chapter fifty-four
054. the great purge

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    SIR SULIEN CADWALLADER of the Camelot Knights could not say whether he was being followed or not. The Darkling Woods were treacherous at times, and tranquil in others▬but with the threat of execution and treason weighing heavily on his shoulders, every rustle in the trees and every scuffle from some woodland animal made him grow tense with fear of another Camelot Knight showing himself out of hiding. He encouraged the gelding he had stolen onwards through the brush of a path he hoped would be unseen▬a place Irvetta had once told him to be secret known only to them. He prayed on that belief▬hoped it was true. He hoped that there would be some magic that would keep him safe, at least for the time being, from those who wished to persecute it.

    Once he reached his destination, guiding the gelding through a grouping of trees and into a small clearing of wildflowers and a pond where frogs leapt across lilypads, Sir Sulien felt a breath of calmness over him. His heart stopped pounding, and he could take a moment to think on what he had to do next. He did not stop to think until now about anything else except escaping. He had not thought of where he would go, what he would do, how he would protect them▬he could not return home where his mother, father and brother would surely hear of his treason; any claim of nobility he had now meant nothing. He was no longer a Knight, either. He was a runaway▬a lone man trying to survive.

    But he would not leave without her.

    He tethered the horse to a nearby tree and ran his hand down his neck▬admittedly attached to the gelding that may have saved his life. Then, Sir Sulien walked towards the pond and crouched down at its shore. His fingers ran across the grass and the small plants at the water's edge, searching for the exact one she always told him to use. His fingers found the stem of the water lily and carefully bent it towards the water▬never to harm anything of this earth unless there was a means for it to grow back; Irvetta taught him that, too.

    When its petals touched the water, he watched the surface of the pond ripple ever so slightly. Sir Sulien knew no magic, but there was a deep connection that he felt to this place▬to the games he played here earlier in childhood with the woodland fairy which he knew he would give his life to protect.

    "Irvetta," he whispered as the water rippled, sending a message across the pond as it moved.

    It would not take long for her to find him. The Druids that lived here never strayed far from this enclosure▬it was sacred to them, just as it had become sacred to Sulien.

     Out of the trees on the other side of the enclosure, Irvetta emerged, pleasantly surprised to see him. A small, playful smile tugged on her beautiful features▬lips so red like rose petals. "Charming," she teased him, having not yet noticed the frantic pain in his eyes. "This is a wonderful surprise. Could you not stay away?" she grinned, as playful as the day he met her.

    He wished there was time to be playful. Sulien surged over to her, his heart starting to race once more. "Run away with me."

    Her smile dropped, confused. "What? Sulien..." she murmured his name, frowning. "A▬are you all right? What do you mean?"

    "Tell your family and everyone to take what belongings they can and run for the border," he said, breathless. Sulien took Irvetta's hand. "Then come with me. We can run away to another Kingdom and be together. I▬I can become a farmer or a stone mason▬I will provide for you, I promise▬"

    "Slow down," Irvetta cut him off, quite startled by his frantic words. "What is going on? Why are you acting like this▬What has happened▬?"

    "The King has declared a war on magic," said Sulien, and Irvetta's confused frown changed to one of horror and dread. "Any man, woman or child suspected of sorcery in the Kingdom of Camelot will be sentenced to death▬and I fear the Druids will be no exception. We must go now before the Knights of Camelot find us and your family. It will be a slaughter."

    It was a lot to process in so very little time. Irvetta glanced at his horse and then back towards the Druid camp. "But, the other camps▬?"

    "We have no time," he stressed, cupping her cheeks. "My love, we have to move now if we are to survive. Please, run away with me. Let us chase the sunrise and see where it takes us▬We will live the life we always wanted. But we cannot waste any more time."

    Irvetta held her breath, and it was in that moment when it felt as though the whole world she felt she knew back to front had suddenly fallen apart, and she was a stranger to it. She would not know what life she would live if she went, but she did know she may very well die if she stayed. In the end, she nodded, her heart racing. "Let us go."

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    ARTHUR'S MIND was somewhere else at dinner.

    Usually, his appetite rivalled the energy he lost during days of excessive training with the Knights, council meetings, court gatherings and hunting trips, among all other duties he had to uphold. But tonight, he could barely stomach half of his plate. His lamb was left untouched, and Arthur spent most of the time sitting there with his father and the Witchfinder rolling his tomatoes across the salad, very troubled.

    Arthur had known Gaius since he could remember. The Court Physician had been there since Arthur was just an infant. There was not a day he did not know where Gaius was not there▬and it sent him spiralling with tense, troubled thoughts to consider that the whole time, the physician may have been using magic. It did not make any sense to Arthur. For never once had Gaius harmed them. Never once had he been a traitor. Magic was supposed to be something evil, and yet if Gaius had magic as the Witchfinder so declared instead of Merlin, who was far from being evil, what did that mean?

    The Prince thought of Merlin. His manservant was not here to fill his cups▬he had not shown his face since he was released from the dungeons and Gaius took his place, and Arthur did not blame him. Though, he found himself concerned for the boy▬worried for his friend; and Arthur had no idea how to console Merlin when he knew the outcome if Gaius was proven guilty.

