The Destiny of Love

Chapter 31 ~ Gaius has a girlfriend

The next day Merlin and I are standing in Gaius's chambers. We were watching Gaius walk. Merlin looks at me. I nod at him.

"Did you go out last night?" Merlin asks.

I walk next to Merlin. Gaius turns and looks at us.

"Yes," He turns back to his table, "I had to get some herbs." 

"Herbs," I say.

Gaius looks at us again, "A... a new supplier, just arrived." He turns back to his table.

"Right," I say, glancing at Merlin.

"Do your suppliers usually kiss you?" Merlin asks.

Gaius turns around in shock, "You two followed me. How dare you."

"In our defence, it was the middle of the night. We were worried," I say.

"We thought you might be in some sort of trouble," Merlin adds.

Gaius slowly turns back to his table, "There's nothing wrong."

Merlin steps forward, "What's her name?"

Gaius glances at Merlin then looks back at the table, "Alice. She's an old friend. Well, more than a friend if truth be told."

"What does that mean?" I ask.

"We were once engaged to be married," Gaius says. 

I was shocked after this. I look at Merlin; he looks just as shocked as me.

"When was this?" Merlin asks.

"More years ago than I care to remember," Gaius says. He puts the things he is working with down and turns to Merlin and me. "I had just been made physician to the king when I met her." Gaius sits on the chair by his table. Merlin and I sit down on the chair across from him. "It was like finding a kindred spirit. We had so much in common... our love of science, of healing, and of magic."

Merlin lifts his face to look at Gaius, "Magic."

Gaius nods. "I was just a novice, but Alice's power and ability were uncanny. She had the gift. Soon she had mastered every aspect of sorcery, healing above all. It was wonderful to behold her, Merlin and Olivia.  She saved a great many lives." 

Merlin and I have a smirk on our faces.

"It was Alice that cured the Innkeeper," Merlin says.

"Indeed," Gaius says. "There was a time when her skills were famous in Camelot." 

Merlin leans forward. "So what happened?" 

 Gaius sighs. "Uther declared war on magic. Overnight our world was turned upside down.

"The great purge," I say, leaning forward.

"Uther drew up a list. Everyone suspected of using magic... one by one, they were hunted down and executed. As a close friend of the king, I was permitted to see this list. Alice's name was on it. 

"What did you do?" I ask.

"The only thing I could do... I struck her name off," Gaius says.

"Gaius, if you'd been caught..." Merlin says.

"I know, but it bought her time, just enough to get out of Camelot, to escape," Gaius says.

"But you... you stayed behind," I say.

Gaius nods, "I was scared. I felt I had no choice. I thought I'd never see her again. But now, here she is. After all these years. I feel we've been given a second chance."