Enemies Within - Merlyn [3]

Chapter Four: When A King Goes Mad

Merlyn had stayed with the king right until Arthur had arrived with Sir Leon. Between the two men they had carried him back into the castle all the while the king remained with wide eyes and a pale, white face. Merlyn could read Arthur's worry and his silent questioning of her, he knew she had been there the whole time and he was certain there was something he was missing. But Merlyn wasn't sure what she could say to him, she didn't really know what she had seen.

Once they had gotten into Uther's chambers, Leon and Arthur managed to get an unconscious Uther into his bed. Uther had fallen asleep on the journey back with his panic having stressed himself out. Even though the king was  fully dressed they placed him under the covers and Morgana came along to cover the king with his bedding. Her distress was palpable but to Merlyn was completely fake. It was over the top and hiding her hatred (and Merlyn believed her hand in this incidence). Arthur stood back whilst Morgana fussed over the unconscious king.

"He should sleep till morning" Gaius explained before everyone left the room except for the Lady Morgana. Merlyn followed Gaius though she kept looking over her shoulder at the scene behind her. Morgana was over Uther, holding his hand and kissing the back of it as she hovered over him. Merlyn could only just about stop herself from rolling her eyes before she left through the wooden door, following in Gaius' footsteps.

Gaius and Merlyn both tried to escape the royals, for their lack of answers. However, they were not quick enough. Arthur was quick to catch them with his voice echoing down the corridor.

"What could have made him like this?"

Gaius' and Merlyn's footsteps faltered at his voice. Merlyn felt her face grimace as she heard his voice. She knew this question was coming. Thankfully, she did not have to answer the question for she was not the physician.

"I have no idea" Gaius answered as he turned around to face the prince.

"Gaius, he was lying on the ground crying" Arthur replied sharply.

"Exhaustion" Gaius said wanting to try and get rid of the prince however Arthur was not having it.

"Gaius, what aren't you telling me? What's wrong with him?" Despite Arthur's authority and steely gaze, Gaius did not bow. So Arthur turned his attention elsewhere. "Merlyn?"

"Why are you asking me?" Merlyn retorted sharply, her tone shifting showing her despicable lying in that moment.

"Because you were with him and you are hiding something" Arthur stated as he turned his body to solely face her, unintentionally being more dominant in the process. Merlyn found herself imitating a goldfish; she had no idea what to say. Merlyn's gaze turned to her mentor with eyes wide and panicked. Gaius sighed heavily but ultimately nodded at her. Turning back to Arthur, she found her prince looking between Gaius and herself with a look of concern and slight annoyance.

"When I got to his side, he was mumbling, once he finished screaming" Merlyn said, but it was the next bit that she feared Arthur wouldn't take well. "A lot of it was incoherent but ... he kept mentioning your mother's name."

"He never talks about her" Arthur replied with a frown, his mind racing at the concept.

"He claimed that he saw her ... in the well." Merlyn watched as Arthur's face paled. To see a dead woman was concerning enough, when you include the fact he saw her in a well it was disastrous. 

"Did the guards see him in this state?" Arthur asked, stepping closer to Gaius and Merlyn keeping his voice low. Seeing the panic, Merlyn immediately reached forward and grasped Arthur's forearm catching his gaze.

"They heard the screaming but not the mumbling. I said he had fallen and ordered them back to their posts which they did immediately" she reassured him, squeezing his arm with comfort. "Though why they listened is beyond me."