When Merlin and Arthur returned from hunting, they brought a young woman and her father with them, and court was called together immediately. Krysia stood to one side of Uther's throne, Leon standing on the other side, while the man introduced himself to the court.

"My name is Aulfric," the man said, "heir to Tír-Mòr. This is my daughter, Sophia."

Krysia noted that Leon was eyeing the pretty Sophia with some interest, and she couldn't explain it but she felt a sudden, strong dislike of the girl.

"You're a long way from home," Uther said. "What brings you to Camelot?"

"Our home was sacked by raiders, but we barely escaped with the few possessions we could carry."

"These are dangerous times," Uther said, with genuine sympathy. He was capable of it, for people he saw as like himself. "What will you do?"

"We travel west to Caerleon where we have family and, I hope, a new life."

"You must stay awhile, break your journey," Uther insisted. "A noble family like yours is always welcome in Camelot."

The words stung Krysia to the core, knowing that it was only Uther being his ignorant self. He meant nothing by it, he didn't realize how much it hurt her to hear such a thing, to know that if he knew who she was she would be less than not welcome. But she saw Arthur and Leon watching Sophia as she and her father left the council chamber and the knife she felt in her heart turned once more.

She and Merlin went with Arthur to his chambers, where Merlin went about cleaning and Krysia prepared herself to ask questions to better serve the guests, who Uther put, naturally, as her responsibility.

"Make sure you put her in a decent room," Arthur said, and Krysia frowned. What did he think, that she put honored guests in the dungeon cells or something?

"The one next door's empty," Merlin said with a smirk and a wink at Krysia.

"The one next door's fine," Arthur said, pacing slightly. "Excellent, in fact. Shut up, Merlin."

Krysia blinked.

"He...he didn't say anything."

"He didn't have to," Arthur said sternly. "I want to make it clear to both of you that my intentions towards Sophia are completely honorable. Put her in the room on the other side of the castle, Krysia. It's warmer, more comfortable."

Krysia nodded and ran through her mind for a place to put her father near to her.

"She, er...she's very beautiful," Merlin said, raising an eyebrow as he cleaned Arthur's table.

"Yes, she is," Arthur said, a bit absently. Krysia fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"What does it matter what she looks like?" she challenged. "If you have honorable intentions…"

"Oh, they are," he said, a bit too quickly. "Most definitely."

"Then what's the problem with her staying next door?" Merlin challenged, grinning.

"There isn't one," Arthur said slowly. "You've convinced me. Put her next door, Krysia."

She sighed, nodded, and walked out of the room muttering under her breath and thinking of all the poisons she would use on this stupid Sophia if she didn't value her life.

As asked, however, she arranged the accommodations, and had Merlin put in direct charge of Sophia. She could get away with it because she was just next to Arthur, but it also kept her from the urge to murder the girl in her sleep.

Instead, Krysia focused on helping Gaius with his work, trying to keep herself from doing something stupid and regrettable. Gaius was having her chop some herbs while he had a flask on the burner, when the door opened and Morgana came in. Gaius and Krysia both started.

"Morgana!" Krysia said, just missing her fingers as she jumped. Gaius was holding the flask and frowning at the distressed-seeming Morgana.

"I'm sorry," she said, calming herself slightly. "I didn't mean to disturb you."

"Nonsense, my child," Gaius said, rushing to greet her. "My favorite patient is always welcome." He kissed her cheek and Krysia went back to chopping the rest of the rosemary she had in front of her. That strange feeling was rising inside her again and she was starting to think it might be jealousy. "I'm sorry about the mess," Gaius said as Morgana looked over his shoulder. "Most of it's Merlin's. If we'd known you were coming, we'd have tidied up in here."

Smoke tickled Krysia's nose and she looked up, stunned.

"Gaius, the bench is on fire," she said urgently, looking around for water.

"My bench is on fire?" he asked, bemused. "What are you…" He turned around to see the flames and he jumped into action. "My bench is on fire!"

