Chapter four: The Mark of Nimueh
A couple of weeks had gone by since the tournament. Lyanna had spent as much time as she could with Merlin trying to practice some magic, without making anyone suspicious. He would come to her chamber after nightfall, or she would go to his. Gaius was aware of their lessons and was supporting it in the best way that he could. So far she had learned the basic spells and was able to do some simple tricks without saying a word. She had accidentally set fire to a curtain in Merlin's chamber, which she had put out so easily by using magic. They had laughed after that.
Other than that she had spent a lot of time training with the knights to keep in shape. But that was all that she could do. She could never become a knight if she wanted it to. She had accepted that.
It was late in the evening when Lyanna was wandering through the woods, holding Lumiere's reins. She had made it to her favourite secluded place near the river with the fast current. Lumiere was nibbling on some twigs while the Princess was seated on the mossy rock and tried to use some magic. A grin crept on her face when she managed to throw a rock into the river by only using her mind. Those lessons sure were working, but she knew that she needed to learn a lot more before she would become a skilled sorceress. Perhaps she could one day use her magic to heal others.
In the middle of the clearing stood a large black wolf, which howled at the cresting moon in the sky. Unmasked fear filled her eyes as she looked into the wolf's golden eyes. As she held her breath and waited for what happened, the wolf sat down before her, his muzzle pressed against her legs.
Confused, Lyanna raised her hand to stroke through its charcoal fur. It looked as if it was feeling at ease she carefully petted him, as if it was the most normal cause in the world. For an unknown while Lyanna stood there until the sound of something rustling in the bushes scared the wolf away and it disappeared between the trees. Within seconds Merlin stepped into the clearing, his blue eyes filled with doubt.
"Merlin," Lyanna greeted uncertainly. "What are you doing here?"
"I uhm –" he started nervously. "The King had sent out a search party when you didn't show up at dinner. Arthur instructed me to join them. As the knights rode into an opposite direction, I came here because you mentioned this place to me and I thought that you had come here to think. Then I found you with this wolf. Are you alright?"
She stared at him for a couple of seconds before she exhaled deeply. "Yes, I'm quite alright. I don't know how that happened," she replied honestly and sat down on the fallen log. She still felt a bit flushed about it. Merlin followed her example in silence. "But once the wolf lay down against me it felt so at ease. It was odd, but also seemed very natural."
"Yes, it's odd indeed. I've never seen a wolf come this close to a human before. They mostly stay away. You shouldn't put too much thought into it," he suggested wisely.
A smile touched her pink lips. "You're right, Merlin. It must be nothing."
For an unknown while they sat there together, talking about random things like they always did. Suddenly Merlin leaped onto his feet. "We should go," he supplied, sounding frantic when he realised why he was actually here. "Everyone was already worried about your absence. It would be wise to get you home."
She smiled at him as she whistled on her fingers and Lumiere trotted onto the clearing within seconds. He had ran away when the wolf had shown up. "Let's go then," Lyanna responded cheerfully, grabbing the reins as she followed him through the forest.
As soon as they had returned to Camelot the Princess had retreated into her chambers while Merlin informed Arthur and the King that she had returned. Of course he couldn't tell the truth, so he lied to them that she had lost her way during a ride which they believed and they left her alone to rest.
That night she dreamt of nothing. It was still early in the morning when Lyanna was looking out of the window at the town below her. She was wearing a long velvet purple dress, with long V shaped sleeves, and a golden belt. Her long blonde hair was hanging loosely and framed her heart shaped face.
Arthur had told her that their father has asked for Gaius' presence, and if she could fetch him. Lyanna opened the door of the court physician and doubtfully entered the quarter, not sure why she was here. Gaius was standing in the middle of the chamber with Merlin, while they were looking at a body that was lying on the cot.
"Did Arthur send you here because I'm late?" Merlin guessed once that he got aware of her presence. "I'm so sorry –"
She shook her head. "No, that's not why I'm here. What happened?" She took a closer look at the lifeless body in front of her.
"I've never seen anything like this before," Gaius muttered as he was examining the body with magnifying glass. Lyanna noticed that the skin of the body had turned purple and that the eyes had turned white. Whatever it was it sure looked horrible. It didn't look like a natural cause to her, but she wasn't a physician. Therefore her opinion didn't count that much. Still she was very curious to find out what caused this.
"Do you think that it can be some kind of plague?" Merlin asked puzzled.
"No, something like this can never come out of nature," Gaius responded. "But who has this kind of power?"
Lyanna felt her body slightly stiffed. "Are you saying that it could be magic?" She already feared for the answer. It would explain the way that the body looked.
"It could be. I can't tell for certain," Gaius supplied hesitantly, standing up as his eyes linger to her. "You didn't come here just to chat, now did you?"
He surely knew her better than she thought he did. "No, I came here because I was send by Arthur. My father wants to speak with you right away," she remembered correctly. "He didn't say why though." Gaius nodded understandingly and went to grab his medicine bag while Lyanna noticed a small purple flower in Merlin's neckerchief. "Did Gwen give you these?" She had occasionally seen the maid wandering through the palace carrying flowers. It wasn't a rare sight. Her father normally gave those to her to brighten up her day. She only saw it as a lovely gesture.
He hastily grabbed the flower out of his neck scarf. "Eh – yeah. I ran into her this morning when she gave me one," he explained nervously, blushing a little.
Lyanna smirked as she walked passed him, following Gaius out of the chamber. Sometimes it was so much fun to tease Merlin like that and she couldn't help herself. He knew that she meant no harm with it.
As they reached the council room they saw another body, which had the same colour of skin as the one she had just seen before. Lyanna was standing between her father and her brother and was watching intently how Gaius examined the body.
"What happened?" Uther asked impatiently, not waiting for the physician to finish.
"I have no idea, Sire. This is the second case I've seen today," Gaius answered.
"Why didn't you report it to me?"
"I was attempting to find the course," he simply replied as he straightened himself, and stood beside his ward.
"Well, what did you conclude?" Uther asked impatiently.
"I didn't want to hurry to conclusions. A scientific process is a long one."
Lyanna had always admired the way that Gaius remained she placid even though Uther was behaving so rationally. If she was in his shoes she would certainly have lost her temper a few times already.
"What are you hiding?" Uther demanded to know.
"Sire, I have seen nothing like it. The victims are dying within twenty-four hours and its spreading fast," Gaius remarked.
"What is the cause?" the King continued. The thought of people dying fast in his Kingdom was frightening and he wanted to do everything he could to prevent further deaths. Lyanna knew that her father possessed such kindness in his heart, but also that he wasn't too familiar with showing it. He hid his feelings behind a thick shell.
