It was tournament day. Camelot was ecstatic. The knights were all finishing their preparations within their tents. Arthur was squirrelled away in his tent with "William" being dressed by Merlin. Arthur seemed anxious, pacing back and forth in the tent. "Now remember the plan. I'm competing in the tournament, but no one will know that it's me. All you have to do is acknowledge the crowd at the end of the match. Act like you belong there and people will believe that you do." He was busy coaching William at the last minute. He was quite obviously distracted with the thought that there was an assassin that would even think to threaten his sister. He and Merlin sent William out of the tent to go before Uther and the kingdom as Uther introduced the tournament. It was due to the planning of Genevieve that the tent was close enough to the tilt so Merlin and Arthur could see what was happening.

No one noticed that the Princess and her husband were not in attendance, or if they did, they assumed that they were busy with married activities. Uther and Morgana were stationed in the covered dais that had plenty of chairs for the royal family, but only half were in use.

"Knights of the realm," Uther greeted as William swayed on his horse, having immense difficulty staying upon the mount. "Welcome to Camelot. You've trained for this day for many years." Uther was looking over the group of knights lined up in front of him. His eyes narrowed a bit at the late newcomer who seemed to be struggling to stay upon his horse.

"Well, he hasn't fallen off his horse," Merlin whispered to Arthur as they watched the proceedings. Uther continued droning on in the background, talking about how the tournament was a test of bravery and strength, amongst other things.

"I suppose that's something," Arthur whispered back. He allowed himself a quick glance to the platform and noticed that his sister wasn't there, and for that matter, neither was Gwaine. He grew concerned, but quickly shook off such thoughts, not allowing himself to become distracted before a tournament that could claim lives.

"...and your skill to the test. Today, you will fight for glory and for honour. For this is the ultimate test of courage. And it will be the measure of you as men. For only the most skillful, the most fearless among you will emerge as a worthy champion." All the knights presented their arms before leaving the tilt, preparing for the first rounds of the tournament.

"They're ready for you, Sire," William informed Arthur as they exchanged responsibilities.

Arthur had won all of his matches that day, much to the pleasure of those watching who knew his secret. Gwen and Morgana were cheering for him, both with different levels of enthusiasm as it wouldn't be proper for the ward of the King to cheer unbecomingly. Isabel was watching worriedly from the sidelines, doing her best to watch out for the assassin. Merlin was sitting in the tent with William, gladly listening to the crowd cheering for "William" as he was successful in each fight.

Arthur entered the tent energetically, and tossed the helmet to William. "You must go and acknowledge the crowd."

"How do you do that?" William questioned as he fumbled the helmet a little but managed not to drop it.

"You wave, they cheer. It's not that difficult," Arthur sneered at the farmer. William left the tent in contemplation as he determined the best way to go about his task. Arthur watched him leave before turning to Merlin. "I do all the work, someone else gets all the praise," he muttered to the servant.

"Know the feeling," Merlin muttered under his breath, hoping that Arthur wouldn't hear him. Arthur may know of his magic, but Merlin still hadn't had the courage to inform Arthur just how much he had used his magic to save Arthur.

"When I win this tournament, I'll reveal my true identity, get the credit I deserve," he assured Merlin confidently. It would also win him the bet with Genevieve, though she wouldn't be here to see it.

"Of course you will," Merlin reassured the Prince.

"Well, don't just stand there. Help me off with my armour. And remember to polish it before tomorrow. The horse needs grooming. And don't forget to repair the broken lances." Merlin knew that it would be a long night for him, with all the chores that Arthur was placing on him, along with the chores that Gaius was making him do.

Isabel entered into Gwaine and Genevieve's chamber that night, carrying a platter of food that the kitchen had specifically prepared for the princess, following both Gaius and Uther's orders on how the princess was to eat. She was pleasantly surprised to find that Gwaine was fully asleep on the bed, with Genevieve sitting up, reading a book while subconsciously running a hand through his soft hair. She cleared her throat to alert Genevieve that she was here.

