The Poisoned Chalice
Merlin groaned for the hundredth time as he and his sister straightened up Arthur's room, Merlin taking care of the floor while Marayna fixed things that didn't require her to kneel down or hunch over, her back was healing nicely, but still healing from the wounds Urry had inflicted upon her. The servants were all in a frenzy cleaning the castle, which had to be spotless, king's orders. Apparently the king and knights of a neighboring kingdom were arriving in Camelot that afternoon to sign a peace treaty and everything had to be perfect lest they 'shame the name of Camelot.' They had just finished polishing the last of the metal in Arthur's room (not that they had a clue as to why any of the visiting dignitaries would be IN Arthur's room to begin with) when the prince strode in and ordered them to follow. The other king had arrived and, as servants of the prince, they were expected to be there as he greeted the king.
The two regal men strode into the main hall, both kings decked in their respective colors, red for Camelot and blue for the neighboring kingdom. Both sides came to a halt in the center, kings at the front, followed by knights, with the servants on the side. Uther eyed the king critically before speaking, "Camelot welcomes you, Lord Bayard of Mercia. The treaty we sign today marks an end to war and the beginning of a new friendship towards our people," he held out his hand for the man to shake as the knights began clapping.
Merlin smiled, clapping, and looked down at his sister only for his smile to fade. She was standing there, eyeing the servants of Bayard with a frown on her face, 'Aya?' he nudged her gently, 'What's wrong?'
She glanced at him for a moment before returning her gaze to the servants, 'I'm not sure,' she replied, 'I feel like something is wrong…something's off…'
'Do you know what it is?'
She shook her head minutely, 'No,' she sighed, trying to smile for the appearance of being happy for the treaty, which she was. It was just, she had a strong feeling like something incredibly evil was lurking about the hall. She looked away from the servants when she noticed one with brown hair and blue eyes turn to face her, not wanting to be caught staring.
~8~
"Why do we always get landed with the donkey work?" Merlin muttered to his sister as they trudged down the hall, lugging a sack full of...something between them.
"You're servants," Gaius laughed as they passed him, "It's what you do."
"My arms'll be a foot longer by the time we get this lot inside," he complained again, making his sister laugh a bit as well.
"It's character building. As the old proverb says: 'Hard work breeds…a harder soul.'"
"And where did THAT proverb come from?" Marayna smiled, "Your science books? You made it up uncle."
"I did not," Gaius responded indignantly though with a small smile on his face.
Just then, one of Bayard's serving girls dropped a small pile of cloth she was carrying as she tripped over her skirt, "Sorry!" she exclaimed, staring at them in worry that she would be scolded for getting in their way and also for soiling the cloth.
"It's alright," Merlin replied as Marayna stared at the woman curiously, it was the same girl with blue eyes and brown hair hidden mostly behind the blue cloth wrapped around her head.
"Excuse me," the woman squeaked as she immediately knelt to pick up her lost items.
"Let us give you a hand with that," Merlin knelt down to help her as well, pulling his sister down with him. The girl looked up and locked eyes with Merlin, holding his gaze as they stood, Marayna standing too, though she seemed to be glaring, unnoticed, at the girl.
"Hi, I'm Merlin," he grinned, "This is my sister, Marayna."
"Kara," she smiled at them, before her eyes widened in realization, "You're Arthur's servants. It must be such an honor."
"Oh yeah, such an honor," Marayna muttered.
"Someone's got to keep the place running," Merlin joked.
"Thank you, Merlin," Kara gushed, "You as well Marayna."
"No problem," Merlin replied. Kara just stared at them for a moment before they realized they were still holding a few of her items. They quickly handed them over to the girl who smiled in response.
"It was nice meeting you," Kara nodded before making her way down the hall, Merlin watching her as she went.
'I don't like her,' a voice said in his head and he turned to see his sister glaring at the retreating form of Kara.
'Is someone being the protective sibling now?' Merlin joked, laughing in his head.
'No,' she replied, serious, 'There's something…I just don't like her.'
Merlin was about to respond when Gaius chimed in, looking quite amused, "Shouldn't you be busy 'running the place?'"
~8~
Merlin dumped a pile of red onto the table in Arthur's chambers, stepping back and covering his nose as an awful musty smell rose from them, "When's the last time these were cleaned?" he asked, trying not to gag.
"Last year sometime," Arthur shrugged, watching his servants reactions from his safe distance away from the smell, "Before the feast of Eltain."
"What was it, a feast ending in a food fight?" Marayna squeaked as she pinched her nose shut, "A spoiled food fight?"
"Don't all feasts?" Arthur responded as Merlin moved to help him into his red jacket.
"We wouldn't know," she replied, stepping back a bit to escape the smell her brother was unfortunate enough to be stuck in the vicinity of. And it was true, the only 'feasts' she'd been to were for the tournament and, well, her own, but she was sure they were small in comparison to the one Arthur mentioned. One was even unofficial so she couldn't even say how feasts typically ended.
"The airs and graces of the court are a mystery to us," Merlin added, straightening the prince's jacket.
Arthur looked down at it, "Well, tonight they won't be."
Merlin glanced at his sister before looking to the prince, "We're going to be at the banquet?"
"Not quite," Arthur responded, stepping away and removing the jacket, not wanting to be caught in the stench of it any longer, "You'll be there to make sure my cup doesn't run dry and my plate is full. If I have to sit through Bayard's boring speeches, I don't see why you should get out of it," he tossed the jacket to Marayna, "Be sure to polish the buttons," he smirked as she rolled her eyes, "Oh, and Mara?" she glanced at him, "I have requested Morgana prepare you for the feast, you shall need to know a bit of etiquette for women that she can teach you."
Marayna shook her head, "I know the proper etiquette."
"Right," Merlin laughed.
"Honestly Merlin," she sighed exasperatedly, "Do you remember why mother sent me to Aunt Elaine's in the first place?"
"She wanted you to..." he trailed off, realizing what she meant, "Oh."
She had been sent to their aunt's to train as a 'lady in waiting' or some other nonsense he was sure she'd hate. It had been their mother's fondest hopes that, because of their magic, they were destined for a better life than Ealdor. She'd sent Marayna to Elaine when it became clear her prospects in Ealdor were minimal and she had hope that, even if her daughter not secure a husband, that she'd still have a good life and had thought of her sister. She'd been sent to their aunt to have even the smallest place at court, in a role that she wouldn't need a husband for, and also in the hopes she'd make friends with either her mistress or the other 'ladies' attending to whatever woman it was.
Marayna had railed against it, claiming she was just as happy in Ealdor, toiling in the fields, as ever and that she didn't want to go. He was of the impression it was more because she'd be expected to keep quiet, wear a dress, and follow protocol than being homesick. Those were the three things his sister failed miserably at. It was funny though, of those three things, Arthur seemed to only have an issue when she didn't wear a dress and even then he DID let her wear her tunic and leggings on occasion, which was something.
