A/N: Again, I'm sorry for my stupid lack of updates. I'm trying my best to get back on track.

It turned out, Arthur had actually been very serious about not letting either of us leave. He claimed to be worried about me to his father, and the king agreed that I would only be allowed to leave the city if I was accompanied by either Arthur or several knights. Poor Morgana had suffered the same as well. Arthur concocted a lie that she was planning on taking some dangerous trip and taking me with her.

Three days passed, and I had hardly spoken to the prince, I had barely left my room, unless it was to see Morgana. The nightmares seemed to have stopped for me as well, I had slept without waking up once, but I think that was only thanks to the draught that Gaius had given me.

I knocked on Morgana's door and Gwen opened it, a smile on her face. I smiled back at her and entered the room, letting my eyes fall on the grinning lady sitting at her dresser. "Good morning, good morning. I slept the whole night through, good morning, good morning, to you." I sang as I skipped over to her like a little child.

Morgana looked at me blankly. "Good morning, Isabella. Are you feeling alright?" She asked, getting up from her chair and coming over to hug me.

I frowned at her. "I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, I've never heard you singing before."

I shrugged my shoulders as she let me go. "I don't usually have any reason to sing. But I thought I might as well give you a sample of my dreadful singing voice."

"Isabella, that wasn't dreadful, far from it." Morgana insisted as we sat in our usual spots looking out of the window.

"No, it really was. I haven't sung in such a long time. Back home I used to…" I stopped when there came a loud banging on the door.

Gwen moved and answered it, and seeing the Prince standing there, pulled it open all the way, allowing him to enter the room. "Isabella, my father has requested your presence in the council chambers immediately." He told me, seeming a little annoyed.

I got up and smiled at Morgana. "I will see you later." I told her before heading to the door. "Do you know why he has summoned me?" I asked the prince as we walked through the corridors.

"No. All I know is that he has requested both of us to join him straight away." I could tell from his tone that he was telling the truth, and also that he was worried about something.

"What's wrong?" I asked, keeping my eyes focused on the path ahead.

Arthur let out a sigh. "I haven't seen you for three days. Have you been avoiding me?"

"Yes." I told him bluntly. "You had Morgana and I grounded like we were children, all because your knights were too easily distracted."

"I will speak with my father." He told me simply as we reached the council chamber. "Ready?" He asked. I nodded at him and he signalled for the guards to open the doors for us.

"Princess Isabella of Elbear." Uther announced happily. "I have someone here who I am sure you will be pleased to see."

The man standing before the king, who I had failed to notice until now, turned around and looked at me. I gasped in shock as I recognised the man standing before me.

"Oh, my dear Isabella." He said, an evil smirk on his face.

I just shook my head and backed away from him further. Before I knew what was happening, I was running. I could hear someone calling after me, but I didn't dare stop. He had found me, even in a different time, he was able to make my life miserable. How did he even find me? How could anyone have known where I was?

I charged into my room and bolted the door behind me, grabbing my leather satchel that I had arrived with and filling it with whatever would fit. I wasn't bothering to pack fancy clothes, I wasn't going to need them. I was going to need to blend in, go somewhere I won't be recognised, where no one will have heard of me or care who the hell I am. The only problem was, I had no idea where to go.

That was when it struck me, all I needed to do was hide in the last place anyone would look for me. I took my shoes off and threw them out of the window, they actually landed some distance away. That will have them confused for a while. I thought to myself as I picked up the bag. I opened the door and could hear the rushing of footsteps. I darted out of my room and into an alcove behind one of the tapestries.

"Isabella!" I heard Arthur calling as he charged into my room. He growled when it found it empty. "She's gone. And by the looks of things, she doesn't plan on coming back." He must have noticed the mess I had left the room in and that some of my things were gone.

"I don't understand. Why would she run away from him? He's her uncle." Merlin asked as they stood in the corridor with a few guards. I had to hold my breath, I was so scared that they were going to catch me.

