"Aren't you scared?" Merlin asked, as he and Lily hovered over the other side of the body Gaius was crouched over.

A body had been found dead in the lower town and Gaius had been summoned to inspect it.

"Of what?" Gaius questioned, looking towards the boy.

"That you might catch whatever it is."

"I'm the court physician, Merlin. This is part of my job. Most of the time there's nothing really to be scared of." The old man assured them as he turned over the dead body, Merlin crouching down to help him.

Lily gasped at the sight of the blue-white skin and completely white eyes that stared up towards the sky, her hand going up to cover her mouth in horror.

"You were saying?" Merlin asked as the physician stared at them, dumbfounded.

"People mustn't see this. They will panic." He said urgently, prompting Merlin to hurry to his feet and take a blanket that had been hung out.

Lily was still staring at the body even after they covered it with the blanket and looked around warily. Her heart clenched for the dead man. He could have had a family.

"Gonna need a hand here, Lily." Merlin grunted as he lifted the body to put it on their wheelbarrow. Lily regained her composure and moved to help Merlin.

"I told you to eat better, you skinny git." She muttered playfully as she took the other handle of the wheelbarrow and helped him pull it as they followed Gaius.

"Have you tasted the food you make? Gaius's potions taste better than your 'porridge'." Merlin scoffed, missing the frown on Lily's face.

"Merlin."

"Yes?"

"I've never made any porridge in my life." Lily laughed at the shock on his face.

"So you're saying...?"

"Yes."

"So that wasn't...?"

"No."

"Then what on earth was that gob?!"

Lily's laugh carried down the street as they dragged the wheelbarrow behind them.

As they entered the fortress, Gwen came up to them, a small bunch of flowers in her arms. She smiled brightly at them.

"What are you doing?" She asked curiously.

"Er... just moving something." Merlin said nervously, edging in front of the wheelbarrow, hoping she wouldn't question him further.

"Looks heavy," she observed.

"Er, its nothing really. Er...someone got you flowers?" He changed the subject, finally dragging her gaze away from the barrow.

Gwen giggled, making Lily frown, "Oh! No. Would you like one? A purple one. Purple suits you. Not that I'm saying red doesnt suit you." She ranted.

Merlin took the flower hesitantly, "Thanks. Well, er" he stuck the flower in his scarf, not noticing the scowl on Lily's face.

"Aww."

"Sorry, Gwen, but we really need to get going." Lily smiled apologetically.

"Oh, sorry. Don't let me keep you both. Goodbye." Gwen said, giving a small wave as Merlin muttered a nervous farewell.

"Well, someone's got a crush," Lily said casually. Merlin groaned.

"I don't have a crush on Gwen."

Lily raised an eyebrow, "Who said I was talking about you?" It was silly, she knew, but she couldn't help but feel a little resentful every time she glanced at the flower in his scarf.

~~~~

"I've never seen anything like this before," Gaius said gravely as he examined to body on the table.

"Do you think it could be some kind of plague?" Merlin asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"No, this is beyond the capabilities of nature," Lily spoke before Gaius, frowning at the body. "This is sorcery, and sorcery at its strongest and deadliest."

"But who has this kind of power?" Gaius straightened up, putting the magnifying glass down.

"You think it's caused by magic?" Merlin seemed doubtful.

Before Lily or Gaius could respond, Arthur's voice called out, "Merlin!"

Merlin hurried to open the chamber doors, "I'm on my way. Sorry I'm late."

"Don't worry, I'm getting used to it," Arthur replied drily.

"Come now, Arthur. It's too good a day to be frowning." Lily called out from behind Merlin, smiling warmly at the prince, but Arthur was too busy staring at the flower in Merlin's scarf.

Merlin followed his gaze and plucked it out, hurrying to explain, "Oh! Uh... Gwen," he shrugged, "She gave it to me."

Arthur rolled his eyes, "Tell Gaius my father wants to see him now."

"Okay," he breathed out as Arthur walked away.

"Gaius," he started as he closed the door.

"I heard."

"Why couldn't he just tell you himself?"

"Because that's the way it is. You're a servant."

Merlin scoffed, exclaiming, "If he knew who I was. What I've done—"

"You'd be a dead servant," Gaius and Lily said at the same time, although Lily's tone was far sweeter and merrier, making Merlin effectively shut up.

"Right, cover this up."

"I'm not your servant," the boy protested.

"No, you're my dogsbody. Come on, hurry up."

Lily could see he desperately wanted to argue, but he stayed silent and helped Gaius cover the blue body up.

"I have work in the kitchens today, so you can go on without me," Lily told him, picking up her satchel from the bench she had been sitting on.

"Do you have to?" Merlin whined, making the girl laugh.

"You've never met the cook, have you? She's a force to be reckoned with. She'd have my head if I didn't show for my chores, and I mean it literally." She reached up and ruffled his hair before sprinting out the window.

