| she's a shorter chapter, and a bit boring, but part two is lengthy with some nice angsty content |

"you know, if i didn't know any better, i'd say uther has a crush on lady catrina."

[2.5 — Beauty and the Beast pt. 1]

Given the large number of errands that Gaius and Lia had to run, they decided to borrow Merlin for the afternoon. On top of their regular deliveries and work, they had to restock a large number of their supplies. That led to the three of them wandering through the lower town, Merlin trailing behind with his arms full of supplies and pots tied on a rope hanging around his neck.

"Keep up, Merlin. We've got a busy day ahead," Gaius called to him.

Merlin grumbled under his breath and eyed the basket of herbs that Lia was holding, which looked rather light to carry. It astounded him how Lia would drop anything and everything to go out of her way to help others except when it came to him — the things she did to get on his nerves. "It's a busy day every day. You and Arthur, you work me to the bone."

"Do stop moaning. At least the work's interesting," Gaius told him.

"Gaius, we're collecting pots," Merlin said, swinging some of the pots around his neck. "We do the same thing each and every Thursday at exactly the same time and nothing interesting ever happens—"

Merlin was cut off by a man suddenly grabbing his arm. Lia hovered behind him to make sure that the stranger had no ill intent. There was a hooded figure standing near, but they kept their face to the ground.

"Please, we seek Uther Pendragon. Where can he be found?" the man asked.

"I—"

Again, Merlin was cut off. The man shoved a large object into Merlin's hand. "We have urgent business with the King."

Gaius finally stepped in so that Merlin wouldn't have to deal with the odd man. "I'm sorry, any business you have with the King will have to be pursued through the usual channels." Then Gaius grabbed the object out of Merlin's hand. When he turned it over, both he and Lia recognized it as a seal — a royal seal. "But this is the seal of the House of Tregor. Where did you get this?" he asked, eying the man suspiciously.

"It does not belong to me," the man said, before turning to his companion.

"It belongs to me."

The companion pulled back their hood to reveal a very beautiful woman — one which Lia and Gaius immediately recognized. Lia hadn't acted as a royal in years, but she knew the face of Catrina Tregor. Gaius was dazed for a moment before he bowed lowly, and Lia curtsied.

"My Lady," Gaius said. Merlin seemed to not have noticed the way that Lia and Gaius were bowing respectfully, and instead stared a bit transfixed at Catrina. Lia lightly nudged him to get his attention.

"Merlin," she muttered quietly. Merlin quickly got the message and bowed before her.

Once Catrina excused them, the five of them quickly made their way to the castle. Neither Catrina nor the man she was with, Jonas, said much on the walk there, not even disclosing to Gaius why they had come to Camelot — they would only speak to Uther. With the seal of Tregor with them, it was easy to get an audience with Uther and the court.

Uther quickly rose from his throne with a dazed look on his face as Catrina approached him. "Lady Catrina, is it really you?"

"I can hardly believe it myself," she said, curtsying.

"We had tidings from the north that the House of Tregor had fallen to invaders," he told her.

"All that you heard was true, My Lord, and worse," she said.

"Your father, the King?" he asked.

Catrina shook her head sadly. "Gone, Sire. The enemy attacked without warning. We were outnumbered five to one. He could not endure." Lia's eyes began to water as she thought of her own home and family being violently taken from her. "I would never have survived had it not been for my faithful servant Jonas. But we did survive, and we have made it this far..."

Catrina suddenly swooned, likely exhausted from all that she had gone through. Uther was quick to catch her in his arms.

"Forgive me, My Lord. I fear my trials have taken a toll," she said, breathing a bit heavier.

"Your sufferings are beyond imagining, My Lady," Uther sympathized. "I am grateful you survived and the Tregor line was not lost as the Lytar one was so long ago. It would be an honor to help you in any way we can."

"A bed for the night would be most welcome," Catrina told him.

Uther smiled at the thought of her staying. "Consider yourselves our esteemed guests. It's the least we can do."

"Thank you," Catrina whispered in a dreamy tone.

Once the court had finished meeting, Lia followed Merlin and Gaius back to the physician chambers. Lia and Merlin discussed Lady Catrina, but Gaius did not give much input. He seemed a bit lost in thought over all that had happened.

