Thirteen; Mortaeus Flower

The cheering could be heard as Lynette entered the Hall of Ceremonies with anxiety written all over her face. Lynette was more familiar with poison than she cared to admit, and she dreaded having to use her skills should they not get there in time. Her skirts swirled about her ankle as she raced beside Merlin down the halls to get to the royal family. Merlin approached Arthur with Lynette not far behind as the blonde entered through the large wooden doors. She could see Gwen trying to wave them away, but neither listened as they charged forward just as Bayard finished his speech.

"And may the differences from our past remain there. To your health, Uther." The king toasted each royal family member as everyone followed suit. "Arthur. The Lady Morgana. The people of Camelot. And to fallen warriors on both sides."

Lynette couldn't get through the crowd fast enough and tried not to shout as Arthur, Morgana, and Uther brought the goblets to their lips. In an instant, she thought of all the memories, both good and bad, that she shared with the royal family. All she wanted to do was ensure they saw another day, regardless of what happened to her. Lynette was about to scream to stop what was about to occur but released a sigh of relief when Merlin got there first.

The raven-haired boy grabbed the goblet from the prince's hand, stopping the metal from touching Arthur's lips. Arthur looked less than pleased at the interruption, but his anger soon changed when he saw the panic on Lynette's face. She had finally managed to make her way forward and was passing in front of the regal table to stand in front of Morgana. The king's ward gazed perplexedly at the woman before her, carefully lowering the cup from her lips.

"It's poisoned! Don't drink it!" Merlin called as Lynette grabbed Morgana's goblet from her hand.

"What?" Uther roared at the manservant's accusation and the king he was accusing.

"Merlin, what are you doing?" Arthur asked.

Morgana appeared more grateful as she turned to the servant girl, "Lynette?"

"Bayard laced Arthur's goblet with poison," Merlin announced. "And the Lady Morgana's as well."

"This is an outrage!" Bayard shouted as he and his men drew their swords.

Lynette and Morgana took a step back as the knights of Camelot responded by drawing their own weapons. The golden-haired girl glanced over to check on her father, only to see Sir Leon looking out for him. Morgana reached her hand out for Gwen as Lynette maneuvered them behind Uther and Arthur and out of the way of the knights. Arthur subtly adjusted his stance to deal with their guests and gently interlocked fingers with Lynette's hand, conveying a sense of solidarity and affection.

"Order your men to put down their swords," Uther demanded as he shifted his body to cover Morgana. "You are outnumbered."

"I will not allow this insult to go unchallenged!" Bayard shouted in rage.

Uther ignored the king's continued protest as he turned toward Merlin and asked, "On what grounds do you base this accusation?"

"I'll handle this." Arthur declared as he let go of Lynette's hand and stormed around the table toward where his manservant stood. "Merlin, you idiot. Have we been at the slow gin again?"

Lynette watched Arthur try to rectify the situation, but Merlin wouldn't let him. The two boys seemed to play a game of cat and mouse, with Merlin winning as he dodged Arthur's efforts to snatch the goblet. Merlin skirted around the prince on nimble feet as the hall grew louder with protests. Lynette would have found the entire thing comical if she wasn't so worried about the poison and the repercussions if they were wrong.

The banter between the prince and manservant escalated until the King had finally had enough. He slammed his hand on the table, causing all eyes to land on him as he spoke, "Unless you want to be strung up, you will tell me why you think it's poisoned now."

Merlin didn't hesitate to answer, "He was seen lacing it."

"By whom?"

Merlin glanced briefly over in Cara's direction, and Lynette felt her distrust of the girl grow. Her eyes weren't full of fear as she had initially anticipated. Instead, she saw the same malice directed at her previously. The blonde couldn't fathom why the handmaiden would hold such contempt for Camelot, especially if this was her first visit. Lynette grew uneasy that perhaps they were wrong, or worse, that they were right but had the wrong culprit.

