chapter eight!
008. guinevere

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    THE BODIES DOUBLED by the next day. Odette could count them from Morgana's windows, feeling her heart rise up into her throat with fear. She swallowed it down, harshly, eyes fixed on the woollen blankets thrown over corpses in the courtyard▬men, women and children; and that was not counting the bodies found in in homes, lain outside the tavern and in the pigsties. They lied forgotten, left in the Lower Town. They had cornered off parts of the slums of the city and imposed a curfew, locking those most vulnerable in together with no way to get themselves out.

    It was what scared her, the most▬not the fear of catching this grave illness that killed before the next evening, or the fear of seeing someone she cared about receive such a fate. It didn't scare her that a sorcerer was out there, chuckling at their misery that he▬or she▬held at their fingertips. All of those things unsettled her (my, how could they not?), but what made her feel sick to the stomach was the thought that there were people down there▬people even less fortunate than herself. Who might not get the access to water, or provisions, or anything the citadel offered; forced to huddle together and survive off what little they had; children living on the streets desperate to find anything to even get through the day ... she knew what it was like, to once be that helpless and forgotten; the first chosen to be left to die.

    And yet, she could still see life in the lowest parts of the city. She could still see them go about their day▬Odette could still see hope when any would think it should be lost.

    With the Lady Morgana breaking her fast with the King and Guinevere yet to arrive at the castle, Odette's early morning duties: dusting the tables and dressers, choosing her mistresses clothes for the rest of her morning, changing her sheets and taking down everything in need for a wash, clean and mend▬were done with time to spare, and so the young handmaiden could dismiss herself as of Morgana's request. She made her way through the solemn hallways of the castle towards the chamber which her curiosity took her; Odette wandered to the physician's quarters, not particularly wanting to disturb Gaius and Merlin, but at the same time, her want to know what was happening was starting to eat her up inside.

    Odette might try to follow what was required and appropriate of her▬it didn't mean she was good at it ... she might not find frogs to sneak into people's chambers, or try to learn to fight, or run through hallways anymore, but she wasn't prepared to sit and watch others die without knowing anything herself, or at least figuring out a way she could help. (Even if it was to just get Gaius some water).

    She didn't give the guards much of a glance as she brushed past them and up the staircase, still carrying the things she needed to get done for Morgana before the afternoon▬Odette reached the door and knocked before entering.

    Merlin and Gaius glanced away from where they stood, hovered by the table standing back from the one in the centre. Odette pursed her lips, suddenly rather awkward under their gazes▬confused and curious as to what she was doing here. She could see the skirts of a dress behind them; the blonde hair of a woman ... they were examining yet another victim.

    Odette tried not to feel sick at the very sight of it.

    She carefully stepped inside the chambers, closing the door behind her. "I ..." she began, a little uncertain, "... I have some time from my duties and ... and I came to see whether you needed any help...?"

    They shared a glance and she flushed, realising that perhaps she shouldn't have come. But then Gaius sighed▬a sound not exasperated or annoyed, but gentle and welcoming, like Odette's offer he was something grateful for.

    He nodded and stepped aside, "Come, child▬tell me, what do you believe to be different about this victim?"

    Odette frowned at the question, but did as the physician advised. She set aside her work for Morgana on one of the tables and approached the corpse lying still. She swallowed harshly, finding it very hard to stare down at her still eyes▬white and glazed, no life left in her, like every single part of her that had made her alive and human had been completely drained out of her.

    She shuffled in beside Merlin, feeling a bit better to know that he was at her side. Odette peered over the edge of the table, frowning at the woman's pale skin, the blue veins on her cheeks ... she looked just like every other poor soul fallen fate to this dreadful plague. She met Gaius's gaze, a little sheepish. "Erm ... I don't know."

    This time, the physician was exasperated. "Odette," he chided her, "surely, I've taught you better than that. Please, enlighten Merlin otherwise I might lose my faith in your generation entirely."

    The two young servants peered, incredulous at Gaius.

    But Odette sighed and tried again. She pursed her lips and looked at the victim better. She peered at her▬she was well-groomed, her skin must've been without blemishes, and her clothing ... she wasn't some random woman in the Lower Town, she was▬

    "Oh! I know!" Odette snapped her fingers at Merlin. "She's a courtier!" Then she realised she was grinning over a dead body and winced, finding herself rather insensitive. "I mean ..." she fixed her enthusiasm. "She's a courtier?"

    "Ah!" Gaius let out, delightful that someone was starting to understand where his mind was veering towards.

    Merlin frowned, still rather behind, "But how does that help us?"

    "Courtiers seldom go down to the Lower Town," said the Court Physician, "so what does that mean?"

    "Um ..." the two friends pondered together, sharing looks and trying to figure it out as a team. "She ..."

    "... Hasn't spoken to any townspeople," decided Merlin and Odette patted his arm to say, good job! Until they noticed the look on Gaius's face and they winced, knowing that was far from what he was looking for.

