The Poisoned Chalice
In her cave, Nimueh chanted a spell over her basin. She dropped a flower petal into the water that she could see Merlin through. She pulled the petal back out, but it had turned transparent and she dropped it in a silver goblet. She chanted again, laying a spell over the chalice, glee in her eyes.
“Merlin.”
----
Uther sat in his throne room, surrounded by his men with Arthur at his right hand. Bayard and his men arrived and approached the king. Bayard was a bearded brunette with piercing eyes and was an aggressive smelling alpha that made Merlin’s nose tingle uncomfortably. But then again, almost every alpha smelled aggressive to him. Uther stood to greet them.
“Camelot welcomes you, Lord Bayard of Mercia. The treaty we sign today marks an end to war and a beginning to a new friendship between our people.”
He grasped arms with Bayard as their people clapped around them. While everyone was focused on the two leaders, a disguised Nimueh looked at Merlin hungrily. Her revenge was so close that she could almost taste it.
Slowly, people left the room, getting on with their daily duties. Merlin and Gaius walked through the hallways, both headed back to Gaius's chambers.
“Do you need me for anything, Gaius? I should go see to Arthur if not.”
“Oh, go ahead. But, Merlin,” Gaius said in a low voice, pulling him aside, “I know you said your heat was coming up soon. Is it coming around any time soon?”
“Not for another couple days. I’m not feeling any of the symptoms yet. I’ll be good until after Bayard leaves.” Merlin replied.
Gaius nodded. “That’s good. Let me know if anything changes. I don’t want you to go into it around Arthur or Uther, even if you’ve got your suppressants going. Now, go help Arthur before he yells at you.”
Merlin smiled and nodded. “See you later, old man.”
Gaius shot him an amused look, shaking his head. They parted ways and Merlin headed down the hallway. Nimueh saw him coming and faked a fall in front of him.
“Sorry,” she said, gathering the items she dropped. Merlin crouched down to help her.
“It’s alright. Let me give you a hand.”
They locked eyes as they stood up. Merlin wouldn’t deny that she was a pretty beta, but there was something off, deep in her eyes. His magic prickled around him in warning.
“Hi, I’m Merlin,” he smiled, trying to push past the unease.
“Cara. You’re Arthur’s servant, right? That must be an honour. Thank you, Merlin,” she said, standing up.
“No problem.”
“It was nice to meet you,” she said, batting her eyelashes. Merlin nodded and walked past her briskly, rushing to Arthur’s rooms. Though he wouldn’t admit it, as his heat was getting closer, he felt himself wanting to be close to the annoying alpha that was slowly growing on him. Arthur had been increasingly kind over the past couple weeks after the incident with the Afanc. He’d been almost caring since Merlin was shoved into that wall. But then he was still an arrogant prat most of the time. Especially when they were around other people. One second he’d be almost nice to Merlin and the next he’d be trying to beat the crap out of him or yelling that he was a terrible servant. It was perplexing to say the least, but Merlin was learning to live with it.
Nimueh watched him walk away before hurrying to Bayard’s rooms. She made sure no one was around before turning to the door.
“Alysan duru ronne.”
The door opened, and she entered silently. Her prize lay in plain sight on the table in Bayard’s main room, unlocked. Opening the chest, she looked at the two silver goblets inside. Taking one out, she replaced it with her identical, enchanted chalice before closing the lid and leaving the room as if she’d never been there.
----
Merlin opened the wardrobe to take out Arthur’s clothes for the feast and was assaulted by a musty scent that was a mix of mothballs, old food, and a stale version of Arthur’s scent. He stepped back coughing and holding back a gag. “When’s the last time these were cleaned?!”
Arthur chuckled, “Probably last year before the Feast of Beltane.”
“Did you have a food fight or something?”
“Don’t all feasts end like that?” Arthur asked, facetiously.
Merlin raised a brow. “I wouldn’t know… The airs and graces of the court are a mystery to me,” he said with a mock-graceful air.
“Not after tonight they won’t be,” Arthur said, staring at his servant. Something was different about the boy, but he didn’t know what. His alpha was growling at him to get closer to Merlin’s side. To comfort him for whatever reason. It perked up when Merlin looked at him, even if it was with a horrified expression.
“I’m going to the banquet?!”
“You’ll be there to make sure my cup doesn’t run dry. If I have to sit through Bayard’s boring speeches, you should have to, too,” Arthur smirked. Merlin raised a brow, knowing damn well that he wouldn’t get to sit. “Oh, don’t forget to polish the buttons, and… don’t you want to see what you’ll be wearing tonight?”
Merlin gave him a pained expression. “How bad is it?”
Arthur held them up and Merlin just sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat.
----
Later, everyone was gathered in the Hall of Ceremonies as Bayard signed the treaty. Gwen approached Merlin, chuckling at the hat he was wearing. The large red feather flopped down to hang in front of Merlin’s face.
“Nice hat.”
Merlin took it off, sneezing when a feather tickled his nose. He cringed when he saw Nimueh enter. Gwen saw the reaction and mistook it for Merlin liking her.
“She’s pretty, isn’t she? For a handmaiden, I mean.” Gwen couldn’t help the jealousy that seeped into her voice. Why couldn’t Merlin like her?
Merlin shrugged, “I guess so. Not prettier than you, though.” He smiled kindly at her.
Gwen blushed, bumping him with her shoulder. Their attention was soon taken back by Uther signing the treaty and grasping Bayard’s arm. The crowds cheered, and Gwen moved to get closer to Morgana who looked extremely bored.
“People of Camelot, for a great many years we have been mortal enemies, and the blood of our men stains the grounds from Camelot to Mercia. And though we will never forget those who died, we must not allow any more to join them.” Bayard announced as a serving girl brought in the chest with the goblets. “As a symbol of goodwill, and our new friendship, I present these ceremonial goblets to you, Uther, and your son, Arthur, in the hope our friendship shall last.”
Nimueh took the chance to approach Merlin, pretending to be anxious. “Merlin, I need to speak to you,” she whispered, urgently.
“The wounds we received in battle…” Bayard continued.
“What is it?” Merlin asked. There was something in his gut that was telling something was wrong.
“Not here, please. I don’t know who else to tell.” She led Merlin out into the hall as Gaius's eyebrows furrowed when he saw him leave.
