Krysia stood in her place near the king, listening to the string of women Aredian brought forth with apparent new instances of magic throughout Camelot.

"Speak," Aredian told Beatrice, the first woman. "Do not be afraid."

She was certainly afraid, but Beatrice did tell her tale to the king.

"I…I was drawing water from the well, sire, when I saw them. Faces…in the water, sire. Terrible faces…like people who were drowned…screaming…screaming…"

Merlin leaned near to Gaius and said something, probably insisting that it wasn't him. Krysia knew Merlin would have never done such a thing. There were only two possibilities: someone was careless enough to do magic with Aredian in town, or somehow Aredian had manipulated the circumstances. But Beatrice did believe she'd seen this, so…how had he managed it?

"Tell them what you saw," Aredian told Annis, the next woman.

"A goblin," Annis said. "Dancing on the coals, it was. Dancing in the flames. And it spoke, sire… My heart near stopped for fear of it."

"As you have heard, my lord," Aredian said, "the incident in the woods was only the beginning."

"There was a sorcerer, sire," Rowena, the third woman, said, "in the square. There were creatures jumping right out of his mouth."

And this, Krysia did not believe. If such a thing had happened in the square, there would have been more witnesses, including knights. Uther didn't seem to see the lack of logic in this, however.

"What manner of creature?" Aredian prompted.

"Toads, sire. Great, green, slimy things as big as your fist!"

"The sorcerer laughs in your face! Even now, magic flourishes on the streets of Camelot."

Uther, finally speaking, said, "I scarcely believe it."

"And yet it is the truth, my lord. Fortunately, I have utilized every facet of my craft to bring this matter to a swift resolution."

"The sorcerer," Uther said. "You have a suspect?"

"Oh, I do my lord," Aredian said. "I regret to say they stand among us in this very room. My methods are infallible. My findings incontestable. The facts point to one person and one person alone. The boy, Merlin."

Krysia's breath caught in her throat, and Arthur, mercifully, expressed his disdain for the accusation.

"Merlin?!" Arthur said. "You can't be serious?"

"I would suggest, sire," Krysia said, "that the lack of evidence must be considered. Especially for these new charges, particularly the one that appeared to have happened in the square. A single witness for such a supposedly flagrant and flippant abuse of magic in the heart of the town must require more evidence to accuse a man of."

Aredian stood tall and narrowed his eyes at her. "Indeed, you desire evidence? The tools of magic cannot be hidden from me. I am certain that a thorough search of the boy's chamber will deliver us all we need."

"Merlin?" Uther said.

"I have nothing to hide from him," Merlin said.

"Very well," Uther said. "Guards, restrain the boy. Let the search begin."

Krysia made to follow them out of the hall, but Uther said her name, and she froze. She turned, and she followed him as he withdrew to his study. She waited, stiff-backed, for him to say whatever he'd wanted to say to her in private.

"I am aware that your quarters are also being searched in this, and for that I apologize," he said. "But privacy is secondary to security."

"Of course, sire," she said.

"I must ask…your…interview with Aredian," he said. He hesitated, not meeting her eye. "He was not rough with you?"

Krysia took a deep breath to steady her response before she said, "I believe he was in some way dissatisfied with my answers, but no, he was not rough. He is a forceful questioner, and he said many strange things, but that was expected."

Uther hummed. They waited in uneasy silence for a guard to tell them the search had been completed, and Krysia hoped her enchantments on the floorboards held.

/-/

Leon hated himself for every second of what was happening to Gaius's chambers. The knights were urged by Aredian to upend and even destroy objects in search of things, and Leon couldn't help thinking that with three persons living under one roof, it would be too simply to accuse them all if anything were found.

"Careful, please," Gaius asked of the knights. "That's my life's work!"

Aredian ignored Gaius's plea.

"Comb every inch," he said. "The sorcerer is a master of concealment."

"There's nothing here, Aredian," Arthur said.

"I'll be the judge of that. Over there, behind this tapestry," he said to one knight. "And there, upend that stool. Be sure to check for hollow legs. There," he said to Leon, "within those powder jars."

