Werewolf of London: Chapter 3
Lyon, France, May 1850
Merlin glanced at the food in front of him, then back to Arthur. “Are you trying to pull something over on me?”
“No,” Arthur smiled innocently. “I just want you to try new things.” He took a bite of his food and motioned Merlin to do the same.
Merlin narrowed his eyes at his friend. “Fine.” He took a bite of the andouillette and frowned.
“Well?” Arthur asked. He knew that this bouchon served the best food in Lyon and he wanted Merlin to taste it.
“It is very good,” Merlin finally said. He took a sip of wine and looked at Arthur. “Why did you bring me here? Morgana said that another restaurant was better.”
“She was lying, she has never been to this place. No one has. I have been coming to this place since I was fifteen. I found it when I was out wandering one day and I had to try it at once. It does not really stand out, like other places, but it has the local feel that I like. Ever since then I eat here when I come to Lyon,” Arthur looked around the bouchon with a grin. “It might not be the best looking place or have the most expensive food, but I like it anyway.”
“You have never brought anyone here?” Merlin frowned in thought.
Arthur shrugged. “No one was important to me before.”
“Arthur, sometimes,” Merlin said with a sparkle in his eye, “you surprise me.”
Seville, Spain, June-July 1850
“Amazing,” Merlin breathed as he stared up at the Cathedral of Seville. “I am not very religious, but this is just...”
“Amazing, yes you said five times now,” Arthur replied quickly. His back was to the Cathedral, but he was watching Merlin take it all in.
“Can we go inside?”
“Yes, but you must be quiet. It is a House of God after all.”
“I know,” Merlin flapped his hand at Arthur. “I did not take you for a religious man,” Merlin said while side-eyeing Arthur.
Arthur coughed. “We go to church almost every Sunday.”
“Oh?”
“Father says we must keep up appearances,” Arthur shrugged his shoulders lightly. Merlin frowned slightly, but didn’t say anything. “Anyway, after we see the Cathedral, we should go see if we can go look at the Alcázar across the way.”
“Is that where the baths are that Morgana talked about?” Merlin asked with bright eyes.
“Yes.” Arthur gave Merlin a dark look. “And stop talking about Morgana. You are here with me after all.” Arthur turned and marched up the Cathedral steps and inside the church.
Merlin cocked his head in confusion, shrugged, and followed his friend inside.
Venice, Italy, July-August 1850
“So, what do you think?” Arthur asked as he watched Merlin turn in a circle, looking everywhere.
“This is fantastic! Look at all that water! And the architecture!” Merlin exclaimed in delight.
“For a doctor, you sure are obsessed about art and architecture,” Arthur mused with a smirk.
Merlin glared at him. “It is exactly like being a doctor.”
“I think not!” Arthur laughed. He took Merlin’s arm and pulled him towards a bridge. They walked over the bridge and rested against the side of it for a few minutes. They watched as gondolas with couples passed under the bridge. “Over this bridge is St Mark’s Square,” Arthur said, “which I know you wanted to see with Hunith, but I want to show it to you now.”
“Maybe when she is better,” Merlin replied quietly. “She and I can come here.”
“Well, of course. I will have to be sleeping in the hotel while you two come and gaze at it. I have seen it five hundred times already, five hundred and one now with you, and I do not want to see it anymore,” Arthur scowled.
Merlin laughed as Arthur led the way to the square. “Surely, not five hundred and one times?”
“Well, perhaps that was an over exaggeration on my part. It has been many times however.”
“You do not have to show me now, you know?”
“Of course I do,” Arthur scoffed. “How else will you impress Hunith with your knowledge of this place if not for me?”
“I am not sure,” Merlin said sarcastically. “I do not know how I can learn anything without you.”
“I do not know either,” Arthur sniffed.
The next day, Arthur woke up to someone knocking on the door of the suite. He sat up, fumbled for his dressing gown and then stumbled to the main door. He opened it and blinked at the porter.
“Yes?” he asked in a scratchy voice. He rubbed his face with his hand, hoping to clear the sleep from his eyes.
“Urgent message for Merlin Emrys,” the porter replied.
“Wait here.” Arthur stumbled back to his room, grabbed some money and came back.
Merlin was now talking to the porter. He turned to Arthur, “I have got the message.”
Arthur nodded, slapped some money into the porters’ hand, and then shut the door. He leaned against it as he watched Merlin read the message. Arthur knew what it was. The only urgent message they should receive would be from Gaius about Hunith.
“Well?” Arthur asked as he rubbed his eyes. It was far too early to deal with any kind of tragedy.
“Mother is worse,” Merlin’s voice trembled. His knees gave out, but Arthur was quicker and caught him. He helped his friend over to a couch. Merlin fell back onto it and made a sobbing noise.
He sat next to Merlin and demanded, “Let me see it.”
Merlin shoved the message into Arthur’s hands and put his head back on the couch.
