AN: This is a stupid one-shot about a random idea I had. It takes place in the year between seasons three and four, in the year of peace while Morgana is hiding with Morgause. Morgana decides that she wants to try the spell that Morgause did in The Fires of Idirsholas. She figures that since it almost worked before, she'll do it herself this time, and when everyone is asleep, she'll simply walk into Camelot and kill Uther and Arthur. It's the perfect plan. Except the spell doesn't go quite the way she intended.I've had this story in mind for a while now, but I want to say something about it. It refers to a spell spreading from person to person, like a disease, and I do NOT mean to make light of COVID-19 and the events we are dealing with right now. I didn't even think about the correlation until I was writing the first chapter. I hope nobody finds it tone deaf or offensive. It's intended as a light-hearted diversion from the adversity the world is experiencing, nothing more or less.On that note, I hope all of the wonderful readers are safe and healthy. Love you all!

Thane walked into the famed city of Camelot and tried not to look as nervous as he felt. There was no way that anyone could possibly tell that he'd been spelled. There was nothing about his appearance that would indicate that he was going to be the instrument of Camelot's destruction. There was nothing at all suspicious in his clothes or anything he was carrying. He breathed slowly, deeply.

"First time in Camelot?" asked a guard, startling him. He stared at the man in fear for a second, then suddenly realized the man was smiling.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked with the disarming smile that had made more than one person underestimate him.

The guard chuckled. "Enjoy your time here."

"Thanks!" Thane felt much better. He didn't have to do anything, just walk around as much of the city as he could. The spell was set, and soon the entire city would be asleep at his feet, ready for the Lady Morgana to take for her own.

He walked straight up to the Citadel. The knights would be practicing outside, he'd been told. There was nobody better to infect first than the knights themselves. It took him no time at all to find them, as they had a bit of a crowd watching. It seemed that there was a bit of a wager going on, and people had gathered to see which of the knights would win. They were bored with Arthur gone on an extended trip and had decided to hold their own miniature tournament. It had taken on a life of its own very fast, and now people gathered daily to watch and make wagers. It was absolutely perfect.

The day before, Leon had won the field as they fought with maces and shields. Despite predictions otherwise, he had beaten each of the younger knights quite handily. Those in the know had not been surprised, as it was Leon's specialty, but many commoners had lost money and were eager to earn it back today, as the contestants fought with long staffs.

While the knights trained with many different weapons, the staff was the weapon of the commoners. Anyone could find a sturdy stick to practice with, even if they couldn't afford a sword. So in some ways, this was the contest that the regular people could relate to the most. Betting was therefore heavily on the three common-born knights, Gwaine, Elyan, and Percival. When Percival twirled his staff above his head like it weighed nothing, the crowd went insane. He smashed his way through his opponents and finally came up in the final round against Gwaine. The latter was quicker, but Percival took full advantage of his longer reach and, after a long and closely-contested fight, Percival's staff caught Gwaine's ribs and sent him to the ground. On his back, Gwaine dropped the staff and held his hands out to the side.

"I yield! No more," he called. Grinning, Percival pulled him to his feet, and they slapped each other on the back as the crowd cheered.

Thane drifted off with the other watchers, pleased with how many people he'd been around, knowing that the spell would soon spread. He spent a night in an inn that was far cleaner and nicer than what he was used to. The next morning, he wandered the market for a while, trying to subtly study the people around him. He couldn't tell if anyone showed signs of falling asleep, but he was hopeful it would start soon. He practically rubbed his hands when he thought about the beautiful Morgana being grateful.

After a while, he headed back to training yard. As he'd hoped, it was full again, with Elyan wiping the ground with everyone else in knife-throwing. Several of the others seemed to have trouble cocncentrating, to Thane's delight. He watched for a few more moments, then set out, as he had one more place Morgana had insisted that he stop. "Excuse me," he said to one onlooker, "could you direct me to a physician or healer?"

"The court physician, Gaius, has chambers nearby," offered the man.

"Oh, I couldn't afford the court physician," Thane laid it on thick.

"Don't worry. Gaius isn't pretentious at all. He'll see anyone."

Armed with directions, Thane set out. Morgana herself had cut his arm, and he'd let it fester for these two days, so he now really needed a physician. She'd warned him to not underestimate Gaius or his assistant Merlin. "They are surprisingly perceptive," she'd admitted, as if pained by the words. "You must actually need to see Gaius so they aren't suspicious."

Gaius greeted him cheerfully and was happy to treat his arm. He gave fatherly advice as he cleaned it. "Next time you're injured, don't wait so long. You need to keep wounds clean above all else. Even if you don't have any medical training or supplies, you can rinse it in clean water and cover it with clean cloth. Otherwise, you'll have the chance of a dangerous infection." He smiled so kindly that Thane felt a small stab of guilt. He pushed it away quickly.

"I understand. Thank you for your help. I don't have much money -- "

Gaius cut him off by a wave of his hand. "I get a wage from the king. There's no need to pay me. Just be sure to take care of yourself." Thane smiled and thanked him again. "Come back again in two days so I can make sure it's healing well." Thane nodded and headed out. As he left, he met a man who gave him a wide smile and nod, and Thane realized with a jolt that this must be Merlin -- one of the two men he was supposed to kill once everyone was asleep.

And that would happen soon enough.