"Ah Arthur, I didn't see you there." Gaius's back was still turned to him. Arthur shifted uncomfortably whenever Gaius ever did that, sometimes he felt like Gaius had eyes in the back of his head, "Come in! Come in."
"I apologise for interrupting if you are busy but this is an important matter." Gaius turned around to face him.
"Did Merlin not show up today?" Arthur shook his head quickly.
"He did. Well… this isn't really about Merlin. But I should note that he did an averse reaction to your… experimental treatment" Gaius raised an eyebrow, "He sweated a lot… he was also very pale and jumpy. I guess it's back to the drawing board for another cure for boils without a too severe reaction. Though what possessed you to allow him to try it is beyond me."
Gaius stood there motionlessly his expression giving away nothing before he opened his mouth and spoke, "It was Merlin's first attempt at creating something new, and as I was going through the procedure of testing it, he already drank it." Arthur gave a hearty chuckle, "I imagine it will be out of his system in no time. Now what led you to come all this way to my chambers Arthur? I doubt you are injured." Arthur gestured with his head if he could sit in the chair, to which Gaius nodded at sat on the chair opposite him, "So what is it?"
"We found this cloth on The Viper and I was wondering what was on it." Arthur slid the rough cloth across the table to which Gaius picked it up, "I wouldn't smell it, if I were you." Gaius eyebrow went up with a silent question, "He was known for using cloth as his main way of distributing his poison." Gaius nodded and placed it down before adding a few drops of different liquids on it. Arthur walked around pacing the chambers for a few moments, "Find anything?" Arthur stopped pacing and walked over to Gaius to see the cloth had two colours, red and green, on it.
Gaius looked up, "Whoever The Viper was before he became an assassin, he was very skilled chemist that I can say for sure."
"How do you know that?"
Gaius pointed at the cloth, "Well, you can see the usage of chemicals and combination. Usually, to get this result you have to be very precise. And it's pure… very pure." Gaius pondered looking at the cloth with grim fascination.
"What are you talking about?" Gaius sighed and pointed with his finger at the red spoilages that appeared on to the cloth.
"The red you can see on the cloth is a blood thinner. Like his namesake I supposed, a snake's venom can liquidate blood very quickly. But the green that's an accelerant. It makes your heartbeat fast, unnaturally fast to point the heart can't keep up and…" Gaius snapped his fingers. Arthur understood where Gaius was going with it. But Gaius wasn't done he still examined, from a safe distance of course. Gaius stood there for a few moments just staring at the cloth.
"Gaius, are you alright?" Arthur looked down and Gaius was focused on nothing but the cloth, "Is there anything else, Gaius?"
"I wonder…"
"You wonder… what?" Gaius picked up the cloth with tongs and to his shock, threw it on to the fire.
"Gaius! That was evidence!"
"Shh! I'm trying to concentrate!" His eyes waited for the cloth to catch alight, before suddenly it erupted in pink flames, "I knew it.I knew there was a third substance."
"Care to share what you found?"
"Did you find a lot of blood in the armoury?" Arthur uncomfortably shifted to one side.
"There was… a fair amount of blood in the armoury. But that could have been anyone's, why?"
"Well, when this third substance was… well a sort of blood rusher. It makes the blood rise to the surface cutting any sort of blood flow." Arthur's face drained slightly, "Any one of these three substances can kill a man. But he mixed them together. He wasn't killing… no he wanted to torture his victim. He wanted his victim to suffer." Gaius expression was very grim and his eyes rested in the fire.
"Are you saying he used this on the guard? Is that why no man has come forward, that the man in question is… dead?" Gaius didn't answer. He couldn't tell where Gaius had wondered off, "Gaius?" Gaius shook his head and in that moment for the first time, he saw the resemblance between Merlin and Gaius.
"The Guard in question maybe dead but his family aren't. Watch for any appeals for charity from the court by widows of guards or soldiers… it may or may not lead you to the man but even if you get it wrong the reward is still going to a worthy place." Arthur nodded to himself. Gaius came up with a good idea and it would prevent dishonest men from claiming a reward that wasn't there's. Though Arthur didn't want to think that such men lived in his kingdom.
"A wise idea Gaius, thank you for your help."
"I am at your service your highness; in any way I can possibly be." Arthur gave the older man a bright smile as he stood to his feet.
"Now I have to find where my useless toad of a servant went off to." Gaius sighed.
"Go easy on him Arthur."
"I am going easy on him! Any other noble wouldn't accept it!" He shouted indignantly.
"Of course, your highness." Gaius said with a smile. Arthur rolled his eyes and walked away to find Merlin. "Oh, your highness?" Arthur turned around, "Your shirt is inside out." Arthur looked down and his eyes went wide. That explained the weird stares he got from the guards and servants! He ripped his shirt off and put it the right way around. I'm going to kill him!
As soon as Arthur left the smile left his face and he stared into the fire. He felt cold, Merlin… Merlin had died last night and Merlin hadn't even realised it… or maybe he was hiding it. He was getting better at lying that was for sure. Even ignoring the intended effects of the drug, those side effects of Merlin's concoction was worrying to say the least.
Hopefully, Arthur would let him go early so Gaius can properly sit his ward down to have a well-deserved 'chat'.
