Forbidden Love - Merlyn [2]

Chapter Thirty: The Potion

Merlyn had thought her being a servant would have made it simpler for her to hide but she had been wrong - it seemed many guards and knights had paid attention and knew who she was. After being chased one to many times, each time the guards chalking it up to misidentification, Merlyn knew she had to do something to hide.

Returning to her chambers, Merlyn had removed her unique skirt, her brown corset and green long-sleeved tunic replacing it all with a light blue maid's dress. Immediately, Merlyn felt weighed down but she couldn't look like herself. With her clothes changed, Merlyn also sat down and spent over half an hour on doing her hair up into a crown design – Merlyn always wore her hair in a pony tail or left it down, she wasn't one for fancy designs, it took too much effort but she had to not look like herself so she had to put her hair up. Once her long hair was pinned in place Merlyn grabbed a long piece of cloth and placed it on top of her head before she tied it beneath her hair at the nape of her neck. The look was completely not Merlyn and considering she was dressed as a servant who wasn't being hunted, she would pass by undetected ... hopefully.

When Merlyn left her chambers, she made sure to keep her head down low as many servants did and keep to the quiet areas of the castle. Merlyn was highly frustrated she had to go to these lengths to walk around the castle and she knew it was all Catrina's fault. She had to get the troll out of Camelot! But she knew it was going to take more than words, she had to prove that the beautiful Catrina was a troll. She knew she had to gain more information on how to do that. So, Merlyn planned on following Catrina in order to find a way, any way to reveal the truth about the troll.

Using back passages and silent areas, Merlyn made her way straight to Catrina's chambers, well what were her chambers. They were now kept by Jonas alone but upon the queen's demands her servant had been allowed this luxury. It was hard to believe that Uther had allowed this to happen but it had. Eventually, Merlyn was sneaking her way to Catrina's door. However, just as she was coming up the corridor, she heard the familiar, irritating voice of Catrina. She was heading towards her old chambers!

Quickly, Merlyn darted behind a hanging heavy tapestry and waited, holding her breath for Catrina to pass. Footsteps grew near before they faded again informing Merlyn of Catrina's passing body. Once she was passed, Merlyn poked her head out slightly and watched in confusion as she noticed Catrina's irritated face as she scratched at her arm. The moment Catrina darted inside the chambers, Merlyn ran out of her hiding spot and moved around to the grate that was stationed on one of the walls of the exact chamber Catrina was in. Thankfully for Merlyn, beneath the grate was a table on which she could climb upon.

The small five centimetre by five centimetre grate allowed Merlyn to see into the room, see Catrina's hunched form shuffling over to Jonas. Her walk was certainly different from her regal, straight-back walk she had been using around the castle in front of people. Merlyn watched closely as Catrina grunted over to the table and began retching, something was wrong – something was not agreeing with Catrina. Upon seeing his mistress' state, Jonas immediately moved to a far corner of the room, heading straight for a small locked cupboard.

"Mistress, it is time" Jonas said as he pulled a small bottle free from the cupboard. Merlyn frowned at the sight of the bottle. Whatever was in that bottle looked disgusting, it reminded her of a dead man's stomach contents.

"Do I have to?" Catrina groaned. Clearly, pretending to be a human was getting to the troll. Merlyn had to smirk at the knowledge, Catrina deserved to feel uncomfortable after everything.

"You must keep up the pretence" Jonas replied with desperation. If Catrina stopped, they were both in trouble – whatever he was, he was as greedy as his troll mistress.

"I hate being like this! So clean! It's revolting. I can't keep it up" Catriona argued back as she lifted her fingers to her face and went to gouge at the flawless skin. "This skin, this face ... I-I-I just want to claw it off!"