Arthur patted Merlin’s knee and left his hand there as he read the message:
Merlin STOP Hunith bedridden for two weeks STOP No improvement STOP Fear the worst STOP Please hurry home STOP Gaius STOP
“Shit,” Arthur swore. He took deep breath and turned back to Merlin. “I will run to the train station right now and get you a ticket back home.” Arthur stood and began to pace in front of the couch. “I will have to wire Lancelot to see if he can get you on a ship to England. Then I will contact Morgana and get her to take you to Hunith. I hope Gaius already called on Morgana and Gwen for help.” He stopped and saw Merlin wasn’t moving. “Up, Merlin! Up! You have to leave now if you want to get back to Hunith quickly!”
Arthur grabbed Merlin’s arm and pulled him up from the couch. “Merlin, listen to me.” Merlin wouldn’t look at him, so Arthur grabbed his chin and made Merlin look him in the eye. “Listen. Hunith will be fine. Gaius is the best doctor to take care of her, besides you. If you pack and leave now, you can get there in three days at the latest. I will get you the fastest train and boats that I can.”
“Gaius took care of your mother,” Merlin replied despondently. His eyes were watering, but he wasn’t crying yet.
Arthur flinched, but didn’t look away. “My mother was much worse off by the time Gaius was able to diagnose her. We do not know when Gaius sent that telegram, Hunith could be better by now. You will not know until you get there.”
Merlin nodded. He suddenly hugged Arthur. Arthur froze, unsure what to do. Finally, he hugged back, then pulled away.
“We have to get going. Take a bath and pack. I will return shortly,” Arthur said with a slight flush on his face.
“Are you not going to bathe and get dressed?” Merlin asked with a slight smirk.
“I do not have time for a bath! I will just throw on some clothes and run down to the train station,” Arthur replied as he dashed to his room.
Merlin followed and watched as Arthur took off his dressing gown and was left only in pajama bottoms. “You do not have to do this,” he said.
Arthur turned and scowled at his friend. “Of course I do. I love Hunith and you like family. Now, shoo. Go get in the bath.”
Merlin smiled widely and left. Arthur sighed, closed his eyes for a second and then quickly threw on some clothes. He had to send the messages and get to the train station as soon as a possible. Merlin needed him.
Alba, Transylvania, Romania, September 1850
“You know,” Arthur slurred to the women sitting on either side of him. “I am a very rich man. A very rich, powerful man. I know lots of other rich, powerful people.”
The women giggled and began to pour him a few more drinks.
It had been a month since Merlin went back to England to check on Hunith. Arthur had planned to take Merlin to Rome, Athens, and then here, to Transylvania. It would have been an inside joke that Merlin would have appreciated. Arthur, who had been to Rome and Athens a thousand times, decided to skip the two cities and come right to Alba. Without Merlin around, Arthur had taken to drinking as much as he could and sleeping with as many people as time would allow. Sure, he had made some enemies, but Arthur was a rich foreigner who would be missed, so they left him alone for the most part.
“Master Pendragon,” said the bartender. “I believe it is time for you to go.”
“Ah, closing time?” Arthur asked. Even while highly intoxicated, Arthur was still polite. He tried not to inconvenience the bartender or any of the hotel staff where he was staying. They had all been very nice to him.
The bartender nodded and Arthur stood up, swaying slightly.
“Do you need help to your hotel, Master Pendragon?” asked the bartender deferentially.
“No, thank you.” Arthur pulled his jacket on and stumbled out the door. He then began to make his way down the deserted street, towards his hotel.
“Hello Arthur,” said a sultry voice from a dimly lit alleyway.
Arthur turned to see Daciana, a woman from a nearby, smaller village he had flirted with earlier in the month.
“Hello, Daciana, how are you this fine evening?” He squinted in her direction. She was half hidden in the alleyway and he could barely see her.
“I am fine,” she smiled at him, but it was a strange smile, like someone stalking their prey. “I would be even better if you came closer to me.”
Arthur grinned lecherously, tossing aside any trepidations he might have had and moved closer to her. As he came towards her, he noticed others in the alleyway and frowned.
“Daciana?” he asked suspiciously.
“Do not worry Arthur Pendragon, this will not hurt at all.” she kept grinning at him while two men came up and grabbed him.
Arthur struggled until someone else came up and hit him on the head. Arthur felt pain bloom in the back of his head, but managed to not pass out. He could hear the people whispering, but he couldn’t make anything out. The one thing Arthur was able to hear before a hood was put over his head was, “We must prepare him for the sacrifice. The monsters must be kept away.” Once the hood was on, Arthur struggled again, but it was weaker than before. Someone hit him over the head again and Arthur sagged in the arms of his captors.
Arthur’s last thought as he faded from consciousness was about Merlin. Monsters? I am glad Merlin is not here. He would be totally useless.
Chapter 4