Merlin (2008–2012): Season 3, Episode 9 - Love in the Time of Dragons - full transcript

In a land of myth
and a time of magic,

the destiny of a great kingdom rests
on the shoulders of a young boy.

His name...

Merlin.

HUMMING

Gebeode ic pone

feorhberendne paere ealdan ae.

SNARLING

SNARLING

Calm yourself, my pretty.

SNARLING



We are home now.

Gaius, there have been disturbing
rumours from outlying villages.

Sire? Someone, some kind of
physician, is offering treatments.

I fear magic may have been used.

What is it that makes you suspicious?

There are reports...
of miracle cures.

A boy thrown from a horse,
a farmhand mauled by a boar.

All hopeless cases, it seems.

And yet each and every one
has made a full recovery.

It is very hard for
me to comment, sire.

I would have to examine
the patients myself.

That won't be necessary...

as a new case has arisen
here in Camelot.

Who? The innkeeper.



He has returned to work.

That's not possible The condition was
critical. I saw him only days ago.

So you agree that magic
must be involved?

Well, I couldn't say for sure.

Then go to the tavern and find out.

If sorcery is at work here,
we must act quickly. Yes, sire,

I'll see to it right away.

It's unbelievable. Uther has
no problem turning to magic

if his family are threatened.

Keep your voice down, Merlin.

He is such a hypocrite!

He's also the King. So if
you value your head, use it.

Welcome!

Gaius, what a pleasant surprise.

Evoric. What can I get you?
Nothing, I just dropped in
to see how you were doing.

Much improved, as you can see.

Indeed. A remarkable recovery.

All thanks to you, Gaius.

GAIUS CHUCKLES
I think not.

Evoric, I am, of course,
delighted that you are well again,

but I must ask you - from
whom did you obtain your remedy?

I don't know what you're talking
about. You mustn't be afraid.

I am not the King, after all.

My wife, she was desperate.

I was slipping away. Go on.

She met a woman,

a healer, in the Lower Town
and she gave her a cure.

Can I see it?

Interesting.

Am I in some kind of trouble?
No, not at all.

You've been most helpful.

What was the nature
of this treatment?

Hogwart and fenugreek. Excuse me?

Herbs, sire.

Whoever prescribed them
was highly skilled.

Their grasp of the five principles
of herbal conjoinment was...

What about the boy,
and the labourer?

Surely they were beyond
the help of such remedies?

Not necessarily, sire.

The physician's art can
achieve great things.

But not miracles!
The innkeeper was fatally ill.

You said so yourself.

Yes, that was indeed my diagnosis.

But my knowledge isn't perfect.

There are many branches of
my craft are yet mysteries to me.

I could not heal the innkeeper.

Someone else could.

Are you absolutely satisfied
that no magic was involved?

Entirely, sire.

Thank you, Gaius.
You have set my mind at rest.

My lord.

I think it's great what you did.

Protecting the innkeeper like that.
What do you mean?

He was a sick man.

It was a matter of life and death.

Magic was his only hope.
But he didn't use magic.

The potion was enchanted. I saw
it with my own eyes. We both did.

What you saw, Merlin, was
a release of gaseous pressure.

Entirely normal in
a preparation of that kind.

But what about the totem?
What totem? The totem.

In the innkeeper's doorway. It
bore the marks of the Old Religion.

Nonsense.

You're obviously tired, Merlin.

I recommend you get some sleep.

Well, ca...?

CLATTERING

Gaius?

Alice. Oh.

FOOTSTEPS

How did you know I was in Camelot?

I recognised your work. Your healing
magic was always equal to none.

Oh, Gaius,
you've lost none of your charm.

You've lost none of your skill.
You saved the innkeeper's life.

I did what I could.
As I know you did.

But my humble potion
was not enough, it seems.

Look at you.

Always so solemn. So serious.

And you, always teasing me.

I've missed you.

And I you.

20 years. And here we are back
in Camelot, together again.

It almost seems as though
nothing has changed.

And some things never will.

Uther. It's not safe for you here.

He suspects that magic
is at work in Camelot.
But he doesn't know for sure?

Not yet.
But if you stay, he will find you.

But, Gaius, healing is my only gift.

It is my living. I must buy food,
I must pay rent. But why here?

The dangers are too great.

Because I wanted to see you again.

Dawn is almost upon us.
I must get back.

Oh. You will come back tomorrow?
Please? Of course.

SNARLING

You have done well. The physician
is vital to our plan.

Please...

Must we use him this way?
I've told you before.

Uther trusts him. He alone
can get us close enough to the King.

He will be blamed for
everything that happens.

