The Wanderer
by BynWho
Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfic for entertainment purposes only. All characters and plots from the BBC show Merlin belong to the BBC. All other characters and plots belong to BynWho. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Marian discovers a gift from Fate just in time for The Witchfinder's arrival in Camelot and Gwaine continues to travel through the Five Kingdoms.
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Every Little Thing She Does is Magic
Marian was all alone in the physician's chambers that morning. Gaius was out in the town, tending to the Felton twins, and mercifully said that she didn't have to go. She liked the Feltons. Well, she liked the parents, anyway. Thomas managed one of the farms just outside of the city, and Cathryn was a weaver for the royal household.
With their parents absent for most of the day, the boys had ample unsupervised time to engage in mischief. The twins got caught up in a patch of brambles and poison oak the other day and kept scratching their skin raw, despite their mother batting their hands away. Finally, at the end of her rope, Cathryn sent for Gaius, begging that he bring some sort of relief so that she could get back to her work.
Thankful she didn't have to tend to the Feltons this time, Marian crushed herbs in her mortar while dancing around the room and singing Right Said Fred's I'm Too Sexy.
"I'm too sexy for my car. Too sexy for my car. Too sexy by faaar! And I'm too sexy for my hat. Too sexy for my hat. What do you think about thaaaat?"
Morgana stepped through the door, amused, as she watched Marian twirl.
"I'm a model, you know what I mean. And I do my little turn on the catwalk. Yeah, on the catwalk. On the catwalk, yeah. I shake my little tush on the catwalk!"
Morgana lost it when Marian shook her ass and she laughed.
Mortified, Marian came close to dropping the mortar. "Oh shit! Um… how long were you standing there?"
Morgana smiled. "Long enough. What song was that? I don't understand the words."
"Oh! Uh… just a song from back home. It's in my head today." Marian set down her work. "Do you need something?"
"Is Gaius here?"
Marian shook her head. "He's down in the town seeing to the Felton twins."
"Did they get in trouble again?"
"They got into some poison oak. Can't stop scratching."
"Poor Mrs. Felton."
Marian noticed Morgana's change in mood after they'd had a little laugh. Morgana was paler than usual, and she had dark circles under her eyes. The longer they stood in silence, the more Morgana's unshed tears threatened to fall.
"Is there anything I can help you with, my lady?"
"Not unless you can make me not have to sleep."
"The nightmares returned?"
"Yes. They're getting worse. Marian, I'm scared."
"I know you're scared. But we'll find a way. We'll get rid of those dreams or protect you from Uther."
Morgana scoffed. "How?"
"I don't know, Morgana, but we'll figure something out."
"Thank you, Marian. You're a true friend." Morgana sighed. "Did Gaius leave any of the sleeping drafts for me?"
"I'll check," Marian said as she moved toward the cupboards. "Ah, we have one bottle left from the last batch." She handed the bottle to Morgana. "Is it helping, even a little?"
"Yes. Well, no. Gwen has to shake me out of the nightmares sometimes."
"She really cares about you."
Morgana smiled softly. "She does. I don't know where I'd be without her." Morgana looked at the work table, just noticing the herbs piled up and the half-full glass sitting beside a little flame. "I'd better go. Thank you, Marian. I mean it."
Marian nodded. "You're welcome, my lady."
She tilted her head as she watched Morgana leave. Maybe she was making a difference after all.
The next morning, Merlin burst into the physician's chambers, his arm cradled to his chest.
"Merlin? What the hell happened?" Marian asked, rushing over when he winced in pain.
"I was putting the finishing touches on polishing Arthur's sword when an ax fell onto me. Cut my arm."
"Okay, let's have a look." The blood was dark and endless. It spilled out over the cut, streaming down the side of Merlin's arm. She wobbled for a moment, then took a deep breath. "It, uh… I think it'll need stitches."
"We can wait for Gaius. Just hand me some bandages."
"No, I can do it." She swallowed hard. "Just let me… uh, get some supplies."
"Marian, you don't have to. You can't handle stitching up skin without turning your stomach."
She came back with a needle and some thread. "It needs to be done now. You're losing too much… too much…"
"Blood?"
"Yeah."
She pulled up a stool next to him and sat down to begin her work. As she tugged his sleeve higher, a strange feeling overtook her, and her hands glowed when she touched Merlin's arm.
"How are you doing that?" Merlin asked as the light got brighter and brighter.
"I don't know!"
As the cut on Merlin's arm disappeared, blood bled through her sleeve in a thin line—the same arm, in the exact same place as Merlin's injury. She hissed as her arm stung and then the pain disappeared as if nothing had happened.
After the light dimmed, Merlin grabbed a clean cloth and wiped the blood from his arm. "There's nothing there." He pulled her sleeve up and saw that there was nothing on her skin but remnants of blood. No cut or scratch or anything. Her skin was as smooth and intact as his own was.
"Marian, what did you do?"
"Nothing! That was you, wasn't it?"
Merlin shook his head, a grin spreading across his face. "You have magic!"
"That's… no, that's not possible."
She stood up too quick—the blood rushing to her head, and she backed up running into a table. Gasping for air, she felt a tightness in her throat and chest. She couldn't have magic. She was a nobody from the twenty-first century. No magic existed there, so how could it exist in her?
Gaius returned not long after and became alarmed by the expression on her face—ashen with wide eyes.
"What happened?" he asked as he dropped his medical bag on the table.
Both Marian and Merlin answered him, speaking over each other.
"You have to help me. Something happened—"
"Marian has magic. I cut my arm and she—"
"—and then my hands glowed—"
"—it healed but her arm—"
"—blood on my dress—"
"—all without saying anything."
Gaius closed his eyes as he tried to decipher what they were saying. "Merlin, you cut your arm and came to Marian to treat it."
Merlin nodded. "But she couldn't stomach the blood or doing the stitches—"
"You don't have to tell him that, Merlin!"
"And then, Marian, you touched Merlin and somehow healed him with magic?" Gaius asked.
"Yes."
"You did this without saying an incantation?"
"Right. But there was more. I bled in the same spot as Merlin. It went away too."