~~~~

As Lily made her way through the small stalls of the lower town, looking for small trinkets she could collect as she usually did after her work in the kitchens, she realised that she had never seen this many guards out and about in the lower town and she realised that the king must have found out that Magic was behind this. Which meant, the entire city would be searched for the sorcerer, which meant that their chambers would be searched too...

The book! She'd left it in Merlin's room! She took up a sprint towards the citadel as fast as she could.

She burst into their chambers only to find soldiers already searching everywhere. She saw Arthur making upstairs, saying, "-evidence suggesting the use of enchantments."

She made to intervene just as Arthur called out from Merlin's room, "Merlin, come here. Look what I've found."

Lily ran up behind Merlin, heart hammering in fear. But she was glad to see that Arthur was instead, preoccupied with something else.

"I've found a place where you can put things. It's called a cupboard." Merlin smiled sheepishly as Arthur moved around the room, his and Lily's eyes scanning the room for the book.

Merlin's eyes flashed gold for a second as soon as he found it, sending one of his clothes falling to the ground and covering it. Both of them watched nervously as Arthur got down on his knees and looked under the bed, letting out a breath they hadn't noticed they were holding as soon as he stepped out.

"How long do you think it may be before you find the cure?" Arthur asked Gaius, once he came down.

"Depends on how many interruptions I get," Gaius replied sarcastically.

"Of course, I'm sorry," Arthur apologised. "We're finished here," he called off the guards and left.

Gaius slammed the door shut after the last guard had left, fixing Lily and Merlin with a stern look.

"We have to hide that book!"

"No, we must use it," Merlin said insistently, startling Lily.

"Don't be stupid." Gaius scoffed, but Lily agreed with Merlin. Why not use magic to cure what had been caused by magic?

"If I have this legacy, then what is it for? You-you keep telling me it's not for playing tricks," he pointed out.

"What do you mean it's not for playing tricks? Playing tricks is one of the best uses for magic." Lily said indignantly but no one paid attention.

"You want to practice magic when the king is hunting for sorcerers? Are you mad?!" Gaius demanded.

"Well, the king doesn't have to know we're using magic." Lily pointed out. "We can just tell him you've found a cure and maybe there's an enchantment we can use on a harmless potion, give them a minor side effect but save their life. Or maybe there's a potion that we can make with a few spells, we can't know unless we try, Gaius."

"Merlin, Lily, your lives are destined for more important things." Gaius waved them off.

"But if we don't practice, then how will I get to be this... great warlock?!" Merlin exclaimed.

"And what kind of destiny counts as greater than saving people's lives?" Lily demanded, her voice growing soft.

"Merlin, there will come a day when your skills will be recognised!" Gaius didn't answer Lily's question.

"When? How long do I have to wait?!"

"Your time will come." Gaius pointed a spoon at the boy.

"I hardly think that is going to be any time soon then. Not as long as Uther lives and rules this land." Lily muttered.

"Lily—"

"Oh, don't 'Lily' me! He is a man blinded by his hatred for magic despite the fact that the reason why he hates it so much is because of his own selfishness!" She burst out.

"One day, all the pain he has caused will come to haunt him and when that day comes, mark my words, I will not lift a finger to help him."