“Tonight we toast a new beginning for our peoples. We look forward a future free from the toils of war…”
In the corridor, Nimueh turned to Merlin. “It wasn’t until I saw him give the goblet to Arthur that I realised…”
“Realised what?” Merlin asked after she took a dramatic pause.
“Two days ago, I was bringing Bayard his evening meal. We’re supposed to knock, but I didn’t for whatever reason. He didn’t expect me to just walk in…”
“Cara, what are you trying to say?” Merlin said, suspicious of the serving girl. Why had she seeked him out? She didn’t know him from the next servant. He hadn’t been near Arthur, nor had he ever said he was connected to someone who would be able to deal with this.
“Bayard is no friend of Camelot. He wants the kingdom for himself. He believes that if Arthur dies, Uther’s spirit will be broken and Camelot will crumble.”
“What did he do to the goblet?” Merlin’s omega was getting restless, terrified for the alpha. Rationally, he knew something about this was questionable to say the least. But it was hard to remain rational with his pre-heat omega acting up.
“I saw him put something in it. It was… poison.”
Merlin’s stomach dropped, unsure that she was trustworthy. But something told him that the threat was real, regardless of her trustworthiness, so he rushed back into the Hall of Ceremonies. Nimueh watched him run away with a malevolent smirk on her face.
“And may the differences from our past remain there. To your health, Uther,” Bayard was still saying. Everyone stood to toast. “Arthur.”
Arthur moved to start drinking when Bayard toasted, “The Lady Morgana.” Morgana nodded, and Arthur waited impatiently.
“The people of Camelot!”
“And to the fallen warriors on both sides!” Uther added. Everyone started to drink when Merlin ran in.
“Wait! It’s poisoned, Don’t drink it!” He ran up to Arthur, taking the goblet from him.
“Merlin, what are you doing?” he hissed, eyes alight with horror at the outburst. What was he thinking?
“Your goblet is laced with poison,” he explained, eyes equally worried, his omega pawing to come out. Arthur’s stomach dropped and he got angry seeing the fear in Merlin’s eyes.
“This is an outrage!” Bayard bellowed, his men drawing their swords.
“Order your men to stand down. You are vastly outnumbered.” Uther boomed.
“I will not allow this insult to go unchallenged.”
Uther turned to Merlin, eyes furious. “On what grounds do you base this accusation, boy?”
Arthur wanted to growl at his father for yelling at his servant, but he pushed it down. “I’ll handle this. Merlin probably has been drinking, isn’t that right? Had a little too much ale. Now, take it back,” he said, trying to grab the goblet back, but Merlin held it further away. Holding the cup, Merlin could sense a good bit of magic radiating from it. Which kind of worried him, actually. He didn’t sense any magic around Bayard, so perhaps it wasn’t him. But he had felt a tingling around… Fuck. He’d been set up. He looked out into the crowd to see ‘Cara’ smiling a little too happily. Damn it.
“Unless your servant wants to be strung up, he will tell me why he thinks it’s poisoned now.” Uther glared at the manservant.
“It was seen being laced,” Merlin said, proud of himself for keeping his voice even.
“I won’t listen to this anymore!” Bayard snarled. He looked as if he was going to throttle Merlin so Arthur moved between them, staring the other alpha down.
“Pass me the goblet,” Uther demanded. Arthur took the goblet, feeling how shaky Merlin’s hand was as their fingers brushed. He handed it to his father. “If you’re telling the truth…”
“I am,” Bayard insisted.
“Then you have nothing to fear, do you?”
Bayard sheathed his sword and reached for the cup. Uther pulled it away.
“No, if this is poisoned, I want the pleasure of killing you myself. He’ll drink it,” Uther said, holding the goblet to Merlin.
“No, if it’s poisoned, he’ll die!” Arthur protested. Morgana tried to meet Merlin’s eyes with a question in them. Surely Merlin wouldn’t drink it. She couldn’t lose her friend.
“Then we’ll know he was telling the truth.” Uther said, coldly.
“And if he lives?” Bayard questioned.
“Then you have my deepest apologies and can do with him as you will.”
Gaius stepped in. “Uther, please! He’s just a boy! He doesn’t know what he’s saying!”
“Then you should’ve schooled him better.” Uther snarled.
“Merlin, apologise. This was a mistake, I’ll drink it.” Arthur said, stepping between him and his father. His eyes were pleading, but his servant didn’t meet his eyes.
“No, no, no. It's alright. I’ll do it.” He took the goblet, trying to steady his shaking hands while Arthur looked at him in fear. He could only hope that his magic would be able to fight off the poison and toasted to Bayard and Arthur, drinking from the cup while Nimueh watched on with glee in her eyes. Gwen and Morgana looked at each other with worry, hearts racing. Merlin finished, swallowing the liquid down. He could feel the rush of energy it brought with it, the foreign magic slipping through his body, infiltrating his limbs. His own magic was doing it’s best, though. Maybe it would be enough. “It’s fine?”
Arthur let out a sigh of relief before slapping a hand over his face. Morgana, Gwen, and Gaius had similar reactions.
“He’s all yours,” Uther said simply. Bayard glared at Merlin, turning to face the slight servant.
Merlin sighed before gripping his stomach as pain flared deep in his abdomen. His omega whimpered and whined as his vision became blurry. Damn it, his magic wasn’t able to offset it enough. The effects of the poison were making his head spin as his magic desperately tried to undo the damage. And to help, his body decided it needed to shut down. With a gag and a moment of laboured inhalation, he collapsed to the ground, eyes rolling back into his skull. The goblet fell from his hand and rolled across the floor with a metallic clang.
“MERLIN!” Arthur cried, hurrying and crouching over his unconscious servant’s slack body. Nimueh grinned and slipped away before anyone could notice her disappearance.
“It’s poisoned. Guards seize him!” Uther ordered. Bayard stared at the collapsed servant with confusion and shock.
Gaius and Gwen also hurried to Merlin’s side as Arthur held him in his arms.
“Merlin? Can you hear me?” The physician tried, snapping in front of him. “We have to get him back to my chambers. Bring the goblet so I can identify the poison.” Gaius instructed.
Arthur gathered Merlin’s body in his arms, picking him up and carrying him to Gaius's chambers. Gwen grabbed the chalice, hurrying after them.