"She's very brave," Lia noted, making Merlin nod in agreement.

"Yes," Gaius muttered, not really hearing her.

"It's just terrible what she's been through," Merlin added.

"Terrible, indeed."

Lia glanced at Gaius and smirked, a funny thought popping into her head. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say Uther has a crush on Lady Catrina."

Merlin snorted but once again, Gaius didn't seem to respond. "Perhaps," he muttered.

"What's wrong?" Merlin finally asked him. Normally, Gaius would at least laugh at Lia's jokes.

"Nothing," Gaius denied, glancing at him.

"Merlin!" Arthur suddenly called. The three of them paused their walking and glanced back at the Prince, though Lia quickly turned back around. "Job for you."

Merlin chuckled before following him. "Work, work, work."

| | |

Arthur had assigned Merlin to show Lady Catrina around. For most of the day, she remained in her chambers, likely resting after such a long journey. However, she had made a wonderful first impression on Merlin. According to him, she had treated him far kinder than most nobles treated servants.

"There's something really different about the Lady Catrina," Merlin mused. It was after dinner and he, Gaius, and Lia were in the physician chambers. Ever since he had returned for the night, all he could talk about was Catrina and how wonderful she was.

"Oh?" Gaius asked in a teasing tone that Merlin didn't pick up on. Lia stifled a giggle and finished brewing the muscle relaxer she was working on.

"Most of Uther's guests just treat me like I'm dirt in their shoes, but she was really nice, even after all she's been through," he continued.

"Yes. She always was very gracious," Gaius said.

"You've met her before?" Lia asked, raising an eyebrow. He had gone all day without mentioning as much to her.

"Oh, it was many years ago. I doubt that she would remember," he said, pouring a mixture into a bottle. "Now, Merlin, I've got a job for you."

"Does it ever end?" Merlin groaned.

"Give this to the Lady Catrina with my compliments," he said, holding out the bottle.

Merlin examined it for a moment. "What is it?"

"She'll know what it is," he replied mysteriously.

"But what is it?" Lia asked, frowning. Gaius simply gave them both a pointed look — clearly, he wasn't going to tell them.

"Okay, okay," Merlin muttered.

"I'll come with you to deliver the mystery medicine," Lia said. She linked her arm with Merlin's and the pair headed towards Lady Catrina's chambers.

"So, you've got no idea what this is?" Merlin asked, shaking the bottle for Catrina.

Lia reached out and grabbed his hand, stopping the movement. "No, so it's probably a good idea that you don't shake it like that."

"Well, did you see what he put in it?"

"Lin, if I had seen what he put in it, then I would know what it is," she said, shaking her head.

"Right, that'd make sense I suppose," he mumbled, chuckling.

Once the pair made it to Lady Catrina's chambers, Merlin knocked once before barging in. Lia tried to stop him, but he must have been so used to freely roaming around Arthur's. As they entered the room, they saw Catrina and Jonas standing next to a table, which had a plate of rotten fruit on it. Clearly, Jonas and Catrina had been startled by their sudden appearance.

"Jonas, you must take these back to the kitchens. It's perfectly rotten," Catrina said, standing straighter.

"I - I'm sorry," Merlin stuttered out. "I did not mean to intrude."

"That's, um, that's quite alright," Catrina said. She was wiping her mouth with a cloth as if she had been eating. But that was ridiculous, Lia realized. She wouldn't have eaten any of the rotten food. "At least I wasn't undressing."

Lia shook her head and lightly shoved Merlin, who was now awkwardly blushing. "I apologize about him. The Court Physician requested that this be brought to you."

Merlin held out the bottle of medicine to Catrina, but Jonas quickly snatched it from him. "What is it?"

"Um, Gaius prepared it for you," Merlin said to her.

"I am terribly sorry, there must be some mistake," Catrina said, frowning. "I requested no medicine."

"Oh," Merlin said, as Jonas handed the bottle back. He glanced at Lia, just as confused as she was. "Are you sure?"

"Quite sure, thank you. I am in perfect health," Catrina said, grinning.

