Moonlight cast shadows across the room as Arthur belted on his sword.

"Arthur."

He glanced up at Gwen who was sitting beside the fire, watching him.

"Arthur," she repeated, this time standing up and coming across the room towards him. "You must tell me what is happening." She reached out and laid a hand on his arm. "Now."

He looked towards her and then he let out a long sigh. "I need to go patrol the castle corridors tonight. Something is going on, I don't know exactly what. But yes, Morgana was attacked with magic. Now Mathias has been killed, and we think someone is trying to perform some sort of dark magic ritual on Merlin."

"Merlin! Is he in danger?"

"It looks that way."

"Do you know who is behind it?"

"We thought it was Relveer but we're not sure now."

"Whose we?"

"Uh…myself, Merlin, Lancelot, Morgana…Gaius…"

As he gave each name, his heart sunk as her expression grew a little sharper. "All those people and you didn't think to talk to me about any of this?"

"Gwen…I just…wanted to keep you safe. You have enough going on-"

"Actually I have a whole lot less going on than I've ever had since the day I was born. I suddenly became a princess but until your father invited me into the talks no one seems to have much trusted me with any of the responsibilities that go along with the job. Including you."

"Gwen. I didn't mean-"

"I'm pregnant Arthur. Not suffering a debilitating illness. If you were still a blacksmith I'd still be going about my work as Morgana's maidservant and cooking and cleaning."

"I'd have helped with those things!"

"Not with the cooking. You'd have poisoned us both." She gave a small, light laugh and then took his hand. "Arthur, I can help."

He looked into her eyes and he knew she was right. She could help. But more than that, she needed to help. That was Gwen. Gwen always helped others. To try and stand in the way of that, well, you might as well try to stop the waves. He'd wanted to keep her safe because his heart ached at the mere thought of losing her. But trying to stop her from being who she was? If it was even possible, that would make her lose herself.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I should have told you everything right from the start."

There was knock on the door and Morgana slipped into the bedroom.

"Arthur." She was looking scared. "I'm worried. I have a terrible feeling. I feel like something awful is going to happen."

"What is it?" asked Gwen alarmed.

"I don't know," Morgana shook her head. "I can't explain it. I just know- I don't think you should leave this room tonight Arthur!"

"What? I have to. If something is happening-"

"I know it doesn't make sense. I can't explain it."

"If what Iseldir fears is actually happening then Merlin will be in grave danger. Someone believes they can bring through time some past version of him and Iseldir doesn't think it'll work. Not the way they want it to. So what's going to happen to Merlin? That sounds like dark magic, and a lot of it, directed right at him. I have got to stop that. Merlin is my friend, but more than that I know now at least a shadow of all that Camelot owes him. I will do whatever is in my power to defend and protect him. I can't do anything less. I'm sorry Morgana."

Gwen nodded. "You're right. What do you what do you want me to do?" He opened his mouth and she cut in: "And don't tell me to stay put."

His lips twitched in a half smile. "I wouldn't dream of it. Morgana?"

"I'll do whatever you want."

He nodded. "Good. It's always possible we're wrong about this whole cult and Merlin thing. My father could still very much be the real target. There are plenty of guards in that corner of the castle however. But the druids could still potentially be in danger. I want you two to keep an eye on that area. The guards there will be looking for threats from them, not against them. Be ready to sound the alarm if need be."

Gwen nodded. "You can count on us." She kissed him and held him for a fraction longer. "Be safe. I'll see you in the morning."

Arthur, Merlin, and Lancelot convened in an empty chamber. Lancelot was the last to arrive.

"Did you find anything when you searched the rooms?" Merlin asked him, eagerly.

"…No." Lancelot shook his head. "I didn't."

"Did you hear anything or see anything?" pressed Arthur. "Mathias's murder must have happened when you were nearby."

"No," Lancelot repeated. "I didn't." His tone was almost bored. Merlin looked at him questioningly, but he was distracted a moment later by Arthur.

"What about Relveer. Is it possible he could have gotten out of his room and then locked himself in again afterwards?"

"I don't think so," said Merlin slowly. "When I checked the smash door the guards left behind. My magic was still on the lock. Then there is also the question of why it looked like Mathias was stabbed. If it was one of the druids wouldn't they have used magic?"

"Covering their tracks?"

