So here I was like hm... ch. 13 is coming up. That would suck if it turned out 13 really is bad luck and this chapter turns out suckish. Guess what? it is. it was the episode i had no idea what to do with. so i chose to make it a chapter that reflects Artemis's conflict with Uther's reign, but i still find it suckish. so here's a suckish chapter. i'll post another to make up for the epic suckyness.

Sleep dawned on Artemis as usual that night. However, in the middle of the night, she suddenly woke. She was hearing this ringing in her ears. Artemis recognized it. There was a magical relic nearby. Artemis shook her head, and tried to go back to sleep despite the ringing when she heard knights starting to walk by. Artemis opened the door and went out despite only being in a long shirt. The knights were passing, and she saw Arthur.

"Arthur?" she questioned. "What's happened?" Arthur looked at her.

"Go back to bed, Artemis," he said. The knights were carrying a man away.

"Arthur, what's going on?" she asked.

"The blacksmith was found helping a tauren. Now go back to bed." Arthur left taking up the end of the knights. Artemis watched them go before she walked to the blacksmith's shop. She opened the door and looked around.

"Well," she muttered. "Whatever woke me. It's gone now." Artemis sighed. She knew the blacksmith was Gwen's father. This would not end well. Artemis went back to the house, but was unable to sleep so she dressed and then went to the palace. She was sure Morgana and the others were awake because of this.

"Artemis, thank god!" Morgana said approaching her. "You have to do something Gwen's father was arrested!"

"I know Morgana, but what do you want me to do?"

"I don't know! You have to do something!"

"You don't understand Morgana," Artemis said hesitantly.

"I don't understand!" she yelled at her. "You're right! I don't understand how you can allow an innocent man to die! I know you can do something!"

"Morgana!" Artemis yelled. "I cannot do something, because that would be interfering in the monarchy of Camelot! Someone such as me can only do that on one condition!"

"And what's that!"

"I can only interfere if I bring charges against Uther, and if I bring charges than Uther will surly die! If I interfere I will be punished severely! There is nothing I can do without bringing severe repercussions upon Camelot and/or myself!"

"You're being selfish!" Morgana yelled.

"Than I guess I am," Artemis replied coldly. Morgana walked away with a bit of a fit. Artemis turned and purposely smashed a nearby vase. She put her hand against the wall and leaned on it breathing deeply.

"Are you alright? I heard you arguing with Morgana." Artemis looked up and saw Arthur at the end of the hall.

"I'm fine. A little angry, but other than that… fine. She thinks I can do something, but I only can if I were to charge your father with crimes against humanity… if I did that he would suffer a very grim fate. I cannot do anything. I am not allowed to say a word to a monarch to change their judgment."

"You do to me," Arthur said approaching her.

"Once you are King, I won't be able to. Right now you are still learning what it will take to be king, and that can be influenced."

"Wait, you mean when I am king…"

"When you are king, I will leave Camelot." Arthur stared at her. Slowly a few things started to click together.

"You knew you would come here. You are here serving the Servants of the World, aren't you?"

"No," she said a little too fast. "I'm not."

"You are… so what have you got to do? Help rid Camelot of magic?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Arthur. I'm just going to go help out in the kitchens…," Artemis slowly backed away before turning and running to the kitchens. Telling Arthur would be a mistake this much she knew. No one should know too much about their own destiny.

Artemis was true to her words and helped them. Later in the day, Artemis felt it again. The buzzing in her ears, but she ignored it. There was nothing she could do. Artemis left the palace at noon and watched as innocent men were marched away. They were to be executed. Artemis stared, but turned away. If Uther continued this, the Servants of the World would step in and strip him of his crown and right to the throne. They would kill him in the worst way possible.

"Artemis!" Merlin called walking to her. "You haven't-"

"Been hearing buzzing? Yes."

"What do you think it is?" he asked.

"I'm not sure." Merlin watched her face seeming to calculate everything.

"Is Tom going to die?" Merlin asked.

"I'm afraid so," Artemis whispered.

"Uther can't do this," Merlin said.

"There is nothing we can do. Uther is blinded by rage, revenge, hate. It is hard to see past such things. I have to go." Artemis left Merlin. She went to the house.

"There you are," Ava said, but Artemis didn't respond she went to her trunk and took out a Babylon candle. "What are you doing?"

"I have to go see the grand masters. I'll be back in a little bit."

"Can I go?" Ava asked her eyes lit up.

"No, you are not ready. There will come a time, but this is not it." Artemis lit the candle. "The Caves of Vetus," she whispered. The scene faded and the she found herself in a cave lit with hundreds of different colored crystals. One person stood waiting for her. He had long white hair, and a long white beard and mustache. He had wise, old blue eyes. He wore white robes.

"Master Gwydion," she said bowing after the general shock of the leader of the Servants of the World meeting her in person wore off. He bowed back.

"Ambrosine. I've been expecting you. You have questions, and I have answers." Artemis breathed deeply. "Speak."

"I am having trouble, Master, accepting the ways of Camelot. I know what is to come. I know what will be, but Uther Pendragon's reign… it sickens me. I know what will happen if I bring charges upon him. I know what will be, but I just need… I just need reassurance of some sort. Tell me that standing by and watching the innocent die… is the right thing."