"Lillian!" Gaius exclaimed.

"I promised you I wouldn't take revenge, Gaius, and there was a time when I thought he had a justifiable reason for why he hates magic so much. I won't harm him, but neither will I help him," she snarled before storming upstairs and slamming her bedroom door shut.

She fumed silently as she listened to Gaius and Merlin argue downstairs.

~~~~

A couple of hours later, Merlin coaxed Lily to come down to examine the new body that had come in. She was still miffed, but had cooled down considerably.

"What's different about this victim?" Gaius asked Merlin.

"Um, she's a woman," Merlin said, making Lily snort a little, her lips quirking up.

Gaius was not amused. "Sometimes I do wonder whether your magical talents were given to the right person." Merlin looked away sheepishly. "Anything else?"

"Um, she's a courtier?"

"Ah. And how does that help us?" Gaius coaxed.

At Merlin's blank face, Lily explained, "Courtiers seldom go down to the lower town."

"So what does that mean?" Gaius asked Merlin again.

"Um...that she hasn't spoken to any townspeople."

"Yes," Gaius conceded, but still not satisfied with the boy's observations.

"It means that disease isn't being spread through physical contact," Lily explained helpfully, patting Merlin's back.

"And they probably eat different food," Merlin realised.

"Good, now you're getting the hang of it," Lily smiled

"Good," Gaius agreed, "Anything else?"

"I doubt they've breathed the same air." Gaius nodded encouragingly.

"So what's the only thing they do share?"

"Water..?" Merlin's face light up in realisation. "Water! You think the disease is spread through water?"

"Merlin, you're a prodigy," Gaius said with a wry smile. Merlin frowned, unable to tell if the old man was being sarcastic or not.

Gaius handed the boy a bucket in a silent command to bring him what he needed. Lily followed Merlin out wordlessly. Gaius didn't point out that they didn't need two people to fetch water, he knew she needed someone to talk to.

~~~~

"Your parents died in the great purge?" Merlin asked under his breath as they made their way down.

Lily nodded. "We'd almost made it out, we thought we were safe. But then the king's men attacked. I was the only one out of our travelling group to make it out alive."

It was a bit of a risk for them to discuss this matter where anyone might listen in and rat on them. Merlin could tell she was a bit nervous, given the way she kept looking over her shoulder.

"I hate it when things like this happens," she sighed after a moment, catching his concerned look. "Every time Uther sends out men to find a sorcerer, I'm afraid they might burst into Gaius's chambers and take me away in chains."

Merlin's hand froze on the water pump's handle. "Gaius would never let that happen." He looked up to find Lily staring at him almost sadly. But he didn't look away, holding her gaze as he added, "And neither will I."

Lily's lips quirked up. "My hero."

Merlin grinned impishly, about to retort as he resumed pumping out the water but stopped short as Gwen ran past them through the citadel gates, weeping.

"Gwen?" Merlin frowned as Lily called after her friend. The pair exchanged worried looks before Merlin grabbed the bucket and they ran after her.

The two of them ran in through the door, stopping as devastation filled Gwen's face at Gaius's words.

"I have no cure."

"I am begging you," she pleaded, sobs racking through her.

"I wish there was something, anything, but so far the remedy is beyond what I can achieve."

Lily's heart ached at her friend's pain, every fibre of her being screaming at herself to do something, to help her and damn the consequences.

Gwen sobbed as she ran back out, Lily running after her. Merlin marched up to Gaius, handing him the bucket.

"There must be something we can do."

"My best. Let's hope that this can provide our answers." Merlin couldn't understand how Gaius was being so calm about this.

"But that'll be too late for Gwen's father," he exclaimed.

Gaius said gravely as he put the flower in the water, holding it up to see better in the light, "I fear you may be right."

Merlin looked back at the door and back at Gaius, an idea, crazy and risky as it was, forming in his head. So far, he'd listened to Gaius, but he could no longer stand by and watch as people suffered when he had the means to help.

Meanwhile, Lily caught up to Gwen at the entrance to the citadel, wrapping her arms around the shaking and near hysterical girl.

