AN: I am very mean to Merlin in this chapter, so be forewarned.
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Chapter 4
After her fever broke, Merlin slept peacefully for over a day. But when she woke up, she was confused. Her blanket seemed warmer, her pillow fluffier, and her room was spotless. Stranger than that, George was asleep at the side of her bed and his hair and clothes were all messed up.
She thought he looked adorable like that. Shirt wrinkled, coat and neckerchief missing, leaving his chest visible. And that hair. She loved those soft locks. Just like she loved the man they belonged to.
It was while she was watching the man she loved sleep that she noticed that this was not her blanket. Hers was tan and threadbare. This one was soft green and much thicker. If the blanket was new, then Merlin assumed the added fluffiness of her pillow likely due it having been replaced as well.
She smiled tiredly, as she tried to reach out to wake George. The smile faded as she realized she could hardly even lift her arm. She then decided to call out to him, but her words were nothing more than rough breaths. As unconsciousness once again rose to claim her, she swore silently that she would do it next time.
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Her fatigue made her a liar the next time she woke. Her head she spinning and the world seemed too hot and too cold at the same time. George was across the room mending something, but she couldn't manage to get his attention before sleep reclaimed her.
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It was one the six day that of all of this that she was finally able to get someone's attention while she was awake. As happy as she was about that, she was upset that it was Gwen, not George, who was the person sitting with her. But anyone was better than the last five times or so.
All Merlin had done was squirm and the future queen rushed to her side. "You're awake! Gaius left some drafts for you to take and has standing orders for you to eat."
Gwen bustled off to the lower chamber and returned with three vials and a bowl of mashed apples. "I know how these taste, the apples will help with the flavor."
Gwen then proceed to feed Merlin a spoonful of apple, then a potion, and then more apples. When that was done, Gwen helped her sit up and then checked her shoulder.
"Gaius told Arthur about what happened to you after the rock fall." Merlin lowered her eyes sadly.
"He blames himself for it. He has been here a lot." Gwen looked like she wanted to say more, but she didn't.
"Also, Arthur knows about George. Gaius says that his face was priceless when he was told." Merlin smiled at the imagined scene.
She tried to ask for some water, but what came out of her mouth sounded more like a growling puppy. Merlin could have laughed at the confused look her friend gave her before her eyebrows shot up and then ran back down the stairs. She returned with a jug and cup.
She drank nearly all of the jug before Gaius arrived. She sent him a shy smile as he rushed over to hug her. "G'us"
She wanted to stay awake, but she felt the pull of sleep. She fought it as best as she could, but she was losing.
"Did you give her the drafts?"
"Yes. She took them in between bits of the apple mash."
"Which one did you give her first?"
"I gave her the yellowish one first, then the brownish red one. I gave her the purple one last."
"That is likely why she has managed to stay awake this long. The last one was for sleeping."
By this time, Merlin had lost the battle to keep her eyes open and she was nearly defeated in the battle for consciousness.
"Just go to sleep, you deserve it. George should be here when you wake up."
Merlin stopped fighting and fell asleep with a smile on her face.
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It had been an odd two weeks in Camelot. At first, they were all in denial that the plucky little serving girl was dead, then she was back! But she seemed different. Then, they found out she had collapsed from her injuries from the week she was gone. Later, they heard rumors that she had been enchanted for those few days of awkwardness. Now there was word around the kitchen that George asked the king's permission to court her.
During this time, the king was in a foul mood, the knights were on edge, the cook was upset about something, and the household was shy two servants. Everyone was tight strung from everything that had happened. And then there was Lord Agravaine.
The man seemed to be calm on the outside, but when he was away from the king, his eyes showed his inner fury. He fired two servants with no known reason. He even spent a day away right before Merlin's collapse. When he returned and found out about her, the man had the gall to smirk.
All of the servants knew that the man hated the maid, but this was something more. He seemed angry that she was found alive and now he was happy that she was sick and injured. This was wrong and the kitchen maids made it their duty to report these actions to Gwen and George.
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George hardly left Merlin's side after he heard she had woken up. He had been in the woods collecting herb and flowers when Gwen told him about Merlin. When he got back to the castle, he made sure the room was clean, he rearranged the flowers that he had brought back. He even changed his wrinkled and dank shirt for a fresh one, but the neckerchief was not replaced, he only wore it to look like her anyway.
The fact that he wouldn't leave her room was why he woke up to fingers playing with his hair. Only four people were allowed to touch his hair: The king, his mother, his sister, and Merlin. Since his mother was dead, his sister was in the lower town caring for her baby, and the king would not be fondling his hair, it had to be Merlin.
