Chapter Seven ❥ 𝚂𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙸𝚗 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚆𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛

♔

"What happened to him?"

Zipporah stood in the Council Chambers, peering over the corpse of one of the Council members who had suddenly dropped dead before her eyes.

It was the first death she had ever seen where the body had turned completely white with a pattern of blue veins marked on the skin. However, she knew that whatever caused it, was certainly not any disease or sickness.

"I don't know, My Queen," answered Gaius, "it's the second case I've seen today."

Uther sent the man a sharp look, angered about not having been consulted earlier. "Why didn't you report it to me?"

"I was attempting to find the cause."

Although his words rang true, Zipporah could tell that Gaius was holding something back. In his voice, she could sense that he seemed almost reluctant to speak much on the matter.

(𝚉𝚒𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚑'𝚜 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚠)

"What did you conclude in your finding?" She inquired with a knowing look.

Gaius glanced at Uther before hastily replying, "I don't think it's time to hurry to conclusions. The scientific process is a long one."

That time Uther had also sensed that there was more to the issue than Gaius was willing to share. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously and asked, "what are you concealing?"

"Sire, I have seen nothing like it. The victims are dying in twenty-four hours, and it's spreading fast."

His worried tone and vague behaviour confirmed Zipporah's initial suspicions.

"The cause...it's sorcery...isn't it?"

Uther snapped his head towards her then gave a short laugh of disbelief. "Don't be ridiculous. Surely, Gaius, it can't be."

Zipporah bit the inside of her cheek at his dismissive words, and she caught Arthur's eye, who was stood opposite her, and saw him throw her a sympathetic glance.

"It seems to me that it is indeed sorcery, Sire," Gaius confirmed, allowing Zipporah to have a brief feeling of triumph.

Uther's demeanour quickly altered, worry appearing on his stern features, as he grabbed his son's arm and pulled him to the side to have a private word with him. Zipporah followed, not going to be excluded from any important discussion.

"We must find who did this," he told his son hurriedly.

Arthur nodded, understanding the urgency of the situation. "I will, Father."

"Conduct door to door searches. Increase your presence in the town. Double the guards on all the gates. And lend the physician your servant."

Arthur faltered slightly. "Merlin...?"

Seeing he was about to protest, and that would not end well for him, Zipporah intervened, "it is vital that Gaius finds a cure, and to do that he needs every bit of help he can get."

Arthur nodded in acceptance of the instruction, then Uther laid a hand on his shoulder and said, "if Gaius is right, then this could wipe out the entire city. This is the kind of magic that undermines our authority, challenges all we've done. If we cannot control this plague, people will turn to magic for a cure."

In her own mind, Zipporah thought, 'because that would be absolutely awful...'

Uther finished, "we have to find this sorcerer, and quickly."

"Yes, Father."

Arthur made to leave but halted and turned around again when Zipporah called after him, "wait, I shall accompany you."

However, before she could get any further, Uther's hand shot out and grasped her arm, none too gently, pulling her back to him.

"That is not going to happen," he told her firmly.

Zipporah glared up at him, wanting nothing more than to send a strong punch flying into his face. She opened her mouth to make a heated retort, but then stopped herself, remembering that they were not alone.

Instead, she forced herself to school her emotions into a sort of calmness, something that she had much practice in since her marriage.

"I am going to assist Gaius in finding a cure," she stated simply, although her voice conveyed a suppressed anger.

Uther's patience quickly wore thin and he glared at her hardly, disliking her blatant disobedience to him in public. "Gaius has all the help he requires, it is not your responsibility. I need you here where I know that you're safe."

She could have laughed at his pitiful excuse, her safety had nothing to do with it, he just didn't want her out of his sight because it would mean that he wouldn't be able to try and control her.

Very much aware that many eyes were on her, Zipporah plastered a sweet, false smile on her lips, that looked more dangerous than any sneer.

"My responsibility is to my kingdom and if it is in threat, then I am going to do what I can to help protect it."

Uther's glare intensified as he gripped her arm tighter as she attempted to free herself of his grasp. This in turn, caused Zipporah to bite her lip as she concealed a wince of pain.

