Gaius had been called back to the throne room early the next morning, but had returned to his chambers sour, frustrated with Uther's blindness where Catrina was concerned.

"It's no good. I can tell him she's a troll until I'm blue in the face, he simply won't listen. He sees a charming, beautiful woman." The physician moaned, pacing up and down the room.

Merlyn scowled, "Yeah, with a body like a tree trunk." she winced at the image, appalled by the troll's appearance. She thought that she could have bad hair days, but it was nothing compared to the strangled, grisly grey string stamped to that thing's head.

"But we only know that because you saw her in her true form." Gaius thought aloud, still trying to understand their position.

"So what do we do now?" Merlyn sighed, leaning back against a work bench.

The physician thought for a moment, trying to find his next words. "We must open Uther's eyes. Show her for what she really is."

"Using magic?" The witch grinned, probably feeling the wrong emotion for the situation. It was rare that Gaius didn't reprimand her input when it came to sorcery, but on this occasion, he was desperate.

He nodded slowly. "It's the only way to reveal her true form."

"But she never leaves the King's side." Merlyn's eyes widened, realising what she'd have to do.

"I know." The physician frowned, folding his arms worriedly.

She stood, pacing herself as she thought of the consequences. "He's already suspicious about my heritage, if anything unusual happens, he's bound to blame me."

"I'm sorry Merlyn, I know how dangerous this is. But we cannot allow Catrina to gain any further control over him. Who knows what the consequences might be."

Merlyn accepted it, praying that Uther would be preoccupied with the whole Catrina being a troll thing to worry about who revealed her. "Just one problem. I know nothing about troll magic."

Gaius moved, selecting a few old books from his shelves. "Then we have work to do."

∆

The physician had fallen asleep, unsurprising considering how boring the tomes turned out to be. You'd think stories about trolls and magic would be fascinating, but the authors were obviously dry, mirthless men, people with absolutely no flair whatsoever. Finally, she found an inscription that looked important, or at least, more useful than everything else she'd read, not that the bar was particularly high.

"Here! The spell of revelation." she shook Gaius' shoulder, forcing him from his slumber. "... with which the true nature of a thing may be revealed."

She moved around the table, placing the book in front of the physician, pointing to an illustration and the Latin words written underneath it.

"But this applies only to objects, not to living creatures." Gaius noted, slumping a little in defeat.

"I know, but the principle's the same, isn't it?" he didn't look convinced by her logic, but it was all she had. "I have to try it. What other choice do we have?"

"Very well. But Merlyn, choose your moment carefully. Trolls are vicious creatures." Gaius warned, taking off his reading glasses.

There was a knock on the door, the respect implying that whomever was on the other side wanted the physician rather than the servant. "Come in." Gaius called, surprised when a young knight, Sir Richard if Merlyn remembered correctly, entered the room. She liked him: he was eager to learn and often asked her to help him with his drills.

"The King requests your presence in the council chambers immediately." he announced, nodding to Merlyn who smiled warmly back. He left, and Gaius shared a look with the witch, one conveying the certainty of impending doom.

∆

Merlyn tagged along, knowing that nobody would make a fuss about her being there. She stood next to Gaius, half hidden by a column, when Uther and Catrina walked in, the King's hand on the troll's, the epitomy of grace. It was a little strange how they both stared straight ahead, Catrina's eyes fixed on the throne, Uther's unfocused. If she didn't know better, Merlyn would attribute the dazed expression to love, but she had a feeling that something far more sinister was afoot.

When they reached the throne they turned to address their audience, every bit the regal couple. "You are no doubt wondering why I have gathered you all here today." Uther began, surveying the room, his eyes lingering on Gaius, but he continued, a proud smile upon his face. "Though we live in dark times, today I bring you light and love." he looked towards Catrina with sickening longing. Across the room, Merlyn saw Arthur gag, so had to suppressed a chuckle as her eyes locked with the Prince's. It was childish, but it helped cover their concern, unlike Morgana, who was eying the King anxiously.

"It gives me the greatest pleasure to inform you that the Houses of Tregor and Pendragon are to be united in the closest bond of all." Uther announced formally, still beaming stupidly. "I am to marry Lady Catrina of Tregor."

There was polite applause, Gaius nudging the servant so that she would join in, whilst the Prince kept his hands firmly at his sides, despairing quietly. The troll leaned against the King in an act of affection, whispering something in his ear which made his smile, if possible, even wider.

"I am to marry Lady Catrina tomorrow." he proclaimed. There was silence for a moment, but once again the applause gradually rang out, congratulating the couple on their engagement. Whilst Uther continued his proclamation of love and power, Gaius nodded to Merlyn, causing her to drift behind the pillar almost entirely, focusing on Catrina. She put all of her power into her words, her desperation. This had to work. She had nothing else; if she failed, it could mean having a troll for a Queen. She couldn't let that happen.