"But if they want to sabotage the talks wouldn't killing him with magic do a better job?"

"Maybe they don't want to be executed while they're at it." Arthur swore. "We need answers."

"How are we going to get them?" asked Lancelot blankly.

"I don't know…" He rubbed his face. "Morgana came to my room tonight. She was scared. There was nothing definite but she somehow…sensed…something was happening tonight."

"Like…a ritual with the orb?" asked Merlin.

"I don't know. But if someone snuck in the orb, they must know we're on to them. They must realize we likely were the ones that locked Relveer or Relveer is guilty and told them? They certainly have to know they're running out of time, and that Uther is at the breaking point of his tolerance."

"All right, let's look at this way. A spell like the one Iseldir thinks they're going to cast, it's a big one. Someone couldn't just do it in their room."

"They couldn't?"

"Not without being overheard and stopped. I don't know a lot about time magic but I know it takes, well, time."

Lancelot was watching him intensely.

"And," continued Merlin, "And how Iseldir described it, that spell to pull another me through time would be particularly, well dark."

"It would have to be," said Arthur wryly. "Multiple Merlins. What a thought."

Merlin rolled his eyes but ignored him. "My point is: someone casting that spell would need a bit of privacy."

"Like where?" asked Arthur.

"Well I don't like to brag, but I've done my fair share of sneaking about the castle in my time and I have some ideas. There are some areas a little less guarded. We could start there."

"All right then. Lead on. We'll make a sweep."

Lancelot and Arthur followed Merlin. They headed first to several empty chambers near the dungeons, and then Merlin led the way towards the hallway which ran past the kitchens, now eerily quiet at night. They checked each room they past and each hallway.

Arthur had to hand it to Merlin: he certainly did seem to know where the less populated areas of the castle. He made a note to himself, after this was over he was going to sit Merlin down and get his help to improve castle security.

They seemed to be working their way down through the castle, lower and lower. Arthur was surprised, following Merlin, how seldom they had to duck out of sight of the guards after a while. He had vague memories of being this far down a few times, when he was playing as a little boy and managed to escape his tutors, but it had been years. He'd forgotten this area even existed.

The group had reached a long windowless corridor, when Merlin suddenly stopped.

"What is it?" asked Arthur.

"I feel something." Merlin shivered. "I think we might be close." He was moving more slowly now, as if listening to some sixth sense, as he chose a corridor and started down it.

The hallway was in near darkness, only one or two torches, spread far apart, lit the way.

And then they heard it. A soft murmur of words, words Arthur couldn't make out. Words which sounded foreign and strange. And just as they had reached his ear, Merlin tripped and fell. He seemed to just barely stifle a cry of alarm. Instead, he held out his palm and whispered a few words. A tongue of flame leapt to his finger tips, spread light across the floor around him.

What he had tripped over, came visible in the gloom.

A body. Merlin reached out, bringing the light closer to the form. He pushed it onto its back….

"Ernald!" he whispered.

"Look at him!" said Arthur horrified. "What happened to him?"

There was something…different about the dead body. He had seen many in his life but this one…this one was different. Of course a corpse seemed lifeless but somehow this one seemed even more so. It looked empty, as if it had never been filled. But of course it had been…it was once a living breathing man…

"Oh," said Merlin softly, understanding hitting him.

"What?"

"Iseldir said the spell needed a soul. A willing soul. He gave it."

"To whom?" Arthur glanced down the hallway from where he could still hear the words being mumbled some distance away.

Merlin opened his mouth to say something and then his eyes opened wide in horror. "Look out!" he yelled.

Instinctively Arthur twisted away and felt a whiz of wind as steel missed him by inches. He drew his sword and turned. But all he saw was Lancelot, his own sword drawn. But then Lancelot was coming at him.

Surprised, Arthur almost didn't block the attack quickly enough.

"Lancelot!" Merlin shouted, "What are you doing?"

Lancelot didn't respond, he pressed his attack, forcing Arthur back against the wall.

"What? You're one of them!" yelled Arthur in shock.

"You will not stop it," said Lancelot, his voice flat and even. His sword met Arthur's and for a second, their faces inches apart, the two stood, pushing against each other, each trying to force the other to give. Beads of sweat glistened on Lancelot's forehead and his eyes appeared feverish.

