The week after his botched introduction, Merlin spent at least two thirds of his time berating himself. Maybe even three fourths.
Passing by her stand now became a sweet torture, because she was still so pretty and she still smiled at him but he was so sure she didn't mean it. In fact, when he tried to sleep at night, he mostly pondered what her opinion of him could possibly be. (It wasn't pleasant, and led to an awful lot of sleep deprivation and few very bad dreams.) While polishing Arthur's boots, he imagined other ways the conversation should've gone. (Suffice to say the prince was not pleased with this.) Now, instead of envisioning the way her blonde braid would feel between his fingers, he tried to figure out a way to come back from that disaster. It seemed utterly hopeless.
His friends simply found it ridiculous. Gwen and Morgana pleaded with him to just talk to the girl. Gaius sent him to fetch plants at least twice as much as usual. And Arthur was clearly punishing the boy by adding on even more chores. When Merlin wasn't going and getting Gaius a surplus of yarrow, he was mucking the stables, doing Arthur's laundry, cleaning his chainmail, shining his boots, the list went on and on. And today, he was gathering firewood, despite the weather being clear and almost warm.
The pleasant day made a good backdrop for his daydreaming as he chopped down a few trees. He'd always had a way of slipping into his mind and staying there for hours, particularly when he was doing something he didn't like. The urge to simply cast a spell to cut the wood for him was strong, but he knew what Gaius would do if he found out. Merlin had only been living with him a couple months, but already, the thought disappointing him filled the young warlock with a sense of dread much deeper than his dislike of physical chores.
"Aren't you the prince's servant?"
Merlin looked up, startled, at the man who spoke. He was scruffy but well built, almost as tall as Merlin himself. And he was smiling, so cautiously, Merlin nodded.
The man held out a handful of berries, dark and large like his pupils. "These are good for cooking with. My wife is allergic, but the prince might enjoy them."
"Thank you," Merlin said, taking the berries. They looked juicy and ripe, so Merlin brought one to his lips.
"No, no, no!" The man cried quickly before the younger one could eat. "No, the skin on them is bitter. They only taste good crushed. Like in soup. Maybe onion soup. Does the prince like that?"
Merlin nodded again. "Yes. I'll put some in his soup tonight. Thank you."
The man smiled, nodding at him, before turning around back into the woods.
It was a strange gesture, to be sure, Merlin thought as he went back to preparing the firewood. Arthur was so spoiled, he would only eat something prepared by the royal kitchens. Gaius, however... Gaius might enjoy a meal cooked by Merlin. In fact, it seemed like a great idea, especially since the young man had been so out of focus lately. A gift for Gaius.
"Dinner!" Merlin called.
Gaius smiled at him as he slowly made his way down the rickety stairs. "You really did cook, didn't you?"
"I really did," the young man beamed. "Come, sit, eat. I got bread too."
"Thank you, Merlin." Gaius truly looked pleased as he sat down. Merlin was like a puppy, watching his master prepare to throw a ball. He couldn't even eat until Gaius had sampled the soup.
Which turned out to be a good thing, because as soon as the physician swallowed, he fell to the ground, hard.
Merlin gasped and leaped from his seat. Hyperventilating just slightly, he checked for the old man's pulse. His breathing evened out some when he felt the steady thud of a heartbeat just below the skin. Gaius was still alive, but from his pallid face, clearly ill. It had to be the berries. That was the only thing different from the usual onion soup.
The warlock dug in his pockets until he found a single stray berry, still plump. There was no time to look it up in one of Gaius' many, many books. He would have to go to the one person in Camelot who knew about all things plants.
"Nora," he said breathlessly. He had ran straight from the citadel to her house, just behind the plant stand. "I need your help."
"What's wrong?" she asked.
He held up the small black berry with shaking fingers. "What is this?"
"Fruit of the coriaria mrytifolia," she replied immediately, anxiously playing with the end of her braid. "A lesser known but fatal poison. Why?"
"Gaius just ate one."
Her blue eyes widened like dinner plates. "Come in, quickly. I'll give you what you need for the antidote."
Merlin did as she said, stepping into her tiny home. "How do you know the antidote?"
"My father is a physician back home. I watched him make this when my younger brother ate one."
He stood close to the door, biting his lip and twisting his hands as she collected a few herbs. Despite his anxiety, he couldn't help but study her little house. There wasn't much, just a bed and a table, but the plants everywhere made it seem cozy and alive. Vivid flowers in blue and red and purple, fresh spices, everything she sold and even more. The contained garden left her hands and dress perennially dirty, but the result was even more beautiful than the royal grounds. Merlin was in awe.
"Let's go see to him," Nora said briskly, pulling the young man out of his stupor. Her thin, warm smile suggested that she knew just exactly what he thought of the place, and she appreciated it.
Gaius was lucky. Coriaria was extremely deadly, yes, but also extremely easy to cure. That's why it wasn't often used. Nora simply had to crush a few leaves into a fine powder, mix this into some water, and have Gaius drink it. Within ten minutes, the old man's color was back. He would be fine by morning.
While Nora concocted the antidote, Merlin found himself babbling. He explained where he got the berries, why he'd used them, everything he could think of (though most of it wasn't very well thought out). It was slightly embarrassing. Yet encouraged by her smile, he invited her to stay for dinner.
"I don't want to impose," she told him softly.
"Nora, you just saved Gaius' life. I can share my bread with you. I want to."
A wide grin spread across her face before she could stop it, and just a bit too much gum appeared. "You're stubborn."
"I am. So looks like you have to say yes," he grinned back. It was ridiculous just how endearing he found that smile, even if it was too big for her face. Maybe even because it was.
"Looks like I do."
He gestured for her to sit, and she did so with a surprising grace. Merlin had a sneaking suspicion that wherever she was from, she hadn't been raised as a peasant. There was a softness about her that many of the woman in the lower town did not possess.
"You said your father was a physician back home," Merlin said once he was seated. "Where is home?"
"Ailith. Near the edge of the kingdom," she told him quietly. Her eyes clouded subtly, but just enough for him to notice and worry.
He smiled softly in an attempt to cheer her up. "I'm from Ealdor."
"Where's that?" She asked. Her warm, curious tone proved that his efforts to lighten her mood had not been in vain.
"Essetir. Its a nice little village. Tiny, of course, and there's really nothing to do but farm but its... nice." Maybe it was the candles, but it seemed as if a blush dusted across his high cheekbones as his words ended abruptly.
"Why did you leave?"
This time, the words did not spill out of him. He had to choose very carefully how much he could reveal to Nora, even if she was kind. "It wasn't good for me there. Nobody really liked me, except for my mother and my best friend. I just... couldn't really be myself. It isn't much better here, but..."
"Well..." Nora bit her lip, scanning his face for something. Whatever she found there gave her enough courage to finish her thought. "I like you. And I don't see why anybody wouldn't."
It was no longer a trick of the candlelight. Merlin blushed and beamed, looking down at the table. If he would've looked up, he would've noticed that the girl he was madly infatuated with was wearing the exact same expression, both of them grinning like lovestruck fools.
Thank you to my lovely reviewers, AUOverHere and gorgeousangel. I tried to pace this chapter a little slower, which resulted in me rewriting it three times. Oops. Thank goodness I absolutely adore it. But I love some more reviews even more, pretty please!