A/N: HELLO AGAIN! YES IT'S ME. It's not been a hundred years this time, but still. I said I only had one more scene to write before this chapter was finished and I've been sitting on that scene for a month. But I finally wrote it- obvious by the fact that I'm posting. I've recently reentered the world of Harry Potter, diving headfirst into my feels. I have a newfound desire to rewrite the fanfic I had started long ago for Potter. What I had written...is really bad. Like...really bad. I told myself I couldn't write anything else until I finished and posted this final chapter. So here we are. The final part of Lancelot. Thank you always to everyone who still reads this story. I promise you even if you do wait 100 year I will update this fanfic again! I'm just always really terrible when it comes to updating. But it will happen. So enjoy! As always please read and review! 3


Lancelot: Part 3

When Adrielle woke the next day, everything she did made her whole body ache at once. Laying on her uneven cot, eyes still closed shut, everything hurt. Her head felt like an exotic dance troupe had taken up camp inside and was practicing around the clock. Her stomach quaked like a violent storm brewing; thunder shaking her insides and striking lightning, threatening to expel whatever was left inside. Actually, it felt like her stomach was threatening to send whatever was inside either up or down, or both ways. Something was coming out, it just depended on which end it was coming.

Adrielle let out a guttural groan, immediately regretting so. The sound of her own voice left a ringing in her ears which just rattled her brain even more. She settled for a breathless sigh at her frustrations. As she became more awake, she felt her cheek had settled in a pool of something wet. Slowly, Adrielle attempted to open her eyes, shutting them almost instantly. The faint light streaming into the chambers assaulted her eyes to no end, she thought she would surely be blinded. She tried to open her eyes again, this time to find that the world around her was spinning. She shut them tightly again, terrified that something really was about to make its way back out of her. She tried to roll herself over in bed so she was at least laying on her back, but found her limbs felt like stones.

What...the bloody hell happened last night? I honestly don't remember anything.

With great effort and lots of mental determination, Adrielle finally found herself in an upright seated position. The room was only slightly spinning at this point, and nothing had made its way back out of Adrielle's stomach. Wherever she could find tiny moments of progress, she would take them. She looked around her room, only to find out this wasn't her room. There was no wall to her immediate right and no Merlin on his own cot across to her left. Instead, she found tables and chairs with jars and plants, and one very stern looking Gaius.

"Good morning, Adrielle," he said in a false cheery voice.

"Uhhh, morning?" she replied utterly confused.

"Have a fun evening last night?" Gaius questioned.

"Uhhh..." Adrielle stumbled.

"Having problems remembering what happened? Allow me to fill you in. I assume you had much too much to drink, more than your body should probably have in your entire life. Unable to walk straight or even stand up, Prince Arthur took upon the charity case to help you back to your chambers. Starting to ring any bells?" Gaius detailed to her.

"Arthur?" Adrielle asked, clearly hanging onto the only thing that made any sense. Actually, that was the part that made the least sense. Why would Arthur drag her back to her chambers? Other than being a goody two shoes nobleman that he was, which he wasn't, that's really the only reason she could think of.

Adrielle struggled, trying to remember what had happened the night before. Everything was a total blur. She remembered...the celebration in Lancelot's name. The dancing, the music, the laughter. She remembered drinking various amounts of wine. It seemed every time she remembered flashes of memories, different moments throughout the night, she always seemed to have a drink, or two, in her hands. She remembered seeing nearly every inch of that celebration hall. She had meandered and mingled and basically ran away across every stone in that hall.

Why had she run around the entire night? Had she been running from the same unknown assailant all night? As she thought harder, a face started to become more clear amongst all of her foggy memories. High cheekbones, dark hair, icy blue eyes just like her own-

Merlin!

But why had she run away from him all night? Almost no memory she could grasp onto had she spent more than five minutes in her brothers presence. The longer she tried to think, the more she tried to hold onto pictures and memories from the night before, they vanished. In the end when almost everything was gone all she could barely remember was Lancelot. And…Arthur.

Arthur.

As she said his name to herself, she had a vision. Of him holding her, carrying her back somewhere. And Adrielle… Adrielle was all smiles. Until…she threw up on him. Oh, how embarrassed she would have been. She expected Arthur to be very angry at her; furious! A simple servant throwing up on the future king. Still a future prince, technically. But no, as upset and annoyed as Arthur may have been, he still held her hair back as she continued to vomit. A gentle hand on her back keeping her upright. When she was finished, he handed her a kerchief to wipe her face, and then he continued to carry her off. She fell asleep in his arms before he delivered her back to her chambers.

No, that all had to be a dream. Perhaps someone had helped her back to her chambers, but it couldn't have been Arthur. Sure, he liked to save damsels in distress, but not a damsel like her. He only tolerated her because Merlin was his manservant.