"I think you should say the cause… the most likely cause is… sorcery." There fell a silence in the throne room. This was just as Lyanna had feared. It didn't look like a plague at all. There was another sorcerer working in Camelot.
Uther immediately took Arthur apart and said something to him which was impossible for Lyanna to hear because she was standing too far away. The only thing that she heard was, "Lend Gaius your servant. He can use all the help that he can get for finding a cure. If Gaius is right, believe me, the city will be wiped out."
"Father, let me help Gaius," Lyanna pleaded. She didn't want to watch how innocent people were dying while she couldn't do anything about it. If she could help Gaius there may be something she could do to prevent a further spread.
Uther turned around to face his daughter. "You? Are you sure that you want to do this, my dear?" he asked hesitantly. It wasn't very common for the royal family to assist commoners, but then again Lyanna was different than everyone else.
Lyanna nodded convinced. "I don't know what else I can do to help. You said that he could use all the help that he can get. Besides I've helped him several times and I know a thing or two about healing." As she looked into his eyes she hoped he would accept her request. This was the only chance she might get to study some more healing, which was something she had been wanting to do for quite some time. She simply wasn't the person to sit still and to nothing.
The King realised that what she said was right. "I know that you're very passionate about it. Very well," he said as looked at the court physician. "Gaius! Lyanna will be assisting you. Please look after her."
"I've always looked after her as if she's my own daughter, Sire," Gaius promised her and was telling the truth. Whenever something was troubling her he had always been the first to notice. He had helped her so many times while her own father was too busy with keeping magic out of his kingdom. That seemed to convince Uther enough that he was alright with his daughter working as an apprentice of the court physician.
Lyanna had hooked her arm through that of Gaius on the left side, while Merlin did it on the right side, as they walked through the lower town. They saw Arthur sending guards to thoroughly search houses in the hope to find the source of the magic.
They had walked in silence for a little while now, while Lyanna was carrying the basket filled with all sorts of herbs that could help them, when Merlin spotted another person lying on the ground. "Look," he said. "He's still alive."
Lyanna and Gaius walked over to him, and saw how the colour of his skin had changed purple and the colour was fading out of his eyes. "I don't think there's anything we can do for him," Gaius stated sadly, even though he really wanted to.
"Well we haven't tried," Merlin protested, clearly not wanting to give up.
"If we don't know what the disease is then how can we cure him?" Gaius explained to him.
"You're not saying that it's your intention to use magic?" Lyanna guessed, her voice not much but a whisper. She didn't want to risk being exposed, especially now when they were hunting sorcery in Camelot. "If you use magic now you will certainly get caught."
Before Merlin could protest even more she grabbed him by his wrist and pulled him along with her as she followed Gaius who muttered, "Science will lead us to the source of the disease." Together they walked through the crowded streets on their way back to the castle. This had to be the way to solve it.
They had made their way back to the physician chambers where they looked through several books in the hope to find something about this mysterious disease. "Lyanna?" a gentle voice asked. Lyanna snapped back into reality and saw Merlin standing before her, his eyes looking friendly. "I've made you some tea."
"Thank you," she said gladly as she took over the damping mug from him and took a small sip from the tea. "This is raspberry. How did you know that this was my favourite?"
His lips curled up into a smile as he sat down opposite from her. "You told me that you liked it when you shared some details about yourself the first night you came here," he explained as if it was the most normal thing to remember such things.
"What else to you remember from that night?" she asked playfully as her hazel eyes met his summer blue ones.
Merlin didn't look that impressed by her sudden question, and chuckled before he spoke, "Your name day is near the end of spring, you enjoy sword-fighting, you don't like dishonest people or people that treat you as if you're different, you like raspberry tea, reading books or riding in the forest or teasing your brat of a brother. Your favourite flowers are sunflowers and forgetmenots, and your least favourite food is curly flower. Should I go on?"
Lyanna's jaw slowly felt open as she stared at him. "I guess that pretty much summed everything up about me. You surely paid attention that night. I don't remember that you said anything about yourself." She clasped her hands around the damping mug. During the time that she had got to know him she had wanted to know him better. This was a good opportunity for that.
"I like reading, I secretly do enjoy being Arthur's manservant, I don't like being lied to or feeling useless, I'm from Ealdor a small outlaying village in Cendred's kingdom, I've never known my father, and –"
"Wait," Lyanna carefully interrupted, tilting her head. "You never knew your father?"
Merlin shook his head. "No. I've been living with my mother for eighteen years and she has never spoken of him. I was simply too afraid to ask her about him," he answered honestly. Lyanna could tell that talking about him was painful even though he tried to hide it, she was able to see it in his eyes.
"I'm so sorry to hear that. I've never met m mother as well," Lyanna admitted feeling tears stinging in her eyes. For years she hadn't spoken about her mother and here she was talking about it to someone she had only known for more than a week. But for some reason it felt surprisingly easy to talk to Merlin.
"I'm also sorry to hear about that, but you have a family that loves you," he said hopefully as he grabbed her hand that was lying on the table and gently squeezed into it. Normally whenever someone did that it didn't felt as it did right now. It felt reassuring. She was glad that he had done it.
Their conversation was interrupted by Gaius who holding a small bottle with liquid above the fire which made both Lyanna and Merlin rise from their chairs. Lyanna carried the damping mug in her hands as she walked over to him.
"What are you doing?" she asked a bit confused. She had studied him several times while he was busy tending wounded people, but she had never encountered a liquid like that before.
"I'm examining the content of that men's stomach," Gaius explained, his attention focused on his work.
Merlin observed how the old man added more liquid into the bottle. "Will that tell you who did it?"
"Not exactly. It might tell us how it spread. One thing I do know. This is magic of the darkest kind," the court physician told them.
Lyanna felt a sudden cold stirring in her bones. She wondered why someone would hurt innocent people. "Why would someone use magic like that?" she asked, her voice cranky.
"Because magic corrupts. People use it for their own ends."
She cocked one of her eyebrows as she took another sip from her tea. "But not all magic is bad. We have it, but we don't have any desires to hurt others."
"It's neither good nor bad. Its how you use it," Gaius supplied gruffly.
Just before they could ask anything else the door swung open and a group of guards entered the chamber, followed by Arthur who had given them the order to search everywhere. "Sorry Gaius," Arthur apologized. "We're searching every room in town."
"What for?" Gaius wondered, not seeing why they would possibly find anything in his chamber.
"The sorcerer," Arthur stated as if it was obvious.
"Do you honestly expect to find it here?" Lyanna asked instead of the court physician. "These people are surely the nicest in town."
Arthur exchanged a look with his sister, not too pleased with her comment. "I'm just doing my work, Lyanna. What are you doing here anyway?"
