Alaia Skyhawk: This episode has a corresponding episode in Whom History Won't Remember, that runs just prior these events and concurrent with Part 1 of The Poisoned Chalice. It covers how Nimueh made the copy of the goblet that she used. The episode name is listed below.

Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.

Music: N/A

"Whom History Won't Remember" Episode: "Negotiations"

~(-)~

Chapter 19: The Poisoned Chalice ~Part 1~

Arthur stood there as Merlin took his jacket to him, standing there while his servant helped him into it. Outside could be heard a great clatter of horses and voices, the courtyard packed with the newly arrived guests garbed in the pale sapphire blue of Mercia.

Merlin frowned a little.

"Didn't we do this already?"

Arthur scowled at him.

"Shut up, Merlin. How were we supposed to know that King Bayard would detour to Ulwin first? Just deal with it."

"Still doesn't change the fact you didn't tell me about that message, and I set this outfit out for you yesterday when I didn't need to... Oww!"

Merlin yelped with the prince decided to stomp on his foot, before Arthur headed for the door and his servant was forced to limp after him.

The prince glanced back at him, watching as Merlin closed the door behind them.

"You are to stand with my father's personal servants, and not utter a word during the proceedings. If I hear even a single whisper pass your lips, I will personally see to it that you spend all of Bayard's visit mucking out the stables that house his entourage's horses. Is that clear?"

Merlin gulped, that being his idea of hell... Although being beaten to a pulp in a weapons practice session with Arthur would come a close second.

"Completely."

The pair of them made their way through the castle, arriving at the Great Hall after many of the knights who would be present, but before the king himself. Merlin went to his position beside Uther's two manservants, remaining there and watching as Arthur had those knights form up into a line. Uther joined that line when he arrived, all of them waiting until the King of Mercia and his escort of knights entered through the hall's doors.

When they did, Merlin could only marvel at that they formed the same formation Uther and his men had, before both groups strode towards each other in a wedge like an arrowhead with each king at the tip. While Uther and Bayard greeted each other when they met at the centre of the room, Merlin just shook his head ever so slightly. Trust the nobility to come up with some fussy and formal way to say hello to someone. Having the knights there was all about showing off.

An applause from those assembled here followed the initial greeting and the kings shaking hands with each other, the two of them heading off to have a discussion in private while the knights then proceeded to greet each other. Meanwhile he, Merlin, would be forced to stand here bored out of his mind until Arthur decided he'd had enough and left. He might have found it more interesting if he'd known he was being watched.

Dark eyes watched him from among the group of Bayard's servants that were present, the fair-faced woman intently observing the target of her malice. Merlin had destroyed her afanc, but he would pay for it. And she, Nimueh, would have her revenge on him.

She looked away, placing her attention back on the knights and on her magic. But first she had to concentrate, and beguile those who had been in this chamber. No one in Camelot who knew her face would recognise her... Not Uther, and not Gaius...

~(-)~

"Why do I always get landed with the donkey work?"

Merlin, burdened with two heavy sacks, walked towards where Gaius stood just a short way down the hall, the physician chuckling and smiling as his ward passed him.

"You're a servant, Merlin. It's what you do."

Merlin stopped and faced him, before looking down at the sacks.

"My arms will be a foot longer by the time I get this lot inside."

Gaius was still smiling, neither of them noticing the Mercian servant coming up the hall behind him.

"It's character building. As the old proverb says, 'Hard work breeds'..." He hesitated, tacking an end on hastily. "'A harder soul'."

Merlin raised his eyebrows, shaking his head.

"There's no way that's a proverb. You just made that up."

"No I didn't."

The maid who'd been nearing them stumbled, dropping her armload of sheets and cushions almost right at Merlin's feet. Her light voice apologetic as she fumbled to gather them again.

"Sorry."

Merlin glanced at his mentor, before stooping down to help her.

"It's all right. Let me give you a hand with that." When he got down to eye-level with her, she looked at him and he paused to stare. She was pretty, really pretty, and he could not help the slight smile on his face once she'd gathered her burden and they both stood up again. "...Hi, um... I'm Merlin."

