Merlin rubbed his eyes and tried not to yawn. He had gone down into the lower town to help with Ceri's delivery, and it was now well after midnight. He reminded himself that he just needed to get back to Gaius's surgery and he could go to sleep—and get up again the next morning by sunrise, his mind reminded him, and he stifled a groan.

A flash of white caught his eye and he stopped. He could have sworn he saw the train of a gown disappear around a corner.

Merlin hurried down the corridor and around the corner. The figure, hearing his footsteps, turned toward him just as he brought his hand down on her shoulder. She gave a muffled yelp and jumped a good three inches. "Merlin!" she gasped.

"Sifa! What are you doing out here?" He frowned down at her.

"I—I need to speak with the King," she said falteringly.

"It's after midnight. Can't it wait until morning?" he asked suspiciously.

"No—it has to be in utter secrecy. Please, Merlin—I promise, I mean him no harm. But no one can know that I've gone to see him!"

He scrutinized her face in the moonlight shining through the window. Her expression was desperate, but sincere. He heaved a sigh. "Come on," he said. "Arthur isn't going to like this."

No more did he. It took Gwen and Merlin a full minute to shake him awake, and when he did finally come to grips with the idea that Merlin had come in and woken him at two in the morning, Merlin thought for a moment he was going to go for his sword.

"Whatever it is, Merlin, it had better be good," he said from between clenched teeth.

"Sifa says it's imperative that she speak to you."

"Sifa?" Arthur peered around Merlin to see the girl, standing nervously by the door. He looked back at Merlin and growled, "Get me a shirt."

As Merlin was getting Arthur semi-presentable, Gwen got out of bed as well. Sifa automatically picked up the robe at the end of the bed and held it out for her—then paused, as if realizing suddenly that her services might not be welcome. But Gwen, after a very slight pause, smiled at her and slipped it on. "Thank you, Sifa," she said kindly. Sifa smiled tremulously and dropped her gaze.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" Gwen asked as Merlin and Arthur reappeared from the other side of the bed.

Merlin grinned. "Girl."

Gwen smiled, her eyes bright. "What luck."

"What?" Arthur looked confused.

"Nothing. Now, Sifa. What is it you needed to tell us?"

Sifa took a deep breath. "What I told you today in the Council—it was a lie." They all stared at her. "I mean, part of it was. I mean—" She trailed off.

"Why don't you tell us the truth," Gwen said gently. "From the beginning."

Sifa took a deep breath and nodded. "Morgana did hire me as a spy. She told me to tell you that I would really be working for you. I was to tell you that she would attack the eastern side of the city, so that that majority of your troops would be there—instead of where she really plans to attack. At dawn tomorrow morning she will attack from the west. She told me once that she has secret agents in Camelot and that she would know if I delivered the wrong message. That is why I've come to you in secret."

Arthur was frowning. "Let me get this straight. She wanted you to tell us to guard from the east, but we should actually guard from the west."

"Yes."

"What changed your mind?" Gwen asked. "Why did you decide to help us?"

"Oh, I always wanted to help you!" Sifa answered quickly. "I went to Morgana and offered to act as a spy for her in the hopes that I could learn something useful and use it to help Camelot." She dropped her eyes again. "After—everything I did—how much hurt I caused—I knew I couldn't come back without at least trying to do something to make up for it." She gulped and went on, a little more smoothly, "It wasn't difficult to convince her that I hated you for killing my father, and that I wanted revenge."

"And do you?" Gwen asked, still in that gentle tone.

Sifa shook her head and raised tear-filled eyes to meet Gwen's again. "I'm sorry he's gone. But I understand why he is. His heart was filled with hatred and anger. He thought he was doing what was right, but he tried to do it through violence and destruction. He tried to achieve good through evil, but that cannot be done. Evil cannot be fought with evil."

Gwen smiled. "I think you've become a great deal wiser while you've been gone," she said. "We will think over what you have told us."

"Thank you," Sifa said, dropping a deep and respectful curtsey to both of them.

"Wait—Sifa," Arthur said. She turned back at the door. "You said Morgana had agents in Camelot. Do you know who they are? How many there are?"

Sifa shook her head. "She never told me. It might even be a lie—she might just have been trying to make sure I would tell you what she wanted you to hear."

Arthur nodded. "If you think of anything else, please let us know."

"Sifa," Gwen said thoughtfully, "tell me what Morgana was like."

She frowned. "Lonely," she said at last.

Out in the corridor again, Merlin silently accompanied Sifa to her door, making sure that they were not seen. "Thank you, Merlin," she said as she turned to go in.

Sifa, he said directly into her mind, were you telling Arthur and Gwen the truth?

She turned back to him, wide-eyed, and reached out a hand toward him for a moment. He knew what must be going through her mind—it was quite possible that the only people she had known who could speak mind-to-mind were Druids, like her and her father—like Kara. But he did not say anything, only waiting for her answer.

Yes, she answered at last, meeting his eyes solemnly. I swear.

Then I believe you, he answered.

Sifa's eyes filled with tears. Suddenly she threw her arms around him and buried her head in his chest. Startled, he held his breath for a moment, and then slowly put his arms around her. In a moment she drew back and slipped through the door to her room, blushing scarlet. The door closed and Merlin stared at it for a long moment.

TBC