"Here," Morgana said, grabbing the bucket, which happened to be beside her. Gaius used the tongs to drop the flask into the water and Krysia used a rag to bat out the smouldering bench.

"Trouble in your wake, m'lady," Krysia teased. "Now, what's on your mind? Feeling well? You seem upset about something."

Morgana looked anxiously at Krysia, then at Gaius, then back at Krysia. She seemed to decide that she could speak with Krysia present and finally said, "I had another dream."

Krysia sat on the bench, on a cool part, and frowned.

"I see," Gaius said slowly.

"I saw Arthur lying underwater, drowning, and there was a woman standing over him, watching him die. And she's here in Camelot."

Krysia sat up a bit straighter, realizing the only woman who had come to Camelot recently was the one she'd put in a room right next to Arthur.

"Newly in Camelot?" she asked carefully, not wanting to jump to conclusions, especially about guests of the king. "Or someone you've seen before? Because dreams often supply faces we've seen before, even only a time or two."

"No," Morgana said, her voice shaking. "I had this dream before she came to Camelot."

"You must be mistaken," Gaius insisted.

"No, I know what I saw. It was so real...so vivid. I saw him die, Gaius. She's going to kill him."

Krysia could feel her stomach drop, could see her own vivid dreams, the face of the man the dragon told her would be her husband. Did such dreams have to come true? Or was fate escapable? Because if what Morgana said was true, then how could Merlin's destiny come to pass?

"Perhaps it's just a dream," Krysia said. "Have you been taking your potion?"

"Oh, it doesn't help," Morgana said, obviously despairing.

"Here," Gaius said, picking up a nearby bottle. "Try this. It will induce a deeper sleep. You've nothing to fear."

Krysia licked her lips, wondering how true that could really be.

"Thank you, Gaius," Morgana said, closing her graceful fingers around the bottle, but her beautiful eyes were still full of fear.

"Morgana," Gaius said, stopping her as she turned to leave. "Don't bother Uther about this. No need to worry him."

She nodded and left, and Krysia stood, frowning slightly. Then she suddenly realized.

"It's magic," she said softly. "The dreams. Morgana has magic."

Gaius turned quickly and tilted his head.

"Of all the people in Camelot," he said softly, "I should have thought you were the one smart enough to keep from saying such things."

Krysia said nothing, swallowing, nodding, and returning to the herbs.

Three people with magic in one castle, and perhaps the one castle where any such people were the least welcome.

/-/

Krysia knew something was off when Merlin showed up to the council chamber without Arthur. She gave Merlin a questioning look, but he was too busy looking sick to his stomach. Whatever this was, it wasn't his fault and it wasn't his idea, and she had a right mind to kill Arthur the next time she saw him, but that would defeat the purpose.

"Where's my son?" Uther demanded.

"I'm not sure where he is," Merlin said. He was obviously floundering, and Krysia hoped it would be taken as nerves. "I, erm, I think there's been a mistake. But it's not his fault. Arthur's, I mean."

"Stop gibbering and tell me where he is."

"It's probably…no, it's definitely my fault," Merlin said, looking at Krysia nervously.

"Where is Arthur?" Uther repeated, losing his patience.

"I don't believe he is here, Sire," Krysia said softly.

"I can see that," Uther said sharply.

Merlin spluttered into action again, his story straighter in his head. He said, "Arthur wasn't sure of his orders, so he asked me to check with the guards to see if he was riding out this morning and…well...I may have forgotten."

Krysia could have died on the spot she was so mortified, but at least Merlin was taking full responsibility. Although it should have been Arthur.

"You forgot?" Uther asked in a dangerously low voice.

"I'm sorry, My Lord," Merlin said, mistaking this for encouragement. "I'm sure he would have been here, had I told him."

"If this were a time of war, I would have you flogged," Uther snarled.

Merlin must have been feeling bold because he said, "And since it's not, we'll let it go, just this once?"

As Krysia could have predicted, the flogging was forgone for a more...suitable punishment.

