-70-

When Ryll awoke again it was to the sound of keys unlocking her cell door. She opened her eyes and looked up to see Morgana standing there. She hurried into the cell to pull Ryll to her feet as soon as the guard stepped aside.

"Ryll, are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Ryll replied, accepting Morgana's hand.

"You're free to go. I spoke with Uther, and he pardoned you. He thinks that you were enchanted by Merlin to speak up for him."

"That's ridiculous," Ryll said, following Morgana out of the dungeons.

"I know," she agreed. Ryll narrowed her eyes, unsure of what Morgana was trying to do. She had seen the look of satisfaction on Morgana's face when Merlin and Ryll had been dragged from the council room. "Uther is blind when it comes to magic. He would see Merlin executed without any hard proof of him having magic. And after everything Merlin has done for him and for Arthur."

"Uther will end up destroying everything he loves and everyone who is loyal to him if he continues on like this," Ryll agreed. There was no lie in those words, she realized.

"Sometimes I wish…" Morgana hesitated. "Sometimes I wish he wasn't king. I wish he was gone."

"You wish he was dead?" Ryll guessed. She held her breath, waiting for Morgana's reply. Uther's ward looked sharply at her, hazel eyes hard.

"Sometimes," she said coldly. "After all he's done. Don't you? After what he did to Merlin?"

Ryll understood suddenly. Morgana was trying to turn Ryll against Uther. She thought that if Ryll hated Uther enough, she would join Morgause and her. She was about to reply 'no,' but then a thought struck her. What if she played along? What if she pretended to hate Uther as much as Morgana wanted her to? "I've never hated anyone quite like I hate him," she agreed.

Did she hate him? She certainly despised his blindness where magic was concerned. She hated that he was harsh to judge and slow to forgive. She hated that he would most likely not accept Morgana for who she really was. But she didn't want him dead. He was Arthur's father. What would it do to Arthur if Uther were to die? She had lost both of her parents, and she would never wish that on anyone, especially a friend as dear to her as Arthur. But she could play along.

"Camelot would be much better off without him," Morgana said. For once Ryll could tell that Morgana was not putting on an act. She could hear the venom in her voice and see it in her eyes.

"You're right," Ryll said. Morgana looked at her in surprise as if she hadn't actually been expecting Ryll to agree. "I've thought long and hard about it," Ryll told her. "I wanted to be loyal because I love Camelot, but Uther has hurt my friends one too many times."

"Just because you're not loyal to him doesn't mean you're not loyal to Camelot," Morgana told her. "This city could be great under the right ruler."

"Do you think Arthur will follow in his father's footsteps or do you think he'll accept magic?" Ryll asked.

Morgana paused as if considering this. "Arthur's grown up with Uther's hatred for magic, I'm not sure he's going to think any differently. Maybe eventually, but there needs to be change now."

"What can I do?" Ryll asked.

Morgana's eyes glowed. "Will you help me?" she asked.

Ryll took a deep breath and nodded. "I'd do anything to help you, Morgana," she said.

"I'm so glad to hear that," Morgana said, her smile giving away her relief. Ryll felt a stab of sorrow. Morgana bought her lies so easily, but it hurt Ryll so much to deceive her. "Everything is going to fall into place," she said. "We just have to be patient." Clearly she wasn't going to spill hers and Morgause's plans just now, but Ryll would have to earn her trust.

"I need to find Merlin," Ryll told her. "I need to make sure he's alright."

Morgana nodded. "Do you think it's true?" she asked. "About Gaius being possessed by a goblin."

Ryll nodded. "Merlin wouldn't lie about something like that."

"I know he wouldn't. It's just…it said something to me. It was like it could see right through me." Morgana shuddered, falling silent.

"What did it say to you?" Ryll asked.

Morgana turned to look at her. "It said that I had a cold heart," she said. Ryll could see the hurt behind Morgana's hazel eyes.

"No one could ever say you have a cold heart unless they didn't know you," Ryll told her. "You've never shown anyone anything but kindness." Regret flashed in Morgana's eyes, but it was gone before Ryll could begin to wonder about it. "Goblins lie," Ryll assured her. "I'm sure of it."

Morgana nodded. "Go find Merlin," she said. "I'll keep Uther distracted."

"Thank you." Ryll left Morgana, heading toward the physician's quarters. When she opened the door, she found the room a complete mess, but instead of chasing the goblin around, Merlin, Gwen, and a weak looking Gaius were staring at the octagonal container that was now rocking violently and shouting out curses.

"You did it!" she said. They turned around to look at her. Merlin grinned.

"It took nearly killing Gaius, but we did it," he said.