Adrielle shook her head, clearing out all memories and dreams from the night before. Trying to remember clearly was futile; she couldn't make sense of what was real and what wasn't. All the visions she had were swept away and lost in the fogginess of her mind.

"Here," Gaius said as he returned to her side. In his hand he offered her a sickly yellow looking drink.

"What is this?" Adrielle questioned, taking it from him nonetheless.

"It'll help with your hangover. Don't look at it, don't smell it, just down in one. When you're ready I've got a fresh bowl of water if you'd like to wash your face." Adrielle said a quick thank you, looking at the drink for a second before downing it back in one. She cringed and gagged, trying to keep whatever was in her stomach still down.

"It also doesn't taste great, but once it's down it'll do its job," Gaius called back. Adrielle steadied herself, taking a moment to make sure everything was going to stay down, before getting up and moving towards the pail of water. As she washed her face, she felt the water and drink begin to work together to wipe away the haze from the night before. The world finally slowed down and stopped spinning. The storms in her stomach quieted and settled down, and her mind began to clear.

When she had finished, she looked up to see her brother and Lancelot coming down the stairs. They both looked about like how Adrielle previously felt. Gaius offered them both the same remedy as Adrielle, giving each the same set of instructions. Once they downed them both Gaius spoke again.

"All better? Good. Can't have you nodding off on your first day on the job, Lancelot."

"That's Sir Lancelot," Merlin interjected.

"You're gonna do great, Lancelot," Adrielle said with a warm smile, of which Lancelot returned to her.

Before anyone could say anything more, the doors to the physicians chambers burst open. Two guard stormed in and grabbed onto Lancelot forcefully, marching him out towards the door.

"What are you doing?" Merlin protested loudly.

"King's orders," one of them replied flatly. They continued toward the door without breaking stride. Just as quickly as they had entered the room the three had disappeared. Adrielle and Merlin looked at each other, both siblings sharing the same look of fear, confusion, and shock on their faces.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Adrielle said.

~xx~

The twins immediately raced after Lancelot towards the council chambers, only to be met outside by two more guards guarding the closed door. No one was allowed into the chambers. They tried to sit outside and eavesdrop, but the guards threatened the twins causing them to back away.

"What do you thinks going on?" Merlin asked as the two wandered the castle restlessly.

"They must've found out he's not a true nobleman," Adrielle replied.

"But how? How could they know? How could they have found out?" Merlin continued.

"I don't know, Merl. I feel awful."

"This isn't our fault," Merlin reassured. Although as he tried to help his sister feel better, he couldn't ignore the pang of guilt he too felt for his friend. They had put him up to this. Lancelot wouldn't have been in this mess at all if it weren't for them.

"Of course it is," Adrielle continued disheartened. "If anyone is to blame it's me. I'm the one who forged that seal. I'm the one who pressured him to try out for the knights against the rules. If anything bad happens to him I won't be able to forgive myself. He's an innocent, good hearted man. He doesn't deserve this."

Less than half an hour later, Merlin and Adrielle watched as the guards led Lancelot down the corridor in the direction of the dungeons. They discovered that Lancelot had indeed been found out as a fraud. Geoffry of Monmouth, the Court Historian, had declared his seal to be a forgery. Forgery of the highest kind - a complement Adrielle would have taken towards her magic had she not felt so guilty - but a forgery nonetheless. Lancelot had been stripped of his newfound title and sent away to await further punishment. Adrielle and Merlin headed down towards the dungeons after Lancelot, far enough behind the guards that they wouldn't be noticed. They had to see Lancelot. They had to apologize profusely to him and see how their friend was holding up.

They made their way, almost too quickly, down the steps to the dungeons below. As they did, Adrielle was reminded of her last trip down here not that long ago. To visit Arthur and retrieve the flower that would save her brother. In fact, as she thought about it, she had visited the dungeons much too often than she thought she would in the few months she'd been here. Merlin, Gwen, Arthur, and now Lancelot. At this rate she nervously wondered how long until she found herself locked up in this dungeon, for one reason or another.

They bottomed out on the stairs and found Lancelot sitting down in one of the first cells. Lancelot looked up as they approached, offering some small quirk of his mouth as a smile

"Oh, Lancelot," Adrielle said first. She came to stop in front of the cell gate, crouching down so she was level with Lancelot. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, Adrielle. This isn't your doing," Lancelot said in response.

"Of course it is! We pushed you, we asked you to lie when it would break your code. If anyone is truly to blame it's me for making that stupid seal," Adrielle continued. Her head hung low, unable to meet Lancelot's eyes. She couldn't help herself. Everytime she or Merlin tried to help, it backfired on them one way or another. Gaius was right; she shouldn't have tried to play God with her powers. Not like this.

"I don't know what to say to you, Lancelot," Merlin said, coming to crouch next to his sister in front of the cell. He placed a hand on her back in an attempt to comfort her.

