"I don't know how I feel about this?"

Busy climbing all over Arthur, the prince insisted he carry the girl who he had grown a bond with and she trusted him as well. It was her likeness to Elaina that had swindled him to act that way, even after merlin and Edwin had lied and explained her to be the makings of the forest. That it was, somehow, a test laid out before them on their way to the lake trying to hinder them.

Merlin was marching back to the wagon next to Edwin, his usual placid expression hardening to seriousness, "we can't just leave her behind. Real or not."

Laney had scuttled to sit on Arthurs shoulders, her weight like a feather as she pointed to some birds flying above them, while he continued talking.

"I know that this forest has conjured her to try and stop us, but I don't like lying to her."

He never did with Elaina, she could always suss out the truth in him so there was never a point in doing it, then after a while he started to rely on being able to confide everything to her, which he couldn't with others. The one thing he hadn't shared was his feelings for Gwen, because he knew that Elaina was protective over her handmaid and friend, which made him think she wouldn't approve. Although saying that, she did give indicators of having a suspicion in what was going on between them.

Having her like this, strangely he found that he didn't care whether she was a trick played by sorcery. A part of her had returned to him in some shape or form and he wouldn't let her get hurt, as he had with the fully grown form in the wagon. He felt stupid for the notion, figuring the forest might take advantage of this fact but it had hit him in a sore spot in recreating Elaina.

Seeing the way he had a guarded hand on either one of her legs atop his shoulders and his indifference to the way she tugged his hair with her energy spent in constant movement, Merlin saw that Arthur was sincere in is claim.

In order to get her to follow them, they played on the fact that the girl was willing to follow them into fire if it meant her father was promised to be at the other side. so, they said they would take her to him, which so happened to be on the same path as theirs.

"it's an illusion Arthur, a difficult one to swallow I know, but if you were to cut her finger she would not bleed. A small white lie isn't going to do anything."

The wagon came into sight again with the wheels slightly sinking into the mud as the rain insisted to keep falling. The roads would not be easy to trapes through, especially when they aim to go uphill from here.

Edwin pointed this out to Merlin and added, "this child is here to stop us from saving Elaina and we have lost enough time already…she might wake from my spell any moment. We have to keep her sweet to us, so if you would lower your voice down, she won't get scared and ultimately do what she is meant to."

Stretching around to look at the prince who carried her, Laney asked, "where is papa, Artie?"

It wasn't the first time and she repeated it a lot in her excitement to see him, which added to Arthur's guilt. What outshone that fact though, was her nickname for him. Seems this version of Elaina liked him to share in one just like her and he couldn't deny how adorable she was. For a moment, he had a vision of her being like his own daughter that he might have with Gwen one day…

He cleared his throat while his cheeks flushed with embarrassment at thinking such a thing, continuing with the rouse.

"he isn't far! at the top of that mountain."

Edwin happened to have a look back at the pair, seeing the girl's gaze grow distant as she peered up at the mountain and when she spoke, it was with a voice not her own as Elaina more or less influenced her words.

"where the water is still, and a light is shining at its depths."

the men exchanged a look as Edwin had not been alone in sensing this difference in her, but it had dispersed quickly bringing her back to childish antics.

"come now," Edwin, invited her into his arms as he went to get into the wagon, "you can sit with us. we have to warn you though child, someone else in here with us. Our sick friend who is sleeping."

Arthur swung Laney down and rested her on his hip and in her hand, she still held those flowers she had plucked, "they will like these then."

The prince gave her a bounce for her kind gesture, "she may well do, now here sit-"

Before Arthur could put her up next to Edwin, whose hands were in waiting to receive Laney, she had wanted to see this sick friend of theirs, yet as soon as she did see their ghostly face, a piercing scream of terror erupted from her throat. She flayed madly in Arthur's arms scrambling to get back into his clutches where she had felt safe and clung to him desperately, burying her face in the crook of his neck. His arms closed around her and he jumped back alarmed at her reaction, at first thinking it was Edwin who had made her do this but then she proclaimed that the woman in the wagon was talking to her.

"she is screaming! She scares me Artie. she isn't saying nice things, she says she wants to die! She says I have to let her die. Why is she saying that to me!"

Again, the clouds mirrored Laney's fear. From grey to black and like ink spilt on parchment it spread across the vast skies, torn apart by a bolt of lightning. The more she cried the next bold hit a tree and it splintered to fall not far from where they all stood. The horses were panicked, needing Merlin to calm them less they bolted.

"I guess she can stop us, if she keeps doing that?!" Merlin shouted above it all.

Edwin saw then he had been right when they had met her and Laney's fear let the sky rumble with thunder.

"…she controls the weather."

Arthur was hushing and rocking her as he had seen some mother's do to their babes in Camelot, yet nothing was working to soothe her. Edwin saw that unless you were Gorlois, such things would not work on her but what he did remember was that Laney or rather Elaina, had a fondness for stories which he read to her in the meadow.

He held out his arms, "Laney come here! I know you like stories and I have a new story for you. Fear disappears once you make sense of it."

Her cry settled to a whimper or a cats mewl, eyes swollen and her face red.

She was tempted Edwin saw, "you must dry your eyes now. I wouldn't do anything to harm you. Nor will this lady; Truth be told, she is a princess!"

Under the rain it was hard to tell which were her tears or that of the raindrops and yet even now as a young girl, her bravery was present. Though she was hesitant to go near Elaina, she was willing to try and ease herself into being around her. Reluctantly Arthur gave Laney to Edwin and she sat on the bench next to him under the fabric canopy, shielded a little and he wiped her face with his thumbs, gliding the water drops away.

"Laney, you are right in what you hear. This princess has been poisoned and its driving her to madness. It isn't her that is saying these things really. She is scared, like you. Deep down, this Lady is one of the bravest people I have ever met and what she needs is a saviour."

Merlin couldn't help himself and scoffed at the idea, "wow, you must want Elaina to kick your butt."

Through gritted teeth, he agreed but was saying these things on the basis of him trying to appeal to a child, who would thrive on fantasy.

"now I think we found you because your meant to help and be one of her saviours, only look up at the sky."

Her emerald eyes beheld the lightning as it flashed within her dazzling irises.

"the weather is mirroring your fear and we can't travel when it's like this. The waters on the mountain, we need to get there so we can heal the princess and she is so beautiful and kind, I'm sure she will be grateful to you. You will become a real hero by being in one of her amazing stories, all of which I can tell you about along the way."

Laney flinched when she looked at Elaina, "…she doesn't want to go there."

"well, sometimes princesses can be silly, so it's our job as her friends to help her change her mind."