Eight o'clock sharp the following day found Arthur, Gaius and Merlin- pale and unsteady on his feet with thick bandages wrapped tightly around his stomach under his shirt- outside the meeting hall.

"I can't believe I agreed to this," Gaius muttered bitterly.

"Mmm," Arthur said distractedly.

"Urhhh..." moaned Merlin. He had made no argument for or against coming to the meeting. He looked like he was going to be sick.

"Feeling alright, my boy?" Gaius asked anxiously, supporting Merlin.

"I'm grand," Merlin said quietly.

"It's... It's just a scratch. You'll be fine," Arthur said, unsure, trying to comfort himself more than anything. A second later he realised he was mirroring his father's words.

"Mmm," Gaius frowned at him.
Merlin coughed.

The double door opened and they walked inside the meeting hall, taking their seats side by side. Already there were the two guards who been there the previous night, and Uther himself.

"Ah, now we are all here, excellent," the king said. "We can begin. I would like to start with recapping the events of last night."

There was murmuring of agreement from those around the table.

"So," Uther began. "Arthur was in the meeting with I, discussing the capturing of a sorcerer known to be an alias of whom we executed yesterday morning."

Arthur nodded.

"And we were interrupted by shouts coming from the corridor outside."

"That's right," Gaius said. "We know this, Uther. Come on."

Uther glowered at Gaius, but continued.

"Outside we met a great pilarva, and a messenger informed us that there was a sorcerer in Prince Arthur's chambers. Immediately I assumed that it was the alias, and so when we arrived at the scene to see a young girl dead and the prince's manservant wounded-"
Merlin gave him the thumbs up,
"- I was very confused. Now, the two of you-"
He pointed at the two guards,
"-what are your names?"

"Greg," said the darker one anxiously.

"William, said the other, smaller one.

"Okay, Greg, William" Uther said. "I want you to tell us exactly what happened before I got there."

"Hmm," they said together, looking nervous.

"Well..." Greg said slowly, glancing at William. "We were standing guard on the corridor just one down from Prince Arthur's room, and we heard a shout."

Merlin coughed.

"A girl's voice," said William, nodding. "Saying ''Help! Help! Sorcerer in Prince Arthur's Quarters!' So we came running, and as just as we entered the room we saw the girl stood there holding the prince's cerimonial sword and waving it at Merlin, and Merlin doing something... Something to the air."

"It looked as though he was pushing against the air," nodded Greg.

"A-and the girl, she threw the sword at Merlin," William said. Arthur and Gaius gasped.

"It cut him, but then it sort of... Well, it turned around."

"What?" Uther demanded. "The sword turned around?"

"Yes, in mid air. It was bizarre. And it sunk right into the girl. She was dead before she hit the ground," said Greg solemnly.

"Right!" Uther said loudly, standing up and pointing at Merlin. Merlin looked up with what seemed like great difficultly. He coughed again.

"You have got some explaining to do, boy," Uther thundered. "Greg! William! Gaius! Leave."

"Sire-" protested Gaius.

"Leave!" Uther bellowed, and the three of them quickly left, leaving the king alone with Arthur and Merlin. Merlin coughed, hard and throaty. It sounded painful.

"You," Uther said menacingly. "Had better give me some hard evidence right now that you are not a sorcerer, or I will run you through."
Arthur looked on, horrorstruck and terrified.
Merlin cleared his throat.

"Uhm," he spluttered. "I... If I were a sorcerer, then I would be able to stop this:" he coughed worse than ever, and scarlet splattered the table in front of him.