"Neither of you are to blame. The choice was mine to make. As so the punishment is mine to bear, and mine to bear alone," Lancelot contested.

"I wish there was something we could do," Merlin added.

"There is."

Adrielle's head snapped back up to look at Lancelot's warm brown eyes. So there was hope? Anything to make this up to Lancelot. Anything to cleanse her of the tremendous guilt she felt. Lancelot met Adrielle's eyes before speaking again, speaking directly to her. "You can stop blaming yourselves."

Adrielle let out a breath of air one might call a half hearted laugh. Lancelot really was too good to be true. Kind, honest, noble- if not by blood then by honor and merit alone. He deserved to wear the Pendragon crest with pride. At the very least, he didn't deserve to be locked up in the cells. This should have been Adrielle's moment to rot in the dungeons. Not Lancelot.

The two left the dungeons not too much later, both sulking the entire way back. The sky had grown gray, thick with fluffy clouds. Adrielle had noticed that the weather, ironically, had mimicked their emotions once or twice by now. At first, she wrote it off as odd coincidence. The weather always seemed to be bright and sunny when you were in a good mood, and overcast and stormy when in a sour mood. That seemed to be a common occurrence amongst mankind. But, it seemed the weather almost too perfectly matched Adrielle's moods. As if it were legitimately bound to her.

Back inside their chambers, Gaius stood at a table reading through one of his many books. Merlin plopped into a nearby chair and Adrielle sulked over to one of the benches. She too slumped down into her seat disheartened, propping her head up on her crossed arms that sat on the tabletop.

"Merlin, Adrielle," Gaius greeted the twins.

"Whatever you do, Gaius, please don't say I told you so," Merlin sighed.

"If you insist on saying it at least let me do it for you," Adrielle continued. " 'I told you so. You can't play god with your magic. This isn't what they're given to you for. You can't go around making things the way you think they should be. It's only going to make things worse'. Sound about right?"

"I have no wish to gloat, children. What's done is done. Here. Come and take a look at this," Gaius offered, ushering the two to the book that sat open in front of him. He placed his hands on the face of the book, covering up whatever was written inside. Adrielle perked up and shuffled so she could better regard the book. "I realized my mistake. I've been looking for the creature in the wrong place, in the records of all known living things in the kingdom. And then I thought, but what about creatures only recorded in legend? In myth? Then I discovered this."

As Gaius removed his hands from the cover of the book, Adrielle gasped in shock and disbelief.
"That is it! That's the monster!"

Before either of them could comment on the magnificent discovery of the creature, warning bells from the square down below rang, echoing faintly in their chambers. The three regarded each other silently, sharing looks as if they all shared the same mind. They all seemed to be having the same thought when Merlin spoke.

"Didn't Arthur say the creature was making its way towards Camelot?"

The trio rushed to their tiny window quickly in an attempt to catch a glimpse of the scene down below. From their vantage point they couldn't make out much. Villagers ran through the square in terror, some not looking where they fled to at all, some looking up into the sky past their window screaming. Whatever lay siege to the city down below had to be a creature of flight. Adrielle would bet on her life and her magic that it was the same creature she had encountered.

~xx~

"You said your knights were the best in the land. You proved that today," Uther congratulated his son as he and his men entered the Council Chambers.
"All I know is it's still out there," Arthur replied dejectedly. They had put up a good fight, or so he thought, but it was true. That creature was still out there, likely to terrorize more of his people if it was not stopped. He and his men may have won the battle, but the war was still raging on.
"Let's not wait for it. The kingdom has been menaced by this creature for too long. We finish this now."
"Sire, if I may," the court physician spoke up. As soon as they discovered what the creature was, a Griffin as fate would have it, and knew that it had made it's attack on Camelot they knew they had to alert the king. Gaius and his young niece and nephew hurriedly made their way down in an attempt to intercept the royals. Gaius hoped the king would grant him an audience and properly listen to his warning for what was to come.

"Gaius?" Uther acknowledged.

"I've been researching this creature, Sire. I believe it to be a griffin."

"A griffin? What's in a name?" the King continued to question.

"The griffin is a creature of magic," Gaius elaborated.

"I don't have time for this, physician," Uther scoffed. Adrielle kept silent, biting back on her tongue hard to refrain from saying anything she'd later regret. Of course he didn't believe them that magic was involved. The King seemed to have a very narrowed and subjective mind when it came to the involvement of magic. Either he believed wholeheartedly and couldn't be persuaded that he was wrong, or he acted as if he had ever heard of this magic before like a skeptic. He seemed to only acknowledge its presence when it benefited him. Adrielle couldn't see how defeating an unstoppable beast was not a reason to use magic. Perhaps Uther wanted Arthur to prove himself worthy, confident that his only son was strong enough to defeat this foe.

