Nightmares
I don't own Merlin
They started a year before her father died.
At first it was only bad dreams, long forgotten when she opened her eyes.
It was first after she arrived at Camelot that they became more.
They became clearer, and now the shadows stayed with her in her waking hours, making it harder to pretend to be happy.
They tried to help her of course, with bitter potions and soothing words, but the dreams would still come.
She woke up screaming; they still didn't understand.
But the worst times were when she woke up, and her nightmares became reality.
Fear was born.