6. Sweet dreams

Later that day, Lily found herself facing Snow White for the second time.

And Her Majesty was pissed.

"Do you need anything, Milady?"

Snow huffed. "Yes. Who are you?"

Lily wiped her brow, sweating in the sun. "I think I've already answered that question."

"You said you weren't from my world. Who are you?"

Lily chuckled nervously. "Don't you think there are more important things than-"

Snow was as quick as her reputation. One breath later, Lily had a cold dagger pressed to her neck. "I won't ask a fourth time. Who are you?"

As much as she gave her credit for trying, Lily wasn't afraid one bit. "If you want to know, Snow White, you'll have to wait until my father comes back."

"Your father?" The dagger slipped a little, giving Lily enough time and momentum to get out of Snow's grip and face her, smirking.

"Ah, now you are thinking. I can see the clogs working."

But as she was about to answer, David came running to Snow. "Mary-Margaret! Emma's back! Rumpelstiltskin is wounded!"

"What?"

Lily and the Charmings hurried to the pawn-broker's shop. Snow, now knowing whose daughter Lily was, was eyeing her even more warily.

As she pushed the curtain aside, Lily's heart stopped beating.

Rumpel was bleeding, a yellowish hole in his chest.

"Dad!"

She ran and fell at his side, pushing a hand to his forehead.

"Dad?"

Lily's head snapped at the man who had just spoken.

Tall, brown-haired, grey-eyed.

"Baelfire?"

"Okay, what the Hell is going on?"

Lily stood up. "I'm Lily. Your foster sister. Nice meeting you. What happened to our father?"

It was a month after Freya's death. Merlin still grieved, of course, but otherwise, Camelot had continued living as it always did – quietly.

Until the King asked for an extraordinary meeting with all his allies.

Needless to say Lily's days were far less quiet when he decided that.

Weeks and weeks of preparations brought the court to Day D.

King Alyned was the first to arrive, a suspiciously-looking man with a strange servant.

Lily watched as they passed her as she was carrying beddings to the Lady Vivian's chambers.

When Gwen had told her she'd be assigned to King Olaf's daughter, and when she had learnt of her name, Lily couldn't have been more pleased.

Seeing the beautiful and kind face of the lady in person was still a pleasure.

"Lady Vivian, I am Lily, your handmaiden. If you need anything, just ask."

The blonde beauty smiled kindly at her, something not often seen at court. "Thank you." And she passed her.

But after a good hour at her service, it was certain that the lady Vivian was not a kind person.

She was the most insufferable noblewoman Lily had ever had the misfortune to meet.

And the feast was not to comfort her.

Aside from a short – but very agreeable in her sense – encounter with Leon in a dark alcove during the evening, Lily was bored to death.

And she had a sense that Alyned's servant was not everyone's buffoon. He seemed more like a sorcerer in disguise to her.

Her fears were confirmed the following morning.

As she went to wake the lady Vivian, Lily smelled something in the air.

Something that shouldn't have been there.

"Magic?" She searched the room for clues, but there was nothing there.

So the magic wasn't on Vivian. But from Vivian.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Lily sighed and whirled around the see Vivian getting out of bed, clearly angry. "Milady! Good morning!"

Merlin had soon fetched for her when it was clear that Arthur had been the one on the other end of the magic. He was besotted with Vivian, in a manner that was completely unnatural.

"I mean, when you're really in love, it's not like that. You don't act like a prat."

"Aye, you don't." She was eyeing Leon on the far end of the corridor.

Merlin sighed and clicked his fingers in front of her face. "Except you, apparently."

"Sorry, Merlin. I do not know how to fix this."

"Neither do I. Library?"

"I'm going this instant." She walked up the corridor, straight towards Leon.

"Lily?"

"Yes?"

"Library's the opposite way."

"Of course it is." She didn't stop.

Merlin rolled his eyes and hurried back to his silly prince.

Unfortunately for the two sorcerers, there were thousands of love potions and love curses, and many involved locks of hair.

What was worse even was that the following morning, Vivian herself had been cursed, and did everything in her power to get to Arthur, her "one true love".

It was on that evening that Lily's path crossed Leon's near Vivian's chambers.

"Leon." She curtsied with a smirk.

"Lily." He smirked back. "Can I steal you for a minute?"

"You can steal me anytime you want, my lord."

He chuckled and pulled her into a empty staircase leading to the dungeons.

They had that kind of secret encounter more and more often as time passed by, but never again outside the castle.

Leon, as Captain of the Knights, went out on missions far too often for Lily's sake.

"You look quite ravishing tonight, you know."

"I could say the same to you, but you always look ravishing." She ended her sentence by pulling him down to her and kissing him full on the lips.

The kiss quickly deepened as Leon pushed her flush against the wall, and Lily's body melted with his.

"I could do this all day long and not grow tired of it."

