Morning in Camelot, it's safe to say, is the most peaceful and chaotic time of the day. Early dawn, when the sun just peaks over the horizon, when birds just begin chirping, when a thin layer of mist and dew fogs over the courtyard, when only the odd person can be seen, when the horses are still grazing in the fields is the most tranquil time. It is this time that the servants of Camelot would wake up and the castle would fall into its morning harmony.

In the next ten minutes they would blearily start the day, half dressed and half awake. The cook would start the fires. The milk maids would begin the trek down the castle steps towards the village where the shop keepers are setting up their market stalls in a slow haze. Out in the fields the stable hands begin to round up the horses and take them inside to their stalls.

And it is now that the hustle and bustle would start and the castles tempo would increase. Once everyone was awake enough to start their jobs properly. Once the fire was warm enough to start cooking. Once the sun was high enough to start waking up the Lords and Ladies of the castle. And everyone would begin to rush around making breakfast, sweeping halls, and chaos would ensue.

But it was always a routine chaos. In the kitchens the cooks and the hands would move around each other like a dance, working in tandem. When one person accidentally knocked the salt of the top with their elbow, the person walking past them would catch it smoothly, replace it, then carry on their way. When the bucket of water became too heavy for the maid to carry up the marble steps causing her to stumble, the squire running past would catch the maid and the bucket, before helping her up the steps. Sometimes they would then proceed to flirt but let's not get into that.

When one person spilt milk, another would appear suddenly and mop it up. Equipment would be passed or thrown around from person to person till it reached its destination. Scrolls of parchment with instructions on would get read aloud as the castle was told was it was doing that day.

Everyone knew what they supposed to be doing, and where they were supposed to be and at what time. They were all in sync.

It was the morning routine. And everybody knew it.

So when Merlin woke up late and had to sprint to the kitchens, the old washerwomen with their baskets of satin and silk stood to the side with knowing smiles. "You're late." They called after him, in cackling voices. As would be the routine.

The milkmaids held their full pails above their heads, ducking and weaving out his way. "Watching the time, Merlin?" They shouted teasingly as they followed him at a slower pace towards the kitchens. As would be the routine.

The squires running with arms full of armour in the opposite direction danced around him awkwardly and the unburdened maids behind them caught any armour they dropped. "Your shirt's on backwards." Someone helpfully told him. Not always the routine.

A servant carrying two buckets of soaping water across his shoulders actually crouched down so Merlin could leap over him. "Nice bed head," He yelled after the raven haired man, who half raised his hand in reply.

The kitchen doors swung open as Merlin reached them and he hurtled across the threshold, dodging the unsuspecting serving girl carrying a plate of food – causing her to gasp and drop the plate (the girl was obviously new), which was caught by a passing cook- and he came to a skidding halt next to his partner in crime just in time to catch a jug of water as it fell off the cart.

"You're late." She told him- her voice accented slightly- grabbing the jar and placing it back onto the cart before wheeling it off towards the door. Merlin followed after her, ducking as someone threw a wooden spoon over his head, as did the cook who was quickly pilling up some last minute food onto the cart before shoving rest into Merlin's arms at the kitchen doors.

The girl pushed the cart along the stone corridors at a fast pace and Merlin jogged along beside her, placing fruit and bacon onto the two separate plates and rearranging them to look even more tasty. "Over slept," was Merlin's reply as he grabbed the end of the cart and began to move backwards up the stairs. The girl picked up the other end and together they manoeuvred the food-laden cart up the stair case.

Working as a team was daily occurrence for them as they moved through the corridors. The girl began to sing lightly under her breath, the wordless tune was the same one she sang each and every morning and by now Merlin also knew it off by heart, and would sometimes sing it to himself, though never in her presence.

A man-servant with a long roll of parchment containing Arthur's duties for the day caught up to them and began reading quickly to Merlin who nodded along, memorising the list. The man-servant walked with them for a few more minutes prattling on about the kings meeting with the Book Keeper's guild and the practitioners before turning off left at a junction while Merlin and the girl carried on right. As they walked, Merlin began to re-read the parchment ready to present to Arthur. Over the years of being Arthur's servant he had perfected the art of reading and walking at the same time.

Three identical maids joined them as they reached the east wing, each of them holding up different coloured satin dresses for the girl pushing the cart to inspect.

"I like the red one." Merlin ventured glancing up from his parchment briefly.

The girl nodded in agreement. "Aye, bring the red and purple ones." She instructed the triplets. "And get someone to fix the hole in the green silk one she wore last week. And fetch the crown, her normal one. And a necklace. Something gold."

The girls nodded enthusiastically and scampered off to prepare the clothes. The girl who had been holding the green dress looked slightly crest fallen that her choice had not been chosen.

"With matching earrings!" His companion shouted after them as an afterthought as they hurried away. "I like authority." She remarked happily to Merlin and carried through the castle.

Finally they came to a halt at pair of double oak doors and they turned inspect each other and the food.

"Your shirt's on backwards," She informed him.

"Your hair's coming undone," was his reply.

They both began to fix their appearance, Merlin shrugging off his brown jacket, and undoing his belt while the girl pulled numerous amounts of cheap hair pins from her hair and stuck them in her mouth. Merlin moved his arms out of his sleeves and swivelled his shirt the right way round before redressing. The girl twisted her blond hair back into a messy bun at the nape of her neck and began sticking pins in at random to keep it in place, a few strands that were too short to reach her neck were already falling loose around her eyes and she blew them out of the way impatiently. Merlin began to move the food around the plates that had been disturbed during the journey from the kitchens while she reached up and smoothed down his bed hair.

When everything was ready presentable, Merlin and girl turned to each other again.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

She reached up and neatened his neckerchief while he placed a flower in her hair. Then together they turned and knocked on the door, then entered, preparing to wake the King and Queen for another day in Camelot.

As would be the morning routine.

Hope you like, love Elle.