Gaius held the door to his chambers open for Arthur to bring in Merlin. Gwen followed, placing the cup on the table. Freya came running out of Merlin’s room, whimpering and nuzzling at her master’s leg as Arthur laid him down.
“Lay him on the bed, quickly; he’s struggling to breathe. Gwen, we need water and a towel.”
“Is he going to be alright?” Arthur asked, hovering with a hand still on Merlin’s shoulder. His stomach dropped with every wheeze that came from Merlin’s lungs.
“He’s burning up.” Gaius said, trying to keep the fear from his voice.
“But you can cure him, can’t you Gaius?” Gwen asked, bringing the water and towels over.
“I won’t know until I can identify the poison. Pass me the goblet.”
Gwen handed it over while Arthur wet a towel, wrung out the excess water and placed it on Merlin’s overheating forehead.
“Ah, there’s something stuck on the inside.” Gaius observed.
“Arth–” Merlin tried to mutter, fighting against the pull of the poison. But everything felt fuzzy, blurry… why?… “‘M sorry,” Merlin managed to whisper before he went back under.
“Merlin? Come on, idiot.” Arthur gently shook him and looked up at Gaius. “What is it?”
“It looks like a petal,” Gaius said, pulling out a book. Flipping and stopping on a random page, he continued, “Found it! The petal comes from the Mortaeus flower. It says someone poisoned by the flower can only be saved by a potion made from the leaf of the very same flower that’s found in the caves beneath the Forest of Balor. It grows on the roots of the Mortaeus tree.”
“That’s not particularly friendly,” Arthur said, pressing the back of his hand to Merlin’s burning neck. He winced thinking about how much pain Merlin might be in.
“A Cockatrice guards the forest and has very potent venom. A single drop means certain death; very few who have journeyed there made it back alive.”
“Sounds like fun.”
Gaius looked at the alpha, shaking his head. “Arthur, it’s too dangerous.”
The alpha whipped his head to the beta instantly, a snarl on his features. “If I don’t get that antidote, what will happen to Merlin?”
Gaius cleared his throat, reading the rest of the paragraph. “The Mortaeus induces a slow and painful death, the longer it takes, the more pain they feel. He may hold out for four to five days, but not for much longer. Honestly, I don’t think he’ll last much more than two days. Then, he’ll die.” Gaius knew that since Merlin was so close to his heat, his body was already weakened and the pain would only be magnified. But his answer just seemed to rile up the prince even more.
“Then you know that I’m going to go. I’ll not let him die, especially not for me.”
Gwen smiled, touched by Arthur’s concern, before heading out for a few minutes, she knew she had to go see to Morgana. “I’ll be back in a few minutes, I’ve got to go see to my Lady.”
Arthur just waved her off, going back to tending to Merlin with the wet rag. Gwen nodded, running up to Morgana’s chambers.
“My Lady, I’m sorry I haven’t been here to attend to you.” she said, upon entering the quarters.
“You say that like you think I care. How’s Merlin? I want to come and help in any way possible. What is being done? What needs to be done?” Morgana stood, letting her hair down. Gwen helped her change into a more comfortable dress.
“Arthur is going to go on a quest to get the antidote while Gaius and I will be keeping him alive.”
“Then I’ll be there to help. He’s going to need it until Arthur can bring back the antidote. Let’s go down.” Morgana led Gwen back down, hurrying into the room. “Arthur, go get ready for your journey. Gwen and I can take it from here.”
Arthur looked up at her with a scowl. Resentfully, he backed away from Merlin, feeling his warm temple as he stood up. “He had better be alright when I return.” He walked up to Morgana, placing his hands on the omega’s shoulders. “Please, take care of him.”
She nodded, wrapping him in a hug. “We’ll do everything we can. You stay safe and bring the antidote back as fast as you can. Merlin won’t last long without it.”
Arthur swallowed and left the room quickly. Morgana then turned to Gaius.
“What is this poison going to do to him?”
“It induces a slow and painful death.”
“Does it change based on presentation?”
“It works faster in alphas, it can be more painful for omegas, but it’s just moderate for betas.” Gwen recited, peeking at the book.
“What about for omegas nearing their heat?”
Gaius looked at her strangely. She didn’t know. She couldn’t. “Are you near your heat? You also didn’t have any of the poison.”
Gwen looked at Morgana with fear. “Are you alright, my Lady? Your goblet was not poisoned, was it?”
Morgana looked between Gwen, Gaius, and Merlin. “I’m sorry, Merlin. Look, I know Merlin is an omega, and I know his heat was supposed to be coming up soon.”
Gwen’s mouth was agape as she looked at Gaius for confirmation.
“How do you know that?” The physician looked at Morgana, curiously.
“I found out when we were fighting the Afanc. So, what is this going to do to him?”
Gaius bit his cheek, planning how he should go about this. “Well, you’re right, Merlin is close to his heat, which is why I told Arthur he only has about two days. Normally it’d be four days. And if he gets back in time and we cure Merlin, he’ll probably go right into it afterwards.”
“So Arthur won’t be able to see him for a while after that. He won’t be happy about that in the least.” Morgana joked.
“Does he know?!” Gaius squawked.
“Oh, no. It’s just that he’s very protective and fond of Merlin. It may be hard to keep him away after what’s happened.” Morgana rushed. “Here, Gwen, how about you tend to Merlin for the moment. Let me run back to my rooms and grab a few things, make sure Arthur is alright to go, and then I’ll come back and take over for one of you so either of you can rest. And I’m sure you have a lot of questions, Gwen, but I’d also like the answers to a few so please don’t discuss everything without me.”
Gaius and Gwen nodded their head, Gwen moving to Merlin’s side. Freya moved to the other side, laying her head on top of Merlin’s chest. The dog looked completely distraught, closing her eyes and feeling his chest rise and fall under her chin. Morgana ruffled her furry head and headed up to her room.
“An omega, Gaius?”
----
“What is the point of having people taste for you if you’re going to get yourself killed anyways?” Uther asked, walking down the candlelit hall, leaving Arthur to catch up with him.
“I won’t fail, no matter what you think.” The Prince growled.
Uther stopped, facing his son. “Arthur, you are my only son and heir. I can’t risk losing you for some…serving boy.”
Arthur’s alpha roared angrily. Why couldn’t his father understand that he owed Merlin his life? “Why? Because his life is worthless?”
“No, because it is worth less than yours.”
“I can save him. I have to save him.”
“No.”
