chapter fifty-five
055. sin of the innocent

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    MERLIN FOUGHT and struggled against Arthur the entire trip down to the dungeons. He didn't care. They could throw him into the cells, put him in the stocks or even execute him in Gaius's place▬Merlin didn't care. He just couldn't stand to watch his uncle be punished for the mistakes Merlin made. He could never be able to live with it, and what point would there be to live if it was to forever be living in guilt and sorrow?

    Arthur was strong. His grip caged Merlin from escaping him, but as they arrived in the dark shadows of the dungeon corridors, the warlock slipped through his grip. He faced the Prince and without thinking, threw a punch for his jaw. Arthur saw it coming and grabbed his fist, twisting it behind his back and holding Merlin there, trying hard to keep his anger down. 

    Merlin cried out at the sharp pain. He struggled but Arthur seized the back of his jacket with his free hand and kept him still. "I know you are upset," muttered the Prince as his manservant heaved with fury. "I know you are angry. It is all right, I am not throwing you into the dungeons."

    Merlin seethed. "Then what are you doing?"

    Arthur shoved him forward, releasing his grip and watching Merlin stumble. He dusted off his hands, shooting him a short scowl▬one that told Merlin to calm down otherwise he might just lose his temper anyway. But then the Prince adverted his gaze and pushed past him, some of the tense anger leaving his shoulders and being replaced with something gentle. "I am breaking the law."

    Merlin's fury faltered when he realised exactly what Arthur was doing. He heard the clanging of his keys as he took them off his belt. The Prince stopped right outside the iron bars of Gaius's cell door, and with a glance back at his manservant, unlocked it. 

    "I can only give you a few minutes," he murmured, but Merlin was already rushing past him. 

    He burst through the cell door, and in seeing his Uncle, Merlin sobbed. "Gaius▬" He was there to meet him halfway, pulling Merlin into a tight hug in the centre of the cell. Gaius was weak and he was exhausted, but he still managed to hold himself up for his nephew. "They would not let me see you," cried Merlin, "but I tried, I tried..."

    "I know, I know," soothed Gaius, rubbing his back. He sighed. "I understand."

    As he gently pulled away, and Merlin furiously wiped away his tears, a pair of footsteps pounded on the stone outside in the hallway. Seconds later, there was Odette. 

    She pushed past Arthur without a second thought, breaking into tears and running straight for Gaius who held out an arm for her. A few moments later, Ronyn appeared at the door. Seeing the group of them, he looked away and stepped back with Arthur to give them some privacy. 

    "I cannot believe it!" sobbed Odette, almost hysterical as she wiped away her tears. She was trembling, and there was no way Arthur could not glance over▬aching at the sight of her pain. "I cannot believe Uther would do this to you."

    Gaius hung his head, sighing once again. He looked incredibly frail and Odette shuffled closer to Merlin, gripping onto his jacket slightly for a desperate search of comfort. "He had no choice," reasoned Gaius, even now. "Once Aredian had found the amulet."

    Merlin froze. He swallowed back his tears, confused. "I did not know you had such a thing?"

    Gaius frowned at him. "Well it is not mine."

    Merlin stared at him. He choked up. "Why did you say it was?"

    "I was trying to protect you."

     A fresh bout of tears welled up in Merlin's eyes. There was a painful lump in his throat. He looked down and Odette rubbed his back, unable to stop her own tears. "I do not know what to say..."

    "It is all right, Merlin," Gaius squeezed his shoulder. "You do not have to say anything."

    "Yeah, I do," whispered the young warlock, his breath hitching. "The amulet is not mine, either."

    Odette frowned, too. She glanced between Gaius and Merlin, a horrible feeling twisting in her gut. She took a shaky breath, glancing back at Ronyn and Arthur. She dropped her voice. "Is it Adelynn's?"

    "No," said Merlin immediately, looking very troubled. "She knows very little of magic, let alone about magical items ..." 

    "Then whose is it?" she murmured. "How did it get there?"

    "Aredian," realised Merlin, a vicious glint suddenly returning to his eyes. Odette's own widened, and her heart skipped a few beats. 

    Gaius stared at him, shocked. "Aredian?"

    "There is no other explanation," said the warlock quickly.

    "But why?"

    Odette scoffed back her tears, unable to believe it▬and yet, deep down she could, and with that realisation, came hope. "It does not matter why, Gaius," she grinned at him. "What matters is that we have a chance to prove your innocence▬!"

    "No▬" Gaius cut her off, urgent. She and Merlin frowned at him, confused. "You must let this go."

    "No, no," Odette shook her head, frantic.

    "Gaius," went on Merlin, "you are falsely accused, we have a chance to prove that. We must take that chance▬"

    "No, you must not," Gaius told them, and the grave urgency to his voice made both servants stammer in their confusion and disbelief. Neither one of them could understand why Gaius didn't want their help. Why he wanted them to just sit by and do nothing? 

    A fresh tear rolled down Odette's cheeks. "I ... I do not understand," she croaked. "Do ... do you want to die▬?"

    "No," said Gaius, his voice breaking into a soft, fractured whisper. "But neither do I want you to die ... and die you shall if you get too close to Aredian. He will trap you," he told them and they shook their heads. "He will manipulate you and without ever meaning to you will incriminate yourselves."

    Merlin whimpered out a desperate plea, "But▬"

    Gaius just held them close, looking them in the eyes and telling them: "You must let this go."

    Odette felt something inside her fracture and break. Like she was sitting there and watching her mother die all over again, and yet this time▬this time▬she could do something to stop it ... and yet the world would not allow her to. It tore her apart.