"I'm here to assist Gaius and Merlin with trying to find out the course of why these people have died," she informed him taking another sip. "Don't worry. Father is aware that I'm here. He has given me blessings for it."
Arthur laughed mockingly. "Do you believe that you can be of any help?"
Lyanna didn't say anything but stuck out her tongue at her brother as he continued to give orders to look at certain places in the room. When Arthur was about to head towards Merlin's room she realized something and rushed to the warlock's side. "What happened to that spell book Gaius has given to you?"
"Merlin," Arthur called from out of the room. "Look what I found."
Both of them looked at each other in horror before they hurried after the Prince into the other room. "I found a place where you can put things. It's called a cupboard," Arthur informed his servant, closing the door of the cupboard.
Lyanna had to do her absolute best to hold in her laughter when she saw the state of the room. There were clothes scattered everywhere and the sheets were pulled from the bed. The spell book was lying beside the bead, clearly in view.
"You sure are a klutz, Merlin," Lyanna agreed with her brother. The last time that she had been here it didn't look like this, but everything had been organised neatly. Yet she knew that she couldn't share that information when Arthur was here, or he would get assume that something was going on between them and that was the last thing that she wanted.
Without saying a word Merlin managed to let the sheets off his bed fall onto the book to cover it seconds before Arthur knelt down beside the bed to look underneath it. Clever clot, Lyanna thought. Arthur shook a few times with his head out of disgust before he walked out of the room. "Did you have a party last night?" Lyanna said out loud as soon as they were alone.
"I simply have forgotten to clean it up," Merlin explained, shrugging.
"I sure hope for your sake that you don't do the same with Arthur's room," she teased him with a grin before she walked out of the chamber followed by Merlin. Lyanna made her way over to Gaius and watched how the guards continue to search the chamber.
"How long do you think that it's going to take until you find a cure?" Arthur asked.
"It depends on how many interruptions I get," Gaius gruffly responded, showing how irritated he looked.
Lyanna spat out some of her tea and started to cough when everyone looked at her. "Of course. I'm sorry," Arthur said as his gaze lingered through the room. "We're finished here."
With that all the guards exited the room and Gaius hastily shut the door behind them before he turned to look at Merlin, "We have to hide that book," he suggested, pacing through his chambers.
"No," Merlin disagreed. "We must use it."
"Don't be stupid," Gaius mocked.
"I have this legacy and what is it for. You keep telling me. It's not for playing tricks," Merlin declared wisely.
"I think you're right," Lyanna interfered placing the empty mug on the table. "We have to help these people."
"Do you two want to practice magic when the King is hunting for sorcerers?" Are you mad?" Gaius spat out with disbelieve. "You two are destined for more important things."
Sure, it sounded crazy, but what could they do. Innocent people were dying and the last thing that they wanted to do was nothing. These people needed help. "Yes, but if we don't practice than how will become these great sorcerers?" Merlin protested.
"There will come a time come a time when your skills will get recognized," Gaius told them, as he pointed at them with a spoon.
"How long do we have to wait?"
"Patience is a virtue, Merlin," he responded wisely.
"Sitting by and doing nothing, that's a virtue?"
Lyanna had to hide her smile behind her hand, not wanting to make this whole situation even more uncomfortable. It was already worse enough that she had to listen to it and wasn't able to come up with a solution. Even if decided to use magic to cure ill people, hers simply wasn't strong enough.
"Your times will come," Gaius told them slowly so that he was certain that they had heard every word.
"We could cure that man we saw," Merlin supplied, not giving up so easily.
"I know it's tempting to use the way you find is easiest, Merlin."
"It is when we could save a life."
"It is no good saving one person. We have to discover how this illness is spreading," Gaius protested.
"Arthur is out there right now looking for the sorcerer," Merlin snapped, pointing with his trembling finger.
"A sorcerer who is powerful to do this will never be found," Lyanna came between them, in the hope to bring them to reason. "I want to help those people as badly as you do, but we cannot use magic. It pains me to say this, Merlin, but let's hope that science can find an answer before it kills us all." She had completely changed her minds after hearing Gaius wise words. It was too risky to use magic.
Standing up against Merlin was extremely painful, and it felt as if her heart was being ripped to pieces when she saw that look in his eyes as if she had let him down. She wanted to use magic with him to help those people, but she couldn't risk getting caught when Arthur was out there looking for people using enchantments. It was too dangerous.
As soon as Gaius continued to examine the bottle she turned to face Merlin who was looking more frustrated than she had ever seen him. "I'm sorry," she apologized with a weak whisper. "I just hope that you're not mad at me."
He seemed to loosen up a bit. "I'm not angry at you," he assured her, which lifted some weight off her shoulder. "I just don't want watch hopelessly how more people are dying."
"I'm sure that we you will find a way to stop this," Lyanna told him. "I believe that you will."
A couple of hours had passed while examining the man's stomach didn't result to anything. Lyanna had tried to help Gaius in the best way that she could, but her knowledge about healing wasn't too impressive. Another body was being brought into the chamber, suffering from the same things as the other ones did. It was placed on another table as they all stood around it in the hope to notice something.
"What is different about this victim?" Gaius asked out loud as he paced around the body.
"She's a woman," Merlin stated simply.
"Sometimes I do wonder whether your magic talents were given to the right person," Gaius mocked causing Lyanna to giggle. Only he could come up with a comment like that. "Anything else?"
"I recognize her," Lyanna gasped after the noticed the features of the woman. "I've seen here plenty of times whenever there is a Royal Court. This means that she seldom goes down into the lower town."
"What does that mean?" Gaius wanted to know.
"That she doesn't have spoken to any other town's people," Merlin came up with.
Gaius didn't look too convinced. "Lyanna is much wiser than you are, Merlin," he complimented the Princess who didn't even seem to have noticed it because she was too busy with observing the woman. "The disease does not spread through by contact."
"And they probably eat different food," Merlin added.
"Good. Anything else?"
"They don't breath the same air, which means that the only possibly way that the disease could spread is through water," Lyanna filled in for him.
"You two are wonder children. Prodigies," Gaius said impressed as he walked away to grab a bucket for Merlin, who rushed out of the door followed by Lyanna. Together they walked through the corridor until they excited the castle.
A soft breeze played with Lyanna's long locks and the skirt of her purple dress. It felt as if she was carrying a heavy stone in her stomach when she saw the innocent people suffering in the streets of Camelot. They had done nothing to deserve such a faith. "Some of these people had their whole lives ahead of them," Lyanna declared with sadness dripping off her voice. "It's awful."