"Just because I do not use the etiquette, doesn't mean I don't know it," she replied, fingering a button, "There's no point in bothering Morgana about it."
Arthur simply shrugged and moved behind the dressing screen in search of something, "Do you want to see what you'll be wearing tonight?"
Merlin and Marayna looked down at their clothes, "Can't we just wear these?" she asked.
She had been forced to wear a dress that day since the all the blasted protocols had to be followed when dignitaries visited, no matter how much she loathed to do it. Still...she'd rather wear a dress and watch a peace treaty be signed than forego that and end up watching a war break out because a visiting king thought she was being disrespectful or something. She had chosen a simple one Arthur had had made for her, it was similar to the pink dress Gwen usually wore, though the pink was replaced by a red that matched her brother's neckerchief.
Arthur glanced at their clothing then looked away, offended, "No, tonight you will wear the official ceremonial robes of the servants of Camelot," he stepped out from behind the screen, holding up something in both hands that appeared to be red cloaks and two very feathery headdresses.
Marayna and Merlin stared in horror at the items, "You can't be serious," they said in unison.
Arthur just smirked.
~8~
Of course Arthur was dead serious about the choice of clothing. Which was why Merlin and Marayna stood next to Gwen in the main hall that night, wearing matching red cloaks and feathers. Funny, no other servants were wearing the same.
Arthur, though, had realized his mistake all too soon as he tried to keep his laughter silent while his father and Bayard signed the treaty. Just on the other side of the room, he could see Marayna doing a quiet impersonation of a chicken. He should have known she would do something like that if he forced her to wear feathers. She seemed to love taking the things he dished out to her and turning it around on HIM. She was doing a very good job of keeping attention away from her though. She was tucked away in the corner with Merlin and Gwen so no one really saw her anyway, but Arthur had a clear view.
He glanced over at Morgana, who sat at the head table, Bayard's servants on either side of it, and could see her hiding a smile and giggles behind her hand. Apparently she had noticed Marayna's actions as well. He shook his head, as long as his father didn't notice, he would not say a word. Besides this really was dreadfully boring so anything to amuse him while the proceedings went about was worth its weight in gold.
Over by Gwen, she could barely contain her laughter at Marayna and Merlin's get up, not to mention Marayna's chicken dance wasn't helping, ""Nice hat," she murmured.
"Thanks," Merlin rolled his eyes, though he was clearly amused by his sister as well. He truly loved that about his sister, for all her sarcasm and cynicism, she really did have a wonderful outlook on things that were honestly meant to bring her down or subdue her. She had a way of twisting attacks against her into advantages and just...making light of things meant to bring her down. Granted there were quite a few things that had happened in the past that bothered her, things he doubted she'd ever truly get over they affected her so deeply, but overall...she tried to make others happy even if it was at her own expense.
He looked around the room and spotted Arthur and Morgana both trying to contain their laughter. Morgana was having far less success than Arthur. It actually looked like she was crying with laughter, which only served to make her blue eyes glow in the light of the hall. Merlin smiled softly as he observed her. When her eyes focused on him, he quickly took off the embarrassing hat...something that Gwen noticed immediately.
She glanced over to see the servant girl, Kara, stationed close to Morgana, looking at Merlin, "She's pretty, isn't she?" Gwen inquired, her eyes narrowing slightly at the servant, not out of jealousy but out of concern for her mistress. She knew for a fact that her Lady cared a good deal for Merlin, possibly more than she even realized, and seeing him flirt with someone else or make eyes at them would hurt her her, "For a handmaiden."
"She'd put Helen to shame," Merlin muttered, smiling, "Though, I could never picture her as a handmaiden."
Gwen looked confused by that statement and looked at the women again, smiling as she saw that, while the serving girl was staring at Merlin, his gaze was firmly fixed on her Lady Morgana.
Cheering interrupted her thoughts as she looked over to see the kings shaking hands and the knights standing to clap. Gwen moved as the servants began clapping and getting things in order, going to stand by Gaius while Merlin and Marayna remained where they were. Uther sat as Bayard stood and began a toast to the kingdom and the peace.
Suddenly, Kara appeared behind them, "Merlin, Marayna, I need to speak to you," she whispered.
"What is it?" Merlin turned, concerned.
"Not here, please," she looked around, "I don't know who else to tell..." she quickly turned and left the room, them following behind her, until they reached the hallway off to the side where no one could hear them, "It wasn't until I saw him give the goblet to Arthur that I realized…" Kara started, speaking very fast.
"Whoa, whoa, slow down," Merlin cut in calmly.
"Start from the beginning," Marayna added, a strange feeling growing within her as she stared at the frantic woman.
"Two days ago, I was bringing Bayard his evening meal, I was supposed to knock, he didn't expect me to walk in…" she rambled.
"Kara, what are you trying to say?" Merlin shook his head, she wasn't making any sense.
"If he knows I said anything he will kill me!"
"I will not let that happen to you, I promise," Merlin swore, "Please tell us what you saw."
"Bayard is no friend of Camelot," Kara stated firmly and Marayna's eyes narrowed, not at her words, but at her, "He craves the kingdom for himself."
"Kara, tell me, what has Bayard done with the goblet?" Merlin tried again, not noticing his sister's hands clenching into fists.
"He believes that if he kills Arthur, Uther's spirit will be broken and Camelot will fall," she whispered.
"What has he done with the goblet?"
"I saw him putting something in it."
"What?!" Merlin demanded.
'Merlin, don't listen to her!' he heard his sister warn, 'She's lying!'
"I shouldn't, he'll kill me," Kara trembled.
"Please, tell me," he stared at her, ignoring his sister, "Was it poison?"
She simply nodded.
Merlin straightened and ran off towards the feast, 'Merlin!' Marayna shouted before running after him, she paused at the end of the hall and looked back at the woman, "You won't get away with this," she swore, running off before she could see the shocked look on the woman's face.
How had the little witch known?!
~8~
Merlin ran into the hall moments before Marayna could catch up to him, "Stop!" he yelled, "It's poisoned! Don't drink it!" he ran over to the main table and grabbed Arthur's goblet before he could drink from it just as Marayna ran up next to him.
"What?!" Uther demanded, setting his goblet down.
"Merlin what are you doing?" Arthur glared at him.
"Bayard laced Arthur's goblet with poison," Merlin stated bluntly.
'It wasn't Bayard Merlin!' Marayna hissed to him, she didn't know how she knew that what Kara, if that was even her name, said was a lie, but...she'd always had feelings about things, her mother called it woman's intuition, she just...knew. It was like she could judge their character, tell when someone was trying to trick her. It didn't always work, sometimes she was fooled, but other times...like now...she just KNEW.
"This is an outrage!" Bayard cried as his men grabbed their swords.
"Order your men to put down their swords!" Uther commanded as the guards and knights drew their own weapons, "You're outnumbered!"
"I will not allow this insult to go unchallenged!"
Uther turned to Merlin and his sister, glaring daggers at them, "On what grounds do you base this accusation?"
