Merlin and Arthur were on a little hunting trip. As so often, Mary accompanies them. In the meantime, she has collected rare herbs.

It is a warm spring day and the birds are chirping in the trees. Mary closes her eyes and breathes in the air deeply. Merlin watches her, smiling. Her cheeks are red and she seems refreshed and healthy. For the first time in weeks.

Suddenly a bloodcurdling scream shatters the peace of the forest. Immediately the king dismounts from his horse and draws his sword. Mary and Merlin also dismount. As they climb a rise, they see a small procession in a nearby village. That is where the screams must have come from. Mary sees a woman being led to a pyre. Images before her inner eyes, of Thomas and his burning, make her cringe. Merlin and Arthur continue walking towards the village. Mary covers her eyes and sinks to the ground against a tree trunk.

When Arthur and Merlin arrive at the village, the old woman is already tied to the stake and the village elder is brandishing the burning torch. "Untie this woman!" Arthur shouts.

Merlin looks around for Mary, who is not to be seen. He frowns. The village elder says, "This woman has been sentenced to death. That is none of your business."

"I am Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot, the village is on my land."

"Her sorcery has brought sickness and suffering to the village."

"Did she have a fair trial?"

"Your father, would have shown her no mercy."

Arthur becomes upset, "I am not my father. Untie her."

"I will not endanger the lives of everyone here."

Arthur stops the man before lighting the pyre with his sword, "I said...cut her down."

When this is finally done, Arthur picks up the frail old woman in his arms and carries her back to where they left the horses. Merlin looks for Mary and finds her still leaning against the tree. She looks pale again and her eyes are closed. Tears glisten on her cheeks and Merlin feels a sadness around her that almost takes his breath away. "Mary?" Slowly she opens her eyes and looks at him. "Come, we need to get on and find a place to stay. Are you all right?"

Mary shakes her head, but gets up and goes with Merlin to Arthur who is already waiting for them.

Finally they find a quiet spot in the forest. Merlin builds a fire and Mary examines the woman. Arthur comes to her and asks, "Is there anything else you can do for her?"

Mary shakes her head, "She won't survive the night."

Arthur nods as if he expected that answer, "Make her as comfortable as you can."

The woman suddenly grabs Arthur by the wrist and looks at him with an alert mind. "Thank you."

Arthur takes her hand in his, "You should try to rest."

"My time has come. When you have lived as long as I have, you will no longer fear the journey to the next world. I have a gift for you. You have shown kindness and compassion. These are the qualities of a true king. Open it."

She gave Arthur something wrapped in leather. Arthur unfolded the leather and found a beautiful blow horn inside. "It is beautiful."

"It has the power to call the spirits of the dead." She drops back and takes another strained breath before closing her eyes forever.

Arthur, Merlin and Mary look at the horn in Arthur's hand.

Mary sits leaning against a tree, gazing into the darkness. She breathes in, the damp air that smells of earth, trees and flowers. Slowly her nerves calm down again.

Arthur and Merlin sit by the fire. Arthur looks at Mary and asks, "What's wrong with her? She was almost the Mary again, we all know, today. The fresh air has done her good. But since we rescued the woman, she has hardly spoken a word. She seems sad and distraught."

Merlin shakes his head, "I don't know." somewhat surprised, he inquires, "You noticed all this?"

"Merlin, I am not as callous as you think. Mary is one of us. She's probably more of a friend than my healer. Do I need to worry about her?"

"Well, I'm already worried and so are some others. If you want to join us, get in line."

"Gaius too then?" Merlin nods. Arthur gives his servant a pat on the back, "Go on, go and talk to her. Take her in your arms, calm her down. She makes me all nervous when she's like this."

Merlin sits down quietly next to Mary. She glances at him briefly out of the corner of her eye and then looks back into the dark forest. Merlin sighs: "Mary? Do you want to talk about it?"

"About what?"

"About what happened today?"

"No."

Merlin nods. He knows that what they have experienced, has unlocked a memory that is overwhelming for her. And knowing her story, he knows it's about Thomas. They sit next to each other in silence for a long time. After a while, Mary puts her head on his shoulder. Just for a moment. Then she gets up and lies down on her sleeping place next to the fire, where she soon falls asleep. Merlin remains leaning against the tree, still feeling exactly, where her head had touched his shoulder.