"It was as if my cut went to her and then just disappeared," Merlin said.
Gaius sighed. "It seems that the Fates have decided to grant you a gift, Marian."
"I don't want it." She regretted her words when she saw Merlin's face drop. "I'm sorry, Merlin, but it's true. I'm not like you. You've had your magic all your life. You know how to control it. I didn't even know magic existed until a year ago."
"Don't worry, Marian. I was scared too. I'll help you. We can go through my book after I get back from collecting firewood for Arthur."
"We must be careful, though," Gaius said. "Until you can learn to control it, I don't want you treating anyone. Do you understand?"
Her words were stuck in her throat, so she just nodded.
"Do not fret, dear girl. If Merlin can learn to control his powers, surely you can."
Sir Leon came to the physician's chambers and found Marian alone.
"Where's Gaius?"
"I believe he's down in the kitchens." She panicked, afraid Leon would need treatment and then her magic would be revealed. "I haven't learned enough. You'll probably want him to treat—" She cleared her throat.
Leon held a hand up to stop her. "No, Marian. The king has summoned both of you to the throne room."
"Me too? Really?"
Leon sighed. "It's urgent."
"I'll get him."
"What's going on?" Marian asked Merlin as she and Gaius took their places beside him.
Merlin shrugged. "No idea."
"Whatever it is, it cannot be good. Uther's summoned the entire council," Gaius said as he looked around them.
Sir Leon entered the throne room, guiding Cathryn Felton to the king. Her eyes darted around the room as if her flight instinct took hold. When she slowed, Leon placed his hand on her back and leaned closer. "It's alright," he said.
Cathryn nodded and smiled with a clenched jaw.
"What brings you here?" Uther asked when she approached the back of the room.
Cathryn curtseyed and spoke in a voice just above a whisper.
Uther turned to Arthur. "What did she say?" Then back to Cathryn. "You're safe here. You may speak candidly."
"I said I saw sorcery, Your Majesty."
Uther sat straight in his chair. "What sort of sorcery?"
Cathryn stammered through her words. "It-it was a horse… in the… the smoke… sire. It appeared t-to gallop."
Uther leapt to his feet, causing Cathryn to step back in fear. "It was sorcery you saw, and you're certain of it?"
"Yes, sire."
"And you swear this before your king?"
"I swear it."
"Perhaps your eyes deceived you, a trick of the light," Arthur said.
Sweat beaded on her upper lip. She glanced between the king and the prince, absentmindedly licking her lips. "The smoke was alive, I tell you. I feared for my life."
"I thank you for bringing this to my attention. Your loyalty will not go unrewarded," Uther dismissed her.
"Thank you, sire," Cathryn said with a quick curtsey, and then she bolted from the room as fast as she could without seeming rude.
"It cannot continue," Uther said out loud to his trusted council.
Arthur spoke up, hoping to stem his father's irrational paranoia about sorcery. "I will hunt down those responsible, Father. I promise they will not escape unpunished."
"No. Stronger methods are called for. Send for the Witchfinder," he called out to his guards.
While Gaius and Merlin exchanged glances, Marian watched Morgana—she'd paled and looked to be on the verge of tears. When she caught Morgana's eye, she offered a small, yet frightened smile. She nodded discreetly, hoping to reassure Morgana that her secret was safe.
"Sire, is it necessary to resort to such measures?" Gaius asked.
"The witchfinder is a trusted ally, Gaius. His help will be invaluable."
"Of course," Gaius said, defeated.
After the council members were dismissed, Marian followed behind Gaius and Merlin as they made their way back to the physician's chambers.
"How many times, Merlin?" Gaius yelled as they entered his chambers, his voice echoing. "How many times must I drive it into that thick skull of yours that your magic is a secret to be guarded with your life? What were you thinking?"
"Gaius, keep it down!" Marian said as she closed the door behind her.
"I… I wasn't thinking," Merlin said.
"Well, think, boy, think!"
"It was just a bit of fun." Merlin tried to laugh, but it came out in more of a strangled whimper.
"It was magic, and it was seen. Do you not see that you've not only put yourself in danger but Marian as well?"
Merlin stopped for a brief moment to let it sink in. He'd been an idiot. A dolt. A dollophead. "You're right. I'm sorry."
"You must hide the book. And anything that can connect you to sorcery."
When Merlin made no move to go hide his book on magic, Gaius looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"What? Now?" Merlin asked.
"Yes, now, Merlin. The man that Uther has sent for, I know him."
"The Witchfinder?"
"Yes, some know him by that name. I know him as Aredian. He is a force to be reckoned with."
"But I'm not a witch. Look. No dress or anything," Merlin said with an air of failed levity.
Gaius glared at Merlin, clearly not amused.
"And what does this look like to you, Merlin?" Marian asked, gesturing to her dress.
Merlin's face fell. "I'll get the book," he said before going back to his room.
"You too, Marian. You had better hide anything you brought back in time."
"Oh, shit. My phone!"
Gwaine was minding his own business, on his own horse, taking his own time when a carriage towing a cart with a cage raced past him, almost knocking him off his horse. "Watch where you're going!"
Surprisingly, the carriage stopped. A hand crept out of the window and long, pale fingers waved Gwaine to come forward. "Come here," a deep and dark voice called.
Gwaine intended to ignore the man and continue on his way to the next tavern he could find. Unfortunately for him, his way took him past the carriage. He drew his horse up to the window and leaned over to peer inside. The pale hand with long fingers belonged to a lanky man with a weathered face and ginger whiskers. His nose was long and pointed and his eyes were full of malice.
"Who are you?" came the voice.
Gwaine smiled. "You first."
He'd expected the man to get frustrated and argumentative. In fact, Gwaine was counting on it. It'd been a while since he had heard a human voice or spoken to anyone other than his horse. Throwing words would be a welcome change. Gwaine liked to live on the edge. It was the only thing that kept his mind from wandering to dark and lonely places.
Instead, the man laughed. It wasn't a good laugh, though. Not playful or even angry. Just an empty laugh that made the hair on the back of Gwaine's neck stand.
"I am Aredian."
Gwaine shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.
