Chapter 22

"I miss Lancelot," I say, walking through the town with Castor who offered to accompany me. "He was a good man."

"He was," agrees Castor, "But he wasn't of noble blood."

I look at the knight, not thinking he cared about such a thing. "Does it matter to you whether they are of noble blood?"

He shakes his head, "No, but it's a part of the code and without the code then we wouldn't be any different from the guards." I gesture in understanding, picking out a dark blue cloth from a bunch at a stall. I wrap it around my head and mouth.

"Do I look mysterious?" I ask cheekily, wiggling my eyebrows. "Like I lure men to their deaths and they wouldn't even know what's coming?"

"You look like you're sick and trying to hide it." I huff, putting the cloth back down. "We're going to the tavern tonight. Arthur was supposed to come but he's off playing lovers with that Sofia girl."

"And you're only inviting me as a replacement? Rude but sure," I acquiesce. "And I know, Merlin had to cover for Arthur had he was thrown in the stocks again."

"Arthur has gone mad," he agrees. "How are those nightmares of yours going?"

I look at him in shock, not realising he knows I still have them. I told him of them months ago but never bought them back up. "How'd you know I am still having them?"

"Well, for one thing, I can hear you since my room is closest and you don't scream softly," I look down in embarrassment. "I'm a light sleeper. And secondly, I know you open our doors and look in. You go to Merlin's as well I assume since I don't hear you come back for a while." He pauses for a moment in thought. "What is it about Merlin that draws you to him so much?" he question is not an accusation, nor is he angry.

"I...I don't know. From the moment I met him I just felt drawn, like, I need to follow him and help him," I admit lowly. The knight sighs, squinting as he looks up into the sky.

"I know what you mean," is all he says, still looking up. "It's like your gut is just telling you to go to him. And invisible string," he laments.

"Yes," I say slowly. "That's…exactly how it feels. How did you know?"

"Because I feel it too." The childish features usually imprinted on his face are gone, replaced with that of a man. Aged lines on his forehead and crow's feet by his eyes. His eyes aged with experience. It's like I'm seeing this person for the first time. I tilt my head to the side, trying to understand why I'm seeing him like this or what changed in him. "I thought it was strange the first time I saw him but then I watch you, following him around like a lost child and I could tell that you felt it too."

"But why?" I cry, "Why do we both feel this way?"

"I don't know."

Just like the first time I ever came to the Tavern, it feels merry and alive. Men shout, clinking their drinks together as a man in the corner playing the lute loud and rather unwell. Some men shouted in anger, losing a gambling game and the women who are not as common as men, sat down together, drinking.

"Can't believe Arthur would miss this for love," I greet, rolling my eyes as someone nearly gets punched for spilling a drink.

"It's a pastime!" Torj cries out, throwing his drink into the air in celebration. I sit next to Leon at our usual table, not that we came here often but it still became our unspoken meeting area. The three knights are dressed in regular clothing, their shirts with the typical v-shaped neckline.

"I bet you ten gold coins he won't even remember her in a month," I declare to Torj. His brows perk up, always interest in gambling. He leans forward, eyes pinned on me.

"Let's make this interesting. I bet he will forget about Sofia and marry Morgana." The other two look between us, obviously interested. "Twenty gold coins." His puts his hand out for a deal. Unlike everybody else, I have a slight advantage here. Although the Arthurian legend is not something I studied, common knowledge is that Arthur marries Guinevere.

"Fine, then I bet Arthur will marry someone not of royal or noble blood. Thirty gold coins." I hold out my own hand. All three look at me intently.

"You know Arthur has to marry someone of high blood?" Castor asks.

I shrug, still holding out my hand. "Then I guess this is an easy win," I taunt. Torj smirks, placing his hand in mine.

"Deal lassie." I can't wait to wipe that look off his face. I'm just going to have to wait a few years to do it.

Pushing myself out from my seat I tell head over to the counter. "I'm going to go get a drink," I tell them. Striding up to the barman I hand over three silver coins. "Mead please." He takes the coins without a word, turning to fill up a tankard. I lean on the counter, looking back to the knights who are chatting away. I smile in content.

A man approaches the counter, leaning on it just as I am. His face is dirty, matching his dirty brown hair and peppered beard. He reeks of muck and oil, making me lean back in revolt. I turn back to the bar to ignore him but he steps closer to me.

"What's a pretty thing like you doing alone in a tavern?" he croaks, voice matching his appearance. I glance up at him then back to the bench.

"I'm not alone," I tell him, voice smooth and confident.

"They always say that," he chides, leaning closer. "They always lie."

I turn to look at him directly, dead in the eye. "And maybe there's a reason they tell you that," I snarl. The barman places my tankard on the counter. I reach to take it, my fingers wrapping around the handle when his hand shoots out, his grimy fingers wrapping around my wrist. "Let go."

"What did you say girlie?" he seethes. I try to pull my arm away but his grip tightens. I bite my lip to hold back my fear. I feel another presence behind me, their chest against my back. My body tense, thinking another of his buddies have come up behind me, a hand resting on my waist.

"I believe she said let go," the voice of Leon says, making me exhale in relief. The man's eyes look up at Leon, who is over a head taller and much more muscular. The grimy man lets go slowly, eyeing us both before sulking off into the crowd.

