I arrived only moments after Gwen did. I hid behind the curtain to make sure that I wasn't going to burst in and make matters worse. Gwen was on the floor, begging and pleading.

"Why won't anyone believe me? He got better! He just recovered! I didn't do anything!" The Lady Morgana stormed in to stand beside Gwen.

"I believe you. Perhaps this is a disease that is not always fatal. Have you thought of that? Perhaps he recovered naturally. "Her voice sounded so clear and sure and I desperately hoped it would be enough for Uther to reconsider.

"Then what of this poultice that was found?"

"What poultice? I don't know anything about a poultice." Gwen sounded so obviously confused and distraught that I couldn't believe Uther was even considering it possible for her to do something as outrageous as poison the whole of Camelot.

"It was found in your house. Undo this enchantment. Put an end to this contagion."

"I can't." Obviously, she can't. She didn't do it! I'm a witch and even I don't know how to end this blasted disease yet!

"Then I show you no mercy."

"I am not a witch. I don't know how to stop the illness!"

"If you will not undo your sorcery then you force my hand. I must find you guilty. It is, therefore, my duty to pronounce judgement and under the circumstance, I have no choice but to sentence you to death. I can only hope that when you die this evil plague dies with you." Uther had spoken over all of Gwen's attempts to deny the accusation and now stood there coldly as Gwen was dragged back to her feet by the guards. "Take her away." I listened as Gwen begged and pleaded to be released and I could only stand there, my heart hammering as my mind tried to come up with a way to keep us both safe. I had to speak to Gaius. I left the room without being seen; Arthur, Morgana and Uther still stood there and I knew that if I waited there any longer I would probably hear something that would make me stand forth and confront the king myself. An act that would leave me without my head.

Gaius had dinner prepared by the time I got there, and I sat across from him, the thought of food leaving my stomach roiling.

"I thought I was doing good. That curing Gwen's father would help her. I thought… I was saving a life. It seemed… so simple." Gaius looked at me in understanding and at that moment I realized he had never condoned me for what I did. He had simply been exasperated and worried, I knew at that moment that if I could rely on anyone to help me save Gwen, it would be Gaius. It would always be Gaius.

"An easy solution is like a light in the storm, Merlin; rush for it at your peril for it may not always lead you to a safe harbour."

"I can see that now." My eyes dropped down to the bowl in front of me, unable to look Gaius in the eye I was so ashamed. I had ignored every warning he gave me and he had been right.

"How many times have I warned you about the responsibilities of being a witch?" He was right. I had acted rashly and Gwen was paying the price for it.

"I have to see her." I left the still full bowl of food on the table and rushed out of there, I knew I had time but couldn't stop the feeling that I was too late.

Morgana almost ran into me she was sobbing so hard as she left the dungeon, I knew it was bad when she didn't even talk to me and just continued to run past after dodging me at the last second. My heart was pounding, was Gwen in even worse shape than I thought? What was Uther going to do to her? Did I have time to stop it? My legs shook as I continued my descent down the dungeon steps, anticipation and trepidation warring inside me as I prepared myself to see her. She was just sat there, her head staring down into her lap on the wooden bench, wrists locked together with metal cuffs.

"Gwen?" She jumped up as soon as she locked eyes with me, rushing forward until the chain yanked her back, it was only then that I noticed the cuffs were connected to a loop in the wall, keeping her a foot away from the steel bars that held her prisoner.

"Merlin, thank you." Thank you? It's was my fault she was in here.

"What for?" The surprise was obvious in my tone.

"For coming to see me." Oh. Of course, I came to see her, even if it hadn't been my fault. She was my friend.

"I'm sorry." Tears filled my eyes and as if in response hers did the same.

"It's not your fault." I winced inwardly because it was. It was ALL my fault.

"Oh, Gwen…" What can I say? What can I do?

"It's okay, Merlin. Don't worry about me. There's no point in crying about it." Tear marks covered her cheeks and I felt a tear slip from between my own eyelashes. Here she was, being sentenced to death and SHE was trying to comfort ME. She backpedalled quickly like she always did when she thought she'd said the wrong thing. "I mean, I'm not saying that you were going to cry about me. Obviously, I don't think that." I was already crying, it wasn't fair. I'd tried to do the right thing and she was going to pay for it. I supposed in some ways she would have spilt tears anyway, it was just that instead of mourning her father she was now mourning her own life. Poor, sweet, innocent Gwen was going to die. Because of me. Because I was stupid. Because I've been too weak to admit the truth… Because…

"Oh, Gwen…" It was all I could think to say. Nothing I said would make things right. Not one word I uttered to her would make things better. But what I said to someone else… yes… it's the only way. "I'm not going to let this happen." I wanted nothing more than to hug her, to say goodbye.

