A/N: Once again, it took longer than I thought, but here I am! The chapter is again longer than expected, I hope you won't mind.

The cover of the chapter was once again made by Redworld96 (please, go check her work, she is a great artist and her drawings are amazing), who has been so helpful with this chapter. And as always, thanks to Trig for being a wonderful beta reader and helping me improve.

Thanks to everyone who read or commented on the story, it always makes me so happy!

Enjoy!

Chapter V: Just some more time

The wooden surface of the seat was cold under King's fingertips, hard and unpleasant when he tightened his grip on the edge, eyes fixed on Merlin's face waiting for her to say something, anything. The woman stood in front of him, head slightly tilted, the oddments of the soft glow of her magic slowly vanishing from her still raised hands. It had never been easy to read her, not for him and – he was sure – not even for his comrades; she seemed to always have perfect control over her emotions. Yet, he knew her enough to notice the way her eyelashes faintly flattered and the thin line that appeared between her brows. Something wasn't going as she had expected. King grit his teeth and breathed in, barely registering the warm touch of Diane's hand on his left shoulder as she squeezed it. Apparently, it wouldn't have been as easy as he thought. "This," Merlin said as she continued to study him, narrowing her golden eyes, "is peculiar."

"What do you mean?" Gowther gazed anxiously at her from King's right, where he had stood during the whole time of the examination. He had been the first to meet with him and Diane as soon as they had arrived in Camelot, a large smile spread over his face – he had probably thought they had come to visit, King thought bitterly. His smile disappeared as soon as he noticed King's condition and Diane's anguished expression. There was no need of many words, he immediately accompanied them to Merlin. King wasn't sure where exactly they found her or what she was doing before they reached her lab. His mind had been clouded and confused since the moment he had woke up – Diane's shaking voice making his heart leap and his breath stop, since the moment he had looked at his own body and saw … that. He would have probably stared at himself for ages, too shocked to move, if Diane hadn't been here. She had taken only a few seconds to recover before deciding that they would have immediately gone to Camelot. After she had got dressed, she had left him only for a moment, to find a Fairy that could have informed Gerheade of what had happened. The effect of Merlin's pill had vanished shortly after and then she had carried him there, never letting him leave the gentle but firm grip of her hand.

"He ran out of magic, obviously," Merlin stated, putting a hand under her chin, "he has not enough to maintain his wings. Nothing else seems to be wrong."

"There has to be something!" Diane's grip on his shoulder became tight, her fingers almost digging into his skin – she released him a second later, realizing what she was doing, but his mind was so clouded that he barely paid attention to that. "He didn't use his magic at allin the last hours," she continued, "how could he have run out of it?"

"Are you sure? Nothing at all?"

Merlin's penetrating gaze made his blood stir – why was she even questioning them about that? "I didn't," King almost growled before Diane could answer at his place, shaking his head maybe too fast – the simple movement made his head spinning, and he had to blink a couple of time and take a deep breath to clear his mind. Gods, he didn't even know it was possible to feel so tired! "I didn't use it more than usual recently, I don't need to. That's not the problem." His voice came out like a choked hiss, but at least it wasn't trembling. However, he couldn't help to notice the way the gazes of his friends lingered on him and the traces of preoccupation on their features. He hated it. He hated to feel so weak, as he was about to break, without even a sensible reason. Diane's hand glided over his clothes, stopping on a point between his shoulder blades and pressing softly, as to calm him, and even though the gesture made him breathe a low sigh of relief, he didn't dare to look at her, he didn't want to face the concern in her eyes. His gaze remained fixed on Merlin, instead, in an attempt to show her that he was completely sure about what he had said. Whatever had drained his magic, it wasn't a simple misuse of it.

The mage stared at him for a second, chin still held between her fingers, before giving him a nod. Then she took a step towards him, bending down to take a better look. "Anyway, you don't look good, and I'm not talking only about your change. It almost seems like you are ill – but we both know that's not possible. Did you remember eating or drinking something different?"

"I've not been poisoned," King snarled, "not in my Forest. I would know."

"And I've eaten and drank what he did," Diane added, shaking her head. "Not always, but often enough. It's not likely. It's just," she stopped and glanced at him, chewing her bottom lip, "he – "

"I can't sleep," he finished for her, "not much. But that shouldn't affect my magic! It doesn't work like that."

A spark of interest lightened in Merlin's gaze, and she straightened herself out without looking away. "Since when you have this problem?"