And you will not. How perfect.

But his punishment will be terrible.

ENRAGED SNARLING

You must put aside your feelings
and do what needs to be done.

Yes.

Did you...go out last night?

Yes.

I had to get some herbs. Herbs?

A...a new supplier. Just arrived.

Right.

Do your suppliers normally kiss you?

You followed me!

How dare you? Gaius, it was the
middle of the night, I was worried.

I thought you might be in some sort
of trouble. There's nothing wrong.

What's her name?

Alice.

She's an old friend.

Well, more than a friend, if
truth be told. What do you mean?

We were once engaged to be married.

When was this?

More years ago
than I care to remember.

I had just been made physician
to the King when I met her.

It was like finding a kindred spirit.

We had so much in common.

Our love of science, of healing...

and of magic.

Magic?

I was just a novice.

But Alice's power and ability
was uncanny. She had the gift.

Soon she had mastered every aspect
of sorcery, healing above all.

It was wonderful to behold, Merlin.

She saved a great many lives.

It was Alice that cured
the innkeeper. Indeed.

There was a time when her skills
were famous in Camelot.

So what happened?

Uther declared war on magic.

Overnight our world was turned
upside down. The Great Purge.

Uther drew up a list of
everyone suspected of using magic.

One by one they were hunted
down and executed.

As a close friend of the King,
I was permitted to see this list.

Alice's name was on it.
What did you do?

The only thing I could do.
I struck her name off.

Gaius, if you'd been caught...
I know.

But it bought her time. Just enough
to get out of Camelot, to escape.

But you...stayed behind?

I was scared.
I felt... I had no choice.

I thought I'd never see her again.

But now here she is.

After all these years,

I feel we've been given
a second chance.

You have a kind heart.
You always did.

It's the least I could do.

Will you stay?

Please say you will. You are my only
appointment for this morning.

I made sure of that.

You recognise them? Of course.
It is a totem of healing.

Come, is that the best you can do?

Have you forgotten all that we
learned together? Let us see.

It is a sorcerer's chime -
to give it its proper name.

Each crystal bears an elemental
sign of the Old Religion.

When enchanted,
the crystals resonate,

their music giving succour
to the ailing and the sick.

You have forgotten nothing.

I remember everything.

All that we saw,

all that we did, each and every
day we spent together.

I remember the day you left.

Let's not dwell on that.
We have found each other again.

Isn't that all that matters?

HORSE WHINNIES

METAL CLANGS

Come on, Merlin.
Put your back into it.

I'm sorry, sire, I'm just a bit...

Pathetic. You're pretending
to be a battle-hardened
warrior not a...daffodil!

Sorry, sire,
I'm just a bit tired, that's all.

Fair enough.

Maybe this will perk you up.

Ah, Merlin.

I'd like you to meet Alice.
Merlin, it's a pleasure to meet you.

Gaius speaks very highly of you.

You too. Alice will be staying
with us for a while.

Great.
If that's all right with you?

Of course. I'll make up
the spare bed. So you won't
mind if she uses your room?

Be my guest.

GAIUS SNORES

Ow!

Good news, my pretty. >

Gaius has taken us into his home. >

So he does not suspect? No, no. >

Then you must work hard to
keep it that way. Yes. Yes.

You're doing well.

SNARLING
Oh!

Take some of my venom.

Do not fail me. Be careful
not to hurt yourself.

That's it.

SNARLING

When you first knew Alice, what
kinds of magic did she practise?

All kinds. It was a time of
experimentation, of learning.

Right.

What about dark magic?

I dare say.

But those days are long gone.
What if they aren't?

Last night, there was some
kind of creature in her room.

A creature? I've never seen anything
like it. It had the body of a
lion, and the tail of a scorpion.

Come on, Merlin.

You must have been dreaming.
No, I saw it.

With my own eyes.
And I could feel its power.

It was magic like nothing
I've ever felt before.

What utter nonsense!

If you don't believe me,
Gaius, I can prove it. Come on.

This is it.

Merlin, put that back.
This has gone far enough.

Oh, it's in there.

I know it is.

Ridiculous.

Gaius, no!

I hope you're satisfied, Merlin.

Morning.

Hemlock.

Nightshade.

Berg...

ALICE CHUCKLES

Oh, Gaius.

it's just like old times.

We always made a good team,
did we not? Yes.

I wish Merlin had your skills.

I fear he finds
the physician's craft boring.

Well, never mind. You've got me
to help you now, haven't you?

Indeed I have.

Now, where's the valerian?

Valerian...
For an injury, I presume?