"Right, I am so sorry that we disturbed you then, My Lady," Lia told her, bowing. "Gaius must have made a mistake. Have a lovely rest of your night."

"And you too as well," she said politely.

It was rather awkward as Lia and Merlin left. Both were confused and wondering what Gaius had been thinking. Clearly, Lady Catrina did not need whatever he was convinced that she did. The pair only hoped they hadn't left a bad impression on Catrina.

Once they returned to the physician chambers, Merlin slammed the bottle in front of Gaius on his workbench. "She didn't ask for it. She didn't need it. She didn't even want it."

Gaius simply pursed his lips and nodded. "Interesting."

"And why is that interesting?" Lia asked, crossing her arms.

"When I treated her as a child, it was for an incurable disease. Catrina had a rare bone disorder affecting her joints. She often had difficulty walking, especially after a long ride. My tonic was the only thing that brought her relief," Gaius explained to them.

"She walks as well as you or I," Merlin noted.

"So I noticed."

"So, you were... testing her with the tonic?" Lia asked, not understanding it fully.

"Indeed," he said, getting up from the workbench. "And I'm starting to wonder if the Lady Catrina is really the Lady Catrina at all."

"Oh, why must you say something so ominous," Lia grumbled.

| | |

Given Gaius' suspicions, he instructed Merlin to try and find out more about Catrina. Initially, he wasn't keen on spying on her, but Lia managed to convince him. She trusted Gaius' bad feeling and thought that it was better to be safe rather than sorry. So, while Uther took Catrina out on a horse ride and picnic, Merlin had plenty of time to search her chambers for anything suspicious.

When he eventually returned, Gaius and Lia noticed the frazzled expression on his face.

"What did you find?" Gaius asked him.

"Something wasn't right in there," Merlin said, frowning. "There was this strange smell, and I could've sworn the Lady Catrina's bed hadn't been slept in. And there was something else."

"What?" Lia asked. Between that and the troubled look on Gaius' face, she was beginning to worry.

"Jonas," Merlin said, walking past them. "As I was leaving, I thought I saw something. This is gonna sound mad, but it looked like Jonas had a tail."

Lia and Gaius' jaws both dropped. "A tail? You sure?" Gaius asked in disbelief.

It seemed that Merlin hardly believed it himself, already doubting what he saw. "Well, I mean, I only glimpsed it for a moment. I - I mean, I could be wrong—"

"No, I believe you," Lia told him. She trusted what Merlin saw, no matter how crazy it sounded — they had certainly faced worse things than a man with a tail.

Gaius nodded in agreement with Lia. "Merlin, we must keep an eye on her. A very close eye."

After Merlin went over the exact details of everything that had happened in Catrina's room, Gaius decided that it would be best to speak to Uther. It was better to air on the side of caution and warn him about Catrina, even though it could anger the King.

Unfortunately, Gaius dragged Lia along with him to do so. They met Uther as he was heading to the Council Chambers, having just returned from his ride with Catrina.

"Good evening, Sire," Gaius greeted.

"A very good evening to you, Gaius. Lia," Uther said, with a smile on his face.

"You seem in very high spirits, My Lord," Lia said, grinning. It was odd to see the King in such a good mood.

"I am," he said, his smile widening. "I am."

"The Lady Catrina, she has struck a chord with you," Gaius noted.

"Catrina is a remarkable woman," he said.

"That she is, Sire," Gaius agreed. Lia nervously bit her lip, knowing he was going to slowly try and slip in his doubts about Catrina. "You may remember I treated her as a child. Such courage in the face of her condition."

"Condition?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, I thought you knew, Sire. I diagnosed Catrina with an incurable bone disease," Gaius explained.

"Well, evidently you were wrong. There's nothing the matter with her now," Uther said. Then he walked past them to head to his chambers.

"It has been a miraculous recovery, I must say."

Uther froze, hearing the suspicious tone in Gaius' voice, and he sighed. "I'm sorry, Gaius. What are you suggesting?"

Gaius chuckled a bit nervously. "Oh, I'm not suggesting anything, Sire. It's just a little strange, that's all."

"The only thing I see as strange is that you won't admit that you were wrong."

"Sire, this is not about me," Gaius insisted. "It's about the Lady Catrina."

