Guess who's obessed with Fem!Merlin and Merthur and decided to take a few hours and write a Fem!Merlin fic? ME!
If you like it, and want episode two, leave a review and tell me. I'll consider taking some time to write it (wink wink).
Merlin moved a strand of hair from her face, and looked at Camelot from the countryside in which she stood. The wood was warm, and she knew that the journey to the great kingdom would be worth it. She clutched the letter in her hand, knowing that living with her great uncle would provide her a much better life than the one she had with her mother in Ealdor.
She looked behind her once, and then with determination, continued to walk, a smile poking at the edges of her face. Her back ached with the weight of the sack, and her chest felt uncomfortable with the bindings. She couldn't wait to sleep on a bed, rather than the ground of the forest.
Merlin finally arrived in the town square, ready to go and meet Gaius, when she noticed the commotion near the centre of the grande area. She pushed through the crowd of people to see a chopping block, and a guard, holding a young man's head against it with force.
A voice echoed in the square, coming from above. She looked up to see a powerful yet cruel looking man, looking down on the square from a balcony. Judging by the crown on his head, she knew that he was the King. "Let this serve as a lesson to all," he boomed, and his voice sent chills down Merlin's spine, "This man, Thomas James Collins, is adjudged guilty of conspiring to use enchantments and magic. And, pursuant to the laws of Camelot, I, Uther Pendragon, have decreed that such practices are banned on the penalty of death. I pride myself as a fair and just king, but for the crime of sorcery, there is but one sentence I can pass."
Merlin froze in fear, her eyes locked on Thomas Collins. She knew, in that moment, she had made a mistake, she should not be here, she was doomed. Coming to Camelot, she saw, was her death sentence. She would be executed here.
She was so distracted by her own thoughts, that she could have missed when Uther raised his hand to the air, and the axe coming down, beheading Thomas James Collins, and the collective gasp of Camelot's villagers. She didn't, however.
Uther Pendragon sprang into a speech about him ridding the land of chaos when he outlawed magic and drove it from the realm. He declared that there would be a festival to celebrate the twenty or so years since a "Great Dragon" was captured and Camelot was "freed" of sorcery.
Suddenly, the wailing of an old woman broke through the scene, and a hag-like persona pushed through, screaming, "There is only one evil in this land, and it is not magic! It is you!" Her voice was spitting and harsh. "With your hatred and your ignorance! You took my son! And I swear to you, before these celebrations have ended, you will share my pain. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a son for a son!"
Merlin looked at the old woman, haggard, small, and wrinkled, and felt pity for her. Her outright declare for vengeance was almost laughable, she looked like nothing in comparison to Uther. She was also stricken with grief, with red eyes and a wet face. She couldn't imagine what this woman could do to someone as powerful as the King.
"Seize her!" the king yelled.
It was then that she chanted something indistinguishable to Merlin, and she disappeared in a whirl of smoke.
Merlin tried to shake the memory of the execution and the strange declaration from Mary Collins as she entered the palace. She walked up to a guard and said, "Where would I find Gaius, the, uh, Court Physician?"
The guard looked her up and down briefly and wordlessly pointed down the hall.
Merlin had to ask several people for more directions, and her particular "getting lost" talent was coming into the clear as she made her way to the quarters of her great uncle.
She saw the door, old and wooden, with the words "Court Physician" unmistakably placed above the it. Merlin took a peak inside, taking off her hat so she could better view the room without the lid of her cap in the way. Her hair tumbled out and barely touched her shoulders.
"Hello-o?" she called, almost in a sing-song tone. She did more than just peek then, she wandered inside, taking a look around the Physician's chambers. There wasn't any kind go rich quality, but it was clear that the chamber's belonged to some kind of incredibly knowledgable man. There were shelves lined with books and notes, written with over four decades of research, as far as she was concerned. Other shelves were stacked with antidotes and potions, salves and bandages. A small fireplace was located in some corner of the room. She instantly loved it.
"Hello?" she called again. "Gaius…?"
Suddenly, she heard a crash, and she looked up, as an old man, dressed in robes, fell back, the railing of the balcony on which he stood breaking. Merlin felt panicked, and then a familiar spike of warmth filled her. She felt her eyes and arms tingle when, all at once, time slowed, and a bed shot out from it's original place to underneath the physician.
He got up from the bed and dusted himself off, spinning around to meet Merlin's fearful gaze. She remembered what could happen if you were caught doing magic, and she tried to make herself as innocent looking as possible.
"What did you just do?" he asked, his voice low and angry.
"Erm…" Merlin stuttered, turning her head around as she tried to look dazed.
"Tell me!"
"I-I-I have no idea what happened!" she said truthfully. She really didn't understand what happened when she used magic, but all she did know what that it made her feel amazing.
"If anyone had seen that…" he said, raising his impeccably high brow at her.
"Er, no! That had nothing to do with me!" she said, putting a hand against her chest, faking incredulousness. She knew she was a terrible actress, and prayed it didn't show. "Uh, that was, er…"
"I know what that was, I just want to know where you learned how to do it," Gaius said, closing the door from behind her and crossing his arms. Whelp, she thought, there goes my only mode of escape.
"Nowhere," she said, confused. There were places you could be taught magic?
