Catie's POV

Gwen and I are bringing the washing in. Well I am, Gwen is beating our carpet. Suddenly our dad's head appears over the top of it. "Boo!" he says startling us both. We both cover our hearts gasping in surprise. As he laughs.

"Not funny dad" I tell him with a small smile.

"Your smile says otherwise" he states. "Did I surprise you both?" he asks.

"You certainly did" Gwen tells him.

"I've got another surprise for you both" he states. Handing us each a small wrapped object. We frown in confusion as we join him on the other side of the rug unfolding it. In side each package was a small button.

"It's lovely" Gwen and I say confused.

"Well, in case you ever need a spare. You know...for these" Dad says offering us a new fancy dress each. Both look identical. Except Gwen's has a purple bodice and dark dusty pink sleeves, while mine is the opposite.

"It's beautiful" Gwen says admiring hers.

"They must of cost you a lot" I say with a frown.

"Oh, very. But we're on the up now. Things are going to be different" he tells us happily.

"What's going on?" Gwen and I ask him.

"It'll be all right. Trust me" he tells us and kisses each of our cheeks. "I won't be back for supper" he states before heading for his shop.

"What do you think he is up to?" Gwen asks me as we head inside.

"No idea, I just hope he won't get in trouble with whatever he is doing" I tell her.

"He said it'd be alright" she reminds me. "I'll go finish beating the carpet, you ok to prepare our dinner?" she asks me. I nod my head and she goes outside. After we laid our new dresses on the bed. Maybe we'd wear them tomorrow or save them for a special occasion.

We did not get to enjoy our dinner in peace. We heard a commotion outside and ran outside to see what's happening. To out father be arrested. When we asked the guards why. Apparently he'd been making weapons for a sorcerer. But that can't be true. Our father would never do such a thing. Gwen and I ran to tell Merlin.

We find him and Gaius awake. "Catie, Gwen. What's wrong?" Merlin asks us concerned.

"Our father's been arrested" we tell him close to tears. Our father is the only parent we have left. The only family we have left really as we hadn't spoken to our brother in years.

"Arrested? What for?" Merlin asks us shocked.

"They say he was making weapons for a sorcerer! They're charging him with treason!" Gwen cries and I hug her. Merlin sneaks us in to see our father in the dungeon.

"I didn't know Tauren was a sorcerer. I meant no harm, I swear" dad promises us.

"Why didn't you tell me what was going on?" Gwen asks him.

"Either of us" I add.

"I knew you both wouldn't like it Catie, Gwen. You both are cautious. I didn't want to let an opportunity pass" he tells us.

"Opportunity? You call this an opportunity?" Gwen demands gesturing to the dungeon around us.

"I know. I've been a fool" he says with a sigh. "I just wanted to make a better life for us. For you two. I wanted to make you both to be happy" he tells us.

"We are happy!" we tell him earnestly. "We don't need anything else. We have everything we want" we assure him.

"And I've thrown it all away!" he curses.

"It's all right. We will get you out of here, I promise" Gwen tells him and leaves.

"Catie, please if I die" father starts to say.

"You won't" I deny.

"Catalina, you know what the king is like in regards to magic. When I die, I want you to take care of Gwen" he tells me. As tears stream my face. "I'm so sorry" he tells me.

"We won't give up" I assure him before leaving. I see Merlin talking to Gwen. She was telling him what father had told us.

"He said Tauren came to him at the forge, offered to pay him a fortune for his help, not to make weapons, for an experiment or something" she states.

"What kind of experiment?" Merlin asks her.

"Dad doesn't know" I tell him.

"Tauren didn't say. But he used some kind of stone, some kind of magic" Gwen explains. Merlin allows us to spend the night and I fall asleep on his bed hugging Gwen close. Praying this was just all some horrible nightmare.

But it wasn't the following day, some more villagers who had contact with Tauren was killed. Morgana managed to convince Uther to give our father a trail. But somehow he escaped his cell and tried to run. The guards killed him and Gwen's wail of despair the next morning drew my attention to the wagon that bore our father's dead body.

"No!" I cry racing over to it wit Gwen. "No, Father!!! No, Father!!!" I scream with Gwen. He's body was given to us so that we could bury him. Which we did, beside our mother's grave. Before going to Merlin's home to talk to him. Trying to make sense of why our father would try to run. He said he was innocent and only a guilty mane would run. Had he lied to us?