"It is born of magic, Sire," Gaius continued anyway in his attempt to suede the King, "and it can only be killed by magic."

"You are mistaken. It is a creature of flesh and blood like any other. Arthur proved that today," the King retaliated, clapping Arthur on the back fondly as he spoke of his son. Adrielle looked over at Arthur who seemed to be contemplating everything Gaius was saying.

"I'm not so sure, Father," Arthur finally said, looking up to meet his father's gaze. "I think there may be some truth in what he says."

Well at least there's some sort of semblance to a brain in that thick skull of his, Adrielle thought to herself and the two continued to speak.

"What truth?"

"The griffin was unharmed, Sire. Our weapons seemed useless against it."

"Useless? I think not. No, it's tasted our steel once, the next time will be its last. When will your knights be ready to ride again?" Uther asked as he turned back towards his son.

"An hour, maybe two," he replied after a moment of thought.

"Good. We finish this tonight."

With his final word the king and his men turned and marched out of the room, leaving Arthur and the other three alone. He took a moment, perhaps thinking to himself, before he approached them.

"It's true, isn't it? This griffin is a creature of magic," Arthur said, the last part not a question but rather a statement.

"Yes, Sire, I'm afraid it is," Gaius replied.

"Is there truly no way to defeat it without the use of magic?"

"As far as I know, no, I'm afraid not," Gaius added solemnly. Arthur took another moment to consider this, thinking through all possible options before speaking again.

"I must go," Arthur said matter of factly.

"But Arthur, if you ride out and try to fight without magic...you'll...you'll surely die. It's a futile battle," Adrielle said, trying this time to reason with the soon to be prince.

"Nevertheless, I must go and try. It's my duty to protect this land and the people of this kingdom." With those final words Arthur turned to leave the council chambers, most certainly off to face his doom.

"Is it true? The griffin can only be killed by magic?" Merlin asked again once Arthur was gone.

"Yes, Merlin. I'm certain of it. Adrielle is right. If Arthur rides out against it, he'll die."

"Then he must be stopped. Uther must see reason," Merlin said quickly.

"I'm starting to get the feeling that he only sees what he wants to see when magic is concerned. He won't listen to us," Adrielle replied a bit darkly.

"And yet, it is magic that is our only hope," Gaius added, turning to look at the two.

"You're not suggesting..." Merlin trailed off.

"I think he is. I think he means we're the only hope," Adrielle surmised.

"It is your destiny. The true purpose of your magic."

"Gaius, there's no way we can go up against that thing," Merlin said doubtfully.

"But if you do not, then Arthur will surely perish."

"No...this is madness. I don't have magic that powerful. We don't have magic that powerful. There must be another way," Merlin begged.

"This is the only way."

"Do you even care what happens to us? Oh, just do this, Merlin. Do that, Adrielle. Go and kill the griffin, Merlin. I'll just sit here and warm my feet by the fire-" Merlin prattled.

"Merlin!" Adrielle interjected. "That's not fair to Gaius."

"You and Adrielle are the only things I care about in all this world. I would give my life for you without a thought. But for what? I cannot save Arthur. It is not my destiny. Only together will you two be able to slay the griffin."

"I'm sorry," Merlin apologized bashfully.

"What are we to do now?" Adrielle asked.

"I don't know. I only know that we have two hours to find a way to kill that thing."

~xx~

The group returned to their chambers, making quick work of searching through books and papers for a spell powerful enough to slay the griffin. Pages flew as they raced against time. Page after page, book after book, and yet Adrielle could not find what it was she needed. Honestly, she wasn't even sure what she was supposed to be looking for. She had no idea what sort of spell or enchantment was powerful enough to stop this beast. Everything in magic was unprecedented to her, but this was still something new to her altogether. The closet thing they had done so far was facing the Afnac, all other foes had been human in nature. But even then they'd come up with a logical answer to defeat the Afnac. It was a creature of earth, of nature, so naturally they needed elements and nature to fight it. This griffin? It was a creature of horror and terror. She didn't know what made sense with a giant, flying, demon bird horse.

"There," Gaius said, pointing to a page in one of the many ancient books. The twins gathered around Gaius, examining the dusty page he had landed on. "You must do this for Arthur."

"I've never cast a spell of enchantment this powerful before," Merlin said, shaking his head in denial.

"Well it's a good thing you won't be doing this alone," Adrielle said, giving Merlin a light nudge in his ribs. She smiled up at him halfheartedly, trying to give them both a sense of the encouragement they needed.

"I'm afraid nothing less will kill it," Gaius said. He turned to another part of the room, returning to them both with an old dagger. He handed it to them, instructing both of them to take a hold of it. "Try. You have it within yourselves. I know you do."

Adrielle and Merlin shared glance before turning their gaze towards the dagger in their hands. They concentrated, trying to think of nothing else but the dagger, the spell, and the griffin; trying to let their drive to defeat it fuel their powers to be stronger than ever.

