God, I'm a horrible writer. I leave my stories for the longest time and then I just pop back in on them when my readers have given up all hope. I can't believe I forgot about this story… Sorry guys! I have no excuse. Anyways, I have had this part written for quite some time so here you go. Sorry it's a bit short but I have another chapter ready as well today so I'll be getting that up there too.

For what felt like the thousandth time that morning, Arthur's thoughts returned to the sorceress. How could she be back? He had sent her away with a slap on the wrist for the crimes she committed in Camelot, against his father's orders. His father never knew it was Arthur that helped her get away. But that hardly mattered now in the light of recent events. Arthur had known her for quite some time and she was a servant at the castle when Uther caught her using magic to clean Arthur's chambers extra fast. He had her locked up and she was to be burned in two days' time. Arthur had known her for so long though that he had to see if she really was a sorceress. He snuck into the dungeons and found her, chained to a wall in the back of her cell.

He had pleaded her to tell him the truth, to say that she was lying. He didn't want to lose her, the trusted friend that she was. She couldn't say it though, because she really was a sorceress and she had been all along. Arthur felt there was only one real way to deal with her, to not have the guilt of her murder on his head. He helped her escape Camelot. He never expected to see her again, but she had come back, and he ran into her in the woods a few years back.

When they had seen each other, they were shocked. They had both changed so much. She had turned into an extremely beautiful woman with hatred in her heart. And he had turned from an impulsive fool, into a young prince who knew how to choose his words and tread lightly on his father's feet, fearing his father would hate who he really was, with all his impulses and emotion.

They stood apart from each other for a long time, Arthur remembered. He had been separated from his hunting party in the heat of the chase and they hadn't found him yet. He had panicked, knowing that Sir Leon would remember her for who she was. He wished that he was wrong about that. Unfortunately, Sir Leon did recognize her as soon as he laid eyes on her and Arthur was forced to do what his knights expected of him. He ordered them to arrest her, and she fought them.

She had used her magic to fight off the knights, and after every single one of them had fallen unconscious, she turned her attention finally to Arthur. She left him with a single chilling statement that haunted him for years to come. You have betrayed the friendship that we once shared, and I will make you feel what that feels like; to be betrayed by one you would gladly lay your life down for.

Then she disappeared. When his men came to, Arthur said that she had knocked them all out and ran off. Uther had the kingdom on high alert for a week afterwards, but she was never found.

A rustle in the undergrowth near the road, brought his attentions back to where he was. A squirrel shot out from under the bush and darted across the road. Arthur sighed and spurred his horse onwards to greater speeds. He needed to stop thinking about the past and more about how he was going to get Merlin back, because he was pretty sure that he couldn't just demand his manservant back. She would never give Merlin to him.

Arthur wondered what his knights were doing now, he normally headed the practice sessions. He wondered what would life be like back in Camelot without Merlin there. There was a strange aching in his chest as he thought about it, and he realized that it would be a lonely place. He tried to change the topic of his thoughts and rode onwards.