    His gaze wandered from his goblet onto the servants' door in the shadows of the dining hall. It was not ajar▬there was no breath of sunlight hiding behind it, eavesdropping whenever and wherever she should not.

    Arthur thought of Odette. These days, he thought of her more than he could sometimes handle. She pained him and she became the very air he breathed at the very same time. He thought of her with the rising of the sun in the morning, and with the fall of the daylight in the evening. And then, he dreamed of her. He knew he should not▬not after the pain, and the frustration and anger, but how could he not? There was no point in fighting the way she inhabited his mind, his desperations and his happiness despite all of his madness. She was his madness just as she was his medicine.

    And now, he thought of her pain. He thought of her anger, her desperation, her sadness; the loneliness behind the brightness of her amber eyes and the delightfulness of her smile.

    He thought of how much Gaius meant to her, too. He thought of how lonely she must feel right now.

    The King frowned at his son's plate, that was almost as full as it was when their dinner first began. "Arthur, you have barely touched your food."

    "Hmm?" The Prince glanced over at his father, and then down at his plate. "Oh, er..." He tried to think of an excuse off the top of his head. "Apologies, Father, my mind is still with training earlier today."

    The Witchfinder hummed to himself, and Arthur's jaw clenched involuntarily at the displeasure hinted in Aredian's tone. "Wise of you to keep your mind vigilant, Prince Arthur, in times like these with this plague of sorcery rampant inside Camelot. Even within Camelot's own Court."

    Arthur sent a subtle scowl and it took everything in him to not burst into a frustrated anger over his pride▬he knew Aredian meant harm with his words; he knew he was belittling Arthur and his knights. It was their fault that sorcery had run so free within Camelot to reach this point. Arthur knew it wasn't true, but to feel the Witchfinder's judgement was merely oxygen to the already bristling fire within Arthur's chest.

    The comment about Court made the King sit up straighter and set down a few of his nuts▬he was holding back his anger, too, which was new for Arthur to see. Uther set his gaze upon Aredian sitting opposite. "Gaius served me with unfailing dedication. Without his knowledge, his wisdom, I would not be sitting here today."

    The Prince blinked, surprised by his father's actions▬though he dared not let it show too much with the Witchfinder so close. Even he knew the King held little mercy when it came to the crime of sorcery; his stubborness and his ... his cruelty, even, saw no restraint nor negotiation. But with Gaius, it seemed, even King Uther Pendragon was left distressed. 

    "You show great faith in him, Your Grace," murmured the Witchfinder before biting into a piece of his lamb. Uther watched him over the brim of his goblet of wine, unsure of the meaning behind his words. The monotone gravel in which Aredian spoke was as mysterious as the rest of him. "Great faith, indeed, considering he was known to practice sorcery."

    Arthur couldn't hide his surprise this time. He stared at the Witchfinder, and scoffed back a small sound of disbelief. "Gaius?" Aredian nodded. "No, you are mistaken."

    Uther sighed and had more wine poured into his goblet from the passing servant. "No, Arthur, he speaks the truth." The Prince stared, shocked. The King pursed his lips and stared down the Witchfinder, not impressed. "I am well aware of his past, but I have every reason to believe he has turned his back on sorcery."

    Aredian locked the King's challenging stare, unbothered. "Until now."

    "We do not know that," stressed Uther, growing annoyed with the Witchfinder's blatant arrogance. "And this amulet you found, it could just be a stupid mistake."

    The Witchfinder hummed, picking at his meat. He found a rather juicy piece of fat and pulled it off. "Or maybe has fallen back into old habits."

    Arthur frowned at him. He couldn't believe they were discussing the fate of Gaius over the dinner table like he was simply any other peasant thrown into the trails of sorcery without any chance of survival. It wasn't right. None of this felt right. "We must give him the benefit of the doubt, surely?"

    "Why?"

    Aredian's response made Arthur falter. There was a coldness to his stare▬unmoving, unrelenting, empty of compassion and understanding. He bit into the piece of fat and the Prince grew very uncomfortable. "Anyway," continued the Witchfinder after a brief moment, "there is a sure way to establish his guilt."

    The King glanced down at his meal. He seemed to have lost his appetite as well. A chill ran down Arthur's spine at the look on his father's face. "I know your methods are effective, Areidan, but Gaius is an old man," said the King, though the usual curtness to his words had lost its edge. He sounded concerned▬fearful, even, for the Court Physician. "He could not withstand such ... treatement."

    "What treatment?" demanded Arthur, unable to help himself.

    He did not receieve an answer, but the malicious icy gleam of the Witchfinder's eyes told him enough. "It is the only way to rid your mind of doubt."

    Arthur's troubled mind grew. 

    He stared down at his meal and swallowed back bile. He glanced over at the servants' door once more. 

    Arthur made a decision, taking a quick breath. "I am growing tired, Father," he cleared his throat and sat up straighter. "Would you mind if I excused myself and finished dinner in my chambers?" He glanced at the Witchfinder, who shrugged, holding little care for what Arthur did. The Prince moved his gaze onto his father, who sighed, but nodded. 

