A/N: GuestM, I love your cats' names!

Chapter 1

Lancelot pulled his mail shirt over his head, fitting his arms through the sleeves. He then picked up his belt to cinch around his waist, reaching for his sword last.

Lily waited until he was fully dressed before coming over and tucking a small violet between the links of his chainmail over his breast. He used the closeness to steal a kiss from his wife, and she stole a second one right back. Lancelot had to restrain himself from a third lest he be late for patrol duty that morning.

"What do you have planned for the day?" he asked.

"Gwen would like to spruce up her chambers with some flowers and she's asked for my help."

Lancelot smiled. He couldn't be more happy that Lily and Gwen had become such good friends. A lot of people were still wary of Lily's magic, but Guinevere wasn't. She had a good, kind heart, and Lancelot knew that she would be the first to support Merlin if his magic was ever revealed.

There was still a long way to go before that would happen, though.

Lily walked with Lancelot down to the courtyard where the knights' horses were already saddled and ready, and she stood at the top of the steps and watched as he mounted up and rode out. And Lancelot kept looking back at her until they'd ridden through the gate and out of sight.

"You are such a lovesick puppy," Gwaine teased.

Lancelot knew he had a smitten smile on his face but he didn't care because he was too content. He had everything he'd ever wanted in life. He was a knight, had found love and married for it. After spending half his life with nowhere to belong, he had a home and family. Things were good.

"I think it's sweet," Percival said. "I'd like to fall in love with a girl someday, marry."

"The kingdom is full of them," Elyan interjected. "What's taking you so long?"

"I haven't met the right one yet."

"Maybe you're being too picky, mate," Gwaine rejoined.

"Don't listen to them," Lancelot told him. "When you do meet the right one, she'll be worth the wait."

"Sap," Gwaine muttered.

"You're just jealous no one fancies you," Leon tossed over his shoulder.

Gwaine's face scrunched up indignantly. "I'll have you know I'm a real charmer with the ladies."

"And yet you remain unattached," Elyan said with a smirk.

"Perhaps I like it that way."

"Perhaps it's the ladies who prefer it that way."

Gwaine scowled. "Alright, that's enough of that." He kicked his horse into picking up the pace, and the rest of the knights exchanged a series of grins as they followed suit.

Morgana stood behind a tall mass of chaparral, watching the path the knights of Camelot would be passing through. The patrols were so predictable. And there they came, riding two abreast. It was almost a let-down, how easy this would be.

The band of mercenaries Morgana had recruited shifted in preparation.

"Which one?" the leader asked.

She pointed to the one on the white horse. The leader signaled to his archer, who raised his crossbow and took aim. They waited until the knights had passed, their backs exposed. Then the man squeezed the trigger.

The grapnel arrow shot through the air and pierced Sir Lancelot through the back of the shoulder, punching out the other side. In the space of the breath it took for him to cry out, the attached rope snapped taut, and with the tiny grappling hooks on the arrowhead digging into flesh, Lancelot was yanked backward off his horse and dragged across the ground.

The other knights spun their horses around in surprise, then swiftly dismounted and drew their swords. Morgana stepped out from her cover and hissed a spell that flung them all backward through the air several feet. The mercenaries surged forward, crossbows nocked, though they knew not to attack. A pair of them grabbed Lancelot and hauled him upright onto his knees, placing a dagger to the side of his neck. His chin dropped forward, his breaths coming in choked gasps. The shock of the grapnel arrow had robbed him of all thought and awareness for the moment.

The knights were scrambling to their feet, but there were several crossbows aimed at them now, and they had no chance of closing the distance before they'd be shot.

"Stand down," Morgana warned. "I have no desire to spill further blood today." She held up a sealed letter and sent it gliding through the air with magic to land at Sir Leon's feet. "I suggest you deliver that to Arthur with all haste."

The knights were bristling with fury. Sir Leon slowly bent down to pick up the missive, then looked at Lancelot.

"I assure you, I have use for him alive," Morgana said. "But only one messenger is needed to deliver that letter should you choose the unwise course here."

A muscle in Sir Leon's jaw ticked, and the rest of them shifted uncertainly. Morgana watched Leon mentally calculate the odds, saw the moment he realized further resistance would only result in their deaths.

"Retreat," he finally ordered grudgingly.

"But—" Guinevere's brother started.

"Go," Sir Leon bit out. He cast one last regretful look at Sir Lancelot, who was still too out of it to register his friends leaving him in the hands of the enemy.

Morgana watched in satisfaction as the knights mounted up and rode off toward the castle. Once they were gone, she nodded to her minions. One of them tossed Lancelot up over his shoulder, heedless of bumping the arrow protruding from both ends of the knight's shoulder, and they set off.

As lairs went, the cave Morgana was currently forced to hide out in left much to be desired, but it served her purpose. For now.

They trekked inside and the mercenary threw Lancelot to the ground where he immediately rolled onto his good side with a pained cough, eyes squeezed shut.

Morgana tutted at the ruffians. "I need him alive," she lightly chided. "Get the arrow out."