"The Lady Catrina is our honored guest, and you will show her the respect that she deserves," Uther said in an almost threatening tone. Then he stalked off, leaving Lia and Gaius alone in the hallways.

"Why is it that he never actually listens to any of your warnings?" Lia asked, frowning.

Gaius sighed heavily. "Because that would make our lives easier, and we can't have that, can we?"

"Heaven forbid," she said, chuckling. "Let's hope that there's no need for our worry."

The doubtful look that Gaius shot her told her that he wasn't quite as optimistic as she was — then again, no one ever was.

| | |

"You must be joking."

"I swear I am not."

"But a Troll?"

"Yes, Lia. I don't know how many times I have to say it. She's a Troll."

Merlin had set out to follow Lady Catrina. As he spied on her, he saw that she was leaving her room in the middle of the night. She traveled all the way to the caverns under the castle. And what Merlin saw — and smelled — when he got there was atrocious. He watched as Catrina transformed into a large, smelly, gross Troll. It had a nest built up under the castle where it slept in filth.

Not wanting to be caught, Merlin quickly fled through the tunnels. He rushed right to Gaius and Lia to tell them all about it. Of course, Lia believed him but it was still a bit difficult for her to wrap her head around the idea. The King of Camelot was practically courting a Troll and he had no idea.

"What you saw is seldom seen, Merlin. Trolls despise all other living things, especially humans. They prefer to lurk in the darkness of their nests, feasting on rotten filth," Gaius explained.

"What about Jonas?" Lia asked. "Is he a Troll too? Do Trolls have tails?"

"Who can tell what manner of creature he is," Gaius said, shrugging.

"It makes no sense," Merlin said, frowning. "If Trolls like to lurk in their caves so much, what's this one doing in Camelot?"

"Trolls are greedy. Lady Catrina's like the rest of her kind — she lusts after wealth and power," he told them.

"Uther's wealth and power," Merlin realized.

"We've reached the point of no return. Uther has to be told," Gaius said, standing up.

Merlin shot him a doubtful look. "You're going to tell Uther that his lady friend's a Troll?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Then he glanced at Lia, who was fighting off a laugh. Yes, it was a dangerous situation, but the thought of Uther kissing a Troll was at the front of her mind.

"That's exactly what I'm going to do," Gaius told him.

"Good luck," he muttered, shaking his head.

"Thank you, Merlin," Gaius said, knowing he would need it. "Lia, come on."

"Gaius, I know you've been bringing me to more and more meetings with Uther, but I'd really prefer to not be there when you tell him he's been flirting with a Troll these last two days," she said, grimacing. She could already picture how angry Uther would be and she did not want to be on the receiving end of that anger.

"You're coming," Gaius said, giving her a pointed look. "If you're to take my place then you need to get used to delivering the not so pleasant information."

Merlin snickered at Lia's misfortune as she got up. She and Gaius left the physician chambers and searched for the King. He was near the council chambers, hovering near a window in the corridor. His eyes were glued to Lady Catrina, who was walking through the square.

"My Lord," Gaius greeted, bowing his head. Lia copied his movement but stayed silent. She certainly would not be drawing any extra attention to herself during this conversation.

"Yes, Gaius?" Uther asked, not taking his eyes off of Catrina.

"I have served you for many years now. I like to think that, in my humble capacity, I've advised you to the best of my ability, and that my advice has proven to be of value to you," Gaius began in a calm tone.

"Yes, this is true."

"And so I must advise you that the Lady Catrina is not all that she seems to be," he said.

"Well then tell me, Gaius," Uther said, slowly facing him with an unimpressed look. "Who is she?"

"I believe her to be..." Gaius glanced nervously at Lia, who was no help at all as she avoided eye contact. "She is...she's..."

Uther rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. Out with it."

"She is a Troll, Sire," he finally said.

"Excuse me?" Lia winced, knowing that this wouldn't go well.

"Some Trolls have the power to take any shape they please. This one has taken a shape that pleases you," Gaius explained. "You are besotted, My Lord. The creature has you in its power."

Uther scoffed at the ridiculous idea. "Gaius, this is a little ludicrous."