He offered his hand in greeting, the maid smiling beneath her blue head-wrap as she accepted it and replied as if recognising him.

"Kara. You're Arthur's servant? It must be such an honour."

Merlin shrugged, his inward thoughts rather contrary to what he said out loud.

"Uh, yeah is it. Well, someone has to keep the place running."

Behind Kara, Gaius had folded his arms across his chest and was giving his ward a long look, while Kara continued to smile and glanced to the cushion Merlin still held.

"Thank you, Merlin."

He realised he was still holding it, hastily adding it to the pile in her arms.

"Oh, yeah, no problem."

"It was nice meeting you."

She walked away, feeling Merlin's eyes follow her. Such a naive and foolish young man, so easily put off guard by a pretty face. He was ensnared now, ready for the final stage tonight, and Gaius had stood there completely unknowing of who had been before him. This was far too easy.

Almost as those thoughts crossed her mind, she passed a guard who bore the insignia of the Captain of the Castle Guard, feeling a tremor in the magic she radiated around her. That tremor a warning, she heard him pause even as she hurried around the corner then dashed to the next and hid from sight. The guard had followed her, his movements cautious and wary, searching, and she waited until he had passed and disappeared from view.

Nimueh came out of her hiding place, frowning. Had her infiltration of Ulwin been detected? But how so quickly? That naive fool, Liam, should have remained oblivious to having being manipulated for at least a full day after Bayard's departure, had he even noticed at all. But somehow that captain knew she didn't belong here, knew to expect someone who didn't belong. It was the only way he could have started to see through her enchantments.

She narrowed her eyes and resumed making her way to Bayard's guest room, resolving to stay out of sight once this was done and only come into the open again at the feast. It looked like she might have underestimated Uther, or more correctly underestimated the people allied to him... It would seem perhaps that Lord Hargren was far less blind than the king he served... Far more open to the signs of magic that Uther would miss, and discrete enough to deal with them on his own without alerting him. If he had detected her at Ulwin, then he would not have wanted to raise a fuss at the signing of the treaty. Chances were that captain was an informant of his.

She set those thoughts aside, knowing they mattered not. Subtle efforts by a distant lord would not hinder her plans, he was wasting his time.

She reached King Bayard's chambers, a single murmur of magic unlocking the door. She then approached the same box been to before, opening it and replacing the smaller goblet inside with the replica hidden among her pile of sheets. The replica she'd made back then... The one that now bore a transparent flower petal stuck to the inside of the rim.

She took the original and left the room, locking the door again behind her. There would be no clue as to her involvement, it was already too late to stop her now.

~(-)~

The pile of clothing retrieved from storage thumped down onto the table, Merlin grimacing and backing up a step at the musty smell that came from them.

"When's the last time these were cleaned?"

He picked up the red velvet jacket studded with a pattern of brass studs, shaking it and seeing a number of crumbs drop from it and to the floor.

Behind him, Arthur was nonchalant.

"Last year sometime. For the feast of Beltane."

Still seeing a few more crumbs drop, Merlin turned to help Arthur into the jacket and make sure it still fit.

"Did it end in a food fight?"

"Don't all feasts?"

Merlin frowned, watching as the prince inspected the fit then started to take it off again.

"I wouldn't know. The airs and graces of the court are a mystery to me."

"Not tonight they won't be."

"I'm going to be at the banquet?"

"Not quite... You'll be there to make sure my cup doesn't run dry. If I have to sit through Bayard's boring speeches, I don't see why you should get out of it." He pushed the jacket back into Merlin's grip. "Be sure to polish the buttons."

"Yes, sire."

Merlin accepted it, grimacing to himself. The staff at the laundry would just love him for taking them a velvet garment to clean at such short notice. Velvet was a pain to dry fast if you didn't want to ruin it, he knew that from his mother's stories of her time serving in King Herwen's court.

Behind him, Arthur had gone behind the screen with an amused smile on his face, his tone hinting at something to come.

"...Do you want to see what you'll be wearing tonight?"

Merlin paused in his consideration of the velvet jacket, turning to face the screen and gesturing to what he was already wearing.