Back in Camelot, Arthur goes to Gaius with the horn and shows it to him. The old physician looks at it with interest and says: "The Horn of Cathbhadh. When Uther raided the Isle of the Blessed, the horn was hidden before the temple fell. It has not been heard of since."

"The old woman said, the horn opens the door to the spirit world."

"I saw it with my own eyes. Long before the great purge, I took part in such ceremonies. Every year, the high priestesses would gather in Beltain, by the great stones of Nemeton and call upon the spirits of their ancestors. It contains powerful magic. You must keep it safe."

Merlin notices the look on Arthur's face and worries for the king.

But he is even more worried about Mary, who is still very quiet. Gaius has noticed too and looks at Merlin with a raised eyebrow. But Merlin only shrugs his shoulders.

The next day Merlin finds the king deep in thought in his room. Arthur says, "Saddle the horses and fetch provisions."

"Where are we going?"

"You don't need to know. Not a word to anyone. Not to Gaius, Mary or even Guinevere."

But Merlin quickly realises, where they are riding, when he sees the stones of Nemeton in the distance. "I get a bad feeling about this place." Merlin expresses his concern.

"Because you are a coward."

"No. Because I love my life and I don't want to die horribly."

"Good point."

"So are we going back now?"

"No."

As they stand before the great stones, Arthur grabs the old woman's horn from the saddlebag. Merlin's eyes widen in disbelief, "You're going to use the horn?"

"The only chance I have, to see my father again. I must use it"

"This is powerful magic."

"My father was taken from me before his time. Now not a day goes by that I don't think about what I wish, I had said to him. If you were given the same chance to talk to your father, wouldn't you do the same?" Merlin understands and nods silently.

Arthur stands in the middle of the stone circle and blows the horn. Shortly afterwards he disappears into white mist. Merlin remains standing outside the circle, waiting.

Arthur faces his father in glistening light: "Father!"

"Arthur!"

"I thought I would never see you again. Not a day goes by that I don't think of you."

"And I of you."

"Sometimes I feel so alone, then I wish more than anything that you were by my side."

"If I were by your side, I'm afraid you wouldn't like what I have to say."

Arthur frowns, "What do you mean?"

"Many of the decisions you have made since you became king are against everything I have taught you."

"I think I did the right thing."

Uther's voice grows louder, "You have ignored our traditions and our ancient laws. You allowed simple men to become knights."

"And they are some of the finest knights Camelot has ever had! They would give their lives for the kingdom in an instant."

"They question your decisions. Make you look weak."

"Listening to others is a sign of strength, not weakness."

"How do you expect anyone to fear a king who doesn't know what he wants?"

"I don't want my people to respect me because they fear me."

"Then they will not respect you at all. Your marriage should have been to form an alliance with another kingdom and you marry a servant."

Arthur notices tears welling up in his eyes from anger and disappointment: "I married for love. I love Guinevere. More than I can say."

"There are some things more important than love. It is your duty to strengthen and protect the kingdom. You have failed."

"I have always tried to make you proud."

"How can I be proud of a son who ignores everything I taught him? Who destroys my legacy."

"There is peace now in the kingdom..." Arthur's voice breaks.

"At what cost? Peace cannot last. If you are not strong, the kingdom will crumble. You must go now."

Tears now stream down Arthur's face, "I need more time. There is so much I want to say."

"If you stay, you will be trapped in the world of the dead forever. You must go now." says Uther sternly.

"This cannot be the last time I will ever see you."

"Remember everything I have told you. It is not too late. Go now!" Arthur slowly turns away from his father and leaves. Quietly he hears his father say, "I will always love you, Arthur!"

Arthur looks back at his father briefly before he dissipates and Arthur is back in the stone circle. Merlin is still waiting patiently for him. He notices that the king is troubled, but says nothing. Silently they walk to the horses and start their way home.

When the silence becomes too much for Merlin, he asks: "Do you want to talk about it? What happened at the stones?"

"My father apparently disapproves of the way I rule his kingdom."

"You mean your kingdom."

"What he said about the knights, about marrying Guinevere. What if he's right? What if I have weakened Camelot?"

Merlin shakes his head, "Do you really believe that? You have always done what was right for you. People respect you."

"Thank you, Merlin."

The rest of the journey back passes in silence. When it is dark, they arrive at Camelot.