    He took his dinner with him, though the Prince did not head in the direction of his chambers. When he was sure no one would see him, he ducked inside a servants' doorway and followed the winding corridors his childhood self knew like the back of his hand. 

    When he reached the servants' quarters beneath the castle, stuffed from the warmth of the kitchens down the corridor, the Prince glanced around▬checking his surroundings before continuing on his way. Her room wasn't far from the door Arthur snuck out of, and as soon as he was in front of it, the Prince rapped his knuckles softly on the wood. 

    He heard crying down the corridor▬a newborn babe, probably hungry, or cold, or both, and a distressed mother was doing her best to soothe her child when there was barely anything she could do.

    Arthur swallowed hard, feeling quite humbled. 

    Something scurried at his feet and he hitched his breath, stepping back. He watched the rat run past on dirty stone floors in the dim light of the homes of many servants. His father's servants, his servants▬the people who worked their days away; labouring until their nails were chipped, their backs sore and  their minds exhausted, and yet still pushing themselves to work more, only to come back and live here.

    The Prince didn't belong here. Arthur Pendragon felt on edge and he felt as if he was somewhere forbidden▬he was. He shouldn't be here at all; this was perhaps the first time he had come down here in a very long time, and it was different to see it as he was now than the boy he was. Because the man he has now understood the guilt that was eating up inside of him. 

    He glanced down at the plate of food in his hands he had brought for Odette. Arthur's eyes fixed on her door for a moment, and then in a split second, his decision changed. 

    The Prince quickly walked down the hallway, past the rats and the cobwebs and the stench until he reached the doorway where the cries were the loudest. Arthur hesitated but soon knocked on the wood. 

    He heard a curse inside, the sound of rustling as the woman inside tried to prepare herself for more work. Arthur pursed his lips and set down the plate of food on the ground just as he was about to hear the door open. Before the woman would see, he turned around and walked swiftly back towards Odette's room. He faltered in his steps very close by to find her standing there, watching in soft surprise. 

    She didn't say anything, but instead soon got past her surprise and stepped aside. Arthur bowed his head to her and then ducked into her quarters. Odette glanced down the hallway, watching the mother step outside her room with a child at her hip and stare, surprised down at the plate of food fit for a royal at her feet. 

    The Lady Morgana's second handmaiden smiled slightly before returning to her room, closing the door gently behind her. 

    Once she did, Odette settled her eyes back onto the Prince and the surprise returned. She watched him stand awkwardly in the small chamber, as if trying to remember how he got here▬he looked around, taking in the moth-eaten blankets on her bed and the chest at the foot of it; his eyes found the small window in the otherwise dark and dim room, and the lit candle burning down to the wick on the small wooden table she had taken from Merlin's room. 

    The Prince cleared his throat and tugged at the edges of his tunic sleeves. "This..." he didn't know what to say. Odette continued to watch him, feeling that same flutter in her chest whenever he was around. But right now, it was heightened▬he had come to her chambers, and now stood with her inside them; humbled and so very close. It was intimate. 

    "You do not have to pretend to compliment it," Odette murmured, finding her voice. "I am simply grateful to have a bed to sleep in. Others are not so lucky."

    "No," Arthur agreed softly, setting his gaze upon her at last, and they were gentle▬just as they used to be. "I just..." once again, he couldn't seem to find the words he wished to say. "Well▬"

    "Why are you here?" the servant asked the Prince, her voice soft. She sounded tired▬she was tired. Odette felt drained after all that had happened that day. "You should not have come down."

    Arthur pursed his lips and then stepped closer to her. Odette's eyes followed him, her head tilting ever-so-slightly to keep his gaze, a little hesitant. "I wished to see if all was well ..." The Prince swallowed hard. "After Gaius▬"

    "All is well," Odette cut him off quickly, turning away and walking towards the end of her bed so he wouldn't see how her brows knitted or notice how her voice cracked. "I am perfectly well."

    "Odette," she heard his voice and shook her head. But then she felt his hand on her shoulder, and Odette couldn't stop the way her throat closed up. She let him turn her towards his chest, and the moment her cheek rested against the warmth▬and felt his heartbeat like a soothing song to her pain, Odette closed her eyes and hitched back a small sob. 

    Her fingers dug into the fabric of his tunic, clinging on. She heard Arthur's soft sigh as his arms wrapped around her shoulders to pull her in even closer▬his warmth keeping the chill of the winter from her bones; keeping her safe from the harsh realities of the cold world around them. 

    Arthur felt his heart pounding, looking down at her in his arms▬something that felt so real and yet so imaginary; and he couldn't help but hold her tighter, afraid that maybe she might disappear into smoke if he let go.

    His hand lifted to gently cradle Odette's head, hearing her take a shaky breath that both made his heart twist and send shivers down his spine. 

    After a long time of just holding her, Arthur finally spoke. His voice was low and soft. "There is still a chance Gaius will prove innocent."

    Odette pulled away at those words, frowning up at him▬but her frown was weak and weighed down more with exhaustion than anger. "There is no way for Gaius to prove he is innocent, you know this."