    "Yes..." said Gaius slowly, correcting their thought process, "it suggests that the disease is not spread by contact."

    "Well, they definitely eat different food," offered Odette, trying to see where Gaius was going with this.

    "Good▬!" he pointed his glasses at her. "Anything else?" 

    Merlin puffed out his cheeks, at a loss, "I ... I doubt they've breathed the same air?"

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

    Odette realised. A terrible sinking feeling dropped down from her chest into the pits of her stomach. Her gaze followed it, setting back down onto the dead body▬her mouth was suddenly very dry. "Water," she breathed. Gaius's brows lifted up, and she knew she was right. She glanced back up▬she felt heavy with dread. "It's water ..."

    Merlin's eyes widened. He leaned forward, "Wait▬You think the disease is spread through water?"

    Gaius's gaze went blank, "Merlin," he said, "you're a prodigy."

    The warlock matched his gaze. He glanced at Odette, wondering whether she might manage a smile, but instead saw her face be struck with fear. She sort of wished that this disease was spread by anything else▬contact, rodents ... anything but what they needed the most: water. Something that without, they could not survive.

    It was exactly why this sorcerer had chosen this curse▬it wasn't just something that would kill and destroy Camelot through disease, but also starve them of water; of their everyday needs.

    They needed to find a cure▬or better yet, a way to stop the sorcerer.

    So when Gaius grabbed a nearby bucket, she offered to go gather the water from the well. Noticing the look on her face, Merlin pursed his lips before following her outside the door.

    "Odette?" he asked her, gentle.

    "It's all right," she mumbled as they walked together down the stairwell. She fiddled with the bucket handle, brushing her skin against the rusted edges. "It's going to be all right."

    Merlin frowned a little, and decided to nudge his friend gently, "Yeah," he told her, agreeing with the words she spoke purely to reassure herself, "yeah, of course, it's going to be all right."

    Odette smiled at him for that, grateful.

    By each other's side, the young friends travelled to the well. They now knew how the disease spread▬and while it might be terrible, it might also mean they could create a cure, or track it to its source and stop the magic where it had been sewn. This could mean something good, too.

    But there was trouble brewing on the surface. While the day was bright, the previous night had festered horrors. Across the town, inside the modest home of a hardworking blacksmith, his bright and happy daughter fixed her cloak over her shoulders. She had made his breakfast, and his lunch▬she had gathered everything she needed for the day and was unsure as to why her father was not up yet. There were no jokes, no grins; Guinevere was alone in the morning, and it made her smile falter in confusion.

    He was a hardworking man, Tom Smith▬perhaps he slept in without even realising the time, and his daughter chuckled at the thought▬he'd get nowhere in the mornings if it wasn't for her.

    Wandering towards his bed, Guinevere rolled her eyes with a smile to see him still fast asleep. She took little notice of the water splattered▬stained against the stone of the floor from a fallen cup, and instead stopped to stand near her father's sleeping figure. "It's time to get up, Dad," she called.

    He didn't move. Gwen sighed, cursing heavy sleepers. "Dad?" she walked up to him. "Dad▬come on, the morning doesn't last forever▬" Guinevere turned him over and the rest of her words got caught in the back of her throat. She gasped with horror. Her heart sank so low, her knees grew weak.

    Her father rolled over with little strength, his skin deathly pale. No one could ignore the stark, blue veins that stretched across his cheeks. "Gwen...?" he grasped, barely able to move his lips.

    Guinevere's stomach twisted▬she could feel the sob grow up her throat; she didn't want to believe it, she'd rather dare not think of what this meant. She shook her head, tears beginning to brew, and without another word, the blacksmith's daughter spun on her heels and sprinted out the door.

    Her feet carried her down past the homes and towards the draw bridge, choking back sobs as she searched for the one person who could help▬and yet, deep down, she knew it was hopeless. She knew there was nothing that could be done, and yet Guinevere couldn't manage the thought. She lost her mother, her brother was off galavanting to figure himself out▬it was just her and her father; she couldn't lose him.

    She passed two servants by the well, gathering the town water into a bucket in its basin. As soon as Merlin and Odette saw her▬sprinting past with tear-strained cheeks, they shot up with alarm.

    "Gwen?" Odette called, suddenly quite panicked. She ignored them, racing into the courtyard. "Gwen!"

    She shared a quick glance with Merlin before he grabbed the bucket and the two of them took off after their friend.

    Guinevere burst through the doors of the Court Physician, hysteric in her fear. She ran around the table, not baring any courage to glance at what her father was destined to become. She pushed through to Gaius who turned back, startled by her abrupt entrance. Soon, he turned gravely concerned when he saw her tears. "Gwen▬"

    "Gaius!" she sobbed, stopping before him miserably.

    The physician was fearful, "You have the sickness?"

    "No," her voice broke and she looked like she was about to collapse, "my father▬please, Gaius!" begged Guinevere. "He's▬he's all I have!"

