chapter seventeen!
017. physician's touch

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MERLIN'S MIND wouldn't place itself at rest. That night, the power he felt from the mere brush with Miss Adelynn Vecentia still kept him on edge▬right up until the next morning. He's never quite felt it like that: magic. Something so strong, and yet so hidden▬boiling underneath the surface. He didn't even realise he could feel magic from another being in such a way▬one that sent him stumbling and chills up his spine, so overwhelming he had almost passed out. He didn't even think Ronyn's younger sister knew ... but at the look on her face when he caught her peering inside Edwin's room▬how she mentioned the whisper of the beetles that had saved the Lady Morgana's life ... Merlin had a feeling she knew something hadn't been quite right, and it scared her.

    Did she feel the magic from him? It weighed down on his mind. He wasn't sure▬and yet, he was sure. She had magic▬he can't have felt the power from anything else. But if she had magic, what did that mean for her? Would she even know what it was▬would she mention it to somebody else and face a punishment so dreadful for something she never knew she had. Did Ronyn know? Merlin doubted he did. What would he do if he found out?

    What was Merlin supposed to do? Should he do anything? Was it his place to do anything?

    As of now, it seemed Adelynn Vecentia was in complete blissful ignorance▬but for how long?

    Those thoughts plagued him as he woke at the brink of dawn▬prepared to gather provisions for Edwin before the day was to truly start. He got ready with his mind elsewhere; continuously mulling over the feeling that still hadn't left him.

    Merlin glanced down at the stone he stood on▬down past through the many floors, into the darkest depths of the dungeon ... perhaps there was someone who could provide him with an answer. He should have time for it.

   The young warlock pursed his lips and decided what he was going to do. He grabbed his leather bag and marched out of his chambers. He travelled down the small staircase to find Gaius sitting at his desk surrounded by burnt out candles. He looked exhausted, gazing down upon a book of records.

    He glanced over as Merlin emerged from his room and the sorcerer asked, "Have you been up all night?"

    Gaius took a long breath, blinking away the sleep from his eyes, "Yes▬" he yawned, "▬but it was worth it. Where are you going?"

    For a moment, Merlin thought about telling Gaius about Adelynn▬but for some reason, he stopped himself. "Uh ... I told Edwin I'd be up at dawn to collect some supplies."

    Gaius nodded. There was something plaguing his mind, too, Merlin could tell. Though he did not speak it. He sighed, giving him a tired smile, "Well, you'd better get a move on, then."

    Merlin eyed him, curious as to what kept him up all night▬but decided better against it and started his way to the door. But instead of heading for the markets, the young warlock took a turn deep down into the dungeons.

    He travelled down the long, dark staircase at a rush▬taking the pathway he has unfortunately come to know very well since he's arrived here. It didn't take him long to reach the open gate and Merlin stepped into the dark cavern, brandishing the torch he had lit into the emptiness, searching for the Great Dragon amongst the shadows.

    "Hello?!" he called out, not prepared to waste any time.

    His jacket billowed in the wind as the Great Dragon decided to show himself. He descended down from the shadowy heights and landed onto the large boulder in the centre of his prison. The chains at his ankles scraped the stone.

    "Hello," he said calmly, settling himself into a comfortable position. "What questions have you come to ask me, young warlock?"

    Merlin pursed his lips, a little hesitant. He shuffled on his feet and glanced around him▬scared that for some estranged chance, someone would be listening.

    The Great Dragon frowned, "What is it, Merlin? Something seems to be troubling you."

    Merlin took a deep breath and turned to stare him in his yellow eyes. "I ..." he frowned, "I'm not too sure. I▬I ... I think someone has magic▬I felt it. With a mere brush of a touch."

    The dragon nodded with a hum of understanding. Merlin's brows furrowed deeper, watching the beast with curious anticipation. "You speak of the Lady Adelynn Vecentia."

    Merlin's eyes widened, taken aback. He didn't expect the Great Dragon to know what he meant straight away▬or perhaps he didn't expect to be proven right. He swallowed harshly, "So ... so what I felt▬that power ... that ... that's her's? Ronyn's sister has magic?"

    "Of a kind, yes."

    "Of a powerful kind?" Merlin searched the creature's gaze for more answers; his breath hitched in the back of his throat. "I▬I've never felt something like that. It▬it burned at the touch. It was so overwhelming I felt ... I felt like I couldn't breathe... What magic could that possibly be?"

    The Great Dragon seemed to shrug, "That▬I suppose▬is up to you," he told him wisely.

    Merlin made a face. That wasn't an answer▬all that brought him was more questions. (Though, was he surprised at this point?). "What is that supposed to mean?"

    "You must keep an eye on the young Vecentia, Merlin," advised the Great Dragon. "Your destinies are entwined▬without her, your ambition for Albion will never be achieved, and without you, she will never know the true extent of her powers, and what she must do."

    "But ..." Merlin was confused▬he felt heavy at the chest, not sure what this was supposed to give him; what aid it brought. He had no idea what it meant, what he was supposed to do. "But ... I don't know her. She▬she doesn't know who I am."

    "Then you must change that."

    The young warlock let out a breath, continuing to frown at the dragon. A thought struck him, and a lump started to form in his chest. Soft, vulnerable, Merlin asked, "Does that mean ... does that mean she's like me? Are we the same?"

    The Great Dragon pondered this. "Perhaps in some ways, you are. In others, you are not."

    "Then what am I supposed to do?" Merlin threw his arms out, growing aggravated with the lack of closed-ended answers. "Tell her of her magic? Help her? I barely can contain my own magic! And who's to say she'll even believe me? She'll tell Uther and I'll be executed!"

    But the Great Dragon just shuffled his wings▬he raised them, ready to leave him, "When the time comes, Great Warlock, you will know."

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    EDWIN REALLY SEEMED to be welcoming the hospitality the King was showing him, and Odette didn't like it one bit. She watched Merlin trail after him instead of Arthur and her stomach boiled with suspicious fury. Odette kept her mouth shut with festering bitterness, knowing that if she spoke a word to anyone, they wouldn't believe her. He had saved the Lady Morgana's life▬shouldn't you be delighted? They'd ask her. Shouldn't you be relieved?

    She held no evidence▬she held nothing more than the churn in the pit of her stomach at the way he walked, the way his cloak draped off his shoulders like shadows, the way he glanced and the way he smiled▬the way he talked, twisting his tongue like a serpent to steer a conversation exactly where he wanted it to go.

