Merlyn's Last Dream

The Tears Of Uther Pendragon P3

A man had been found dead by the western gate, blood staining the soil around where he fell. Gaius had been called to examine the body, Merlyn shadowing him, ignoring the insufferable clanging of warning bells  as they began their hasty walk back into the castle, Sir Leon having gathered the council, the noblemen waiting nervously in the throne room.

Merlyn stood by a pillar, leaving Gaius alone to explain his findings. She caught Arthur's eye briefly, but looked away, reflecting on how quickly everything had fallen apart.

"The sentry must've been attacked at some point during the night." the physician reported, wiping a smear of forgotten blood from his hand onto the brown sleeve of his jacket.

The Prince flinched, evidently concerned for the safety of his men. "Who could've done this?" he exclaimed, his gaze lingering on the dagger in the physician's hand.

Gaius handed it over. "That is the sigil of the blood guard." He pointed at a rune etched into the hilt of the blade as Arthur twirled the weapon between his fingers.

"The blood guard?" he questioned, glancing again at his servant, who shrugged, just as bewildered as he was.

"Warrior priests sworn to protect the high priestesses of the old religion." Gaius explained, causing Arthur to frown.

"But surely they were wiped out during The Great Purge?"

The physician shook his head. "Not all of them."

"So you believe that there's a traitor in Camelot?" the Prince glanced wearily around the room, evidently disturbed for a moment. Merlyn didn't miss the strange expression which crossed Morgana's face, something akin to guilt, but she refused to believe that the ward could possibly have changed so much that she would betray her friends. She must've been mistaken.

"It's possible, sire. The sentry will be able to tell us soon enough." Gaius answered tiredly, motioning towards his chambers.

Arthur looked taken aback. "He's still alive?"

Gaius nodded. "Indeed."

~

Morgana cursed her own stupidity. Leaving the dagger imbedded in the guard had been a mistake, not bothering to check whether he had survived was almost fatal. She'd been clumsy, her adrenaline getting the better of her, the thought of Uther dethroned and at her mercy too delicious, too close to her grasp for her to ruin all of her efforts by unintentionally sparing the life of one guard. Morgause had taught her better than that. Merlyn, with all the drills and self defence she had worked into her before the ward had left, had taught her better than that. She would not fail, not when everything she could ever desire was within reach.

"Gaius?" she called as she slipped into the physician's chambers. She knew his schedule; he was a man of habit. The ward doubted that much could stop Gaius from making his daily rounds.

"Merlyn?" she tried, ensuring that the maidservant wasn't about to intrude. The woman had a tendency of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and Morgana would rather not be caught part way through her murder. Merlyn was far less predictable, but she could only hear the shallow breaths of the injured guard as she approached the man, glad to see that he was still sleeping. There would be no chance of him ever waking again, not when there was a risk of him spilling her secret.

Turning towards the cabinet where Gaius kept his most deadly poisons, why he needed them she would never know, she picked up a large phial of a clear liquid, the skull and crossbones on the label indicating that it would do the job.

~

Merlyn could've sworn that she saw a brief glimpse of Morgana's green dress as she headed back to her chambers, but shook her head softly, sure it couldn't have been anything more than the trick of the light. However, as she walked through the unlocked wooden door and into the room, she could feel that something wasn't quite right. Approaching their most recent patient quietly, she realised that she could no longer hear the shuddering sound of breathing coming from the guard.