A/N: I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so so so so sooooo sorry guys. Don't hate me. I don't know where the last year has gone. I can't apologize enough for going so long without an update. As I stated in my last chapter I had recently started a new job, which you'll all be happy to know I still have and have to go off to after I FINALLY update. The Poisoned Chalice has always been one of my favorite episodes of S1 and one of my favorite to consider for my fanfic, which may be where my downfall came. It's one of my favorites and I just wanted it to be perfect, but whenever I went to type something it just didn't seem right, it didn't seem good enough. But you'll all be glad to know after a very long time I finally have produced something I think is good enough. Please enjoy, and once again let me say sorry for the long hiatus between updates. I would never abandon this story. So if I haven't updated in awhile take heart knowing I'm slowly but surely trying to work on the chapter. Read, review, enjoy!
The Poisoned Chalice: Part 1
One thing after another seemed to happen within Camelot's walls. There were brief moments of relief before another gust of wind would roll in and bring with it another storm. Adrielle supposed not everything 'big' that happened to Camelot would necessarily be all bad. It wouldn't always be dramatic and unknowingly life threatening. Sometimes the talk of the town would be that of a civil and diplomatic nature, rather than death, destruction, chaos, and insanity.
From Adrielle's very first day in Camelot she had heard whispers and gossip about Camelot's tensions with the kingdom of Mercia. For ages the two had been at ends with each other. Getting into aggressive disputes that would ultimately lead to brutal wars with each other. Many of the people had forgotten how things had come to such a heated point, they just always had been that way for as long as anyone could remember. Much blood had been shed and many lives lost on both sides.
Now it seemed that the two ruling Kings had decided enough was enough. They would put on their big boy armor and settle this like proper diplomats. There would be no more war. The two kingdoms were be joined in friendship. King Uther and King Bayard would meet to sign a peace treaty and end the ongoing war. Nobles and delegates from Mercia would meet in Camelot, today actually, to sign the treaty and to celebrate the only way kings and royals know how to; with elaborate feasts and parties.
Adrielle had been close on Gaius' heels for the past couple of days. Gaius was determined to get as much done as he could before Bayard and his men arrived. The pair had been visiting as many patients as they could, preparing as many potions and remedies as possible. Gaius wanted their attention to be completely focused on Bayard and Mercia when they arrived. Adrielle wasn't exactly sure why, but she followed Gaius along and obeyed none the less.
Merlin had been just as busy running around behind Arthur and helping as all the other servants prepared for the Mercia royals to arrive. Adrielle spotted Merlin approaching them from down the hallway, shuffling his way with a large and bulging bag.
"Why do I always get landed with the donkey work?" Merlin whined while setting down the bag clumsily.
"You're a servant, Merlin. It's what you do," Gaius lectured.
"My arms will be a foot longer by the time I get this lot inside," Merlin continued to complain.
"It's character building. As the old proverb says, hard work breeds," Gaius paused, searching for the rest of his inspirational phrase. "A harder soul."
Adrielle and Merlin both looked at each other sideways and shared a suspicious look.
"There is no way that's how the proverb goes," Adrielle said.
"You just made that last bit up," Merlin accused.
"No I didn't," Gaius defended. Before either twin could protest another
serving girl tripped awkwardly and was sent tumbling to the ground, dropping all of the sheets she was carrying in the process.
"Sorry," the girl apologized to Merlin's feet.
"It's alright," Merlin replied. "Let me give you a hand with that."
Adrielle watched as her brother crouched down next to the servant girl to help her out. Merlin paused as he looked up and caught her stunning blue eyes. There seemed to be an abundance of blue eyes in Camelot, but these were like none other Merlin had ever seen. They were the darkest and yet vibrant shade, like the dark depths of the ocean Merlin had heard stories of before.
"Hi. I'm Merlin," he said after a moment. Merlin's face flushed the slightest before offering her his hand in greeting. She took it and shook it gently before responding.
"Cara," she replied softly. She looked at Merlin carefully, thinking to herself before speaking again. "You're Arthur's servant, aren't you? I saw you by his side earlier. That must be such an honor."
"Oh, yeah. It is," Merlin stumbled over his words. "Well, you know, someone's got to keep the place running."
Adrielle coughed to cover up the snort of laughter that arose in the back of her throat. She looked over at Gaius to see him giving Merlin a look with a raised eyebrow. Merlin shrugged over Cara's shoulder innocently.
"Thank you, Merlin," Cara said while looking up at him under her lashes. Merlin turned his attention back to Cara looking at her confused. She lowered her eyes to the pillows Merlin still held in his hands.
