The kiss is intoxicating. Gwen is breathless as Arthur plunges his tongue deeper into her, his kiss both overwhelming and exciting her at the same time. She didn't want him to stop but she is struggling to catch her breath. She reaches up and tugs his hair, gently pulling him back a little so that she can breathe. Arthur moans, leaves her lips, and kisses her neck instead. Gwen moans and shuts her eyes tightly, biting her lip to force her moans back but the silky trail of Arthur's lips on her skin leaves her no choice at all. Arthur tightens his grip around Gwen's waist, bringing her closer to him, crushing her breasts against his hard chest. He trails his kisses from her neck down along her shoulder, pushing her gown aside with his lips as he places kisses on her bare skin. Gwen moans and feels her stomach tightening to a knot of delicious anticipation. Her heart is beating furiously and she is finding it extremely hard to control her impulses now.

Arthur reaches back and unties the laces holding Gwen's gown together and he pushes the garment off her with ease. Meanwhile, Gwen tugs at his shirt and pulls it off him. The sight of him bare-chested makes her swoon and she immediately places kisses on his chest. He moans and she smiles hearing him do so. Arthur clips her chin, pulls her to him and presses his lips against hers, hungrily drinking her in. Gwen steps out from her pooled gown and walks back to the bed, pulling Arthur with her. As they reach the bed, Gwen looks at him warmly. He smiles as he brings her fingers to his lips and kisses each one of them sweetly.

"Are you sure about this, my love?" he asks as he reaches down and kisses her temple.

"Yes … why, are you afraid?"

"No … and I don't want you to be afraid of me, either," he replies, smiling softly as he caresses her cheek.

Guinevere returns his smile. "I never will be, Arthur … I trust you. I love you, and... I want to bear your children," she says shyly.

"You are my wife, Guinevere … and I would love for you to be the one to carry the next heir to the Pendragon throne," Arthur says, kissing her passionately.

Guinevere has never felt happier than she is at this moment. She knows Arthur means every word and she trusts him fully. She wants to carry his children. And what better time to do so than now? She remembers the small agreement she had with Katrina, but after learning of Katrina's true intentions, she has forgotten all about the agreement and has decided to live her life with Arthur and help shape him into the person she knows he can be. She knows Arthur is a changed man and everyone can see the difference. Her hope to help change his ways by waiting to consummate their marriage has worked well. Now, Arthur treats her with nothing but love and respect, and she is ready to give herself to him. With all her heart.

Arthur kisses her chest where it rises above the neckline of her shift and slowly cups her breast, caressing her nipple with his thumb. Gwen's stomach erupts in butterflies and her mind is reeling. She digs her fingers into his shoulders and squeezes her eyes shut, overwhelmed by the lust that is forming inside her. She wants him desperately and she knows he wants her as well. Arthur reaches back and pulls the ties of her shift, sliding it off of her. He steps back to admire her, and Gwen reflexively covers her breasts. She turns around, feeling shy as Arthur's eyes roam all over her.

"You are beautiful, my love," he says as he moves closer to her again.

Gwen remains silent as he places a gentle hand on her shoulder and kisses her bare skin, his other hand caressing the slender waist. He mumbles how lovely she looks in her ear and, for Gwen, it is music to her ears. She leans against his chest and Arthur's left hand inches up and slowly eases her hands down, uncovering her breasts.

"They are far too beautiful to remain hidden away …" he says as he cups one breast and caresses it gently, sending chills up Gwen's spine. "They need attention, not protection," he adds, chuckling warmly.

"Arthur …"

"Yes, my love …" he says as he turns her to face him. "Say it …"

"I want you … I want you now!" she says, shivering as he bends to place kisses over her breasts.

"And you shall have me …" Arthur says as he scoops Guinevere up and walks around the bed. He lays her gently on the bed, removes his pants, and climbs up the bed and lies beside her. "I will be gentle my love, I promise," he says, bending down to capture her lips as his hand reaches down and caresses her thighs, slowly inching them open. Gwen gasps but Arthur's kiss silences her as he slowly but gently trails his hand against her sensitive part. He softly flicks the inner skin, making her moan against his kiss and he trails his lips down to her breast, capturing and nibbling her nipple.

Gwen trembles and shivers as Arthur's every touch sets her ablaze. She has never experienced anything like this before. She knows Arthur has had plenty of experience with women before and now she understands why women would wholeheartedly succumb to him. His every touch is like magic, making her shiver with excitement and causing her to lose her sanity. This is just an appetizer, she knows, because Arthur is simply preparing her for the main course. Gwen wonders what that will be like. Will she pass out? Will she cry? Will she scream? She doesn't know, but she is excited to find out. She loves the way he is touching her, loving her, and it is making her greedy for me. She wants him. She wants to know how it feels to have him inside her. She knows there will be some pain and some blood, and that frightens her, even though she is excited. She has been waiting for this a long time, but now the thought of him inside her is making her feel nervous.

