A baby is enchanted in her crib, by what appears to be a fairy. Twenty years later, she's grown up and a bit of a slob for a noblewoman! She's Princess Elena (Georgia May) and complains of her shoes, she doesn't like wearing them. Lord Godwyn (Simon Williams) is her father. Uther (Anthony Head) thinks her beautiful and "strategic." Godwyn finds Arthur (Bradley James) "strategic." They must marry off the two to cement their allegiance. Arthur doesn't love her and refuses. Elena arrives at court and trips over. Merlin (Colin Morgan) has to fetch and carry, as normal.
Arthur has to inform Gwen (Angel Coulby) of this marriage and that he won't go through with it. Merlin thinks perhaps Elena will be like her mother. Arthur has bad breath, a sense of humour. Then adds, no, Arthur is right, they don't share anything in common. Uther tells him that Arthur's future also involves the safety of Camelot and he should find feelings for Elena.
Elena is restless in her sleep. Grunhilde (Miriam Margoyles) sprinkles dust over her and her true features are revealed. Grunhilde summons the Faerie king at the lake and changes into her true form. A faerie lives within Elena, but cannot come out until she is actually married. A Sidhe will become Queen of Camelot. So it's not just Morgana after Camelot, but all sorts of creatures too.
Elena and Arthur go riding, that's one thing she can actually do. They both didn't know their mothers (well that's one thing they have in common.) He wonders if he's like his mother, or more like his father. (But in series 2 when Morgause (Emilia Fox) appeared to him for the first time and showed him her mother, he should have an idea of what she was like at least.)
Arthur gives her a rose and she sneezes over him. Merlin finally arrives with a picnic and Arthur warns him not to leave him alone again. "Nobody likes a clever clogs, Merlin." Elena, later hugs Arthur and trips on the stairs.
Grunhilde sets her sights on Gaius. The two fathers discuss the alliance. Elena tells Grunhilde of her doubts; that she's not perfect. Grunhilde replies she can marry Arthur for his brawn. Elena respects her father's judgement. Grunhilde gives her a frog to eat.
Merlin (in another scene where he stumbles across trouble) spies Grunhilde catching flies with her long tongue. Gaius thinks she could have an infection. Whereas Merlin knows for certain that her long tongue means magic. Gaius searches Elena's chamber and finds the pouch with the dust. Grunhilde thinks he's there for her. They "could make sweet perfume together," she tells him.
Gaius realizes Grunhilde is a pixie with pixie dust. Merlin thinks that's "disgusting. Imagine if she kissed you." After Gaius says she likes him. Gaius believes Elena is a changeling and is about to be completely possessed. She's a Sidhe (pronounced 'Shee') and they would want a Sidhe queen.
Morgana thinks Elena's nice. Arthur attempts to tell Uther he doesn't want to marry someone unless he loves her. Morgana watches the glances exchanged between Arthur and Gwen and now she concludes they have feelings for one another. Merlin wants Gaius to tell Uther about the changeling, but once more Godwyn cannot be accused. Gaius says they need a spell so that the faerie leaves Elena's body.
Morgana cunningly questions Gwen. She wouldn't want Arthur to marry someone he doesn't love, but Gwen tells her he doesn't have a choice. Morgana wonders what would happen if he had feelings for someone else. She can see it in Gwen's eyes. Gwen knows it won't amount to anything... Morgana will begin to weave a cunning plan.
Gaius wants to concoct a potion made by the witches of Meredor, compelling the faerie to leave, but he doesn't know how to concoct it. Gwen confronts Arthur about his wedding, "You can't always have what you want." Arthur would be glad to be insane if he could have Gwen, since it's better than being sad. He tells her she has a good heart. Gwen believes if he does get married then Camelot will have the king it deserves.
Gaius finds the witches weren't good at writing recipes. (For a princess, Elena only has one yellow dress!) Arthur wants Elena to share his dreams and asks for her hand in marriage.
Merlin finds the flower they need for the potion, in a boggy marsh. Grunhilde relays her suspicions about Merlin knowing their secret to the faerie king. He enters Merlin's chamber as a ball of light and is destroyed by Merlin with his staff and in the process, Merlin breaks the bottle containing the potion. (This is becoming too familiar, first Gwen mixed up the potion bottle needed to save Gaius' life and now he does something similar.)
Gaius needs to distract Grunhilde and meets her in the vaults; telling Merlin if it doesn't work then Merlin will have to save him and if it does work, then it will be their secret. She prepares to kiss Gaius (with her long tongue!) and Merlin locks her in. But she manages to lick Gaius' face with her long tongue instead!
Grunhilde escapes her prison. Merlin must destroy the Sidhe with his staff. Merlin wrestles with Grunhilde, turning her into pixie dust. Merlin holds Elena's nose and forces her to drink the potion. The Sidhe leaves her body and is destroyed. (This all seemed a little too easy.)
Merlin hands Arthur his ceremonial sword. Arthur: "Is that for me to fall on?" Then says Merlin wouldn't understand, "you have no idea what it's like to have a destiny." (But he does and he's said that before too.) Their destines are inter-twined. Merlin replies, "destinies are troublesome things." Arthur feels trapped, with everything being planned out for him, he doesn't know if a destiny is right. Arthur asks Merlin how he knows so much. Merlin: "I read a book." Merlin comments he should only marry for love. It is Arthur's destiny to rule, but Arthur can decide on how he rules.
Gwen has a new dress for the wedding. Arthur and Elena agree not to go through with the ceremony. Morgana watches Gwen. Arthur surmises when he's king, he will be a good one, "with the support and strength of the woman I love." Godwyn informs Uther that Arthur will be a good king and Uther should be proud of him. Gwen tells Arthur he didn't deserve Elena. He will find someone just as "lovely." Oh they didn't turn around to look at each other at the end. Arthur has already been betrothed before, let's hope this doesn't happen again in the near future. To someone other than Gwen that is.
A changeling is the child of a fairy which has been substituted for a human baby. Sidhe/faerie are creatures able to move very fast in the air and have the ability to change their shapes, as well as being more powerful than men.
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