"I'll handle this," Arthur grumbled, stepping up, he draped his arm around Merlin's shoulders and tried to lead him away, "Merlin you idiot, have you been at the slow gin again?"
Marayna had never been so happy to hear someone call her brother an idiot and a drunk. Now if Arthur could just get him out of the hall, she could bump into him and knock the poisoned goblet (because she DID believe THAT part of the tale) to the ground and…
"Unless you want to be strung up, you'll tell me why you think it's poisoned, now!" Uther demanded.
So much for that plan.
"He was seen lacing it," Merlin answered, turning to face the king.
"By whom?" Uther leaned forward, staring the boy down.
"I can't say," he responded bravely.
'You SHOULD say,' she called to him, 'She's not who she says she is!' she didn't know who this Kara girl really was, but she wasn't who she claimed or appeared to be, she knew that much.
"I won't listen to this anymore..." Bayard threatened.
"Pass me the goblet," Uther ordered as he stepped around the table and up to the visiting king, "If you are telling the truth…"
"I am," Bayard insisted.
"Then you have nothing to fear, do you?" Uther held out the goblet, about to hand it over, when he suddenly stopped, "No, if this does prove to be poison, I want the pleasure of killing you myself," and so he turned to Merlin, "He'll drink it."
"But if it is poisoned, he'll die!" Arthur protested, seeing the fear flash in Marayna's eyes.
He knew there were servants who acted as 'testers' for his father's food, to ensure nothing was poisoned, but...those men volunteered, for the sake of protecting their king. Right now his father was about to force an innocent boy to potentially drink poison! It...unsettled him, how callous his father was being. He could understand if his father truly believed that the drink wasn't poisoned, but as he had clearly felt there was a possibility (in not wanting to give it to Bayard) then...his father was knowingly asking someone to drink poison to prove a point! How...how was that right? How was that just?
How was that kingly?
"Then we'll know he was telling the truth," Uther stated calmly as he handed the goblet to the boy.
"And what if he lives?" Bayard demanded.
"Then you have my apologies and you can do with him as you will," Uther replied nonchalantly.
"Uther, please, he's just a boy, he doesn't know what he's saying," Gaius protested, clearly even HE was afraid of the possibility it COULD be poison.
"Then you should have schooled him better," Uther answered tersely, his patience wearing thin.
"Merlin, apologize, this is a mistake," Arthur tried desperately, moving to take the goblet from him and failing as Merlin stepped back, "I'll drink it."
"No, no, no, no it's alright," Merlin started, but, while his attention was focused on the prince, Marayna quickly stepped up and grabbed the goblet, "Marayna!"
"I'll drink it as well," she said calmly, though she was shaking.
"No!" Merlin shouted, his eyes widening, "It was my accusation, so I will drink it."
'What are you doing?' he added silently.
"I'll drink it," she responded firmly, 'My destiny is far less important than yours, Merlin. If I die, Arthur will still be king, if you die, everything will be destroyed!' she did not know where the sentiment came from, but as soon as she thought it, she realized it to be true.
"Someone better drink it!" Uther snapped, making nearly everyone flinch.
Marayna nodded and before Merlin could move, took a large sip of the wine, her eyes briefly sliding to the hall she had come from where she could see Kara watching her. If she had any doubts about the girl before they were gone now as she watched the woman smirk at her from across the room, clearly pleased this was happening instead.
She turned her attention to her brother and smiled, handing him the goblet, 'You forget Merlin, where you go, I go.'
It was a promise she had made him ages ago when they were young and just realized the things they could do was because of magic. He had been frightened that their mother would banish him after he accidently set fire to a small patch of leaves near their home and he didn't want to leave. She had said that he would never be alone, she would follow him, go with him anywhere. Not that they had to worry, their mother had always known about their magic. But nevertheless, he had been so...happy with the promise, to know he'd have his sister with him always.
Now it was coming back to bite him.
He sighed and took a swig himself and...a moment later, he looked around the hall at the expectant eyes of the kings, "It's fine," he smiled.
"I'm not too sure," a quiet voice murmured behind him.
He turned just in time to see his sister reach for her throat, when he felt the same burning as well. The last thing he saw was his sister collapsing before his world went black.
"It is poison!" Uther shouted as he watched the two servants fall to the ground, spinning to Bayard and his people, "Seize them!"
Arthur had reacted immediately to the sight of Marayna collapse and was at her side in a moment, ignoring his father's orders to focus on the 'enemy' to instead try and help her...only to have Merlin collapse right next to him. He couldn't believe this was happening, Merlin and Marayna couldn't be poisoned! It should have been him, he hadn't even had the decency to believe them!
He looked over to see Gwen kneeling by Merlin while Gaius knelt between them, "Merlin, can you hear me?" Gaius tried to get a response, before switching to his niece, "Marayna?" but when they didn't respond he frowned, "We have to get them back to my chambers, bring the goblet, we need to identify the poison."
Arthur quickly scooped Marayna into his arms, careful of her still healing back as a new knight that he faintly recalled was name Bedivere, carried Merlin while Gwen snatched the goblet.
~8~
Arthur realized rather quickly that Marayna was not a light woman. She appeared rather frail and thin but underneath her baggy tunics, he now knew there were muscles, how else could he explain how someone as small as her could be so heavy?! He supposed it made sense, coming from a farming village, that she'd have done all sorts of labor to build the leanness he now felt but he had no time to think on that as Gwen opened the door to Gaius's chambers and allowed him to enter.
Gaius pulled up two cots, "Lay them on the beds quickly, they're struggling to breathe," he ordered. Arthur gently placed Marayna on to one, sure that if she didn't move around too much her back should be fine (putting her on her stomach would only labor her breathing more), while Bedivere placed Merlin on the other, "Gwen fetch me some water and a towel."
Gwen nodded and rushed out of the room as Arthur looked down at Marayna, reaching out to brush a lock of her hair out of her face, the strand already starting to grow moist with sweat, "Are they going to be alright?"
Gaius frowned as he looked over his niece and nephew, who were more like a son and daughter than anything else. He reached out and laid a hand on their foreheads, "They're burning up."
"You can heal them, can't you Gaius?" Gwen asked as she returned with the water and set about laying the cool cloth on their brows.
"I won't know until I can identify the poison," he sighed, "Pass me the goblet," Arthur handed him the goblet Gwen had placed on the table, watching as the old man inspected it thoroughly, "Ah, there's something stuck on the inside…"
"What is it?" Arthur moved to the old man's side.
"It looks like a flower petal of some kind," he mused, eyeing the petal as he held it with a small wooden clasp before walking over to his book.
"His brow's on fire," Gwen commented, feeling Merlin's head, "Rayna's as well."
"Keep them cool, it'll help control the fever, "Gaius ordered distractedly as he found the flower in his book, "Ah, the petal comes from the Mortaeus flower. It says here 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 flowers grow on the roots of the Mortaeus tree."