"Oh, right. Yeah. Er, no problem," he replied quickly while handing over the pillows he had picked up.
"It was nice meeting you," Cara said with a small smile before taking off down the hallway. Merlin turned and watched her as she left, following her all the way with his eyes.
"Shouldn't you be busy running the place?" Adrielle mocked slightly. Merlin turned back around to face his sister, only to glare at her sarcastically. She took a step back and threw her hands up in mock surrender. "Your words. Not mine."
~xx~
Back inside of her chambers Adrielle was seated at the wooden table reading through some of Gaius' loose notes on medicine.
"Here, eat up," Gaius said while placing a plate of food in front of Adrielle. "I'm afraid you won't have much of an opportunity to eat for the rest of tonight."
"Uhm, Gaius. I'm always grateful for food but you do remember there is a huge banquet tonight, right?" Adrielle said while eyeing over the plate of food.
"I remember," Gaius replied, "it just seems that tonight you will not find yourself as a guest to the banquet, per say"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It just means that you'll be there...serving the guests," Gaius replied after a pause.
"What? But I'm not a servant!" Adrielle protested.
"Not officially, no. But when I informed the King that you would be practicing as my apprentice I might have added that you would also be willing to serve if the occasion ever arose," Gaius recalled.
"Oh, Gaius no," Adrielle whined.
"I'm sorry, my dear, but it is true. I can't imagine it will be all that bad. You're not a full time servant, just willing to help out for very prestigious circumstances. This won't be a common occurrence surely, only whenever the King wants to show off and impress someone. You'll be back to your usual duties tomorrow," Gaius spoke.
"Well that's great and all but I don't know how to be a servant and serve people," Adrielle continued while taking a bite of her chicken defeatedly.
"It's not all that difficult," Gaius shrugged.
"How would you know? Have you ever been a servant?"
"Well no, but Merlin can help you out tonight," Gaius said.
"Oh great, cause that's exactly what I wanted from my night tonight," Adrielle sighed sarcastically.
"Gwen will surely offer you a helping hand. You two will be able to spend the night together if that helps," Gaius offered.
"I guess it does a little."
"Good. Now hurry up and eat your dinner. You'll be wanted in the Hall of Ceremonies before too long."
~xx~
"Serving isn't all that hard," Gwen said to Adrielle. "I've managed to keep a job in it for a few years."
"Yes, but thats because you're exceptionally gifted at it," Adrielle said from behind Gwen.
From the moment she had stepped into the Hall a knot had formed and lodged itself in Adrielle's stomach. She attributed it to nerves from the thought of serving. Throughout the course of the evening Adrielle decided she would stick as close to Gwen as she could. If she stuck by a trusted and experienced servant she figured there would be less of a chance of something going wrong and the blame falling on her.
"I'm not sure that's quite true, but thank you," Gwen said with a soft smile. "I'm not sure why you're so anxious, but just stick close to me and everything will be alright. Do you want to know the fun part about being a servant at these feasts?"
"There's a fun part?" Adrielle asked skeptically.
"There can be."
"Well I don't know what you're idea of fun is but mine includes making fun of Merlin," Adrielle said while pointing towards her brother. She had been staring at him for the past couple of minutes, trying desperately to realize who the giant buffoon was. Merlin wore a generic red serving shirt with the Pendragon crest on it and a red cape attached. On top of his head he wore a hat that resembled a great, dead, tropical bird. Adrielle wasn't sure where the hat itself began and were the giant, fluffy, red and green feathers that sprouted from the hat started. Merlin wore a grim face as he walked around and served Arthur his wine and spirits.
"Nice hat," Gwen said to Merlin as the two girls approached him.
"I didn't know you had such a sense of fashion, Merlin. Or rather lack thereof," Adrielle joked while stroking the ridiculous feathers.
"Thanks," Merlin grumbled while trying to shake his sister off. "It was Arthur's great idea. He said these were the 'official ceremonial robes' or something."
Adrielle watched as Arthur turned around to look at the trio. He stifled a grin and bit down on his tongue to keep himself from laughing. He gave Merlin a thumbs up and managed a cheeky grin before turning back around. Merlin shook his head unimpressed.
Adrielle noticed a subtle but sudden change in her brother's demeanor. Merlin was much more still than normal and attempted to stand up straighter, increasing the already present difference in their heights. Adrielle scanned the hall, curious as to who could conjure such a response from her brother. Within seconds she spotted an oddly familiar pair of vibrant blue eyes staring at Merlin from amongst Bayard's servants.
"She's pretty," Gwen said, also noticing Merlin's shift in attention. "I mean for a handmaiden."
