Hey guys! Thanks for the feedback, here's another chapter for you all. There's a few cute Arthur/Cass moments in here (squee)!
Remedy.
A few weeks after the Griffin had been slain, everything settled back to normal in Camelot. Nothing interesting was happening and for Cassandra, her days consisted of healing the sick in the town and picking herbs from the nearby fields of Camelot.
One night Cassandra returned to Gaius' chambers after having spent the day in the town healing some sick children who had all caught a sickness off of one boy who had then spread it onto the next child, and then the next. Fortunately it was only spread through children as most adults contracted the illness when they themselves were children.
As soon as she walked in she smelt the delicious food that Gaius had cooked for them. Merlin was sitting at the table, flicking through his magical book and eating occasionally. Gaius was eating quietly to himself but when he heard the door open and Cassandra walk in he stood up.
"Smells good, Gaius!" Cassandra said cheerfully as she dumped her satchel on the floor and walked to the table. Her stomach was growling, she almost reached the table when Gaius' hand shot out and stopped her.
Cassandra whined loudly as Gaius handed her a vial, "I need you to deliver this to Lady Morgana." He said to her as Cassandra's mouth dropped open.
"What? You've been sitting here eating! You could've done it yourself!" she cried out.
"I've been replenishing all the potions you've been using, the least you can do is take this up to Morgana." Cassandra narrowed her eyes at the old man as she took the vial.
"Fine, but tomorrow I'm staying here and making potions and you can go out and heal the sick."
"Deal, now go, before it get's too late." Gaius ushered her out of the chambers as Cassandra pouted once more before leaving the room.
She strolled over to the palace, enjoying the cool air around her as she entered the palace. She headed up the long staircase and up to Morgana's chambers. Cassandra knocked twice and waited a few seconds before Gwen answered the door.
"Cass, hi." Gwen said with a smile as she opened the door wider so that she could enter.
"Evening, Gwen, I came to drop of Lady Morgana's sleeping draught." Cassandra held up the vial as Gwen took her to where Morgana was. Morgana was sitting at her table and looked over when she heard footsteps, when she saw Cassandra she smiled and stood.
"Cassandra, Gwen and I were just talking about you." She said softly as Gwen shied away and Cassandra laughed.
"All good things, I hope."
Morgana grinned, "Of course." Morgana rose from her table as Cassandra handed her the vial, she then noticed some beautiful white flowers sitting on her nightstand.
"Those are very beautiful." Cassandra pointed to them, Morgana followed her gaze as she smiled also.
"Yes they are."
"Who gave you them?" Cassandra asked her.
Morgana shook her head, "I do not know. But I am very thankful."
"A secret admirer," Cassandra said slyly. Morgana and Gwen laughed.
"One can only hope," Morgana said, chuckling. They chatted for a few more minutes about girlish things before Cassandra yawned.
"I should be going, I had a very long day." She said goodbye to both women as she made her way back to Gaius' chambers, hoping for a peaceful sleep.
~10~
Cassandra awoke the next morning feeling refreshed, she dressed in her blue tunic and braided her hair down her back, when she came downstairs she looked around for Gaius but didn't see the man. Merlin, she could hear was still snoring away up in his room, it was still very early, the sun had barely risen so she assumed he would be waking soon to attend to Arthur. Cassandra walked over to Gaius' potions table and noticed a small slip of paper on the table. She picked it up and read it;
Cassandra,
True to my word I will be doing the rounds of the lower town today. I have left you a list of all the potions I have replenished and the ones I have not. I realized I do make you do all the hard work now that I do not have to do it all myself and I apologize. I hope you have a wonderful day today.
Gaius.
Cassandra smiled as she read the note, she then picked up another piece of paper and saw the list of all the potions that Gaius had done, it was a very short list. Cassandra looked around his vast book collection and spotted the potions one as she used her magic to summon it to her from the high shelf. She opened the page and sat down at the table and began to brew the remedies.
It was only a few minutes later that Cassandra heard yelling coming from the hallway outside the room. "Cassandra! Gaius!" It was a female voice and Cassandra thought that it sounded like Gwen. Just as she was about to go to the door it burst open and a frantic Gwen ran in.
