Saying it out loud seemed almost silly to Arthur, but something in his gut told him he'd spoken the truth. Staring into the bewildered faces of Emrys and Reuben, Arthur said even more confidently, "Malin is the sorcerer."

"The plague sorcerer," Reuben gasped.

"I'm not sure the two cases are related. At least I don't know, but I know that he's the sorcerer we're looking for now."

"You think Malin killed Heior?"

"Heior was killed by a fire that was summoned with magic. There was a burnt circle of hay in the far corner where we think the sorcerer must have been standing. Malin's cane is charred at the bottom, and we found a similar golden thread there as the one resting on your clothes."

Emrys stood up and turned to look at Arthur. "But you really think Malin has magic? Not that I don't trust your judgment, Arthur, but that's a serious accusation with little proof. I fear we wouldn't be able to prove it."

"You are my proof, Emrys." To her confused look, he said, "Everyone with magic so far has had what seems to be an immediate and intense obsession with you, Emrys, and now I know that it's because they know you can't be affected by them. If we're going to prove that Malin is truly the sorcerer, we're going to need you."

"As evidence?"

Arthur shook his head. "More like bait."

"No," Morgana said sternly. She glared at her brother through his reflection in the mirror. "Absolutely not, Arthur."

Arthur sighed in exasperation and glanced up at the ceiling. "Morgana, it's not as bad as you think it is."

"No, Arthur, you're right. It's actually worse. I will not allow you to use Emrys as bait for that monster. I don't want her anywhere near him."

"Technically she won't be near him." In a quieter voice, he said, "She's to try to search his chambers."

"Yes," said Guinevere with a cruel laugh, "but for Emrys to do that would essentially be to incriminate herself—whether she's guilty or not. You know Malin doesn't care either way. You should've thought about that and have thought to ask for Morgana's opinion on the fate of her handmaiden before acting."

"Perhaps you should've thought about my opinion, then, when it came to Reuben. It wouldn't have had to come to this if you hadn't gone to that snake."

"Enough, Arthur. Leave her alone," Morgana ordered. "There's no way any of us could've known what would have come of this. Guinevere was only trying to do the right thing."

"The right thing," Arthur scoffed.

"Arthur!"

"I'm sorry, Morgana, but the 'right thing' might just cost an innocent man his life. How many lives have we already seen destroyed by people who have tried to do the 'right thing'? How many more lives have to be lost before we do something to change it?"

"We can't go against our father, Arthur."

"I know that! You don't think I know that? But I'm not going against our father right now; I'm going against Malin. He's our enemy here and we have the power to beat him."

"But it's not you who's using their power to beat him, is it, Arthur? You're using Emrys, and I know it's because he can't affect her. Hiding behind someone else's power doesn't make you brave and it doesn't make your cause righteous."

As much as he wanted to argue, Arthur found that he couldn't. No matter how he looked at it, he realized Morgana was right. He was hiding behind Emrys. Despite the fact that Emrys was willing to go against Malin, Arthur realized he'd volunteered her life with his plan. Suddenly he didn't feel as confident as before.

"I'm not saying that what you're doing isn't a good thing," Morgana continued, "but there's got to be a better way to save Reuben without risking his sister's life in the process."

Arthur suddenly realized there was an increasing pain in his abdomen. These days, he seemed to get these much more often, and for whatever reason, he always thought of Emrys when he had them. He resisted the urge to double over and forced himself to stand straighter. "Emrys," he managed to get out.

"What?"

Stronger this time, he said, "We need to get to Emrys immediately."

He could see the color leave Morgana's face. "Please don't tell me she's in his chambers right now."

"Why do you think I came to talk to you? I had to keep you occupied while she went to find any evidence."

Morgana stood up and raced out of the room, yelling, "Arthur!"

"You can scold me later, Morgana," Arthur said as he and Guinevere caught up to her. He realized as they ran that this was the second time in as many days that they'd gone racing across the castle in search of Emrys.

