Hey people! I love this series and so I decided to hop on the bandwagon and get involved. So get ready because here comes some good stuff!
"Merlin! Merlin! Where are you?" Arms reached out to shove aside leaf-covered branches as a forest scene passed by. "You're a million miles away and never here." Female. The voice belonged to a woman, he could tell that. "Merlin! Merlin! Won't you come? You promised. You promised, Merlin!"
"Merlin!" The raven-haired warlock snapped up in his bed as an icy cold touch coated his head and left him sputtering for air while wiping water out of his eyes.
"What was that for?!" Merlin demanded as he shot a gaze at his mentor and guardian as the old man set down the now-empty bucket.
"For one thing you didn't wash last night. And Uther is holding an open court. He demands everyone be there." Merlin turned to look at his mentor, noticing he was wearing a red robe with colorful beads on the collar and at the end of the sleeves with a brown belt holding his belly in. "Hurry up and get dressed. Your breakfast is getting cold." Merlin nodded as Gaius shut the door before pressing his lips into a thin line.
Merlin got dressed somewhat quickly but one thing kept plaguing his mind; the voice he'd heard in his dream. The way it has said his name -the way she said his name - was nearly as if he'd actually been there, not just a dream. He could still hear it in his mind, the sound sweet as honey but the tone used gave it a sharp edge like a sword. The noise fell upon the ears like a soft snow or mist but at the same time it was almost like hearing a great waterfall a great distance off.
Merlin couldn't help but fidget. There he was behind Gaius who was standing next to the Prince Arthur, who stood next to his father's throne; the very man who made people like Merlin lose their heads just for breathing. Knights were stationed at every possible entrance so not even an ant could enter without them knowing. Already Uther had seen fifteen farmers asking for a stallion to breed with their mares, protection and help for their crops, ten women asking Gaius to assist them with finding medicinal herbs for their sick children, five men about stolen goods in their shops, and three women about having servant girls come and be models for their clothes.
Merlin's eyes scanned the knights again. All of them were armed to the teeth with blades and spears. A few of them were fidgeting as well but none of them had Gaius hitting them when he noticed the fidgeting.
The current farmer bowed as he left the room and two guards flanked another person as they entered before walking back to their posts.
Merlin saw the black boots with matching trousers tucked into them, a white shirt and a sword at the hip and nearly dismissed the person as another shop owner wanting to sell wares but then his eyes caught on the long midnight-black hair that fell to the hips in a braid, revealing a high forehead over slim dark eyebrows and eyes holding as many hues as a forest. The eyelashes were long and dark, brushing against high cheekbones as the eyelids closed for an instant. Under a small nose was a pair of ruby-red lips and a narrow jaw.
A thin throat attached the head to the body and the collarbone showed from the collar of the shirt being so loose, also showing a hair-thin chain pooling within the small depressions of pale skin before vanishing under the shirt. Shoulders were squared and the left arm was bent so the hand could rest, tensing and relaxing a grip, on the hilt.
The sword hilt was gold with twin silver lines on each side like snake trails in sand. The hilt was wrapped in black leather while the end of it was made with a Celtic knot holding a sapphire the size of an infant's fist in place. Just before the black scabbard started, another sapphire - half as large as the first - was also held in place on both sides by matching Celtic knots.
The girl herself was beautiful, catching the attention of the men assembled. Merlin couldn't blame any of them. She was blessed with large assets and hips wide enough to send a silent promise of bearing children painlessly, while still being so thin one could mistake her for a young tree.
The woman came to a stop before the throne and bowed to Uther, who stared at her as if she's just hit him in between the eyes. Some of the higher-ranked knights began to whisper among themselves. The girl rose and looked the King straight in the eye.
"King Uther," she greeted politely before turning to the prince and bowing her head to him. "Prince Arthur." Uther looked at his son as the blonde's blue eyes widened at the girl as a small smirk pulled at the corners of her red lips.
"Get on with it," Uther ordered. "There are other people waiting to see me." The girl chuckled.
