PREVIOUSLY ON: MERLIN

"Who are you?" a soft voice asked. He turned around to see a beautiful woman standing in shock, watching him cautiously. She had long, flowing blond locks that framed her heart-shaped face. Her eyes were a deep blue and the simple dress she wore fitted well to her small form.

"Bad men want to hurt me," Gwaine explained, while eyeing her up and down.

"I'll let you stay here but only if you do something for me," she told him. "In three days time, tell me what all women desire most? Swear to answer that question and I will not rat you out to the 'bad men'."

"The Board as been around for years! Imagine breaking the news to the lords," Arthur exclaimed. The Board would never dissolve the ban on magic. "One day, Morgana. One day."

"You want the ban on magic to be lifted as much as I do and the only way to do that is to get rid of the Board," said Morgan.

"Caradoc won't be able to resist saving his cousin," Griflet said, dropping a medallion on the ground beside the helmet.

"Wait, so you're telling me, you freed a woman who was cursed to switch between being an ugly hag and a beautiful woman and now you must marry her?"

EPISODE FIVE

THE DOLOROUS TOWER

Part 2

Sometimes the right way is the hardest journey.

Caradoc gripped the hilt of his sword, the leather grip comforting to his palm. He held his helmet under his right arm, the silver reflecting his nervous expression. His crimson cloak flowed behind him and the Pendragon insigne was stitched on his tunic. He shifted outside the doors of the throne room, remembering the last time he had awaited behind this doors for his father. Finally, the long, studded doors opened with a loud yawn. Caradoc stepped into the room, the clunk of his boots hitting the polished floor echoing in the room as he followed the green rug to where his father sat atop his throne.

The throne room was not nearly as magnificent as Camelot's, Caradoc thought. There was no artwork which drew your eye and the lighting was dim and dingy. The steps leading to the throne were narrow and the throne itself was simple with high arm rests and a green velvet backing.

He stopped just before the steps, eying his father suspiciously. His father had not changed a bit. He had the same scowl on his face as he always had, ever since Caradoc was a child. His hair had greyed slightly but was still mostly black and his blue eyes were as hard as ever. When he finally spoke, his voice was accusing as it had always been, "Do you not bow to a king, boy?"

"I bow to one king only, that is King Arthur Pendragon of Camelot," Caradoc replied evenly. "And I am no boy."

"Are you not?" his father replied. "You come when I call. You may have left my residence in revolt against me, but I could have chained you in the Dolorous Tower as I have done to many other knights. I let you leave. I wanted you to leave, and now I require you to serve me."

"I am a knight of the Round Table. I answer to no one but King Arthur," Caradoc said through gritted teeth, his father's words burning into his mind. "As his knight, I demand that you release Sir Balin, my brother in arms."

"On whose authority?"

"King—"

"King Arthur means nothing to me," his father said, waving a hand dismissively. "I rule here and that is all that matters. If you wish to free your knight, you must accept me as your father and remain here once Sir Balin is freed."

Caradoc stared at him in shock. His father had always wanted him gone, why on earth would his father want him to stay now? "You never wanted me. You wanted a prince, someone to rule as ruthlessly as you do and I could never be that."

"I do not require you to rule. I require your talent as a knight," his father explained. "You will serve as an elite warrior on the battlefield."

"Why would I need to be on a battlefield?"

"You'll find out as soon as you accept my offer," his father said cryptically.

Caradoc sighed, seeing no other option but to accept. He did not wish to put more knights in danger. His father knew that he would never come home if not provoked. He had walked right into his trap. He had to stay with his father to free Balin. If there was one thing that being a knight had taught him, it was chivalry. He was taught to put others before himself. It was ironic that with this act would cut all ties he had with his friends, Balin, Balan, Gwaine, Leon and the others. His father would never allow him to return but this was a sacrifice he had to make.

"I accept your offer," Caradoc told his father.

His father smiled in satisfaction, eyes dancing with amusement at how he had played his son so well. He nodded to two guards at the doors, motioning for them to open doors.

Balin entered, his face bruised and scratched, dragged by the guards. They threw him at Caradoc's feet.

"What have you done?" demanded Caradoc, looking down in terror at his friend.

"I said I would free him from he Dolorous Tower, I never guaranteed you he'd be in full health," his Father said dismissively.

"So cold…so dark…" muttered Balin, his eyes opening slightly. His disposition was that of a frightened child. He began to huddle into a fetal position, hugging his knees in fear, shutting his eyes and muttering.

