Krysia felt exhausted, but she had enough strength to carry the water jug into the council chamber. She was surprised, however, to see Leon waiting outside, looking uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?" she asked him, shifting her hands on the jug for better support.

"The king called Gaius in," he said softly. "Whatever he's about to say, I don't think it's good. You might want to wait."

Her heart began to race as she thought of all the things that could be happening in that room. There was little she could do, but all the same…

"Nonsense," she said, smiling. "I will only wait if the king demands it, and since he already demanded water, I think it best I bring it to him."

As she entered, Gaius must have just finished saying something, because Uther ignored her as she poured his water and said to Gaius, "This is not an ailment you can treat me for. You've been a loyal servant for many years. I look on you as a friend."

She stepped back, waiting for further orders, expecting to be told to leave, but Uther said nothing. He took a sip of water, so he knew she was there, but for whatever reason he seemed to think her overhearing this was no matter at all.

"I regard you in the same way, Sire."

Uther set down the goblet.

"You were here for Arthur's birth. And all that entailed." Krysia frowned, not sure what that hinted at, but she knew there was something not being said, perhaps because of her presence. "What I'm trying to do I think is best for you."

Gaius glanced at Krysia, then back at the king.

"I'm confused, Sire."

"I'll give you a generous allowance, make sure you're looked after."

Krysia dropped the water jug, but she hardly heard the shatter as it hit the stone, nor did she notice the water dripping from her skirts. She was staring at Uther, who had turned to look at her with alarm.

"You're retiring him?" she choked out. "You… you…"

"I don't want either of you to worry," Uther said gently, looking between Krysia and Gaius.

He'd called her in not because he wanted water, but to break the news to them both at once. Uther knew how much she relied on Gaius. He wanted to make certain she understood. But she understood better than he did what was happening.

"I'll allow you keep living in your chambers until more suitable accommodation can be found."

"Because I made one mistake?" Gaius pressed. "Although, in truth, Sire, it was not a mistake."

Krysia's head turned slightly at the sound of footsteps and Edwin appeared from behind a column, lurking toward them, a reminder of the threats Krysia had overheard behind the curtains.

"It was…."

Gaius's words faltered at the sight of Edwin. He glanced at Krysia, then back at Uther.

"Yes, Gaius?" Edwin prompted, staring at Krysia. If he'd had a proper face, she suspected it would be twisted in barely-concealed amusement.

"It was unfortunate," Uther said softly. "I accept that."

"Sire," Krysia said softly, "may I ask...who is to replace Gaius?"

She already knew the answer, but she needed to have it confirmed, to press her advantage as a supposedly naive young woman, and pray that she could find a way to fix this.

Uther hesitated, looking between Gaius and Krysia.

"None of this was Edwin's idea," he insisted. "Initially, he turned down the offer."

"I'm sure," Gaius said, darkly.

"It's not been an easy decision but...the younger man, new ideas."

"Yes."

"You're hesitant," Uther said, sitting forward slightly. "Is there a reason you oppose his appointment?"

Gaius looked at Krysia, who shook head slightly. She didn't want this decision to be about her and Merlin, but she had little choice. Gaius would have to choose warning the king and killing them both, or leaving it to Krysia to find a way to save Uther and sparing her for a moment.

"If you have anything to say, then say it now, Gaius," Edwin pressed, still watching Krysia.

Did he know that she knew?

"This is difficult for both of us," Uther said delicately. But he had no idea just how difficult this truly was.

Krysia held her breath, but then Gaius said, "Thank you for your patronage. It has been an honor and a pleasure to serve your family, for all these years."

He did not look at Krysia as he left the chamber, and she could scarcely breathe, so stunned she was that he said nothing to defend himself. Perhaps the dragon was right.

When Krysia arrived back at the physician's chambers, she found Gaius packing, and Merlin pacing the room anxiously, unaware of what had been done to save his skin. Krysia watched darkly, feeling a bit sick to her stomach.

"Uther cannot do this to you," Merlin insisted. "You tried to save Morgana."

"It's not Uther's fault," Krysia said softly. "There is far more at work here."

Merlin stopped pacing and frowned at her.

"I will speak to Edwin," he said, turning back to Gaius once he realized what she meant. "You can work together."

"No," Gaius insisted, stopping his packing to look up at Merlin. "You mustn't do anything."

Krysia sat down at the table.

"So you suggest that we just stand and watch you get sacked?" she asked sadly.

"Uther's right," Gaius said, ignoring her. "It's time I stepped down."

If Krysia had not known him all her life, she would have missed the lie in his voice, and the fear. As it was, Merlin seemed to miss them. Gaius returned to packing.

"What are you doing?" Merlin demanded.

"He's leaving, Merlin," Krysia said sadly. "Uther's going to move him to a part of the castle where he'll be...cared for. But Gaius has a bit more pride than that, as he should."

"No. No, Gaius, you're not leaving?"

Gaius continued to look at his bags as he said, "I believe it is for the best."

Krysia watched for a moment in silence before she whispered, "Can we come with you?"

He paused, looking up at her, and she did her best to convey with her eyes just how unfathomable it was to her, a life without Gaius to take care of her. She was no child anymore, but he was like a father to her, and the idea that she could be without him….