Genevieve looked up from her book and smiled at the young woman balancing a tray. "Come in, Isabel, and set that tray down! It looks like you're about to topple over." Isabel quickly sat the tray down in the table, and tried to scurry out of the room. "Isabel, you should really sit down. You look as if you are about to pass out."

The Princess struggled to get out of bed without waking her sleeping husband. She almost managed it, but the last shift forward alerted him to her intentions.

"Gen, what are you doing?" He asked as he rubbed his sleepy eyes. He blinked a few times and noticed that Isabel had arrived at some point. "Iz, what are you doing here?"

Isabel cocked her head slightly at the nickname, but decided to brush it off, not too concerned with this behavior. "I brought dinner, since you both missed dinner tonight," she responded finally while gesturing to the food that she had set on the table.

Gwaine looked over at the bounty that had been provided and was surprised to discover just how hungry he was. "Gen, get back in bed before I send for Gaius," he demanded of his love. She pouted in response and began to move to the table, prepared to show her husband that she was ready to sit and eat, and not remain in bed. Gwaine merely shook his head before bounding over the bed and gently grabbing her arm. "Gen, please," he asked in a voice so soft it was almost a whisper. Gen looked at her husband, and noticed the intense look in his eye that he was giving her. She nodded and moved back to the bed, knowing that this was one argument that she didn't want to have, or win.

Once she was situated back in bed comfortably, she motioned over to Isabel. "How did the tournament go today?" She inquired of the younger girl.

"Well, Arthur won all his matches today, and nothing suspicious happened."

"What do you mean by that?"

Isabel shot a look over to Gwaine, who had paused in mid bite. He put down the spoon and looked at his wife. "Gen, the assassin is here in Camelot, looking for Arthur."

Immediately, Genevieve bounded off the bed, almost knocking Isabel over. "Why didn't you tell me about this before now? Were you ever going to tell me?" She demanded of her husband.

"Gen, I was going to tell you, but not until I knew that everything was going to be okay. You need to calm down, love," Gwaine attempted to calm his very angry wife, knowing that this would not be good for her health, and the health of the baby.

Genevieve opened her mouth to respond, but a look of pain crossed her face instead. She moved to the bed, ignoring all of the panicked questions being directed towards her, simply stating that she needed to sit down, everything was fine. When she was again situated in her bed, she looked to the two individuals staring at her. "Gwaine, Isabel, I want you both at the tournament tomorrow. I want you to look out for Arthur by any means necessary. Isabel, if something happens, I want you to contact me immediately."

Genevieve looked around the room, trying to find a piece of parchment to scrawl a missive to her brother. Gwaine, assuming correctly what she was looking for, grabbed a quill and parchment. He handed it to her quickly before sitting back at the table.

Genevieve quickly wrote out her note before giving it to Isabel with instructions to deliver to Arthur as quickly as possible. Isabel left the room, looking back as she closed the door to see Gwaine bringing food to Genevieve.

Merlin attempted to sneak past Gaius to his shared room with his sister, when Gaius turned and began to stare at him, very angry like.

"Is this about the leech tank?" Merlin asked, knowing that it was but hoping that Gaius had somehow forgotten that he asked Merlin to take care of that particularly nasty chore.

"How very perceptive of you, Merlin," Gaius crossly told his nephew.

"I'll clean it out tomorrow," Merlin promised as he finally made his way to the safety of his room.

"And will that be before or after you've scrubbed the floors and done the laundry? Isabel is caught up on her chores!" Gaius called out after his nephew.

Merlin sighed as he entered the room, ready to tell Isabel how the tournament was going from his end, meaning how much he had gotten to know William. He was surprised to see that Isabel wasn't there, and was a little put out that his sister wasn't there to talk with him.

Arthur and Gwen had just finished eating, and were discussing how the tournament was going from both perspectives when they heard a knock at the door. Gwen walked to the door this time and was happy to find Isabel standing there. Gwen thought that Isabel had a magical ability to calm Arthur down, which was definitely need at this point as an argument between the two was imminent.