Even without the threat of losing such a powerful gift, Arthur found that he was genuinely concerned for her wellbeing. It was not smart of him to use her in this way. There was the chance that his plan would not work and he would lose both Emrys and Reuben to this monster.

The trio came to an abrupt stop as they rounded the corner and faced Malin, who was limping toward them from the opposite end of the hall. Arthur found it hard not to blurt out the information he'd recently discovered, but he held his tongue for fear of ruining the chance to obtain their greater goal.

In the end, it was Morgana who recovered the quickest. "Malin, good afternoon," she said casually. Arthur saw her straighten her back in the subtlest and quickest of movements, a motion they'd both been taught as a simple way of exerting their authority over another.

"Yes, good afternoon, princess," he said tautly. "I'm afraid I'm not up for any conversation, if that's what you came for. I find myself rather worn out from today's events."

Arthur didn't know how Morgana could manage such a perfectly masked smile. "Understandably, but I'm positive I won't take up too much of your time, Malin." Her smile faltered for a moment and Arthur was sure she'd heard the small clinking of objects behind the door as well.

Arthur glanced at Malin, whose face was scrunched in confusion. He needed some kind of distraction and he was certain his normal trick wouldn't work at this moment. Without a shadow of a doubt, Arthur knew that Emrys was behind those doors.

As Malin began to walk forward again, Arthur blocked his path to the door and loudly stated, "Malin, I do hope you will…forgive my actions this morning."

Malin stopped and leaned on his cane with both hands, smiling maliciously. "Am I to understand it, Arthur, that you're formally apologizing to me?"

The apology rose up in Arthur's mouth with a taste as foul as bile, but it seemed to be working. For just a moment, Malin had stopped, and maybe that would give Emrys some time to hide. Swallowing his pride a second time, Arthur nodded and said, "Yes. Please believe that I meant no disrespect. I've known Reuben for years and I…wasn't prepared for such a revelation."

Malin waved his hand through the air dismissively. "I understand. I know that you must be frustrated with yourself for not realizing it sooner, what with the sorcerer being so close to you this entire time. I'm glad you've come to terms with your oversight and that you've chosen to own up to your mistake like a man."

Arthur ground his teeth together and opted to smile instead of replying.

"Is that all? I really am quite tired, and I feel as if I need my rest before anything more exciting happens."

"Yes, Malin," said Morgana quickly as another sound came from the door. "I didn't know Arthur was going to apologize to you, but I wanted to talk to you about your dining plans for this evening."

Again, Malin stopped, seemingly interested in the idea. "Oh?"

"I realized that, in all the…excitement of the events of the past few days, we haven't properly acknowledged your arrival in Camelot."

"I'm not certain that's the best idea right now, princess," said Guinevere quietly. Arthur found himself wishing that Guinevere had opted not to come along, even though he knew that it was her duty to be by Morgana's side.

Malin nodded and said, "I think I may agree with your lady-in-waiting, princess. Perhaps some time afterwards."

Morgana tossed a quick glance toward Guinevere before she continued: "On the contrary, I believe now is the perfect time for such an event. The castle has, needless to say, been chaotic recently, and news is bound to reach the rest of the population soon."

"That is if it hasn't already," Arthur added. "A sorcerer found within the castle would be quite the scandal. The people would surely become restless if they knew such a thing."

"Yes, Arthur, exactly," said Morgana with a smile. "I think it would be best if we gave them an example of our strength at this time."

Malin nodded again, but this time he seemed to be buying it. "You may be right, princess. The last thing we need in the fight against magic is chaos. It enables sorcerers to slip into the minds of the weak and makes them harder to weed out. What did you have in mind?"

"I think nothing demonstrates strength and security more than a banquet. We need to show the people that we haven't been affected in the castle and I think a large feast would be perfect. We can deflect the attention away from sorcerers and focus on your arrival instead."

