Lips are Venomous Poison

 

Neither Uther nor Arthur would look at her in the morning, so she wondered if they remembered any of it. After doing most of the chores for Arthur, she went to Uther and reported yesterday’s events, stretching and idly putting her arms crossed behind her head.

 

“That’s all.”

 

Uther nodded, “Lord Bayard is coming here to sign a peace treaty. Behave yourself…and please watch my son.”

 

“Always, milord,” and she quickly left.

 

When Lord Bayard and his company came, there was a huge welcome feast. As celebrations were underway, Lord Bayard wanted to present ceremonial cups to the King and Prince.

 

“Excuse me, milady,” one of Bayard’s servant girls hesitantly approached the hidden Merlin.

 

Merlin had been observing the festivities in the background, eyes roving everywhere but mainly keeping a keen watch over the royal family. She’d been disconcerted when her concentration had been disrupted by the unknown woman. She hadn’t even noticed the woman had referred to her as a she.

 

She glanced at her and debated. It was her duty to make sure she was able to gather information, whether valuable or not, just as long as she had made sure they had information that could be used accordingly.

 

“Name?” she ordered, aware that she was acting like she was of higher rank. An influence from Uther, most probably.

 

“Kara.”

 

“Tell me what’s wrong?’ she softened her voice and smiled softly, moving into a balance that was between her façade with Arthur and others and how she really was.

 

“I-I saw him. Before coming here. He’d poisoned Prince Arthur’s cup. He believes it will leave King Uther broken and easily leave Camelot open to an invasion. Please! Don’t let them harm me for telling you.”

 

Merlin’s eyes widened and she glanced quickly to Arthur, seeing him about to drink from the cup. She ran to him and snatched the cup out of his hands.

 

“It’s poisoned!” she hissed, glaring angrily at Bayard.

 

“How dare you! Who is this boy?” Bayard yelled, affronted.

 

“This is a grave accusation. Where do you come from such serious information?” Uther asked calmly, something she thought was influenced by her when she knew he would be spitting fire by now. And threatening her. Yes, definitely threatening her.

 

“I can’t say,” Merlin inwardly flinched, but hid her uneasiness.

 

“This is madness! How dare you accuse me of such treason!” Bayard whipped out his sword and pointed it at Merlin, his knights doing the same. That prompted Camelot’s knights to take out their swords in wary defense.

 

“I’ll handle this, Father,” Arthur cut in, smirking. “Merlin, you idiot. Have you been at the sloe gin again?”

 

Merlin transferred her glare to Arthur, no sign of any of the usual cheeriness and all seriousness. Arthur almost took a step back in surprise, having never witness this side of her.

 

“You say you have no hand in this. Then you have nothing to fear,” Uther said, looking at Bayard, though Merlin knew he was really staring her at the corner of his eyes.

 

Bayard held out his hand defiantly, but Uther shook his head. “No, if it is true, I would rather kill you myself. Drink it, boy.”

 

Merlin hesitated, confused. She stared at him, but Uther had a straight face. His eyes, however, were cold and unyielding but they sent a clear message and underlining expectant.

 

‘Do it. You said you would die for him, so drink it. Prove that you would.’

 

Merlin steeled herself and gulped the drink in one go.

 

“It’s f –” she was about to say “fine” when she started to choke and fall to the ground.

 

Arthur scrambled to her, and Gaius, Gwen and Morgana quickly followed after. Uther stared passively, though with a quiet anger, at them, his knights going to arrest Bayard and his people. She wasn’t quite sure if that anger was directed at her…

 

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The events that followed were very peculiar. Arthur desperately chased after a cure to the poison, and ended up being arrested when he got back. Gwen was worried and terrified, before she’d gone to get water and didn’t return for a long time. Truth was that she’d ended up in Morgana’s chambers, crying her eyes out on the shoulder of the King’s ward. Gaius did all he could, looking to slow down the poison. It was all he could do without being able to make the antidote. And he almost had a heart attack, seeing Merlin perform magic while unconscious and had hid the glowing orb in her hand by using a thicker blanket to go over the one already on her, dampening the bright glow.

 

The most surprising of things?

 

Uther visited Gaius’ chambers and stood silently by his side, watching over Merlin. In fact, the King had stood by Gaius from the moment Merlin had been brought in, only leaving to berate Arthur, keep his son from going to get the cure, and then finally to visit Arthur in the dungeon and refuse to give Gaius the flower.

 

Gaius was angry, but couldn’t question his King. Still, why would Uther do all that and yet stand by him, watching over Merlin?

 

Though, as an afterthought, he had been lucky to have been able to distract Uther before Merlin could start subconsciously using magic, and was able to get the blanket over her before Uther noticed anything strange –still, he couldn’t do anything about Merlin’s mutterings of incantations, but Uther strangely said nothing.

 

Uther disappeared at night, where everyone was most probably asleep, except for himself and the King. He assumed Uther had gone to bed finally, and Gaius was left alone with the gravely ill Merlin.

 

“Here,” and he was surprised to find Uther back and the Mortaeus flower in his hand.