Isabel quietly made her way into the room, happy to see that she hadn't woken the two up. "I brought a missive from Genevieve," she quietly said, her eyes focused on the floor, not wanting to make eye contact with Arthur. She saw Arthur's hand enter her field of vision and she quickly put the parchment in his not quite completely open hand. She tried to run away, but felt a strong hand grab her.

"Isabel, what's wrong?" Arthur asked her gently, gentler than he had ever been before.

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. She opened her mouth to answer, but shook her head instead. "Be careful tomorrow," she told him before making her escape back to the castle.

She rushed quietly through her uncle's chambers and up the stairs to the shared room, where she found Merlin passed out on his bed. She quickly readied herself for bed and laid down, tears now freely streaming down her face as the stress of what was going on finally overwhelmed her.

The next morning dawned. The castle woke up and began buzzing with activity as everyone went about their daily chores.

When Gwaine woke up, Genevieve was still soundly asleep. He gently kissed her and then quietly left the room, entering into the portion of their chambers that was dedicated to their weaponry and armor. He quickly got dressed as according to a Knight of Camelot and made his way to the tournament arena, knowing that he was about to be spending a lot of time with Uther.

By the time he arrived, Morgana was already there, ready for the conclusion of the tournament. She sat upon the wooden throne that had been placed to the left of Uther's. To the right were two thrones of similar sizes, one of which Gwaine sat on. When Uther arrived shortly thereafter, both stood up in reverence and greeting for the King of Camelot. He sat upon his more extravagant throne and greeted his ward. After conversing with her for a few minutes, he turned to his son-in-law. "How is Genevieve doing today?"

"She was still fast asleep when I left this morning, but that was a few hours ago. And since she is her own woman, there is no telling what she could be up to by this time," Gwaine told his father-in-law nonchalantly. Uther looked at him, resisting the urge to attack his son-in-law, who he saw as too smug, but resisted because he knew that his daughter would not hesitate to use her dreaded sorcery on him. The again, he wasn't sure that she hadn't used it on him already. He moved away from his son-in-law, muttering as he rubbed his head in serious contemplation, facing the crowded tournament arena. Gwaine shook his head before choosing to focus on the tournament.

Merlin arrived at the tournament just before it began, after having a slight argument with Gaius over Merlin's supposed laziness now that Arthur was away. Gaius had been shocked when his nephew raised his voice, even if it was out of frustration. He was even more shocked when his niece "solved" the issue of the leech tank with a wave of her hand, blatantly using her magic within the castle when it wasn't a lifesaving event. Gaius begin to lecture Isabel on the proper use of magic, which allowed Merlin to sneak out and make his way to Arthur's tent, where Arthur was waiting impatiently for Merlin to arrive. He scoffed when his manservant finally arrived.

"What? Did you sleep in today?"

"No, Sire. Gaius-"

"I need to get ready, and I've been forced to wait for you to make an appearance for ages. So glad that you could finally join me." Merlin noticed that Arthur seemed out of sorts and couldn't figure out why he possibly could be.

Merlin got to work dressing both Arthur and William as he thought about what could possibly be bothering the haughty prince. It was his only focus as the tournament went on. He barely caught, and relayed, when Sir Alinor was announced to be competing in the final, alongside Sir William/Arthur. Arthus when he heard the news, just simply nodded, focusing on the tournament and his sister's missive from last night.

Arthur trotted out onto the tilt, visor fully covering his face as he faced off against Sir Leon, fully prepared to prove that he was the better jouster. When he unhorsed Sir Leon, he felt vindicated in this plan of his sister's. He was certain to win now, both the tournament and the bet. All he had to do was face off against Sir Alinor in the morning and it would all work out in his favor. Now was the time to head back to Gwen's and get some proper rest.

Merlin took Arthur's horse to the trough to be watered when he was approached by a man he had never seen before. "He's a fine horse. I see your master has advanced to the final. He's extremely skilled with a lance."

"He's doing well. Just one more match to go."

"Tell me, what is he like to work for?"

"Between you and me?" Merlin looked around before leaning in and whispering to the man, "He can be a bit of a prat."

The strange man let out a laugh before asking, "So, you are no longer working for Prince Arthur?"