King shrugged, passing a hand over his face as he tried to think about the correct answer – his thoughts felt slow and thick as mud, "Maybe a couple of weeks by now."

Gowther's brows raised in surprise, his mouth opening, and even Merlin flinched a brow. "It's a long time to have insomnia … do you know what could cause it?" She asked.

"Some stupid nightmares. They won't let me sleep," he grumbled. He really didn't want to think about that other problem at that moment.

"Nightmares?" Merlin's eyes narrowed as she considered his words. "It wouldn't be the first time for you – why didn't simply ask for my help?"

King muttered something about trying another solution before, but at that moment he couldn't remember exactly why he hadn't simply given up and gone for Merlin. Sure, he had wanted to ask Gerheade first, but he hadn't, only the Gods knew why. It would have made sense to resort to Merlin's help. It felt so stupid right now! Maybe sleeping wouldn't have prevented whatever had happened to him, but at least he would have been able to face it in a better mental state. He felt once again Diane's hand caressing his back, as to reassure him, before she spoke again.

"It's not like the other times. The nightmares – they are different, and they don't stop."

"What do you mean?" Gowther asked, tilting his head, his eyes filled with worry moving from King to Diane. "How are they different?"

"They … well, they have a stronger effect on him, I think," Diane answered, her voice low and a bit hesitant, "and they scare him. Sometimes, in the past, they had been pretty bad – but I don't remember them scaring him so much."

King felt a flush creeping over his face and lowered his eyes, fixing them on his feet; he could accept Diane seeing him being so fragile after those dreams, but letting his friends know made him feel even more vulnerable – and a burden. The sight of his new, poorly made shoes only made him feel worse, reminding him how stupidly difficult had been to create them. The clothes he had worn only the day before were now too big for him, and he had to make new ones before leaving the Forest. The thought of how difficult it had been to manipulate the leaves of a near tree to create a simple shirt, pants and shoes made him swallow and bit the inside of his cheek. It was something so easy, he didn't know even a Fairy that wasn't able to do it. And yet, he was almost panting after he had done, the feeling of Diane's large, horrified eyes on his body making him want to puke.

"What are those nightmares about?"

Merlin's pragmatic voice made him re-emerge from his thoughts, and he raised his head to meet her eyes again. "I don't know, I never remember them," he grumbled before shaking slowly his head, jaw clenched. "It's so stupid, when I wake up they simply turn to shadows – there are figures and … fire, sometimes, I can't remember more. But I know they are not like my usual nightmares. I don't think they are about me at all."

Merlin nodded, staring blankly at him, "And did you have one of them this night, before this happened?"

King felt a burst of rage blazing in his chest – how this was even helpful? "What has this to do with – with this?" His hand finally let got the edge of the table to angrily wave at his own body. "A dream can't drain my magic!"

"No, it can't," the mage agreed, "but for now it seems to be the only strange thing that happened to you." She paused, pressing her lips together. "I am trying to help you, King. Just answer my question."

"He had," Diane blurted out before King could answer, and he took a deep breath in an attempt to control his anger, clenching his jaw as he decided to let her speak. It wasn't the moment to fight. His wife turned towards him, biting her bottom lip, "You were having one when I ... joined you, that's the reason I woke you up."

His forehead puckered, but he nodded. He barely remembered waking up, the memories blurred and confused in his mind, but he couldn't forget how he had felt – fear clenching his chest in a suffocating grip, almost overwhelming him. He didn't know what he would have done in that state if he hadn't seen Diane bending over him, her beloved features and her low, soft voice leading him back to her and the world. "I – yes, you are right, but it wasn't different from the others, I don't recall anything about it."

Diane nodded her head, pressing her lips together hesitantly before slowly continuing, "You … you told me something to me when I woke you up. Do you remember that?"

King blinked in surprise – this was new. Running a hand through his hair, he tried to recall the events of the last night, but he didn't remember having talked much with Diane. A sharp pain crossed his head when he tried harder, a low moan of pain passing through his lips – he barely shook his head when his wife bent down towards him, eyeing at him with concern, in attempting to make her understand that she didn't have to worry. He breathed in before answering, almost disgusted by the way his voice sounded weak and low. "I don't, at all."

"So it's not normal for him to speak, after?" Merlin crossed her arms, her eyes darting from him to Diane, and when the Giantess nodded, she added, "What did he say?"