"Please, Sire, her entire family is wiped out, but she alone escapes? She has an incurable disease, but makes a miraculous recovery?" he asked, trying to get Uther to see how suspicious everything was.

"And that is nothing but idle gossip—"

"And is it gossip she does not eat her food? Of course she doesn't. She feasts off rotten fruit like any other Troll," Gaius continued.

"Enough!" Uther said, growing angry. "This attack is unwarranted and malicious."

"Sire, her servant is not human. He has a tail," Gaius added as Uther began to walk off.

"I said enough!" the King shouted.

"Sire, please, I just advise you not to do anything rash," Gaius practically begged.

"And I advise you to hold your tongue, physician, or I will indeed do something rash," Uther said in a threatening tone.

As the King stormed off, Lia held Gaius' hand. There was no way they'd be able to convince Uther that Catrina was anything other than a helpless human. That of course, annoyed Lia to no end. How many times had Gaius' warnings proved correct despite how often Uther refused to listen? How many times had Gaius been the only one in Camelot with the knowledge to defeat countless magical creatures? The fact that the King had known Gaius for years and still did not trust him was ridiculous.

Knowing that there was very little hope for Uther, the two physicians made their way back to Merlin in the physician chambers. He was working on crushing some herbs into a paste when they came in, and based on their dejected faces, he knew exactly how the meeting with Uther had gone.

"Please don't say anything, Merlin," Gaius told him, sighing.

"I wasn't going to say anything," Merlin said, shaking his head.

"You were going to say I told you so," Gaius grumbled.

Merlin tried and failed to hide his amused smile. "Okay. I was. But I'm not going to now."

"Uther didn't take to it well," Lia told him, taking a seat on the workbench next to Merlin.

"Augh, you see? I told you—" Merlin cut himself off as Gaius narrowed his eyes. Lia covered her mouth to hide her giggle. "Sorry."

"But I know him, Merlin. He's a proud man, but he's not stupid. He will reflect on what I said, I'm sure he will," Gaius said. Though, Lia and Merlin both thought it sounded like he was trying to convince himself and not just them.

"Let's hope you're right," Merlin muttered.

| | |

Very early the next morning, Uther had called upon Gaius to meet him in the council chambers, and Lia accompanied him. Both of them had a rather good idea about what the meeting was about. They could only hope that Uther had both cooled down and also sat and thought about Gaius' warning.

When they reached the council chambers, Uther was standing near the window. He looked surprisingly calm as he looked down at his city, leading Gaius and Lia to think that he at least wasn't angry.

"You called for me, Sire?" Gaius asked.

"Ah, Gaius and Lia," he greeted brightly. "You'll be delighted to hear that none of the worries you brought to my attention have any truth to them whatsoever."

"Sire?" Gaius asked, walking closer to him. Lia frowned and grew worried. Had Uther asked Catrina to her face if she was a Troll? The conversation certainly wouldn't have gone well. But Uther seemed unworried, so that likely hadn't happened.

"I hope, over time, you will come to see Lady Catrina as she really is." Lia thought that Uther sounded a bit too calm as he spoke — almost like he was a bit dazed.

"Over time?" Gaius questioned.

"I have asked Catrina to extend her stay indefinitely."

"But—"

Uther cut him off, still smiling dreamily. "I consider the matter closed and I hope you show me the courtesy of doing the same."

It was a silent walk back to the physician chambers. Uther hadn't seen reason and somehow was even more entranced with the idea of Catrina. They both feared that it would not be long before Uther made a rather rash decision.

Once Lia and Gaius returned to the physician chambers, they explained the meeting to Merlin. The situation was only getting worse and worse.

"It's no good, Merlin," Gaius said, pacing the floor. "I can tell him she's a troll until I'm blue in the face, he simply won't listen. He sees a charming, beautiful woman."

"Yeah, with a body like a tree trunk," Merlin joked. Lia snickered but shoved her face into Merlin's shoulder to stifle it. Now was not the time for jokes.

"But we only know that because you saw her in the troll form," Gaius reminded him.

"So, what do we do?" he asked.

"We must open Uther's eyes," he replied. "Show her for what she really is."

Both Lia and Merlin looked at him with wide eyes. "Using magic?" Merlin asked.

