Elly went on her way to Gwen's rooms. On the way, she received a message. Her necklace started to glow, which made her flash a smile. It was time to set things in motion. She continued with renewed confidence and enter Gwen's rooms unannounced. All the furniture had been rearranged for the coming Queen's needs, the closet filled with new clothes and shoes to fit the job. It was all in the name of elegance and glory, but of course Elly did not see it that way. She felt almost revolted by the sight and only just found it in her to smile as the doors were opened to reveal Gwen standing in the most beautiful white gown. It was simple, but cut exactly to match Gwen's slim body. The work now was only the final details to ensure everything was indeed perfect.

Gwen smiled at Elly, choosing not to say anything about the strangely hateful look on her face. "What do think?" she asked and did a twirl. "Do you think Arthur will like it?"

Elly nodded stiffly. "I'm certain he will. There's no need to worry about that."

Gwen smiled. There was nothing she wanted more than to see the proudness in her coming husband's eyes as she walked down the aisle. She was aware that all the eyes of England would be resting upon her, but as long as Arthur was the one she was walking to, it wasn't enough to scare her away. Gwen felt ready to take on the task as queen, to start a new chapter with Arthur. Of course she hoped he would be happier than he had been lately. Sadness had hung over him like a dark cloud ever since the King passed away.

"Is something troubling you?" Elly said and pulled Gwen from her thoughts.

Gwen tried to brush it off as nothing, but she didn't quite pull it off. "I just worry for Arthur. He's been so sad lately."

Elly raised an eyebrow. "Is it any wonder?" she responded in a sharp tone.

Gwen blinked. "No, but... I love him. I wish he could be happy instead."

Elly looked at Gwen, her eyes narrowed, before turning to the tailors. "Can you leave us please?" Elly asked them. They all nodded and rushed out of the room at Elly's command.

Gwen had a very bad feeling at the pit of her stomach. Never before had she felt uncomfortable being alone with Elly, but lately she had changed into someone who was almost unrecognizable.

Elly eyes turned almost sad. "You know, Gwen," she said. "I've always liked you. You've always been such a good friend to me. That's why it's such a shame destiny has chosen to put you in my way."

Gwen looked even more confused. "What are you talking about?" she said, a little scared now.

"If you marry him, I'll have no choice," Elly continued unaffected. "You will have chosen a side."

"Elly, what is going on?" Gwen said with a little more persistence this time. "Do you need help?"

Elly laughed bitterly. "No. But I do need you to separate yourself from Arthur if you want to live."

Gwen's mouth dropped open. She couldn't believe it. She never expected to hear those words from Elly's mouth. She tried one more time to show kindness, but Elly raised her hand and that simple movement sent Gwen crashing into the wall, instantly knocking her unconscious. For a few moments Elly looked her her with cold, dead eyes. Someone she had called a friend for so long – but who had now betrayed her. There was no love left. Elly turned on her heel, ready to set the big plan in motion. She was going to get justice. The first part had been performed perfectly. Now Maya was waiting for her to continue the long deserve vengeance.

In another hallway, Merlin had just found Agent McGwaine.

"Did you find her?" McGwaine asked. "Did it work?"

Merlin shook his head. "Just as I expected. It made no difference. She's in too deep."

McGwaine frowned. "So what're we going to do now? Wait for the pair of them to strike?"

Merlin smiled knowingly. "We don't have to wait. I know where they'll be. We, on the other hand have to find Excalibur. We have to bring Arthur to it."

"Why?" McGwaine asked.

Merlin made sure to speak low and cautiously. "Do you remember I told you that we are doomed if we attempt to fight them while they have the Cup? If we can find the sword we will stand equal. Two parts of the Trinity cannot be used against each other. Only, to find the sword we need Arthur's help – and it's not going to be easy."

They turned to head to the King's rooms, but when said man cleared his throat they realized he had found them first.

"Care to tell me exactly what you two are plotting now?" Arthur crossed his arms, looking quite determined. "I really hope you have an explanation for this."

Both Merlin and McGwaine made a face.

Arthur glared at them both harshly. If there was something he hated, it was being lied to about his own family. He had had enough of that for a lifetime. "What are you hiding from me?" he demanded.

"We can't tell you, your highness," Merlin answered. "We really can't."

