Merlyn - Arthur x Female Merlin [1]

Chapter Fourteen: A Plague

Over the months, Merlyn had fallen into a routine. She got up ate breakfast before started doing all her duties for Arthur, stealing Arthur's food throughout the day before serving him it and helping Gaius amongst it all. Merlyn still wished she could wear her trousers but it wasn't considered proper so she was stuck in her dresses, something she regularly complained to Arthur about. That morning Gaius had been called down to the lower town as a man had been found in the middle of the street, faced-down on the ground dead. Since Merlyn didn't have to go to Arthur's until later, Merlyn had decided to go help Gaius.

Once they actually got down to the body, Merlyn knew something was wrong. It was clear that people thought the man had been drunk but Merlyn had seen plenty of drunks in her life and he did not look like one of them. The way he was splayed on the floor as well was unusual. He didn't look as if he had stumbled and fell, or suddenly collapsed; it looked more like he had been crawling, dragging himself as if he was hurt. Merlyn kept away from the body as Gaius dropped down beside the man and began to study the corpse.

"Aren't you scared?" Merlyn questioned.

"Of what?" Gaius asked as he stared back at the servant.

"That you might catch whatever it is the poor man died of" Merlyn replied.

"I'm the court physician, Merlyn. This is part of my job" Gaius explained, Merlyn was just thankful she wasn't the court physician ... however she had been working with Gaius ever since she had gotten to Camelot, which meant she was technically training to be a physician. Merlyn didn't like that thought. She really didn't want to have to deal with flesh eating diseases, plagues, contagious illnesses.... "Most of the time there's nothing really to be scared of" Gaius continued pulling Merlyn out of her thoughts. Merlyn nodded as she moved to the other side of the body and helped Gaius to turn it over. She was there to help Gaius whether she liked it or not. The body moved easily, falling onto its back showing the world its nasty secret. The pair gasped. Merlyn shot backwards falling onto her backside as she stared at the corpse's face.

The man had milky blue skin, his veins were raised and a deep blue almost black in colour whilst his completely white lifeless eyes stared up at the two of them. Merlyn gulped as she torn her eyes from the man and stared at Gaius. He looked back at the young witch with a look of horror himself – he had obviously never seen this illness before

"Nothing? Don't think that's nothing" Merlyn commented quietly. Gaius' eyes trailed over the area. There were still people walking the streets.

"People mustn't see this. They'll panic" Gaius said. Merlyn nodded before she spotted a large sheet that someone had hung up to dry. Merlyn swiftly grabbed the sheet and covered the dead man with it, blocking the horrid sight from view – Merlyn was just going to have to remember to get Arthur to buy the poor household another blanket, they wouldn't want this one back that was for sure.

Between the two of them Gaius and Merlyn lifted the body onto a large cart and began to cart it back towards the castle. As they made their way over the drawbridge o the castle, Merlyn heard their names being called. Merlyn turned around to find Gwen standing behind their cart with a bunch of flowers in her hand

"Merlyn? Gaius? What are you doing?" Gwen asked. Swiftly, Merlyn let go of one of the handles to the cart leaving Gaius to hold it up alone as she made her way around to the end of the cart blocking Gwen's view.

"Just moving something" Merlyn replied, knowing Gwen would continue to pry Merlyn quickly changed the subject, "Did someone get you flowers? Have you got a man I don't know about?" Gwen blushed furiously.

"Oh! No. no. I just ... I picked them for Lady Morgana" Gwen explained as she moved her spare hand around as a nervous habit. "Would you like one? A purple one." Quite suddenly, Merlyn found herself with a purple floor tucked behind her ear. Merlyn laughed as she trailed her fingers lightly over the small flower.