𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗
— The Mark of Nimueh —
❝I'll always be here when you need me.❞

THE BLONDE WALKED through the lower town, clutching a bouquet of purple flowers that Gwen had gave her. She was bringing them to Morgana's room to put in a vase and brighten it up a bit. The Ward always loved the smell of fresh flowers, so Gwen and Elaine would always make sure there was always at least one bouquet in her chambers at all times. As she stepped into the courtyard, she came across Merlin and Gaius pulling along a heavy cart.

"What are you doing?" She asked curiously, a warm smile across her lips as she looked between them and the cart.

Knowing that he couldn't let any townsfolk or Elaine see the dead body, Merlin rushed to the back of the cart and got in the way so that she couldn't look any closer, "Er, moving something."

"Looks heavy." She commented, observing the mass under the sheet as she peeked around him.

"It's nothing really. Has someone got you flowers?" Merlin changed the subject quickly, looking at the bouquet in her hands with a slight look of jealousy which she hadn't seen.

"Oh, Gwen gave them to me! They're to go in Lady Morgana's room. Would you like one? A purple one. Purple suits you." She smiled, handing him a lone purple flower, he took it, not really knowing what to do with it.

"Thanks, well, um." He grinned at he tucked the flower into his neckerchief. "See you."

"Bye, Merlin." Elaine sighed happily, watching him leave before continuing to Morgana's chambers.

She shut the door behind her softly with a smile still on her lips. Morgana approached her, grinning, "You look happy."

"Gwen picked these for you." Elaine said, handing the flowers to the Lady.

"Oh, that's so sweet." The brunette cooed, looking at them.

"Something to cheer you up. We know you're not sleeping well."

"The two of you cheer me up." Morgana replied. Elaine couldn't believe how lucky she was to work for such a kind and sweet person.

The blonde's lips curled into a bashful smile as she took them back and fiddled with a violet petal, "Would you like me to put them in water for you?"

"Of course."

⋆⋅✦⋅⋆

Within a matter of hours since Merlin and Gaius had found the first body, the illness had claimed countless lives. Elaine had since figured out what they's been hiding on that cart and she was glad Merlin hadn't let her see it. The King had ordered Arthur and the Knights to search every inch of town, in people homes and the markets, even Lady Morgana's chambers. A curfew had been put into effect and the lower town was set to be isolated as that was where most of the bodies were.

Seeing as Gaius was there best hope for a cure, the King elected for Elaine and Merlin to help out as a cure was more important than washing clothes and polishing boots.

"What's different about this victim?" Gaius asked as he circled the body on the table.

"Um, she's a woman." Merlin replied simply.

"Sometimes I wonder whether your talents were given to the right person." Gaius quipped back, careful not to speak of magic in front of Elaine. "Anything else?"

"She's a courtier." Elaine answered.

"But how does that help us?" Merlin questioned.

"Courtiers seldom go down to the lower town. So what does that mean?"

"That she hasn't spoken to any townspeople."

"Yes. It suggests that the disease is not spread by contact."

"And they probably eat different food."

"Good. Anything else?"

"I doubt they breathe the same air."

"So what's the only thing they do share?"

"Water." Elaine realised.

"Water? You think the disease is spread by water?" Merlin repeated.

"Merlin, you're a prodigy." Gaius praised sarcastically, handing him a bucket. He wanted the boy to collect a water ample so they could test it.

Merlin had only been gone a few minutes when Gwen burst through Gaius's door, panicked and in tears.

"Gwen? What's the matter? What happened? Do you have the sickness." Elaine questioned softly, immediately coming to the girl's aid.

"My father." Gwen cried, turning to the older man, "Please, Gaius, he's all I have."

"Gwen, I have no cure." Gaius informed her sympathetically.

"I am begging you!"

Elaine hugged Gwen tightly, her eyes looking at him, she hadn't even noticed Merlin come back, "Please, there has to be something."

"I wish there was. But so far the remedy is beyond what I can achieve. I'm sorry, Gwen." Gaius told them, grabbing Gwen's hand and squeezing it comfortingly.

Gwen sobbed harder, pulling out of Elaine's embrace and ran away. Elaine ran after her, but by the time the blonde made it to the chamber door, she was long gone.

The blonde sighed sadly before walking back into the room, now noticing that Merlin was there.

"There must be something we can do." Merlin voiced, echoing Elaine's words from earlier.

"My best. Let's hope this can provide some answers." Gaius replied, looking down at the bucket of water that Merlin had retrieved.

"But that'll be too late for Gwen's father." Elaine said with worry.

"I fear you maybe right." Gaius hummed, sending a look to Merlin, as if to tell him not to do something stupid. He put some water in a small bottle and submerged a flower into it, holding it up to the light as Merlin stormed away to his room.

"I'm going to go and keep an eye on Gwen and her father, send for me if anything happens." Elaine told the physician who nodded in reply.

The sky was getting dark when she left her home, carrying some flowers and her book as she made her way to Gwen's house. She knocked softly on the door, smiling empathetically when Gwen answered the door with puffy red eyes.

"I picked you some flowers. I figured I could help you look after your father tonight, keep you company." The blonde offered.

Gwen sniffled, opening the door wider to let her in. "Thank you so much. I am so very grateful."

"You're my friend, Gwen. I'll always be here when you need me." Elaine told her, "Now get some rest, I will keep an eye on your father while you sleep."

Gwen nodded and got comfortable on the floor by her father's bed, resting her head by the mattress and quickly dozing off. Elaine checked Tom's temperature and noticing how cold he was, she pulled up his blanket to is chest and settled down in a chair in the corner by the bed. She sat there for an hour, before falling asleep herself.

Her eyes pealed open again at the sound of a door creaking closed, looking around the room in confusion when she saw Gwen and Tom hadn't moved. She shrugged it off, thinking it as just the wind. She checked Tom's forehead with the back of her hand and felt that he wasn't as cold anymore. 

As she went to collect her book from the kitchen, she heard Gwen's voice gleefully shouting, "Father!" and rushed straight back.

"What happened?" She asked, seeing that Tom looked healthy once again and embracing his daughter.

"I can't believe it! It's a miracle." Gwen cried happily, she pulled Elaine into the hug too, "I'm glad you were here, Elaine, you're our lucky charm."

The blonde furrowed her brows in utter confusion, "But I didn't do anything. I fell asleep."

❝IN A LAND OF MYTH AND A TIME OF MAGIC❞