"She's beautiful enough for a princess, let alone a handmaid," Merlin said in an airy voice.
"What was her name again?" Adrielle asked.
"Cara."
"What? You know her?" Gwen asked confused.
"Not really. We bumped into her earlier today. Well Merlin did. He seems to have taken quite a fancying to her already," Adrielle teased lightly.
"I have not!" Merlin said defensively, breaking his gaze on Cara only to glare at his sister.
"Mhm," Adrielle hummed before crossing the hall silently, coming to stand next to Gaius.
Adrielle and the rest of the members in the hall watched as King Uther and Lord Bayard stood from their respective tables and crossed from opposite ends of the hall, meeting at a table in the middle. In turn each man picked up a quill and signed the peace treaty. Uther and Bayard grasped forearms as the hall erupted in applause.
"People of Camelot, for a great many years we have been mortal enemies, and the blood of our men stains the ground from the walls of Camelot to the gates of Mercia. Though we remember those who have died, we must not allow any more to join them," Bayard spoke as he paced up the hall to the table where Arthur and Morgana sat rejoined by Uther.
"As a symbol of our goodwill," he continued, "and of our newfound friendship, I present these ceremonial goblets to you, Uther, and to your son, Arthur, in the hope that our friendship may last."
A serving girl from Mercia entered and stood next to Bayard, opening the box she held containing the new ceremonial goblets. Adrielle felt her gaze absentmindedly slip from Bayard, who had begun talking about peace between the two kingdoms, and start to travel across the hall. She stopped when she noticed that she did not see Merlin or his ridiculous hat. She quickly scanned the hall again, keeping a special eye out for Cara. Adrielle made a confused face when she couldn't spot either of them in the hall and started to wonder where the pair could have gotten off to.
Actually, no, Adrielle thought. I don't want to know where those two of gone off to.
Adrielle directed her attention back to Uther, who was now preaching about peace, in hopes of keeping her mind off Merlin and out of the gutter.
Arthur scanned the hall for his servant and that glorious hat he had presented Merlin. When he failed to find Merlin, which he would have a fun time dealing out the karma Merlin deserved for straying away from his job and responsibilities, he settled on the next closest thing.
"Adrielle!" he hissed over to his right. The young girl jumped suddenly, her focus snapping from Bayard and Uther over to Arthur. He beckoned discreetly for her to come over.
"What?" she whispered in his ear, trying to remain hidden.
"I need you to fill my goblet from Bayard," he commanded.
"What? Why me?"
"Well it may have escaped your notice but your idiot of a brother is conveniently missing. So, as his sister, his duties fall on you," Arthur explained.
"I don't think that's how it works," she rebutted.
"Well I don't care what you think," he snapped.
"There's no need to be rude, I was merely questioning your flawed logic," she said while grabbing the nearest jug of wine.
"People don't usually question my logic they just obey orders, and with less sass," Arthur replied.
"I would have done it without the sass if you had just been polite. Used some manners," she responded while filling up his goblet as instructed. She set the jug down when the goblet was full enough, picked it up and handed it to Arthur.
"Thank you," he said flatly, taking the goblet from her.
"You're welcome, sire. Now was that so hard to do?" Adrielle sunk back a few paces and watched as Byard began his toast.
"May the differences from our past remain there. To your health, Uther. To Arthur, to the Lady Morgana, to the people of Camelot!"
"And to fallen warriors on both sides," Uther added while raising his goblet.
"Stop!" somebodies voice echoed through the hall. "Don't drink that!"
Quick footsteps reverberated through the hall before the panicked voice shouted again.
"Don't drink that! It's been poisoned!" Merlin shouted. The cup was already pressed to Arthur's lips when Merlin swooped in and took it away.
"What?" Uther inquired.
Arthur looked bewildered from Merlin to Adrielle and back. She held her hands up in surrender, already knowing how someone's simple minded logic might go. The wine is poisoned, Adrielle was the last person to touch it, so obviously she had tried to poison him. It was blatantly obvious to some. Oh, and if they only knew she had magic? Everyone in the kingdom would immediately suspect her, just because she had magic.
"I didn't touch your wine, Arthur. I swear," Adrielle confessed.
"No, it wasn't her. It was Bayard."
Everyone in the hall gasped collectively at this shocking revelation. Bayard and his people from Mercia were here to sign peace treaties and end the fighting with Camelot. Why would they try to poison Arthur?
"Merlin, what are you doing?" Arthur pressed.
"Bayard laced Arthur's goblet with poison," Merlin continued.
"This is an outrage!" Bayard raged. He reached for his sword and withdrew it from it's sheath. Both Bayard's knights and Camelot's knights followed suit and were aimed at the other. Guards from Camelot rushed in from the outskirts of the hall and boxed in everyone, including Bayard and his men.