Diane took a moment before answering, turning towards King again, her eyes fixed on his. "You told someone was about to kill you," she said, her voice sounding like it was about to break – the thought scared her, King realized, and he felt as if something was crushing his heart; of course, she was scared! What was he even thinking when he had said something like that to her?

"I don't know who you were talking about," she continued, a bit more determined, "you simply said 'them'. And then you said something about them being your … your kind, I think, and that they were coming to kill you. I don't think you were talking just about yourself, though, but it was just an impression - exactly what you meant, it wasn't clear."

Silence fell on the room for a moment. King barely registered Merlin's curious stare and Gowther's brows furrowing, probably trying to find a sense to those words, as he looked at Diane, head slightly tilted, his eyes widen. "It doesn't make sense," he murmured, "I don't remember dreaming something like this." The nightmare was nothing more than a shadow in his mind, more like a bunch of emotions than actual images. "That's crazy, why should I even be afraid of – of that? Of my own kind! Why should they – it's foolish, we Fairies don't kill each other, we haven't in millennia! There is no reason we should start now."

"Well, it happened once, didn't it?" King turned towards Merlin, his brows rising in surprise – how she did even know that? – as she added, her gaze almost rapacious as she studied him, "Before the first Holy War – how did you call it, exactly?"

"I – " King stopped, taking a deep breath, irritation burning inside his chest. "What happened then doesn't matter," he growled, ignoring Diane and Gowther's curious gaze, "it's an old story and it doesn't have anything to do with my dreams or what's happening to me right now – it can't. I don't even know why we are still talking about those stupid nightmares! They can't affect my magic, it has to be something else!"

"Well, what then?" Merlin asked, holding his gaze, her eyes hard against his. "Tell me, there is something else equally strange that happened to you? Because for now, this is our only lead."

For a long instant no one spoke, none of them willing to let it go, until Diane almost jumped, her grip on King's shoulder tightening. "Harlequin," she exclaimed, her eyes searching for him with urgency, "the Sacred Tree! Did you – what is happening with the Sacred Tree?"

Oh. King froze, the memories of his visit to the Tree returning to his mind along with the uncomfortable reminder of how he had felt in Its presence. He shifted clumsily, realizing for the first time that he hadn't thought about it, not at all – how? After what he had said to Diane, he hadn't been able to focus on anything else, consumed with guilt and regret, the terror of what was happening to him making his head spinning. It suddenly came to his mind that he didn't discuss the event with Gerheade as he had planned to, and he didn't even think about asking Merlin's help even though she stood right in front of him – but until then he had had other things to take care about, he thought gritting his teeth, desperately trying to ignore the horrible feeling of not having control anymore over his body and mind.

But now he remembered, now he could at least talk to Merlin about that issue – although it really wasn't her business and he shouldn't have let a human, or whatever she was,interfering with his Forest – no. King shook his rapidly head – once again, his mind clouded and his sight doubled, but he was able to recover in just a couple of seconds. He couldn't keep thinking like that, it was wrong, he knew it was wrong. It had to be this tiredness, it kept playing tricks on his mind. When he was finally able to look at Diane again, he answered her question, "I don't know. Something was wrong but I couldn't understand what it was. Nothing like this has ever happened before." He glanced at Merlin, meeting her intrigued eyes. "Some Fairies noticed that a few of the leaves of the Sacred Tree have changed," he explained, "the colour, the texture … it's wrong, they seem almost dry – and the Sacred Tree doesn't have dry leaves. I was wondering if you," he took a moment to take a deep breath, fighting the sudden urge to close his mouth and stop talking, stop revealing those people the secrets of his Clan. "I was wondering if you could help me," he managed to finish, "I can't understand what's wrong with it."

Merlin was silent for a few moments, golden irises fixed on him, looking almost emotionless if it weren't for the interest in her eyes. "I thought you had a special connection with that tree," she said, tilting her head.

The blush that crept over King's neck and cheek was both for embarrassment and irritation. "I do, but something is not working and I'm afraid it could be dangerous – to me, to my people – to deal with it alone. So," clenched his fists, swallowing his reticence, "will you help me?"

