Forbidden Love - Merlyn [2]

Chapter Seventy-Three: Surviving Another Night

Well this wasn't awkward at all. Merlyn had been only able to get one room from the innkeeper and that one room contained only one bed. Arthur and Merlyn were stood at the foot of the simple wooden structure, shifting upon their feet in an unsteady manner. With them fighting, lying beside one another on a bed seemed highly unlikely.

"This was the only one they had left" Merlyn explained quietly as she shuffled her bags in her hands nervously. Arthur nodded in understanding.

"Right well ... I'll take the floor" he replied as he moved to the right side of the bed however Merlyn knew she couldn't allow him to do that.

"Don't be stupid you are injured" Merlyn snapped back.

"So are you, the injuries from the Knights' and Morgause's attack haven't healed" Arthur retorted gesturing to Merlyn's left arm which still had the stitches in and was bound tightly in an effort to try and stop it reopening. Merlyn had been forced to use a pain-lessening spell on her arm over the last few days in order to help people.

"Your wound is fresher" Merlyn commented. His wound was worrying her more and more.

"I won't have you sleeping on the floor when their is a bed" Arthur replied stubbornly. Merlyn was shocked by his insistence as well as the fact he was saying more than two words to her that weren't a command.

But the issue still resided that they were getting nowhere. Merlyn knew neither one of them was going to budge when it came to it.

"Fine. Then ... look the bed is big enough for two" Merlyn pointed out with a small grimace. It wasn't like the pair hadn't shared a bed before; they had slept beside each other countless of times though never when they were fighting which was the awkward part. "It's probably better for our cover anyway everyone knows the prince doesn't have a wife so travelling as a couple is probably best." Merlyn was rambling and she knew it but she was uncomfortable and unsure of where she stood with Arthur which she hated.

Whilst Merlyn rambled Arthur dropped his stuff at the foot of the right side of the bed and sat upon the bed. Merlyn's feet however were planted to the ground. She wasn't sure if that was her queue to take the other side - Arthur usually had the right side of the bed but Merlyn didn't want to presume.

Her hurried thoughts stopped as soon as she saw Arthur's grimace once more. He had been consistently doing it throughout the day and Merlyn was highly concerned. Placing her stuff on the floor at her feet, Merlyn immediately moved over to Arthur so that she was stood before him. His gaze lifted up towards her.

"Let me have a look" Merlyn said softly. Her hands hovering in front of her wanting to check his wound. She was very worried about the wound and knew something was wrong. Arthur said nothing as he removed his jacket and then proceeded to pull off his dark blue shirt, hissing as the movement tugged at his wound.

Once it was off, Merlyn threw it to the side before her delicate fingers began to detangle the cloth from around Arthur's body that held his bandages in place. Eventually, Merlyn was pulling the material free and revealing the wound beneath the wade of cloth that was stained red. Merlyn grimaced at the sight of the wound. It was bad, Merlyn could practically see the infection already. The three claw lines were deep and an angry red. No wonder it was hurting Arthur.

Merlyn swore inside her head, there was little she could do to help the festering wound. Once she got home, she swore she was going to go to the Blood Guards and Gaius and learn healing spells - spells that would benefit Arthur the most. In that moment, Merlyn could only do one thing which would be to lessen the pain with a wordless incantation of will. Knowing she needed a pretence to the lessening pain, Merlyn went to her back and retrieved some ointment that Gaius made for wounds - it was intended to help prevent infections - it would work as a way to hide her magic. Opening the small container Merlyn gathered a small amount of the concoction on her fingertips before she gently applied it to his wound. Arthur hissed at the contact to which Merlyn mumbled an apology before she lowered her eyes to the wound and tilted her head so that Arthur couldn't see her eyes. As she finished applying the lotion, Merlyn concentrated on the wound, on Arthur's pain, and willed it to lessen. Merlyn felt her irises flash gold for a moment as her magic reacted to the command. Almost instantly she heard Arthur taking a surprised gasp and he moved to sit straighter.