A/N: Hey everyone. If you've read my last story, you already know that I am in a rival competition with a friend of mine to see who can write the better story. Marches (This Months) theme was Cardcaptor Sakura. For April (or next month) the theme is Merlin. I am planning on keeping these stories on-going after the months, so plz enjoy reading them, because i am ceartainly enjoying writing them.

Disclaimer: I don't own the series Merlin, other wise the ending would have major

changes in it.

ENJOY :D

It started out as a normal morning. Merlin waking up late, Prince Arthur ( AKA, the Prat and/or the clotpot) was yelling at his clumbsey manservent for, once again, stumbling into his chambers without, once again, knocking. Then, as usual, Merlin is stocked full with all of the prat's chores, the normal ones, and the completely bazare ones that Merlin was sure Arthur was making up just so he wouldn't have as much personal time. Yes, it was a normal day, well at least as normal as it could possibly get for a warlock living in a sorcerer huntin city. That was, until he spotted a young maiden that reminded him of someone very close to him.

He was mucking out the stables for the umpteenth time that week when he spots the young girl as he was walking out for a quick break. She caught his eye right away because she stood out tramendously compared to the people around her. She had long, flowing golden hair that seemed to resemble a creek of honey that would flow in a young child' dream. When ever she took a step, her golden locks would bounce up and down freely and would once again settle into place when she took around for her needed items from the market. She had bangs that cascaded down her face to just above her deep, ocean like, blue eyes that seemed to reflect even the smallest of stars in them. Her long, black eyelashes, stood out tramendousley and beautifully compared to her soft, flawless ivory skin that seemed to glow in the sunlight. She wore a ragged rose colored dress that barely went pass her feet and lightly dragged on the ground behind her. She seemed to be looking for food and new cloths from Merlin's point of view, but to others, she may have seemed like she was just walking around in order to look for a nice conversation to have with other people.

Merlin was staring at her uncounciouselly until her heard a voice coming from behind him.

"S-sire?" said a boy from behind him. Merlin quickly shook his head, snapping himself out of his thoughts, and looked around behing himself. He quickly spotted a young stable boy, looking at him with couriouse eyes plastered on his face.

"Yes?" Merlin asked. The young stable boy looked out into the streets, spotting the young girl Merlin was looking at, the back at Merlin.

" The young maiden that you were looking at, she doesn't get to close to people, especially men that she has never met, so don't get any ideas or intrest about her because i hear she is a strong fighter." The boy said in a seriouse tone.

Merlin blincked a few times, trying to process what was being said. Then, suddenly, Merlin's eyes flew open in conprehension. Merlin flailed his hands in front of him as a defensive guesture.

" OH, No! I wasn't thinking about anything like that! I was just thinking about how much she reminded me about a close friend of mine i know. Truthfully, I didn't have any ideas like that! In fact, I just got out of a relationship, I'm not sure I'm ready to get back into one."

The stable boy eyed him suspiciously. Then he slowly stated " O..K, I was just giving you some useful advise about most girls. Especially her because most guys in this town, doensn't matter if their noble or not, have tried to get friendly with her and are now refering to her as thier own, and not to mention an extremely over protective brother. So if you want to keep you face the way it is, best to avoid getting too smitten with her,"

." Well that's great to know. Thank you for the heads up. Guess I better stear clear of her then," Merlin replied with his signature goofy grin.

The stable boy nodded his head repeatedly. Then Merlin heared his name being called out from somewhere far in the distance. He quickly turned around to see who was calling him. The person he spotted was none other than the royal prat himslef.

"Merlin! Merlin are you done mucking the stables yet?!" Arthur yelled as he came down the street.

"No, not yet sire," Merlin called back.

"God Merlin! How Lazy are you? any other servent would have finished this here hours ago! Why do I even put up with this?" Arthur threw his hands around, trying to emphisise his point, but it Merlin, it looked as is he were a puppet in a comedey show, but Merlin descided not to mention this in fear of having to muck the stables for another weak, and it was really fun to watch. So instead he pretended to be in deep thought.

"Hmm. Let me think, why would you want to keep the man who has saved your life on several occations around."

"You want to know why I keep you around? Well, it's because... never mind."

"Because what?" Merlin prodded.

"nothing"

"It must be something"

"Just shut up Merlin."

" Since when have I listened?"

"Merlin! I said be quiet" the prince said harshely.

"Only if you do,sire," Merlin retorted. Arthur rewarded Merlin with a you-better-shut-up-or-else look. Merlin descieded he would stop prodding and he would pretend that the conversation had never happened. The Prince and Merlin both looked around that stables, one admiring his work, while the other tried to critisize it, but Merlin quickly forgot about the stables when he felt something that didn't set right with him. It was something dark and sinister. something magical. He was so focused on trying to figure out where the feeling came from, that he didn't even notice that Arthur was talking once again.

"... Then you need to go polish my armour, and the you need to- Merllin? Merlin? Are you even listening to me?! MERLIN!" Arthur yelled. That certainly snapped Merlin out of his focus. He turned around to face Arthur, the replied "yes, sire."

Arthur studied him for a second, the said " Okay, then. I want it all done by sundown." After reciving a nod from his manservent, Arthur turned around and headed back to the castle leaving a very dumbfounded Merlin standing there, trying to figure out what he was told. Merlin spun his head around to look at the stable boy with pleading eyes. The young boy picked up the unspoken question then sighed, replieing, "Arthur wants you to do what your normal chores, and that there is going to be an important council meeting that he i expecting you to attened after you finish here."

Merlin thanked the young stable boy and went back to work, tryint to ignor the feeling that he was being watched.