"Of course," Merlin nodded, the shadow of a smile on her lips. King could hear Diane's sigh of relief tickling his skin. The corner of his mouth quirked up – maybe they would have solved the problem, after all. "I can come to see the tree right now," the mage continued, "if you let me enter the Fairy Realm I – "

"No." Once again, King felt all the gazes of the room on him, Diane and Gowther staring at him, confusion spreading over their face; even Merlin looked caught off guard, her brows furrowing. King blinked, startled by his own hard tone. He didn't want Merlin to come in the Fairy Realm, he suddenly realized, not that day. He squeezed his eyes, trying out the reason and the provenience of that sudden feeling, but he couldn't. And yet, when he opened his mouth to speak – he wasn't even sure to say what, it suddenly was perfectly clear. "I need to be in better shape when you will come. I need to be able to help you if it's needed – and like this, I can't." He paused for a moment, holding Merlin's skeptical gaze, "I – I just need some sleep, then we will be able to do it together."

"Are you sure it's a good idea to wait?" Gowther asked, lips pressed in a thin line, the light of the sun making his glasses shining – it made them almost painful to look at when King glanced at him.

"Harlequin …" Diane murmured near his ear, "he is right. I know you want to be able to do something, but what if it gets worse?" It's not clear if she is talking about the Sacred Tree or his condition. At this point, probably both.

"It shouldn't – it won't," he quickly reassured her, gaze darting from his wife to his friend, "whatever is affecting the Sacred Tree, it's slow. Some hours shouldn't make a difference." His eyes stopped on Merlin, whose furrowed brows and forehead puckered showed that she wasn't happy at all. "I don't know what is happening, but it's about me – my Clan, my realm. I need to be able to help."

The woman pursed her lips, but before she could protest the creak of the door opening made them stop and turning toward it just in time to see Escanor's head peeking out, nervously running a finger on his moustache. As always, his eyes immediately found Merlin and for a moment, it was like she was the only person in the room for him. Then he blinked and glanced at them as well, "I ... ehm, they told me I would find you here, I just wanted to say hi to – ", his voice died as his eyes landed on King, widening at the sight of what had been of him.

King pressed his lips in a hard line and avoided his gaze but managed to murmur a low, "Escanor", and nodded slightly his head.

Diane was better. "Hi Escanor, it's good to see you," she gently said, without leaving King's side, her hand still resting reassuringly on his shoulder; even though he wasn't looking at her, King knew that she was smiling – or at least trying to.

"I, hum, it's a pleasure to see you as well," the other man answered, shyly entering in the room when Merlin waved at him, "but may I ask – it's everything okay? King, are you … are you feeling alright?" He clasped his hands, looking at him from under his furrowed brows.

King breathed in and tried to straighten his spine. "I can't say I'm alright at the moment," he admitted, "but we are going to solve this ... situation," he continued, glancing at his body. He moved his eyes on Merlin then, "I promise I will send you a messenger soon, and we will see the Sacred Tree together. And if you could help me with this silly sleep problem, I'd be grateful."

Merlin looked back at him, a brow flinched and her lips pursed. She wasn't happy about his plan, it was obvious – she would have rather see the Tree immediately, but King couldn't let her do that – it was too soon. Finally she sighed, slightly shaking her head. "I trust your decision, King. I will wait. Meanwhile, I will see if there is something in my library about this particular phenomenon – but I doubt it, you Fairies have a tendency not to let anything written, or to share your business with anyone. But before you go," she added, glaring at him when he nodded and tried to stand up, "I'll take a sample of your blood. I believe that whatever is happening to the Sacred Tree could be the cause of your condition as well, but I want to see if there is something wrong – in your body and your magic. Just to be safe."

The slight curve of her lips told King that she probably wouldn't have used his blood only for that, but at that moment he didn't care about what weird new experiment Merlin could have been planning. "Alright," he agreed, sitting back down, "let's do it."

Floating wasn't bad, King decided as he flew down the hallways of the newly reconstructed castle of Camelot. The only thought of moving faster or traveling long distances made him feel sick, there was no way he could do that, but simply floating was bearable. It was better than walking. Diane was by his side, gently holding his hand as she traced circles on his skin with her thumb, occasionally glancing at him to check if he was alright. King did his best to smile at her, trying to show her that even though he still felt tired, it wouldn't have been a problem to float until they reached the walls of the city, where she could have got back to her natural size. But then ... then he would have had to let her carry him again, or they would have never made it to the Forest, not with him in that state. He hated to depend on her like that, but at least, it would have probably been the last time. His gaze lingered for a moment on the brownish bag that Diane held in her hands. Merlin had put there a couple of vials filled with an almost transparent liquid and gave it to her, rapidly explaining how to dose King with it to make him sleep and not "slip into a several days coma or die". King had rolled his eyes hearing that – of course it wouldn't have been simple – but it had been relieving to finally have something real that could have helped him.