"I just don't understand. Why did he try to escape? His trial was this morning" Gwen states.

"It makes no sense" I agree. Someone knocks gently on the door. Arthur enters and Gwen stands up quickly to face him. I do the same. "Sire" we say bowing our heads.

"Catalina, Guinevere, I...want you to know that your jobs are safe. And that your home is both of yours for life. I guarantee you both that. I know that under the circumstances it's not much but, erm, anything you both want, anything you bothneed, all you have to do is ask" Arthur tells us sincerely. I relax a little, happy we'll be able to keep our home. "I'm sorry" he says.

"Thank you, sire" Gwen says.

"You will be a fine king one day and I thank you for your kindness" I tell him. He nods his head and leaves. Gwen and I then decide to go home. We link arms and thank Merlin for his company before leaving. When we reach the house, Gwen pauses to look at the dresses on the line. "I'll make us something to eat" I mutter and she nods her head.

I go inside and look at the food we have. I sigh and go to make something, when I hear Gwen talking to someone outside and frown. When I go outside I see her looking scared tears streaming down her face. I rush to her and hug her close. "What happened?" I demand as I guide her inside.

"It was Tauren, he was here. He threatened us both, he wants his stone back" she tells me. "He said we have two days to find it and bring it to him. He'll be waiting in the Darkling Woods" she explains. We search the house and could not find it.

It's the next day and Gwen has gone to work. Arthur gave me the day off my duties, with pay. Such a kind man he is. So I decide to use my day off to check my father's forge for the stone. No luck. When I saw Gwen next she told me Morgana was sending the knights after Tauren in the Darkling Woods. We both slept easier.

A few days later, there has been no sign of Tauren or his men. But no word of them being defeated. I fear they will return to kill Gwen and I. But I can't let it stop me from living. Both Gwen and I are back at work, working harder then ever. We were walking down a corridor when we saw Merlin looking out the window. No doubt watching Morgana leave with the king for their visit to her father's grave site.

"Catie? Gwen. How are you doing?" he asks us.

"We are fine" I assure him.

"I was about to ask you the same question" Gwen tells him.

"I'm fine, fine" he assures us. Though looks occupied by something.

"Morgana's been amazing these last few days" Gwen states.

"So has Arthur" I add.

"I think you both have been amazing. After all that's happened, getting your lives back together" Merlin tells us.

"It's better than sitting in an empty house, waiting for our father to walk through the door. The thing I find hardest to bear is that people will always think he was guilty because he tried to escape" Gwen tells him.

"I know he was innocent" Merlin tells us.

"Thank you Merlin" I say grateful at least someone else believes our father is innocent.

"I think he tried to escape because he knew that whatever he said or did he'd be killed. Uther had already made up his mind. That's the kind of man he is" Gwen states.

"I wouldn't blame either of you if you both wanted him dead" Merlin tells us lowly.

"If Uther died I'd feel nothing. He means nothing to me" Gwen tells him. I nod my head in agreement. Though it won't bring our father back.

"But if you both had the choice, what would you both do? If you had the power of life and death over Uther, would you both kill him? For what he did?" Merlin asks us.

"NO!" we tell him firmly. He looks at us surprised.

"Don't get us wrong, we have no love for him. But killing him won't bring our father back or ease the pain of his passing" I tell him.

"She's right, what would it solve?" Gwen asks him. "That would make us a murderers. That would make us as bad as him" she states.

"You both are right. Of course you both are right" he states. Then suddenly races away. Shouting that he'd see us later.

"What was that about?" Gwen asks me and I shrug. "We should get back to work, I had some chores I wanted to complete before Morgana returns. I was also gonna draw her a bath" she states. I nod and we go our separate ways to do our chores.

That night, Morgana and Uther returned without their guards. Apparently Tauren and his men had attacked them. Killing the guards. But Morgana killed Tauren, saving Uther's life. She appreciated having a warm bath that night waiting for her. Gwen and I didn't return home until late, and neither of us was hungry. So we just washed up and went to bed together. Neither of us wanting to sleep on our father's former bed. It was still to soon.

A/N

Picture above of Tom with Gwen's new dress.