Perfectly correct. I prescribe it
to Uther for an old battle wound.

He takes it daily? Of course.

MAN CLEARS THROAT

Can I help you?

No.

Yes. I wonder, do you know
anything about this creature?

Ah, now, that is the manticore.

A manticore?
Nasty-looking beastie, isn't it?

You can say that again.
I believe it was first referred
to almost a thousand years ago.

The ancients lived in fear of it,

trembled at its very name.
I've never even heard of it.

Well, I'm not surprised,
because as far as I'm aware
the manticore is a legend.

A figment of the imagination.
Are you sure?

Oh, yes. So...

if you were hoping to see one,
I'm afraid you're going
to be disappointed.

And now it is ready to go to
the King. Fascinating.

Gaius, you said you had a rare
form of mountain balm.

I should like to compare
it with my own, if I may?

Certainly. Oh.

Now where did I put it?

Perhaps with the second-order
palliatives? Of course.

I'm so sorry, Gaius.

Don't worry. Merlin will
clear it up, won't you, Merlin?

No, no! I can do it.

SNORING

CLATTERING

What's that? Who's there?

WHISPERS: No-one. You're dreaming.

Now go back to sleep.

SNORING

BELL RINGS

Gaius, I need to talk
to you about Alice.

Merlin, this must stop.

There's a reason the box
was empty.

It's a portal, a gateway for the
manticore. This must stop now.

Alice is up to something,
and it isn't good.

You're wrong, Merlin. Alice is the
kindest and most compassionate
person I have ever known. No!

You're wrong. You're just
blinded by your feelings for her.

I can see perfectly well, Merlin.

And what I can see is that you
cannot bear for me to be happy.

I cannot begin to
guess why that should be.

But it saddens me...
more than I can say.

DOOR OPENS

Gaius, there you are,
I was beginning to wonder
where you'd got to.

What's wrong?

It's nothing. A disagreement
with Merlin, that's all.

Was it about me?

You musn't worry.

He's probably a bit jealous,
that's all. Jealous?

Well, it's only to be expected.

The poor lad's had
you all to himself.

He's bound to be a bit
hostile for a while.

Very hostile, if truth be told.

He'll soon get used to having me
around. I'm sure you're right.

Listen, why don't you sit yourself
down for a while and take a break.

I must prepare Uther's medicine.

Well, I can take care of that.

You showed me how, remember?

Thank you.

Run!

You're meant to bob, Merlin. Weave.

You might as well be a barn door.

Yes, sire.

For goodness sake.
What is your problem?

Nothing.

Right, well, either you tell me, or
we go back to the lance and hoops.

Gaius and me,
we had a bit of a falling out.

Look, I row with
my father all the time.

You should do what I do.

Just lie low and wait
till he comes to his senses.

It'll soon blow over.

No. I don't think so somehow.

Oh, cheer up, will you?

How is punching me in the arm
meant to cheer me up?

It works with the knights.
They're thick, aren't they?

I'm a knight.

There you go then.

You gave me this book,
do you remember?

It was on your birthday, wasn't it?

Or was it when I was made
court physician?

Have a look inside.
I'm sure there's an inscription.

You're quite right, of course.
My 50th birthday.

Here we are. All done.

Wonderful, thank you.

Hurry now. You wouldn't want to
keep your King waiting.

Really, Alice, I can't imagine
how I survived without you.

Ah, Gaius, you have my medicine.
I do, sire.

To my very good health.

BELLS RINGS LOUDLY

Father!

I found him this way.
I can't rouse him.

The King's alive.
But his pulse is weak.

What's wrong with him?
Please, I must examine him.

Seal off the King's quarters!

What is that?

Hush, Merlin.

Well? I'm afraid I cannot yet
determine the cause of
your father's illness.

He's been poisoned, hasn't he?
I cannot say at this stage.

Just look at him.
What else could it be? We must
not jump to hasty conclusions.

Please watch over him
until I return.

I don't think we need more
information. Since when
were you the expert?

You don't need to be a physician
to see what's happened. Merlin.

He's been poisoned and I think
we both know who did it.

What exactly are you implying?

It was Alice. She's been
helping you with the potions.

She's had every opportunity.

You have no proof of any of this.

How else did he ingest the poison?
There is no other explanation.
Of course there is.

Come on, Gaius.

I understand why you're
protecting her

but in your heart,
you must know it's true.

All I know is the King
is gravely ill and your place
is by Arthur's side.

It doesn't make any sense,
his food and wine are tasted.
Each and every meal.

It is brought here
under armed guard. No-one can
interfere with it in any way.

So it can't be his food and drink.

