AM I THE ONE? | Arthur Pendragon [1]

They Both Need Help

*Guinevere's P.O.V.*

"My Lady, I am so sorry I haven't been here to attend to you." I apologized as I rushed to Morgana's chambers, and saw her undoing her hair in front of the mirror, sitting on a chair in front of her dresser.
"Don't worry, I'm alright." She assured with a warm smile, and I nodded. Her expression then turned serious. "How's Merlin?" She asked concerned, and I took a breath.
"If Arthur comes back with the antidote in time, he'll be fine." I said, forcing a small smile on my face.
"And he will be fine." She assured, and I nodded, not so sure. But I tried to keep my hopes up. Her face then showed concern once again. "How's Anna?" She asked quietly, and I sighed.
"It's obviously very hard for her. I saw one or two tears escape, but nothing else. She's very good at hiding how truly hard it is for her." I replied, and she nodded in agreement.
"She's very strong." Morgana agreed quietly, and then looked at me. "You should be with them." I looked at her confused. I cared about Anna and Merlin very much, but I couldn't just throw my job aside. "I'll manage. I know what he means to you. Go." She ordered, gesturing to the door, and I looked at her thankfully.
"Thank you." I breathed, and rushed out of the chambers, after giving a small curtsy.

*The next day, Annabelle's P.O.V.*

"He's getting hotter!" I exclaimed after touching my brother's forehead, and then quickly dabbed it with a cold cloth. Gwen was sitting on Merlin's other side, and Gaius was next to his table. As soon as he heard my words, he came quickly over to us. Suddenly Merlin whimpered in pain, and we all quickly looked at him, whilst Gaius sat on my other side.
"Him? Liffrea, wuldres wealdend, woroldare forgea..." He mumbled, and Gaius and I both looked at Gwen with worry, whilst she looked at Merlin strangely. I exchanged a glance with Gaius. She can't know that Merlin and I have magic, no matter what she feels towards my brother.
"What language is that?" She asked, and I looked at Gaius.
"None." He replied, holding Merlin's left wrist. "The fever's taking hold. None of those words are his own." I then continued to dab Merlin's forehead, whilst Gaius checked his pulse. "His pulse is weaker." He concluded, letting go of Merlin's wrist, but must have seen something, because he quickly grabbed it again and moved his sleeve further up. Gwen and I both looked over, only to see a big red mark on the inside of Merlin's forearm.
"What is it?" Gwen and I asked worriedly.
"It can't be right." Gaius mumbled, and then looked up at us. "The rash is not supposed to appear until the final stage." I looked at Gwen with worry, and she returned the same look, whilst Gaius got up, and we both quickly followed.
"What does that mean?" She asked, following Gaius over to his table. He walked over to the book where he found the information about the Mortaeus flower, and looked through the magnifying glass. Gwen stopped next to him, and I quickly stood next to her.
"It says here that once a rash appears, death will follow withing two days." He said, and both Gwen and I looked at him with wide eyes once he looked up at us.
"You said he had four day." I said shakily, trying to stop the tears from coming to my eyes.
"Something's increased the flower's potency." Gaius said, and looked back down at the book. He flipped to the next page, and started reading, whilst Gwen and I looked at Merlin who was lying in Gaius's bed, covered in sweat. Gwen and I both took off his scarf and jacket, leaving him in his shirt to help him breath. "It says that the effect of Mortaeus will be more rapid if an enchantment is used during the flower's preparation." He looked up at us, and we both looked at him in shock and confusion.
"An enchantment?" Gwen asked. "But Bayard's no sorcerer."
"No he isn't." Gaius agreed, and looked deep in thought for a moment.
"Then who did this?" Gwen inquired.
"It can't have been." Gaius whispered, making Gwen and I look at him in wonder. "She wouldn't dare to come here."
"Who?" I asked, but it seemed as though he hadn't heard me. Then, after a few seconds, he turned to look at us with wide eyes.
"Unless!"
"Unless what?" Both Gwen and I asked, confused.
"What happened to that girl?" Gaius asked, and we looked at him confused once again.
"Which girl?" I asked.
"Just before Merlin burst into the Hall, one of Bayard's serving girls took him outside." He explained, looking at Merlin, and then turning to face us again.
"She had dark hair." Gwen remembered, nodding her head. "Very beautiful." She said in jealousy, looking at my brother.
"Find her. Quickly." Gaius ordered, and she looked at Merlin for a second, then at me, then at Gaius once again, and then sprinted out of the room. Once she was gone, I faced Gaius.
"Gaius, I have to help Merlin." I said, and he looked at me.
"How?"
"With magic, but I can't use magic if Gwen's here." I said, and he nodded in understanding. "But I have to help him. He's my brother!"
"You can't!" He shook his head, and I threw my hands up in exasperation.
"Why not?!"
"What good would it do Merlin if you were burned at the stake for using magic? Hm?" He asked, and I sighed, knowing he was right.
"Then what can I do? I have to do something!" He shook his head sadly.
"All we can do is wait." He said, walking over to Merlin's side, taking his magnifying glass along the way. "And hope for the best."

