When Merlin told Krysia, dejected, that he'd had a horrible time at the hunting, she thought perhaps Arthur had simply made him the butt of another joke for his poor beating. She hadn't expected to see what Arthur had brought back as a spoil. She stood on the edge of the council chamber and watched the knights entering triumphant, with Merlin carrying a beautiful horn on a pillow. Merlin looked at her, then looked away.

"Father!" Arthur said. "A unicorn's horn to grace the walls of Camelot."

"Magnificent," Uther said, standing. "It's the first one I've seen." He lifted the horn from the pillow. "Gaius, look at this."

Gaius did, and he was careful not to look around to anyone else, but it was clear that he didn't share the excitement of the men or the king.

"It is very impressive, My Lord."

"What is it, Gaius?" Uther prompted. "Speak your mind."

"Unicorns are rare and mystical creatures," Gaius said. "There is a legend that says that bad fortune will come to anyone who slays one."

"Nonsense," Uther said. "We will be the envy of every kingdom."

It never ceased to amaze Krysia how Uther could so value brilliant people like Gaius and yet not value what they had to say, especially when it didn't align with what he believed. She wondered what it was like inside his mind, that he could be so capable of holding both values at once.

"I'm pleased you like it," Arthur said.

Krysia hoped, rather than believed, that Gaius was wrong, and she struggled to focus on her work that morning.

/-/

In the square, Gaius, Merlin, and Krysia had a rare walk all together as they went on their way. Merlin was changing before returning to Arthur, Gaius was headed back to his own work, and Krysia needed to run a few errands in their corner of the castle before coordinating dinner with the cook.

"I'm sorry you had to do that," Krysia said to Merlin, when she was sure none of the knights milling around were near enough to hear her.

"I don't understand how Arthur can have taken any pleasure from killing the unicorn," Merlin said.

"Arthur is a hunter," Gaius said. "It's in his blood. Whereas you are something entirely different."

"It was the most beautiful creature I have ever seen," Merlin said, smiling. "I wish you both could have seen it."

Krysia did wish she could have seen it.

"They're dying out, unicorns," she said softly. "Precious and powerful, but peaceful. I'm sorry to have missed it."

"Alas," Gaius said, "there are few unicorns still alive."

"You try telling that to Arthur," Merlin said.

"I can imagine it would be difficult," Gaius said, and Krysia would have smiled, but somehow it didn't feel right to smart now.

/-/

Rumors move quickly through a castle. The general rule of thumb is that rumors move at about twice the speed of the events themselves, so Krysia knew right away that the issue of the crops was not a natural event. Nothing in nature moved so quickly.

She went to Gaius's chambers while she was technically supposed to be somewhere else, but Uther and Arthur were distracted by their situation.

Merlin was already asking the question she had for Gaius when she entered.

"Any ideas what caused the crops to die?" he said.

Gaius, working, said, "I'm here to complete all the tests. No disease I have heard of could spread through the entire kingdom in a single night."

"It really is the whole kingdom, then?" Krysia said. She sat near Gaius as he worked, watching him examine a blighted wheat plant. "What kills all the plants besides disease?"

"It is not killing all the plants," Gaius said. "The trees and hedges around the crop fields are unharmed. Unfortunately, you can't eat trees and hedges."

"It's only killing plants we can eat?" Merlin said.

"It appears so."

"If it's not a disease, it must be magic."

Gaius was not so quick to agree, and said, "We can't assume that, Merlin. Perhaps there is something in the soil and water that can explain it. I can't tell the King it's caused by sorcery until I'm completely certain."

Krysia didn't disagree with waiting for proof in principle, but she had to agree with Merlin. Nothing Gaius had ever taught her about science could possibly explain what was happening. And if it wasn't science…

/-/

Krysia was passing through the lower town to check on the condition of the guard and Leon stopped her, clearly tired.

"How is the rationing effort?" she said.

