Gaius and Alice

"I love you, Alice. I love you, and I always will." "As I will you, Gaius."

- Gaius and Alice

Gaius and Alice were friends and love interests. They had once been engaged to be married, but went their separate ways when Alice fled Camelot during the Great Purge and Gaius chose to remain behind. They briefly rekindled their relationship when Alice returned to Camelot around twenty years later, but separated again after she was arrested for poisoning Uther.

Engagement and Separation
"I had just been made physician to the King when I met her. It was like finding a kindred spirit."

- Gaius about Alice

Gaius met Alice shortly after he was appointed Court Physician. They were kindred spirits who shared a number of interests, primarily science, healing, and magic. Alice was known far and wide as an extremely gifted sorceress (particularly when it came to healing magic) and Gaius was often left in awe by her skills, which Alice found charming.

Over time the two friends fell in love and eventually became engaged. Before they could be married, however, Uther declared war on magic and their world was turned upside down. A list was drawn up of everyone suspected of using magic in Camelot, and one by one they were hunted down and executed. As a close friend of Uther's, Gaius was permitted to see this list and noticed that Alice's name was on it. Though it would cost him his life if he were caught, he deliberately struck off her name and thus bought her enough time to escape.

But though he'd risked his life to save Alice, Gaius couldn't bring himself to leave Camelot with her. He was scared, and though he knew it meant that he would never see her again he felt that he had no choice but to stay behind (Love in the Time of Dragons).

Reunited
"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."

- Gaius about Alice

Roughly twenty years later, Alice returned to Camelot and began practicing as a physician in the Lower Town. She cured a number of badly injured people with her magic, including the innkeeper Evoric, who was fatally ill. Before long stories of her miracle cures began to reach Uther's ears and the King asked Gaius to investigate whether magic was involved.

Gaius learned from the innkeeper that his wife had acquired a remedy from a woman in the Lower Town: a blue potion sparkling with magical power. The remedy piqued Gaius's interest, but it wasn't until he saw a totem in the innkeeper's doorway that he began to suspect that Alice had returned. He lied to the King and assured him that the innkeeper had been cured by a herbal remedy, then tried (and failed) to convince Merlin that the potion Evoric had shown them hadn't been enchanted.

Later that night, Gaius went to the Lower Town and found Alice at her house. She was surprised but delighted to see him, and after an emotional reunion, they went inside to sit down. Gaius explained how he'd known she was in town and remarked that she'd lost none of her skills. Flattered, Alice downplayed the compliment and teased him about being as solemn and serious as ever, which amused Gaius. They admitted that they'd missed each other, and Alice tenderly remarked that even though twenty years had passed, it almost seemed as though nothing had changed.

Her comment prompted Gaius to remind her that other things hadn't changed, either, namely Uther and his hatred of magic. He warned her that it still wasn't safe for her in Camelot and that if she were to stay the King would surely find her. But though Alice understood the danger, she refused to stop practising magic. She explained that healing was her only gift and the only means she had of making a living. Gaius pointed out that she could find work as a physician anywhere and asked why she'd returned to Camelot, and Alice wistfully admitted, "Because I wanted to see you again." Her words touched Gaius, and they embraced. Realizing that it was nearly dawn, Gaius returned to the citadel but promised to visit again. Back in his chambers, he unearthed an old letter from Alice and a lock of her hair that he'd hidden away twenty years before. The letter read: "For my beloved Gaius, you make me so happy. Words cannot describe how much I care for you. The times we have spent together recently have meant so much to me. I am so happy we are engaged. I so look forward to marrying you, Gaius."

Later that morning, Merlin revealed that he'd followed Gaius when he'd snuck off to Alice's house. Though initially irritated by his ward's actions, Gaius's temper was quickly appeased when the warlock explained that he'd been worried about him, and he explained that Alice was an old friend. He told Merlin that they'd been engaged once but the Great Purge had forced them apart. He'd thought that he'd never see Alice again after that, and now that she was back he almost felt as though they'd been giving a second chance.

