Gwen was sleeping in his arms when they finally arrived at Gaius's quarters. Arthur could not help but look upon her adoringly as he watched her breathe deeply, her face filled with such peace. He was not blind. He had seen the way she had been acting the past few months: trying to stay cheeful even though he could see that there was pain and emptiness in her eyes. He was not a fool, he knew deep down that it was because of him, but he also thought that a great deal of her pain had been because of Lancelot leaving.

Arthur gritted his teeth. Even thinking that name made him want to punch a hole through the wall. Arthur had admired him once because of how he was so...noble and chivalrous, but he had no idea that the man was using that to try and win over Guinevere! The nerve of him, and then to go and throw that away by walking away while she was sleeping, not even having the courage to tell her face-to-face that he was leaving her with a broken heart. He had wanted to tear the man's face off, but he couldn't, and he couldn't comfort her. He had already royally screwed things up with her by telling her she would never be accepted and then letting his pride get the better of him when Lancelot had asked why he had gone through such great lengths to save her from Hengist's men. He didn't even want to get started on the women he had been forced to court right in front of her. He couldn't bear to hurt her more by trying to offer her something that he was not absolutely sure he could give. He knew that she deserved more than that.

After engraving the image of her peaceful face into his brain, the crowned prince sighed before shifting her in his arms so that he could reach up and knock on the door. He could hear soft voices sounding from behind the wooden doorway before the door opened a crack and he saw his half-witted servant's eyes suddenly appear before him. The brown eyes first looked up into Arthur's stern face before widening as they flicked down to Gwen's slumbering form.

Opening the door wide, the brown-haired man frowned and looked up at Arthur accusingly. “What did you do to Gwen?” he commanded as if he were the prince rather than the servant.

Pursing his lips, Arthur forced himself to bite back the cold retort that he had grown accustomed to throwing at Merlin whenever he said something stupid. Should it have been any other situation, he would have, but for Gwen's sake, he decided that he would be civil to the baffoon because he knew that the young man cared for Gwen a great deal as well.

“I didn't doanything to her, Merlin, she just twisted her ankle,” Arthur replied curtly. “Now, are you going to just stand there like a statue, or are you going to help me with her?”

Stepping away from the doorway, Merlin gestured for Arthur to come in, though he still looked upon Arthur with doubt. He was the only one that knew of Arthur's feelings for Gwen, so he had a reason to be suspicious, but that didn't mean that it didn't irritate Arthur more than anything.

As Arthur carried Gwen in, Gaius appeared from one of the back rooms. “Sire!” he cried out upon seeing Arthur with the sleeping handmaiden in his arms.

“She's fine. She just fell asleep on the way here, but I believe that she hurt her ankle. I was hoping that you would be able to help her,” he said solemnly, still clutching Gwen close to him.

“Of course, of course,” Gaius said softly. “You can lay her down on the spare cot in Merlin's room.”

Nodding, Arthur walked up the stairs to his manservant's room, but he hesitated as he gazed down at the cot. Looking down at Gwen, he found himself hesitant to let her go. He enjoyed having her this close to him, feeling her breath on his chin, her skin against his. He liked watching her sleep, watching her while she was at peace. He knew that he wouldn't be able to continue watching her when he let her go. It would be too suspicious even if Gaius already knew how he felt about Gwen. He just couldn't risk it.

Sighing heavily, Arthur bent down and gently settled her onto the cot. She stirred as he started to pulled his arms out from under her, making him pause as he held his breath, afraid to wake her. She did not wake. Instead, she rolled over so that her back was to him before she fell back into deep slumber. Arthur could not help but feel somewhat sorrowful at the loss of her warmth against him. He was suddenly tempted to pull her back into his arms and run with her to a place where no one would be able to tell him that he couldn't have her, or judge him for wanting to be with her more than anyone else, or take her away from him. He wanted to take her to a place where he could push his pride aside and tell her how much he really cared for her, a place that...would never exist while his father was still on the throne. There was no use dreaming of such a place when he knew that it was so impossible. It would only make the pain more unbearable for him.

Slowly standing up straight, Arthur let out another sigh before he turned around to leave. He found himself stopping abruptly, however, as he nearly bumped heads with his servant, who had been standing right behind him the entire time.

“Gods, Merlin! Why are you just standing there like that? Shouldn't you be helping Gaius or something?” Arthur demanded with a mixture of anger and shock.