Arthur shoved Lancelot away and then lunged forward. Lancelot had been pushed back towards the body and he stumbled over it, losing his balance. He fell to the ground and lost his sword. He reached out to grab it, but in a split second Arthur was in front, kicking Lancelot's sword away and holding his own to the man's throat. The man

"Arthur wait!" yelled Merlin, jumping to his feet and laying a hand on Arthur's arm. "Look at him. Something's not right."

"Of course something's not right Merlin. The man just tried to kill me!"

"Which Lancelot wouldn't do!" argued Merlin.

"You don't know that. He's been living with the druids and now he's working with them! He has been working against Camelot since he arrived here, plotting with her enemies!"

"You're sounded like Uther!" Merlin snapped back.

Arthur fell into a stunned silence.

"But what I meant," continued Merlin more levelly, "When I said something wasn't right, was, well look at him. He looks sick, his hand his shaking. The way he's been acting tonight. It's not him. This, attacking you while your back was turned. That's not him either. I think he may be under a spell."

"A spell?"

"Yes."

"Whose? Ernald is dead."

"Whoever we can hear down that hallway," said Merlin, gesturing in the direction of the sound. "And who, I'm sure, knows we're here. The fact that they're continuing with the spell probably means they're near the end and want to reach it before we can stop them. Which is probably why Lancelot attacked. He probably has orders to keep us away at whatever cost."

"What's going on down there?!"

Arthur and Merlin looked up in alarm at the direction they had come.

"A guard must have heard the commotion," said Merlin.

Suddenly, Lancelot lunged, a dagger glinting in his hand. It just grazed Merlin's leg, before Arthur kicked him back, sending Lancelot several feet back along the hallway.

There was the sound of running footsteps.

"Right," Arthur nodded. "You can handle Lancelot, can't you?"

"Yes, but what about you?"

"Someone needs to go stop the spell. If what you say is true, we don't have a lot of time. If Lancelot is enchanted, you have to break it! And quickly! And keep the guards from following me for as long as you can!"

Merlin nodded.

Arthur turned, and bursting into a run, headed down the hallway towards the voice. The words were becoming clearer now. Foreign and ancient, the thrummed through the air. He could feel them, in his bones and in the stone he ran across.

The hallway turned abruptly left, and as Arthur turned the corner the walls opened up into a round room: and in the center of the room, stood Elaine.

She was holding a small, silvery blue orb in her hands, the runes engraved on it shining blindingly bright, but it was a strange unearthly light, and black tendrils seemed to reach out from it, pulling the flames from the torches on the walls, sucking out their light, dragging them into a whirl of blackness that swirled around her. She was speaking low and fast, magic words tumbling out one after another, and with each one the mix of darkness swirled faster round her and the orb.

As Arthur appeared her eyes flew open and locked onto his, her words faltered for one fraction of a moment and then, her hands gripping tighter around the orb, she rushed on.

Arthur leapt forward. He wasn't sure exactly what he was going to do but he knew he had to stop her: for Camelot, for Merlin, for the future, for his family.

But something wasn't right. The darkness seemed to have a weight of its own, pushing through it felt like moving through water, slow and sluggish. It should have taken less than seconds to reach Elaine, but each step he took seemed to be slower than the last, while her words seemed to be growing faster and faster, until she seemed moving at a speed beyond comprehension.

He needed to get to her. He needed to stop her. It wasn't too late; the peace could still be saved if he could just…somehow…stop…

With a yell of effort, he took each step. It was like weights now were dragging him down. He reached out his hand. It was mere inches away from hers. The light and darkness was swirling faster and faster, and he knew instinctively that he was running out of time.

He screamed at the effort and lunged forward, his fingers closing around the orb. And he pulled.

"No!" Elaine yelled. She kept hold of the orb and she was pulling back, but as his fingers had touched it normal movement seemed to have been restored…no, not normal, suddenly he felt faster, quicker. The darkness swirling around him had slowed and it was only him and Elaine locked together and speeding, hurtling as they both pulled on the orb, each trying to take it from the other.

Arthur thought he heard his name being yelled behind him, but it was so slow, so elongated as he sped past, and then he heard a crack, and felt the orb give way and splinter.

And he was thrown back. He felt movement through something he could not explain, some sense he could not his finger on, and then his head connected with the wall with a thud, and he fell to the ground unconscious.