Arthur's Sons (Book 2)

Beauty and the Beast (Part 5)

Rowan and Gaius worked till well after sundown trying to perfect the potion when there was a knock at the door, Rowan quickly checked who it was with his magic and sighed in relief when he realised it was just his father.

"Enter." Rowan called and Arthur entered slowly as his back had begun to pain him again after a few hours. "Father! Glad your here." Rowan smiled as he closed a book he'd been perusing through while the potion was boiling.

"How's everything going?" Arthur asked looking over at the boiling potion a wrinkling his nose at the smell.

"Good, it's nearly finished. Let me change your bandages." Arthur nodded and carefully removed his tunic and sat on a stool while Rowan went about getting bandages and salve for his tender flesh.

"How's your mother and Arty?" Arthur asked quietly as Rowan began unwinding the old bandages.

Rowan sighed through his nose quietly. "Ma woke a while ago and I managed to get some food into her before she went back to sleep but Brother still hasn't woken." He replied as he carefully worked the salve into the lacerations that had begun to scab over and heal. 

Arthur nodded in response and hissed quietly at the sting of the salve in the more open wounds before turning to Gaius who was now stood over the potion stirring it. "What's in it?" Arthur asked curiously.

Gaius chuckled faintly. "Nothing too potent. Rat's guts."

"Love it." Rowan grinned from behind his father as he worked. 

"Toad paste." Gaius said then noticed the look of disgusted confusion on Arthur's face and continued. "Take two toads, grind them up..." He began and Arthur held up a hand looking slightly pale.

"No, I get the picture."

Gaius smiled and proceeded. "Horse dung. Crushed sheep's eyeball."

"Oh, lovely." Rowan chirped as he lifted his Father's arms before beginning to wrap the bandages around his chest.

"Pond scum. Three wolf spiders. And what potion isn't complete without a dash of sheep's brain?" Gaius finished with a grin as he poured some of the potion into another vial.

"Sounds delicious." Rowan laughs as he finishes wrapping his Father's chest and tests the tightness.

"Good, 'cause you're going to taste it."

Rowan chokes and whirls around to the grinning physician. "No way!" He squawked. 

"It's completely harmless." Gaius promised with an eye roll. 

"Er, no." Rowan deadpans before Gaius silently holds out the vial, Rowan looks to his father for help but Arthur just raises a brow and tilts his chin towards the sickly yellow potion. Rowan sighs before reaching out and dipping his pinky finger in the vial and bringing it to his tongue only to gag immediately at the horrendous taste. "That is...ugh. That is disgusting." He coughs shaking his head while Arthur barks out a laugh that has his back cramping in pain.

"Yes, to you, but not to a troll." Gaius tells him sagely causing Rowan to glare.

"I can't even believe you let me put that in my mouth." Rowan grumbles as he sticks his tongue out and wipes it with his sleeve in an attempt to remove the foul taste.

Gaius chuckles before holding out the other vial. "Yes, well, try the original."

"Nooo." Rowan groans.

Gaius simply raises his infamous brow. "Just a small amount. And be sure to spit it out." He warns. Rowan grimaces before again taking a small amount and tasting it only to gag and spit it out. "Does it taste roughly the same?" Gaius asks seriously.