Chapter 26 Early Signs of Mordred's Destiny
Merlin proceeded to finish packing everything that Arthur would need, his thoughts a muddle of confused and fearful worries running amok in his mind. He tried to behave normally but could feel beads of sweat forming on his brow. Fortunately, the King and his knights were all too busy moving Arthur from his bed to notice Merlin's discomfort. The young Prince had woken up and was valiantly trying to assist his helpers, but only succeeded in being more of a hindrance than a help.
"Arthur!" the King commanded in a stern voice. "Just be still and let the knights move you onto the stretcher. You're only making things worse so just relax. You're obviously still groggy from Gaius' potions."
With an expression torn between hurt and embarrassment, Arthur let himself be lifted by the Knights. He didn't reply but his tightly-drawn lips spoke volumes. His father chose to ignore it.
Gaius walked over to check the contents of the cloth sack that Merlin had just finished packing to check if he had everything. He was relieved to see that everything that should be in the bag was there. He stared pointedly at Merlin, his gaze asking a silent question Are you alright? Merlin nodded awkwardly, aware that he couldn't fool his mentor. His eyes, however, told a different story, pleading with Gaius not to say anything yet. He was relieved when he saw understanding light up in Gaius' eyes.
The King's knights worked quickly, but gently with the Prince. Soon they were ready to leave with the King and Gaius leading the solemn procession and Merlin bringing up the rear. Palace staff they met along the way moved quickly out of the way, but cast sympathetic glances as Arthur was moved past them. Everyone in the Palace had been extremely upset over what their King had done to the Crown Prince. They were also very afraid of the King, not being privy to the knowledge that he had been manipulated by magic.
Some of them had lost family members and friends who had valiantly rallied to Arthur's aid ... all in vain. There were families who had decided they could no longer bear to be in a kingdom where the ruler could turn so ruthlessly and viciously against his people for no real crime, other than trying to save their Prince from a cruel punishment. The staff numbers in the Palace were definitely diminished as a consequence of what had happened to Arthur.
The King would have to rebuild his people's confidence and loyalty back because he had shattered their trust and belief in him with his monstrous actions. The tension in the air was tight, as was the coolness in the corridors that appeared to match the demeanour of staff that the small group encountered. No word was exchanged but there was an uneasy mistrust riding in the air as they walked along. Only the King failed to perceive this, fooling himself into believing that everything was back to normal. It wasn't normal at all, nor would it ever be again.
Upon arriving at Arthur's chambers, the door was already open and a cool air greeted the small group from the far windows that had been thrown open. The scent of fresh flowers was in the air and the room was newly cleaned and dusted. Standing to one side of the table was the Lady Morgana, flanked by her new maid on her left and Mordred on her right.
Merlin automatically tensed when he saw the welcoming committee, though not one of the three people waiting in Arthur's room even spared him a glance. Their eyes were riveted on the Prince's relaxed form as the King's knights carried him in. Gaius wore a bland expression when he saw Morgana and Mordred, but his eyes sparkled with suspicion. The King and Arthur greeted the two enthusiastically, both of them oblivious to the knowledge that Merlin and Gaius had concerning their dubious activities.
Merlin seethed at the way Morgana gushed over Arthur and the look on his face earned him a hard prod in his side by Gaius. The look on his mentor's face spoke volumes. The young warlock carefully rearranged his features into a bland expression with the hint of a smile; his eyes however, had turned to a hard gray with no warmth whatsoever reflected in them.
Mordred hovered in the background, a tense expression on his face. He looked strained and uncomfortable in the King's presence, as if he would turn and run like a hare if given half a chance. His demeanour was a far cry from the confident young boy who had propositioned Arthur with an offer of magical healing.
Merlin tried to remember that Mordred was still just a young boy and could not be expected to behave any differently than other young boys. The only difference was that Mordred wielded a great and terrible power, the limits of which could only be guessed at, for one so young. What he would grow up to become filled Merlin with a growing sense of doom. He definitely had to take time to visit Kilgarrah and try and get more information out of him about Mordred.