"So," Escanor's hesitant voice finally distracted King from his thoughts, and he glanced at the other man, who was walking next to them, sided by Gowther. He had decided to escort them to the city gates, after making sure that Merlin didn't need any help in whatever she was planning to do, and Gowther joined them too. If only King hadn't felt so exhausted he would have been happy to chat with them along the way, but like this, the best he could do was to listen. "How's going in the Fairy King's Forest? I mean," Escanor stuttered, looking away from King, a light blush on his cheeks, "except for this, uhm, problem."

King barely contained a sigh of frustration as Diane protruded from his side to smile at Escanor, "We are doing our best. Of course, there are still some ... contrasts," King didn't miss the way her eyes rapidly moved on him, but she avoided his gaze and returned her attention to their friend, "but we are working on it. It's already much better from the last time you come to visit! You should come again, you both should," she added with a large smile as she looked at Gowther. The doll slightly raised his head to look at her and smiled, but his eyes were blank, his mind probably lost in other thoughts.

"I'd be glad to come," Escanor murmured, a shy smile forming on his lips, "but I have the tavern to run … business is good! The city is finally returning to life, the population is increasing and sometimes even foreigners stop for a drink! Some nights there are so many clients that I couldn't do without Gowther's help." King nodded, the corners of his mouths barely rising. When Escanor had opened that place, a couple of months after the war, Camelot was still a bunch of houses under construction, the castle just a project, and it hadn't been easy. People were busy rebuilding their lives, and many citizens had simply chosen to move away since their city had been destroyed. At that time, Camelot hadn't been the right place to open a tavern, and Escanor knew it, of course he did – but Merlins was there, and so he had moved there too. Fortunately, Gowther had decided to stay in Camelot as well, and soon had joined Escanor in the administration of the tavern – at least there, he had stated more than once, eyes shining with amusement, he could work as a waitress without anyone complaining. "You should come to visit," Escanor continued, still smiling, "maybe when you will feel better, King – of course, it's on the house."

"I'd love to," Diane said softly, and King nodded, his mouth finally curving in a proper smile.

"I'd like that too. Thank you, Escanor."

The other man rubbed his neck, cheeks flushing for joy and his mouth opening as he wanted to say something else. Before he could, though, Gowther stopped abruptly, turning towards them. "King, wait."

King stopped too, feet still not touching the ground, and rapidly glanced at the hallway, but there wasn't a soul in sight – at least, they wouldn't have been in someone's way. His eyes then returned on the doll, and he lifted a brow, waiting for him to continue.

Gowther put a hand under his chin. "Before you said you can't remember well those dreams of yours," he slowly said, studying him from behind his glasses.

King shook his head, furrowing his brows. "I can't," he answered carefully – why was Gowther talking about those stupid dreams again? He had thought the discussion was over.

Gowther nodded slightly and kept his determined gaze on King as he spoke again, "I'm reasonably sure that I would be able to find them in your mind, if you want me to try."

King felt his blood running cold, his heart suddenly racing – how could he not think about it before? Of course, Gowther could have helped him with that. Next to him, Diane gasped and nodded enthusiastically, "That's a great idea! You really can do it?"

"It shouldn't be complicated," Gowther smiled, "they are a product of his mind, after all. I will find them."

For a moment, King's mind was blank. He barely registered the way Escanor was looking at them, confusion filling his eyes, without daring to ask, or the way Diane squeezed his hand as she asked, "Since we are here, we could try now ... Would it take long?"

Gowther shook his head, "No, it shouldn't, maybe a few minutes, but it – "

"You won't look into my mind," King hissed when he was finally able to speak again. He ignored the surprised gazes of the others, eyes fixed into Gowther's. "You won't do that."

"Harlequin …" Diane murmured, brows knitting, "what – "

"I won't if you don't want me too," Gowther said, tilting his head, eyes widening as he couldn't understand why King was acting like that, "but you know that I wouldn't look for anything else, King. I won't mess with your mind. I will just look for the dreams – "

"There is no need for that!" He snarled, "They are just dreams, nothing more!"

"I – if you say so, I won't insist," Gowther said, lowering his head. Even though he wasn't looking at him anymore, it was then that King noticed the hurt in his eyes – and realized exactly what he had said. He felt a sudden desire to punch himself – Gods, what was wrong with him?