*5 minutes later*

Gaius and I both looked up as we heard the door open. Gwen walked in.
"Let me guess. She wasn't there." I said, and she shook her head.
"No one has seen her since the Banquet." She said, and I sighed. "Who is she?" She asked, and I looked at Gaius, wanting to know the answer as well.
"Not who she claims to be." Gaius simply replied.
"But you know, don't you?" I interrogated, and he looked at me.
"Cara. Although, that's not her name. Not her real name anyway."
"Then who is she?" Gwen and I both asked, and Gaius took a deep breath.
"A powerful sorceress."
"Well we should tell Uther, maybe he could send riders out after her." Gwen suggested, and Gaius shook his head.
"No she'd be long gone.It's impossible to know where though." Gwen and I both sighed, and looked at Merlin, who was getting weaker with every second. "Oh no." We both looked up at Gaius, who was already looking at us.
"What?" We both asked, and he got up from the bench he was sitting on next to Merlin, quickly followed by me.
"She knows the only place the antidote can be found is the Forest of Balor." My eyes widened.
"Arthur could be walking into a trap." I realized.
"Arthur... Arthur..." Merlin whispered, and we all looked at him in concern.

*20 minutes later*

"Arthur... It's a trap... It's a trap." Merlin whimpered, and I looked at Gwen, who was sitting next to me on the bench next to Gaius's bed where Merlin lied, and then at Gaius, who was sitting on the other side of the bed. Gwen reached out her hand, and touched Merlin's neck carefully.
"His fever's getting worse isn't it?" She asked shakily.
"Poison is setting in." Gaius said, and I closed my eyes for a brief moment, trying the hardest not to break down right there and then.
"Arthur – swa sceal geong – guma gode – gewyrcean." Merlin gasped out in pain, and I immediately started dabbing his forehead with the wet cloth I held in my hand.
"Shhh." I soothed, knowing that Gwen was starting to notice something strange. Gaius must have as well, as he addressed her.
"Would you fetch me some more wolf bane?" He asked, and she nodded immediately.
"Yes of course." Gwen got up, and ran out of the chambers. As soon as she was gone, I stopped dabbing Merlin's forehead, and leaned in.
"Merlin." I said quietly. "You must fight it."
"Arthur." My brother whimpered, and I looked at Gaius. "It's too dark... Too dark." His voice faded into a whisper, and I suddenly realized what he was doing. He was warning me about the danger Arthur was in.
"Gaius, make sure no one enters." I said, and he looked at me strangely.
"What are you talking about?"
" Fromum feohgiftum on." I chanted quietly. " Fæder bearme." I closed my eyes, continuing the spell. "Fromum feohgiftum."
"Annabelle." I heard Gaius breath in amazement, and I opened my eyes, which widened at what I saw. I was holding a ball of pure light in my right hand. It illuminated with the purest and strongest glow I have ever seen.
"Leave them, Arthur!" Merlin exclaimed. "Go! Save yourself. Follow the light." He ordered, although his eyes were still closed, and he was gasping in pain every few seconds. "Faster... Go faster! Follow the light!!!" He yelled, and Gaius had put a hand on his chest to stop him from getting out of bed. I looked at the ball of light in my hand once again, and realized that I was working beside Merlin to make sure that Arthur made it back alive. Merlin was giving me instructions subconsciously, and I was using my magic according to his directions. It was a subconscious teamwork. "Move! Climb!" My brother ordered once again, and then gave a relieved sigh. As soon as he did, I let the ball in my hands disappear.
"What were you two doing?" Gaius whispered, looking at me in amazement.
"They both need help Gaius." I replied, looking him dead in the eye.