CHAPTER FIVE: What goes around comes around.

Arthur wasn't the only one with a headache that morning; Merlin, at the expense of his labour, Gwen at the confusion of it all and Rosaline because she believed in karma. She had been feeling faint all day, a sure sign of an upcoming flu or other fairly treatable illness. In terms of the spell, she believed it was also fairly treatable, as in her favourite novel a sorcerer interrupted in the end, but this was Camelot, for goodness' sake. No sorcerer would be foolish enough to live in their own death bed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Milady" She jumped, a body slamming into her. He had stepped back immediately, his breathing pronounced and his eyes flickering. Rosaline frowned, she recognised this man.

"Merlin, there you are!" That was it, he was Arthur's manservant. She flashed a momentary wicked grin before pushing the gangly man aside and falling faint into the arms of his master.

Arthur, of course, caught her gracefully and immediately called up guards and carried her to her chambers, falling hook line and sinker for the act. Merlin stumbled along as best as possible, confusion seeping over him as the image of her grin flashed through his mind again and again.

Gaius was called and the King and the Queen. It was announced she had a mild flu, which would leave her bed ridden for at least a day but it was far from fatal. The Princess all the while woodenly protesting against her mother's attention and desperately tried to catch the Prince's eye, revelling in the spotlight.

Arthur was apparently oblivious to this, standing back chivalrously and claiming it was only his duty. Merlin picked up on the distinctive pompous undertone and tried in vain to make sense of the whole situation. A Princess fighting for Arthur's attention was more than normal, it was somewhat expected, but in light of The Prince's recent memory loss it was suddenly suspicious. He shook the thought out of his head. He would need more evidence than that.

~o~

"Found something!" Both Gwen and Gaius looked up in annoyance.

"Is it something to do with our current predicament or something you just found amusing?" Gaius adjusted his glasses, voice sounding as tired as they all felt. He had spent most of the day with Princess Rosaline which had delayed the book search dramatically.

"Oh." Merlin looked down, the candles playing odd shadow games across his face. "Then I haven't found anything."

Gwen grimaced, pushing another thick volume aside. "This isn't working. The only 'cures' we've found seem to involve some sort of moonlit ceremony or deal with some…" she waved her hands around "ethereal being!"

"Well the moonlit ceremony sounded like a bit of a laugh, actually. I didn't see the problem with that one." Merlin interjected. Gwen could almost see the haunting ceremony playing out in his mind's eye, white cloaks and wine glasses.

"Merlin…" Gaius used the warning voice he had especially for his almost-son. "We agreed against the ceremony because it would mean Arthur drinking Gwen's blood…"

"Look, maybe we're just thinking too much into it." Merlin brushed the issue aside. "There must be something simpler."

"I suppose, we could always…" Gaius led off "… recreate the memories? Or try and persuade him into remembering?"

"True loves kiss!" Merlin suddenly bolted up. "It worked before!"

"Right. I think we've all got to go to bed." The old physician dropped his leather backed book on the table and stretched himself out. Gwen sighed.

"What?" Merlin bounded around "What's the problem with it?!"

"Merlin, it isn't just a go-to for any predicament. It's specifically for love alteration spells and there's a high chance the sorcerer who did this had more ulterior motives." Gaius answered. "It's very likely that the sorcerer just assumed" he paced himself, picking out the words "The Prince was using Guinevere for less… noble purposes. There's even a chance they were taking pot luck and didn't know." He didn't look at Gwen through all of this. She didn't look at him either, focussing on the wood of the table in front of her and chewing her lip.

"Oh." Merlin deflated "Right."

"Gwen, you may take the patient bed, it is best that you don't go home this late into the night" Gaius said not unkindly, easing himself off towards his own bed. "Merlin, make sure you get some sleep too, you still have your duties to attend to in the morning."

"Okay…" he resigned, blowing out a few candles before making his way to his side room. "Oh and Gwen?" He stopped suddenly, turning to see her still sitting at the table. "Don't worry. We will find something, moonlit ceremony -" they both chuckled at that, her face neatly crinkling into a smile "- or otherwise."

"Merlin…" she trailed, the smile flickering away as she wondered whether she could trust him with her ever growing feeling of doubt "… Last night I said he should just forget me and he said he would never forget me." She choked on her words but struggled to the end of the sentence bravely.

"Well, there's nothing I can do about that nasty piece of irony." Merlin hovered, feeling very awkward "We'll just have to keep searching so we can put this behind us."

"What if we shouldn't?! What if he is better off not knowing me?!" Her whole body shook violently and she braced herself on the table, fighting tears.

"Gwen." He walked over and hugged her then and she twisted to meet his arms. Somehow it felt like betrayal, and for a fleeting second Merlin could picture Arthur's scrutiny. He took a shot in the dark. "You know Arthur has always been a really big PRAT."