"It is difficult," he admitted. "The people are beginning to let fear get the better of them. Krysia, how are you faring?"

"I'm doing fine," she said.

"You've enough food?"

Krysia was puzzled by his questions. She lived in the castle. Even as a servant, she would have food until there was next to nothing left. But she assured him again that she was fine.

"If you need anything," he said, holding her arm gently, "please say. I have enough rations to share—"

"You need those rations," she said with a laugh. "You have more because you may have to fight at any moment. Really, I'm fine, Leon."

Before he could argue, they heard Gwen call Merlin's name, clearly disconcerted. They looked around for her and found her at the well, and it became clear immediately what had happened: she had pumped the well for water, but nothing but sand had come out.

/-/

The well in the square had been cleared, and Arthur was presenting the situation to his father. Krysia watched Uther trace his fingers over the sand in the well bucket. She wondered what shapes he was tracing, but she watched in silence. In the end, the question was nothing to the question of what they were going to do without water.

"Sand," Uther said. "And you say the well is full of it?"

"I sent men down to the underground reservoir," Arthur said. "There is no trace of water to be found."

"First the crops, and now this," Uther said.

"It's the same throughout the kingdom. There's precious little water anywhere."

"Gaius," Uther said, suddenly willing to listen, "can you offer any explanation for this?"

Krysia was careful not to look at Gaius just as he was careful not to look at her, their life-long dance whenever magic had to be mentioned around the king.

"I cannot think of a scientific explanation," Gaius admitted. Krysia began to chew on the inside of her lip. "I can only conclude it's the result of sorcery."

"I believe you're right," Uther said. "It is the work of magic. The kingdom is under attack."

Krysia could barely breathe as those gathered were dismissed. She walked with Gaius, and when they were out of earshot of anyone else, Krysia whispered, "Do you think it's the unicorn?"

"It would seem a logical conclusion," Gaius said. "But there are always possibilities. Will you be able to do your work with the curfew?"

"I have already explained to the king that I will need to prioritize for daylight hours," she said. "He seems unconcerned. I don't know that he would notice if I just didn't do work right now. Everything is upside down."

"One thing he would notice now," Gaius said softly.

"Understood," she said.

"Be careful," Gaius said, "but do what you have to do."

She was about to ask what he meant, but when the opened the door to his quarters, Merlin was sitting next to a bucket of sand, his magic book open on the bench in front of him.

Like a child caught out, Merlin spluttered, "I was…I was just, er…"

"I was hoping you might be trying to turn it back into water," Gaius said. Krysia and Merlin both looked at him in surprise. "I know I've cautioned against using magic, but if ever there was a time to use your talents, it's now."

Merlin snapped the book shut and said, "Well, I wish I knew how. I've tried everything. If it's magic, it's more powerful magic than I possess."

/-/

Krysia and Gaius waited past curfew, but Merlin had not yet come back. Krysia was about to go looking for a guard to find him, thinking something must have happened to him, when he came barreling into the room, breathless. He told them about a remarkable thing that had happened, a man named Anhora confronting Arthur, informing them of a curse on the kingdom until Arthur atoned for the killing of the unicorn.

"What do you think that means?" Krysia said.

"I don't know," Merlin said, "but apparently Arthur is going to be tested, and if he doesn't pass, the curse doesn't lift."

"We're all doomed," she moaned.

/-/

Krysia woke late the next morning. Gaius told her it was likely the stress and exhaustion from lack of food. They continued to discuss the curse, and Gaius asked Merlin whether he believed Anhora about the curse.

"Well," Merlin said, "you said there's a legend that misfortune comes to anyone who slays a unicorn. It makes sense."

"Not much for breakfast, I'm afraid," Gaius said, brewing tea. "We're down to our last few scraps of food."

For a moment, Krysia wished she'd been less firm on Leon's offer to share his ration, but before she could be upset with herself for thinking it, Merlin asked a very poignant question.