While Lyanna was watching how Merlin pumped water into the bucket, Lyanna noticed the body of a young woman lying beside them. She felt a stone in her stomach as she looked down at her and recognized the shape of her nose and strong jaw. It was Marie. Her skin had coloured purple and her eyes were white and still. The life had faded from her. Her friend was dead.
Not wanting to believe it Lyanna pulled Marie into her arms in the hope that she would wake up when she pulled her against her chest, but it didn't happen. Tears roamed freely from her cheek and landed in Marie's brown hair. Lyanna felt heartbroken and empty, but she kept whispering her friend's name. She hadn't seen Marie all day, but she had no idea that she had gotten ill.
Merlin sat down beside her and reassuringly placed his hand upon Lyanna's shoulder. "You've got to let her go, Milady. She's gone. There is nothing you can do for her," he carefully told her with the fear of hurting her even more.
More sobs were heard from Lyanna's chest. She's gone. She thought about Marie's younger sister Lucy who had to live her entire live without her big sister watching over her. And her parents. They had lost their first child… Lyanna couldn't imagine the pain that would fail once this news would reach them. She had to tell them.
"Lyanna, please I'm begging you. You cannot sit here all day. She's not going to come back," Merlin tried to make her realise. His words hit like a strong blow to the face. She knew that Marie wouldn't come back to her, but the thought of losing her closest friend was terrifying. She didn't want to live without her. She would never hear her sweet laughter again, or hear her advice.
"I—I," her voice creaked. Lyanna tried to find the right words to say. "I need to tell her parents about what happened. They deserve to know. She is… was my friend I mean." Nothing was more painful than the change from is to was. The sign that you're really dead. "This is the last thing that I can do. Oh, they're going to be so devastated." The thought already brought tears back to her eyes, but she tried to blink them away. Lyanna pressed a kiss against Marie's forehead which felt surprisingly cold before she stood up with her maid in her arms. All the years of training had made the Princess strong and she was eager to carry her back towards her home.
"I'll come with you," Merlin offered humbly. "You won't have to face them alone." He was willing to carry Marie in her place, but Lyanna refused to let go off her friend.
Together they walked through the streets of houses until they reached a small house near a seclude lane. Merlin knocked on the door while Lyanna exhaled deeply. This was the moment that she had to tell some people that one of their children had perished.
The door swung open and Marie's father Edward stood before them. When he caught sight of his daughter's limp body in Lyanna's arms they saw all the colour fade from his face. Apparently his wife Odyn was still at work at the palace.
"I—I'm so sorry," Lyanna cried and broke down again. "I found here by the water pomp like that. There was nothing that we could do about it. I wish I could've helped. Marie meant a great deal to me. She's was my best friend."
Edward cried softly and carefully took his daughter's body over from Lyanna. He carried her inside the small house and placed her on the cot in the corner. By now Marie's sister Lucy had joined them and was looking at her.
"Is she sleeping?" the girl asked not knowingly what was going on. No one blamed her. She was only six years old after all. Edward's sobs grew louder.
Lyanna knelt down beside Lucy and pulled the girl onto her lap. "Marie is in a deep sleep indeed," she told her, wanting to tell her what happened in the best way that she could.
"Can we wake her up? She had promised me that she would tell me a story when she had finished her work?"
Lyanna chewed on her bottom lip and her eyes briefly met those of Merlin, who gave her an encouraging smile. "I'm afraid that she will not wake up. Marie is another place. She was needed elsewhere. A place filled with beautiful angels. Here she'll wait for you until you'll be needed as well. Which will not be for many long years."
Lucy's big brown eyes looked up at the Princess. "But doesn't she know that I need her as well?" she asked softly.
"She does know that. Marie told me how important you are to her many times. Sometimes she wouldn't even be quiet about you," Lyanna said, smiling faintly at the thought. Lucy giggled softly. "But Marie didn't have another choice. You mustn't forget that you'll meet her again one day."
"Lucy," Edward interfered, his voice shaking slightly. "Can you run to the castle and find your mother? Tell her that she has to come home." Lucy nodded understandingly and gave Lyanna a big smile before she ran out of the house.
Lyanna rose again and looked down at her friend's body. "Marie often told me she gave the money that she earned as being my servant to you two to help you out. I know now that she's fallen out you're going to miss money that you cannot afford to miss, therefore I want to help. I'm offering to financially support you and your family. I would be giving you enough so that one of you can stop working so that Lucy doesn't have to be alone. She needs her parents. Especially now."
Edward's bloodshot eyes met those of Lyanna's. "Marie always said how kindly you treated her. I want you to know that she saw you as a good friend as well, Milady. She was happy to be your servant. But I cannot accept your offer –"
"I'm not giving you an option. I'm going to give it nonetheless," Lyanna objected firmly.
He nodded understandingly. "I don't know how we can thank you, Milady."
"There is no need for that. Life is going to be rough from now one without your daughter. I know mine sure will be without Marie, but I want to help out," Lyanna said determined. "Unfortunately I need to go now. If there is ever anything that you require please don't hesitate to ask me. I'll do whatever I can. Right now I can only wish you all the strength in the world that you need." Her throat hurt as if sand was scraping down her throat. Edward thanked her from the bottom of his heart once more while Merlin and Lyanna left the small house.
The walk back to the physician chamber went in silence. Merlin wanted to say something several times, but he didn't know how to put his thoughts into words. He thought that she preferred some silence at the moment, so he kept his lips pressed together.
When they entered the physician chambers they found a slightly confused and stunned Gaius who was busy pouring a sample of water into an empty phial and placed a flower into it. "What happened?" Merlin asked concerned.
"Gwen's father also has the sickness. She stormed into the room begging me to help him," Gaius explained. Lyanna felt her body tense. Not another one. She couldn't bear losing more people. This sickness had to be stopped. "Let's hope this provides answers."
Lyanna sadly shook with her head, as a single tear slid down her cheek. "That'll be too late for Tom."
Gaius looked to the girl solemnly. "I fear you are right."
As Lyanna was staring out in front of her she noticed Merlin heading towards his chamber and quietly followed him without disturbing Gaius. She found him sitting on his bed, with his head leaning in the palm of his hands. He looked so out of his element and so lost.
She slowly made her way over to him and sat down beside him. A few minutes went by in silence while Lyanna fidgeted with her fingers and listened to Merlin steady breathing before she spoke, "I wish that we could do something to help Tom for Guinevere's sake." She knew that Gwen only had her father left. They couldn't let her lose that.
Merlin drowsily looked up at her, snapping out of his thoughts. "There's nothing that I can think of that can cure him besides magic, but that isn't permitted," he stated gruffly.
"Unfortunately not," Lyanna replied with a sigh. "It's horrible to have all these powers that make it possible to heal people, but you're not allowed to use it."