Arthur frowned at the strange expression on Merlin's face. "Is it Elly? Do you know where she has gone to?"

McGwaine sighed and nodded. "Yes, sir. That's all we can tell you."

Merlin shot him a sideways glance, but McGwaine just waved him off.

Arthur crossed his arms. "Get a car ready in five minutes," he ordered and dialled Gwen's number. The line kept ringing and ringing... and there was no response. This was very unlike her.

A text popped up on the screen and it contained only one word; Help

Arthur took one look at McGwaine and Merlin before he sprinted towards Gwen's rooms and more or less kicked the door in. Gwen was sitting in her bathroom looking a little confused. She was bleeding from the back of her head. Arthur immediately put a cloth to her head and checked if she had other injuries. He also had McGwaine call for a nurse to check up on Gwen.

"I'm okay now," she insisted as Arthur kept inspecting her for injuries. "It was an accident."

He frowned. "Gwen, did Elly do this to you? Answer me honestly please."

Gwen said nothing and denied nothing. It was beginning to dawn on Arthur that he needed to find Elly fast. He wouldn't allow her to end up as her brother Stuart.

"I'll find her, Gwen," Arthur promised. "And I'll stop this madness." He caressed her cheek and kissed her forehead. Then he turned to McGwaine.

"The car is ready, your majesty," he announced and Arthur kissed Gwen again before leaving the room. Merlin was about to follow, but Gwen grabbed his arm to make him stay behind for a bit.

"There's something you need to know," she said, almost as quiet as a whisper. "It's about Elly. She has some sort of powers that makes her dangerous and..." She stopped once she noticed the calm expression on Merlin's face. "You know!" she declared.

He nodded silently.

"I think this is why Maya helps her. She knows too, I'm sure of it," Gwen declared. "I'm afraid they might hurt Arthur."

Merlin smiled slightly. "I swear to you, your highness, I will never let that happen as long as I draw breath. I will guard Arthur with my life."

At first, Gwen didn't know what to say. She was sure she had seen something different in Merlin's eyes. Something she had never noticed before yet she was sure it had always been there. She believed every word Merlin said. "Do what you can. Don't let it all repeat itself."

Merlin took a bow, leaving the once and future Queen with nurses to care for her wound, and ran to the car where Arthur and McGwaine were waiting. The horn sounded once to let Merlin know he should hurry. He was sure it was Arthur's doing.

"What took you so long?" Arthur said. "Never mind, I have asked for McGwaine to be our only companion on our 'trip through London'. Now, do you know the way Merlin?"

Merlin nodded. "Yes. Drive out of London and head west. Then I will guide you the rest of the way."

McGwaine set the car in motion and sped off into the London traffic. To the surprise of both Merlin and Arthur he was an expert in not getting caught in big traffic jams. He explained it away with telling how he had often biked to work and knew which roads to take and which to avoid during rush hours. They were soon out of London and on their way east towards the countryside not far from the royal family's summer residence. Arthur noticed, but didn't say a word. He had too many worries in his head already. The car shot off in the countryside as the sun sank into the dark and the roads became slimmer still. Within short time they were the only ones shining light on the asphalt ahead. Merlin quietly gave directions, knowing exactly where they were intended to go. McGwaine caught on quickly, driving the car to the lake he and Merlin had sailed across not too long ago. He remembered that day well. Why Merlin was taking them there he didn't know, but he decided to keep quiet since they had the King in the backseat. He was not to know what Merlin was really capable of. The familiar pain of the secret was again weighing down on Merlin's shoulders. He could tell Arthur everything and deal with his reaction later and be able to defeat Maya and Elly without having to hide, but was Arthur ready for such knowledge? It had always been better to keep him in the dark and Merlin decided to let it stay that way. The King would have every right to suspect and Merlin expected he would. Always. To tell him the truth in moderation was still the better option. Doing so now was the path Merlin chose.

"You can park here," Merlin said with his eyes fixed on the dark water as they pulled over. The lake was ancient and the water in it reaching deeper than the eye could see. All they had to do now was wait...

"Why are we here?" Arthur said with a frown. He had never set foot here before, but had driven past it many times without really noticing it was there. Now, the sight of it gave him a funny feeling inside as he stood right in front of it not knowing what to do. "Merlin?" he asked. "What is this?"