At some point after that, Gaius went back to Alice's house and had breakfast with her. They talked about old times and reminisced the things they'd learned together, including the totems that Gaius had seen in the innkeeper's doorway. When Alice teased him about forgetting everything, Gaius recited a detailed description of the totem's properties and purpose, after which she cheerfully conceded that he'd forgotten nothing. Gaius told her that he remembered each and every day that they'd spent together, including the day that she'd left, to which Alice replied that they shouldn't dwell on that. They'd found each other again, and that was all that mattered (Love in the Time of Dragons).

The Manticore
"Alice is up to something, and whatever it is, it isn't good." "You're wrong, Merlin. Alice is the kindest and most compassionate person I've ever known."

- Merlin and Gaius

When Gaius invited Alice to stay with him for a while, she accepted and temporarily moved into Merlin's room. That night, while trying to make himself comfortable on the floor, the warlock thought he heard Alice talking to someone in his room. He peered through a crack in the door and saw her speaking to a strange creature with the tail of a scorpion and the body of a lion. They were discussing whether Gaius suspected anything, and then the creature instructed Alice to collect some of its venom in a vial.

The next day, Merlin asked Gaius about the kind of magic Alice used to practice and whether she'd ever dabbled in dark magic. The physician admitted that she probably had, but affirmed that those days were long gone. Merlin was less certain and tried to tell his mentor about what he'd seen in Alice's room, but much to his surprise Gaius dismissed his claims and told him he must have been dreaming. In an attempt to prove his story, he showed Gaius the box that the creature had crawled out of (which was hidden under Alice's bed), but when the physician opened the lid they found that it was empty.

Later that day, Gaius and Alice mixed potions together while Merlin tried to research the creature in the castle library. They greatly enjoyed their time together, reminiscing about old times and what a good team they'd made. At one point Gaius told Alice about the remedy he prescribed to Uther for an old battle wound, which seemed to pique her interest. She watched him mix it up, then asked if she could see a rare form of mountain balm that he'd told her about. When he was suitably distracted she took out the vial of the creature's venom and started to pour it into the King's potion, but was startled by Merlin's sudden return and wound up dropping both bottles.

That night, Merlin snuck back to the library to continue researching the creature, which he had discovered was called a Manticore. He learned that the box the creature resided in wasn't a container, but rather a gateway to another world, which was why the Manticore hadn't been inside. He went to Gaius the next morning and tried to tell him about what he'd found, but Gaius refused to hear him. He refused to believe that Alice was involved in anything bad, and when Merlin tried to convince him that he was blinded by his feelings for her, Gaius lost his temper. "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."

Greatly upset, Gaius stormed back to his chambers, where Alice was preparing medicines. When she noticed he was upset she asked him what was wrong, and Gaius told her that it was just a disagreement with Merlin. Discerning that the argument had probably been about her, Alice tried to comfort Gaius by explaining that the boy was probably just jealous. Merlin had been the centre of Gaius's attention for years now and was bound to be a bit hostile now that he was forced to share, but she was certain that he'd soon get used to having her around. Her reasoning appeared to soothe Gaius's temper, but Alice still seemed concerned and urged him to take a break. He initially declined because he still had to prepare Uther's medicine, but decided to take her up on it when she volunteered to brew it herself. He sat down with a book that Alice had once given him for his birthday, and when she was certain he was distracted Alice used her vial of venom to poison the King's medicine.

Her task complete, Alice hurriedly hid the venom and announced that the potion was ready. She urged Gaius to take it to Uther straight away, teasing that he wouldn't want to keep the King waiting. The physician cheerfully did as she asked and presented the remedy to Uther, who was waiting in his chambers, and left after the King drank it down (Love in the Time of Dragons).

Alice Arrested
"It was Alice. It had to be. She's been helping you with the potions. She's had every opportunity to corrupt his medicine."

- Merlin to Gaius

Later that evening, Gaius was summoned to the King's chambers after Arthur found his father unconscious on the floor. Nothing would rouse him and his eyes appeared to be completely black. This, coupled with the fact that the bottle that had contained Uther's remedy was still clutched in his hand, led Arthur to assume that his father had been poisoned, but Gaius refused to confirm his suspicions and insisted that he be given time to investigate other possibilities.

