Camelot

March, 506 AD

Unfortunately, Merlin still kinda has a job to do as Arthur's servant, which meant that he had to be off the goblin case for a few hours while he took care of that. In the meantime, I stayed in the apartment and looked through a myriad of books in search of any way in which to exorcise a freaking goblin.

Hours upon hours went by, and I grew increasingly more frustrated every time I closed a book without any findings. I must've gone through half of Gaius's library before I decided that I deserved a break; so I made myself a sandwich and a cup of coffee. Like the considerate friend I am, I also made a sandwich for Merlin and went in search of him once I was done eating.

Logically, the first place I went to look was in Arthur's room.

"Merls? Artie?" I called out as I entered. The space was perfectly tidy, in contrast to how it'd been the last time I was here. If Merlin ever does get tired of serving the Prince, I'm sure he could get a job at a five-star hotel in, like, Monaco! Or, y'know, he could if we were in a different era.

I returned to the corridor when I got no response and frowned as I looked around. It's a bit late for Arthur to be training, so I doubt Merlin is in the field… Maybe he had to clean riding equipment, or weapons!

I began to jog down the hall, heading for the armoury. However, I ran into Arthur just as I reached the staircase and I halted. "Hey, Artie. Have you seen Merls?" I asked. I tilted my head when I realised that he looked troubled, and perhaps sad, which caused my heart to churn.

He pulled me into a hug and let out a shaky breath. I instantly returned the embrace, starting to worry that something might be wrong with him.

"Are you okay?" I asked in a whisper.

"Have you not heard?" he asked in return.

"I hear many things every day. You'll have to be more specific," I responded.

He sighed again and slid a hand down to grab mine. Then he gently led me back towards his room and he closed the door behind us. I tilted my head. What the heck is happening? He led me to sit on his bed and he took both my hands in his as our gazes connected.

"Astraea, I hate to be the one to tell you this…" My heart began to accelerate and I held my breath. "…but Merlin was arrested for sorcery."

My eyes widened. Did he slip up? Or did the goblin do something to expose him?!

"How?! What happened?!" I questioned. "I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding!"

"Gaius found a book of spells and enchantments in his room," Arthur explained.

This is obviously the goblin's doing! The only magic book that Merlin owns is hidden in my room, inside a suitcase that has a built-in lock. It has been kept there ever since the incident with the Witchfinder.

"I am so sorry, Astra," the Prince continued and he pulled me into another hug, his hand gently running up and down my back. "I know how much you care about him."

I pushed away slightly and asked, "What did Merlin say?" All I have to do is back up whatever defence my best friend gave, and… maybe Arthur will believe me. If not, then… I'll figure out a way to save him. I'm smart, right?

Arthur let out a long exhale and he cupped the side of my face. I instinctively leaned into his touch while raising an eyebrow that silently pressed him for answers. "I would rather not trouble you with the details, my love," he responded.

I tried to ignore the way in which my heart skipped a couple of beats at the pet name as I demanded, "Tell me."

He sighed yet again – I guess he must be bummed about this – before saying, "He accused Gaius of being possessed by a goblin."

Dang. I dropped my head and bit down on my bottom lip. Well, I guess there's nothing to do but to back up the claim – it's the truth, after all, however ridiculous – and hope for the best. If I can convince Arthur that Merlin was telling the truth, he might be able to help me to clear his name. And he could help us get rid of the goblin.

"He's tellin' the truth," I mumbled in a whisper, feeling slightly afraid to speak louder. I don't wanna end up in a cell next to my friend!

"What?" Arthur asked as he slipped his hand under my chin to lift my head and connect our eyes again.

I sighed and spoke more clearly this time, "Merlin was telling the truth. Gaius is possessed by a goblin."

He gave me a look that seemed sympathetic and leaned down to kiss my forehead. "Astra, I know that he is your best friend, but repeating his ridiculous story can get you in a lot of trouble," he whispered.

I pushed away from him. "I know that it's ridiculous," I conceded, "but I swear it's true!"

"He is a sorcerer, darling. He planted these ideas in your head," Arthur responded.

I scoffed and shook my head as I stood up. Of course he won't believe me. He's his father's son. Why am I even trying? I shouldn't waste more time arguing. I need to come up with a better plan to save my best friend.

"Forget it," I whispered and promptly left the room.