“I will find the antidote and bring it back.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Why not?!”
“Because you are my son and the future king of Camelot. I will not have you killing yourself for this servant who has been nothing but trouble for you.”
“Merlin has been extremely helpful since day one. I won’t have you looking down on him when he’s saved my life multiple times. Without him, I would have already been dead. I cannot sit idly by and watch him die.”
“Then don’t look. This boy will not be the last person to die for you.” Uther said dismissively.
“I won’t accept that. You can’t stop me.” He’s not going to die. I won’t let him.
“Damn it, Arthur. You’re not leaving this castle tonight.”
Arthur growled and stormed off as his father dismissed him like a child. He stomped into his room, threw his sword onto the table, and leaned over his fireplace. He gripped the mantle roughly, wishing he could break something, anything to calm his raging alpha. But his father had a point, as much as he hated it. The future of the kingdom rested on his shoulders, not Merlin’s. But even as he thought that, a pit grew in his stomach, telling him he knew that was wrong. He knew there was something about Merlin, something special that Arthur was missing. That Arthur needed.
“Let me guess. Uther won’t let you go.”
Arthur didn’t turn to look at his adopted sister. “Don’t patronise me, Morgana.”
“I’m not, Arthur. You’re forgetting that I want you to save him. Look, I’ve had my fair share of lectures from Uther. Not that I listen.”
“Clearly you don’t. You think I should still go?” Arthur asked, though, he knew the answer.
Morgana furrowed her brows in worried confusion. Please don’t be an ass and follow your father’s stupid rules. “Are you going to let Merlin die? After everything?”
“If I don’t make it back, who will be the next king of Camelot? There’s more than just my life at stake.”
“You’re right. It’s Merlin’s life at stake. What kind of king do you think Camelot wants? One who blindly follows his father? Or one that would risk his life for a servant?” She picked up his sword, holding it out for him.
Arthur took it, tying the weapon to his waist with a small smile. “What are you doing up here? I thought you promised to take care of him.”
Morgana pointed to her stack of blankets. “Had to get some things.”
“He’s overheating. Why the hell are you taking him more blankets?”
“Because Gaius said he’ll need them for his recovery. He’s burning up now, but he’ll be freezing when the poison leaves his system. Now, get out of here! Gaius said that he’s only got a few days.”
Arthur nodded, grabbing his dark cloak. Morgana smiled at him and grabbed something off the pile of her blankets.
“And, I brought you this. I thought you might like to have it.”
“What is it?” Arthur asked as Morgana tied something around his upper left arm. His alpha preened as he recognised it as one of Merlin’s red neckerchiefs. “Thanks.”
Morgana patted his shoulder and left with her blankets. Arthur touched the red fabric that matched the red on his uniform with a smile. He inhaled, catching that light scent of chocolate and strawberries that he could sometimes smell around the beta. He often wondered what Merlin was around that made him have that smell. He nodded to Morgana as she left and crept down to the stables using the servant paths.
He walked to his horse, saddling her by himself. Luckily no one else was in the stables. Llamrei stayed silent as he tightened the straps and placed the bit in her mouth. He put his foot in the stirrup to swing on when the horse huffed. He looked up in fear of someone coming to stop him, but he only saw Merlin’s dog, Freya he thought, blocking his way out. He stepped back, leading the horse out of the stall.
“Hey, I’m trying to save him. Can we get along long enough for me to get out of here so I can help him?”
The dog tilted her head, but moved out of his way. He sighed in relief, mounting his horse with a practised ease. He urged the horse to walk towards the exit. There was a light pattering behind him and he looked back to see Freya following him closely.
“Stay,” he commanded, but the dog paid him no heed. She stopped him with a light growl which kept him from running into a pair of guards. He looked at her in amazement. He remembered how she’d been helpful with warning Merlin with other threats before and he smiled.
“Well, what do we do about the guards by the door, girl?”
The dog met his eyes and sneezed, turning in a circle. He watched her with confusion until she bolted through the courtyard and right past the guards. Arthur made a hmpf, and followed her lead, kicking the horse to make her gallop. He passed the guards too fast for them to stop him, even when one called for him to halt. Freya was waiting for him outside the gates and ran beside the horse as they left the castle.
“You’re not so bad, dog,” Arthur chuckled. She grunted once, running faster to stay with the horse.
----
“He’s getting hotter,” Gwen said, replacing the cool cloth on his forehead.
Merlin muttered something in his sleep. “Liffrea wuldres wealdend woroldare forgeaf.” Thank the heavens Merlin still couldn’t get spells to work for him.
“That’s just the fever taking hold. He’s getting weaker,” Gaius explained, looking his nephew over. “Oh no, that’s not good.”
“What is it?”
“This rash. It appears in the final stage. Merlin doesn’t have two days, Gwen. He has one, maybe one and a half.” Gaius groaned, examining the small rash.
“What?!” Morgana asked, having just walked in. “How is that possible?”
“Something increased the potency of the poison. Here, it warns that the effects will be more rapid if an enchantment is used during the preparation.”
“Bayard’s not a sorcerer,” Gwen uttered.
“No, he’s not. And it couldn’t have been… she wouldn’t come here. Who was that girl?”
“What girl, Gaius?”
“The pretty one? The one that talked to Merlin?” Gwen asked, remembering the serving girl. “Dark hair, thin, pretty-ish.”
“Yes,” Gaius cried. “Find her, quickly.”
Gwen nodded, handing Morgana the cool towel.
“…Arthur… don’t– no,” Merlin mumbled weakly. Morgana shushed him, pressing the damp rag to his feverish skin.
Gwen ran from the room to the dungeons. She checked the cells for the serving girl, but grunted in frustration when she couldn’t find her. She headed back, head bowed. As she reentered the physician’s chambers, Merlin stirred, weakly whimpering as he restlessly wiggled under the thin sheet.
“Let me guess, she wasn’t there.”
“No one has even seen her since the banquet. Who is she?” Both Gwen and Morgana looked at him expectantly.
“Not who she claimed to be. She’s a powerful sorceress.”
“We should tell Uther. Maybe he can send riders out after her.” Morgana suggested.
“No, she’s long gone. Oh dear. Arthur may be walking into a trap.” Gaius rubbed his face.
Gwen and Morgana looked at each other. “And he’s alone. Uther wouldn’t let him take any men.” Morgana said.