"I want the whole castle searched, and the rest of the city. Then move onto the villages. She can't be far." Arthur ordered to his guards.

"Arthur, what's going on?" Merlin pushed, wanting to find out why I was in such a panic to get away.

"Did you not see how scared she was of him, Merlin? Did you not see the fear and panic on her face when she saw him?" Arthur was almost shouting now. I wanted to tell him that I was fine, and not to worry, but I couldn't, I needed to hide. "She was having nightmares, and in it, he killed her parents and destroyed her kingdom. Going from her reaction, I say those were memories, not nightmares."

"Then we should tell the king. Get him locked up." Merlin said, ready to go straight back to the king.

"We can't, we don't have any proof, Merlin." Arthur said, letting out a sigh. Arthur had reacted exactly the same was as Merlin when I had told him. "Come on, we need to find her before anyone else does, especially her uncle. He will insist on joining the search for her."

I stayed and listened for a few minutes. Their footsteps died away and every thing was silent apart from the blood pounding in my ears. I carefully moved away from my hiding spot and walked a little down the corridor. Once I reached Arthur chamber, I stopped and opened the door. I knew he wasn't in there, he was out looking for me.

I glanced around the room, wondering if it really was such a good idea to be doing this. I heard footsteps again and threw myself to the floor, crawling under the bed. The only person that was likely to look under there was Merlin, and that was only if Arthur decided to kick something under.

I held my breath as the footsteps grew louder, whoever it was, they were right outside the door. But they didn't stop, they carried on moving. That was when I let the silent tears start to fall.

0000

Arthur and Merlin had been searching all day and well into the night for Isabella. There was no sign of her in the castle, nor in the city. Lord Donald, Isabella's uncle, had insisted on joining one of the patrols to help look for her. Arthur had not been able to trust that man. It wasn't just because of what Isabella had told him, there was just something about him that seemed wrong.

"Sire, it's getting very late." Sir Leon informed him. "We should be heading back. The horses need resting and so do the men."

Arthur didn't want to stop, not until he had found her, but he knew Leon was right. "We send a different patrol straight out to continue the search." He announced as he turned his horse around and began the trek back to the castle.

"Isabella? Isabella where are you?" Merlin had been trying to call to her in his mind, but she wasn't answering him. That just made him worry about her more. He knew that Arthur was worried, but so was he. For some reason, she was important and had a destiny just like he did.

"Merlin, you might as well get some rest. First thing in the morning we head back out if she hasn't been found." He told his servant. Merlin nodded at him and as soon as they were back at the castle, he headed straight to his chamber.

"Any luck finding Isabella?" Gaius asked as he dragged himself over to the table.

"No. I've never seen Arthur this worried before. He think's that her uncle is a murderer, because she saw him kill her parents in a dream." He told him, tucking into the supper that was waiting for him.

"Her dreams?" Gaius questioned. Merlin just nodded at him, his mouth full of stew. "I fear Arthur may be right." The young warlock just looked at the old man in confusion. "Sometimes memories can return in the form of a dream. The subconscious trying to connect to the consciousness." He explained.

"So, do you think he really did kill her parents?" Merlin asked, before shovelling another spoonful into his mouth.

"I am not in a position to say. Now eat up and get some rest." Gaius said, before getting back to his work.

Once Merlin had finished eating he went to his room and threw himself on his bed. The moment he closed his eyes he fell straight to sleep.

The next morning, Merlin woke up with a strange feeling. For some reason, he could feel some very strong magic. He couldn't explain it at first, until he realised where he had felt it before. He jumped off his bed and pulled up the loose floorboard, before reaching his hand into the hole and pulling out the silver box he had been hiding for Isabella.

As soon as he touched it, the magic faded and the lid slipped off. He noticed a piece of parchment inside, with the Lagoon seal imprinted in the wax. Without hesitation he carefully opened it and read the note. His eyes widened as he read it before rushing out of the room.

