The apothecary had closed for the night, and Gwen knocked on the shop door with a force Krysia had quite forgotten her friend possessed. The apothecary seemed surprised as well, opening the door to see what the trouble was.

"Gwen?" he said.

"Do you sell a tincture of belladonna?" Gwen asked as he let them in.

"What's all this about?"

"Please, it's important."

"Well, I think," he said, "I've got some somewhere. But what you'd be wanting with eye drops in the middle of the night, I really don't want to know."

"Eye drops?" Gwen said, frowning.

"Yes," he said. "Women use them to make their eyes more beautiful."

He held up the drops, and Merlin took it, holding it up to the light.

"Where did you get this?" Merlin asked.

"Well, my usual suppliers," the apothecary said in a completely unconvincing voice.

Krysia raised an eyebrow and said, "You're quite sure it wasn't someone other than your usual suppliers?"

"Of course, I'm sure," he said in a voice even more unconvincing than the last. "Now, if it's all the same to you, I'd like to get some sleep."

Gwen stood her ground and said, "It was Aredian who gave you the belladonna."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"But you know that Gaius will be executed tomorrow," Merlin said. "Don't you?"

Now the man was nervous, surrounded on three sides by three people not backing down.

"That has nothing to do with me," he said.

"That has everything to do with you," Merlin said, still holding up the bottle. "Aredian's witnesses saw visions, visions produced by the belladonna in these eye drops. If we can prove this, we have a chance of saving Gaius."

This caused pause for the man, who seemed to want to help them, but he was obviously nervous. Finally, he spoke again.

"He…forced me to sell it. He said he'd kill me if I said anything to anyone."

"But it was him?" Gwen said. "It was Aredian?"

"Yes, it was him," he said.

"Thank you!" Krysia said, squeezing his hand.

The others also thanked him, but Krysia was already rushing back to Gaius's chambers, where they settled their case. Gwen promised to gather the women who witnessed, Krysia would have a friend collect and escort safely their apothecary friend, and she already knew Merlin was going to do a little magic in Aredian's quarters, although Gwen needn't know that.

"That's it," Merlin said. "We've got everything we need."

"But is it enough?" Gwen said.

"We've got a witness as well," Merlin said, "surely that's enough."

"It's still our word against Aredian's."

"If we don't do this now," Krysia said softly, "Gaius will be dead by dawn. We don't have the option of building a stronger case than we've got."

Gwen shook her head, and she said, "We've got to give Uther something he cannot deny, something not even Aredian can talk his way out of."

Krysia could almost see the burst of inspiration in Merlin's eyes, and he called to them on his way out the door, "I'll be as quick as I can!"

When the door closed behind him, Krysia said, "Best make our other preparations and regroup here. We won't have time for sleep."

/-/

When Merlin finally rejoined them, Krysia had begun to worry that something had gone wrong, but she sighed when he entered smiling.

"Merlin," Gwen said. "Where have you been?"

"Everything's in place," Merlin said.

"But Gaius has already left the dungeons!"

"Then…then we have to delay the execution!"

"Delay?" Krysia said. "How are we supposed to do that?"

"Arthur," Merlin said. "I'll speak to Arthur."

"No," Gwen said. "Leave Arthur to me."

They hurried out to the pyre, and Krysia watched, admiring, as Gwen used her strength to remind Arthur of his responsibility to the people, to the truth. She sighed with relief when Arthur called off the execution and convened them to the great hall.

/-/

Krysia watched Merlin give the basics of their argument to Uther, ready to step in at any moment to provide him more credibility.

"Sire," he said, "the witnesses saw nothing but hallucinations…induced by the belladonna in these eye-drops."

He held out the belladonna, and Uther turned to the witnesses.

"And you bought this belladonna from this man?"

The all nodded, and he turned then to the apothecary.

"Where did you get it from? Don't be afraid. No harm will come to you here."

The apothecary hesitated, then said, "The witchfinder…. He gave them to me."

Uther narrowed his eyes and said, "Did he tell you what it was for?"

"No," the apothecary said. "Only that if I did not sell it, he'd have me burnt at the stake."

"How do you answer to these accusations?" Uther asked Aredian.

"They are absurd," Aredian said. "The boy has clearly concocted these lies in the hope of saving his master."

"Then you won't mind if we search your chambers?" Merlin said.

"Silence!" Uther snapped at Merlin. "You have no authority."

Krysia took a few steps forward, and she was a little surprised and how quiet the hall fell at her movement. Uther looked at her, calming.

"Sire, if I may," she said. He nodded. "If what Merlin suggests is wrong, then it is good and right that you should judge him as you see fit. However, if there is any shred of truth in these claims, as there appears to be, then perhaps it would be good to put the matter to rest once and for all. After all, a man's life does hang in the balance."

Uther turned to Aredian, who was watching her, eyes narrowed.

"I have nothing to hide," he said.

She wondered if he realized how wrong he was.