"Yes," Malin mused. "That sounds quite perfect. I accept your invitation tonight, princess." He paused for a moment, seemingly considering something. "It'd be better if I resumed my work. Princess, would you happen to be aware of your handmaiden's whereabouts? I see that she's not with you now."

And with that, Arthur's heart began to sink again. Morgana glanced at Arthur quickly and said, "I'm afraid not. I haven't seen Emrys since yesterday's events."

"Ah, well, perhaps your lady-in-waiting?"

Guinevere swallowed, but otherwise kept her face composed. "No," she said slowly, though Arthur could hear her hesitation. Then, more confidently and almost bitterly, she said, "I've had to accommodate for all of Emrys' duties in her absence today. If I'd seen her earlier, I would've seen to it that she came to work."

"Hmm," said Malin. "Perhaps she is grieving with her uncle. I'm not sure if you all were aware of this, but the serving boy used magic to protect the girl because they're related."

Arthur didn't know how to fake his surprise without obviously coming off as insincere, but Malin didn't seem to notice, so it didn't seem to matter. "I didn't know that," he said as innocently as he could possibly sound.

"They're siblings, in fact. The boy willingly divulged this information the moment I began to question his motives. I was quite interested to learn that they had chosen to keep their relation a secret."

"Forgive me for asking, Malin," said Arthur slowly, "but I'm not sure what this new information has to do with your search for Emrys."

"The girl claims to be impervious to magic. I've never seen such a trait and I've reason to believe that her family would lie in order to save her life. I believe that further investigation will reveal the truth behind the nature of her powers—or I should say 'abilities' as Silas has so carefully described them. That is, of course, assuming that they're real."

Arthur jumped at the sudden crash behind Malin's door. There would be no avoiding what was to come next—Malin had definitely heard it as well. Arthur held his hand out to stop Malin, who frowned and yelled, "Out of my way, boy! There is someone in my chambers."

"Exactly," said Arthur. "Which means you shouldn't enter your room first. If there's someone in there, they were waiting for you. For your own safety, you should stay back, please." With a deep breath and a miserable look toward Morgana, Arthur put his hand on Malin's doors and opened them.

Knowing that it was Emrys he'd face inside, Arthur didn't reach for his sword. He didn't see her at first glance, which told him she'd had the sense to hide after making such a noise. As he searched the room Arthur couldn't decide if he was relieved that he hadn't found Emrys yet or worried about where he would find her.

"I know I heard something," Arthur heard Malin mumble as he joined in the search. He subtly increased his pace so that the witch hunter wouldn't pass him. He was grateful when Malin stopped to investigate the source of the noise—Emrys had knocked over a chair by an open window.

"They must've jumped," Malin concluded as he peeked out the window.

Arthur shook his head, but didn't speak up. He'd be able to see them down there. No one could survive a fall from this height without breaking something and Arthur doubted they'd get far with that type of injury. He hoped that Emrys hadn't been dumb enough to try it.

Guinevere coughed, drawing his attention. She was standing by the bed, examining the door that led to the inner chamber. "If someone were in here, I don't think they'd risk their life by throwing themselves out the window."

"Not unless they'd something to hide," said Malin.

"Or they're hiding themselves," she countered, nodding toward the door behind her. "Was this closed before?"

Arthur could feel himself pale. It took all his efforts not to run before Malin as the witch hunter stormed through the door, raging the entire time. He started to go after Malin anyway until he saw Guinevere bend down and reach her hands underneath the bed. With a small grunt of effort, she pulled Emrys, who had a slight covering of dust on her, out from under the bed.

Arthur's mouth fell open at the sight of the dirty serving girl and he found himself instinctively opening out his arms to her.

She didn't make any noises and instead dove back under the bed for a moment to grab an old bottle. Without missing a beat, Emrys rolled onto her feet, holding her skirts and the bottle to her chest, and ran…right past Arthur to the door, into the folds of Morgana's arms instead.

