Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and PMs about this story. I can't even tell you how I am once again totally floored by the response. I LOVE YOU GUYS!

Also, Nance and Wil1969 - I couldn't do this without you ladies!

Keep the PNW in your thoughts today as we have the remnants of a super typhoon hitting us this afternoon!

"Merlin, wake up," she whispered, feeling regret that she had to force him out of bed. It was among the few, well only times really, when he was quiet and still. However, they had planned to leave for Ealdor by mid-morning and Gaius was already preparing for his journey to Camelot. She knew Merlin would want to say farewell to the man who had been like a father to him for so long.

With their own plans to tour Nemeth after seeing to his mother's belongings in the small village, she wasn't sure when Merlin would get the next chance to see Gaius. It didn't help matters that there had been no word yet from Arthur about any sort of reconciliation. Merlin was still effectively banished from the kingdom he had called home for the past ten years.

He muttered something and rolled away from her, the blanket across him slipping a bit and exposing most of his sculpted body. If they weren't worried about time, she might have taken advantage of it and woken him up in a more sensual manner. "Come on. It's time to get out of bed, my love."

His eyes fluttered open and a deep breath signaled that he was finally beginning to wake up. Just the glimpse of their blue depths sent her heart fluttering. They were as dark as the ocean, filled with a deep mystery but with such a tenderness that seemed to be only reserved for those he cared about. Mithian counted herself so lucky to be a included among them. She could get lost in those eyes and never want to find her way back.

"What?" He drawled out, squinting and running a hand through his mess of dark hair. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Mithian shifted her shoulders and smiled, unable to tell him just how much he meant to her. Before it was revealed that he was her secret admirer, she'd had a vision of who the man could have been. For a long while, she had wondered which one of Arthur's knights would be so bold to send her gifts, yet so cowardly as to keep his identity hidden. Her mind had wandered from the tall, Sir Leon with his curly hair and expressive smile. Yet, he had been dismissed from her daydreams when she discovered he was already betrothed. Sir Elyan simply wasn't her type, nor did he seem to have the mental capacity for the elegant, yet brief notes. Sir Percival seemed like a kind, quiet man, but again he didn't fit the part of what she envisioned. Sir Gwaine loved women and appeared to be quite the romantic. However, she couldn't see him ever settling down, or even carrying on as long as the secret suitor had.

Not once had she even considered Merlin. At least, she hadn't before Morgana had attacked and taken Mithian to Camelot. Yet, when he did reveal himself, everything fit together perfectly. The moment he kissed her in the stables, she knew that there would never be another man who would make her feel the way he did.

Leaning over him, she kissed him gently. Her husband. "Even if you were still a servant, I would have married you."

"I'm glad." He reached up and brushed a lock of her chestnut hair behind her ear before pulling her down into another kiss.

Oh, how she wanted to stay and enjoy their time together. She wanted to get to know every aspect of him.

There would be time enough for that later, she told herself and pushed off the bed, away from his tantalizing body before walking across the room. "Come on. If you don't get up now, then you're going to miss seeing Gaius off. You also said something last night about wanting to speak to my father before we left. And, while I wouldn't mind seeing you walk around the castle without a single piece of clothing on, I am not sure he would feel the same."

"Alright," he grumbled. "You think my new neckerchief from Gwen would be too much?"

She paused and turned to look at him in confusion. "No. I think it would be fine. Why?"

"Well, just wondering if I would need to put on something else with it, or..."

Mithian's cheeks reddened when she realized what he was implying. She quickly snatched up a pillow from a nearby chair and threw it at him. "Yesterday, you complained about simply walking across the room naked. Now you want to parade yourself in front of my father wearing nothing but your neckerchief?" She planted her hands on her hips. By the gods, how she loved him, but sometimes what he said was infuriating. "And I used to wonder why Arthur was always throwing things at you."

His infectious laughter followed her as she spun on her heel and stalked out of the room, determined not to grin.