Aredian sighed. "The Witchfinder."
"Ah, I've no use for witchfinders."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah," Gwaine said, while he made a show of looking around the empty road. "Just me here. No witches."
"Have you seen anything out of place? Anyone acting odd?"
"Like I said, just me. Well, and my horse, but I doubt he practices sorcery, do you, boy?" Gwaine leaned over and scratched the horse's ear.
Aredian narrowed his eyes at Gwaine. "You'd better be careful, boy. I find sorcery in the least likely of places. Sorcerers will be dealt with. Even those who walk alone and talk to horses."
"Are you threatening me?"
Aredian smiled. The simple and pleasant expression looked almost grotesque on his face. "I will remember you, horse boy." He sat back and knocked on the carriage to go. "That's horse man!" Gwaine called out to the back of the carriage.
"Looks like he's on his way to Camelot. Best go back to Essetir, eh?"
Somehow, the horse knew to neigh in response.
"There's a good boy. Hyah!"
The tension in the air was tight. Marian couldn't sleep. She'd tossed and turned and worried herself. Throughout history, uncontrolled fear and lust for power led to the burning, drowning, or hanging of innocent men and women in particular. The accusations were unfounded because magic wasn't real. But in Camelot, magic was very real, and she and her friends were in genuine danger.
In the morning, Merlin, Marian, and Gaius headed down to the lower town to shop for ingredients. They continued on their way, stopping at several stalls, and never noticing Aredian watching them from the shadows. When they finished, they started back up to the citadel, packages in hand.
"Gaius, isn't it? I never forget a face."
Gaius turned around and composed himself. "Nor I, Aredian."
Marian's heart stopped. It was the Witchfinder. If evil had a face, it would look like Aredian. It felt like he could see into her mind.
"A physician now, I hear. You always did have a thirst for knowledge."
"Scientific knowledge."
"Of course," Aredian smirked as he looked at Marian and Merlin, waiting for an introduction.
"My assistants, Merlin and Marian," Gaius said.
"Merlin," he repeated. His icy blue eyes turned on Marian, and his eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "And Marian. A woman physician, then? Interesting."
"I am a healer apprentice and a woman, yes. What of it?" Never show weakness to strangers, her grandma Rosie said to her a very long time ago. She rose to her full height and squared her shoulders.
And of course, Aredian saw right through that.
"May your investigation prove fruitful, Aredian," Gaius said. "However, you'll have to excuse us. We have work to do."
"Naturally," Aredian said, bowing his head as they turned to leave.
"Merlin?" Aredian called. Merlin turned his head. "I have a few questions I would like you to answer. Please be at my chambers in an hour."
Merlin nodded weakly.
"You as well, Marian. A healer and a woman," Aredian chuckled wickedly as he smiled at her.
Merlin entered Aredian's chambers, leaving Marian to wait out in the corridor. She leaned against the far wall, biting the inside of her cheek. That Merlin was the first one Aredian questioned didn't bode well.
After several long and grueling minutes, Merlin burst out into the corridor, his face tight.
"Come, Marian, the healer." Aredian's voice was soft and echoed into the corridor.
She stepped inside, determined to walk across the room without fear. Aredian was sitting at a desk that was covered in papers and had small skulls placed on the tabletop. One skull served as an inkwell, while the other skull faced the door. She assumed he meant it as an intimidation tactic. It worked.
"Sit down," Aredian said, barely looking up from what he was writing and gesturing to the chair across the desk.
She sat down, keeping her back straight and her face neutral. She was shit at lying and had a difficult time concealing her thoughts. There were TV shows she had watched back home that featured characters being interrogated. Surely it wasn't entirely fiction. She tried to remember something, anything where it was explained how the interrogator could tell the other character was lying. A small memory came to mind.
Look to the left. Don't hesitate when you answer. Don't fidget. Come on, Marian, you can do this.
She blew out the breath she had been holding.
"Your accent, where are you from?" Aredian asked without looking up from his papers.
"Across the Great Seas of Meredor," she answered without hesitation. Good. You've got this.
Aredian stopped writing and looked up, surprised. "I was not aware that there were inhabitable lands that far. How long did it take you to get to Camelot?"
"Many months." Keep it simple. Don't answer anything not asked.
"Hmm. What brought you to Camelot?"
She faltered. Shit! No one had ever asked her that before. Aredian's smile widened as she hesitated to answer.
"It's a simple enough question, Marian. Why did you leave your home?"
She told him the truth. "It was not my choice."
"Oh?" he replied, his eyebrows raised. "Go on."
She jutted her chin out and stared him down. "As I said, it was not my choice."
Aredian chuckled and wrote something down on his paper. "Why become a healer, then? It's not usually a job that a woman takes on."
"It was the job offered to me." Sweat was beading on her forehead. It took all of her willpower not to wipe at it.
"By whom?"
"Gaius, the court physician."
"And why would the court physician offer you, a stranger to these lands, a coveted position in the royal palace?" Aredian asked as he put his quill down. He leaned back in his chair, eyeing her every move.
"I guess he felt pity for me. I was in need."
"I see," Aredian grinned. He stared at her for another moment before taking up his quill again and writing on his paper. "You may go, Marian."
She stood to leave. Before she reached the door, she looked back to see Aredian with an evil grin spreading across his face.
"A healer and a woman," he said, chuckling.
Later that afternoon, Uther once again summoned the council, knights, and healers to the throne room. Aredian, having gone further in his investigations, wished to provide three witness statements.
Gaius stood between Merlin and Marian. His unwavering look of disappointment masked the fear he was feeling. Aredian hadn't been in Camelot long, so if he was already calling witnesses, then Gaius was sure he had already decided who was to blame.
Marian was scared for herself, of course, but she was more afraid for Merlin and Morgana. Merlin would have no protection against accusations, but would Morgana even have it? She was the king's ward and, though Uther doted on her from time to time, his fear of magic would outweigh his desire to protect Morgana.