He moved closer to Gowther, putting a hand on his shoulder. When the other raised his head to look at him again, he murmured, "I'm sorry. I know you are trying to help, and I thank you for that." He took a moment to breathe as he searched for the right words to explain himself. "I know I can trust you, Gowther, it's just ... I'm just too tired to think straight at the moment. I can handle the nightmares, for now, but if the continues I would appreciate your help. Before, though, I need to solve whatever is happening to the Sacred Tree."

Gowther was silent for a few seconds, lips pursed. Finally, his mouth twitched, corners quirking up a bit, and he nodded. "Alright, I understand. But if they don't stop, knowing what they are about could help you."

"I know," King sighed, "but right now, there are other things I have to take care of. If they continue, I will need your help." He squeezed his shoulder again before moving away, "Thank you, Gowther. I know I can rely on you."

"Of course!" Gowther made him a proper smile this time and King couldn't help but smile back, relief warming his heart.

During the rest of their walk, they kept talking about lighter topics – Escanor's plan for his tavern, mostly, and how he was thinking to expand the business. The atmosphere seemed relaxed, but King didn't miss the unsettled look in Diane's eyes when she looked at him. It made his gut clench, but at that moment, his head aching again, it seemed impossible to find the right words to reassure her. He would have shown her, though, once he had slept enough, once he had recovered, once he had returned to be what he was before. He would have made her understand that what had happened in the last few days – what he had said to her, how he had acted – it was nothing. Just ... a moment of weakness. That was all.

They said goodbye to Gowther and Escanor at the city's gate, with the promise to see each other soon. As he sat on Diane's hand, Merlin's bag clutched in his hands, King weakly waved at them, a last, forced smile on his lips. He kept looking at them as they moved away, the ground rising and carrying them under Diane's command. Their figures soon disappeared, as Camelot's contour, and at that time he finally let himself fall on Diane's hand, heaving a sigh. Her eyes were immediately on him, shining with apprehension, her lips moving slightly, but before she could formulate a question, he shook his head and managed to give her a weak half-smile. "I'm just tired," he said, loud enough so that the wind couldn't take away his words, and lifted the upper part of his body, leaning on the elbows, "I will be fine."

Diane nodded slowly, taking her hand closer to her face so she could whisper to him, "Do you want to take Merlin's elixir? We can stop for a moment. I wouldn't mind, and you need to sleep."

For a second King considered her offer; the idea of finally getting a few hours of sleep was extremely tempting, but in the end, he shook his head. "No, I want to be awake when we arrive at the Forest. I need to assure my Clan that I'm alright – and I want to explain what's happening at least to Gerheade. Then I'll sleep."

"I could do that, you know," Diane said, tilting her head, her gaze softening, "talking with Gerheade. You really look exhausted, Harlequin."

"I know," he groaned, passing a hand on his face, "but I need to do this. I don't want them to think that I'm too weak even to talk with them." He looked away and sighed, "I wouldn't want my people to see me like this, so … so messed up, they shouldn't have to see their king in this state. But I want to assure them that we will solve this, whatever it's about."

Diane's gentle touch on his cheek – her fingertip warm and soft against his skin – made him turn his head to look at her again, heart racing when he saw her reassuring smile. "You shouldn't worry about this, Harlequin. It's true, you are not in the best shape, but you can't hide your pain to your people. After all, you are not a God, it's normal to feel sick sometimes, even for a king."

"Fairies don't get sick," he grumbled as he leaned on her fingertip, caressing the joint of her thumb with his hands.

Diane rolled her eyes, "They don't, but they have their bad moments too – don't try to deny it, we've been together for centuries! Whatever is happening to you, it's not something you can control, and they'll understand that. It's okay if you are not always strong, Harlequin."

"Uhm," King grumbled, but he had to admit that her words were making him feel a bit better. Not completely, but he felt lighter as he curled up on her skin, Merlin's bag still sure on his lap. "I suppose you are right. It's just that I want them to feel safe," he sighed.

"And they are, this doesn't change that. Besides, they still have me," she grinned, "and I can crush whatever threat menaces the Forest, even without your help."

A feeble chuckle escaped his lips at the thought, almost surprising him – he didn't think he would have been able to laugh in a situation like that. "I know you can," he murmured, smiling at her, "I'm lucky to have such a strong wife."

Diane beamed at him before brushing once again his cheek and hair. "You see? Now, if you don't want to sleep, at least rest. You need it."