"Thanks," I swallow, turning around. Leon looks down at me, eyebrow raised as if asking if I'm ok, I nod, giving him a tight smile. His hand that was on my waist sinks down, taking my left hand while my right still holds my drink. He leads me back to our table, the other two muttering to each other as I slid in after Leon.

"What a git," Castor spits, turning his head to glare at the man. My hand is still tucked in Leon's resting by my leg under the table. My stomach flutters and neither of us make a move to let go. I agree, taking a sip of my drink.

"Let's enjoy the rest of our night," I declare, pushing the memory from everybody's mind which the readily agree to.

And we do enjoy our night, talking about Arthur's latest near-death experience, also how he risked his life to save Merlin.

"He'll drink it," Uther commands, gesturing to Merlin. My breath catches in my throat as I stare at the warlock.

"But if it's poisoned, he'll die," Arthur argues.

"Then we'll know he's telling the truth."

"And what if he lives?" Bayard inquires.

"Then you have my apologies, and you can do with him as you will," Uther offers.

"No!" I cry out, trying to pull Merlin back. "Let me drink it." Merlin shakes me off him, dismissing me.

"Uther please, he's just a boy. He doesn't know what he's saying," Gaius says as everybody ignores me.

"Then you should have schooled him better," the King counters. I snatch the goblet from Merlin's hands, not wanting anybody to drink it.

"Merlin, apologise. This is a mistake. I'll drink it," Arthur tiredly argues, trying to pull the goblet from my hands but I hold it close. "Elena, give it here."

"No," I sob. "I'm not letting either if you drink it. I will if I have to."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not letting you." He reaches for the drink again but I hold it out away from his reach. Another hand reaches out, this time from Merlin who snatches the goblet right out of my hands. He toasts to Bayard and Arthur, drinking it before I even realise what has happened. I step forward, standing in front of him wanting to rip it away from his lips but the drink has already been swallowed and all I can do is pray that for once, Merlin's words are not true.

"It's fine," he says, frowning at the cup. A hand goes to my mouth, covering it as I hold back tears in my stinging eyes.

"He's all yours."

Merlin's face torts into a grimace, his hand going to his throat, the goblet dropping from his hand.

"Merlin?"

He chokes, eyes fluttering close. As he begins to fall my arms go under his in an attempt to hold him up but the dead weight is heavier than expected and I fall to a kneel, his head against my chest. I lie him down as Arthur and Gaius crouch down.

"It's poisoned. Guards seize him."

"Merlin. Can you hear me?" Gaius says, tapping the boy's unresponsive cheek.

"Is he alive?" I ask, the tears I tried to hold back now on my face.

"Yes. We have to get him back to my chambers. Bring the goblet. I need to identify the poison."

I sit in the chair I pulled up next to Merlin. Arthur is supposed to be back but there has been no word of him. I bite my nail, a habit I never had until I had people nearly dying every day. Merlin's face looks feverish, mumbling a foreign language. He was talking to Arthur; we told Gwen it was nonsense. My head rests in my hand that is leaning against the bed.

"Where is he?" Gwen worries, pacing. I don't answer, watching Gaius inspect the warlock. I am at the point of accepting he is going to die and I've done nothing to prevent it. I could have gone with Arthur. I should have drunk the poison. I'm not even supposed to be alive in this time anyways.

The door opens, Torj coming in. The knight has grown fond of Merlin and Gaius. "I just saw Arthur being taken to the cells. He's under arrest."

"Under arrest?" I spit out, not believing the King would throw his own son in jail. "Did he have the flower?"

"I don't know."

My head falls to the bed, hiding my eyes under the cover of my arms. I try to hold my sob, but my chest heaves, unable to breathe.

"He hasn't got much longer."

If Arthur still has the flower then we need to get it. "I will go see him, I can sneak past the guards," I say, standing up, wiping my face.

Torj shakes his head. "No, if you get caught you'll be thrown in there with him."

"He's right," Gwen says. "I'm a maid, I have a better chance."

"How?"

"Even prisoners need to eat, especially the Prince," she says, a new motivation pumping through her face.

"Elena here was cursing Merlin more than Arthur does all week long," Torj teases, telling them of how I reacted when Merlin woke up. I giggle girlishly, leaning forward against the table. Leon's hand lets go of my left which is still under the table. My smile falters but returns as the hand reaches over my lower back to my waist now that I've created a gap between myself and the bench. My cheeks burn but I cover them with my now free hands. I don't dare turn to Leon but I feel his leg against mine.

"He deserved it. The idiot drank poison willingly," I defend, taking a sip of my nearly finished drink, as the knights laugh.

"Elena," Castor says, leaning forward like he is preparing to give a proposition.

"Castor," I say, mimicking his position.

"Take a ride with me tomorrow," he says, more of a demand than a request.

"A ride?" I remark, curiosity peaking. Leon's hand on my waist tightens but I ignore it as best I can. Which is not very well at all. "Where are we going?"

"Just into the forest. I want to show you something that I found."

Castor is being unusually cryptic but I agree to meet him at first light tomorrow. The night comes to an end on a happy note and I couldn't keep the smile off my face.