Arthur knows he has to be gentle with Guinevere because she is a virgin and it will hurt her the first time. Arthur has bed a lot of virgins before and therefore he has plenty of vast experience in treating a virgin. But they were different. In the past, when he was a different person. This time is different. Guinevere is his wife, the woman he loves with all his heart, so he wants to ensure this moment will be something she will remember fondly. He wants her to enjoy it, not be afraid of the pain. He wants her to cherish this moment and not dwell on the pain of it. It is his duty to ensure that she does. Everything is in his hands now. His treatment of her this night will be the key to her happiness. Arthur promises himself that he will do everything in his power to ensure Guinevere doesn't remember the pain but only the happiness from their coupling.

Gwen's heart beats with excitement as Arthur trails his kisses down to her stomach. His other hand is still cupping her sensitive part and she feels something entering her. His finger, gently easing insde. "Arthur …" she moans and closes her eyes, trying to will the excitement building in her away but failing.

"Shh … it's all right, my love … it's all right," Arthur says as he slides his finger inside her again, gently helping her grow accustomed to the feel of something inside her, preparing her. He slowly trails his kisses down, removes his finger, and closes his lips over her womanhood, kissing and licking gently.

Gwen screams out hoarsely as she digs her nails into his head, tugging his hair. Her heart and mind are screaming and she feels hot, like her whole body is on fire. Arthur's tongue is creating havoc inside her and she can't take any more. She wants him and she wants him now. "Stop, oh … stop!" she gasps as she thrashes her head against her pillow, unable to contain her passion.

Arthur quickly moves up and captures her lips, his tongue twirling inside her, teasing and stroking hers. His hands are on her breasts, massaging them as her nipples turn taut from his touch. Gwen parts her legs, allowing Arthur to nestle between them, and she felt something hard against her skin. She wonders what it is but doesn't want to find out because right now she is lost in Arthur's kisses. Arthur's hand trails from her breast down to her stomach.

"Are you ready, my love?" he asks, releasing her lips for a moment.

"Yes … please, Arthur ... now, please!" Gwen says, her body trembling with excitement.

And with that, he seals his lips over hers again, but Gwen feels something entering her, something both hard and soft. Her body to trembles and she shuts her eyes in anticipation of the pain. She can feel Arthur rocking against her, pushing past her barrier.

"I'm sorry for the pain," he whispers, kissing her softly, trying to ease the pain away. It is painful, Gwen will not deny it, but it is also exciting. Arthur starts to move now, and as the pain ebbs away, she knows her body will be on fire again soon.

"Arthur..."

"I love you Guinevere," Arthur says, thrusting harder, and soon, he and Gwen reach their climax together.

Gwen feels a little faint and maybe a little insane while Arthur drops against her chest, his breathing gradually slowing. Gwen's body starts to tremble, and Arthur lifts up, cupping her face.

"Shh ... easy, my love. It's all right … I'm here," he says as he kisses her nose.

Gwen reaches up and hugs him, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"It's all right … the first time is always painful for a woman. The pain is over, I promise you," he says, smiling gently down on her.

"I know," she whispers. Then, she bites her lip and boldly asks, "Will you make love to me again?"

Arthur looks down on her with surprise. "Are you sure, my love? Because …"

"Yes … I am sure, Arthur. I want you to make love to me the whole day … I want you inside me again … I haven't had enough of you."

"You are greedy, my love …" he says, smiling devilishly.

"Yes, greedy for you …" and with that she pulls him down, kissing him passionately.

Merlin paces the floor of his bedroom with his hands tightly clasped behind him, his thoughts seriously lost. He is still thinking about the witches and what Katrina is up to this time. He knows Uther will not fall prey to the tricks those witches have just cooked up, but with Katrina at helm, anything can happen. Merlin's instincts tell him the witches are being threatened and they are holding on to their lives. Someone must be threatening them, asking them to comply with them in this matter. So, this whole matter could be a scheme. Merlin stops and looks out of the window.

'Can this be true?' he thinks to himself. He knows these are just his instincts and Gaius doesn't like to assume things based solely on instinct. But, Merlin's instincts are always right and he is sure the witches are not to be blamed here. Something else is at play … just who could that be?

The door knocks and before Merlin can answer, the door opens and Morgana pokes her head in.

"Morgana … you are supposed to wait for me to answer before you burst in."

"Aww come on Merlin, you are late … and besides, I am your sister …"

"Yes but I need some privacy, too …"

"I know you are only thinking in here so I didn't want to wait for you to answer … I just let myself in," Morgana says and enters, closing the door behind her.

Merlin sighs and rolls his eyes.