King nodded, murmuring a thank-you as he relaxed against her skin, finally shooting his heavy eyelids, grateful when she slightly closed her hand to shade him from the sunlight. He spent the rest of their trip laying there, barely registering the landscape changing and the movement of the sun, always on the edge of sleep but never really getting there. Yet, he didn't need to look to know when they approached the Forest – he felt it, almost as it was leaning towards him. Opening his eyes, he raised, putting his hands on the splints between Diane's fingers to look at the trees towering above them, relief filling his chest. They were home.

King left Diane's palm as soon as they reached the edge of the Forest, using all the energy he still had to float right next to her head. He straightened his spine and plastered a weak smile on his face, slightly waving at the Faires that popped out from between the trees. It was obvious that he was failing to reassure them – their worried gazes followed him and Diane as they moved forward in the wood, burning on his skin like flames.

Gerheade was the first one to approach them, joining them just a few minutes after their arrival. She appeared from the tree line and rapidly flew towards them, head tilted, her scepter tightly held in her hand. "Your Highnesses," she murmured, glancing at Diane and nodding her head; when her gaze returned on King, the mixture of anxiety and hope in her eye made hit him and made him hold his breath – he needed to reassure her, but he wasn't sure he would have been able to convince her. "Are you feeling better?" She asked nervously, "Did you figure out what happened?"

He breathed in and joined his hands behind his back – Gods, he hoped he didn't look too miserable. "Well, not exactly," he admitted, "but it's possible – well, likely – that whatever it is, it has to do with that … problem with the Sacred Tree you told me about."

Gerheade's eye widened and she nodded, crossing her arms across her chest. "It can be," she murmured, "you would be the first to be affected by something like that ... but it shouldn't be happening!" She pressed her lips together, shaking her head, "The Sacred Tree should be immune to diseases and no other magic came in contact with It, we would have noticed. Do you know what it could be, your Highness?"

"Oh, ehm," King swallowed, looking away, his cheeks warming, "I'm still not sure. It has been difficult examining It when I checked It."

"But we talked with Merlin!" Diane said, smiling reassuringly at the other woman, "She will come here and help Harlequin dealing with it! We are going to solve this, Gerheade."

King glanced at her, grateful, the shadow of a smile forming on his lips. "Yes," he continued, eyes returning on his counselor, "I will call her here soon – I just need some rest, before."

Gerheade stared at him, concern still lingering on her features, then she let out a sigh, her shoulders relaxing a bit. "I'm glad to hear that. This situation is new and it worries me –you worry me, your Highness. Do you think she will be able to help you?"

King nodded, forcing himself to hold her stare. "I know you are worried, and I'm sorry about that," he said, raising his hand to stop her when she shook her head and opened her mouth, "but we are going to solve this. Merlin is the greatest mage of all Britannia, she will be able to help us. Hopefully, this ... situation will end in a matter of days."

He held back a sigh of relief when Gerheade expression finally relaxed. "It's not your fault, we all know that," Gerheade quietly said, and her expression finally relaxed as she looked at him, "but I – we are worried for you. I just want to be sure that you will be alright."

"I – I will," he murmured, smiling reassuringly at her. "Everything will return back to normal soon."

King leaned his back on the hard trunk behind him, trying to get comfortable on the branch, eyes fixed on Diane's distant figure. She stood in the large clearing, a group of young Giants gathering around her as she showed them some dance steps. He was too far away to hear her words, but he had already assisted to some of her lessons – she was probably talking about how they were supposed to feel the ground under their feet as they danced, and he could almost imagine the gentle, fond sound of her voice. The corners of his mouth raised as he saw her take a step back and extemporize a move, her hair spreading in the air around her head as she twirled around; he couldn't see it, but it was easy to imagine the soft, little smile that curved her lips as she stopped. His own smile widened. Looking at her doing what she loved was always relaxing for that he should have been doing other things right now. King groaned at the thought, leaning his head against the wood, not even surprised by the dizziness that caught him after the movement, and even too tired to care. It had been almost two days since their meet with Merlin, and he already used her potion twice. It worked, of course, and he had finally slept more than five hours without waking up abruptly, shaking with fear and horror. Nothing changed, though. He kept feeling exhausted, both physically and mentally, and his magic … his gaze stopped on his hands resting on his lap and he grit his teeth. He was still weak, his wings just a shadow of what they have been before. That shouldn't have been happening! Normally, it wouldn't have taken so long to him to recover his whole magic – the only other time it had happened it had taken just a few hours! But there was nothing normal in that situation, it hadn't been since the moment he had woken up and found out his wings had changed. In his current condition, there was no way he could have called Merlin. He didn't want to. There was something in the idea of having her in his Forest that made his gut clench and his throat dry – he couldn't point out what exactly it was, though. Even though he couldn't tell he totally understand her, he trusted Merlin. She was his companion and friend. But she was other, and having her in the Fairy Realm, in front of the Sacred Tree – without him being able to do anything to stop her if it was needed, felt wrong. No, he wouldn't have called her, not today. He just needed some more time – just some more. A few more hours of sleep, those would have been enough.

