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Chapter Twenty-Two, Dangerous Waters

Chapter Twenty-Two, Dangerous Waters

"Merlyn, you need to rest." Gwen whispered, coming up behind her best friend who was watching Arthur on his knees in the middle of the Throne room dressed all in one linen and barefoot.
"I'm fine." Merlyn promised with a yawn.
"What's he actually doing?" Gwen asked, turning her attention to Arthur when she couldn't get her friend to leave.
"Thinking." Merlyn replied, a teasing smile on her face.

"About you?" Gwen questioned curiously, causing Merlyn to slap her arm.
"Shh." Merlyn said, holding in her giggles as the pair closed the door, her cheeks a bright red. "He has to decide upon a quest." Merlyn said seriously, which only left Gwen more confused.
"And crouching on his knees all night's gonna help?"
"Yes, it kinda sounds like magic to me but Uther would never deem it as such. He has to transcend his body so that the quest is revealed to him in a vision." Merlyn said, shrugging her shoulders.
"I don't think you should stay here and watch him. You need proper rest, you've been really tired and not got much." Gwen argued.
"I have to, thanks to Uther, as it's one of the most important days in Arthur's life." Merlyn sighed, she wouldn't admit it but she was exhausted.

"I'll stay with you then." Gwen decided.
"Thank you but I'll be fine. I'm just gonna sit here." Merlyn said with a yawn, as she lowered herself to the floor propping herself up against the stairs. Gwen looked uncertain for a moment before she relented and bid goodnight to her friend. Within minutes of Gwen heading home Merlyn fell fast asleep slumped against the stairs.

***

Early the next morning Uther and the other men of the court scoffed when they saw Merlyn was fast asleep outside the throne room and threw open the doors waking Merlyn up as she climbed to her feet with Gwaine and Gaius's help.
"I really wish you hadn't stayed here all night, Merlyn." Gaius sighed, as they followed everyone in, seeing Uther rest a hand on Arthur's shoulder.
"I fell asleep moments after Gwen left." Merlyn whispered.
"It is time." Uther spoke, causing Arthur to come back to himself. "What is the quest you have chosen?" Uther asked, once Arthur was on his feet.
"I can see but one path, Sire. I am to enter into the Realm with the Fisher King and find the golden trident, spoken of in the Legends of The Fallen Kings." Arthur answered, causing shocked twittering to spread around amongst the Lords. 

"You do understand that if you are to prove yourself worthy of the throne, you must complete this task alone and unaided?" Uther asked.
"I do." Arthur replied, weariness shining in his eyes.
Once Uther and all the Lords left Arthur spotted Merlyn with Gwaine and Gaius.
"Please don't tell me, you were sat out there all night, Merlyn?" Arthur begged, sending a glare to Gwaine as if it was his fault.
"Okay I won't." Merlyn replied cheekily, but stopped at the looks she got from the three of them. "Fine. Your father said I had to stay with you but I fell asleep pretty much straight away." She said honestly, causing anger to build within the three. Uther and Arthur's relationship has never been the same since the thugs attacked Merlyn during the Mele.
"Well, go have a bath, get some rest and have something to eat Merlyn. I'll get...George to help." Arthur said, scrunching up his nose when he mentioned George.

"Thank you Arthur." Gaius said gratefully, leading Merlyn back to their chambers with Gwaine following behind them. When they got back to the chambers Merlyn was starving, proven by how fast she was eating after she had a bath to refresh herself and dressed in a white dress with a lace-up maroon overdress.
"You'll get hiccups, my dear girl." Gaius chastised.
"Who was the Fisher King?" Merlyn asked, after drinking some tea.
"He was a Sorcerer who lived many hundreds of years ago." Gaius explained.
"And?" Gwaine enquired.

"Legend has it he was wounded in battle. The wound festered and the infection spread not only just through his body, but through his lands as well. His mighty Kingdom was reduced to a wasteland and has remained that way to this very day."
"I don't understand. Why is Uther so worried?" Merlyn asked, confused.
"Some believe the Fisher King's still alive... kept from death by his magic." Gaius explained.
"Do you?" Gwaine asked curiously. Gaius stilted his head to the side in a so-so fashion.
"Perhaps. Perhaps not. I reckon a really powerful Sorcerer could perhaps do it but I don't imagine it's not without its downfalls. But the people of the North call the area, 'The Perilous Lands.' Few who have ever ventured there have lived to tell the tale."  Gaius explained.