    He had made Gaius look incompetent▬made the King stare at him with horror and distrust. Odette hated Edwin for that. She truly thought that of all people, Merlin would believe her▬would watch him with just the same wariness and dislike; but for some reason, the warlock held Edwin in high, glittering admiration. And no matter what Odette said, he did not listen.

    And she had this terrible feeling he knew. Edwin knew she didn't like him▬and he did not care. Why should he? She was just a servant. The small, brittle handmaiden of the Lady Morgana who blessed him with everything she had for saving her life. She could never say a word.

    Something wasn't right▬she just knew, and she couldn't do anything about it. She didn't have much of a voice, she didn't have a place of power, Odette didn't have magic▬she didn't have anything. She had no means to stop whatever plan Edwin Muirden was stirring underneath his long, modest robes.

    And even worse, Odette knew Gaius didn't trust him either. She knew he disliked him▬and he had the power (at least, more power than her) to do something, and yet he kept his mouth shut and he turned a blind eye; letting this man walk all over him ... taint his good reputation and love within this castle to nothing.

    Odette wanted nothing more than to storm over and smack the smug look behind Edwin's gentile gaze as he bowed before the King in the council chambers. Uther had summoned the Court in light of Edwin's reevaluation of Gaius's notes and work▬and Odette attended at Morgana's side, quiet but fuming where she stood.

    "I have been through the court medical records with a fine-toothed comb, Sire," informed Edwin, nodding his head respectfully towards the King, and his son and Ward that sat either side of him.

    "And were your findings satisfactory?" asked the King.

    Odette briefly shared a quick look with Gwen▬the two of them unsure on where this was to lead; but they both knew it wouldn't be good. At least Gwen believed her. She held just as much suspicion as Odette did, perhaps even more▬frowning back at the young stranger with a calculating gaze.

    Edwin sighed, linking his fingers together with a mournful shake of his head. Odette scoffed to herself and rolled her eyes. Arthur heard her, subtly glancing over. "With regret, I would have to say they were not."

    Uther sat up at these words▬his laissez slouch in his seat at the many announcements of how much corn farmers were growing distant in his mind turning rigid. He leaned forward, and Odette chewed at her tongue, wondering how a man could find such amusement in his day at the thought of the incrimination of somebody else▬even his good friend. "How so?" he demanded, his gloved fingers gripping the edge of his regal wooden seat.

    The quick back-track Edwin made was infuriating. He chuckled, holding out his hands in a placating manner as if the last thing he wanted to do was tell lies▬to ruin a man's honour without him even standing within the room. Odette took a sharp breath, trying her very best to hide her displeasure in front of Morgana and the court. She noticed Ronyn across the room, his doublet loose over his injured arm. Odette was grateful when she saw him bounce his brows subtly to her▬he was just as aggravated by this man's words as her.

    There was a breath of relief within her chest.

    "Gaius is a great man▬" began Edwin, words soft and long: sand falling through a slow hourglass. "Thorough and dedicated..." he trailed off, leaving perfect doubt, and the King fell into his trap way too easily.

    "But?"

    Yet again, Edwin sighed▬as if the very thought of speaking his next words brought him immense pain. "His methods are outdated; he has failed to keep up with the latest developments. This has led to a number of ..." his gaze wandered to Morgana who had to look away, "... errors."

    Uther pursed his lips. He shifted in his seat, and Odette saw reluctance flicker within his gaze▬she prayed it was some goodness and consideration for a man who has been more loyal to him than he probably should be. Who saw the good in Uther Pendragon amongst everything else. Gaius did not deserve this. The King's grip on the arm of his chair tightened, "Gaius ..." he began thoughtfully▬not quite sure what to believe, "has served me well for over twenty-five years."

    "And one cannot blame him for the infirmity those years have brought," added Edwin quickly. "Age ... can be a terrible curse..."

    Odette could see Uther considering Edwin's words. She clenched her hands, growing more and more angry by the second▬it was a good thing that Gwen reached out to gently grasp her dress sleeve, calming her down.

    "Perhaps ..." murmured the King, "... it is time to lighten his burdens."

    Immediately▬without hesitation, as if knowing exactly how those words would spark fury within her, Arthur locked Odette's gaze from his chair with a scowl of his own that said, don't. She bit her tongue so harshly, she wondered whether what she tasted was blood. Gwen held her sleeve tighter, though despite her anger▬despite everything that made Odette want to speak up, she held her tongue. She kept her fury down. She took a deep breath and spoke not a single word.

    The King took a sharp breath through his nose and nodded, "Have you given any more thought to my offer?" he asked Edwin.

    The physician smiled a little. "Yes," he said simply. "I have considered it very carefully."

    "Allow me some time to do the same."

    Edwin bowed lowly, dipping his knees to the floor before swiftly spinning on his heel and gliding out of the room. Odette scowled at his back as he left, hoping that maybe if she thought hard and long enough, she could burn a hole right through.

    Gwen rubbed her arm comfortingly, trying to soothe her as much as possible.

    The King stood from his throne and wandered the length of the hall, reaching for the jug of water on a silver platter. The council had adjourned for the time being, and both Morgana and Arthur stood in following▬the latter stretching his legs and turning to murmur to some nobles hidden to the side. Morgana, however, headed straight for the King, having seen the pained and livid looks upon her young handmaiden's face.

    "Uther, you can't do this," she begged, still a little weary and still a little slow, but filled with the ever-the-same determination and fire as always.

    "You heard what he said," answered the King, pouring himself a drink. Odette tried very hard to make it seem like she wasn't listening. "Gaius is old. He makes mistakes."

    "Gaius has treated me since before I can remember," whispered his ward, gentle and upset. She briefly glanced at Odette who quickly looked down to her feet, turning away to Guinevere and pulling her a little to the side▬knowing the King's answer already and hating it. "You can't cast him out."

    Uther spun onto his ward▬his voice soft, but stern; with no room for negotiation, "You would have died if your care had been left to him." Morgana's lips pursed, her brows lifting at the sudden ferocious care the King held. "That's something I could not bear."

    "I know that, but▬"

    "I cannot risk something like this happening again," said the King. And that was the final verdict.

    Morgana sighed, but let it be. She looked back over to Odette, and she shook her head▬with the deepest apologies and sympathies. It didn't matter the end result, Odette was just glad she tried.