    The Prince frowned at her. "There is still hope▬"

    "Arthur," her voice broke briefly and she shook her head. Sitting down on the edge of her bed, Odette rubbed her tired eyes. "Please ..."

    He held back the words he was going to say, realising that in this dim room, there was no sunlight to comfort Odette. It was a sombre air. 

    Her brows knitted and she stared at the ground. At last, she took a deep breath and admitted: "I cannot lose him," she whispered, looking up at Arthur with a broken gaze. "You do not understand, I▬" 

    "No, I do understand," Arthur reassured her quickly, and before he would stop himself, he sat down beside her. Odette watched him. "I do," he added in a softer voice. She pursed her lips and looked down. The Prince ached to see her like this. "Look, I ..." she glanced up again. "I did not plan to come here▬I did not know what I was going to do, or what I was prepared to say. I just ... thought of you, and here I am."

    Some warmth returned to the small, cold and dim chamber. Odette tilted her head, her heart fluttering▬somehow, Arthur lit up her darkest days more than the sunlight ever could. The Prince did not open his door, but instead was for once waiting for Odette to open hers. He had come to her, humbled and bare in an environement beneath him to offer her comfort. She blushed. "Thank you," she whispered. 

    Odette hesitated, but then leaned in to rest her head on Arthur's shoulder. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see his reaction, but her tension soon settled the moment he relaxed. She felt his arm around her shoulders and his head tilt down towards hers, where his lips placed a featherlight kiss on the top of her head. 

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    THE NEXT few days felt like torture▬no, something worse than torture. The Witchfinder forced Gaius through a set of trials to test his innocence, and while Odette did not know what they were, she could feel it▬like an aching tear in her chest▬and knew they were something more than horrible. They would not let her venture down to see him, nor would anyone tell her what Gaius was being put through. Though, Odette had the feeling that even Arthur wasn't privy to the Witchfinder's cruel secrets. 

    Both Odette and Merlin were equally distraught on their own terms▬exhausted and miserbale; filled with desperation to find some way to stop this, but there was nothing they could do. It was horrible watching someone one cared about facing such a fate, but it was even worse watching them and knowing, and yet not knowing at the same▬forced away from them with no chance to fight ones way back to be close to them one last time, to try and save them. Or even worse, to realise that perhaps all of this was no one's fault but ones own, and having to watch someone else suffer because of it. 

    Merlin's guilt was swallowing him whole, and even as the kind Guinevere did her very best to try and console him and Odette, there was little that could be done. 

    "Have you asked Arthur to sneak you in to see him?" she murmured as the group of them▬Odette, Merlin, Guinevere, Ronyn and Bedivere all sat around one of Gaius's tables. His chambers were now cleaned, but they were not the same. There were gaping holes where things once had been▬books that had been ripped, vials that had been smashed ... and Gaius. It was empty without Gaius. 

    Merlin shook his head, glum from beside Odette. "Even if Arthur wanted to, he would not be able to," mumbled the Prince's manservant. "Whatever these trials are, Aredian is not letting anyone near the dungeons."

    "It is inhumane," scoffed Ronyn, standing up with a sudden breath of anger. He began to pace the floor close to the table. "It is wrong. It is obvious Gaius is no sorcerer. This Witchfinder is looking for coin wherever he can find it. How can a man be so dishonourable and▬"

    "Ronyn," Guinevere muttered quietly, grabbing his attention at the sombre looks on both Odette and Merlin's faces. 

    Noticing, Ronyn faltered and sobered up. He pursed his lips and watched them, wishing he could turn stone over stone to get Gaius back to them. He sighed and walked back over, sitting back down with a troubled frown at his cup of water.

    "I cannot possibly think an amulet can be linked to magical smoke, toads and faces in the water," Bedivere decided to say, pulling his hand away that had been offering Odette a comforting rub on her back. 

    "But the amulet is still magic," managed Odette, her voice sounding dry and very unlike her. She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Or apparently magic ... either way it is against the law ... I just do not understand, Gaius never..." she huffed a breath to stop herself from crying. Her eyes were sore from how many tears she had shed these past few days. 

    "Hey," Bedivere immediately was at her side once more, gentle and caring. "Take a breath, okay?" he fixed the doublet Ronyn had offered around Odette's shoulders. "Have some more tea."

    Odette didn't want tea, she wanted Gaius to be back home. She fiddled with the strings of Ronyn's doublet when the door opened. There was an equal rush as Odette, Merlin and Guinevere all stood on an automatic instinct to ensure no one would see the group of servants seating themselves on the same level as a Lord or even a future Knight.

    She took off the doublet and passed it to Ronyn who folded it up just as the door revealed who stood behind it. At the glimpse of the outfit of the Guard, Lord Vecentia stood as well, on edge. 

    "What is it?" demanded Ronyn, protective. They all knew the arrival of a guard could not mean good news. 

    The guard shifted awkwardly on his feet at the tone of Lord Vecentia's voice. He glanced around, confused behind the brim of his helm at the group of them, but didn't say anything, simply bowing his head in respect to Ronyn. "My Lord," he said gruffly, "I am here to collect Lady Morgana's second handmaiden▬" he nodded at Odette. "The girl, there."

