Those two kisses started something I could never reverse. They became a fixed point in my life. Nothing was really the same after that, yes Arthur, Gwen, Morgana and Merlin returned to Camelot. But life in Ealdor had become unsettled, mother began to worry that I wasn't safe anymore and the villagers had become very paranoid after Kenan's attack. So, one seemingly ordinary day, mother told me to join my brother in Camelot and study medicine with Gaius. I don't think I've ever been more excited; freedom, real freedom, at last.
Although saying goodbye was hard, it felt like a good thing. As I walked away from the village that had been my entire life, I felt a sense of peace. Ealdor would always be my home but I was ready to leave.
I took nearly two days of walking to reach Camelot. But when I finally did, I was greeted with the magnificent image of the castle surrounded by forests. Getting ever closer, the sounds of the people cheerily going about their daily business, reached my ears. I walked through the lower town admiring the stalls full of food, jewellery and fabrics. I walked past the guards stationed at the entrance to the citadel. I walked into the courtyard, just in time to see Merlin heading up the steps into the palace.
"Merlin." I called out to him. He whipped round so fast he nearly lost his balance.
"Lilia!" The grin the spread across his face when he saw me was one of utter delight. He rushed towards me and pulled me into a tight embrace. "It's been too long, little sister."
"A year isn't that long." I retorted smiling.
"A lot has happened in that year though." He said with a look of distress which he hid quickly. "But I can't believe you're here now."
"Well it took mother a long time to make the decision so you better believe it." I smiled.
"How was mother when you left?" He asked with a slight look of concern.
"She was fine. A bit sad that I was leaving perhaps, but she's healthy and all her friends will help her if she ever needs any." I said trying to reassure my worried brother.
Merlin nodded, "I suppose you'll want to see where you'll be staying then?"
"Oh yes, if I was told correctly, I'm to take over your room."
"Yeah, for the time being I'll have a bed in the main chamber so you'll get a bit more privacy."
He began guiding me towards Gaius' chambers, whilst nodding and smiling at guards and servants that I presumed he knew. Eventually he pushed open the wooden door and we walked into perhaps the most cluttered room there ever was. Gaius was hunched over a bench in the corner of the room mixing together different coloured liquids.
"Gauis, Lilia is here." Merlin announced with an unnecessarily loud voice, which served to make the old man jump in surprise.
Gaius turned around and gave Merlin a stern look before looking to me and smiling, "Lilia, it is so nice to meet you at last. Although I feel I already know much about you from your mother's letters and stories Merlin has shared."
"It's nice to meet you too, Gaius. Though I must say that any stories told by Merlin have a rather large element of fiction."
Gaius laughed, "Indeed they do."
I heard Merlin huff and mutter something as he began to push me towards the steps that appeared to lead to another room at the far end of the main chamber. The room we ended up in was rounded and fairly small, but it had a good size closet, a small table and a bed. In comparison to where I slept in Ealdor this was luxury.
"I leave you to get settled in, I need to get back to work. You can ask Gaius if there's anything you need." Merlin said as he backed out the room and gently closed the door behind him.
I set about unpacking. I placed my clothes in the closet and a letter mother had given me on the table. I stuffed the now empty bag under the bed and went back into the main chamber in search of some food.
"Gaius?" I asked cautiously as I watched the old man hold a flame beneath a horrible green liquid.
"Yes, Lilia." He answered not taking his eyes of the liquid.
"Is there any food I might have?"
"Of course, there should be some bread on the table by the window."
"Thank you." I said as I looked around for the bread. A sat at the table and watched as the liquid Gaius was so intently watching began to boil and make popping noises, before he carefully poured into a jar labelled something that I couldn't quite read.
"Lilia, would you like to accompany me whilst I treat the King." He asked as he joined me at the table.
"Of course, but what's wrong with the King?" I asked curiously.
"He's become very depressed, ever since Morgana betrayed him. Arthur has taken control now, more or less, and his uncle Agravaine is assisting him."
"Wait? Morgana betrayed him? How?" I asked confused, I remembered Morgana from when she had helped save Ealdor, she was kind and caring so betrayal didn't sound right at all.
"She was actually Uther's daughter. But she has magic and so hated him, she tried to overthrow him. She managed to, that was until Arthur and some knights fought back and took back the kingdom."
"Merlin, never mentioned any of this in his letters."
"I expect he didn't know how to explain everything. Nevertheless, the King needs to be attended to. Shall we?" Gaius gestured towards the door as he spoke about the King.
I nodded and followed him from the room grabbing his bag as he told me to do so on the way out. We walked down a series of corridors and past numerous guards before we finally reached the King's chambers. Gaius knocked briskly before pushing the door open. The room inside was a stark contrast from any other room I'd been in before. The was a large mahogany four poster bed against the far wall, a small round table by the stain glass windows, a large fireplace with ornate carvings in the stone and a closet that looked as though it was the size of my room in Gaius' chambers. My eyes danced around the room in awe, I almost completely missed the two figures in the chairs by the windows.
