Magic in Camelot

The Troll Queen

After the ceremony, Merlynn walked with Gaius up to their quarters and Gaius properly wrapped Merlynn's ankle. Merlynn told Gaius what had happened. Once she was properly taken care of, Gaius let her go to clean up and work for Arthur. She was busy changing Arthur's sheets when the door flew open. Merlynn turned and saw Arthur carefully closing the door behind him.

"You need to get out of here. The King has ordered me to arrest you." Arthur said, making his way over to her.

"What?"

"Catrina has accused you of taking her seal." Arthur opened the door to the ante-champer and checked it.

"But I didn't."

"I don't want to know and you haven't got time to explain. If you value your life, you'll leave Camelot right now." Arthur took the sheet from Merlynn and pushed her towards the antechamber.

"Arthur, she is a troll. She's trying to set me up."

Arthur shook his head, his face pleading for her to go. "We've been through this."

"I'm telling the truth. I saw her."

Arthur looked like he was about to say something, but a knock on the door interrupted him and he changed his mind. "I don't care. You need to leave, Merlynn." His voice was soft and quiet and Merlynn knew she was out of time.

Another knock on the door. "Sire." A knight called for Arthur.

"Go. Go!" Arthur practically shouted at her.

Merlynn dashed out of the room, ignoring the extra pain it caused her ankle once again. She had no idea what to do, where to go. She turned down a hall and ducked into a corner until two guards passed her. She managed to make her way back up to her chambers without being seen.

She cast a silencing spell over their home, not wanting to risk anything before turning to her uncle. "Gaius."

"I know Merlynn."

Merlynn began pacing, panicked. "What am I going to do? Catrina has got the King under her spell, she's got to. He has to be smarter than this. If my father finds out-"

"Merlynn, calm down. It's going to be alright."

"How am I going to fix this if I'm constantly being hunted?"

"We'll just have to keep you out of sight. I'm sure with your gifts we can manage that."

Merlynn took a deep breath. "You're right. I just need to find a way to get them off my back." Merlynn thought for a minute before an idea popped into her head. "Gaius, half my problem is they are still searching the citadel because they don't know where I am, what if I make a trail? I can lead them away from Camelot and it'll reduce my chances of being caught by at least half, if not more depending on how desperately that troll wants me found."

"Okay, and how are you going to do that?"

"I'll run, like I would have. I'll make a trail leading North, towards Ealdor, but not straight there. I'll leave out a couple of things, an old neckerchief I don't need anymore and burn a fire. I can leave obvious footprints."

"Don't you think that's going to be rather difficult?"

"I can cover the tracks that return to Camelot, I'll be extremely careful. I know how to manipulate and deceive and I know how these knights work, don't forget- I am my father's daughter." She said bitterly. "Besides, Arthur let me go in the first place. He'll do what he can to help, I'm sure."

"Alright, Merlynn. If you're sure, just come back safe."

Merlynn smiled at Gaius and nodded before running back out and making her way to the forest. She wasn't sure how long it would be before the troll would send knights out of the city to search for her, so she had to be quick. She ran through the tall grass, asking her magic to help her stamp it down to create an obvious path. When she reached the first clearing, she used her magic to move rocks and branches to create a fire pit. She lit the fire immediately and willed it to grow until there was a clear smoke train leading to where she was. She let it burn as she dug out an old blue neckerchief from her pocket and snagged it on a bush nearby. She put out the fire and ran back into the woods, continuing her path for a while. Once she was well into the forest, she stopped making an obvious trail, and looped back towards the castle, erasing her tracks as she went.