"Cassandra please you have to help me!" Gwen cried out as soon as she spotted the red head sitting at the table. Cassandra rose as Gwen ran over to her, she grasped Cassandra's upper arms tightly. "Please you have to help!" she cried once more.
"What's going on?" a sleepy voice said from behind them, Merlin had been woken by the screams of Gwen and had come to investigate.
Cassandra could see that Gwen was hysterical and agitated, "Gwen," she said calmly. Gwen looked at her. "You have to calm down and tell me what has happened." Cassandra said softly.
Gwen took a deep breath to calm herself down, "It's Morgana," she sobbed.
Cassandra's eyes widened in shock, "What's wrong?"
"I can't wake her up," Gwen said. "I went in this morning to wake her and I can't, she won't wake. Please Cassandra you have to do something!" Gwen pleaded with her. Cassandra nodded as she grabbed a few vials and shoved them into her satchel; she looked over at Merlin who was still trying to wake up.
"Merlin, go and find Gaius!" she yelled to him as she was leaving the room. When she looked over her shoulder and saw the Warlock still in the same place she screamed, "Now Merlin!" Merlin jumped, realizing the severity of the situation as he went to go and get changed.
Gwen led Cassandra to Morgana's chambers; they ran the whole way, once they reached her chambers Cassandra entered first. She hurried over to Morgana's bedside as Gwen stood back, crying silently. She set her bag down on the floor as Cassandra touched Morgana's shoulder, "Morgana?" she said quietly. She shook her gently and when she didn't respond Cassandra hesitantly used her fingers and opened one of her eyes. She noticed that her pupil was extremely large, she checked the other one and it was exactly the same. Next Cassandra felt her forehead with the back of her hand, her head was clammy as she next went to her wrist, she picked it up and held two of her fingers on her wrist as she began counting her pulse.
"Not good," she muttered under her breath. Cassandra dived into her bag as Gwen walked over, hearing Cassandra.
"What's wrong with her?" she asked. Cassandra pulled out a vial that was a light green, she uncorked the vial as she opened Morgana's mouth with one hand and poured a little bit of the potion into her mouth. "Cass? What's wrong with her?" Gwen asked again when she didn't reply. Cassandra stimulated Morgana's throat so that she would swallow the liquid.
"I don't know." She said grimly.
"What?" Gwen exclaimed.
"I need you to go get Arthur and the King, immediately." Cassandra ordered to Gwen, she turned her head slightly so that she could make eye contact with Gwen, the maid nodded as she left the room quickly.
Cassandra continued to administer medicine to Morgana when she heard heavy footfalls come into the room. She looked over her shoulder as she had just administered another remedy and saw Uther and Arthur standing in the doorway. She jumped up and bowed to the King as he hurried over to Morgana's side.
"What's wrong with her?" Uther demanded from Cassandra. Cassandra looked to Arthur first, she hadn't seen him since that night with Lancelot, she hadn't been avoiding him per se, but she had conveniently turned down a different hallway when she had seen him. She moved her gaze back to Uther, noticing that he had been staring at her, waiting for her to tell him.
"I don't know, Sire." She said softly, waiting for his angry outburst.
"What do you mean, you don't know?" he said darkly.
Cassandra sighed, worried about what was going to happen next, "I mean, sire, that I have tried giving her everything I have and nothing seems to be working on her." Uther frowned and looked confused for a second before he turned his gaze back to his ward.
"What do you know?" Arthur asked, coming to stand next to Cassandra.
"She is completely unresponsive to anything. Her pupils are extremely dilated; she has a fever and a slow pulse. All of these things can only mean one thing, that she has somehow developed a problem with her brain."
Uther looked gob smacked at her evaluation as Gaius and Merlin arrived in the room. Gaius took one look at everyone in the room and then shuffled over to Morgana, Uther moved out of the way so Gaius could attend to her. Cassandra moved to the bed once more.
"Gaius," she said softly. Gaius did the same tests that Cassandra had done when she had first seen Morgana.
"What have you given her?" He asked her.
Cassandra sighed, "Everything Gaius. I've given her Abscess Root, Rosemary, Oenothera, feverfew…and this." Cassandra listed off the medicines she had tried on Morgana, she held up a pale red liquid. Gaius knew what the liquid was immediately as he nodded to Cassandra, she had done everything right.