Leon, feeling sick, held out an amulet he found among the jars.

"Here," he said.

"An amulet of enchantment," Aredian said gleefully. "Were you aware, Physician, that your assistant kept instruments of sorcery?"

"No," Gaius said grimly.

"Well, our work is done," Aredian said. "I must inform the king."

"Aredian!" Gaius called, causing everyone to stop. "I know for certain that the amulet does not belong to Merlin."

Leon felt a surge of panic, thinking that Gaius was about to expose Krysia to save Merlin. It didn't seem like Gaius, but if it was hers, it wouldn't be right to let Merlin die for someone else's crimes.

"Oh?" Aredian said, clearly thrilled to hear this, which made Leon even more nervous. Was this his goal all along? "Well, who does it belong to, then?"

"It belongs to me," Gaius said firmly, and Leon had a feeling that although this was theoretically and end, it was really just the beginning.

/-/

Krysia and Merlin sat together on the bench, surrounded by the ruin inflicted by the knights in their search.

"Was it yours?" Krysia whispered.

"No," he said, through tears. "Yours?"

"No," she said. "He must have forgotten it from many years past. He was always such a careful man, but we all make mistakes."

"Should we clean?" Merlin whispered.

They sat in silence for a while longer as Krysia weighed the question. Every fiber of her being wanted to tidy, clean, repair. But somehow it felt wrong for the room to look as it always did while Gaius was in the dungeons.

"We need to help him," Merlin said finally. "We have to get him out of there."

"He wouldn't want us to break him free, if that's what you're suggesting," Krysia said. "Do nothing. Keep eyes and ears peeled. I must serve the king dinner tonight, and no doubt Aredian will be there. He's suspicious of me, but I'm hopeful he'll be drawn into conversation and reveal something. He's a proud man, and he's used to getting his way. That can lead a man to be careless."

Merlin agreed, and he retreated into their room to sulk, which seemed only fair. Krysia was gathering herself to go back to the kitchens when there was a knock on the door.

Leon entered, and he looked incredibly pale and nervous. She tried to force a weak smile, but she knew there wasn't much point.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "I…I didn't mean to—"

"You were doing your job, Leon," she said. "It's fine. Gaius would expect nothing less."

"I can help clean—"

"It's really fine. Merlin and I, we'll figure it out."

They stared at each other, Leon seeming to want to say something else, but too much time passed, and they both had things to do. Krysia stood, brushing off her skirts.

"I appreciate that you took the time to check on us," she said. "But please don't trouble yourself over this. Please."

She could tell from the pained expression he tried to turn into a smile that he wouldn't be able to keep from troubling himself, but he said he would try.

/-/

Krysia very pointedly looked at Aredian during dinner, hoping it would unnerve him, but he was riding high on his victory, and nothing seemed to faze him, not even Uther's musings.

"Gaius has served me with unfailing dedication," Uther said. "Without his knowledge, his wisdom, I would not be sitting here today."

"You have shown great faith in him, sire," Aredian said. "Great faith indeed…considering that he was known to practice sorcery."

Arthur almost laughed through his mouthful of food.

"Gaius?" he said. "Mmm. You're mistaken."

"No, Arthur; he speaks the truth," Uther said. "I am well aware of his past, and I have every reason to believe he has turned his back on sorcery."

"Until now," Aredian said.

"We don't know that," Uther said firmly. "This amulet you found could just be a stupid mistake."

"Or maybe he has fallen back into old habits," Aredian said.

Krysia poured more wine for each of them, topping off Aredian's glass especially high. He was consuming greedily everything she supplied, and she hoped the extra wine would ply something useful out of him.

Arthur, uncomfortable, said, "We must given him the benefit of doubt, surely?"

"Why?" Aredian said. "Anyway, there is a sure way to establish his guilt."

Uther blanched at this, and Krysia wondered precisely what this way was.

"I know your methods are effective, Aredian," Uther said, "but Gaius is an old man, he could not withstand such…treatment."