This time, as Aredian's chambers were being searched, Uther went to witness, as did Morgana, Merlin, and Krysia. Arthur directed the search this time, searching just as thoroughly as Aredian had directed in Gaius's chambers. Krysia wasn't sure, but she thought Arthur might be enjoying himself.

"You're wasting your time," Aredian said, frustrated.

"The cupboard over there," Arthur said.

When Geraint opened the cupboard door, many amulets such as the one found in Gaius's chambers tumbled out.

Suddenly realizing how the tables had been turned, Aredian began to fear.

"These things don't belong to me!" he said. "This is a trick! That boy plots against me!"

Quite out of nowhere, however, Aredian's words were stopped, and a toad worked its way out of his mouth. Krysia tried to stop her lips twitching, but she wasn't sure she managed it.

"Sorceror!" Uther cried.

Before any knights could get at Aredian and corden him off from harming anyone or fleeing, Aredian grabbed Morgana and held her as hostage, a knife at her throat. Krysia held her breath as Morgana stood, distressed.

"Aredian," Uther said, "think very carefully about what you are doing. You'll never escape from Camelot alive."

"I will if you value the life of your ward," he said.

When Krysia saw the burning of Aredian's hand on his knife, she realized Merlin must have done a quick spell. She saw Aredian bumping on the coffer, and she feared he would fall from the tower and die before she could have her revenge. She did a quiet spell of her own to cause him to stumble forward, right at the feet of Leon and Geraint, who pulled him up and subdued him.

/-/

That night at dinner, with Gaius restored, Krysia took a deep breath, watching him serve their food. The king had given her leave to dine earlier, with Gaius, provided she came back after her meal to be certain everything was running smoothly. The provision was just as well, as she had a few things planned for after dinner.

"What I don't understand is how you knew he'd concealed evidence in his chamber," Gaius said as he served them dinner.

Merlin shifted, and Krysia said softly, "It was a good hunch, really. He had to have something with him, as he lives nowhere and always has materials to plan, so he must have had evidence with him wherever he went."

"I see," Gaius said, raising his eyebrows. "And the toad?"

"That…" Merlin began. "I…er…can't explain."

"Hmm," Gaius said. "I can hardly explain it myself. Unless, of course…you put it there."

They took deep breaths, and Merlin said, "Okay, Gaius, fair enough, I promise I will never save your life again."

"Merlin," Krysia said, laughing.

"Promise?" Gaius said seriously.

"Absolutely," Merlin said.

There was a long beat before they joined her in laughter, and they settled into eating and just being in each other's company again.

"Honestly, Merlin," Gaius said, "the toad was a step too far."

"I know, I know," Merlin said, "but you should have seen the look on his face!"

Krysia laughed until she had tears in her eyes, grateful that the worst was over. Still, her work was not yet done.

/-/

She held her head high as she carried the tray to the dungeons. She was surprised to see both Leon and Geraint on duty guarding the dungeons that night, and both stood as she entered.

"Food for the prisoner," she said. "What did you both do to serve together on this shift?"

"The king wants high security around the prisoner," Leon said, "given the…situation."

"I see," she said, smiling. "Well, don't mind me. I'll be in and out."

It was only a testament to her long friendships with these two men that neither of them followed her to the prison door. She stood at the door for a long moment, and Aredian lifted his head as she opened the door to push in the tray of food.

"What an honored prisoner I must be," he said, coming to the bars. "The king's favored servant bringing my last meal."

"You might get another in the morning if you're a good boy," she said, letting her lips settle into a satisfied smile.

"So you're not here to kill me," he said. He seemed genuinely surprised by this, and Krysia widened her smile to show her amusement. She couldn't risk laughing and alerting the guards.

"Oh, Aredian," she whispered, leaning closer, "I would never give you the satisfaction of a swift death. I want to watch you scream in the flames at dawn. Would you not have enjoyed to see me in the flames, after all?" His nostrils flared. "Although, truth be told, your enjoyment wouldn't have lasted long."

He hesitated, and then he said, "What do you mean?"

"It's a beautiful irony, actually," she said. "You will perish in the flames tomorrow, but I would have stood and burned, but survived. I have, after all, mastered the power of life and death."

She took a step back from the bars and his eyes widened by increments. Before it fully settled on him, she could hear him calling out for the guards in distress, practically screaming. She walked away and both Leon and Geraint were on their feet.

"What happened?" Leon said. "Are you alright?"

"Complaining about the food, I expect," she said. "He's fine, and he's gotten better food than I'd allot to most prisoners."

They let her leave with wishes for her to sleep well before the heeded the prisoner's distressed cries. She couldn't help smiling all the way back to Gaius's chambers.

/-/

Leon and Geraint arrived at Aredian's cell to find the man at the bars, distraught. His food was still on the floor of his cell, apparently untouched.

"You have to stop her," Aredian said urgently.

"Who, Krysia?" Geraint said. "Stop her from what, why?"

"You don't understand," Aredian said urgently. "You don't understand, she has magic."

Leon's throat seemed to close as he stared at this man, this man who could so easily be a grave threat to Krysia. Leon had half a mind to run him through before he could say anything more and cause true suspicion, but he knew there was no way to explain it. If Uther had no one to burn in the morning, surely there would be questions.