    Merlin swallowed harshly. "We ..." he could barely manage to speak. "We must let you go?"

    Sombre and accepting his fate, Gaius nodded. "To do otherwise would be an act of suicide."

    Their time had run out. Odette watched Merlin storm off, and she fought off her tears. She gave Gaius one last glance as the dungeon door was closed once again, and felt helpless.

    Her gaze found Arthur who was waiting for her, having locked the cell door himself▬reluctant and pushing back his own grief over a man he has known his whole life.

    They walked in a sombre silence back towards the stairwell together. It wasn't until at the foot of the staircase, alone and feeling the cold of the dungeons chill them to the bone, did Arthur finally turn back to Odette. In this moment, he cared little for what had happened between them, and what the world told them they could not do. He just knew he could not leave her to suffer alone. 

    "Come here," he whispered to her, his hand cradling her head gently and pulling her in so he could place a comforting kiss against her head. Arthur closed his eyes, gently running his fingers through her hair as she melted against him, clinging onto the warmth of his embrace.

    Arthur wished he could fight the sunset and the heavens for all of the horrors they have put Odette through. Of all the people on this earth, she was the least deserving of the cruelty she has faced all her life. 

    She pulled away first and Arthur couldn't help but brush the hair out of her eyes, his hand lingering▬lingering to keep her close. He did not want to let her go, not when she was in so much pain. The Prince wiped away a tear with his thumb, gentle but firm▬unable to hide his frustration and anger; his fury that he could not keep her safe from the horrors of the world around them. He wished she could stay in a meadow of beautiful flowers and her damned sunrise for the rest of her days. He wished he could give that to her. 

    Odette pursed her lips, briefly meeting his gaze, but it flickered away▬a little unsure. 

    Arthur let the words he wished to say flow from his lips before he'd have enough rationality to stop them. "Stay in my antechamber tonight. Merlin will not be there. No one will find out. You can have the bed, warm blankets, dinner, and ... well, as good of a rest as you might get under the circumstances." At her hesitation, the Prince stepped closer, stubborn. "Let me take care of you right now, Odette. I cannot ... you should not be facing tomorrow alone nor should you be forced to watch."

    Despite the situation, her heart still managed to flutter with a thread of warmth. Odette wanted to take the offer▬God, did she want to. All she wanted was to be held, and comforted by him and to never let go. She ached for it. 

    But she couldn't leave Merlin alone. They needed each other, and that was more important to her right now. "You know I cannot," she whispered. "I ... I have to stay with Merlin, Arthur..."

    He understood. The Prince nodded, and even though he seemed disappointed, he respected her decision▬and deep down, perhaps it was for the best that rationality returned, even in the most troubling of times. 

    "Thank you," she murmured, however. She did not know how else to express how much his kindness and care meant to her▬she couldn't even begin to show her gratitude. She thought of that silly alphabet she went through▬of all the horrible things Arthur could be: arrogant, abhorrent, aggravating, boastful, big-headed, conceited, condescending, egotistical ... but he always had been kind, no matter what, even if that kindness was hidden away. 

    And unlike so many others, after all they've been through, here he was, and here he stayed no matter how much the world was against them. 

    Her heart swelled with a feeling she did not know, but it was comforting. 

    "I will see you around," she gave Arthur a sad smile and started climbing up the stairs. The Prince watched the handmaiden go, but for a long while, he did not follow. 

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    SEEING RONYN AND his sister already in Gaius's chambers when she arrived, Odette felt something inside her slump with relief and gratitude. The Vecentia siblings, even though they had many other places to be and things to do instead of sneaking away to offer company to two lowborn servants who to so many others, meant nothing, was something that nearly made Odette choke up then and there. 

    She wandered inside, closing the door gently and walking towards the table. She took a seat, silent. Adelynn pursed her lips and walked over to her, sitting down beside her and squeezing her shoulder without saying a word. Ronyn watched the two of them, looking quite grey at his cheeks, but stayed near Merlin's side. The warlock had not moved his gaze from the window, even after Odette had entered. His stare was fixed on the pyre that was being built in the courtyard. 

    She had no idea how she was supposed to let this go▬to let Gaius go. Odette has realised that no matter how many times she's had to watch someone she cared about be taken away from her, it never got any easier. To have to give up▬Odette hated giving up. But recently, everything seemed like a losing battle and the sunrise, which was always supposed to have her back, suddenly decided it would stab her in it instead with every tragedy it threw her way. The sunrise was always supposed to be a new opportunity. Instead, Odette just saw the dreaded, grey clouds of winter. 

    At least she wouldn't be alone in facing them, she thought as she briefly met Adelynn's soft, sombre gaze. 

    Odette glanced over at Merlin once again, feeling her heart twist painfully. She found herself standing up and walking up to his side, silent and sombre. Looking out through the window, she noticed the beginnings of a pyre being built already in the centre of the citadel courtyard. Not saying a word, the young handmaiden took the hand of her dearest friend, and held it tight.

    Time passed by that window, and Odette wasn't exactly sure how long she had been standing there with Merlin▬watching the pyre be built in silence. The others came and went, and then came again, and the sun soon disappeared behind the castle turrets, shrouding the chambers in darkness and weak candlelight. 

    Neither of them ate dinner▬it didn't cross their minds, nor did Odette feel as though she could stomach anything right now. Her stomach felt like ash and poison.

    It was well past sunset when the heavy sombre air inside the physician's chambers was interrupted by the sudden bursting entrance of Guinevere. The door slammed against the stone walls, bouncing frantically. "Merlin!"