"I just wish that we don't have to hide anymore," Merlin admitted speaking openly about his feelings. This was the first time he actually did and Lyanna was appreciating that he trusted her enough to do so. "Sometimes I just want to run away and live somewhere in the middle of the woods by a gigantic lake, overlooking the mountains."
"That sounds beautiful," she said dreamily as she imagined what he had described. "I've been outside the forest before, but not without some knights to escort me. My father makes sure of that. I rarely leave Camelot. The only times when I do is when I go riding with my father, on a patrol or on a hunting trip. I guess that doesn't really count."
"No, it does not," he agreed with her as his lips curled up. "We should leave Camelot together. I can show you everything that you've dreamed of seeing which lies beyond the borders. In fact we can leave right now and never return."
Lyanna chuckled amusingly. "The idea of running away from Camelot with you sure is tempting. I've thought about leaving plenty of times. Yet now I know that I have a duty to fulfil, and I cannot possibly leave behind everyone who I care about. Especially now in these times," she slightly protested.
They were silent for a little while as they both stared at one another. It was weird how even a silence like this didn't even felt uncomfortable at all. For some reason they both felt at ease.
"When did you start to notice that you had magic?" Lyanna suddenly asked, breaking the silence between them.
"I was able to move objects with my mind before I could walk," Merlin admitted truthfully. "My mother wasn't sure what to do about that, but did her absolute best to keep it a secret from others. I grew up happily nonetheless, but I never really belonged there."
Lyanna looked at him. "Perhaps that was because you belonged elsewhere," she said, her voice filled with hope.
That night Lyanna had spent most of the night sitting in a chair and staring out of the window, and the rest tossing and turning in her bed. Sleep wouldn't come to her. Everything that she closed her eyes she saw Marie's lifeless body lying in her arms while the unknown disease continued to spread through Camelot. Taking more lives.
Without anyone to talk about it she spent her time in silence, lost in her own thoughts. The night went by slowly and by the time the first sunrays shined down upon Camelot she felt even worse. Normally Marie was there to wake her up in the morning, but now there was nothing. Only silence.
The courtyard was filled with a lot of bodies from people who had died from the unknown disease during the night. There were more of them that she dared to count. Whatever this disease was it sure spread fast.
Gwen entered her chamber not long after that, looking much better than she did the other day. "Gwen," Lyanna exclaimed, relieved to see Morgana's servant. "What are you doing here? I thought that you were with your father."
"He's feeling fine," she answered happily. "This morning I woke up and he was looking better."
Lyanna raised one of her eyebrows. How was it possible that one person got cured, while the others past away? There was only one person who could do something like that, and she was already planning to confront that person. Merlin. "I'm so happy to hear that, Gwen," she said gratefully as she wrapped her arms around her neck. "But shouldn't you be with him instead of being here? I'm sure Morgana doesn't mind your absence."
Gwen shook her head as she let go off her. "There's no need for that. He is going back to his work already. I also came here because I've heard about what happened to Marie. I cannot tell you how sorry I am to hear that." Lyanna felt her chest tighten. "In fact it was Morgana who came to me with the question if I could also be your servant since you don't have one at the moment. I know I cannot replace Marie, nor do I have the intention to do so. I just want to help, Milady."
"I know you do, Gwen," Lyanna replied and pulled her into her arms once more. "It's alright. If you want to be my servant as well you're more than welcome to be that. I'll just let you know that I want to do as much as I can by myself, so I may not require your service all the time. But I'm sure you've got lots to do since you need to look after Morgana as well." Gwen smiled as she let go off her. "I'm glad that you're here."
"So am I, Milady."
While Gwen went to help Morgana out Lyanna fled to the secret garden near the west wall of the city. When she and Arthur were five years old they had built it there to get away from the people. Their father had spent much time looking for them, but had never been able to trace them down. It was their place away from everything.
Lyanna sat down on a log and looked at the small pond that was buried before her. She still remembered clearly how Arthur had dug that all those years ago. Several different flowers surrounded her and the small of fresh flowers hung in her nose., but it was pleasant.
She heard footsteps behind her in the moist ground. Without having to look up who it was, Lyanna knew that it was her brother. He sat down beside her without saying a word and pulled her into his arms. His hands went through her blonde hair while her tears made stain into his white tunic.
"Merlin told me what happened with Marie. I know she was your best friend," Arthur carefully said, not wanting to break her. Lyanna was definitely the strongest and bravest person that he knew, and she rarely cried. "I'd hoped that I would find you here."She told him what that had happened today and what she had offered Marie's parents. Arthur could only look at impressed at her. "You've handled that very well, dear sister. I'm sure the pain will fade within time and you'll be able to give it a place."
Shortly after that Arthur had to leave again to continue his search for the source of this magical disease that was spearing through Camelot. Lyanna remained behind in their garden, throwing small rocks into the pond.
Hours later Lyanna made her way back to the castle and she ran into a frantic Morgana in the hallway. "They are accusing Gwen for possessing magic because her father has gotten better!" the King's ward cried in protest, stomping with her feet.
There was only one person who could've been responsible for healing Tom, which may have caused that everyone would suspect Gwen. Lyanna snapped back into reality and followed Morgana towards the council room. Gwen was forced to the floor at Uther's feet. The King acknowledged his son. "Well done."
"I didn't do anything," Gwen kept repeating. "Why won't anyone believe me? He just got better."
"We believe you." Lyanna entered the room followed by Morgana, her rage over her servant's arrest clear. "Maybe the disease isn't always fatal? Maybe Tom recovered naturally? Have you considered that?" she reasoned, standing at Gwen's side.
"How do you explain the poultice we found in his house then?" Uther countered before turning his attention back to his suspect. "Undo this enchantment. Put an end to this contagion," he ordered.
Gwen looked at a loss. "I can't! I am not a witch!"
"Then you leave me no choice. I can show you no mercy. If you will not undo your sorcery, you force my hand and I must find you guilty," Uther declared, ignoring the girl's protests at the accusation. "It is therefore my duty to pronounce judgement. And under the circumstance I have no choice but to sentence you to death." Guinevere gaped at him in horror. "I can only hope that when you die, this evil plague dies with you." Uther motioned for the guards to drag her to the dungeon as she continued to plead her innocence.
As soon as the doors closed, Arthur could tell that his father, Lyanna and Morgana were about to go at it again. "Guinevere is an innocent girl. She's our maid, not a sorceress! I know her," Lyanna declared as soon as the silence in the room was driving her insane, staring down her father.
"Have you ever seen a sorcerer? Believe me, they bear no mark. There is no evil in the eye," Uther retorted, pouring a glass of wine for himself.