"Well, I…" Merlin floundered a bit. "Yes, yes. Not right now. Arthur's away. I'm just… helping out."

"Well, I, erm, I wish your master luck in the final," the man told Merlin before he walked away from Merlin and the horse.

"Thanks," Merlin called after the man.

When Arthur made it back to Gwen's house, he couldn't find her. "Gwen," he called out to the seemingly empty house.

"Just a minute," Gwen called back from where she was sweeping the pantry.

Arthur made his way to where he heard her voice coming from, picking at where his shirt had been damaged. "Do you have a needle and thread? My shirt needs mending," he looked up and saw a blanket and shoddy pillow where Gwen had obviously been sleeping.

"Umm…"

"Is this where you sleep?" Arthur questioned. "Where's your bed?"

"You're sleeping in it," Gwen replied simply.

"Well why didn't you say something?"

"How could I? Your Prince Arthur. Besides, you didn't give me the chance. You just assumed the bed was yours."

They heard a knock at the door and Gwen made her way past Arthur to the door. Arthur paused before following after her. "Well, how am I supposed to know if you don't tell me?"

"You shouldn't need to be told to think of someone other than yourself, you're not a child." She opened the door and found Isabel standing there. She ushered the handmaid in before closing the door.

Isabel looked at the two who where arguing and made her way to the cooking fire, where she began to prepare a dinner for the both of them, waiting until they were done arguing before sharing what she had come to tell them.

"Is there anything else you'd like to say to me? Please, I'd like to hear it. If there's something you want to say to me, don't let me stop you."

"You don't have any idea, do you?" Gwen questioned incredulously, before looking at Isabel for some sort of backup.

"About what?" Arthur asked Gwen, utterly confused to what she could be referring to. Isabel moved from the fire and made her way over to where Arthur was standing.

"About how rude and arrogant you can be! This is my home and you are my guest in it! I know you are used to more luxurious quarters, but that is not an excuse to be so rude! You claim titles don't matter to you, but you behave like a prince and expect me to wait on you like a servant! Saying it means nothing if your actions betray you! Would it kill you to say please and thank you once in a while?!" She looked at Arthur before adding a quick "My Lord," and a small, almost imperceptible bow, remembering her station.

"Is there anything else you'd like to add?"

"No, I think that's it." She was prepared for Arthur to berate her for what she unloaded on him.

"You're right. You have invited me into your home and I have behaved appallingly."

"I didn't mean to make you feel bad."

"Oh, really?"

"Well, perhaps a little," Gwen admitted, causing the three to laugh slightly.

"There's no excuse. I'll make it up to you. Tonight, I will make dinner for you, and for Isabel, who already began making dinner it seems." Isabel looked at Arthur in surprise. She hadn't expected him to realize that she had begun making dinner.

"You're going to cook us dinner?" Gwen incredulously asked.

"I most certainly am. Now, go for a walk or do whatever it is that girls do at this time of the evening…" Arthur stated uncertainly towards to end of his statement.

"A walk would be nice," Gwen stated while looking at Isabel.

"And your dinner will be ready when you return," Arthur told the two servants.

Gwen grabbed her shawl, throwing it on excitedly at the prospect at having an evening off. She turned to Isabel and saw the girl subtly shaking her head, indicating that she was going to be staying here. Gwen walked out. Arthur looked up when the door shut and saw that Isabel remained behind.

"What are you doing here? I have this covered," he informed his sister's servant.

"Arthur, you haven't cooked in these conditions before. Even if you had, you don't know how to properly prepare what Gwen has available."

Arthur began to get angry until he realized that she was right. Then he remembered the promise he made to Gwen about preparing dinner for both of the girls. A look must have crossed over his face because Isabel stepped forward.

"I'm going to help you, not do everything for you, but simply help you."

The two began to fix dinner, laughing as they furthered their efforts on dinner.

Merlin was walking through the lower town, looking for his sister when he came across Gwen walking in the opposite direction of her house. "Where's Arthur?"

"He's cooking dinner," Gwen informed him with a small smile, knowing that Isabel had stayed behind, most likely to save whatever dinner Arthur planned.