"Order your men to put down their swords," Uther commanded. "You are outnumbered."
"I will not allow this insult to go unchallenged," Bayard sneered as he stared daggers a Merlin.
"On what grounds do you base this accusation?" Uther asked turning now to the young serving boy.
"I'll handle this," Arthur said while starting around the table. He snatched the goblet from Merlin and steered him towards his father by the nape of his neck. "Merlin, you idiot. Have we been at the slow gin again?"
"Unless you want to be strung up by your toes, boy, you will tell me why you think it is poisoned. Now," Uther demanded.
"He was seen lacing it," Merlin admitted.
"By whom?" Uther pressed.
Merlin hesitated a moment before responding. "I cannot say."
"I won't listen to this insolent rubbish anymore," Bayard shouted.
"Pass me the goblet," Uther ushered. Arthur handed the goblet over to his father. He lifted it to his nose as if he could try and detect any trace of poison simply with his sense of smell. "If you're telling the truth-"
"I am," Bayard interjected.
"Then you have nothing to fear, do you?"
Bayard considered this momentarily before sheathing his sword again. Weapon concealed he reached his hand out indicating he was willing to test the so called 'poisoned' wine.
"No," Uther said shortly. "If it does prove to be poison I want the pleasure of killing you myself."
Bayard snorted at this, still adamant that he had no intention of poisoning Arthur.
"Then who is going to test it?" Arthur asked cautiously.
"He'll drink it," Uther said, raising the goblet up to Merlin.
"But if it is poison he'll die!" Arthur protested.
"Then we'll know he was telling the truth. His sacrifice will be an honorable one, even in death. In mortem."
"And what if it's not? What if he lives?" Adrielle asked in a shaky voice.
"Then you have my apologies, Lord Bayard, and you may do with him as you will," Uther proclaimed.
"Playtime's over, Merlin," Adrielle said while rushing forward to her brother. "I don't know where you got this crazy idea that Bayard's trying to murder Arthur but put it to rest, okay? If you're right by some kind of crazy coincidence then you'll die and if you're wrong, like usual, well- you're as good as dead!"
"And if I do and let Arthur drink this then he's dead," Merlin said seriously.
"This is no time to play the hero!"
"Too late."
"Uther, please! He doesn't know what he's saying, he's just a boy," Gaius pleaded.
"Then you should have schooled him better."
"Merlin, apologize. This is a mistake. I'll drink it!" Arthur argued reaching for the goblet in question.
"No, no, no, no. It's alright. I'll drink it," Merlin protested. He toasted to Byard and his men before turning and toasting to Uther and Arthur.
"Merlin. Please," Adrielle whispered.
"Cheers," he said toasting to her before drinking. In three hearty gulps Merlin had emptied the goblet of all wine.
The tension hung in the air and pressed on Adrielle violently. None of the possible outcomes were pleasant. If the wine was poisoned he'd more than likely die, unless Gaius could miraculously deliver an antidote in time. Which for some unknown reason Adrielle felt wouldn't be the case. If it was poison no antidote could be retrieved in time. And if it wasn't poison Bayard would 'get his way with him', whatever that meant. It could mean anything. With his past of bloodthirsty tendencies she didn't feel Merlin's future was very bright there. Either way it seemed he was lost.
"It's...it's fine," Merlin said confused. He had been so sure the wine was poison, so it was a huge shock for him to still be perfectly fine.
"He's all yours," Uther waved dismissively. Adrielle sighed heavily and closed her eyes. She didn't want to see Bayard's men drag Merlin off.
It might be the last time you ever see him, she thought.
No! Don't think like that. He's your brother. He can't just disappear like that. He can't. Not for good.
If any one ever asked her again Adrielle would swear she could almost feel her throat begin to close up seconds before Merlin's hands clasped onto his throat and started making choking noises. It could have just been her mind playing tricks on her, but she would swear otherwise.
"Merlin?" Adrielle gasped. If he was just pretending to be poisoned to avoid Bayard's wrath she'd probably end up killing him herself. But as Adrielle watched in horror as her brother choked and gasped for air she knew he wasn't joking. He wasn't that good of an actor. She watched as his eyes grew wide and shined with fear before rolling back in his head. His eyelids closed as he fell to the floor unconscious. The goblet hit the ground with a metallic clank that rang throughout the hall, rolling away from his limp hand.
"Merlin!" Adrielle shrieked.
"It is poison," Uther exclaimed, his eyes widening in horror. "Seize him!"