The knights laid Arthur on his bed despite his protests, under Gaius' watchful eye and the King talked with Morgana in a hushed voice. Merlin busied himself setting the medications on the tall chest of drawers in readiness for Arthur's treatment, his senses alert to the presence of Mordred. In his heart Merlin knew that the dragon's words were truth about Mordred, but he also knew that he could never kill the boy in cold blood. He wasn't ready to become a murderer. Yet somewhere deep down in his soul Merlin knew that one day he might have to change that attitude in order to protect the future King and this knowledge filled him with great dread.
The cool late afternoon air began to permeate the room as the Sun slowly moved towards the horizon. Evening insects seeking warm, human blood began to buzz noisily outside the window and Merlin moved instinctively to shut them out. An insect-bitten Arthur was an unhappy Arthur and sometimes he took his ill humour out on his servant. Merlin shared a secret smile at the thought that things would change. He would make sure of that and remind Arthur of his promise to be less ... physical with him when he was annoyed.
Arthur had just been settled comfortably with Merlin's help when the door opened and Arthur's knights, Leon, Gawaine and Percival walked in. They startled when they saw the king and his knights standing to one side but Uther merely nodded his assent and jerked his head towards his son. Morgana's face tightened as the three visitors were boisterously and enthusiastically greeted by their Crown Prince. Mordred looked decidedly uncomfortable at all the knights now in Arthur's room, wedging himself tight against Morgana's side.
The King smiled indulgently at his son's antics and walked over to Merlin. "You may leave now, Merlin. I'm grateful for all Gaius told me you have done. You deserve this time off. Make the most of it because you may not get any more free time for awhile."
He walked over to his son while the knights waited by the door and exchanged a few words with him and his knights. Then he smiled broadly and nodding at Gaius and Morgana, took his leave of Arthur's chambers. When the door closed behind the King and his knights, Merlin forced a large smile on his face which didn't reach his eyes and exchanged a glance with Gaius.
Despite the sudden heaviness in his heart at being dismissed so soon, Merlin put a brave face on it as he walked over to Arthur. The banter was in full swing and he waited awhile until he caught Arthur's eye. The young prince raised his hand to ask for quiet from his knights as he saw past the cheesy grin on Merlin's face, to the tightness around his eyes.
"What is it?" Arthur asked Merlin trying to send the younger man, a deeper concern in his brilliant blue eyes than conveyed by the slightly bored expression he wore.
Merlin's responding grin that split his face from ear to ear fooled everyone except the Prince ... and Gaius. "The King has given me the evening and tomorrow off! As a reward for my loyal services and dedication to you. He's giving you one of his servants for the evening."
Arthur's grin faltered slightly, but only Merlin saw that. "Well ... about time you had some time off, Merlin. You deserve it. Just ... just don't come back hung over! Or I'll work you harder than you've ever been worked before. Be warned!"
Gawaine immediately jumped in. "Good! You can join us tonight at the tavern and we can see how much you can drink before you get rolling drunk!" Leon and Percival laughed and Arthur grinned at Merlin.
Leon added "But you'll have to make up for the absence of Elyon and drink his share, Merlin! We're going to insist on that! Gawaine is making up for Lancelot."
"Just make sure you look after my servant properly!" Arthur said in a mocking tone. "I want him ready to resume his normal duties in a fit state."
Gawaine grinned at Arthur and said in a quiet voice, "Of course, Princess! We'll even wrap him up in baby's blankets if you like. Of course, it might hinder his progress with the tavern wenches a bit, but I'm sure he'll work something out."
A mock frown accompanied Arthur's teasing voice, "Gawaine! I don't want you leading my servant down the road of perdition that you travel on! Leon! Percival! See to it that Merlin stays on the straight and narrow."
Merlin rolled his eyes in exasperation and waved his hands in front of him. "Hello! I'm standing right here, you know! Capable of speaking for myself and more than capable of looking after myself tonight! I will join you all at the tavern this evening. I have a few personal errands to run after dinner so I'll be a bit late. Save some of the fun for me!"