As he watched the two girls disappear around the corner, Arthur couldn't help but feel irritated. If she'd known the worried state he'd been in for her safety, she wouldn't have ignored him. His arms dropped with a disapproving clap at his sides.

Almost immediately afterwards, Malin returned from the inner chamber.

"I didn't see anyone in there," he fumed, "but there has to have been someone in this room. I didn't imagine this noise."

"No, certainly not," said Guinevere as she smoothed the ends of her dress. Malin didn't seem to notice or suspect anything of the action. "I heard a noise as well. We all did. And we see the mess."

"I'm quite certain whoever was in here must've thrown themselves from the window. It's the only possible explanation." He rushed back over to the window to look out again.

This time Guinevere joined him. "You know, I believe you're right." She stopped suddenly and narrowed her eyes at something below them. "There! Right there! Don't you see the slight difference in shape in the bushes? Someone definitely jumped from this window and landed there."

"I knew it," said Malin with a sneer. "I will begin an investigation. You all will forgive me, but I must act immediately."

Arthur hadn't realized when Morgana had entered the room again, but suddenly, there she was, saying, "We completely understand. Arthur, you're to inform our father immediately. Malin, I'm sure the king will send guards to assist you, should the situation develop."

"Yes, yes." He ushered them out of his room, locked the door, and hurried down the hall.

Without taking her eyes off of the end of the corridor, Morgana raised her voice and said, "Emrys, it's safe to come out now."

Arthur turned toward the opposite end of the hall just as Emrys rounded the corner. He started toward her, but was beaten to the serving girl by his sister. Emrys used one hand to hug Morgana back, but her eyes stayed fixated on Arthur.

Her gaze was so intense that he became embarrassed and had to force himself to look away, catching Guinevere's eyes instead. She lifted her chin and shifted her gaze to Emrys as the serving girl approached her.

Arthur expected Emrys to say something witty, and was surprised when she opened her mouth and said, "Thank you for not turning me in."

If she hadn't lost her composure for a moment, Arthur wouldn't have known that Guinevere was shocked too. In an instant, her raised eyebrows relaxed again, and her mouth settled into a firm line. "It's nothing worth mentioning. We were there to stop you from allowing Arthur to convince you to do something foolish."

For once, Emrys' bright eyes seemed very dark. "I would do anything for my brother. Nothing's too foolish to attempt. Besides, I have the one thing that makes it all worth it." She held up the old bottle for them all to see.

"Emrys," Morgana whispered. "What is that?"

Together, Arthur and Emrys said, "Malin's wine." The two locked eyes, and Arthur thought that, just for a moment, they might be feeling the same thing—an amalgamation of excitement, anxiety, and overwhelming joy.

"I hope you have a plan," Emrys said.

Arthur took the bottle from her with a smile and said, "Let's get to work."

Arthur swallowed a piece of chicken as Uther asked, "Was your investigation successful, Malin?"

"No," Malin growled. "We found no trace of the intruder. And what's worse, I didn't have time to continue the work I'd already started."

"A shame," Uther muttered. "It truly is. I'm confident, though, that your work won't suffer from the delay. The results that you've been able to produce in the short amount of time that you've been here is quite impressive."

"Yes, I suppose." Malin rose suddenly as Emrys came through the servants' door, carrying a jug of wine.

Arthur forced himself to remain calm, fighting his suddenly desperate urge to take Emrys and run far away from this man. He noticed Emrys' slight misstep, the only indication that she, too, was nervous.

"I see your handmaiden's decided to stop hiding from me, Morgana," said Malin as he slowly lowered himself back into his seat. His eyes didn't move from Emrys as she circled the long table, filling up everyone's cup with wine. He raised his hand to stop her as she started to pour wine into his goblet.

Morgana remained as calm as ever: "Emrys was making up for all of the chores she'd gotten behind on in the past events."

Arthur found that he truly envied his sister's remarkable skill in maintaining her composure. He was certain that, with a quick glance his way, Malin would discover their ruse.

