[Such a vulnerable place would obviously be a high-priority of the local hunters, and so it was easy for Merlin to get close to her... And, well, who wouldn't be drawn to such a positive force in the midst of all these rumors and uncertainty? He might feel a little guilty, lying to her about his true nature, but he keeps telling himself that one day he'll be able to change how things work, and then he'll be able to tell her.]
[For now, he's sneaking around to do one of his usual visits, carrying a small bouquet of flowers to her. Something keeps nagging at him in the back of his mind - it's not flowers that she wanted, is it? - but he figures he's just being silly. He knows she likes them...]