Gaius, in terror but determined approached Uther the next morning, he had had an idea in the night of how to help his niece. "Sire I have come to ask…"

"I know what you have come for and she stays there awaiting my decision, so don't ask more, she is alive be thankful for that" Uther looked at Gaius his eyes hard. "You may well yet join her if I doubt your loyalty."

""Sire I am loyal, but Hunith is from a Royal house, would not confinement in her rooms be more suitable, or exile to Essetir. Her cousin Cenred is always looking for an excuse for war" Gaius continued.

"Cenred is a young fool the boy is no more than twenty, I have nothing to fear from him" Uther snarled.

"Sire you were but nineteen when you became King, the youth have a different view on War" Gaius said no more. To help his niece and her unborn child he needed to stay in the Kings favour.

Uther turned away and looked out of the window for a few moments before turning back "I won't have her lose in the Castle but you may furnisher her cell, simply and ensure she receives food and warmth. But ask no more until my decision on the fate is reached. Now leave"

Gaius scurried out and started to make arrangements, at least Hunith wouldn't have to sleep on the floor and would eat. That at least was something. He hated bowing to the King after what he had done to Balinor but felt he was better keeping his head down as much as he could. By that lunchtime Hunith had a simple truckle bed, a thick layer of rushes on her cell floor and food and water aplenty. By that evening she also had some changes of clothes and a screen so she could wash and answer the call of nature, using a pot, in privacy. Gaius promised to visit daily and collect her dirty clothing and get it washed, he dare not visit the grief stricken woman more frequently. Hunith had cried herself into exhaustion for her murdered husband then realising she had more than herself to think about she tried to take care of herself as best she could.

Within the week the cells started to fill as the Purge started. The smell of burnt flesh hung over the citadel as multiple pyres were lit. The prisoners didn't stay long in the cells before new ones took their place. Hunith was living in fear for her child, he would after all be a dragonlord and possibly have magic, and Balinor had magic. Uther was burning women and children, would he kill her son when he was born.

Uther's purge was underway causing heartbreak and fear all over the Kingdom. His council of course backed his actions to scared to do otherwise. Or though many of the nobles saw it as a way of either getting back at enemies, after all it only took was a mention of magic and families were killed, or to clear out unwanted people from their estates. Uther had been thinking, he was after all a strategist, if he killed all the magic users in Camelot, who protect them from other magic users. What he needed was a way of controlling a select few so he could use them until Magic was gone completely from the earth. He set several of his best thinkers on the problem promising them great rewards if they succeeded in what he asked of them. So the best sorcerers were kept in special cells in the deeper areas of the dungeons in cells constructed of cold iron.

It wasn't long before Hunith's condition became known to Uther. So he went down to the dungeons for the first time to see her for himself. As he walked towards her cell he sneered at her as she sat on her simple bed. "So you are carrying the traitors brat"

"He was no traitor to you, he was loyal, just frightened for his family, and knowing what you are doing now he was right to be" Hunith said with more spirit than she felt. "How would Ygraine have felt about you murdering her brother?"

Uther signalled for the cell door to be opened. Once in he hit Hunith across the face "Don't speak he name you slut!" Looking down at the woman who had been a good friend to him and his wife he felt no sympathy. "You will stay in this cell until your brat is born, then I will decide your fate." He looked around the cell "For all your uncles' touches it's still a cell, if he or you cause any trouble or indeed if your cousin attacks Camelot I will give you to my men" with that her walked out.

When Gaius came down to check on Hunith she told him what the King had threatened. "You don't think Cenred will do anything do you?"

"I don't know, he may not have heard, it might be best not to contact him. He is a hothead. But then he didn't approve of your marriage to Balinor so he may do nothing. I will send a letter to a friend in court and try to find out. But I will have to be careful the King has me watched. I am sorry Hunith I can do no more. We have a few months to plan your escape my dear please try not to stress yourself"

"Don't do anything rash Gaius, if you can't get me out try to save my child" Hunith pleaded. "Or if not don't let him burn"

"He will not burn that I promise you. No matter what, if it comes to that I will see his passing is painless" they both had tears in their eyes as they hugged.

Gaius had already used his visits to the cells to pass some of the condemned families sedatives for the children. He couldn't save them but he could make their passing easier. Some of the parents had strangled their own children to stop them suffering the flames. Some men had done the same for their wives. They were burnt just the same as Uther said that it would stop them using magic to fake death.

Five months later

Gaius was called to the cells Hunith was giving birth, he took everything he needed and rushed down. As Hunith gave birth he gave her the baby to suckle and whispered "I will return later, I have a still born in my rooms I will exchange them and get the boy out of the city to the druids"

Hunith cuddled her son knowing it would be the only chance she had. Looking at the small boy, he was small because of the conditions she had been kept in. 'Oh Balinor he is so beautiful. I will call him Merlin after the bird you loved so much" the baby opened his blue eyes and looked at her. The black hair covered so the guards didn't notice the swop later. "I hope you have a good life my darling I'm just sorry we couldn't be with you" She then hummed a lullaby to her son, she needed to give the impression she was cuddling a dead child but was to shocked to say anything.

A druid in the next cell whispered to Hunith "It is Emrys we felt the magic change in the earth. He will save us all when he is older. We die happier knowing he has arrived"

Half an hour later Gaius returned to check on his charges, He carefully removed a still born from his bag, it had been wrapped in hot towels to warm to bady, and placed Merlin in the space giving Hunith the dead baby. He was sleeping, muttering a spell under his breath he made the babe sleep soundly. Then he turned to Hunith and said loudly "I need to see the baby my dear"

Hunith looked up at Gaius tears real but not from the death of her child but in the knowledge she would never see him again. "No leave him with me" she said brokenly.

"Oh my dear I'm so sorry" Gaius turned to the guards "The babe is dead, give him to me dear and I will bury him there is nothing to be done"

"Let me see him" came Uther's voice from behind them. Both their hearts stopped, could they get away with this?