Gaius sighed. “Of course not. He shouldn’t have gone.”
“And he should have let Merlin die?!”
Gaius looked at Morgana with a pained expression. “Believe me, I don’t want Merlin to die. But Uther will kill us all if Arthur dies for him. Let’s hope I’m wrong and that Arthur will get through this mostly unscathed.”
“Hey, where’s Freya?” Gwen asked.
----
Arthur rode his horse hard, impressed that the dog was managing to keep pace with him. He would have enjoyed the rolling hills and countryside as well had he not been focused on his destination. He slowed Llamrei as they reached the edge of the forest. He dismounted and led her in, Freya right beside him, her fur bristling.
They moved through the dimly lit forest until Arthur heard someone crying. He approached the noise, surprised to see a bruised girl. She looked vaguely familiar, but how was he to know that it was merely Nimueh pretending to be hurt.
“Hello, are you alright?”
Freya growled in warning right before the Cockatrice arose from the earth, roaring. Arthur faced the beast, and Nimueh smiled as it lunged at the young alpha. But he was fast and rolled out of the way before it could strike. Then with equally fast movements, he threw his sword which plunged into it, killing the beast. Nimueh wrinkled her nose in disgust and anger, but pretended to still be scared when the prince turned back to her. She backed away, staring at him like she thought he’d kill her as well.
“It’s alright. I’m not going to hurt you. Who did that to you?” He gestured to her bruised arms.
“My master,” she said with a shaky voice. “I ran away from him but got lost. Please don’t leave me.”
“I won’t,” he said, approaching her. Freya jumped in, barking like mad. She wedged herself between Arthur and the powerful witch. She knew it could be trouble, but she would rather die than let her master’s friend die. “Freya!”
She growled at Arthur, wishing he would understand. He looked between her and the strange girl who gazed at the dog with disdain. For a split second, he thought he saw her eyes change before she was back to playing a scared victim.
“Look, I’m sorry about my dog. She’s wary of strangers. But I have a task to complete. Stay here and I’ll be back to get you out of here after.”
“You’re going into the caves? I could help you!”
Arthur shook his head. “No thanks. I’ve got to do this alone. Come, girl.” He walked to the entrance of the caves, waiting for the dog. She continued to snarl and glare at the sorceress as she followed Arthur. She watched the witch while Arthur lit a torch. Only after they had entered the caves did she turn her head forward, leading Arthur to the flowers they needed.
When they got to the break in the cavern, Arthur saw that they were across a large gap with a narrow ledge. Looking down, he saw that the drop was further than he could even see.
“Stay back from the edge, Freya. Don’t worry, we’ll be out of here soon.” As soon as he said that, however, the cave began to shake. Freya slammed into Arthur with her whole body, pushing him onto the opposite ledge. He dropped the torch, which promptly fell down into the pit, disappearing from sight.
Freya barked at Arthur alerting him to a giant spider that was crawling towards him before the dog made a pained noise followed by a thud. He quickly disposed of the massive arachnid, sending it down after the torch. But it had pulled him enough that he fell, gripping the rocky ledge hard to keep from going down into the dark below. He looked back to see the dog on her side, the woman from outside holding a torch, just staring at him with a wicked grin.
“You did this!?”
“I expected so much more from you, but I wasn’t expecting the dog.”
“Who are you?” he demanded.
“The last face you’ll ever see. That spider won’t be the last. I’ll let his friends finish you off, Arthur Pendragon.” Her blue eyes sparkled with malice.
“You tried to poison me. Why not kill me yourself?!”
“It’s not your destiny to die by my hand. Besides, you weren’t meant to drink it.”
“You meant it for Merlin?! You wanted to hurt him?! I’ll kill you,” the alpha raged.
The witch just smiled and left with the torch, leaving Arthur in darkness.
“Who are you?!”
----
Merlin stirred again, his whole body feeling on fire. He could feel something was wrong with Arthur and Freya alike as he faded in and out of semi-consciousness. He could see Arthur dangling from a ledge in the dark and longed to help him. But… he could. Maybe. If his magic actually worked with a spell.
“Too dark,” he muttered quietly. “Fromum feogiftum faedar bearme. Fromum feo…”
Gaius glanced at Merlin, shocked to see something glowing under the sheets. He was extremely glad that both Gwen and Morgana had left; one to go home for a few things, the other to get a lecture from Uther.
“Merlin,” Gaius wanted to chastise. But he pulled the sheet down to see a ball of light in his hand. If Merlin were conscious, he would have berated him for wasting his energy, but he couldn’t since it seemed he was doing it unwittingly.
In the cave, Arthur heard a happy, if not a little pained, chirp from the dog and he looked up to see a ball of light floating above him. “Oh come on! Just kill me then! I know you did this to the cave. I just want to help my friend. Merlin, I’m sorry,” he cried, feeling distraught. Merlin was going to die while he was stuck in this dark cavern.
But the light just floated above him, giving Arthur the strength to pull himself up. The light floated higher, showing Arthur where to go to get out, but also the Mortaeus flower.
“Leave them, Arthur,” Merlin thought, as spiders started to appear from the rocks and crawled towards the prince.
But Arthur couldn’t hear him, not that he would have listened anyways. He climbed to the flower and put it in a pouch on his belt. The spiders started getting closer so he climbed as fast as he could to the top.
“Come on, go faster. Follow the light!” Merlin mumbled. Once Arthur made it to the top, the light disappeared from Merlin’s hand and all his energy dissipated. The dark and pain took him under again, but this time, it was worse. This time, he didn’t think he’d be able to come back from it.
Arthur panted as he looked around to find where he was. He walked down the hill to where he hoped his horse still was. Thankfully, the girl was gone and his horse was just standing there, unimpressed. He ruffled Llamrei’s mane, sighing heavily. A string of barks had him turning around to see Freya running out of the caves with a slight limp. Merlin’d kill him for getting his dog hurt. But, she jumped on him, licking his face happily.
“Why thank you. Glad to see you don’t hate me!”
I don’t hate you. You’re just a right idiot. But it’s not your fault that you’re stupid. Your father’s an ignorant hypocritical arse.
Arthur jerked back. “Why did I hear that? How are you talking to me? God, I’m going crazy.” He could hear the words so clearly in his mind.
No, you aren’t. You’re just more in tune with your abilities from the caves. Don’t worry, I won’t talk to you after this.