"It's the only way to reveal her true form."

"But she never leaves his side," Lia pointed out. It'd be difficult to lead the King all the way down to the Troll's nest.

"I know," Gaius told them. He had a certain regretful look in his eye, and Merlin slowly picked up on what he was silently asking.

"You want me to use magic in front of the King?" he asked, his jaw dropping.

Gaius nodded slowly. "Yes, Merlin, I do."

"But he can't!" Lia exclaimed, placing a protective hand on Merlin's shoulder. "I don't care if she's a Troll. Merlin can't risk being caught."

"I'd never get away with it," Merlin added. Neither liked the idea.

"I'm sorry, Merlin. I know how dangerous this is, but we cannot allow it to gain any further control over the King," Gaius insisted. "Who knows what the consequences might be?"

Even though Lia was silently pleading with Merlin not to do it, he nodded his head. He knew that he had to do everything he could to save Camelot. "Just one problem. I know nothing about Troll magic."

Gaius thought for a moment before walking over to his bookshelf. He pulled down several dusty books and put them down on the table. "Then we have work to do."

Lia was sick of reading. The three of them had hardly moved as they combed through the old texts, trying to find anything about Trolls and how to reveal their true form. Gaius had already fallen asleep on top of one of the books, and Lia didn't have it in her to wake him. She was jealous that she wasn't sleeping as well. Every now and then, Merlin would kick her under the table to keep her awake and she'd repay the favor by flicking his ear. Eventually, all the kicking and flicking paid off as Merlin found the passage that would help them.

"Here!" he exclaimed, waking Gaius up. Merlin jumped up and showed the book to Gaius. "The spell of revelation. By which the true nature of the thing may be revealed."

"But this applies only to objects, things — not to living creatures," Gaius said, skimming the paragraph.

"I know," Merlin said, grimacing. "The principle's the same, isn't it? I have to try it. What other choice do we have?"

"Very well. But Merlin, choose your moment carefully. Trolls are vicious creatures—" He was cut off by a knock at the door. "Come in."

A guard stepped into the room and addressed all three of them. "The King requests your presence in the council chambers."

"This can't be good," Lia muttered tiredly.

She leaned on Merlin's arm as they walked to the council chambers. They weren't the only ones that had been summoned. The entire council and court, along with several of the knights were gathered inside. Uther was not present yet, so they had to wait around.

Leon, noticing her presence, made his way over to Lia. "Do you have any idea what this is about?" he asked her. Whatever Uther was about to announce was a big deal, which worried her.

"No idea," she murmured.

Leon shrugged, not giving it any more thought. "You look exhausted, Lia. Did you sleep alright?"

"Oh, I was just... up all night reading," Lia said, not technically lying.

"Well, make sure you rest well tonight. I wouldn't want you to fall asleep in the middle of stitching me up," he said, smiling.

"You'd better not need stitching up anytime soon," Lia told him, shaking her head. "You are Camelot's best knight. It'd be embarrassing for you to get injured."

"Right, embarrassing," he said, chuckling. "Not heroic or tragic. Just embarrassing."

Their joking came to a stop as the doors to the council chambers were opened and Uther stepped inside with Catrina on his arm. Everyone cleared a path for them and bowed as they passed. Uther had a happy smile on his face that looked out of place.

"Thank you all for coming," he said to them all. "You are, no doubt, wondering why I have gathered you here today. Though we live in dark times, today I bring you light, and love. It gives me greatest pleasure to inform you that the Houses of Tregor and Pendragon are to be united in the closest bond of all. I am to marry Lady Catrina of Tregor."

The shock was evident on everyone's face, though the room still applauded. Morgana and Arthur shared an appalled look, not quite liking the idea of Uther marrying. Lia watched Merlin carefully, who moved behind a large pillar out of most everyone's view — if there was ever a time to expose Catrina as a Troll, it was now.

As everyone continued to clap, Catrina leaned close to Uther and whispered in his head. "I am to marry Lady Catrina tomorrow! This union heralds a new dawn for the kingdom, a new beginning, and a new queen for all here in Camelot."

Gaius and Lia glanced at Merlin, who began to whisper the spell under his breath. It was hard to spot, but Lia was fairly sure that the skin on Catrina's face started to warp and move.