Krysia could barely feel her hands as Aredian said, "It is the only way to rid your mind of doubt."

For the first time that night, he met Krysia's gaze, and Krysia knew that the smirk that curled at his lips as Uther gave approval was designed to frighten her. She schooled her face to stillness, and she was grateful she had already filled the wine glass, because if she'd been pouring now, she was sure her numb hands would have dropped the pitcher.

/-/

Krysia guessed that Gaius would crumble when she heard that Morgana, too, had been questioned. What she didn't realize was how quickly it would all happen. Almost no sooner had she heard that Morgana was questioned than she stood behind Uther as Gaius was brought before the king.

"Confess!" Aredian demanded. "Confess!"

"I am a sorcerer, sire," Gaius said. "I am responsible for conjuring the smoke. I am guilty of partisan magic in Camelot. The goblin, the faces in the well…. I am the sorcerer who conjured the toad from his mouth."

"You have betrayed me, Gaius," Uther said. "You have betrayed your friends. But above all, you have betrayed yourself. By the laws of Camelot, I must sentence you…to death."

It clearly hurt Uther to say it, but he said it anyway. And Aredian did not let it stop there.

"The sorcerer will be purged of his magic by means of fire!" Aredian called. "He shall be burned at the stake tomorrow at dawn! Bear witness and heed this lesson!"

Merlin could no longer stand silent, and he advanced on Aredian, furious, crying, "You are a liar!"

"Guards!" Aredian called.

"You're a liar!"

"I'll deal with this," Arthur said, hurrying forward and grabbing Merlin by the upper arm.

Krysia lingered just long enough to ask if she could be dismissed momentarily before following Arthur and Merlin down the corridor, down the stairs toward the jail.

"I know you're upset," Arthur said, nodding to Krysia when he saw her, "I know you're angry. It's alright, Merlin. I'm not throwing you in jail."

"What are you doing with him?" Krysia said.

"I'm breaking the law," Arthur said, handing Krysia a key. "I can only give you a few minutes."

She hugged him and led Merlin to Gaius's cell. He looked up at them sadly.

"They wouldn't let us see you," Merlin said. "There was nothing I could do—"

"I know," Gaius said. "I understand."

"I can't believe it," Merlin whispered. "I can't believe Uther could do this to you."

"Once Aredian found the amulet," Krysia said, "Uther couldn't do nothing, it was only a question to whom."

"I didn't even know you had such a thing," Merlin said.

"It isn't mine," Gaius said.

Krysia and Merlin exchanged a startled look. They had assumed it must be his, as it wasn't one of theirs.

"Why did you say it was?" Merlin said.

"I was trying to protect you."

"Protecting Merlin gets us all in trouble, doesn't it?" Krysia said with a nervous laugh. "This is beyond words."

"It's alright," Gaius said. "You don't have to say anything."

"Yes, I do," Merlin said. "The amulet isn't mine or Krysia's either."

Gaius looked puzzled and said, "Then how did it get there?"

"Aredian," Merlin said, understanding precisely what Krysia had already begun to suspect.

"Yes," Krysia said. "Aredian. Just as much of a crook as I thought he was."

"There's no other explanation," Merlin said.

"But why?" Gaius said.

"All that matters is if I can prove he planned it," Merlin said, "you're saved!"

"No," Gaius said urgently. "You must let this go."

Krysia shook her head and said, "Gaius, you're innocent, what is the point of you dying? Do you want to die for something you didn't do, that none of us did?"

"No," Gaius said urgently. "But neither do I want you to do, or Merlin. And die either of you surely will if you get too close to Aredian. He will trap you, he will manipulate you, and without ever meaning to, you will incriminate yourself…but…" He hesitated, as if about to say more. "You must let this go."

Merlin, through tears, said, "I must let you go?"

"To do otherwise would be an act of suicide."

Krysia, though, said nothing. She knew Gaius was wrong, that he had been scared into this decision, but she wasn't ready to let go of him, not yet.