“I’m just confused,” he said, staring at the dog.
Look, I’d love to stay and chat, but my master really needs that flower. I can feel him getting weaker and he’s only got a few hours before it becomes irreversible.
“Wait, Merlin’s dying in a few hours?!”
Yes, that witch made the poison more powerful with magic, ergo it’s killing him faster. Give me the pouch. The dog reached forward to grab it with her teeth.
Arthur backed away from the talking dog. “No, you’re magic. How do I know the witch isn’t controlling you? You shouldn’t be anywhere near Merlin!”
The dog growled deep in her throat. Don’t you dare imply that I would hurt him! Not when you’ve already done so much to him. Now, give me the pouch. Your father isn’t going to let you see him when you return and he’ll probably destroy it anyways. He’s not going to let you save him. But he can’t stop a dog. I’ll take it to Gaius.
Arthur took a moment to think about it. She was probably right, but could he trust her? She was a magic dog, apparently.
A magic dog that saved you from a magic snake. And you can trust that I am loyal to Merlin. Why do you think I keep you away from him? Because I know you would hurt him if your father commanded. You didn’t even want to come here to save him. You wanted to listen to your daddy over saving his life.
Arthur bowed his head in shame. He had almost listened to his father. But would he really have let Merlin die? “No, I wouldn’t have let him die. But I fear you’re right about my father. I- here,” he said, handing the pouch to the dog. She gently took the pouch in her mouth and nodded in thanks. “Does Merlin know? About your… magical qualities?”
The dog rolled her eyes. Of course not.
He swung up on the horse, steering it around. “So does that mean you talk?” he asked the steed.
She does, but you’ll never understand her.
“This is weird.”
Again, I was only doing this so you would understand me and give me the flower. Now, I’ll race you back. Freya took off like an arrow from a bow. Arthur smiled and urged his horse to run, determined to catch the little dog.
----
Arthur was already feeling a sense of dread as he approached the castle. He heard one of the guards above call out for the king, and he grimaced. He gripped the wildflower in his hand nervously. He made it to the drawbridge when a few guards blocked his way.
“Let me pass,” he demanded. He wanted to see Merlin, but he knew he wasn’t going to. Not yet, at least.
“I’m sorry, Sire. By order of the king, you are under arrest.”
He sighed; Freya had been correct. He dismounted and let them lead him away. He looked back once, suppressing a smile as he saw the dog sneak in and head towards Gaius's chambers.
He walked voluntarily into the cell, turning around to meet the fury-filled eyes of his father. The scent of burnt wood and sap filled his nose. His father was angry, but the scent only served to make his own alpha feel threatened and angry in return.
“You disobeyed me.”
“Of course I did. Merlin’s life was at stake.” he replied calmly.
Uther let out an angry growl. “Why?! Why do you care so much? He’s just a meagre servant. He’s not even a good one.”
“Don’t talk about him like that! He knew the dangers of drinking from that goblet, but he did it anyways. To save
me
, my life. But there’s more. There was a woman who knew I was there for the flower. I don’t think Bayard was the one who tried to poison me.”
“Of course it was.”
“Let me see him. Put me in the stocks for a week, a month even, I don’t care. Just let me help save him. I’m begging you.”
“Did you get the flower? Where is it?” Uther demanded.
“You have to take it to him. Gaius needs this to save him.” Arthur grabbed the bloom Freya had him grab before they got back. He held it out to his father, curious to see what he would do. Uther took the flower, looking at it before crushing it in hand.
“NO!” Arthur growled, furious with his father but glad he’d listened to the dog. God, that made him sound insane.
“You have to learn that there is a right and wrong way of doing things. You’ll be released in a week. Then, you can find yourself another servant.” Uther dropped the flower outside Arthur’s cell door. Arthur snarled, hitting his fist against the stone wall.
----
“Is Arthur back with the flower yet?” Morgana asked from her place by Merlin’s side.
“He came back, but Uther had him thrown into a cell and no one’s allowed to see him,” Gwen replied, folding some towels.
“Well, without it, Merlin’s not going to last long. He’s barely moved once in the past two hours, and his pulse is getting weaker with every couple breaths.” Gaius said, feeling Merlin’s slowing heartbeat
“What is that noise?” Morgana asked, hearing scratching. Gwen got up and opened the door, Freya running in with something in her mouth. Morgana took it from her, opening the pouch. She gasped, “Gaius!”
He took the pouch, taking out the little plant. “We have to hurry.” He began crushing the flower leaf and mixing it with a liquid. But he abruptly stopped, looking uncertain.
“What’s wrong?” Gwen asked.
“The poison was created using magic. We may need magic to make the antidote strong enough.”
“But that’s forbidden,” Gwen gasped.
“Never mind that. Gaius, we’re going to step out for a few moments and if when we come back, the potion works the right way, well, it’s a miracle!” Morgana pulled Gwen out of the room while the servant girl was stunned by her reaction.
“It’s illegal, Morgana. He’s going to get in trouble.”
“Well, I didn’t see him use it. Did you? So who’s to know what he’s doing behind closed doors. He’s one of the best physicians in the world. He can make any number of cures. This is just another one of those cures.”
Gwen smiled, “You know, you’re the best person I know.”
Morgana tsked and hugged Gwen. “I just want him back. Now, let’s go back in and see if it’ll work.”
When they walked back in, Gaius was pouring a fizzing potion into a cup. Gwen moved to prop Merlin up a bit to help Gaius while Morgana stood out of the way, fidgeting.
“Thank you. Hold his nose, please.”
Gwen pinched his nose as Gaius poured the liquid into his mouth. Very weakly, Merlin swallowed, but made no other movement. Gwen laid him back down as they waited for the potion work.
“Come on, Merlin,” Morgana whispered. Freya whined, pacing the floor, nuzzling his thigh. But he didn’t react. Instead, his chest stopped moving entirely with a final exhale.
“He’s not breathing. Gaius? What’s happening?” Gwen was close to tears.
Gaius placed his ear to Merlin’s chest. “His heart’s stopped.” The old beta stood back up, his face blank with shock.
“He’s dead?” Morgana croaked. Gwen started sobbing and Morgana gathered her in her arms.
“This is my fault. I-ii should have taken better care of him.” Gaius cried, head in his hands. Freya whined again, licking at Merlin’s hand.