Gaius, lying on his bed somewhere in the shadows just managed to cover his snort of laughter. Really, Merlin? This is how you're going to console her?

Gwen made a small noise and Merlin spotted the flicker of a smile so he carried on. "Well. He was really really pratish and really quite horrible to me…" He rubbed her back soothingly "But then he fell in love with you. And suddenly he was less of a prat." She shifted, he was sure she was listening "And I thought, hey, great. He's learning, he's changing. He's going to be the king everyone expects him to be. Then yesterday I get his breakfast and suddenly, he's acting like he's 12 again and he's god's gift to the world."

Gwen smiled into his chest. "You changed him, Gwen." He murmured, "You changed him. I'm indebted to you for how much more tolerable he is now. Or…" she tensed, and his voice was sad "Or how he was yesterday." He sighed, but shook it aside "The point is, if you don't want to get the memories back for the sake of your relationship, or even for yourself, get them back for him. He's just lost a whole bout of maturity which he will really need some day."

She eased away from him to see his face. "Thank you Merlin"

He matched her smile and added "Either way, warlock's shouldn't be messing around with his memories anyway, that's just plain rude."

She laughed and the humour sparkled in his eyes. They parted ways, Merlin throwing a stifled "'Night!" over his shoulder and vanishing into his room and Gwen blowing out the final candle and settling into the patient's bed. She lay there for a bit, playing Merlin's words over in her head until she eventually slipped into a much needed sleep.

~o~

"There you are, Gwen. I needed to speak to you." Gaius smiled up from the breakfast table as she stiffly wandered over. She was still in yesterday's clothes and she desperately wanted to change.

"Morning, Gaius." She smiled sleepily back, accepting a chunk of bread and a glass of water.

"I think I may have found a solution for our predicament." Gaius continued, "It happened to come to me in a dream."

"That's awfully convenient." Merlin's voice rang out from inside his room until he eventually appeared, leaning against the doorframe.

"Indeed." Gaius smiled. "I happened to recall the ponderings of a very good friend of mine. Alderfil and I trained together years ago, but even now I remember he had a particular interest in memory spells."

Gwen stiffened. "Spells?"

Gaius looked at her patiently. "We have been dealing with magic from the start, Gwen, there is no natural cause for such specific memory loss. Anyway, this was a time long before the ban of such research."

"So Alderfil?" Merlin prompted impatiently.

Gaius frowned. "Isn't Arthur expecting you?" He sighed when the warlock didn't even waver. "Anyway, Alderfil had a particular interest in memory spells, almost to the point of obsession. Many were rather afraid of him, but I saw him more as… intrepid rather than destructive. I believe that if you two go to Alderfil, he will lend his expertise and offer a solution."

"Seems easy enough." Merlin smiled. "Where about does he live?"

"Last I heard he was situated in the village of Llanchad, a few miles north of Ealdor."

"I remember Llanchad, we visited sometimes to help out in the harvest. It should only take about two days to get there on horseback."

"Then it's settled. You and Gwen will leave for Llanchad tomorrow. I'll write a letter for you to give to Alderfil and try and secure some horses under the ruse you are going on my behalf." Gaius smiled, plucking up his bowl and dropping it in the sink.

"That's great!" Merlin beamed. "I'll go tell Arthur."

"Merlin -" Gwen yelped, mind not caught up as he ran to the door. He was gone, and Gaius laughed softly.

"Don't worry about it Gwen, he won't exactly tell Arthur you're setting off to find a memory retrieving spell."

~o~

Gwen frowned, arms crossed. She had finally got home and changed and had just been preparing to leave for another day of maid duties when Merlin ran up to her blabbering something she didn't want to get her head around right now. "So - what did you tell him?"

"That we were off for private business on Gaius' behalf."

"And he said?" She actually dreaded the answer.

"That in no way running off to elope comes under the excuse 'on Gaius's behalf'"

She sighed, looking down at her feet. "So now I guess I'm going alone."

"Looks like it." Merlin shrugged. "Sorry."

She sucked air in-between her teeth and waved him out quickly. It'd only be a short journey, she comforted herself, but it was still a long haul for one person. That's when she found herself stepping into the old forge.

It was covered in cobwebs and stifling dust, a corpse of its former glory. There was nothing to explain the overwhelming sadness shrouding the place; it ate away at her as she struggled over to a chest on the other side. Releasing the lock easily, she eased the lid up, coughing as the ashes of her past caught in her throat. Rummaging carefully through mismatched belongings, she finally felt a trim of velvet and drew the sword out. Balancing it carefully in its fine slip she locked the chest and admired it for a moment. Her father had never considered it his best, but it glinted magnificently in the stolen sunlight. If she was going alone, she was not a girl to be caught unawares.


Oh, and i forgot to mention this story will contain spoilers all through season two... sorry :(