"Bregdan anweald gafeluec," the pair said together as one unit. The room waited with bated breath, anxiously awaiting some sort of reaction. The air felt thick as they waited anxiously for something to happen; anything! The twins sighed dejectedly when the dagger seemed unchanged.

"Don't worry, there is plenty of time," Gaius reassured the two, although neither twin seemed to feel too reassured.

They spent the next two hours repeating the incantation over, and over, and over again...and yet it had failed to yield any results. Both twins were starting to become irritated and lose any hope they had. No matter how hard either of them tried nothing more happened to the dagger Merlin still held on to. Adrielle had retreated to sitting on one of the benches, never blinking and never taking her eyes off the dagger as Merlin paced around the room. They incanted still, intandem, both twins having memorized the spell long ago. Merlin took a defeated seat on the steps leading up to their chambers, incanting the spell once more.

"Bregdan anweald gafeluec!"

Nothing.

"Don't worry, my children. I know you're trying," Gaius comforted.

"And we're failing. And if Arthur dies because I'm not good enough..." Merlin said pessimistically.

"Merlin!" three voices called at once. One, belonged to Adrielle. The second, belonged to Gaius. And the third, came barreling through the doors as they all spoke.

"Gwen," Merlin said, looking past the other two towards her. Adrielle noticed his mood change the moment she appeared. While still frustrated and doubtful about his own powers, he felt an instant sense of calm wash over him.

"Merlin! Adrielle! Lancelot's riding out to kill the griffin!" she exclaimed, a bit breathless from her sprint to them. Merlin's face fell, suddenly remembering the present situation at hand.

"He's what?" Adrielle asked incredulously, sitting up right in her seat. Gwen shrugged helplessly, looking between the three for answers. Merlin bolted from his seat almost instantly as if he'd been shocked, grabbing ahold of his sisters wrist and pulling her up as he passed. She could hear Gaius and Gwen both call out for them as the fled, but nothing could deter them from their mission at this point.

They ran down to the courtyard in silence, thoughts berating Adrielle's mind as they did. What if they were too late? What if Lancelot had already gone out to join Arthur in the fight? What if he had failed and died? All he'd been through just to die for nothing now. What if Arthur too had been slain? What would become of them and their destinies now if they failed?What if he hadn't died, yet, but what if he still failed? Adrielle and Merlin and yet to master the spell together, so what if when the time came for them to face the griffin and they couldn't do it? What if Arthur died anyways? Adrielle tried not to think too hard about Arthur dying. She could feel something sitting heavy on her chest, making it hard for her to breath. That had to be caused from her running through the castle, of course. She was out of breath from running. It made the most sense. She could not, however, explain the sour feeling she felt in the pit of her stomach and in the back of her throat. Maybe that was from all the running, too...

Adrielle shook these thoughts from her head as they finally came running into the courtyard. Off in the center stood Lancelot, all dressed up in his chainmail and armor, preparing a horse to ride off with. Adrielle couldn't help feel a tiny pang of pride at this point. Lancelot truly looked the part of knight that he had been so desperately aiming for.

"We're coming with you," Merlin said matter of factly as he came to stand next to Lancelot.

"No, you're not."

"Just try and stop us," Adrielle rebutted stubbornly.

"You're not a soldier, Merlin. And the battlefield is no place for you, Adrielle."

"You said it yourself, Lancelot, Arthur needs all the help he can get. Now let's go."

Merlin ran off to ready a horse for his sister and himself, leaving Adrielle alone with Lancelot.

"Adrielle, please, do not risk your life again. If this griffin is truly a creature of magic, then you'll be riding into a death sentence," Lancelot said trying desperately to persuade her.

"Just as you said, Merlin is not a soldier; he has no viable skills or training to make him any more safe than me out there. The only thing, it seems, that makes it safer for him is the fact that he's a man," Adrielle said a bit too harshly than she meant to. It just seemed everyone always assumed Merlin could go and risk his life in dangerous situations whenever he pleased. They would try and talk him out of it, but eventually just let him along anyways. But when Adrielle tried to push herself into these situations, well aware of the consequences, she was always met with push back, a chorus of voices reminding her how unsafe it was for a woman. Even when they would begrudgingly let her along someone was still tasked with staying with her and protecting her.

"Sorry," she apologized realizing she had come on a bit too strong. "Trust me, I know how dangerous this is, but I have to go."

Lancelot held his tongue, taken aback. He surely hadn't meant to offend Adrielle in this way. Yes, perhaps, he had wanted to keep her safe, away from this futile fight. But, she was right after all. Merlin had no skills. He was not a fighter, he was not a swordsman, he was a simple servant. The same for Adrielle. In truth the only thing that divided them was their sex, and yet he had let Merlin join him on this venture. Actually, he hadn't allowed anything. Who was he to allow Merlin to join him on this quest? Who was he to deny Adrielle in the same way? If she knew the risks and still wanted to fight, then so be it.