Caradoc jaw clenched. "I demand to know what you've done to him."

"You demand?" his father laughed. "You are not even a knight anymore."

"Then, as your son, I beg you to help this young man whom I have come to call my friend," Caradoc said in a desperate tone.

"There is but one thing which can heal this man. One night in the Dolorous Tower," his father explained.

"The Dolorous Tower? That's where you've kept him locked up all the time. The Tower of Darkness?"

"I've always hated the connotation of the name 'Dolorous Tower'," his father remarked. "But yes, it is that tower which I've kept this knight in. You know that to cure his condition he must return for the effects to reverse."

"I know very well," Caradoc replied, his face darkening, remembering the times he had been locked up in the Tower for disobeying his father. "Very well, he will remain in the Tower as long as is needed for him to return to normal."

His father nodded to the guards who dragged Balin out of the throne room. "It is done. My guards will escort you to your room."

"I know where my room is," snapped Caradoc, angry at his father's treatment of Balin and saddened that he would not return to Camelot with Balin.

"Not your old chambers," his Father said. "No, you'll be staying in the standard houses for my soldiers. You may be my son by blood but you have not yet earned the privileges being my son as entailed, neither have you earned my name." His face twisted into a smirk of satisfaction as he spoke his next words, "Your name shall not be Caradoc as mine is. Your name shall be Erec, a name of a commoner, for that is all you are to me now."

Erec stared numbly at Caradoc as the guards pushed him towards the doors. His entire life had been stripped away from him by the father he had abandoned. There was no Caradoc now, only Erec.

"Tell King Mark that our spy will be placed within castle walls in a week. Once this night is over, he will be under our Lady's control. The asset has been stripped of his old life and is prepared for his duty," Caradoc told the messenger in a hushed voice, whom nodded in acknowledgement and left the throne room.

Caradoc stood alone in the throne room, a beam of moonlight falling on his face, chuckling softly to himself. It had all be so easy. The King of Hearts would never see his enemies coming in the form of his own knights. Enduring his son's presence was a small price to pay for the land that he would receive once King Mark took his prize.

The doors were opened and two knights walked in.

"Sir Gareth, Lord Griflet," Caradoc addressed to two finely dressed men. "Thank you for your help in bringing my son back to me, as much as I despise the boy."

The men smiled.

"It was our pleasure," said Lord Griflet. "We have succeeded and you have promised us a high position for our services." He laughed cheerfully, patting Gareth on the back.

"Ah yes, I did promise that didn't I?" Caradoc said, laughing along with them, turning back to the throne and picking up two ornamental swords. He swung to face them, smiling. "Well then, here." He went to hand them the swords but instead, with fast fingers he switched his grip on them, stepping forward to impale the men in the heart. The men looked up in shock, blood dripping from their mouths before they toppled to the floor and Caradoc removed the swords from their chests, dropping the bloodied swords to the polished floor with a clang. He observed them from above, smiling,

"I thank you for your lips, Gareth, though that plan failed because of that stupid knight, whom found Caradoc. Lord Griflet, I thank your for your persuasion but neither of you could live to see King Mark's great plan nor could you execute Morgana Pendragon. However, in the end you brought my son back but…Traitors will always be traitors."

"What's this?" Arthur blinked in confusion and dumbstruck as he stared down at a long piece of parchment that had been rolled out onto his desk by Merlin. He, Mordred and Morgana stood before Arthur, who lounged in his chair.

"This, dear brother, is everything the Board members have done wrong," Morgana said slyly. "And you can check the authenticity yourself." With those words, Mordred bent down to pick up a stack of books which he promptly set on the desk with a loud slam.

Arthur looked from the piece of parchment to the books back to the three expectant faces. "How long did this take you?"

"All night," replied Mordred quickly, "My lord."

Arthur stared at the three of them again, conflicting emotions stirring inside him. "I cannot do this for you."

Morgana looked taken aback. "Excuse me?"

"You want me to remove the Board, I cannot," Arthur replied, sighing.

"And why not? We have found some deeds done by the members of the Board members to warrant execution," Morgana protested and Arthur opened his mouth to reply. "And don't you dare start on about civil war. The removal of the Board will be based on evidence and so no one can disagree. And if Camelot is thrown into civil war, I will accept it the consequences myself."

"And I as well," Mordred said evenly.

Their intentions were good but they did not understand the weight of civil war. He looked at Merlin who stood to Morgana's right. He sighed, "Merlin, as my advisor, advise me."