Merlin, however, was certain that Alice was responsible. He pointed out that since she'd been helping Gaius with the potions she'd had ample opportunity to poison Uther's medicine, but Gaius would have none of it. He insisted that Merlin had no proof that Alice was involved and repeatedly dismissed his attempts to reason with him. Deep down, however, he knew that Merlin was right, and as such, he later confronted Alice and demanded that she tell the truth.

Unwilling to lie to him any longer, Alice tried to confess, but her eyes suddenly turned black like Uther's and she was once again unable to speak. Startled, Gaius started to ask what was wrong, but was interrupted by the arrival of Arthur and two guards. Merlin had told the prince what he knew and they had come to arrest Alice for high treason. The warlock tried to apologize and explain that it'd been a choice between her and Gaius, but the physician angrily retorted that it wasn't his choice to make.

Later, in the dungeons, Alice confessed to using magic and poisoning the King but insisted that she'd only done it because the Manticore had made her. Arthur didn't believe her and begged her to tell him how to cure Uther, but Alice didn't know-how. When she tried to explain, her eyes turned black and she choked on her words, and Merlin realized that she was telling the truth about being under the Manticore's control. He went to Gaius and tried to apologize for informing on Alice, but the physician beat him to it. He understood that Merlin was only trying to save him from harm, but he still didn't believe that Alice had wanted to poison Uther. Merlin assured him that he knew that she hadn't, and then explained about the Manticore.

Gaius was certain that the Manticore's venom was too deadly to counteract by natural means, but believed that since the venom was imbued with its magic if the creature were to die then the venom would lose its potency and Uther would be cured. Further research revealed that the Manticore's life force was drawn from an ancient evil in the spirit world and would die if it remained in their world for too long. As such, Merlin and Gaius plotted to trap the Manticore. Merlin used his magic to summon it, then kept it at bay while Gaius used magic to destroy its gateway to the spirit world. Within seconds, the Manticore was dead (Love in the Time of Dragons).

Saying Goodbye
"After everything I've done, you would have every right to hate me." "Hate you? I could never hate you. I've treasured these past days."

- Alice and Gaius

With the Manticore dead and never to return to Camelot, Uther began to recover from its poison and ordered that Alice be executed in the morning. When Gaius tried to persuade him to lighten her sentence by reminding him that Alice had been under the Manticore's control, the King insisted that using magic was unacceptable regardless of circumstances and made it clear that his judgment was final.

Later, Gaius visited Alice in her cell and apologized for not being able to help her, but Alice insisted that he had nothing to be sorry for. She'd known what her sentence would be and that Uther would never change. They sat together in silence for a moment, then Alice explained how she'd gotten involved with the Manticore. She'd hoped that she could learn from it and perhaps even harness its magic for healing, but in the end, it proved too strong for her to control. Gaius tried to comfort her by reminding her that at least she was rid of it now, to which Alice replied, "Yes. And it's far better to die free than to live as a slave."

As Gaius prepared to leave, Alice told him that she wanted him to know that she'd never forgotten him and that since they'd parted all those years ago not a day had gone by where she hadn't thought of him. Her words touched Gaius, and he confessed that he often feared that he'd abandoned her and left her all alone, but Alice reassured him that she knew he'd stayed behind to protect her. He'd saved her life and achieved great things in Camelot, whereas she had disgraced herself. She told him that after everything she'd done he had every right to hate her and broke down in tears when Gaius replied that he could never hate her. He told her that he'd treasured the past few days with her and would always love her, a sentiment that Alice tearfully reciprocated.

Sometime later, Gaius was in his chambers packing away one of Alice's totems when the warning bells began to sound. When Merlin asked him what had happened, Gaius casually remarked, "Perhaps one of the prisoners has escaped." Realizing what had happened (that Gaius had helped Alice to escape), Merlin noted that he could have gone with her, to which Gaius cheekily replied that he could have, but then there wouldn't have been anyone to look after Merlin (Love in the Time of Dragons).

Trivia

 * Alice was Gaius's only reciprocal love interest throughout the series.
 * He was briefly pursued by the pixie Grunhilda in 3x06, but did not return her feelings.