AN: 'Sup guys!

OMG, this one person made me SO HAPPY. Her name is torchedtardis, and she said, "i got so excited when i saw you updated i almost vomited on my computer."

Somehow that is the cutest thing someone's ever told me. So this chapter is dedicated to torchedtardis for making my day :)

DISCLAIMER: MERLIN ISN'T MINE. ONLY ELIZABETH MALINOR.

Enjoy!

I was getting so bored just hanging around the castle. I'd been here for a couple months, and I'd seen everything there is to see about the castle. So when I heard from Merlin that he and Arthur were going hunting, I went straight to Uther and begged him to let me go with them. When he asked why, I had said that one day, I might be lost in the forest with no food, and I'd be able to know how to get it.

That somehow convinced him, so here I was now with Merlin and Arthur and a bunch of other people hunting. Arthur wasn't particularly happy about me coming (something about how my arms weren't fully healed from before, the one on my left arm actually got infected) but he had to suck it up since Uther said I could go. He had insisted that I stayed behind him and Merlin at all times. It was really annoying, but I complied.

We crept slowly around a bunch of rocks. Arthur turned around, and made motions with his fingers. I really had no idea what they meant, so after everyone left, I just walked up to Arthur.

Arthur had gestured for Merlin to walk up to him. "What is it?" I asked in a whisper.

"I don't know." Arthur answered, in a whisper too. He turned to us. "We'll surround it." Then he turned to Merlin. "I want you to go in there and flush it out."

"You want me to go in there?" Merlin asked. "You just said that you don't know what it is. It could be dangerous."

"Just stop being a girl and go." Arthur said.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh for the love of all that is good, I'll go." I said, and I rounded the corner before Arthur nor Merlin could protest. As I was walking, it struck me that this was exactly what happened in the episode with the unicorn. Oh my God, I was gonna see a unicorn! Yay!

I heard rustling and walked to where the sound was coming from. I found a stick on the ground, and grabbed it, in case it actually wasn't a unicorn. I heard more rustling...twigs crunching...

"Lizzie." A voice whispered.

I nearly screamed and I swung around with the stick. Merlin narrowly avoided it.

"Merlin," I said, dropping a hand to my crazily studding heart. "What're you doing here?"

"Arthur wanted me to come with you. Said in case something happened to you." He quickly explained.

I nodded in understanding. "Let's go."

We came out of the clearing, and we froze in our tracks.

The thing that Arthur was hunting was in fact, a unicorn. An actual unicorn! I smiled happily at the sight of it. It looked just like a horse, but with a horn on its head. Wait, then why wasn't it called a unihorn?

Anyways, not daring to take my eyes off of it, I tapped Merlin's arm. "Merlin, it's not just me that can see the unicorn, is it?"

Merlin might have shook his head, but I wasn't sure. "No, I can see it too."

I dropped the wooden stick in my hand and walked closer to it, Merlin at my heels. I really wanted to touch it, but I was scared that it would frighten it. I was still gazing in wonder at the actual unicorn when Merlin looked around himself frantically. "Lizzie, do you remember what we're doing here?"

I snapped back into reality when I remembered that we were suppose to be hunting. I looked around myself too. "Shoot!" I said. I turned back to the unicorn. "You have you get out of here!" I gestured for it to shoo, and Merlin did the same. "They're going to kill you, please go!"

I looked around as Merlin kept trying to get the unicorn to leave. My eyes landed on Arthur, who was high up in the tree. Remembering the horrors it brought on Camelot, I screamed, "ARTHUR, NO!"

It was too late though. Arthur had already let the arrow go, and it was lodged into the neck of the unicorn. The unicorn neighed, and fell to the ground. In a split second, I was on the ground next to it. I reached out and did what I wanted to do. I touched the unicorn.

It felt exactly like a horse, but it didn't really feel like one. I just stroked the poor thing's face. Tears flood into my eyes at the thought of this majestic creature dying. "I'm so sorry."

Merlin dropped next to me and did the same thing. Arthur, however, ran up to us happily. "Ha-ha! It's a unicorn!"

I looked up to Arthur, tears streaming down my face. "What have you done?" I looked back down to it.

The other Knights have joined us by now. "Don't be so dramatic, Elizabeth. See? This is why I don't bring girls with me when I go hunting." Arthur said.

"Remind me not to come next time." I mumbled, laying my nose against the unicorn's face. I brought my face back up, only to see that guy, Anhora, who if I could recall correctly, was the Keeper of the Unicorns.

I looked over to Merlin, who looked over to me at the same time. We'd gotten good at having eye conversations, so I knew the look on his face was asking if I could see Anhora too. I just nodded silently, and we both turned back to face Anhora.

Arthur looked at us funny. "What are you looking at?" He asked and turned to see what we were looking at. But Anhora was already gone.

After we got back, I went straight to my chambers, found a book to read (the selection here wasn't very good, but I wasn't exactly expecting to find Twilight or Harry Potter or something like that) sat in front of my fire, (I had taught myself how to make one in the fireplace so that Gwen didn't have to do it all the time for me. She got really mad when I did that, though, so I didn't do it as often anymore) and tried to concentrate on it.