Merlin looked at him sharply. He had a chance to make this work. "As Morgana said, the removal of the Board will be based on solid evidence. None can argue against that. It is true that the Board members will be angry, furious in fact but together, they cannot raise an army to compete with the Knights of the Round Table. It is true that they could find support from other kingdoms but what kingdom would support their claim. Even if they were to win the war, the people love you." He took a breath. "As for the ban on magic. You allow Morgana and Mordred to remain here under your roof. Why are they any different than others? You may gain enemies if you raise the ban, but you'll lose so many more." Mordred and Morgana looked sharply at him at his last words both of them wondering if Merlin would reveal himself once the ban was gone.

Arthur contemplated Merlin's words. He wanted to make Morgana happy and he wanted to raise the ban. He could remove the Board. That was the first step. The second was to lift the ban. In order to execute both steps, they would have to occur with a gap of time between them. He would have to talk to Guinevere about this of course but he was certain she would agree with him. The Board had been the ones who protested about his marriage to him. If civil war did occur, he could deal with it and if he had the help of magic-users, perhaps he could deal with it just as quickly.

"Very well then," Arthur decided. "I must talk to Guinevere about this matter but I believe she will agree with me. I will remove the Board on your evidence but I must have Geoffrey look over your notes first. Don't expect this all to happen in a week."

All three of their faces broke out into joyous smiles. They were perhaps the most relieved and happiest smiles Arthur had ever received from any of them. They bowed, muttering their respects before leaving Arthur's room, all of them cheering inside.

Arthur sighed. If anyone complained about him being a bad brother, they'd have hell to pay.

Balin stumbled out of the castle gates, pushed by leering guards as the gates slammed shut behind him. He looked back to see the Dolorous Tower rising high into the clouds. He was glad to be out of the place but he was grateful that he had been captured there. For it was in the Dolorous Tower that he had been enlightened by the Lady. It had hurt to learn, to understand, but she did not relent until he had sworn his oaths to her.

He turned away, looking out into the thick forestry which opposed him. How was he to survive the trip to Camelot with no provisions? His question was answered for him when his brother rode out of the forest with five other knights who stayed back as Balan advanced forward. His horse was a mottled gray and white and upon seeing his brother, Balan spurred his horse faster, closing the distance between them, then stopping and dismounting.

Balan took a few paces toward him before enveloping his brother in a massive hug, the crimson cloak of the knights of the Round Table flowing around both of their ankles. A few days earlier, Balin would have been relieved to see his brother but now, his brother's hug no longer gave him comfort. Balan was not his brother anymore, his brothers were in Cornwall.

"Are you hurt?" Balan asked, checking his brother over for any major wounds.

"They are nothing to worry about," Balin replied, smiling, pretending to feel be happy to see him. "Thank gods you are here. I did not know how I was to head back to Camelot without any provisions."

"We have clothes for you, brother, and when we make camp, you can have some of Sir Illyn's wonderful stew," his brother laughed merrily before frowning when he realized that Caradoc was not with Balin. "But tell me, where is Sir Caradoc?"

"He has joined his father's ranks," Balin told his brother. "In exchange for my freedom."

"I will have to inform Arthur of Caradoc's honour when we return to Camelot. He was a fine knight," Balan said, then, clapping his brother on the back, he turned him towards the forestry. "Come, let us make haste. We have Caradoc's horse, which you can ride."

Balin followed his brother, mounting Caradoc's horse and smiling at the other knights whom he did not know very well. Once he was safe within Camelot's walls, he would not fail his Lady.

Gwaine removed the blindfold from Helen's face, gently untying the knot and letting the silk brush over her face as she opened her eyes. Gwaine had moved his fiancé into the castle into a small room a few doors away from his own quarters which he shared with Percival. When they married, he would be allowed to move into a mediocre house in the lower town or into a medium sized room in the castle. For now, they had separate quarters. Gwaine had taken all Helen's possessions from her house and moved them into her new room which was much more lavish than her single roomed house in the lower town.

The curtains were silken and the bed was twice the size of her own with a beautiful blanket laid over. The vanity was much larger than her own had been and the small bathing room was just as magnificent as the rest of the room. The room would have been bland and boring to a noble lady but to Helen the room was a castle all in itself.

"Ta-da!" Gwaine announced, holding out an arm in presentation. Helen slowly entered farther into the room. Gwaine stood by the doorway, with a satisfied smile on his face as Helen looked around in wonder. She turned back around and ran to him, arms wrapping around his neck.

"It's beautiful," she whispered in his ear.