    The sound of her voice and the door made everyone inside the chambers jump out of their skin. Odette gasped, spinning away from the window and frowning, startled at Gwen's state. 

    Ronyn stood up immediately. "Gwen?" he let out, worried. "Gwen▬what is it? What has happened▬?" 

    "Ronyn▬!" she stopped in front of him, looking desperate. Odette, Merlin and Adelynn all joined them near the table, equally startled and confused. "It is the Witchfinder. He will not let it go, he will not stop!"

    "What happened?" asked Merlin and Guinevere took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. 

    "The Witchfinder is questioning Morgana again," she wrung her hands. "I am worried, she is close to breaking point!"

    Merlin gritted his teeth, the fury he felt inside the dungeons returning in full force. "That is what he does," he grumbled. "He breaks you down and then in the end you confess whether you are guilty or not."

    Adelynn tilted her head, watching his furious pacing around the room. "Wait, what do you mean?"

    Odette sighed and let her head fall into her hands briefly, exhausted. "Gaius is innocent," she decided to tell Ronyn, Guinevere and Adelynn the truth. "He was set up. Aredian planted the magical amulet for the guards to find."

    Gwen's eyes widened. "Why would he do such a thing?"

    "I knew it," scoffed Ronyn, shaking his head. He placed his hands on his hips, his brow setting in anger. "I knew this was all about money▬The Witchfinder is paid to catch sorcerers, but he does not care whether someone is guilty or not. He gets his confessions by lying, by planting evidence▬just as long as he gets his gold."

    Adelynn stammered, trying to catch up on this revelation. "O▬Okay," she settled in the end, holding up a hand to Merlin as he continued to pace angrily around the room. "Even if this is true, and the Witchfinder did plant the evidence, we cannot go up to the King without any proof. His mind is barred from reason when it comes to sorcery."

    Merlin stopped pacing, and slowly, a determined look set on his face. "Then we get some," he stated and before they could stop him, he was out the door. 

    Ronyn, who had reached out in an attempt to grab his jacket sleeve, groaned to himself in soft frustration. He turned to face the rest of them. "I swear he will give me grey hairs one of these days."

    Odette just took a deep breath and returned her gaze to the window. Her mind wasn't settled▬no, instead, her worries and the pace of her heart only got worse. Now, they were not waiting for the inevitable. Instead, they were racing against the sunrise, and they were already running out of time. 

    All they could do now was wait for Merlin to return. 

    But even if they somehow could find evidence to incriminate Aredian, would the King even listen to them? Odette knew she, Merlin nor Gwen would stand a chance in making the King open his mind to what they had to say. As servants, their word was worth nothing. Adelynn had little chance either▬her voice held no power in court. Their only chance was Ronyn, and even then, the chances of the King changing his mind were slim, no matter the evidence placed right under his nose. In his desperation to purge magic, it was likely it would be Aredian's word against theirs. 

    (But they were still going to try anyway). 

    It was an hour before Merlin returned, and when he did, he raced inside Gaius's chambers with ... a flower petal?

    Ronyn was incredulous. "What is that going to do?"

    Merlin wasn't deterred. He just made a beeline for the shelves and shelves of Gaius's manuscripts. "Start searching botany books. We need to find out what flower this is, now."

    Truth was, they were so desperate that none of them objected any more. Soon, the tables were filled with open books and manuscripts. Papers were strewn everywhere as they all frantically searched for anything remotely similar to the bell-shaped peach-coloured petal in Merlin's hand. 

    Whatever this flower was, Merlin said Aredian had an entire glass box full▬which was enough to make Odette suspect it was something important to his enterprise (She was pretty sure the Witchfinder wasn't using the petals when he was bathing). 

    Odette, Merlin, Guinevere, Ronyn and Adelynn all frowned and slaved over papers and papers of botany books in the dim candlelight. Odette huffed as she set aside another manuscript on her growing pile of useless. 

    Gwen was getting frustrated. "This is hopeless!" she let out after another hour, setting aside yet another book with no helpful information.

    "Keep looking," said Merlin stubbornly, checking the shape of the petal against the drawing on the page he was reading. 

    "We do not even know if this flower means anything," Gwen brushed her dark curls out of her face, quite flustered. 

    "No, we do not," agreed the warlock, hunched over his book. "But it is all we have. So we have to keep looking."

    It was then that Ronyn sat up, suddenly very alert. "Wait, I have something▬" he announced and rounded the table. He set down the book he was reading at the centre for all of them to look and pointed out the intricate ink illustration on the page. It was an exact match to Merlin's flower petal. "It is a Belladonna."

    Quickly, Adelynn was at Ronyn's side, frowning over his shoulder. She narrowed her gaze as she read. "'For the alleviation of ulcers, allergies, and muscle inflammation ...'" she slumped with a sigh of defeat. "How does this help us▬?"

    "Wait, wait▬" Ronyn shushed his sister and quickly pointed out the next few lines, ignoring her blank scowl, "▬listen to this: 'Under certain conditions, a tincture of the flower can produce hallucinations.'"

    Odette frowned at him. "So?"

    Lord Vecentia tapped the page eagerly, a smug grin of success tugging at the corner of his lips. "So," he dragged on the word, mocking her tone, "Aredian's witnesses." Ronyn glanced at them all to see if the realisation hit them. When it didn't, he sighed with exasperation. "Oh, come on▬those stories about toads and faces in the well? It was not magic they were seeing, they were hallucinations."

    Guinevere pursed her lips, comprehending his words. "It makes sense," she murmured, "if he is faking the evidence. But how can we prove it?"