"What is that?" Arthur asked, pointing at the vial.
Cassandra turned, "It's a medicine, it's called Viscum Album."
"What does it do?" Uther asked next.
Cassandra gave Gaius a worried look but he nodded to her, she took a breath, "It's to treat seizures." She said grimly.
"You think she had a seizure?" Uther exclaimed, distraught.
"We don't know." Gaius cut in. "Cassandra has done everything I would have, even more so. The Viscum Album was the last thing I would have done to try and cure Morgana of this affliction. Only time will tell if she will wake from these medicines."
"So we are to do nothing?" Uther asked.
Gaius shook his head, "No, my lord. We will have to wait and see if her condition gets better from the medicines that Cassandra has administered, if not, we will have to think of other illnesses that it could be."
"What if these medicines don't work, what could it be?" Arthur asked. Gaius and Cassandra were silent.
"We should know something in a few hours, before that, I recommend that you try and go about your day, I will stay by her side with Gwen and if anything should change you will all be the first to know." Gaius said to the King and his son. Uther looked torn, he didn't want to leave Morgana but he trusted Gaius, besides, he knew nothing about medicine or science so he would be of no help to Gaius. Uther left the room, after giving Morgana one last glance. Arthur followed shortly after, calling for Merlin to come with him as the servant gave a reassuring smile to Cassandra as he hurried after Arthur. Gwen went to go and grab a bowl of water and left Gaius and Cassandra.
"What do you think, Gaius?" she asked him.
Gaius was feeling her forehead once more, "To be honest, I have no idea. Surely some of the medicines you had given her would have started to help her but I cannot see any change in her."
"I didn't want to think it was a seizure, but what if she has had one, Gaius, what could have caused it?" Cassandra asked him as the old man shook his head.
"I don't know, all we can do is hope that something helps her, if not, I'm afraid that she may die."
~10~
Cassandra left Morgana's chambers a few hours later, after Gaius had told her to go and get some rest. She agreed and was walking out of the castle; she came to the steps when she spotted Arthur sitting on them. He had his knees pulled up close and was leaning his arms on them. Cassandra had half a mind to just walk passed and leave him be but she knew that she couldn't. She sighed and walked the few steps down and sat next to him. He turned his head to look at her but she was gazing out straight ahead, not looking at him.
"How is she?" He asked her.
"No change." She replied after a few seconds, she still didn't look at him. Arthur studied her face, he could see the bags under her eyes, her lips were dry and cracked and her hair didn't have that normal shine it normally did.
"You're exhausted," he stated.
"Just a little," she mumbled. Arthur was growing more annoyed the longer she didn't look at him, it was driving him crazy. He wanted to see her emerald eyes looking at him, he hadn't seen her since out in the forest when Lancelot had slain the Griffin. He had asked her why she had gone out there and she had replied that she wanted to make sure that he was ok.
It confused him; he didn't know what he was feeling towards her, some days he wanted to yell at her because she was being so annoying, other days he wanted to be near her all the time. There was just something about Cassandra that drew him to her.
"I'm sorry I couldn't cure Morgana," she said quietly. "I tried…everything." Cassandra's voice broke as Arthur quickly looked around the square, there weren't any people out there so he turned to Cassandra, and he took his hand and touched her chin. He turned her head so that she was finally looking at him; her emerald eyes were glassed over with tears.
"You said so yourself, you tried everything," he whispered to her.
"But nothing worked! I'm supposed to heal people, not let them die." She cried, a tear rolled down her cheek, Arthur used his thumb to brush it away.
"Morgana wont die, you and Gaius will cure her, I know it." He said to her. Cassandra managed to smile. Arthur pulled his hands away from her face; if anyone had seen them it would have been bad. "You should go and sleep, Merlin told me how much you've been working down in the town." Arthur told her. Cassandra nodded as she stood, she skipped down the steps and walked to the chambers, Arthur's eyes following her as she went.
~10~
"Her body seems to have closed down." Gaius said the next morning. Uther, Cassandra and Gaius stood in Morgana's chambers.