    Gaius watched her. Her sobs threatened to grow as she recognised the fall of his face. Softly, he said: "Gwen ... I have no cure."

    She shook her head. She wouldn't believe it. She couldn't believe it. Gwen hiccuped in her tears, almost prepared to go onto her knees and plead▬not to him, but to the world. She didn't want to lose her father▬she couldn't lose him▬ "Please!" she cried. "I am begging you!"

    It was a hard news to pass to anyone, but to a young girl with nothing left▬a girl he knew and he cared about like a daughter of his own, Gaius found himself heavy with grief. "I wish there was something▬anything. But so far the remedy is beyond what I can achieve." He rubbed her arm, but she didn't pay much attention to it. "I'm sorry, Gwen ..."

    She shook her head. Guinevere trembled with her tears▬even when it stared her right in the face, she did not believe. She refused to see the truth, even though she knew it▬painful right in her chest. Guinevere tugged away from his comfort, turning around to run off yet again, passing Merlin and Odette who had just arrived.

    "Gwen▬" Odette tried, about to follow her, until she thought better of it. She could hear her friends cries echo down the corridor, and it pained her, as well.

    Merlin set down the bucket of water. He marched up to Gaius, "There must be something we can do?" he asked, desperate.

    "My best," answered Gaius. They both knew it wouldn't be enough for Gwen's father. The physician grabbed the bucket of water, holding the flower Guinevere had given to Merlin just the day before. "Let's hope that this can provide us some answers."

    "But that will be too late for Gwen's father!" said Merlin, frantic.

    "I fear you may be right." Gaius dipped a vial into the water, filling it to the brim before he held it up▬and there, he sat the flower within, submerging the petals until they could be completely covered.

    "So we do nothing?" whispered Odette, shocked. "We ... we let Gwen's father die?" Shy, she glanced at Merlin who looked furious. "We▬we can't use ... use magic, or▬?"

    Gaius set the vial down and turned to her, "Using magic will fix nothing," he told her sternly. Odette bit back her tongue. "I fear there is nothing we can do to help Gwen's father, but we can still help everyone else." At the look on her face, he sighed and muttered, "It's all we can do, Odette. I'm sorry."

    She didn't say anything else. Odette knew he was right, and she knew this wasn't his fault▬but in the moment, it felt like they had given up. She grabbed her things for Morgana and rushed out to see whether she'd might catch up with Gwen. She remembered how lost she had been when she her mother passed, she could only imagine how her best friend was feeling right now▬and when Odette had nobody, she had Gwen ... she was determined to be the same for her.

    Surprisingly, Odette found her dear friend sitting alone in an alcove not far from the physician's quarters. She hugged her knees to her chest, away from the corridor with her head hidden in her hair. Odette could hear her sobs, muffled into her skirts.

    Careful, she set down her basket and sat down beside Gwen. Odette hesitated, but soon, she grasped her shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze, saying nothing except: "Go home," she whispered. "Be with him. I'll explain it all to Morgana."

    Guinevere shook her head in her knees.

     Odette leaned in closer, "You need to be with him," she spoke from experience. She really did. But in this moment, she also knew what it was like to be so scared of the truth she didn't want to face it▬to run away and hide in hope that it would go away. And so, Odette just leant against Gwen, and her eyes closed sadly as she felt her best friend turn to her, sobbing into her shoulder▬finally starting to realise that she was going to lose everything.

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    LORD RONYN HEARD about the blacksmith with a heaviness to his chest. Adelynn seemed to learn everything from the servants of their household▬listening where she wasn't meant to, no doubt, but she found out the terrible news that the Lady Morgana's main handmaiden was not at work for she was tending to her father on his death bed, having fallen to the illness with no hope to make it through to the morning.

    It struck him more than he thought it would. Lord Ronyn Vecentia didn't know Guinevere well▬he knew her name, he knew her from Morgana's side and knew of her father's talents. He's known her as that for quite a few years▬that and her shouts of alarm each time she found a frog in the King's Ward's chambers back when Ronyn was younger and would watch from the crack of the servants' door, trying to hide his laughter.

    He had known Morgana wouldn't be in there, but he had done it anyway▬finding it amusing each time Guinevere jumped so high she would nearly drop the things she held in her arms. For a reason he still wasn't quite sure of other than it had been funny▬no other scare was as amusing as young Gwen's had been. Had it been mean? He wasn't too sure, probably. Was he still mean now? Ronyn didn't know. Maybe he still was that boy, chasing for anything else except the responsibility of his future▬searching for adventure and trouble, almost revelling in it like it were a waterfall of riches.

    But right now, Ronyn felt no humour nor did he feel any happiness in trouble such as this. A frog under a pillow brought no one any harm ... this was harm of the cruellest kind.

    His father would curse him to be sentimental or nostalgic▬to want to do something for someone else, especially someone lower than him, because he felt obligated to over simple memories he should not care about. Ronyn stared at his ring, turning it between his fingers at his desk by the window of his chambers▬one that gazed right down to the Lower Town below. It wasn't the Lord's chambers. They told him, why did you want this view? Such a view that was ugly, and revolting in comparison to the pastures, woodland and gardens. Ronyn still wasn't too sure why he did anything, but he did know that it would be the view his father would have never chosen, and so, Ronyn did.