    Merlin planted his hands on the edge of the table, rocking back and forth as he tried to think. "Aredian's too clever to have given the tincture to them directly. The witnesses must have gotten it from someone else."

    Adelynn slumped once more. "That does not narrow it down▬they could have gotten it from anyone."

    "There must be something the witnesses all had in common?" suggested Odette, not prepared to give up so easily. 

    They all pursed their lips, frowning as they tried to figure this out. Ronyn tapped his fingers on the edge of the table, scowling down at the belladonna petal. 

    Then, Gwen's eyes widened. She stood up straighter. "They were all women," she whispered, realisation striking her with a hitch of her breath.

    Ronyn made an incredulous face, looking down at her. "Seriously?" he said, his voice dry. She shot him an unamused stare. "Well done, Guinevere. That is something none of us noticed, I▬I am astounded by such a revelation▬" she lightly smacked him and he hitched back a very dramatic, painful squeal.

    "I am being serious," she said, stern. "What is the one thing only women would buy?" she held out her hands, waiting for them all to finish her sentence. She fixed her gaze on Ronyn, and when he shrugged, clueless, she lightly smacked him again. He hunched up in an attempt to fend her off. "Things to make them look beautiful!"

    Grinning, Guinevere grabbed the belladonna and led the way out of Gaius's chambers, leaving the rest of them no choice but to follow. 

   The blacksmith's daughter led them through the servants' corridors as they all fumbled to throw on cloaks to keep them warm in the winter night. It was so dark outside that if it weren't for the light of Ronyn's blade and Guinevere's knowledge of Camelot's streets like the back of her hand, they would not have been able to navigate anywhere.

   Odette wrapped her cloak tight around her, shivering even with the extra warmth. There was a light snow at their feet, and their boots left a flurry of footprints all the way from the kitchens and through to the Lower Town. 

   Behind her, Adelynn made sure to keep her cloak hood up, the furs around the edges concealing her very well, though the route Guinevere led them through kept them away from any guards keeping watch▬even in this weather. 

   "Where are we going?" Ronyn's voice was quivering.

    "Shh," Guinevere told him with little care to his title as they ran. 

    "It is an honest question▬"

    "Shh!"

    (Seeing them together, Odette honestly wondered how she never saw the relationship between them. It was painfully obvious▬and even though only she was aware of it, neither was doing much to hide how comfortable they were with each other in the moment. Though with everything going on, Odette supposed neither Merlin nor Adelynn were in the mindset to notice). 

    Soon enough, Guinevere slowed down outside the old, hanging sign of an apothecary a few blocks away from the Lower Town tavern. She glanced back at them, a little breathless with a few specs of snow shining in her hair like stardust. 

    She quickly rapped her knuckles on the door with urgency. She didn't stop until the owner answered, pulling open the door with a tired, bewildered look in his eye. He had messily thrown a cloak over his nightshirt▬an elderly man with whispy white curls and many frown lines. "Gwen?" he recognised the maidservant, and then his eyes wandered to the others waiting. They widened when he recognised Ronyn. "M▬My Lord." He went to bow. 

    "Please," Lord Vecentia quickly stepped in. "We are in need of your help, let us in."

   The apothecary pursed his lips, but nodded, stepping aside and they all hurried into his shop. 

    Odette let down her hood, appreciating the warmth of the fire as they followed the man deeper inside his shop. Adelynn glanced around the shelves, curious at all the labels. The apothecary was small, but every shelf was full▬there were simple concoctions: rosemary for pain relief, lavender for sleep and mixtures of flower petals for bathing. Herbs hung from the ceiling, jaws with boiled and pickled delicacies meant for all sorts of things made Odette turn up her nose▬a little freaked out. 

    She stopped beside Merlin who crossed his arms, watching as the apothecary turned to face them. "How can I help?"

    Guinevere didn't waste a moment. "Do you sell a tincture of belladonna?"

    He frowned at her again, admittedly annoyed at being woken so late in the night. "What is this all about?"

    "Just answer the question," said Ronyn, urgent. "It is important."

    The man glanced at them all, only to sigh and wander past his many shelves. He held out a candle to help him see. "Well, I▬I think I have got some somewhere, but what you would be wanting with eye drops in the middle of the night, I really do not want to know."

    "Eye drops..." murmured Guinevere with a breath of understanding. 

    "Yes," said the apothecary as he handed her a vial. "Women use them to make their eyes more beautiful."

    Ronyn seemed ready to ask how that would ever work but Odette stopped him, stepping forward and holding out a hand to see the eye drops for herself. "Where did you get these?"

    The apothecary hesitated. "My usual suppliers."

    They saw right through him. Merlin narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure you did not get it from someone else?"

    Realising his accusing tone, the apothecary stood up straighter, offended. "Of course, I am sure," he bristled. "And if it is all the same to you, I would like to get some sleep."

   "It was Aredian who gave you the belladonna, yes?" Adelynn refused to let him leave, staring the man down with an unusual sharpness about her.  

   He stared, taken aback▬but quickly shook his head and shuffled on his feet, trying to get away. "I do not know what you speak of."

    "I would be careful, sir," Ronyn stopped him once again, reaching out and hovering his hand in front of his chest. "Right now, there is an innocent man at threat of execution tomorrow, and your lies are condemning him to a death he does not deserve."

    The apothecary glowered at them. "This has nothing to do with me▬"

    "This has everything to do with you!" snapped Merlin. "Aredian's witnesses saw visions. Visions produced by the belladonna in these eye drops! If we can prove this, we have a chance of saving Gaius."