"Why?" Uther asked, looking at the two of them, "You don't have an answer do you? Nothing you've tried so far has worked. It's been nearly two days. And what do you know?" Uther hissed at them both.
"I fear she may have some form of inflammation of the brain." Gaius told him.
"What could cause such a thing?" Uther asked worriedly.
"An infection, possibly, rest assured we will do everything in our power to cure her, sire." Gaius said, motioning to Cassandra as well. "Come on, we will do more searching through my books then standing here," Gaius said to Cassandra after Uther had left the room.
Cassandra looked at Morgana then back to Gaius, "But we can't leave her, what if something happens?"
"Nothing will, all the potions and remedies we have tried have failed. There's no point in sitting here watching her die, but we can go back and try and find something to cure her with." Gaius said to her. Cassandra finally agreed as the two left the room and headed out to the stairs, they came down and saw Merlin and Gwen standing there with anxious looks.
"Is she any better?" Gwen asks desperately. Gaius shook his head at her; Gwen rushes passed Cassandra and Gaius as the two meet Merlin on the landing.
"She's all but dead, Merlin." He said to him.
"No, you're going to cure her. You have to." Merlin said to the both of them.
"We've tried everything Merlin." Cassandra said to the distraught boy.
"I was wondering…" Merlin said softly.
"What?" Gaius asked him.
"Maybe I could…" he begins but just at that moment a guard walked by, causing Merlin to be silent, he waited for him to pass before he spoke to the two again. "Help," he said.
"If you're suggesting magic…have you forgotten what happened with Gwen's father? This is not a magical illness; it must be cured by conventional means. We keep trying. See if you can find me some fresh rosemary." Gaius shot down Merlin's request instantly.
"There must be something more I can do."
"And yarrow." Gaius called out as he walked down the stairs. Cassandra and Merlin were left alone in the hallway.
"We are trying, Merlin." Cassandra said softly.
Merlin placed a hand on his friends shoulder, "I know, Cass." Merlin then pulled Cassandra into a bone-crushing hug, Cassandra welcomed the comfort that Merlin was giving her.
She knew that Morgana was pretty much royalty, and she was nothing more than a physician, but she considered Morgana a friend. She had made Cassandra a beautiful dress for her when she had been injured and they always had pleasant conversations with Gwen and Morgana. She didn't want to watch Morgana die, of course she had thought about using magic to cure her but as Gaius said, she wasn't suffering from a magical illness; it would cause great suspicion with herself and Gaius if she were to miraculously heal.
"I just wish we knew what was wrong with her." Cassandra mumbled into Merlin's shirt. Merlin wrapped his arms around her small body tighter; he hadn't seeing his best friend so upset. He knew that Cassandra and Morgana had bonded, they were friends.
"You and Gaius will figure it out, I know you guys will." Merlin said to her reassuringly.
"You really think so?" Cassandra asked him, meeting his blue gaze.
Merlin nodded and grinned, "Of course, when have you ever come across something you couldn't figure out?"
Cassandra giggled as she sighed into Merlin's embrace, "Thanks, Merlin."
"Am I interrupting something?" a voice said from beside them.
Both Cassandra and Merlin turned their gazes to the right and spotted Arthur. Merlin, thinking he was funny said, "Yes actually." Arthur's eyebrows shot up as Cassandra laughed and stepped out of Merlin's arms. Merlin grinned down at her.
"Shouldn't you be cleaning my room or something?" Arthur asked him, glaring at the servant boy.
Merlin pretended to think for a second before he shook his head, "No I don't think so."
"Well I say so. Good and get your lazy ass back to work." Arthur ordered him. Merlin stumbled off like a baby deer and left Cassandra and Arthur alone. "No change?" Arthur asked her as Cassandra shook her head.
"No change," she echoed him as Arthur's face turned dark.
"You and Gaius haven't given up I hope," he said to her, she shook her head.
"Of course not." Cassandra started walking passed him, intent on going back to the physician chambers.
"There was a man saying that he could cure Morgana."
Cassandra frowned and stopped walking, "What?" she asked him.
"He said he had a remedy to cure all ills."
"Did you believe him?" Cassandra asked him.
Arthur shook his head, "Of course not. Something like that couldn't possibly exist, could it?" he asked her.