“Gaius went to make the salve for Gwen's ankle,” Merlin said solemnly as he looking into Arthur's face, not the least bit daunted by the prince's anger. “What I want to know is how she twisted her ankle again and how that happened,” he said, gazing pointedly towards her.

Furrowing his brow in confusion, Arthur turned his head and looked back at Gwen trying to see what Merlin was talking about. He did not see anything right away, just her back, but then suddenly his eyes flicked down and he caught sight of the large tear at the back of her skirt, a large piece ripped right off.

Turning back towards Merlin, Arthur looked into his manservant's face to find him staring back at him with anger, an anger that was directed right at him. He had never seen so much anger in the young man's eyes before and found himself almost caught off guard. Generally, he would have just snapped at Merlin for being so foolish, but the thought of Merlin thinking him capable of hurting Gwen made his stomach suddenly feel like a big ball of goo. He, alone, knew of how strongly Arthur felt for Gwen, and so he should have been able to understand that he was the last person in the world that would wish to harm her.

“I never saw that before,” he replied candidly. “I do know that she was being chased by someone, though. She told me that someone was chasing her. It must have been them. She was frightened when she ran into me, nearly hysterical, but I didn't see anyone when I looked.”

Merlin looked upon him doubtfully. “So you're saying she was chased by a ghost?”

“Don't be ridiculous, Merlin!” Arthur snapped. “I'm just saying that whomever attacked her must have seen me and run away before I could see them.”

“Who would want to attack Gwen?” Merlin demanded as he continued to look at Arthur with his lips pursed.

“How am I supposed to know?” Arthur cried out. “All I know is that whoever it is is going to pay as soon as I get my hands on them, and I'm not going to do that standing here trying to convince you that it wasn't me who hurt her in the first place, even if you-of all people-should know better!” He had not realized he had raised his voice until he heard a groan sound from behind him and looked back to see Gwen once again stirring.

“What's going on in here?” Gaius questioned, suddenly appearing with the newly concocted salve in his hands. He looked up at Arthur glaring at Merlin with a frown. “Forgive me, Sire, but if you wish to reprimand Merlin, I would hope that you would do it elsewhere. I do not wish for Gwen to be awakened,” he whispered as he gestured to Gwen who had fallen back to sleep.

“Yes, of course, Gaius,” Arthur said with a nod, stepping aside to allow the man to get to Gwen. As soon as Gaius had walked by and had his back to them, Arthur reached out and wrapped his arm roughly around Merlin's neck, pulling him into a headlock. He dragged him out of the room, ignoring his painful protests, and down the steps. He kept walking until he had walked out the door and into the darkness of night.

“Ow! Why did you do that for?” Merlin cried out when Arthur had finally let him go.

“I know that you've already jumped to your own conclusions about what happened, so out with it! Tell me what you think happened since you're so brilliant!” Arthur commanded through clenched teeth.

“Well, you have to admit that it looked awkward seeing you carrying in an unconscious Gwen with her skirt looking like an animal had been at it,” Merlin said quietly, his voice no longer angry but filled with uncertainty. “I thought that you hurt her because of what happened with Lancelot.”

Arthur looked into Merlin's eyes sternly. “Do you think that he would really make me want to hurt her, Merlin? Do you think that I'm really that selfish that I would hurt Gwen just because I believed she had fallen in love with another man?” he demanded, his voice now filled more with hurt than with anger.

“Look, I know now that you didn't do it-”

“Well, it's good to see that you're not a complete baffoon!” Arthur cut in coolly.

Merlin sighed. “Gwen has just been through a lot, lately. First she loses her father, then you, then Lancelot,” he said, his voice now filled with concern. “I just don't like seeing her get hurt all of the itme. She has already been looking down these past few months, especially with the women that your father has been trying to force you into marrying. Whatever happened to her tonight, she didn't deserve it.”

Rolling his eyes, Arthur scowled. “I know that, Merlin! That's why I want to head back to the castle to scour ever inch of it, looking for whoever did this to her,” he said testily. “And when I find them, I'm going to make them regret that they ever tried to harm her.” His fists were now clenched and his eyes were filled with such a solemn rage but considering that it was not aimed at him but rather at those who had hurt his friend, Merlin was somewhat pleased.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Merlin offered, his goofy grin returning to his face. “I want to make whoever did this to her to pay, too. I could help you.”