“Gaius, you did everything you could. Uther’s the one that made him drink the damn poison.” Morgana growled. They stood in silence, the only noises being their sobs and sniffles.
“It smells like someone died in here. I know I haven’t cleaned in a couple days, but really Gaius, did you have to let it get so bad?” came a weak voice.
Everyone’s heads whipped to the tired, sweaty, alive omega. His dog licked at his face making happy noises.
“Merlin! You’re alive!”
“Nope. Just a ghost come back to haunt you,” he groaned, trying to sit up with a tired grin. Morgana squealed and wrapped him in a tight hug.
“Sorry, we thought you might be dead.”
“It’s fine. What happened? The last thing I remember is drinking the wine. Oof!” he grunted as a furry mass covered him. “Freya!”
Gaius smiled. “I’ll explain later. I think right now you should go rest in your nest, your heat will probably start soon.”
Merlin nodded before looking between Gwen and Gaius, wide eyed. “But I’m not a-”
“Oh, I know, Merlin. I hope that’s okay. Morgana brought it up when she was asking about how the poison would affect you.”
“Hey!” Morgana protested.
Merlin waved his hand, dismissively. “It’s fine. I actually wanted to tell you soon. Just please don’t tell anyone else. I don’t trust anyone else with that information.”
“Of course. No one else will know,” Gwen promised.
“Wait, where’s Arthur? Is he alright? He didn’t drink the poison too, did he?”
“The rat is just fine,” Morgana assuaged. “He brought the flower back to save you. Uther wasn’t happy about it so he’s in the dungeon for now.”
“Really? I need to thank him then,” Merlin said, his eyelids drooping. “And all of you guys… too…”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Merlin, go to your room,” Gaius said, shaking him awake.
“We’ll help,” Gwen chimed in, helping Merlin get out of the hard cot. Morgana took his other hand, walking him up to his room. Freya ran ahead of them, fixing up the blankets for when Merlin slumped against them. He shuffled around, burrowing into the warmth, feeling cold all of a sudden. He was confused as to why there were so many blankets when he’d only had two before.
“Why is…? Oh, Morgana, you shouldn't have…”
“You need them more than I do,” she said, ruffling his hair. Merlin hummed, drifting off again into a peaceful slumber. The girls left him with his dog fussing over him. Gaius was stripping the bed, throwing the sheet in a pile.
“I’m going to tell Uther about the sorceress. Perhaps it will stop the war that he’s about to start.” Gaius explained.
“And unless you need me, My Lady, I’ll stay here in case Merlin needs anything.” Gwen added.
“Actually, Gwen, could you go to the kitchens and get a light dinner for all of us? He’s not eaten since before getting poisoned, and I know none of us have taken a moment since then.”
“Of course, thank you, Milady!”
“Thank you both. Merlin and I owe you and Arthur a debt of gratitude.” Gaius sighed, tiredly.
Morgana snorted derisively. “You owe neither us nor Arthur a debt. We wanted to help Merlin, he’s our friend. And it was Arthur’s cup that got him poisoned in the first place. If anything, Arthur owes Merlin even more now than ever before.”
“You’re right about that. But don’t tell anyone I said that.” Gaius bowed and made his way to the Council Chambers. Uther was in there with his advisors, no doubt going over battle plans to fight Mercia.
“Sire, forgive my interruption, but I have something important to discuss with you.”
“Not now, Gaius,” the king replied, not looking up from the war table. “Mercia heard about Bayard’s arrest and is on the way to attack us.”
“What I have to tell you may change your plans. It will only take a moment,” he insisted.
The alpha growled but complied, stepping to the side to speak with his old physician.
“I know who tried to poison Arthur.”
“So do I,” Uther said, annoyed. “He’s locked in my dungeons.”
“It wasn’t Bayard, Sire. There was magic in the poison, and there’s only one person we know who could have done that: Nimueh.”
Uther’s back went rigid. “You’re mistaken. You must be. We’d know her. Her face is not one I would ever forget.”
Gaius held back a frustrated sigh. “She’s a powerful sorceress. She can enchant the eye so we wouldn’t recognise her.”
“Have you any proof?”
“The poison in Merlin’s system was made more potent by the use of magic. Bayard is innocent. Look at what’s happening. She wanted a war to bring misery and strife to Camelot.”
“How long before Bayard’s armies reach our walls?” Uther asked his men.
One responded, “A day, maybe less. Should we send the cavalry out?”
“No. Instruct the men to not leave until I give the word.”
The knights all bowed, leaving the room.
“You’re making the right choice, Sire. Do you think Arthur should be told the truth about Nimueh?”
Uther glared at the man and left without dignifying him with a response.
Begrudgingly, he had Bayard and his men released the next morning, apologising for the mistake. He explained to the Lord what had happened, how a witch had framed him to start a war between them, and Bayard understood. They smoothed over the incident very quickly, Bayard agreeing that magic was the issue and that they had to be vigilant of this sort of thing. Their treaty remained intact much to both Kings’ relief.
Uther also relented and released Arthur early, claiming it was so that they should see Bayard off properly. They, along with Morgana, stood on the battlements, watching Bayard ride away with his men.
“Well done. I’m proud of you,” Morgana said, thankful she didn’t gag as the words came out. “I’m sure you’re going to brag about it now, so, go ahead.”
“I can’t take all the credit. Someone helped me. They knew I was in trouble and sent a light to guide me. And Freya helped with the beast and witch as well.”
“Witch? What witch?”
“There was a girl pretending to be hurt. She was distracting me when the Cockatrice tried to attack. Freya alerted me and also kept me from getting close to the girl. I saw her eyes flash as she tried to throw the dog to the side, but she’s one scrappy animal and held her ground.”
Morgana hummed, interestedly. “Well, she does love Merlin. I’ll have to steal her more often. I’m glad you’re back,” she said, reaching out and squeezing his upper arm where the red cloth was still tied. She smiled and left, ready to take a long bath and nap.
“Arthur? You said there was a woman in the forest. Did she say anything to you?” Uther asked, moving to his son’s side.
“Not much, but it was strange.”
“In what way?”
“I was at her mercy. She could have killed me, but she chose not to. Said it wasn’t my destiny to die at her hands.”
“Those who practise magic only know evil. They despise, and seek to destroy, goodness whenever and wherever they see it. Which is why she tried to kill you twice. She is evil.” Uther said, venom in his voice.