The solemn nod was enough to tell Gaius that Merlin understood the seriousness of the situation that the King of Nemeth faced. Merlin had come in while Gaius was with the king, explaining a bit more about the disease he suspected was the cause of the king's failing health. The young man seemed like he needed to get something off his chest, so Gaius beckoned him to follow as he left the King's Chambers.

"Do you think my magic could help?" Merlin asked as they approached the doors to the courtyard.

Gaius sighed and shook his head. "Unfortunately, I don't. Even the most skilled of magical healers would have a difficult time with such an disease. Do you recall Lord Hugues a few years back?"

Merlin nodded again. It had been one of the first autopsies Merlin had assisted Gaius with. "Hard to forget the first time you see the innards of a man opened up on a table."

"Well, if you recall, the reason for his death was the gland known as the prostate."

"Yes. It didn't look anything like what was in your books."

"Exactly." Gaius had realized after searching through the body that a cancer had spread throughout it. Normally, he would have been able to come to the same conclusion without needing to cut a man open after his death, but it had been a training exercise for Merlin. Also, the king wanted to be sure that it was nothing magical, though where Uther had heard Hugues death might have been because of sorcery, Gaius was never able to discover. "Sadly, tumors like that will continue to grow in a man's body, even after magic has been used to cure them. The most that could be accomplished would be to buy some time. However, I have seen it used only to have the malignancy return nearly twice as fast as it had grown the first time."

"And you're sure that's what's going on."

"No, Merlin. I am not one-hundred percent certain, but it seems the most likely diagnosis. I have a few remedies that I can create to help ease his symptoms."

"How long do you think he has?"

Gaius paused at the bottom of the grand stairs that spilled out into the courtyard. While he was certain of his diagnosis, it was nearly impossible to estimate how far the disease had spread within Rodor's body. It could be weeks or it could be months. Due to the king's tenacity, he might very well outlive Gaius himself. "I really can't say. Did you tell him about the things we spoke of last night?"

"No. I'd come in there this morning intent on telling him that I now know why Travis seems to hate Camelot. Maybe Rodor already knows that Uther was supposed to save Lord Travis' people, but...well... he was Uther, his word meant nothing if he had already made other plans before it. I suspect that's why Travis is doing this now. It's a way to avenge his niece being passed over for another woman, and then to have her dishonored like that."

"If you had known the Lady Vivienne..." Gaius trailed off and shook his head. "But, no more on that. Do you want me to pass along any messages for you?" He knew that Merlin was worried about Arthur, though he never said a word about it.

Merlin paused and considered for a moment, and then shrugged. "I don't know what you could tell him. I don't want to influence his decision any."

"Don't you?" He sighed. It was not easy to watch the two boys he knew being torn so far apart by circumstances beyond their control. They had each grown into strong, upstanding men with good heads on their shoulders and kindness in their hearts. If only he could fathom a way to bring them together, but Gaius felt it would take a miracle beyond his capabilities to do such a thing.

Merlin was right, though. Arthur needed the space to make up his own mind, especially with the judgment of the Disir hanging over him. The young king had seen the good and the evils of sorcery first hand. It was up to him alone to either accept the old ways, or move on.

"Just tell him to watch his back. Oh, and not to step on his shirts after he's thrown them on the floor. He could at least have that much consideration for whoever replaced me."

Gaius chuckled, "My dear boy, whatever makes you think he could replace you?"

"Merlin! Over here," Mithian called from near the wagon that was being prepared for their trip to Ealdor.

The two men noticed that it was being loaded with more supplies than what would be needed for the journey.

"I hope that's not her luggage," Merlin muttered through his teeth as he forced a smile and waved at his wife.

"Well, you did marry a true princess, my boy."

Gaius parted from his ward with a hug and well wishes for a safe journey before making his way over to his own horse. He was surprised to find Elyan waiting for him.

The dark knight patted the neck of Gaius' horse, while he held it steady as the old man clambered up the provided stepping block to straddle his mount.

"Are you sure you don't want to ride with us to Ealdor, Gaius?"