     "Why?" frowned Ronyn before Odette could speak to herself, stepping forward in front of her. 

    The guard fixed his stance to hide how his confidence wavered at the look on Ronyn's face. "The Witchfinder demands her presence▬He wishes to ask a few questions."

    Odette stiffened, her breath hitching. She met Merlin's gaze, both of them sharing a startled, worried exchange. She caught Guinevere's fearful concern across the table before Odette took a courageous breath and went to move, but Ronyn held his hand out to stop her. 

    She frowned, but Lord Vecentia narrowed his eyes at the guard. "No."

    Odette's eyes widened, surprised. She went to speak, but Ronyn just shot her a look. She pursed her lips and chose to stay quiet.

    The guard stared at Ronyn, for a moment stunned by his response. "My Lord▬"

    "I said no, Odette will go nowhere," Lord Vecentia stepped forward. "If the Witchfinder has a problem with that, he can have an audience with me."

    The guard chuckled nervously, glancing at Odette and then back at Ronyn. "I did not realise the girl was yours to make such a decision. The Witchfinder is▬"

    "▬Not a Lord▬" Ronyn cut him off.

    "▬on orders from the King," finished the guard. Ronyn pursed his lips. "I do not suppose you wish to defy the King, My Lord?"

    Lord Vecentia chuckled as well, though it was bitter with anger. "I beg your pardon▬?"

    "I will go," Odette quickly stepped in before the situation might escalate. She walked up to the guard, shooting Ronyn a subtle, but stern look that made him go quiet. "Do not wish to keep the Witchfinder waiting in his heroic work, do we?"

    Ronyn clenched his jaw but nodded and stepped back. Odette chewed the inside of her cheek as the guard gestured for her to follow him. She glanced back at her friends one last time before she left. 

    As she followed the guard through the castle corridors, up a few staircases and into the wing where the Witchfinder stayed in one of the many guest chambers, Odette started to fret over what he possibly would want with her. 

    She didn't say a word. Odette wanted to fiddle with her fingers, she could feel her heart racing, but she didn't show it. Some part of her seemed to channel the same confident posture and expression she needed back when she was Hengist's prisoner▬a mask she had no choice but to wear so no one would see how terrified she was. And now, Odette seemed to slip it back on without a second thought. She was scared, but she wouldn't dare let anyone, Hengist, the Witchfinder or otherwise know. She wouldn't let herself be taken advantage of like that. 

    When they reached the Witchfinder's chambers, the guard knocked on the door and opened it for Odette to enter. She didn't give him a second glance as she stepped inside. She heard it clang shut behind her, but she didn't flinch. 

    The chamber was darker than she expected. The curtains were pulled close at the windows, and the candles were dim. Somehow, Odette felt as if she had stepped into the room of an entirely different castle▬a dark castle, one filled with misery and dreadfulness; nothing like the warmth and tender love Camelot always comforted her with. 

    The Witchfinder sat behind his desk, and the only bright candle was the one that burnt near what Odette realised was a skull with the cranium hollowed out for ink. She grew very sick staring at it, watching as Aredian dipped his quill inside it without care before scribbling something on the many parchments piled in front of him. 

   There was a very long silence before the Witchfinder finally decided to glance up and notice Odette standing at the doorway, still. "Well," he nodded to the chair in front of his desk, "take a seat."

   She clenched and then unclenched her hands. Keeping them behind her back, Odette silently walked to the chair in front of him and sat down, on edge and tense. Aredian grabbed a fresh piece of parchment and dipped his quill once again. Not looking at her, he began to write. "Now ... Odette, that is your name, yes?"

   His voice was even more haunting up close. Odette watched him with a hesitant frown. "Yes," she finally answered. He hummed, still not looking up. 

    "You are the second handmaiden of Lady Morgana, the King's Ward, hmm?"

   Her frown deepened. What did he want to know about Morgana? Odette didn't answer, an unsettling feeling churning in her stomach. At her silence, the Witchfinder finally met her gaze. "It is a simple answer. Yes or no?" he pressed. "Are you one of the handmaidens for the King's Ward?"

   "Yes," Odette said, reluctant and uncomfortable. 

    He kept that icy stare on her long enough for chills to crawl up her spine before he looked back down at his parchment. Odette tried to read what he was writing, but she couldn't make out his handwriting. "And you know Gaius well, I have been told?"

    Odette set her jaw, not wanting to fall into the trap of answering his questions the way he wanted. She shifted in her seat. "Why do you▬?"

    "Simple answer. Yes or no?" he cut her off, sounding very uninterested. Odette swallowed back the bitter bile from her nerves and annoyance. 

    She realised she had no choice but to say: "Yes."

    "Hmm..." the Witchfinder set down his quill into its holder and linked his fingers, staring her down. Odette wanted to squirm, and she knew he wanted her to squirm. But she did not. "It has come to my knowledge that the Lady Morgana suffers from nightmares, do you know anything of this?"

