All Elaina could do was wait for someone to try her door and she was pressed against the wood, so she could hear anyone passing it by better. Then at the same time she would not be slow in fighting Edwin if he was the first to show up with this potion for her.

If she only had magic it would be simpler. More than once, she has wished to cast the spells she could gain knowledge about, seeing herself as a grimoire rather pointless when she needed to protect herself and others.

Her gifts were random in how they performed. Sometimes she could touch an object like the box of beetles and consume every drop of knowledge about them and then sometimes, there was nothing. Her visions seemed to be what persisted the most, but they could affected by small things like how much she had ate or drank that day, as well as sleep. She had to be strong in order to make them last, since to see things past, future and present was rare and took a lot of energy to read fate and time.

For example, she had been a child when a vision of her father's death had consumed her and she followed the threads to everything that led up to it. This is why she knew Uther played a hand in it, sacrificing his loyal knight and friend because another advantage point to claiming land and riches appeared in the north and he thought that gain was worth the loss of Gorlois. The vision had knocked her out for a week and when she woke, it was to that awful news she and morgana were orphans.

Speaking of, a nock came at the door making Elaina leap to her feet.

"sister are you in there?"

Morgana.

Elaina had to use this moment wisely, whether to tell morgana to warn Arthur or…

"morgana! Morgana I need you to listen to me."

The handle wasn't moving as morgana tried to use it and nocked the door, "Elaina what's going on, why can't I open this door!"

Her sister was confused and probably jumped to the conclusion that Elaina had the latch down.

She had to quickly explain, "Listen its Edwin! He is a sorcerer."

"Edwin? who is that. Are you hurt?!"

It was frustrating as morgana hadn't a clue and it would have been better if she were Gwen or merlin, as they were on the same page. Whereas morgana was oblivious and it was hard not to get frustrated with her. then an idea popped into Elaina's head, regarding What she could get her sister to do.

Elaina knew it was going to be hard. Morgana was fragile and fearful, because as with any young person she did not want to die and particularly not in the gruesome ways Uther had made those with magic suffer through. There have been moments in their life, that morgana suspected something was different about her but Elaina had always calmed her and convinced her sister otherwise. She couldn't handle the secret and it would make her ill with worry that she was at constant risk of being discovered and put to death. That was no way to live and Elaina did not want to bestow that on her. However, there wasn't any other choice than to manipulate her and Elaina knew how.

With a heavy heart, Elaina reminded her sister of something that happened in their childhood.

"Morgana listen to me. do you remember when we were children and we used to play hide and seek?"

What child didn't play that game, but there was more.

"Remember when I thought I had found the perfect hiding place inside one of fathers trunks not realising it locked by itself and needed a key to open again. You heard me screaming, I couldn't breathe. It was so hot and I struggled to even cry out your name, but you knew I was in danger and found me."

Morgana's voice was shaking, "Why are you bringing that up now?"

To take advantage of your emotions, Elaina thought, and to trigger what happened then now.

"Remember what that felt like morgana? You thought I was going to die and I nearly did. You put all your will and strength in getting that lock to open. I remember slowly fading and that worried you the quieter I got. all you wanted was me out and in your arms. Morgana something is happening now, something that can take me away from you…"

The door startled rattling on its hinges, begging to fly open.

"morgana, Muirden is who nearly killed you with that illness. He plans to take over Camelot and wipe out everyone who opposes him. Me, Gwen, Arthur, merlin, even you…"

The door still just shook madly, "Morgana!"

A pulse burst from where morgana stood when the door finally gave in, washing the room clean of the spell that withheld Elaina. The relief she felt did not last as morgana fell into her sister's arms. She was utterly overwhelmed by the stirring of the pot that contained a horrible memory and forced her to use magic without her realising it. Elaina hated she had to do that to Morgana and she was limp, passing out from fear of what happened or drained she by pushing herself to break Edwin's seal.

"oh, sister. Sister I'm sorry."

Elaina stroked her hair and without the ability to bring her to the bed, she grabbed a pillow and placed it under her. someone will find morgana. Right now, Elaina had other concerns.

As she ran around the castle, something had developed.

'The king is ill'

Has anyone seen Muirden!

Call the physician

People were frantic as it seemed something had happened to Uther and Elaina knew exactly what.