Lynette made her way around the table to stand beside her cousin, earning the eyes of many. Her eyes drifted to Morgana first, who clutched Gwen, waiting for the accusation's outcome. Arthur looked to be beside himself with worry, not just for her but for Merlin. When the blonde finally convinced herself to look in the king's direction, she was shocked by what she found. She could feel Uther's intense gaze, but when she finally looked up, she noticed how they softened slightly.

"We can't say," Lynette answered.

Bayard looked less than happy that a servant and a woman were now accusing him. The king approached Merlin and Lynette with a look of determination, and Lynette began to shrink in his presence. Never before had she confronted a former enemy of Camelot, much less accused one. The girl took a step back, her confidence faltering, but the king was intercepted by Arthur. The prince stood tall, placing himself between the servants and the enraged king.

Bayard's eyes narrowed at Arthur's lack of decorum. However, Lynette no longer felt scared with Arthur at her side. Instead, her confidence only grew. As Merlin and Arthur continued to keep Bayard in check, Lynette began her inspection of the goblet, having received the silent command from Uther. She took the goblet from Merlin's hand and inspected the dark liquid, checking for any obvious signs of poison.

"I won't listen to this anymore." The king said as Lynette moved the goblet around with an expert hand, inspecting every angle.

"Pass me the goblet," Uther demanded.

Lynette did as she was bid and handed the goblet to the king. Arthur followed close behind her, pulling Merlin away from Bayard by the scruff of his shirt. When she handed the goblet over to Uther, he briefly inspected it before looking back to her, waiting for her immediate assessment. All Lynette could do was shake her head. Her initial inspection had yielded no apparent signs of poisons, but she wouldn't take a chance. Not with Arthur's or Morgana's life.

Uther took Lynette's response under advisement as he turned toward Bayard. "If you're telling the truth," He began.

"I am." Baryard interuppted.

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

Lynette couldn't help but believe Bayard, given how confident he sounded in his response. In her eyes, he was speaking the truth, and she would instead think the king of a nation that wanted peace rather than a handmaiden, especially given how reluctant Cara was to talk on the subject without prompting. She watched as Bayard sheathed his sword with a flourish and reached for the goblet with an outstretched hand with no hesitation. The movement seemed to provoke something in Uther as he pulled the goblet closer and out of Bayard's reach.

"No. If this proves to be poisoned, I want to kill you myself." Uther stated, earning a snort from Bayard. Lynette was unsure of where Uther was going with this until he turned and held the cup out to Merlin. "He'll drink it."

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

"Then we'll know he was telling the truth," Uther responded calmly.

Bayard asked, "And what if he lives?"

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

"Uther, please! He's just a boy! He doesn't know what he's saying!" Gaius cried as he moved around Leon.

"Then you should've schooled him better," Uther replied.

"Please reconsider, my lord," Lynette added. "There must be a better way to test the drink to ensure its safety. If you could just give me some time."

"Merlin, apologize." Arthur started before turning and reaching for the goblet. "This is a mistake. I'll drink it."

"No, no, no, no, no. It's, it's alright." Merlin stuttered, clearly flustered by Arthur's offer, but he didn't back down.

Arthur had to keep Lynette back as she ran for her cousin, desperate to help somehow. The prince's hand clasping around her own, his thumbs brushing her knuckles as he pulled her back to his side. The girl protested, pleading with the king to reconsider and let run tests on the unknown substances. Uther refused to listen, and they all waited as Merlin raised the cup, toasting Bayard and Arthur. His blue eyes landed on Lynette, who had tears in her eyes as he brought the cup to his lips.

Once a minute had passed, and Merlin appeared untouched, the warlock announced, "It's fine."

"He's all yours," Uther responded, not bothering to hide his annoyance at the situation.