But my mind kept wandering back to the unicorn. I'd loved unicorns my whole life. I'd always wanted one, and since my parents were loaded, I asked for one. My Dad just told my that they didn't exist, and went back to work. I know it seems weird that back home, I was a poor college student, and my parents were rich. I just refused to use their money for anything. I didn't want to be one of those rich kids who relied on their Daddies to live. Trust me, being in a high class circle, I'd met a lot. I let them pay for my first year of education, but when I kept getting snide remarks from people in my Uni, I cut it all off, and got a job. It wasn't the best job, but it saved my dignity.

Anyways, I'd always wanted to see a unicorn, and even after my Dad blatantly told me that they didn't exist, I still believed in them. Like how I did in Peter Pan and in faeries. Except Tinkerbelle was a little bitch, so not so much faeries. But here, faeries existed, so who knows? Maybe I'd meet some faeries. Last thing on the list would be meet Peter Pan, so I'd be good there!

I fell asleep in my chair after trying to read for a half hour. I hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. Not because of nightmares, I just couldn't get comfortable enough.

I felt a hand shake my shoulder, and I woke up. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Morgana's face. "I'm sorry to have woken you, Lizzie. I just thought that maybe you'd be more comfortable on the bed..."

"No, Morgana, it's fine." I told her. "I really shouldn't have fallen asleep anyways." I gestured to my other chair. "Sit."

She smiled and did so. We sat in silence for a little, then Morgana sighed. "All right, what's wrong?"

"What do you mean? I'm fine." I said, lying very badly.

Morgana laughed. "Okay, even you know that that was a horrible lie."

"Yeah, it really was." I said, and we both laughed. Then I went serious, and just told her what was bothering me. "I went hunting with Arthur and Merlin today, and I saw Arthur kill a unicorn."

Morgana 'tsked' in disappointment. "Why would you go hunting? You hate killing things."

"I know! I was just so darn bored! I couldn't find you anywhere. Where were you, anyway?" I asked.

She gave me an apologetic smile. "I was at my lessons, I'm sorry Lizzie. Why did it make you upset?"

"You didn't see it Morgana." I said, going back to the still fresh memory. "It was...beautiful. The prettiest thing I've ever seen. And then it was gone. Just like that."

Morgana came over and rubbed my shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Lizzie. Do you maybe want to go for a walk? Clear your head?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I think a little fresh air would do me some good."

Morgana had felt ill after our walk, so I let her rest, and I went looking for Merlin. I found him in his chambers, helping Gaius to try and figure out what happened to the crops. "Gaius? Is what people are saying about the crops true? That they're dying?"

Gaius nodded. "I'm afraid so, my dear." He poured something out of a tube into a vial.

"Well, do you have any ideas as to what could have caused it?" I asked.

"No disease I know of could spread through the kingdom in one night." Gaius said.

"What could kill all the plants?" Merlin asked.

"It is not killing all the plants." Gaius corrected.

"The trees and hedges looked unharmed." I pointed out.

"Because they were." Gaius said. "But unfortunately, you can't eay trees and hedges."

"It's only killing plants we eat?" Merlin asked. By the look on his face, he was probably drawing some conclusions in that brain of his.

"It appears so." Gaius said, shaking the vial in his hands.

"Could it be magic that's causing it?" I ask.

"It's not a disease, it must be magic." Merlin assumed.

"We can't assume that, Merlin." Gaius told him. "Perhaps there is something in the soil or water that can explain it. I can't tell the king that it's caused by sorcery until I am certain."

"But how long is that going to take?" I asked.

But Gaius didn't answer me.

"First the crops die, now the all and any types of water is sand. What'll be next?" I asked as I paced in Merlin's room.

"I'm trying to do something about that, if you haven't noticed." He said, gesturing to the magic book and the bucket of sand.

"Right, sorry." I said, sitting on his bed. If no food meant famine, and no water meant drought, then that meant that I couldn't eat or drink. I mean, I'd be able to eat and maybe drink because I was a part of the royal court, but after that, nothing. I would not do well with famine. My day was 40% eating.

Merlin looked to his book, then put his hand in front of the bucket. "Greot gecuman leccan." He said, but nothing happened. He kept looking in the book.

He tried again as Gaius walked in. "Gecuman gedryc waeter." Merlin must have felt somebody behind him, because he turned around. He panicked. because he knew that Gaius didn't like him using magic for stuff like this. "I was...I was just..."

"I was hoping that you may have been trying to turn it back into water." Gaius said.

Merlin sighed and looked to me. "Why didn't you tell me Gaius was behind me?"

I straightened up. "What? I didn't think I needed to. It's not like it was somebody else other than Gaius. I would have told you then."

Gaius just rolled his eyes at our antics and sat next to me on the bed. "I know I have cautioned against using magic, but if ever there was a time to use your talents, it's now."

"I just wish I knew how." Merlin said, huffing in defeat. He picked up the magic book. "I've tried everything."

"He really did. I've been sitting with him the whole time." I added.

