Wrongly in Love

36- Undercover

"Five drops?"

Merlin sighed wearily. "Too much."

Arthur tried again. "Four drops?"

"Still a bit too much. We have to get her half a teaspoon at most. It's too dangerous."

Merlin could hardly believe it. Arthur had promised him that he would do nothing to hurt Guinevere in the meantime, but as he got more and more invested in his plan, the more he started to get vicious. He stared in disbelief at the cauldron in the potion room. Arthur seemed to have perfected it when Merlin had taught him, so he could make it every time. Hell, he shouldn't have taught him the recipe- it was just too much.

"Arthur," Merlin began tentatively, "I think you've become too obsessed with this potion thing."

Arthur, who had been studying the spellbook intently, barely listened and snapped the book at him. "We're running out of moon dust."

Merlin sighed. "Arthur, you have to understand. A drop a day is more suitsble. If we kept on feeding her too much, the potion might mess with her head- you should've seen how forgetful she was a while ago- hell, it could even poison her."

"Merlin, get me a few bottles from the pantry and get some supplies from the Baroque Castle," Arthur said firmly. "If that old man won't give it to you, steal them."

"But, Arthur, don't you realize-"
"Make sure you go out to the side door that leads to the gardens-"
"It's too risky-"

"AND WHY DON'T YOU TAKE THE RISK? I NEED TO DO THIS, GODDAMIT!" Arthur pounded on the table.

Merlin bit his lip, saying nothing.

Arthur glared at him. "Don't you see what I've been planning? Lancelot apparently didn't want to take the throne! He preferred to stay in the Land of Dawn as a lowly knight! If Guinevere forgets him and his stupid friends and marries me, we'd be the powerful rulers of two kingdoms! "

Merlin furrowed his brow."So what?"

Arthur narrowed his eyes. "So you're not going to go to the Baroque Castle?"

"I just don't see the point."

Arthur looked as though he would like nothing more than to hit Merlin in the head. Trying to gain control of his temper, he exhaled deeply. "You just don't get it." He sighed. "We have to stage these attacks so people can go to us for help. But before we even have the chance to, my stupid brother foolishly tries to fight them and he was the one being praised! I have to make sure those people think that Gusion was the one who made all those hoods attack! "

Merlin blinked."Those attacks were on purpose?"

"Of course."

"But... Why? Why do you have to blame your brother?"

"Because there are rumors that Gusion will be the next Hero of Dawn."

Merlin looked shocked.

Arthur gazed out at the window, suddenly wistful. "I didn't work hard throughout my whole childhood just to see everything wasted on that... on that... outcast. If we had Guinevere on our side, who we know my dear brother loves the most... That would've just set things right. But we know how loyal Guinevere is to Gusion. "

He raised his eyes.

"Sadly, there's only one option left."

Merlin gaped at him. "But why risk Guinevere's health?"

Arthur sighed. "I admit that I was foolish for her to overdose on the potion. But we need to erase all her memories of Gusion, Merlin. And I know what those villagers are going to do when they doubt my word- they turn to her. And if she confirms that she had nothing to do with Gusion, maybe that'll solve things. "