    Once they were dismissed to leave, Odette followed Morgana and Guinevere back to her chambers▬though she never made it there. As she fell behind a little, lost in her thoughts and kicking her slippers against the stone tiles with misery, a voice called out in the empty corridor.

    "Odette."

    She was surprised. She glanced around, very confused to hear Arthur call out her name so easily in the castle corridor. Odette awkwardly stopped in her place, fixing her skirts and bowing her head as he walked up to her. "My Lord. How can I help you? Is there anything you need done?"

    Arthur's brows bounced, "There's a lot I need done," he said, then sent her a small, amused smile that was crooked with mirth, "but Merlin can deal with it."

    Odette nodded. She knew he was trying to joke, but she didn't particularly trust it▬she didn't know why he was talking to her. Even if they stood alone in the corridor with the lords and ladies of the court heading back to their homes and chambers in the hallway adjacent and Morgana around the corner ... Princes didn't just speak to servants, even if they knew one another as children and shared glances when no one else was watching.

    His smile slowly faded, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. Arthur cleared his throat softly and looked down to his shoes. He clasped his hands behind his back, "I▬uh▬I know the thought of Gaius being dismissed of his role must be tough for you, Odette. But do not worry, he will still be looked after, I'll make sure of it."

    Her brows furrowed, not sure how to take his words. Part of her was angry that he just believed Edwin's word over Gaius's work the past many, many years, and yet the other part of her was touched he went out of his way to tell her this. Neither of which was wise to feel, but somehow, it was easier to step forward head-strong with the first.

    "Don't make sure he's just looked after," argued Odette gently, "make sure his livelihood▬his very work is still his own."

    Knowing immediately what she was asking of him, Arthur closed his eyes, frustrated. "Odette▬"

    "Gaius is a good physician," she pleaded. "He▬he's served very well. He's▬he's▬"

    "Don't expect so much of me," The Prince cut her off, annoyed with her hopeful, naive nature that always seemed to project onto him with expectation of him to achieve it. "The King made his decision▬you must respect that. We all must respect that. I'm not going to be your miracle worker, Odette."

    She bit her tongue, swallowing back the want to snap right back at his aggravating face. Odette clenched her hands and looked away, taking a sharp breath through her nose. She may find him frustrating and his chiding tone annoying, but the truth was, Odette listened to it. She listened to him and she respected him▬even if he made it very hard half of the time.

    But Odette grew stubborn. She chewed on the inside of her cheek, going over the want to say her next words with a bitter hesitance. She shouldn't say it, she shouldn't say it, she won't say it▬

    As Arthur went to leave her, turning away, the young handmaiden burst out, "Respect is to be earned."

    The young Prince looked over his shoulder, surprised to hear her say it. His eyes widened, slowly turning to stare at Odette as she wouldn't meet him his gaze▬too scared and too afraid of what she'll see as she spoke what she truly wanted to say.

    "Respect is to be earned," she said again to the floor. "It cannot be forced by title▬not by a sword, nor a throne nor a diamond crown. Respect is given when it is deserved. And not before."

    Arthur was taken aback. He found himself unable to say a word as he stared at the handmaiden who had learnt to bite her tongue, who always shunned her eyes away and became hidden to everyone who didn't know her▬and even, sometimes, to those who did. And yet, as he heard her speak; truly speak, Arthur instead saw the girl he once knew, who wasn't afraid of anything. Who followed them into the dark and up the tallest of stairwells▬who ran head-on into the locked door with the wild thought that she might just break it open.

    And here she stood again; in a different way, but still very much the same.

    She fiddled with her fingers, nervous as she continued. Cautious, her gaze flickered up to his, "You're the Prince," muttered Odette shyly. "One day, you will be King▬if you want to earn the respect of your people as I know you do, deep down, then you must follow what you believe is right without fear. You must make the decisions and fight for what is within your heart as well as your head. And you must start now ... or you'll never become the ruler you wish to be."

    Odette finished, flushed and with a bowed head▬too fearful of his reaction and prepared to make a run for it to Morgana's protection. She quickly added a soft, "My Lord," to make it seem more respectful.

    She waited for him to say something. For him to even move▬but Prince Arthur stood still and he stood silent. His gaze, though, it had become piercing; burning even ... making Odette hot at the cheeks and at her ears▬knowing that she had spoken in a way she shouldn't have, and yet, she felt no regret in order to take it back.

    So, slowly and gingerly, the Lady Morgana's youngest handmaiden peered back at the Prince and found him already staring at her ... and she didn't know how to describe it. Odette blinked ... it reminded her very much of the gaze he wore back on those training grounds ... and yet softer ... surprised, but at the same time▬quite as if in awe.

    Odette blurted out, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

    And just like that, Arthur snapped out of it. He frowned at her, incredulous, "Looking at you like what?" he rebutted.

    "I don't know," she said to him, "you were the one who looked at me."

    The Prince scoffed, "No, you looked at me."

    "I did not look at you▬it was you▬"

    "And how did I look at you, Odette?" his response was curt and stern. Odette huffed, annoyed by it. "Tell me."

    She went to answer, but held herself back, brows knitting together as she watched the way he suddenly dismissed it all▬as if it never happened.

    So she held back. The courage she had just moments before ceased▬and Odette went through her alphabetical list of everything she very much disliked about Arthur Pendragon. "I should return to Morgana," she dismissed herself with a sharp curtsy and spun on her heel, storming off after her mistress.

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ODETTE HADN'T changed anything. She knew she wouldn't have. But part of her wished what she said to Arthur had made him plead an argument for his father not to push Gaius to the side. It made her frustrated that he didn't. He told her not to expect much of him▬that he would not be her miracle worker, and it was a painful jab to her nature. He was telling her to be realistic, to not be so naive. But Odette didn't expect more than what he should be. What he already was, even if he didn't see it, or chose to ignore it because he felt like he couldn't be such. She expected him to be himself despite all of his faults. She knew he didn't want Gaius to be dismissed. He knew he didn't want it.

    He was their future King one day, and Odette knew he was going to be a better man than his father▬she hoped it, prayed for it, believed in it. The thought of it kept her going, deep down amongst it all. She wanted Arthur to prove her right. She wanted him to be a future King, not just a boyish Prince.

    But it was obvious to Odette that it didn't really matter what she wanted and what she thought.

