Lost in Albion 3 (Merlin) - Completed

Chapter 6: The Oncoming Storm

Chapter 6

The whole day and night passes over, and still no sight of the warlock.

It's early morning, waking up with little sleep. Like the past two days, I am going to head to Gaius' to keep him company and see what I can do around here for him.

I exit my chambers, nearly falling backwards in shock as Gaius and Merlin stand right outside my door, a hand up ready to knock.

"Oh my god!" I gasp. "Merlin!" I jump forward, wrapping my hands around him, squeezing tightly. "How dare you scare me so much. Tell me when you leave next time."

"Elena, Morgana is in league with Morgause," he says as I pull back.

"I know," I nod. "I'm sure she's the one who killed that guard. I suspected her but she knocked me out and I couldn't find you to tell you."

"Well I found her, and there's something I need to show the both of you."

"Lead the way," I urge, and we march with the warlock in lead.

He takes us to Uther's chambers. Another gasp escapes my mouth at the state of it. Broken things, strewn about on the floor. The bed's sheets thrown off with the King nowhere in sight. My feet knock against his things as we slowly move further into the room. I'm scared that I'm going to be the one to find the King dead but as I turn the corner, Uther is crouched in a corner, whimpering.

"Uther?" Gaius exclaims as he and Merlin round the corner as well. "Uther!"

I follow the King's line of sight. Five children, just the same as the boy in the council chambers stand there. Ygraine stands behind them. It's as though they have just emerged from a lake, dripping water from the hair and clothes onto the floor.

"Please!" Ygraine cries. I flinch back, surprised when neither Merlin nor Gaius does, before remembering they can't see anything. Merlin runs forward, crouching underneath his bed. From it, he pulls out the root looking plant, covered in a thick brown sludge.

He throws it in the fireplace and the plant-like thing seems the scream. I cover my ears, trying to think back to where I've heard it before. I know I have. In a movie or something.

Gaius kneels down to Uther. "It was an enchantment, Sire. You need to rest."

Merlin and I join him, helping the King to his feet and assist him back onto his bed. He's in a semi-aware state but fully conscious. Gaius pours a tonic into a cup of water, holding it out for the King.

"Please, drink this, sir. It will help you to sleep."

Uther mindless drinks it with the physician's help and he slowly falls asleep.

xx

We scamper back to Gaius' quarters to talk amongst ourselves freely.

"Mandrakes are powerful. It makes sense that you would have felt their magic," Gaius says to me.

"Mandrake! That's what it was, of course." I run my hand through my hair. "So what now?"

"We have to tell Uther," Merlin concludes.

"Are you mad?" Gaius exclaims. "He'd have all our heads if we made such accusations. He'd look at it as treason."

"We can't just let her get away with it," Merlin protests.

"No, he's right Merlin. We can't just say anything, not when it's our words against hers. We don't anything to actually prove it," I say. It's complete cow manure that we can't say anything, especially since Morgana isn't going to back down after one failure but this isn't the time. I don't doubt that we'll get more chances.