"That doesn't look particularly friendly," Arthur interrupted, pointing to illustration of a strange creature on the page next to the flower.
"A cockatrice that guards the forest," Gaius read, "It's venom is potent, a single drop would mean certain death. Few who have crossed the mountains of Egard in search of the Morteaus flower have made it back alive."
Arthur looked at his servants, lying pale and dying on the beds, "Sounds like fun," he moved to leave when Gaius called after him.
"Arthur, it's too dangerous."
"If I don't get the antidote, what happens to them?" he countered.
"The Mortaeus induces a slow and painful death," Gaius answered grimly, "They may hold out for four, maybe five days, but not for much longer. Eventually...they will die."
Before Arthur could react Morgana rushed into the room. He momentarily felt guilty for not checking to make sure she was alright but the thought left him as she called out, "Merlin!" and rushed to his side. She reached out and took the boy's hand in her own, staring down at him worriedly before looking up at Gwen, who was tending to Marayna, "How are they?" she knew, of them all, Gwen wouldn't lie to her.
Gwen sighed, "If Gaius can find a cure, they'll be fine."
"And if you can't?" she looked up at Gaius, when he didn't reply she returned her gaze to Merlin, reaching out to take a cloth from Gwen to rest on his brow. Arthur could see tears collecting in her eyes. He...he honestly had no idea she cared so much for his servants, for Merlin.
"That settles it then," he nodded, murmuring more to himself than the others before he briskly walked out of the room and went in search of his father.
~8~
Arthur strode angrily after his father, who was doing everything in his power to dissuade his son from going to the forests of Balor, he knew what sorts of dangers lurked there, "What's the point of having people to taste for you if you're going to get yourself killed anyway?" he retorted.
"I won't fail, no matter what you think," Arthur insisted.
"Arthur, you are my only son and heir," Uther stressed, pinching his nose as though the whole situation was frustrating him, which, in actuality, it was, "I can't risk losing you for the sake of some servants."
"Because their lives are worthless?"
"No, because they're worth less than yours," Uther replied, rounding on his son, coming to a stop in the middle of the hall.
Arthur couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't want to think of what his life would be like without Merlin's clumsiness and Marayna's sarcasm to make it interesting. If anything, their lives were worth hundreds of his, especially with the way they gave themselves up to save his life. He knew it was partially guilt as well, if he'd just believed them, vouched for them...they wouldn't have been forced to take the poison, or Merlin wouldn't have which would mean Marayna wouldn't have volunteered too, "I can save them. Let me take some men…"
"No."
"We'll find the antidote and bring it back," Arthur continued as if he hadn't been interrupted.
"No."
"Why not?" Arthur snapped, frustrated. It wasn't like he was rushing out by himself, he was requesting men and weapons!
"Because one day I will be dead and Camelot will need a king," Uther glared, "I'm not going to let you jeopardize the future of the kingdom for some fool's errand!"
"It's not a fool's errand! Gaius says…"
"Gaius says?" Uther scoffed, "That's exactly what makes it so!"
"Please, father," Arthur nearly begged the man to understand, "They saved my life. They've done more for the kingdom than any servant we've ever had! I can't stand by and watch them die."
"Then don't look," Uther answered stonily, "You're not leaving this castle tonight! I will hear no more of this."
~8~
Arthur stalked into his room, half-throwing his sword onto his table before moving to stand, staring into the fireplace. This was one of the first times in his life he was seriously considering disobeying his father. He may not have always agreed with is father about certain things, namely magic and other little things, but this? He shook his head, he just couldn't get the image of Merlin and Marayna collapsing out of his head.
"Say what you like about the food," a voice said behind him and he glanced over his shoulder to see that Morgana had walked silently into the room, "But you can't beat our feast for entertainment."
He flinched as he heard her voice break slightly. He could almost see her trying to smile through her feelings even though he wasn't looking at her any longer, "Sorry, about before," he mumbled, "I should've made sure you were alright."
"Disappointed, actually. I was looking forward to clumping a couple around the head with a ladle."
"The guards could've handled Bayard and his men," he pushed off the fireplace and turning to look out the window, his back to her.
"Yeah, but why let the boys have all the fun?" Morgana countered, her voice holding a dangerous tone.
Arthur sighed, knowing that tone, the challenge that was about to come from her, "Morgana, you shouldn't get involved. It's dangerous."
"Spare me the lecture," she spat, "I've already had it from Uther."
"If it's any consolation, you aren't the only one."
"Not that I listen to him," Morgana continued, ignoring Arthur's words, "Sometimes you've got to do what you think is right and damn the consequences."
"You think I should go?" he asked, finally turning to really look at her.
"It doesn't matter what I think," she replied quietly, looking away, her hands fumbling with something. He glanced down to see her holding Merlin's neckerchief in her hands, twisting and bunching the fabric in her fingers. He flinched and looked away, hating himself for what he was about to say.
"If I don't make it back, who'll be the next King of Camelot? There's more than just my life at stake."
"And what kind of King would Camelot want?" he could see her gaze back to him through the reflection in the window's glass, staring at him defiantly. That single look told him one thing, she would never forgive him if he did nothing, "One that would risk his life to save those of lowly servants or one who does what his father tells him to?"
She stepped into the room and reached over, picking up his sword and moving behind him, waiting till he turned to hold it out to him.
It was his move now.
~8~
Luck had to have been on Arthur's side for him to make it to the stables without the guards seeing him. He would have thought his father's first order would be to lock the stables and have the guards keep him out. Surprisingly, there were no guards in sight as he quickly made his horse ready for the quest he had undertaken.
"You'd disobey me?" a voice resounded from behind him.
His body reacted before his brain, immediately drawing his sword and spinning around to face the enemy. The only problem was, said enemy was his father.
Arthur stood in shock, staring at his father standing before him, his arms crossed over his chest, a stone mask on his face and put his blade away but did not drop his guard, "Of course I would, lives are at stake!" he half-shouted, as though yelling would help get his point through to his father.
"Lives willingly given," Uther replied, not moving an inch.
"I cannot allow Merlin and Mara to die because of me," Arthur answered, matching his father's gaze.
Uther's eyes narrowed a fraction at his son's slip with the girl's name, "Why do you care so much? They're just servants?"
Arthur was fuming at this point. Every moment he wasted standing there was another moment Marayna and Merlin were closer to death. Had he not been so angry, he might have noticed that his father had not asked his question in a condescending way, but a rather serious curiosity. Unfortunately for Arthur, the Pendragon men tended to get angry rather quickly and stay angry quite a while. Only years of training had allowed the king brief moments where he could control his anger.
"They knew the danger they were putting themselves in," Arthur answered, "They knew what would happen if they drank from that goblet and they did it anyway. They saved my life! Put me in the stocks for a week, a month even, I don't care. I'm going to get the antidote."
Uther stared at his son, critically eyeing him as he stood there in a rage. His son held his gaze and did not break it, something Uther had to credit him for. Not many men, kings or otherwise, could stare him down and not flinch.