    Because Gaius was still dismissed. More than twenty-five years of service, and he was pushed aside for a stranger after one mistake▬Odette refused to believe any of the words out of Edwin's lips of years of faults. Gaius was the best individual the royal family could ever be lucky enough to have.

    She found out from Merlin▬though she knew it was coming. He had overheard it from the servants' entrance to the council room. He had watched Uther make the verdict with fury in the pit of his stomach and rushed to tell Odette, tugging her aside near the kitchens.

    "Uther can't do that," Merlin was saying, so utterly furious he was flushed and heaving. "He▬he can't do that to Gaius! He's an idiot!"

    "Keep your voice down!" Odette scolded him gently, taking his arm and squeezing it as the two of them briefly glanced at a pair of guards passing by. The group of them shared an awkward exchange. The guards' eyes were dubious behind their helmets, but they let the two servants be. It had gotten around the castle that Arthur's manservant was rather estranged and loud▬ridiculous and impulsive. Though, they couldn't give a care about her always with him▬she should be grateful for that ... for once. The last thing she needed is to be deemed idiotic just by association. "I swear to God, Merlin▬you'll end up with your head on the chopping block not for your magic, but for your loud mouth."

    He sighed but then continued in a softer tone, dipping down to whisper to her at her height. "You must find this absurd and horrible."

    "Of course, I do," Odette hung her head. "I was there when the King considered the thought▬"

    "Considered," scoffed Merlin, shaking his head. "The King holds little consideration▬"

    "▬I tried to speak to Arthur but he wouldn't listen▬"

    "▬How many times do I need to tell you such? He's a dollophead▬"

    "▬and I thought he'd try to defend Gaius's honour but ..." Odette shrugged, growing sad in the eyes. She squeezed Merlin's arm again, trying to comfort the both of them. "But apparently not."

    Merlin sighed once more. He saw the disappointment across Odette's features over the Prince▬it made him want to go off at him for breaking her hope down, but instead, Merlin found himself doing his best to remedy it. "Perhaps he did," he said to his friend. "If he has any sort of sense▬and he must have, if he survived this long without myself▬" Odette breathed a light chuckle, rolling her eyes at his words, "▬then I'm sure he tried, but you know the King, he's even more stubborn. Arthur might be an arrogant prat▬"

    "Merlin..." she chuckled with a light scolding tone; it was half-hearted.

    "▬But he isn't his father," finished the Prince's manservant. "I've learnt that much."

    Odette nodded. He was right. She knew that. She just wished Arthur showed it more. "I know," she mumbled. "I know he isn't..."

    "But we can still do something about it," Merlin said▬to himself more than anyone else. He grew determined; the anger started to return. "We have to do something about it." He took her arm. "Come on."

    Odette frowned, though she had little choice but to follow with Merlin's hand wrapped tight around her elbow. "Merlin▬but I▬I have to wash Morgana's dresses ..." her reason was futile; Merlin wasn't listening. Morgana's dresses unfortunately would have to wait.

    He dragged her back up the stairwells towards the physician's tower. Merlin did not let go of her arm until they were at Gaius's door, though she did not struggle. She presumed Merlin needed her; he needed her support, the feel of her arm to know that she was with him wherever this took him. She was his friend▬she'll always be there when he needed her, just like he'll always be there for her. And in this moment, she believed they both needed each other. Gaius meant so much to them each; in many similar ways, and in many different ones, too.

    They found him in his chambers▬he wandered around the room as if nothing had happened. Nonchalant, casual▬checking his stock on his shelves and dusting his fingers along the names written on many vials and clay pots.

    Odette didn't know what it will be like, not to come to these rooms and find him like this▬to have a kind word of advice, to always have a place to go to if she had nowhere else; someone who will offer her food on a table and a bed to sleep in. Who mentored her when she was young, read her books and showed her his notes on botany and medicine▬it didn't matter if she was a young girl. He doted on her and looked after her whenever her mother couldn't. And he still did.

    "Gaius," Merlin left the door swinging ajar as he let go of Odette's arm and marched towards his uncle. The physician glanced up, setting a few vials on the table in front of him, "Uther cannot do this to you! You tried to save Morgana▬"

    "Uther is not to blame," stated Gaius simply. He folded up a blanket and set it into a wooden chest.

    Merlin shook his head. Odette came to stand beside him, fiddling with her surcoat. He glanced at her, as if expecting her to say something. She didn't. He pursed his lips and decided himself: "I will speak to Edwin." He nodded at Gaius. "You can work together."

    "No," he replied▬rather sharply. It surprised the two servants who stared at him, confused. "You mustn't do anything."

    "But▬Gaius▬" Odette's voice was small, like it always is, "▬we can't just ... we can't just let Uther do this to you."

    Gaius sighed at them▬gentle, caring. He sent the two young servants a sad smile. He set his hands against the edge of his chest, "Uther's right," he told them. "It is time I stepped down." He reached out to grab a cloak he had folded on the table beside him, and it was then that Odette finally focused on what he was doing.

    Her brows furrowed. Something tightened in her chest. She watched him set it with the other things packed in his chest▬blankets, a water skin, tunics and food provisions. She knew what he was doing, but she didn't tell herself it was true. The tight feeling in her chest travelled up to her throat. Odette's voice grew even smaller, "What▬" her breath hitched; she grew a little frantic, "▬what are you doing?"

    Merlin noticed, too. His eyes widened. Every thread of anger, every thread of determination dropped; snapped away from him and fell far away. At first, he did not believe it. But it was true.

    "I cannot stay when there's no longer a use for me," answered Gaius.

    Stammering a few words, the two friends shared another glance; they did not know what to say. Or what to do. The thought of Gaius losing his work was devastating, for they understood to which medicine and healing was his life. But to lose him? That was even more so.

    "You're ... you're not leaving?" said Merlin, his voice stuck in the back of his throat.

    "You can't," added Odette, her heart starting to race with fresh fear. He couldn't leave. He couldn't leave Camelot▬he couldn't leave them.

    Gaius's shoulders fell sightly, watching the way they were stunned▬dumbstruck, even, with the idea of possibly not seeing him again. "I believe it is for the best."

    Merlin frowned to himself. His eyes darted here and there, until he swallowed hard and stated, "Then I will come with you."