The only other thing
he's had is...

..Gaius's remedy.

Arthur.
I think I know what happened.

I think...I know who did this.

DOOR OPENS

What's going on?

The King has been poisoned.
It appears that someone has
tampered with his medicine.

But surely you
don't think it was me?

Don't lie to me, Alice. Please.

Gaius, I...I...

Ugh! Ugh!

Alice.

DOOR OPENS

You are under arrest
for high treason. Take her away.

I had no choice.

It was either her or you, Gaius.

It wasn't your choice to make.

Do you admit to using magic? Yes.

Admit to poisoning the King?
Yes, yes.

But it forced me to do it.
Who forced you?

The creature, the creature!

You're lying! There's no creature.

You're just trying to save
your own skin! No, no.

Please, my father is dying.

If you have a single shred
of goodness within you,
you will tell me how to cure him.

I don't know.

I don't know!

I'm so sorry. The manticore...

SHE GASPS

How is he?

He's fading. He won't last the day.

Gaius...

It's all right, Merlin.

I understand. You were only trying
to save me from harm.

Thank you.

But I don't believe
Alice wanted this.

I know she didn't.

The poison is from the manticore,
the creature that was
in Alice's room.

We cannot counteract the manticore's
venom. It is too deadly by far.

So what can we do?

We can kill the manticore.

The poison is imbued with its magic.

With the manticore dead,
it will lose its potency.

But how do I kill it? You can't.

You don't have the power. It is
a creature of the Old Religion.

But maybe there's another way,
if I can remember.

Here!

The manticore cannot
live in this world long.

Its life source is the ancient evil
that exists in the spirit world.

So, if we could trap it
in this world...

Exactly.
If we were to summon the creature,

and you kept it at bay long enough,
perhaps I can break the box.

The gateway. If the gateway
is destroyed,

then the creature's connection
with its life source
will be destroyed with it.

And the manticore will die.

I believe so.

Gaius, the box is enchanted.
It would need magic to destroy it.

I am aware of that.

Do you think you can...
command such magic?

There was a time when I could.

I just hope I haven't forgotten.

Are you ready?

What if this doesn't work?

Then we're going to have a very angry
manticore on our hands.

Cum her, ping scinnlce.

GROWLING

Gaius!

Ado pas sawolduru.

Ado pas sawolduru!

Gaius!

Gaius, It's now or never!

Ado pas sawolduru!

Gaius!

Not too bad for a has-been.

Not too bad yourself.

I am fortunate indeed that you
found an antidote, Gaius.

It will take time, my lord,
but you will make a full recovery.

What of the woman?

We have her in the cells, sire.
She awaits your judgment.

She won't have to wait long.
She is sentenced to death.
You will execute her in the morning.

Yes, father.

Sire, if I may? Yes, Gaius?

It seems this woman was in the
thrall of some kind of creature.

Perhaps, in the light of that,
her sentence might be...

She practised magic, Gaius.

There are no circumstances
under which that is acceptable.

My judgment stands.

I'm sorry, Alice,
there was nothing I could do.

Don't.
I knew what my sentence would be.

Uther will never change.

No.

I hoped that I could learn from it.
That I could harness its magic

for the good, for healing.
But it was too strong for me.

At least you are rid of it now.

Yes.

It is far better to die free
than to live as a slave.

I can only hope that's true.

Gaius...before I go
I want you to know something.

I never forgot you.

Since we parted all those years ago,

not a day has gone by
when I have not thought of you.

I fear I abandoned you, Alice.

I left you all alone.

You stayed behind to
protect me, I know that.

You saved my life, And there is
no greater gift that I
could have hoped for.

And you have achieved great
things here in Camelot whereas I...

Alice. I have disgraced myself.

After everything I've done you would
have every right to hate me.

Hate you? I could never hate you.

I have treasured these past days.

I love you, Alice.
I love you. And I always will.

As I will you, Gaius.

I don't want to leave you.

Do not be afraid. Please.

BELLS RING LOUDLY

Something's happened.

Perhaps one of
the prisoners has escaped.

How is that possible, I wonder?

The dungeons are so secure.

I really couldn't say.

You could have gone with her.

I could have done.

But then who would look after you?

Me? I don't need looking after.
I can fend for myself.

Ah, well in that case, you won't
be wanting any of this then.

Well, maybe just a slice.

Whatever relationship
exists between Arthur and Gwen,

you must destroy it.

It is almost as though
he has been enchanted.

Uther will never believe that
Morgana is responsible. Arthur!

She has been found guilty.
You can't do this!

If we can't expose the true sorcerer
then we must invent one.

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