Uther entered the throne room, nodding at Aredian to begin as he sat on the throne. Aredian called three young women from the lower town to come forward. Marian recognized them from her rounds with Gaius. Beatrice worked as a barmaid in the Rising Sun Tavern, Annie was a maid in the palace kitchens, and Rowena was Old Joseph, the pig farmer's granddaughter. None of these women we untrustworthy and were unlikely to lie.
"Speak, do not be afraid," Aredian said to Beatrice.
"I…" Beatrice hesitated. "I was drawing water from the well, sire, when I saw them—faces in the water. Terrible faces, like people who were drowned, screaming. Screaming," she said, her voice wavering.
Gaius turned to Merlin, asking with a look. "I haven't done anything, I promise," Merlin whispered.
Aredian turned to the next girl, Annie. "Tell them what you saw."
"A goblin dancing on the coals," Annie replied, frightened and trembling. "It was dancing in the flames, and it spoke, sire. My heart nearly stopped for fear of it."
Aredian addressed Uther. "As you've heard, my lord, the incident in the woods was only the beginning."
He gestured to Rowena, who stood wringing her hands anxiously.
She stepped forward, struggling to keep from fleeing the room. "There was a sorcerer, sire, in the square. There were creatures jumping right out of his mouth," she said as she brought both hands up to cover her mouth.
"And what manner of creature?" Aredian asked.
She looked from the witchfinder to the king. With tears in her eyes, she answered. "Toads, sire. Great green, slimy things as big as your fist!"
Aredian turned to Uther, a satisfied grin spreading on his face. "The sorcerer laughs in your face. Even now, magic flourishes on the streets of Camelot."
"I can scarcely believe it," Uther muttered, his eyes wide.
"Yet it is the truth, my lord," Aredian's voice echoed throughout the throne room. "Fortunately, I've utilized every facet of my craft to bring this matter to a swift resolution."
"The sorcerer? You have a suspect?" Uther asked, clutching the arms of his throne with worry.
"Oh, I do, my lord. I regret to say, they stand among us in this very room." He looked behind him, staring intently at every pair of eyes that watched him. "My methods are infallible, my findings incontestable!"
Morgana was panicking, and Marian held her breath. There was nothing she could do to stop this. No way to run and nowhere to hide. She held Morgana's gaze for what felt like an eternity.
Uther stood waiting for Aredian to uncover the sorcerer so that he could hand down his punishment.
The room waited with bated breath. "The facts point to one person and one person alone." He turned and pointed to Merlin. "The boy, Merlin!"
No one said anything. Not one person thought Merlin was clever or capable enough to be a sorcerer. Gaius and Marian feigned surprise. Marian even laughed like everyone else.
Arthur scrunched his face in disbelief. "Merlin? You can't be serious."
Gaius stepped forward. "This is outrageous! You have no evidence!"
"The tools of magic cannot be hidden from me. I am certain that a thorough search of the boy's chamber will deliver us all we need," Aredian said.
"Merlin?" Uther looked at Merlin to explain himself.
"I have nothing to hide from him."
"Very well," Uther said. "Guards, restrain the boy. Let the search begin."
Aredian and the knights proceeded to search the physician's chambers while the guards took Merlin down to the dungeons.
The knights and guards searched the room, breaking glass, overturning stools, and throwing books and paper to the floor.
"Careful, please! That's my life's work!" Gaius yelled.
Aredian stood in the middle of the room, directing them. "Comb every inch. The sorcerer is a master of concealment."
Arthur looked around at the destruction in anger. "There's nothing here, Aredian!"
"I'll be the judge of that." He ran over and pointed at the tapestry on the wall. "Over there behind this tapestry." Aredian was relentless. "In there, upend that stool. Be sure to check for hollow legs," he said as he pointed to the only stool left standing. "In there within those powder jars!"
"For god's sake, stop already! You're destroying the place!" Marian yelled.
Sir Leon headed towards the powder jars and forcefully pulled them down, causing them to shatter when they hit the floor and spilling their contents. A bracelet fell out amongst the powder and screeched across the floor. Leon looked up at Gaius, unsure of what to do. He was considering just kicking the bracelet under the table when Aredian moved closer. Resigned, Leon picked it up. "Here!"
Marian's expression showed betrayal as she locked eyes with Leon. With regret on his face, he handed the bracelet to the witchfinder. She fumed when Aredian grinned as if he was the Grinch at Christmas.
"An amulet of enchantment. Were you aware, physician, that your assistant kept instruments of sorcery?"
Gaius hesitated. "No."
"Well, our work is done. I must inform the king," Aredian said as he turned to leave.
"Aredian!" Gaius called behind him. "I know for certain that amulet does not belong to Merlin."
Everyone in the room looked at Gaius. Marian held her breath, afraid of what would come next.
"Oh? Well, who does it belong to, then?" Aredian asked, his voice low and dangerous.
Gaius looked at Marian, his face unreadable. "It belongs to me."
"No!" she screamed.
She started forward toward Aredian. She wanted to hit him, to scratch his eyes out, to kick him in the groin. But Arthur grabbed her by her shoulders and held her back. As she struggled to break free, he leaned close to her and whispered in her ear. "Calm yourself, Marian. You can't help him by getting into trouble."
Aredian smirked at them. "Seize him!" he said, pointing at Gaius. The guards escorted Gaius from the room and Aredian followed them to the dungeon.
Arthur let Marian go. "Leon, look after Marian and make sure she doesn't leave."
Marian narrowed her eyes at Arthur. "But—"
"Stay here, Marian. I need to release Merlin."
"Fine."
She stood in the middle of the room, looking around at the destruction the knights had caused. "This isn't right. Look at what you've all done."
Leon sighed and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm… I'm so sorry, Marian."
She shook his hand off and bent to pick up Gaius's papers. "He's not guilty, you know. Neither of them are."
"Then, who?"
"I don't know, Leon, but it wasn't them." She sniffed as she put a stack of papers up on the table. "You can go. I won't leave. I promise."
"The prince—"
"Just go, please! I have too much to do to leave, anyway."
Leon cleared his throat. "I'll be just outside if you need anything."