"Yes," said Emrys in a meek voice as she slipped into a quick curtsey. "My humblest apologies for my absence, princess."

"I wish you'd extend the same courtesy to me, Emrys," Guinevere muttered. She took a simple sip from her cup, but eyed Emrys above the rim as the serving girl hurried from the room, claiming that she needed to refill the jug.

Uther waved a dismissive hand. "Let the matter go. If Morgana is offended, she will see to the proper punishment. Malin, if you would, I'd like to hear more about your discoveries."

"Well," said Malin, eyeing the spot from where Emrys had disappeared, "if we're on the subject of proper punishment—"

"Father," cried Arthur suddenly, a little too loudly. "Forgive me for my interruption, but I believe before we hear this tale, Malin deserves to be properly honored. We speak of formalities, but we've yet to fulfill our most basic task during a celebrative feast—commencing in a toast."

Uther nodded and rose from his seat. "You're correct, my son. Malin, please join us in a quick toast in your honor."

Malin frowned. "That's hardly necessary. I will be honored when I see the proper destruction of an evil sorcerer."

"Nonsense, old friend. You must join us."

"I'll make it quick," Arthur promised.

Emrys entered the room again and hurried to Malin's side when she realized they were rising to a toast. When Malin refused her service again, Uther said, "Please, Malin, I insist you partake in this toast with us. I know your qualms about the effects of wine, but a taste will not affect you."

Malin's jaw tightened, but he said nothing against the king. Emrys filled the bottom rung and stepped to the side, her eyes steadily holding Arthur's, who cleared his throat and began his toast: "To my father, the king, and to his honored guest, Malin, whom, without, Camelot would surely fall."

"To Malin," the others repeated, drinking from the cups.

"To the future of Camelot," said Malin. "May it one day be rid of the hold magic has on it." With a sour expression, Malin downed the contents of his goblet.

Uther pulled himself back up to the table. "Now, Malin, let's hear that story."

Arthur shoved food into his mouth to keep from smiling. So much food, in fact, that he began to cough, drawing attention. Emrys was immediately at his side, refilling his cup for him to drink from, but he didn't take it. "Water," he ordered, among the coughs.

She nodded and set the jug of wine down on the table before running to a table on the far side of the room and grabbing a carafe of water. She poured him water and asked, "Is everything alright, Your Highness?"

The water soothed his cough, and he set the cup down. Arthur opened his mouth to say something, but realized Malin was staring at him with wide, horrified eyes. "Malin?"

The witch hunter didn't seem to hear him, for he began to raise his hands and scream. It was then that Arthur realized Malin was not looking at him but past him. Arthur turned to see what was there but found nothing.

"Malin, are you alright," asked Uther.

Still, Malin didn't hear. "No! Not you! You're dead. You're dead! I made sure you were dead!" He stumbled on his way out of his seat and fell to the floor, all the while kicking his way backwards. "You can't be alive!"

Emrys stepped forward. "Malin, are you all right?"

He heard her. With fierce eyes, Malin turned on Emrys and stood up, yelling, "This is your doing, isn't it, girl? I know it's you! This is your way of exacting punishment, isn't it? All for that bumbling fool of a brother of yours!" With surprising speed, he closed the distance between them and grabbed Emrys by the arms, shaking her.

"My lord, please," Emrys pleaded as she tried to wiggle out of his grip.

"You think your little tricks can save you or your brother? You've no idea who you're dealing with, witch." He dropped one arm and swiped the back of his hand across her face, sending Emrys and the carafe she had carried to the ground.

This time Arthur couldn't keep himself from standing up. He barely noticed the others, who were yelling as well. The only thing he could think about in that moment was Emrys. He ran to her and screamed the witch hunter's name, but Malin didn't stop advancing.

The witch hunter picked up the carafe and tossed it over his shoulder, steadily making his way toward the pair. "Malin, stop. This has gone far enough!" He helped Emrys sit up and winced when she spat blood from her mouth.

