Merthur: True Love's Kiss

Pleading

Six days had passed since Merlin had returned. Three days since Gaius had discovered the cure.

And Merlin was the closest he'd ever been to dying.

The infection from the wound was spreading throughout his body, and whereas before he had woken up for a few minutes at a time every so often, he now only spoke through whimpers and moans of pain, mixed in with occassional grunts and babbled words.

Gaius had tried his best. First Gwen, then some other servants Merlin may or may not have admired at some point; he had even managed to convince Lady Morgana to kiss him (even the physician himself couldn't believe he'd done it, and she in turn made him swear he would never speak of it), without any success.

Gaius had all but given up on saving his life - he tried not to succumb to despair, remembering the promise he had made to Merlin's mother. After all, he had sworn to protect the young man, even at the cost of his own life, and he would be damned if he did nothing while his charge suffered and died.

Leaving Gwen by Merlin's side, he excused himself, saying he would be back shortly, heading in the direction of the palace dungeons. Along the way, he picked up some fresh herbs and supplies, as much to replenish his stocks as to aid in getting past the prison guards. For, as much as Gaius did not want to admit it, he needed the Great Dragon's help.

Below the castle of Camelot, Kilgharrah was stirring. He could sense a disturbance in the magic of the Old Religion, a kind of discomfort in his centuries-old bones. The dragon's instinct proved correct when the physician appeared in his cave, bearing a brightly lit torch and a grim expression on his wrinkled face.

"Gaius," the creature announced, smirking to itself, "to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Do not flatter yourself Kilgharrah," he answered coldly, "I have no time for playing games with you."

"No? Shame." He curled his tail and shifted in his position on the rock, rattling the giant chains loudly as he did so, deep voice oozing with spite and sarcasm. "You've come about the boy, have you not?"

"Indeed." The physician paused briefly. "I have come to ask - what must I do to cure him? I... I would be willing to do anything to save him, lay down my life, destroy half of Camelot - anything! It means nothing to me and I do not care for it. Tell me dragon, what do I do?"

Gaius was very brave, and his words were true and honest, yet the Great Dragon erupted into a fit of laughter, chuckling away to himself, the mocking sound echoing between cave walls.

"Do you find Merlin's plight entertaining?!" The man shouted angrily at the gigantic beast, waving the torch in the air. "Will you do nothing but laugh as he dies, leaving his destiny unfulfilled?"

Kilgharrah stopped laughing almost immediately and leant closer to the elderly man. "I've just never seen you so desperate to sacrifice yourself before, that's all," he remarked snidely, "In fact, I recall that you weren't so eager to help when your brothers and sisters were being murdered all around you..."

"I have many regrets, O Great Dragon, but perhaps you'd like to leave the dead in the past, where they belong. Now, what can I do to save Merlin?" The physician's tone created no opportunities for further mockery, so the creature felt obliged to answer truthfully.

"There is nothing you can do Gaius. He has bitten by a Morrgul, and there is only one cure for that, one which is already known to you."

The man sighed. "The kiss of his true love. But--"

"But?"

"It has proved impossible! This true love of his could be anyone, anywhere, in a different town, in a far away Kingdom... They might not have even met yet! How on earth are we meant to find this person?"

Kilgharrah only smiled. "You worry too much Gaius. It is not Merlin's destiny to die yet... And as for his true love--" He broke off, judging the physician's reaction with his watchful golden eyes, "they're closer than you think." And with that, he raised himself from a crouching position and, beating his scaly wings, flew off into the darkness of the cavern, leaving the man alone with his thoughts.

"Is that all you have to say Kilgharrah?! Is that all?!" His shouts would not reach the dragon's ears, and even if they did, he would no doubt ignore them, so Gaius slowly turned and headed back up to the surface, no more hopeful than when he came down.

All he knew was that Merlin had just a few short hours left, and the Great Dragon had been of no help at all.