"Where did you get the water to make the tea?"

Gaius, smiling, said, "Fortunately, for all of us, you forgot to empty your bath yesterday."

Krysia groaned, feeling very much like she might be sick.

"You're making tea from my bath water?" Merlin said, astonished.

"None for me, thanks," Krysia said.

"It's not so bad," Gaius said, "and you'll need the fluids." He took a sip. "Perhaps a little…soapy."

She groaned again.

"What does Arthur think about the curse?" Gaius said.

Merlin, clearly surprised that Gaius even asked, said, "He doesn't believe it's his fault. He's convinced Anhora's responsible for it."

"If you do not wish to drink bath water," Gaius said, "you better make sure Arthur sees sense."

/-/

When Gwen discovered the well was working again, it was of course only the beginning of lifting the issue. Food was still less than scarce, and Krysia could only feel so relieved by the news that the sand was gone and the water returned. Even when Merlin told her about Arthur letting the villager go who had been stealing grain for his family.

"You think this was a test?" she had asked Merlin.

"You're not drinking old bathwater," he said. "You tell me."

She couldn't entirely disagree, and the castle was relieved that the water had returned, but she couldn't get her mind off the villagers queuing up for grain. She paused on a battlement to watch the snaking queue, which seemed longer every day. She was surprised by Morgana, who was looking more tired than Krysia had ever seen her.

"It's hard to watch, isn't it?" Morgana said.

"The hungry people?" Krysia said. "Yes. At least they're not thirsty as well anymore."

"I heard a rumor that someone offered you food," Morgana said, teasing.

Krysia's neck felt hot, although she wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was embarrassment that Leon had thought she might take more food when there were others who needed it more.

"I don't know where you get your gossip," Krysia said lightly.

"Your face is red."

Krysia fought the urge to feel her face. Thankfully, Morgana let the matter drop.

"I could use some help," Morgana said. "I've tasked Gwen with finding something we can offer the elderly and the children in the queue. I know there isn't much to find, but—"

"I'll figure something out," Krysia promised. "We'll meet you by the grain store."

/-/

Gwen and Krysia had looked in quite a few places and turned up empty, so Krysia had to do the unthinkable.

"The cook is going to flay me," she whispered as they crept toward the kitchens.

"It'll be fine," Gwen said. "If you're too afraid to face the cook's wrath, I suppose you could ask Leon if he'd be willing to give some rations to the hungry."

Krysia's neck went hot again.

"Why does everyone keep saying things about that?" Krysia hissed.

Gwen laughed and said, "I think it's sweet. Why does it bother you so much?"

"Sometimes I think Leon still sees a scared child pulled from the woods when he looks at me," Krysia said. "It feels like he's the only person who doesn't recognize that I can handle myself."

"I don't think that's true," Gwen said. They turned into the kitchens and watched the chaos of the cook trying to prepare a lunch while there was no food to be found. Gwen nodded toward some loaves left unattended on a bench near the oven. Krysia nodded.

"What do you think he's thinking, then?" Krysia said. "Surely he knows it's more important that he eat enough than that I do."

"Importance is variable, isn't it?" Gwen said. "It's important to me that Morgana is well and that my father is well, but while most people would weigh Morgana over my father, to me, he is of greater importance."

"Only a fool weighs the wellness of a friend over their own health," Krysia said. She slid a loaf carefully into Gwen's basket. The cook was so distracted yelling at a young serving girl, Krysia thought she could get a second one. Normally she would have stepped into the argument, but the girl would have to forgive her. Feeding the people was too important, and she'd promised Morgana.

"I didn't say it wasn't foolish," Gwen said, smiling. "But I don't think it's for the reasons you think."

"Whatever the reason," Krysia said, "I wish I could forget it was ever mentioned."

The second loaf was securely in the basket and the girls began to back away from the oven.

"It doesn't look like they'll be able to help us today," Gwen said. "Let's try somewhere else."