As the guards rushed forward to corner Bayard in, Adrielle was the first to run forward and kneel next to her brother's body.
"Merlin? Merlin, come on you've got to get up you great buffoon," she cried shaking his shoulders. In her mild panic she pulled her hand back and slapped him across his face. "For the love of God please wake up."
"I don't think that's helping any," Arthur said from behind Adrielle. He had rushed forward and was looking over Merlin's body as Gaius came and knelt on Merlin's other side.
"Well it's not hurting him any!" Adrielle rebutted.
"Merlin? Can you hear me?" Gaius asked. He touched the inside of Merlin's wrist, searching for a pulse. He opened each of Merlin's eyes to take a better look at them.
"Gaius, what do we do?" Adrielle asked quickly.
"We've got to get him to my chambers. Bring the goblet, we need to identify the poison," Gaius instructed.
Arthur stepped forward and gently pushed Adrielle back from her brother. She watched as he bent down and grabbed onto each of Merlin's arms and pulled him up and over his shoulders. She turned around to pick up the goblet but Gwen had already beaten her to it. Adrielle kept her eyes on her brother as the group rushed back to Gaius' chambers. She watched helplessly as Merlin's body flopped around like a rag doll as Arthur carried him.
What have you gotten yourself into, Merl?
~xx~
"Lay him on the bed quickly; he's struggling to breathe. Gwen, fetch me some water and a towel," Gaius instructed calmly once they were back inside their chambers. Adrielle knew keeping calm was an important part of the physician job, but she couldn't understand how Gaius was still so calm when it was Merlin who's life was at stake. Maybe it came from years of practice, or maybe it was all just an act, a professional façade Gaius had. Maybe it was both.
"Is he going to be alright?" Arthur asked once Merlin was on the bed.
Adrielle looked over her brother more carefully. His face had already lost some of it's natural colour and was covered in a fine but increasing layer of sweat. His body shook lightly with tremors every minute or so.
"He's burning up," Gaius remarked after feeling Merlin's skin.
"You can cure him, can't you Gaius?" Gwen quaked. She had returned with the bucket of water and cloth like Gaius instructed. He took the items from her and dipped the cloth in the water before placing it on Merlin's forehead.
"I won't know until I can identify the poison. Pass me the goblet," Gaius instructed. "Adrielle, can you take over here?"
The young girl nodded quietly, keeping her mouth shut, and took the cloth from Gaius. She feared that if she tried to speak her voice would shake too much or her words would come out in a mess of incoherent mumbles. She felt the cool water on her hand as she immersed it in the bucket of water. When she pulled her hand back she realized it was shaking so intensely that water was falling everywhere from her cloth. She took a deep breath trying to calm herself.
Come on, Adrielle, she chastised herself. He's just another patient. Pretend he's just some random drunkard off the streets. He's not your brother. Your stupid, naive, inconceivable brother. He's not your kind, protective, goofy, lovable brother.
Adrielle felt another tremor through her body as she tried to begin cooling his forehead. She took another deep breath to ease herself but to no avail. A soft touch on Adrielle's shoulder caused her to jump slightly.
"I can look after him," Gwen said with a soft smile.
Adrielle swallowed hard and nodded before answering.
"Thank you," she said quietly with a forced smile. She handed the cloth to Gwen before standing up and joining Gaius and Arthur.
"Ah," Gaius exclaimed while he examined the goblet closer. "There's something stuck on the inside."
"What is it?" Arthur questioned.
Gaius grabbed a small pair of tweezers and delicately plucked the object from inside of the goblet. He brought the tweezers close to his face and examined the object closely.
"It looks like a flower petal of some kind. Hold onto this, will you?" Gaius said while handing Adrielle the petal. She started to look at it in her cupped hand but had trouble focusing on it, realizing her hand was still shaking. She brought her other hand up to cup her left and steady it. Now that she could focus on the petal more clearly she noted that it was almost transparent, a faint purple colour tinted from the wine. She could easily see how it could go unnoticed stuck to the inside of a goblet.
"His brow's on fire," Gwen said, snapping Adrielle's attention away from the flower petal.
"Keep him cool; it'll help control his fever," Gaius instructed. He had turned to his massive collection of books in search of the one that contained the identity of the mysterious flower petal. His eyes scanned the spines of his books while his fingers trailed behind, gliding over the aged leather. They stopped when he found the book in question and ripped it from its shelf. Gaius began frantically flipping through pages to find the answer. Gaius' hand shot from his side and grabbed onto Adrielle's wrists and pulled her closer to him. He brought his eyes up from the book only to examine the petal once more before looking back down.