"Merlin!" Gaius called to the boy. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" He asked.

"Arthur. I have proof." Was all he said, before charging out of the door and to the prince's chamber.

As he expected, Arthur was awake, looking as though he had not slept all night. "Arthur…" He panted, trying to catch his breath. "I found this…" He held the note out and gave it to him.

"Where did you find this?" Arthur asked, taking it from him, inspecting the wax seal.

"Isabella's room. She must have dropped it or something." He lied.

Arthur eyed him carefully before reading the note.

'Isabella, we are both sorry for sending you away, but it isn't safe. Donald is a traitor, I'm sorry, he killed our parents. You must not let him find you, if he does, he will kill you. We will find you soon, we promise. Mitch and Dom.'

"Isabella was right." He finally said, after reading the note several more times. "And now we have the proof that her uncle is a traitorous murderer." Arthur said in a low growl.

"Has she still not been found?" Merlin asked, concern filling him even more.

"No. And from what I heard, her uncle is getting restless. We need to show this to my father immediately." Arthur told him, heading for the door.

Merlin was right behind him, but stopped when he heard a snuffling noise. "What was that?" The dark haired man asked.

"I've been hearing it all night. It would seem you have a rat to catch." Arthur told him, waiting for him.

Merlin frowned. "That doesn't sound like a rat." He said, lowering himself down and looking under the bed. "Arthur, if that's a rat, then that is the biggest rat I have ever seen." He said, his eyes wide at what he saw.

"Merlin, what on Earth are you talking about?" The prince asked, getting down to Merlin's level and looking under his bed as well. "Isabella…" He whispered, looking at the curled up body of the woman.

"Arthur, why is she under your bed?" Merlin asked before he could stop himself.

"Hiding. No one would bother to look for her in here, and we didn't did we? We looked in every other room in the castle, including Morgana's." Arthur couldn't explain how he was feeling. He was relieved that he had found her, but there was a pain in his chest from seeing her look so broken.

"What are we going to do?" Merlin asked him, not taking his eyes from the woman.

"Get her on the bed." Arthur said, lying flat on his stomach on the floor and reaching for Isabella. He gently pulled her under her arms and out from her hiding place. Then, he picked her up carefully and placed her on his bed. "We can't let anyone know she is here." Arthur said, brushing some of her hair away from her face.

"What about her uncle?"

"I will inform my father of this new information. As soon as that man returns, he shall suffer the punishment for his crimes." Arthur told him, trying to stay strong. "You need to stay here with her. Do not let anyone in, do you understand?"

"Yes, sire." Merlin replied, before looking at the huddled up form on the bed. "She must be cold." He mumbled, before pulling the blankets over her.

"Look after her, Merlin." Arthur said, before leaving the room to go and speak with his father.

Arthur marched quickly through the corridors and the council chambers, hoping that he would be there.

"Arthur!" Someone called behind him. He didn't stop, he was on a mission, he needed to speak with the king. "Arthur!" The voice called again. Suddenly someone grabbed onto his arm, forcing him to stop. "Arthur, has there been any news? Have you found her?" Morgana asked, her eyes pleading for some good news.

"No, I'm sorry, Morgana. If you will excuse me, I need to see my father." He said, turning away from her.

"Arthur, wait!" Morgana called, rushing along next to him. "I don't like her uncle, I don't trust him. There's something wrong about that man." She informed the prince of her feelings.

"I do not trust him either. And I have good reason to." He told her, holding up the letter for her to see.

"What is that, Arthur?"

"Proof. Now come on, you are probably going to want to hear this as well." He took hold of her arm and dragged her along with him to the council chamber.

"Ah, Arthur, there you are." His father said as he entered the room. He quickly looked around to see if Lord Donald was present, but he couldn't see him anywhere.

"Sire, I have reason to believe that Lord Donald attacked the kingdom of Elbear and murdered the King and Queen." He heard gasps and whispers coming from the people in the room. "I also believe that the reason Princess Isabella ran was because he plans to kill her as well."

