As Elaina had predicted in her expertise as a rider, getting to the inn had taken minutes to the outer circle. Especially since she hadn't bothered in letting merlin saddle a horse for himself and let him ride the second, which he would have to share on the way back to the castle with this Muirden.

simply dressed and a scarf around her head, people still recognised Elaina and begun flocking around her, so it was up to merlin to keep them at bay and not get in the young lady's way.

She was hit immediately by the smell of smoke, sweat, dog and ale. Her slippers sticking to the floorboards as she walked towards the inn keep. He had been snoring away on his bar, but with the chilly gust of wind that followed Elaina in, it startled him awake. He snorted and wiped his eyes to focus on her, then like the rest of the civilians, knew instantly who she was.

"Lady Elaina, this is an honour."

She cut him off from any further pleasantries, "you have a man staying here Muirden, which room is he in?"

He was too slow in his thinking, half asleep still it seemed. Elaina's face tightened to keep her anger from bursting forth and snatching his guest book from under him. She didn't want to be seen as rude, but if he only knew why she needed the man, he would hurry it up a little more.

"no need, I am right here."

In the far corner, the muirden was sitting. He still wore that pale purple cloak with a long-jewelled necklace hanging from his neck. A drink sat before him and a plate of untouched food, which he must have ordered as his breakfast, but Elaina did not care, she would compensate that and his whole stay in the inn if he would follow her.

" we met yesterday do you remember?"

Elaina swept to the end of the bar, not going too far from the door as everything was about time.

"how can I ever forget," he replied.

The left side of his face twitched into a smile, a fondness there Elaina thought but she put that aside, she couldn't get distracted by that right now.

"you said you can cure my sister. Then do it!" she pleaded.

He asked no further questions or showed distain for his treatment yesterday by Arthur. He politely stood and bowed to Elaina, proving a man of worth when many would have a bruised ego, for the dismissal by the prince.

"with pleasure, my Lady."

As Elaina had wanted, Arthur had already gotten Uther moving for the throne room, which the courtyard steps led into, so she, merlin and Muirden would be there ready for them.

She thanked the guard and ran with her skirts hoisted up, "quickly, follow me."

Merlin stayed behind to sort out the horses, so it was just she and Muirden. He did as she asked and did not have a problem or questioned why she was running. The situation was self-explanatory, for they would be desperate by now, for why else would they send for him.

Protocol would have the guards announce and open the doors for her, as a lady shouldn't lift a hand in mediocre tasks, but she had no time for that and flung them wide, so they didn't spring back, letting the king freely walk in without the trouble.

The best scenario was they would have already been here, but she led Muirden to the centre.

"I'm sorry," Elaina puffed, all out of breath "usually you get an introduction in behaviour, but as long as you bow before him, Uther should be satisfied enough with that."

He pulled a piece of parchment out from his sleeve; his credentials she guessed.

"of course, my lady."

Then for the first time, he removed his hood letting it fall upon his back.

Elaina gasped now she had full view of him in the light of the morning sun. She was right his hair was auburn, curled and scruffily styled from being under that hood for so long. Looking at it, she wanted to run her fingers through, to neaten it. something she had not wanted to do for someone in a long time but had been habit of hers with Edwin.

Slowly as he knew she was watching him; he flickered his eyes at her which were as calculating as a hawks, but it didn't unnerve her. They suggested he carried a lot of knowledge and he rarely took things for face value, reading into every little detail of all that was around him, including her it seems.

Elaina didn't shy away. If he wanted to evaluate her, she would let him and see what his findings were later if all ends well. God knows he was owed judging people, for all he must endure by them. Funny, she almost forgot about the scars on his face though they were his most prominent feature.

His back was slunk forward with poor posture and a yellowness to his skin and he was quite gaunt from poor nutrition, which was odd from a physician, but an educated man can still live-in poverty. He was slightly freckled beneath the eyes and hands, where a ring adorned one pinkie finger. He wasn't traditionally handsome like Arthur. He would be an acquired taste as there was some attractiveness there even with the hooked nose, which for instance Elaina saw, but her sister would question.

They were interrupted when the king finally waltzed in with Gaius and Arthur and Muirden bent to one knee holding up the paper for the king to take, as she had recommended .

Arthur led Elaina away from the man, to take her place next to him while Uther sat on the throne.

"are you ok, you seemed flushed," he whispered in Elaina's ear.

Her hand flew to her cheek and she could feel the warmth there, "it's from all the rushing around."

Which was possibly true, but for all she knew it could have been a reaction to the man she had been admittedly ogling like a fool

Never the matter, she shook her head to collect herself and listened in on what was going on.

"Muirden sire, physician and loyal servant."

Loyalty was the best way to get Uther to warm up to a person and he welcomed him to Camelot, quickly glancing at the paper to make sure he wasn't letting just anyone into his home.