Uther must have called for the knights at one point, because six of them had made their way into the room. They surrounded Malin, swords raised, awaiting their orders. But Uther wasn't ordering them to strike; he was still trying to get through to Malin.

Malin took note of the guards, but didn't seem worried. "What's this? More fools you have under your little spells? No matter. They are no match for me. You are no match for me. You won't get out of here alive. I'll see to it that you and your family all go out the same way—in flames! Tanau!"

Malin's eyes glowed a dark red, and in an instant, his right hand had caught on fire. The sight silenced everyone, including Arthur. Arthur was suddenly reminded of Noren, and began to feel sick.

"A pity this execution won't be more public," Malin said with a grin. "But it's no matter—this is almost as satisfying." He extended his hand toward Emrys and Arthur, sending a ball of flames their way.

Arthur didn't have much time to react. He had a strong desire to push Emrys out of harm's way, but found that he was too shocked to move. He'd known that Malin must be a sorcerer, but the revelation was almost too overwhelming. He resigned himself to the death.

He vaguely registered a shadow passing over him, and hands pulling his head down underneath a soft cover, forcing him to his knees. Heat washed over him, but it didn't burn him. In fact, he strangely felt cool. In that instant, he remembered himself and looked up to see Emrys, surrounded by a faint white light, with the dying embers of Malin's fire scattering away from her before finally fading.

Malin let out a primal roar, screaming, "No! What power do you possess that protects you so?" He advanced and grabbed her by the shoulders again, pulling her face very close to his own. "Make no mistake, girl. My magic may not affect you, but there are other ways. You think not having magic protects you from me? I've made hundreds of people confess before you and I will make hundreds after you!"

This time, Arthur found he was in control. He stood and shoved Malin to the floor, jarring the witch hunter from his fantasy. In the next moment, Arthur pulled Emrys behind him, never taking his eyes away from Malin, who sat up and looked around with large eyes.

"Ah," cried Malin as he found Uther, "sire, I've just made a new discovery. The serving girl has magic—dangerous magic. She made an attempt on my life by conjuring the dead knight. She must be executed immediately."

Uther shied away from Malin as the knights grabbed the witch hunter. "I've seen the truth. I know the real sorcerer now. It is you, Malin."

Malin seemed confused for a moment. "What? No, sire. You're mistaken. You know I'm not a sorcerer. It's the serving girl. It's Emrys."

"Kill him," Uther ordered.

"What?" The knights let go of him and drew their swords. "She has you all under her spell. Do you not see that?" When it was clear that the knights wouldn't stop, Malin yelled, "Tanau!" Once again, his hand caught fire, but the knights were prepared this time.

They swung at the witch hunter, who managed to jump back in time to avoid being struck. His fire began to dim, and he screamed his command again as he continued to walk backwards. With the new order, the fire immediately began to grow, extending its reach to engulf his entire arm.

Malin began to scream and waved his arm through the air to extinguish the fire. Arthur felt Emrys clench her fingers around his own arms, her view from behind him obviously in line with the horror in front of them.

Now stumbling backwards, Arthur realized Malin was coming to the far side of the room, where large glass windows lined the walls. Also in the witch hunter's path was the carafe he'd thrown earlier. "Malin," Arthur cried out, despite himself, in an effort to warn the man.

But Malin didn't hear him. With the fire spreading further down his arm, he quickened his backwards pedal and tripped over the carafe. The force and speed at which he fell pushed him through the stained window behind him.

Arthur and Uther hurried to the window, with Malin screaming all the while. Father and son reached the broken window in time to see the flaming witch hunter crash into the cobbled road below. Arthur had seen death many times before, but this was the only one he found he was relieved about.

Malin had been right: a witch had burned.

Arthur sat with Emrys and Silas on their bench as they all awaited Reuben's return. After Malin's death, Uther had sent guards to clean up, and ordered Reuben's immediate release. "I see no reason for that boy to continue wasting away in our dungeons," Uther had said.