"Please. One thing. You don't have to, but…"

"What?"

"Remember me." Oh, Gwen, I hope you remember me because there is no way I can let this happen. Not now. She was my friend. She trusted me and…

"You are NOT going to die. I'm NOT going to let this happen." She just looked on at me, sadly, she'd already given up. She thought that if Morgana couldn't convince Uther to release her then no one could. Oh, how wrong she was. Without another word, I ran.

The King was in a meeting, Gaius was sat at the large table along with other people who held important positions in the castle, mostly Knights. And Arthur. Oh, Arthur, what will you think of me now? It didn't matter. Gwen could NOT die. Not for me.

"It was me! It was me who used magick to cure Gwen's father. Gwen is NOT the sorcerer. I am." I sensed more than saw Gaius stand up, my eyes were only for Uther. Hatred raged inside me. It wasn't ALL my fault. His prejudice and ignorance were as much to blame for this whole mess as I was.

"Merlin, are you mad?" Maybe, but I was right. I finally met Gaius' eyes.

"I cannot let her die for me." I returned my gaze back to Uther. "I place myself at your mercy."

"She doesn't know what she's talking about –"

"I do." I knew Gaius was only trying to help me, he believed it was his job to look out for me, but I had to look out for Gwen now. I had to do what was right.

"Then arrest her." Uther sat down, his eyes not leaving mine. Two Knights grabbed my arms but I didn't struggle. I was guilty. I had no choice. Arthur moved towards us, stopping only a foot away, his back now turned to me as he spoke to Uther.

"Father, please, I cannot allow this. This is madness! There's no way Merlin is a sorceress." Oh, Arthur, how little you know about me. I felt my eyes sting a little as more tears tried to struggle through at the thought of how he would hate me forever when he realized the truth.

"Did you not hear her?"

"Yes." Oh Arthur, stop. If I don't do this then Gwen will die.

"She's admitted it." I nodded at Uther. Pleased in a sick way that he had listened to me.

"She saved my life, remember?" Yes, I did. But I am still a sorceress. Uther would likely kill his own son if he suspected him of using magick.

"Why would she fabricate such a story?" Why, indeed.

"As… Gaius said… she's got a grave, mental disease." Charming. At least let me go down with some dignity, Arthur. Uther sat forward in his seat, eyes only for his son as amusement flickered behind his serious expression.

"Really?"

"She's… she's at that phase in her monthly cycle." Oh, Gods kill me now! Not that! Any excuse but that! I'll never be able to look anyone in this room in the eyes again. Damn you Arthur!

"What?! I am not!"

"Yes, you are." Arthur, I swear to God.

"No."

"Your mood swings?" Hmm… maybe because my friend was devastated over her father being ill, then happy over his recovery, then distraught at being arrested. I think that gives anyone a good reason for mood swings, of course, no one accuses her of something so embarrassing. No, she just got accused of sorcery, instead.

"No, that was –"Arthur put his arm around me, cutting me off.

"It's all right. You can admit it." I was so incredibly tempted to punch him in the ribs whilst he wasn't looking. Unfortunately, the rest of the Knights were. Damn him.

"It's nothing like that!"

"Or perhaps she cast a spell on you?" Uther's sentence made my blood run cold. Until he burst out laughing. Great. They all think I'm a hormonal girl, upset over her friend and acting out. Arthur was laughing along with the rest of them, the only person who was too worried to laugh along was Gaius and I was seriously glad someone was keeping it together. Arthur hugged me closer briefly and I struggled not to just let my body collapse into him.

"Merlin is a wonder but the wonder is that she's such an idiot." Okay, moment over, he let go and I came incredibly close to 'accidentally' stomping down on his foot. I met his eyes showing him my outrage. "There's no way she's a sorceress." He stared back, disbelief and agitation glaring down at me through those blue eyes of his. He was angry. Whether it was at me, the situation or my interruption, I didn't know.

"Don't waste my time again. Let her go." Uther had sobered up from his earlier humour and with my head hung down in embarrassment I headed back to my chambers, Gaius following behind me. He was going to go ballistic as soon as we were in our chambers.

"Arthur's the idiot!" I burst out before Gaius could say anything.

"No. He was right to do what he did and thankfully he saved you from your own stupidity." Stupidity?! What did he expect me to do? Let Gwen die in my place?

"What else could I do? It's my fault Gwen's going to die!"

"Yes, but you don't prove her innocence by offering to jump into the flames. You do it by finding out what's causing the disease."

"Well, whatever it is, one thing is for sure, Arthurs not going to find it. He thinks he is so sharp. Even when I told him I was a witch, he still couldn't see it."