Lyanna's face went emotionless at that. If he would only know the truth about her he would despise his own flesh and blood. Simply because he was blinded by his own hatred against magic. "I've seen the way she works. If she were a witch, why would she kneel every morning on a cold stone floor when he could make these things happen with the snap of his fingers? Like an idle king!" Morgana spat.
"You have no right!" Uther fumed, turning back to his ward.
Lyanna was lucky to have Morgana on her side, who wasn't afraid to speak openly about what she thought. She had always been like that, and the princess was mostly grateful for the girl's friendship. Especially now. "You have no right to cast judgment on her! You're sentencing the wrong person!"
"He's right, Father," Arthur finally spoke up. "You hear the word 'magic' and you no longer listen."
"You saw it yourself. She used enchantments," Uther responded.
"Yes, to save her sick father. That doesn't make her guilty of creating a plague. One's the act of, of kindness, of love, the other of evil. I don't believe evil's in this girl's heart," Arthur assured.
"I have witnessed what witchcraft can do. I have suffered at its hand. I cannot take that chance. If there is the slightest doubt about him, he must die or the whole kingdom may perish."
"I know that witchcraft is an evil, father, but so is injustice. Yes, I am yet to be King, and I don't know what kind of King I will be, but I do have a sense of the kind of Camelot I would wish to live in and it would be where the punishment fits the crime." Uther considered the words of his son.
"You're right," he agreed. "This girl has played with fire, and now she must die by fire." Uther took one last drink from his goblet before leaving his children and ward alone in the throne room.
Morgana paced out of the room with heavy steps, not fighting against her tears. Arthur turned to Lyanna, who was horrified by Uther's sentence. He shook his head. "I don't think that's what I said."
"You did all that you could," Lyanna sulked as she exhaled deeply. "Father's mind is clouded by his hatred for magic. He cannot think straight without it."
"I'm sorry, Lyanna," Arthur eventually said as he made his way over to his sister to wrap his arms around her. "I know you've just lost Marie and now you might also lose Gwen."
A single tear escaped from her eyes as a hundred thoughts tried to enter her mind. She knew that Gwen was innocent and didn't even possessed magic, but only didn't know how to prove it. Maybe Merlin and Gaius did.
Lyanna released herself out of his grasp. "Don't be, Archie. I need to talk to Gaius about something," she said to him. She didn't want to tell him that she was convinced to prove Gwen's innocence and that she had to confront someone.
"Alright. But as long as you come straight back to me when you want to talk. I'm here for you," he promised her, placing a kiss between her eyebrows.
She didn't say anything but gave him a simple nod before she picked up the skirt of her dress and ran out of the throne room. Within a couple of minutes she reached the chamber of the court physician and burst through the door.
"Lyanna!" Gaius exclaimed relieved, standing up from his chair. "Please sit down, my dear. I was already wondering when you would show up. I've already made you some tea."
Normally things like that would've caused her to ask questions, but this time she wasn't in the mood. Lyanna sat down beside Merlin who was looking downcast, while Gaius handed her a damping mug.
"How are you feeling?" the old physician asked her as he sat down on his chair opposite from them. "I've heard what happened to Marie and now to Gwen."
It took a few seconds before the Princess said something, "Lost." Rain was pouring heavily against the window in the chamber, making their moods even more grim.
"I thought I was doing good," Merlin mumbled, changing the subject a little. "And that curing Gwen's father would help her. I thought I was saving a life. It seemed so simple."
"An easy solution is like a light in a storm, Merlin. Rush for it at your peril, for it may not always lead you to safe harbor," Gaius said to him.
Merlin nodded in agreement. "I can see that now."
"How many times have I warned you for the responsibilities of being a warlock?" Gaius asked as silence found its way into the room again. The only sound that was heard was the rain pouring against the window.
"There is no need to feel guilty, Merlin," Lyanna spoke out loud after taking a sip from the tea, feeling the warmth spreading inside her chest which made her feel a little better. "You did what you thought was just, and for that I can only admire you. I sat by and did nothing, while you saved Tom. Maybe we've could've saved Marie as well if we had known that she had gotten sick. I know that it didn't work out as you hoped that it would be, but you can't be blamed. I'm sorry for snapping at you before. That was wrong."
She saw how the end of her lips turned up into a faint smile before his summer blue eyes met hers. "We have to talk to Gwen." He stood up and so did Lyanna as they both stormed out of the door.
Together they walked down the dungeons, passing Morgana who was in tears. Lyanna wanted to talk to her, but she was running away. As they walked to the cell door Lyanna nodded at the guards so that they would give them some time. Gwen saw them and tried to walk to the door, but the chains around her wrist prevented her getting too close. "Thanks, you two."
Merlin looked at her, confused. "What for?" He shrugged.
"For coming to see me."
Lyanna and Merlin both held in tears as she spoke, "I'm so sorry."
"It's alright. It's not your fault. There's no point in crying about it." Gwen gave her a sad smile. Lyanna hated seeing her like this. This girl always reminded her of a ray of sunshine that brightened up everyone's mood as she entered the room. Now she looked empty. A ghost of the person she used to be.
"Gwen, I can't let this happen to you," Merlin slightly objected.
"Please, one thing. I mean, you don't have to but…" she stammered.
"What?"
"Remember me." Tears began to fall down Lyanna's and Merlin's face as they both shook with their head.
"You are not going to die. I will not let that happen. You're my friend, Gwen, and I cannot lose you," Lyanna admitted truthfully as she reached for her servant's hand. "We're going to get you out of here."
Gwen joined the crying. "I'm just grateful to have some amazing people who I can call my friends. Look after each other."
Of course Lyanna didn't want to leave Gwen behind, but the guards had come back to tell her that her time had finished. Apparently Uther had given them the orders to keep the time as minimum as possible because he believed her to be a sorceress. Lyanna stood up and gave one final look at Gwen before she turned and ran up the dungeon's stairway followed by Merlin.
The bitter taste of argument that Lyanna just had with Uther was still strong in her mouth as fluttered through a book in the physician quarters. After she had gone to the cells to talk to Gwen she hadn't seen Merlin anymore. He had left with a steady pace as if he had to do some urgent with great haste, and didn't want her around.
When she couldn't keep up with him she decided to go continue the search to find an answer for the disease that was spreading through Camelot, but still didn't have any luck. For a few hours she was seated there fluttering through a pile of books.
The door of the chamber swung open with a loud bang causing Lyanna to accidentally use her magic. A bucket flew through the air and landed on the wall beside the door, inches away from Merlin's head.
"I'm sorry," Lyanna apologised frantically, rushing towards his side and grabbed his face in her hands to see if he was injured. "Did I hit you? Oh bollocks. I'm truly sorry. I didn't mean to do that. It just happened!"
