Arthur stared at the Doctor. "That's it?" he demanded sarcastically. "Just travel to my past and magically fix things?"
"Obviously," the Doctor grinned. "Do it all the time. Now get ready, 'cause we're here!"
Ushering them out the doors, the Doctor took the lead as they made their way to Camelot. Arthur easily pulled up alongside him. "What day is this, then?"
"The day the witch hunter came to town."
The witch hunter was an ugly man. With unshaven beard, black knee-length boots, and the shackles he carried on his hip that jangled menacingly. His rough features were accompanied by his nature, which was cruel and heartless. The man would accuse whomever he pleased, taking them in for torture and breaking them down piece by piece. Many innocent people had gone in for questioning, and had confessed simply because they were too broken to do anything other than that.
The man didn't care if you were innocent. He got paid by the witch. Arthur remembered sitting down for a meal with the man, who'd striped the meat free of bone with his bare hands and shoved it into his mouth. Arthur trembled, remembering the man. "You don't want to run into him sir."
The doctor spun around, giving Arthur a confused look, "Why is that?"
"This man breathes fire, and will take down anyone he can accuse. You have a flying box and dress strangely." Arthur replied, "You're as good a target as any."
The doctor nodded. "Alright then." he grinned, "We'll all need to find some better attire."
"Are you saying we get to dress like we're from this century?" Amy beamed, "Fancy dresses and elegant hair?"
"What century are you thinking of?" The doctor asked, "Unless you're a noble, its plain cloth and dirty hair."
Arthur shot a glare at the two. "Oh, Sorry about that." The doctor smiled.
"Well," Rory stuttered, "Maybe we could pass as guests of the palace? Couldn't Arthur-"
"Yes, you could appear to be my guests, my father would have no-"
The doctor held up his hand as a 'shut up' notion, "Great idea. What brilliant idea do you have if past you shows up?"
"Past me?"
"Yes!" the man barked, "have you not been listening?"
"I have," Arthur responded defensively. "I just-"
"No matter now," the Doctor sighed. "You'll just have to go undercover with us. Follow me."
Together, they crept through the homes of the village. The Doctor stooped at a clothesline stretched across a small yard. "Take your pick," he said encouragingly. Rory found brown trousers and a tunic; Amy found a plain blue dress. The Doctor seemed torn between a blue shirt and a green one. Arthur snatched the blue one off the line before he could decide. He didn't need to change his trousers-they would work as they were. The Doctor picked a pair of pants and they hurried away. They changed in a small alley courtyard, backs to each other. Stashing their clothes in a crate, they examined each other head to foot.
"Hang on," the Doctor said. He stooped down to scoop up a handful of mud from the ground. "Amy, Rory, you should do this too." He came up to Arthur and smeared the mud across his face. The prince let out a yelp and tried to duck out of the madman's grasp, but the Doctor held him firmly. "You do understand the meaning of the word 'undercover', don't you?"
Arthur sighed and stopped struggling as mud was rubbed into his hair. When that was done, the Doctor pulled a mirror from his coat and brought it over to the prince. Arthur didn't recognize himself in the mirror. All he saw was a dirty peasant. The Doctor was obviously pleased with the result and smeared some mud artfully across his face.
"There. Now, we are a family just come from the countryside. Amy and Rory, you two are married. Arthur and I are Rory's brothers." The doctor smiled before wiping a bit of the mud from his hands to Amy's dress. "My name is John, and Arthur will be Kay. Everybody got it?"
"Why can't we have fancy names?" Amy demanded.
"No need," the Doctor replied. "Amelia is a name fit for a princess. And Rory is fine too. Now let's get a move on!"
They strolled through the streets until the Doctor started towards a woman weaving a basket on the side of a fountain. "Hello," he said softly.
She turned towards him, and the others saw the white clouds on her eyes; she was blind. "You're not from here," she stated. The Doctor nodded.
Whispering, the Doctor asked, "You're a seer, aren't you? You don't have to say it out loud." The woman nodded. Her hands never stopped weaving. "Amazing," the Doctor breathed. "Can you tell me where Prince Arthur is right now?"
"Which one?" she asked dryly.
The Timelord chuckled. "You're good. Very good." He smiled at her for a second. "The one from today, please."
"With the king and that evil man in the great hall of the castle."
The Doctor thanked her, and they left. Throughout the town, they heard whisperings of the witch finder's arrival.
"Where are we going?" Rory finally asked.
"To find Merlin. Our window of opportunity is small, but we still have to talk to him."
The doctor led the trio to the gates of the castle where they were stopped a guard who might not have taken his job a little too seriously. "Who are you and what do you want?" the guard questioned, holding his chin up and barely looking at them.
"We need to see the boy Merlin urgently, would you mind letting us slip in for a moment?"
"No one goes in or out unless by order of the royal family." he replied sharply.
"Then would you mind sending word to him? It's urgent, and if we can't get in he must come out." the doctor smiled.
"Who are you then?" the man asked.
"I'm John, Smith that is, and this is my brother Kay, and my brother Rory, and his wife Amelia." he lied.
The guard looked Amelia up and down, causing Rory to glare a little. The guard called for a servant stationed by the door and whispered in his ear. The boy ran into the castle with haste. The doctor smiled. "Thank you."
For a while, the group waited. They just waited by the door. It was a good amount of time before Merlin finally appeared, led by the boy. Arthur felt his heart drop when he saw him. Just his usual cheerful self. He felt a few tears heat his eyes.
"Right then." Merlin started, seemingly curious, "Who are you?"
The doctor repeated his introductions, but Arthur stopped him short of his name. "I'm Ar-"
"Kay." the doctor interrupted. "This is my brother Kay." he nudged Arthur with his elbow.
"Right. Kay." Arthur looked toward his feet, "My name is Kay."
Merlin gave Arthur a curious look, "Don't I know you?"
Arthur wanted to talk NOW, but the guard at the front gate would be trouble. "I'd prefer it if we could talk else where." Arthur replied.
That's when the doctor stepped in, whispering the faintest of words into Merlin's ears. Arthur looked to the doctor in confusion, because Merlin immediately complied, following them away from the gate and through the city. Arthur tagged along in the rear, listening to Amy and Rory talk while the doctor chatted with Merlin. He listened to them giggling and Rory fiddling with his clothes. Then they started talking about the doctor.
"Do you trust this, doctor man?" Arthur asked, gaining their attention.
"With everything." Amy replied, almost on instinct.
"Why?"
Rory smiled, "He's never let us down. If anyone can save Merlin, it'll be him."
"Mind you though," Amy giggled, speaking into Rory's shoulder, "Most of the people he saves fall for him."
"What was that?" Arthur questioned.
"Oh nothing." the pond replied.
Arthur looked back at Merlin and the doctor. Merlin was smiling as they walked, the doctor entertaining him with god knows what. Arthur didn't like this feeling. It made his stomach sting and burn. He though maybe he'd be a little sick. He clenched at his tunic and wished he had a cloak to hide himself in.