Arthur was waiting for his father to move, to do anything that would symbolize his refusal at allowing him the quest, just so he could jump on his horse and ride out. But what his father did next, he was not expecting, far from it.
Uther nodded slowly, "I understand," he stated, nearly smirking at his son's now-stunned face and the way he almost fell over from shock.
"Y…you do?" Arthur eyed him, not quite sure if this was a trick or not. He had never had his father give in to anything, at least not to him. He'd heard stories from Gaius of course, of how his mother always got her way when it came to his father. It seemed to be a talent that skipped a generation or something.
Uther nodded again, "As you said before, they have done a great deal for Camelot and they saved your life."
And they had, many times it appeared. The serving boy had saved Arthur from the sorceress Mary Collins and his sister had saved Aurora, both were feats he would forever be grateful to them for, though he would never admit it. And perhaps he should keep them around, if only to save his son's life in the future as they seemed keen to do.
He looked at his son, dressed in the armor of Camelot, the armor of the knights, and a thought crossed his mind, "A life for a life, a knight always repays his debts."
Arthur didn't wait to see if his father would regain his sense, realize what he'd just essentially given his blessing to, and try to stop him again as he turned and hopped on his horse, riding out of the stables as quickly as possible, heading for the forests.
~8~
Merlin and Marayna shuddered as they laid on the cots in Gaius's chambers, sweaty and feverish as the poison spread through them. Every moment they struggled to breathe and every minute it seemed as though their fevers were getting worse.
"He's getting hotter," Morgana muttered as she wrung out another cloth for Merlin's head. Uther would have a fit if he knew she were sitting in the physician's quarters, tending to a servant boy, but luckily Uther didn't know.
"Rayna too," Gwen sighed, dabbing at the girl's forehead as she mumbled odd words under her breath.
"What language is that?" Morgana asked when the girl's mumblings grew a bit louder.
"None, the fever's taken hold, none of those words are her own," Gaius responded quickly. Gwen breathed a sigh of relief, she had sworn to Merlin and Marayna not to say a word about their secret, not even to Morgana. She would have never been able to come up with an excuse like Gaius had, which made her a bit suspicious that he had more experience in this sort of thing than he was letting on, in hiding magic users, "His pulse is weaker," the man muttered as he held Merlin's wrist and then his eyes widened as he noticed something on his nephew's arm. He reached across and checked Marayna as well, seeing the same red marks.
"What is it?" Gwen asked, seeing his worried face.
"That can't be right," he muttered, staring at the red rashes spreading up their arms, "The rash is not supposed to appear until the final stage."
"What does that mean?" Morgana shook her head in confusion.
Gaius ignored her and stood, quickly moving to his book and reading through it, looking for answers. He didn't have to wait long, "It says here that once a rash appears death will follow within two days."
"You said they had four days!" Gwen exclaimed, looking between her two fallen friends.
"Something's increased the flower's potency," he continued to read, "It warns that the effects of the Mortaeus will be more rapid if an enchantment Is used during the flower's preparation."
"Enchantment?" Morgana repeated, "But Bayard's not a sorcerer."
"No, he isn't."
"Then who did this?" Gwen demanded.
Gaius was quiet for a moment, lost in thought, when one struck out at him, "It can't have been. She wouldn't dare come here. Unless…"
"Unless, what?" Morgana stared up at him, tears in her eyes as she held Merlin's hand.
"What happened to that girl?" Gaius asked suddenly, turning to them.
"Which girl?" Gwen shook her head, he wasn't making sense.
"Just before Merlin burst into the hall, one of Bayard's serving girls took him and Rayna outside," Gaius explained.
"She had dark hair," Gwen remembered, nodding, "Very beautiful."
"Find her. Quickly."
As Gwen left, Merlin and Marayna gave a shuddering breath, "Arthur," Marayna whimpered.
Morgana frowned, reaching over to hold the girl's hand as well.
~8~
Gwen came running into the room a short while later, fear etched across her face, "Let me guess, she wasn't there?" Gaius supplied.
"No one has seen her since the banquet," she confirmed, "Who is she?"
"Not who she claims to be."
"But you DO know her, Gaius?" Morgana begged, if he knew the woman maybe they could track her down and get her to help.
"Kara. No, that's not her name, not her real name anyway."
"Then who is she?" Gwen asked, growing frustrated.
"A powerful sorceress," he answered and Gwen gasped as Morgana's eyes widened.
"Should we tell Uther?" Morgana stood, "He might be willing to send riders out after her if she's a sorceress and…"
"No, she'll be long gone," Gaius sighed, "It's impossible to know where though…" he trailed off as another, more horrible realization came to him, "Oh, no."
"What?" Gwen whispered, near tears as well, it couldn't get any worse, could it?
"She knows the only place an antidote can be found is the Forest of Balor," Gaius looked up at them, worry evident in his eyes, "Arthur could be walking into a trap."
Apparently it could.
Marayna shook her head in her sleep, "Arthur," she called while her brother shifted as well.
"Arthur, don't go, it's a trap," he muttered, as though the prince could hear him.
~8~
Arthur rode as fast as he could through the forest until he saw the caves he had come for in the distance. Only after he had dismounted and tied up his horse did he notice a girl in a red dress, sitting a ways away, crying. As he drew closer, he could make out a faint red mark on her arm, "Hello," he called softly as he made his way towards her and knelt down, "Are you alright?"
She opened her mouth to reply, when something over his shoulder caught her attention. Her eyes widened and she screamed. He quickly jumped to his feet and turned to see a cockatrice advancing towards them.
"Stay back," he commanded as he drew his sword. Fortunately, he was a skilled enough warrior to defeat the monster rather quickly and not be injured. He turned back to the girl and walked over to her, "It's alright. I won't hurt you," he muttered as he glanced at her arm, seeing the red marks on it, the bruising, "Who did that to you?"
"My master," she answered, still a bit frightful, "I ran away from him, but then I got lost. Please, don't leave me."
"I won't," he promised, "I'm not going to."
"You can take me away from here?" she asked, hope leaking into her words.
"Not yet, there's something I have to do first," he replied, moving to pull a pouch out of his saddle bag and tie it to his belt.
"Why have you come to the caves?"
"I'm looking for something. It can only be found here."
"What is it?" she began, but he didn't say, so she continued, "I know this place. I could help you."
"It's a type of flower that only grows inside the caves. It's very rare."
"The Mortaeus flower," she concluded, "I know where they are. I'll show you," she took the lead and headed determinedly toward the caves, Arthur following a bit cautiously behind her.
~8~
"Arthur, listen, it's a trap," Marayna called desperately in her sleep.
"It's a trap!" her brother repeated, both of them panting as they tried to breathe.
"The fever's getting worse, isn't it?" Morgana asked, wiping Merlin's brow.
"The poison is setting in," Gaius verified, before glancing up, "Would you fetch me some more wolfsbane?"
"Yes, of course," Gwen replied, getting up.