    "Gaius?" breathed the apothecary, recognising the name of a physician who was well-beloved by everyone in this city. Hearing the name of a man who has purchased things from him too many times to count, his anger sobered. 

    He sighed, shame starting to eat away at him. He looked down at his feet. "He forced me to sell it," admitted the apothecary. "He▬He said he would kill me if I said anything to anyone."

    "It was him?" whispered Guinevere. "It was Aredian?"

    The apothecary nodded. "Yes. It was him."

    She sighed and grasped the apothecary's hands in her relief. "Thank you," she blessed.

    "You will be safe," Ronyn made sure to promise the man as they prepared to leave. He grasped his shoulder. "The Witchfinder will not harm you, you have my word."

    Then he threw the hood of his cloak back over his head and followed Odette, Guinevere, Merlin and Adelynn back out into the freezing cold. 

    When they returned to the physician's chambers, Merlin was on the move. With the tincture and the belladonna in his hands, he grabbed the botany book and readied himself to leave. "That is it," he told them as Ronyn was still stepping in through the door. "We have everything we need."

    "Wait, wait, Merlin▬" Odette rushed over to his side to stop him, her heart pounding. It had been a frantic few hours, and dawn was approaching very soon, but they couldn't rush this. "Stop. We have to think about this."

    "Think about what?" he tucked the book under his arm. "There is nothing more to think about, Odette, we have to go to the King▬"

    "She is right, Merlin," Ronyn spoke up, closing the door behind him and marching over. "So far, all you have is a flower petal, eye drops and the word of a lowborn apothecary. Uther will not call that evidence▬especially from a servant."

    "Well, then you speak to him▬" Merlin shoved the book and evidence into Ronyn's arms.

    "It is not that simple," stressed Lord Vecentia. "Against magic, we have to build a strong case against Aredian for Uther to believe us. If I were to bring this to him, I would be laughed out of Court!"

    "We do not have a choice!" let out Merlin, raising his voice. "By dawn, Gaius will be dead!"

    "Merlin," Adelynn held up her hands, a little breathless from running. He met her gaze and she gave him a look that told him to take a breath. "I know this is dire, but we have only one chance at this," she reasoned with him. "We need to give Uther something he cannot deny▬something not even Aredian can talk his way out of."

    Merlin sighed, closing his eyes and wanting to throw something. But they were right▬he understood that. He hated it, but he knew they needed more. Noticing, Guinevere reached out and squeezed his arm. 

    "We will find more, Merlin," she promised. "We still have time."

    He froze, a thought occurring to him. An idea▬a crazy, brilliant idea. Without explaining himself, the young warlock marched for the door. "I will be as quick as I can."

    "Wait, what are you▬?" Ronyn held up his hands, trying to keep up, "Stop, Merlin▬"

    But he was already gone, leaving the chamber door swinging open behind him. 

    Ronyn sighed and threw his head up towards the ceiling. "Lord have mercy..."

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    ODETTE COULDN'T SLEEP, even if she wanted to. Her mind was racing as she waited for Merlin to return, staring out the window and awaiting the sunrise with dread in her heart. The morning was going to give her one of two outcomes▬the death of a man who was the closest thing Odette had to a father or a second chance at life. The scales could tip either way, and that was the harsh truth of reality▬Odette was starting to see that now. Nothing was always perfect with happily ever after, no matter how much she wanted it to be. 

    Adelynn had been the first and only one out of them to fall asleep▬and none of them blamed her. It was exhausting▬the last few days have been mentally exhausting for all of them. Odette watched as Ronyn returned from Merlin's room and draped a blanket over his sister's shoulders▬a touching, warm-hearted moment amongst the dread. She tried to act as if she couldn't see Ronyn squeeze Guinevere's shoulder who looked close to falling asleep herself. 

    Lord Vecentia took a deep breath and then approached Odette. She pursed her lips, silent as he sat down on the floor beside her, their backs against the stone wall and their gazes fixed on the window opposite. 

    "Could use some of that rising sun hope right now," mused Ronyn gently, trying to keep the tone light between them▬but there was no hiding how heavy the air was in the physician's chambers right now. 

    Odette shook her head, eyes not leaving the window. "What good would it do?" she whispered.

    Taken aback by her response, for a moment, Ronyn didn't know what to say. He had never known nothing but the promise of hope come from Odette▬he admittedly searched for it, as did all of them. There was nothing more uplifting than hope from a girl who had lost so much. It was the best type of faith there was. 

    "All the good in the world," said Ronyn, voice soft with surprise. At the way Odette hung her gaze, Lord Vecentia tilted his head. "What changed, Odette? Usually, you are the most stubborn when it comes to never giving up."

    "I am not giving up," said Odette quickly, defensive. "I am just ..." she hesitated. She returned her gaze to the window. "Preparing myself for the worst."

    Ronyn remembered the girl who had stayed at Merlin's bedside when he was at death's door, and even then, she had been so determined that Arthur would return with the cure that no one was able to tell her otherwise. This was not that girl.

    "Gaius is going to be okay," he told her and she finally met his gaze, tearful. "Why lose faith in the sunrise before it has even arrived?"

    She swallowed hard. "Because fighting it is a losing battle. No matter what," she whispered, "it will come to be, and there is nothing we can do to stop it."