"Arthur, this is a very serious accusation. What proof do you have?" The king asked.

"My servant found this is Isabella's chamber when he was cleaning. I think you should read it, sire." The prince stepped forward and handed the piece of parchment to his father. He looked over his shoulder and noticed Morgana was almost in tears with what was going on.

The king read the letter to himself, before calling for the guards. "I want that man found. Bring him back to me alive. He will pay for what he has done." The King spat. "You have done well, Arthur. I just hope that we can find the princess safe before he does." Uther got up and clapped his son on the back.

"I shall go and organise some more patrols to search for her." Arthur informed his father, turning a leaving the room. Morgana was hot on his heels.

"Arthur, you have to find her." She pleaded.

"Trust me, Morgana, I am not going to rest until she is found, safe and alive." He assured her.

"You… you really care about her, don't you?" She asked, seeming a little surprised by his reaction and his answer.

"Morgana, how I feel about Princess Isabella or anyone else is nothing to do with you. Her life is in danger, I am doing my duty to protect her." He said, continuing the walk to his chamber.

"I'm sorry. I… I don't mean anything. It's just, she's been a good friend to me. I don't want to see anything happen to her."

"I understand, Morgana. I will do everything I can, do not worry." Morgana nodded at him and they both went their separate ways.

Arthur hurried through the castle and back to his chamber. Once he reached the door her tried to open it, only to find it locked. He quietly knocked on the door. "Merlin, open the door." He hissed.

A moment later the warlock opened the door and let the prince in, locking it again as soon as he was in. "What happened with your father?"

Arthur sat on the side of his bed where Isabella was sleeping. "Lord Donald is to be arrested the moment he is found. My father was not happy and that man will be dealt with severely."

"What are we going to do with her?" Merlin asked, nervously standing at the end of the bed.

The prince let out a sigh. "We have to keep her hidden until her uncle is found and brought to justice. He can't know that she is here. No one can."

Merlin knew that the prince was right. If Lord Donald were out to kill his niece, then as soon as he knew where she was, he would be after her. "So, she stays here?" He asked, wondering if that was what the prince was actually thinking.

"Well, unless you can think of somewhere else to hide her without anyone noticing us getting her out of the castle." He could tell from the tone that Arthur used that he was not going to let her leave his room until everything had settled down.

"Umm, where are you going to sleep?" Merlin asked him, wondering what the prince's answer was going to be.

"Bring another mattress in here. We can't leave her on her own." Arthur told him, turning his attention back to the woman sleeping in his bed. "We have to tell her what's happened as soon as she wakes up. Even if she protests, she must not leave this room."

"Yes, sire." Merlin said. "I'll go and fetch another mattress now, while everything is quiet." He said before leaving the room.

Once he was gone, Arthur moved closer to the body in the bed. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she seemed to be. Not that he hadn't noticed it before, he had certainly noticed it, but he just seemed more and more drawn to her now.

When she and Morgana had been teasing and flirting with his knights, he actually became jealous. That was when he realised how much he seemed to care for the woman, even though he had only known her for a short time.

0000

"Everything is going to be fine, Isabella. I promise you." I heard someone whispered to me, before gently kissing the top of my head.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." I mumbled, pulling the blankets tighter around myself.

"Isabella? Are you awake?" He asked me quietly.

"No. I'm talking to you in my sleep."

"We need to talk about what happened." He told me softly. There was something in his voice that was telling me that he didn't want to scare me or worry me

I let out a sigh and slowly opened my eyes. "You're going to tell everyone that I'm here, aren't you?" I asked him.

"No. There are people still out looking for you. I'm going to get in a lot of trouble for this when it's all over, but I am not going to tell anyone where you are. The only other person who knows is Merlin." He didn't take his eyes off me.

"Why? Surely you want to hand me over to my uncle?" I questioned, not understanding why he was doing this.