"He's all I have, Lily." She cried into Lily's shoulder as the brunette rubbed her back soothingly.

"I know, Gwen. I know."

"I can't lose him."

Lily acknowledged her words gently, trying to calm her down. Her heart felt heavy but steely determination crept into her eyes as she comforted Gwen. She was going to save Gwen's father even if it would become the last thing she'd do.

~~~~

Later that night, Lily smiled as Merlin crept back up to his room. She had had a poultice ready in her satchel and had been about to set out to Gwen's house when she had heard Merlin creep out of his room. She'd watched  in amusement as he clumsily made his way past a snoring Gaius, almost laughing when he barely stopped the broom and the utensils he had knocked over from hitting the ground.

She'd patiently waited for him to come back, knowing that there little left for her to do now. As Merlin unsuspectingly went into his room,, she crept up to lean against his doorframe.

"Had a nice walk out in the middle of the night, did you?" She couldn't stop the chuckle that left her lips as Merlin jumped, startled.

"Yeah, I um.. couldn't sleep." He rubbed his head sheepishly as he lied unconvincingly.

"You're a horrible liar and even worse at sneaking out. It's a wonder Gaius didn't wake up," she teased, eyes sparkling with humour.

"Please don't tell him," he pleaded. Lily stopped, a little startled at how utterly adorable he looked. And then became alarmed by the fact that she found him adorable at all.

"I'm not going to tell him," she managed to say without stuttering. "I was about to sneak out to help Tom myself until I saw your... spectacular escape."

Merlin sighed in relief, not noticing that Lily's cheeks were burning red. A smile came over his face as he tiredly thanked her and bid her goodnight, barely registering her stumbling out her reply as sleep took hold of him.

~~~~

Things had gone completely and utterly wrong. Gwen had come up to Lily, hugging her as she told her with no little relief and happiness that her father had recovered. Lily congratulated her friend, smiling as Gwen happily walked away to do her morning duties as Morgana's maid.

Not long after, news came down to Lily, who had been hanging up the clothes she had just finished washing, that Gwen had been arrested for using magic. Lily took off immediately, but not to Gwen's cell. No, she knew what was going to happen and she only hoped she wasn't too late to stop it.

She ran down to where the blacksmith was and knocked on the door of the house opposite to Gwen's. She fumbled inside her satchel pulling out a purse of coins as the door opened.

"Lily? What are you doing here? Haven't you heard-?"

"I heard, Maggie, that's why I'm here." Lily took Maggie's hand and pressed the purse into it. "I need you to help me."

After Lily told her her plan, Maggie shook her head. "Lily, I can't do that, what you're asking of me is-"

"Please, Maggie. Gwen can't suffer for what she didn't do. I can hold out longer than her. Long enough for the real culprit to be found."

"And if you're hanged before they do?" Maggie demanded.

"Then I'll have died protecting someone who is innocent and one of my best friends."

~~~~

While Merlin was trying to convince the king and the court that he was the sorcerer who put the poultice under Tom's bed, Lily made her way down to the dungeons to see Gwen.

"Merlin was here earlier." Gwen smiled sadly. "I'm glad I get to see you before I..." she couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence.

Lily's eyes flashed angrily as she saw the chains binding Gwen's feet to the wall, too short for her to reach the bars that separated them.

"They've chained you like a bloody animal. Oh, Gwen..."

Gwen only sobbed. Lily gripped the bars as she firmly promised, "I swear to you Gwen, you will not spend one more night in this place. I'll get you out by nightfall."

"Lily, what do you-"

"Don't worry. Just trust me." Lily spun on her heels and marched back out, her cloak billowing behind her.

~~~~

"Arthur's the idiot," Merlin exclaimed as he burst in, startling Lily.

"No. He was right to do what he did. And, thankfully, he saved you from your own stupidity," Gaius said crossly.

"What happened?" Lily asked.

"Merlin behaved like an idiot and confessed in front of the entire council that he was the one who cured Gwen's father," Gaius told her, glaring at the boy.

"Merlin!"