    Ronyn frowned. "Who said we are fighting the sunrise?" he asked and her gaze softened. "I am most certainly not. The sunrise brings a new day, and with every new day, we keep on living and moving forward. We cannot change or control the past, but we can make a difference in the day as we follow the sun into the night. Then, we get up the next day and do it all over again. We make change and we control our destinies, with every breath we take as long as we live. The sunrise is what guides us to do so, it is not our enemy." He locked her gaze, determined. "We will save Gaius, okay?"

    A tear shed down Odette's cheek. She nodded and quickly wiped it away. "I never realised you were so inspiring," she tried to joke.

    Ronyn chuckled, shrugging it off. She smiled. "I am simply passing on what you have taught me."

    Her smile grew into something tender and delicate▬so very gentle. She suddenly remembered the days when they were kids▬running around and causing all sorts of chaos and ruckus▬and couldn't help but think of how far they had come. "Stay until the sun rises?" she asked in a voice barely louder than a whisper. 

    Lord Vecentia smiled. "You think you have to ask?"

    And so, together, they sat there and waited for the sun to rise. Merlin was still yet to return when evidence of the dawn slowly began to creep through the window; bars of sunlight brightened the dark shadows of the chambers and touched the toes of Odette's shoes. 

    She stood up and felt her breath hitch▬the time had arrived, and Merlin was still not back.

    Adelynn stirred awake at the gentle caress of sunlight, rubbing her eyes and absentmindedly wrapping the blanket around her shoulders tighter. Guinevere stood up as well from where she sat at the table▬she began to pace, chewing at the inside of her cheek and fiddling with her fingers. 

    A crowd was already starting to form in the citadel courtyard when Merlin finally returned, racing into the chambers and looking quite breathless. Odette spun around, her heart starting to pound once again. Ronyn stood at her shoulder, waiting for an explanation with bated breath.

    Guinevere rushed over to him. "Merlin!" she exclaimed. "Where have you been?!"

    "It is done!" he announced, marching to where their pile of evidence sat on the table. "Everything is in place."

    "But we cannot go to the King now," stressed Adelynn and Merlin frowned, confused. "Gaius has already left the dungeons▬it is too late!"

    "No," Odette and Ronyn joined them. The young handmaiden shook her head and missed the glimpse of pride in Lord Vecentia's eyes when he recognised some of her old stubborn, hopeful determination return. "No, I refuse to believe it is too late. There must be something we can do▬Perhaps delay the execution?"

    "But how?" 

    Merlin snapped his fingers▬at this point, desperate for any idea he could think of. "Arthur. I will speak to Arthur▬"

    But before he could run off yet again, Odette held out her hand. "No," she stopped him, and he spun to face her, taken aback. She took a deep breath and nodded, determined. "Leave Arthur to me."

    This time, it was she who ran off without another word. 

    Odette grabbed her skirts to help her run faster, taking a shortcut through the servants' hallways and down the winding, narrow staircases to come out through the door into the courtyard. She heard the pounding of the drums and the echoes of the castle bell▬the dreadful sounds of death. 

    She stood on her toes, trying to see past the growing crowd that surrounded the pyre in the centre of the courtyard. Odette snuck her way past the guards, her heart stuck in her throat. But her blood was pumping with a fresh sense of adrenaline that made her shake a little with urgency. 

    The jeers from the people barely crossed her mind as she searched for Arthur in the crowd. Guards stood attentive at the base of the pyre, rigid and still▬she couldn't begin to understand what that must feel like; to stand guard and be ordered not to leave their position as a man was burned alive.

    Odette held her breath when she saw Gaius. The crowd had parted as an iron cage was carted through the sea of people. Inside, like some beast or animal, was Gaius▬chained to the iron bars of his moving prison. For a moment, she faltered, watching in horror as Gaius was pulled through the jeering crowd. Some of them threw rotten fruit at him, pointing fingers and yelling horrific things▬horrible things. 

     She swallowed the lump in her throat, refusing to break into tears and focused on trying to stop this. She took a deep breath and climbed up onto the well, searching the crowd. And then she saw him. The sunlight always seemed to be drawn to him; his golden hair kissed by the sunrise.

    Odette leapt off the well and started to slip her way through the crowd. She lightly pushed and shoved, murmuring pleading apologies of: "Excuse me, sorry," and, "Sorry, I have to get through▬" Most of them moved without a glance at her, not even noticing. Others she had to push a little harder until they let her through with a scoff and dirty look.

    Above, on the parapet, at the sight of Gaius being dragged out of his cage, the King couldn't stay▬he turned and left, not able to stay and watch his old friend be executed. 

    "Easy there!" Arthur snapped at the Witchfinder as he dragged Gaius to the pyre, stiff and rigid▬fighting the urge to step in and brandish his sword; to stop all of this. "Show some respect!"

    It was silly▬what sorcerer deserved respect? But this was Gaius. 

    None of this felt right.

    Odette ducked to the side to avoid the guards at the front of the crowd and continued to sneak her way to Arthur. Meanwhile, Aredian pulled Gaius by the collar of his shirt up onto the pyre. He had no strength left in him to fight back as he was tied to the centre. 

    "Arthur!" the young handmaiden called to the Prince as she neared the front. She cared little for the estranged looks she was sent. She shoved past the last pair of shoulders to be at his side. "Arthur▬"

    At the sound of her voice, the Prince frowned. He spun to her and even though he heard her voice, still jumped a little in surprise to find her right there at his shoulder. "Odette?" he let out. "What are you▬?" he glanced around, checking to see if any of the guards had seen her. 

    "Arthur▬" she tried to grab his attention, desperate. 