With a quick toss of his head, Merlin left the knights to continue their banter with Arthur. By this time, Gaius had moved by Morgana and Mordred and the three of them stood together talking quietly. Merlin nodded to acknowledge Lady Morgana and gave a stiff nod to Mordred. Gaius turned to face his young charge. "You're off now, Merlin. Alright, enjoy yourself and make the most of this break. You don't know when you'll be given another opportunity. Will you be in for supper?"
Merlin replied, "I'll be a bit late back from my errands so save me some." Then he turned and walked out the door and headed for his chambers. He needed to pack a few vials from Gaius' shelves in a small rucksack before heading out of Camelot for the town.
He sauntered out of the castle with a seemingly carefree air, but Merlin's stomach was tense and tight. He hated leaving Arthur alone with Morgana and Mordred but he couldn't do anything immediately, only prepare for his return to Arthur's chambers later that night. At least the King's servant would also be in attendance and would be spending the night in Arthur's chambers.
When he reached the town, Merlin sought a quiet place where he could mix the sleeping draught for the guards whom the King had ordered be placed at Arthur's door. He would need two draughts as one was required for the King's manservant who would be in Arthur's chambers, sleeping in the small alcove to the side of the main room.
Slipping through the narrow walkways of the town, he headed for Gwen's house. A sharp pang of guilt stabbed at him, but he brushed it aside with the rationale that his former best friend would approve of his efforts to save Arthur. He knew that her father would still be hard at work at his anvil with his apprentice. Just to make sure, he wandered casually towards the blacksmith's shop, the ringing sound of hammer on steel beating out a familiar tattoo. He glanced in, carefully not to be seen by Tom as he did not want to attract his attention.
Satisfied that Tom would be a long time working, Merlin headed towards Gwen's home. Standing at her door, he slipped a slim lock-pick out of one of his many pockets, pretended to be his usual clumsy self having trouble opening the door with a key. A few seconds later and the familiar click sounded softly in his ears. He quickly opened the door and stepped inside.
There was a dank dustiness prevalent in Gwen's former home and it had lost it's sheen of cleanliness, order and feminine touches. A deep sadness filled him momentarily as he remembered happier times he had spent here with Gwen. Only the areas around the kitchen and sleeping area were free of dust. Signs of hastily prepared meals condusive with a single man now living on his own, added to the tragedy of the scene.
Moving slowly to the table, he sat down and pulled the two vials out of a pocket. He worked quickly and efficiently having long ago mastered the technique for mixing this particular potion. He had used it many times in the past to disable certain 'undesirables' in order to protect Arthur. When he had finished mixing the potion, he stoppered the two vials carefully and placed them securely back in his pocket. Stepping towards the window, he peered out cautiously. It probably wouldn't be good if he was seen by any of Gwen's friends to be coming out of her home.
The grapevine would have been working overtime trying to figure out why Gwen had just up and left Camelot so suddenly, accompanied by several knights and the king's manservant. Coupled with that was the fact that the Crown Prince had been mercilessly flogged and innocent people jailed for trying to save him. Merlin knew that Gwen's more astute friends would have put two and two together. It would be best that he was not seen to be leaving Gwen's home so he would abide his time when there weren't so many people walking past.
Merlin wandered over to a small shelf and looked at the dusty old books there, skimming over the titles with an easy speed born of long hours spent in the library looking for books for Gaius. Most of them were concerning metals, tools and the art of blacksmiths. He was puzzled to see several books on the art of swordmaking. He had never realised that Tom also made swords and realised that he probably did so because many people couldn't afford weapons from the Royal Swordsmith. Merlin tucked that piece of information carefully away at the back of his mind.
His eyes wandered carefully around the room searching the nooks and crannies as he moved about. There was no evidence of any swords in sight. Merlin wondered if Tom kept his swords locked up in one of his cabinets in his workshop. It made sense rather than leaving them lying around his home. Deciding there was no point searching for something that probably wasn't even there, Merlin moved towards the window. As he had surmised earlier, the volume of foot traffic had decreased. He tarried awhile longer before leaving Gwen's home, the heaviness of her forced departure still weighing on his heart.