"Sometimes it is hard to spot." Especially if you're an idiot.

"Then maybe I should go around wearing a pointy hat." I wonder if they actually sell those in the market?

"I don't think you'll find one big enough." Hey! "Anyway forget that. If we're going to save Gwen we have to find out what's contaminating the water." Gaius threw a bag at me, I looked at him in shock as I barely caught it. Seriously? That's it? I was expecting him to at least raise his voice. He walked out the door ahead of me. Apparently, that was it. Well, that's one relief today. I followed after him.

Gaius led me outside the castle walls and then along the outside of the wall before I asked where we were actually going, I noticed a doorway in the wall further up. Probably to underneath the castle, maybe it's on the same level as the Dragon's cave. Gaius unlocked the wooden door with a rusty set of keys and continued on, passing me a torch along the way. He hadn't said a word to me during the whole walk and I was hoping it was because he was concentrating and not that he was giving me the silent treatments. I hated the silent treatment. We came across a giant pool of water with pipes leading from it.

"The water in here supplies the whole town." Ah, he's talking to me again. Not the silent treatment then. "Take a sample." Me? How come I always get the deadly jobs? I passed Gaius the torch and put my hand in the water, filling a vial out of the bag he'd thrown at me earlier. I popped the stopper back on and showed it to Gaius hoping one was enough.

"Let's take it back and examine it." Great. This place gave me the creeps. Before we'd even left that particular cavern a resounding splash came from the pool behind us with a horrifying, deep, screaming noise. I spun around, ready to use the torch as a weapon, to see a creature that had teeth as long as my forearm, with brown scaly skin and clawed hands, before I could look for more than that it disappeared back underneath the water.

"What the Hell was that?!" I asked Gaius. Fear creeping into my voice. Gaius didn't answer, just grabbed my arm and hurriedly pulled me away.

"There!" Gaius pointed at a page in what must have been the fortieth book we'd looked at. The picture was clearly of the same beast we'd seen underneath the castle. "It was an Afanc." A what, now?

"A what?" Gaius began to read aloud, his finger following the words.

"A creature born of clay and conjured only by the most powerful sorcerer. Now we have to find a way to defeat it." That? No chance do I want to go up against that! But surely, if we don't tell Uther about the conjured by sorcerer bit, he'd have to let Gwen go. If he thought the creature had got in there on its own somehow… Defeating it though? That may be a problem. Gaius looked up at the hundreds of volumes along the balcony above us. "But where…"

"That'll take days. Gwen will be dead by then."

"You got a better idea?" As a matter of fact…

I had one stop to make first. On my way to the dungeons, I noticed the guards building a wood pyre and I knew who it was for. Live by fire, die by fire. The traditional way to kill a witch. It was not going to be used. I wouldn't allow it and if somehow this didn't work. If I couldn't stop the creature then I would find some way to convince the King it was me. Arthur be damned.

Gwen was lying down in the straw, her back to me when I got to her cell but I didn't believe she was asleep. I think she was just tired of putting on a brave face for everyone.

"Gwen?" She didn't reply but her breathing wasn't slow enough for sleep so I carried on anyway. "I'm going to get you out. I will." She didn't reply. I never expected her to. I just hoped she believed me.

The cave was just as gloomy as the last time I was here and a part of me felt really bad for the dragon that was trapped there. I couldn't see him though. He never did seem to be in sight but really, how many places were there to hide in here?

"Hello?!" I waved my torch to the left and right, looking for movement. I heard his voice before his wings.

"Hello. The great Witch returns." He landed in front of me with an almighty boom as the rock below him struggled to take his ginormous weight. "As I knew she would." I didn't have time for his riddles.

"I need to know how to defeat an Afanc." He wasn't surprised. I didn't think anything could surprise that Dragon.

"Yes. I suppose you do."

"Will you help me?"

"Trust the elements that are at your command." Oh for goodness sake! Does this dragon ever give straight answers?

"Elements?" Earth, Air, Fire, Water. Yes… "But what is it I have to do?"

"You cannot do it alone. You are but one side of a coin. Arthur is the other." Oh no. No way am I asking for his help after that fiasco in the meeting. Not a chance. Nope. No way. Nu-uh.

"Stop speaking in riddles just tell me what it is I have to do!" His wings began to open and I knew what was coming. "No!" He flew off. As was his way. Damn him! "Please! Help me!" He spared me one look before he disappeared and two words. Two words that were the complete opposite of what I was thinking.

"I am." The sound of his wings and laughter echoed through the chamber and I begrudgingly made my way back to Gaius. Knowing there was no more help coming from that irritating Dragon.