Merlin came down the steps into the physician's chambers one morning, about a month after going back in time, to see a body lying on the physician's table. The skin had a strange blue tint to it and the eyes were white. A thrill of horror ran through the warlock as he remembered the afanc and his first meeting with Nimueh.

Throwing a quick greeting to Gaius over his shoulder, Merlin hurried off to Arthur's chambers, detouring via the kitchens to fetch the future king's breakfast. Entering the chambers without knocking, Merlin placed the breakfast on the table and pulled open Arthur's curtains.

"Wake up Arthur. Things to do today."

"What things? What are you talking about Merlin?"

"We have to go kill the afanc."

"Can't you go do it with magic?"

"Last time I was told we both had to go."

"Who told you that?"

"Kilgarrah did." The prince's nose scrunched in confusion.

"Who's Kilgarrah?" Merlin smirked.

"The great Dragon."

"You still have a lot of explaining to do Merlin," realised the prince with a shake of his head.

"yeah probably," agreed Merlin with a grin. "But after we've dealt with the afanc."

"Okay. Okay." Arthur got up, stretched his back and wandered over to his changing screen, where Merlin had hung out clothing for him. Once dressed he came to sit with Merlin at the table. Merlin, having locked the door to the chambers, was using magic to complete his chores. Ordinarily he didn't risk doing his chores that way but today he wanted to get them done quickly.

The two men ate quickly, discussing their plan whilst consuming the mountain of food the cook insisted on sending up to the prince. They debated for a while on whether or not to fetch Morgana and Gwen. Although Morgana had gone with them to defeat the afanc in the original timeline, the young men eventually decided her presence was unnecessary.

When all the food was gone, Arthur grabbed his sword and attached it to his belt. Then the two men made their way to the town's water supply. Both men had lit torches at the ready, since Merlin had explained that they needed wind and fire to destroy the clay creature.

A roar from the end of the corridor alerted the men that the afanc was nearby. As quietly as possible the two men snuck up on it then Arthur waved his torch at the creature whilst Merlin cast a wind spell. The afanc died a fiery death.

"Come on. We ought to go tell the girls that that's over."

"Yeah, Morgana is going to be so mad that we didn't bring her with us."

Nimueh watched with disgust as Arthur Pendragon and a servant entered the tunnels where the town's water supply was kept. How could they know the creature was down there? Yet it seemed as though they did know from the snatches of the two men's conversation that the high priestess could make out.

Nimueh saw the men turn a corner and encounter her afanc. The priestess was surprised to see the prince wave a torch and not his sword in the creature's direction. Was it possible they had some idea of how to defeat the afanc? A gust of wind encased the flames of the Pendragon's torch and sent them over to the afanc. Nimueh splashed the scrying media in her anger, breaking up the picture.

It was only later on that Nimueh realised something rather important. The wind that had come had had to be magical in nature. Which meant that servant had magic. Which meant he needed to die.

It was a few weeks after the afanc had been destroyed and Lord Bayard was arriving in Camelot to sign a peace treaty. Arthur was escorting Morgana down to greet the Lord of Mercia at the castle entrance.

"Didn't Merlin get poisoned last time Bayard came to sign this treaty?" Morgana suddenly asked her brother. Arthur stopped dead. Morgana stumbled at the sudden stop.

"We'll have to make sure that doesn't happen this time around," Arthur declared as the two started walking again.

After the greeting ceremony, Bayard and his men were shown to their guest chambers by some of the castle servants and Arthur lead Morgana, Merlin and Gwen back to his chambers.

"We need a plan to make sure Merlin doesn't get poisoned whilst Bayard is here," Morgana began. Merlin hit his forehead with his hand.

"I can't believe I forgot about Nimueh," the warlock said.

"Nimueh?" chorused the other three.

"She was the High Priestess before Morgause," explained Merlin. "She was the one who sent the afanc and she disguised herself as one of Bayard's servants to poison me for destroying her afanc."

"So she's here now?" confirmed Gwen.

"I would have to assume yes."

"Do you remember what she looked like? We could go and confront her."

"I do, but if we confront her she'll discover our secret. Do we want our enemy to know our secret?"

"Good point Merlin, what shall we do then?"

"What if we could get her to reveal her magic somehow? Then Uther would have her arrested."

"I'm not convinced that would work and she might try to poison Merlin some other way we don't know about, if we stop this plan."

"In which case, we need to make her think she's won when actually she hasn't."

"What if we got the antidote ready before the feast, then when Merlin drinks the poison we give him the antidote straight away," Morgana suggested.