"Arthur's cooking?" Merlin asked completely shocked.

"Well, Arthur and your sister," she teased him. Merlin began to take off towards Gwen's house when he felt a hand wrap around his arm and was pulled back towards Gwen. "Oh, leave them be, Merlin. Your sister is more than capable of taking care of Arthur and his cooking.

Isabel had just flung some chopped carrots at Arthur and was surprised to find that some found a place in his hair. She let out a small laugh which was quickly cut off when Arthur retaliated with some chopped potatoes. Arthur laughed as a piece went into her mouth. She gave a smile and chewed the potato, enjoying the earthy taste. She added the rest of the carrots to the pot before looking at Arthur's shirt and noticing the hole in it. "Arthur, give me your shirt so I can mend it."

Arthur looked at the young lady incredulously. "What?" He questioned.

"You have a hole in your shirt, give it to me so I can repair it before it gets worse," she demanded of the Prince in a hard tone that surprised him. He quickly took his shirt off, attempting to not show off his physique. Isabel still caught sight of his chest and very defined abs and forced herself to look away, blush spreading like petals falling off a flower.

Arthur was seemingly oblivious as to why the young maid was hiding her eyes from him, and threw his shirt at her in a teasing manner, much like what they had been doing before, and laughed aloud at her startled jump when the shirt hit her back. She quickly grabbed the shirt and made her way over to where Gwen kept her sewing supplies. She focused on the shirt and chose to ignore whatever it was that Arthur was doing, trusting him not to mess with the stew that was being prepared. It was only when she heard a crash that she looked up and saw that Arthur had managed to run into the simple shelf that held all of Gwen's dishes. Rather than Gwen go without dishes, or Arthur slice his foot open on the broken pottery shards and forever complain about the fact (despite it being his fault in the long run) Isabel simply waved her hand in a show of unconscious magic, putting the dishes back together and back on the shelf. Arthur looked impressed by her display of magic, seeing the difference between hers and his sister's. While Genevieve's magic was tied more to her emotions, oftentimes mirroring whatever emotion she was feeling at the time, Isabel's seemed to be more along the lines of, well, helpful, for lack of a better idea from Arthur, who hadn't seen many different types of magic, having only really experienced his sister's.

Isabel felt her brother brushing against her mind and sent him a message, asking for a shirt to replace the one that Arthur had been wearing, simply stating that it smelled horribly, and she wasn't sure how much more of the stench she could stand before something unpredictable happened. She felt Merlin's mirth as he agreed to go grab one of Arthur's freshly laundered shirts from his bedchamber. Isabel sent her thanks, and continued focusing on mending Arthur's shirt and keeping an eye on the stew to make sure it didn't overcook.

Before the soup fully finished cooking, Merlin arrived with a new shirt, much to Arthur's surprise. He looked over at Isabel questioningly, his eyes shifting down to the newly mended shirt still grasped in her small hands. "I asked Merlin to go grab one of your shirts so you could wear something clean tonight for dinner," she responded before moving back to where the soup was quickly coming to a boil. She moved the soup off the heat of the fire and tasted the soup before deeming it ready to be served.

Arthur had quickly put his shirt on and moved to look out the window and saw Gwen strolling down the street towards his house. He looked at Merlin, who was joking with his sister about something, and the order to leave died on his lips. He wouldn't invite Merlin to join them for dinner, because it wasn't his house and he wasn't sure that Gwen would have enough dishes to serve the three of them, let alone Merlin as well. "Gwen's almost here," he did manage to say. Merlin looked at his sister and gave her a quick hug before moving to leave. Just as he opened the door, Gwen entered her home and saw him standing there.

"Oh, hello, Gwen," Merlin greeted while giving her his signature crooked half-smile that first endeared him to Gwen.

"Merlin, I would say it's a surprise to see you, but I expected you to pop up sooner than now. Won't you join us for dinner? I'm sure your sister and Arthur have cooked up something delicious if the smell is any indication."

"I would be honored, Gwen, thank you for your hospitality."