    She stared him down, too, her annoyance starting to grow more than her fear▬swelling in her chest and making her wish to knock his disgusting skull ink holder over onto his parchment. Odette stayed dignified, however, sitting up straighter in her chair▬an elegance about her that was so natural, she did not realise. 

    Odette did not say a word, simply keeping her gaze locked on the icy glare of the Witchfinder. 

    He waited, but eventually, when he realised she would not answer, he simply hummed and sat back in his chair▬for the first time, there was a flicker of amusement. It was a sick, patronising amusement. "Am I to assume you are not aware of your mistress's affliction?" 

    Aredian was playing a game with her, she could tell. Odette pursed her lips, considering the words she would say next. "She has bad dreams," she finally decided to say, charmingly innocent. "But everyone has bad dreams once in a while, do they not, sir?"

    He hummed once again, a sound Odette found increasingly irritating. "Perhaps," he said very slowly, watching her intently, "but not enough to require specified remedies from the Court Physician, hm?"

    Odette chewed on the inside of her cheek, starting to grow annoyed. She took a sharp breath through her nose and sat up straighter. "Gaius did not use magic to make Morgana's sleeping draughts."

    She slipped up, and she knew it▬and Aredian knew it, too. She fell right into his trap, and Odette realised the moment his brows lifted in mock surprise. "And you know the method and ingredients behind this sleeping draught?" Odette stammered silently, trying to explain herself, but the Witchfinder spoke for her: "Of course not," he chuckled, dipping his quill into his skull ink holder, "you're a servant and a woman, what would you know of a physician's trade?"

    Odette was at a loss for words, both filled with a shock at how Aredian twisted her words and her reaction to whatever he wanted, but also the sudden boil of anger she felt in her chest▬what was that supposed to mean? What would she know...? She knew plenty. She had a mind, and unlike Aredian, she also had a heart▬all of which made her perfectly capable to think and answer for herself. 

    "So, let me ask you a simple question," the Witchfinder met her gaze. "Since starting this treatment, has the Lady Morgana's night terrors been cured, or have they gotten worse?"

    She was quiet for a long time, very careful with what she chose to say next. Then, Odette decided to shrug. "I do not know."

    The Witchfinder narrowed his eyes. "You do not know?"

    Odette played innocent▬something she had a talent in. "I do not know."

    Her vague answer had Aredian take his own annoyed sharp breath through his nose. "How does the handmaiden of the King's Ward not be aware of her own mistresses health?"

    "Well, it is as you said, sir," said Odette with a sweet ignorance. "What would I know of the physician's art?"

    The Witchfinder's gaze turned into a slight scowl and she tilted her head, her features soft and her little smile clueless. He huffed and sat back, setting aside his parchment. "That is all. You may go."

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    MORGANA HAD always been a kind soul. Her heart forever had the room for everyone else except herself, constantly putting others and their needs before her own. She was gentle, she was caring, and she was considerate. Even though every other lady of her social standing would never befriend her two handmaidens, the Lady Morgana did▬and her friendship came with fierce protection and loyalty; a guarded love that was not afraid to defend them even at her own expense in the face of powerful anger from those above her. 

    Since Gaius's imprisonment, Morgana had barely spoken a word to Odette. 

    Perhaps it was a selfish thought from Odette, but deep down, she had thought the fearless, protective and just Morgana Le Fay would have stormed up to the King's council chambers and demanded Gaius be freed herself no matter the consequences. This was the same woman who had risked her life to free the Druid boy from execution at risk of her own▬the same woman who defied the council and the King demanding him to send an army to save Odette's life.

    Instead, the King's Ward was uncharacteristically quiet. She looked terrified, if Odette didn't know any better▬pale, her voice small and vulnerable and her gaze always distant. Morgana had not mentioned anything about her night terrors, even if they seemed to be getting worse. She had not come for Odette nor Guinevere for comfort like she used to▬she was distant to them, too. 

    Odette subtly watched her in the reflection of the mirror as she brushed through her long raven hair until it was smooth. Morgana was quiet yet again, staring out the window with a glassy look that was fractured. 

    A selfish twist in Odette's chest returned▬the longing feeling and want to have attention from Morgana, to want her to be comforting and provide promises to talk to the King that might be naive, but it was what Odette would have needed deep down. She had not received even a sympathetic word since Gaius had been imprisoned. 

    She swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth and focused on brushing her hair again, feeling horrible. It was selfish of her, truthfully▬to need something from Morgana when it seemed as though she herself was going through something, even if she would not share what it was. 

    Noticing her mistress fiddle with the bangles on her dresser desk, Odette pursed her lips. Taking a deep breath, she stepped back and set the brush down, reaching for the jewelled hairpiece Morgana requested for her hair this morning. "Everything all right, My Lady?" she decided to ask. 

    Morgana hummed, blinking and returning to reality around her. She met Odette's gaze in the reflection of the mirror, confused until she recognised the guarded concern in her eyes. "Oh, yes, yes," she mumbled, so quiet Odette barely heard her. 

    She fiddled with the jewels so they were positioned correctly. Hesitant and unsure, Odette shuffled on her feet. "Are you sure?"

