Lost in Albion 1 (Merlin) - Completed

19

Chapter 19

"Here you are, your Highness. I've mended these two but the other couldn't be saved so I made you a new one instead." I hand over the shirts I've neatly folded over to the prince who chucks them on his table. I sigh, seeing the folds come undone.

"Thank you. Have you seen Merlin? He was supposed to come around an hour ago." Arthur struts over to the window, peering down. I shake my head honestly.

"No Sire, I haven't seen him all day." And I haven't. "I believe Gaius called for assistance on something. Needed to move a body from the lower town."

"A body? Like a dead one?" Arthur speculates. I bite my tongue to hold back a reply that would end with me in the stocks.

"Yes. Down in the lower town, they don't know what caused it but I would assume a disease," I reply instead. "I was off to find them anyways so I'll let Merlin know you're looking for him."

"Tell the idiot that he needs to bring a bucket and mop," Arthur nags, rolling his eyes.

"You know, the boy may be an idiot sometimes even I won't argue against that but he's a loyal one and that's something you should consider when you judge him," I drawl, giving the prince a knowing look. Arthur stares back at me in wonder. I could see, from their interactions that they enjoyed each other's company even if they would never admit it out loud, let alone to one another. But sometimes Arthur needs a reminder that Merlin is more than just a servant.

"I know," Arthur murmurs. "He has saved my life before, I don't forget that. And yours as well."

"Twice," I mutter under my breath.

"But he's my servant and right now I have a list of jobs for him." I chuckle, bowing my head. "So either he gets his scrawny butt here himself or I drag him by the ear."

"Alright, I will go fetch him."

I wander around, asking the castle staff if they had seen Gaius. They tell me he had come back from the lower town and is now in his chambers so that is where I head to. They also told me they had something large in a wheelbarrow, which is odd considering they went to see a body.

I open the door, slowly, not quite sure if I want to look into Gaius' quarters. Merlin and Gaius are lifting a body from the wheelbarrow onto the examination table. I stride over to look at the man myself. My mouth opens, eyes scanning the body in a mix of horror and disgust. The man is a pale grey, with blue veins bright underneath the skin. Merlin and Gaius barely acknowledge my presence, also staring at the man.

"That's horrid. What caused this?" I query, never having seen anything like it.

"I've never seen anything like this before," Gaius announces, examining the body with a magnifying glass close to his face.

My eyes dart to the man who looks at the body with worry. If the court physician, a man who dedicated his life to this knowledge doesn't know what it is, and I've never even heard of it in modern medicine then what hope do we have to cure this. No, Gaius would study it and figure it out. He has to.

"Do you think it could be some kind of plague?" Merlin questions, peering at the body with disgust and curiosity.

"No." Gaius shakes his head, looking solemn. "I fear that something like this could never come from nature. But who has this kind of power?"

Is he talking about magic? But why would someone do this, kill an innocent man? Maybe it was an act of revenge and he would be the only one. Or Uther has more enemies than we thought.

"Merlin!" Arthur fumes, opening the door to the chambers, but Merlin runs over, stopping him from coming in all the way.

"Oh, Merlin – Arthur wants you by the way. He said to bring a mop and bucket," I chirp. Both men look at me with flat faces. "What, I told him, I did my job," I shrug, looking back to the body.