"Isabella, there is something you need to know about your uncle." That was when I realised how serious it was. His voice, his expression, it all gave it away. Something was seriously wrong.

I sat up, the blankets that had been covering me falling away. "What's happened?"

"Merlin found a letter, from your brothers." My eyes widened and it felt like my heart had stopped when he said that. "It confirmed that he killed your parents. And it warned that…" The prince shifted uncomfortably.

"What is it, Arthur?" I pressed, needing to know what was going on.

"It warned that, if he found you, he would kill you as well." He told me quietly. I closed my eyes and the tears started streaming down my face. My dreams had been real, they weren't just nightmares, they were my memories. "Isabella, it's okay, I won't let him hurt you, I promise." He said, wrapping his arms around me as I cried.

"What am I going to do, Arthur? He is probably out there looking for me. What happens when he doesn't find me out there? He won't stop looking, will he?" I choked out as I cried.

"As soon as that man is found, he will be punished. The moment he steps foot in Camelot, he will be dealt with." He assured me, holding me tighter.

"What about my brothers? What if he has killed them as well? What am I going to do?" All I could think about was what had happened to them. Could they really be alive? What if my uncle had killed them already?

"The envoy sent to your kingdom should be there by now. We should hear word from them within the week, if not sooner. You have to trust me, Isabella, I will protect you and look after you." The prince told me, as I tried to control my emotions. They were always getting the better of me, I wasn't strong when it came to my emotions, I always let them take over at the worst possible moments.

"I'm scared, Arthur. I mean, really scared. More scared than when you found me and I held a sword to your throat." I told him, feeling my body start to shake.

"Please don't be scared. You're with me, and I will do everything to keep you safe, Isabella." I felt him gently kiss the top of my head and I let my body relax in his hold. I trusted him, and I believed him. He was not a liar, nor a coward, he was a strong, truthful warrior. He would protect me.

"I'm glad I met you, Arthur." I whispered to him, before letting myself completely collapse into his arms.

0000

Arthur let out a sigh as he settled the woman back into his bed. He had told her what was going on, he had held her as she cried and vowed to keep her safe. He would not go back on his word, he would die trying to protect her if that was what it came down to.

There was a knocking at the door and the prince was quickly on his feet. "Who is it?" He called, knowing he couldn't let anyone see Isabella.

"Sir Leon, sire."

He made his was to the door and opened it, but only enough so that he could fill the gap and keep Isabella out of sight. "What news is there Sir Leon?" He asked his trusted knight.

"There is still no sign of her. No one seems to have seen her. It's like she has just vanished. Also, her uncle has left Camelot. He insisted that he carry on the search, unfortunately we have not been able to find him since he split up with one of the patrols." Leon informed him.

Arthur growled in frustration at this piece of information. That man had escaped from them, and he was still hunting Isabella down. The only relief he felt was that he knew she wouldn't be found by him. "Thank you, Sir Leon. I trust you have heard the reasons as to why he was wanted alive?"

The knight nodded at him. "Yes, sire. We have some men still out looking. But we fear she may have gone further than we think. All we can do is hope that if we cannot find her, then neither can he."

"Inform the knights that tomorrows training is cancelled. You all deserve a break with everything you have done with the search." Arthur told him, knowing that they really had done their best to find her. He didn't like sending them out on a wild goose chase, but it had to be done, to protect Isabella.

"Yes, sire. Thank you." Sir Leon said, before bowing to him and leaving.

Once Arthur closed the door he turned back to the woman, now sleeping again, in his bed. "I will protect you. Whatever it takes." He whispered, before sitting himself back on the edge of the bed and watching her sleep.

A/N: Once again, I'm sorry for how long it has taken me to update. But I hope this chapter was worth the wait. The next one is already finished and ready to go, so fingers crossed nothing gets in the way and stops me from updating it on time.

Thank you to all who have favourites/followed and a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed.

You guys are just totally awesome, you know that right? Of course you do!

Pippa.