"I'll get it," Morgana stopped her, "You've just got back."
Gwen nodded and sat back down, looking up at Gaius who was glancing between his niece and nephew, "Merlin, Marayna," he whispered, "You must fight it."
Gwen could feel the tears coming to her eyes.
"You stupid...clotpole," Marayna murmured, her head turning to the side, Gwen unable to help the tearful laugh at that one though.
~8~
Arthur glanced around the caverns cautiously as he followed the mysterious woman through the tunnels and to the edge of a pit that appeared nearly bottomless.
"There they are," the woman pointed, alerting him to the golden flowers on the cave's walls across from them, a small stone bridge crossing the cavern's divide to the other side.
He glanced over the edge, before stepping back and looking at her, "Keep back from the edge," he commented, before taking a step forward, "Don't worry, we'll be out of here soon."
He crept forward slowly, pausing when the cliff began to crumble beneath him. He glanced back to see the woman muttering something foreign under her breath...and the wind picked up, leaving him to realize all too late that she was a sorceress! "What are you doing!" he demanded, leaning across the chasm just as the bridge collapsed from under him. He was barely able to grab a small ledge on the wall of the cave when he heard the woman speak.
"I expected so much more," she spoke in a pitying voice.
"Who are you?" Arthur yelled, looking over his shoulder at her.
"The last face you'll ever see," she replied, smirking. She glanced above him to see a rather large spider crawling on the wall towards the prince, "Seems we have a visitor."
Arthur reached down, managed to grab his sword, and swung at the spider while still holding onto the ledge with one hand. He killed the spider soon enough, but he could hear the hissing of more coming to take its place.
"Very good," the woman clapped sarcastically, "But he won't be the last. I'll let his friends finish you off, Arthur Pendragon. It's is not your destiny to die at my hand."
"Who are you?" Arthur cried again, but it was too late, the woman had turned and left him alone in the darkness, dangling hundreds of feet above the bottom of the cave, surrounded by giant spiders.
~8~
Merlin and Marayna tensed, gasping.
"Arthur!" Marayna cried out.
"Arthur, it's too dark. Too dark," Merlin muttered.
Gaius and Gwen looked at each other in shock as the boy began muttering something under his breath, "Fromum feohgiftum on fæder bearme."
Gaius quickly lifted the blanket draped over the boy to see a glowing blue orb resting in his open palm, "Merlin, what are you doing?" he muttered, staring at the orb in shock, much like Gwen was. She hadn't really seen their magic in action before...it was beautiful though.
Marayna flinched as she felt like she was seeing what was happening to Arthur in her mind.
~8~
Arthur struggled to climb the wall, the sound of the spiders surrounding him. Suddenly her brother's blue orb appeared, floating up from below, casting a silvery light along the wall.
"Go on then," Arthur shouted, "What are you waiting for? Finish me off!"
The orb did no such thing though, just floated close by, allowing him to see. He looked up to see the Mortaeus flower growing on the wall only a few feet away.
~8~
"Just forget them, Arthur," Marayna gasped as she saw the spiders surround him, "Go, save yourself."
"Follow the light," Merlin commanded as he too witnessed what was happening in the cave.
~8~
Arthur reached out, trying in vain to reach the flower. He was just too far away. He climbed a little higher, moved a bit more to his right and reached again...this time managing to grab it and tuck it away in his pouch. He looked over to see that the spiders were growing in number and headed right for him. He tried desperately to feel for a handhold in the wall, to pull himself up, but could find none. He yanked his gloves off and sought out a hole, but still couldn't find one.
~8~
"Arthur!" Marayna shouted, "Hieran ac lóclóca! Arthur!"
~8~
"Arthur!" a voice echoed above him and Arthur's gaze snapped up to see a figure kneeling on the rocks above him, "Take my hand!"
~8~
"Take my hand!" Marayna called, her arm lifting a bit, stretching along her bed as though reaching for something she couldn't quite get to. Gwen's eyes widened as she saw a golden glow surround her friend's hand, "Take it! Reach!"
~8~
"Reach!" the figure repeated, stretching out their hand for him to take.
Arthur reached up, but was unable to grab her hand. He stretched, scrunching his eyes shut in an effort to grab the hand that was offered him. He almost made it and…he felt his hand slide against a hole cut into the rock instead. His eyes snapped open to see the figure was gone, but now he had a handhold.
He began to climb.
~8~
"Faster," Merlin begged, struggling to maintain the light, "Follow the light!"
"You're too slow," pleaded Marayna, "Climb!"
~8~
Arthur climbed as fast as he could, the glowing orb rising with him. With one last glance at the spiders, he threw himself over the ledge at the top of the cavern and rolled down the grass hill to the outside. He stood quickly and prepared himself to face the spiders, but they did not attack. Not waiting, he turned and ran back though the forest towards his horse, intent on returning back to Camelot.
~8~
Merlin and Marayna relaxed, breathing in relief as the orb in Merlin's hand and the glow around Marayna's arm began to fade.
~8~
Arthur burst into the physician's chambers, startling Morgana and Gwen who were intently focused on Merlin and Marayna, "I've got it!" he panted as Gaius jumped to his feet.
He rushed forward and took the flower from the prince, "The fever's much worse," he commented, getting to work, "We have to hurry."
Arthur went over to his servants and knelt down at Marayna's side, taking her hand in his as Morgana was with Merlin.
"Why have you stopped?" he heard Gwen ask and looked up to see that Gaius had indeed stopped working on the potion.
"The poison was created using magic," he muttered as though just realizing the implications, "We may need magic to make an antidote."
"That's impossible," Arthur frowned, "It's against the law!"
"Even if we could…" Morgana trailed and Arthur knew, if they could find a sorcerer or something for the spell, despite what he'd just said...he would willingly look the other way as it saved his the two people he had come to look on as friends.
"I'll try and make it work without it," Gaius muttered, nodding as though it were possible to save them without magic. "Oh, I need some fresh water," he demanded, looking up at them.
"I'll get it," Morgana jumped and ran out of the room.
"And some blankets!" he shouted after her, but waited just long enough where he knew she wouldn't be able to hear.
"I'll do it," Arthur replied hastily, rushing from the room as well.
Gwen looked at Gaius, an understanding coming to her, "You're a sorcerer too, aren't you?"
"Once," he sighed, "A very long time ago," he closed his eyes and tilted his head back in concentration as he muttered an incantation under his breath, "Seópan ærest wearð feasceaft funden. Denum æfter dom. Dreamleas gebad he gewann langsum."
"Did it work?" she asked hopefully a moment later.
Gaius looked down to see the antidote bubble green and turn black, and smiled, "I think it did."
No sooner had he spoken, Arthur and Morgana ran back into the room. Morgana handed Gaius a small cup of water which he promptly stirred into the potion as Arthur covered Marayna and Merlin with an extra blanket.
"Hold his nose," Gaius instructed as he made his way to the closest bed where Merlin lay. Everyone watched as he carefully tilted the boy's head back and poured the potion into his mouth.