"Krysia, please," he said sadly. "I cherish you both. You know that." He turned to Merlin. "You are like a son to me, Merlin. I never expected another such blessing so late in life."

"And you are more than a father to us," Merlin said, his eyes turning red as he gripped the edge of the table.

Krysia stood and took a step away from the table.

"You're going to tell us to stay, aren't you?" she said. "You're going to tell us that Camelot is our place."

Gaius stared at her for a moment, not even bothering to nod before closing a bag.

"You belong here too," Merlin said with a sniff.

"Not anymore," Gaius said. "Merlin, you must promise me you will not waste your gifts."

"How is he supposed to learn without you?" Krysia pressed. "How am I?"

"You have great destinies," Gaius said with a small smile. "And you have each other. And if I had a small part to play in that, then I'm pleased."

"There is so much I have left to learn," Merlin said. "I need you to teach me."

"Please," Krysia added, sitting down again.

Gaius shook his head.

"I'm afraid I'm leaving here tonight. And there's nothing you can do or say that can persuade me otherwise."

"I will not let this happen," Merlin said, with that voice he got when he was about to do something completely and utterly stupid, usually with magic. Krysia sucked in a breath, rubbing the heel of her hand into her forehead. Before she could stop him, he rushed out of the room.

Krysia stood again, glancing at the door before hugging Gaius and whispering, "Goodbye."

And then she rushed out after Merlin, wishing that there were some other way.

/-/

Krysia mended one of Uther's shirts while Merlin watched Arthur train. The sun was almost unrelenting on the training ground, but Merlin was highly single-minded, trying to convince Arthur that he had to do something to get Gaius to stay.

"I can't understand why Uther would sack him after one mistake."

"A mistake that nearly killed Morgana," Arthur said, swinging his sword in a practiced pattern. "Besides, it wasn't the only one."

Almost dropping the shirt, Krysia sat up a little straighter, looking up at Arthur.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Edwin said his work was riddled with errors."

Merlin and Krysia exchanged confused looks. They knew Gaius's work better than anyone, and errors were things Gaius almost never made, and certainly always managed to correct.

"That's nonsense," Merlin insisted.

Arthur shrugged, continuing with his swordplay, and Krysia gathered her wits about her again. She needed to focus on what she could change, not what was out of her hands, and she tried to hint the same at Merlin by saying, "Well, Uther's made his decision. There's nothing any of us can do about that at this point. It's not as if any of us want Gaius to go."

/-/

That night, Krysia did a few more errands that usual, knowing that going back to her room would only remind her that Gaius had already left. She wasn't sure where Merlin was, but even having his company wouldn't be enough to distract her.

Instead, she ran water to and from the kitchens, checked in on various guards to see if they were hungry, brought food down to the guards in the dungeons without being asked, and was about to take Uther's newly-mended shirt to his rooms before he went to sleep when she nearly dropped in the corridor just down from it.

"Gaius!" she cried, seeing him striding toward her. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd left?"

He shook his head and said, "The dragon was wrong. I was wrong. There are more than two choices here. I need to stop him before it's too late."

Krysia made to follow him, but he shook his head, telling her that she needed to keep an eye on Merlin, make sure he didn't interfere. It didn't feel right, letting Gaius face someone so dangerous on his own, but for all she knew Merlin was off doing something stupid without realizing it, and keeping him from muddling up the delicate balance of things was always important. When she found him, however, the thought of keeping him away from Gaius quickly became the last thing on her mind.

She had cornered him on the curved staircase when Arthur rushed up.

"Merlin!" he cried. "Krysia! My father has Morgana's illness! We must find Edwin!"

Krysia and Merlin rushed off to Edwin's guest quarters, and as she ran, Krysia realized that the only way the king could have the same illness as Morgana was if they had been manufactured, by magic. It had all been a lie, from the very beginning. She quickened her pace and threw open the door to find Gaius surrounded by flame and Edwin watching, amused and triumphant. Merlin rushed forward in horror.

"Gaius, what's happened?" she asked, trying to think of a spell in her panic.

"He was trying to kill the king," Gaius said. "I couldn't let him." Merlin looked stunned.

"I can rule the kingdom now," Edwin said, stepping toward Krysia and Merlin. "I know who you are. I know what you are. With the three of us standing together, I could be all-powerful."

"Release him!" Merlin demanded.

Edwin's twisted face gave a sort of smirk and he said, "It's your loss, Merlin."

He did a spell that sent an axe flying after Merlin, but Merlin did another spell that stopped it midair. The force of their magic held it, suspended there.

"Swilte, Merlin," Edwin hissed.

Krysia hardly thought. She raised a hand, adding her own spell to the mix, redirecting the axe. To her surprise, her force won out, and the axe flew at Edwin instead of Merlin, killing him. The moment the light left his eyes, the flames died out with him. She took a deep breath, staring at the corpse as Merlin moved toward Gaius.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yes. Thank you, Merlin."

Merlin crossed over to the box sitting on a table and Krysia frowned at him.

"What do you need that for?" she asked, recognizing it as the box with the bugs in it.