     Her mistress nodded and sat up straighter, clearing her throat. "Yes, I am quite sure," her voice wavered. 

    Something sank in Odette's chest and she pursed her lips, deciding to place the piece in Morgana's hair without a word. She did her best to ignore her hurt and disappointment. 

    Morgana was alert enough to notice this time. "What is it?"

    "Nothing," said Odette quickly and pinned the jewells in place. "I am just tired."

    "What is it, Odette?" the slight edge to Morgana's tone as she placed the bracelet down hit Odette with a sudden poison in her chest, taken aback. "Tell me."

    Perhaps the poison was the realisation that Morgana did not recognise why Odette could be upset and tired▬to make the connection as to why the circumstances of Gaius's possible sentence would affect her so deeply. 

    That hurt. Odette didn't remember when she became invisible to Morgana▬a fleck of dust on her dresser in the shadows not worth her attention. 

    She swallowed back the lump in her throat, telling herself that her sensitive nature was because of what is happening with Gaius▬that perhaps she was taking the blow too deeply. 

    She just didn't know why people who were important to her either didn't seem to find her as important in a way that led them to lie to her, and forget about her, and leave her.

     Odette pinned the last piece and took a deep breath. "Are you ... being entirely honest with me, Morgana?"

    She saw the look▬the fearful hitch in Morgana's gaze in the mirror and the way her shoulders went rigid▬and Odette knew. Her mistress pursed her lips and closed her jewellery box. "Must I tell you everything, Odette?" she muttered, her voice uncharacteristically sharp.

    The young handmaiden felt very small all of a sudden. "I▬well, no, of course not▬"

    "Then why must you question me?" said Morgana, annoyed. "I already have questions from the Witchfinder troubling me, and now I have my maid questioning me, as well? What answer do you wish to have, Odette? What are you accusing me of?"

    Her throat closed up and Odette stepped back. "N▬Nothing, I just▬"

    "What?" Morgana's glassy look was no longer there, and Odette was not used of seeing that firey stare placed upon her. 

    She swallowed harshly, feeling the need to cry again. "We are friends," was her weak reply. Odette had faced bandits and death, and yet facing confrontation with Morgana was much more terrifying. "Friends tell each other what is bothering them when they are upset."

    At the word friend, something softened in Morgana. She paused briefly, before saying, "And is it not trust that binds two friends together?"

     Odette felt as if Morgana saying that to her was unfair. She trusted her, but she was also worried about her. But the handmaiden chose to bite back her words and look down, apologetic. "Yes, it is. But, do you trust me?"

    And like that, when dearest Odette asked that question whith such defeat, Morgana's attitude switched▬it calmed like the sea after a storm. She sighed and reached out, taking her handmaiden's hand and giving it a comforting squeeze. "I do," she reassured her. "I trust you, Odette. You are one of the few people I do trust. I am just tried," smiled Morgana. "And this Witchfinder business has troubled all of our minds. I apologise for letting it get the best of me."

    Odette smiled, relieved to hear those words from Morgana. However, when her mistress turned away and went back to staring out the window with that glassy look, the conversation between them put behind her so easily as if it meant nothing, the smile on the handmaiden's face faltered. 

    The knock on the door made them both glance over. 

    Morgana sat up straight once more. "Come," she answered.

    Her door opened and Bedivere entered, in full squire attire and his hand resting on his sword. "The King requests your presence in the council chambers, My Lady."

    Odette was plagued with the constant feeling of dread the entire way towards the council chambers. She and Guinevere were at Morgana's side, as always, standing a little ways away in the shadows and watching on as the entire council gathered at the King's command. 

    She fiddled with her fingers, very nervous at the murmurings and interest by many of the lords and knights. She found Merlin's gaze across the room, looking just as anxious▬perhaps even more. 

    Beside her, Guinevere reached out and rubbed the back of her arm to offer her some comfort▬however, Odette searched for comfort from somebody else. And just like always, her eyes found his from where he sat on the right of his father. Arthur pursed his lips, pained. 

    The doors opened once more and two guards escorted the Witchfinder into the room. Odette stiffened and felt sick when she noticed who he had gripped by the hair beside him. Her heart skipped a horrible beat, twisting in her chest▬her knees felt weak. 

    She almost didn't recognise Gaius. His hair was matted, his face dirty with grime and weary▬he looked dazed and exhausted, barely able to keep his eyes open before the King. He stumbled in a dirty white tunic, weak and beaten down. Her throat closed up the moment he collasped and the Witchfinder forced him to his knees. 

    Merlin stiffened and would've lurched forward, furious if it weren't for Ronyn who subtly grabbed him by the back of his jacket, keeping him still. 

    Aredian smirked at the King. He then gripped the back of Gaius's neck and forced him to look up at the throne. "Confess!" he demanded.

    Odette couldn't look away from the sight of Gaius looking so feeble and weak▬humbled more than a man should ever be humbled; treated less than some rodent. She couldn't bare it.

    The physician was so withdrawn, he couldn't even manage to find his voice.

