enchanted | a. pendragon [on hold]

xii | to kill the king

"That's Gwen's father's shop. Leon, what's happening?" she asked. Leon turned her away as the guards lined up, ready to burst inside the building. "Tom's never done any harm."

"We're after a dangerous sorcerer," Leon explained, rushing Lia around a corner. Once Lia was out of his sight, Arthur gave the all-clear to barge into the forge. "We have reason to believe Tom's consorting with the sorcerer known as Tauren."

"But that's ridiculous," Lia said, shaking her head. Once they were safely inside the walls of the palace, Leon slowed their brisk pace down. "Tom would never help a sorcerer, at least not knowingly."

"We are only following a tip we received," Leon said, not wanting to argue with her. After all, the knights and guards had to do their jobs. "I can only hope that it was wrong."

"Well, what's to happen to him if it's true?" Lia asked, fearing for the answer.

Leon simply gave her a pointed look. They both knew that if Tom really was helping a sorcerer, then Uther would have him killed. Gwen would be without a father. Lia sighed but nodded in understanding. There wasn't much that could be done about the situation, so she simply let Leon walk her all the way to the physician chambers.

"I know it was an order, but thank you for walking me," Lia said once they reached her destination.

"Anything for you, My Lady," he said, grinning before playfully bowing. "Have a good night, Lia."

"And you as well, Sir Leon."

Lia was expecting to see Gaius awake at the late hour — he often stayed up working on one thing or another. However, Merlin was usually so exhausted by all the work that Arthur put him through that he was the first person to go to bed for the night. So, Lia was surprised to see him wander out of their shared chambers and into the physician chambers, looking half-awake.

"You alright, Lin?" Lia asked, noticing the somewhat worried look on his face. She kept a careful eye on him as she set her basket of supplies down.

"Can't sleep?" Gaius asked, also wondering why Merlin was awake.

"Something woke me," Merlin muttered. He looked rather spooked by whatever had happened.

"What?" Gaius asked him.

"I don't know. A feeling," he said, looking toward the ground with a confused look.

Lia moved to his side and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "What kind of feeling?"

"Powerful magic," Merlin told them. "Here, in Camelot."

"Well—"

Lia was cut off by Gwen rushing into the physician chambers with a distraught look on her face.

"Gwen. What's wrong?" Merlin asked as she ran up to them.

"My father's been arrested," Gwen told them. Lia shut her eyes and sighed, knowing that Arthur and the guards must have found him with that sorcerer.

"Arrested? What for?" Merlin asked.

"They say he was making weapons for a sorcerer! They're charging him with treason!"

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After they had calmed Gwen down enough, the four of them made their way to the dungeons. It took Lia sweetly talking to a guard, but eventually, Gwen was allowed to speak with her father. As she did, Lia stood a few feet back with Gaius and Merlin.

"I saw them going to his forge to arrest him on my way back from the Wilson home," Lia whispered, not wanting Gwen to overhear. "Leon made it sound like the sorcerer they're after is very dangerous."