The Adventures Of Erlin-The Sword In The Stone || A BTS Fan Fiction || Vol. 4

The Servant Of Two Masters

Second part

Erlin was brought back to Camelot by Namjoon and Jimin, with the help of the doctor, they washed her and did some checks on her, just to make sure she was okay. And indeed it was so, even if the sorceress felt a kind of tickling on the back of her neck and her mind was simply empty of any thoughts, which was strange for her, given the fact that her brain was always imagining something to keep her occupied .
"So...do you remember what happened after they kidnapped you?"
The king asked, now sitting with Jimin, Jin and the sorceress at the table.
"Erm...only they took me to someone and he treated my wound in my side."
Erlin replied, she could hardly believe it, but since she woke up, her memories were almost nil.
"Do you even know who he was? Do you remember his face or where he lived?"
Jimin interjected, the guy the sorceress was talking about must definitely be a magical person, a tear in the skin doesn't heal in three days and he could be a danger. Erlin frowned and tried to remember, but she only ended up with an annoying twinge in her head.
"I'm sorry...I don't remember anything else."
"It must be the trauma suffered by the wound inflicted. It is better not to strain her, sire, when she is strong, I will let you know."
The doctor said, ushering the two out the door. Namjoon and Jimin understood and left the two alone; meanwhile Jin started preparing lunch, there was nothing better than a good meal to regain energy! Erlin had some head jerks, going to the right, then to the left, sometimes in the same direction more than twice. The Fomorroh in her neck finally managed to lock in one hundred percent with her brain and took full control of it. The sorceress stopped moving her head, with one and only thought in her head: she wanted to kill Namjoon.
"Don't ever do that again, Erlin, my heart might not take it."
Jin said, bringing the soup to the table, then pouring it onto his and Erlin's plates. The sorceress glared at him.
"Yes, age is starting to take its toll on you."
This response from her made him stop and look at Erlin questioningly.
"What is this?"
She asked, pointing to her plate. Jin frowned, she ate that soup a hundred times, and it was her favorite, could it be that she didn't recognize the smell?
"A special welcome home: your favorite."
The doctor smiled, sitting. Erlin took the spoon and tasted the soup, but spat it out and her face twisted in disgust, which confused Jin even more.
"You should stick to making potions, Jin, this looks like the swamp Namjoon found me in."
And where did that insolent tone come from? The doctor tasted the soup, but to him it was as always: excellent.
"How did you manage to escape?"
He tried to change the subject, Erlin seemed very strange to him, much more irritable.
"With skill. May I ask you a question?"
She said it so quickly, that Jin took a few seconds to say if he had understood correctly.
"Yeah, sure, whatever."
"What is the strongest potion you have?"
The doctor sat upright and looked at Erlin questioningly. It was the first time in many years that she had asked him something about potions, she had never been interested in them.
"I was lucky enough to drug the mercenaries' food, but I didn't have anything with me."
The sorceress stood up, walking towards the table where there were bottles full of every concoction.
"It could be aconitine."
The doctor replied, pointing to the bottle that contained it.
"Aconitine..."
Erlin whispered, her eyes searching for the named potion. She read the various signs with the names written on them and found the one she was looking for: it was dark blue in color and was poured into a larger bottle, so she picked it up.
"I should always carry it with me...I might need to kill someone."
The sorceress didn't give Jin time to answer, before she left the room in a hurry.
"Indeed..."
Jin said softly. The Erlin he knew would never have said that phrase, not even as a joke. She already felt guilty when she had to kill someone using magic, let alone with poisons! No, there was something wrong here: either she had suffered a strong trauma or this wasn't the real Erlin. Meanwhile, the sorceress was heading towards the royal kitchens, hopping and holding the bottle of poison tightly in her hand, it was lunch time and the king needed to eat, right? She could have carried out her plan to kill him! She entered the kitchen, being invaded by the smoke of cooked meat and by a thousand cooks who went left and right with food in their arms. The sorceress snorted, she saw the dish for the king prepared on the table; she approached it with a sly smile, removed the cap from the bottle and doused the meat, bread and salad with the blue liquid. She smirked, it looked delicious despite the poison, Namjoon would fall for it like a mouse when it sees the cheese. The sorceress closed the bottle and put it in her pocket, taking the plate in her hand, but turning, she saw Arianna glaring at her, as usual. Erlin smelled an unpleasant odor, and it was coming from her.
"You stink more than your food."
Said the sorceress, thinking that once in a while she should wash herself. She left the kitchen and found a cook laughing at her statement. Arianna killed her with her eyes and pointed her finger at her, the girl stopped immediately.
"Think about working, or I'll use your face to clean that pan!"
Arianna left to go to her station somewhat offended. That nosy Erlin, in addition to stealing her food, she had also become impertinent! Erlin soon found herself in the corridor leading to the king's chamber, but she saw Jimin coming at her and she was already getting impatient.
"Erlin! How are you? Are you okay?"
All those questions were already getting on her nerves.
"Yes, great!"
She exclaimed, forcing a smile.
"Good I'm glad. Oh, are you bringing food to the king? Can I have a piece?"