"Well, what else was I supposed to do? It's my fault Gwen's gonna die."

"Yes, but you don't prove her innocence by offering to jump into the flames. You do it by finding out what's causing the disease!" Gaius pointed out before turning away as Merlin walked over to the other side of the table.

"Well, whatever it is, one thing's for sure: Arthur isn't going to find it. He thinks he is so sharp! But even when I told him I was a wizard, he still couldn't see it." Lily smiled amusedly as Merlin shook his head in disbelief.

"Sometimes they're pretty hard to spot." Gaius smiled as well.

"Well, maybe I should go around wearing a pointy hat," Merlin said drily

"I don't think you'll find one big enough," Gaius retorted, making Lily laugh out loud. But it was short lived, as Gaius went to continue, guards burst into their chambers, Sir Leon at the lead.

"Lily, you are being arrested for crimes and contraventions of the laws of Camelot, that you did practice enchantments."

"What?!" Merlin spluttered, eyes wide as the two guards grabbed Lily by her arms. Merlin was even more shocked when she didn't put up a fight, letting them drag her out without so much as a protest... almost as if she had known they would come.

~~~~

"Do you admit that this poultice was of your making?"

"Forgive me, your majesty, but what gives you reason to suspect that it belongs to me?" Lily asked calmly, head held high.

Uther beckoned Maggie forward. "Repeat what you told me you witnessed earlier."

"It was a few minutes to midnight and I woke up because my baby had woken up and had started crying. I was trying to put him back to sleep and I happened to look out the window..." she trailed of uncertainly.

"Do not be afraid, continue," Uther said gently.

"Well, I saw Lily sneaking out of Gwen's house and as she walked away, I saw that bottle fall out her satchel. Then next morning I heard Tom had recovered but then Gwen was arrested and I couldn't let the poor girl suffer for what she didn't do so I came here."

"Now, do you admit it, witch?" Uther asked Lily harshly.

Lily smiled wryly. "Even if I denied it, would you believe me, Your Highness?"

"Stop this plague," Uther demanded quietly.

"I can't."

"Undo your curse!"

"I cannot undo what I never made."

"Then I have no choice but to find you guilty." Uther's voice carried loud and cold. "You will be executed tomorrow instead of the girl."

Alone in the Council Chamber with the king, Lily had no one to fight for her like Gwen had. Or so she thought until Merlin stood in front of her as the Guards opened the doors to take her away. She couldn't help the tear that slipped down her face at the sight of his desperate face. He followed them down to the dungeons, standing by silently but his eyes hardening as he saw the guards fasten the chains that had previously bound Gwen, around Lily's ankles.

"Is Gwen okay?" Was the first thing she asked as soon as the guards left.

"She's fine. They let her out as soon as you were taken up for the verdict."

Lily's shoulders slumped in relief. She tried to put on a brave smile as she spoke, "I'd hug you but I'm kind of tied down at the moment."

"This isn't funny."

"Never said it was."

Merlin grabbed the bars, his grip almost tight enough to hurt himself as he managed to speak through gritted teeth, anger winning over worry, "Why did you do that?"

Lily's face softened. "You're angry with me." It wasn't a  question.

"Why would you do that? Gaius and I would have figured it out, we could have figured it out together, why would you do this to yourself?!"

"Gwen doesn't deserve to rot in a cell, waiting for her death the next morning, alone and cold."

"And you do?!" Merlin snapped.

"She really thought she was going to die, Merlin! She had no hope! I would never let her experience what I did. Once you experience that fear, spend an entire night preparing yourself for death, you never forget that fear."

"What about you, Lily? You told me this morning that one of your greatest fears was being dragged out of Gaius's chambers in chains which is exactly what happened barely hours ago and you planned for it to happen!"

"Exactly. And you swore to me that you'd never let that happen. Well, go on then. Keep your promise. I'm counting on you to get me out of this place, which frankly, has an appalling lack any hygiene whatsoever." Lily smiled, a little bit of her usual sparkle lighting her brown eyes.

Merlin let out a huff of laughter in disbelief.

"I trust you, Merlin. You can be an idiot sometimes, but you always find a way. Try talking to the dramatic dragon and see if he's any help." Merlin nodded.

"I'll get you out of here, Lily. I promise." Lily only nodded at him before he got up and ran out.