Normally a council member would have done this to a guest, with strict analyses before anyone had a shot of getting anywhere near the king. one mishap or poor conduct, even the blur of ink was enough to send them packing. Of course, there wasn't time for that. A decision had to be made now, if he was to tend to morgana or not.

"have we met before?" Gaius asked of the man.

Muirden just smirked amusingly, "I doubt you would forget a face like mine, sir."

Elaina winced at the awkwardness and pardoned Gaius for his old age, as the elderly rarely thought before blurting something out and that seemingly applied to him to. However, she was intrigued that he had the same response as she had with the man; recognition. But Gaius had never known the person Elaina found similarities of Muirden in, so it sort of solidified that maybe he was just one of those people with, despite the burns, a common face.

"do you really believe you have a remedy?" Uther asked, getting to the point of the meeting which Elaina appreciated. Formalities could surely wait.

Muirden swept his cloak back as he walked, "there are not many ills I have not seen and successfully treated, sire. So when I heard of the lady morgana's sickness, I felt honour bound to offer my services."

In the shadow's merlin emerged, not to interrupt things.

"you say you have a cure for all; an antidote for everything?" there was scepticism oozing out of Gaius voice that couldn't be mistaken for anything else but disbelief.

everyone felt it, but didn't have a sound knowledge in healing like gains, so where the royal's and Elaina were willing to listen to Muirden, with nothing to compare it to, Gaius had all his books and experience to weigh against such a notion.

It made Muirden nervous. Elaina wondered how many times he had made this claim and been laughed at, which may be why no one has heard of him until now. he hadn't had the chance to prove it maybe or has had a knock at his confidence by the lack of belief.

"Yes. Although it is not quite as simple as all that."

It must have been that Muirden did not know why the elderly man was among the group, perhaps an advisor he thought, so had tried to brush him under the carpet, for how would he possibly understand the logic in such a thing being capable.

However, Uther set him straight, "Gaius is the court physician."

Muirden soon changed his attitude towards Gaius as he was a notable figure among the healers, and you couldn't possibly be a credible one if you had not heard of the man.

"you are indeed a legend, sir. I am delighted to meet you."

Elaina, Arthur and merlin groaned, since flattery didn't win with Gaius and would far lower his opinion of the man, than win it over.

Elaina really didn't know how this was going to go, but she was prepared to sneak him in to see morgana if this all failed. She was pretty sure Arthur and merlin would help her to do so, because she actually wouldn't give them an option.

"I am curious to know what it is that has affected her."

Curious, Elaina thought. That he would know morgana was ill but not what from.

"an infection of the brain," the physician replied, the very same thing he has stuck by all this time.

Imagine such a thing being possible; an infection of the brain. It made Elaina shiver at the terribleness of it. now she worried with the reminder that if morgana did pull through, would it have an effect on her mind?

"and your treatment?" Muirden enquired, which was fair enough, if he was to limit his treatment down to the mysterious cure.

"yarrow…" Gaius started, clearly annoyed that he had to validate himself to the man before him, who nodded in agreement.

"…rosemary to stimulate cerebral circulation."

Those words were a muddle to Elaina and most present, but Muirden seemed to understand them better. She nor Arthur couldn't even begin to guess what cerebral circulation meant.

He pursed his lips, "interesting."

"why?"

Arthur uncrossed his arms and demanded to know why he didn't seem inspired, with some of the responses he made at Gaius's medicinal uses of the herbs. At the time, Elaina had agreed with them, but now Muirden was making her doubt herself as well. She didn't exactly have a full understanding of her gift.

"no, no, no that is all fine. All good. If that is the right diagnosis."

No one had questioned Gaius on it. everyone took what he diagnosed as valid, because what did they know? It was his job and life's work to save people's lives, so the only one who had a fighting chance of being any good at it.

If Elaina did have to guess, she probably would agree with it concerning the brain, since physically morgana was fine, only for not being able to wake and, it was like she could feel the vibrations of the illness emanating from there.

Damn it. had she been tutored on what it is to be a grimoire, she could have had all this sorted in no time. Sensations and feelings did no one any good. She was useless and found the gift pointless if she couldn't do anything with it for even morgana's sake.

"what would your diagnosis be?" Uther pressed.

"well…without seeing the patient."

This was the moment elaina had been waiting for and she held her breath in anticipation of whether Uther would allow Muirden to see Morgana.

she nudged Arthur's rib with her elbow, him letting out a silent cry then seeing why she was doing it, cleared his throat to sound manly and said, "he should examine her."

"I would need my equipment."

Makes sense, the jumble in items Gaius has for his practice was extraordinary, with everything having a purpose and without liking Muirden he was hardly going to want to share them.

"of course, you'll have use of one of the guest chambers."

elaina's heart skipped a beat with this newfound hope and smiled over at merlin, getting ahead of herself really, but at least this was trying everything they could for morgana's sake.