Placing his hand on the young man's shoulders, Arthur sighed. “No, you're needed here,” he said quietly. “You have to watch over her and make sure that whoever tried to get her at the castle doesn't try to get her here. If I could, I'd send every knight I had to come here and watch over her, but I can't even send one here without it looking suspicious to my father. That means that there's only you and Gaius to protect her.”

Merlin nodded eagerly. “Yeah...right. I'll guard her here,” he said, hesitating for a moment before looking back up at Arthur. “Will you be okay...you know, without me?” he then asked, feeling uneasy about Arthur facing a possible threat without him close by to save him if things got too rough.

“And what would you do if you were coming, Merlin? Swing a broom at the attacker?” Arthur questioned him mockingly. He then rolled his eyes as he realized that he was being rude again. “What I mean to say is...I'll be fine. Just make sure you take care of Guinevere.”

“Right. I'll do that,” Merlin replied with another nod, his grin turning into a smirk at the influence Gwen was beginning to have on the crown prince. “I'll go back in right now.”

“That would be a generally good idea,” Arthur said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the simpleton he had for a servant. He watched as the stringy man started for the door before calling out to him. “And Merlin?”

Merlin paused. turning his head to look at the prince over his shoulder. “Yes?”

“Whatever happens, please, just make sure you keep her safe,” he stated softly, the first time his voice had ever been so tender while addressing him. “You know how much she means to me.”

She was wandering down the path from the castle on her way home. Morgana had gone to sleep early and that meant that she was able to go home early as well. Though she had failed to see anyone in the castle while she was walking out, she had really thought nothing of it, thinking that the guards were still in the midst of changing while the other servants had already gone home for the night. She ignored the way the hairs on the back of her neck were standing straight up and the way her flesh was covered with goose bumps. Pulling her shawl tighter around her, she held up her lamp higher and merely quickened her steps down the empty road to her home.

When she entered the doorway of her little house, Gwen let out a large breath that she had not even been aware that she had been holding in. Placing the lamp on the table next to the doorway, she moved to remove her shawl when she suddenly found herself go completely still. She felt a sudden draft from behind her that chilled her down to the very bone, and ever so faintly, she heard a soft whisper. 'Guinevere,' it said.

Suddenly recollection seemed to dawn on her of a similar situation, one that she had barely escaped from before. Gwen abruptly felt a strong sense of dread. Though she somehow already knew that she wouldn't like what was behind her, she slowly turned around. Standing in the far corner of the room, just outside of the boundaries of the ball of light that was coming from her little lamp was the creature that had attacked her in the castle. Her face was still hidden by her dark tresses that still blew around her by the magical wind, her eyes being the only seen feature, and they were still as black as ever. Regardless of the fact that her little flame was fairly strong and still held a fairly wide circle, Gwen felt like the distance between them was still too close for comfort.

'Guinevere,' the creature spoke, though her lips did not appear to be moving. It seemed to sound right inside of her head, making Gwen wince as it sounded like the cries of a thousand screaming children when she spoke her name. It was so different from the other voice that always made her name sound more like a prayer rather than a curse. “You are the one, Guinevere, the one who will set me free,' the creature continued.

Pressing her back against her door, Gwen shook her head. “This isn't real,” she chanted to herself as she closed her eyes. “You're not really here. This is just a dream,” she tried to tell herself.

'Don't be foolish, Guinevere,' the woman spoke. Gwen opened her eyes to find herself staring straight into the face of the morbid creature. She had gotten closer with the light already beginning to fade. 'Though this is a dream and my power's are weak, I am still powerful enough to pass through the barriers into your pathetic thoughts. I shall have you as mine, and there is no way you can stop it.'

“Why me? Why do you want me?”Gwen demanded, her eyes glistening with tears that refused to fall, even now.

The creature gazed at the lamp and just like the torches in the castle, the flames faded and suddenly, Gwen found herself completely surrounded by black. The creature moved upon her slowly, the shadows that cloaked her slowly moving to surround Gwen. The maidservant was shaking. She did not have the ability to scream because of how petrified she was. She was only able to stand and stare at her death as it grew closer...and closer.

Just as she felt her end to be near, the she-creature suddenly stopped. 'It is because of this that you are the perfect instrument, Guinevere,' she said as she suddenly reached out and placed her palm against Gwen's chest. The handmaiden nearly screamed as it felt like someone had placed a handful of snow upon her breast, but she dared not even make a sound as she continued to gaze up into the face of her attacker. 'Your heart is strong, and yet it feels that with each beat, there is pain...such blissful pain. There is so much power in that pain, I can sense it.'