Lynette's hold on Morgana's goblet tightened, ready to taste her drink. She didn't trust that just because Arthur's wine was fine meant that Morgana's was also. However, she could not test her theory because Arthur snatched the goblet from her. His blue eyes flared in anger that the girl would dare place herself at risk. She glared back, daring him to test her patience, but he didn't budge. Instead, he put it further out of her reach, not caring how it looked to those around them.

The sound of someone choking broke them apart, with Arthur's hold tightening on Lynettee as she glanced toward the source. Lynette broke free from his grasp and bolted toward Merlin as his hand came to hold his throat. His face contorted in immense pain, and his eyes pleaded with her to do something. She had never seen such fear in his blue eyes, not even when he faced Knight Valiant, but this was different. He was at the mercy of an unknown substance, and it acted fast, causing him to lose consciousness.

The blonde reached out to catch his body, falling with him to the floor due to his weight, "Merlin!"

"It's poisoned," Uther shouted, pointing toward Bayard and his men. "Guards seize him!"

Arthur bolted to Lynette's side, taking most of his weight as Lynette scrambled to find a pulse. The prince had never seen her so panicked, and he glanced back to where Morgana's goblet sat, untouched. He realized that it could have been her, and his eyes then turned to Bayard as he shouted at his knights to contain them. Lynette could hear the anger in his shout, but she did not let that distract her from her task. When she finally felt his heartbeat, she let out a sigh of relief as Gaius and Gwen came to join them.

"Merlin. Can you hear me?" Gaius said as he checked his nephew's airways. "We have to get him back to my chambers. Bring the goblet. We need to identify the poison."

"Merlin, hold on!" Lynette said, hoping that he could hear her.

Arthur wasted no time picking Merlin up, with Lynette supporting his head. His whole body felt on fire, and Lynette began to attempt to speak with Merlin, trying to keep him lucid. The boy responded little to her attempts, and Lynette racked her brain for what could cause the symptoms now appearing. Gaius followed the two as they raced down the corridor toward the Physcian's chamber with Gwen in tow. The girl quickly grabbed the goblet as he requested before following them.


Arthur carefully carried Merlin in his arms as he made his way to the physician's chambers. Gaius and Gwen trailed behind him, anxiously anticipating what was to come. Lynette sprang into action as they entered the room, immediately scouring the shelves for the necessary herbs to alleviate Merlin's pain. Meanwhile, Gaius instructed Arthur to lay Merlin down on the cot, ensuring he was comfortable. Ever the reliable assistant, Gwen headed out to the lower town pump to fetch water as Lynette expertly administered a herb to lower Merlin's fever. She then handed him a warm cup of tea, soothing and invigorating. Throughout the process, Arthur remained steadfast, watching over his friend with concern and hope.

"He's struggling to breathe," Lynette spoke as she brushed his dark curls aside.

"Is he going to be alright?" Arthur asked, positioning himself beside Lynette.

Gaius shook his head as he said, "He's burning up."

"You can cure him, can't you, Gaius?" Gwen asked as she arrived with a bucket of water and cloth.

She passed the items to Lynette, who began to dab his forehead as Gaius answered, "I won't know until I can identify the poison. Pass me the goblet."

Gwen passed the goblet to the physician for inspection before taking Lynette's spot next to Merlin. The girl was reluctant to leave his side but knew her father needed her expertise. Arthur moved to help her up, his hand clasping hers for a moment longer before letting her go. He could tell how much stress she was under and wished there was a way to take her pain. Lynette walked over to her father's side, grabbing a book on poisons as he moved the goblet to a better light.

"Ah. There's something stuck on the inside." He announced.

"What is it?" Arthur asked.

"It looks like a flower petal of some kind," Gaius said as he carefully removed it.

"His brow's on fire," Gwen said. "Is that a symptom?"

"Yes," Lynette called, placing the book before her father. "Unfortunately, it's one of the more common ones, so it does little to help us identify it."

"Keep him cool; it'll help control his fever," Gaius advised, trying to keep positive.