Merlin put his thumbs up at her, getting caught by Arthur who rolled his eyes, "you can consider my man servant at your disposal."

There was nothing that Arthur loved more than increasing merlin's workload.

"I will start work immediately."

While they did what they needed to do, Elaina ran to her sisters' room having been parted for too long. Nothing had changed, she was still laying cold on her bed, with Gwen there in Elaina's absence.

"well?" the handmaid asked.

Elaina went and kissed morgana's head, talking to her as much as Gwen, "the king has allowed Muirden to treat morgana. Who knows; this may work."

Gwen gasped happily and was smiling seeing the first hint of Elaina than she had since morgana fell ill. Her faith was contagious and with a prey, she begged for it to be true. That morgana would stand again, and she would have both her ladies back.

"Elaina, don't get ahead of yourself."

Arthur was leaning on the wall, having followed her into the room unnoticed until he decided he just had to open that mouth of his.

Gwen tilted her head down as a mark of respect for the prince, but Elaina glared at him, "trust you to spoil the optimism. You want this to work as much as I do!"

He sneered, "well of course, but I'm not going to make myself delusional."

Just then the king and Gaius walked in, which was lucky for Arthur because Elaina had been under enough stress as of late, that nothing would make her hesitate in strangling someone, if they pushed her too far. Arthur has always been her prime victim for that. She would manage it too, for she doubted Gwen would have the strength to pull her off.

"you better be behaving," Uther scolded, though he always gave the warning to Arthur and Elaina, whenever there was someone new around, less they embarrass him heaven forbid. Granted they weren't children anymore, they just brought it out in one another, like a brother and sister would.

Elaina and morgana never so much as bickered. They had always got on without issue which had been a pleasure for their father to watch. As Elaina would sometimes act like a 'mother hen' he once said, needing to know at all times where morgana was and if she was well. If both stayed together, he never worried about them as he was certain they would stick by each other's side through thick and thin. And so, they have; his death only bringing them closer together when that would have had the power to tear them apart with grief.

"put my equipment over there."

Muirden entered with merlin carrying a few boxes, piled up on one another. Curiously the whole room wanted to know what was in them, but they were sealed shut.

"sire, I would be grateful if you could have everyone leave the room. I require peace and privacy."

His request for a moment didn't sit well with Elaina. Gaius never made her leave morgana and had promoted the idea that her closeness would only do her sister good, that she may be able to feel and hear her, helping the healing process. She had been gone already from morgana's bedside; she didn't want to go again out of her own selfish needs to keep her face in view.

"certainly."

Uther lifted a hand and made Arthur leave, not thinking to do the same with Elaina, as he assumed, she would leave because Muirden asked and he rather not command her as he suspected she would make a scene.

"that includes you Gaius."

Surprisingly, Muirden didn't even make him an exception though he might have come in handy with whatever he was planning on doing. He must be a master at the craft without the assistance then, or maybe he worried somehow Gaius would take this grand invention for himself, so Muirden was protective of it.

"but I am eager to learn from your methods," Gaius tried to defend himself.

"now is not the time for giving instruction. I will need all my concentration."

Uther agreed and had the old man exit, so it was just Elaina now, who he watched closely for a sign she wouldn't move and he's need to demand that she did. He came close, but Arthur stopped him, seeing that she was visibly upset, and Uther would not help the situation in starting a row with her.

Elaina hadn't even felt the onset of the tears, but they did fall, landing on morgana's sweet face, creating pools. Elaina again planted a lingering kiss on her sisters' hand and bravely walked away.

Before she left however, Elaina gently grabbed muirden's wrist. He sucked in a breath at the contact following the trail of her arm to her watery eyes, seeing in them, a full display of the depths of her despair and love for her sister.

"save her, please," she begged.

Muirden lingered in the spot that the lady had boldly reached for him. The impression of her hand still felt on his skin, even through the cloth of his sleeve. She smelt differently than she had when he knew her last. Her nobility and status in the castle elevating her to best of perfumes, though she stuck with floral scents he was glad to say. Lavender and rose always reminded him of her and at the slightest whiff, he had always managed to conjure her form before him.

Even in the midst of raw emotion, she was still stunningly beautiful. Though he would say he would prefer seeing her smile once more, because he hadn't yet seen her do so. But this was all part of the process and soon he would make it so that she never cried again. That her happiness is what he will strive to achieve everyday he is with her, determined nothing will tear them apart again.

It had gladdened him to see that she recognised him after all this time. He had known it on their first meeting, hesitant to allow her to continue in confirming her suspicions, as he was working under an alias for now and didn't want to give away his identity straight away. The aspect that she believed he was dead helped.

So, for now, the best place to start was to get his beetle out of her sister's ear, so he is seen the hero and permitted to stay close to Elaina.