     Odette's brows lifted▬her heart rose up her throat. She stared at Merlin, and she then stared at Gaius. Losing one, and now she might lose the other? She couldn't say goodbye to the both of them.

     Then don't, she told herself.

    But she couldn't leave Camelot. Could she? Leave the one place that she has lived in for her entire life. Odette knew nothing else. Nor could she leave Morgana ... and yet, still, she felt the sudden urge to say that she will come, too; will leave it all behind to stay with them.

    It was a starting realisation for her to come by.

    Gaius smiled once more at the two of them; sad, but accepting. He knew better than either of them that their places were here in Camelot▬it was not Destiny's words, or the word of another, it was his own instinct; his own belief. There was something special about the both of them. They were both meant for something great. Even if they were still children now, one day, they might just grow into something memorable.

    The physician tilted his head, "Merlin, Odette," he said to them, "you are like children to me. I never expected such a blessing so late in life."

    Odette choked up at his words. Tears brewed in her gaze and she blinked them away. She lost her family. She lost her parents when she was a mere few weeks old in a way she rather not think about. She lost the woman who took her in, her true mother, when she was thirteen▬taken from her too soon, and so suddenly. And now when she was given someone else▬someone who saw her as his own child; a daughter he was never given ... she was also about to watch him go. And it hurt just as much as it made her be filled with happiness. It was a bittersweet wound; so painful and yet she'll find herself be met with it again without objection. She'd be struck with that sword again and again until she bled dry to feel the breath of family▬of a home.

    Merlin didn't need to glance her way, or even hear her words to know she thought the same as him when he spoke: "And you are more than a father to us."

    The physician stepped around the table and approached the young servants▬two people still trying to find their place in this dark world. And already, they seemed to brighten it for him. "Then, as a father," said Gaius, "I must tell you, you must remain here. Camelot is where you belong."

    "You belong here, too."

    "Not anymore." Gaius set his hands upon Merlin's shoulders. He gave them a gentle, fatherly shake. "Merlin, you must promise me you will not waste your gifts."

    The warlock shook his head. A tear fell down his cheek; his voice was heavy, "My gifts mean nothing without you to guide me."

    "You have a great destiny," said Gaius warmly. "If I have had a small part to play in that, then I am pleased."

    He reached out to squeeze Odette's shoulder as well. She sniffled, shaking her head▬she didn't want this to happen. This couldn't happen. "Gaius," she begged softly, "Please..."

    "You will make your way in this life," he decided to tell her, giving her a sweet smile. "It is one of the few things I am sure of."

    "How can I?" she croaked. "Without you to advise me? You can't leave, Gaius."

    He stepped back, "I'm afraid I am leaving here tonight," he decided. "And there's nothing you can do or say that can persuade me otherwise."

    Merlin wasn't happy with this. He gritted his teeth and he set his jaw. When Gaius said nothing else and turned back to his chest, the warlock wouldn't have any of it. "I will not let this happen," he announced before storming right out of the chambers.

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THE SOUND HAUNTED Adelynn.

    She dreamt about it; heard it whisper to her through the bed sheets she covered over her ears. Mistook her maid's words for the scuttling of insects as she told her it was a bad idea to sneak out once more in her cloak. "Milady, if you were to ask your brother," her maid▬who, older, often acted more of a babysitter than a handmaiden▬told her as she sat there, quite distant as the sound seemed to get louder and louder as she did, "I'm sure he would accompany you to the castle."

    "No, he wouldn't," she had murmured as she did, her fingers drawing lines on her table. "He'd ask questions."

    Adelynn hadn't told her maid why she wanted to head into the citadel so desperately yet again. Even though she told Claudia quite a lot▬she had no one else to talk to during her lonesome days▬, she had this gut feeling deep within the pit of her stomach that made her wary. It wasn't becoming to speak the truth that one heard imaginary beetles scuttling at every breath. Sounds that no one else seemed to hear.

    And yet, she could not call them imaginary. She could not call them the creation of her mundane life to add something interesting to wake up to. Adelynn knew they were very much real. She didn't know how, she didn't know why▬she just knew. And as the days passed since Morgana's recovery, she heard them more, and more, and more▬until they were deafening.

    And somehow▬some way▬the sound of the beetles were linked to the King's favourite new physician: Edwin Muirden. She had heard them, in that box in his chambers before Prince Arthur's manservant had caught her. She knew that was where the sound came from; the beetles were inside that box, and yet, she heard them from here. She could hear them down from the castle windows into her brother's manor in the Upper Town. That shouldn't be possible. That was ... strange ... almost ...

    Where her mind went next for an explanation was too scary▬too outrageous ... too dangerous. And yet, it was exactly the reason why Adelynn did not speak a word about any of it.

    But she was here, in the castle again.

    She didn't come to sneak into his chambers again; to see the box that the sound came from. Adelynn waited for the sight of the Prince's manservant▬it was strange; the feeling that resonated deep within her. It was scary. It was dangerous ... and yet it seemed to draw her straight back to him. He who she didn't know anything about except that he had bravely risked his life for Arthur, and almost died for it. She knew nothing about him, but at the same time, she felt as if they were similar in a way she could not yet describe.

    They couldn't be more further apart from being the same. She knew that much ... so why was she standing here, waiting for him outside of Edwin's chambers hidden in the shadows? What could she possibly accomplish by doing this?

    Perhaps it was because he had caught her. He had found her inside Edwin's chambers and she had a feeling▬no, she was sure▬he had somehow felt the same overwhelming sound she had; the same burn to her veins.

    Adelynn couldn't even begin to understand what that meant, let alone find the courage to try.

    That thought haunted her more than the sounds did.

    Though, when Edwin left his chambers, Merlin was not with him. Adelynn watched the physician pass, and she trembled▬the sounds grew overwhelming; like the castle's warning bell pounding in her ears and within her chest. She wondered whether they were warning her against him.

    She stood there, waiting in the shadows▬not that she could move. Adelynn closed her eyes, fighting the headache she received; like something was trying to break through her skull. The youngest Vecentia pressed her fingers against her temple, crouching down to try and make it stop. It grew and it grew▬she knew something was going to happen; something bad. It filled up within her, until she was burning; a fire lit up inside and Adelynn clenched her hands against the sides of her head▬

    She couldn't hold it in any longer. Her eyes snapped open and the blood ran to her head▬the crash! startled her. Adelynn gasped, jumping to her feet and staring at the vase opposite the corridor into Edwin's room that had shattered to the floor. Its pieces scattered the floor around his table; from a vase that had been sitting right in the centre of the table, in a room with no window open, and no one to push it over.