Gwen was diligently attending to Merlin's needs, keeping a refreshing towel ready and closely monitoring for potential changes in his condition. On the other hand, Gaius was deeply engrossed in a tome cataloging various medicinal plants, meticulously placing the petal beside each corresponding illustration. Lynette was perched beside him, intently studying the text to identify any symptoms aligned with Merlin's current state. And Arthur, standing steadfastly by her side, was intently poring over passages detailing the animals that defended each cure while simultaneously pulling her close by wrapping his arm securely around her waist.

Gaius finally noticed a possible cause, "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 flower grows on the roots of the Mortaeus tree."

"That's not particularly friendly," Arthur stated as he pointed out a fearsome beast on the next page.

Lynette leaned forward to get a better look at the beast. It was a sizeable reptilian-like creature with dragon-like scales and tiny wings, unable to handle its own body weight. It looked almost unbeatable and was definitely something of a more magical nature. She glanced behind her to see Arthur looking at her as if waiting for her reaction. Lynette didn't know how to respond to his silent question and instead waited for more information from her father.

"A Cockatrice. It guards the forest," Gaius reads. "Its venom is potent. A single drop would mean certain death. Few who have crossed the Mountains of Isgaard searching for the Mortaeus flower have made it back alive."

Lynette's countenance reflected her deep concern as she gazed upon Merlin, whose once-rosy complexion now appeared ghastly pale due to the lethal poison coursing through his veins. Despite her extensive medical knowledge and experience, Lynette could not alleviate her cousin's suffering. At this moment, Arthur, sensing her distress, approached her and placed a comforting hand on her back, silently conveying his unwavering support and empathy through his piercing gaze. Lynette knew that Arthur would spare no effort to acquire the elusive flower that held the key to saving Merlin's life. He may hide it well, but he was a man of great compassion who treasured his loyal manservant above all else.

"I really don't like that idea," Lynette said. "But I can't watch Merlin die either."

"Sounds like fun," Arthur interrupted as he glanced at Gaius.

The two men shared an understanding, something that Lynette was missing entirely. Arthur felt the need to prove himself and give back to the servant who had saved his life on multiple occasions. Gaius appeared to understand this but knew what he was asking and what could go wrong. The three knew that if the king ever learned about this plan, he would keep Arthur from going with whatever means necessary. Lynette sighed profoundly and leaned into the prince's side, unsure what to say next.

The physician shook his head as he replied, "Arthur, it's too dangerous."

"If I don't get the antidote, what happens to Merlin?" Arthur asks.

"The Mortaeus induces a slow and painful death. He may hold out for four or five days, but not much longer." He answered. "Eventually, he will die."

Gaius' confirmation of what they feared most was enough to send Arthur into action. The prince pulled away from Lynette and approached the door, intent on beginning his quest. Lynette watched him go, her heart swelling with pride as he stopped once to look at Merlin before glancing back up at her. She nodded, knowing that was all the confirmation he needed, as he left without looking back. Once he was gone, Lynette began to roll up her sleeves, ready to get to work. Arthur had gone to get the cure. It was up to her to give him the time to do so.


Lynette was surrounded by a sea of books as she searched for a way to slow down the poison. She was hunched over, scribbling notes as a lone candle flickered beside her. She had changed out of her banquet attire into a simple cloth dress, a shawl wound tight against her shoulders. She had hoped to make more progress, but it appeared this particular poison was one she had never encountered before. She raised her hand to grip her neck, painful memories flashing through her mind as she glanced over at Merlin.

The sorcerer's condition had worsened since Arthur's departure to retrieve the Morteaus flower. Lynette barely left his side as she attempted to do everything she could to combat the unknown poison. Merlin was experiencing new symptoms every hour, leaving the girl confused and unsure of what to do. His body was drenched with sweat as it tried to combat the rising fever, as his breathing became labored. Gaius had just taken over his care when Gwen rushed out to check on things, leaving Lynette to dive into more books.

