A/N: Here comes the next chapter! Yaaaay! :)

Now, let's play a game. I'd like to know who's your favourite character. So I can treat you with scenes with him or her and Lily in the next chapter I'll write (the first of two to be in-between series). So, give me the name, and a mood, and I'll write you that. For example, Gwen + girly, and you'll see Lily and Gwen talk about dresses and hair and silly things like that.

Come on, let's play!

5. The wicked day

Weeks passed. Lancelot's death had taken quite a toll on Camelot, and most especially on Merlin. Lancelot had been the only one, apart from Lily, to know about his powers. And not to be afraid of them. And he had lost him, and that sense of freedom that came with being his friend.

For Lily, things weren't any better. Lancelot had quickly grown to be one of her best friends, and his sacrifice to save both Merlin and her had made her grim and dark and sad for long hours during the day and for harsh nightmares during the night.

And nothing either Gwaine or Merlin himself could try to do made things any better.

Even Kilgharrah didn't manage to soothe her. Especially when he told her he was grateful the knight had taken her place.

And one morning, she awoke to a young warlock irreverently opening the curtains in her room and therefore managing to get a croak out of her throat.

"Merlin..."

He walked up to her, an infuriating smirk on his lips. "His Majesty the Royal Prat demands to see you."

Lily sat up, her hair still ruffled with sleep. "What for?"

Merlin shrugged. "It's his birthday, who knows?"

At that the sorceress jumped out of bed and grabbed her tunic on the nearby chair. "It's his birthday? Today? Oh Lord, where have I been all this time?"

"Well...some place I'd rather not see you go back to, if you don't mind."

She shot him a warning glance. "Careful there, Merlie. I'm still pissed."

"I know." Then he threw her her chainmail. "You. Arthur's office. Now."

The prince was pacing in his office when she entered by the still open door. And he seemed troubled.

"You wished to see me, Sire?"

Arthur stopped pacing and turned to face her, for a second looking as if he had forgotten he had asked for her. "Ah, yes, Lily... Uh...I need you to reinforce the castle's security for tonight's celebration."

Her brow furrowed. "I've already done that several times, Sire, as you requested."

"Yes, but there has been a...an update. My father is to attend."

Lily gasped openly. "Your father? The King? He's...he's... Is he strong enough?"

"Apparently he judges he is. So, you understand, of course, that...for his safety...in case anyone takes advantage of his weakened state..."

"Yes, of course. I'll rush in and ask to double the guard around and in the Great Hall, Sire."

"Thank you."

She bowed her head and made to leave, but he stopped her.

"Lily?"

"Yes, Sire?"

"It's...nice. To see you in higher spirits. Lancelot's passing has taken enough toll on all of us. He would have liked us to move on."

She looked down, feeling her eyes starting to well up with tears. "Yes, I guess he would have. See you later, Arthur."

Soon, too soon in Lily's taste, the evening came, and with it the need to make a good impression on the King. He had not met her since she had been knighted, and certainly not since she had been promoted Captain of the Knights.

So this...this...was one of the worst moments in her entire life.

After she had put on her armour and cape – and she scarcely did as she hated the item – Lily walked towards the King's chambers. It was her duty and Arthur's to escort Uther to the Great Hall.

She stopped dead before the closed door, aware of muffled voices inside, but remained calm.

Or tried to.

After what felt like a lifetime, the door swung open, revealing Uther Pendragon, as regal as he had been before his mind had lost its glory, his crown on his head, his armour perfectly polished.

His eyes stopped onto Lily's form and his brow furrowed.

"Ah, yes. I had forgotten about you."

She swallowed the lump in her throat and bowed the head in reverence. "It is nice seeing you in better shape, my Lord."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure." Then he turned to Arthur. "When I'm better, we shall discuss your choice at a Captain, my son."

And just like that, he passed Lily as if she hadn't been standing there.

Her eyes met Arthur's, who winced and followed his father.

She was left to follow at a good distance.

Since she wished for murder.

One of the many entertainments at Arthur's birthday party was jugglers and a knife-thrower who, of course, asked for Arthur himself to be taken as aim.

The prince, as stupid as he often was, fell into the trap while Lily and Merlin exchanged a worried glance.

Percival, on her right, found the whole thing hilarious and nearly choke onto his wine.

Lily sighed and nudged him in the ribs. "If you don't behave yourself, Percy, you shall muck the stables for a week."

He made a face. "Lily..."

"Don't 'Lily' me. It won't work."

He pouted.

She sighed again. "Just stop laughing so loud. You'll bug the king."

And he smiled widely.

While Arthur wasn't visibly wounded by the knife-throwing, Lily felt something was off in the way the juggler looked awfully pleased with himself.

And she was about to know just how much she was right.

Merlin quickly walked to her, a grin on his lips. "I thought this would have a different outcome."

She frowned and reached him in mind with a scowl. "We both know you'd have stopped it." Then switched back to louder speech. "I still sense something is off. This man doesn't look honest to me."

Merlin chuckled and patted her shoulder. "Sometimes you see evil in too many things, my friend." Then he hurried off to where Arthur was asking for more wine.