As much as he wanted to hug her and tell her to never scare him like that again, he also didn't want her to stop fiddling with his mane. Then the decision was made for him.
"Gods I love you. If only you loved me back." Her words were nothing more than a soft whisper.
He didn't plan on doing it this way, but it happened as if by instinct. He gently moved into her touch and mumbled "Love you too." in a sleepy tone.
He was still mostly asleep, but he did have to stop himself from whining when the fingers went away. After a moment, they returned and he hummed slightly in contentment. He fell back to sleep as she carded her fingers through his unruly mop.
The next morning, Gaius came in to see both servant fast asleep. Both seemed to have smiles on their faces and Merlin's hand seemed to have fallen out of George's mussed locks. Gaius smiled as closed the door silently, letting them rest in happiness.
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Merlin woke several times throughout the rest of the day. She was also bombarded with visitors. The knights, Arthur, a few of the servants stopped by as well. There was one person who stopped by who was not there to celebrate her returning health, but to wish it a quick end.
Agravaine.
He came by several times, gathering information. By the end of the day, he knew roughly when the wench was awake, who was with her and at what times, and just how bad her condition truly was. This information was all he needed to get rid of her permanently.
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The lord found it strange that most of the assassins he tried to hire seemed happy to do the job until they found out who their target was. A few of the men paled and fled and few seemed appalled at the idea of harming the lass. There was one that had just the right reaction to the name.
He grinned and said "For her, I'll do it for free. That minx has meddled her last, you have my word. It will be a pleasure to rid the world of her."
Agravaine didn't know what the maid had done to receive such a reaction, but he smiled at the knowledge. She would die and he hadn't even needed to pay a single penny. Now all he needed to do was alibi himself. Dinner with Arthur perhaps?
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The next day, Merlin was still weak and tired, but she stayed awake more often and for longer periods. It was during one of those times that the girl begged to be allowed to bathe. She had been submerged in cool water to lower her fever and received two crude sponge bathes from Gwen, but she felt like she had fallen into a bog and then spent the afternoon it the stocks.
It took a while, but finally, Gaius relented. It didn't take long to get the water warmed and carried up the Gaius's chamber. It seemed as if half of the serving staff was helping as well as a few of the knights.
It was in this crowd that a certain assassin slipped a soporific into one of the buckets. The girl would be unable to stay awake in the bath. With luck, she would drown, but that was unlikely. But the drug would make her an easier target for later on.
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The hot water felt so good. It warmed her stiff muscles and creaking bones. It was blissful. It was just as Gwen went to change the soiled sheets that Merlin fell asleep and began to slide down into the water.
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Gwen was glad that Merlin was feeling better. She smiled at the memory of Merlin's face when she helped lower her into the water. As she came down the stairs, her heart froze in her chest.
She dropped the soiled bed clothes and ran to the tub edge. Merlin's nose and mouth were both under the water and no bubbles were rising up. She grabbed her friend and pulled her head out of the water.
Merlin wasn't breathing. After a quick check, Gwen was relieved to feel a pulse. She hastily drug the girl's limp form out on to the floor and laid her on her chest. She made sure Merlin's mouth was open before she pressed on her bare back.
Water gushed from her pale lips, but she still wasn't breathing. As she rolled Merlin over, the girl began to cough and gasp. She left her friend on her side until water stopped being coughed out of the girl's lungs.
Gwen rushed to the chamber door and looked down the hall. Near the end of the corridor, Gwaine and George seemed to be deep in conversation.
"George! Get Gaius! Gwaine, I need your help!" As the men began to move. Gwen ducked back into the room.
Gwen squeaked when she realized that she had left Merlin naked and wet on the cold floor. She grabbed the sheets she had dropped earlier and quickly covered her friend moments before the knight burst in.
Gwaine didn't even need to be told what to do. He came over and scooped the limp witch up into his arms and carried her to the patient's cot. He even turned his back to let Gwen replace the soiled sheets with a clean blanket.
Once that was done, Gwaine started asking questions.
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After helping bring Merlin's bath water up from the kitchens, Gwaine and George sat out of hearing range of the physician's chamber, but close enough that they could be called to carry off the used water. While they waited, the knight began milking the servant for stories about Merlin.
"What was the worst thing you have ever seen her do?"
"I saw her kill a few soldiers… It was during Cenred's siege. She didn't even seem troubled by it. But after the fighting ended, I saw her crying. If she hates killing animals, imagine how harming a human felt for her…"
"I never really thought about it. She has killed on patrols before, but I have never seen her cry afterwards."
