The Golden Age

06. The Mark of Nimueh (Part II)

"Have you ever seen an enchantress? Believe me, they bear no sign, no mark. There is no sense of evil in the eye."

"I've seen the way the girl works. Her fingers are worn, her nails are broken. If she was a sorceress, why would she do this? Why would she kneel on a cold stone floor morning after morning when she could make these things happen with a snap of her fingers? Like an idle king!"

"You have no right!"

"You have no right to cast a judgement on that girl!"

"I have a responsibility to take care of this kingdom! I take no pleasure in this!"

"But you're sentencing the wrong person!"

"She's right, Father," Arthur agreed. "You hear the word magic, you no longer listen."

"You saw it for yourself. She used enchantments."

Anne nodded slowly. "Yes, maybe. But to save her dying father, that doesn't make her guilty of creating a plague. One's the act of, of kindness, of love, the other of evil. Arthur and I don't believe evil's in this girl's heart."

"I have witnessed what witchcraft can do. I have suffered at its hand. I cannot take that chance. If there is the slightest doubt about this girl, she must die or the whole kingdom may perish."

"I understand that," Arthur and Anne replied.

"One day you may become King. Then you will understand. Such decisions must be made. There are dark forces that threaten this kingdom."

"Anne and I know," Arthur said. "Witchcraft is an evil, father. So is injustice. Yes, I am yet to be King, and I don't know what kind of king I will be, but Anne and I do have a sense of the kind of Camelot we would wish to live in. It would be where the punishment fits the crime."

"I fear you're right. She's played with fire, and sadly she must die by fire."

Morgana left. Arthur paced the Council Chamber. Anne stood in place with pursed lips.

GAIUS' CHAMBERS

Arthur and Anne entered and guards dragged Gwen in behind them.

"I thought I was doing good and that curing Gwen's father would help her. I thought I was saving a life," Merlin said. "It seemed so simple."

"An easy solution is like a light in a storm, Merlin," Gaius told him. "Rush for it at your peril, for it may not always lead you to a safe harbour."

"I can see that now."

"How many times have I warned you about the responsibilities of being a warlock? Or a witch in Colette's case?"

"I must see her."

"I'll come with you," Colette said.

DUNGEONS

Merlin and Colette left, went down stairs to the dungeon, and passed a crying Morgana on Wrought Iron Stairway.

"Gwen," Merlin and Colette called.

Gwen tried to get to the cell door, but her chains didn't stretch that far. She'd been crying.

"Thank you," Gwen stated.

"What for?" Merlin asked.

"For coming to see me."

"I'm sorry."

"It's not either of your fault."

"Well..." Merlin and Colette began as the latter looked pointedly at her brother.

"It's all right. Don't worry about me. There's no point crying about it. I mean... I mean, I'm not saying that you two were going to cry about me. Obviously I don't think that."