Merlyn - Arthur x Female Merlin [1]

Chapter Forty-Six: Hiding An Injured Druid

After saving Cerdan and checking up on Mordred, Merlyn had returned to her chambers. The truth was Merlyn didn't know much about Druids at all, she knew of them but didn't know much else. Currently, she was sitting at the table a bowl of stew in front of her whilst Gaius was studying his books at the other side of the room. Merlyn watched him, her head resting against her hand as she debated whether or not to ask him about Druids. Gaius wasn't an idiot if Merlyn asked about Druids she knew he would know she was involved with the entire Druid fiasco. In the end her curiosity got the better of her.

"Do you know much about the Druids?" Merlyn finally asked, praying that Gaius would just answer and not look deeper into her questions.

"Very little. They're very secretive people. Especially now they're being hunted by Uther" Gaius answered whilst still scribbling away in his book. However, a moment later the physician froze, Merlyn's question finally registering with him. "Merlyn, please tell me you haven't got yourself mixed up in this." Merlyn cringed at Gaius' clearly unhappy face.

"Me? No. Mixed up in what?" Merlyn replied even though they both knew that she was lying. Merlyn returned back to her bowl of stew trying to act nonchalantly but failing miserably.

"For someone with such a big secret, you are a terrible liar" Gaius said as he made his way over to Merlyn with a piercing gaze. Merlyn slowly lifted her gaze to Gaius giving him a I'm-not-lying fake smile, trying to lie her way through her teeth.

"Well, I haven't done ... much" Merlyn admitted, visibly cringing. She knew lying was pointless. Gaius always knew in the end.

"Merlyn..." Gaius started. Merlyn hated that tone, she heard that tone far too often but it meant that Gaius was not pleased with her.

"Ok. I secretly saved the man, Cerdan, from being executed" Merlyn said quickly. To which she heard her name being scolded at her.

"Merlyn!"

"... and I may have hid the boy" Merlyn continued subtly avoiding Gaius' gaze at all cost. She could just picture it his face, the frown in place getting deeper and deeper the more Merlyn spoke. "... in Morgana's chambers."

"Merlyn -" Gaius started again only for Merlyn to interrupt him once again looking him straight in the eyes highlighting the truth in her words.

"I know. I'm sorry. I had no choice." For a moment silence filled the chambers whilst Gaius decided how to respond to Merlyn's last stupid actions. But it was only for a moment, Gaius eventually sighed at Merlyn's words. One of these days his heart was going to give out due to her recklessness.

"Every guard in Camelot is searching for this boy, and you're harbouring him under their very noses. Can't you see how dangerous that is? What were you thinking of?" Gaius lectured, genuine fear building in his eyes. Merlyn frowned at the sight, she hadn't thought Gaius would be scared of the Druid boy - she thought Druids' were practically harmless.

"Was I supposed to hand him over to the guards to be executed?" Merlyn asked quietly as she locked eyes with her mentor.

"You think you can save this boy? What happens if you're caught?" And there was the crux of the problem. What happened to her if the boy was found? What would happen to Morgana? The questions that had plagued Merlyn's mind. Truth be told she hadn't been thinking about the consequences to her actions when she had saved the boy or had belatedly used magic out in the open in front of the King to save Cerdan. Had someone looked the wrong way on either occasion, she would no longer have a head. And now she had dragged Gwen and Morgana into her mess. "Who's going to save you?"

~8~

Merlyn had made her way over to Morgana's chambers, feeling guilty the entire way for putting the other two women in harms way. On her way she had witnessed more and more guards hunting Mordred down. The search was an intense one. It didn't surprise Merlyn that Uther badly wanted to capture the Druid after the escape of the first one. But if he did find Mordred she could only imagine his horror at discovering his ward was the one harbouring the child.