"You are right, my lady. My deepest apologies, Adrielle," Lancelot said. Adrielle offered a feeble smile in return.

Merlin returned with a single horse for himself and Adrielle to share. She had never really been keen on riding horses back in Ealdor. After a nasty fall from a mare as a child, she had been too afraid and too anxious to get back on the horse. Begrudgingly she mounted the horse behind her brother, holding tight onto his jacket as they rode off into the night.

The clouds from earlier had disappeared from the night sky as they rode into the darkness. The stars now twinkled above them brightly, casting the heavens in the dust of a hundred million diamonds. As they neared a clearing in the dark woods the sounds of screaming, screeching, and tearing could be heard, growing closer still. The sounds of the battle began to quiet down, lowering almost to a whisper, until nothing else could be heard. At the bottom of a small hill they spotted Knights of Camelot, their red robes burning brightly in the dark night, scattered amongst the glade. None of them moved a muscle, but Adrielle couldn't be sure if they were dead or just knocked unconscious. The entire fleet must have been taken out. There were no sights or sounds of men fighting anymore. Just the cries of the griffin above the trees as it circled, waiting for its next kill.

The group dismounted their horses, immediately taking to inspect the bodies that lay slain on the forest floor. Adrielle's eyes moved quickly, scanning for one particular knight, although she didn't realize it at the time. Within a heartbeat she found exactly whom she'd been looking for. Sprawled out, laying up against a rock, her heart stopped in her chest.

"Arthur!"

Adrielle ran over to him in an instant. Once by his side, she quickly started to shake and call his name in hopes of eliciting some response. When she found none, her eyes quickly looked over him; his face, his arms, his whole body, for any signs of life. Still unable to find any signs that he was alive, she remembered one of the things Gaius had quizzed her on two days prior. She placed one of her hands on his shoulder for balance while placing two fingers of the other hand on his neck. Her fingers settled into the groove in his neck that Gaius had showed her, and waited.

Come on, Arthur. Please don't be dead. Please, please, please, live!

Adrielle said a silent prayer to herself and to whatever God or Gods would be willing to listen to her now. And that's when she felt it. Barely there beneath her fingertips. A faint pulse as Arthur's heart still pumped blood through his body. Adrielle let out a heavy sigh, a breath she had been holding onto from the moment she saw his presumably lifeless body sprawled out on the ground.

"Well?" her brother's voice said to her right, bringing her back to the reality around her.

"He's alive," she said with another sigh of relief. The screech of the griffin from above caused them all to look up suddenly in horror. Lancelot looked at the raven haired pair before turning and running back to his horse. The griffin landed on the opposite end of the clearing, creeping through an opening in the trees. Adrielle had a sinking feeling that this was the moment. That this would either end in victory for them or...well Adrielle couldn't think about the other alternative.

Merlin pulled Adrielle up by her arm, the two stepping back out of the direct line of fire. Lancelot had already grabbed his lance and mounted his sword, backing up against the opposite side of the meadow from the griffin. Adrielle grabbed onto her brother's wrist, a sudden sense of fear sweeping over her as the griffin screeched menacingly. Lancelot started to take his charge towards the griffin and his opponent did the same.

"This is it," Merlin said. Adrielle wasn't sure if it was to her or more for himself, but she nodded all the same.

Together, they started incanting the spell aloud. They didn't worry about anyone overhearing them; Arthur and his knights were out cold and Lancelot was too far away, too involved in the incoming impact with the griffin to hear much of anything aside from the blood rushing in his ears. They repeated the spell once, twice, three times.

"Bregdan anweald gafeluec!"

"Bregdan anweald gafeluec!"

"Bregdan anweald gafeluec!"

With each incantation, they became more and more invigorated, giving it more life, more energy, more force, until they were nearly shouting the spell. And yet, still nothing happened. They watched in slow motion as the griffin and Lancelot continued to close the space between them. Adrielle squeezed Merlin's wrist once more, trying to center herself. Connect with her brother, connect with the earth beneath her feet, connect with the magic she knew she had inside of her. Inside of them both. She took a deep breath in and out, and together the spoke once more.

"Bregdan anweald gafeluec."

Though they could not see it themselves, their eyes turned yellow in unison, before reverting back to their dark blue. The tip of Lancelot's lance suddenly sparked a blue, ethereal hue as if it had been lit on fire. Lancelot came upon the griffin finally, thrusting his weapon deep into the beast's chest as it swooped down in an attempt to slay the knight. Lancelot remained on his horse as they rounded the edge of the forest clearing. The griffin, however, stumbled over itself as it fell to the floor. Merlin and Adrielle watched it closely as it came in contact with the ground, rolling a few times before coming to a stand still.