"There is something here. At the bottom of the lake. I can't reach it because I am not able to swim and if I am right about what it is, then it isn't mine to take," he explained cryptically. "It belongs to you, Arthur. I want you to take it before Maya and Elly can find out where it's hidden. I want you to retrieve it first."

Arthur only looked more confused.

"He is right, Sir," McGwaine added to further convince the King. "Merlin only discovered very recently that it is here. I saw it in one of the old books too. We solved it together by looking up a lot of words in a really weird language that made no sense to me. Luckily, Merlin had more patience than I did."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "What is this thing then?"

Merlin pointed the windy water. "Your strength. It's waiting for you."

Arthur understood he was supposed to jump into the water where any chance of seeing the bottom would be hopeless. The water was too dark. It would be harder than finding a needle in a haystack... "On the bottom, you say?" he asked for confirmation.

"Yes," Merlin confirmed. "You'll know where. But please hurry, your majesty."

Arthur nodded and took off his shirt, shoes and pants. He was already feeling the icing wind biting his exposed skin and he shuddered. Taking a few deep breaths, he made his way to the shore and jumped in. He swam as deep as he could and had absolutely no idea where he was going. Everything was black and freezing, but Arthur kept looking. He knew that this lake was much deeper than most people thought and attempted to be patient. He just hoped he would have breath enough to reach his goal...

For a moment, everything went quiet and Arthur's heart began to beat faster. It reminded him that he had a mission there and that there was no reason to be afraid of a lake full of black water. Fear of darkness was a thing of his childhood. He took another stroke downwards and coldness increased. Strangely, so did the quietness.

Where are you, he thought to himself. I need to find you.

A stroke of light hit him. At first, it was impossible to tell where it came from, until it focused around a rectangular figure. A sword. Arthur swam towards it with wonder, but also warmth in his heart. Almost like he didn't need to swim to get to it. Almost like it came to him when he called. His grip closed around it and he set off and shot upwards toward the surface to take a strongly needed breath of air.

He broke the surface and lifted the sword up for his two friends on the shore to see. McGwaine was smiling brightly, but Merlin had a strangely sad smile on his face as Arthur swam back to them, but it was gone the moment they helped him out of the water. It was then that Arthur got the chance to take a much closer look at his find. The sword was of the finest metal with neat engravings of a celtic language and had some red rubies placed by the shaft. It was kingly in its own way. There could be no doubt as to what sword this was.

"Excalibur," Arthur said. "It's real."

Merlin nodded. "Yes. All three pieces of the Trinity are. The cup, the sword... and the legends of great king. I told you that legends are not always just myths. Sometimes we put life into them simply by believing. This one is no exception. To Stuart and to Elly, these things are real enough to kill for. They think by owning all three of them they can in some way be invincible. I am glad you found the sword first, Arthur, now we have a good chance of stopping their parade of madness. We have a way to put an end to all this."

Arthur wanted to say many things in that moment, but Merlin's odd wisdom took all the words from his mouth. How any of this was possible he didn't know, how Merlin knew so much he couldn't understand, but he decided to trust him. He had been right so far and it seemed he really did want to help him stop his rouge sister from doing something immensely stupid. Something that could never be reversed. McGwaine threw Arthur a blanket he could use to dry himself up before they continued to find Maya and Elly.

McGwaine made sure Arthur would sty by the car before he went over to Merlin, who was dipping his hnd into the black water. "Tell me something," he said. "Could anyone but Arthur had pulled out that sword?"

Merlin didn't look up. "He was the one to pull it from the stone in the first place. The sword is bound to him. It responds to his call only."

McGwaine nodded. He had expected that. "So what if they trick us and take it? What are we going to do then?" He didn't understand how Merlin didn't seem as worried as he was.

"Morgana didn't win last time," Merlin said. "I won't let her this time, McGwaine, I swear it. I will do anything in my power to protect Arthur and his strength, but in order to do so we all have to fight to win this battle. I think I know where we will find Maya and Elly. They will be somewhere very special..." He closed his eyes and got up. "But I know where. If Arthur is ready, we best go now. We have a bit of a drive ahead of us."

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A/N:

It's been too long. I'm really sorry.

Hopefully, this chapter lives up to the rest.

Thanx for reading, I love you guys ^^

- MysteryOfWordsDK