"Krysia?" Geraint said, amused. "You're saying Krysia has magic?" He laughed. "Leon, can you believe this man?"

"No," Leon whispered.

"She does, I swear it," Aredian said. His eyes were wide and wild. "She has the ear of the king, is that not suspicious in itself? A seemingly ordinary girl, a servant, and the king listens to her like she was one of his council?"

"She is a good, faithful, skilled servant," Geraint said. "As was the man you framed."

"She's dangerous," Aredian said, his voice raising, although they were still standing right in front of him. "You don't understand, she is not just a witch! She is a high priestess! She cannot be killed, she is already infiltrated and you cannot destroy her without considerably effort."

Geraint laughed, and Leon's shoulders relaxed. Aredian was clearly spouting whatever he could to save his own skin. Krysia having magic and Krysia being an undefeatable sorceress of great power were completely different things.

"The things a man will say to stay his execution," Geraint said, turning to leave.

"Indeed," Leon whispered, following his friend to the post, away from the insistent screams of Aredian.

/-/

"Krysia, would you turn down the bed, please?" Uther whispered as soon as she entered, before she'd even announced herself in his presence.

"Of course, sire," she said, hurrying to see to his bed. He was looking at the pyre, waiting below his window, for the execution in the morning. She would have to find somewhere discrete to watch Aredian burn, or someone who knew her distaste for executions might ask questions.

The silence was punctuated only by the occasional popping of the fire for the whole of her task, and she was just standing straight again when Uther turned to her.

"I wanted to apologize to you," he said, still barely speaking above a whisper.

Krysia was so stunned by this statement that she couldn't formulate the appropriate response. Instead, she just stared back at him as though struck dumb. He took a few steps toward her, but he seemed to be gathering his thoughts more than waiting for an answer. He was close enough to reach out and touch her when he spoke again.

"I allowed many people to be terrorized in my search for answers," he said. "Gaius most of all, of course. That is a darkness I feel I can never atone for, but you as well. I allowed Aredian to question you, not only to interview, but to raise the question of…"

His lips pursed, and Krysia wondered just how much doubt Aredian had managed to raise in Uther's mind. She stared up at him, and she wondered if he'd come closer, or if the flickering of the firelight was playing tricks on her sense of proportion. She waited to hear him say that he knew who she was, or that he had guessed what she could do, but he simply looked at her, considering.

Finally, he said, "I hope you can forgive whatever distress I have caused."

Krysia held her breath as he turned his back to her and paced back to the window to look down at the pyre again.

"May I speak my mind?" she finally said.

Uther looked up at her, lifting his head slowly as if he feared what she might say if he gave her leave. But he did give her leave. Krysia dared not look away from him, for fear she might lose her nerve, so she looked him directly in the eye as she spoke.

"Gaius has been nothing but faithful to Camelot for longer than I have sense of. I have served you faithfully and, I hope, well for many years now, half my life. And Merlin may not have been here long, sire, but he has been a loyal and dedicated servant to your son since he was given the post. Nothing we said had anything like the weight of Aredian's words, even before he planted evidence. I don't…love what that suggests about my king."

She almost regretted the words when they slipped out of her mouth, and Uther's gloved hand closed into a bit of a fist. She held her breath, waiting for him to tell her that she'd gone too far. Instead, he continued to stare at her, eyes wide and sad, and he seemed at a loss.

"Was he not plausible?" Uther finally said.

"Of course he was, sire," Krysia said. "Right up until he wasn't. I will say what I maintained from the beginning, the idea that a man could stand in the center of the city and produce a toad from his mouth, but only one woman saw? He took the plausible and he stretched, and he stretched, but once he already had your attention, your belief, you did not question anymore. That is what he has relied on for all these years, that people will behave just as you did."

Uther came and sat on the edge of his bed, looking at the fire. She went to close the window, and he said, "No. Leave it."

She pulled her hands away and looked at him.

"Sire, it's going to be quite cold tonight. You might take ill."

"The tragedy of outliving all one's friends, Krysia," Uther whispered, "is that none of them are around to remind you when you're acting a fool. And the tragedy of being a king is, it's your own fault you've outlived them all."

Krysia wasn't sure what he meant by that, but she had a very uneasy feeling that speaking her mind and unburdening her frustrations had stirred his memories again, and that combined with the prodding of Aredian may prove dangerous indeed.

She left Uther's chambers that night with shaking hands, and not even the flaming, screaming death of Aredian the next day would calm her fears for some time.

A/N:

I hope the revenge was good for y'all. If you don't recall the original, he falls to his death from the tower, so Krysia's revenge is making him live long enough that he has to die by burning alive. More importantly, she wants him to die knowing he was right about her, and that she defeated him. For a storyline I was very nervous and uncertain what I was going to do with until I'd already begun it, I actually massively enjoyed writing this arc, and I'm a little disappointed now it's over. Still, we're chugging along through season two, and there's plenty left to barrel through before we get to season 3, which is the season where tides change.

-C