Summary:
Arthur was the most eligible bachelor in Camelot. A village girl wants to become queen and with the help of a sorceress she sets her plan in motion slipping him a love potion, but what will happen if it doesn't go quite as expected? Slash ensues Merthur
Notes:
This story was my very first Merlin fanfic and story I ever completed. It was started on 01/18/12 and finished on 06/11/12. It was originally posted in LJ and now here. Second story of this series is already underway.
Chapter 1: The Plan
A cloaked figure made its way through the darkness into the dense forest beyond Camelot's gates. The figure reached a clearing and pulled back its hood, revealing long dark brown locks.
She was no more than 24 years of age and her simple pale blue dress showed that she was of a poor status. She looked around franticly as if expecting someone to be there. "Hello...uh I was told to come here and ask for..." a twig snapped behind her and she spun around.
"Come with me" hissed an old woman through her crooked teeth. Deeper into the darkness they went until they appeared in front of a small hut.
Once inside the old woman gestured to the young woman to sit on an ancient-looking stool. Without protest the young woman did as she was told. Grabbing a small vial that contained a purple liquid, the old woman stood in front of the young woman with her hand extended towards her. The young woman stared in confusion, and then realizing what she wanted she pulled out a golden strand of hair from underneath her cloak.
"I assume this is the King's hair" the old woman growled as she took the hair and proceeded to stick it in the vile.
"Of course, I took it off his brush myself" she replied her cheeks reaching a rosy red. She saw in amazement as the hair began to melt into the liquid causing it to turn to a dark red color.
The old woman closed the vial with a wooden cork and extended her hand again. The young woman took a small pouch from underneath her cloak and handed it to her. In return the old woman gave her the vial and stated, as clear as her rugged voice could muster, "The King will fall in love with the first person that he touches after drinking the potion."
She slipped the small vial into her cloak and left the hut. As she glimpsed back a gasp escaped her throat as her eyes fell upon nothing but trees. The hut seemed to vanish just as mysteriously as it had appeared.
Once she was back in Camelot, she made her way to the tavern where she had rented a room for the night.
XXX
Morning came too quickly for some as the castle moved with activity. Servants hurried with their daily tasks and the market bustled with people. The day was like any other day, or so it started off at first.
The King was paying close attention "or rather pretending" on his meeting with the council. Throughout the meeting, his mind kept wandering off to his incompetent servant who had failed to show up all morning and thus had made him late for his meeting he was now in.
He did not have the chance to storm into Gaius' chambers to demand that Merlin be brought out of his bed, which was probably where he was now. If the King was to be stuck in a boring meeting no matter how important the issue was his servant should by all means be doing something equally boring.
Today's topic was on whether to increase taxes or decrease rations and both options Arthur detested to even consider. The crops weren't doing so well due to the drought, the fields all but dried up. What little they could save was running low.
Things weren't as bad as when the unicorn curse had befallen Camelot, but then again that had been caused by magic, this was just nature's doing. Arthur asked to postpone the meeting for two days and by then he would have a decision on what had to be done. With a few grunts from the council the meeting was brought to an end.
Arthur marched straight to Gaius' chambers and did as he always did, bellowed Merlin's name so loudly that half the castle could hear it. As the door swung open, Arthur saw Gaius standing over his table of potions and brews. Gaius, with his glasses half way down his nose, looked up and commented "He is not here sire."
"Well, where is he?" he exclaimed, his impatience showing in his voice as he took a few steps into the room. He starred at Merlin's closed door as if willing it to open and reveal a sleeping Merlin.
"I thought he was with you sire," Gaius replied as he turned back to his brewing. Just then one of the colored liquids gargled under the fire and shot straight up and splattered all over the table.
"Well if he was then I wouldn't be here looking for him now would I," said Arthur as he made for the door, the last of his patience vanishing. Gaius just simply stated "I guess not sire," and proceeded to clean up the mess he had just created.
Arthur was half way down the corridor, when it occurred to him that Merlin did in fact spend too much time in the tavern and that was a good place as any to start looking. Spinning around he headed towards the Rising Sun and hopefully to Merlin.