    "You should not be here," he cut her off, stern and protective. He grabbed her shoulder and tried to guide her back into the crowd▬quick before she would have to witness horrors no lady should see. "You need to get out of here▬"

    "No▬" she fought against his grip, stubborn. Odette planted her feet against the stone and scowled up into his gaze. "No, I will not leave▬"

    He grew frustrated with her very quickly. "Odette▬"

    "No," she shoved his hand away. "Arthur, listen to me. You have to stop this!"

    Arthur glanced briefly at the pyre, torn between his morals and his father's law. He grabbed her arm gently again, still searching for a way to get her out of here before it was too late. He wouldn't meet her gaze, and she knew why. If he did, then his morals would win over whatever his father had to say. "I cannot, Odette," he said regrettably. "You know I cannot."

    "But we have proof that Gaius is innocent!" she tried, tugging on his doublet subtly to try and grab his full attention. Around them, the drums grew louder. The torches were passed to the centre. 

    "My father has already passed sentence," The Prince told her, forcing a stern tone onto the edge of his tongue. She stared at him in disbelief. "There is nothing I can do, now, head back inside▬" he crossed his arms, trying to push her away. "This is no place for a lady▬you should not have to watch this▬"

    Odette angrily tugged at his sleeve again. "There is something you can do," she said, not backing down. "You can do the right thing, Arthur Pendragon!"

    Finally, he looked at her, her tone startling him.

    She took a shaky breath, not looking away. "You told me once that a King is a leader who is fair and just. Is this how you wish to govern your laws one day, Arthur? By turning a blind eye and letting an innocent man die? Or showing some faith in a loyal friend?"

    "He confessed▬"

    "He was set up!" she snapped, and Arthur swallowed back the rest of what he wished to say. Odette stepped closer to him. "Arthur," she whispered for only him to hear. "I know you do not want this, and I know you do not want to defy your father▬but you are not your father. Listen to your heart, not your pride."

     Arthur didn't say anything once she finished. He just stared at her▬in that way he always did when she stunned him to silence, and she was over it. They were running out of time. "Stop looking at me like that," she scolded him. "I know I am only a servant, so do not patronise me. You are a future King, Arthur Pendragon▬when will you start behaving like one?!"

    The Prince stammered, unable to speak against her words▬truth was, because Odette was right. She was always right, it was infuriating▬but deep down, she was only saying the words Arthur himself was too scared to say; too scared to admit. She was braver than him, in the face of a lot of things.

    He glanced at the pyre, his heart racing. He hitched his breath, torn between the consequences of two decisions; feeling as though he held the power of life and death in his hands, and he hated it. He hated this power. 

    Arthur watched Aredian light the torch for the entire courtyard to see, holding it up to the heavens▬showcasing it to the Lord, as if expecting Him to praise the work he was about to do in His name. It sickened Arthur to the stomach.

    The Witchfinder turned to the pyre. Gaius took a deep breath and closed his eyes, accepting his fate.

    That was the Prince's last straw.

    The Witchfinder lowered the flame and Arthur yelled: "Wait▬!"

    The confused silence and anger hung around him like a sudden hot wind in the cold, harsh winter. The Witchfinder glowered at him, filled with a furious surprise at his command, but he did not defy it.

    Odette couldn't help the smug smirk on her lips. 

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    THE THRONE ROOM was cold and tense. The Witchfinder did not appreciate being forced in front of the King with accusations against him, but no matter his scoffs, the King▬who seemed very eager to hear anything that might prove in favour of his old friend's innocence▬accepted the hearing and called upon the court and their witnesses as soon as possible. Lord Vecentia was not deterred by the Witchfinder's scowl. As a highborn, he took it upon himself to vouch for Merlin, Odette and Guinevere and addressed the Court with a confidence not easily wavered. 

    "Sire," said Ronyn, standing before the King, "I have sound opinion to declare that Aredian's witnesses, saw nothing but hallucinations induced by the belladonna in these eye drops▬" he held out the tincture for the King and all of his Court to see. "Hallucinations that the so-called Witchfinder used to force the confession out of an innocent man simply so he could get paid."

    Aredian crossed his arms, scoffing lightly under his breath. Odette stood with Guinevere and Merlin, watching on as Ronyn approached the King, bowing his hand as he passed over the tincture▬she was on the edge of her toes, biting her lip in anticipation. 

    The King evaluated the tincture as a few soft murmurs echoed throughout the court. From her seat, the Lady Morgana's eyes widened. She glanced at Arthur who stayed nonchalant, staring the Witchfinder down.

    Uther Pendragon pursed his lips and glanced over at the three young women who still looked quite frightened after their ordeal▬though they all stared at the belladonna tincture with a soft gasp of realisation. "And you bought this belladonna from this man?" he gestured to the apothecary standing opposite them. 

    They all nodded.

    The King frowned at the apothecary. "And where did you get it from?" 

    He hesitated, glancing back at Guinevere who subtly nodded in encouragement. The King noticed. "Do not be afraid. No harm will come to you here."

    The apothecary pursed his lips but took a shaky breath and answered: "The Witchfinder," he nodded at Aredian who set his jaw. "He gave them to me."

    "Did he tell you what it was for?"

    "No," said the apothecary. "Only that if I did not sell it, he would have me burnt at the stake."

    Gasps filled the room. 

    The King turned to the Witchfinder, gripping the vial tightly. "How do you answer to these accusations?"

    Aredian scoffed once more, chuckling in the face of the Courts' horror. "They are absurd!" he said. He fixed his gaze on Ronyn. "Lord Vecentia has clearly lost sight of reason, believing the word of a serving boy so desperate to save his master, he has concocted lies."