After being released from the dungeon following Gaius's arrest, Merlin returned to the physician's chambers and found the room in a mess. Broken glass and pottery littered the floor, their contents spread all over. Off to the side were a couple of piles of papers and books. Marian was kneeling in the middle of the room, her head in her hands and shoulders shaking in time with the sounds of her cries.
"Marian…" he said gently as he stepped into the room.
She lifted her head, and Merlin's heart broke. Tears stained her face, and her eyes were puffy and red. She bolted to her feet and ran over to him, embracing him in a tight hug. She buried her head in Merlin's chest, and when she finally spoke, her voice came out muffled.
"They took him, Merlin! They destroyed the place and took Gaius!"
"I know," he said as he patted her back. "I saw him as I left the dungeon."
"What are we going to do?" she sniffed as she wiped her wet nose on her sleeve.
"I don't know, but we'll think of something. We have to."
The following day didn't bring any answers. Aredian thoroughly interrogated Gaius, his methods rough. Merlin tried to appeal to Arthur. Although Arthur was upset by the entire ordeal, there was nothing he could do to help Gaius. They would have to wait to hear Aredian's conclusions.
After a day of interrogating the servants, Aredian set up his desk in the dungeon, more specifically the warden's room where all the special instruments of terror resided. It was obvious that he wanted to intimidate and scare the people he questioned, and it fucking worked.
Morgana rushed from the dungeon, and through the corridors, smacking into Marian as she rounded a corner knocking her to the floor, stunned.
"Oh, Marian! I'm so sorry!" Morgana helped her up but still fidgeted like a hunted rabbit.
"Are you okay, Morgana?"
"Yes, of course," Morgana replied a little too quickly.
"It was Aredian, wasn't it?"
Morgana took her by the arm and led her to an alcove. "He questioned me about my nightmares. How did he know about them?"
"I don't know. I certainly didn't say anything. He didn't even ask me about the sorcerer, just where I was from and why I was a healer."
"This has to stop, Marian. First Merlin, then Gaius, and now he's setting his sights on me. Where will this end?"
"We'll figure this out. The man is a fraud, obviously. I mean, Merlin and Gaius having magic? It's absurd."
Morgana nodded but still looked like she was about to pass out.
"Merlin and I will think of something before anything happens to you or Gaius."
"Thank you, Marian. You're a true friend."
After he had questioned Morgana, Aredian headed over to Gaius's cell. The old physician was fast asleep on the dirty mattress on the floor. He didn't even wake up when Aredian unlocked the door and stepped in. Aredian stooped to Gaius and poked his hand.
"Gaius. Are you prepared to confess?"
"I'd rather die first."
"Good. And die you shall," Aredian replied, grinning. "But not alone, I'm pleased to say. You shall have company!"
Gaius opened his eyes and lifted his head. "What?"
"Merlin, Marian, and the Lady Morgana are to join you in the flames."
"No. This is a trick."
Aredian shook his head, the grin never leaving his face. "Uh-uh. You've corrupted them, Gaius, and they must answer to their king. Unless…" he trailed off.
"Unless what?"
"Unless you confess. To everything."
Gaius took a deep breath. He needed to save Merlin—it was the boy's destiny to bring about Albion alongside Arthur. And he cared for Merlin, Marian, and Morgana. He was an old man who had lived his life. If his sacrifice would save those he loved, Gaius would gladly give up his life.
"Fine, Aredian. You win. I shall confess."
The court was called to the council chamber that evening. Marian, Merlin, and Gwen huddled together to the side while the council spread across the room. Aredian stood next to Uther's throne and nodded to the guards in the back of the room.
The doors opened and Gaius was dragged in and thrown to the floor in front of Uther. His hair was mussed, and his long tunic was wrinkled and hanging to the side. Hay clung to Gaius's hair while dirt smudged his face.
"Careful!" Marian blurted out, earning a sharp look from both Uther and Aredian.
Aredian pushed Gaius down further in a show of dominance. "Confess! Confess!"
Gaius turned back to glance at Merlin and Marian, sorrow filling his eyes. He faced the king again and gave his confession through a raw and wavering voice. "I… I am a sorcerer, sire. I am responsible for conjuring the smoke. I'm guilty of practicing magic in Camelot, the goblin, the faces in the well. I… I am the sorcerer who conjured the toad from his mouth."
Uther stood, shocked and saddened by Gaius's confession. "You've betrayed me, Gaius. Betrayed your friends. And above all, you've betrayed yourself. By the laws of Camelot, I must sentence you…" Uther paused, the pain of what he was about to say was nearly too much to bear. "… to death."
Aredian, however, was brimming with glee. "The sorcerer will be purged of his magic by means of fire! He shall be burnt at the stake tomorrow at dawn! Bear witness and heed this lesson!"
The guards picked Gaius up and dragged him from the room. Gwen knew Marian's temper and that her sense of right and wrong would overpower any good sense. Marian would yell at Uther, undoubtedly incurring his wrath, so Gwen grabbed her hand to keep her from marching forward. However, no one was prepared for Merlin's outburst.
He charged toward Aredian, his face red with anger. "You're a liar!"
Aredian held up his hand to stop the attack, but Arthur got there first, restraining his manservant.
Uther stood, the look of betrayal now replaced with anger. "Guards!"
"You're a liar!" Merlin yelled again, fighting to get away as Arthur dragged him backward.
"I'll deal with this," Arthur told the guards.
Marian looked at Gwen, unsure of what she should do.
"Go," Gwen whispered.
She followed Arthur and Merlin to the dungeon, hoping that Arthur would understand Merlin's outburst.
When they reached the dungeon, Arthur let Merlin go. But full of rage, Merlin swung his fist at his face and, of course, missed. Arthur twisted Merlin's arm behind his back to restrain him when he screamed out in frustration.
Arthur spoke calmly, though inside he was scared for Gaius's life. "I know you're upset. I know you're angry. It's alright. I'm not throwing you in jail."
"Then what are you doing?"
Arthur looked behind him at Marian and pushed Merlin toward the cells. "I'm breaking the law," he said as he unlocked Gaius's cell door and let Merlin in.
"I can only give you a few minutes. And only one at a time," he said when Marian started forward.