"Uther's ill," Merlin explained for Gaius's benefit as he brought the box over. "The same thing Morgana had. Edwin said he used these to cure Morgana. Maybe we can too."

Gaius picked up the box, examining it.

"Elanthia beetles," he proclaimed.

"They're magical?" Merlin asked.

"Yes," Krysia gasped, suddenly recognizing the name. "Yes, I've read about them. They can be enchanted to enter the brain, it would look like inflammation of the brain, but that's not what it is. They...they burrow, they feed on the brain, they devour the soul. He must have put one in Uther."

The three of them quickly stood, hurrying to do what they could for the man who would have seen all three of them dead for their activities that night, regardless of intention.

The irony was still lingering in Krysia's mind as they sat in Uther's chambers, around the king, trying to decide how to proceed.

"How do we get the beetle out before it kills him?" Merlin asked, frowning at his ear.

"It can only be magic," Gaius said.

Krysia wished he hadn't said that, and she got up, crossing to the window, looking down on Camelot. Did she actually want to do this? Wasn't Edwin right? Wasn't it more fair, more just for them to let Uther die for all the deaths he caused?

"We can't use magic on Uther," Merlin said reasonably. "He'll kill us."

Krysia closed her eyes and could see before her Arthur's panicked face. She could not just stand there and let Arthur suffer the same pain she had felt for so long. How could that be just?

"There's no other way," she said softly, opening her eyes and turning back to fact them. "We have to do this, Merlin."

"Krysia!" Merlin said, stunned.

"There are times when it is necessary," Gaius said gently. "It is your right."

"I don't know how," Merlin said, looking down at Uther.

Krysia didn't know what to do either. She had read nothing about how to manage such things. But Merlin, Merlin worked instinctively, could do magic without ever reading the spell, especially when he was afraid.

"All I know," Krysia said softly, "is that if none of us does something, Uther is going to die, and I'm not sure Arthur would ever get over it."

Merlin swallowed, sitting on the bed and putting his hands over Uther's ears. Gaius and Krysia both leaned forward.

"Bebeode þe arisan ealdu. Áblinnen."

"What's happening?" Gaius asked.

Krysia licked her lips as Merlin moved his hands away. The beetle was in his hand, still and frozen. She gave a shuddering laugh.

"Has anyone ever told you you're a genius?" Gaius asked happily.

Merlin snorted and Krysia said, "Don't go inflating him now, Gaius. We'll never get him to behave again."

/-/

The following morning, Krysia was changing Uther's upper sheets and Gaius was bringing him a potion. She knew he had just given the news and truth about Edwin to Uther, and he had the records in his satchel to back his story up, should it be necessary.

She prayed it wouldn't. The case of Edwin's family was too close to her family's page. Far too close for comfort.

"Drink this," Gaius said, handing Uther the potion. "It'll help you regain your strength."

Uther batted it away irritably and said, "There's nothing wrong with my strength. Do you remember them? His parents?"

Krysia stiffened but continued to position the new duvet.

"I remember them all, Sire," Gaius said with a slightly choking voice, and Krysia could feel the pain behind the words.

She remembered far too little about her family, especially about her brothers and sisters.

"Gaius," Uther said, glancing at Krysia and obviously weighing his words delicately. "Once again, you saved my life. You've always served me well. And I know there are things which I've asked you to do, which you found difficult."

"You've always done what you believed to be right."

Krysia felt that this was inadequate to describe the atrocities committed by Uther, in Uther's name, using Gaius's resources at times. What did it matter that he believed it to be right if it was wrong?

"I was not right to betray you," Uther said firmly. "I'm sorry. From now on I will remember that, in the fight against magic, you are the one person I can trust."

Krysia's heart pounded and she wondered if that promise would hold, or if it might someday crumble around them and kill them all.

/-/

As soon as Uther was capable of sitting in front of the court, he moved to show his gratitude for his life, calling court together and honoring Gaius.

"I, my family, and my kingdom," he said, "are deeply indebted to you. And in honor of this, I not only reinstate you as court physician, but henceforth, you are a free man of Camelot."

Krysia held her breath as she applauded with the court. Uther handed Gaius a scroll containing his new status, but it was wrong. It should have been Merlin getting that scroll, and behind his veneer of graciousness, Krysia knew that Gaius was thinking the same thing.

He was very quiet as he walked with Merlin and Krysia through the lower town later that day, and Krysia finally said, "It's nonsense. Merlin's the one who saved Uther."

To her surprise, though, Merlin shook his head and said, "No, no. For once I'm happy for someone else to take the credit. Gaius was prepared to sacrifice his life to save me."

Krysia and Gaius both frowned, confused.

"Where do you get that from?" Gaius asked.

"I thought…"

The axe. He thought Gaius had done the axe.

"No," Krysia said softly. "That was me. I saved you and Gaius, and you saved Uther." She smirked. "Maybe you are a genius."

"You think so?" Merlin said happily. She realized it was among the first praise she'd ever actually given him, and she almost instantly regretted it. Giving boys praise was a delicate business, because their heads inflated much quicker.

"Well, almost," Gaius said. "One day."