"Actually, I am the last. But I will make this brief if you desire, Your Majesty. I traveled her from a great distance, inspired by tales of your knights and the great kingdom of Camelot and I must say I'm thoroughly unimpressed." The girl's voice went from kind and admiring to accusatory in an instant, catching Arthur off guard and Uther's ears turned a little red.
"I beg your pardon?" The girl's smirk reappeared, but it had a new air to it, as if she was encouraging the anger, as if she knew what would happen and she liked what she saw in store for herself.
"I said I was unimpressed. For the most part, Camelot's ban on magic ends at the border, whilst many others allows the practice. You fight a losing battle without realizing the numbers you're against. Even now, your enemies plot your downfall so they may enter and corrupt your son's mind, thinking him weak and the knights even weaker as he is the one who trains them."
"How dare you!" a knight standing close by raised his sword so the tip barely touched the outer folds of her shirt. She looked at the blade as if it bored her before turning to Uther, smirk gone and annoyance replacing it.
"Do you train men of honor or dogs here?" she asked. The knight roared in rage and swung his sword...
CLANG!
The knight stood in place, stunned by what had occurred. The court stared at the girl who now was crouched behind the knight, one hand on the floor along with the matching knee and the toes of her other boot clung to the stone as well. Her sword was drawn, revealing the iron and golden threads braided through it just as the silver in her hilt did. The knight's sword landed, point facing the girl, in front of her and in a swift, fluid motion she stood and set the point of her sword at her sheath. Slowly, she slid it in and the resounding click of the hilt against the scabbard echoed through the room just before the bottom half of the knight's chainmail fell to the floor.
The knight yelped, scrambled to collect the armor and ran out of the room as the girl retook her earlier position before Uther.
"How dare you!" Uther roared as he stood from his throne.
"How dare him and how dare you!" the girl shot back, eyes flashing so the lighter hues were darkened to evergreen. "Trying to strike me down without even knowing my name. For all you know I could be that daughter of a king and so much as touching me could cause war. And you're already in the middle of one and can't afford to spare a man." Uther glared at her as Arthur glanced between the two, as if he didn't know what to say.
"What is your name?" Merlin heard himself blurt out. The girl turned to him, eyes turning from dark evergreen to a bright grass-like color.
"Harmony Melody."
"That is no real name!" Uther growled, catching the girl's attention again. She straightened her back, giving her a few more inches to her height.
"True it is no true name. But it is the name I call myself. Any other is a secret to me alone." The King growled again as he reclined in the throne.
"What is it you want?" he asked.
"Its not what I want King Uther, but what you want. You want to win the war against sorcery and I offer you the chance to do just that." Merlin's blood began to turn cold as Uther leaned in to hear what Harmony Melody had to say. "I can help you train your men to fight ten sorcerers at once without feeling weary. I have trained for years to handle a sword and to fight. I offer you my services King Uther, and if you accept them your army will know no bounds. Your plotting enemies will tremble in their boots whilst they hide in what they believe to be safety as your army marches closer, their mere presence within a hundred league radius igniting fear and awe." Uther was silent as he thought over the girl's words.
"And you can do all of this?"
"It may take time but yes, I can do it sire," she said with an authoritative nod.
"Very well. You'll begin immediately Lady Harmony Melody." The girl smirked again.
"Please, Harmony will do fine. No need for both Harmony and Melody together or Lady." Harmony bowed again as the King rose.
"Very well then. I'll see that a servant prepares chambers for you immediately. And my son will show you how we train our knights. I trust you'll make changes as you see fit?" Harmony smiled and nodded.
"Yes mi'lord." Arthur watched as his father left the courtroom before beckoning to a servant and walking to Harmony.
"If you'll come with me, I'll-" Harmony cut him off with a cold glare.