    Ronyn stood up straighter, bristling a little at the insult. Merlin gritted his teeth and blurted out without thinking: "Then you will not mind if we search your chamber▬?"

    "Silence!" snapped the King and Merlin set his jaw, swelling up in his fury. "You have no authority here!"

    At this point, Arthur stepped forward. "Father," he held out a calming hand to Uther, making his way down the steps. "Let us settle this one and for all," he offered, coming to stand beside Ronyn. Odette's frown softened when he passed her, and she hid her small proud smile. "If what they say is wrong, then they must bear the consequences. But▬" he crossed his arms, glancing at Ronyn, "▬if there is some truth in what they say..."

    Both of them faced the Witchfinder, awaiting his answer. Guinevere chewed on the inside of her cheek, eager to watch Aredian's empire fall. Odette and Merlin held their breaths. 

    At last, the Witchfinder clenched his jaw and announced: "I have nothing to hide."

    Watching Aredian's belongings get thrown about and knocked over carelessly inside his chambers was something Ronyn knew would be satisfying, but he never realised just how much. He stood with Merlin, kept company by two guards as the rest of them ransacked the entire room▬they tossed aside the Witchfinder's papers, overturned his ink and upturned the chairs. 

    "You are wasting your time!" grumbled Aredian, but Arthur just got more absurd with the orders he made▬even the most unnecessary places he had the guards look, just to get on the Witchfinder's nerves. 

    "The cupboard over there," he gestured across the room, and beside Ronyn, Merlin's breath hitched▬doing his best to hide his excitement. 

    One guard marched to the intricate cupboard on the other end of the chamber. He pulled it open and just like that, hundreds of jewelled bracelets▬just like the one found in Gaius's chambers▬fell out into a pile at the guards's feet, revealing fully stocked shelves of belladonna tincture behind it. The Witchfinder stood up straighter and even he could not hide the look of absolute shock on his face. 

    Morgana, who stood beside the King, gasped at the sound▬they all stared at the excessive pile, bewildered. Ronyn couldn't believe his eyes▬how could the Witchfinder be so amateur when it came to hiding such incriminating evidence? How did he fit all of those bracelets in the cupboard? It was as if they had just ... appeared out of thin air▬a coincidence that worked so well in their favour, Ronyn wasn't prepared to question it. 

    "What?" exclaimed the Witchfinder, stumbling forward. He pointed at the cupboard and the bracelets on the floor, his throat closing up in his pure shock. "These things do not belong to me!" his voice sounded like it was stuck in the back of his throat. "This is a trick! A▬" he coughed, spluttering in fury. "That boy▬" he pointed at Merlin, "▬plots against me!"

    Arthur rested his hand on the hilt of his weapon. Aredian spun to the King, frantic. "This is▬this is absurd▬" he coughed again. "This▬this is▬this▬" he coughed again, though this time more violently. Ronyn jumped, his face turning up at the way the Witchfinder spluttered and hawked. 

    He suddenly wheezed, doubling over. 

    "Uh..." Ronyn shared an estranged look with Morgana. 

    The Witchfinder grasped at his throat, stumbling as he continued to cough. He heaved and spluttered▬he looked then lurched forward and Arthur drew his sword. But he did not move, instead staring as when Aredian tried to retch, something green and very slimy started to force its way out of his mouth.

    Ronyn swore. He couldn't help it. He hunched up, disgusted.

    Because from the Witchfinder's mouth, leapt a large, and very alive, toad.

    It landed on the stone, shook out its slimy legs, and with a low, ribbiting croon, hopped away. 

    Uther was almost too shocked to speak. He pointed a finger at the Witchfinder and stammered: "S▬Sorcerer!"

    It took a moment for the guards and Arthur to rush forward. They were a moment too slow. Aredian recovered quickly from his sudden 'Illness of the Toad' and sprung on the Lady Morgana. She screamed when he tugged her close and pressed a knife at her neck. Everyone froze. 

    Ronyn drew his sword as well, his heart twisting with fear as the Witchfinder backed to the window with Morgana locked in his grasp.

    The King held out his blade, too. "Aredian," he began, his voice low and dangerous, "think carefully about what you are doing. You will never escape from Camelot alive."

    The Witchfinder's back pressed against the window. "I will if you value the life of your Ward, hmm?"

    The strangest thing happened.

    (Yes, even stranger than the toad).

    With no flame, and in the freezing chill of winter, the hilt of Aredian's dagger suddenly began to glow with heat▬so hot it turned white and smoke curled from his palm. He yelled in pain, throwing it away and stumbling back. He hit the glass of the window. It shattered.

    They ran to the tower window, but there was nothing they could do. Aredian's screams faded away to nothing. All that was left, was his broken body on the cobblestone below. 

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    a/n: sorry if this chapter feels a little rushed, i do have two 2000 word research things to try and do this arvo, but i also was like, nah, lets procrastinate and get this chapter done so here we are. 

    i love the witchfinder episode tbh hahaha, i wish i could have written it better - especially the relationship between odette and gaius, but i'm not perfect, and i've been struggling with motivation overall recently. I'm starting to get it back, so i am just happy with what i've come up with. 

    next chapter ... oh dear god, its the true beginning of the end. 

    if people are still reading this, and if you're one of those people who hasn't watched the tv show and are just following along with this fic, there's nothing i can say except buckle up. the next episode/few chapters are gonna be sad ones. 

    still figuring out what i'm gonna do with 2x09 lol. it might just be a single, filler chapter just because odette would barely be in the episode, but i also don't want to completely skip over merlin's development from it. 

    (minimal editing)