Forbidden Love - Merlyn [2]

Chapter Forty: A Punishment To Fit The Crime

Merlyn had never run so fast in her life before, she had barrelled through the corridors of the castle, pushing passed the various people who roamed the area between herself and the square in where the pyre had been set up. As usual a crowd had gathered around the wooden death trap which held Gaius tightly.

The sight of a haggard Gaius tied hopelessly to a stake caused Merlyn's heart to stop. She couldn't let this happen. Scanning the crowd, she found Arthur stood at the front with his arms crossed, she had to get to him. He was the only one who could stop the execution. Darting forward, Merlyn began elbowing her way through the crowds. Apologises fell from her lips but she still had to move on. Once she was close enough Merlyn began calling for the prince.

"Arthur!" Merlyn had finally managed to reach Arthur's side and the prince automatically looked down at her. He wanted to take her in his arms and tell her to leave, she wouldn't want to see this but Arthur was aware of his father upon the balcony. "You've got to stop this."

"I can't, Merlyn. You know I can't" Arthur replied his face and voice full of sorrow. He didn't enjoy this anymore than the next person. He hated this whole situation and it was taking a great deal of strength for him not to rush up onto the pyre and pull Gaius down off of it.

"I have proof that Gaius is innocent" Merlyn pushed grasping Arthur's arm and forcing the prince to look her right in the eye.

"My father's already past sentence" Arthur said, hating the pain he was causing her, hating the fact that he couldn't do anything. "There's nothing I can do."

"You can do the right thing, Arthur Pendragon!" Merlyn snapped her eyes ablaze with fear and frustration but also disappointment. Disappointment in him. "You can show some faith in me, or you can stand by and watch an innocent man die!" Merlyn pointed over to Gaius who was fearfully watching Aredian collect the torch that would set fire to the pyre. Arthur's eyes moved from the physician to the flames that Aredian had eagerly collected upon the end of the torch and began carrying over to the bottom of the pyre. "I thought you were a prince, so start behaving like one!" Arthur's words caused the prince to look at her. He was a prince. And he trusted Merlyn in every way. If she said she had proof, he believed her.

"Wait!"

~8~

Arthur's call had halted Aredian's actions, just before he set the wood alight. With a few swift orders, Arthur had the execution delayed and an emergency council meeting gathered in the throne room. Quicker than she had previously seen, the council gathered in the throne room with Merlyn and her evidence before the thrones. Aredian was stood accused whilst the three female witnesses (Sophia, Charlotte and Lucy) were huddled together with the Apothecary on the one side of them. Gwen was beside the older man, offering him silent comfort and support – Aredian's presence was haunting.

Gaius had been taken down off the pyre and returned to his cell whilst they were meeting in the throne room. Everyone was staring at Merlyn waiting for her to explain her actions that led to Arthur halting the execution. The way in which the king was staring at her, Merlyn could almost believe he was praying she had proof to save Gaius ... almost.

"Sire, the witnesses saw nothing but hallucinations induced by the Belladonna in these eye drops" Merlyn explained, her gaze flickering over to Aredian who was staring at her with fury. He knew that Merlyn knew. Stepping forward, Merlyn handed the bottle of eyedrops over to Uther who took it with suspicion. He didn't want to believe that Gaius was a sorcerer but he questioned the idea that Aredian was in fact the sorcerer.

"And you bought this Belladonna from this man?" Uther asked the three women who all nodded in agreement as Uther gestured to the Apothecary. Merlyn sighed in relief as the witnesses did so – that was at least part of her theory backed up.