"Ah," Gaius said triumphantly once he found what he needed. "The petal comes from the Mortaeus flower."
Arthur, who had picked up the goblet and began examining it himself, set it back down and came to stand behind Adrielle to view the book.
"It says here," Gaius continued, "that someone poisoned by the Mortaeus can only be saved by a potion made from the leaf of the very same flower. It can only be found in the caves deep beneath the Forest of Balor. The flower grows on the roots of the Mortaeus tree."
"What the bloody hell is that?" Adrielle asked while staring wide-eyed at a picture of a beast drawn in the book. It was like nothing Adrielle had ever seen before. It looked as if a dragon and a chicken had mated and this was their offspring. The beast stood on two chicken legs with a long lizard tail sprouting from its end. Scales mixed in with feathers covered the animal. For arms it had wings with long skinny appendages attached. It's head was the perfect mix between chicken and dragon.
"That doesn't look particularly friendly," Arthur commented.
"A Cockatrice. It guards the forest and its venom is potent. A single drop would mean certain death. Few who have crossed the Mountains of Isgaard in search of the Mortaeus flower have made it back alive."
"Is there no hope?" Gwen asked desperately.
"Unless someone can get past the cockatrice and return with the petal in time, alive, then I'm afraid not," Gaius answered.
"But it's not totally impossible, right? I mean the book says few have returned, but not no one. Someone had to make it there and back in order to poison Merlin, so someone else should be able to make it there and back in order to save him," Adrielle theorized.
"Sounds like fun," Arthur said once making up his mind.
"Arthur, it's too dangerous," Gaius warned.
"When I said somebody could make it back alive I didn't mean you should go," Adrielle said quickly.
"If I don't get the antidote, what happens to Merlin?" Arthur asked Gaius looking from him, to Adrielle, and then to Gwen and Merlin's body.
"The Mortaeus induces a slow and painful death . He may hold out for four, maybe five days, but not for much longer. Eventually...he will die."
"Then that's all the convincing I need," Arthur said while walking out, giving one last look at Merlin.
~xx~
"Arthur, wait!" Adrielle called while trying to catch up to him.
"There's no chance of talking me out if this if that's what you're thinking of doing," Arthur called over his shoulder, slowing his pace slightly so the girl could catch up.
"Well fine I won't then, but I want to come with you," Adrielle said defiantly. Arthur stopped suddenly and turned around to face Adielle, chuckling.
"No offense, but I can't see what help a little girl would be. You'll just get in the way," Arthur scoffed.
"I'm more than just a little girl," Adrielle snapped. She wasn't sure if Arthur meant to sound so condescending or if it was just part of his natural tone.
Arthur internally rolled his eyes and scoffed under his breath. Sure, this little girl might seem like more than what she was, to herself, but all Arthur saw when he looked at her was a liability. She might be tougher and more headstrong than he had originally anticipated, but still, she was nothing more than a little girl who spent her time studying medicine. If anyone should risk their life for Merlin it shouldn't be his sister, his closest living relative in Camelot. If anyone would go it would be him. Arthur. Future King of Camelot. The head of his Knights. Arthur could practically guarantee his return and Merlin's livelihood. If Adrielle accompanied him...not so much.
"Adrielle," Arthur started, "I appreciate the offer but Merlin needs you. Here, in Camelot. When I return, and I will return, he needs his sister here. Besides, this is what I do best."
"Rescuing damsels in distress?" Adrielle asked sarcastically.
"Precisely," Arthur replied with a cocky smile. "You need to stay here and do what you do best."
"And what exactly is that? Constantly worrying over Merlin?" Adrielle asked pointedly.
"You said it, not me," Arthur said feigning innocence. "Look, I know I'm the prince-"
"Not quite yet," Adrielle interjected.
"I'm not the crowned prince yet, so you don't have to answer this, but if it really came down to one life over the other, if only one of us could live, don't tell me you wouldn't want Merlin to live. I might be royalty, but I'm no one to you. Merlin on the other hand, he's your brother. I'll be back in a couple of days," Arthur finished and turned back down the corridor.
Adrielle stood there thinking about what Arthur had said. He was right. God knows she would never admit that to him, for multiple reasons. Sure it was supposed to be their destinies to protect Arthur, but did that really mean with their lives? Even if it did, Adrielle would rather Arthur die so Merlin could live. She felt terribly guilty admitting that to herself, but it was true.
Adrielle started back towards her chambers slowly while mulling over the nights events. She had never imagined tonight playing out like this. With the two bitter rival kingdoms in close proximity she thought that maybe, maybe, there might be a scuffle between the two, maybe even the start of a Great War. But she had never foreseen Merlin getting caught in the crossfire and being the only causality.