"It is not nor will it ever be," Gwydion said. Artemis was surprised by his blunt answer. "I know the conflict you feel, but you must understand this. Sometimes to reach a better future, we must sink to our lowest points and see what we have become. Young Arthur Pendragon will bring us into the next era and magic and balance will be restored. However, he must see the treachery of his father's rule for if he watches his father die by magic he will inherit his father's hatred. You know what must happen if the future strays from the path we have seen."

"Arthur must die," Artemis whispered. "I do not want that."

"I know. Then you must choose. You must choose between two awful choices: let the innocent die now and end in the future or step in and let the war never end and let Arthur watch as he realizes what you have done." Artemis winced and shut her eyes. She knew that this was not what she wanted to hear, but she knew it to be the truth.

"Thank you Master," she bowed. He bowed back.

"Don't forget who you are."

"I will not." Artemis lit the Babylon candle again. It was good for two trips. "Camelot." The scene faded away, and Artemis ended up back in her house.

"Did you get the answers you sought?" Artemis sighed.

"Yes. I need some rest." Ava had never seen Artemis sleep so much. She slept through dinner and through the night and onto the next morning, but when Artemis awoke it was with renewed hope. Artemis threw on trousers and boots and didn't bother to fix her hair or change her shirt.

"Artemis?" Ava asked.

"I'll be back." Artemis ran off to the palace. She opened Arthur's chambers.

"Come to scold me too," Arthur asked as he watched Gwen below cry. Her father's body was being wheeled away. Artemis didn't answer. She walked to him and slammed him against a wall. "Excuse me!" he said.

"Shut it. You are going to listen, and you are going to listen good. Understand?" she asked. Arthur nodded. He had not seen Artemis like this before. He had seen her angry, but not like this. She was commanding, serious, not filled with bind rage, but there still seemed to be much hatred in her eyes. It was terrifying. One false move and he felt he was going to be on the bad side of her, which from his experience, was not a good place to be. "I can do nothing to your father, but I certainly can to you. Tom is dead. I know this, so this is what you are going to do. You are going to talk to your father and demand that he allows Gwen to keep her job and her home. Then you are going to go to her and tell her this and apologize for your father's stupidity. It's the least you can do. Am I understood?"

"Yes."

"Good," Artemis said before she removed her hands from his jacket that she had been gripping. "Now if you'll excuse me, I rushed out of my home before I could so much as say goodbye to Ava. Oh, and try to convince your father to let Morgana out of the dungeons. I don't know how just do it." Artemis left, and went back home. She was tired. She had in fact not been sleeping like Ava originally thought. She was actually looking down several paths to the future to find one that would lead to the desired outcome. There was nothing, but she could at least give Gwen a home and a job and Arthur's sympathy. Artemis sighed. "Do you want breakfast?" she asked.

"No. You look tired Teach. Get some sleep. I'll manage."

"Are you sure? I feel like I've been neglecting you."

"Sleep." Artemis did what Ava told her to. She slept until supper. Artemis cooked dinner and they ate together before training a little. Artemis had noticed that Arthur was right. The knights had been rather friendly towards her since their little match.

"Artemis," a voice said catching her attention as Ava and her made their way back from the training grounds. They both turned to see Arthur coming toward them.

"Arthur. Sorry… about this morning… I was half asleep still and pretty frustrated," she lied.

"Don't apologize. I wanted to thank you. You were right. It was the least I could do. Gwen seemed genuinely thankful. It was the right thing to do." Artemis just nodded. "I know… this incident has been upsetting you, and I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's not your fault. I am not angry with you or even Uther. I am angry with myself. I'm angry I could not do anything." Arthur put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"You are one person, Artemis. You can only do so much."

"I know, but still… is Morgana out of the dungeons?"

"No. Uther has said he will release her tomorrow morning." Artemis nodded. "Go rest, Artemis. You look stressed."

"Believe me Arthur. I have been sleeping too much."

"In that case, my chambers need cleaning. There are clothes and need mending and could you please get Merlin to stop annoying me so much."

"Yes, sire," she said rolling her eyes and laughing. Arthur left Ava and Artemis. Ava punched Artemis's shoulder. "Ow. What was that for?" she asked rubbing her arm.

"You told me if you ever like Arthur to hit you… hard."

"I do not like Arthur. Stop making this up."

"Either you're lying or you have some serious denial problems." Artemis rolled her eyes.

"I'll see you later. I'm not tired. I might as well go do some of the things Arthur said needed to be done."

"Alright. Bye, Teach." Artemis went up to Arthur's chambers. The place was a disaster. Really what does Merlin do? She sighed before she went to work cleaning the room. When she finished, it was dark out, and probably late. It really had depleted her energy. Arthur was probably on guard duty tonight, which would explain his absence. Artemis eventually left. She was walking through the streets, but suddenly stop feeling the presence of someone with magic. Frowning she looked around. No one was seen. Was she imagining things? Shaking her head, Artemis went back to her house. She went to bed.