    (Little did he know that was his answer to almost every question he held).

    He stared at the seal▬his father's seal; his seal. He traced it thoughtfully instead of going through his books, wishing more than anything he could pass it off to somebody else. He wasn't meant for this, he knew that. He was meant for something better, more thrilling▬something that allowed him to feel a freedom from his past; instead, Ronyn had received nothing more than chains to it.

   What he wanted to do, he couldn't. What he wanted to feel, he was advised against it. What he wanted to become, it would never be possible. His mind was far from something that was peaceful, and he hated it.

    Ronyn sighed, letting his head fall against his seal▬it was cold pressed to his forehead.

    He didn't hear the door open until his mother's voice called out▬gentle and yet always a little stern. "Ronyn, dear, the Prince is requesting your time in the castle."

    "Let him wait," Lord Ronyn grumbled, not wanting to see Arthur at the moment. He was his closest friend, which meant he had the right to tell him off and tell him he was wrong▬that and he was the Prince, which meant he was of higher status and could. He had missed another council meeting, and he was sure that▬among other things▬was what Arthur wanted to talk to him about. Others saw him as somebody arrogant and abhorrent, and while he could be that (as Ronyn knew all too well), when it came to matters of state and the wellbeing of his friends, Arthur became something a little too close to a stern-talking, fretful mother.

    The Lady Elayne noticed her son's weary shoulders and sighed, pursing her lips. "What's on your mind?"

    Ronyn glanced up, facing her briefly over his shoulder. His mother always looked stunning, but she seemed older than she actually was▬all of those years with his father, it took a toll. He pondered whether to tell her or not. Instead, he looked away and grumbled at the seal he set down on his desk, "Why couldn't you have other sons?"

    It was a stupid, childish question; he knew it.

    But his mother didn't seem to mind. She wasn't gentle in her next words; she stated the fact that stood there of which Ronyn already knew, and hated: "Why, because I had you." She walked up to him and brushed some of his hair at the nape of his neck. "If I had another Ronyn, this house would surely be overrun and I'd be already with a full head of grey."

    He chuckled at that▬he couldn't help it. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing at his face. "Surely you wish you had a better son; one who could sit in his chair and be better at this job than I am."

    Lady Elayne frowned at him. "Well, I wish you weren't thrown into it so quickly as you were. But I do not wish I had a better son."

    Ronyn rolled his eyes. He then gasped, surprised when his mother lightly tapped his cheek. "Don't roll your eyes," she scolded. "Or you'll look like your stuffed deer heads."

    He went to roll his eyes again at her words, but stopped himself, not wanting his mother to scold him again like he was still a child. "Mother▬" he let out only for her to shush him.

    "You be quiet right now," said the Lady Elayne shortly, picking back up the ring and placing it back into his hand. "You might not wish you were born the way you were, but you can't change that. You were the heir, and now you are the man of your household. And a man does not spend his nights drunk in the Lower Town."

    Ronyn made a face. He threw his head back, "Adelynn you snitch!"

    He knew he said the wrong things when his mother's eyebrows shot up. "Your sister knew?"

    Ronyn gaped, slowly realising his mistake. "Uh ..." he cleared his throat and managed his best smile, "Adelynn? What does Adelynn know? Nothing, really..."

    His mother sighed, disappointed, but moved on. She locked his gaze and said, "You are built better for this role far more than you think you are. If you are the boy that I raised, then he is still in your stubborn head and knows that his compassion, and his understanding, and his intelligence are worth far more than to be hidden because your father thought he could control everything in this home. Now▬get up▬" she smacked the back of his chair, "▬and go see the Prince before he loses his patience like I've lost mine."

    He groaned, but knew better than to not do as he was told. Standing up, Ronyn made a final glance out of the window▬until he noticed something rather strange. He frowned, confused as he saw smoke trail up from the blacksmith's forge.

    "There's something I need to see first," he muttered to his mother before his was off, grabbing his leather coat from his chair and throwing it back on.

    Ronyn was very confused as he travelled into the Lower Town. From what he had heard of the blacksmith, he was albeit dead and wouldn't live to see the next sunrise. So to see the forge alive and well, surrounding by awing spectators of the man hammering at the anvil in front, the young lord had become immediately suspicious. He was pretty sure the forge wouldn't be taken over in less than a day after a man's death.

    The Lord Vecentia pushed his way through the gathering crowd, smelling embers and smoke up his nose. Clang▬went the hammer against the anvil. Clang! It struck with the force of a man very much alive. As soon as others began to notice who was making his way to the front, they gasped and let him through, putting a respectful amount of space between themselves and the Lord.