Upon entering her chambers the atmosphere felt different. The rush of confused adrenaline trying to figure out what had happened to Merlin and how to save him was gone. Gone with Arthur on his heroes quest. Now all that was left for them to do was wait for Arthur to return in time. Gwen was still sitting next to Merlin when Adrielle returned..
"Where's Arthur?" Gwen asked when she noticed Adrielle's reappearance.
"Off to save Merlin, I guess," Adrielle replied, trying desperately to avert her eyes from Merlin's pale body.
"I know it's hard not to worry, but if Arthur's taken up the mission it's in good hands. He will be able to return with the flower and save Merlin," Gwen spoke, attempting to give Adrielle some form of comfort.
"She's right," Gaius chimed in. "Merlin's fate rests in Arthur's hands now. We must put our faith in him."
~xx~
Adrielle spent the night sitting at one of the tables trying desperately to distract herself. She had already chewed her fingernails down to the tips of her fingers and continued gnawing on them until she drew blood. When the pain in her fingers and taste of blood became too much for her, she decided it was time for her to switch mediums. She found one of Gaius' many books on medicine and tried to make as many potions as she could.
It was well past the time most people would be awake, but Adrielle still couldn't sleep. She found the page that contained the potion for anxiety Gaius had made her. Maybe if she weren't so anxious she'd be able to get some sleep. She was staring blankly into her mortar as she began crushing her ingredients.
"Adrielle," Gaius said from her side, gently touching her shoulder as he did. Adrielle jumped so violently the she tipped over her mortar with her flailing hands and almost spilled all of its contents.
"I'm sorry, my child, I didn't mean to frighten you," Gaius said with a light chuckle.
"What? No, no, you didn't frighten me. Just startled me, that's all," Adrielle muttered as she began to clean up her mess.
"What are you still doing up?" Gaius inquired.
"Can't sleep. Too much anxiety and such," she replied. "What are you doing up at this hour? You didn't wake up just to scare little 'ole me?"
"I thought you said I didn't frighten you?" Gaius replied with a grin. "No, I just got up to get a fresh pail of water for Merlin. You should try and get some sleep, Adrielle."
"I really which I could," the young girl sighed. "I've tried making these sleeping drafts we give to Morgana. I don't know if I've made them incorrectly or if they just aren't working for me."
"Perhaps if you tried something a little bit stronger," Gaius said with a quirk of his eyebrow.
"You can make a stronger potion? How?" Adrielle asked intrigued.
"Not I, necessarily, but I'm sure you possess a power that could enhance the potions effects," Gaius said, tiptoeing carefully around the subject.
"Gaius!" Adrielle said, feigning shock. "You aren't suggesting what I think you are, are you?"
"No, no, of course not. But you know, you'd don't have to rely on Merlin to be able to produce magic. I know it's inside of you, too. He's not the only one capable of greatness," Gaius said while placing a fresh washcloth on Merlin's forehead. His body flinched from the sudden presence of cold water before settling back down. Adrielle watched Gaius' back as he moved, cleaning up the rest of his work before retreating back to bed. She looked down at the most recent sleeping potion she had made, thinking over Gaius' words.
So far it had seemed like Merlin was the only one using his magic for any real purpose. Sure she had caused the chandelier to fall on the old woman, but Merlin had been the one to receive the glory over saving Arthur. Merlin had been the one to turn Beacon into a real dog and he was one who exposed Valiant for the snake that he really was. Adrielle took down the the Afnac, but even then that as with Merlin's help. Adrielle didn't want to rely on Merlin to get them out of every problematic situation they ran into along the way. She wasn't jealous of him by any means, but still. She would never get any credit for the things she accomplished with magic, but it would still be nice to know she could accomplish things with magic. Without her brothers help.
"Gwen, what are you doing back here? I thought you'd gone home for the night," Gaius inquired. Adrielle looked around to the door and spotted Gwen standing in the doorway. Adrielle had been halfway up the stairs to her room and fully prepared to practice magic. There was no way she could sleep without any "magical" aid, but she didn't want to practice and have Gwen accidentally walk in on her. Adrielle wouldn't know what to say or what excuse to give. She didn't expect Gwen to be understanding if Adrielle was caught; they weren't good enough friends yet. Sure it had been magic that had saved her father, but it had also been magic Gwen had been convicted of and almost burnt on the pyre for.
"I...I just wanted to check on Merlin. I left to attend to the Lady Morgana, but she said she could look after herself. She thought it was more important for me to be here," Gwen practically choked. Gaius replied with a curt nod.
"Any word on Arthur?" Adrielle asked.