They all sat down to dinner, unaware of the peeping eyes that finally found their target. He prepped his crossbow and was ready to shoot Arthur when the night patrol stumbled on him, noticing the mini crossbow in his hand. "Halt! You! Stop right there!" He looked over his shoulder at the approaching guards before running off, using the dark to his advantage to give them the slip early on in the chase by hanging under the drawbridge.

"Did you see him?" One of the guards asked the others as they passed over the drawbridge. His compatriots all shook their heads, and an unspoken agreement was made.

Merlin and Isabel returned to their uncle's chambers with the leftover soup, given explicit instructions by Gwen to feed their uncle whatever remained. They had just finished magically warming a bowl and placing it on the table when Gaius opened the door to the chambers.

"Dinner's ready!" Merlin said in a tone that was both cheerful yet apologetic. "What I said this morning…"

"It is I who should be apologizing to you," Gaius told his nephew, having thought all day about what they young wizard had shouted at him. "I failed to appreciate just how heavy your burden must be."

"I shouldn't have lost my temper with you," Merlin offered, giving them both an out that would go forwards to mend their relationship. Isabel gave a small smile as she escaped to the small room she shared with Merlin and began to tidy up a bit, knowing that Merlin had been running himself ragged with all that had occurred this week. She heard her uncle and brother continuing their conversation as she quickly cleaned.

"It's no wonder you're upset. There's so much resting on your young shoulders. Now that Arthur's away, you must take time to enjoy yourself," Gaius assured his nephew.

"What about the leech tank?" Merlin asked hesitantly, as if the mere asking of the question would restart the argument that began with the dreaded thing.

"Don't even think about the leech tank," Gaius assured his nephew.

"Really?"

"All this talk of leeches will put us off our dinner. Where'd this soup come from?" Merlin opened his mouth to answer when a knock was heard coming from the door. "Come in!" Gaius called to whomever was knocking. Much to their surprise, it was Leon who came into the room.

"The King commands your presence immediately," he informed them as Isabel made her way down the stairs.

Gaius quickly had Isabel gather his basket of supplies and the trio followed Leon to where the King was waiting for them, down a corridor that was only used by guards. They were glad to see that Gwaine was there as well, but were dismayed when they saw the body on the floor, the obvious reason as to why Gaius would have been summoned.

Gaius immediately began examining the body, doing his best to determine the cause of death.

"Can you determine a cause of death?" Uther demanded imperiously.

"His neck's been broken. There's scarcely a mark on the flesh. Whoever killed him knew exactly what he was doing," Gaius informed the King.

"Earlier this evening, an intruder was spotted in the lower town," Leon informed the King. It took every bit of willpower for Merlin, Isabel and Gwaine not to exchange glances, or react at all.

"Then I fear it's true, Odin has sent an assassin to kill Arthur, and if not Arthur then Genevieve."

"An assassin?" Merlin questioned, having not been part of the meeting in the throne room just two days earlier since he had been riding out with Arthur and then helping the prince sneak back into Camelot.

"Have you any word from Arthur since he left for the north border?" Uther questioned the serving boy.

"No. None," Merlin assured the King.

"With this assassin in Camelot, we must be thankful Arthur isn't here. Search the entire town. I want the assassin found before Arthur returns," Uther ordered Leon before turning to face Gwaine. "I want guards on Genevieve at all times, even when you are with her. She is to be nowhere she can't be easily protected, especially with her condition." A pained look passed over Gwaine's face that no one noticed, seeing as how all their thoughts were occupied with the assassin.

After the twins had left for the night, Gwen and Arthur were sitting there talking. "So, do I have any more annoying habits you wish to tell me about?" Arthur asked after they had both finished laughing after he had recounted the story of Merlin's face when he came in earlier, Arthur noticeably without a shirt.

"No, none," Gwen quickly reassured him.

"There's something else, isn't there?" Arthur pushed. "What is it?" He needled.

"Well," Gwen seemed to hesitate before finally answering, "the truth is.. you snore," she informed him with a small smile.

"I do not snore!" Arthur vehemently denied, taking offense to the mere idea.

"You do!" Gwen insisted. "The first night you were here, I thought a pig had got into the house."