    Her eyes widened▬her heart started to pound, telling her something she didn't want to admit. Adelynn knew she needed to get out of here, and so she did. Once more, she ran. She ran through the hallways that were quite deserted this time in the afternoon right before evening to find a place to hide.

    Down, past the barracks and onto the fields of the training grounds, the boy she was in search for tried with his last desperation to stop Gaius from leaving. He stood, anxious as he watched Arthur practice his stance and footwork in front of a straw dummy dressed up in old and scratched armour and chainmail.

    The Prince hadn't spared him much of a glance, having gotten used to his servant appearing quite out of nowhere to jabber in his ear when he really shouldn't be.

    Though, he grew annoyed as Merlin pleaded the same case Odette had▬the two of them must've discussed it, grumbled about it. And now, his manservant believed he could have a second go and trying to get Arthur to do what they wanted.

    He didn't want Gaius to leave. He didn't want his father to dismiss him, and he didn't want to say 'no' to Merlin and Odette. But Arthur wished they understood that just as much as they were his father's subjects, so was he. There was a fine line between a father and a King, and a son and a Prince. Arthur couldn't defy the King's verdicts once they've been made, even if he was his father ... even if he was the Prince.

    "I can't understand why Uther would sack him over one mistake," said Merlin, watching Arthur slowly twist his wrist, practicing the same swing a few times.

    Arthur clenched his jaw, "I already told Odette I can't do anything."

    "One mistake▬"

    He shot him a scowl over his shoulder ... only for it to fail when he noticed the pained look upon Merlin's face. Arthur pursed his lips, and his anger washed away. He sighed and said, "A mistake that nearly killed Morgana. Besides, it wasn't the only one."

    Merlin frowned at this. "What do you mean?"

    Arthur was careful when he told Merlin the truth▬knowing it will hurt him. Regrettably, he sort of cared about Merlin's feelings. Which was very inconvenient. "Edwin said his work was riddled with errors.

    Immediately, his manservant shook his head. Arthur expected. "That▬that's nonsense."

    "No one wants Gaius to go," Arthur told him, growing a little more stern. "I'll tell you what I told Odette: my father has made his decision. There is nothing anyone can do."

    He struck his blade into the grass and walked past him. Merlin watched Arthur go, grinding his teeth with frustration.

    He left, too, storming back into the castle. He thought about finding Odette and figuring out another course of action. He didn't want to be in those chambers alone▬and how long would those chambers even be his once Gaius leaves? Merlin didn't want to think about it▬about any of it. Gaius couldn't leave. They couldn't do this to him.

    Merlin clenched his hands as he marched up the stairs into the castle. He slipped inside without much more than a glance at the guards who offered to hold open the door for him even if he was just a servant. He mulled over everything▬how was he going to fix this? There had to be a way he could persuade Edwin to then persuade the King. They could work together▬they could learn from one another.

    When a hand suddenly reached out and grasped his wrist, Merlin was so surprised, he barely comprehended anything as he was pulled into an alcove. His breath hitched, ready to struggle until he noticed the wide eyes of a girl who should not be here; dressed in her maid's cloak once more. Adelynn Vecentia stared at him▬and he realised, with a jolt to his chest, she looked terrified.

    Just from her touch; her fingers around his wrist, Merlin could feel it. He could feel her magic like a firestorm through his veins. He remembered what the Great Dragon told him about her, and Merlin was apprehensive. He didn't know what to say, or what to do▬he has never quite stared back at a magic user he could sense to be so similar to himself. He thought he was one of a kind; he thought he was alone, and destined to always be alone.

    But how could he help her? He, a servant and she, the sister of a rich, prestigious lord? Would she listen to him? Would she even consider a word he had to say? Merlin wanted to help. That fear in her eyes, he knew that fear▬he knew it like an old, dark friend. He wanted to help her ... he just didn't know how.

    But she had sought him out. And he was pretty sure she didn't quite know why, either, but she felt it just as he did. Magic bound kin together; just like Merlin found the Great Dragon just days after he arrived in Camelot, Adelynn may as well have found him▬even if she didn't realise it, yet.

    "Merlin," she said in a hitched whisper. Her voice trembled. Her grip quivered. "M▬Merlin you▬you must do something."

    He frowned at her, startled and confused, "Do what?"

    Her eyes were frantic. Merlin grew frantic with them. He tried to stay calm for her sake, but the way she clung onto him, it started to scare him, too. "What happened, Adelynn?" he lowered his voice, forgetting titles and politeness.

    "I▬I hear them," she managed. "The▬the insects. They're getting louder and▬and I think▬I think▬I think Edwin's going to do something. I don't▬I don't know I just ... I don't trust him. He's going to do something▬something bad. You have to stop him."

    Merlin felt dread settle within his stomach. His brows furrowed deeper, not sure what to think▬what she told him: he had heard those insects, and Edwin had said they had saved Morgana's life. He wasn't a terrible person▬he had magic, just like him. But at the look in Adelynn's eye, she truly believed something terrible was about to happen because of him. And somehow, she trusted Merlin to stop it. She might not even realise it, but she must trust him ... or understand enough to tell him something that even she knew wasn't normal, and yet he recognised.

    And he could tell that scared her, too.

    He didn't say anything. He didn't know what to do▬he didn't know how to heed the Great Dragon's advice, or what it truly meant. Slowly, Merlin tugged his wrist out of her grip, leaving her stranded there, upset and without an answer.

    Merlin felt terrible, leaving her there and continuing down the hallway. But just as much as it seemed to overwhelm her, the thought of her magic without even understanding what it was, it was just the same for him. And he did understand. And just stepping away▬just distancing himself, gave him the chance to finally breathe.

    Though he found himself glancing back. Merlin's eyes wandered over his shoulder to where he knew Adelynn hid in the alcove, feeling the sudden urge to rush back over and tell her what it all meant▬why she heard those insects in her ears.

    But just as the Great Dragon had told him: he would know the time to tell her.

    And now▬he knew▬wasn't it.