"I could not hope to have made a better match. I hope you will all share in our joy."

Merlin gasped slightly, the effort of the spell being too much for him. As soon as the spell stopped, so did the movement on Catrina's face which no one else seemed to notice.

"Thank you," Uther said as everyone clapped once again.

Catrina was practically seething as Uther led her out of the room. Lia cast a worried look at Merlin, who was frowning. The spell hadn't worked, and now Uther was going to marry a Troll in the morning. After the court had adjourned, Lia, Merlin, and Gaius rushed back to the physician chambers. Something had to be done and quickly.

"I'm sorry. I tried," Merlin said once they were inside and the door was shut. They couldn't be heard discussing the spell in the corridor. "I gave it everything I had."

"It's not your fault, Merlin. You did your best," Lia told him in a comforting tone. "Don't blame yourself."

"The spell of revelation is powerful magic. And she could feel it. I could see she could feel it," he said, shaking his head.

"Her magic must be strong, indeed, to be able to resist you," Gaius told him. And then by the look on Merlin's face, Lia knew that an idea had popped in his head. Hopefully, it wasn't a bad one as he began to leave the room. "Where are you going?"

"To see Arthur," Merlin said, not stopping to explain. "He's our only hope!"

"Merlin?" Gaius called. But he was already gone.

"That's not gonna go well at all, is it?" Lia asked, sighing and rubbing her forehead.

"About just as well as everything else has gone lately," Gaius grumbled.

| | |

Lia had been right, obviously. Of course, Arthur hadn't believed Merlin about Catrina being a Troll. The thought had crossed his mind to ask Lia to try and convince the Prince, but he immediately threw that out.

Ever since rescuing Lia, things had been tense between her and Arthur. Merlin wasn't sure if Lia actually believed the lie about Arthur only rescued her because Morgana asked it of him, or if she assumed he was too embarrassed by her station to admit he cared. Either way, Arthur had hurt Lia's feelings. Merlin was pretty sure Lia hadn't looked at Arthur in weeks, let alone speak to him. So, getting her to convince him that Catrina was a Troll was out of the question.

As Merlin made his way back to the physician chambers, he racked his brain for a new plan. He had to act swiftly, and perhaps there'd be another spell he could try in one of Gaius' books. Though the thought of spending another night reading didn't sound fun.

Merlin was thinking so hard that he almost didn't hear the sound of a man sobbing in the corridor.

"Hello?" he called, turning a corner. He was surprised to see Jonas hunched over and crying.

"Master Merlin. I'm sorry," Jonas said, wiping his face.

Merlin eyed him suspiciously. "What's wrong with you?"

Jonas got to his feet and crept over to Merlin, checking to make sure that no one else was in the hallway with them. "I'm a slave — a prisoner," he whispered.

"What are you talking about?"

"My mistress, she's not as she seems. But you know as much," he said, pointing a finger at him.

"Go on," Merlin said after a moment. "I'm listening."

"She is a cruel, wicked creature. She keeps me in chains. She hurts me. Her magic, I - I can't escape it. She twists my mind as she is twisting the mind of your King," Jonas said, lying through his teeth. It fooled Merlin well enough when he showed off the sores on his wrists.

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked.

"I can help you."

"How?"

"Below the castle, where she sleeps, she keeps her potions there. Every night she must take these potions — it is the magic that transforms her from beast to beauty. If you were to take these from her, she must remain as a beast, and then your King would not be so keen, I think," Jonas explained.

"Tell me, Jonas, why should I believe any of this?" he asked.

"You must do as you think fit, Master Merlin, but if my mistress is not stopped, by morning she will be Queen."

It did not matter that Jonas rubbed Merlin the wrong way. He could not allow Uther to marry a Troll. However, before he snuck under the castle, he went back to the physician chambers to tell Lia his plan. Then, of course, she insisted on accompanying him. So, hand in hand, they traveled through the tunnels that ran under the castle.

"Oh my god," Lia whispered, bringing her hand to cover her nose. The putrid smell had hit her so suddenly and her eyes began to water from how horrible it was. "You weren't exaggerating about the stench."

