Love, Faith and Family

Chapter 31

Miriam had returned to Gaius' chambers around midmorning to stock up on potions for the kings as she'd just been with Gwen and Lady Vivian when several servants approached her, when she found a bouquet of wildflowers on the table along with a note.

'The barriers that keep us apart are nothing compared to the powers of true love.

Arthur.'

Her heart skipped a beat.

Was this Arthur's way of saying that he loved her?

She didn't get much time to contemplate the answer when her brother burst into the room.

"Merlin! You scared the living daylights out of me," she said as she clutched her chest, note still in her hand as her brother's eyes widened in shock.

"Rats!" He blurted and her brows furrowed.

"What?"

"Big, hairy, sharp teeth. Yeah, definitely under here," he said as he knelt under the table and Miriam crouched to his height.

"Merlin, are you sure you're alright?"

"Me? Never better," he assured her as he jumped back up to his feet. "What about you?"

"I've had a rather surprising day," she admitted with a sheepish smile.

"Really?"

"You know when you feel reluctant about doing something if you're the only one doing it, and then someone does it too and you're all for it?"

"Well, that's what's happened to me today."

Even though he walked up to his sister and kissed her temple, Miriam could feel the hesitance in it but for some reason chose to ignore it.

"So long as you're happy, Mira."

"I am," she admitted, and Merlin prayed that he didn't ruin it.

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"There are over 636 love spells in these books and 150 of them involve a lock of hair. And I can't pick the wrong one because if I choose this one and it's wrong Arthur will end up as a toad. And if this one is wrong, Vivian will lose all her hair," Merlin explained after Gaius woke him up for breakfast as he failed in finding what love spell had been used to enchant Arthur into being in love with Lady Vivian.

"Olaf might not declare war for that, but she certainly would," Gaius remarked and Merlin chuckled.

"Gaius! Are you here?" came Miriam's voice and the two men's eyes widened.

"Hide this. Quickly!" Gaius said as Merlin began to stuff all the books under his bed. They didn't want to tell Miriam of Arthur's enchantment for fear of seeing her in pain, as well as the fact that they had no way to undo the spell yet. She was also very busy tending to Morgana and running around serving the kings and doing Gaius' chores and they didn't want to add any more to her plate. "Right here Miriam," Gaius said as he slipped out of Merlin and Miriam's room and closed the door.

"What were you doing in our room?" she asked with a raised brow.

"I was going to ask Merlin to fetch me some water from the well, but it seems he's left early this morning," Gaius lied easily.

"Ok, well I can do that quickly before I go wake Morgana," she said as she set down the breakfast spread, she had for the ward.

"No that's quite alright. I can do it."

"Oh, it's no problem," she said, clearly exhausted as she went to retrieve more headache potions. "I've also been getting questions from a lot of the kings. They wish to know if they could order large batches, as in twenty bottles each to take home. They believe your potion to be revolutionary. And Uther is more than pleased as it gives them all a reason to come back to Camelot. He's also forbidden that we give out the recipe. So, I know that means that we have to make enough to fill 80 vials, but is that doable?" she asked, before freezing at the sound of a crash came from her and Merlin's room.

"Uh, yes, if I get started now, we have the slight possibility of finishing before the kings leave," Gaius answered in an attempt to distract her. "But I'll need more iris flowers, catnip and willow bark."

"I'll ride for the field this afternoon. I'll be back with your water in a minute Gaius," she said as she walked out the door and Gaius sighed.

"Is she gone?" Merlin asked as she peeked out of his room.

"Yes, but not for long so I suggest you move quickly to find a way to break the spell before that poor girl finds out. I still don't know why you're not telling her. She'd be able to help."

"Mira has enough to worry about with all she has to do. And what good is telling her when I don't have a solution?"

Gaius only shook his head at Merlin's logic.

"Whatever you say, Merlin. Now go, quickly."

Merlin only nodded as he ran out of the door.

But both of the men were unaware of the conversation that had taken place between Miriam and Arthur. Arthur thought it gave him hope to be with Vivian but Miriam thought it gave her hope to be with Arthur. Which was why she slipped an unsigned note under his door telling him to meet her by their flowers at sunset. She meant in the field that grew the white orchids he often gifted her with, but Arthur thought that it meant to meet Vivian with flowers.

So as Miriam picked up the ingredients Gaius needed in an effort to waste some time until Arthur came, she was unaware that Arthur wasn't coming.

Because at that moment Arthur was scaling the castle walls in an attempt to make it to Lady Vivian's room.

Lady Vivian who had also been enchanted to return Arthur's feelings.

So an hour after sunset, when it was barely light enough for her to go home, Miriam accepted that Arthur wasn't coming.

As she sat atop her horse, she refused to let herself cry, for the first time she refused to let herself feel anything. She was determined to return to Camelot and return her relationship with Arthur to what it was before he first kissed her. Because she had her answer to the question she had earlier from Arthur's letter.

He didn't love her.

Not like she loved him.