He called out my name as I pushed past the door. I only walked faster.

It wasn't very hard to come up with a plan. A very smart one at that, if I may say so myself. I'm a genius!

I made my departure from the castle very noticeable by greeting every single guard or knight I could find on my way as I began the journey to pay a visit to Gwen. Out of all people, she's probably the one person I can count on to believe that Merlin is innocent. She was kinda in love with him for a moment, after all. And I'm pretty sure she has a higher I.Q. than most people here…

I wish that Morgana was still on our side… I'm sure that the Morgana I met at the beginning would've helped us in a blink.

I knocked on the door to Gwen's home.

"Astra!" she gasped and pulled me into a hug. "Oh, I heard about Merlin. It is horrible!" She released me and I could instantly see the grief on her face. Yep. My job's cut out for me.

"I know – especially because he's innocent," I responded while raising my eyebrows.

She sighed in apparent relief and let me into the house. I noticed that it had a bit more furniture and decorations than it did the last time I was here, which is nice to see. It means that she's earning well.

"Is Gaius truly being possessed by a goblin?" Gwen then asked in a whisper.

"Yup."

Her eyes widened for a moment as she stared at me, then she fell pensive. "He came to see me yesterday and I noticed that he was behaving strangely," she commented. "I suppose that the accusation is not entirely outrageous."

"I'm glad you think so," I said with a smirk. "'Cause I need your help to save Merls."

"Anything!" she exclaimed.

"How do you feel about harbouring a fugitive?" I asked, smirk not dropping. Her eyes widened. "I know I'm asking a lot, but there's no one else I can trust right now," I continued. "I'll break him outta jail and cover up our tracks. All I need is for you to give 'em a place to hide. And to keep your mouth shut."

Gwen sighed, "You are right, it is a lot… But you and Merlin have helped me and saved my life countless times. I will be happy to return the favour."

"Awesome! Thanks a lot! I'll drop 'em by later!" I chirped and gave her a quick hug before running back to the castle, knowing that I still have some things to arrange if my plan is to have a chance of succeeding.

In comparison to my exit, I returned to the castle being as inconspicuous as possible, not wanting anyone to know that I was back, since I might need an alibi later on. Saying that I stayed out late seamstressing with Gwen, or whatever, sounds believable.

Now, Merlin can easily use his telekinetic abilities to steal the keys to his jail cell. The trouble is making sure that he won't be caught by the guard in charge of watching him. Lucky for us, I have the perfect way to ensure he'll fall asleep…

I wandered into the castle jail just past midnight, when I knew that the man who would be guarding the night-shift had taken position. I carried a tray that contained the leftover sandwich from earlier and a glass of water – into which I'd poured two crushed painkillers from the ones I was given for my broken arm when I went back to Texas. I knew I would find a smarter way to get rid of them than throwing them in the trash!

"Well, hello there, friend!" I greeted the heavy, bald man that sat on a stool just outside the cell.

He looked up at me and grunted before saying sternly, "You cannot see the prisoner, my lady."

I faked a gasp. "The food certainly isn't for the prisoner! I am very relieved that he has been caught and will be dealt with soon enough!" I exclaimed, being purposely dramatic with my body language. "No, the food is for you – the poor soul who has to be in his presence all night. I'm so sorry for your troubles." I placed the tray in front of the man, and his expression instantly turned joyous.

"Oh, you are most thoughtful, my lady!" he exclaimed and I grinned in return.

"Enjoy!"

I left the room and exaggerated the sound of my retreating footsteps before taking off my shoes, hiding them behind a tapestry, and returning quietly to sit just outside. I'll have to grab Merlin as soon as he breaks out and get him to Gwen's home. I'm not sure how long we'll have before someone realises that he has escaped and a search party is amassed.

About fifteen minutes later, my best friend's figure ran past me and I leaped to latch onto his hand to make my presence known.

"Astra!" he exclaimed and squeezed me to his torso in a hug.

I patted his back and then pushed him away, "C'mon! We gotta go before someone sees you're gone!"

I grabbed my shoes on the way and we held onto each other's hand as we raced down a corridor and towards a back door that took us to a patio. I pulled on my hood to avoid being recognised and sprinted beside my friend as we crossed the patio and headed towards a drawbridge.

