The next few weeks were hard. Gaius had given me the task of looking after Uther day to day; which meant that I saw Arthur a lot more than I would've liked. I don't think either of us were at all happy about seeing each other so regularly and knowing that the relationship we both wanted could never happen.

But then Camelot was hit by a tragedy that made my relationship troubles seem petty and inconsequential. Merlin later told me about the girl who came to Camelot and told the story of how the ghastly screams of a monster raged through her village and killed everyone. The monster with no face. Within a day the same monster plagued Camelot. I've never been more terrified, nothing could stop them; not swords, arrows or even magic. Only fire could hold them back. People from the surrounding villages flooded in to Camelot, bringing only what they could carry. I would watch from the King's chambers as the castle filled with the frightened and fatigued faces of people I know we couldn't really protect.

Gaius identified the monster as the Dorocha. Some people say knowing the name of the thing that scares you can alleviate some of the fear. They'd be wrong. The Dorocha were just as terrifying as they had been when they were nameless monsters.

Arthur gave the order for every single torch in Camelot to be lit, and always lit. Servants flooded the King's chambers with candles, to the extent that I don't think there was a single shadow in the room. The guards were instructed to always carry a torch with them and the people were given a curfew; everyone had to be in their homes by nightfall. They seemed like empty precautions, eventually torches and fires would burn out and once again we would be at the mercy of the Dorocha.

Whilst we suffered the Dorocha for a second night, I stayed in the King's chambers later than then normal. The rest of the servants had left early to make sure they got home before dark. I was lighting the candles when I heard the door opening.

"Lilia? What are you still doing here?" Arthurs voice sounded from across the room.

"Everyone else left early, so I was just finishing lighting the candles and helping the King to bed, sire." I said as I blew out a match that had burned too low.

"It's nearly dark."

"This won't take long."

Arthur sat went and sat with his father whilst I finished lighting the candles. I moved them as far from the windows as I could so the wind wouldn't blow them out, then I added a few extra logs to the fire to make sure it lasted the night.

I turned round to see Arthur already helping Uther up and towards the bed so I rushed forward and pulled back the covers just in time for the king to fall into the bed. Looking out the window for a second I realised it was nearly dark already so I grabbed one of the torches from by the fire and lit it quickly.

"Goodnight, sire." I said before turning to leave the room.

"Wait a second. I'll walk you back to your chambers, you shouldn't go alone." Arthur said as he walked away from his father and towards me. He took the torch from my hand, "After you." He smiled gesturing to the now open door.

I stepped into the corridor somewhat tentatively, double checking that all the torches in the corridor were lit first. Arthur followed, closing the door behind him and nodding at the two guards. We walked down the corridor in silence, that was, until we were out of earshot of the guards.

"I've made an executive decision." Arthur said with a kind of happy authority.

"Isn't that kind of your job?" I asked smirking at him, "Go on then, what executive decision have you made?"

"I've decided that no dusty old protocol or tradition is going to get in the way of us being together. If we want to be together then we should be. I don't care what anybody says." There was a look of determination and a tiny glimmer of hope in his eyes as he carefully watched my expressions.

"Arthur, it doesn't matter what we want. It'll never be accepted. Especially if anyone ever finds out about me." My voice started to crack as I spoke and struggled to hold back the tears that were threatening to flood out.

"Who cares?" He said with an even stronger look of determination, "Let's do something for us for a change. I always put Camelot and my father first, and you always put your mothers wishes before your own. I don't want it to be like that anymore."

I watched his face as my mind raced at a million miles an hour, his words going round and round my head. I tried to rationalise, to come up with a reason why I should say no, a reason why I should not get caught up in a relationship that was bound to be complicated. I think it may have been this precise moment that my heart took over from my head, because I opened my mouth to say no but instead found myself nodding and whispering "Okay."

I whispered so quietly I barely even heard myself, but Arthur heard me, he heard me loud and clear. His face lit up in the biggest smile I'd ever seen. His arms wrapped round my waist and his lips pressed against mine, I found myself wrapping my arms round his neck and pulling myself closer to him. I've never been happier than I was in that moment. We were oblivious to where we were, we just clung to each other as though our lives depended on it.

But our bliss was interrupted. The corridor filled with the tortuous sound of the Dorocha's scream. Our eyes flew open just in time to see one of the faceless monsters flying towards us. Arthur jumped in front of me and waved the torch, that we'd both forgotten about. The screams disappeared, just as quickly as they'd arrived and Arthur turned to me, "Run." He said as he grabbed my hand.

We sprinted down the corridor, away from windows and towards the more well lit corridors, it was only then that we slowed. I gasped for air as my chest heaved, Arthur was looking around and listening intently for anymore Dorocha.

"Are you ok?" He asked putting his hand on my shoulder.

"I'm fine." I said but still looked around wearily.

"Let's get you home." He said holding his torch out in front of him as he began to guide me down the corridors.

We walked as quietly as we could, almost as though if we moved silently maybe the Dorocha wouldn't find us. I jumped every time I heard their screams, Arthur would stiffen slightly as well, but we didn't encounter any more of them, much to my relief. When we finally reached the door to the physicians chambers I turned to Arthur and whispered, "Thank you."

He smiled and bent down, kissing me lightly, before he whispered "Goodnight." He then turned and disappeared back down the corridor.

I slipped through the door and was immediately greeted by my brother's angry face.

"Where the hell have you been?! It's after dark already, the Dorocha are everywhere! What the hell were you thinking?! The curfew doesn't apply to everyone but you! You don't even have a torch! Are you insane?! What do you expect me to tell mother when you get killed by the Dorocha?!" Merlin yelled at me so fast I almost missed some of his angry questions.

"MERLIN! SHUT UP!" I yelled at him.

He promptly closed his mouth, so I walked past him to where Gaius was sitting with a plate of bread. I took a piece and began to eat it, realising how hungry I'd actually been.

"Where were you?" He asked again, but no longer yelling.

"I was in the King's chambers. The servants had left early so they could make it home before dark, so I stayed to light all the candles and get the king to bed. Arthur came in when I was about to leave, he told me to wait a second and he would walk me back here. So I waited a little while. We started walking back here, but we were attacked by the Dorocha, he got rid of it but we ran to a different part of the castle because we could still hear it. Then we walked back here and I came in and you started yelling at me."

Merlin paused for a while and then nodded, relaxed and sat next to me taking his own piece of bread. We all ate in silence, until I went to bed and fell asleep almost instantly. But this night my dreams weren't incoherent as usual. Instead I saw images of a child. A boy. The child was stood on a bed, a green flash suddenly appeared and the child started screaming as a small lightening scar appeared on his forehead.

I awoke confused by my dream, to Merlin shaking me saying the emergency court had been called to session. When we arrived we found Gaius informing the court that his research into the Dorocha had led him to knowledge of the Veil, that existed between the worlds and how for the Dorocha to be here the Veil must have been torn.

I watched Arthur's face as he heard the information. I knew before he'd even said that he was going to travel there to repair it, even after Gaius had told him that a sacrifice would be required. I watched the determined look on his face as he told everyone clearly that it's his duty to the people.

So I wasn't at all surprised when barely an hour later I was stood at the window of Uther's chambers watching as Arthur rode out with his knights and Merlin to save Camelot and repair the Veil. That of course didn't stop me from worrying about him.

My troubling dream had long since been forgotten.

So that's the end of another chapter, I hope you've liked it. As always please leave a review!

Thanks for reading!

Xem98x