Merlin rushed into the cell and hugged Gaius, the door closing behind him. Arthur led Marian away from the cell to give Merlin and Gaius privacy. "Are you alright?" he asked.
She shook her head, at a loss as to what to say.
"Did you know?"
She glared up at him. "Of course not, Arthur, because none of it's true!"
"I thought as much. I just don't understand why Gaius would confess if he was innocent."
She crossed her arms over her chest. "You really can't guess? Jesus, Arthur, I didn't know you could be that dense."
Arthur glared at her but kept quiet so she could explain.
"He was tortured and coerced into confessing."
"You think Aredian is lying, then?"
"I know he is. And I think you know it too."
Later that evening, Marian was sitting on her windowsill when she saw men carrying large branches to the middle of the stone courtyard and arranging them around a small platform. It was a pyre. For Gaius.
"Oh fuck no!"
She jumped down from the sill and raced to the courtyard. When she arrived, she marched up to the pyre and tried to pull the branches away. "You are not going to execute Gaius!"
One of the guards posted to keep the peace tried to pull her away. "We're just doing our job. We've been ordered by the king to make sure this pyre is built."
Marian wrenched her arm from his grasp. "The king is wrong! Gaius didn't do what the fucking Witchfinder said he did!"
Another guard came up behind her and lifted her, turning away from the wood. She kicked and screamed and scratched to get away but his grip was too strong.
"Let me go! I won't let you do this!" When she kicked back, her foot made contact with the guard's nethers and he dropped her. She ran around the pyre like a mad woman, evading the other guards. "You can't do this! Lionel, who treated your sprained ankle? Brian, who broke your mother's fever and helped your baby sister when she had the croup? Gaius did! He's helped all of us and you're going to let him die!"
The guards stopped chasing her. She was right. "I don't see how he can be evil," Brian said, his face falling. "But we have to do this, Marian. We have no choice."
"What's going on?" Arthur said as he walked up to the guards. "Marian, what are you doing out here?"
"She won't leave, sire," Lionel said. "We told her we don't want to be doing this but the king ordered it."
Marian's eyes were wild and she couldn't help but yell. "You're going to burn an innocent man, sire!"
Arthur sighed. "Come inside," he said to her.
"Not until they stop." She pointed to Lionel and Brian. "Not until you all see sense!"
Rather than reply, Arthur grabbed her by the arm and led her into the castle. Once they were out of earshot, he let her go. "Marian, you have to stop this," he hissed. "I can't protect you if Aredian sets his sights on you."
She couldn't look at him. Her eyes were brimming with tears that she didn't want him to see. "I know, Arthur. I just… Gaius is the only father I've ever loved."
"This won't help Gaius."
When she choked down a sob, he sighed and pulled her into his arms, embracing her gently.
When she pulled back, she wiped the tears from her face. "I'm sorry, Arthur."
He held her shoulders and stooped to her eyeline. "It's fine, Marian. Just take care, alright?"
She nodded and turned to go to the physician's chambers to find Merlin.
"Marian?" Arthur called after her.
She turned to face him. "Sire?"
"Look after Merlin, will you? I don't want him to end up in the dungeon, or worse."
Marian gave him a small smile and nodded before turning back on her way.
Gaius sat on the filthy mattress on the dungeon floor of his cell, resigned to his fate. He never thought twice about sacrificing himself to save Merlin and Marian. After losing the love of his life during the Great Purge, Gaius hadn't expected to ever become a father. It surprised him when he started feeling any form of paternal love. Merlin and Marian were young, energetic, and idealistic, everything he had been so long ago.
Gaius remained lost in thought when Aredian entered.
"Ah, Gaius. Well, I hope you've found some relief now that your ordeal is over."
"Your concern is touching, Aredian. Now, will you please get out of my sight?"
"Ha! Of course. I just thought you'd want to hear the news, that's all."
"What news?"
Aredian grinned. "My investigations have begun."
Gaius's eyes widened. "Begun? But you already extracted my confession."
"Indeed. Which just leaves Merlin, Marian, and the Lady Morgana."
"But we struck a bargain!"
"Oh, I don't bargain with sorcerers," Aredian cackled as he backed out of the cell and closed the door.
Marian and Merlin were in the physician's chambers, looking out of the window at the stone courtyard below. Merlin wrapped his arm around her and they stood there in silence as they watched the progress of the pyre where the man they considered a father was to be executed. Silent tears fell freely as they realized that neither of them knew how to save Gaius.
"Merlin!" Gwen yelled as she burst into the physician's chambers. "He won't let go! He won't stop!"
"What happened?" Merlin asked.
"The Witchfinder's questioning Morgana again," Gwen replied, her voice cracking. "I'm worried. She's close to a breaking point."
"Yeah, that's what he does. He breaks you down, and in the end, you confess whether or not you're guilty," Merlin said.
"What do you mean?"
"Gaius was set up. Aredian planted that amulet."
Gwen furrowed her brow. "But why would he do such a thing?"
"He probably enjoys seeing other people suffer," Marian said.
Merlin shook his head. "Aredian is paid to catch sorcerers. Maybe he doesn't care whether or not someone is guilty. Maybe he gets confessions by lying, by planting evidence. Just as long as he gets a confession, he gets his money."
"But even if this is true, what can we do without proof?" Gwen asked.
"Get some," Merlin said. He turned to leave the chambers, heading to Aredian's suite.
"Be careful, Merlin!" Marian called out to him as he left.
Waiting for Merlin to come back felt agonizingly long. Marian paced the floor, much to Gwen's annoyance. She sighed as she passed Gwen, and after the fifth sigh, Gwen put her hand out to stop her.
"Marian, pacing won't help. You're going to run a rut on the floor."
"Sorry, Gwen. I'm just so anxious. I hope Merlin can find something to help Gaius," she said, sitting on a stool.
"And not get caught."
"What are we going to do if he can't find anything?"
Gwen took her hand and squeezed it. "I don't know."
The door flung open, and Merlin burst into the room. He held his fist out to them and opened his fingers.
"Petals? What does it mean?" Gwen asked.