"If it is magic, it is more powerful magic than I possess." Merlin said, looking up from the book. Gaius and I exchanged looks of worry with each other. I just wanted to say that it was Anhora already, but then I'd get questions about how I knew that, and why did I know that, and yadda yadda yadda.

I had a rough night the night before, and tonight I really just wanted to sleep peacefully, so I went to Gaius' to get a draft. It was really late at night, so I had to make sure I wasn't caught because of the curfew Uther gave.

I was walking back, but I bumped into Merlin, which caused us to be caught by Arthur. "Merlin? Elizabeth?"

We both turned to face him. "You do realize there's a curfew?" he asked as he strolled up to us.

"Yes, sorry. I was just getting a sleeping draft from Gaius. I've been having some troubled nights." I explained.

Arthur nodded and turned to Merlin. "And what's your excuse?"

"I was in you chambers, hunting for the rat." He said.

Ugh, that's right. There was a rat that had been crawling in Arthur's chambers, and when Merlin caught it, he made it into a soup for Arthur, who had given it to Morgana. Note to self-don't accept stew from Morgana.

"Did you find it?" Arthur asked.

"No." Merlin finally admitted.

"So you have been outwitted by a rat?" Arthur asked.

"They do say rats are very intelligent." Merlin pointed out lamely.

"More intelligent than you, it would seem." Arthur said. "Go home. It'd be embarrassing to have to lock up my own servant for breaking the curfew." He turned to me. "And you go too."

"Hey! I'm pretty sure Uther wouldn't lock me up, especially if it has to do with my health." I pointed out.

Arthur was in the process of rolling his eyes, when they rested on a specific location. I remembered in the episode that Arthur must have seen Anhora.

"What was that?" Arthur asked.

Merlin looked in the same direction. "What?"

And then Arthur was running in that direction, Merlin on his heels. I didn't want to be left alone in the dark, and it was actually a pretty important point in the episode, so I ran after them, hiking up my skirts so I could run better.

Arthur jumped over the Courtyard Corridor ledge, and Merlin and I followed suit. We chased Anhora down the Upper Corridor, down some stairs, and down the Wrought Iron Stairway to the Burial Vaults where we lost him. Arthur signed to Merlin, telling him to go the other way and cut Anhora off. Then he pointed to me, then to himself, which probably meant that he wanted me to go with him. Merlin nodded, then began to follow Arthur and I.

Trying to suppress his anger, he whispered, "That means you go the other way and cut him off!"

Merlin nodded, getting it this time. "Okay."

Merlin went one way, and Arthur and I went the other. We all ended up back at the Wrought Iron Stairway without seeing anyone. Then we turned to see Anhora's shadow as he briefly rounded the corner. Arthur had Merlin go the other way again and had me follow him again. We ended up back at the Wrought Iron Stairway again, not a person other than us in sight.

"Where is he?" Arthur asked.

"I didn't seen anyone." Merlin said.

"He was right here! Don't tell me you let him get past you." Arthur said in a threatening voice.

"Arthur, no one passed me." Merlin insisted.

"Are you blind?!" Arthur practically shouted.

I walked in between them. "Boys, please! There is no need to shout!" I said, looking between them.

"Are you looking for me?" A voice said, and we all looked to where it was coming from. And, sure enough, it was Anhora. "I am Anhora, Keeper of the Unicorns."

We all looked to each other, and Arthur stepped forward a little. "Camelot is under curfew. What's your business here?"

"I have come to deliver a message." Anhora declared.

"And who is this message for?" Arthur asked calmly.

"It is for you, Arthur Pendragon." He revealed.

"Is it you who's responsible for killing our crops, turning our water into sand?" Arthur asked, a sudden edge in his voice.

"You alone are responsible for the misfortune that has befallen Camelot." Anhora told him.

"Me?!" Arthur asked, disbelieving. "You think I'd bring drought and famine upon my own people?"

As much of a prat as he usually was, you've got to give Arthur credit. He cared about his people more than his own life.

"When you killed the unicorn, you unleashed a curse." Anhora explained. "For this, Camelot will suffer greatly."

"If you have put a curse on Camelot, you will lift it, or you will pay with your life." Arthur said.

"What are threats going to do, Arthur? Did you see him walking around like a ghost, or was that just me?" I asked.

"The curse was not my doing." Anhora continued.

"Undo the curse or face execution." Arthur threatened, walking closer to Anhora.

"Oh for the love of God." I said in disbelief.

"Only you can do that. You will be tested." Anhora informed Arthur.

Probably fed up, Arthur said, "You're under arrest" and reached for Anhora.

But Anhora disappeared, and Arthur stumbled. Anhora reappeared on top of the Wrought Iron Stairway.

"Until you have proven yourself, and made amends for killing the unicorn, the curse will not be lifted. If you fail any of these tests, Camelot will be damned for all eternity." Anhora revealed, and he disappeared again.

We were all quiet for a while, before I spoke up. I pointed up to the Stairwell. "See? That's what I meant about the threats being empty."

TBC...

It'd be longer, but I'm really tired, and it's really late. Part 2 up soon!

Lizzie's outfit's on Polyvore!

I hope you enjoyed it!

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