    Odette looked at the King, and she saw his face contort▬she couldn't decide whether it was horror, disgust, guilt or all three. 

    The Witchfinder tugged Gaius's hair and Odette hid her whimpers, finally looking away when he raised his voice: "Confess!"

    Gwen was there to hold her arm, holding back her own tears.

     Gaius struggled to speak, he struggled to even move▬and when he spoke, his voice sounded as dry and as rough as desert sand. "I ... I am a sorcerer, sire!" 

    There were gasps. Odette's heart dropped into the pit of her stomach. She chewed the inside of her cheek to keep herself from breaking into tears as she forced herself to watch. 

    "I am responsible for conjuring the smoke," continued Gaius and Odette shook her head, her knuckles white as she pressed them against her lips to keep her composue. Arthur glanced at her, and then Merlin who was so pale, he looked as though his soul had left his body. "I am guilty of practicing magic in Camelot. The goblin, the faces in the well, I▬" Gaius's voice cracked. He was struggling. "I am the sorcerer who conjured the toad from his mouth▬"

    The King leapt to his feet, but stopped himself. The deep breath he took was full of rage, every emotion he felt before narrowing down to a livid wound of betrayal. There was humanity in Uther Pendragon▬the humanity felt by a man hurt by a friend he thought he could trust. 

    Uther took a shaky breath of anger. "You have betrayed me, Gaius." The physician cast his eyes downwards. Odette felt like she couldn't breathe. "You have betrayed your friends, but above all, you have betrayed yourself." The King hesitated. He swallowed harshly. "By the laws of Camelot, I must▬" he faltered, and had to look away. "I must sentence you to death."

    Smug, the Witchfinder let go of Gaius and he collapsed forwards. Odette surged forwards, she couldn't help it. Guinevere held her back, a silent horrified gasp hitching in the back of her throat. "The sorcerer will be purged of his magic by means of fire!" announced the Witchfinder to the council. He rounded Gaius like some hunter to an animal. "He shall be burned at the stake tomorrow at dawn! Bear witness and heed this lesson."

     Guards marched forwards and grabbed Gaius by his arms, dragging him out of the room for everyone to watch. Odette felt sick▬her knees felt weak, and she wondered if she would collapse too if it were not for Guinevere's grip on her arm keeping her steady.

    Her gaze found Merlin's across the room, and she had never seen him so furious. He heaved, and there was no way she could stop him▬or anyone▬when he broke through the lines of nobles, heading straight for Aredian. "You are a liar!" he shouted.

    Arthur leapt to his feet. 

    Merlin brandished his hands, crying tears of pure hatred. "You are a liar!"

    He might have attacked the Witchfinder if Arthur had not intercepted, dragging Merlin out of the room struggling and shouting. Merlin tried to fight the Prince off, but he was too strong. "LIAR!" he screamed at the Witchfinder one last time before they were gone. 

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    a/n: short chapter for the chapters of this book, i know, and after a few months too, i know. life has been harsh for me right now, and my break from uni turned out to be family troubles and a breakup. but i needed to write some comfort now that i'm back at uni with tons of work to do, and i had this chapter almost finished, so here we are. 

    please be patient with me at the moment, if you can. i'm not okay, but i will be. but it also means that updates and stuff, it's really gonna be on how i'm feeling. 

    i hate uther but i love the complexity of his character that i wished was explored more in the show. and i love i get to describe it in the ways i saw it on the show. 

     the thing is, uther had to fight for his kingdom, and while the show didn't go into the storyline about vortigern and everything, it did allude to a battle prior to uther's reign. like he said in season three 'i didn't inherit this crown, i won it'. he's had to be tough his entire life, had to be strict with the laws, and couldn't risk showing any kind of weakness. any fear he had, any doubt and any sadness, he chanelled into anger and desperation. eg, when he lost his wife, instead of blaming himself like he does deep down, he channeled that into fury and his fear of magic and therefore persecuted all magic users. but his kingdom, and its laws, and the tradiontal ways of doing things are incredibly important, he always puts the kingdom first▬even if it means having to put gaius, his closest friend to death, or disown his son, despite loving him (even if he was under catrina's influence, it's still kinda in character for him when you look at his priorities and morals). (and later feeling as though he has to kill him). uther is an interesting product of his time, and is most definitely a hufflepuff. his loyalty is always to the kingdom, and arthur and then morgana subsequent to that. he will always do what he believes is just and right (which is always subjective▬which is also why morgana is SO MUCH LIKE HIM, but that's off topic) for the kindgom and his legacy because he had to fight for it, and in my book, lost all of his family because of it (which is why we don't see any other pendragon family/siblings like arthur's other sister etc). 

     i never excuse what uther does. but the complexity of his character i just love. and anthony head portrays that complexity so well with barely any bakground to his character and its just - the acting in this show despite it being a bbc production is amazing and so deep, even if the script itself isn't always deep. 

    i realised i've been lacking on the story of odette's parents, but my og plan of integrating the flashbacks hasn't worked well with the season 2 plot line/episode sequences, but hopefully it'll all tie together in time. i shall not explain why tho cos spoilers <3.

    (limited editing).