"Won't this do?"

Arthur looked around the screen, shaking his head and smirking.

"No, tonight you are going to be wearing the official ceremonial robes of the servants of Camelot."

He reached behind the screen, pulling out a gold-edged short cape, which to be honest didn't look that bad... The bit that made Merlin stare almost in horror was what was in the prince's other hand... A hat, laden with feathers to such an extent that when worn it would make the servant wearing it look like they had a bird nesting on their head.

"You can't be serious."

Arthur was looking more than a little amused, and was clearly suppressing laughter at the expression on Merlin's face.

"It's an official event, Merlin, and all the other high-ranking servants will be wearing this."

Merlin started to frown, folding his arms stubbornly across his chest.

"And if I won't?"

"...I'm not sure you'll want to find out what I think would be worse for you than mucking out forty horses for a week."

Merlin grimaced, his expression making clear his displeasure before he walked forward and took hold of both offending items.

"Fine, I'll wear it."

Arthur strode from the room to leave Merlin to his chores, the warlock frowning until the door was closed behind him. He dropped the cape and hat on the table, before once again picking up and regarding the velvet jacket. Time to use the trick he'd been practicing with his own clothing for just this kind of situation.

"Ic afeorme seo rud..."

Dirt dropped from the garment's fibres, creases vanished, and so did the musty smell. He then sat down with a cloth and started to polish the brass studs. He might as well spend the time he'd saved by not braving the ire of the laundry staff, slacking off in here by taking his time on the buttons.

...Although he doubted Gaius would be impressed if he learnt his ward was using his new skill, to call up words in the Old Tongue, to cheat with some of his chores.

~(-)~

This was just as humiliating as he'd expected it to be...

Merlin stood there, wearing the usual servant tabard with the Pendragon Crest, and topped with the gold-trimmed cape and that hideous hat. All the way through the speeches, Arthur kept turning his head to smirk at him, and it didn't help that Gwen seemed to be just as amused were she stood beside him.

It wasn't fair, the only other servants wearing this ridiculous get up were Uther's two, and they didn't have their lord teasing them every other minute. Forcing himself not to look at Arthur, and maybe spare himself some of the embarrassment, Merlin looked around at the other servants present while the two nearby kings began to sign the treaty document before all the guests. That was when he spotted Kara, and Gwen noticed him staring at her when the woman's glance in his direction had him immediately take off the hat.

"She's pretty, isn't she... for a handmaiden, I mean."

"She's pretty for a princess, let along a handmaiden."

Gwen raised her eyebrows a little, having translated that to mean that Merlin was currently besotted by said pretty handmaiden. She walked away to stand beside Gaius, for a chance of a better conversation, but further thoughts were prevented when the nobles and knights began to applaud, Uther and Bayard shaking hands beside the now signed treaty. At the far end of the room, a servant carrying an open box came forward to approach the latter, one set of eyes following it's progress intently before their owner made a move towards the now solitary Merlin.

Nimueh waited until Bayard held the goblets aloft and started his speech to present them to Uther and Arthur, before stopping beside him and speaking as if anxious and frightened.

"Merlin, I need to speak to you."

"What is it?"

"Not here, please. I don't know who else to tell."

She led him from the room, Gaius noticing Merlin leave with her but frowning only slightly. At the High Table, Arthur was doing his best to remain seemingly interested in all this, accepting the smaller of the goblets when it was handed to him and beginning to feel irritated when a glance to call Merlin over to fill it revealed the servant was nowhere to be seen.

Arthur fought not to frown, resolving to find something unpleasant for Merlin to do, even as the cup was filled with wine by another servant and the two kings began to call out that to which this toast would be dedicated. After two interrupted attempts to drink from it, it was as the speech was finally ended that a shout rang out just as the goblet touched his lips.

"Stop! It's poisoned! Don't drink it!"

Merlin charged in from one of the servant entrances to the hall, taking the cup from Arthur's grasp while the prince stared at him like he was insane.

Uther frowned at the servant, Arthur also stunned by this.

"What?"

"Merlin, what are you doing?"