Despite the fact that Merlin was a rival for Arthur's affections, he still missed his good friend and hoped that life would treat her more kindly. He also hoped that Lancelot would win her heart again and that they could find true love and happiness together.
Before leaving he decided to search one more time. This time as he searched under the bed Tom slept in, he decided to investigate the pile on rags that he had dismissed earlier. A closer search revealed that it was good cloth, not rags, wound closely around a long, thin object. Excitedly, Merlin carefully pulled it from its dusty home, coughing slightly at the dust storm he had stirred up. He pinched his nose to stop a noisy sneeze from erupting. Lifting the bundle up, he laid it on the bed knowing exactly what the cloth held. A sword.
Sitting down on the bed, he carefully unwound the cloth, taking special note of exactly how the sword had been bound so that he could wrap it again properly. His breath stopped in his throat as he pulled the sword clear of its wrapping. A strong tingling ran through his body as his magic reacted to it. He stood up, testing the weight of the sword and feeling the near perfect balance. It was magnificent. Better than anything the Royal Swordsmith could produce. Merlin whistled in appreciation.
This was the kind of sword meant for a King. But not Uther. A sword meant for Arthur. Merlin just knew the moment he held that sword that he would have to somehow acquire it for the Prince one day. He knew it was meant to be for Arthur, even if Tom had not intended it for him or any member of the Royal family. Merlin hoped that it wasn't on order for someone and would soon disappear. Feeling a bit guilty at what he was about to do, he whispered an incantation to guard the sword against going into someone else's possession. He couldn't let that happen.
For now, it would need to go back to its sanctuary under the bed. Reluctantly Merlin sat back down. Realising the breathtaking wonder of the sword had made him forget completely how it had been wrapped, Merlin used his magic instead to rewrap it and let it hover down to the exact place he had found it. Then he got up and walked over to the window.
Merlin stood just behind the flimsy curtain staring out on the narrow street. The foot traffic had dwindled considerably as people finished their daily work at their trades or the market and headed home for a well-earned meal. When there was obviously no sign of anyone, Merlin ducked out the door and carefully locked it behind him.
He was just rounding the corner at the end of the street, when he spied Tom returning home from his day at the anvil. Merlin ducked into a recess and watched as the blacksmith walked past. He noticed the bowed shoulders which were uncharacteristic and realised that the man was obviously suffering greatly from the events that had led to his daughter fleeing Camelot. Merlin's heart went out to the big man at the loss of Guinevere. Soon, Elyan would return but it was unlikely that Guinevere would. He hoped Gwen and Lancelot settled down and then sent word to Tom so that at least, he could visit them.
He moved back onto the street and picked up the pace as dusk began to deepen and shadows lengthened along the streets and across the dwellings. Lanterns and candles in sconces were being lit and the varied aromas of simple meals being cooked began to fill the air. Merlin spared a painful thought at not being with Arthur to share his evening with him, serving him his dinner. He swallowed down the bile that threatened to rise in his throat at the thought of Morgana and Mordred fawning over Arthur. At least the King's servant who would actually be serving Arthur would temper any actions by Morgana and Mordred by his presence.
Merlin steeled himself for the evening ahead and headed for his chambers. He needed to eat before visiting Kilgarrah, then he would head for an hour at the tavern with Gawaine and Leon before returning to the castle and surreptitiously visiting Arthur. Upon entering his chambers, Merlin was greeted by the sight of Percival being treated for a wound by Gaius. It obviously wasn't too serious as he sat on the bench watching intently as Gaius spread some cream over it. Both men looked up when Merlin entered.
"Training too hard, Percival, someone stick a hole in you?" Merlin asked in a cocky manner, a grin lighting up his face. The big knight rolled his eyes good-naturedly and shook his head. "No, it's a skin ailment that comes and goes. Not serious, but very itchy and annoying particularly when I'm sweating in my armour."
Gaius cocked an eyebrow and spoke in a slightly teasing voice "And your hasty diagnosis, Merlin, is the reason you will never make a good physician. A good assistant and helper, yes, but a real physician? I'm afraid not."