Leon's eyes brightened at that. "Well, I have to say that I-"

"You know, I think I might be in love with you, sir knight."

Leon took a pace back. Lily's heart raced, she started to hyperventilate. Had she said something wrong? Too soon? "Well, my lady... What can I say? I love you too..."

Lily's mouth cracked into the brightest smile, and she pulled him back down for another life-searing kiss.

Vivian's and Arthur's false love was nothing compared to a red-haired knight tucked in her arms...

The following morning, Arthur was to fight against Olaf – a fight to the death. None of Merlin's counter-curses worked.

So Lily, Merlin and Gaius found themselves gathered in a crisis meeting.

"I don't understand it. Trickler's magic is strong, but surely it can't stronger than mine."

"These love potions are strange things."

"You need to go to Uther."

Gaius looked up from his potions. "No!"

"It's a fight to the death!"

"If Uther finds out that one of the kings is using magic, then there'll certainly be a war. The only way out of this situation is to unenchant Arthur. And unenchant him fast."

Merlin sighed, Lily put a hand to her temples. "We have to ask for help. Surely someone knows about this. We've looked into every book possible, but this potion is still unknown to mankind."

"I agree for help. But who-"

"You know who, Gaius."

The old physician glared at Lily. "The Great Dragon isn't a book of spells, Lily! He isn't-"

"He'll help us. The prophecy says Arthur is the Once and Future King, and he isn't yet king. He'll help us."

"I hope he will indeed. If there is a cure."

The two warlocks hurried down the many steps and caves leading to Kilgharrah's prison, and found the dragon waiting.

Lily smiled and bowed her head. "Hello, Kilgharrah."

The dragon cast her a kind glance. "It is nice seeing you again, young one. Nice indeed."

Merlin shot them both a strange glance, as if he didn't know what was going on between the two beings.

"We need your help."

"Yes, I think you do, Merlin, otherwise you'd never come to me. You never do unless you need counsel."

Lily smirked at that.

Merlin sighed. "Sorry. But this is important. Arthur has been enchanted. He thinks he's in love with the lady Vivian. He's lost his senses."

Kilgharrah chuckled. "This is magic indeed!"

"Everything I have tried has failed."

"From what you tell me, the spell has captured his heart."

"And his heart is controlling his brain."

"There is no magic that can break this enchantment."

Merlin paused for a split second. "There must be."

"It has too great a hold."

"I cannot let Arthur die!"

"Patience, young warlock! The solution lies in a force greater than you, or I could understand. A force that has puzzled many minds."

Lily cast her gaze down and smiled. Oh yes, she knew what force it was...

"Please, we have very little time. Just tell me!"

Kilgharrah huffed again. "Young warlock, Vivian knows."

"Vivian? She's cursed!"

Lily nudged him in the ribs. "Not her. Me. My real name, my druidic name if you want, is Vivian."

Merlin tilted his head. "So?"

She chuckled. "True love, Merlin. We need Gwen. And we need her now. Go ahead, I'll catch up."

He nodded and hurried away, leaving her with the dragon.

"You seem troubled, young one."

"I am. It's been almost six months now, that I am here. I worry my father would call me home soon."

"I do not believe your time has come, Dragonlord."

Lily sat down on a stone. "About that. I've read many things about Dragonlords. And the one thing that puzzles me is that the powers are only given from-"

"Father to son, yes, indeed. In your case, however, it passed down onto a daughter. Rare, very rare thing, only happened twice in my reckoning. But it doesn't mean you're less a Dragonlord, Vivian."

"I guess I'm not, then." She smiled to him. "You know, I guess Merlin never tells you, because he doesn't feel like it, but I'm very grateful for what you teach us."

"I know you are, young one. The warlock isn't, but he will be in his own time. Now go, you'll miss all the entertainment."

"I don't mind." But she got up all the same. "I like talking with you."

"Then come talk with me more often."

She bowed her head again. "I will. Good day, Kilgharrah."

"And good day to you, Vivian."

"So you still don't sleep well?"

"Dad, you're dying. This isn't the time."

Rumpel winced in pain. Baelfire, standing in the archway, looked at them frightfully. "This is perfectly the time, Vivian."

She chuckled. "You haven't called me that in a long time, Dad."

"I know."

"So why know?"

"Because this is the name I chose for you."

"Lily is name I chose for myself."

"Vivian..."

"As lovely this is, Papa, the witches are here."

Lily looked over at her somehow brother. "Give me a weapon."

"No." She looked down at Rumpel. "You have no magic when your dragon isn't near. You'll get killed."

"Neal has no magic either."

Neal tilted his head. "Well... I might differ."

She rolled her eyes. "Very well then." She stood up and provided a weak shield before her father. "I will stay here. You go and protect our father, Baelfire."

"I will. Vivian."

She smiled. "I prefer Lily. The Lady of Avalon."