He'd end drunk in an hour, Lily was ready to bet on it.

What she liked even less than an attempted murder was a bunch of drunk knights.

Especially when she had to escort them back to their rooms to make sure none would stumble across the path of some serving girl willing to raid their beds.

To her surprise, Percival had far more fangirls than Gwaine or Elyan. But yet again, Gwaine was known to be taken.

And that thought only made her smirk.

That smirk faded when Elyan doubled over and puked right on her shoes.

It's when she was making her way back from the knights' chambers and to the Great Hall to make sure everything was as it ought to be that Lily heard sword clashes coming from the King's chambers.

As a curse left her lips she discarded her cape and drew out Fang, stumbling across two dead guards before the door.

When she kicked it open, what she saw made her wince.

Uther, in his white shirt, was lying in Arthur's arms, blood oozing from a wound in his side.

The juggler laid dead on the other side of the room.

And a dagger was lying onto the ground.

She hurried there, but as her hand tried to close around the handle, she felt as if the whole thing was surrounded by darkness. As if if she touched it, she'd herself be wounded in her very soul.

Next thing she did was kneeling at the King's side.

Arthur's eyes met hers. "Help us, please, Lily..."

She nodded and hurried back to her feet, putting Fang back in her scabbard. "I'll go fetch Gaius. Don't move and press your hand on that wound as hard as you can."

And as she ran out of the room, her mind came to someone standing not far, in Arthur's room.

"Merlin?"

"Lily, what's wrong?"

"Uther's been wounded. I'm going fetch Gaius, go and support Arthur, he's close to passing out."

The warlock nodded in mind then closed the connection.

Morning came, and with it dreadful news.

Uther's heart had been touched by the blade of the dagger. It was only a matter of time before he passed.

So Lily went to Merlin in his room where he was sitting on his bed, his brow furrowed.

"Merlie..."

He groaned. "There must be a way of healing him!"

She sighed. "There is." His eyes met hers. "Magic. But Arthur would not ask me. And I'm not powerful enough."

"But I am." He stood.

She stopped him with her hand on his chest. "He won't agree, Merlin. He still believes magic is evil. At least, all magic but mine."

"Then he'll come to you for help, and you'll direct him to-"

"Whom? You?"

"No. Dragoon the Great." He smirked.

She rolled her eyes. "That old man's impression you use sometimes? God, Merlin, that is suicide! I can see you behind the mask in a second, do you not think your best friend might too?"

"Nah, he's too stupid for that." Then he went back to serious. "If he asks, you'll tell him the truth. That you are not powerful enough, but that you know someone who is. You'll direct him to the shack we stayed in when...when...with Lancelot. And he'll find me there. As Dragoon the Great."

Lily closed her eyes as if in pain. "I do so hope you're right and that it'll work..."

Merlin put a hand on hers still on his chest. "So do I..."

That afternoon, as she was talking with Gwen, Lily's suspicions proved right. Arthur walked up to her, his face grave with pain and grief, and asked to speak to her alone.

She tried to keep a straight face even though she knew what was coming.

"Arthur, what is it?"

"Lily, I... I know I shouldn't ask this of you, but... Can you-?"

She shook her head, preventing him from carrying on. "I can't heal him, Arthur, if I could, it would already be done. Healing wounds like that requires a knowledge of the human body that I don't have."

He seemed to have taken quite a blow. "And, by any chance, you wouldn't know someone..."

"I don't know personally, but...well...Gaius speaks of one old sorcerer living in the forest near Cenred's kingdom. You should ask Merlin for directions though, I'm at a lost when it comes to this."

Arthur nodded. "And you trust this...sorcerer?"

She shrugged. "I never met him, and surely all magic isn't the purest of white, but...I guess...asking doesn't hurt."

He sighed. "I'll try then. For my father's sake."

He made to turn around and go, but Lily caught his arm and locked her eyes with his. "Arthur, just...do not forget what price your family already paid for using magic. Be careful. And don't trust anyone."

He nodded solemnly, then went away.

The following day, Arthur and Merlin rode away at first light, leaving Lily in charge of the castle...instead of Agravaine.

It made her surprisingly happy.

She hated Arthur's uncle with her guts. And her guts were rarely wrong.

"Can I ask where you are going at this hour, my lord?"

Said Agravaine was arguing with a stable-boy to prepare his horse while all of Camelot had be securely sealed until better days.

The prince's uncle turned around and plastered a sickly smile on his lips. "Sorry, Captain, I did not understand your...closing the town was meant even for me."

She gritted her teeth, her left hand caressing Fang's hilt, his eyes going to it by instinct. "Everyone is to remain here until we are sure no one else will attempt murder on either our royals. Did I make myself clear, my lord?"

"Perfectly clear. My lady." But the glare he sent her wasn't that a good omen. "I bid you a good day."

He made to pass her and bolt back into the castle, but a word from her made him stop for a split moment.

"Don't forget to muck the hem of your cloak, Agravaine, there's still mud on it."

That evening, Merlin turned into the old Dragoon the Great and met with Arthur at the Lower Gate, while Lily was instructed to keep guard at the King's door.

