enchanted | a. pendragon [on hold]

iii | the mark of nimueh

"i told you she used to beat me up as a child."

[1.3 — The Mark of Nimueh]

Lia crouched on one side of the dead body while Gaius was on the other.

"Aren't you scared?" Merlin asked them, standing back from the body.

"Of what?" Gaius asked, glancing up at him.

"That you might catch whatever it is."

"I'm the court physician, Merlin. This is part of my job. It's a part of Lia's job. Most of the time there's nothing really to be scared of," Gaius reassured him.

But then Gaius turned the body over and they saw his face. Lia stifled a gasp, shocked by the man's condition. The corpse's skin was pale white, with dark blue veins covering his body. His eyes had lost all color, only white orbs left behind. Neither physician had seen anything like it.

"You were saying?" Merlin asked, now kneeling next to Lia's side.

Gaius shared a worried look with Lia. "People mustn't see this. They will panic."

Merlin quickly fetched a sheet, which had been on a clothesline. He covered the body before anyone could walk past.

"Do we know anybody who owns a wheelbarrow?" Lia asked, not able to think of a better way to transport the body. Usually, they asked some strong guards for help, but it was out of the question at the moment.

Surprisingly, Gaius did manage to track down a wheelbarrow. After loading the corpse into it and making sure his skin was covered, the trio headed back to the castle. They had hoped to get back uninterrupted, but they weren't so lucky.

"What are you doing?" Gwen asked, walking up to them.

Merlin quickly moved to stand in front of the body, not wanting Gwen to see something so horrid. "Er... just moving something."

"Looks heavy," she noted.

"It's nothing really," Lia spoke up, moving next to Merlin.

"Um, someone got you flowers?" Merlin noted, eying the fresh bouquet that Gwen was holding.

"Oh! No," Gwen said, giggling. Though it did get her mind off the dead body they were trying to hide. She plucked one of the flowers from the bouquet and handed it to Merlin. "Would you like one? A purple one. Purple suits you. Not that I'm saying red doesn't suit you."

"Thanks," Merlin said, his cheeks heating up. He smiled and then awkwardly stuck the flower in his scarf, not having anywhere else to put it. Lia wanted to tease him about it, but she'd at least wait for Gwen to leave.

"Here, Lia. A pink one to match your ribbon," Gwen said, handing Lia her own flower. She happily tucked it behind her ear, grinning at her friend.