"I'm alright," Merlin assured her with a faint smile before he walked passed her. "All that I want to say is that your brother is an idiot."
"You do know that insulting the prince is treason," Lyanna helped him remember before she faced the physician. "What happened?"
"Merlin thought that it would be wise to tell the court that he possessed magic so that they would release Gwen, and that he can take her place."
The already big eyes of the Princess widened as they locked with the warlock. "You did what? Did you plan to get yourself killed? That is not the answer to this solution!" she couldn't believe that he was so reckless and that he had truly done such a foolish thing.
"Gwen is going to die for something I did. What else could I do?" Merlin asked, sulking. This was the only thing he thought that would free Guinevere. Lyanna couldn't blame him for doing this, but she wished he would've decided not to do it.
Gaius rolled his eyes. "You don't prove her innocence by offering to jump into the flames. You do it by finding out what's causing the disease!" Merlin leaned against Gaius' workbench and crossed his arms.
"Well, one thing's for sure: Arthur isn't going to find it. He thinks he is so sharp! But even when I told him I was a sorcerer, he still couldn't see it."
"Sometimes, they're very hard to spot," Gaius pointed out.
Lyanna scoffed. "Maybe you should start wearing a pointy hat."
"I don't think that you'll find one big enough," Gaius mocked causing Lyanna to burst out into laughter. Gaius threw a leather bag to Merlin. "Anyway, forget that. If we're going to save Gwen, we have to find out what's contaminating the water."
The three of them made their way through the tunnels below the city to the water supply. Lyanna felt a wave of uneasiness, like she was being watched as they walked, but she dismissed it when they arrived at the water supply.
"Take a sample and we'll take it back to examine it." Gaius handed Merlin an empty phial. Reaching his hand in the water, he filled the phial and corked it. They all turned around to head back to the physician's chamber when suddenly, a large, black monster burst from the water and roared before submerging.
"What the hell was that?!" Merlin screamed, but was being pulled along by Lyanna and Gaius, who both didn't know what to say. The thought that a creature like that lived in the water supply brought shivers to the princess skin.
By the time they were back in the chamber looking through Gaius books for the creature that they had just seen, Lyanna found it. "There. An Afanc." She pointed to a drawing and read the caption. "A beast born of clay, and conjured up only by the most powerful sorcerer. Now we have to find a way to defeat it." She looked over to the shelves of books and knitted her brows. "But where?"
"That could take days. Gwen will be dead by then," Merlin protested as he followed her gaze to see the large pile of books. They would never find a solution in time.
"Do you have a better idea?" Gaius asked. Lyanna saw Merlin biting in his lip before he left the room without saying anything. "Don't worry about him, Lyanna. I'm sure that he knows what he's doing. Do you mind handing me some of those books, my dear?"
"Not a problem," she said as she handed him over a few books from the large piles that clouded the room. Lyanna grabbed a couple of books for herself and seated herself in the corner of the room as she started to flutter through the pages.
Together they sat there in silence for what felt like hours, while Gaius would hand her a cup of tea and something to eat and they kept going. Lyanna was determined to find a solution to kill the beast, but didn't know where to look. Still she couldn't give up. Because if they wouldn't be able to find a solution more people could die and she would lose Gwen for certain. There her to be an explanation for all of this.
Her mind felt groggily after not doing anything else than reading pages. Gaius had gone out to look at some bodies that had been found and she was there all alone when Merlin bursts through the door, and immediately rushed to the books that were scattered on the table.
"Merlin, what are you doing?" Lyanna asked, closing the book that she was holding as she walked over to him.
Merlin looked up from the book he had picked up. "Looking for anything on elements. Do you know which one I'll find it in?"
"Well, most of them," she informed him, picking up some books she'd left on the floor. "The study of base elements is at the very heart of the scientific process." The only reason why she knew this was because she had just read about it somewhere.
Merlin groaned, slamming the book he was reading shut. "How will that help us stop the Afanc?"
"Well, the Afanc is a creature made from earth and water. That's two of the four base elements," Lyanna said remembering what Gaius had told about the creature earlier.
Merlin jumped up. "Maybe the other two will destroy it!"
Lyanna nodded in agreement. Why hadn't I thought of that? "You'll want fire. Wind and fire. How did you find this out?"
"Erm...I just knew, you know? One of my powers," he lied, but Lyanna could see straight through it.
"What else did the Great Dragon tell you?" she asked smartly, noticing the smile on his lips that she had figured him out so easily.
"That… I am only one piece of a puzzle. The brighter piece, obviously. I know that you're one of those pieces, and I'm pretty sure that Arthur is the last piece."
Lyanna looked at him in silence while she tried to think of something that could solve everything. "Maybe Arthur can help us. I think that he's our best chance," she finally said. "Meet me in the courtyard. I will go convince him."
She didn't give him any time to argue and hurried out of the chambers. Before she would see her brother she entered the chambers of the King's ward, who was standing in front of the window. "They're taking forward Gwen's execution!" Morgana cried, her voice filled with worry and fear. "We must do something."
"That is why I came here," Lyanna responded mysteriously. She told her about what she and Merlin had discovered about the Afanc.
Within seconds Morgana had clasped a cloak around her shoulder. "I will help," she assured her, smiling faintly. "We must save Gwen. We cannot let her die."
"Wait at the courtyard," she instructed her friend. "Merlin will be waiting for us. He shall show us the way."
She hurried out of her chambers and entered her brother's quarter and found him standing in the middle of the door. At the sound of the door closing her turned to face her.
"Lyanna," he greeted, putting on his brown coat. "Are you alright? For what do I own the pleasure?" It was something he always said whenever she would show up in his room.
"What happened here?" she asked bewildered, looking at the state of the room. There were plates and food rests scattered on the table. This was the first time that it had been such a clutter. Something had obviously happened.
Arthur pouted. "Merlin didn't come in today since he assisting Gaius. Well you would know about that since you're helping him as well. Is there any news?"
Her hazel eyes met his blue eyes, and she realized once again that they didn't share the same eye colors. Uther had told her that Lyanna looked more after her mother and she believed him. She only wished that she could see that herself. Besides that they did have the same golden hair and shared the same facial features. A sign that they were twins.
"Yes," she said, snapping out of her thoughts. "Merlin and I figured it out. There is a creature in the water supply called an Afanc. It's a creature formed by magic that is causing the plague. We need to destroy it and then, maybe then, father will see sense."
He paused. "Are you sure about this?"
Lyanna nodded convinced. "Absolutely. If we don't stop this beast, Gwen will die. I cannot lose someone else."
