Uther and his old friend King Godwin wish to strengthen their respective kingdoms by marriage, so Arthur and Princess Elena find themselves under pressure to submit to the needs of security even if they do not love each other. Elena has a secret so deep that even she does not know it, but her maid Grunhilde is well aware of the true nature of her charge and she will stop at nothing to make sure that the marriage goes ahead. It seems that it is not just a mortal kingdom that depends on the union.

The regulars are as strong as ever, especially Richard Wilson’s Gaius, who is being written in a far more comic vein this series. However, Georgia King as Elena is the standout in this episode. Her gaucheness and awkwardness are played to great comic effect, but she cleverly stays just the right side of hamming it up and in the end gives a touching performance. Bradley James’ horrified reactions to her un-princess-like demeanour are extremely funny, but he too gives a believable portrayal of a young man torn between his heart and his kingdom. Meanwhile, Miriam Margoyles is superb as Grunhilde and her scenes with Gaius prove once more what a great comic foil he can be.

The one criticism that could be levelled at this episode is that the ending is a little rushed and somewhat unsatisfying. Given what Merlin is facing, the difficulties seem far too easy to overcome. However, taking into account the standard of writing throughout Series 3 as a whole so far, that could be a sign that viewers are expecting more and more from the programme.

Airs on Saturday 16th October 2010 on BBC One.