    Ronyn reached the front, and he was positively shocked to see that it was Tom Smith▬the blacksmith and Guinevere's father working the anvil. He didn't look like a man just breaths away from his death the night before. In fact, he looked healthier than half the people Ronyn knew. There was no sign of the illness on his skin, in his strike▬no sign anywhere.

    He glanced up as Ronyn made his way over, and quickly, the blacksmith bowed his head respectfully, "My Lord," he greeted▬sounding rather cheerful.

    "Tom, isn't it?" Ronyn asked and he nodded. The Lord frowned. "I heard that you were sick."

    Guinevere's father huffed a breath, then he managed a relieved smile, "Not anymore."

    Ronyn's frown deepened. He shuffled on his feet, glancing around at the onlookers watching. He noticed a few guards in the back muttering amongst themselves▬one gestured in the direction of the citadel. The Lord set his gaze back onto the blacksmith, "Perhaps you were suffering from another illness?"

    The blacksmith sent him a dubious look. He shook his head, scoffing lightly, "You're joking▬I felt like death itself, My Lord. Not enough strength in me to stir the air."

    The suspicion was rising up in Ronyn's chest. He didn't want to think of it▬perhaps it was some miracle; an astounding recovery to an illness so deadly and bizarre, it shook the Court Physician. He wanted to be happy that Guinevere would still be with a father. But there was no denying how strange it was ... how magical that it would come to be.

    Ronyn swallowed something harsh down his throat. "What happened, then?" he asked warily.

    Tom shrugged, thinking about it. "I don't know," he answered, and Ronyn knew he was telling the truth. "Suddenly it was gone! I'm fitter than I was before."

    There were a thousand questions he could ask, but he settled with only one: "And ... who was with you when this happened?"

    The blacksmith frowned at the tone of his voice, but answered nonetheless, "Just my daughter, Gwen."

    Ronyn nodded, off in thought. He frowned to himself▬something was amiss, he knew that much. But there was a pull in his gut▬one that told him that while he knew he should follow that guard up to the citadel and tell Arthur, instead ... he didn't. Ronyn didn't want to. Whatever▬or however▬this came to be, a girl was now with a father who she thought she was going to lose ... there was nothing to frown over, there was something to celebrate.

    Whether it was magic or not, in that moment, Ronyn did not care. He just smiled, kind and reached into his leather pouch. "That's a fine sword," he nodded to the blade Tom was hammering. "How much would it be if I were to ask you to make me one? The blacksmith in the Upper Town is good, but he never seems to get a good balance for my blades▬they're always a little too heavy, or a little too light. Here▬would this cover it?" he handed out a fair sum, but Guinevere's father just shook his head.

    "First time customer," he said kindly▬genuine and pure, and Ronyn knew exactly where his daughter got her own generosity and pleasant nature from, "no payment, My Lord. Come in▬" he set aside the blade he was working on and gestured for Ronyn to enter the workshop. "Let us find a weight best suited for you."

    Ronyn was surprised▬pleasantly surprised. He was a man with nothing, and yet he took little and gave more. He breathed a small smile, but followed, stepping into the blacksmith's shop and wanted to be nothing less than polite. The young lord found himself at peace within the blacksmith's shop▬something settled in his mind for the first time in a long while, and the Ronyn that had his measurements taken and his balance examined was not the same Ronyn who drank, and cared little for much, angry with the position life has given him (and much many more things); he was the boy he always had been.

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    THE WONDERFUL news of Guinevere's father's remarkable recovery was celebrated within the Lady Morgana's chambers. Both she and Odette were delighted that when Gwen came to work that morning, it was with a bright, happy smile on her face. She hummed as she sorted through the flowers she had brought to place into the many vases, she beamed as she tidied up Morgana's screen of her dresses from yesterday; she was so happy, she brightened up the room. They celebrated with little work (Morgana's orders), the King's Ward declaring her two maidservants to join her at the table▬they chatted, she let them take from her fruit platter and the three friends chuckled, feeling nothing else but sheer joy for Guinevere's fortune.

   Odette does believe in miracles; she really, really does.

    But the delightful morning turned into something dreadful very quickly. Not even before the castle bell had struck noon, the pleasant, peaceful and happy air of the Lady Morgana's chambers was broken with the opening burst of her door.

    Guinevere looked up, quite confused from where she had been smiling at the bouquet of flowers she picked today. Her brows knitted together to see Prince Arthur march inside▬and in following, a pair of rigid guards. He took one look of her and announced, "Seize her."

    Gwen couldn't quite comprehend what was happening. She stayed, frozen there▬she didn't even make a move to struggle. She watched as they approached; the two guards grasped her arms and she managed a startled, "No▬"

   Odette heard the sound and emerged from behind Morgana's screen. Her breath hitched, stomach dropping as she saw her friend be tugged along at a jarring force▬her flowers hit the floor; the vase shattered. "Gwen?" she let out, horrified.

    "Guinevere," Arthur set his jaw▬he kept his eyes far from the startled, questioning gazes and desperate cries that had started to grow in Morgana's chambers, "I am arresting you for crimes in contravention to the laws of Camelot, that you did practice enchantments!"