The interaction did not go unnoticed by Arthur, who glanced down at his father's hand and frowned when he saw what he was doing. Arthur's jaw clenched and he swallowed hardly as he glared at the spot.

Zipporah wasn't going to let Uther have the upper hand, and she made that plainly clear when she ripped her arm out of his grip, spun around and then marched out of the room without so much as a glance to those around her.

An uncomfortable silence ensued after her departure, with Uther trying to save face and Gaius hiding his disapproval for the way the man treated his wife.

Meanwhile, Arthur wasted no time in following after Zipporah, managing to catch up with her a little outside the Council Chambers.

"Zipporah!" He called, but she made no sign of acknowledgement. "Zipporah!" Still, she maintained her fast pace. He quickly realised that she had no intention of stopping, so he swiftly turned and managed to swerve in front of her, forcing her to a still.

She sighed and beheld him with an irritated expression. "What do you want, Arthur?"

He paused for a second, debating his next words then said, "are you alright?"

"I'm perfectly fine," she lied, "now, if you'll excuse me if, I need to start investigating this cure."

Arthur held out his arm in the direction that she was planning to go in, effectively blocking her path once more.

"Zipporah, I know when you're lying," he spoke softly. "I saw what happened in there, the way my father handled you-"

She cut him off sharply. "Is there a point to this?"

He blinked in surprise at the sudden change of her tone. "I just wanted to say that, I'm sorry, that shouldn't have happened."

A wave of offence washed over her face at his comment, for reasons that he didn't know why.

"It's nothing I can't handle," she said tightly, her lips pursed.

"But you shouldn't have to be handling it in the first place."

Zipporah forced herself to remain emotionless, although it was incredibly hard for her to do when she had Arthur gazing at her with such genuine concern.

"I do not wish to discuss this matter any further."

Arthur couldn't understand why she was being so closed. "But-"

"I do not wish to discuss it!"

Her abrupt exclamation surprised both of them, and it caused Arthur to take a step back from her, thinking that he had upset her.

Zipporah did not wait for him to say anything more as she carried on down the halls at a speedy pace.

Arthur was left watching after her, frustrated and thoroughly confused.

♔

Down in the Physician's Quarters, Gaius was buried in all kinds of books, desperately trying to find out more about the magic that had caused the plague, and how to come up with a cure for it. He was accompanied by Merlin and Zipporah, the latter being determined to help in any way she could.

Gaius was extremely grateful for her assistance, as it was going to take a long time to figure out what was going on, and she was a great and powerful Sorceress. Merlin on the other hand, although he too was very powerful, the boy had not yet learned to harness his magic to its full potential, and he did not possess the experience that Zipporah had.

Merlin watched curiously as Gaius swirled a mixture around in a bottle. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm examining the contents of that man's stomach."

At Gaius' reply, Merlin threw a disgusted look to Zipporah, who smirked in response.

"Will that tell who did it?" Questioned Merlin.

Gaius held up the bottle to his eye to inspect it closer and replied, "no, but it might tell us how it's spread. One thing I do know, it's magic of the darkest kind."

Merlin frowned as he tried to fathom how someone could use magic for such evil purposes. "Why would someone use magic like that?"

"Because magic corrupts people," spoke Zipporah as she leaned against a wall. "The power it brings a person, it breeds a dangerous greed, a thirst for more."

"But not all magic is bad, I know it isn't," protested Merlin, "look at yours, your magic is good."

She smiled lightly at his endearing naivety, there was a time she used to be like that, but life had taught her a sharp and cruel lesson.

"Magic itself is neither good or bad. It is how you choose to wield it."

Merlin listened to her, intrigued. Although she was only young, she seemed to possess a wisdom that was far beyond her years.

Gaius hummed in agreement and was about to comment further, when the doors burst open and Arthur and a selection of guards strode in.

The Prince instantly took notice of the old man's look of disdain upon his privacy being invaded, so he offered, "sorry, Gaius. We are searching every room in town."

The explanation did not appease Gaius. "What for?"