None of them saw Marayna let out a silent breath, her head falling lightly to the side as her chest ceased to rise...
"Swallow, Merlin," Gaius commanded gently before moving to Marayna, Arthur opened her mouth and pinched her nose as Gaius poured the potion for her, "Swallow it," he whispered before stepping back a bit and watching the two laying before him.
Moments went by that felt like hours, but nothing happened. Then Gwen noticed…
"They've stopped breathing," Gwen gasped, terrified.
"What's happening?" Arthur demanded.
"Gaius?" Morgana asked, her voice trembling as she looked at him.
Gaius leaned in and listened to their chests before he rose, his face pale, "Their hearts have stopped."
"They're...dead?" Morgana looked down at them, her gaze focused on Merlin, tears in her eyes as Gwen moved to comfort her Lady.
"They can't be," Gaius muttered to himself, standing, "They can't be. It was their destiny."
"It's my fault," Arthur stated, his voice thick with emotion as he looked away, "If I'd gotten here sooner, been quicker…"
"No, it was me," Gaius replied, moving to help comfort the now-crying Morgana and tearful Gwen, hugging both girls, "I should have looked after them better. It's my fault."
There was a moment of silence until…
"That's disgusting," a voice spoke, startling them. They looked down to see Merlin waking up and grinning at Gaius, "You should be ashamed of yourself. You're old enough to be their grandfather."
"Merlin," Gaius stared, "You're alive!"
"No, I'm the ghost come back to haunt you," he said cheekily but was cut off when Morgana suddenly leapt forward...and kissed him.
He stared at her in shock when she pulled away only moments later, a look which she returned with a stunned one of her own, she couldn't believe she had just done that. She was always in control, always! "Sorry," she muttered, "I'm just…I thought you were dead."
"No, it's fine," Merlin replied, reaching out to touch her hand when he heard her voice crack on the 'dead' part, "It's…"
"Mara?" a voice questioned and everyone looked over to see Arthur kneeling by Marayna's cot. In their excitement at Merlin's recovery, they had completely forgotten about his sister who, by the looks of it, was not awake or moving or, to everyone's horror, even breathing, "Gaius?" Arthur looked up at the physician, confused as to why Merlin was awake by Marayna wasn't.
Gaius crouched down next to her and reached out, shaking as he didn't feel a pulse on her wrist. She should have woken by now.
"Oh no," Morgana gasped, "She drank the poison first," she looked at them frantically, "We should have given the antidote to her first as well!"
"No," Merlin shook his head fiercely, "No, no, maybe it…maybe it just takes a little longer to work."
He tried to stand and walk to her, but was still terribly weak from the poison and nearly collapsed to the floor had it not been for Gaius anticipating his movement and catching him. He lowered Merlin next to his sister's cot, "Come on Aya," the boy whispered, reaching out to take her hand in his, not noticing that Arthur held her other hand, "Come on. You can't leave. You can't leave me," he begged, his eyes filling with tears, "You promised, remember? Where I go, you go. I haven't gone anywhere, neither can you."
He closed his eyes, bowing his head and pressing her hand, wrapped in his hands, to his forehead. His shoulders shook as he sobbed, able to hear Morgana and Gwen crying behind him, but it couldn't be true. It couldn't. She couldn't be dead. Not her, not his sister. He was just about to damn the consequences and use magic to try and bring her back...when he felt a small pressure in his hands, the lightest of squeezes.
His head shot up as he saw Marayna's face scrunch a little in pain before a shudder ran through her body. She began shaking as another small convulsion took her. He realized a moment before it happened what was coming and magically pushed the pail behind Arthur over to the bed, luckily without anyone's notice, and luckily just in time for her to roll on her side and retch into the pail. She laid back down, everyone fussing over her. Gwen and Morgana rushed to get more water and blankets, Gaius checking her pulse and other little things, Merlin pulling another blanket over her, and Arthur asking if she was alright.
Marayna glanced over at him, her eyes still glossy from the fever she still had, "Ar…Arthur?" she whispered hoarsely.
"Yes?" he murmured, quietly, reaching out to smooth her hair.
She smiled a bit, "Your mother's beautiful."
"What?" he replied, feeling as though a bucket of icy cold water had been poured over him as even Gaius paused in his ministrations, as did Merlin, to stare at her.
She reached up with her free hand, the one Merlin had let go of to fetch the blanket and rested it on the side of his face, seeming not even aware she was doing so as her fingertips ghosted the edge of his hair, "You've the same hair…" she lowered her hand a bit, "…and eyes…" then allowed her hand to cup his chin, "...the same smile too…" before letting it fall back to the bed, too weak to hold it up any longer.
He nodded, feeling as though a vice had gripped his heart as the implication of what she was saying hit him, "Sleep," he commanded softly, his hand gripping hers a bit more.
She nodded drowsily and shut her eyes.
~8~
A day or so later would find Arthur, Morgana, and Uther standing at the castle wall, watching as King Bayard and his men returned to their own kingdom. The whole war had been called off when Gaius had presented the king with evidence that the poison had been crafted by a sorceress named Nimueh.
"Ok," Morgana started, smirking, "Let the bragging begin. How'd you manage it?"
Arthur knew what she was trying to do, lighten his mood. Ever since Marayna had woken up from her brief stint with death, he had been a very solemn man. It had terrified him more than words could say to know that he had lost the woman even for those few moments and he had no idea why it was affecting him so deeply, "I'm not sure," he replied honestly, "All I do know is I had help. Someone knew I was in trouble and sent a light to guide the way."
"Who?"
"I don't know. Whoever it was, I'm only here because of them."
"I'm glad you're back," she smiled softly before nodding and leaving, most likely to check on Merlin he thought.
"Arthur?" he heard his father speak and step up to him, "The woman you met in the forest, what did she tell you?"
After Marayna had fallen asleep, he had gone to inform his father of his success, telling him about the cockatrice, the spiders, and the woman in the woods. He'd left out the glowing orb of course, his father could only handle so much magic at a time.
"Not much," he remarked, "She was too busy trying to get me killed. It was strange though."
"In what way?"
"I was at her mercy, she could have finished me off...but she chose not to," he frowned in remembrance, "She said it wasn't my destiny to die at her hand."
"You must have been scared," Uther commented off-handedly, though both of them knew he was speaking of both the adventure and the near (and actual) death of his servants.
"It had its moments," his son shrugged, trying in vain to shake off the terror that gripped his heart in the remembrance of Marayna's still form and the sight of her brother begging her not to go, the words he could admit he might have possibly wanted to say himself but hadn't the courage, though it would have been done with less tears and pleas and 'girly words.'
Uther nodded, "Those who practice magic know only evil. They despise, and seek to destroy, goodness wherever they find it. Which is why she wanted you dead. She is evil."
Arthur glanced as his father, knowing that his words had slowly changed from a lecture to his own thoughts, "Sounds as if you know her."
