Merlyn - Arthur x Female Merlin [1]

Chapter Twenty-Two: Too Dark

The morning had come and Merlyn was no better. Gwen and Gaius had taken turns looking after Merlyn through the night but she had not gotten better, she had definitely gotten worse. There was nothing that Gaius could do for the dying girl and it hurt him so much.

"She's getting hotter" Gwen said as she dabbed Merlyn's forehead with the damp cloth, worry clear in her voice.

"Liffrea, wuldres wealdend, woroldare forgeaf" Merlyn muttered, her voice strained. Gaius and Gwen both looked at each other in surprise and, on Gwen's side, confusion. She had no idea what the language was.

"What language is that?" Gwen queried.

"None" Gaius immediately answered, he knew the language well. Grabbing her wrist, Gaius began checking Merlyn over once again, "The fever's taken hold. None of those words are her own. Her pulse is weaker." As Gaius placed her wrist back on the blanket he caught sight of something beneath her sleeve. Frowning, Gaius pulled her sleeve back revealing a red ring of a rash that was standing out clearly from her deathly pale white skin. That wasn't right!

"What is it?" Gwen questioned noticing Gaius' obvious distress.

"That can't be right. The rash is not supposed to appear until the final stage" Gaius said as he double checked the rash to make sure he was seeing what was on her skin.

"What does that mean?" Gwen asked as Gaius got to his feet and went back to his books to find out what had happened.

"It says here that 'once a rash appears, death will follow within two days'" Gaius read out from the book.

"You said she had four days" Gwen exclaimed as she made the way to the physician's side. If she only had two days than that meant that Arthur only had two days.

"Something's increased the flower's potency" Gaius commented.

"Is that even possible?" Gwen questioned as Gaius began to search the pages for an answer. Quickly he found one. "It warns that 'the effect of the Mortaeus will be more rapid if an enchantment is used during the flower's preparation.'"

"An enchantment? But Bayard's no sorcerer" Gwen said, frowning along with Gaius. Nothing made sense. Gaius agreed with the maidservant. "Then who did this?" It took several moments before Gaius realised who would go after Arthur ... Camelot ... Merlyn.

"It can't have been. She wouldn't dare come here. Unless..." Gaius trailed off, more to himself than to Gwen.

"Unless what?" Gwen encouraged.

"What happened to that girl?" Gaius suddenly asked remembering Merlyn leaving the Hall with the maid they had met earlier that day.

"Which girl?" Gwen asked even though she had a feeling she knew which one Gaius was speaking off.

"Just before Merlyn burst into the hall one of Bayard's serving girls took her outside" Gaius said. Immediately, Gwen knew who Gaius was talking about.

"She had dark hair, very beautiful."

"Find her. Quickly" Gaius ordered. Swiftly, Gwen raced out of the chambers on a hunt for the servant, however, Gaius doubted that Gwen would find the girl - if she was who he thought she was there was no chance she was still in Camelot. Suddenly, Gaius was pulled out of his thoughts by the weak muttering from on the bed.

"Arthur ... swa..."

~8~

"Let me guess, she wasn't there" Gaius said as Gwen came barging back into the chambers.