Jimin took off a glove and reached for the bread, but Erlin took the plate away from him.
"No...they prepared it just for him."
Her goal wasn't to kill Jimin, otherwise things would have gotten complicated.
"Come on, no one must find out."
The knight smirked, trying once more, but Erlin dodged it. Now she was starting to get impatient, but she knew how to make Jimin stunned.
"I have something else in store for you..."
She whispered into the knight's ear seductively. It took Jimin a few seconds to understand the sentence, thus giving the sorceress the opportunity to overtake him without him noticing. By the time he reached the meaning it was already too late: Erlin was no longer with him. The knight chuckled, perhaps she was starting to feel something towards him? With happy bounces, he left the hallway to go to training, now with high spirits. Erlin saw the door to Namjoon's room already open, so she entered, seeing Adeoga serving the king for him. And this also bothered her a lot!
"Erlin!"
The girl exclaimed, covering her mouth and running towards her friend to enclose her in a hug. Erlin's eyes widened, not expecting this move, but she just wanted her to break away, she hated having physical contact.
"I wanted to surprise you."
Namjoon said, happy to see her together. Adeoga pulled away from Erlin, just to make sure that she was actually okay and wasn't dreaming.
"You don't know how happy I am to see you, I thought you were dead."
Adeoga took Erlin and sat her down next to her, setting the plate aside for her. The sorceress clenched her jaw, this way the king couldn't eat it!
"It was really difficult, but in the end we managed to find her."
Namjoon explained, tasting a piece of meat from his plate
"But it's only been a day...are you sure you're fine? They told me you needed rest."
Adeoga tried to take Erlin's hand, but she pushed it away before she could, receiving a strange look from the girl.
"If I'm here, I'm obviously much better. Sire, how about you try my food?"
Erlin said quickly, wanting to talk about something else, and taking the plate with the poison.
"I made it with my own hands."
It was obviously a lie, but it needed to soften the king's mind and, perhaps, convince him to leave the other woman's plate.
"Thank you Erlin, but I've already eaten. Adeoga wanted to do this favor for you to let you rest."
The way the sorceress' smile faded caught the two lovers off guard, and they looked at each other perplexed.
"Don't you even have a place in your stomach?"
Namjoon raised an eyebrow, why was she so insistent on such a trivial thing?
"No, really, I'm full."
The king smiled, caressing his abdomen. In the room, Adeoga felt a strange tension and she didn't like it at all. Erlin sighed, the plan had failed and all this because of Adeoga! She hadn't asked her to do any favors, much less to help her, why did she always have to be in the way? She couldn't stay away from Namjoon for a second? Pf, pathetic.
"Do as you wish, but you're missing out on a great lunch!"
The sorceress left the room quite furious, also slamming the door violently.
"What's wrong with her?"
Namjoon asked, worried.
"I don't know, maybe she's just tired..."
Adeoga tried to justify her behavior, but she had never done this before. Erlin passed by the pigsty where the pigs were and dropped the plate with the food in there, then went back to her and Jin's room.
"Hi Erlin."
The doctor said, hearing her come in, while he was reading a book. Only she didn't answer him, on the contrary, she started walking back and forth continuously, creating an annoying sound of footsteps for Jin.
"Erlin, are you feeling okay?"
"I'm pacing."
She replied, biting her tongue to try to birth another plan in her mind to kill the king.
"Yes, I can see that."
And then the strange behaviors returned.
"A person who is ok, doesn't pace, Jin."
Why did she say his name so rudely?
"That's why I asked you."
The doctor replied calmly.
"I'm struggling with a problem, there are many factors to take into consideration and I haven't found a good solution yet."
If it was making her so anxious and grouchy, then it had to be a serious problem. Which was strange. Because Erlin never expressed what she felt so abruptly.
"Can I help you?"
The doctor asked, turning to her. The sorceress giggled and shook her head.
"No."
"Would you at least share the problem with me?"
Jin continued to follow her with his eyes, his neck was hurting from turning his head back and forth. Erlin stopped for just a few seconds, pretending to think, now he too was talking too much! And what she did was none of his business.
"No."
The sorceress replied simply, looking at the doctor with an air of superiority. Jin blinked a few times, and he tried to remain patient. The sorceress usually sat down and told him everything if there was a problem, she never answered him "no".
"Sometimes two heads are better than one."
"Yes, but not when one is yours."
Just then, another idea came to her mind and she left the room, with poor Jin mulling over whether he really was stupid or Erlin was the problem. Everything was getting stranger and stranger, now the doctor was certain, something was wrong. Meanwhile, the sorceress reached the armory, starting to look for a weapon suitable for what she had in store for the king. She found a long enough rope and took it, putting it over her shoulder, twisting it. Since he much preferred his lover's food, then she would turn to the harsh ways. Sir. Hoseok walked in to put his sword back in its place and frowned when he saw the sorceress holding a small crossbow.
"What you are looking for?"
Asked the knight. Training was over, Namjoon didn't need weapons. Erlin was scared for a moment, but it was just Hoseok, a harmless and insignificant obstacle.