Behind them both, Nimueh watched from the doorway Merlin had come through, watched the event unfold as she had planned and Merlin accused the visiting King.

"Bayard laced Arthur's goblet... with poison."

"This is an outrage!"

Bayard drew his sword, as did every knight in the hall and all of the guards, while Uther called out to him.

"Order your men to put down their swords. You are outnumbered."

Bayard regarded him angrily, although made no further move.

"I will not allow this insult to go unchallenged."

Uther ignored him, instead looking at Merlin.

"On what grounds do you base this accusation?"

Arthur jolted into movement at this, going to Merlin's side. What was the idiot doing?

"I'll handle this... Merlin, you idiot. Have you been at the sloe gin again?"

He was trying to disarm the situation, as he'd done during Merlin's moronic 'confession' about being a sorcerer, but Uther wasn't going to listen to it. Instead he addressed Merlin again when the servant was brought to a stop right in front of the High Table.

"Unless you want to be strung up, you will tell me why you think it's poisoned, now."

Merlin hesitated, his heart pounding with nerves. Charging in and stopping Arthur from drinking had been the easy part, but now he had to explain it without exposing the terrified Kara to the threat of retribution from Bayard.

"He was seen lacing it."

"By whom?"

"...I cannot say."

Nimueh smiled, this was going perfectly. She watched Uther come out from behind the table and take the cup from Merlin, watched as he confronted the other king when Bayard expressed his displeasure at these events.

"I won't stand here and listen to this."

"If you're telling the truth."

"I am."

"Then you have nothing to fear, do you?"

Bayard sheathed his sword, holding out a hand for the goblet in an offer to drink the contents as proof. Uther didn't hand it to him though.

"No, if this does prove to be poisoned, then I want the pleasure of killing you myself." He turned and held the cup out towards Merlin. "He will drink it."

Arthur frowned, unable to believe this.

"But if it is poisoned, he'll die!"

"And we'll know he was telling the truth."

Bayard watched as Merlin tentatively took hold of the cup.

"And what if he lives?"

Uther faced him.

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

Gaius, who had been watching this with horror, spoke out.

"Uther, please, he's just a boy. He doesn't know what he'd saying."

The king looked at him.

"Then you should have schooled him better..."

Arthur looked at his servant, Merlin staring nervously at the contents of the cup. This was... This was unbelievable.

"Merlin, apologise. This is a mistake... I'll drink it."

Merlin blocked him with an arm when he tried to take the cup, shaking his head.

"No no no, no! It's all right." He backed away from him, facing to where Uther was once again at his seat behind the High Table. His gut was full of dread, but he couldn't let Arthur drink it. He was supposed to protect him, and if there was any chance that this really was poisoned then he couldn't take that risk. He put the cup to his lips and gulped the contents down, tense seconds following where nothing happened, and he murmured believing that maybe Kara had been wrong. "...It's fine."

Uther gestured to Bayard in permission for the king to do as he wanted to Merlin, but beyond him Nimueh was smiling. So Merlin was strong enough in magic that it was resisting the poison and delaying the onset by a few seconds, but no amount of power could stop the enchanted toxin for longer than that.

Even as Bayard reached for his sword, and Arthur turned in defeat, Merlin suddenly started to frown and bring up a hand His choked gasp as he felt his throat and lungs start to burn caused all eyes to look at him, and he managed one desperate glance at the prince before he passed out and collapsed to the floor.

Uther rose to his feet at the sight.

"It was poisoned... Guards! Seize them!"

Arthur was oblivious to the movement of the guards and knights, his attention fully on his servant when he rushed to his side. Gaius and Gwen were there just as quickly, his hand reaching over and opening one of Merlin's eyes to check his responses.

"Merlin, can you hear me?" There was no reaction, the physician turning to the prince and maid beside him. "We have to get him to my chambers. Gwen, bring the goblet. I'll need it to identify the poison."

Gwen did as she was told, picking the silver cup up from where it lay, while Arthur picked up Merlin and slung him over his shoulder... No one noticing the woman who left, smiling, from the back of the hall.

~(-)~

Alaia Skyhawk: Hehehe, that was fun to write :D