The Emerald Thief - Merlin BBC [1]

Chapter 27: Farewell, Princess

I hide out in Gaius' chambers after hearing Arthur was looking to ask if I'd like to join the men on a hunting trip. Mithian is going, and Arthur wants me to accompany her. So naturally, I'm hiding, not wishing to endure having to listen to those two flirt and blush over one another. Not to mention I see no point in hunting unless it has a purpose.

Gaius still observes the letter we found yesterday on the map maker's apprentice. He seems to be lost in deep thought. I read a book I found amongst Gaius' hundreds of books. It's something about magical creatures, quite fascinating. Once I read one page, I couldn't stop, and what better way to pass the time than with a book?

I lay between a couple of barrels leaned against a bookshelf, a pile of cloth in-between for me to sit on. If Arthur came looking for me, I am perfectly hidden from the doorway to Gaius' chambers.

"I don't know why I bother", Merlin announces, emerging from his room, jacket in hand. My eyes shuffle from my book to Merlin. "I should just leave him to it, let him make his own mistakes, see how he gets on without me. I should resign."

I giggle at the warlock's statement, shaking my head in amusement. Gaius is too absorbed by the letter to pay attention to Merlin's protests.

Merlin looks over at Gaius, eyes narrowing as he yells, "I said, I should resign!"

"Quite so", Gaius whispers under his breath, magnifying glass in hand as he continues reading.

"Gaius, you're supposed to say 'No, no, he needs you even if he doesn't realise it'," Merlin argues, annoyed that Gaius isn't paying attention to him.

Still examining, Gaius replies, "Something's not quite right here."

"Exactly."

"I can't put my finger on it."

My eyes shuffle between the two men, trying to figure out the focus of the conversation. I'm unsure if I should listen to Merlin's rambling or Gaius' incoherent pondering.

"I have to go hunting. I hate hunting," Merlin grumbles, putting on his jacket as he heads for the door. "Thanks, Gaius, you really made me feel a whole lot better."

Merlin slams the door shut on his way out of the room, causing Gaius to look up in confusion, clearly not hearing a word that Merlin had said.

"Is everything okay, Gaius?" I ask, placing the book down and pulling myself from my makeshift hiding space.

Seemingly forgetting I was here, Gaius spins around in shock to have seen me emerge from the barrels. He shakes his head, eyes returning to the letter in hand. "I do not understand. Agravaine had found no sign of a break-in. The maps to the siege tunnels were left untouched, and the boy's body had shown no sign of having fallen. None of the evidence adds up."

I nod, having thought the same thing when we found his body. "You think he was set up?"

"I can't be sure, but I believe, even if he were guilty, that he wasn't acting alone."

I frown. "So what do we do with this knowledge?"

"There isn't much we can do", Gaius sighs, taking a seat behind his desk. "Let's just be thankful that whoever was behind all this didn't succeed."

I nod, agreeing. The situation has me wondering and curious. I want to dig into the mystery, but I also know that there is no point. There isn't enough evidence to go off.

***

Once again, I'm off to deliver remedies for Gaius, trotting down the stairs as I go. Not much work has been done today, Gaius seemingly distracted by the mysterious death. I don't blame him. The death is very suspicious. However, many of the physician duties have fallen on me today, surprisingly not as hard as I had thought it would be.