Cassandra shrugged, "Nothing I have ever heard of, and I have travelled to many places over the years."
"He must be lying then." Arthur assumed as Cassandra nodded.
"Most likely." She said. Arthur walked away then, leaving Cassandra to ponder over what he had told her. A remedy to cure all ills? It must be impossible, she thought.
It was the next day and nothing had changed with Morgana. Cassandra was sitting in her chambers on her bed, she was leaned up against the wall, staring out of the window, she was watching the clouds drift on by when her door suddenly opened and Gaius walked in, "Come with me," he said monotonously. Cassandra hopped off her bed and followed Gaius out of the chambers and back into the palace, they ended up at the council chambers just as Uther and Arthur arrived as well.
"What's going on?" Cassandra whispered to Gaius. Before Gaius could reply to her Uther opened the doors to the council chambers. Gaius followed Uther in as Cassandra hung back with Arthur. She looked at him for some sort of clarification but he just motioned for her to go in, the two walked in side by side. Cassandra spotted the man immediately, he wore a long brown robe, had long sandy hair and a burn scar that marred the right side of his face.
"Edwin Muirden, sire. Physician and loyal servant." He knelt down on one knee to Uther. The King walked to Edwin as the man handed him a roll of parchment.
"Welcome to Camelot," Uther said as he read the letter.
"Have we met before?" Gaius suddenly asked, confusing Cassandra.
"I doubt you would forget a face like mine, sir." As Edwin looked back up at Gaius he noticed someone else in the room. Cassandra was a little ways back, obscured slightly from view as Arthur was standing in front of her. His gaze lingered on her for a second before he moved it back to Uther, though his stare didn't go unnoticed by Arthur.
"Do you really believe you have a remedy?" Uther asked him.
"There are many ills that I have not seen and successfully treated, sire. So when I heard of the Lady Morgana's sickness, I felt honor bound to offer my services." Edwin said.
"You say you have a cure for all? An antidote for everything?" Gaius asked him. Edwin used this to glance at Cassandra once more. Cassandra had been looked at Gaius at the time so she hadn't seen this, but once again, Arthur had been watching Edwin and seen his gaze wonder.
"Yes. Although it is not quite as simple as that."
"Gaius is the court physician." Uther told him.
"You are indeed a legend, sir. I am delighted to meet you. I am curious to know what it is that has affected her."
"An infection of the brain." Gaius stated.
"And your treatment?" Edwin asked him.
"Yarrow." Gaius replied.
"Yes, yes." Edwin agreed.
"Rosemary to stimulate cerebral circulation." Gaius added also.
Edwin turned slightly, "Interesting." He commented.
Arthur and Uther's gazes shot to him immediately, "Why? What would you suggest?" Uther asked him.
"No, no, no that is all fine. All good. If that is…the right diagnosis." Edwin clasped his hands together.
"What would your diagnosis be?" Uther asked him desperately.
"Well, without examining the patient."
"He should examine her," Arthur burst out.
"I would need my equipment." Edwin said.
"Of course. You'll have use of one of the guest chambers."
"And consider my manservant at your disposal." Arthur added as Edwin bowed his head to both of them.
"I will start work immediately." Edwin said as he walked between the group. As he passed Cassandra he turned his head to look at her, he smiled at her as she kept a blank face, he breezed out of the room as Uther and Gaius left afterwards. Which left Arthur and Cassandra alone once more.
"You think he's telling the truth?" Cassandra asked Arthur after a long silence.
"I hope so, as of right now, he's the only hope we have left." Arthur said. Cassandra wasn't so much as pouting, but she was upset at Edwin, she had never come across an illness she couldn't cure and here this stranger was, claiming to have a remedy to cure all ills.
"He kept on staring at you." Arthur suddenly said. Cassandra frowned and pulled a face. "Do you know him?" Arthur asked her.
Cassandra shook her head, "Not that I can remember. A lot of people stare at me." Cassandra said flippantly. Arthur looked at her confused as she flipped her hair and pointed to her head. "Have you seen this hair? Not many people in the kingdoms have this colour hair."
Arthur chuckled at her, "Of course, it must've been the hair."