Arthur looked at his father curiously. “You sound as if you know her.”
His father let the emotion dissipate from his face. “If you know one sorcerer, you know them all. You did the right thing, even if you were disobeying me. I am proud of you, Arthur, never forget that.” He patted his son’s shoulder, disappointed when he pulled away.
“Got it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to see how my servant is recovering.”
“I thought– but how did you get the flower to him?”
“I sent the real one with a servant. The one I handed you was just a wildflower.” Arthur said bitterly.
“You’re angry,” Uther observed.
“You’re damn right I’m angry! I almost died trying to get that to save him, and you would have just crushed it to prove your point. You would have let my efforts go to waste just because you were mad that I didn’t do as you said. Merlin would have died because you’re so stubborn!”
Uther growled at the angry scent Arthur was pushing out. “You’re getting too attached to this boy. Perhaps you should get a new servant anyways.”
Arthur’s eyes flared. “Like Hell. He does a better job than I give him credit for. And I like having him around, and if you do anything to change that, I’ll–”
“What? You’ll do what? Think carefully. You may be my son, but I won’t hesitate to throw you back in a cell and kill your servant,” Uther snarled.
Arthur clenched his jaw, taking a deep breath. He bowed stiffly to his father and walked away. He had to dig his nails into his palms to keep from running to Gaius's like a nervous mother hen or something. He couldn’t be seen hurrying to see a servant, a beta male at that.
He didn’t bother knocking on the door when he entered, because he was the prince and didn’t need to. That was the reason, not because he didn’t want to make too much noise and disturb Merlin if he was resting. He had a hopeful smile on his face that dropped when he saw the cot was empty and clean.
“Oh, your majesty,” Gaius bowed, entering the room from Merlin’s doorway. “I thought Uther was going to have you in the dungeons for a week.”
“He let me out because of the business with Bayard. Where’s Merlin? He shouldn’t be up and about yet, should he? He is alright, yes?”
“He won’t be up and about for a couple days, Sire. I’m sorry, but he won’t be able to attend you until the end of the week.”
Arthur’s stomach dropped. “Is he going to be alright? Why will it take that long?”
“Magic was added to the poison. It was stronger than it would have been normally. The effort to fight that exhausted Merlin’s body, and it will take a little extra time for that energy to return to normal.”
“She said that was on purpose,” Arthur grumbled.
“What was that?”
“The witch. She said the poison wasn’t for me. She did it knowing Merlin would find out and be forced to drink it. She didn’t want to kill me; she wanted to kill him.”
Gaius's face paled as he brought his hand to his mouth. “That’s not good if she’s targeting him.”
“Do you think she’ll try to hurt him again?”
Gaius said nothing, not meeting Arthur’s eyes.
“Gaius,” he rumbled, glaring at the beta. “Is she going to hurt him again?”
“I’m not sure. Perhaps, but she’s more likely to try to hurt you again. She most likely wants to see Camelot crumble because of your father. Let’s not dwell on it any longer. Merlin needs to rest, but you’ll see him in a few days.”
“I wanted to see him now. I won’t wake him up if he’s asleep. I–I just wanted to check up on him. Please, Gaius.”
The older man hesitated. Merlin’s blockers were still activated and working, but he was in his nest. How would he explain that?
“Okay, but be warned that Freya’s very protective. She wouldn’t let him sleep in his bed so she could watch over him better. He’s probably sleeping on her ‘bed’ since he made it bigger than she would ever need. But he adores her, so how was I to stop him from spoiling her?” The lie slipped off his tongue easier than he thought it would.
Arthur chuckled, remembering when he saw the ‘bed’ when he was looking for sorcerers the week prior. He walked up the steps and opened the door carefully. He didn’t want to wake Merlin or incur the dog’s wrath. But the sight that greeted him melted his heart.
Merlin was snuggled into the thick blankets, his body covered by assorted fabrics. Arthur recognised a few blankets from the stack Morgana had been holding the other day. He then saw Freya curled up in a ball on Merlin’s bed, face pointed towards the door.
She cracked an eye open and let out a little rumble from her throat. Arthur put his hands up in surrender, slowly creeping to Merlin’s side. Her eyes followed him, letting out more angry noises when he got too close. He ended up kneeling next to the pile of blankets, hands on his lap, because the dog bared her teeth if he reached out. When she was satisfied that he wasn’t going to hurt her master, she moved her head back, falling asleep again.
Arthur smiled and gently reached out a hand to brush Merlin’s hair from his face. Merlin stirred slightly at the contact and nuzzled into Arthur’s hand a bit, but did not awaken. He made a little noise when Arthur took his hand away, making Arthur start to coo before he stopped himself. His gut twisted to think some witch wanted him, this sweet darling boy, dead.
“Hey Merlin,” he whispered, “I’m glad you’re gonna be okay. Take all the time you need, but don’t let it be too long. Morris is probably going to have to help me in your absence and you know I can’t stand him. Just… get better, okay? Get better for me, okay?”
Merlin made a little hum in his sleep, shifting around the pillows. Arthur’s alpha was sighing, wanting to just wrap around the boy and hold him close. It whined when Arthur made to stand up. He looked over at the sleeping guard dog, checking to see that she was asleep before giving in. He leaned over Merlin and pressed a gentle kiss to his temple. As he pulled back, he inhaled deeply, getting a lungful of Merlin’s faint scent. It was stronger and a little different, probably from the poison, but it was still that delicious combination of berries and chocolate. His alpha had the urge to lick the sleeping beta’s exposed neck and Arthur pulled back.
He quickly stood up, disgusted with himself. He walked away, head reeling. Why had he wanted to do that? It wasn’t right and Merlin wasn’t even conscious. He exited the room, but was stopped when something growled behind him.
“What? I thought we were friends now?” he asked the now standing dog. She approached him, pawing at his side. He knelt down, and she grabbed the tied fabric on his bicep between her teeth, delicately. She pulled it off and took it to Merlin, placing it by one of his hands. Arthur’s eyes widened as he saw the hand twitch, fingers wrapping around the neckerchief. Still asleep, his hand dragged it closer to his face, his body relaxing instantly. Arthur’s alpha preened, thinking they had made their beta, er, their servant, calmer.
He rose to his full height again and left the room, gently closing the door behind him, bidding his servant goodbye.