A tearful Morgana had insisted they all wait in Silas' chambers and remove themselves from the tense atmosphere in the dining hall. Now she stood behind Emrys, her right hand resting on her maidservant's shoulder, and her gaze never wavering. Even Guinevere stood behind Emrys for support.

While they waited, Silas fussed over Emrys' face: "I wish you'd heeded my advice and stayed away from that man, Emrys." He dabbed at the light bruise on her left cheek with a damp cloth.

Emrys winced, but never took her eyes off of the door. "I'm fine, Silas. No need to get upset. It's over now."

"Not quite," Arthur whispered. There was one thing that had yet to be rectified.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and Reuben stepped inside. Arthur felt an overwhelming sense of relief as he watched his manservant embrace Emrys. He'd barely had enough time to open his arms before she'd thrown herself onto him. It was when Silas joined the pair in a group hug that the three all sank to their knees with joyful tears.

"Oh, my children," Silas breathed. "Thank the gods you're both safe."

Arthur realized suddenly that his own eyes felt heavy with tears of their own. He sniffed and diverted his attention quickly to regain himself. Only when Morgana put her hand on his shoulder a few moments later did he turn back again.

"We should go," she mouthed. Guinevere was already at the door, her face unreadable.

"Yes," Arthur agreed, shaking off the rest of his emotions. Emrys and her family had broken apart by then, wiping away the last of their tears. Arthur clapped his hand down on Reuben's shoulder and said, "I'm relieved you're safe. And your family's quite astonishing."

Reuben smiled. "Thank you, sire. They truly are."

"Right. Well, see to it that you get some rest. I can't be without a manservant forever." With a half-chuckle, Arthur followed Morgana and Guinevere from the room.

The two were a significant distance away from him, their heads bent and voices lowered. He knew this action well—the two had done it all the time when they were younger. It was their way of attempting to keep a secret from him. "What could you two possibly be gossiping about right now?"

Morgana continued to face forward, but Arthur noticed how tense his sister's shoulders were. "Don't you worry about it, Arthur. It's nothing."

Arthur wasn't sure, but he thought he heard Guinevere mutter something about the matter hardly being nothing. He started to ask them about it further, but as they got to the end of the corridor, Arthur was stopped by the sound of his name: "Arthur!"

He knew that it was Emrys calling his name, and he looked back at his sister, who quickened her pace. "You aren't staying," he asked, confused.

Guinevere shook her head as she followed Morgana further away. "It's been a long day, Arthur. She should retire."

"Besides," said Morgana, almost too quiet for him to hear, "it's you she wants."

There was something harsh about the way Morgana had spoken to him, but Arthur didn't have time to think about that. He turned and saw Emrys as she came to a halt in the middle of the steps. "Emrys? What're you doing out here? You should be back inside with your family. It's been a hard day."

"I know," she huffed, taking a moment to catch her breath. "I can't stop thinking about today." She breathed in deeply and then caught his eyes. "I realized again that, perhaps, I should thank you. I'm eternally grateful for the large part you played in ensuring my brother's safety."

Arthur smiled at her. "I was largely inspired by your own courage and determination, Emrys. You have a remarkable knack for seeing through things until justice is done—I admire that."

Arthur normally struggled to find the right words to say, but around Emrys, he found it surprisingly easy to speak around her. "And there's no need to thank me. As I've said many times before, it was you who saved my life first."

She laughed, though her smile didn't entirely reach her eyes. "Seems like we're destined to be in this infinite cycle of saving each other."

In the moments of silence that followed, Arthur took a moment to admire her. Her hair was completely out of place and her eyes were swollen and red from her tears, but she stood above him as if neither of these things bothered her in the least. The strength she still managed to exhibit was awe-inspiring. His smile fell as he realized the light of her candle had also succeeded in illuminating the bruise on her face.