Arthur and Cassandra headed over to Morgana's chambers where they were going to wait for Edwin to come and examine her. When they arrived Uther and Gaius were already there, Gaius had a knowing smile on his face from looking at the two whereas Uther didn't spare them a second glance.
"How long do you think he'll be?" Arthur said to anyone but no one answered. They could all see that Morgana had barely a few hours left. Her face was hollowed out and her forehead was clammy.
A few minutes later the four of them heard footsteps and turned to see Edwin enter with Merlin carrying a rather large case.
"Put my equipment over there." He instructed Merlin, "Sire, I would be grateful if you could have everyone leave the room. I require peace and privacy." Edwin said. Cassandra didn't like that; she didn't want to leave Edwin alone with Morgana, why did he need the room empty anyway?
"Certainly," Uther agreed instantly. Uther moved out of the room, Arthur following him. When he noticed that Cassandra wasn't following him he grabbed her arm. Cassandra went to protest at him but he silenced her with a look. Edwin had moved to Morgana's side and was studying her; he could sense that someone was still in the room.
"That includes you, Gaius." Edwin said, not even turning to look at him.
"But I am eager to learn from your methods." Gaius said, trying anyway possible to stay in the room.
"Now is not the time for giving instruction. I will need all my concentration." Edwin said to him.
"Gaius…" Uther said. Gaius finally gave him as he too left the room. The five of them headed down the stairs and to the landing where they were going to wait, hopefully for any news about Morgana.
When Gaius came down last and stood next to Cassandra she leaned over to him, "You don't trust him?" she uttered quietly so no one would hear her. Gaius looked at her and slowly shook his head. Cassandra pressed her lips into a firm line as she glared at the floor.
~10~
"Great news, your Majesty. You will be glad to hear it is not an inflammation of the brain." Edwin said gleefully as he came gliding down the stairs. Cassandra and Gaius shared a confused glance.
"What is it then?" Uther asked him.
"It is cerebral hemorrhage."
"Hemorrhage? I don't think so." Gaius scoffed, as Cassandra stood there dumbfounded.
"I found this trace of blood in her ear." Edwin holds up a bloody cloth as Cassandra gasps.
"God in heaven," Uther mutters.
"The severity depends upon the site and volume of the bleed. If not treated, it can lead to coma, and eventually death." Edwin explained.
"How could you have missed this?" Uther said to both Gaius and Cassandra.
"I didn't see any blood." Gaius said darkly.
"There was nothing in all of her symptoms to think it was a hemorrhage." Cassandra added.
"Please. Just thank the fates that you did not administer more rosemary to stimulate the circulation. Can you imagine what that might have done?" Edwin said, knowing full well that he was making Cassandra and Gaius look bad. Uther's stare turned to the two physicians, waiting for them to answer.
"It may have increased the bleed." Gaius said solemnly.
"Is there a cure?" Uther asked him.
Edwin smiled happily and pointed upstairs, "See for yourself." Uther darted up the stairs, followed closely by Gaius as Edwin watched them go with a knowing smile. Arthur, Merlin and Cassandra waited for the confirmation that Morgana was fine from the two before they headed up to her chambers.
Uther had a bright smile on his face when he emerged with Gaius behind him. "Morgana is awake," Uther said to Arthur as the Prince and servant hurried up the stairs. Cassandra stayed put and watched Uther thank Edwin once more as he walked off. After a few seconds Edwin turned down a corridor and walked off, Gaius followed him. Cassandra headed up the stairs and into Morgana's chambers.
The King's ward was sitting up and smiling as she talked with Arthur, Merlin and Gwen, Cassandra stood back and watched. Just a few minutes ago Morgana had been on her deathbed. She couldn't believe that it had been a hemorrhage, it wasn't. She had been examining Morgana for the whole day and she had not seen one droop of blood in her ear. Edwin had to have been lying; he must have planted the blood in her ear, but why? Why would he do all of this? Was it to get a reward for saving her life?
But what if there had been blood in her ear? What if Cassandra and Gaius had missed it?
Cassandra had dedicated most of her life to being a healer; even before she had gone to Nimueh she had studied medicine. The druids had taught her many things about medicine and science. Gaius himself had been the one to push her to be a healer when she was very young. She had always prized herself on being able to cure most people, be it by medicine or magic. There was no way that Cassandra had missed blood in her ear.