"Oh my god, we did it," Adrielle whispered. She couldn't describe the feeling that washed over her suddenly. They had managed to defeat the griffin, save Arthur, and save the rest of Camelot from a terrible fate. No one besides the two of them, and Gaius, would ever know the truth, but Adrielle could live with that. Merlin turned to his sister and pulled her into a tight hug.

"We did it," he cried in astonished disbelief.

"We did it!" they sang together.

The two were drawn out of their celebrations by the sound of someone coming to on the ground. They looked down just in time to see Arthur blink suddenly and start to shuffle around. Their faces of excitement and pure amazement, honestly, changed to mild shock as their mouths fell open, unsure of what to do. They watched as Arthur began to regain consciousness, rolling over onto his side as he started to stand.

"Oh shite," Adrielle finally said. "We should go."

The twins grappled with each other, trying to grab onto a part of the other as they turned around and quickly hauled tail back to the city.

Once they had returned to the citadel, Merlin and Adrielle hurried back towards the physician's chambers where their uncle was waiting with much apprehension. He nearly jumped up from his seat when the door opened and he was greeted by his niece and nephew. He was just glad to see them both together again, alive and all in one piece.

"Well? You did it?" he asked them cautiously.

"We did it!" they replied, still speaking in unison. Gaius broke out into a grin, very similar to the ones both Adrielle and Merlin now wore, and approached the two with arms wide open. The three embraced in a group hug, Adrielle resting her forehead on her brother's shoulder. The night had passed on without much thought to it, but it was now starting to catch up with Adrielle. Exhaustion had been temporarily replaced with fear, adrenaline, and elation at defeating their foe.

~xx~

After their reunion with Gaius, Merlin and Adrielle decided they should probably check in on Lancelot and Arthur. They hurried their way back up to the council chambers, only to find Lancelot pacing around in front. From the other side of the closed door they could hear Arthur and the King having a very loud conversation.

"Lancelot!" Adrielle said as they approached, drawing his attention to them.

"Merlin, Adrielle," Lancelot greeted. He was glad, if not a little confused, to see them both alive and unharmed.

"What are they doing?" Adrielle asked, nodding to the guarded door.

"Deciding my fate."

"They'll restore your knighthood, of course they will. You killed the griffin," Merlin said.

"But I didn't kill the griffin," Lancelot stated. "You two did."

"What? Of course you did," Adrielle said, confused. She followed Lancelot as he stalked away from the guards to the end of the nearby hall.

"Bregdan anweald-" Lancelot started, stopping when he saw the color drain out of Adrielle's face. Merlin's face appeared next to hers suddenly, eyes wide in fear. "I heard you. I saw you."

Adrielle could feel her heart sink down to about her stomach, and her stomach fell down to her feet. He knew. He knew about their magic. How could they have been so reckless to be found out? They'd have to move, again. It never ended well once someone knew their secret. Sure their friends, Will and Faye, back in Ealdor and learned of their magic and managed to keep it between the four of them, but there had been far too many close calls for their mother's liking. That's why they had set off from Ealdor to Camelot in the first place. As soon as they started expanding the circle of those who knew about their magic, the more holes developed, the easier and likelier it was for someone not as understanding to discover.

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me," Lancelot said in reply to their faces of fear. The two let out a breath simultaneously, relaxing instantly. "But I cannot take the credit for what I did not do. There'll be no more lies, no more deceit."

"Well we certainly can't take credit for it. They'd hang us on the spot," Adrielle said.

"What are you going to do?" Merlin asked.

"The only thing I can do."

Lancelot turned from the pair at once and pushed his way past the guards into the Council Chambers, interrupting Arthur and Uther in the process. Adrielle and Merlin hung back out of sight in the hallway. They didn't want a repeat of earlier in the day when the guards threatened them to stay away from the very same situation. With the doors wide open the twins could hear everything being said in the next room.

"What is this?" Uther questioned outraged. First this phoney man lies and forges his way into the most noble court of the Knights of Camelot and now he comes bursting in on a private discussion with his son. Not to mention the fact that he was supposed to be locked up in the cells still!

The guards previously posted at the doors restrained Lancelot as he continued to struggle and push his way into the room.

"Let me speak!" he cried as he pushed against them. "Let me speak!"

"Wait!" Uther called, considering the man he assumed was really called Lancelot for a moment. "I'll hear him."

The guards released him immediately, retreating back towards their original positions by the door. They stayed, however, on the inside of the chamber doors in case they needed to restrain Lancelot again.

"Forgive me, Sire. I've come to bid you farewell."

Back in the corridor Adrielle's face fell as she listened to Lancelot's proclamations.

"What is this, Lancelot?" Arthur inquired.