He rubbed the back of his neck, thinking about the danger he'd put her in. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I just…" She shook her head and left her voice trail off. "Never mind. I don't know what I'm saying. Have a good night, sire."

He ran back up and grabbed her free hand as she started to turn around. "Emrys," he said, his voice a soft whisper. "What is it? Are you okay, really?"

She left her hand in his, but she didn't look at him. "I shouldn't bother you with this."

"Emrys, please." He advanced a few steps to put them at eye level. Surprising himself, Arthur reached up with his right hand and turned her head with two fingers underneath her chin. He brushed aside a strand of flyaway hair, gingerly touching the side of her face. He lingered by her bruise.

She noticed his hesitation. Emrys gave him a faint smile and said, "I'm fine. The bruise will go away soon."

"That isn't what's bothering you, though, is it?"

Emrys was silent for many moments. Finally, she said, "I can still feel them."

"Feel them?"

"Malin, Noren, Heior, the plague sorcerer," she explained. "It's like I can still feel their presence. Things keep happening, one after the other, and I barely have time to calm down from one thing before I get pulled into something else."

He pulled her into a tight hug, careful not to burn his arm on the candle. He couldn't find the words to explain how sorry he was for all of the danger he'd put her in. Instead, he folded over her and deepened the hug. She stood stiffly against him before finally sighing into relaxation. With a shift of her arm, her closed fist was behind his neck, holding him close to her. Arthur found that he was also letting go of a breath that he'd been holding. Reuben had been right—Emrys was not nearly as brash as she pretended to be.

He could feel her heartbeat hammering against him. After a moment's consideration, he thought that maybe the thundering he felt was of his own heart instead. No, he thought as she released a shaky breath, it's definitely hers. It was strange how strong she'd seemed moments before and yet how fragile she was right now.

He couldn't help but think of his first hunt, and the rabbit that had evaded him for the majority of the time. When he'd finally caught it, its heart had beat so quickly and its body had trembled so much, that Arthur found he couldn't bear to hurt it further. He'd let it go and told his father the rabbit had simply been too quick for him.

Arthur felt Emrys' flat hand sliding down his chest as she began to pull away slightly. He loosened his grip on her; she wriggled out far enough so that she could look at him. The flame of her candle danced around in her brown eyes, enticing him as he began to lean forward. She tipped her head up and her full lips parted expectantly.

Emrys' eyes bore into him, as if she could see his inmost being, and he didn't doubt that she could. And yet, what did he know about her, this girl who was so close to him in this moment and yet still so distant? She'd surprised him more than once today and he knew it wouldn't be the last time.

It hurt to think that he'd never be as surprising for her. His father demanded calculation from Arthur, because everything Arthur did could possibly come at the expense of another, and "the future king" had to take responsibility for that.

She often annoyed him, but Arthur was envious of Emrys' freedom to be as impulsive or calculated as she liked, without the threat of consequence. As crown prince, he could never hope to know such freedom.

Arthur quickly stepped away from her when he became aware of how close their foreheads were to each other. She must've been uncomfortable too, because she cleared her throat before continuing: "I'm sorry. Please excuse my moment of weakness. That's not how I wanted this conversation to go. I wanted to tell you that I want to end this."

"This?" Had everything been too much for her? Was she going to leave him—leave the castle now?

She nodded. "Malin was right about one thing: Camelot should be free of the tyranny of evil men who abuse their power. I know what I said about things calming down, but…the plague sorcerer—I want to stop him. And it's probably going to require my presence."

"As my guard?"

Emrys straightened, and suddenly, she was back to her normal self. She flashed him a mischievous smile. "More like bait."

A/N: As most of you have noticed, I've been combining some of the canon characters/episodes with my own ideas—and that's going to continue! In the next chapter, you'll get the chance to see our dynamic duo take on the "plague sorcerer," meet a new character, and face...love issues?! Not to mention, get ready to see Baelfire again! As always, please don't forget to write a review! Until then, stay magical, my lovelies!