The warning bells began to ring and we shared a brief scared glance before pushing ourselves to run faster.

"Where are we going?" he asked when we made it past a portcullis, barely escaping its rapidly closing gate.

"Gwen's house – she's on our side!" I replied.

Breathing heavily, we finally made it to the small wooden home. I quickly knocked on the door and it opened only a moment later.

I heard some males shouting in the not-so-far distance and I pulled Merlin into the house, pushing him to hide under the kitchen table. Then I sat on a chair and gestured for Gwen to take the other one. If anyone peeks through the window, we'll look like two friends having a fun chat.

Seconds later, men carrying torches marched past the house, the light filtering through the curtains and creating dancing shadows on the walls.

No one stopped to look here and the guards quickly moved on. I sighed in relief and dropped my forehead onto the table while still working to catch my breath.

We allowed a few more minutes to pass before deeming it safe for Merlin to come out of hiding.

"Thanks again, Gwennie. You're an angel," I told the girl, offering a little smile.

"Of course," she responded with a similar expression. "I am just glad that you are both all right."

"Always," I responded while shooting her a wink.

Silence befell the home for a few minutes and I watched out of the corner of my eye as my companions continuously exchanged looks and awkward smiles. I could feel the tension building. Could I maybe kill two birds with one stone and revive their relationship? Rooming together for a day or two is certain to bring them closer together, right?

I let out a puff, "Well, I gotta get back to the castle before anyone suspects me."

"Of course," Gwen replied.

"Yeah…" Merlin breathed out. "I think that is wise."

I moved to hug him tightly, feeling extremely grateful that I managed to pull off my stunt, and he returned the gesture and kissed the top of my head.

"Thank you, Astra," he whispered.

"You'd do the same for me," I responded with a shrug.

I hugged Gwen as well, and then I moved towards the door.

"I'll come by tomorrow as soon as I can," I promised. "Stay safe."

With most guards away from the castle in search of Merlin, I managed to sneak back inside without a single incident. However, my streak of luck ended when I reached my bedroom to find a stoic-looking Arthur leaning against the door.

My stomach dropped and I gulped. I guess I'm too close to Merlin to not be a suspect.

"Heyyy, Prince Charming," I greeted while putting on an innocent smile. "Need somethin'?"

He narrowed his eyes at me and responded in a dry tone, "I think you know why I am here."

"Ah… you need to borrow toothpaste?"

He scoffed and shook his head, then he glanced around us. "Will you unlock the door so we can speak privately?" he asked in a demanding whisper that made me tense up slightly.

I let out a shaky sigh and nodded. "Close your eyes," I commanded, and he gallantly complied. I placed a hand over his closed pupils for extra measure and earned a grunt, which I ignored as I entered my combination. Then I removed the lock and shuffled the numbers again. "Okay, come in."

Arthur followed me inside and closed the door behind him. I threw myself onto my bed and lay on my back as I waited for him to speak – hoping that he would soon, because the exhaustion from the past two days was rapidly catching up with me as my body relaxed against the mattress.

"Did you break Merlin out of jail?" he finally asked after a minute or two, his voice still dry.

I propped myself up on my elbows so that I could look at his face and raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure you want me to answer that honestly?" I know that his sense of duty would tear him apart if I confess openly. I seriously doubt that he'd have me thrown in jail, never mind executed for treason, but I'd still rather take my precautions.

Arthur sighed in obvious frustration and dropped his head.

"Look, I know you're in a difficult position," I said as I sat up completely and crossed my legs, "but please at least consider our side of the story before you do anything rash. I promise that one quick analysis of 'Gaius's' behaviour will be proof enough."

"All right," he breathed out. "I think that is a reasonable thing to ask."

I grinned as hope rose within me, "Yeah?"

"Of course," he responded softly. "You are my girl. I should not doubt you."

I felt my face heat up as if I'd been suddenly shoved into a sauna, but I tried not to acknowledge that as I responded in a playful manner, "Nope, you really shouldn't. I'm always right."

Arthur finally broke his stoicism as he gave an adorable chuckle that sent electric sparks through my heart, and then he lay down on his stomach beside where I was sitting. I couldn't fight the smile that spread on my lips and I shuffled a bit closer, tentatively reaching to start running my fingers through his ridiculously soft hair. He let out a sigh of what I think was contentment and he moved to use my thigh as a pillow. I tensed up slightly at the unfamiliar sensation, but I still continued to play with his hair and the delicious feeling of his locks sliding between my fingers soon made me feel relaxed again.