"Sire?" Gaius said by way of announcing himself.
"Ahh Gaius, I didn't even hear you come in." A familiar voice said from the chair without turning.
"Quite an accomplishment for an old man. Wouldn't you say, Lilia?" Gaius said smiling as he began to make his way towards the second man in the other chair.
"Indeed." I said as I followed behind him holding out his bag ready, knowing that he was likely to ask for it in a second.
"This is Lilia, sire. Though I believe you've met before. She's come to Camelot to be my apprentice, seeing as there is absolutely no hope for Merlin."
"I didn't realise there was ever hope for Merlin. Welcome to Camelot, Lilia." Arthur said leaning out of his chair smiling at me.
"Thank you, sire." I smiled, politely bowing my head at the same time.
"Ahh I feel the King is developing a slight fever. Lilia, could you stay and attend to him whilst I go and make a potion that'll calm his temperature." Gaius said as he began putting his equipment into his bag.
"Of course." I said as I reached for a cloth and a bowl of water that a servant had left on the table. Gaius left the room quickly, whilst I began to lightly touch the damp cloth against the King's brow. I could feel Arthur watching me from where he sat.
"Could you heal him?" He asked quietly.
"Only the fever." I said glancing over at him.
"So not the depression?" Arthur said with a look of sadness in his eyes.
"That would most likely involve some form of mind control," I said and then clarified, "dark magic."
"So not a good idea then?"
"I would say not."
Arthur fell silent and I continued to gently press the cloth against the King's feverish brow. The daylight outside began to fade and the room grew darker and darker. I turned to Arthur and handed him the cloth.
"Could you take over for a second, whilst I light the candles?"
He nodded as he took the cloth and rose from his seat, standing by his father he copied what I'd been doing. I looked around and found some matches in a draw by the bed, I lit one quickly and then used it to light all the candles in the large dark room before I dropped it into the fireplace and lit the logs that rested at the base. I took the cloth from Arthur, and he sat back down.
"I feel like I'm watching him die." He said as he looked into the face of his father.
"I can't imagine, how hard this is for you." I said sympathetically.
"You must have seen a fair few people die."
"Yes, but none of them were family. Surely you've seen it before as well though."
"I have, on the battle field or from sickness. Not from just giving up. Do you think he could ever recover?"
"Maybe, but his heart is broken. That'll never completely heal."
Arthur nodded just as Gaius came back with the potion in hand. He walked up to the King and felt his brow which was now cooler thanks to the cloth.
"We should move him to the bed." Gaius instructed. Arthur nodded, he lifted his father from the chair and carried him the short distance to the bed, where he laid him gently. Gaius then tipped the potion into the King's mouth, holding his nose to force him to swallow. "I need to see to a training injury but Lilia, could you stay a while to make sure the potion takes effect, continue with the cloth if need be."
I nodded and walked back to the table to get the bowl and cloth. Gaius said a few quiet words to Arthur before leaving the room. It was now pitch black outside and the candles were casting long shadows across the room.
"It's getting late, you should go and get some rest." I said resting a hand on Arthur's arm.
"I think I'll stay just a little longer, until I know he'll be ok tonight."
I nodded a pulled over one of the chairs. "Then at least sit, you look exhausted."
"So do you." He said as he sat down next to the bed.
I shook my head, "I'm fine."
The King's breathing was steady and his temperature seemed to have reduced back to normal levels. I placed the sheets so they half covered him, to ensure he wouldn't get to hot or cold.
"He'll be ok for the night." I told Arthur as I began to blow out the candles, leaving the fireplace as the only source of light. Arthur nodded and rose from the chair, he kissed his father on the forehead before he turned to face me.
"Then you should go and get some rest too." He smiled slightly as he gestured to the door.
We both left the King's chambers and walked into the silent corridor and past the guards. We walked side by side down the corridors lit only be torches.
"Did I ever say thank you?" He asked suddenly, looking down at me as we walked.
"For what?" I asked as looked towards him.
"For healing me." He said as he rubbed his side where the wound had been a year ago.
"Yes, you did."
He stopped suddenly and I turned to look at him. "I'm glad you're here."
"Arthur we can't…"
"Why not?"
"Because you're a prince."
He sighed sounding exasperated, "Sometimes I really hate that fact. Like now for instance."
"Arthur, we've met once in a very different situation. You and I both know there can never be anything between us."
"Even if we both want it?"
"Even if we both want it." I could hear the sadness in my own voice and see it clearly in his eyes and it hurt way more than it should've done. "Goodnight, sire." I whispered and turned, walking away whilst he remained stood in the middle of the corridor. I disappeared around the corner as a tear fell down my cheek.
I know it can't be normal to hold so much love for a man that I've met only once before and know that nothing can ever come of it. So why does just thinking about it make my heart break just a little.
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it, please leave a comment; they are greatly appreciated. Xem98x