Gaius is waiting for Merlin. "Ah, you must be hungry. Where have you been travelling today?" Merlin gives no answer to this, knowing that Gaius will not approve of their journey to the stone circle. He grabs a plate of soup and sits down at the table. Gaius sits down with him. Merlin puts a spoonful in his mouth and then looks at Gaius. "Yes, today I cooked. Mary hasn't come out of her room all day. I'm seriously worried about her, Merlin."

Merlin puts the spoon aside and looks at Gaius. "Me too, but there's nothing I can do about it. I've got so much on my plate already. With Arthur and all..."

Gaius nods, "I know, that's why I brought Stefan here today and sent him to see her. I thought as a good friend, he might be able to cheer her up a bit, or at least find out what's bothering her."

"And?"

"He came back out after half an hour. He didn't get a word out of her. I then went and got Gwen. They usually tell each other everything, don't they?"

"Yes!"

"Well, Gwen was with her for an hour. When she came out she at least got Mary to eat something. But she only spoke six words."

"What did she say?"

"I want to talk to Merlin."

Merlin looks at Gaius in surprise. "When was this?"

"Five hours ago."

Merlin looks down at his plate. Then he stands up and leaves the room.

Quietly, he knocks on Mary's room door. He hears nothing, so he opens it quietly. She will already be asleep. Quietly he goes to her bed. She lies huddled on it in her day clothes, looking absently through him. Gingerly, he sits down on the bed next to her. Hesitantly, he reaches out and gently strokes her hair. A touch he has not done for a long time. Mary turns her head towards him and looks at him. "Merlin..."

"I'm here Mary. I'm sorry it got so late. I was still out with Arthur."

"That's all right. I can't sleep anyway."

"What's bothering you?"

"I keep seeing Thomas in front of me. How he's being tied to the stake and burned. I had the memory buried so deep and I thought I was rid of it."

"But it has returned with a vengeance. And with it, the memory, of your family's death." notes Merlin sympathetically. Silent tears break from the corner of Mary's eyes. Merlin lies down beside her. Still he strokes her hair. "I can't take the memory away from you."

"I know, but you understand the pain I feel...I'm sorry, I know you feel everything. I'm tired, exhausted. But every time I close my eyes I see the images in front of me. So I open my eyes again. But maybe..."

"What?"

"I know our friendship has grown a little cold...You need your time to rest, so that you can be there for Arthur again."

"Mary, tell me...how can I help?" He looks into her deep blue eyes, where the sadness and pain of all her losses is almost tangible.

She whispers, "I think if you stay here with me, I could sleep."

"I'll stay until you're asleep." Mary reaches for his hand. Her hands are cold.

She says, "Actually, I want you to stay with me all night...but I understand that's a lot to ask."

Merlin wipes her tears from her face with his hand and kisses her gently on the forehead. "I will stay. Sleep now."

Mary has been asleep for a long time when Merlin's eyes also fall shut and he drifts into a deep sleep.

When Merlin opens his eyes in the morning, he looks into Mary's face. She is also awake and is watching him. He gets a little nervous and wants to sit up. But Mary puts her hand on his face and kisses him gently on the lips. Merlin actually wants to pull away, but his resistance crumbles at the first touch of her lips. He closes his eyes and surrenders to the kiss, which intensifies.

Breathlessly they separate. Merlin's heart beats so strongly in his chest that he thinks everyone in Camelot can hear it. Mary's cheeks are flushed and her eyes shine. "I'm sorry, Merlin. I don't know why, but it just came over me." Ashamed, she slaps her hands in front of her face.

Merlin takes her hands in his and smiles at her, "It doesn't matter. You can surprise me like that anytime. I just thought..."

"What?"

"Oh nothing...I have to go and see Arthur. There's another meeting of the round table today. I have to go." He quickly gets up and heads for the door. He realises he is rushing off and doesn't want to give Mary the wrong impression. So he turns again at the door and says, "See you there?"

Mary nods and replies, "Yes! And Merlin? Thank you so much for being with me this night."

Merlin nods and walks out of the room with a grin on his lips.

His grin disappears, as outside the door, Gaius is waiting for him and looks at him seriously. "Merlin? I hope you can explain why you were in Mary's room all night?"

Merlin notices the blood rush to his cheeks so he quickly turns to leave. As he moves away he says, "Don't worry, Gaius...she couldn't sleep, alone in the room. That's why I stayed with her. I'll see you at the Round Table."

