The Great Purge

15. Turning A Blind Eye

Nimueh could not return to the Isle of The Blessed, for she was too embarressed and ashamed to go back.
She had stolen for Uther, broken the law for Uther, and used powerful magic for Uther. But after the loss of his wife he had turned against Nimueh, and everything she stood for.
Despite his warnings to leave, Nimueh did not leave Camelot at first. She wanted to stay and see what Uther did once she was gone.
At first nothing changed, except for a ban on magic. But as the days passed Uther's knights began rounding up all the sorcercers in the city and executing them one by one.
As time went on they began arresting anyone with a connection to magic, and not just sorcerers.
This was when Nimueh recieved word from Gaius, asking to meet up.

"You shouldn't be here Gaius" Nimueh said cooly.
The two of them were stood in the forest outside of Camelot, at midnight. This was the first time they had spoken in weeks.
"Neither should you, this land is still a part of Camelot" reminded Gaius.
"I am well aware, but I no longer follow Uther's stupid rules. I am not afraid of him" admitted Nimueh.
"I see... I went to the Isle of the Blessed looking for you, but you weren't there. In fact the place was much emptier than the last time I was there"
"I wonder why that is"
"Why weren't you there?"
"Do you really think I could go back there after everything that happened? I helped Uther have a son, it was my actions that led to this slaughter".

"How did you know that I wanted to see you then, if you didn't go back there?" Asked Gaius.
"You spoke to Reyna while you were there, she is the only person who knows where I live now. She told me that you wanted to meet up, which is why I sent you a letter telling you to meet me here" replied Nimueh.
"Where are you living now?"
"In a cave. It's not exactly a castle like I've been used to, but it's all I've got"
"Is it in Camelot?"
"I'm not going to tell you where I live Gaius, so stop asking. You lost my trust when you allowed Uther to throw me out of Camelot. Just say what you want to say, and then leave me alone"
"Fine. I need your help my lady".

Nimueh laughed, "My help? You lost the right to ask for my help weeks ago".
"Please, I can't do this without you" begged Gaius.
"The last time I agreed to help you, it didn't exactly end well for me, did it" reminded Nimueh.
"If you won't do it for me, then do it for Alice"
"What has your fiancè got to do with anything?"
"You know that she uses magic, and associates herself with Druids, and that's enough to get her killed"
"She's your fiancè, just tell her to stop"
"I have, but it's not enough. I saw her name on a list in the king's chambers, I crossed her name out, but it's only a matter of time before they realise that she hasn't been caught".

"Wow, how rebellious of you, I didn't think you had it in you to move against your beloved king" mocked Nimueh.
"I did it for Alice, I love her" admitted Gaius.
"Then leave Camelot with her, and the two of you can live happily ever after together"
"I can't, I have sworn alligence to Uther, and I cannot go back on that"
"I don't know what you think I can do about this situation, even if I agreed to help you"
"You can take her somewhere safe, and look after her for me"
"She shouldn't need my help. Lots of people with magic have already fled Camelot, so tell her to do the same".

Nimueh turned to go but Gaius stopped her.
"You'd really condem an innocent woman to death, just because you're mad at me?" He questioned angrily.
"Have many people have you watched get sent to death over the past few weeks, and not helped?" Asked Nimueh.
Gaius lowered his eyes awkwardly, hoping to avoid any more confrontation, but Nimueh was full of rage and not yet finished.
"You have stood by while our kin get murdered for weeks now. Do you even know how many people Uther has executed so far?" She quizzed.
"No, I don't" sighed Gaius quietly.
"Well I do. 67. 67 sorcerers have been killed so far, and those are just the ones I know about. And Uther is nowhere near finished. He's moving from the citadel to the outer villiages now. He's killing all manner of magical creatures, not just sorcerers. And he's not just murdering men either. He's killing woman and children".

"If you know all this, then why haven't you tried to save these people?" Asked Gaius.
"The number would be a lot higher right now, if I hadn't intervened. I've been trying to save as many people as I can, but there's only so much I can do, and there's only so many places I can hide them. Even if I do manage to save some people, I've condemmed them to a life on the run, constantly looking over their shoulders. I am trying to help our people, while you sit and do nothing. You only came here tonight to ask for my help, because someone you know and love is threatened. You care not for the others who are dying every single day. Some of them are people that I know and love, but instead of trying to help them, you have chosen to turn a blind eye to Uther's behaviour" replied Nimueh angrily.
"So, you won't help me protect Alice?"
"No. And next time Gaius, don't bother asking for my help, because I never want to see you ever again. You're a traitor to your kind, and I will never forgive you for this".