As she thought more about the situation, it made her grow more uneasy and upset. She could see that Morgana was fine now but what if Cassandra was not a great a physician as she had thought herself to be. The thought brought tears to her eyes as she turned around and sprinted from the room. No one noticed, except Arthur.
The Prince had turned his head to look for the red head when he had seen her eyes fill with tears as she spun around and ran out of the room. Arthur, without giving it a second thought, chased after her.
She was running wherever her feet took her but Arthur was quicker and caught up to her. "Cassandra, hey!" He grabbed her arm to stop her from running. She stopped and she flung her arms around Arthur's waist.
Arthur was stunned to say the least; Cassandra gripped him tightly as she buried her face into his chest as he heard her quiet sobs. Arthur looked around quickly; he didn't see anyone around so he slowly lowered his arms to encase her shoulders. She sobbed for a few minutes, Arthur realized that this was the first time Cassandra had ever cried in front of him, he had never seen her so upset before.
"I'm sorry." She mumbled after a few minutes. Arthur thought he was hearing things but then she spoke again, "I'm so sorry." Arthur pulled her back to look at him as she quickly wiped her eyes from the tears.
"What do you have to be sorry about?" he said to her. Her glistening emerald eyes met his gaze.
"For not being able to heal Morgana. I made a mistake…and—and I almost killed her!" she cried out. She began sobbing again as Arthur pulled her to him once more. Cassandra suddenly jerked back, "The blood wasn't there, Arthur."
Arthur sighed, "You saw the cloth,"
"I'm telling you it wasn't there!" she cried out. Arthur looked conflicted and Cassandra saw this, "You don't believe me." She breathed. She began to freak out, "Why don't you believe me?" she screamed. Arthur grabbed her arms as she began thrashing around. "He's lying! Edwin planted the blood in her ear I know it!"
"Cassandra!" Arthur tried to calm her down but it was no use, she was upset and angry and there was no getting through to her.
"Arthur, please believe me!" she begged him. She stopped thrashing around as she waited for Arthur to speak.
"I believe…" he said slowly, he met her gaze once more and sighed, "I believe that you and Gaius are both exhausted and you may not have intentionally missed it."
Cassandra's mouth dropped open, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. She shook her head as she wrenched her arms out of his grip. She glared at him with all the hate she could muster as she ran away.
~10~
Cassandra ended up outside Edwin's guest chambers; she was going to prove somehow that Edwin wasn't who he said he was. She knocked on the door three times, "Edwin?" she called out. When she received no answer she opened the door anyway and slipped quietly inside. She closed the door behind her as she looked at the dark room. All of his equipment was spread out over the table, she took one step towards the table when a voice spoke from somewhere in the room.
"I know who you are."
Cassandra jumped and searched the darkness for Edwin, she had recognized his voice. He slowly stepped out from the darkness of the room. "What do you mean?" Cassandra asked him, edging back to the door.
"It's funny," Edwin forced a laugh as he walked to the table and touched some of his equipment, Cassandra's gaze never left him, "I had heard that Nimueh's lapdog had abandoned her." Cassandra tried not to show any emotion, "I had also heard of a great young physician who had settled in Camelot, she was becoming quickly known as one of the greatest physician's of our time, behind Gaius of course." Edwin said, "I just had no idea that they were one and the same." He chuckled darkly as Cassandra glared at him. "Does Gaius know about your double life?" Edwin asked her. Cassandra tried not to show any emotion to his question but she felt her gaze soften.
"It would be a shame, if someone let slip who you really are, and if that got out. How would King Uther react knowing that his renowned Physician was a sorceress? And had been serving under the great Nimueh herself. I would think that wouldn't go down well with him, or Gaius for that matter. And what about Prince Arthur?" Cassandra's gaze met his once more when he mentioned Arthur, "How would the Prince react knowing that the girl he likes is a sorceress?"
Cassandra looked away from his gaze, how could Edwin know all of this? She had to guess that he was a sorcerer, only a dark magic practitioner like Nimueh.
"What do you want?" She finally said, meeting his gaze. Edwin just smirked at her…
Thanks everyone! Let me know what you think please!