Gwaine pulled away, a hand still at the base of her neck. "Just like you."

Helen smiled, her eyes twinkling as her hands moved from his neck to rest on his chest. Gwaine ducked his head, capturing her lips in his own. They stood there for a few moments, wrapped around each other until Gwaine pulled away, regarding her in a reverend way.

"How was I so lucky to find you?"

"You were drunk," Helen said pointedly.

"Ah yes, see, drinking isn't too bad," Gwaine grinned, wrapping his arms around her. "It led me to you."

Helen scoffed, pushing herself away. "When we are married, I do not want you to be a frequent customer anymore."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"If you're worried about the wenches—"

"It's nothing to do with that," Helen assured him, moving away to her vanity and running a hand along its polished surface. "I just don't want you to."

Gwaine looked at his fiancé, seeing a vulnerable expression on her face. He walked towards her, taking her hands in his own. "Alright, no tavern." Helen looked back up at him, a relieved expression on her face before hugging him.

"Thank you, Sir Gwaine. Perhaps you are more than what you seem to be."

A week later, Arthur gathered the Board for an important discussion. He had stationed extra guards outside the council chambers, just in case his announcement was met with violent rebellion. Balin was one of the knights waiting outside the chambers, ready to storm in case his king was endangered. Yet, if he were called to his duty as a Knight of the Round Table, every fibre of his body would be itching to kill the king he used to serve so blindly. He had a master to serve but the Lady had told him that to serve the Master, he must play the part of Balin, Knight of Camelot, brother to Balan. Gwaine was also one of the knights outside the doors, waiting impatiently. All he wanted to was visit Helen and talk to her and find out what life she led before she was betrothed to him. Their relationship was more a friendship than a romance at this point, but Gwaine was waiting for her to let him in. She was so beautiful and mysterious and so…pure. Gwaine loved her but she did not love him yet. No marriage should be performed when the two being married are not in love. Gwaine would just have to wait.

Arthur observed the grim-faced men around the table. Never had he ever seen any of them smile except for Gaius and Geoffrey. The lords were always complaining about something and he would relieved if he managed to accomplish his goal today.

"Lords," Arthur stood, crown resting immaculately on his head. "I have gathered you here to make a decision which I hope you will respect." He took a deep breath. "My father trusted you and listened to your words. I carried on this tradition. I've allowed you to advise me in my dealings but now, I have grown as a king. I know good from bad. I know when to put my head before my heart. For all it's worth, I believe myself to be a wise king." He watched the lords' faces shift from passiveness to expressions of confusion and then realization. "I thank you for your services but now I am releasing you from your duties as members of the Board, for the Board will no longer exist."

Arthur watched nervously as the lords' became outraged out his announcement, whispering and looking at each other in shock.

"You can't do this!" Lord Kepler stood. "We've served the king of Camelot for generations. You can't do this."

"I'm sorry, but actually, I can," Arthur spoke calmly. "The Round Table will be my circle of advisors, I do not need two groups of advisors."

"The Round Table?" Lord Kepler cried. "You dispose of us for that sorry lot? We are lords." Lord Kepler's voice had risen significantly in that last sentence and Arthur forced himself to remain calm. This was only more proof how dangerous the Board was if they were talking against his decision.

"I suggest you take a seat, Lord Kepler," Arthur said, gesturing for him to sit.

"No, Arthur Pendragon—" There was a gasp as he said Arthur's full name, a right that the lord did not have. "—I will not sit down. I will not submit." He withdrew a letter from his robes and slammed it down on the table. "Whoever this man is, I will find him. He was right about you and the tyrant you are becoming." With those treacherous words, he pushed back his chair and stormed out of the room. The guards moved to stop him but Arthur yelled at them to let him pass. He did not need to deal with a physical fight right now.

One of the other lords picked up the letter Lord Kepler had left, reading it to himself before passing it along to another lord.

"Lord Rochford, may I please have that letter," Arthur held out his hand expectantly.

The lord pulled the letter to his chest protectively. "No, you cannot."

"I beg your pardon," Arthur spoke through gritted teeth. This was not going according to plan. "I am your king."

"No, not anymore," Lord Rochford informed him. He took off the pin of a lion which was clipped to his tunic and threw it on the table. "This is the last straw. You've never wanted us and you've hardly ever heeded the advice we give you. We are your elders, boy. We've fought more political battles than you ever will. Your servant of a queen has made you soft and your witch of sister has manipulated you to divide us. We made you strong and yet you cast us aside. No longer though, I for one will not tolerate this injustice brought to us. You are not my king." He spat at the table. Everyone was silent.

