familiar face.