Marian stood and bounced on her feet. "Let me go get my book." she came back with her copy of Mother Bronwyn's Garden Wonders and opened it. "We should be able to find it in this."
They flipped page after page, hoping against hope they could identify the petals in time to save Gaius.
"This is hopeless!" Gwen said.
"We'll keep looking," Merlin said, turning another page.
"We don't even know if this flower means anything."
"No, we don't, but it's all we've got."
Marian pointed to a drawing of a red petal and let out a loud whoop!
Merlin grinned. "Belladonna."
Gwen came up beside him to look at the page. "For the alleviation of ulcers, allergies, and muscular inflammation… This is hopeless, Merlin."
Merlin continued reading the page. "No, wait. Listen. Under certain conditions, a tincture of the flower can produce hallucinations."
"So?" Gwen shook her head.
"Aredian's witnesses. It wasn't magic they were seeing, it was visions!"
"It makes sense if he's faking the evidence. But how can we prove it?"
"Aredian's too clever to have given the tincture to them directly. The witnesses, they must've got it from someone else."
"They could've been getting it from anyone," Gwen said, feeling hopeless.
"Is there anything, anything at all that these people had in common?" Merlin asked.
"They were all women?"
"No, that doesn't tell us anything."
Marian nodded her head just as Gwen spoke.
"Yes, it does. What's the one thing only women would buy?"
Marian rubbed the back of her head. "Corsets?"
Gwen gave her a strange look. "No, things to make them look beautiful!"
"Like makeup!"
"I don't know what—"
Merlin closed the book with a bang. "Let's go see what the apothecary has to say."
Gwen knocked on the apothecary's door, but there was no answer. Marian held her ear to the door to see if she could hear anyone inside. She heard a quiet scramble and something falling to the floor.
Marian banged on the door. "We know you're home!" she yelled, earning a sharp look. "What?" she shrugged.
The door opened as Marian went to bang on it again. An older man with greying hair stood in the doorway.
"Gwen?" the apothecary asked, surprised. He stood to the side to let them in the shop.
"Do you sell a tincture of belladonna?" Gwen asked.
"What's this all about?"
"Please, it's important."
"Well, I… I think I've got some somewhere. But what you'd be wanting with eye drops in the middle of the night, I really don't want to know."
"Eye drops?" Gwen asked, looking at Merlin and Marian.
The apothecary walked over to a shelf and picked up a small bottle of belladonna, handing it over to Gwen. "Yes. Women use them to make their eyes more beautiful."
Merlin took the bottle from her and held it out. "Where did you get this?"
The apothecary hesitated. "Well, my usual suppliers."
"Sure you didn't get it from someone else?" Merlin asked.
"Of course, I'm sure. If it's all the same to you, I'd like to get some sleep."
Marian crossed her arms at the older man, giving him a sour glance. "Nope."
"Nope? What do you mean nope, girl?"
"You're hiding something, old man. And I intend to find out what it is."
The apothecary felt shocked. He'd met Marian only a few times when she accompanied Gaius on his rounds and she'd never been rude.
"It was Aredian who gave you the belladonna, wasn't it?" Gwen asked.
"Don't know what you're talking about."
Merlin stepped forward, and Marian blocked the older man's path.
"But you know Gaius is going to be executed tomorrow, don't you?" Merlin asked him.
"That has nothing to do with me!"
"That has everything to do with you! Aredian's witnesses saw visions. Visions produced by the belladonna in these eye drops! If we can prove this, we have a chance of saving Gaius."
"Gaius would help if it were you. Help us save him!" Marian yelled.
The apothecary looked between them and stammered. "H-He forced me to sell it. He… he said he'd kill me if I said anything to anyone."
Finally, they had gotten somewhere. Gwen approached him and placed a comforting hand on his arm. "It was him? It was Aredian?"
He closed his eyes for a moment and nodded. "Yes, it was him."
"Thank you."
They left the apothecary to go back to the palace. When they reached the physician's chambers, Merlin grabbed the belladonna petals, and with the tincture in hand, he turned to go find the king."That's it. We've got everything we need."
Gwen bit her lip. "But is it enough?"
"We've got a witness as well. Surely that's enough?"
"It's still just our word against Aredian's!"
"Gwen, we don't have a choice! By dawn tomorrow Gaius will be dead."
"Merlin, we've only got one chance at this. We've got to give Uther something he cannot deny. Something not even Aredian can talk his way out of."
"Gwen's right, Merlin. We can't screw this up. We need a plan."
An idea formed in his head, a devious idea, a diabolical idea. One that would leave no doubt that Aredian was a fraud. He grinned. "I'll be as quick as I can."
As the sun peeked through the window, Merlin returned to the physician's chambers, where Marian and Gwen waited.
"Merlin! Where have you been?" Gwen called out as she and Marian jumped up from their stools.
"It's done. Everything's in place."
"But it's too late!" Gwen said, shaking her head. "Gaius has already left the dungeons!"
"Then… then we'll have to delay the execution."
"What can we do?" Marian asked.
"Arthur. I'll speak to Arthur."
"No. Leave Arthur to me," Gwen told him.
They left the chambers and ran to the stone courtyard below. They pushed their way through the crowd, trying to get to Arthur when they heard a wooden cart roll up the cobblestone and to the middle of the courtyard where the pyre had been built. The cart was designed as a cage, and Gaius was imprisoned within. Watching the once respected and proud physician being humiliated and caged like an animal was heartbreaking.
Aredian grabbed Gaius by the collar of his shirt and pulled him from the cart.
"Easy there! Show some respect!" Arthur called out to Aredian.
The Witchfinder ignored Arthur and dragged Gaius at a pace faster than the old physician could walk.
Marian pushed her way through the crowd, looking around for someone to help Gaius. The people, the guards, and even the knights stood around the pyre angered and saddened. Uther, however, retreated inside.
"Fucking coward."
No one would face the Witchfinder for fear that they would be next. If Gaius, of all people, could be executed, then the townsfolk would have no chance.
"I'm sorry, Marian," Leon said as he walked up beside her. "I wish… I wish there was something I could do. Or that I could go back and stand up to him."
"It's alright Leon. The only choice you had was to obey or be thrown into the fire like Gaius."