'So, now I'm a pig?" Arthur teased. "Thank you, Guinevere."

"I just mean you sound like a pig," Gwen defended herself, not realizing that Arthur was finally acting like a normal person and teasing his friend. Granted, Arthur was used to being surrounded by guys and used to being brusquer with them, forgetting how to truly act around females. Even when dealing with his sister, he acted like he was just with guys. The only people he truly saw as delicate were Morgana and Isabel. "I think I better stop talking," Gwen stated nearly under her breath. She stood up and began to clear off the table.

"I'll do that," Arthur told her a bit forcefully as he began to grab the bowls from Gwen's hands. She gave him a small smile as she sat back down, seeing the change that Arthur had been boasting about happening actually taking place.

"It was a very good meal, Arthur. I quite surprised," Gwen said, holding her breath to see just how much the prince really had changed.

"You can thank Isabel. She showed me how to make it. I can kill a chicken from a thousand paces, but cooking anything from it escapes me. She was gracious enough to show me a simple meal that I can make even when away from the castle for extended periods of time. She is just… Incredible."

"Well, I suppose having magic would make her incredible," Gwen said, grinning at the Prince's grin as he thought of the young sorceress.

"Even before I knew she had magic, I thought she was incredible," Arthur stated,

Suddenly, the door to Gwen's house smashed open as Merlin barged into the small house breathlessly. "Arthur! There's an assassin in Camelot! He's here to kill you!" Isabel, in a much calmer manner but still breathless after having chased after her panic stricken brother, ducked under his arm into Gwen's house. She saw the dishes sitting nearby and began to clean them. Merlin stared at his sister incredulously by how calm she was acting, as if what they saw and heard wasn't earth shattering, when it obviously was to him. He looked over at Arthur and, unsurprisingly, saw a lack of panic in the Prince's face and eyes.

"I knew there was an assassin after me, why should I be surprised that he came here looking for me?" Arthur questioned Merlin.

With a roll of his eyes, Merlin began telling Gwen and Arthur what had happened since he and his sister had left Gwen's just an hour earlier. "The assassin killed a guard. Your father said Odin-"

"Sent him, yes. Genevieve mentioned something like that," Arthur stated, looking at Merlin who looked at him like he had lost his mine for the complete lack of concern.

"Why would Odin want you dead?" Gwen asked, showing the correct amount of concern from Merlin's perspective.

"Because I killed his son," Arthur told the room, which quickly fell silent, even Isabel stopped washing dishes. Arthur sat down at the table, avoiding looking at everyone. "Odin's son challenged me to a fight. I had no quarrel with him. I asked him to withdraw," Arthur all but pleaded at that line, looking at Isabel, hoping that she didn't see him as the monster that he saw himself as in this moment. When he didn't see any judgment in her eyes, he continued, "Perhaps he felt he had to prove himself. I can still see his face. He looked so scared."

Isabel laid a comforting hand on the prince, seeing how distraught he was. "You can't blame yourself," she murmured, so softly he almost missed it, but was glad that he hadn't, smiling at the thought that she didn't hate him.

"No one but us and your sister knows where you are. If the assassin can't find you, he can't kill you," Merlin tried to reassure the Prince.

Arthur turned to look at Gwen, making sure that he didn't lose contact with Isabel. "May I continue to stay here?" He asked of the young woman.

"Of course, for as long as you need," Gwen assured him.

"Thank you. I'll sleep on the floor tonight," Arthur told her valiantly.

"No, have my bed. You need to be well rested for the tournament tomorrow."

"I'll not hear of it. Good night, Guinevere," Arthur told her, standing up to make his point.

"Good night," Gwen told the collected group before heading to the small, cornered off room where her bed was located.

Arthur turned to the two siblings. "Do either of you know a spell that could help me sleep better on the floor?" At the shake of their heads he sighed. "Would either of you mind fetching my mattress from my quarters and bringing it here?"

"And how would you suggest they carry it?" A familiar voice asked. The three looked over at the door and saw Gwaine standing there with a smug grin on his face. Isabel gave a small smile to the man she "served" and looked over at Arthur, watching his expression.