"Lord Rochford—" Geoffrey tried to speak on Arthur's behalf.

"Quiet old man!" snapped Lord Rochford before turning to the other lords. "Those who wish to join me in this throw down the pins which bind you to Camelot." Slowly, after moments of anticipation, one by one, lord began unpinning the lion and throwing it down on the table. As each pin landed with a soft thump, dread seeped into Arthur's heart. Finally, only a few of the lords remained with the lion pinned to their tunics.

Lord Rochford smiled at the lords who had joined him before taken off his glove and throwing it down at the table. This was unexpected. "Arthur Pendragon, you are no longer our king. We have witnessed your tyranny, your inability to rule and now we believe it to be our right to stop your injustice from spreading." He drew his sword, a small rapier. "This means war."

At the same time, Arthur and all the other lords stood and drew their own swords, pointing them at each other's chests.

"You are outnumbered," Lord Rochford informed him. "Let us go. We will be out of this hole of a city by dawn."

"I have knights outside waiting," Arthur told Rochford.

"We have Kepler who is around the corner with soldiers loyal to us," Rochford reminded him.

"You lie," Arthur hissed.

"But if I'm telling the truth, you risk the lives of your knights," Rochford countered, sword still pointing at Arthur's chest.

Arthur stared at Rochford, trying to decode his stony expression. Where had he gone wrong? He sighed, "Very well, leave." Arthur sheathed his sword as did the few lords who remained loyal to him. Rochford smiled in victory before backing away slowly, sword still pointed at Arthur.

"We will be back, Arthur Pendragon. We will be back with an army!"

Morgana, Merlin, Mordred, Leon, Gaius and Guinevere were summoned immediately after the Board's Rebellion. Arthur was pacing back and forth, hands on his hips.

"I take it, it didn't go well?" Merlin asked, breaking the pregnant silence.

Arthur spun towards him, an annoyed and angry expression on his face. "Didn't go well?" he hissed, "It was a complete disaster."

"It could have been worse," Merlin said, trying to smile.

"How could it have been worse?" Arthur demanded, rubbing his head.

"You could be dead," Merlin told him.

"Merlin, for once in your life, can you please shut your mouth," Arthur said in an annoyed tone. "I should have just had them all executed."

"Arthur, you don't mean that!" exclaimed Guinevere.

"What will you do now my lord?" asked Mordred.

Arthur rubbed the back of head, taking a few moments to clear his mind. "Leon, dispatch spies to find their location. If they do come back with an army, I want to know," Arthur ordered.

"As you wish Your Highness," Leon bowed and left to carry out Arthur's orders.

"What army can they bring?" Morgana asked.

"They can't supply an army by themselves but I assume they will try to ally with my enemies which means I need to find my own allies and try to mend my relationship with other kingdoms."

"Annis and Mithian will definitely support you," Guinevere told him.

"Merlin, I want a letter written to Annis and Mithian explaining our situation," Arthur commanded.

"Why me?"

"You're my advisor. It's time you do advisory stuff," Arthur said blandly. He wasn't nearly as mad as he was before. The weight of the Board was off his shoulders and he was relieved at that but he still had to deal with their rebellion. "I also want letters to Olaf, Alined, Lot, and Lord Godwyn." Arthur withdrew a letter. "We also have a stranger plotting against us. Luckily, in the fray of the lord's rebellion, they left this on the table." He gave it to Guinevere to read. "It promises the lords control and power if they join in the fight against Camelot." The letter was quickly passed around and returned to Arthur who handed to Mordred. "Can you run this to Geoffrey? He may be able to identify the faint symbol at the bottom." Mordred nodded before leaving.

"At least some of the lords remained loyal," Morgana stated.

"A handful, but it goes to show that the Board was never really on my side. They just wanted to have power," Arthur replied.

"There are only two types of people in this world, brother," Morgana said, "Those who have power and those who don't. The ones with power rule, the others serve. Take care that you are the one with the power."

"Sir Balin," a melodic voice, brought Balin into consciousness. He sat up in bed, looking into the darkness. "Sir Balin, what news can you report?"

"The Board rebelled against Arthur," Balin replied, hugging the sheet to his bare chest.

"Good," the voice said, seeming to echo around the room. "Anything else?"

"Arthur plans to create alliances before the Board can," Balin spoke to the darkness.

