- Cerdic greets Merlin as he returns from Galapas' cave. The servant seems to think that 12-year-old Merlin has a secret lover somewhere in the hills. Maybe they started early in the 5th century?
- And just as Galapas predicted, there's news: the High King (that's Vortigern to us) is on the move, and Merlin's Gramps wants to go meet him.
- It seems that King Vortigern wants to figure out which lesser kings in Britain are his allies, as rumors of hostile forces from Brittany are in the air.
- Backstory alert: Vortigern took the throne from a young king called Constantius, whom he was supposed to protect.
- Constantius' younger bro, Ambrosius, has been hanging out in Brittany with the support of King Budec, gathering strength to take back the throne. Bad news for Vortigern.
- While an invasion from Brittany might just be rumor, a battle with the Saxons is probably not. Merlin learns from Cerdic that Grandpa will have to fight the Saxons by Vortigern's side—and soon.
- Merlin remembers Galapas' advice: he has to go with his grandfather. Cerdic thinks this is insane, since the old king hates Merlin. But Merlin has to follow his fate.
- So Merlin goes to Gramps and asks for permission to go with him to Segontium, a place in the North where he will meet Vortigern.
- The old king tries to refuse, but Merlin eventually triumphs. That's guts—and moxie—right there.
- Cerdic will also get to go with Merlin, and he's pretty darn pleased about that.