The unfelt wind that blew around the woman's head suddenly grew stronger, this time blowing the raven tresses away from the woman's face. Gwen wished that she could become a part of the door to get away from what she was seeing. She found herself face to face with a corpse whose face looked as though it may have been beautiful many years before, but was now terrifying and...dead. It was a sight that Gwen knew she would have nightmares of if she was allowed to ever dream again. It almost made her wiling to accept the end if it meant that she would no longer have to look upon that face.

Gwen suddenly found herself screaming at the top of her lungs as she suddenly felt the most intense pain that she had ever felt in her entire life, coursing through her body. It was emanating from the cold palm on her chest, right above her heart. The hand that had felt like ice before suddenly felt like it was setting her entire body on fire, making her cry out with pain. Squeezing her eyes shut, she waited-wanted- for the end to come already, but it seemd like each second that past was more like an eternity. Opening her eyes, she half-expected to see her entire body covered in flames, but instead, she merely found that her body was still the same, only the hand on her breast was beginnning to glow, a dull-blue glow. All the while, she was still screaming.

“Gwen!”

Through her screams, she could hear the sound of her name being called though it sounded faint and far away. She knew that it sounded familiar but the pain and the fear that was gripping her would not let her remember.

“Gwen, wake up!”

The voice sounded urgent, and Gwen could swear that the name of the owner was at the tip of her tongue. It was someone she cared for, someone she trusted, but the pain of what she was being inflicted with was still too strong for her to recollect it.

“Gwen, open your eyes! Gwen!”

The voice was growing closer. It was Merlin! Merlin was near. She could almost smell feel his presence in the midst of all of the blackness. Now, she knew who it was, and she felt that if she could just cry out his name, she would be okay.

'No!' the creature screamed, her face suddenly contorted with rage, making it appear even more hideous than it had been before. 'No, I'm almost done! NO!' but suddenly, the creature's hand retracted as if it was pushed away from Gwen's chest by some unseen force. It was then that Gwen caught sight of the mark on the woman's arm that she had not seen before. It was a symbol-the symbol of a triangle with a circle around it, the circle being the pupil of a large eye on the her wrist. Gwen could have sworn that she had seen it before, but she could not recolect wherel, her relief too great at no longer being able to feel the pain that the woman was inflicing upon her, and also because of the way Merlin's voice was growing louder, sounding closer.

“Gwen, if you can hear me, wake up!”

“Merlin!” Gwen screamed at the top of her lungs, squeezing her eyes shut to look away from the anger-filled face of her undead attacker. “Merlin!”

Gwen suddenly felt firm hands grasp her shoulders, and when she opened her eyes again, she found herself no longer in her home but in a well-lit room that seemed very familiar. She looked up to find herself staring up into the eyes of her closest and dearest friend. It was his hands that were on her shoulder. Apparently, he had been trying to shake her awake. Standing behind him, but still close by was Gaius. Both were looking upon her with concern and worry in their eyes. She realized that she was in Merlin's room.

Not even thinking, Gwen sat up and wrapped her arms around Merlin, her breaths heavy as she gasped for air. She squeezed him as hard as she could, needing to tell herself that he was really there. She was trembling as she held him, her heart pounding so loud in her ears that she almost didn't hear Gaius's low voice as it spoke to her.

“You were screaming, Gwen,” he said solemnly. “You were screaming like you were in terrible pain, and no matter what Merlin did, you wouldn't wake up.”

Pulling away from Merlin, Gwen looked up into his face and then into Gaius's. “I dreamed of the woman who attacked me in the castle,” she said, her voice shaking as she continued to tremble. “Except, she wasn't a woman-at least not anymore. She said that I was the one who was going to set her free, and she said it was because of my heart-at least I think it was my heart, because then she put her hand right over it. That's when I started to scream. It was so...painful...and it made me feel like she was...” she dropped off as she felt tears begin to fill her eyes at the hopelessness she had felt as well as the pain that had seared through her entire body. Instinctly, she raised her hand up to the place where the woman had placed her hand, and suddenly she found herself wincing at the pain she felt when she touched it. There was real pain.

