Thomas, who had been monotonously flipping through a potions book, paused with one page half raised.
Yes! He thought, excited. Here we are!
A truth potion, The page read. Is a complicated mixture that must be precise and accurate to work. You must start by gathering two cups of Water Lily from the shores of the lake of Avalon, a claw from a panther, Lavender, and… Thomas had been nodding sagely, knowing exactly how easy it would be to achieve such things. His smile slipped away at the last ingredient. A drop of blood from a unicorn.
A unicorn? Thomas cringed. Where am I supposed to find a unicorn?!
Thomas jumped as a knock sounded on his bedroom door.
"Thomas?" A voice inclined from the other side. It was Gaius. "Are you awake?"
"Um, yeah!" Thomas shut the book, placing it under his bed. He got to his feet, stretching. "I'll be out in a moment!"
"Alright." Thomas could hear the sound of Gaius walking away. He let out a breath.
A unicorn's blood? Thomas's stomach squirmed at such a thought. He was a Druid… he'd been raised with the utmost respect for such creatures. The thought of cutting a unicorn made him ill. Thomas turned back to the door, casting a locking spell on it, before he walked over to the mirror. He closed his eyes, willing up his magic and whispering enchantments. After a moment, he opened his eyes.
"Wishlin?" He breathed. "Are you there?"
A woman's face appeared in the mirror's surface, her eyes narrowed.
"Yes?" She hissed. "What have you come to achieve, Thomas Oak?"
"I…" Thomas gritted his teeth. "I'm doing my best! The boy loves Arthur, he won't even hear one word against him."
"Then you must break that bound!" Wishlin snarled, eyes wild with panic. "It can not be allowed to grow any further!"
"I know!" Thomas snapped. "I…I'm working on it. Wishlin, where can I find a unicorn?"
"It is said there is a herd of unicorns in the Valley of Mist…" Wishlin told him. "If you need one for your mission, it is there I suggest you go."
"The Valley of Mist?" Thomas blinked. "I've never heard of such a place."
He took a step back as Wishlin grinned, her eyes gleaming.
"No?" She laughed. "No one ever has! Because no one's gone and lived to tell the tale!"
"What!" Thomas bared his teeth. "Than how am I supposed to find it!"
"You'll find it." Wishlin's image began to fade away. "The Valley of Mist is of magic, as are you."
Merlin was in the throne room, speaking with Arthur, when the doors to the hall were thrust open. A handful of knights stomped into the room. Two of the Camelot soldiers were holding a woman up by her arms. The woman's head was drooping, her clothes ragged and torn. She had long brown hair that hung down across her face-a face smudged with dirt and ash.
"What is the meaning of this!" Arthur demanded, standing up.
"Sire." The knight threw the woman on the floor before the king. "This woman was put into our custody by the people. She's been found guilty of using magic."
Merlin stiffened. In all the time since he'd saved Arthur's life, the king had never prosecuted other sorcerers. Sure, magic, for anyone but Merlin, was still illegal. However, Arthur never chased after rumors regarding magic use and what not. Magic was illegal, but it wasn't a law as strongly enforced as it used to be.
"She…"Arthur looked flustered. Merlin glanced sideways at his friend.
What are you going to do? He wondered. Surely, you won't have her killed? Not…Not again. Arthur please… don't do as your father would have done.
"You hear these accusations?" Arthur asked the woman, his voice soft. "What do you say to them?"
The woman lifted her head. Merlin's heart skipped a beat. Her eyes were the deepest of blues. The kind of blue you might find waiting for you at the bottom of the sea. He was mesmerized by those eyes.
"I had to." She whispered. "My father… he was very ill… I healed him."
"Magic is against the law." Arthur stated bluntly, though his voice was not void of understanding.
"For all except him?" The woman cried desperately, nodding her head towards Merlin. Merlin flinched at the anger in her voice.
She's not wrong, he thought. I can't imagine how other sorcerers feel about me right now… while they're still afraid to be themselves, I'm standing at the king's side.
"Merlin has proven that magic will not corrupt him," Arthur stated firmly. "That he can control it. Until I say otherwise, he will continue to be the only one allowed to use it. Now…", Arthur narrowed his eyes. "I don't believe what you did was out of malice… but I still can't tolerate my law being broken. So, you are hereby banished from Camelot."
Tears welled in the woman's eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. Merlin chewed his lips as the guards began to take her away. Arthur sat back on his throne with a heavy sigh.
"Wait!" Merlin yelled out, shocking everyone. "Just wait a moment… Arthur," he turned to his friend. "Please reconsider… as punishment, why don't you have her work here in the castle? She'll be watched around the clock that way and-."
"Merlin!" Arthur scolded. "I've already made up my mind."
"Arthur…" Merlin swallowed. "Please… let her stay."
Arthur looked his friend dead in the eyes. He must have seen something in Merlin's eyes, something deep and genuine, because he nodded slowly.
"Alright." He agreed stiffly. "She can stay…" he turned back to the woman. "But no more magic! Is that understood?"
"Yes, sire!" The woman cried out as she was released. "Thank you!"
"What's your name?" Merlin asked.
"Dawn," the woman told him. "Dawn Piper."
That night, as Arthur lay trying to sleep, a knock sounded on his door. He glanced up as the door was pushed open a crack. Callum was standing there in his night clothes, his face pale.
"Hey," Arthur rolled over on his side, his brow furrowing. "What's wrong?"
"I…" Callum shut the door, creeping over to stand before him. "I messed up really bad today, sir."
"How so?" Arthur asked.
"Sir William was yelling at me again and…" Callum looked down at his feet. "I got really mad… and afterwards, I found his sword and I… I put honey all over the handle."
"You…" Arthur couldn't suppress a grin. Willam was a great knight… but he arrogant, thought he was on top of the world. "I see."
"I'm sorry!" Callum whimpered. "I shouldn't have! I was just so angry!"
Arthur tried to take the situation seriously. However, the image of Sir William desperately trying to dual, while his handle was coated with honey, made him laugh.
"It's alright." He soothed the boy when he'd managed to stop chuckling. "Listen. You're a boy. Boys do things like that. I'm not saying I condone it, but I do understand."
"So…you're not mad?" Callum tilted his head. Sometimes the boy looked so old, and other times… he looked so young, so innocent…
"No," Arthur reached out a hand, ruffling the child's hair. "I'm not mad."
Callum's face spilt with a grin.
"Mind you," Arthur raised an eyebrow. "That's not me giving you permission to make my knights life a living hell. Anger is an understandable emotion, and I know Sir William can be trying. That's why I wanted him to teach you. You must learn how to control those emotions."
"I will." Callum promised, yawning.
"Alright." Arthur rested a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Go get some rest."
Callum nodded, rubbing at his eyes. The boy started for the door. He paused with his hand on the handle.
"Arthur?"
"Umm?" Arthur laid back, closing his eyes.
"I think you're the greatest king who ever lived."
Arthur peeked open an eye, watching as the boy left the room.
That child… a smile seemed to have become stuck on his face. Something about Callum just made him… happy.