"I need a crossbow, I have to practice target shooting."
She simply replied, coming to the conclusion that the one in her hand was perfect.
"That doesn't work and wouldn't hurt a fly."
The knight said, taking a quick look and destroying the sorceress' beliefs.
"And if you wanted to harm a fly or a person, what would you use?"
The sorceress asked, he knew more than her about these matters. Hoseok chuckled and felt flattered to answer the question.
"You could use a beauty like this."
The knight smirked, going to get a crossbow hanging on the wall: bigger and with a healthier complexion.
"It's fifty years old, and it's made of ash."
Erlin came closer to admire the weapon, placing the rope on the table and agreed with Hoseok: it was quite a beauty and very dangerous, perfect for killing someone in the distance. The knight passed it to the sorceress, he saw in her eyes the mad desire to hold it in her hand, so he granted her wish. Erlin took it, it was light and already with a dart ready to be thrown.
"Erm, be careful-"
Erlin unwillingly pulled the trigger and the dart was launched. It hit a small barrel across the room, breaking it into pieces, startling Hoseok, who wasn't expecting this little accident. Erlin gasped and turned the weapon over in her hands.
"Does it fulfill your intent?"
The knight asked, happy to see her so excited. She was just like him: Erlin was (maybe) also a weapon enthusiast!
"Oh, yes! This satisfies it magnificently!"
Erlin went to the table and took the rope back over her shoulder.
"Who will be the target practice?"
"Namjoon!"
The sorceress replied, but Hoseok chuckled, he took the answer as ironic, while Erlin was serious.
"Is he making you work hard?"
"Not for long!"
Hoseok laughed again and greeted the sorceress, because she seemed to be in a hurry. Erlin arrived at the king's chamber, Namjoon wasn't there, therefore, she decided to build what she had in mind and it would take a few minutes. Meanwhile, the king's lover was heading towards a close friend of hers, who was none other than Jin. She had never seen the sorceress so strange, therefore, she wanted to know if he too had noticed something different about her.
"Jin, can I come in?"
Adeoga asked, then knocking.
"Sure, come."
Adeoga did as requested and entered, bowing.
"Welcome dear, what brings you to visit me?"
The doctor asked, ushering her into the chair.
"It's about Erlin..."
The girl said, crossing her fingers together.
"What did she do?"
Adeoga told Jin what happened a few moments ago and the doctor frowned.
"So, you noticed it too."
Jin said, almost in a whisper.
"Does that mean you see something different in her too?"
"Absolutely! She's super grumpy with me and she does nothing but give me barbs."
The doctor vented, throwing his arms in the air.
"But she never did that..."
Adeoga lowered her head to think.
"Jin, are you sure those mercenaries didn't do anything to her? I mean, Namjoon told me that she was injured and she seems perfectly fine."
The doctor closed his eyes for a few seconds, Adeoga also thought the same thing about her.
"There's definitely magic involved here."
The doctor concluded, that was the only plausible solution to Erlin's behavior. Nothing with the mercenaries could have changed her like that.
"But why? For what purpose?"
While the two were reasoning, the sorceress finished building her "Namjoon-killing machine". She had placed the crossbow inside the wardrobe that the king always opened, attached to it handle was the rope, which would trigger the launch of the bolt once the wardrobe door was pulled. The sorceress moved and opened the door; the dart went off at great speed, sticking deep into a column. The sorceress sighed in ecstasy, Namjoon would be dead in a flash! The main door opened and the sorceress quickly covered the dart with the velvet curtain, trying not to let it be discovered.
"Ah, Erlin."
Namjoon said as soon as he saw her.
"Sire."
She greeted back, holding the curtain tightly and smiling awkwardly. Namjoon gave her a strange look, but he didn't think about it for long and turned his back to her so he could take off his vest and shirt; Erlin, quick as lightning, put the bolt back into the crossbow. She couldn't afford to make a mistake, there was only one shoot.
"Erlin, now that I think about it..."
The sorceress closed the wardrobe before the king had fully turned around.
"Can you explain to me what the strange behavior was earlier?"
Namjoon had also discussed it with Adeoga, and they both agreed, that she had been acting very strangely.
"Ow...I was just jealous...yes, I was jealous! I mean, I prepared that dish for you with so much love and you rejected it."
The sorceress came up with the first excuse that came to mind. Namjoon's eyes widened, it wasn't possible, Erlin had never been jealous of the little things Adeoga did for him, many of the times she thanked her too, had it become a problem now?
"Erlin...it was just food, I don't understand why you have to take it so personally."
The king said, going behind his tent to undress completely. The sorceress rolled her eyes, without moving away from the wardrobe.
"Leaving these discussions aside...I have locked up the advisors and my uncle."
"Really? And for what reason?"
Erlin asked, completely disinterested. How long did it take him to take off his clothes?
"The attack in the Valley of the Fallen Kings, it was no coincidence that they attacked us right there. Some of the councilors, or my uncle, must be collaborating with the enemy."
Erlin mimed with her lips: "Blah, blah, blah," adding a roll of her eyes. He was boring and then what was he talking about? She did not remember this fact.