"You need more muscle," he whispered after a few moments while glancing up at me, the direct view of the enchanting cerulean colour of his eyes making my heart skip a beat. "You are not a comfortable pillow."

"That's 'cause I'm not a pillow," I pointed out with a wink and I dared to boop his nose. "I'm a human."

"Cheeky woman," he responded and suddenly reached to tickle my ribs, which made me gasp and squirm, and I jumped away, causing his head to drop back against the mattress. I glared at him. He chuckled softly and moved to lie his head on my leg once more before giving me an expectant look. I raised an eyebrow and moved a hand to his hair again. He grinned and closed his eyes.

I cannot stay mad at him for not believing me about the goblin. I can't even pretend that I'm still mad at him! What has he done to my brain chemistry!?

I leaned down and kissed his cheek, earning a lazy smile that gave me a glimpse into heaven.

A minute or two later, I pointed out in a whisper, "For the record, you shouldn't doubt Merls, either."

He shifted to lie on his back to gaze up at me. I paused the movement of my hand and dropped it on my lap. "You cannot ask that of me, Astraea. Especially when he did not have any proof for such a ridiculous story," he argued.

I sighed and dropped my head, knowing that I wouldn't win that particular battle. He reached up to remove a strand of hair that fell onto my face and gave me a little grin when our eyes connected again. I tried to return the gesture, but found that I couldn't quite make it genuine. If only he knew about everything that Merlin does for him…

"I'm exhausted, Art," I said after a few silent moments.

He sighed and sat up before he wrapped an arm around my waist and drew me closer, his free hand reaching up to cup the side of my face as he leaned down for a kiss. I put my hands on his shoulders and met him halfway, savouring the feeling of his soft lips brushing against mine for a few seconds before I pulled away.

"I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" I whispered.

"Of course," he responded and he pressed another kiss to my lips before climbing off the bed. "I love you," he added with a small smile.

"I love you, too, Artie."

I woke up earlier than usual thanks to an alarm that I set and I snuck into Gaius's apartment to steal as many magic creature books as I could fit into my backpack before I casually left the castle and travelled to Gwen's house.

I arrived to find my two friends preparing breakfast, a tension-filled silence hanging in the air. I paused at the doorway and glanced between them, finding that they both sported blushes and they were avoiding each other's gazes. I'm pretty sure that they still have feelings for one another. At least I know that Merlin does. But I guess they're still caught up on what happened with Lancelot, even if that was over a year ago…

In the end, I decided to ignore the awkwardness and helped them to finish cooking. Then the three of us sat down to eat, and I set the bunch of books atop the table so that we could start rifling through them. The sooner we fix Gaius, the sooner we can clear my best friend's name.

"Astra?" Merlin said after some twenty minutes of silent reading. I hummed in response. "We need to get Arthur on our side. Maybe he can put the goblin in jail until we can figure out what to do with it."

I sighed and looked up at him, "I've tried, but he won't believe me."

"Try again," my best friend pressed.

"Fine," I breathed out and downed the little coffee that remained in my mug. "But if he breaks up with me, I'm gonna prank you so hard that the goblin will seem like an amateur."

"He is not going to break up with you, Astra," he claimed.

"Ya' better pray not," I mumbled and I left the house.

I kept my head down as I power-walked back towards the castle and slipped inside quietly. I don't really visit Gwen too often, so I have to use that excuse sparsely and I'd rather just avoid questions altogether. The last thing I need is a knight getting suspicious and starting to ask questions. Everyone knows how close I am with Merlin, and it wouldn't take Sherlock Holmes to hypothesise that I might be involved with his escape. I'm surprised that Uther hasn't questioned me yet… Maybe Arthur covered for me?

With a reluctant puff, I knocked on the door to Arthur's room. "Artie? Can we talk?" I called out.

I jolted when the only response I got came from a donkey. Either he got a new pet or… the goblin got to him. A smirk formed on my lips. This should be fun!

"Okay, I'm comin' in!" I warned. "Ya' better be decent, or I'm moving to Spain!"

I swung the door open and let my eyes dart around the room, not finding the Prince. Maybe the donkey noises came from outside and he's not here? I stepped further inside. "Art? Are you here?" I asked.