"I'd rather not drink the poison if we can help it," Merlin argued. "That stuff was nasty."

"Right scratch that plan then," stated Arthur. "But it might be worth getting that flower now anyway. Just in case."

"Here's hoping we don't have to use it," Merlin said fervently. "Is the door locked?" Gwen got up and locked it.

"It is now," she stated as she returned to the table.

"Good." Merlin got up and fetched a bowl and a pitcher of water. He poured the water into the bowl then sat down again.

"What are you doing Merlin?" asked Arthur in confusion.

A look of interest had appeared on Morgana's face.

"Are you going to scry for Nimueh?" Merlin flashed Morgana a grin. Arthur jumped as the warlock began spellcasting. For a moment, Merlin's eyes turned gold. When they were blue again, the group turned to look at the bowl of water.

An image had formed on the surface of the water, showing the door of Bayard's guest chambers. Nimueh stood outside the door holding a pile of pillows. As the group watched, Nimueh used magic to open the chamber door and entered. She then took a goblet out of her pile of pillows and swapped it with an identical one on Bayard's desk.

"What if we could find the original goblet and prove someone swapped them?" suggested Morgana.

"If we already have the goblet, won't that seem a bit suspicious to Father?" pointed out Arthur. "He always has been the suspicious type." Merlin shuddered exaggeratedly. Gwen lent her head on her husband's shoulder. Morgana's lips drooped and her eyes seemed suddenly wet.

"It won't happen this time. Not to any of you." Arthur caught the eye of each of his companions and gave them a reassuring smile. He wouldn't ever let his father hurt his family.

They resumed their discussion but couldn't think of an alternative to getting the antidote beforehand.

Deciding there was no time like the present; the four left Arthur's chambers and headed over to the stables. As soon as the four horses were saddled, they mounted and set off for a 'ride through the forest'. It didn't take long for Morgana and Arthur to decide to race. Pendragon's were naturally competitive. Gwen and Merlin exchanged tolerant looks and rode steadily after them.

It took about an hour for the four to reach the caves. Arthur was glad not to meet another cockatrice. Even if he had taken the last one down easily enough.

The group from Camelot entered the cave. Arthur and Gwen carried lit torches, whilst Morgana conjured some bluebell coloured flames that apparently didn't burn her hands. Merlin said something in the old tongue and a ball of light appeared beside him. To Arthur the light was very familiar.

"But… That… What…?" spluttered Arthur. His dam burst. "How the hell? You were dying! That shouldn't be possible!" Arthur broke off, breathing heavily. The others looked at Arthur in confusion.

"What are you talking about Arthur?" questioned Morgana.

"That light. When I was here before it appeared and fought off giant spiders that were trying to kill me, then led me out of the cave," Arthur explained, bringing his emotions back under control. He was a Pendragon and he would not allow his emotions to get the better of him.

The rest of the plant hunting mission was uneventful and they returned to the castle pleased with their success. Morgana, however had had an idea. She knew her friends wouldn't approve so she didn't say anything to them. But Morgana had always been the ruthless one. She assumed it had come from Uther and was strengthened by Morgause. Morgana would do whatever it took to protect her friends.

That night after everyone had gone to bed, Morgana cast a spell to cloak herself in darkness. If Nimueh was a high priestess as Merlin had said, she would not be killed by a blade. In the future that now never was, Morgana had become a high priestess herself. She knew the spell she could use to kill Nimueh.

Nimueh didn't even have time to scream. She didn't even know anyone had entered her room. She only knew she was dead when the Lady of the Lake greeted her and led her to Avalon.

Lancelot smiled as he saw the walls of Camelot in the distance. He hadn't realised how much he missed the citadel, or his friends within it. He really hoped Merlin would have some answers for him.

Lancelot had arrived at the citadel a little earlier than the last time. Whereas before, Lancelot had been tracking and following the Griffin, this time the knight had gone to Camelot directly.

Gwaine remembered dying. He remembered the beautiful woman who had greeted him and led him to Avalon. He remembered her claiming to be Merlin's wife and telling him that Merlin was the sorcerer from the clifftops who had called himself Dragoon the Great. Gwaine remembered feeling indignant at that.

These memories of Gwaine's meant he was now rather confused to be waking up in a ditch in a town he vaguely recognised as somewhere he'd visited years ago. A place he'd only been once, a couple of years before he first met Merlin and Arthur.

Gwaine was also confused a s to why he wasn't wearing his chainmail. Was it all a dream? Gwaine decided he needed to go to Camelot right away.