Two men knelt down and roughly held Lancelot in place as one of them reached for the shaft sticking out of his back. With a deft snap, he broke off the end with the attached rope. Lancelot jerked with a cry, but then he screamed long and hoarse when the men pushed the arrow the rest of the way through his front.

Morgana went to her worktable and picked up a goblet of dark liquid she had prepared earlier. "Hold him up," she instructed as she walked back over.

They hauled Lancelot to his knees again, the knight swaying in place, barely conscious. Morgana gripped his jaw hard and poured the goblet's contents into his mouth. He coughed and sputtered, spilling treacly brown liquid down his chin. Morgana forced the drink down his throat, then stepped back. The men holding him up let go, and Lancelot collapsed on the ground, choking. He'd thank her in a few minutes, though, when the potion finished healing the grisly wound. A knight's career could be ruined by such an injury.

Morgana canted her head as she spotted a small flower tucked into the links of his chainmail, the petals splashed with blood. She leaned down and plucked it off him, smirking. Now all she had to do was wait.

Lily fiddled with the arrangement of flowers in the vase that was to be the centerpiece on the table, the final touch for a spruced up room. The yellow roses were already wilting; they tended not to last as long as their red counterparts. Lily infused a bit of magic to revive them.

"Perfect," Gwen declared, looking around at the various arrangements. "Thank you, Lily."

"Of course. It was my pleasure."

"I think this calls for some tea and cake. I'm pretty sure there were some extra sweets left over from last night."

"That's surprising," Lily replied. "Doesn't Elyan usually make sure no sweet is left uneaten?"

Gwen's face cracked into a grin. "Exactly, which is why the servants sometimes hold back a few for me. The other knights might be chivalrous enough to leave the last pastry for their queen, but my brother is not."

Lily laughed.

The door swung open as Merlin came barreling in.

"Merlin!" Gwen exclaimed happily. "We were just discussing scrounging up some cakes from the kitchen. Care to join us?"

Merlin's expression wasn't joyful, though, and he was out of breath, as though he'd run all the way up here from the courtyard. "The patrol just came back. Without Lancelot," he said.

Lily's good mood evaporated in an instant. "What?"

"What happened?" Gwen asked urgently.

Merlin shook his head. "I don't know. They were just getting back. I thought you'd—"

"Of course, thank you," Gwen cut him off, already moving past him.

Lily hurried after them both, the three of them quickly making their way through the corridors to the main hall. They burst in to find Leon in the middle of giving his report to Arthur. The knight faltered mid-sentence at Lily's arrival, his expression pinching in distress as he met her gaze before looking away.

"What happened?" she asked. "Where's Lancelot?"

"It was Morgana," Leon answered. "She ambushed us with a group of mercenaries. Lancelot took an arrow through the shoulder…" He looked at Lily again. "I'm sorry. We were outnumbered, and Morgana said she wanted him alive."

Lily's breath caught in her throat.

Leon turned back to Arthur and held out a letter.

Arthur took it grimly and broke the seal so he could read its contents. His mouth turned down further.

"What does she want?" Merlin asked tautly.

Arthur looked up. "She wants Lily."

"Me?" she blurted. "Why?"

Arthur passed her the note. "It only says she wants to meet with you, alone, an hour before sunset near the Druid shrine in the woods. And if you don't show, she'll kill Lancelot."

Lily read the missive for herself, not that it shed any more light on the situation. "Who is this Morgana?" she asked. She'd heard the name before, heard a few stories where Morgana featured as a formidable villain.

"She is…" Arthur started, voice tapering off. "My half sister. And a dangerous sorcerer."

"She's tried to take the throne of Camelot several times," Leon added.

"She's obsessed with killing Arthur and ruling Camelot herself," Merlin put in.

Lily shook her head in dismay. "Then what could she want with me?"

"I don't know," Arthur said gravely. "But she cannot be trusted."

"Yet she has Lancelot, so I have to go," Lily replied.

Arthur nodded sagely. "I know, but you won't be going alone."

"Her note said—"

He held up a hand. "We'll hang back out of sight, but near enough that you can yell for help if needed. Lancelot would never forgive us if we let something happen to you too."

Lily exhaled shakily and nodded. In truth, she was terrified. What could this sorceress want from her? There was nothing special about Lily, save her magic, but working with plants certainly didn't compare to the scope of Merlin's, and likely this Morgana's, type of power. And yet she had gone to the trouble of taking Lancelot…

"You said Lancelot was shot with an arrow. I should pack a medicinal bag," Lily said, her heart thundering with worry for her husband. How badly was he injured? Morgana planned to keep him alive for the moment, but that didn't mean she'd make sure he stayed whole.

"I'll help you," Merlin said, snapping her out of her mental spiral.

Arthur nodded. "We'll leave early, get into position and remain hidden before it's time for the rendezvous."

Lily swallowed hard. Sunset was so far off…she hoped Lancelot would hold out until then. Only a few hours ago she had kissed him goodbye as he went off on patrol; she'd never imagined it might be for the last time.

She felt Gwen slip a hand into hers and give a commiserative squeeze. At least Lily wasn't alone. She knew they all would do everything in their power to bring Lancelot home safely. And it was a force she was going to put her faith in.