Her words were enough to persuade him. "Alright," he muttered, picking up a sword and handing it to her before he grabbed his own sword. "Let's go then."
She smiled with content at her sibling as the two of them exited the chambers. Night had fallen when they walked through the courtyard and found Morgana standing beside Merlin, both of them feeling unease. "Why are they here?" Arthur asked his sister, as they stood beside them.
"Because we need them," Lyanna wisely answered. "We're going to need all the help that we can get to save Gwen."
"I understand that," he responded before he faced the two women. "But you two should stay here. Merlin and I should be able to handle it from here. Go back before you get hurt."
"I think not," she stubbornly replied, locking gazes with her brother. "We can fight for our self. We're coming with you whether you want it or not."
"Why won't you just admit that you need us?" Morgana asked teasingly with a smirk before she walked away, followed by everyone else.
As they entered the cave Lyanna lightened her torch by using a spell before she followed the others. Merlin's lessons sure had helped her. They all made their way through the maze of tunnels. Suddenly the four heard a low growl echo through the tunnel and Lyanna raised the torch in her hand higher. There was nothing to see out there.
After walking for a few minutes, Morgana looked at the servant. "How are we going to find it?" she asked him quietly.
"Let's just hope we do before it finds us," Merlin responded.
"Stop," Arthur ordered intensely, turning around to look behind them. "Thought I heard something."
"What is it?" Lyanna moved her torch closer to where Arthur was looking. There was nothing there, but she did feel a chill going through her spine.
"Must've been a shadow," Arthur reassured.
They continued on until they were at the water source. "Spread out," Arthur ordered as he and Morgana walked in a different direction, and Lyanna and Merlin to another. The grip on the torch in her hands was tight as she watched carefully around her.
"Are you alright?" Merlin asked concerned, as he noticed how tensed she looked.
Lyanna nodded as they continued to walk through the tunnels, but halted in their tracks when they heard a scream. Lyanna immediately turned around to head back to the water source where they found Arthur swinging with his torch. "What is it? Are you alright?" she asked anxiously, hurrying to his side. Arthur simply mouthed a yeah as he kept staring in front of him where he had seen the beast just seconds before.
"What did it look like?" Merlin asked, looking around nervously.
"It's quick," was all that he said.
The hairs in Lyanna's neck stood up straight when she heard Morgana screaming. In front of her stood the Afanc. Uther's ward dropped her torch while Arthur started to swing at it with his sword. But it had disappeared again.
They all started to look around them nervously at every direction in the hope to find it again. "Where is it?" Lyanna asked impatiently, but was only able to hear the growls of the beast echoing quietly through the tunnels.
Merlin pointed down a passageway. "I think it's gone this way!"
They started to walk into the direction the soft growls came from. Lyanna exhaled deeply as they saw the Afanc coming from around the corner. Arthur started to swing at the beast with his sword, but quickly got disarmed leaving Lyanna alone in front of the Afanc. She swiped at it with the torch, seeing how it backed down.
Her brother pushed her to the side, taking over her place. "Arthur!" Merlin yelled. "Use the torch!" Arthur took Lyanna's torch and began to swing it at the monster.
Lyanna felt her entire body freeze when she and Merlin quietly chanted, causing their eyes to flash gold. "Lyfte ic þe in balwen ac forhienan." A strong wind blew through the tunnels, making the fire grow until it overwhelmed the Afanc and killed it.
The four of them stared at the Afanc for a short minute until Arthur and Morgana started to head for the exit. Lyanna turned to face Merlin. "You've used magic," he stated quietly.
She smiled nervously. "As did you. I didn't know what else to do. The Afanc was coming for him and I panicked and –"
"There is no need to worry. We did the right thing. It's dead," Merlin told her with a smile. "You're magic is improving."
It had taken nearly an hour to explain Gaius everything that had happened and before he had convinced Uther that Gwen had nothing to do with this plague. As soon as the King had given the order to release her, Morgana and Lyanna had went to fetch Tom so that he could take his daughter home.
Gwen turned to Morgana, who she assumed had done all of the work after hearing about her rant against Uther the other day. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me," Morgana corrected. "It was more Merlin and Lyanna. They are the hero's here. They have spent many hours trying to find a way to free you. It was them who figured out about the Afanc in the water supply."
"I really don't know what to say," Gwen said speechless.
"I really didn't do anything," Merlin said, modestly.
"I'm just glad to see that you're alright," Lyanna said, wrapping her arms around her maid. "That's the most important part." She let go off her, addressing her a gentle smile. She may've lost Marie to this mythical creature, but she was glad that she hadn't lost Gwen as well. She wouldn't be able to bear it.
"We are grateful, to all of you." Tom nodded to Gwen's friends as he wrapped his arm around his daughter's shoulders and led her away from the cells.
Merlin and Lyanna went to leave when Morgana stopped him, causing Lyanna to stop as well, watching them. "Merlin, I just wanted to let you know that your secret is safe with me."
"My secret?" Merlin asked, worried.
"Merlin, don't pretend. I know what you did. I saw it with my own eyes."
"You did?"
"I understand why you don't anyone to know. I won't tell anyone"
"You won't?"
"Of course not. You can continue to deny it, but I think Gwen's a very lucky woman, to hold your affections."
Merlin widened his eyes in surprise. "What? Gwen?"
"Don't worry, Merlin. It's our secret." And with that she exited the cells, leaving behind an extremely bewildered warlock and a laughing Lyanna.
"Well that sure went different than I expected," she laughed as she wrapped her arms around his shoulder. "Come on, lover boy. Let's get you home." Merlin laughed.
That night she was invited for dinner by Gaius, and was seated at the table. She was fidgeting nervously with her fingers and felt Merlin's gaze burning on her, but he said nothing. Gaius entered the chambers and placed the dinner on the table before he sat down beside her.
"This fish didn't come from the water, did it?" Merlin wondered as he chewed weirdly as if he was taking something strange.
"Well, where else is it going to come from? The water is fine now. That's not your worry. This is the work of a very powerful sorcerer. I only hope that you two didn't come to her attention," Gaius replied.
"Doubt it," the warlock supplied. "Well no one else seemed to appreciate my skills. I just want someone to see me for who I am."
Lyanna gently placed her fork back on the table and wanted to protest but the physician was faster. "One day, Merlin. One day." He stood up and walked over to another table.
"One day what?" Merlin asked.
"One day people won't believe what an idiot you were," Gaius responded while he placed a hand on his ward's shoulder and sat down again while he placed goblets on the table.
"Oi," Lyanna protested, straightening her back. "I see you for who you are. Doesn't my opinion count anymore?"
Gaius laughed heartily, while Merlin scoffed. "We always value you."
Ah poor Marie :(
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