"Hierste þæt íecen sóna."

She watched as Catrina's smug smirk faltered, frowning as her magic took affect. It looked like something under her flawless skin was moving, as if her cheeks were taking a new shape, but the creature held her off, keeping its head high as it left the room alongside Uther. All Merlyn seemed to have done is cause Catrina a little fear, not much more.

∆

"I'm sorry, I tried. I gave it everything I had." Merlyn kicked a crate on her way through the door out of anger, but soon regretted it as pain shot through her leg.

"It's not your fault, Merlyn. You did your best." Gaius tried to reassure her, but she was too worked up for his soothing to calm her down.

"The spell of revelation is powerful magic. She could feel it, I could see that she could feel it." The witch felt like kicking something again, but her sore foot warded her off doing so. Instead, she turned around, wondering if magic wasn't the only way to stop the wedding.

"Where are you going?" Gaius shouted as she stormed back through the door.

"To see Arthur. He's our only hope."

∆

Merlyn sincerely doubted that the Prince would believe her, but it wouldn't hurt to try. She entered his chambers, without knocking, surprised to find him changing, apparently without assistance. He turned to see her as he sheathed his sword in its scabbard, smoothing down the collar of his jacket as he did so.

"Yes?" he knew that she wanted something, and, by the impatience in his voice, probably thought he wouldn't like what she had to say. Of course, he was right, but she still resented her apparent predictability.

"You know those occasions where I tell you something, you don't believe me, and then said thing happens and I turn out to be right?" Merlyn asked, knowing that she was being a little confusing.

"Yes." Arthur replied after a while, having worked out what she meant. "But in my defence, your theories always sound a little absurd."

"Well, I think that this may be one of those times." The servant closed her eyes, readying herself for the Prince's reaction. "It concerns the Lady Catrina."

"You're not using my chambers to spy on her again." Arthur interjected, raising his eyebrow.

"It's alright, I get a better view from Morgana's room anyway." Merlyn grinned, before realising she'd gone off topic. "Besides, I saw everything I needed to see."

"I'm sure you did." The Prince winked, smirking heavily.

"Arthur, you're not going to like this, but she's a troll." Merlyn spoke evenly and calmly, but cursed when the Prince began to laugh heartily, clearly not taking her seriously.

He turned to face her. "She's not that bad." he remarked, his eyes glinting with mirth.

"No, listen to me. She's, like, an actual troll." she tried to keep her frustration at bay, but it was hard with the looks Arthur was giving her.

"Merlyn, I know what you're trying to do and I appreciate it, but it's not about whether I like her or not. It's about my father's happiness. When they announced the wedding today, I realised that she does make him happy."

"Well he won't be so happy when he finds out that she's a fruit munching monster!" The servant sneered, once again feeling the urge to hurt something when Arthur replied.

"That's enough Merlyn, she's the future Queen of Camelot, whether you like it or not so you better get used to it." The Prince went to move around her, but at the last second, she grabbed onto his sleeve, praying that her words weren't as futile as they appeared.

"You believed me with Cedric. What's changed?" she murmuring, almost so quietly that the Prince couldn't hear it. His features softened, but he didn't say anything, marching out of the room without once looking back.

∆

Merlyn had gone for a walk around the castle. After Arthur had gone, she'd completed all of her chores using magic, not particularly caring if anyone saw her, meaning that she had an hour or so before she was needed again. She had just passed the throne room when she heard the sound of sobbing coming from one of the alcoves running along the corridor.

"Hello?" she called out, approaching the noise, only to find Jonas huddled in the corner, brushing away tears from his face.

"Mistress Merlyn? I'm sorry." he sniffed, wiping his nose on the hem of his jacket.

"Are you okay?" she questioned suspiciously, no longer moving any closer. She had no intention of comforting the creature; as far as she was concerned, he was in league with the troll.

He scurried forwards, his tears suddenly vanishing, looking both ways down the corridor to ensure that they wouldn't be disturbed. "I'm a slave, a prisoner." he mumbled, clutching to the wall as if it were the only thing stopping him from collapsing on the floor.

"What are you talking about?" Merlyn asked, her alarm bells ringing as Jonas neared her.

"My mistress, she is not as she seems, but you know as much." he pointed at her with a trembling finger, his dirty nails cracked and broken.

She debated the truthfulness of his statement, but decided it wouldn't hurt to hear him out. "Go on, I'm listening."

"She's a cruel, wicked creature. She keeps me in chains." Jonas spat, lifting the sleeve of his shirt to reveal bloody marks, not dissimilar to those created by large manacles. Where Catrina would've put these chains, she wasn't sure, but they would be easy enough to acquire.

"She hurts me. Her magic, I can't escape it. She twists my mind as she is twisting the mind of your King." Jonas shuddered, pain etched seemingly permanently in his eyes.

