Once Upon A Dream (Merlin Love Story)

Chapter 4, Part 2

Astrid's P. O. V:

The next morning, I change into my cold shoulder pink dress before going to check on Merlin. Gwen had come back after checking up on Morgana to help Gaius and I look after him.

Currently, I'm sitting beside Merlin's bed, pressing the wet cloth to his forehead. I say worriedly to Gaius, "He's getting hotter."

Gaius sits down beside me as Merlin starts to mumble something in a different language.

Gwen asks, "What language is that?"

"None. The fever's taken hold. None of those words are his own," Gaius says, holding his wrist as he checks Merlin's pulse. He sets Merlin's arm down. "His pulse is weaker." Suddenly, Gaius picks up Merlin's wrist again and tugs back the sleeve. I see a nasty type of rash, thing.

I ask, "What is it?"

"It can't be right," Gaius mutters, before looking at me. "The rash is not supposed to appear until the final stage."

Gwen asks worriedly as Gaius gets up and goes over to the book, "What does that mean?" We join him at the desk after I put the cloth in the bucket.

Gaius picks up His magnifying glass and reads, "It says here that once a rash appears death will follow within two days." He straightens to look up at us.

I say fearfully, "You said he had four days!"

"Something's increased the flower's potency," Gaius replies. He flips the page and continues to read. "Be warned: the effect  of the mortaeus will be more rapid if an enchantment is used during the flower's preparation." Gwen and I look from Merlin to Gaius at that.

Gwen says in confusion, "Enchantment? But Bayard's no sorcerer."

"No, he isn't," Says Gaius.

I ask, "Then, who did this?"

"It can't have been! She wouldn't dare come here," Gaius whispers in shock. "Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"What happened to that girl?"

"Which girl?" Gwen asks.

"Just before Merlin burst into the hall, one of Bayard's serving girls took him outside."

Gwen nods as she murmurs, "She had dark hair. Very beautiful."

Gaius orders us, "Find her! Quickly!"

Gwen and I nod before going to the dungeon. When we get there, we carefully look over the Mercier men and women in the cell, but found no woman that looked like the one Gaius mentioned.

When we couldn't find her, we returned to the Physician's Quarters.

Gaius looks up from examining Merlin as we enter and he asks knowingly, "Let me guess: she wasn't there."

We shake our heads as Gwen says, "No one has seen her since the banquet. Who is she?"

"Not who she claims to be," Gaius says, flicking his eyes to me knowingly before looking back at Gwen.

"But you know, don't you?"

"Cara. No, that's not her name. Not her real name, anyway," Gaius says.

Gwen asks, stepping forward, "Then, who is she?"

Gaius says before I could, "She's a powerful sorceress."

"Then we need to tell Uther! Maybe he can send riders out after her."

"No. She'd be long gone," Gaius says. "It's impossible to know where, though." He looks up in realisation. "Oh no!"