She picked up a tomato along with the children and smiled at Merlin in the stocks.

"You look like you belong there," she said happily, squishing the produce in her hand slightly.

"I'd forgotten how much fun this is," he said, rolling his eyes at her before she pelted him.

But no matter how many things the children threw at Merlin, he wouldn't say the truth of the matter until they were alone, so she walked him back to Gaius hoping for some answers, and almost praying that the answers didn't resemble Morgana's dreams.

Gaius looked up when they entered torn between disgust and amusement.

"Have you been playing with your food again?"

"The king put me in the stocks," Merlin said with forced casualness in his voice.

Krysia snorted and said, "Go ahead, tell him what idiocy you did this time."

"Nothing," Merlin said, a little too quickly. "Honestly, it wasn't my fault. Arthur wanted to get out of being on patrol with Uther and the guard, so I covered for him and took the blame."

"And Arthur was prepared to let you do this?" Gaius asked.

"It was his idea."

Krysia licked her lips. As much as Arthur might have done that when they were much younger, he'd been taking his duties very seriously for years now. It wasn't like him.

"What has him doing this?" she said, thinking there must be a reasonable explanation. "Something important? It would have to be, right, shirking his responsibilities?"

"Sophia," Merlin said, amused.

Krysia watched Gaius nearly drop the spoon he was holding as her own heart sank into her stomach.

"The girl from the forest?" Gaius pressed.

"He wanted to take her out for the day. He is besotted."

"He's just met her," Krysia said, hoping she sounded more jealous than worried. False jealousy she could explain. She wasn't sure if it was the best idea to tell Merlin about the dreams yet. "She's not that great."

"I guess it must have been love at first sight," Merlin said, shrugging and smiling.

"Yes. I suppose it must be," Gaius said, but he didn't seem convinced, either.

Merlin when to clean himself, and Gaius turned to Krysia with an expectant look. She sighed.

"You're going to ask me to do something that's likely to get me into a lot of trouble, aren't you?"

They crept through the corridors, and Krysia was muttering curses under her breath as she inched the door to Aulfric's guest chambers open, ushering Gaius in when she saw that it was empty. They poked around, but Krysia found nothing unusual. Gaius was just inspecting a staff she'd seen Aulfric carrying when the guest himself entered, looking more than a little upset.

"Can I help?" Aulfric demanded, more of Gaius than of Krysia.

"Forgive me," Gaius said, glancing at Krysia. "The door was open. We thought someone might have broken in."

"Looks like they have."

Krysia curled her fingernails up into her palms, fighting the urge to hit this man. Hitting nobility wasn't a good way to keep her job. Or her life, for that matter.

"I apologise for imposing on you. It won't happen again."

"Make sure it doesn't," Aulfric said sternly, and Krysia and Gaius hurried out into the corridor. Aulfric slammed his door behind them.

The following day, Merlin managed to get himself in the stocks again, and when Leon told Krysia about it to go pick him up, he mentioned that Arthur hadn't turned up for the knighting that morning, and Merlin had taken the blame once again.

"If he keeps this up, I'll flog him myself," she muttered, and almost lost her stern look when Leon laughed as she walked away.

Krysia dragged a rotten-food-covered Merlin back to Gaius, anxious to have a little chat with the both of them and sort out what they were going to do with the issue of Sophia.

"Guess who got in trouble again?" Krysia said, announcing their entrance to Gaius, who looked up at Merlin and sighed.

"You'd think," Merlin said, "that the appeal of pelting the same person with fruit would wear off after a while, but oh, no!"

"I heard that Arthur wasn't at the knighting ceremony," Gaius said carefully.

"Yeah, he wanted to make the most of his time left with Sophia."

"And you took the fall for him again," Krysia said, sinking onto the bench and frowning up at him. "You're helping him shirk his duties."

"I'm his servant," Merlin argued. "I had to."

"You shouldn't have done that, Merlin," Gaius said sadly. "I fear that Sophia may not be all that she seems."