"Thank you, Sir Balin. You've become very valuable," the voice replied. "Now, go back to sleep." Something, inaudible was whispered and Balin felt his eyes shut and he fell back into the bed, fast asleep.

"Tell me, Helen, where do you come from?" Gwaine asked, taking a drink of wine. The two of them sat opposite at the table, a bowl of fruit between them.

"Here actually, my mother moved away while I was young."

"Really? Why did you move back?"

"My mother believed it would be for the best."

"Do you miss her?"

"Not as much, now that I have you," she smiled lightly. "But what about you, Sir Gwaine?"

"I grew up in Lot's lands, and my father was a knight but I ran away. Titles mattered too much there."

"How noble of you," she teased.

"Then I met Merlin in a tavern fight and was invited to become a knight but turned it down."

"What?"

"I wasn't ready then. I didn't want to become a knight like my father just because I was of noble blood. I wanted to earn it. During Morgana's takeover, Arthur knighted myself and others in a dusty old castle."

"Do you like being a knight?"

"Of course, I wouldn't still be in Camelot if I didn't."

"What's your best story you can tell me about yourself?"

Gwaine winked at her. "I have a lot of stories. You'll have to stick around to hear them all."

"I don't doubt it for a second, Sir. But tell your best one," Helen fluttered her eyelashes.

"Well…the first time I met Arthur was quite a tale. Gods, he was such a prat…"

Morgana, Mordred and Merlin sat around a table in Morgana's chambers, celebrating their victory. Morgana was ecstatic, not only had Arthur heeded their advice but they had succeeded in removing the Board. She was certain that soon, the ban would be lifted.

"I like this," Mordred said, taking a sip of wine. He was still unaccustomed to the taste unlike Morgana. "All of us together."

"A bit like old times," Merlin commented.

"Except little Mordred's all grown up," Morgana pointed out, shooting Mordred a look that a mother would give a son. "What had you been doing anyways, before you came to Camelot?"

"Studying, mostly. The Druids taught me so much about magic and about life but I loved learning about prophecies, especially the ones that contradicted each other," Mordred told them.

"Is that how you stumbled upon the prophecies you told us?" Morgana asked.

"No, I did not read it in a book. The Druids were travelling to another camp to form an alliance against a rebel Druid camp and we found the camp raided and in ruins. There was a cave and…it seemed to be calling to me, as strange as it sounds."

"Mordred, you couldn't even imagine the strange things we've seen," Merlin cut in jokingly.

Mordred laughed. "Perhaps not. But as I entered this cave, I found this shallow pool with a dead man beside it. Yet, he wasn't dead. He grabbed my head, forcing me to look, and showed me the visions and then told me the prophecies. I knew what i had to do after that and took leave of the camp."

"Did you want to become a knight?"

"I admit, it wasn't in my original plan but I enjoy being a knight. But I hope when magic is free, I can visit my friends again," Mordred ended wishfully.

"You don't happen to have any girl waiting for you, do you?" Merlin asked with a grin.

Mordred looked startled for a second before reverting to calmness. He laughed, "Of course not."

Merlin didn't seem to notice startled look Mordred had made but Morgana did, and from what she could tell. Whatever relationship Mordred had, it didn't end well.

"Ruadan," a young woman walked into his tent, wearing a green cloak and a pleased expression. "It is has you predicted. The Board has declared civil war against Arthur."

"Good," Ruadan smiled as he turned away, thinking. "Keep a good tab on the Board, Kara. If they plan to attack, I want to know."

"Will we aid them?" the woman asked.

"Depends, if they have a small army, it will be futile. However, if they manage to survive, we can offer them help, winning them on our side," Ruadan explained.

"Rumor has it that, they search a mysterious man by the name of Mark who has pledged to help them bring down Arthur."

This was information Ruadan had not known but it could work in their favour. "Dispatch spies, let Alvarr lead them, let's find this Mark before they can and we find him. We unite. All of us against the evil that is Arthur Pendragon."

Hellooooo! I'm sorry this took so long to post. I had it done for quite sometime but I was too busy with finals to have it edited and posted. But now it's summer, which means each day I can devote at least any hour to writing. This episode is sort of a stepping stone for the next episode which will be called, "His Demons". You can guess what it's about, although I won't tell you. It's a pivotal episode for sure though. I will be going away this Wednesday on a trip but I might be able to finish the first part of episode 6. Thank you all for your support and a few weeks ago I hit 10 000 views on this story which is incredible. Don't forget to review in the box down below!

~Fiery

PS: Does anyone watch Black Sails? If you like pirates, it's an awesome show.