My jaw dropped when I found him curled up on the ground in the space between his bed and the nightstand. He was sporting donkey ears! I bursted out laughing and had to use a bedpost to keep myself from falling to the floor as my body shook.

"You look adorable!" I said in between hearty chuckles that soon had tears streaming from my eyes.

He responded with upset-sounding donkey noises, which only made me laugh harder and I did end up on the floor, clutching my stomach.

"I take it Gaius Osborn got to ya'?" I asked.

More sad donkey noises came and I sobered up a little at the sight of his adorable pouty face. It must be distressing to have one's ability to speak stripped away like this…

I sighed and crawled up to sit beside him. Then I patted my upper legs to invite him to lie down, figuring that he might like some comfort. He slowly lay his head on my lap and I bit back a chuckle at how his donkey ears flopped with the movement. I started to run my fingers through his hair like I did the night before, and watched as the frown gradually faded from his features as his shoulders dropped some tension.

"Don't worry, we'll get ya' fixed soon," I promised him in a soft tone. "Merls, Gwen n' I are working on a plan. You'll be back to normal soon."

He turned to look up at me, his eyes widening in apparent surprise. I gave him a little guilty smile, knowing that I'd just kinda revealed that I'm having contact with a 'fugitive' and that Gwen is an accomplice. Then I leaned down to kiss his forehead before gently pushing him away from me, knowing that I needed to get back to my friends to keep working.

"Hang in there, Eyeore. I'll check in on you later," I said and kissed his cheek before standing up. "I love you."

Arthur responded with a low donkey noise that made me giggle a little again.

How I wish I could take a picture of him like this without it leading to me being burnt at the stake!

I stopped by my room to empty my bladder, knowing that I would need the space for the laughing fit that would undoubtedly return once I informed my friends about Arthur's unfortunate situation. Then I discreetly left the castle again and returned to Gwen's house.

"'Sup!" I greeted my friends as I entered, breaking another obvious silence as they straightened up, removing their attentions from the books on the table. "I've got good news, and bad news…"

"What is it?" Merlin asked.

"Well, the good news is that Artie believes us now…"

"Uh-huh…"

"The bad news is that he can't help us…" A smirk grew on my lips again, and my friends shared a confused look.

"Why are you smiling?" a very concerned-looking Gwen asked.

"'Cause the goblin turned 'em into a donkey," I revealed and bursted out laughing again.

"Arthur is a donkey!?" Merlin questioned with widening eyes.

I nodded as I continued to laugh. "He has the ears a-and the…" Laughter break. "The voice! He's braying!"

Merlin also bursted out laughing. Gwen, however, bit her lip as her eyes darted between us, still looking worried. "That is not funny, you two!" she scolded.

"No. No, no, of course not," Merlin responded, not quite able to get the words out properly as he kept chuckling. "Arthur with the ears of a donkey, what is funny about that?"

"He looked so sad, it was kinda heart-breaking," I said while still laughing.

Gwen shook her head at us in disapproval.

Some minutes passed and the laughter finally ceased, allowing us to start discussing more pressing matters. Like, y'know, how to free Gaius!

"Did y'all find anything?" I asked as I plopped down on the kitchen bench.

"We think so," Merlin replied. Then he grabbed a book from the table and opened an earmarked page before handing it to me.

I skimmed the contents and looked up at him while raising an eyebrow as I gulped. "Ya' wanna kill Gaius?"

"If the host body dies, the goblin dies with it. So, if Gaius is dying, the goblin will be forced to leave him," he summarised what I'd read.

"So, what? We'll poison him like he did with Art when we had to break Uther's troll enchantment?" I asked.

Merlin nodded, "Exactly."

"What?!" a suddenly very alarmed Gwen asked.

"Yeah… Long story," I said sheepishly.

"Once the goblin is out of Gaius, we have to trap it in a box lined with lead. It's the only container that will hold it," my best friend continued.

"Where do we get a box lined with lead?" Gwen wondered.

"Leave that to me," Merlin responded. "The two of you can prepare the poison and the antidote."

"Awesome," I breathed out. That's not scary at all.

