Disclaimer: I don't own the show Merlin but I do own the characters Evangeline and Alva. Please read and review. This came from story ideas I was tossing around… Enjoy!
They rode into the city of Camelot at dawn, as the markets and shops began to open, early risers drifting into the streets. The two riders paused at the castle gates, exchanging weary glances with one another.
"Who are you?" a guard asked. They dismounted, revealing letter of nobility. The guard nodded and waved them in. They led their horses
into the courtyard, looking around. Maids and servants chatted loudly as they moved about and a tall young man stood near a short old
man with white hair stood apart from them, laughing. The two figures approached them slowly. The old man, Gaius, the court physician
looked over his apprentice warily, frowning.
"May we help you?" he asked. They bowed, pulling the heavy cloaks off their faces, revealing their faces. Gaius beamed, stretching out to grab their hands.
"Gaius?
"Oh, Merlin! These are my pupils, Evangeline and Alva. Some of the most talented…girls…I have ever met," he said. Merlin grinned,
shaking their hands. Evangeline was a beautiful girl, with rippling brown hair that reach her hips, high cheek bones framing her chocolate
brown eyes as they bore down on Merlin. He smiled sheepishly, keeping a noticeably longer grip on her hand than that of her sister's. Her
older sister, Alva, had the same brown hair but her face was squarer with green-brown eyes. Her hair was shorter and smoother but still
lovely. But it was the younger sister that caught Merlin's eye.
"Gaius, we are looking for work," Alva said.
"I'm sorry, my dears, but nothing much will be found here in Camelot," he replied.
"Are you sure? You do not need assistants?" Alva insisted. Gaius sighed and turned as Prince Arthur came running from within the palace.
"Merlin! I've been looking everywhere for you! My boots need polishing, my armor too. Also, my blades need to be sharpened!" he snapped. Alva cleared her throat, crossing her arms defiantly as the king barely noticed them. He stopped yelling at his manservant before looking at the two women.
"And you are?" he asked.
"Lady Evangeline and Lady Alva, My Lord," Evangeline said, curtsying deeply. He nodded.
"Do either of you happen to be a cook?" he joked. Alva and Evangeline exchanged glances and Evangeline nodded. Arthur looked startled.
"Really?"
"Yes. I cooked for various lords and kings around Albion," she explained. He grinned, patting Evangeline on the shoulder.
"Excellent," he said cheerfully and walked away. "Oh, Gaius, all the cooks have fallen ill!" Gaius rolled his eyes and rushed off to the kitchens, leaving Merlin alone with the two young women.
"Do you mind if we stay with you? Gaius is such a dear old friend and we really have nowhere else to go," Alva insisted. He shrugged and nodded, gesturing for them to follow. Evangeline grinned, grabbing her horse's reins and followed the tall, lanky young man as he headed towards the castle.
"You can leave your horses here," he said, gesturing to a pole near the wall. After tying their beasts and followed Merlin in as he climbed
stairs and walked through twisting halls before reaching a sign reading Court Physician. He opened a heavily worn door into a large room,
shelves filled with plants, bottles, and chemical equipment. Alva gasped in delight, spotting the countless piles of books thrown throughout
the living space.
"Sorry for the mess. But we have a spare room over there," he explained, gesturing to a tiny room, its rotting door open. Alva nodded and began settling them in while Merlin led Evangeline away to the kitchens.
As soon as the boy left, Alva dove into her bag, pulling out a necklace. It was a small silver necklace, with a dragon pendant looping around itself to create three rings, ending with the dragon eating its own tail. She grinned, attaching it around her neck. It glowed violently, shedding blue light on her surroundings.
"How was your journey to Camelot?" Merlin asked as he walked with Evangeline to the kitchens.
"Fine. Nothing exciting."
"Good. There are sometimes bandits in the woods."
"Really?" she laughed. "I'm surprised anyone comes to Camelot anymore then, if there are bandits in the woods." He laughed nervously as well, knowing well enough the majority of the times he and Arthur had been attacked, it had not been truly the work of bandits.
"Here we are." Evangeline was surprised at the silence in the kitchens. Normally, they were alive and always moving in a castle, such as this. She walked in and beamed, delighted with the size of the kitchen.
"It's beautiful!" she squealed, rushing around to brush her fingers across the surfaces of each oven and pot.
Merlin wrinkled his nose. "Really?" She glared at him, swatting his arm. He laughed, dancing out of her reach. She turned away and started pulling ingredients off shelves and started cooking. Before Merlin could protest, he smelled the most delicious thing he ever imagined.
"What are you cooking?" he gasped, moving closer. Evangeline smiled, gesturing to the large cooking pot that was beginning to simmer on the open stove.
"You hungry? This'll be done in a few minutes."
"I would love too," he hesitated, remembering all the chores Arthur had given him to do.
"Arthur needs you?" she suggested. He nodded and reluctantly walked out of the kitchen, returning to Arthur's chambers. The prince's giant pile of armor and countless pairs of boots were waiting for him on the chambers, along with a rag and a small brush. He sighed and sat down to began cleaning.
"Oh, there you are," Arthur said, coming in. Merlin rolled his eyes.
"Where else would I have been? I love my job," he joked. Arthur rolled his eyes and sat heavily on a chair, dumping his weapons on the ground, along with dirt and grass. Merlin sighed, having cleaned the floors the day before.
"Did you get to talk with those two girls earlier?" the prince asked. Merlin nodded, changing to a new pair of boots.
"What did you think? The younger one was pretty, as was the older one but something about her gave me the creeps," he shuddered. "Her gaze was so…intense."
"She was alright to me."
"Yeah, because you were too busy drooling over her sister," he snorted.
"I was not!" Merlin argued, blushing slightly. Arthur rolled his eyes and rose, grabbing his sword and strode out again, clanking loudly. Merlin grinned and continued to clean.
Evangeline left the pots in the kitchen simmer, knowing they would not boil over before she returned. She walked back to her room, taking a few wrong turns before finding Gaius' chambers once again.
"Alva? Are you here?" she called softly. She glanced around but her older sister was nowhere to be seen. She pushed into their room and
shrieked. Her sister lay in a daze, pale and mumbling chants of the Old Religion beneath her breath as the necklace around her neck
glowed and rose, hovering above her body. She smacked down the pendant, destroying the enchantment. Alva groaned, pressing the heel
of her hand into her forehead before rising.
"What happened?"
"You were doing magic again!" she snapped. Alva smiled softly.
"What happened?"
"Well you were in a—What does that matter! Alva, you know how dangerous that is here in Camelot? You swore not to use magic while we were here!" she hissed angrily. Alva waved off her sister's concern and walked out of the room, stretching her arms above her head. Evangeline sighed in defeat, watching her sister wander out, praying she would not do something stupid.
Note: Ta da! Please R&R