/-/

They returned to Gaius's chambers, and Merlin watched the pyre being built through the window. Krysia, on the other hand, sat in silence near the bench.

If what she'd been reading was correct, if she'd achieved the level of skill with the ways in her aunt's book as she thought she had, she couldn't be killed by fire. Once a priestess mastered the power of life and death, which she had done when she killed Nimueh, she could not be killed by mortal means, but only by weapons of magic and magic itself.

If she was right, she could afford to take some risks, but it was also important that Aredian didn't try to burn her at the stake (as he so obviously wished to do), because it would only cause panic if she did not die.

Before she could tell Merlin the beginnings of her plan, the door flung open and Gwen entered, distressed.

"Merlin?" she said. "Krysia? He won't let go!"

"Who?" Krysia said. "What's happened?"

"The witchfinder's questioning Morgana again," Gwen said. "I'm worried, Krysia. She's close to breaking point."

"That's what he does," Merlin said grimly. "In the end, you confess whether you're guilty or not."

"What do you mean?" Gwen said.

"Gaius was set up. Aredian planted that amulet."

Krysia hummed and said, "I'm guessing he planted more than the amulet. I've been thinking about those witnesses since they spoke before the king. It doesn't ring true, does it, that a woman would see a sorcerer conjure toads from his mouth in front of everyone in the square and only one witness would come forward. Does it?"

Merlin nodded and said, "Aredian is paid to catch sorcerers. Maybe he doesn't care if someone is guilty. Maybe he gets confessions by lying, by planting evidence. As long as he gets a confession, he gets his money."

Gwen looked horrified, then said, "Even if this is true, what can we do without proof?"

"Get some," Merlin said, hurrying out to Aredian's chamber.

"Is he mad?" Gwen said when the door close behind him.

"He knows Aredian is with Morgana right now," Krysia said. "It's the best possible time. Let's just hope he's quick enough."

They waited impatiently for him to return, and he came back with a flower from Aredian's belongings. They searched the books for an answer to what it was. Krysia wished she'd paid better attention to botany.

"This is hopeless," Gwen said after they'd searched for more than an hour.

"Keep looking," Merlin said.

"We don't even know if this flower means anything."

"No, we don't, but it's all we've got. Here. Belladona."

Krysia held open the book and read the first line out.

"'For the alleviation of ulcers, allergies, muscular inflammation…' Merlin I don't think this is anything more than a medicine."

"Wait, here," he said. "'Under certain conditions, a tincture of the flower can produce hallucinations.'"

"So?" Gwen said, not understanding.

"Aredian's witnesses," Merlin said, grinning. "It wasn't magic they were seeing, it was visions."

"It makes sense… If he's faking the evidence…" She sighed. "But how can we prove it."

Krysia took the flower and said, "We have to find the middleman. Aredian is careful. That he's never been caught is evidence of that. If we can find the person who provided them with the belladonna, we can prove a supply chain."

Gwen shook her head and said, "They could've been getting it from anyone."

"Is there anything," Merlin said, "anything at all that these people had in common?"

"They were all women."

"But that doesn't tell us anything."

"Yes, Merlin, it does," Krysia said, smiling at Gwen. "There's one type of thing that only women buy, and it's products to make them look beautiful. We need to talk to the apothecary."

She closed her books and she pulled on her cloak, looking out the window to see the pyre being piled high. She only hoped they had enough time to track the supply chain and prove Aredian's guilt before it was too late for Gaius. She knew she could save Morgana and Merlin, but she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she let Gaius die. She didn't need more deaths on her conscience.

And then, she would watch Aredian burn.

A/N:

To SherlockHolmes4884:

Unfortunately, I'm not having Morgana stay good in this story. Freya will show up. Aithusa will also show up. To be honest, Merlin finding a girlfriend wasn't really on my radar. Every time in the Arthurian legend that Merlin does find a girlfriend, she's almost always manipulating him. I don't want to do that to Merlin, so he won't have anyone for most of the story. I might throw a bone at the end, though

-C