"Gwaine, what are you doing here?"

"Your sister is asleep, which she has been needing anyways. She told me to come down here before she fell asleep to make sure you weren't trying to cheat your way out of the bet, Arthur."

Everyone in the room exchanged small grins. Merlin and Isabel stood up and started to make their way to the door. Gwaine nodded at them as they passed by before turning his attention to Arthur. Once the door was firmly closed he spoke to his brother-in-law in whispers so faint no one could hope to eavesdrop on them.

The next morning was a hum of activity all around Camelot, as everyone prepared for the final day of the tournament. Gwaine kissed his wife good-bye, promising to be back as soon as the tournament ended to tell her all about it. Isabel and Merlin were helping Arthur and William get ready, while Gwen was waiting in the stands for the final match to start. And one person was watching Arthur intently as he made his way to the tournament grounds.

As soon as Uther was seated, the two competitors took the field and everyone held their breath. They watched as the two horses began their charges towards each other and the lances made contact. Cheers rose from the crowd as the competition continued. No one noticed that the two on the horses were riding differently than yesterday, or, if they did notice, just assumed that both of the riders were sore from the tournament. They turned to face each other again for another pass and ran at full tilt towards each other. A hit landed and the other didn't, causing the rider to fall off their horse and effectively break their neck. Gaius and Isabel rushed forwards to check on the jouster, having some of the knights carefully carry him off the field towards the medic tent. The other rider rode off the field and back to their tent, where three very worried people were sitting.

The rider took off their helmet to reveal long, flowing hair spilling out of the confines of the helmet. Arthur jumped up from where he had been sitting. "How could you have done that, Genevieve? That was stupid!"

"I did what I had to, Arthur, to protect you from what would have been certain death. The assassin took the place of Sir Alinor and would have killed you."

"He would have killed you! He didn't know that you tied me up! He thought he was facing me!"

Genevieve scoffed before tossing her helmet at her brother. "Go out and show all your people who you are," she coldly replied before looking over at William and Merlin who were both sitting in the corner in awe of what the Princess had just done. Arthur followed his sister's gaze and found that his eyes were drawn to William.

"Go and collect the trophy," he told the scared man.

"I thought this was going to be your moment of glory?" His sister asked him, shooting him a side look.

"Perhaps this is a time for humility. Especially since I wasn't the one who won the final match of the tournament," he gave his sister a pointed look. Rather than look sheepish, she just returned the look. They both listened as William received the applause from the crowd and smiled at each other, remembering how it felt when they first participated in tournaments, with or without their father's permission. Genevieve made her way back to the castle, cloaked in an inconspicuous cloak that allowed her to sneak through the tunnels beneath Camelot back to her room.

Arthur made his way back to Camelot's castle, trying to think of an appropriate way to deal with the fact that the assassin was dead. He managed to tell his father that he was attacked on the way back to Camelot and disposed of the assassin easily, which wasn't a full lie. He made his way to Morgana's room to get her and Gwen and escort them to Genevieve and Gwaine's chambers.

They all gathered in the sitting room, with all but Genevieve and Gwaine looking happy at the results of the tournament. Arthur finally looked over at his sister and brother-in-law and saw how despondent they truly looked. He gave his sister a small smile, knowing what was upsetting her.

"Gen, I thought you were unable to participate in the tournament? Why did you take Arthur's place?" Morgana asked her foster sister.

Genevieve and Gwaine exchanged looks before Genevieve stood up and excused herself, making her way to her bedroom to escape from the questioning looks from all around the room. She firmly closed the door behind her, and not a sound was heard from her by the others. Gwaine looked at their friends and briefly told them that Genevieve had lost the baby. She should have still been resting, but wanted to protect Arthur.

Everyone's heads turned when they heard the door to the bedroom open and saw Genevieve emerged, dressed in a simple gown and cloak that could almost disguise her as a servant. She looked around the room before telling them not to worry, she would be back soon. She just had a few errands to run real quick.

She made her way through the town and out the gate to the surrounding forest. She looked around to make sure she wasn't going to be followed and started walking deeply into the forest.