Twenty minutes later, Gwen and I were locked inside Gaius's apartment while preparing the vials, reading off two recipes that Merlin had given us. I didn't feel too out of my element, considering that I've helped the physician to prepare medicines before, and that I took Chemistry in school; so this is a lot like a high-stakes lab practice. My friend, on the other hand, seemed entirely lost; which is reasonable, 'cause I don't think her job involves a lot of medicine cooking. So I did most of the work and she helped me by handing over stuff.

Merlin returned about a half hour later with the required lead-lined box, which he hid behind some drawers. Then he pulled out a chest from a barrel, and opened it to reveal that it was full of gold. Presumably Arthur's.

"Is it done?" he asked as he walked over to the work table. I picked up the vial of poison, which was the colour of caramel, and handed it to him.

"Yep… I just hope we did it right," I responded and bit down on my bottom lip while my heart-rate picked up. If Gaius dies because I messed up something, I'll never forgive myself.

"I am sure it is," Merlin reassured me before moving to pour the poison all over the gold – since, apparently, the goblin enjoys licking the element, so it's the easiest way to get him to ingest our magic potion. Then he closed the chest again and hid it back in the barrel.

I grabbed the antidote vial and put it in the pocket of my hoodie for safekeeping.

Once everything was set, the three of us hid inside Gaius's room and waited for our prey to fall into our trap.

We watched from a crack in the wooden door as the goblin-possessed elderly man sauntered into the room with a pleased look on his face. I must say, I'd be pleased with myself, too, if I had the power to go around turning people into donkeys…

He shuffled about the room for a few minutes and then he finally moved to retrieve the gold-filled chest. He opened it and pulled a small cloth bag out of his pocket before depositing its contents onto the chest. More gold coins.

Then, he grabbed one of the coins and brought it up to his mouth, licking it as if it were a Magnum popsicle.

"Bingo!" "Oh, that is disgusting!" Me and Gwen whispered at the same time.

Gaius Osborn seemed to have enough after about a minute and he returned the coin before closing the chest. Then he faltered and his eyes grew droopy. He started stumbling like a drunk man, and my friends and I shared a concerned look before rushing towards him. Merlin quickly grabbed the lead-lined box.

"You have poisoned me," the goblin realised with a look of betrayal that made me feel slightly bad. "You poisoned Gaius!"

"Leave his body while you still can!" Merlin commanded.

Obedient, the creature in its yellow light form flew out of Gaius's ear, and the man face-planted as if someone had turned an off-switch.

The goblin flew around the room aimlessly like a drunk mosquito and I picked up a rolling pin from the kitchen, using it as a sort of bat to try to stun the creature so that Merlin could more easily trap it in the box.

"Give him the antidote!" Merlin called out to Gwen.

I stopped struggling with the flying goblin for a moment to get the vial out of my pocket and I hurried to hand it to her before returning to help my best friend.

The goblin suddenly darted towards Gwen as she was making her way towards the unconscious Gaius, and she bumped against a cabinet in her attempt to get away from it, causing a bunch of vials of medicine to fall off.

"Dude! Those are worth a fortune!" I yelled at the glowing ball and doubled down on my attempts to hit it, even climbing onto a table when it flew upwards, but I couldn't reach it.

It seemed to have enough of playing mosquito and it turned back to normal goblin form, jumping to stand on another table while staring challengingly at Merlin.

"Back in the box," my friend commanded.

"You will have to catch me first!" the goblin exclaimed before jumping off the table and dashing towards a bunch of sacks of food that were piled up in a corner, slipping behind them.

Merlin rushed to try to get the creature out, and I got ready to hit it if it tried anything. It soon emerged in its glowy ball form again… and it flew right into my friend's mouth. My eyes widened. I don't wanna deal with goblin!Merlin! It's gonna be the most chaotic circus ever!

My friend acted quickly and dove straight for the lead-lined box, then he spit the creature inside.

I sighed in relief and then started laughing at the absurdity of everything.

"Oh, no! Let me out! I promise I will not do it again!" the goblin whined, but Merlin locked the box all the same.

"Sorry, bud," I said while tapping on the box. "People 'round here aren't fond of pranks."

"Stop trying to befriend it, Astra," Merlin grumbled.

"Astra, Merlin!" Gwen called out. "I do not know which one is the antidote!"

My breath hitched. She must've dropped it when she crashed against the cabinet. Merlin and I shared a concerned look and dashed to help her look for it.