His mentor's words stung Merlin's pride. He knew that he wasn't anywhere near as skilled as Gaius in the healing arts, nor in healing magic; but he had at least thought he was progressing in this field. He felt sure that if he had the time to really focus on the art of healing, he would be ... alright. Never as good as Gaius, perhaps, but at least passable as a physician.
He quickly changed the subject. "Any supper left?" he asked. Gaius nodded and said. "Bread, cheese and fruit tonight. I've been busy so no time to cook. Help yourself."
Merlin followed his directions, finding he had more of an appetite than he realised. He then washed it down with a tumbler of water, not wanting to waste time making tea. By the time he had eaten his fill, Gaius had finished tending Percival. He shooed the large man out of his room with a pot of skin cream and instructions on its use.
Before leaving the room, Percival nodded to Merlin and said "See you soon at the Tavern, Merlin. And bring your drinking boots."
Merlin grinned at the big man and nodded enthusiastically. An hour or so spent in the convivial company of his friends was welcome. He knew well enough how to appear to drink a lot, but he would use his magic to nullify the usual effects. Then he would beg overindulgence and take his leave of them. He was a bit regretful that he couldn't really let his hair down tonight, but at least no-one would be expecting him to turn up in Arthur's chambers. Least of all, the Prince himself.
Gaius got a parting shot at Percival. "Mind you don't let him get drunk because I don't want to be awakened out of a sound sleep by a stumbling, sodden assistant. And take care of that arm because if your drunken reveries this evening make your rash any worse, I won't be treating you."
Percival grimaced at Gaius but shook his head reluctantly in agreement. As the door closed behind the big knight, Gaius came and stood in front of Merlin, his casual demeanour instantly gone. Merlin tensed in anticipation, wondering what had caused the sudden change in Gaius.
"Merlin!" Gaius began in earnest. "I hope you won't let yourself get drunk tonight because I believe you really do need to protect Arthur tonight. I lingered awhile after you left, then returned here. Something just didn't feel right to me about Mordred when I had left Arthur's chambers. So on the pretext of giving Arthur a stronger medication to soothe him through the night, I returned to his chambers. And not a moment too soon. Morgana was about to give him a potion that I had not prescribed. She was very startled to see me back and not happy when I strode over to Arthur's bedside to examine the strange potion. I took it from her and kept it in my hand. Mordred wouldn't even look me in the eye."
"Anyway, I took over and produced the slightly stronger pain relief for him to get through the night more comfortably. It wasn't until Arthur asked me what was wrong with the original potion I had made that Morgana had been about to give him, that I realised how I would have been implicated in anything that may have happened to Arthur overnight. I passed his concern off telling him that I had concocted a better potion. I stayed there until he swallowed it down, and pocketed their potion."
"Morgana looked nervous and said that after such a lovely evening, she really needed to retire and allow Arthur to rest peacefully. Grabbing Mordred's hand she led him to the door but not before the little imp took the opportunity to glare at me."
"I haven't had a chance to check the ingredients yet because as soon as I arrived back to my chambers, Sir Percival was at my door. Now's our chance Merlin. Bring an extra light over to the table. I need to find out what is in this potion."
Merlin's brow furrowed in a deep frown. "Thank goodness you went back, Gaius! Do you think they were trying to poison him? If they were, we'd have to bring it to the King. He would have to act."
Gaius shook his head decisively as he unstoppered the vial in his hand. "No, I don't think they were trying to poison him. I got a chance to have a quick sniff and there seemed to be no evidence of substances normally used for that purpose. I think, rather, that it is some kind of healing potion that Mordred mentioned earlier."
Gaius motioned Merlin for silence just as the young warlock had been about to respond to him. He worked quickly and efficiently heating a small quantity over a small burner which produced a slightly sweet odour in the air.
After ten minutes of various tests with Merlin assisting at times, Gaius sighed with relief. "Definitely not poison, Merlin. But it does remind me of the healing potions made with the help of old magic. I need to test it out. Grab that knife over there and give yourself a small cut on your finger. I want to see if my theory is correct that the potion is designed to heal scars."
Merlin looked askance at Gaius. "Why can't you just give yourself a small cut on your finger? Why does it have to be me?"
