Author's Note: Hii guys! OK, I am now proofreading my chapters as 'Niyin' has showed me just how full of mistakes my stories are! So if there are any errors that have slipped through my net, please feel free to review and shout at me for being such a cabbagehead!

But anyway, this is an interesting chapter. A bit of…hmm, what would you call it? Chemistry? Yeah, something like that ;P You make your own minds up about what you wanna call it! Well, please review and let me know what you think about this mysterious new character! x

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of the BBC's TV programme Merlin (wish I did!) but any added characters and plotlines were completely my genius! All mistakes are also my own (but hopefully there will be less of them this chapter!)

Chapter Twenty

Desire

Emrys watched Arthur leave. He had been so close to giving in and freeing Gwaine and, in the process, sentencing himself to execution. Emrys had never thought that Arthur would resort to begging, and if he did, certainly not this early.

Gwaine would be experiencing weakness and tiredness right now. Soon, he would sink into a deep sleep from which he would never return. That was how the spell worked. It broke you down, dissolving your life until nothing was left. He had never tried it before but had learnt it just in case of a situation like this. It had served him well.

As Arthur had left, Emrys had seen pure hate in those eyes. Emrys had been harsh with his words that he had stabbed at Arthur and the Prince had felt them.

There was a rattle from the cell door. Emrys didn't look up; he knew who it was. The servant girl swept across the floor and set down the tray. But she didn't turn to leave either. She gazed down at Emrys and he reluctantly met her eyes. Her beautiful dark eyes. She stared back down into his and, even though she couldn't see them, she seemed to know exactly where they were. She didn't appear as nervous this time.

"Prince Arthur has asked me to inform you that this will be the last tray of food you will get," the girl said quietly. Her voice was soft and gentle. Emrys nodded slowly. Arthur really was taking action. The girl saw that Emrys had acknowledged this and she turned to leave.

"What's your name?" Emrys asked abruptly. The girl faltered and turned round. She stared for a moment, visibly confused at why Emrys was being so sociable.

"Ceira… my name's Ceira," she replied softly. Ceira. It was a beautiful name. Seeing that Emrys wasn't about to say anything else, Ceira turned to leave. Emrys swiftly got to his feet and approached her. She stopped and turned one more time. Emrys took her arm gently. Her eyes were wary but she didn't jerk away. Her eyes slid down to where his fingers had come into contact with her arm as did Emrys'. Her pale skin was icy, even colder than his own and his was permanently freezing. But he felt something else than her cold skin. There was something pulsing beneath her skin. Magic. It was unmistakable. Emrys looked up as did she. Their gaze met.

"You have magic," Emrys observed hesitantly. Ceira's dark eyes widened.

"I-I don't! I-I have never used magic." She shook her head violently but never broke their gaze. Her eyes betrayed what she was saying.

"You don't have to lie to me," Emrys whispered understandingly. Ceira looked at him intently, searching if she really could keep her secret with him. She seemed to come to a decision.

"You can't tell anyone. Please. They'll kill me." She seemed on the verge of tears but was keeping it all in. The pure fear in her voice was enough to prove how scared she was of being found out. Emrys couldn't possibly tell.

"You can trust me. I will keep your secret," Emrys breathed. Then their gaze became more intense. Something passed between them then, in that silence. A message. A message that they both understood but yet, couldn't quite work out. But then Ceira blinked and shook her head a little to regain what she was doing. She looked down at the ground and swept out of the cell, her ripped red dress flapping against the back of her legs as she went.

Ceira came away from the cell, thoughts cramped and buzzing in her mind. That encounter had been dreamlike. It had been like she had been watching it from outside her body. She couldn't quite work out what had happened. So many emotions and thoughts had been whipping through her mind they had blurred and merged together into one confused bundle. She knew that something had passed between them. Something that had been whispering in her ear since she had first encountered him. But it was like it was speaking in another language. Like it was encrypted. Like she had to work out the code to decipher the message.

The Thief. She hated the way they called him that. Emrys. That sounded much less threatening. She couldn't imagine how something so powerful and dangerous could be locked up and taken of its magic. She couldn't deny that she had used magic in the past. Multiple times in fact. Sometimes it had been needed more than others. She had to admit she had used it just when she was bored sometimes. And to get out of the odd chore. But she always made sure that no one was looking and she had never been caught. There was no one around her house to notice anyway. She lived on her own. Her mother had died when she was only very young and she had never known her father. She was an only child and the last of her family. She was coping but sometimes the loneliness got to her. But she dismissed all these thoughts as she rounded a corner and ran up the stairs to the ground floor of the castle. She would surely have many chores to keep these thoughts that were bashing against the sides of her head at bay.

Author's Note: Phwoah! That little blue button down there is sure looking mighty-fine! You know if you just slide your mouse over it and give it a little click it'll make someone very happy! ;P