The physician looked down and smiled as he picked up the reins. "Honestly, I would love to, Sir Elyan. Unfortunately, there are some things I need to attend to in Camelot."

While Rodor's physician's chambers had appeared well stocked, Gaius wasn't about to take a chance that something might have been mislabeled, nor would he have wanted to put any effort into trying to discern the age and potency of the herbs. If it had been an emergency, perhaps he might have taken the chance. However, he much preferred to use his own supplies. He knew exactly where each had come from and how long they'd been sitting on his shelves.

He thought about what he had said to Merlin about King Rodor. There really was no way of knowing how long the man had left, but Rodor was determined to have something to ease his pain long enough for Mithian to at least settle into her new marriage before he worried about his remaining time. Soon enough, she would be queen. Now, with Merlin at her side, Rodor was comforted to know that she would not be alone. He had no doubts, as he had expressed to Gaius during their conversation, that Mithian would become a brilliant ruler either way. But, knowing she was to be protected by Balinor's son gave the old king satisfaction that no one would be able to take advantage of her kindness.

He'd riddled Gaius with questions about Merlin. Everything from his medical knowledge and abilities with magic to the young man's day-to-day interactions with those around him. Rodor had taken Merlin in because of his father, but now wanted to be assured that he'd made the right decision. For once, Gaius allowed himself to be open about his former ward and apprentice. It was the least he could do for the ailing king. But now, it was time for him to head home. He had patients who needed him, as well as searching for remedies that would ease Rodor's suffering.

Shifting in the saddle, he glanced ahead to the two guards who would be accompanying him home. "I will inform Arthur of your plans to travel to Ealdor before returning home."

"Thank you. Gwen knows he's going to be in a bit of a state because of it. Sorry for that." Elyan cringed. Both he and Gaius knew to expect Arthur to first throw a fit before sulking until his queen returned home. "Oh, and if you could, you know the anniversary of my father's death is coming soon?"

Gaius nodded. He remembered well when Tom had been killed trying to escape Uther's dungeons.

"Percival has been helping me to work on something; a marker, actually. Arthur gave his blessing on it and it's a surprise for Gwen. If you could ask him to have it in place before the date, I'd be in your debt. I want to take her there on our way back from Ealdor," the dark-skinned knight explained.

"It would be my pleasure."

Signaling that he was ready to the guards, they made their way out of the courtyard and out onto the open road toward Camelot. He waved goodbye to Hunith and Merlin, watching as the young man helped his mother up onto the front seat of a cart.

The gamble had paid off in spades! Travis hid a gleeful smile, filled with malicious intent under the deep cowl of his cloak as he passed through the town surrounding Nemeth. A young serving boy had become a recent fixture behind the king's manservant, dashing around and running errands. He was no-one that anyone would have noticed prior to being given the position. However, Travis had his eyes and ears everywhere, always looking for the unexpected advantage. The boy's big and crooked teeth were the only anomaly that stood out amidst the plain and normal features mirrored in so many boys around the kingdom. Typically, that alone might have excluded him from work inside the castle, at least in places he would be seen.

It had taken some minor effort to find out that his father had often been called upon to repair shoes for King Rodor. The man had died and left his family in a bit of a pinch. There was an older sister, but the boy had been the one who was going to be trained to take over the family business. As it happened, though, the cobbler died before the boy had gained any useful skills. King Rodor, being as generous as he was, had intervened for the boy and a position had been found. It was just as a general dogsbody for a few of the senior servants, until recently.

The added work that the uptight manservant had to deal with lately, after Balinor's son was recognized, meant that the boy was almost a constant shadow to Darvell. After a few more inquiries, Travis had discovered that the boy's mother was ill. After that, persuading the boy had been easy. All Travis had to do was get his own healer, a druid who had been exiled from his people, to treat the boy's mother. All Travis asked for in exchange was that the boy pass along messages. A dropped note here or some eavesdropping there and it was all falling into place.