“What in the heavens?” Gaius cried out, watching her wince. He pushed Merlin gently aside as he knelt down and moved her hand away from the spot that she had touched. Gwen watched as the old man's eyes suddenly grew wide before he rose again, backing away from her as if he were afraid.

Merlin looked at Gaius before returning his eyes back to Gwen. Leaning in closer, he reached out and inspected the place where Gaius had been looking, and Gwen watched as his eyes, too, suddenly grew wide. Immediately, she became frightened again.

“What? What is it?” she cried as she looked down. Right away, she found what they had been looking at and suddenly found herself becoming frantic.

On Gwen's skin, in exactly the place where the witch had placed her hand, Gwen saw that her skin was red as if it had been burned. Not only was it red, but the red was in the exact image of the hand that had left the mark.

“What is this!?! I thought it was just a dream?” she cried out, looking from one man to the other. “I thought it was just a dream! How is it possible that she was able to really burn me?”

“I shall go and make a salve to put on it,” Gaius said quietly, his statement somewhat evasive. “Merlin, come and help me.”

Merlin looked up at Gaius, confused that the older man would want him to leave Gwen when she was so shaken. Upon seeing the look in Gaius's eyes, however, he immediately stood up. Gaius walked out of the room and down the stairs and Merlin moved to follow. He gave Gwen a reassuring look before he, too, walked out of the room, closing the door behind him, before descending the stairs to where Gaius was pacing.

“What was that all about? What was that mark?” Merlin questioned the old man. “Why did you look like you were afraid when you saw it?”

Gaius stopped pacing in front of Merlin and looked upon him seriously. “I haven't seen that mark in years, Merlin, not since I was a small boy. If you had seen it the same way I had, you would be as afraid as I am now.”

Merlin shook his head. “I don't understand. What is that mark?”

Gaius closed his eyes as he let out a deep sigh. “A long time ago, before Uther banished magic, some of the most powerful magic wielders were the enchantresses. They could heal the greatest illnesses and were able to do a great deal of good, but if you crossed one, there were dire consequences, for they were known to make those that defied them suffer cruelly and excruciatingly. That mark on Gwen is the same mark that was generally found on those who had wronged an enchantress. We called the mark, 'the mark of the doomed' because those who found that mark on them usually died horrible deaths not long after receiving them.”

Merlin shook his head as he stared into Gaius's face. “Are you saying that an enchantress has marked Gwen and wants to kill her?” he demanded, attempting to keep his voice down so that Gwen would not hear. “Well, I won't let anything happen to her. I'll protect her,” he then stated firmly. “They'll have to get through me before they can get to her.”

Gaius averted his eyes to the ground. “I fear that if Gwen bears that mark, she may not have a great deal of time before whomever wants her tries to get her again. We're dealing with a very old magic, Merlin, one nearly as old as the Dragon.” He looked at the young wizard solemnly, “But I trust that you'll be able to fight it, and I'll be right beside you.”

Feeling a great deal of pride in having Gaius actually working with him, Merlin nodded his head. “Thank you, Gaius,” he said sincerely.

Nodding back, the apothecary sighed before turning around. “I'll make another salve for Gwen that will soothe the pain of the mark and make her a drought for her to make it so that she doesn't dream when she falls asleep. I only hope that it will work to keep the one who's attacking her at bay,” he stated, his voice filled with weariness.

“Then, I'll go back to Gwen, and try and keep her calm,” Merlin replied as he watched his friend getting to work.

Merlin turned and ran back up the stairs to his room, opening the door to find Gwen crouched into a ball on the cot, rocking back and forth as she gared sightlessly at the wall. She looked up at him and lifted her head to smile at him-her gentle nature shining through despite the fear that still clung onto her. Closing the door behind him, Merlin went to her and sat down beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to pull her close. Gwen leaned into him, her head lying against his chest.

“I'm afraid, Merlin,” she said quietly though her voice was steadier now. “Every time I close my eyes, I see her, and now I'm not sure if she's really there or not.”

Pulling her even tighter to him, Merlin gently rubbed her upper arm soothingly. “We'll protect you, Gwen,” he said quietly. “We're all going to be here for you just like you've always been there for all of us. We won't let anything or anyone hurt you.”

“She's everywhere, Merlin. She was in the castle, then she was in my dreams, and I feel like she's always going to be there. I just wish...” she paused as a single tear suddenly coursed down her dusky cheek. “I wish she'd just go away.”