Gaius glances after him until he has disappeared. He doesn't suspect anything good. Merlin has never been a good liar.

As the Round Table gathers, Sir Leon begins an enumeration of where Camelot troops are everywhere. The whole thing is rather boring and the knights only listen half-heartedly.

Merlin keeps glancing at Mary, who is standing on the other side of the table. But every time he does, his body reacts. His heart beats faster, his hands begin to sweat and he can feel again, how her lips have touched his. He quickly looks away and tries to listen to the enumeration.

Out of the blue, the chandelier crashes onto the centre of the table. Startled, everyone looks at it. The table has suffered slight damage. After the initial shock, Arthur asks Sir Leon to continue with the enumeration.

After the meeting, Arthur says to Merlin, "Have the table repaired before the next meeting." When there is no response from his servant, he asks a little louder, "Are you listening to me, Merlin?"

Merlin is startled out of his thoughts, "What? Sorry."

"What's wrong with you today? Your head is stuck in the clouds somewhere and you're absent all the time."

"I was just thinking about what happened."

"Were you very scared? You were out of it before the meeting, though. You wanted to pull my trousers over my head..."

Merlin doesn't go into it all, "Yes, my heart nearly jumped out of my body."

"Hmm, well, calm down now and get back to your chores."

Merlin suddenly feels a cold draft and the candles flicker. The hairs on the back of his neck stand up and he follows Arthur quickly.

In the evening, a storm sweeps over Camelot. Gaius is eating with Mary and Merlin when the door swings open and Percival stumbles in. He holds his right shoulder and Mary sees blood oozing from between his fingers. She quickly jumps up and rushes to him. Gaius also quickly joins them.

Percival explains that an axe has fallen on him. Mary cleans the wound and Gaius bandages it. Percival says more to himself, "The axe must have fallen off the shelf."

"Strange, I'm surprised that a falling axe would make such a deep wound." replies Gaius.

Percival utters, "As surprised as I was."

"Quite. You're lucky you weren't hurt worse."

"It's strange..."

Merlin looks at Percival seriously, "What is?"

"Right before it happened, I felt something, like someone was watching me. I'm sure it was just my mind playing tricks on me." Mary notices Merlin looking at the knight, lost in thought.

Gaius says, "Put on a second poultice in the morning. And no training."

"Thank you Gaius."

When Percival has gone, Merlin and Mary help clean up. Gaius watches them both closely. He notices that Merlin's mind is wandering. "Is something the matter, Merlin? I think there's something you're not telling me."

Mary bites her lower lip. Merlin, however, replies, "No. Why do you say that?"

"Because it usually is."

Merlin turns to Gaius and says, "We were at the stones of Nemeton."

Mary looks at Merlin in amazement. Gaius reacts upset, "Merlin, I warned of the dangers..."

"I couldn't stop him. He insisted." Merlin looks distraught, almost desperate.

"What's wrong, Merlin?"

"After the chandelier fell, I was in the corridor outside the council chambers. I could sense something. It was like Percival said, something was there."

Gaius says seriously, "In the days of the Old Religion, Priestesses were trained for years before entering the spirit world. It was full of dangers. There was something they were never allowed to do. When the veil fell, they were never allowed to look back at the spirit."

"What would happen otherwise?"

"They would release the spirit into this world."

Merlin says gravely, "Arthur must have looked back."

He rushes to the king and tells him just that. Arthur asks, "What?"

"At the stones of Nemeton, you probably released your father's spirit."

"What makes you think that?"

"Did you look back? When the veil closed, did you look back to your father?" Arthur lowered his eyes: "I looked around for maybe a second."

"In that second, you released Uther's spirit. All the strange things that happened here? The chandelier that fell on the Round Table."

"Yes, because the chain broke."

"The axe that fell on Percival?"

"That was an accident."

"Really?"

"Am I really to believe that my father's spirit is responsible for these things?"

"The Round Table represents all that you have changed as a new king. You said how much Uther disapproved. He is angry with you and that makes him dangerous."

"I know my father. He would never do such a thing."

"He would do anything to protect his legacy. Who knows what he's capable of?"

"Enough! That's enough. Leave me." Arthur shouts

Reluctantly, Merlin leaves the king's chambers.