"So … have you found anything yet?"

"I am thinking …"

"Thinking? You are just thinking? Merlin, Gwen's life is in danger and you are thinking … how long do you need?"

"Are you mocking me, Morgana?"

"Oh no, Merlin …" Morgana shakes her head with her hands on her hips. "Of course I am, Merlin! You saw what happened, right? And I thought you had worked out some sort of a plan to help Gwen but here you are ... still thinking."

"Morgana … this isn't as easy as you think … those are witches."

"So what?"

"So what? You know what they are capable of doing, Sister … this isn't something I can simply poke my nose into and be done with it. This involves a lot of people, the forces of evil, and unnatural things we cannot see. One wrong step and that's it … Gwen's life will be worth nothing … and it's a mistake I simply cannot afford. And that is why it requires patience and proper planning … understand?"

"Sorry … just I feel sorry for Gwen."

"I know … I understand, and I feel sorry for her as well. That is why I don't want to make any mistakes here," Merlin answers.

"I know … so, what is your plan, anyway?" Morgana asks.

"First, I need to meet the witches."

"What? Are you out of your mind, Merlin? They are being held in the dungeon under heavy guard, and you cannot simply walk in and say, 'I want to meet the prisoners.'"

"I have to. I think those witches aren't guilty," Merlin informs.

"Now you are confusing me … what do you actually mean by that?"

"I have reasons to believe those witches are not the guilty ones here. Someone else is pulling the strings, and these witches are just doing what they're being forced to do …"

"How can you be so sure?"

"My instincts …"

"Your judgment is based on your instincts? Are you ill?" Morgana steps closer and places her hand on Merlin's forehead.

Merlin removes his sister's hand from his forehead and shakes his head. "I'm fine, but you know how I really base my judgment on my instincts? They are rarely wrong."

"Yes, but like you said, this isn't something that can be taken for granted. And you are really determined to trust your instincts? I mean, how many times have you done this in your life?"

"Have I been proven wrong before?"

Morgana hesitates. Merlin has a point. As far as she knows, his instincts have never been wrong. "No …but …" Morgana trails.

"Trust me, Morgana, like you have always have … that's all I am asking of you. I am really sure about this and something tells me that the witches are not guilty. I need to talk to them to find out … and I need your help."

"How do you want me to help?"

"Find a way for us to visit the witches. It has to be done today," Merlin insists, looking intently at his sister. "Can you help me?"

"Of course I will, though I need to figure out how. But do not worry, my brother, I will get you in like we have discussed."

"Thanks … now I have another person to convince: Gaius," Merlin finishes.

"You think he will believe you?"

"Probably not, but I must convince him … and I'm going to need proof."

"How are you going to do that?"

"That … I don't know," Merlin says and bites his lip.

As Merlin has anticipated, Gaius isn't easily convinced. He doesn't understand what make Merlin believe that the witches are not really guilty. And he isn't particularly fond of the idea of Merlin visiting the witches.

"That is one stupid idea, Merlin! Do you know what are you trying to do? You are not just irking the king but you are putting yourself in danger as well. And don't get me started on what Arthur would say about this!"

Merlin pops a berry into his mouth and chews it quickly. "I will take care of myself Gaius."

"It's not just that. The king has already passed judgment on the witches and now you are going to prove their innocence? Do you know what that means?"

"I know … but,"

"This is madness, Merlin!" Gaius cuts him off. "The king has found the witches guilty. So, how do you plan to prove otherwise?"

"The king hasn't decided on their sentence, yet, Gaius. He has ordered the witches to be restrained in the dungeons and that is all. There is still time to find the main culprit behind this madness," Merlin presses.

"Fine … whom do you have in mind?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"I know you, Merlin, and don't you think you can escape me without answering this question. I know your reasons behind this investigation are because you believe Katrina is behind this, don't you? So, should you be able to grind the truth out of the witches, how will you convince the king that the queen is behind the plot to remove Guinevere from the palace? And will the king believe you? What about Arthur? Have you thought about all this before making your decision?" Gaius nears Merlin and stares at the young man.

Gaius is right. Merlin had been too preoccupied with his own thoughts to think things through. What if the king doesn't accept his accusations that the queen is behind this? What will happen to him? To Arthur and Guinevere? Things will definitely get worse, and it's not what he needs right now. He didn't of that when he decided to pay the witches a visit, thinking only of his friend's problems. But thankfully Gaius's words made him think.

Someone touches his shoulder. Merlin looks up and finds Gaius gazing down on him. Merlin sighs and shrugs. Gaius nears Merlin and tilts the young man's chin.

"Merlin, I understand why you are so determined in this case … Gwen is my friend as well, but sometimes, we have to know how to set the priorities accordingly," Gaius says. "Not everything works the way we want,"

"I hate to see Arthur and Gwen unhappy."