"What did you do?" Ryll asked.

"Umm, I poisoned the gold so that when the goblin licked it, Gaius was poisoned. The goblin left his dying body, so we were able to capture it. But I had an antidote ready!"

"Which we almost lost," Gwen put in.

Merlin looked ashamed. "This was all my fault."

"As long as you learned your lesson, I think we can all put this safely behind us," Gaius said. "Now I think it's time we proved your innocence," he said to Merlin.

"Uther should be ashamed for how he treated you," Ryll said vehemently.

"Ryll, you can't speak to him that way," Merlin told her, coming forward to take her hands. Ryll felt self-conscious in front of Gaius and Gwen, but Merlin didn't seem to care. "I appreciate what you did for me, but Uther is king."

"I know. I need to apologize," Ryll realized. She sighed. How many times was she going to have to apologize for standing up for the right thing? She thought back to her conversation with Morgana. A large part of her wanted Uther gone, she realized. He was the one thing that kept Camelot from being perfect. He was the one thing that kept people like her and Morgana frightened of exposing themselves. But Merlin was right. Uther was king, and right now she needed to swallow her pride and her anger and apologize for the way she had spoken to him.

Merlin squeezed her hand and then grabbed the moving container, ignoring the jibes from the trapped goblin. Gaius and Gwen followed him and Ryll out of the room.

After all had been explained, Uther pardoned Merlin though he gave no apology for his treatment or quick judgments. The goblin was taken away to be locked in the vaults, and Uther turned his cold eyes on Ryll.

"I owe you an apology for the way I spoke to you," Ryll said. "I was upset, and I thought that your actions were unfair, but I had no right to shout the way I did."

"Leave us," Uther said to the other people in the room.

Merlin shot Ryll an alarmed look, and Ryll felt a stab of dread. What was Uther going to do to her? Everyone filed out of the hall, and Ryll turned to face Uther, terrified by what he was going to say.

"You remind me so much of Morgana," Uther said when they were alone.

Ryll started. She hadn't been expecting that. "I take that as a compliment," she said, bowing her head.

"Morgana always has been stubborn about the things she believes in and the people she cares about. She always questions my judgment, and I see you've taken on this role as well."

"I don't mean to question you, my lord. I simply get carried away sometimes."

"You're passionate. That's not a bad trait." Ryll stayed silent. She wasn't sure what Uther was getting at. "I know Morgana thinks highly of you. You've been a great comfort to her over the last few years. Clearly she would do anything to protect you, and I see that you would do the same for your other friends as well."

"Merlin means a lot to me, my lord. He does more than you know for you and for Arthur. He's very loyal."

"I can see that. Sometimes I might rush into judgments, but it is my duty to keep my kingdom and my people safe."

"And you do, my lord."

"Morgana is lucky to have you as a friend," Uther told her. "The way you spoke to me was unacceptable, but I cannot condemn you for standing up for your friends. It is your duty to keep them safe as it is my duty to keep my kingdom safe. I just hope you can see that everything I do is for the safety of the kingdom. If I perceive a threat, I must deal with it accordingly no matter who is the accused."

"I understand," Ryll said. "Thank you for understanding," she added, fighting back her surprise. This was one of those moments when she could see another side of Uther. This was the side that would do anything for his son and for his ward, the side that showed compassion. It may have been the first time he'd shown it to her directly. "We might not agree on everything, but I know you do everything within your power to keep your city and your people safe. In turn, I cannot condemn you for your actions – though I have no right to judge them. Maybe we do have something in common after all."

Uther smiled. "Perhaps so."

…

Morgana moved away from the door outside of the council chambers. A scowl marred her beautiful face. She had just overheard Uther's conversation with Ryll and it was clear to her that Ryll had fallen for Uther's show of heart. It was all an act, a delusion. How could Ryll be so blinded? Morgana shut her eyes for a moment, taking deep breaths. Ryll didn't have a father. It was probably just instinct to accept whatever kindness she received from Uther. But Uther would turn on her again. It was only a matter of time.

She turned away, striding down the empty corridor, deep in thought. Merlin hadn't worked out. He was pardoned and free, and Uther had practically apologized for putting Ryll's friend in peril. Morgana needed to try something else. This had been too easy. Morgause always told her that you couldn't trust anyone else to get a job done for you. You had to do it yourself if you wanted to see it done right. She needed to find another weakness that she could exploit. Merlin was the most obvious one, but there had to be something else that would make Ryll bend. Her answer came when she entered her bedroom and found a handsome dark-haired boy sitting on her windowsill. He frowned when he saw her.