"Told you," he muttered, shoving his nose in his elbow.

Lia carefully stepped around the half-eaten rotten apples that were covering the floor. She held the torch as Merlin got down and began to dig through the hay, searching for the potions.

"You won't find anything in there."

A gasp left Lia's lips when she turned around. It was not the beautiful Lady Catrina standing before them, but the Troll wearing her clothes. Its skin was gray and its hair was ratty. The smell was even worse in her presence. Slowly, Merlin got to his feet and pulled Lia behind him. He didn't want the Troll to hurt her.

"You may possess some magic, wretch, but you are no match for me."

Merlin ran at the Troll as it cackled, but it held out its hands. Before Merlin could reach her, the ceiling began to crumble. Lia grabbed Merlin and pulled him back before the rocks could crush him. The entrance to the tunnel collapsed, trapping the pair inside the Troll's cave.

"Are you hurt?" Lia asked him. The Troll hadn't said any spell out loud, but she was worried that he had been injured from the rocks.

"Yeah," he breathed out, eying the large pile of rocks blocking their exit. He walked over to it and tried to move them, but found that they were stuck. "It has sealed us in with magic."

"Can you unseal it?" Lia asked, her voice rising an octave.

"Get against the back wall," he instructed. He didn't want her to be hurt if any of the rocks flew off in the wrong direction. While Lia did as she was told, Merlin focused back on the wall of rocks. His eyes glowed gold as he muttered a spell, but nothing happened.

They were trapped.

As the night went on, Lia began to lose hope. She wasn't sure how long they had been stuck in the horrible-smelling Troll nest, but it had been a long time. As spell after spell failed to free them, the sun began to rise. Above them, the people of Camelot were getting ready for a wedding.

Merlin was on the verge of giving up as he glanced at Lia. She had spent most of the night encouraging him despite each time he failed, but now she was nodding off and struggling to keep her eyes open. Taking a deep breath and focusing hard, Merlin turned back to the rocks trapping them.

He held out his hand and chanted the spell. Unlike the other times, as his eyes glowed gold and the energy shot towards the wall, the spell sent the rocks flying back. The crashing noise jolted Lia awake and she stared at the now unblocked entrance.

"You did it!" she exclaimed, crawling to her feet.

"C'mon. We have to stop that wedding," Merlin said.

He grabbed Lia's hand and helped her crawl over the rocks. Then they raced through the tunnels, up the stairs, and towards the Throne Room. They didn't care who they ran by or pushed out of their way as they ran through the square. Once inside the castle, they headed to the Throne Room.

However, they were intercepted by Jonas, who blocked their way.

"Master Merlin, Lady Lia, can I help you? Are you lost?" he asked them as if nothing was wrong.

"Step aside, Jonas," Merlin said in a threatening tone.

He tried to go past him, but Jonas stood in his way again. "The King's wedding is by invitation only."

"I said, get out of my way!"

Merlin tried to run past him, but Jonas grabbed him with a surprising amount of strength. "So sorry, but I regret to say that you are not invited."

"Let him go," Lia said. She searched the hallways for any kind of weapon, but there weren't any.

To his credit, Jonas did let Merlin go. He did so by throwing him across the room. Merlin jumped right back up and ran at Jonas to attack him, but Jonas flipped him over his shoulder and slammed him into the ground. Then Jonas grabbed Merlin by the collar of his shirt and held him up.

"Leave my mistress alone!"

Lia quickly grabbed a shield that had been hanging on the wall and rushed behind Jonas. She banged it on his head, which was enough to distract him so that Merlin could get out of his hold. Before Jonas could attack Lia, Merlin shouted a spell. He threw Joans roughly against the wall, who slid to the floor. His arm knocked a vase off balance, which landed on his head, rendering Jonas unconscious.

Merlin only looked at Jonas for a second before running off, Lia quickly following after him. No guards were outside the Throne Room doors to stop them. They rushed inside but froze at what he saw.

Uther and Catrina were locked in a kiss and the whole room was clapping.

Gaius glanced over his shoulder and shot them a grim look. As Catrina pulled away from the King, her eyes landed on Merlin, glaring smugly at him. They were too late.

Uther Pendragon had married a Troll.