Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, it is owned by BBC, SyFy and the creators of Merlin, I own Anne, Caylene and Faston.

The basis of this part is from the Second Season Epidose "Curse of Cornelius Sigan" so the story plot and the dialogue that comes from that episode is not mine but Merlin, BBC, SYfy, and the episode writer's words and plot.

My apologies for not updating last week, I had a funeral to get ready for and to go to, and university to get ready for as the new semester just started. I also got hit by that e-mail that freaked out several of the college students in the United States, myself included. Merlin wound up being in the background of my mind due to it all, therefore I would like to give you a longer chapter than usual.

A few nights later, Uther paced softly around the room, Caylene cradled to his chest as she whimpered from the new tooth that was coming in. He looked up and gave Anne a sad smile as she walked in with Gaius. He walked up to Uther, and reached out for Caylene, as Uther sighed, sitting wearily on the chair in front of the fire. Gaius checked Caylene, before reaching into his medicine bag, and pulling out a slight paste. "This should help alleviate the pain, so all three of you will be able to sleep."

"You're a life saver, Gaius," Uther gave a slight tired smirk to his friend, as the paste started working. He reached down for Caylene, who stuck her arms toward him gurgling. He pulled her into his arms, as Gaius walked out bidding all three of them good night. As Uther walked around, singing softly to Caylene, Anne got changed for bed and then took Caylene sitting down and rubbing her back until Caylene fell asleep, Uther and Anne joining her a few minutes later.

Uther groaned as Anne tossed around again, "What is it?"

"It's that hammering from the lower caverns. I am having trouble sleeping through the noise." Uther reached over and pulled her to him, pulling her head down to his chest, and covering her right ear to block out the noise. "Go back to sleep Anne." She nodded and was almost asleep when someone knocked on the door. Uther groaned, before calling out to the person at the door.

Sir Leon's voice filtered back as he explained that the workmen had broken into a chamber and that one of them had died. Uther got out of bed, waving Anne away when she went to join him, "One of us will need sleep for tomorrow when Caylene is awake." She nodded, and laid back down stealing his pillow and falling back asleep.

Uther strode through the castle and under the dungeons. As he got to the dig sight he growled, "Get out of my way." As he walked past Sir Leon, he ordered, "I want the entry way guarded at all times." He reached the door just as something clattered at his feet, and he looked down to see Merlin pick up a dented plate, "Idiot." He glared in annoyance as Merlin looked up and moved out of his way. As he walked in, he heard Arthur ask Merlin if he had been born clumsy, and fought back the snicker that almost came when Merlin replied that it was one of his "gifts".

Looking around, he smiled as he took in the treasure around him, "This is quite the find. You see, Gaius, I was right. There is treasure to be found under Camelot." He picked up one of the jewels and studied it, "Which of my predecessors do I have to thank for all this?" When Gaius did not answer he looked up at him, "Gaius?" He moved forward and stared at a huge blue heart-shaped jewel on top of the sarcophagus.

Gaius looked over at him and stumbled for his words, before replying, "I'd have to look into it, sire."

Uther nodded, and then noticed something at his feet, he looked down frowning at the dead man there, "How did he die?"

"He seems to have unwittingly triggered a trap here." Gaius admitted, pointing at the step that had caused it.

"To deter grave robbers," Arthur concluded.

Uther nodded as he looked around, "Well, there's plenty in here people would want to steal." He picked up a jewel, as he ordered, "Have them secure the tomb. Guarding it is your responsibility, Arthur." He heard Arthur acknowledge the command and left the room, taking the jewel with him.

When he got back into his bedroom, he set the jewel on the table to give to Anne tomorrow and slipped into bed beside her.

The next evening, Uther and I sat at the table talking as Uther feed Caylene some mashed up fruit from her plate. As the door opened we both looked up to find Gaius entering the dining hall. Uther smiled at Gaius, before returning to feeding Caylene, "Gaius. What is you want?"