 

“But –”

 

“Take it and make the antidote,” Uther ordered harshly.

 

Gaius nodded and quickly set to work, fixing it quickly. He tensed, seeing a certain part in the book that said the potion required magic to make it work.

 

“What’s wrong?” Uther’s still harsh voice questioned.

 

He hesitated, “Nothing, Your Majesty.”

 

“In privacy, you have always called me Uther…unless something was wrong. What is it?”

 

Gaius opened his mouth and then shut it. This happened several times before he decided to just get on with it.

 

“The potion requires magic, but I’ll see if I can make do without it –”

 

“Just do it,” Uther interrupted stoically.

 

Gaius head whipped around quickly, facing Uther with an incredulous stare. Uther was staring at Merlin with an unreadable gaze.

 

“Uther…?”

 

“I will overlook it this one time, Gaius. Use magic,” the King spat out the word, “to finish the potion.”

 

Gaius stared before bracing himself and chanting an incantation, holding tightly to the cup. The concoction bubbled and turned green, before the bubbles settled down.

 

“It’s done,” the physician announced and then he went to Merlin and held it to her lips. “Swallow, Merlin,” he murmured.

 

“He's stopped breathing. What's happening? Gaius?” Uther visibly tensed up.

Gaius leaned over and listened to Merlin's chest, glad it was covered and Uther couldn’t find out Merlin was really a female.

“His heart has stopped,” Gaius’ own heart felt like it had stopped.

“He's dead?!” Uther growled, eyes only widening a fraction.

“He can't be. It can't be. It was his destiny,” he muttered in a daze.

Uther stayed quiet, and Gaius wasn’t sure if he was imagining the flash of self-anger in the man’s eyes.

 

“I’m not dead, you old fools,” Merlin muttered, starting to stir and open her eyes.

 

“Merlin, you’re alive!” Gaius ran forward and grabbed her into a hug. “And don’t insult the King!” he lightly smacked her head. But she caught the quick flash of amusement and relief in Uther’s eyes, so she didn’t really panic.

 

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“I am glad you seem to be better,” Uther said as Merlin stood before him.

 

“Quite, Uther,” she allowed a small smirk to appear on her face.

 

“You have served well.”

 

And she looked at him in surprise, seeing the concealed look of pride in his eyes directed at her. She became awkward and speechless, before straightening up and pretending she hadn’t become shocked.

 

“Odd that you saved me after everything. I thought you were going to let me die.”

 

“You’re invaluable. Of course I wouldn’t, especially since my idiot son went to all the trouble of risking his life for your cure.” And she surprisingly heard a bit of the past worry he’d experience on her behalf.

 

“I see,” she murmured. She didn’t really, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that. Uther was just too troublesome and confusing.

 

“But you have proven your loyalty to Arthur, at the very least. You said you would be willing to die for him, and you proved it. Your word is honorable, with or without an oath.”

 

She nodded and turned to leave.

 

“Wait.”

 

She paused and looked back, quietly realizing Uther had gotten up from his throne and was walking towards her. Shocked again when the King embraced her, she barely heard the whispered “thank you” in gratitude for saving his son.
 

“As always, Your Majesty,” she murmured. “Don’t doubt that.”

 

He never really had.

 

“I was never really going to let you die,” he confessed. “I cannot protect Arthur on my own. I truly do need you.”

 

She nodded. Secrets for secrets, and they were beyond doubt in it together.

 

Co-conspirators indeed.

 

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“Still alive then?”

“Yeah, just about. I understand I have you to thank for that.”

“Yeah, well, it was nothing. A half-decent servant is hard to come by. I was only dropping by to make sure you were alright. Check that you'll be back to work tomorrow.”

“Oh, yeah, yeah. Of course. Bright and early. Arthur…thank you.”

 

“You too. Get some rest.”

 

“You’re better then?” Arthur asked the next morning, after her talk with Uther.

 

She nodded and gave him a big grin. “Absolutely. What do you want me to do, Sire?”

 

Arthur looked at her seriously, “Just follow me.”

 

Confused, she followed him as he led her out to the stables and had her go riding with him. She rode her horse slightly behind him, and he headed out of Camelot and into the surrounding forest.

 

Soon, he was leading her to a beautiful clearing that she saw was actually a meadow.

 

“I come here to think sometimes,” Arthur said suddenly.

 

She didn’t respond, letting Arthur keep talking.

 

“I was really worried you would die. I thought you did, and then I heard that you had died for a second,” Arthur continued to admit his thoughts. He stopped his horse, making sure she’d caught up and was right next to him. His hand shot out and grabbed her reigns, pulling her closer to him by using her horse. He rested his head against her shoulder, hand still gripping the reigns of her horse tightly.

 

“You saved me and almost died for me. Thank you, Merlin,” he whispered against her.

 

She sat still, gazing ahead blankly.

 

She didn’t show her shiver as Arthur tilted his head up and kissed the corner of her mouth. The sinking feeling in her stomach grew worse and she felt a heavier load on her shoulders, than her burden had been before.

 

This was not fair at all.