    As evening dawned upon Camelot, turning the sky from dusk to dark, midnight clouds, most eyes drifted off to sleep▬but not that of servants. They worked into the late hours of the night, making it through to the morning with barely any hours of rest. But Merlin and Odette were up for different reasons. They sat together in the kitchens, washing sheets together within wooden basins filled with warm water that had started to turn cold. Odette scrubbed the bedsheets in the water mixed with lye until her hands often went raw. They often did this together in late afternoon to make the lye with left over wood ash from the bread oven and water before cleaning both Morgana and Arthur's sheets, clothes and other things. Then, they'd help them retire and get up early in the morning to finish the rest and dry them out. Gwen often joined and they'd discuss everything that happened during the day. But this evening, their minds were somewhere else. For Gaius was no longer spending this night in the physician's chamber, and instead spent it under the stars.

    "What are you going to do?" Odette decided to ask after a small while, pulling her hands out of the water to flex her fingers▬they ached from clenching around the cloth for so long.

    Merlin hung his head. His sleeves were rolled up past his elbows. "I don't know..." he murmured. "I came here to find Gaius to help me. Without him, I ... I don't know what to do ... or where to go ..." He pursed his lips and furrowed his brows. "I ... I feel lost▬and he has not been gone more than one evening ... how can I survive for longer?"

    Odette didn't know▬for she didn't know how she'll manage without Gaius, either. But if they both didn't know where they were to go from here, surely that must mean that they weren't alone? With this thought on her mind, she reached out to take her friend's hand. She squeezed it. "But we still have each other. We will find our way, I am sure of it. And I am here to help show you where to go so you are not lost."

    Merlin managed a small, sad smile. He nodded and held his other hand over hers. "And I, you," he promised her.

    "Forever, ever and ever," promised Odette, and she meant it▬with every ounce of her being.

    "With all the strawberries to give," added Merlin and she chuckled. Hearing that, she knew that everything will be all right.

    Through thick and thin▬through everything they have been through in such a short time, and all that they will go through, Odette knew from this moment on, that she will always have Merlin to help her through it. And he will always have her. From the very second she had learnt of his magic the first day she met him, the two of them knew Destiny had somehow brought them together▬they were meant to have each other's backs. It was fate.

    After a final smile and a final squeeze of his hand, Odette returned to the basin in front of her. She went to dip her hands back inside when pounding footsteps ran to the kitchens entrance. Both servants glanced up, startled to find Arthur skid to a stop on the stone, breathless and flushed. He looked desperately relieved to have found them.

    "Merlin! Odette!" he gestured wildly to where they sat together, wide-eyed at his urgency. "My father has Morgana's illness! We must find Edwin!"

    Immediately, the two servants forgot their evening chores and rushed to follow the Prince out of the kitchens. As they reached the staircase back to the main floor of the castle did the group of them split. Arthur went sprinting one way while Odette and Merlin raced down the other. As they ran towards Edwin's chambers, Odette noticed a strange look on the young warlock's face▬like all that he dreaded had somehow come true. She had no time to ask him how that could come to be.

   They climbed the staircase to the physician's chambers three at a time. Merlin tugged Odette up when she had trouble with her shorter legs. Their boots and slippers thundered down the stone floor. Odette's skirts were clenched in her hands.

    When they reached Edwin's chambers, they slowed down in confusion. Odette suddenly felt rather hot▬smoke sweeping down the hallway made her let out a stifled cough, covering her nose and squinting her eyes. There was a burning light glaring out underneath Edwin's door▬the smoke followed it.

    Odette and Merlin shared a startled glance before running straight for his chambers.

    The warlock burst open the door and the sight inside made Odette hold back a horrified gasp. She coughed, swiping away the smoke from a fire that circled around the centre stone columns within Edwin's chambers. It burned straight from the floor with nothing to light it▬it did not stretch from the fireplace; but conjured out from thin air to wrap around somebody trapped inside. Dazed and in a haze from the heat and smoke▬Odette realised with a drop of her stomach▬was Gaius. And standing above him, controlling the flames with the slow raise of his hand, was Edwin. He didn't look so humble or kind now▬under the glow of his fire, he looked devilish.

    Merlin held a breathless moment of surprise▬hurt by the sight to be proven wrong by someone else just like him. But he clenched his jaw, he pushed it down. He stepped in front of Odette and demanded an answer from Edwin with a deadly tone, "What are you doing?"

    "He was trying to kill the King!" rasped Gaius from behind the dungeon of fire. He struggled to sit straighter, trying to shuffle away from the flames that started to close in. Odette wanted to cry out, desperate to find something to snuff them out▬to find a way to reach him from the other side. "I couldn't let him!"

    Edwin was not deterred by the sight of two servants. He kept his hand risen before Gaius, lazy as he continued to raise the flames higher. He peered at Merlin who kept a hand out to stop Odette from stepping forward. She did not have magic, she would not be able to fight someone who did▬no matter how much she wanted to grab a candlestick and crash it over the back of Edwin's head.

    Edwin Muirden smiled, amused, when he did. He chuckled at the very sight of Merlin's scowl. He was just a boy. "I can rule the kingdom now," said the physician, wistful▬drawing long on his tongue to try and grasp Merlin's attention, "with you at my side. We can be all powerful."

    Merlin didn't hesitate for even a moment, "Release him!" he ordered.

    Edwin sighed, shaking his head with a chiding tsk at the tip of his tongue, "It's your loss, Merlin..."

    He began to raise his other hand, his eyes drifting over to the axes nailed above the chamber fireplace. The one closest to him started to shudder; it lifted from its position▬Odette had barely a moment to think as it spun around. The blade's edge glinted; sharp for such a minor decoration▬

    Edwin breathed a spell, and with his command, the weapon spun, and then it propelled▬straight for them.

    Merlin pushed Odette back so harshly she almost stumbled. She caught herself, grasping the door handle. Her scream got stuck in the back of the throat as Merlin stood there▬he did not move an inch from the axe's path.

    Just when she though it would strike him, Merlin flung backwards▬with the blade inches from his nose, his eyes glimmered bronze in the shadow of the flames; there stood a terrifying moment where neither the blade, nor did Merlin move. Edwin fought against his restraint. He declared the spell yet again, louder this time▬only for it to fail into breathless shock as his axe started to move, but not where he wanted.

    Merlin slowly stood back up▬with him, the axe rose back into the air under his command. Without a spell, without even a whisper of a word; the weapon listened to him, and he willed it to do so▬he set his golden gaze back onto Edwin and it followed. Edwin Muirden didn't have a breath of time to fight▬even to cry out before the axe made home into the centre of his face.