As he walks through one of the corridors, he notices that there are no candles left burning. He quickly walks down that corridor and sees barrels and sacks lying around everywhere in disarray. His gaze falls on the door to the kitchen, from which thick smoke is coming. He quickly runs towards it and opens the locked door. On the floor lies Gwen, unconscious. She has a small wound on her head. Merlin coughs because of all the smoke, he picks Gwen up in his arms and quickly takes her to Gaius.

When Mary sees that it is Gwen who Merlin is bringning in, she immediately runs to fetch Arthur.

When they return, Gaius is already dressing Gwen's wound. She is lying in Merlin's bed, still unconscious. Merlin says to Arthur, "You know it was Uther."

Arthur rubs his lower lip between his fingers, "We don't know what happened."

"So Gwen just happened to get locked in the kitchen that mysteriously caught fire? You said yourself that Uther disapproved of youre marriage to Gwen."

"He wouldn't do that."

"I know how hard it is for you."

Mary stands next to Merlin. Everyone looks at Gwen, who lies pale in Merlin's bed. Arthur asks anxiously, "Gaius, how is she?"

"She inhaled smoke, but she will recover. I've given her a sleeping draught. She's lucky she escaped with her life." replies Gaius.

Arthur glares at Merlin, "I know my father could be cruel, but why would he do that to Guinevere? He knows how much I love her."

Mary gingerly touches Merlin's hand. He responds and gently strokes the back of her hand with his finger. Then Mary turns away and goes into the next room. Gaius has watched their complaisant touch with concern and follows Mary.

Arthur also joins them and says, "Gaius. What do you know about ghosts?"

Some time later Gaius explains, "We must force Uther's spirit to return to the other world before it does any more damage. We must use the Horn of Cathbhadh to lift the veil between the worlds. But we must remember that only the person who called the spirit, can force it out of this world. I will make a potion that will enable you to see the spirit."

Mary helps Gaius with this and then accompanies him to the king's chambers, where Arthur and Merlin are already waiting for them. Gaius sets the small vials of potion down in front of the men and says, "With this you will be able to see Uther. Once you are in his presence, you, Arthur, must blow the horn. Only then can you force him back into the spirit world."

Merlin and Arthur both empty their vials. They then set off in search of the ghost. Mary follows them.

Gaius wants to hold her back, "Mary, it's too dangerous. You can't even see the ghost."

"Gaius, I'll stay in the background. But there have already been casualties. I want to be near them then." Gaius lets her go.

Arthur and Merlin separate and Mary follows Arthur at some distance. Noises are heard every now and then, or an icy breeze sweeps past. Arthur keeps walking. He has not seen his father yet. Eventually Arthur and Mary reach the throne room. Arthur already has the horn ready in his hand. He shakes his head and tells her that he cannot see the ghost yet. Mary hides behind a pillar. The door to the hall suddenly slams shut and it becomes icy cold. Mary feels she is being watched and Arthur also looks around uneasily. "I know it's you, Father." Arthur can see his father sitting on the throne. "Why are you doing this?"

"I did not spend my whole life building this kingdom for my own son to destroy it."

"You wanted to kill Guinevere."

"For your own good. How can a servant understand what it means to be queen?"

"Guinevere is wise and strong and I trust her more than anyone."

"That is your weakness. You trust other people too much. You and you alone must rule Camelot."

"I would rather not rule at all than rule alone."

"All your life I have tried to prepare you for the day, when you will be king. Have you learned nothing?"

Mary sees how affected Arthur is. She cannot hear Uther, but Arthur's answers give her an idea of what the father is saying to the son. Arthur says, "I saw you rule and learned, that when you trust no one, you always live in fear. Fear, not strength, called forth your hatred."

Uther stands up, "How dare you!"

"I loved and respected you. But I must rule the kingdom my way now. I must do what is right for me."

"I will not let you destroy all that I have built."

"Then you will have to kill me!" Mary looks to Arthur, startled. "I am not like you, father. I cannot rule like you."

"Camelot must come first. Even before you."

A large shield comes loose from the wall and hits Arthur in the back of the head. He drops to the floor like a stone. Mary jumps up, "Arthur!" Quickly she runs to him. What she doesn't see is Uther also moving closer to Arthur.

It is only when suddenly Merlin says in a serious voice, "Get away from him, Uther!" that she turns and notices the coldness close by. She looks at Merlin, who can see Uther. "You have done enough damage. You do not belong here. You must return to the other world."