~~~~

After finding out what it was that was causing this disease, Merlin ran back down to the dungeons. The pyre he saw being built in the Square had shaken him, reminding him of what was at stake.

"Lily," he whispered, only to find her sleeping with her back to him, curled in a fetal position to try and keep warm.

"Lily, I'm going to get you out. I will."

Lily heard him, though she didn't give any indication that she did. Only after she heard his footsteps fade away, did she open her eyes.

"My hero," she whispered into the silence, the ghost of a beautiful smile that few had ever seen on her lips.

~~~~

After his talk with the dragon, Merlin frantically searched through the books in the physician's chamber when Gaius came in, startled by the mess

"Merlin, what are you doing?"

"Looking for a book."

"Care to tell me which one?"

"A book on elements."

"Elements?" Gaius frowned.

"Yes. Which one would I find them in?" Merlin asked.

"Well, most of them. The study of base elements is at the very heart of the scientific process," the physician explained.

"But how would they help me kill the Afanc?" Merlin looked up, inquisitively.

"Well, the Afanc is a creature made from earth and water. That's two of the four base elements," he replied.

"What about the other two?"

"Well, perhaps they will destroy it. You want fire. Wind and fire." Gaius looked surprised "How did you find this out?"

"Erm...I just knew, you know? One of my powers." Merlin gave a furtive smile.

"What else do your powers tell you?" Gaius asked.

"That Lily and I are only one side of a coin. The brighter side, obviously." Merlin added.

"Lily?"

"Yes."

"And who's the other side?"

"I think that might be Arthur."

"They're bringing forward the execution. We have to prove Lily's innocence." Morgana said urgently as she rushed into the room.

"We're trying." Gaius said.

"Please, just tell me what I can do to help," Morgana insisted.

"We need Arthur." Merlin said

"Arthur?" Morgana seemed surprised.

"There's a monster, an Afanc, in the water supply. That's what's causing the plague."

"Well, we must tell Uther," Morgana exclaimed.

"The Afanc's a creature forged by magic. Telling Uther wouldn't save Lily. He'd just blame her for conjuring it." Gaius pointed out.

"So, what are we to do?"

"We need to destroy it. Then the plague will stop and Uther may see sense." Merlin explained.

"And that's why you need Arthur." Morgana realised.

"He's our best chance. But he won't want to disobey the King."

"Leave that to me." Morgana told him, walking away with determination.

~~~~

"You alright? Sorry about all this. Merlin's not been in today." Arthur gestured to his mess of a room.

"Poor Merlin." Morgana sighed.

"Yeah."

"To offer to give up his life to save Gwen's. But you should have seen him when they took Lily, he was shouting and screaming his head off to let him in. I don't think it's Gwen's spell he's fallen under." She smirked. "I certainly can't imagine any man loving me so much."

"No, I certainly can't imagine that either."

Arthur had seen Merlin screaming to be let through the doors when his father was questioning Lily. He'd seen the desperation and fury in his eyes, so much more intense than when he had tried to give his life up for Gwen.

Morgana's smirk widened, though Arthur didn't notice, too deep in his thoughts

"That's because you're not like Merlin. He's a lover." She said.

"Yeah, maybe that's because I haven't found the right person to love."

"Sadly the age of gallantry seems to be dead. You look around and all you see are small men, not big enough to fill their armour. There's not one of them that' s able to stand up for what is right."

Arthur smirked at Morgana's obvious manipulative insult.

