A/N: Welcome all to the sequel to Replacement! If you didn't read the first, all you really need to know is that Gwen was killed by Uther's order, having been convicted of sorcery. She was replaced by a new handmaiden, Adelaide. That's it, really. The story was more how everyone dealt, setting it up for this one ;D

"The king is dead!"

Screams.

Bodies strewn in a blood drenched field.

Cries of pain.

"Merlin, stay with me!"

Lit candles of mourning.

With a high pitched and terrified scream, Morgana jolted upright, her chest heaving as she came back to reality. Her dark hair was plastered against her face and her hands trembled wildly. The darkness of her room surrounded her, unable to provide the same security that daylight often brought.

She had never seen so much death in a dream before. Those poor men, broken and battered, just lying there and dying in agony. Arrows had pierced through their armour. Many had the bites of angry blades across their lifeless or draining faces. It had been horrifying, and it seemed like it had been one of those dreams. The Lady whimpered, clutching at her blanket. It would come true.

Death. Arthur crying. Merlin, barely alive. Arthur with a King's crown.

At least one good piece of news had come from her dream.

Uther was going to die.

Calming herself, Morgana allowed her lips to curl up into a smile.

The time to strike was sooner then ever. Even her dreams agreed.

She could figure out how to stop the rest when the time came.

"Father…" Arthur started in protest, but the King continued on.

"I'm serious, Arthur." Of course he was; he'd given Arthur the same lecture three times in the past two weeks at least. It was tiresome. "You are of age. It's time you were thinking about finding a bride."

Arthur fought the urge to huff at his blonde bangs in annoyance and tried to keep his temper. "Father, I don't need a bride. Besides, I'm far too busy to be thinking of marriage now."

"Too busy with what?" Uther's tone stated that he knew Arthur wasn't.

The Prince racked his brain for any kind of excuse. "Well…" He stalled, "training!" Yes, training would work! "I have some men that I believe to be ready for knighthood soon." It wasn't a direct lie, he did have some that showed promise. He'd have to work with them a bit longer to be sure of course... longer, so it would be longer before he had to ride out in search of some maiden's hand. The thought made him shiver. He was happy with life as it was then. "As you yourself have said in the past, we have to keep the armies well trained in case of war."

Turning, Uther leaned over the table to the papers he had been examining before sending for his son and chuckled, nearly sending Arthur through the roof. He found this funny? It was hardly funny! "It is true, but you cannot train your life away."

"I'm still young," Arthur argued, and his father nodded.

"Indeed you are, which is why you should be beginning your search now." The prince couldn't believe this. Was he being ordered to find a girl to court and marry? "I have heard of a lovely princess from the kingdom…"

"Father," Arthur interrupted quickly, "I will find someone, and I promise you I will do so before I am old and gray," he squashed the urge to add 'as you are,' "but you must let me find this girl on my own. I know my duties. Camelot is my priority."

The old king opened his mouth to say something otherwise, but decided against it and nodded, forcing a smile. "All right."

Arthur blinked. He hadn't expected to win that easy. He was never able to win arguments with his father that easy. "Was that all?"

Uther nodded once more and waved his hand. "Yes, you may go." Looking down, he tried to hide a grimace of pain. "Oh, Arthur," he called as his son opened the door, collecting himself again. "Send Gaius to me."

"Are you ill?" Arthur asked worriedly, looking back to his father. In that moment, his father looked older then ever, and although they had disagreed, Arthur couldn't swallow the worry beginning to eat at him.

"No, no," Uther dismissed the thought, waving his hand. "I just have something I would like to discuss with him." Unconvinced, his son nodded and promptly left.

The moment the heavy wooden door closed, Uther sank down to a chair, clutching at his chest with his face twisted from the searing aches stabbing at him from within. The blasted pains were worse then ever, and it was getting harder to hide it.

"I'm told this happens often."

Merlin tried to blink a chunk of tomato away from his eye as he struggled to see the voice talking to him. He could only see part of her slightly worn out dress as she was leaning against the frame of his wooden entrapment.

"Not… often," he tried to argue as the splatter from another exploding food item hit his face, but she laughed.

"Not according to Gaius."

"When did you see Gaius?" He asked, barely managing to dodge another flying fruit. Unfortunately, having his hands restrained out in front of him didn't allow for much dodging, which was the point of the stocks he supposed. What kind of punishment would it be if he could avoid all the flying food?

She held a tiny bottle forward for his blue eyes to see. "I had to pick up my Lady's sleeping medicine. She's been having nightmares again. I noticed you weren't there, and I hadn't seen you around the castle, so I inquired." Adelaide leaned forward so he could see her. The girl seemed to have a strange pleasure from seeing him like this, Merlin noted. He'd keep that in mind in case she ever wound up here. "What happened?" She asked curiously.

"It hardly matters," Arthur was so dead once he was freed from this, "and this is hardly the place to discuss anything."

"All right," she shrugged and walked away. Merlin nodded, preparing himself for the next round which the people were eagerly preparing themselves for. Seriously, wouldn't they ever lose interest in this?

She stopped at a young boy, taking aim with a potato. "I wouldn't throw that," she advised, plucking it from his hands and Merlin breathed a sigh of relief. He'd have to thank her later. "He works for the prince you know. Someone has to be the brains, and the other the pretty face." Bending down to pick up a tomato, she whispered in the young ear, and Merlin tried to lean forward more to hear, but it proved to be futile. Standing back up, she dropped the fruit in his hand. "Besides, this is more effective."

"What did you tell him? Adelaide!" Merlin demanded as the boy and others took aim once more, but she didn't answer. Instead she continued walking away, giving him a wave over her shoulder as she disappeared into the crowd.