"Merlin!"

He had just darted pass her as she came to the end of the corridor. He was barely able to stop to see her.

"Elaina! Where's Muirden, he's done the same thing to the king as he did morgana."

She suspected as much, then he would pretend to treat him, but it might be too late. With a heavy heart he would pronounce the king dead, apologising for his remedy not working in time. Promising to devote his life to Camelot and Arthur to make up for it. of course, then more bizarre killings would occur dismantling the kingdom.

"He knows I'm trying to stop him. He wants to wipe my memory!"

They figured together that his potions to do such a thing would be in his chambers, not anticipating that Elaina would possibly get herself out from her room. He didn't think merlin was in the loop, or she hoped he didn't, so there's be no reason for him to check the room. He would just think someone would summon him for Uther's sake.

As it was, however, when merlin and Elaina approached they heard shouting, a young man and another aged voice. They both jumped to the conclusion that Gaius was in there with him and quickened their pace, entering on a burning ring surrounding him.

"What are you doing!" merlin demanded, as Elaina shielded herself from the sheer heat the fire was giving out.

"He's trying to kill the king I couldn't let him!" Gaius choked out, clinging to a pillar as the fire drew closer.

Edwin was unbothered, calm and collected in sentencing Gaius to the same pain his parents endured. How he could brave the sight of the flames Elaina didn't know.

"I can rule the kingdom now, with you at my side as well merlin. Imagine, two sorcerers and a grimoire claiming Camelot for their own. We can be all powerful. No harm or threat will come to us ever again"

Power. It all came down to that accursed thing. The ones without it and the ones who desire it, are always the ones who should not ever have it, because of the lengths they are willing to go in order to get it. they would do better to open their eyes to the world as it is for them.

He called her innocent, but that wasn't it. Elaina just wasn't ignorant to the fact that she was lucky to be alive and to seize the day, for whatever it was. She never would want to take land or assume it as her own, forcing people to leave and manipulate the nature around it. she would appreciate the footsteps of a beggar as she would anyone else and the wisdom they may have to offer. She has seen mountains, the sun set and rise, the glow of the moon. She has laughed and cried with and without friends and family. Her rich and glory, was life itself which she would never take for granted.

"you don't know me at all," she whispered, sadly.

Her words made Edwin faulter. The flames dulling in response to it as Elaina threw back his feelings for her, because it was fact. He knew it. she could see he knew but still pressed on to try and convince her, as well as himself otherwise. He was even resorting to a potion. He had thought that having her at the end of killing Uther would validate everything he had done. That then he would be happy. But he got carried away in the possibilities he saw by using his magic for his own gain.

"Release him!" merlin demanded again. The next time, he would act to save his friend.

Elaina, she wanted to try something. She didn't know what was urging her to do it. Like a part of her soul knew just what was needed to be done. she trusted in her instincts and slowly approached Edwin. Her hands having that same vibration she could feel from objects. her magic as a grimoire was using them as a focus point, so when she touched Edwin a vision erupted not just for her, but for him as well. It seemed she could project onto others what she saw.

A young Edwin asleep in his bed, with Jayden, his mother sweeping his hair off his face lovingly. She was smiling at him, filled with a mother's love.

"Edwin, Edwin, my babe. My eyes shall follow you in life, in this world and the next, eager to see you grow into the wise and strong man I know you can be. Find a place to make a home, somewhere you will be safe. You just need to follow the light. Light can be found anywhere, created and accepted by you through acts of kindness. A people to call your own does not need any other tie, not even those with magic. Have the courage to follow your heart Edwin, it will see you through difficult times. Grow old and humble and proud. That is how we will know our blood would have been well spent."

When they returned to the present, with merlin and Gaius none the wiser of what had happened, they waited with bated breath as Elaina took Edwin into her arms. He crumbled there, his cries suiting the babe he was in the vision rather than this grown man. But that was who needed to be soothed. The little boy who had lost his parents far too early and had been corrupted by the darkness in the act he witnessed that night of his parent's death. He forgot what it was to be loved by a mother and father and with this reminder, by the words of his mother, light was beginning to break through the clouds.

The fire stopped, freeing Gaius and allowing merlin to check that he was alright.

"come on, we need to leave here. Merlin, you have to see to the king. you know how. Believe in your magic."