As Lynette added another book to her collection, Morgana appeared at the physician's chambers, looking visibly disheartened. Lynette had only seen Morgana look so defeated when it came to Uther and could only guess why. Lynette got up from her stack of books and embraced the King's Ward, who held onto her tightly before walking over toward Merlin. With a calm demeanor, she then took a damp cloth and gently wiped away the sweat from his forehead while taking a moment to collect herself.

"Morgana, are you alright?" Lynette asked.

"I don't think it matters how I am," She replied, focusing solely on Merlin. "What matters is we find a way to save him."

"We are doing all we can," Gaius spoke. "Lynette is looking into ways to slow the poison down."

"I'll have more books from Geoffrey," Morgana said. "Perhaps he might have something that you both don't."

Lynette patted Morgana on the back as she spoke carefully, "We have a plan, Morgana. I'm sure Arthur informed you of it. All we need is for him to return safely with the Morteaus flower and -"

"Uther is refusing to let Arthur go after the cure for Merlin," Morgana interrupted, her voice calm.

Lynette clasped her hands to hold her anger in as she left the room. She could hear her father and Morgana calling for her, but she would no longer listen to reason. Merlin had saved Arthur's life on more than one occasion, and Uther had witnessed her cousin's devotion. Front the time he'd announced Merlin's position at Arthur's side, he knew they would come to rely on one another. Now it was Uther's turn to return the favor when Merlin needed it most, and he was stopping his son from doing the right thing.

Upon entering Arthur's chambers, she was met with the sight of the prince meticulously packing his belongings into a sturdy bag. Clearly, he was preparing to depart, and his focused demeanor suggested that he was determined to leave as soon as possible. She stopped in her tracks when she saw this and immediately felt guilty. While Morgana had said that Uther was not allowing Arthur to go, she never said Arthur obeyed that order. She closed the door behind her as Arthur turned to greet her, his face flushed with the same anger she felt moments ago.

"Nanet-"

Upon hearing her name, Lynette could no longer contain her emotions and swiftly interrupted him. The blonde rushed towards him with a fierce determination and wrapped her arms around him tightly, holding him close with overwhelming affection. Initially, he did not reciprocate Lynette's actions, causing her to wonder if she had crossed a line. However, when she went to let go, Arthur's arms encircled her waist and scooped her up, pulling her close.

"Be careful." She whispered, at a loss for what else to say.

Arthur eased her back onto the ground as his hands touched her face. She leaned into his touch as he replied, "I will. You just take care of Merlin until I return."

"You know I will," Lynette said, her words more forceful as she tried to get her point across. "I'll use all my knowledge to keep him a live, but you also have to come back."

Arthur shook his head, "You tend to focus more on the well-being of others and neglect your own. I remember when I witnessed you holding Morgana's goblet, just a few moments away from being poisoned like Merlin. It was such a frightening experience for me since I could not prevent Merlin from being poisoned, and I would have been unable to prevent the same from happening to you."

"I'm still here," Lynette whispered, her hands brushing away his golden locks. "when you return, Merlin will be fine as well."

Lynette watched as Arthur's eyes searched her face as if to memorize every part of her. Commit her to memory in a way that worried her as she reached up to force his eyes back to hers. A flurry of delicate butterflies took flight in her stomach, fluttering with nervous excitement that Lynette couldn't help but feel in his presence. Without speaking a word, she conveyed her emotions through a subtle gesture. Standing on her tiptoes, she leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, expressing her feelings in a tender and intimate way.

"I will come back to you," Arthur said.

"You better."

Following their moment, Lynette watched Arthur gracefully gather his belongings, his face flushed from the intensity of emotions. He leaned in to tenderly kiss her temple when he returned to her side. Neither spoke a word as they both recognized that they had conveyed everything they needed to in that single, poignant moment. As Arthur left his chambers, Lynette couldn't help but watch him go. She knew he was determined to do everything necessary to save Merlin's life, and she fell in love with him because of it.