Diane hadn't questioned him when he had avoided the subject that morning. She had glanced at him, lips pressed in a worried line, without saying a word about the matter. He hadn't been able to look into her anxious eyes, knowing that he was the one who was making her feel like that. Although he had avoided the discussion that morning, he knew she would have told him something about it, maybe that same evening, maybe the morning after, but she would have. And he didn't know how she would have explained to her that weird feeling that was devouring him from the inside.

King sighed, raising his hands to rub his temples. Why was everything so complicated? His eyes wandered over the leaves that surrounded him, then found Diane again. This time she stood still, observing the other Giants dancing around her; in his mind, he pictured the delighted look that was probably right now on her face – she loved to teach dance to her people when they asked her. It hadn't been easy to convince her to leave his side to do that, but after he had assured her for the third time that he could handle some time alone and promised that he would rest and try to recover, she had decided to go, and he was glad she had. She needed some distraction from what he was making her passing through. Pressing his lips in a hard line, he lowered his gaze, shame burning in his chest. Everyone was worried for him, and he hated to make the people he cared about and wanted to protect feeling like this.

With a snort, he raised his head again, and it was then, as he looked for Diane, that he saw him, passing just a few yards by the tree King was. The Fairy King snorted, rolling his eyes, and put his hands on the wood to hang out and take a better look. Gonf was walking rapidly through the trees, and it was evident that he was headed for Diane's small group. King gritted his teeth and his mind went blank as he took flight. He had no idea what Gonf had in mind – the little magic he still had didn't allow him to read hearts – but he was sure that whatever it was, it would have upset Diane, it always did, and he wouldn't have let him do that, not when she was having finally a peaceful moment. Even with his tiredness, it didn't take more than a few seconds to him to reach the Giant and float in front of them, blocking their way. Gonf stopped as he saw him, brows slightly furrowing but his expression determined. King didn't flinch, cold stare fixed on the Giant as he tilted his head before speaking, his voice emotionless, "The queen is busy right now, you shouldn't disturb her. Maybe," he added, crossing his arms, "you can return later, if it's something important."

Gonf stared at him, dark eyes narrowing and lips pursing. "I don't respond to you, Fairy King," he said, his voice sounding like a low growl, "you have no authority over my Clan."

"Don't I?" King raised a brow, putting a hand under his chin, "Yet, you live in my Forest, and your queen is my spouse. To me, it looks like I have all the rights to demand that you don't disturb her when she is obviously occupied."

"She is dancing," Gonf snarled, speaking the last word as it was a swear, his hard stare moving on a point behind King's back – on Diane, he assumed. "It's not something the Giant ruler should do in the first place if not to fight. And the fact that she sleeps with you doesn't give you any power over us." His eyes returned on King, wandering over his figure with a look that was a mix of contempt and derision, "I won't accept any order from such a weak little thing."

King felt his cheeks burning, flush creeping on his neck for the rage, jaw clenching. How dared this fool, worthless Giant speak to him like this? And the awareness that he wouldn't have dared to act like that not even two days before made him want to scream. It wasn't easy to keep his voice low and almost controlled as he said, clenched fists and eyes narrow, "I'll warn you one more time. Go away and leave the queen alone."

"Or what?" The Giant let out a snort that sounded almost like derisory laughter. "You are not my ruler, and I'm not afraid of you."

Before he could even think about what he was doing, King's hand had raised – he had enough. If the only thing this Giant understood was violence, that was what he would have shown him. Nothing too complicated, maybe just a couple of punches from Guardian would have worked, or a not too deep wound from his spear – Diane surely didn't want him to kill him and the last thing he wished was to disappoint her again. Lost in his thoughts, it took him a few moments to realize that even though he was using all the magic he had left, nothing was happening.

Gonf lifted his eyebrows, probably not understanding what was the meaning of his sudden movement, but King barely looked at him, his horrified eyes moving on his own hand. Again, he tried to use his magic to summon his spear. Again, Chastiefol didn't come.

He was too weak to use it.