    "What?" let out Odette before she could stop herself. She stared at Arthur, horrified as Guinevere was pulled from the room. He refused to look at her. "No!" she went to run after her, but Morgana was at her side in a matter of seconds, gripping her arm to stop her from doing something that might also put her in chains.

    "What have I done?!" cried Guinevere in a frenzy as she disappeared out the entrance. "I haven't done anything! Help me! Please!"

    The Lady Morgana was momentarily shocked▬her face turned pale, and her eyes wide with dread. But she kept a vice-like grip on her second handmaiden's arm that struggled despite it, feeling something inside her leap out like a spooked doe to try and reach her best friend.

    Soon, Morgana le Fay spun onto the Prince, furious, "What're you doing?!"

    "I found a magic poultice in her house," explained Arthur and Morgana scoffed instantly.

    "That's ridiculous!"

    He stopped by the door to her chambers. Odette's struggles ceased and she let herself be kept at Morgana's side, feeling her heart choke up her throat. She shook her head. Gwen wasn't a sorceress▬she was the last person Odette would deem a witch. (And she knew the likes of a magical being▬and she had a feeling she also knew exactly who had cured Guinevere's father with that poultice). "How else do you explain her father's recovery?"

    "Gwen's not a sorceress," spoke up Odette with weak desperation. Arthur finally met her gaze, and something inside him seemed to soften. She could see the regret in his blue eyes▬he didn't want to do this, she knew that. So she begged. "Please, My Lord. She's innocent. I know she's innocent."

    Morgana squeezed Odette's wrist with an encouraging support. "I believe Odette," she stated strongly. "She's right▬you've grabbed the wrong girl! What harm has she ever done?!"

    "What can I do?" exclaimed Arthur, sounding rather frustrated▬but not with them. "I can't turn a blind eye."

    He marched out of the room and Odette was about to follow him, but Morgana kept her back. Frantic, the young girl turned to the woman beside her and cried, "They can't take her! The King will have her executed!"

    The Lady Morgana pursed her lips. She looked emotional. "I know," she said. Her eyes grew determined. She took both of Odette's hands and held them up, promising her young handmaiden and dearest friend: "I won't let that happen, Odette."

    With that said, the Lady Morgana stormed out of her room and down the stairs, ready to blow up a storm. Odette hefted a long breath before rushing after her, praying to God that her friend could change the King's mind.

    Poor Guinevere was tugged through the castle hallways, barely able to keep up▬her feet tripped over themselves and she was given no time to get back onto them; the handmaiden was dragged, crying and pleading towards the court room with no one listening to her. She begged her innocence▬she begged they'd listen to her, that Arthur would turn around and have the guards unhand her, but he didn't. The Prince kept his gaze forward, and Guinevere couldn't tell whether there was any hesitation or sorrow on his face; she had a feeling she didn't want to know.

    "Please!" she tried, desperate to grab his attention. Guinevere thought Arthur different than his father▬very different. She thought that if anyone might listen to her, he would. "Please▬I haven't done anything wrong!" she cried out when the stone scraped against her ankles as she tripped yet again. "You have to listen to me, please!" She started to sob, terrified for her life. "I'm innocent! I'm innocent, I swear! Let me go!"

    They passed the physician's chambers, and at the commotion, Merlin rushed outside to see what was happening▬he heard the sound off a voice horribly familiar, and it sent him into the corridor at a run. He skidded to a stop as he saw that his fears were true. Merlin couldn't utter a word as he watched Guinevere be dragged along.

    She glanced over her shoulder, and at the sight of him, she struggled, "Merlin!" she was so desperate, she begged him▬even though she knew no matter what, he wouldn't be able to do a thing. "Merlin▬please help me!"

    He surged forward nonetheless. He didn't know what he planned to do, or what he might've done, for Gaius pressed a hand against his chest to stop him. Alarmed, he tugged the young sorcerer into the alcove and Merlin realised▬with the deepest regrets▬just the horrible mistake he had made.

    Guinevere was still pleading her case; once cries turned into hopeless whimpers as they reached the court room. She hitched a sob as she saw the council members present and the King at the front of it all, gazing her down with a fierce glare that made her sick to the stomach. She felt like she was staring back at her executioner▬she quickly realised she was.

    "I have done nothing," she sobbed, her words barely making it through her throat. "Please▬I swear, I haven't done▬" she was cut off as she was dropped to the floor. Gwen choked as her knees struck the stone painfully and she almost collapsed, capturing herself weakly with her hands at the King's brutal mercy.

    She gazed at all the court members, feeling like she was thrown into the lions den. She noticed Ronyn standing alone, already watching her with a frozen expression she couldn't quite decipher. It was hopeless, but she was so desperate she even begged him, whispering a quiet, "I'm innocent, please ..."

    He looked away, swallowing harshly▬and Guinevere slumped, defeated on her knees.