Leon sighed. "It's not right, though. I took an oath of loyalty to the king, but I also took an oath to protect Camelot's people. We failed Gaius."
Aredian lit his torch and stepped up to the pyre to light it.
Marian grabbed Leon's arm, terrified of what was to come next. "No…"
"Wait!" Arthur came forward and told Aredian to stop.
"There has been new evidence and Gaius deserves to be heard."
"He was already heard, and he confessed his sins." Aredian raised the torch to the pyre once more.
"I said wait!"
"And I said he is guilty of witchcraft. He will be burned at the stake by the authority of the crown of Camelot."
When Aredian lifted the torch once more, Arthur grabbed his arm and forced it down. "And you are forgetting that I am the Crown Prince and Heir to the Throne of Camelot, and you will obey me."
Aredian scowled as he put the torch out and stormed up the palace steps.
The council was once again summoned to the throne room. Aredian scowled at Merlin as he and the apothecary approached the king. The witnesses from earlier stood to the side with Marian and Gwen.
Merlin cleared his throat and held up the bottle of belladonna the apothecary had given him. "Sire, the witnesses saw nothing but hallucinations induced by the belladonna in these eye drops."
"And you bought this belladonna from this man?" Uther asked the witnesses.
Beatrice, Annie, and Rowena nodded to the king but said nothing.
"Where did you get it from?" Uther asked.
The apothecary glanced around with unease as Aredian stared him down.
"Don't be afraid. No harm will come to you here," Uther said.
"The Witchfinder," the apothecary nodded his head toward Aredian. "He gave them to me."
"Did he tell you what it was for?" Uther asked.
"No. Only that if I did not sell it, he'd have me burnt at the stake."
Uther turned to Aredian, his frown growing deep. "How do you answer to these accusations?"
Aredian barked out a laugh. "They're absurd! The boy has clearly concocted these lies in the hope of saving his master."
Merlin took a step forward. "Then you won't mind if we search your chamber, will you?"
Uther pointed at Merlin. "Silence! You have no authority here!"
Arthur stepped down and stood beside Merlin. "Father, let's settle this once and for all. If what Merlin says is wrong, he must bear the consequences. But if there is some truth in what he says…"
Aredian straightened. "I have nothing to hide."
"You're wasting your time," Aredian said as guards and knights rifled through his belongings.
Uther, Arthur, and Morgana stood in the room while Merlin and Marian were in the doorway. Marian smiled at Leon, who seemed to take glee in destroying Aredian's room.
Arthur pointed to the cupboard by the bed. "The cupboard over there."
Merlin held his breath as the door was opened, and dozens of amulets fell to the floor with a loud clatter. On the shelf in the cupboard were at least 20 or more bottles of belladonna, identical to the one he'd given the king.
Uther, Arthur, and Morgana looked to Aredian in astonishment. But no one seemed as shocked as Aredian.
"These things don't belong to me! This is a trick!" he cried out, coughing. "That boy plots against me!"
Merlin's smile disappeared, and he shook his head when Uther turned around. Aredian coughed again and grabbed his throat. He stepped back, hitting a table and the room looked on in horror as Aredian gagged and coughed before his mouth opened, looking as if he were about to be sick. When he retched, a large toad crawled out of his gaping mouth and fell to the floor with a croaking thud.
Everyone in the room stood still in shock. Uther looked up from the toad to Aredian, anger and fear etched on his face. He and Arthur drew their swords. "Sorcerer!"
Panicking, Aredian grabbed Morgana and held her to his chest, a dagger at her throat, backing away from them.
"Aredian, think carefully about what you're doing. You will never escape from Camelot alive," Uther warned, his voice low and dangerous.
The knife Aredian was holding pressed further into Morgana's neck. "I will if you value the life of your ward."
Morgana whimpered as his hold on her tightened.
Merlin turned away from the room, and from behind the king, he whispered a spell. "Forbærnan."
The hilt of Aredian's dagger glowed red with heat, and his flesh sizzled as it burned his hand. He dropped the dagger and let go of Morgana, cradling his pained hand, and she bolted from his side. Aredian backed up into a wooden crate, tripping and falling backward out of the stained glass window. The king and prince rushed to the window and watched as Aredian fell to his death on the stone below.
"Father?" Arthur looked to Uther, eyebrows raised.
Bewildered, Uther sighed. "Release Gaius. And have someone clean up this mess!"
That evening, Marian made supper for Gaius and Merlin. It was the first time she had made the stew without direction from the physician. Gaius sat across from Merlin at the table as she brought their full bowls over.
"What I don't understand is how you knew he'd concealed the evidence in his chamber?" Gaius asked Merlin.
They had been discussing the events from the last week, with Merlin giving Gaius a play-by-play account of Aredian's literal fall. Even Marian didn't know the whole truth of it.
"Just a hunch, really," Merlin said, his voice tinged with guilt.
Suspicious, Gaius arched his eyebrow. "I see. And the toad?"
Merlin almost choked on his stew. "That I…" he cleared his throat, refusing to look at either of them. "I… erm… can't explain."
"I can hardly explain it myself. Unless, of course, you put it there."
Merlin's spoon dropped back into the bowl, and he grinned. "Okay, Gaius, fair enough. I promise I will never save your life again."
"Promise?" Gaius asked with a grin of his own.
"Absolutely," Merlin said, sobering briefly.
Unable to keep up the façade, the men broke into laughter. Marian rolled her eyes at them, though she was glad and especially relieved that the ordeal was over.
"Honestly, Merlin, the toad was a step too far," Gaius admonished, still grinning.
"You should've seen the look on his face," Merlin laughed.
Gaius pulled a face, imitating a toad coming out of his mouth. Marian burst into a fit of giggles at him.
This is what family life was supposed to be. She savored her stew while Merlin and Gaius continued to joke and laugh.
Spells (a rough translation from the Merlin Wiki at Merlin dot fandom dot com):
Forbærnan. – Burn up!
I'm Too Sexy written by Fred Fairbrass, Richard Fairbrass, and Rob Manzoli as performed by Right Said Fred.