"For the Sorcerer."

Zipporah rolled her eyes. "Really, Arthur, he's hardly going to be in here, is he?"

Arthur gave her a side-glance, knowing she was right, but said, "I'm just doing my job."

"We've got nothing to hide," Gaius proclaimed indignantly, "go on then, search."

The guards didn't need to be told twice as they rummaged through his things, sparking anger in the man. Arthur looked at the pile of books and papers that were displayed on a table, and asked, "what's all this?"

"My life's work, dedicated to the understanding of science," answered Gaius coolly. "You are quite welcome to read through them if you wish."

Zipporah smirked at his sassy attitude, whilst Arthur pulled a face, sensing he had hit a nerve. He then caught sight of a door that was on an elevated level, and it piqued his interest.

"What's this room up here?"

"Uh, it's my room," replied Merlin, starting to grow anxious.

As Arthur walked up the steps, Gaius asked, "what do you expect to find in there?"

Over his shoulder, Arthur called back, "I'm looking for material or evidence suggesting the use of enchantments."

As he entered the room, Zipporah turned to Merlin worriedly. "What have you done with that book I gave you?"

A flash of anxiety appeared on Merlin's face as he recalled where the object was. That anxiety was heightened when he heard Arthur shout, "Merlin, come here. Look what I've found."

Merlin exchanged a worried glance with Zipporah before rushing into his room, leaving her and Gaius to wait nervously.

Gaius shook his head and grumbled, "I'm forever telling that boy to be more careful, but do you think he will listen?"

Smiling faintly at the man's grumpiness, Zipporah mused, "Merlin strikes me as somewhat of a wild steed. Once he thinks of a path that he believes to be right, he charges towards it and no one can stop him."

Gaius chuckled heartily at her comment. "That is actually quite a good likeness, I shall have to remember to use that the next time he gallops away from my advice."

Gaius then sobered himself as he remembered something that had been on his mind, concerning the Queen before him.

"I've been meaning to ask, are your nightmares getting any better? Only, you haven't collected your potion for quite some time now."

"Hmm?" Zipporah seemed dazed for a moment, as though she had been caught off guard, before she registered what he had asked, and quickly regained her composure. "Oh....Yes, they are, much better. Your potions have worked wonders. I don't need anymore."

Despite her seemingly honest answer, Gaius could see that something shifted in her eyes as she spoke, and whatever it was told him that her words were not the truth.

He squinted at her curiously and said, "I find that most remarkable. It's interesting. You must be the first case I've had to make such a sudden recovery."

The corners of Zipporah's mouth twitched uncomfortably. "Really?"

"Yes. For someone like yourself, to have had such harrowing and persistent nightmares for such a long time and then for them to just disappear...it really is astonishing."

A different kind of anxiety began to stir inside Zipporah as the man stepped too close to the truth. Yet, thankfully, she did not have to come up with a reasonable excuse, for Arthur walked back into the main room.

"How long do you think it may be before you find a cure?" He directed to Gaius.

"It depends on how many interruptions I get."

Arthur bowed his head in understanding. "Of course, I'm sorry," then instructed his guards, "we're finished here."

After the guards had all filed out of the room, Arthur checked around the room to ensure that they were truly alone, reassured as Merlin was still in his room, he then beckoned Gaius and Zipporah to a corner of the room.

"I've been thinking," he started, only to be interrupted by Zipporah.

"-wait, you've been thinking? Now, that is a dangerous prospect."

A small smirk reached Arthur's lips at her witty quip. He would never tell her, but he had missed her little insults and retorts, he noticed that they only appeared few and far between lately. His heart filled with sadness as he guessed the reasons why, or, reason.

"Thank you for that kind remark, Zipporah," he drawled.

"You're welcome."

Arthur allowed himself to give her a proper smile, finding her behaviour oddly refreshing, especially compared to their earlier encounter.

Gaius wore a vague smile of his own as he glanced between the two royals. If only life had been more kind to them. Things might have turned out very different.