Gaius looked up from the bench and just glared at Merlin, not bothering to speak. Merlin tsked quietly and did what Gaius had asked. A few drops of blood oozed out of the small cut.
"Just open it a little, Merlin, to make a small scar and then use your magic to stem the blood flow. Don't heal yourself completely!" Gaius directed. The young warlock duly complied rolling his eyes at Gaius. The physician then poured a few drops on a teaspoon and bade Merlin drink it. Within a few seconds of taking the potion, the small cut closed and healed completely before their eyes.
Both men's eyes filled with anger at this discovery. Merlin burst out "Mordred defied Arthur's wishes and tried to give him the healing potion anyway! Arthur wouldn't find out until he woke up in the morning and he found his scars healed."
Gaius huffed loudly before he responded in a tight tone. "And Morgana and Mordred tried to pass it off as one of my potions so that if the King found out, he would accuse me of using sorcery on his son! He knows I practised magic before the Great Purge so naturally, I would be the first to be blamed!"
Merlin frowned. "I can't think why they would want to implicate you, Gaius. It doesn't make any sense. Why would they do that knowing that we know whose behind it? And the King would be more inclined to believe your word over Mordred's. Doesn't he realise he risks his life with these actions?"
Gaius' brow furrowed deeply. "I can't answer that, but I'm absolutely livid, Merlin and I'm worried about Mordred's power. If he could create that kind of potion, he's very powerful indeed for one so young. I dare not confront him directly, but I really want to confront Morgana. She places herself in unknown danger befriending the young druid. I need to warn her, but I'll have to think of a way of doing it without her getting upset. Only you, Merlin, can deal with the druid boy, but be very careful. The sooner he's out of Camelot, the better!"
"I need to consult with Kilgarrah before I go to Arthur's chambers" Merlin exclaimed, the fire of determination alight in his eyes. He turned and headed immediately for the door, his anger expressed in the tightness of his shoulders and the set of his jaw.
"Be careful, Merlin. Mordred is dangerous and we know now that we can't trust his word. I'll see Morgana in the morning." Merlin nodded without turning around and headed quickly out the door. He decided to quickly check in on Arthur before he visited the dragon.
Turning the corner to the corridor leading to Arthur's chambers, his breath caught in his throat at the sight in front of him. The three guards outside Arthur's door were slumped on the ground unconscious. He was about to run straight to Arthur's door, when a familiar click echoed in the corridor. Instinctively, Merlin moved back into a dark recess, pulling his thin body tight against the wall.
He allowed himself a small peek and the unexpected sight that greeted him, made his breath catch in his throat and his heart begun to thud rapidly in his chest. Slipping quietly out of the door in a dark cloak, was the small figure of Mordred. Despite the temptation to confront the young druid boy immediately, Merlin restrained himself enough to realise that Arthur was his priority.
He watched the young druid boy pass by his hiding spot, oblivious to his presence. After Mordred turned the corner, Merlin quickly darted over to the door and opened it. Stepping quickly inside, Merlin closed the door softly, then ran in the darkened room towards Arthur, all concern for the King's manservant sleeping nearby, lost in his panic to see what Mordred had done to Arthur.
Using magic to create a small light to see better, Merlin moved his hand toward Arthur's face. The sight of Arthur's very pale face and unusually still posture in bed, caused Merlin's blood to turn to ice. He looked as if he was dead. Moving a shaking hand carefully out to towards Arthur's mouth, a wave of relief washed over him as he felt a breath escape Arthur's lips.
That relief was shortlived however, when he placed a gentle finger to Arthur's neck pulse and found it to be weaker than it should be. Something was wrong. This wasn't the work of Gaius' potion. Whispering an incantation, Merlin's eyes flashed gold and he realised that Mordred had done something to Arthur. Something magical.
Resisting the urge to scream out his frustration or to go storming through to Morgana's chambers and confront the druid boy once and for all, he moved quickly away from Arthur's bed and headed back to the door. He needed Gaius. He couldn't tell what Mordred had done but he needed to find out quickly. Arthur's life could very well depend on it.