"Did she go to get firewood and return a long time later with only a small armload?"
"Damn. How could I have missed that?"
"Everyone does. She doesn't like people seeing her like that."
"She lets you."
George remained silent.
"What about the silliest thing?"
"Rat stew."
"What?"
"She served the Prince rat stew. When he figured out what it was, they both gave it to the Lady Morgana."
"How did she re-" Gwaine's question was interrupted by Gwen's panicked voice.
"George! Get Gaius! Gwaine, I need your help!" She stood in the doorway until they got up. She was there one moment and gone the next.
As George took off at a neck break speed down the stairs, Gwaine ran into the room. Gwen was standing over a wheezing Merlin cover in old bed clothes. Since the girl was lying beside the tub, there was a good-sized puddle of water beside her, and she was breathing roughly, the knight assumed that the girl had fallen into the water.
Before Gwen could open her mouth, Gwaine came over and picked up Merlin's quivering form. She was too light and her rattling breaths were painful to hear. He gently laid her on the bed Gaius used for the sick and injured and turned away so Gwen could cover Merlin properly.
"Gwen? What happened? Did she fall in?"
"I don't know! I helped her in and went to change these." She gestured to the soiled sheets. "But when I came back out, her face was in the water! She wasn't breathing!"
The poor maid was shaking and tears were pouring down her face. As he stepped forward, she threw her herself into Gwaine's chest and cried in earnest. They stayed like that until Gaius and George burst into the room. Neither of the men noticed, but the maid pulled back and wiped her eyes.
George sat on the edge of the bed while Gaius checked Merlin over. After listening to her chest, Gaius paused and sniffed her wet locks. His eyebrows rose and he rushed to the tub. He dipped a finger into the water and rubbed the moisture between two fingers under his nose. The group watched as the old man rushed to the work table and back to the bath.
Gaius filled a small jar with some of the water and returned to the bench where he began pouring the liquid into smaller jars and began adding various potions and powders to them. When one of the vials turned a rich orange, Gaius began to grumble. He grabbed a pouch from the shelf and returned to Merlin.
"Gaius? What is it?" Gwen's voice was small and frightened.
"Someone laced her bath with a compound that caused her to fall asleep in her bath. She was too weak to keep herself up. That was why she nearly drowned. It is not your fault Gwen. You couldn't have known."
Gwaine tensed and thought about who could possibly want to harm Merlin. His attention was pulled from that to George as the man nearly growled.
"George. We don't know it was him. Calm down." Gwen sounded unconvinced, but diplomatic.
"You know better. He has never liked her. Who else would do this?" Gwaine's curiosity was peaked now.
"We both know he would never do anything like this himself. He didn't do it." Gwen sounded resigned.
"No, he just kept his sleazy hands clean by paying someone else to." The man's voice was venomous.
"We can't prove that!" Gwen squeaked.
"Both of you quiet down! Agravaine doesn't have the knowledge to do this. If he paid someone, his funds would show it. Now keep your voices down or leave." Gwaine took a step back when Gaius bellowed.
"Agravaine?! Arthur's uncle, Agravaine?" The knight felt his blood heat up.
Three heads jerked to face him. Two showed embarrassment and fright, the other seemed insincerely calm. Gwaine began pacing.
"Why didn't I see this before?! He tried so hard to get the princess to call off the searches. He was also missing when we were attacked. And we call Merls here an idiot! I need to tell Arthur." He turned to storm out of the room when three voices called out together.
"No!"
"Gwaine!"
"You will do no such thing!"
Merlin began coughing and the subject seemed to be momentarily forgotten. She wasn't waking up, but her breathing was getting worse.
"Everyone but George get out. I need to work." Gwen and Gwaine practically fled the room.
"I am going to try something. I might collapse from it, so you will need to ready to deal with both of us. Understand?" George had never heard Gaius sound so vulnerable.
"You are going to use magic. That is why you chose me to stay." George was extra worried now. Gaius was Merlin's best hope, but if he hurt himself, she would never forgive herself. George doubted he would forgive himself either.
"Yes. Her lungs can't work properly after warm water entered them. If I don't do this, she could die. I cannot let that happen." The older man was a father to both servants and it showed.
"Be careful. She needs you. We all do." Gaius nodded before gathering a sage bundle.
It took five castings before Merlin seemed to react. As she began coughing up even more water, Gaius crumpled.
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AN: What do you think? Also, I am taking suggestions about how the assassin will try to kill Merlin.
A special thanks to SneakiestBean, Psyka, and Dreamer558750 for their reviews on the previous chapter. Those words meant a lot to me.