I shook my head in exasperation as Uther had been slightly cranky all day due to the interrupted sleep throughout the night. But we both looked up curious when Gaius replied, "To seal up the burial chambers and all of its contents."

"Don't be ridiculous," Uther muttered, as he started to eat his bread.

"Uther, I am sure Gaius has a good reason for wanting the tomb sealed up. He usually does have a good reason, and he's usually right," I murmured to him, he glared at me, but watched as Gaius walked toward him.

As he approached Gaius held out something in his hand, and explained, "The insignia on this ring belongs to Cornelius Sigan." Uther plucked it out of his hands and looked at it as Gaius continued, "I believe it to be his tomb. In the old religion the name Sigan means "raven"." Uther handed the insignia to me, and I frowned seeing the bird Gaius had talked about on the seal.

I handed it back to Uther, who handed it to Gaius, as Caylene was trying to get her hands on it, "No wonder the riches are so great."

"Then you are aware of the legend, sire."

"Yes," Uther admitted, before smiling at Gaius, "I've always enjoyed the tale of the arrogant sorcerer who came to an untimely end."

"What legend?" I asked.

Gaius and Uther looked over at me, Uther nodding his reluctant permission for Gaius to tell me. Gaius looked at me, his face somber, "According to the story, Sigan cursed Camelot. He said he would one day returned and raze the city to the ground."

I looked over at Uther and Caylene nervously, I had grown to trust Gaius's instinct. I leaned forward and whispered, "Uther, maybe you should have the tomb sealed up and the treasures left there in case anything happens that could cause us or Camelot harm."

Uther squeezed my hand as best as he could reaching across Caylene's body to do so, he then looked up at Gaius glaring, as he raised his goblet, "Gaius, you have long been my ally in the war against sorcery. You, more than anyone, should not give in to these irrational fears." Both Gaius and I heard the silent order from Uther for Gaius to not trouble me with his suspicions and for me to get control of my worries.

Gaius bowed, "Thank you, sire."

He bowed to me, and turned to leave but was stopped when Uther called out to him, "And Gaius," Gaius turned around and Uther pointed his soup spoon at him, "do not spread panic amongst my people. This is foolish superstition, nothing more." Gaius bowed again and left, Uther glaring at him as he did.

"Are you sure this is the right course of action to take Uther? Why not close it off as an added precaution?"

Uther sighed, before standing up and kneeling at my side, resting his hand on top of mine, while he held Caylene in his left arm, he reached forward and pulled my head forward so that it rested on his. He kissed my forehead, and then whispered, "Don't worry, Anne, it is just an old wives' tale. Nothing will come of it. Gaius is my friend and a man of science, usually, but every so often he seems to cave to the superstitions of old. I will not let anything harm you, or Camelot. I promise." I gave him a half-hearted smile, resting my hand on his cheek, before he once more stood up and sat down at his place to finish feeding Caylene and eat his food.

That night Uther looked up as shouting and screaming filtered into his room from the palace courtyard. He frowned as he set down his quill and walked over to the window. As he watched, a strange flying creature swooped down toward the drawbridge of the castle and additional screams and shouts flew into the air.

Anne suddenly sat up in bed, her eyes wide with worry, "Stay in here, until I tell you otherwise." He moved over toward the wall and unsheathed one of the swords. "Only use that if necessary." Anne nodded, and Uther strode out of the room, as he entered the hall toward his audience chamber he found himself flanked by Arthur and his knights, "I want to know what this creature is, where it's come from." He ordered throwing open the doors to his audience chamber.

"There's more than one, Father." Arthur admitted, as Uther turned to focus on what he was saying, "We've had several reports. There's panic in the lower town. People are fleeing the city."

"Then you must hunt these creatures down and kill them," he said simply, turning before Arthur confirmed his orders and left. Uther sat down on his throne and waited for any news from Arthur about what they were dealing with and wondering whether to call for Anne. A few minutes later he heard cracking and looked up to see pieces of the castle wall and ceiling falling down onto the floor in a shower of rock and dust. Uther shoved himself off of his throne determined to not be trapped in his chair should the ceiling start to completely crumble.