"I lied to you both and now there is conflict between you. I cannot bear that burden, as you should not bear mine. I must start again, far from here. Then maybe one day fate shall grant me another chance to prove myself a worthy knight of Camelot."

"But...Lancelot, you've... you've already proved that to us," Arthur said as he grappled with what words to say. He couldn't fully understand what was happening. Why Lancelot would choose to leave now. He had just slain the griffin and saved all of Camelot, all of Albion from a fate worse than death! Arthur had been advocating to his father to pardon Lancelot and restore his full knighthood. He might have lied, he might have done the wrong things, but he did them for all the right reasons.

"But I must prove it to myself," Lancelot said before bowing out himself. "Your Highness."

~xx~

Even as the sun rose, ushering in a new day, the mood in the physician's chambers still felt gloomy. Adrielle had been up the rest of the night, unable to get any sleep. She still felt heavy with the guilt of failing Lancelot. He had never wanted any of this. She had been so desperate to help him and return the favor. Determination had clouded her judgement. It was kind of her to want to help Lancelot, but she had rushed headfirst into doing so without considering any other options or her consequences. Now Lancelot was left with nothing else, besides an unrequited and broken dream, while Adrielle was left alive in her new home. She supposed the immeasurable amount of guilt was her consolation prize.

As the sun continued to rise, filling her room with betraying rays of false hope and warmth, Adrielle pulled herself from her cot, realizing it was too late into the morning for her to attempt to sleep. It was going to be a long day for the young girl, but it was another form of self inflicted punishment for her hubris. She changed quickly and left her empty bedroom, taking note that Merlin's bed was empty already and looked as slept in as hers was.

Down in the main part of the physicians chambers Adrielle caught sight of Lancelot, her guilt and disappointment in herself pressing in even harder on her. Lancelot looked up from his bag he was packing, noticing Adrielle's presence in the room.

"Gaius was kind enough to lend me some essentials for my journey," Lancelot said when Adrielle continued to remain silent.

"I'm still sorry about this, Lancelot. About all of this. You shouldn't be forced back out onto the road," Adrielle said after a moment, her voice starting out small.

"Do not be, Adrielle. Just like my imprisonment, this is not of your doing. I made my choice. My place was here in Camelot, and now it's not."

"Where will you go now?"

"Wherever the path leads me, I suppose," Lancelot said with a shrug.

"But your whole life had led you to this! Everything you did was to prepare you for Camelot and your trial as a knight," Adrielle continued.

"And I did, if even for a short time. Perhaps there are somethings in life that are not meant to last forever. Perhaps this was one of them," Lancelot said. He finished packing his rucksack and crossed the room until he stood in front of her. Tenderly, and perhaps a bit apprehensively, Lancelot took one of her hands in his.

"But this was your dream."

"Well," he started, "I suppose it's time to find a new dream."

Lancelot bowed slightly, bringing the hand that clasped Adrielle's up to his lips, kissing it softly. He released it after a moment, their eyes never once breaking contact.

~xx~

"Perhaps you were right, Gaius. Perhaps I should have never got involved," Adrielle sighed. The three of them - Merlin, Gaius, and Adrielle - had regrouped and stood atop one on of the battlements. From their vantage point the could see much of Camelot and the lower town beneath them. Including their dear friend Lancelot as he rode out of the city. Arthur had been kind enough to lend Lancelot a horse for his journeys, wherever they may take him. He too seemed to feel the weight of guilt on him considering Lancelot's circumstances. Arthur had tried to change his father's mind before Lancelot announced he was leaving. He wanted to give this man whatever he needed before they parted ways.

"No, Adrielle, I was wrong. Lancelot needed you and you two needed Lancelot. Your destinies were always intertwined."

"Will he ever return?" Merlin asked.

"That I cannot say," Gaius said, turning back around to leave as Lancelot disappeared into the foliage and out of sight.

"Till next time then, Sir Lancelot."

Adrielle continued watching the spot where Lancelot had once been, despite the fact that he was no longer there. She didn't exactly feel like things had ended correctly. Sure, none of them had died. They defeated the griffin. Lancelot managed to escape the creature and Camelot with his life. But who knew where he would go next. Who knew if their paths would ever cross again. Only time would tell.

"You alright, Adrielle?" Merlin asked looking over his sister.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"I dunno, you seem pretty upset about Lancelot leaving," he replied, a hint of singsong in his voice.

"It is what it is. Everything happens for a reason...what are you on about?" she asked, noticing him staring at her still as she talked.

"Ohh, nothing. Although you should have seen yourself when you thought Arthur was dead," Merlin continued in the same tone of voice.

"Merlin...what the bloody hell are you talking about?" she asked, squinting her eyes at him.

"Do you really not remember?"

"Remember what?"

"Oh, nothing. You must have really had a looooot to drink the other night," Merlin said with a smirk, turning to leave behind Gaius.

"MERLIN!"