A Heart For A Heart

A Remedy to Cure All Ills Part 2

3rd Person Point of View:

When he saw Gaius was already up and reading, Merlin was ready to go collect herbs for Edwin. He questioned why Gaius was up, but Gaius turned the situation around to Merlin.

"Is Alexandra in there still?" Gaius asked.

"No, I haven't seen her since yesterday. Edwin seemed fond of the science she knew. Maybe she was helping him." Gaius pondered the information Merlin shared and was concerned for his assistant. Merlin left and Gaius closed the records from the Great Purge.

Opening the door to Edwin's chambers, Gaius confronted him about the secret Edwin tried to keep hidden.

"Your scar has healed well; I always wondered what happen to that young boy."

"I told you we never met before."

"You used your mother's maiden name. You are Gregor and Jaden's son."

"They were friends of yours."

"They were sorcerers."

"They practiced magic, and so did a lot of people back then Gaius."

"Uther will be curious when he finds out who you are."

"Fine, should we tell him? Let's go and tell him. Let's tell him everything. Ooh, I know..." Edwin opened the closet. "We could also tell him about Alexandra and her magic."

"Alexandra?" In the closet, Alexandra was held hostage with her hands and feet tied. A blindfold over her eyes, so she wasn't aware and her mouth sealed. When she heard Gaius's voice, her body gestured some type of sign that she knew Gaius was there.

"Can you imagine what Uther would do? He would burn her at the stake."

"You would betray another sorcerer."

"You did! When you let Uther light my parents on fire, Gaius. Who would try to rescue them from the flames?" He said pointing to his face.

"You came here to take revenge?"

"Yes, and I have waited a long time. Too bad no one believed Alexandra. She figured me out the moment I stepped in. What great potential she has. If I find out that you tell one person, then I will tell Uther she has magic and let her burn." Merlin walked in closing the door behind him. Edwin quickly shut the closet door as to hide Alexandra from the world again. All she could do was listen. Gaius left them as Merlin and Edwin got to work. Gaius had a lot to think about.

Edwin convinced Uther that Gaius was old and made lots of errors in his work. Uther was going to replace Gaius leaving both Morgana and Arthur angry. Gaius raised them and took care of all their medical needs. Gaius made a visit to another old friend to seek guidance. The Great Dragon.

"It's been 20 years what a short time can make a lifetime. It will bring you out where you started."

"I'm not here for myself."

"The siblings."

"You know about them?"

"They have a destiny to fulfill and you can't prevent it more than they can."

"So it is true then?"

"Yes, their destiny will forever be linked with Arthur's and together they will unite the land of Albion." Gaius waited for the dragon to say more.

"Uther can't rein when Albion is on her beginning journey."

"Must Uther be sacrificed for them?"

"That is of your choosing."

"I will not choose between them."

"Then turn a blind eye. You are good at that; it's your talent after all." The best morning Gaius was awake trying to figure out what to do. He felt helpless. Uther delivered the news to Gaius and Gaius told Merlin not to try to fix it. Gaius was stepping down. Gwen found Gaius and they discussed that Edwin was evil. Gwen asked Gaius if he was just going to abandon them. He said he had no choice.

"You always have a choice. Sometimes in life, it is easier to think you don't."

Alexandra's Point of View:

I have no idea how long I've been in this closet. I focused my thoughts and for what felt like the thousandth time I cast a spell in my mind which snapped the rope over my hands. My hands were finally free I lifted the blindfold and removed the rope from my mouth. Then, I undid the rope on my feet. Taking my time getting up, I raced out of the closet only to find Edwin standing there. My eyes still adjusting to the light. He easily had the upper hand.

"You should have stayed in the closet."

"What did you do?" I spit out venomously.

"I took my revenge." He must have incanted the bug and attacked Uther with it. I readied my stance until Gaius burst through the door.

"Alexandra!" Gaius said with excitement. The reunion was cut short.

Edwin was enraged and his eyes glowed. Fire surrounded Gaius and me. The heat was strong and I was already sweating. I tried to rack my mind for anything. Merlin then entered the room. He looked to Gaius and me then to Edwin. It was obvious he felt that he had been betrayed. Edwin sent a hatchet flying toward Merlin. The great sorcerer, Merlin, sent the weapon right back at him. Edwin lay dead on the floor and the fire disappeared. Gaius wrapped me into a hug which Merlin joined.

"Edwin used this box full of bugs to hurt Uther. We must hurry." We rushed to the king's room.

"Why should we heal him? He would kill us if he found out we used magic to save him," Merlin said.

"We don't have to agree with what the king believes, but would you really want the guilty sensation of watching Arthur grieve over his father? I don't think that's fair to him or the kingdom." Gaius nodded in agreement. Merlin held the box as I repeated what Edwin incanted. I placed my hand outside of Uther's ear. With a quick flash of gold across my eyes, the beetle crawled into my hand. I incanted the beetle to lie still and then handed the beetle to Merlin to return to the box.

Gaius got a ceremony. He was restated as the court physician, but he also is a free man. This meant a lot to all of us.

"This is ridiculous," Gaius said once we were in the chambers again, "I didn't save Uther, you two did."

"For once I'm glad someone else has the credit for it," Merlin admitted.

"So did none of you guys know I was gone?" I asked a bit hurt.

"I only realized when he showed me you were tied in the closet and for that I am sorry," Gaius said somberly.

"You were what!" Merlin said. I looked away sad. None of them realized I was in danger. None of them noticed I was gone for almost three days. I was blind, locked away, and had no voice. Maybe I needed some fresh air. No one came for me and if Edwin did not reveal I was there, then I might have been dead. I strolled out of the room leaving behind Gaius and Merlin. Into the streets of Camelot, I strolled from stall to stall hoping to take my mind off it all. In the end, I'm glad everything is back to normal. Somehow I still felt a sense of betrayal from the two most important people to me.