"I do," his father admitted, before continuing, "To know the heart of once sorcerer is to know them all," he glanced at his son, "You did the right thing, even though you were disobeying me. I'm proud of you Arthur, never forget that. And your servants are very lucky to have you as their master. Someone must have been watching over them for you as you went for the flower."
Arthur nodded, "I think it was mother."
Uther turned sharply to face his son, "Why do you say that?"
Arthur's jaw clenched, "When Mara…came back," he couldn't bring himself to say 'died,' "She said that mother was beautiful, and I had her hair, eyes, and smile."
Uther smiled gently as he looked upon his son, "It's true, you do."
Arthur turned to face him, "How could she have known that?"
And then Uther realized why his son thought Ygraine was looking over the servants. There were no portraits of his late wife in the castle, save in his own room, which neither of Arthur's servants had been in, nor did anyone speak of her. He was fairly certain Gaius would never mention Ygraine to them either, he had far too much respect for his king to go talking about painful memories like that to just anyone. The only way the girl could have known those details about Arthur...was if she truly had seen Ygraine.
Uther watched as his son walked back into the castle and very nearly smiled at the thought that Ygraine had taken an interest in the girl, he had to admit, she did seem the sort that his Ygraine would have loved like a daughter.
But then again, his wife had always had a fondness for servants and those of lower birth, kept spouting on about the 'rubbish nonsense of stations' and the like.
~8~
Marayna glare at the spoon hovering before her face. Stupid poison, stupid fever, stupid prince. She was still very weak from the poison and her near death. She was still alive, so she refuse to think that she had actually died. It also comforted her to know that she hadn't, in fact, left those she cared about behind. Now she could only pray that Gaius and Merlin never mentioned this to her mother or there would be hell to pay.
She opened her mouth, allowing the spoon to come to her and took the food. She chewed as she watched the spoon dip back into her dinner mush and rise again, her eyes briefly flashing gold with each move as she used her magic to feed herself.
It was embarrassing.
There was a chuckle behind her which moved to in front of her as her brother sat down across from her at the table, "Still a bit weak?" he asked, smirking. He knew it irritated her to be weak or sick and this was one of the few times he would be able to get to her without her fighting back and punching his arm like she always did. He also just wanted to get back to how things were, put the whole 'you died' event behind them and pretend like it never happened, something he knew she would be grateful for.
She stuck out her tongue at him and opened her mouth for the spoon once more. It dipped down and was just in the process of rising once again when Merlin reached out and grabbed it. She was about to ask why he'd done that, when a voice spoke from behind her, "Still alive, then?"
She looked over her shoulder to see Arthur walking into the room.
"Yeah, just about," Merlin smiled, putting the spoon down, breathing a sigh of relief that Arthur hadn't seen anything, "And I understand we have you to thank for that."
"Yeah, well, it was nothing," Arthur mumbled, looking away, clearly uncomfortable with the situation, "Half-decent servants are hard to come by. I was only dropping by to see if you were alright. I'm sure you'll be back to work tomorrow," he glanced at Marayna.
"Oh, yeah, yeah of course, bright and early," Marayna replied, her sarcasm back in full.
Arthur couldn't help but smile at it though, he'd take that over her deathly quiet any day, "Good. Merlin," Merlin perked up, "Tonight I'm going to need you to sharpen my sword, polish my armor, straighten my chambers, and mend my jacket from the banquet."
Merlin groaned and moved to stand, gasping and rushing to his sister's side as she tried to stand as well. Arthur jerked forward, about to catch her as she fell, but Merlin had gotten to her first, "What do you think you're doing?" Merlin asked, glaring at his sister and setting her down again.
"I'm not about to let him dump all the chores on you just because I'm not quite well yet," she replied, "I'll do my part."
"Oh?" Merlin scoffed, a bit amused, "How?"
"I'll sit and polish and mend," she answered, crossing her arms and sticking her nose up as though that were the end of the conversation.
"And how're you going to manage to do that?" Merlin laughed, "You can barely lift a spoon let alone a polishing brush."
Before she could give her reply, Arthur spoke again, a thoughtful look on his face, "Perhaps the chores can wait a day or two."
Marayna eyed him, a small smile on her face which he returned, nodding as he turned to leave, "Arthur?" Marayna called and he turned to face them once more, "Thank you," she offered, speaking genuinely, and he knew she wasn't talking just about the chores.
"You too," he nodded back, his smile widening, "Get some rest," and with that, he left the room.
Gaius looked over at his niece and nephew from his place standing at his work bench, "Arthur may give you a hard time, but, at heart, he's a man of honor," he commented, making sure to close the door so Marayna could use her magic again before placing a plate before Merlin, "There aren't many who would risk what he did for servants."
"It all would've been for nothing if you didn't know how to make the antidote," Merlin praised.
"Eat your dinner," Gaius replied, a small smile on his face.
"I still don't get why Nimueh tried to frame Bayard," Marayna brought up as she swallowed her next bite, "If she really wanted to kill Arthur, she just had to stand there and watch. He would have drank the poison if we hadn't warned him."
"Destroying Arthur and Camelot wasn't all she was after," Gaius stated as though it should be obvious, "She knew at least one of you would be forced to drink that wine, and she knew the other wouldn't let the one suffer alone. It was you she wanted to kill, the both of you. Seems someone else knows you're both destined for great things."
Marayna turned to glance at her brother, 'So Nimueh fooled us all and poisoned the goblet?' Merlin nodded, not sure why she was asking, Gaius had explained everything that morning. Marayna smirked, 'Told you so,' she whispered to him.
Merlin couldn't help but smile at that and roll his eyes, even after everything that happened...his sister still managed to remain a brat.
A/N: I sort of wanted Uther to have a tiny redeeming moment here and recalling the honor of a knight, repaying debts and whatnot :) I sort of switched around that scene, making Arthur's return with the flower just as late as it was in the show because he was stopped by Uther a second time earlier :)
We'll definitely be seeing the start of the Merlin/Morgana portion coming up now as well :) My thoughts are that, with Marayna there to help Merlin keep an eye on Arthur, he can actually take time for himself when he needs to, he doesn't have to focus as much on Arthur and can start to...notice other things ;) The small interactions that he's had with Morgana in the past really started to form a connection between them (that and Morgana's dream we have yet to learn about ;)) and we'll see that grow along with Arthur and Marayna's ;)
We'll be seeing Arthur and Morgana's thoughts and them coming to terms with the events of this chapter VERY soon ;)
Hieran ac lóclóca - Hear and See!
Some notes on reviews...
Urry will be mentioned throughout the Prophecies, but we will see him again, I won't say when or how often, but I can say...this isn't the last we've seen of him }:)
Lol, I can't say what's coming for Mordred, but I have BIG plans for him }:)
And a Happy (belated) Birthday to livelifeforevermore of tumblr! :) (I wasn't sure if you had a FF profile but I wanted to give a shout out) :) I love giving birthday wishes so I hope you had a fantastic day! ^-^