"Artemis, I'm sorry," Morgana said as they met in the halls of the palace. "I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"Don't be sorry. You were angry. People are irrational and lash out when they let their emotions get the best of them."

"Arthur told me that I should be thanking you for being out of the dungeon… so thank you."

"I just told Arthur to get you out of the dungeons. He did all the work. I have to go." That night the ringing in her ears started again. Artemis frowned and sat up, but still she ignored it. What could she do? Nothing. She knew the stone was in Morgana's possession about now, but Artemis chose not to act. It would work itself out. Artemis shut her eyes, and for the first time in years she could not control her dreams…

"Sorceress!" shouts called. Artemis suddenly felt herself being restrained. Her wrists behind her were held. Her vision was blurred by smoke, but slowly people came into view. First was Arthur, who looked at her like she had betrayed him. He looked at her with hate. Then, there was Merlin who simply stepped back from her with a hurt expression. He looked guilty. Morgana was there screaming for them to stop. It was wrong for them to burn her without proof. Last was Uther, who was screaming for her to be burned. The next thing, she knew she was tied to the stake. Uther handed Arthur a torch.

"Arthur please," she begged. "Don't do this." Arthur leaned down and set the wood around her on fire. "Stop… Stop…," she choked on the smoke. Blurs of black and white entered her vision. She was saved from the fire, but she still watched as those around her were slaughtered. "No! Stop!" she yelled struggling against the person holding her.

"It must be this way. They have committed crimes against humanity." Artemis looked at the man. He was wearing the traditional black uniform of a Servant of the World. He laughed as Artemis watched the ground being splattered with their blood.

Artemis sat up in bed shaking and sweating. She clutched her chest. She tried slowing her breathing down.

"Great," she said to herself. "I think I'm starting to loose it." Artemis sighed and sat up. She made breakfast for her and Ava despite the sun not even being up. Ava woke up and the ate together. "I'm going down to the lake to wash up."

"Alright," Ava said. "Just make sure that no one's around."

"I will." Artemis grabbed clean clothes and rode Libera to the lake. She stripped off her clothes before jumping in keeping far enough in that her body was covered, but close enough to the shore where she could still touch the bottom of the lake. She relaxed in the cold water trying to loosen her muscles. Her dream was nothing but a dream. It wasn't a vision, she decided. It was simply a nightmare resulting from everything that's been happening. Artemis dried off and dressed in her clean clothes before she rode back to Camelot.

"Sometimes it is hard to be king, don't you think?" Artemis asked from a chair watching Uther look out the window and watch Gwen and Morgana walk by. Uther seemed a little shocked at her presence.

"What are you doing in my chambers?" he asked.

"Stop playing the nobility card. You and I both know that I am more than a simple maid. This was established previously. I came to ask you something," she said coolly.

"What is that?"

"Do you regret it? Do you regret the innocent you have killed? Do you believe that there have been innocent that didn't deserve to die?" There was silence. It was hard for Uther to comprehend that Artemis had the nerve to talk in such a way.

"As king, I cannot bend. I must make sure all laws are followed. One cannot get away."

"That does not answer my question." More silence.

"Yes. I regret the innocent that have died. I understand that many of my enemies I have created with the killings, but it is the only way to make sure Camelot stays safe of the taint of sorcery." Artemis watched Uther. He was not the best king, but he was the best person to rule Camelot. No other could do it.

"That's all I needed to hear." Artemis stood and left.

"Artemis, I need to talk to you," Merlin said approaching her.

"What?"

"Morgana is… Morgana has sided with the Tauren. I didn't know who else to turn to."

"I understand," Artemis said. "You are conflicted on what to do. Sit and watch or stop it. You must make this choice on your own. There is nothing I can do," she said with a sigh. "I will make my say. Arthur… if Uther is killed by magic… do you really think magic will return? Or will Arthur end up like his father and forever search for vengeance for his father? Think about it." Artemis left and went to her house. Ava was sitting there reading. Artemis took the book from her and shut it. She sat across from Ava.

"Teach?"

"Upon… recent events I think… it's time we talk about what makes a good king."

"Why?"

"If you follow the path I have been on, there will be times in your life will you believe that a king is not worthy of ruling a kingdom, and you will be tempted to dethrone him, but you must know what makes a bad king and what makes a good king." Artemis breathed deeply. "A good king… does whatever he believes is necessary to protect his people. A bad king is a man who does not care about his people. A king who sits on his throne and counts his money while poverty and disease ravages his people. Take Uther for example… I would say he is a good king. He may kill the innocent occasionally, but he does it because he believes it will protect his people. That is what truly counts. Take 'King' John. He is a bad king. He doesn't care what happens to his people as long as he has power and gold. That's all he cares about. Sometimes the lines seem blurred, but it's still there."

"Arthur will be a good king then, won't he?" Ava asked.

"If he still has the qualities he does now, he will be a great king, but don't tell him I said that." Artemis trained Ava again that day. They had finished with broadswords and now Artemis was continuing her teaching of hand to hand combat.

"You were right," Merlin said the next day. "I needed to make my own choice. Morgana... did the right this. She saved Uther." Artemis sighed.

"Merlin, I am always right," she said with a laugh. This was as good as this situation would get.