The relationship had certainly proven more fruitful than Travis had anticipated. Discovering the travel plans of the Queen of Camelot was the perfect opportune use of the boy. If what the boy had overheard was correct, then there would be a date, just under a fortnight away, when the protection around Queen Guinevere would be minimal. Travis had no intention of getting his own hands dirty, but Morgana had shown she had no such reservations.

He was still wary about giving the last high priestess another chance, but she was family - even if she didn't know it. She shared the same magical blood in her veins that connected them back to the original Fae folk. In the past, he'd secretly helped to finance her campaigns against Camelot and even her failed exploration of Ismere in the Northern Plains. If she just hadn't been so arrogant as to take some of Camelot's knights prisoner and use them in addition to the slave force he had paid for, she might have been able to uncover the Diamair. But she wasn't just arrogant... she was impatient.

He'd begun hearing rumors of the way she would even destroy others who possessed magical blood. She would be the downfall to her own kind if she wasn't careful. It was something he was sure his sister had seen in her scrying pool, and was probably the reason Nimueh had never taken in the girl for tutoring as she had with Morgana's older sister.

Morgana's time spent while captured in Sarrum's pit had damaged her even further. The young priestess hadn't even cared to find out who it was that had finally saved her. Travis had lost good men in the rescue of her and the deformed dragon. He'd been amazed to see such a young dragon even alive. Due to the malnutrition and the captivity, he couldn't tell how old the dragon was. Travis wondered if it was related to the dragon's egg that might have been lost in the Tomb of Ashkanar…yet another investment of his that had failed. He'd never even heard from Borden after that. Travis' own piece of the Triskellion had been lost in the venture. At least he hadn't needed to pay Borden the obscene amount he'd promised the man.

It was around that time that Travis had become convinced that Balinor still lived. He'd sent out spies and scouts to try and find the missing Dragon Lord. But other than an obscure lead in Essetir which only uncovered that two men, a few years earlier, had been searching for the man as well, it had all come to nothing. He and Balinor had never been friends, but he needed someone with power who was perhaps a bit more stable than Morgana.

After destroying their chances in Ismere, Morgana had then allied herself with that foolish king, Odin. Why they had decided to attack Nemeth, Travis would never know. In his mind, Nemeth should have been completely off limits to her. She didn't even seem to realize that King Rodor's stance on magic was completely different than Camelot. Morgana was getting careless. The witch had no clue who her real enemies were anymore.

Travis had wealth, but what he didn't have was a solid position at the head of a large army that could give Camelot the fight they deserved. A paid mercenary army might have worked well enough for Cenred for a time, until his niece's elder daughter had messed that up. Travis knew an army loyal to their kingdom was the only solid way he could hope to take on the elite Knights of Camelot.

It was after Morgana had nearly killed Rodor and had promised Mithian to Odin, that he'd had enough of her antics and the amazing luck of her half-brother to escape any and all of the plots against him. Travis had then decided to petition the Triple Goddess through the Disir. He not only wanted Arthur to pay for his and his father's actions over the past, but he wanted to teach Morgana a lesson, as well. Unfortunately, the Disir had only sought to judge Arthur, leaving Morgana alone. It illustrated to him that it didn't seem to matter what the witch did. She was truly the last of the trained priestesses of the Goddess, and as such, she was favored.

Fine, he thought to himself. If the Goddess still had faith in Her priestess, then Travis was willing to give her one more chance. He scrawled a quick note and headed into the nearby forest. He hoped that the serving boy's information would give Morgana the enticement she needed to help him shake Camelot to the core. Although, Arthur was favored as well, in a different way ... or, at least he had been with Balinor's son hiding secretly nearby, protecting him. Now, with Merlin attached to Nemeth and no longer serving Arthur, he felt as if the tides had shifted into his favor at last - even if the young man had refused to join him.

He finally reached a clearing just outside of Nemeth and called to a bird waiting in a nearby tree. After attaching the note, he watched the raven take flight and sent a prayer to all the Gods that this time his plans would finally be fruitful.