Merlin was not happy for multiple reasons when he found the four of them and learned that Lana had gone missing. First, he was unhappy that they had all left the spot he'd told them to remain in. Second, he had no success finding the reason for the disturbance he'd felt, and third, he knew that Nimueh was planning something terrible for poor Lana.

Despite Lana's kidnapping, Merlin insisted that they continue with their original plan of going to see George. That didn't make Eve very happy. She thought that they should be focusing on saving Lana, not going to see a not-saintly King. If anything were to happen to Lana ...

It was only when they arrived in the city did they learn what plan Nimueh had in mind for Lana. Merlin took them to a tavern, warned them not to drink any alcohol, and they got food. Eve couldn't stomach any of the mutton they laid out in front of her. The only one eating was Gwaine. Apparently unconcerned, the knight downed his plate of mutton in seconds and took Emrys's when the sorcerer wasn't looking.

The door of the tavern swung open, and everyone turned to face the man who stood there. "Hear ye, hear ye!" he yelled. Considering that everyone had been silenced by his sudden appearance, the cry was unnecessary. "By decree of King Saint George, at three this afternoon, a suspected witch shall undergo the trial!"

Merlin stood up abruptly, his chair clattering to the floor behind him. "What trial?" he demanded. Eve felt ill when she saw how pale Merlin's face was.

"Trial by water. If she drowns, she's not a witch. If she survives, she's a witch and by the customs of our kingdom, she is to be beheaded."

Eve shot to her feet. "That's unfair!" she yelled. "How can you expect anyone to survive? There must be another way!"

"Eve, hush," Merlin said, but Eve had been angered beyond control.

"That's cruel and barbaric!" she continued. "How many innocent women have you sent to their deaths testing to see if they're a witch or not? For a man who declares himself a saint, these laws are positively evil!"

The messenger marched up to her. He was only a little taller than she was, and she was confident she could handle him. She glared at him, crossing her arms. "How dare you question our King?" he snapped. "Pathetic woman. All you're good for is cleaning and having children!"

Eve bunched her hands into fists. "Then you don't know women very well," she said in a low voice.

The man spat in her face. "Go back to your home, street rat," he told her, and turned her back on him.

"Do not turn your back on me!" she shouted, grabbing the back of his shirt. Merlin started to say something, but the man swung around to face her, pulling hand back to punch her. Eve was faster. Her fist came forward and hit the man in the nose. She was satisfied to feel it break beneath the force of her blow, and he staggered back, clutching his broken appendage. "I am Lady Eve Andric of Gisborne. And you will have respect!"

The tavern was deathly quiet as the messenger ran for the door. Eve stood there, shoulders heaving, unshed tears pricking at her eyes. How could that man announce such terrible things about Lana? She wasn't a witch! She was just a minstrel!

Merlin laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I think we should be going," he said quietly. "Come."

Eve let Merlin lead her out, and he never took his hand from her shoulder. The others followed behind, Gwaine snatching a last piece of mutton as he went. Once they were outside, Merlin pulled Eve into an alleyway and turned to her. "That wasn't terribly smart," he told her. "Brave, maybe. But smart? No. That messenger is going to bring the news to Nimueh that we're here and we know about Lana's execution. You shouldn't have given him your name."

"He thought I was useless just because I'm a woman," Eve whispered. "And he was so proud of himself, saying that Lana was a suspected witch. They can't kill her, Merlin. She's an innocent!"

Merlin rested both hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. "I'm not going to let them," he said. "I will protect her. But I need to go, for a few minutes."

"Go?" Emrys and Eve echoed.

"Yes. I need to get Lana's mother ... just in case." That didn't exactly boost their confidence.

Gwaine stepped in. "Father, I think you need to tell us what happened with Lana. And why you feel so desperate to help her."

Merlin looked at his son with an unreadable expression. Nobody spoke for a moment until Merlin broke the silence. "Very well. I'll try and keep it short, but it won't be easy. Long ago, when I met your mother, Eve, I also met Lana's father—Alan-a-Dale. We grew to be friends of the strangest variety. We were constantly mocking each other, yet we would have died for each other. I like to think that we were close as brothers at the end of Alan's life."

"So he is dead," Eve affirmed, feeling pity for her friend.

"He's undergone Final Death," Merlin said. Seeing the bemused expressions on the children's faces, he went to explain. "Final Death is what happens to people in The Story when they die against their original tale. For instance, if someone other than Nimueh were to kill me, or if Nimueh killed me in a different manner and at a different time, I would undergo Final Death. It's not a permanent situation, it's not like real death. It's a place."

"So Alan-a-Dale isn't dead?" Emrys questioned.

"Technically not. He left Final Death twice. Once to help us finish the fight, and the second time to see Lana on her fifth birthday," Merlin explained. "On that day, when he came to see her for the first time since she was a baby, someone attacked her. I suspect it was one of Nimueh's minions, though we didn't know it at the time. Alan had no weapons. He had to kill Lana's attacker, in front of her ... he strangled him. He didn't intend to kill the man. It just—happened."

Eve swallowed past a lump in her throat. The look on Merlin's face was difficult to look at—tears lingered in his dark eyes, threatening to escape. Yet he managed to go on. "He came to me, crying. I still remember. We returned to Nottingham and Lana ... she couldn't even react. Seeing that had broken her mind. I had to wipe her memories of it. We tried a few days later for Alan to see her again, but ... seeing his face brought all her memories back and she couldn't bear it. Her father can never see her again, or it will shatter her mind. That's why she behaves like a child. Missing any memories could change a person. Missing the memories of her father has rendered her incapable of believing he's truly gone."

"I—I had no idea," Eve whispered. "Is it really true?"

"That's why I have to save her," Merlin said. "Not only did her father undergo Final Death to save me, I had to do the unthinkable and change a young girl's life forever. I owe her this much. I will do whatever I have to if need be to save her." A Story door appeared behind him. He stepped to the door before turning to them again. "I'm going to get Ellen. Don't go anywhere and ignore any weird feelings. I don't care what's in my way—I will save Lana-a-Dale."