    The King clenched his hands around the arms of his vast wooden chair. "Well done," he finally stated, praising his son who stood silent at the side.

    "Why will no one believe me?" choked Gwen, heart pounding painfully against her ribs▬she searched the room for someone who might hear her, who might listen, but none of them held her any regard. She was just a servant▬just a servant ... they would never listen to anything she'd have to say. She caught the sight of Merlin hiding behind one of the columns, and it hurt her when his gaze adverted as soon as she found him. "He got better! He just recovered▬I didn't do anything!"

     "I believe you."

    Her saving grace had arrived. Morgana stormed her way into the room, caring little of the murmurs of such an abrasive entrance. By the guards, unable to enter, Odette peered over the tips of the spears and the guards' shoulders, her fingers tapping nervously against her lips.

    Coming to a stand next to her maid, the Lady Morgana clenched her hands and stared her guardian down▬she was the only one here who didn't fear Uther Pendragon for one second. "Perhaps this is a disease that is not always fatal. Have you thought of that? Perhaps he recovered naturally."

    The King sat up in his throne, stone cold. "Then what of this poultice that was found?"

    Guinevere breathed out an exasperated: "What poultice?" she glanced up at Morgana who met her gaze. "I don't know anything about a poultice!"

    Uther Pendragon leaned forward to stare her down and her breath hitched, terrified. "It was found in your house." He stood up, towering over her. "Undo this enchantment," he ordered. "Put an end to this contagion."

    Miserable, Gwen shook her head, "I▬I can't!"

    "Then I can show you no mercy."

    "I am not a witch," sobbed Guinevere. "I don't know how to stop the illness!"

    The King would not listen. "If you will not undo your sorcery you force my hand and I must find you guilty."

    Guinevere's heart sank. "B▬b▬but I've told you▬!"

    "It is therefore my duty to pronounce judgement," continued Uther Pendragon, staring at her like she was the very scum of the earth. "And under the circumstance I have no choice but to sentence you to death."

    She shook her head, feeling everything crumble around her. "N▬no▬"

    "I can only hope that when you die, this evil plague dies with you."

    From the door, Odette broke into tears. "No▬" she sobbed with her friend as she was dragged onto her feet, her cries broken with pleading anguish▬she did not stop asking, begging for someone to listen to her, to see her innocence. Guinevere Smith was pulled away from the court room, innocent and pure hearted with her death now set for tomorrow's dawning hour.

    "No!" Odette tried to go after her, her own cries just as heartbreaking. Someone held her back. She couldn't care to realise it was Gaius. "No▬Gwen!" she just let herself be wrapped up into a caring embrace, breaking down into the physician's hold.

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    AS THE COUNCIL was dismissed, Ronyn found himself staying. He watched the King brush past them all to the jug of wine set on top of the table by the back columns. He poured himself a glass▬as he did, the young Lord shared looks with the Prince and the Lady Morgana, knowing that they were mulling thoughts very similar. They had seen Gwen be dragged away, and knew she was innocent of creating this plague, and they also knew deep down that their efforts to convince the King otherwise would be fruitless.

    And yet, Ronyn was still determined to try. It surprised him, but he went with it▬he always had this thing where he followed his gut where it took him.

    "Sire," he began politely, hesitantly striding up to the King. He hummed as he took a sip from his goblet, letting him speak. "My father was a well-appreciated voice of counsel to you, as I've always remembered."

    To give his father a compliment left him bitter at the tongue, but he did not show it. He watched Uther Pendragon nod. He waited a moment before saying, "You remember right, Lord Ronyn."

    "Then I beg of you to listen to mine," he stepped as close as he dared, breath hitched as he thought of Guinevere being killed by the next morning▬she was kind, and she was gentle; she would never hold the evil needed to create this plague. Ronyn might not know much about her, but he knew that very well. He ignored the startled glance Morgana sent Arthur, surprised by Ronyn's sudden desperation to defend her serving girl's life. "Guinevere has been a loyal servant to the Lady Morgana since she was a young girl▬she's never harmed her, never caused any trouble. She's always done anything in her best intentions▬how is that the heart of a cruel enchantress?"

    The King turned to him, eyes blazing with a dark fury, "Have you ever seen an enchantress?" Ronyn wisely kept his mouth shut. "Believe me, they bear no sign, no mark. There is no sense of evil in the eye."

    Morgana rushed forward, taking Ronyn's side in her own pleading manner, "I have seen the way the girl works▬" she breathed weakly, "▬her fingers are worn, her nails are broken." The King shook his head and turned his attention back to his wine. "If she was a sorceress, why would she do this? Why would she kneel on a cold stone floor morning after morning when she could make these things happen with the snap of her fingers?"

    The King's Ward pursed her lips▬she looked her guardian up and down before she muttered with no hesitation: "Like an idle King."