When she saw Merlin approach, she almost went out in giggles. She had not seen him first time he had turned into an old, grumpy sorcerer, but now she had the image before her eyes, she doubted she would ever erase it from her mind.

Arthur walked up to her and nodded. "Lily, this is the sorcerer Gaius had been talking about." He turned to Merlin. "This is Lady Lily, the Captain of the Knights of Camelot."

"Ah, yes," she muffled another laugh – his voice really was as ridiculous as his looks, "the Lady of Avalon. Vivian. All the druids know of you, my lady. It is a pleasure."

She bowed the head. "It is nice meeting a fellow sorcerer."

Then Merlin turned to Arthur, a real frown on his face. "That is a way of greeting people with magic. Learn from her, boy. She has a lot to teach you."

Then both men entered the room behind her, as her mind reached for Merlin's.

"Was that really necessary?"

The voice is his mind was his usual, young one. "I couldn't help myself. It's too funny taunting him."

But a few minutes later, hell was set loose.

The spell Merlin cast onto Uther – a healing spell he and Gaius had found in an old grimoire – had backfired, killing the king instead of healing him.

So when Lily bolted into the King's chambers, what she saw frightened her to the core.

Uther laid lifeless, eyes open, onto his bed. Arthur was lying on the ground, unconscious, and Merlin...Merlin was crying.

She hurried at his side. "What happened?"

He shook with sobs. "I don't know... And now...all is lost."

She squeezed his shoulder before looking down at Arthur. "Leave. Run. Turn back into your old self. He'll send me after you. Go!"

He nodded and exited the room while the prince came back to his senses.

Arthur sprang to his feet, his sword in his hand, tears streaming down his face.

"Lily, where is he? Where's the sorcerer?"

"I don't know, Sire. He ran away and I could not stop him. He cast a spell on me so I could not harm him."

"Send the guards after him. Now!"

She nodded and ran out of the room, effectively going to the guards-room and sending all after the old sorcerer who had killed the King.

And after that...well...she went back to Arthur.

He was standing next to his father, Gaius at his side.

He was no longer crying, but she knew that his sorrow had turned into rage.

"Arthur? My lord?"

He turned to her, his jaw set. "Magic is evil. I knew it, I should have known."

But, at the same time these words left his mouth, Lily felt something else. Like a pull, the same she had felt near the dagger.

Her eyes were drawn to the King's neck, where sat a necklace.

She drew her hand close, then hissed, properly hissed, and jumped back.

Gaius looked at her warily. "What is it, Lily?"

"This necklace... It's enchanted, laced with dark magic. I can feel it."

Gaius looked down and removed the necklace.

Arthur had not changed place, or made a move.

"This does not belong to Uther. Someone should have placed it there, and somehow...it drained the life out of him." Gaius looked up at the prince – well, future King now. "The sorcerer could not save him whatever he tried."

Arthur shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Either way, magic killed my father. And I won't forget it."

He whirled around and hurried away.

Lily locked eyes with Gaius and sighed. "I fear even I will be punished for today's work. Any idea who might have put that necklace onto the king?"

"None. But I know who's done it. Morgana."

Lily's eyes widened. "Really?"

"It's the signature of the High Priestess. It's her."

The Captain set her gaze down, glaring into nothingness. "Then I know who's been helping her."

And she'd be damned if she let him do any more harm...

Five days later, after the usual period of national grieving, came the crowning of King Arthur Pendragon.

And as Lily took her place behind Agravaine into the waiting crowd in the throne-room, she could not help but lean into his ear.

"My lord, I wanted to tell you..."

"Yes, Lady Lily?"

"I know who you are meeting in the forest, and I know who put that necklace onto the King's neck. And I solemnly swear, here and now, that I will end you, if it is the last thing I do."

Arthur's uncle didn't seem really happy with the news.

Arthur himself soon entered the room, wearing his armour and cape, his face set into a serious gaze, intent on the matter at end.

He went to kneel before Geoffrey of Monmouth, the only one who could celebrate the crowning.

"Will you solemnly promise and swear to govern the people of Camelot according to their respective laws and customs?"

"I solemnly swear so to do."

"Will you, to your power, pose law and justice in mercy be executed in all your judgements?"

"I will."

"Then by the sacred law vested in me, I crown you Arthur, King of Camelot."

Arthur stood and faced the crowd, and as Captain, it was to Lily that went the honour of shouting the first "Long live the King!" that soon echoed around the whole room.

It was only later, in a dark corridor through which she was escorting him, that the newly-crowned king decided to talk about what bothered her.

"Lily, I... How do say this? I, uh...I decided that magic would still be outlawed in the kingdom. So..."

"I am forbidden to ever practise magic again under pain of death, I suppose."

"Well, not exactly."

She paused, turning to face him. "You're not forbidding me?"

He smiled sadly. "You've proved many times already that you, at least, use magic for good. I could not, should not forbid you after all that. But...to be coherent...don't use it in front of people. At least, not in front of those who don't know."

She nodded. "I won't." Then smiled widely. "Your first act as a King has won you the most loyal of Captains, Sire."

He snorted. "Careful, you're turning into Merlin."

She winced. "God no."