The Destiny of Love

Chapter 66 ~ In the bog

We arrive in the forest and slow down to a trot.
"You know what I like about Merlin?" Gwaine asks. "He never expects any praise. All these things he does just for the good of doing them..."
Arthur lifts his hand stopping Gwaine. We all stop our horses and listen. We hear a faint groan. I jump off my horse and grab my horse, I begin walking toward the noise ignoring Arthur's protests. Arthur walks up next to me, "Declare yourself."
A person covered in mud emerges, Arthur and I stop. He comes into the clearing. He smiles and laughs.
"Merlin!" Arthur and I exclaim.
I  shove my sword in the ground and hug him completely ignoring all the mud. "Are you okay?" 
Merlin smiles and nods. Arthur puts his sword in the ground and comes to hug Merlin, "I thought we'd lost you."
We get Merlin on my horse and I go behind Arthur. We ride back to Camelot. 

After Merlin bathed and got himself cleaned and I changed my clothes we went down to lunch.
"Don't do that again, Merlin. My heart cannot take the strain." Gaius says.
"Yes, well, you are getting on a bit," Merlin says. I choke on the water I was drinking and look at Merlin. "What is this?" Merlin asks looking at his food.
"It's a special welcome home. Your favourite" Gaius says.
Merlin tries a little bit then coughs, "I think that you should stick to cooking up potions, Gaius. This tastes like the bog Arthur and Olivia found me in."
"Sorry Gaius, I'm gonna have to agree with him," I say.
Gaius sighs and nods, "How did you escape?"
"With great skill. Can I ask you something?" Merlin says changing the subject suddenly.
"Yes, of course. Anything." Gaius nods.
"What is the strongest poison that you possess?" Merlin asks. Gaius and I look at him in confusion. Merlin looks from me to Gaius,  "I had this great opportunity to lace the bandits' food with poison..." Merlin stands and walks to the potion table, "and nothing to do it with."
"Well, that would be aconite," Gaius says. Merlin starts looking for it.
 "I'm gonna go give Arthur his food seeing that Merlin is busy with poison," I say to Gaius. I stand and walk to the door. 

"Thank you, Olivia, this is very kind," Arthur smiles.
"Oh, I might've known," I look up and see Merlin.
"Hello, Merlin," Arthur says.
Merlin walks in, "What's this?"
Arthur looks at me then at the food I brought, "Uh, lunch."
Merlin looks at me, "Look, I know you like to take every opportunity to be by his side, but this is just getting ridiculous. You'll be pouring his bathwater next."
"Merlin, Is there something wrong?" Arthur asks.
"This is what's wrong," Merlin says gesturing to the table.
"Look. You were... distracted and besides I thought it would be best for you to get some rest," I state.
"Rest? No, I don't need rest. Do you know how long it took me to prepare this meal? I cooked it myself." Merlin says, he grabs the food I brought Arthur and puts the one he brought in its place.
Arthur leans forward and grabs the food I brought from Merlin. "I think this is just a cast of a simple misunderstanding."
"Yes, you would take her side, wouldn't you?" Merlin says folding his arms.
I stifle a laugh, i have no idea why but I found this hilarious.
"Excuse me?" Arthur asks. He looks at me, "Merlin, I think you must be tired. You've been through quite an ordeal."
"I just want to resume my normal duties," Merlin says.
"Well, I'll be pleased to have your assistance preparing for the knighting ceremony later." Arthur holds up the food Merlin brought.
Merlin takes it, "Thank you, sire." Merlin looks at me then walks to the door.
"See you later, Merlin," I say.
I burst out laughing the second Merlin leaves. "I think the bog got to his head."
Arthur laughs then starts eating his food.

A little later I walk back into Gaius's chambers and see Merlin pacing.
"Merlin are you all right?" Gaius asks.
"I-- I'm pacing," Merlin says.
"Yes, I think he can see that," I say walking forward.
"A man who is "all right" does not pace, Gaius," Merlin states.
"No, well, that's why I asked," Gaius says.
"I am wrestling with a problem. And there are many factors to take into consideration, and I have not yet come up with a solution," Merlin says, he is still pacing.
"Can I be of assistance?" Gaius asks.
Merlin chuckles, "No."
"Would you like to share the problem with me?" Gaius asks watching Merlin walk.
Merlin stops and stares at the wall, "No."
"Sometimes two heads are better than one," Gaius says. He really wants to help.
"Yes, but not when one of them's yours," Merlin turns and walks out.
I burst out laughing, "I'm sorry but that is hilarious."
A few minutes later, Gwen comes into the room, she tells us that there were pigs dead in the lower town, she brought some of the food so Gaius could see what it was.
"Thank you, Gwen," Gaius says, she smiles and walks out of the room. Gaius grabs it with tweezers and smells it,  "Aconite."
"What was it doing on Arthur's food?" I ask. 
"Merlin took some from here earlier," Gaius states.
"He was very determined to give Arthur his food earlier," I say "And he's been acting strangely."
"Why would Merlin want to kill Arthur?" Gaius asks.
"He wouldn't. Not in his right mind," I state. Gaius and I head to Arthur's room. Leon walks past us. 
I spin around, "Have you seen Merlin?"
"He was in the armoury," Leon replies.
"What did he want in there?" Gaius asks turning around.
"A crossbow.  I think Arthur must be getting on his nerves," Leon says.
"Why?" I ask. 
Leon looks behind him then leans closer, "He said he was going to kill him," He whispers. Leon laughs and walks off.
"Ah geez," I quickly jog to Arthur's room.  I run into the room. I see Merlin running toward Arthur with a sword in hand.
"I know, I'm late" Arthur walks toward us. Merlin crashes into a pillar then steps back into another wall then falls to the ground.
Arthur turns around and looks at Merlin on the ground,  he picks up his sword looks at Merlin then turns and walks to the door, I smile as he walks past. Merlin starts lifting his head, I grab a jug and walk over to him, "Sorry about this," I hit him over the head with it.
Gaius and carry Merlin back to Gaius's chambers. Gaius lifts Merlin's scarf. There is this weird black thing moving in his neck.
Gaius grabs a book, "I feared as much."
"What is it?" I ask
"It's a Fomorroh. Whoever put it there was very highly skilled," Gaius says, he sits down and the chair and looks at it.
"What does it do?" I ask.
"In the days of the old religion, they were used by the high priestess... to enslave the minds of their enemies. Once a thought was planted, the victim would not stop till they'd accomplished it. We must first paralyze the serpent." Gaius points to something on the table, I grab it and pass it to him. Gauis dabs whatever it was on Merlin's neck. The serpent stops moving. 
"So what, it's dormant now?" I ask.
Gaius nods. "Now for the tricky bit, pass me the blade." I give it to him, Gaius cuts the serpent out and throws it into the fire.
"That it?" I ask.
"I believe so," Gaius says coming back to Merlin.
"We have the old Merlin back now," I smile.
"Let us hope now," Gaius says.

I wake up the next morning to seeing Merlin walking out of the room, I get up and run down the stairs. Gaius sits up at the noise of us.
"How do you feel?" He asks.
"Never better," Merlin smiles.
"It's great to have you back," I smile.
"What do you remember?" Gaius asks.
"About what?"
"I take it that means nothing." Gaius goes quiet and stares at Merlin's neck.
"I have a feeling today's going to be a good day," Merlin walks toward the door.
I look at Merlin's neck, the Serpent is back.