"Why are you telling me this?" Merlyn was suspicious. It all seemed too easy.

He paused, but then let a grin spread across his features. "I can help you."

"How?" she furrowed her eyebrows, not sure if the supposed prisoner's trustworthiness.

His malicious smile didn't leave his face. "She keeps her potions below the castle where she sleeps. Every night she must take them in order to transform her from a beast to a beauty."

Merlyn realised what he was suggesting. If she were to take these potions, Catrina would have no choice but to remain a troll. Uther would surely reject her, and she would either be killed or forced to flee, but most importantly, no longer her problem.

"Tell me, Jonas, why should I believe any of this?" the servant questioned, not entirely convinced by his story.

The creature shrugged. "You must do as you see fit, mistress Merlyn. But if Lady Catrina is not stopped by morning, she will be Queen."

∆

"Fuck." Merlyn huffed as she descended the stairs once again to the belly of the castle. She wasn't sure why she was doing this, she didn't trust Jonas, but she had nothing to lose. Her torch attracted the flies, but a quick glow of golden eyes sent them away as she ducked the low archway into the room she'd seen the troll in only the night before. She began to rummage through a mixture of mouldy apples and decaying pears, when she heard somebody approach her from behind.

"You won't find anything in there." A nasally voice sounded from the archway. Realising it was the only way out of the room, Merlyn could do nothing but glare at the troll, whose tusks seemed incredibly sinister.

"You may possess some magic, wretch, but you are no match for me."

The servant ran at the creature, but it just stepped backwards, raising its arms in the air and bringing them back down, with them, enough rocks to cover the exit completely. It cackled from the other side of the rock fall, happy to have caused such damage. Merlyn, on the other hand, was pissed.

She was trapped.

Groaning as she was thrown off her feet, she shakily managed to stand, sure that, if she were to put a hand to her face, she would feel blood. She tried pushing at the rocks blocking her path, but they didn't even budge. Coughing due to the fumes from the dung, she realised that magic was her only shot at getting out of the horrid place alive.

∆

"Ic ábíetee þæt stánhol."

"Ic ábíetee þæt stánhol."

"Ic ábíetee þæt stánhol."

She had minutes at most.

"Ic ábíetee þæt stánhol."

She sighed, it was useless. Never before had a spell eluded her for so long.

"Ic ábíetee þæt stánhol."

It must be the troll magic, there was something different about it.

"Ic ábíetee þæt stánhol."

She needed this spell to work. And yet,

"Ic ábíetee þæt stánhol."

It did nothing. Soon, Uther would be married and Camelot would have a troll for a Queen.

"Ic ábíetee þæt stánhol."

She collapsed to her knees in defeat. Then, with one last burst of energy, she sat up and closed her eyes. The wedding would have probably already started, she had moments. Reaching further inside herself, she prayed to whatever gods were watching.

"Ic ábíetee þæt stánhol."

Her eye flashed an alarming shade of gold, bright enough to illuminate the tunnel ahead as the rocks gave in, allowing her escape. Giving herself a moment to let relief wash over her, that she wouldn't die in the stinking room, she picked up her torch and ran as fast as she could out to the courtyard, rushing past servants as they carried plushy cushions and candlesticks for the reception after the handfasting. She pushed a poor girl over, using the momentum to leap over an overturned cart, heading straight for the great hall. As she rounded the corner into the corridor, she found Jonas, the prick, singlehandedly guarding the door.

"Mistress Merlyn, can I help you? Are you lost?" he hissed, striding forward.

"Step aside Jonas!" The witch tried, attempting to seem far more powerful than she was feeling. Escaping had taken a lot out of her.

He stayed in her path, still smirking evilly. "The King's wedding is by invitation only."

"I said, get out of my way!" she roared, struggling against the temptation to throw the scrawny man out of a window. Repeatedly.

"I'm so sorry, but I regret to say that you are not invited." Jonas punched her, rather rudely, advancing on her as she got off the ground. He seemed surprised by this, but she didn't become as good a fighter as she was by letting people throw her about. She ran at him, ducking as she saw his swing, choosing instead to kick him backwards into the door. He got up, narrowing his eyes; she wished for a moment that she'd picked up her sword, before remembering what she kept in her boots.

As he ran towards her, she waited until the last moment to dodge, using his momentum to impale his arm on one of her daggers. It cut through his flesh; he landed painfully on the floor, raging, even with his bloody arm.

"Leave my mistress alone!" he screamed, standing back up, but Merlyn, quite frankly, didn't want to continue this any further. She'd had enough.

"Ic þe wiþdrife."

Jonas was slammed back into a wall, and fell to the ground, bleeding and unconscious.

Merlyn burst through the doors, only to see Uther and Catrina sharing a chaste kiss.

She'd been too late.