"Why?"

Gaius and Krysia exchanged nervous glances. He had explained Morgana's dreams to her in full, finally, when Merlin had gone off to dress Arthur that morning - or not dress him, as it turned out.

"Merlin, how much do you know about prophecy?" she asked.

"Not much," he said. "Seers are supposed to be able to see the future."

"It's said to be an innate ability," Gaius said slowly. "Those who have it are born that way. Some aren't even aware that what they see is the future. It comes to them in their dreams. Anyone connected with magic may have dreams related to their own futures in regard to powerful life events, but to have dreams about the future more generally...that is a prophetic gift."

Krysia swallowed, thinking of the man in her dreams. She'd been a bit relieved, actually, to learn that it wasn't prophecy.

"What's this got to do with Sophia?"

"Before she and her father arrived in Camelot," Krysia said, "Morgana had a dream, and Sophia was in it, before she'd ever seen her face."

"Before she arrived in Camelot?" Merlin clarified.

"I've been watching Morgana since she was very young," Gaius admitted. "And though I tried to persuade myself otherwise, I realised that some of the things she said she'd dreamt came to pass. I kept it a secret, of course. The gift of prophecy is too close to the work of magic."

"You think Morgana is a seer?"

"No, she is a seer, Merlin," Krysia said softly. "But that's not something we want in this instance, because she dreamed that Sophia killed Arthur."

Merlin looked dumbfounded, and seemed to be finding a way out. He said, "Couldn't that just be a dream? Maybe the - the woman Morgana saw just looked like Sophia."

"That's what we hoped," Gaius said wearily. "But Aulfric caught us in his room, and in a flash of anger, his eyes changed color."

"Who are they?"

Krysia shook her head.

"I'm less interested in who they are and more in why they're so interested in Arthur," she muttered, tapping her fingers anxiously on the bench.

For once, Krysia was advocating for Merlin's method of discovery. She actually suggested that they follow them and find out, since she was concerned that Merlin on his own would not be enough for whatever these two strangers were.

Sophia and her father met outside of Arthur's door, and Merlin and Krysia crouched out of sight, behind a corner.

"He's ready," Sophia said. "Tomorrow he'll do what we need him to do."

Krysia curled her fingers nervously into Merlin's arm.

"Good, you have done well," Aulfric said. "I must go to the elders."

As casually as possible, Merlin and Krysia turned the corner and followed Aulfric down the corridor. They followed him all the way out to the woods, to a lake, where Aulfric stood at the bank. Krysia and Merlin crouched out of sight, and Aulfric called out, "I seek an audience with the Sidhe elders! Do:tiag-sa ar idbairt do denam!"

She swallowed as the fairies began to appear above the lake. This couldn't be what it looked like. This man couldn't be a Sidhe. He was just a man!

"I come before you for a chance to win passage back to Avalon and a life of immortality!"

The Sidhe elder who responded, however, was not impressed with this request, as he said, "Your punishment for killing another Sidhe is a mortal body and a mortal life. You will never be able to return to Avalon."

Krysia's fingers dug into Merlin's. Mortal was good. They could manage a mortal. A Sidhe wouldn't be so easy to combat. But if he had been powerful enough to kill another Sidhe…. Even as a mortal, he must be incredibly powerful. How much had he retained?

"The crime was mine, not my daughter's."

"The gates of Avalon remain closed to your daughter. Unless the soul of a mortal prince be offered up to them."

So this is what Arthur was to be: a sacrifice to win back immortality for Sophia. It seemed, Krysia thought wryly, that fathers were willing to do much for their daughters. While she didn't doubt her own father would have made such a deal to save her, she didn't like the odds of saving Arthur in this situation. And yet, she knew she had to try. It was Merlin's responsibility, but he couldn't battle Sidhe alone, even in mortal bodies.

"Thank you," Aulfric said, obviously humbled and relieved. "An immortal life for my daughter is all that I desire, so I promise you the soul of the greatest prince of all. Arthur Pendragon!"