He looked over to the door as Gaius strode into the room, asking, "Have you seen what's happening?"

He moved toward him, and Gaius reminded him, "It is as I warned you, sire."

"This cannot be Sigan," he raised his voice in denial, but looked around at the damaged audience chamber.

"It is his revenge," Gaius argued, "He's come back from the dead."

Uther straightened stiffly, as he snarled, "Then he will die again."

"You do not understand, sire. You cannot kill a man who has conquered mortality."

"Don't tell me what cannot be done. Camelot will not fall to a sorcerer while I am king," Uther growled at him, before parts of the ceiling dropped down near them causing both men to duck as more of the castle roof and walls came apart. Uther looked around him in shock and he could feel Gaius's worried gaze on him.

"I'm going to grab Anne and find her a place further inside the castle to stay with Caylene, they should be safer there." Gaius nodded, as a soldier came into the throne room informing him of injured people in need of his help.

Uther jogged out of the room and down the corridor toward his rooms. As he opened the door, he looked around and found Anne huddled under a table, her arms wrapped tightly around Caylene, her head and upper torso shielding the child from the falling rocks and dust. Uther grabbed a cloak out of the wardrobe and moved toward her. As he knelt, he reached out his hand, which Anne promptly grabbed allowing herself to be pulled up and out from underneath the table. They heard cracking, and Uther yanked her toward him, shielding her head with his own and one of his hands, both using their bodies to shield Caylene from the rocks that were falling from the ceiling and wall.

When the rain of rocks and dust ended Uther pulled back, wrapping Anne up in her cloak and throwing the hood up over her head. "Keep that on and keep Caylene tucked under the cloak." Anne nodded, jogging after him, one arm around Caylene and the other hand holding tightly to Uther's as they ran out of their room and down the hall. They entered one of the spare rooms where Uther had been told a medical ward had been set up, and that Arthur had been taken there with injuries. Morgana looked up smiling in relief as Anne and Caylene appeared with Uther.

As soon as Uther caught sight of Arthur, he let go of Anne's hand rushing forward, with a shout of "Arthur!" He moved in and began checking his son for any unattended or threatening wounds, his panic at his son's injuries blossoming on his face.

Arthur smiled slightly, "It's nothing." He moved his head forward and kissed Caylene on her head, the little girl giggling at her older brother as he pulled back.

"Have we driven the creatures out?"

Arthur shook his head, "They have control of the lower town. The market has been all but destroyed." Uther nodded absent mindedly, taking in the injured and dead within the medical wing. He could hear the chaotic noise that was coming from outside as he worked on how to best fight with creatures that were proving formidable to the best of his knights.

He turned back to Arthur disquieted by the sight in front of him and the noise from outside, "How many dead?"

"Too many to number," Arthur admitted.

"I'm sealing the citadel."

Arthur and Anne exchanged glances, before Arthur objected, "You can't."

"I have no choice." Uther said firmly, "I have to protect those who have a chance. If I don't we will all fall." He looked around the medical wing once more, turning only when Anne began to chide Arthur for getting off of his table. "Where are you going?"

"There are people trapped on the drawbridge-,"

Anne looked over at Uther, their concern for Arthur growing as the meaning of those few words dawned on them, Uther looked over at Arthur, "I forbid you-."

Arthur merely ignored him, as he started walking away, throwing his explanation over his shoulder, "I'm not leaving them to die."

Uther reached out grabbing Arthur's arm and tugging it to force his son to look at him, "It's suicide." He allowed himself to drop his emotional control so that Arthur could see the worry he had for him.

"It's my duty to Camelot and to myself." Arthur stated before exiting the room, his knights following him. Uther felt arms slip around his waist, and used one of the hands to pull Anne in front of him, where he could hold her and try to draw some comfort from her presence.

I looked up a half-hour later, as a commotion came from the hall outside of the medical wing. I looked over at Morgana who was helping me bandage up a young boy, when several knights came flying through the door of the wing, with the last one in shouting, "Seal the doors!"