"I know … but there are many other ways you can help them instead of this."

"How?" Merlin asks, his eyes shining bright.

"That, my apprentice, is your job to find out," Gaius concludes.

Morgana was waiting at the entrance of the castle impatiently, tapping her feet, her hands firmly folded across her chest. Merlin is supposed to meet her here at this hour as they will head down to the dungeon where the witches are held. Merlin is determined to investigate on what happened today at the trial. But there is no sign of her brother, and Morgana fears the guards on patrol will walk this path, and if they see her, it will raise unnecessary questions. And with her father being a knight and key member of the court, it will be too many questions raised.

"Where are you, Merlin?" Morgana asks herself as she scouts the perimeter for her brother.

Someone touches her shoulder and she almost shouts, but Merlin quickly covers her mouth with his hand, quieting her down.

"Shh ... it's me, Merlin," he says as he releases her. "Don't shout."

"What took you so long?" Morgana asks angrily but keeping her voice down. "Do you have any idea how long I waited for you?"

"I'm sorry …"

"Sorry Merlin? This is atrocious … what we are about to do is bad. And now you are late, and this is going to ..."

"Morgana … we are not going to meet the witches."

"What?"

"Yes, we are going home … and …"

"Is there a problem, sir?" someone asks from behind them. Merlin turns around and finds a guard looking at them warmly. He was one of the guards on patrol around the castle and he knows whom he is dealing with exactly. Everyone knows the son and daughter of Sir Balinor and Lady Hunith.

"Ermm ... no, not at all, Geoff. Actually, my sister and I were just leaving for home. Thank you for asking, anyway," Merlin answers with a smile.

"Very well, then ... you two better get running quickly … the weather doesn't look too good," Geoff says as he looks up the sky. Morgana follows suit and agrees, nodding her head.

"Sure ... come on, Morgana." Merlin grabs his sister's hand and leaves, waving goodbye to Geoff.

"Well, that was close …" Morgana says as she follows Merlin closely.

"Yes … now, as I was saying, we are not meeting the witches because Gaius made me see what a fool I was."

"Ohh … so it took Gaius to remind you?"

"Hilarious, Morgana … now, like I was saying," Merlin glares at Morgana. "I almost made a mistake because I was blinded by my devotion and loyalty to Arthur. I failed to see beyond my mistake and how it could affect Guinevere in the later stages."

"Meaning?"

"If I believe Katrina to be behind this madness, I need solid proof to prove my point to the king because we are talking about a queen here. The king will not be easily convinced. And if I can't convince him, then it will be catastrophic for both Arthur and Gwen. And it is not something we want at the moment, do we?"

"We don't want that at all."

"So, Gaius advised me to find other ways to uncover the truth."

"Such as?"

"That is the problem … I don't know," Merlin finishes with a sigh.

Gaius is cleaning his table when the door opens up and Arthur walks in, looking around; obviously looking for Merlin. Gaius stops working and bows in respect.

"Have you seen Merlin, Gaius?"

"He has returned back home, Sire … is there anything I can do for you?"

"Ermm … it's all right. I will see him tomorrow, then," Arthur says and turns around, heading for the door. Gaius resumes back to his work. But Arthur stops by the door and turns around again, biting his lip.

"Gaius?"

"Yes, Sire?" Gaius stops his work and looks at Arthur.

"Erm …" Arthur seems to be struggling.

"Is there something you wish to ask, my lord? Can I get you something? Anything?"

"Gaius," Arthur walks near towards Gaius and with his hands clasped firmly behind him, he sighs. "There is something I need to ask you, but I just don't know how."

"You can ask me anything, Sire. I am a physician," Gaius assures him.

Arthur scratches his head. "Actually, Guinevere and I have ... ermm ... finally consummated our marriage tonight."

Gaius nods with a warm smile.

"You know ... since she is a virgin and this is the first time … I was wondering … if you had …"

"I think I understand what you are trying to ask me, Sire."

"You do?" Arthur seems surprised.

Gaius smiles. "Yes. And I think I have the thing for her," Gaius says. He walks to the cabinet, pulls the door open and scans the bottles lined up inside. After a minute or so, he picks out one small bottle, closes the cabinet and returns to Arthur. He hands him the bottle.

"Sire, ask Gwen to drink this right after she wakes up. It will rejuvenate her strength and will do good for her body."

"Oh." Arthur takes it from Gaius.

"I understand you worry how drained she will be in the morning and this restorative is the right thing for her. Don't forget to ask her to drink it."

"Thank you, Gaius … I'm so thankful you understood … thank you very much."

"You are most welcome, Arthur. I am happy to help."

"Thanks," Arthur smiles and leaves, closing the door behind him as Gaius resumes his work with a huge smile on his face.