"I'm well-aware of what is happening. Now, I highly doubt I will need the assistance of a man to find chambers that I'm meant to sleep in. Nor am I stupid enough to allow it. I'm fairly sure I can find it with a servant. I also know where you train, unless trampled-by-boot grass is common in Camelot. Now then, is this the servant to lead me to my chambers?" Harmony asked as she gestured to a young girl standing behind Arthur, white hat covering her hair, head bent in submission and dressed in a Camelot red dress. "If that is so, then she and I will go now and meet you and the knights on the training grounds." With that, she spun on her heel so her braid of black hair smacked the prince in the face as she and the servant girl walked away, leaving behind the stunned boy.
Merlin couldn't help but snigger but stopped instantly when Harmony turned her head around, smiled at him and waved her fingertips before disappearing.
"I think she might like you," Gaius said with a light smile. Merlin chuckled a little as the physician lead him past the prince and back towards Gaius's chambers.
Merlin peeked past the wall at the training grounds. Normally he wouldn't care about what Arthur was up to but Harmony was watching him train the knights so intently, he'd been making mistakes which the knights-in-training copied perfectly. Occasionally, the girl would grab a random boy and sit him down with her and she'd talk with him a little before letting him go back and repeat the process.
Merlin felt a small laugh bubble every time Arthur slipped on his feet or tripped. Once it came out a little louder than he intended and Harmony spun around to face him, smiling sweetly as she waved before turning back to the training.
Eventually, Arthur got tired of tripping over his own feet and moved on to target practice, ordering a servant to get a shield. Harmony stood up and walked towards the wall Merlin hid behind and leaned against it.
"I'm sorry, I don't believe I caught your name," she said as she looked right at him. Merlin jumped a little and upon descent, landed on an unseen stone and fell on his behind. Harmony covered her mouth but let her chuckle shake her shoulders. "Are you alright?"
"Uh...Yes! Yes my...my lady," Merlin said as he quickly stood up and bowed while wiping the dust off his trousers. Harmony shook her head.
"No need for the my lady or any other formalities. Harmony will do just fine. Now, what's your name?" Merlin stood up straight and offered a hand.
"Merlin," he said as Harmony took his hand in a firm grip.
"That's a uniquely odd name."
"As is Harmony Melody," Merlin said quickly before slapping a hand over his mouth. "I'm sorry I didn-"
"No Merlin. I agree. My name is odd. And I have no quarrel with you stating your opinion. You have a brain so use it. I actually-" The sound of a knife hitting wood followed by a yelp cut the two off as Harmony snapped around, braid slapping the wall as her green eyes came to rest on what Arthur and his men were laughing about: a servant was running back and forth with a massive shield on his back and a knife was protruding from the middle.
Harmony snarled in a near-wolfish manner as she stomped over to Arthur and his men, her boots creating small dust clouds as she stepped.
"That's enough!" Harmony yelled as she shoved Arthur down. "How dare you treat a citizen of Camelot in such a manner! As for the rest of you, how dare you not stop him!" Harmony turned to Arthur again and let out a long breath through flaring nostrils. "If this is how you train your men, I have a great deal to beat out of every last one of them. Now then, I've seen enough. You're all dismissed! Report back here tomorrow morning." The knights stood where they were as Harmony walked over to the still-running servant and laid a hand on his arm. Slowly the man rose to his full height as Harmony pulled the shield off his arm. The man bowed to her as he trotted back into the palace walls. Harmony turned back to the knights. "Still here? Perhaps you want to starry my training methods now!" The knights vanished one by on until a muddied Arthur was all that remained. "Once I am in charge as of tomorrow, anyone caught doing such a thing will be flogged."
"You think you can order me around?!" Arthur growled as he stood up, wiping mud from his hair and face.
"Indeed I do. As you being a knight, I have every right to give you an order and you are meant to obey it." Without another word, Harmony snapped around, slapping a clean part of Arthur's face with her braid as she walked back into the palace walls and to Merlin." I trust you're familiar with the castle Merlin. Perhaps you could show me around a little." Merlin smiled and offered his arm, which Harmony took with a smile before being lead to a door.
BZ: Merry Christmas to all. And I wrote all this on my brand new tablet! Review please!