"Now, as I was saying," Arthur began again, giving Zipporah a pointed look, "if this illness is really being caused by magic, then is there any way that you could somehow...sense who it is that's controlling it, or where it's coming from?"

He was not afraid to speak of magic in front of Gaius, for Arthur knew that the Physician was already aware of Zipporah's abilities and had been ever since she first arrived in Camelot. Gaius had kept her secret close to his chest, and whilst Arthur sometimes had his reservations, Zipporah trusted the man completely and that was enough for him.

At his reference to her magical gifts, Zipporah shook her head sadly, it had crossed her own mind but she had drew up blank every time she tried.

"No, I cannot. Something keeps blocking me when I try."

Arthur sighed with deflation, having hoped that there could have been a way, but he lifted his head again when Zipporah continued.

"All I know, is that whoever is conjuring this plague, they are channeling their magic for dark purposes. That's the only thing I can feel, the blackness of it."

Exchanging a concerned look with Gaius, Arthur found himself even more worried than what he had been before, which he hadn't thought possible.

"Thank you for that," he told her sarcastically, "that's incredibly reassuring, I feel so much better about the whole thing now."

Zipporah shrugged nonchalantly with a tiny smirk. "You wanted to know."

"And now I wished I hadn't even asked..."

"Oh, stop your whining, Arthur. Now, leave if you haven't got anything fruitful to say, as we've got a lot of work to do."

"I do not whine!"

"Mhmm. And what do you call what you're doing right now...?"

"Protesting."

"Sounds an awful lot like whining to me..."

"I do not whine!"

"Of course...you don't."

"Zipporah!"

As the young pair continued to bicker, Gaius watched closely, his eyes alight with amusement. Yet, inside, a feeling of sorrow appeared as he remembered what their lives used to be, and what they had changed into.

Sometimes...life really was the cruelest ailment of all.

♔

Another couple of days had passed since the beginning the growing sickness, and it had gotten worse. All different kinds of people of Camelot were dying from the mystery illness, and it was sparking a strong urge of fear and uncertainty around the whole kingdom.

Uther had a summoned a small meeting in the Council Chambers, requesting an update from his son in regards to his search for any sign of the Sorcerer.

"We have searched everywhere," explained Arthur, "the entire city."

"Nothing?"

Arthur lifted his hands in a helpless gesture. "I don't know where else to look."

"It would be safer to impose a curfew," suggested Zipporah, "that way the people won't be able to interact with each other as often."

(𝚉𝚒𝚙𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚑'𝚜 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚠)

"Yes, order the curfew," agreed Uther. "No one is to be allowed onto the streets after the great bell, and cordon off the lower town."

Both Zipporah and Arthur frowned deeply at his last order, the latter asking, "why?"

Uther walked over to the serving tray and began to pour himself a drink. "Because that's where most of the victims are. Let's isolate it, stop this disease from spreading."

"But what about the people who live there?" Arthur questioned, deeply uncomfortable with what his father was implementing.

There was a loud clang where Uther had slammed down his chalice onto the tray, letting Arthur know that he was pushing him.

"Don't you think I haven't considered it?"

Zipporah was not going to let him get away with it so easily. "We can't just leave them in there to die!"

"What else can I do?" Uther barked. "I have to protect the rest of the city."

Frustration kicking it's way inside again, Zipporah didn't even attempt to mask her feelings, now that they were only a few.

"But by cutting it off you're ensuring the villager's deaths! What about their lives? Their children!"

Uther whirled around and retorted, "I have no choice!"

A scoff left Zipporah's lips as she neared him, getting close so that she was only inches away. "You're the only one in this kingdom who has any choice," she sneered quietly.

Uther stared down at her then glanced to his son, who matched Zipporah's displeased expression.

"Zipporah, I take no pleasure in this. I have to protect as many people as I can."

Instead of the calming effect Uther hoped his words would have had, they seemed to do just the opposite, as Zipporah kept her look of disgust as she moved away from him and began to make her way to the doors. She stopped when she reached Arthur's side to turn around and give her final say on the matter.

"If you do this, then you condemn innocent people to death."

♔

💜 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 💜