I looked over as Uther moved toward him, a look of surprise and worry on his face. I felt eyes on me and looked over to see the troubled gaze of Gaius taking in Uther's reaction, as Uther began demanding, "Where's Arthur?" He moved toward the knight, his mind seemed to be racing with different scenarios, all ending in Arthur's death. "Where is he?" He reached forward grabbing the man by the neck of his tunic, as he began to bodily pushed them both towards the door the knights had just come through. "You can't leave him out there. He'll be torn apart." He let go of the man as he moved to go around him and out the door.

The knights realizing his intent moved forward, two holding his arms from the back, and the one he had confronted pushing him away from the door from the front. "You can't go out there, sire! If you open that door, you will die, we will all die."

Uther snapped, and he began to fight his knights in his efforts to get to his son's side, he heard someone yelling "no" and realized that it was his own voice he was hearing. But it all halted when he heard a loud crack and they all looked up to see the castle walls beginning to crack apart, his terror at the situation creeping up onto his face, as he turned to insure that the rest of his family was still safe.

"I'll go," Gaius said softly, the King nodded numbly willing to do anything that could let him know if Arthur was still alive or not. I walked over to Uther, and slipped my hand in his, holding tightly to it and waiting with shattered nerves to find out what had happened to Arthur. Morgana came and stood beside us, holding Caylene in her arms, whispering softly every so often when Caylene would whimper at the noise around her.

A few minutes later Gaius walked in, his arm around Merlin, as Arthur followed behind. Uther smiled and rushed over to his son, hugging him quickly to reassure himself that Arthur was still alive and breathing, before he pushed away. "Get yourself checked out by Gaius, Arthur." He then turned to one of the knights nearby, "Find the foreman of the dig and tell him he has orders from the King to reseal the tomb immediately." The knight bowed and ran off.

The next morning, I sat with Uther as he discussed the repairs needing to be done to the castle and in the town after the attack from the night before. When everyone had left the audience chamber, Uther stood up and placed his hand on his throne looking around at the damage that had been done to the room. "Stone walls can be rebuilt, Uther, at least Arthur was relatively unharmed and Camelot is safe once more."

He gave an uncommitted grunt and then spoke up as Gaius entered the room, after hearing my greeting to the physician, "We must learn our lessons from these terrible events, Gaius."

The man stopped by where I was standing, filling Uther's goblet with water to drink. "Indeed, sire."

Uther turned and looked at Gaius, smiling his thanks as I handed the goblet to him, "They prove beyond doubt I was right." Gaius looked up quizzically, as Uther walked toward him, I shrugged in slight confusion about where he was going with his sudden thought. "Magic is evil. It is our greatest threat." Gaius's face quickly sobered up, and I found myself frowning slightly at Uther's one track mind. "I have grown complacent, Gaius."

"I wouldn't say that, sire," he murmured quietly, and I found myself agreeing with him, thinking of the few executions that had taken place since I had arrived, all of the people executed had been accused of using magic or associating with someone who used magic.

Uther continued not noticing the reaction of Gaius or I, "We must renew our efforts. We must ensure that all sorcerers and their followers are eradicated from this kingdom."

"Of course, sire," Gaius answered tiredly, before bowing and leaving the room.

"Do you truly believe that all magic users are evil Uther? Couldn't there at least be one that would use their power to help others and not to harm them?" I questioned softly, thinking of Merlin.

He turned toward me, "No, Anne. I have seen what magic can do, and so have you since you joined us here. We will never be free from its evil until the last of these people are gone."

I sighed softly and walked toward him before stopping a few feet from him, "I just hope in that in your quest to rid Camelot of all the sorcerers who would intend harm on us and the kingdom, that those who would have helped in our and Camelot's protection are not counted among those that are or will die." I took his hand, and squeezed it, "As I think in the days to come we will truly need all the help we can get." I kissed his hand and walked out of the room, leaving a glaring Uther watching me.