"So a normal typical quest for Arthur, where I'll have to go after him eventually and save his Dollopheaded backside." Merlyn said, rolling her eyes as she tried to hide how worried she was for the man she loved but she wasn't fooling her uncle nor her best friend/brother.
"Well, if you have to go you won't be going alone." Gwaine assured. "I know you can take care of yourself far better than I can or any Knight for that matter. But for mine and Gaius's peace of mind, I'll make sure to bring you back home." Gwaine said.

Gaius watched them with a small smile on his face glad that his niece who was more like a daughter to him, had someone to always look out for her, as no matter how much Arthur wished it he couldn't be there for Merlyn while Uther was still around. Shaking the thoughts from his mind Gaius suddenly remembered a letter had arrived for Merlyn.
"Merlyn, before I forget this came for you." Gaius said, pulling a letter out of his pocket.
"It's from my mother." Merlyn cried happily, hurriedly ripping open the letter with a wide smile upon her face making Gaius and Gwaine laugh.

***

"Sorry. I had a letter come from my mother." Merlyn apologised, as she entered Arthur's chambers with a basket only to let out a hiccup. "Shouldn't you be preparing for tomorrow?" Merlyn pointed out, feeling Arthur staring at her.

"Yes. You're right. You're right." Arthur said. "How is Hunith?" He asked.
"She's okay. They've finally made her the Physician in the village so she's getting more meals a week now. I have a feeling the half of the wages I send her she's giving to the other villagers if not all of it." Merlyn stated, folding back the sheets to replace the endless mound of pillows.
"You send your mother half your wages?" Arthur asked, shocked.
"Of course. What was I supposed to do, let her starve?" Merlyn scoffed.
"Of course not. I thought you saved it but I would do the same. Why did you never tell me? I could've given you more." Arthur asked.
"Arthur, that's very sweet and I love you for it. But your father would get suspicious, you know he would. Someone, mainly Morgana would find out and inform him and he'd think I'd enchanted you for a Prince could never fall in love with a servant in his eyes." Merlyn said with a roll of her eyes.

"I know but I'm seriously starting to get fed up with hiding it. If they need more food you know you can always tell me, and I'll do all I can to help." Arthur insisted.
"I know and thank you Arthur, but somehow I don't think your father would agree to that." Merlyn sighed, putting the dirty sheets in the basket.
"He doesn't have to know." Arthur said, shrugging his shoulders, not looking up from all the different maps.

While Merlyn and Arthur were bonding in his chambers, down in the market Morgana was plotting with Morgause who was disguised as an old woman.
"Please. Please, just a moment of your time, sister." Morgause asked in a frail voice. Morgana nodded and led Morgause around a corner where they wouldn't be disturbed while Gwen watched on suspiciously.
"We must be quick, sister. This enchantment will not hold for long." Morgause whispered hurriedly. "Tell me, what has Arthur chosen as his quest?"
"He sets out tomorrow for The Perilous Lands." Morgana informed.
"How perfect." Morgause gasped with glee. "Present this to the Prince as a token of your good wishes." Morgause ordered, pulling a silver cuff bracelet with an amber in the centre that seemed to swirl with its own power.

"When the time is right, you must make a likeness of the Prince and bind it to the gift using the skills that I taught you. When he does not return, you, sister, will take your rightful place as sole Heir to the throne of Camelot." Morgause plotted, a wicked smirk on her wizened face, a smirk that Morgana returned as she nodded her agreement and hid the bracelet within the folds of her dress. Unknowingly doubts started to form in Gwen's mind in regards to Morgana especially as she saw Morgause's true face in the mirror and Morgana's fake assurances. Before Gwen would have brought it as it was what Morgana used to do but there was something in her eyes and in the matching walk of the two women that did not sit right with Gwen. Not at all.

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