"I take it this isn't Ryll's room?" he said with a sheepish grin.

"No," she said slowly. Who was this boy? He hopped down from the window, and she tensed, but he held up his hands in a sign of peace.

"You must be the Lady Morgana. Ryll told me a lot about you," he said. "I'm a druid." He pulled aside the collar of his tunic to reveal his druid mark.

"You're a friend of hers?" Morgana questioned.

"A close friend, yes," the boy said. "I'm Byron," he added, sticking out a hand. She slowly reached out her own hand and shook his. He had liquid green eyes and was probably a year or two older than her. "I saved her life once and she saved my people once. I wanted to see how she was. It was a rough year. I heard that you were rescued though. I'm sure that made her happy beyond measure."

Morgana smiled. "She was happy to see me, but something has been troubling her," she said. "I'm sure she would be glad to see you. She's in the next room over." She pointed to the right.

"Thank you," Byron said. "Sorry for the entrance. I didn't think Uther would much like me in his castle."

"I won't say a word," Morgana said with a smile. She watched as Byron left her room, her smile growing wider. It seemed as if Ryll's other weakness had just come in through her window. She would meet with Morgause tonight and tell her of the plan forming in her mind. Her sister would be pleased.

…

Ryll was staring out her window when she heard her door open and close. She assumed it was Merlin and turned around to greet him. The boy had dark hair, but it wasn't Merlin. Liquid green eyes met hers and her lips turned up in a surprised smile. "Byron!" she cried out and then ran to hug him. He lifted her off the ground, turning in a circle before putting her down again. "It's so good to see you," she said, realizing just how long it had been. She'd seen him a couple of times over the course of the year that Morgana was missing, but it had been about four months since they had last talked.

"You too. I was worried. I hadn't seen you for a long time," he said, frowning.

"I'm sorry. I've neglected our friendship."

"I just wanted to know that you were alright," he said, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I know how hard the last year has been for you. And after the Brotherhood…" he left that thought unsaid.

Ryll tensed. "I'm fine," she said. "Really," she added more softly. "I haven't been using my powers. My mark has even faded."

Byron frowned at this. "Let me see."

Ryll sighed and turned her back to him, pointing at her left shoulder. He gently pulled the fabric of her dress down, running a rough thumb over the spot where the mark had once been. "I'm glad it's gone," Ryll said, pulling away.

"Suppressing a power as strong as yours can be dangerous too," Byron warned her. "But I think I might have a solution," he added.

"Really? What?" she asked eagerly.

"I'm not sure yet, so let me tell you about it later. I don't want to get your hopes up in case it doesn't work. I'm going to go on a short journey tonight. I'll be back by tomorrow night. We should meet in the woods."

"Alright. I'll be there. Where are you going?"

"Not far. It's a little known place," he said vaguely.

"Can I come?" Ryll wanted to know.

"No. It's best I do this alone," he told her. "I'll be back before you know it though."

"Fine. I'll meet you in the woods tomorrow night. You'd better go before any of the guards catch your druid scent," she teased him.

"I met the Lady Morgana," Byron said, heading to her door. "She seems nice."

Ryll's smile faltered; something that Byron caught. He edged away from the door with a frown. "Ryll, what aren't you telling me?" he asked.

"It's nothing," she said.

"It's not nothing," Byron told her sternly. "Come on, you can tell me."

Ryll sighed, letting out a long breath. "She's turned against Uther," she said.

"So? I hate the guy too."

"I mean really turned. She means to get rid of Uther. Her half-sister is working with her, and she is highly skilled at magic."

Byron frowned. "Has Morgana tried to hurt you?" he asked, voice harsh.

"No. Morgause did, but Morgana saved me. She thinks I sympathize with her plight. She thinks I don't remember what Morgause did to me. I'm playing along for now. I need to know if she's going to try to hurt anyone again."

"Again? Who did she hurt?"

"Someone who means a great deal to me," Ryll said.

"Ah, the mysterious boy you're in love with. Tell me, when do I get to meet him?" Byron asked.

"Some day. Not right now. Now you need to go."

"Trying to get rid of me?" He gave her a cocky grin. "Be careful," he added more seriously. "A desperate person can do desperate things to get what he or she wants. Don't underestimate your friend just because she cares about you."

"I won't," Ryll said. She watched as Byron left before sitting down on her bed. The goblin had stolen Morgana's healing bracelet, but the look on Morgana's face when Merlin and Ryll had been dragged to the dungeons and the conversation Morgana had had with Ryll in the next morning proved that she was still set against Uther. Ryll now realized that Morgana wasn't being enchanted. She was working of her own free will.