Fifth Founder, harry potter ✓

Chapter Thirteen - Off to Camelot [Part Two]

"How do you know Merlin?" The dark skinned girl in the image asked Margarette.

"He is my son," Margarette answered as she looked over to Gaius, "What happened to him?"

"He saved my life," the blonde boy answered, "I am Arthur Pendragon."

Gasps sounded out through the Great Hall as they looked at the blonde who didn't look to be older than ninteen.

"That's King Arthur?" Ron asked surprised, "Isn't he young to be a king?"

"Of course he is, Ron," Hermione answered, "Margarette stated earlier that Uther- Arthur's father- was still in rule."

"Oh," Ron answered as they looked back to the image.

Margarette was still sitting at Merlin's bedside with the dark skinned girl while Arthur and Gaius were looking over a book. Margarette looked up at the dark skinned girl, "How did this happen...?"

"Gwendolyn," she gave her name then answered, "Lord Bayard was going to poison Arthur, but Merlin stopped him from drinking it. No one believed him, and to prove himself, he drank it."

"Foolish boy," Margarette hit Merlin's arm hard and took the wet cloth from Gwendolyn's hand before dipping it back into the bucket of water beside her and placing it on her son's sweaty forehead. Margarette's head suddenly snaps up at Gaius as both he and Arthur look up, "How is Morgana?"

"She's well," Gaius answered, "She arrived well, and is currently the Uther's ward."

"How did she manage that?" Margarette asked in shock.

"She saved my father's life," Arthur answered.

Margarette nodded at the Crown Prince and turned to Gaius, "Have you discovered what poisoned my son?"

"Ah, there's something stuck on the inside," Gaius answered as he took a pair of pliers and removed a flower petal from the ring of the goblet.

"What is it?" Margarette and Arthur asked in unison as Arthur left Merlin's side to see what Gaius was talking about.

"Looks like a flower petal of some kind," Gaius said as he studied the petal.

"His brow is on fire," Gwendolyn said as she took over for Margarette.

The elder woman stood and walked over to her old friend and the Crown Prince.

"Let me see that petal," Margarette said and Gaius obeyed and handed her the pliers.

"Keep him cool," Gaius told Gwendolyn as Margarette studied the petal, "It'll help control his fever."

"Hand me that book, Gaius," Margarette motioned to a book on a table behind her.

Gaius grabbed the book and placed it on the table. As he flipped through the book, Margarette held the petal in his eyesight so he knew what picture to look for.

"Ah," Gaius said when the found the page, "the petal comes from the Mortaeus flower. It says here that someone poisoned by the Mortaeus can only be saved by a potion made from the leaf of the very same flower. It can only be found in the caves deep beneath the Forestbof Baloch. The flower grows on the roots of the Mortaeus tree."

Arthur and Margarette listen in and read to what Gaius was saying, but they both pause at a picture of a beast, "That doesn't look particularly friendly."

"Cockatrice," Margarette supplied, "Very territorially, not at all friendly."

"It guards the forest," Gaius tells Arthur, "It's venom is potent. A single drop would mean certain death. 'Few who have crossed the mountains of Isgard in seat of the Mortaeus flower have made it back alive.'" Gaius read from the book.

"I'm going," Margarette said as she started to leave.

"I cannot let you do that, Margarette," Gaius grabbed her elbow.

"Sounds like fun," Arthur says but gives Margarette a pointed look, "But I am going alone."

"Arthur it's too dangerous," Gaius said frustrated.

"If I don't get the antidote, what happens to Merlin?" Arthur asks.

"He'll die," Margarette says as she glares at Gaius, "Go, since I am forbidden. The Mortaeus causes a slow and painful death, he may last five days, maybe less. I will not have that for my son, if you do not go, I will."

Arthur looks between Margarette and Merlin before he nods and marches out of the room.

•
In the Great Hall the students stare in shock at the image.

"I hope Merlin survives," Hermione muttered to herself.

"He does, Hermione," Ron says, "How else would we know about him. Right, Harry?"

"Right."