"What did it look like?" Merlin asked me.

"It was white, almost clear," I responded.

"He is dying!" Gwen cried out.

I remembered that I had to heat up some stuff when I made it, so I began to feel the whitish vials for any leftover warmth. After a few tries, I finally found one that felt hotter than the rest and I picked it up, "It has to be this one."

Merlin took it from me and hastened to empty it into Gaius's mouth.

The three of us froze for a few seconds as we watched the man for a reaction, but nothing happened and my breathing started to grow laboured.

"Are you sure that was the antidote?" Gwen asked me. I simply gulped and shrugged, not feeling quite able to speak under the weight of the responsibility that I might've messed up.

Tears began to form in my eyes and I moved to shake Gaius, "Dude, c'mon, you're not allowed to play Snow White! I already called dibs on the pretty Prince!"

"Gaius! Come on!" Merlin cried as he copied my efforts, only a lot more desperately. "Please! Come on, you stubborn old goat!"

Nothing happened and the three of us shared teary eyed looks. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to focus on keeping my lungs as functional as possible. The last thing we need to have to deal with is a panic attack.

"Who are you calling an old goat?" Gaius suddenly croaked out.

I opened my eyes and they widened as they found a lazy smile on the man's face as his gaze alternated between the three of us. I breathed out a relieved chuckle and jumped to hug Merlin.

Once Gaius was mostly recovered from the bodily strain left behind by his adventures as a Spider-Man villain, I asked Uther to give us a chance to explain everything that happened and, most importantly, a chance to clear my best friend's name. With a little extra pressure from Arthur (who's now back to normal), he agreed.

Obviously, we left out the part where Merlin was the one to accidentally free the creature; and we took the creative liberty of saying that it had also been responsible for breaking him out of prison because of… unknown goblin reasons.

Uther regarded us with a fair dose of scepticism as he addressed Gaius, "You mean to tell me it was you who was responsible for the, um… baldness, flatulence, the boils… and Arthur's donkey ears?"

I giggled a little at the memory, earning a playful glare and a gentle nudge to the side from the Prince.

"I fear I was, my Lord," Gaius responded remorsefully. "Or at least, the goblin was while I was possessed by it."

The King nodded in understanding, "Magic has the power to corrupt even the most honourable of men."

"And to distort the most handsome of Princes," I added in a very low whisper so that only Arthur would hear me, earning an eye-roll and another nudge. I returned the nudge and we shared a small grin.

"Indeed," Gaius responded to Uther. "Though, I must assure you that Merlin was entirely innocent."

Uther stared at my best friend for a moment before nodding, "Then he is pardoned." I sighed in relief.

The goblin began to struggle inside the box – which had been brought in as evidence – and the King froze while looking down at it with fear in his eyes, which was an entirely amusing sight. They were just harmless pranks, y'know? It's not like it tried to kill him… unlike Morgana… who's sitting peacefully just some metres away…

"May I suggest it is kept where no one will ever open it?" Gaius said.

Uther nodded instantly and turned to Arthur as he ordered, "See that it is placed in the vaults."

The Prince also seemed spooked at the idea of having to handle the box. I snorted and said, "I'll carry it, if you want me to;" earning a nod.

Gaius and Merlin bowed to the King and moved to leave the room, except that he stopped them by asking, "Gaius – do you know who was responsible for releasing the goblin in the first place?"

My best friend and I connected eyes and shared a sheepish smile.

"I am afraid I have no idea, My Lord," Gaius promptly replied.

The fear on Uther's face intensified as he nodded in understanding again. The epic son/surrogate father duo walked away and the King moved to take his throne, recoiling for a moment when the goblin began to growl and kick again.

"Now," Uther demanded as he looked at me and Arthur. "Secure it now."

I chuckled under my breath and nonchalantly picked up the box while the two Pendragons and even Morgana eyed me warily. If I were to ally myself with the goblin, I'd be the most powerful person in the castle! Too bad I don't want great power because I don't want great responsibility.

Following a ridiculously caloric midday snack; Gaius, Merlin and I went on a rare stroll through the castle grounds to aid digestion, or whatever. I walked slightly behind them as they chatted about something that didn't interest me while I played with a carrot I'd stolen from the kitchen – the purpose of which I eagerly hoped would soon be fulfilled.