    Odette gasped, a high-pitch, strangled scream escaping her lips before she covered them. She trembled as she watched his body fall, his face and head mangled and split nearly in two; blood stained the stone floor and his clothes ... and even a remedy to cure all ills could not cure this one.

    Merlin let out his breath, staring down the man he killed with a harsh swallow. The flames died with Edwin, flickering to nothing but ghostly ash and smoke▬which even that faded eventually.

    When he found the courage to speak again, he turned to Gaius who watched, frozen with shock. "You ..." he heaved out another long breath, "... Are you all right?"

    Slowly, Gaius managed a nod. "Yes," he said, quite breathless. They all avoided the sight of Edwin's splintered body, "Thank you, Merlin."

    Odette swallowed the bile high in her throat. She shook it all away and forced her legs to move. She rushed from the door to Gaius, helping him back onto his feet. As she did, Merlin raced to Edwin's equipment still set out on his table. He found what he was looking for, grasping the same box Odette had noticed in Morgana's chambers with the strange writing across the top.

    She aided Gaius back over to the table of extraordinary designs and machinery▬golden and brass scales, models of scientific revolutionary discoveries she did not understand one bit. But both Merlin and Gaius seemed to understand exactly where they were looking, and what they were looking at.

    "What are you doing?" asked Gaius as Merlin grasped the small wooden box.

    "Uther's ill," he answered. "The same thing Morgana had." He opened up the box and Odette traveled with Gaius around to see what was inside. She turned her nose up, confused when all she saw were piles and piles of unmoving beetles. "Edwin said he used these to cure Morgana. Maybe we can, too."

    But as Gaius recognised what they were, there was no relief in his eyes▬instead, there was nothing but horror. "Elanthia Beetles," he breathed.

    "They're magical?" asked Odette.

    "Yes," said Gaius gravely, rather confused. "They can be enchanted to enter the brain, feed on it until they devour the person's very soul."

    "Then ... then why would Edwin use them to cure Morgana?"

    She didn't receive an answer. She had a feeling she already knew exactly why. Instead, Gaius started to shuffle back towards the door, "We must go to him."

    Merlin pursed his lips, but neither one of them wasted time▬urgent, the two servants followed him. The King's chambers were across into another wing, and they marched at the fast pace they could manage with Gaius as drained as he was. Odette didn't know what they were planning on doing▬or what Merlin was going to do to save the King's life. But if Edwin had caused Morgana's illness and cured at the same time, then perhaps a warlock even greater than him could do the same.

    They found him still and pale on his bed; swaddled by lavish pillows and duvets. He looked painfully similar to the way Morgana had▬seemingly peaceful, sleeping the day away until she couldn't wake her ... no matter how hard she tried. Odette, Merlin and Gaius all stood over Uther's bed, unsure on what to do next. Neither one of them knew how long it would be until Arthur would return to his father's bedside, but it couldn't be too far away. They had to act quickly.

    "How do we get the beetle out before it kills him?" asked Merlin.

    Gaius glanced at him, "It can only be magic," he whispered, wary of the King before them.

    Merlin's eyes widened. His grip on the wooden box of insects tightened. He glanced at Uther before exclaiming in a terrified whisper, "Magic? W▬we can't use magic on Uther, he'd kill us."

    "We don't have a choice."

    Merlin shook his head. He bit at the inside of his cheek and Odette rubbed his back, trying to keep him calm. "Gaius▬!"

    "There are times when it is necessary," he told him softly and Merlin stopped, taking a sharp breath through his nose. "It is your right."

    The young warlock knitted his brows. He stared down at Uther, helpless, "I▬I don't know how."

    "If you don't, he's going to die."

    Merlin closed his eyes as his jaw started to set. He went over everything that could go wrong; every possibly outcome▬but all of them came to one conclusion: Gaius was right. He had to save Uther's life, for who else could? Who else would. The man who would have his kind hunted to extinction. The man who would have him burnt at the stake if he opened his eyes right now and saw the truth of his deadly secret.

    He didn't do this for Uther, he knew that. He didn't do this for himself. He didn't do it for anyone else aside from Camelot▬and the future he and Arthur were supposed to create. If his father perished by sorcery, Arthur will forever hold that to the steel of his sword.

    But more importantly, Merlin didn't want his friend to face his father's death.

    His friend; how could that prat ever be his friend? But somehow, in some way, they sort have become that ... or at least, held the beginning breath of one.

    Merlin set aside the box and awkwardly climbed onto the edge of the King's bed. He hovered over a man who had the ability to kill him with just a single word and took a final deep breath. Slowly and carefully, he set his hands either side of his head▬just over his ears.

    And when the warlock incanted his spell, it resonated deep within him▬boiled from the very root of his powers to the surface. It was low, it was dark▬it vibrated in the pit of his throat in a voice he almost didn't recognise to be his own.

    And then he felt it. Something wriggling in his palm until it fell still. Merlin pulled his hands away and stepped back, staring, amazed at the beetle lying, dead, in the centre of his hand.

    The King stirred▬he let out a breath; his chest rose and fell. He did not wake, but he would live to see another day.

    Merlin turned back to meet Odette and Gaius's eyes▬both of them were just as surprised as he. He held up his hand, slowly cracking a grin at what he had just managed to do. Realising he had saved the King's life, Odette's brows lifted and she breathed a chuckle of relief.

    "You did it," she smiled.

    Gaius blinked, utterly speechless. Finally, he said, "Has anyone ever told you, you're a genius?"

    Merlin guffawed softly at his words, "My▬you certainly haven't!"

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    a/n: the only time i liked uther was when he and gaius had scenes or when he truly showed how much he did care about arthur

     he was morally grey. I always say that he was a product of his time. and when u know the stories he had to help win back camelot by force. but now that things have changed his motives are old but he often did what he thought best for the people. arthur learnt that from him and then just projected it better.

     I hate uther but he wasn't the worst king in history and literature (*cough* prince john *cough*) . morgana was worse-

    I love her but she was worse ...

    anyway odette showing she's gonna be a good queen >>>>

    also merlin and odette <3

    and odette, merlin and gaius <3

    btw I cannot write non-canon conversations between merlin and kilgarrah they always end up sounding like another scene they've had or way too cliche but oh well.