"What do you want me to do?"

~~~~

Lily was awoken the next morning by the screeching of the cell gate. Fear took hold of her as the thought that they were going to take her to be burned at the pyre crossed her mind. Arms and legs trembling, she got to her feet.

But then, Merlin, Gaius, Gwen and Morgana came into view and Lily nearly fell to her knees in relief. Tears shining in her eyes, she rushed forward, her ankles having been freed the previous night by a sympathetic guard, throwing her arms around Merlin.

Merlin's eyes widened as he felt her trembling against him, immediately wrapping his arms around her.

"You're okay, I've got you," he soothed her.

Lily looked up at the rest of them. "Thank you," she said weakly.

"Oh, Lily." Gwen pulled the girl into a tight embrace. "It's me who should be thanking you, you daft girl. Why would you do that?"

Lily gave a weak chuckle. "I've always wanted to try prison food. Turns out, it's worse than Gaius's pudding."

Morgana shook her head while Gaius rolled his eyes even as he smiled. Merlin let out a chuckle, wrapping the cloak he brought with him around her shoulders, not noticing Morgana shooting him a knowing look.

"Let's get you home to some real food. I'll get some from the kitchens." Gaius took her hand, leading her out. Lily looked back at Merlin, her question evident in her eyes.

"I'll be up in a minute," he told her. She nodded and followed Gaius out.

Morgana turned to him as he tried to gather himself, still a little shaken after almost losing Lily.

"Merlin. I wanted you to know, your secret's safe with me."

Merlin started, looking a little panicked. "My secret?"

"Merlin, don't pretend. I know what you did," she told him gravely.

"You did?" Merlin raised his eyebrows.

"I understand why don't want anyone to know."

"Well, obviously," Merlin shook his head in disbelief.

"But I won't tell anyone." Morgana smiled assuringly, making Merlin return it in relief.

"You don't mind me talking to you about it?" Morgana asked, completely obvious that he was thinking of some other secret.

"Er...no. I- I, it's, er...you have no idea how hard it is to keep this hidden." He huffed a laugh.

"Well," Morgana chuckled, "you can continue to deny it but... I think Lily's a very lucky woman."

"Lily?" Merlin frowned.

Morgana shushed him playfully, putting a finger to her lips. "It's our secret." She smirked, walking up the stairs.

Merlin groaned a little but then froze. He knew, in a way, that Morgana wasn't wrong. He felt something for Lily, this overwhelming need to protect her. He didn't know when it had started, it's barely a month since they had first met. Maybe it's always been there since the moment he met her.

But he won't- can't be sure what this was. It was too early and there is no reason to believe that she felt the same.

"Take it slow, Merlin. You don't even know her that well yet," he told himself as he made his way back home. "But maybe one day... if this feeling grows... one day..." he smiled to himself as he saw Lily's face brighten as soon as he stepped into the room.

"You have so much explaining to do. Tell me everything." She demanded.

And so he did.

~~~~

Later that night, as they ate dinner, Merlin suddenly stopped chewing.

"This fish didn't come from the water did it?" He asked suspiciously.

"Well, where else is it going to come from?" Gaius asked, before reassuring him as he went to spit it out. "The water's fine now. That's not your worry. This is the work of a very powerful sorcerer. I only hope you didn't come to her attention."

"Doubt it. Well no one else seems to appreciate my skills. I just want someone to see me for who I am." Merlin scoffed.

"One day, Merlin. One day." Gaius got up to fetch a glass of water.

"One day what?"

Gaius leant over his shoulder. "One day people won't believe what an idiot you were."

"Thanks" Merlin scoffed as Gaius sat back down, both of them laughing a second later.

"What am I, then? Chopped liver?" Lily scowled, slapping his arm.

"Fat lot of good you were, you got yourself arrested!"

"Maybe I wouldn't have had to if you'd done things properly and not been sloppy!"

"Oh sure, blame it on me. Let's conveniently forget the fact that I got you out, shall we?" He rolled his eyes.

Lily laughed, caving. "I already thanked you for that. Besides, you're so easy to tease, Merlin."

A/N: Heyy guys. Sorry I take so long to update, but writing a whole episode for each chapter isn't easy. I know this chapter is kinda crappy, but I promise it'll get better. I can't promise I'll update faster either because I'm writing my half yearly exams right now and I have my public exams in about four months so it'll be difficult for me to dedicate time to any of my books. Thank you so much for reading this and please do vote if you like it and comment!