Love, Faith and Family

Chapter 27

"Gaius, isn't it?" came a voice as Miriam and Merlin walked with Gaius through the town, Merlin having had his name cleared and position restored much like Arthur after the deal with the troll. But this time he'd taken it too far, his magic having been seen and the Witchfinder having been summoned to the city, cage at the ready. "I never forget a face," the man said, looking rather like a dark cowboy, with his hat, boots and chains at his belt.

"Nor I, Aredian," Gaius replied.

"A physician now, I hear? You always did have a thirst for knowledge."

"Scientific knowledge," Gaius corrected.

"Of course," Aredian ceded before his eyes fell on Miriam and Merlin.

"My apprentice, Miriam and her brother Merlin who is servant to the Crown Prince, Arthur," Gaius introduced.

"Miriam and Merlin," he repeated, voice deep like a judge just having passed a death sentence.

"May your investigation prove fruitful, Aredian. However, you'll have to excuse us, we have work to do," Gaius said as they turned to leave.

"Naturally. Merlin," the finder called, making the boy turn. "I have a few questions I would like you to answer. Please be at my chambers in an hour."

And Merlin could only nod before they went their separate ways.

"It's ok," Miriam said as she held Merlin's hand. "That woman saw you there, she didn't see you do it. He probably wants to ask you if you saw it," she reasoned, mostly to assure herself.

"I hope so."

This was going to be bad.

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Miriam's hands shook the entire time she stood with Gaius and Merlin in the throne room, Aredian parading about the four witnesses he'd rounded up to tell rather tall tales of the magic they'd seen around the kingdom. But what made her heart race a million times a minute was when the king stood at the announcement that Aredian had a suspect of the potential sorcerer.

And her racing heart stopped dead in her chest when he said, "And I regret to say they stand among us in this very room."

Morgana gasped worriedly for herself as the room erupted in whispers.

"My methods are infallible, my findings incontestable. The facts point to one person and one person alone. The boy, Merlin!"

Miriam gaped as she grabbed her brother's hand, but the rest of the people who knew Merlin merely furrowed their brows.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked in confusion from his throne. "You can't be serious."

"This is outrageous! You have no evidence!" Gaius retorted.

"Tools of magic cannot be hidden from me. I am certain that a thorough search of the boy's chamber will deliver us all we need," Aredian decreed.

"Merlin?" the king asked and Miriam had never been more scared and more helpless in her life.

"I have nothing to hide from him," Merlin promised as the king took his seat.

"Very well. Guards restrain the boy. Let the search begin."

And Miriam held onto Gaius as her eyes fogged up and Merlin was dragged away.

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"Mira?"

The girl was still shaking as she sat in the ruins of Aredian's search, papers scattered everywhere, stools and chairs broken, her cot bed overturned, glass jars and bottles shattered on the floor. And at the centre of it all sat Miriam with her knees drawn to her chest and her arms wrapped around them as her hair hid her face.

She didn't even hear Merlin walking in until he placed a hand on her shoulder, and she flinched violently.

Arthur had to hold her back as the men found the amulet that she didn't even know was there and Gaius took the blame for it.

She basically watched her whole world crumble, and she couldn't even bear to look at Arthur much less touch him. Even more so when he didn't stop Aredian from interrogating her after arresting Gaius, searching to prove if the old physician was teaching his apprentice magic rather than healing.

So, she sat there, unable to stop the rapid breathing and thundering heart as her hands trembled.

She clutched onto her brother for dear life, tears dry but lungs unable to swallow air.

Things only grew worse, however, when the dragon was unable to help and both Merlin and Miriam were forced to watch Gaius be sentenced to death and Miriam was brought to tears at the state of him before her knees buckled.

Gwen was instantly at her side as anger flooded her brother and Arthur had to hold Merlin back from attacking Aredian, pushing his servant out of the room.

"Mira, are you ok?" Morgana asked as she rushed from her throne to her friend's side.

"I can't - I cannot -" she stammered, once again unable to hold air as panic swallowed her.

"Alright, let's get you some air," Gwen suggested as she and Morgana helped Miriam to her feet before escorting her from the room, Morgana's guards on their heels.

But they didn't even make it to the door before her knees went out once more and her eyes closed.

"She's fainted! You! Bear her to my chambers!" Morgana ordered, a guard obeying as they gently picked up Miriam and held her up until the point he laid her to rest in Morgana's bed upon the ward's instruction, Uther merely having watched the whole thing.

"Shall I tend to her, my lady?" Gwen asked as they both watched over Miriam's sleeping figure.

"No. Let her sleep. She's endured enough trauma today. We'll return for her in half an hour's time," Morgana said, spending a moment brushing the hair from her friend's face before both women left the room and Miriam's eyes opened.

She was a person that shamelessly trusted her feelings, trusted her heart, and she wasn't about to ignore what it said this time. 

She wasn't about to let Gaius die.