I smirked to myself when we came across the training grounds to find that Arthur was still working with the knights.

We paused the stroll and stood by to watch as the handsome Prince engaged in a quick-paced sword spar with Sir Gareth. I had some trouble picking who to root for. I mean, I love Arthur; but Gareth is my teacher, y'know? I wanna learn from the very best. So I was pleased to find that they seemed like equal matches.

"I see you have been busy undoing the goblin's magic," Gaius noted – obviously addressing Merlin – while watching the fight intently.

"As usual, I get no thanks whatsoever," my best friend responded. I snorted and patted his arm.

The physician turned to look at him as he pointed out, "Since releasing the goblin was entirely your fault, Merlin, I am not sure you deserve any thanks."

"Arthur does not know that," Merlin said.

"For your sake, you had better hope it stays that way," Gaius replied. Then he seemed to get bored with the fight, so he kept walking. I would've lingered for a few more minutes to watch Arthur, but Merlin pulled me along.

A thud made me look back and I saw that the Prince had finally managed to defeat Sir Gareth, who now lay on his back with a slightly pained expression. Arthur bursted out laughing… then he brayed and his face fell, which caused me to start laughing.

"Merlin…" Gaius said disapprovingly, extracting a guilty chuckle from my friend.

"Just one more day," Merlin pleaded, which hardened the man's stare. "It's too good!"

"I say one more week!" I chirped.

Gaius finally broke his stoicism and chuckled.

Seeing as Arthur seemed to be done with training, I shrugged off Merlin's hold on my arm and skipped closer to the field while hiding the carrot behind my back as I called out, "You did great, Artie!"

He turned towards me and a breath-taking smile graced his features.

"How 'bout a treat?" I asked a second before I flung the carrot towards him. He scrambled to catch it with a slightly panicked expression on his face, then he frowned and looked up at me with a glare when he saw what it was, causing me to burst out laughing again.

A nanosecond later, he was charging towards me and I gasped as I took off running, still laughing.

I blazed past a back door to the castle and hastened to get up the stairs, not daring to look back for fear that it would slow me down as I heard Arthur's heavy footsteps right on my tail. I just need to lock myself in my room and I'll be safe!

"You will never outrun me, you cheeky woman!" he called out.

I kept laughing and pushed my legs to move faster despite the fact that they were beginning to tire.

It wasn't until I reached the staircase to the royal apartments that he suddenly swooped me in his arms and threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

"Nooo!" I whined and started poking his back in an attempt to annoy him and get him to free me, but he only tightened his grip on the back of my legs and I let out a puff, knowing that I was defeated. Then I started laughing again and slapped a hand over my mouth to keep myself from drawing attention, lest Uther find out what's happening.

I prayed to every single saint out there that no one saw us as he carried me to his room, where he finally let me down. On the bed. And I had no time to react before he was hovering over me, supporting his weight with one arm while the other hand tickled my ribs and stomach, making me writhe and laugh without restraint once more. Fighting his grip, though I tried, was useless because he'll always overpower me.

"Stop! Please!" I cried in between heavy laughs that made my chest and stomach hurt. "I'm sorry! I was just playing!" He did not stop, but joined in the laughter. Tears began to stream from my eyes, and I'm sure I looked like a dishevelled mess. "Art! Please! I can't take it!"

Arthur finally decided to show some mercy and the laughter slowly died down, leaving us panting from the physical exertion and the adrenaline.

"You know," he began in a low tone as he raised his attacking hand to gently swipe away some hair that had fallen out of my braid and onto my face, "I do believe that we would never know if you were possessed by a goblin."

I giggled again, "Yeah, you're probably right."

His hand moved to rest on the side of my face and then he leaned down to brush his lips against mine, in a manner so soft that I could've imagined it. I let out a long exhale and wrapped my arms around his neck, keeping him in place as the kiss began to get a bit more assertive, his lips dominating mine in a firm-but-gentle way that soon had my heart throwing a party. He softly ran his tongue over my bottom lip and deepened the kiss.

That tickle attack was totally worth it…

"I love you so much," Arthur whispered when he pulled away for oxygen. He moved to lie beside me and wrapped an arm around my waist, gently drawing me closer to his chest.

Butterflies exploded in my stomach and I pressed a kiss to the side of his jaw before responding, "I love you so much, too."