They had nearly made it to the end of the adjacent corridor when a familiar voice said their names. Krysia and Gwen froze, shared a look, and turned slowly to face Leon.

"The cook says there is bread missing," Leon said. "You haven't seen…" He hesitated, looking at Gwen's cloth-covered basket. He looked at Krysia.

"How terrible," Krysia said, pointedly. "We've been asked by the Lady Morgana to find some food for the children, but I'm afraid we're not having much luck."

"Indeed," Leon whispered.

"I should go to her," Gwen said.

Leon nodded, and Krysia lingered, the two of them watching her go.

"You could have asked me," Leon whispered. "You didn't need to steal bread from the kitchens."

"You would have fed them out of your own rations," Krysia said. "You won't say anything?"

Leon hesitated, but he shook his head. He paced to a window and frowned down at the queue. Krysia hadn't seen him looking so frustrated and helpless for years, not since he became a knight. She wished she had some words of comfort for him, but without an end in sight, she had nothing she felt she could say truthfully.

"Perhaps you should have gone to Mercia after all," he whispered.

Her stomach turned, which was especially uncomfortable while it was so empty. The implication that she would not be suffering if she were not in Camelot was clear, but she didn't believe he would want her to be so far away just so she didn't suffer some hunger.

But he had given up. He believed they were going to die. Why else would he say that to her?

"This is where I belong," she said.

His lips twitched and he closed his eyes.

"You belong alive," he said. "You belong well and comfortable and happy. Would you say you are well or comfortable or happy?"

"I'm alive," she said firmly. "And you forget, I've survived without food before." He startled at the reminder of how she was found, malnourished and ice-cold alone in a forest. "If I could help feed a few hungry children, Leon, I'd go without food entirely until I starve. That's one thing I haven't forgotten, is what it's like to be truly hungry. You're fortunate that you don't know that feeling."

Leon hesitated, then turned to her. His face was unfamiliar to her, like he'd been broken down. Tiredness was weighing on all of them, it seemed.

"I swore when I was a child that you would never suffer that again," he said. "I still remember the sound of you crying when they brought you here, when Gaius wouldn't let them feed you until you were satisfied because he thought it might make you ill."

Krysia, stunned, stared back at him. There was a wildness, an earnestness in his eyes that seemed to belong to someone else, not to her steady and calm friend.

"I have never forgotten," he whispered. "Not a single day have I forgotten what you have suffered, Krysia. The very first thing I thought when I heard there was a blight was how you keep you well so you would not suffer again. If you ate every scrap of my food until I die, I would still feel I failed you."

"None of this is your fault," Krysia said, her stomach twisting again as she thought of the unicorn. "It isn't your problem to fix."

Leon didn't seem comforted or freed by her insistence, and the two just stared at each other for a long time from across the corridor. Each wanted to say something, but Krysia didn't know what she could say to thank him and soothe him, and he never seemed to decide what he wanted to say, either. Instead, they stared in silence until a servant passed between them, and the spell was broken. Leon made his excuses, and Krysia made hers, and she walked away feeling a heaviness on her shoulders that had settled as they stood there, and she wasn't sure how to make the feeling stop.

A/N:

To Like-a-Slasher-Film:

I feel you. It's a while. I don't know why I did this to myself, because my imagination is already well down the line. The answer is a fair few. Luckily this show has shorter season that most American syndicated shows. Yay?

The one nugget of hope I can give to the readers who are eager to get to the rendezvous between Krysia & Gwaine: I've been trying (and so far succeeding) to put out a chapter about every other morning before work. I think I might be able to put out a couple of chapters or more on weekends, too, and I'm coming up on a long weekend, which means even more extra time. I'm doing my best!

I've outlined the whole story now before I started posting again, and I'm confident that we will get there relatively soon.

A big thank-you to everyone who's decided to take this journey back up with me, and sorry for the torture.

-C