    Uther Pendragon spun on his feet with a burst of fury, and Ronyn flinched backwards▬unable to stop the sheer defensive reaction that had become natural. His father may be dead, but he was very much alive in the shadow he had left behind on Ronyn's very being▬left his mark on everything he did. "You have no right!" shouted the King but his Ward did not back down▬

    "You have a right to cast a judgment on that girl▬!"

    "I have a responsibility to take care of this kingdom!" bellowed Uther Pendragon and Ronyn had to step away, his heart starting to pound as something horrible flashed across his eyes. "I take no pleasure in this."

    "But your sentencing the wrong person!" cried Morgana helplessly.

    Arthur, who had been silent this whole ordeal finally spoke up, brows furrowed in furious incredulity. "She's right, father. You hear the word magic and you no longer listen."

    The King rolled his eyes, "You saw it for yourself," he chided his son, "she used enchantments."

    "Yes," admitted the Prince, "maybe. But to save her dying father? That doesn't make her guilty of creating a plague! One's the act of▬of kindness, of love; the other of evil. I don't believe evil is in this girl's heart."

    Uther had travelled to his throne▬his glove hand clenched the jewelled tips of the seat; he looked momentarily pale, "I have witnessed what witchcraft can do," he said gravely. He eyed his son dangerously. "I've suffered at its hand." Arthur pursed his lips. "I cannot take that chance. If there is the slightest doubt about this girl, she must die or the whole kingdom may perish!" he took a seat on his throne, landing heavily with shadowed grief▬or if Ronyn knew any better: fear.

    Arthur set his jaw and took a sharp breath through his nose, "I understand that▬" he cut himself off at the glare that stayed on his father's face.

    There was tense silence. Then, Uther spoke slowly, and sternly: "One day you may become King. Then, you will understand. Such decisions must be made. There are dark forces that threaten this kingdom."

    The Prince clenched his hands, "I know witchcraft is an evil, Father," he stated sharply. "So is injustice. Yes! I am yet to be King and I don't know what kind of King I will be▬but I do have a sense of the kind of Camelot I would wish to live in. It will be where the punishment fits the crime."

    His father stared at him▬instead of anger, there was sudden revelation. Ronyn could feel his stomach twist; that look never brought hopeful tidings. The King was on his feet, "I fear you're right," he told his son. Arthur frowned, confused. "She's played with fire, and sadly she must die by fire."

    Ronyn gritted his teeth, but he knew better than to say another word. The last thing that'll help Guinevere right now was to aggravate the man that held the axe. The only way they could help her now was if Gaius and Merlin somehow found a way to cure the disease by tomorrow▬or find the real sorcerer. If they found the real sorcerer, and killed them, then perhaps the plague will die out and Uther will see sense.

    So, with a deep breath, he excused himself from the court. Stepping out of the door, he knew Morgana was following him even before she grasped his wrist and pulled him aside into an alcove.

    He turned to her, seeing the frantic look in her eyes. "If you're about to tell me to do something more▬"

    "No, no," Morgana shook her head, "You▬you did more than I expected, thank you, Ronyn."

    He frowned at that, "More than you expected? What does that mean?"

    The Lady pursed her lips before sending him a gentle, grateful smile. She squeezed his wrist. "You barely know Gwen, and yet you're so ready to help her innocence. I know you to let things pass you."

    Ronyn's frown deepened. "I don't let things pass me."

    Morgana just arched a brow, but said nothing more of it. Instead, she nodded and smiled again, "Thank you, Ronyn▬truly."

    She brushed past him and he sighed, rubbing at his forehead. He knew all hope might be lost for the Lady Morgana's handmaiden, and yet he didn't want to believe that.

    Ronyn stepped out of the alcove and nearly jumped, startled when one of his servants rushed up to him. He wondered what he was doing in the castle. He looked pale, trembling almost, and Ronyn immediately was on edge. "What is it?" he asked him.

    "A message," breathed the servant, "for you, My Lord. Your mother requests you back at the house. She says it's of grave importance."

    Ronyn arched a brow, "Of grave importance? With my mother, that could mean nothing of the sort▬"

    "It's in regards to Miss Adelynn, My Lord." Ronyn's words fell away at the mention of his sister. His heart sped up, his breath hitched. The look on the servant's face told him the worst, and he was right: "She's unwell, My Lord ... she's come down with the illness."

    The young Lord felt his heart drop deep into his stomach. His legs felt weak▬he swayed, stumbling a little as he realised what the servant meant. Without another word, he broke off into a run. He passed Arthur who was finally excused from his father's court, and he frowned to see his friend so frantic▬he's never seen him so upset.

    "Ronyn?" he called, but he didn't hear him. He sprinted out of the castle, and Arthur knew something terrible had happened.

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    a/n: no gwen and ronyn don't parallel each other in this episode, about to lose the person that they care about most in the world no i don't know what you're talking about- 

     (ps, they do)

      also I love gwen so much, can I just say? 

     I am obsessed with this book, it is true lol. 

     (shamelessly promoting my editing account pndragcns on insta to those who don't know about it already go check it out and follow me u won't ur scared-)