"Yes, Morgana tells me he ran into a slight hitch. He was all prepared to leave but his father got to him first. He forbade him to go on this 'fools quest', or so he called. He would never let his only son risk his life like this for a servant," Gwen explained.
"There's good news, I hope?" Adrielle asked again.
"There is. Morgana went to Arthur and persuaded him to go. He left a couple of hours ago."
Adrielle let out a soft breath. Good. At least Arthur was still proceeding with his mission for Merlin. He might have hell to pay when he got back, but he would return. Hopefully.
"If you're here to look after Merlin he should be all right for the night. I'll be sleeping out here. I'll be alerted to any changes in his state," Gaius said.
"You can sleep in my room if you want. It feels weird without Merlin in there. It's too empty," Adrielle offered.
"Thank you, Adrielle," Gwen replied with a soft smile. Adrielle returned the smile before starting back up the stairs to her room, listening carefully for Gwens footsteps behind her. As soon as Adrielle was in her room she set the vial on the table before ripping open the floorboard where the magic book was hidden. Beacon perked his ears up as he watched from her bed. Adrielle flipped up her pillow and slammed the book down under it, hiding it just as Gwen entered the room. Beacon barked happily at the new friend in the room, but proceeded to lie his headed back down on his paws.
"I didn't know you had a dog," Gwen said slightly shocked.
"We've had him for a couple weeks now. I found him wandering out in the woods one day when I was hunting herbs for Gaius. There was no one else around so I figured he had no owner," Adrielle lied. Part of her deal for keeping Beacon was having a good and believable cover story for 'turning a stone dog into a real dog'. "He might look vicious but his bark is worse than his bite, and even that's not threatening. Beacon is the sweetest dog you'll ever meet."
"Strange, he looks just like the dog statues in the courtyard," Gwen remarked while approaching Beacon. She scratched behind his ear, causing the dog to wag his tail happily, creating a loud thumping sound to echo through the room.
"I know, weird isn't it," Adrielle said while keeping her eyes on the pillow where the magic book hid.
"So that's Merlin's bed, I take it?" Gwen asked nodding towards the other bed.
"Yes it is. It's weird, seeing it empty. It just doesn't feel right," Adrielle commented.
"It'll be okay, Adrielle. If any one can save Merlin its Arthur," Gwen said while placing a comforting hand on her friends shoulder.
"Everyone keeps telling me that, but it doesn't help me feel any better," Adrielle frowned with a sigh. "Anyway, make yourself at home. My house is your house."
Gwen smiled and offered a quick thank you for Adrielle's hospitality. Gwen took off her apron and draped it over the edge of the bed before crawling in.
"Goodnight, Adrielle," Gwen said before settling in.
"Goodnight, Gwen," Adrielle called before crawling into bed herself. Beacon stood up and walked down the bed and settled back in by Adrielle's feet. Adrielle pulled the book out from under her pillow and sat it in her lap. She browsed through the pages quietly, paranoid that the slightest noise would wake Gwen.
When Gwen's breathing had slowed and evened out, Adrielle realized she must finally be asleep. Adrielle placed her finger on the page and skimmed until she found the spell she was looking for.
"To Enhance a Potions Effects"
Adrielle grabbed the vial of sleeping draft and leaned over the book closer. She took a deep breath and concentrated on the words printed in front of her.
"Sythan," she whispered, still paranoid of waking Gwen at any moment. As she looked down at her vial she noticed no change. Over the years she had come to recognize when ever her magic had taken effect. The air around her felt different, almost charged with electricity, and she's could swear she saw the world painted in gold as her iris's changed colours for the brief moment. She felt disappointed when she hadn't felt any of that.
Adrielle wrapped her other hand around the one that held the small vial. She rolled her shoulders back and sat up a bit straighter. She inhaled, taking in a deeper breath than before, making sure never bone and muscle in her body was getting enough oxygen. She closed her eyes and concentrated hard on what she wanted to accomplish. As she breathed out she let the words of the incantation slip out as a barely audible whisper.
"Sythan."
Adrielle opened her eyes and looked down at the vial when she felt it begin to heat up in her hands. The potion was bubbling slightly before settling back down. She smiled to herself, sure that her spell had worked. She knocked back the potion in one gulp before creeping up and out of bed to place to book back in its hiding place. As she crawled back into bed, Adrielle swore she could feel the enhanced potion starting to take its effect. Her eyelids felt heavier than she could ever remember them being. Her blanket felt so warm as she pulled it over her and her pillow felt like a cloud as she laid her head down. The last thing Adrielle remembered before falling asleep was Beacon's warm body against her legs.