The Herbalist (Lancelot X Reader) Merlin

Chapter 1 ~ Sibling reunited

The only sound that could be heard was the crunching of leaves and twigs under the feet of a woman walking, she wore a long green dress with a cloak on top, hood up, with a satchel at her side. 

"Ah ha found it" she bent down picking up a herb placing it in her bag, she got up and started walking a bit deeper into the forest, she bent down to grab some more herbs, when the sound of a horn blasting from a castle near by stopped her, she looked up, pulling her hood down, dark hair and pure blue eyes with a fair complexion lay hidden under the hood, she turned away from the forest and towards the castle jars in her bag clinking together as she got up 

"Seems like another poor soul shall be lost today as well" she looks up to the sky seeing two birds flying past into the open air, free to go where ever they may wish. She breathed in, the earthy smell she loved so much slowly began to disappear the more she walked towards the castle, it was slowly replaced with smoke, herbs and spices. The once quite atmosphere became loud with people yelling for anyone passing to buy their wares. Smoke coming from the blacksmiths hot fires lined the path she was walking as she stopped entering the open shop  

"Maeve!!" two older gentlemen with greying beards walked up to the woman, huge smiles on their faces

"Hello John, Owen, I have come to drop of some herbs for Tom" they smiled and walked deeper into the shop to retrieve the person she looking for she rummaged around in her satchel pulling out a jar with some herbs dried out, a voice called out to her  

"Hello Maeve, I am guessing Gwen said something?" she smiled at the man, he was Tom a blacksmith in charge for weapons for the kingdom, he was an older man wearing old and tattered clothes with slight scorch marks on them

"She did indeed, said you needed something for a good night sleep, all you need to do is boil some water and add these in" he smiled as she passes the jar to his gloved hand           

"How much do I owe you?" he asked placing a hand in his pocket to grab what ever coins he had 

"Nothing Tom" she waved her hand signalling him to stop, "I owe Gwen a favour and she asked for this in return" he looked up with a closed eyes, smiling at the women 

"Thank you Maeve" he said examining the contents, she gave a smile turning on her heel walking out of the stuffy shop, she could feel her forehead begin to get sweaty, she had no idea how they worked like that day after day but they definitely have her respect. She then wandered down the busy main street to the centre of town to see many people gathered to watch an execution 

"The poor soul.." she whispered out letting it drown in the sea of noise the people where making, as they watched the events unfold before them, a man who looked gaunt with dirty clothes was tied up with two knights either side of him, there was a stage in the centre they where dragging him to, their king stood tall a golden crown on his brow, wearing a burgundy tunic with chain mail underneath and a red cape over his shoulders. Maeve's eyes narrowed, he was but a tyrant wearing the skin of a king. He spoke to the crowd in a commanding voice, all eyes turn to him immediately   

"let this serve as a lesson to all. This man, Thomas James Collins, is adjudged guilty of conspiring to use enchantments and magic.and pursuant to the laws of Camelot, I, Uther Pendragon have decreed that such practices are banned on penalty of death. I pride myself as a fair and just king, but for the crime of sorcery, there is but one sentence I can pass." Uther fell silent and signalled the knights to carry on. They forced the man to his knees, then pressed his head on a piece of wood, a man carrying an axe wearing a black hood stood over the top of the man on his knees, lifting the axe high into the air, drums sounded out with each hit meaning this mans life was coming to an end. Uther raises his hand up then swings into down, as his hand fell down so did the axe, and just In the blink on an eye, a mans life ended.