Love, Faith and Family

Chapter 28

"Stop this right now," Miriam ordered the prince. By the time she'd rejoined her brother and later on Gwen who feared for her mistress that was still being badgered by Aredian, they'd both reached the conclusion that Gaius was framed. So, they then proceeded to spend the rest of the time before dawn gathering evidence that Gaius was innocent, Miriam also finding evidence that Aredian was guilty. Only they were too late. Dawn had risen before they had the chance to present the evidence, which was why Miriam was now resorted to asking Arthur to delay the execution.

"Come on, Mira, you know I can't," he said, unable to tear his eyes away from the stake Gaius was tied to.

"Don't call me that right now, because you and I both know that there is something you can do. You can do the right thing. You know as well as I that Gaius is innocent, you knew that Merlin was innocent and that I was and yet you still subjected us to Aredian's cruelty. You let Gwen's father die as well, so are you really that content with watching an innocent man die?!"

Arthur only gave her a look that seemed to boil the blood in her veins even more.

"Don't look at me like that just because I'm acting on the feelings that I know you feel too. You can feel that this is wrong Arthur, so do something. Please."

Miriam turned away from the prince just as he turned to her, Aredian holding the torch that was seconds away from igniting the pyre Gaius stood on.

"Wait. Wait!" Arthur called and Miriam's shoulders sank in relief. "You better be right about this," he whispered to her and that only steeled her resolve.

"I am."

And now assembled in the throne room with her brother by her side, and the witnesses around them, she was ready to prove it.

Merlin told the tale of the Belladonna eye drops, a tincture that caused hallucinations and that was sold by a shopkeeper to all of the women who claimed to have witnessed the magical acts. The shopkeeper had even admitted that Aredian had threatened his life if he didn't sell the tincture.

"And how do you answer to these accusations?" Uther asked the witchfinder.

"They are absurd. The children have clearly concocted these lies in hopes of saving their master," Aredian answered and Miriam's smile was wicked.

"Then I guess you wouldn't mind if we searched your chambers?"

"Silence! You have no authority here!" Uther bellowed, but Miriam's gaze was just as dark and unwavering.

"Father, let's settle this once and for all," Arthur spoke up as he walked down the stairs of the dais. "If Merlin and Miriam are wrong, then they will bear the consequences. But if there is truth to what they say..." he trailed off as eyes settled on Aredian once more, the witchfinder choosing to repeat Merlin's words.

"I have nothing to hide."

But what happened after that was something else beyond what she could ever imagine.

While Miriam had planted evidence in Aredian's room, that being a few bottles of Belladonna extract and a few amulets that were concealed but in places easy enough to find. What she didn't know, however, was that Merlin also had his hand in it. For her brother had cast a spell on Aredian, causing him to cough up a toad just as one of the witnesses had claimed to have seen.

It was purely comical and so very satisfying.

Less so when Aredian held a knife to Morgana's neck.

But it was easily rectified when Merlin's magic made the knife grow warm and Aredian was forced to let it and Morgana go before backing out of a window and to his own death as he fell from the tower.

Gaius had then been released and returned to his chambers, Uther visiting to offer his apologies only to have Gaius finally say to him everything everyone had been too scared to say.

Miriam, Merlin and Gaius had then been eating dinner, Merlin's magic making cleaning a much easier task when a knock sounded at the door.

"Gaius, pardon the intrusion, I had only wanted to see if you were alright," Arthur said as he stood at the door.

"Thank you for your concern sire. I am quite alright. Miriam has tended to me whilst Merlin helped clean up. For now, I am as good as I can be."

Arthur nodded.

"That's good. That's good. I'm glad. I was also hoping that you wouldn't mind if I borrowed Miriam, for a moment?"

Both men seemed somewhat confused at his request.

"Of course, sire. That is, if it's ok with Miriam," Gaius answered and attention turned to her.

"I suppose," she ceded as she wiped off her mouth and stood, following Arthur out of the room.

"If you expect me to apologise for what I said to you, I'm sorry I manipulated you and I'm sorry if my words hurt you but I'm not sorry I said them."

"I'm not sorry you said them either," Arthur said, and Miriam was taken aback. "You stopped me from allowing an innocent man to be killed. If anything, I should be sorry. I should be sorry for allowing it to get that far and I should be sorry that I let Aredian get to you. You did not deserve that."

Miriam's next breath was difficult.

"As much as I like hearing you apologise and say that I'm right, it changes nothing. Had you stepped in, Aredian may have accused you of being under an enchantment and then who knows where we'd be," she tried to joke but Arthur wasn't laughing as he took a step closer to her.

"I still should've done something. You were right, I knew it was wrong, all of it and yet I did nothing."

"Don't torture yourself with notions of what might have happened. Everyone is fine now, the true guilty party was punished, it's alright Arthur," she assured him.

"Are we alright?"

Her smile was sweet.

"Yes, Arthur. Have a good night, my prince," she said with a smirk and a small curtsey that made Arthur chuckle as he reached for her hand and brought it to his lips.

"Goodnight, Mira."