Love, Faith and Family

Chapter 102

As usual, Merlin was always suspicious first.

Miriam and Arthur had had a rather pleasurable picnic to celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary, Merlin accompanying them, naturally.

And though he joked with his sister as normal, his suspicions were first raised when a flash-bang had gone off and scared Arthur's horse, throwing the king from his saddle before two mercenaries emerged from the woods and made for him with swords raised.

Miriam hadn't moved a muscle.

She'd stayed atop her horse, watching with a worried expression as Arthur drew his sword which was lucky enough to have fallen with him before dispatching of the men who attacked him.

Merlin knew his sister. He knew his sister very well.

And if she was herself, she wouldn't have hesitated to jump off her horse, dress or none, sword or none, and help her husband fight.

Then came his conversation with Tyr Seward, the stable hand to the king who'd been charged with treason as they'd discovered the alterations to Arthur's saddle to ensure that it would break.

Someone had forced Tyr to do it, but he was too scared to admit who for fear they would follow through on their threat and kill his mother.

And when Merlin had come to Arthur to tell him the news, Miriam had been the one to convince him to wait until tomorrow morning before his scheduled execution to talk to him further.

Because when no one was looking, Miriam had journeyed down to Tyr's cell, using the smoke of a burning plant to knock out the guards as she approached the cell with a knife hidden up her sleeve.

"Tyr," she called with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" he asked strangely from where he sat on his bed.

"Nothing to worry about. I just want to talk."

"I've said nothing," Tyr promised.

"Shh. Come closer," she asked, a hand curling around the iron poles that separated them. "We don't want to be heard do we?"

"I've told no names. I've not mentioned you to anyone," he swore.

"I believe you," Miriam hummed.

"My mother's safe? You've not harmed her?" he asked.

"Your mother is alive and well. She's not the problem. You are."

"Me?"

"You see, Tyr, it's not what you haven't said, it's what you may yet say," she whispered even lower before she raised the knife, but she couldn't run him through. It was wrong. It felt wrong on every level. He didn't deserve it.

Tyr jumped away from the bars as Miriam's heart twisted and she dropped the knife, a headache plaguing her as she fought Morgana's magic.

The pain dulled slightly as she blinked before taking note of her surroundings.

Miriam then plucked a set of keys from the hands of a guard as she unlocked Tyr's cell.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" she cried as Tyr kept as far away from her as possible as she opened the door.

"My lady?"

"Tyr you have to help me!" she begged, not trusting herself to get closer as her eyes welled with tears. "You have to get to my brother! Tell him-" she was cut off as the pain returned twice as bad as before and she was forced to her knees.

"Miriam?" Tyr questioned as he dared take a few steps closer.

"Quickly Tyr! I can't hold it off much longer! Merlin will help! AHHH!" she screamed before the hesitant stable hand ran for Gaius' chambers before her eyes glowed gold and Morgana's magic took hold once more.