- Niniane acts like it's no biggie to reveal the name of Merlin's dad now that the room isn't full of strangers.
- Niniane pretends that it's also because both she and Merlin now live a religious life, so the revelation won't hurt either of them. But Merlin knows that she won't tell the truth about this—and she doesn't. She says that she never saw the man. She's sticking with the "devil did it" story.
- Vortigern's a suspicious dude, so he takes the story hook, line, and sinker. It also helps that Merlin's kind of weird. It all confirms for Vortigern what he's already heard.
- The priests actually help out on this: they tell Vortigern and his queen that it's totally possible for an evil creature of the air to drop in on women and make babies.
- Suddenly, Merlin gets it: Vortigern doesn't want something sensible, like info on Ambrosius. He wants a powerful magician to help with his problem of the falling tower walls. D'oh.
- Merlin's relieved by all this. He may not have magic powers at his command, but he's really good at engineering. Yay, science.
- Vortigern promises to release Niniane, but he has plans for Merlin.
- Merlin is able to convey secretly to Niniane that he knows who his real father is—and then she's whisked away.