Uther turns to Merlin, "This is my kingdom. You think you can chase me away? You are but a servant!"

"I am much more than that!" Merlin replies composedly.

A bench breaks free from its moorings and flies towards Merlin. Mary screams out, but Merlin uses magic to make the bench crash into a pillar.

Uther looks at Merlin in horror, "You have magic?"

"I was born with it."

"I made you Arthur's servant. You are a sorcerer!"

"Even when you were king, there was magic at the heart of Camelot."

"I will not allow you to poison my kingdom."

"You are wrong. You are wrong about so many things. Arthur is a better and more worthy king than you ever were."

"No!"

Uther walks threateningly towards Merlin, but he is able to turn him away with magic so that he disappears through the wall. Merlin heads for the door and into the hallway. Uther is nowhere to be seen. Mary comes to him and holds him by the arm. "Merlin, please! It's dangerous. He knows you have magic now."

Merlin glares at her, "This has to stop now. How is Arthur?"

"He's got quite a bump, but he'll be fine. I don't want you to go alone. I'll come with you."

"No, Mary, we need Arthur and the horn. Stay with him. I'm going to find Uther."

Mary stands on her toes and presses a quick kiss to his mouth. "Take care of yourself, please."

"I will." replies Merlin, puzzled. For a brief moment she has him off balance. But quickly he remembers what he wanted and heads down the corridor.

Mary turns back to Arthur.

Merlin follows sounds that lead him directly to the armoury. Cautiously, he opens the door and peers in. Two maces begin to sway back and forth and Merlin stops them with his hand. He can't see Uther anywhere.

But suddenly he feels the familiar breeze and the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Quickly he turns and sees two spears coming straight at him. Merlin takes a step back before the two spears drill deep into the wood of the wall behind him, to the left and right of his chest. Merlin notices a sharp pain on his left side, where the spear must have injured him. His shirt and jacket are also firmly attached to the wood by the spears, so he can no longer move.

Startled, he looks up. Uther comes towards him with big steps and a sword in his hand: "I will kill you with great pleasure."

Merlin prepares to use magic again when Arthur, closely followed by Mary, rushes into the armoury, "Father!"

He raises his horn and Uther pleads, "Arthur, please! No! What I have done, I have done for Camelot."

"You've had your time. Now it's my turn."

As Arthur brings the horn to his mouth, Uther says, "Merlin has..."

But the horn sounds, and Uther disappears back into the spirit world.

Mary runs towards Merlin, who is still pinned to the wall. Arthur also joins her, looking relieved. Mary can see that he is upset about the whole thing. Tears glisten in the king's eyes.

Arthur removes the two spears with all his strength and Merlin also breathes a sigh of relief. Mary sees that he is bleeding and puts her hand on the spot to stop the bleeding. Her touch is somehow different from usual, Arthur thinks, but he cannot tell what it is. Together Merlin and Mary go back to Gaius while Arthur checks on Gwen.

Gaius is not in his room. Mary helps Merlin take off his shirt and looks at his wound. The spear has left a scratch, not too deep. Nevertheless, Mary cleans the wound thoroughly and then bandages it. She gently runs her fingertips over the bandaged area. Merlin gasps and holds her hand tightly. When she looks into his eyes, she sees wonder in them. "Mary..."

At that moment Gaius returns. Hastily Merlin puts his shirt back on and Mary clears away the water. They then both rush to tell what has happened and that Arthur has managed to send his father back to the spirit world.

Mary walks up to Gaius and effusively gives him a kiss on the cheek and says, "I'm going to retire. It has been a long evening and I am tired. Sleep well."

Gaius watches her go and then looks at Merlin seriously. "Merlin! What's going on?"

"Nothing is going on Gaius."

"Mary is more cheerful than she has been for ages, you keep getting conspicuously close and you have been quite distracted all day. I've warned you several times, Merlin. You can't have feelings for her. I mean deep feelings."

Merlin looks directly at Gaius, "And why not? I can't turn off my feelings for her, Gaius. God knows I've tried many times."

"Merlin, your only job has to be Arthur. You can't look after a girl like Mary. Don't encourage her. She'll break."

"Maybe she's stronger than you think. And perhaps I can do justice to both. My destiny and love!"

Gaius looks sadly at his ward. He realises how distraught he is and his heart breaks for him. Merlin disappears into his room.