"So how is it you know magic?" he asked, as if that question were supposed to stump her.
Merlin shrugged. "I don't. I don't know magic."
"Where did you study? Answer me!" he demanded.
Merlin sighed, frustrated with Gaius's constant persuading. "I've never studied magic, nor have I been taught, sir."
"Are you lying to me, boy?" he said, glaring at her.
"Well, what do you want me to say?" she asked, exasperated. She shrugged off the word "boy", figuring it would be useless to tell him if she was going to be executed.
"The truth."
"I was born like this!"
For a moment, tense silence filled the air. Gaius's mouth was hanging open, and Merlin would have laughed if not for the severity of the situation.
"Impossible!" he said. "Who are you?"
Merlin pursed her lips for a moment and pulled off her backpack. She took out the letter she had stuffed in her side pocket, and handed it to Gaius.
"I- I don't have my glasses," he said.
"Oh! Oh, of course. Er, my name is Merlin," she said.
Gaius raised an eyebrow. "Hunith's son?"
"Daughter," she corrected. "And yes."
"Daughter! She failed to mention that to me, it seems," he said humorously. The stern look seemed to melt at the mention of his niece. "But you aren't supposed to be here until Wednesday!"
"Um, it is Wednesday," Merlin told him.
"Ah, alright then. You better put your bag in there," he said, gesturing to the room behind him, hidden behind a closed door. He turned and placed the letter on his desk.
Merlin felt her eyes widen. "You won't mention the, um, the-"
"No. Although, Merlin, I should give my gratitude."
My dear Gaius, I turn to you for I feel lost and alone and don't know who to trust. It is every mother's fate to think her child is special, and yet I would give my life that Merlin were not so. Ours is a small village and she is so clearly at odds with people here that, if she were to remain, I fear what would become of her. She needs a hand to hold, a voice to guide, someone that might help her find a purpose for her gifts. I beg you, if you understand a mother's love for her child, keep her safe, and may God save you both.
"Morgana."
The Lady Morgana was in the Griffin landing, looking out the window at where Thomas Collins had just been executed. Her jaw was clenched, and she did not turn to face Uther.
"Yes?" she replied bitingly.
"What is this? Why aren't you joining us at the feast?" he demanded.
"I don't think chopping someone's head off is cause for celebration. That poor mother," she said, squinting her eyes at the floor.
Uther stepped closer to her. "It was simple justice for what he had done."
"To whom?" she snapped. "He practiced some magic, but he never hurt anyone."
"You were not around twenty years ago," he said, voice still unfailingly calm. "You have no understanding of what it was like."
"How long will you punish people for what happened then?" she retorted.
"Until they realize there is no room for magic-" he said the word like it was poison he was spitting from his mouth, "-in my kingdom. If you will show me no respect, at least respect Camelot's finest singer."
"You know the more brutal you are, the more enemies you will create!"
Lady Helen's camp was in the woods, ready to rest for the evening before continuing their journey to Camelot in the morning. Lady Helen sat in her tent, humming, when she heard a noise from outside her tent. She gasped.
"Hello? Gregory?"
"Lady Helen," Gregory greeted, bowing his head at her.
"All is well?"
"Yes, ma'am. We should arrive in Camelot late tomorrow, should we see no interruption."
"That's good," Helen said, relaxing.
"I'll be outside if you need me."
Gregory left the tent, but noticed something hidden in the shadows. He drew his sword, pointing it out in front of him. "Who's there? Who's there?"
"Acwele seo mægþ! Acwele seo mægþ! Acwele seo mægþ!"
Mary Collins, inside the tent of Lady Helen, stabbed an effigy, a small poppet that would act as a voodoo doll when used properly. Lady Helen fell, dead, instantly.
"Ghefrolinz grimpoxin kouata," she hissed, and then she transformed from an old hag to a beautiful woman.
Mary Collins had become Lady Helen.
Merlin…
Merlin…
Merlin!…
MERLIN!
Merlin jumped up in her sleep. She knew that a deep, raspy, almost commanding voice, should have scared her, should have counted for a nightmare, should have done something more than just make her jump, but all it did was slightly unnerve her.
She dressed quickly, getting out of her nightgown, redoing her binds, and getting into breeches and a tunic. She put on her cap and her boots, ready to leave.
She left her chambers and greeted Gaius with a yawn and a half-hearted wave.
"I made you some breakfast, you didn't eat last night," he said, placing a bowl of thin-looking porridge on the table, next to a large bucket of water.
"Sorry," she said, yawning again. She picked up the spoon and began to eat the flavourless food. Merlin could feel herself dozing off already, still exhausted by the three day walk she had taken to get to camelot.
Then, Gaius knocked over the bucket of water, and Merlin shot up. Her blue eyes flashed gold, and the bucket stopped in midair. Gaius gasped loudly, eyes bulging at the sight of the water and the bucket, suspended by nothing. She and Gaius shared a look, and then she released her hold on the bucket, letting it drop, and letting the water spill.
"How did you do that?" he asked, incredulous. "Did you incant a spell in your mind?"
"I don't know any spells," she said honestly.
"So what did you do? There must be something."
"It just…" she said, blowing black hair from her face, tucking it back in her cap. "It just happens."
She went to get a mop to clear up the mess, avoiding eye contact. She waited for a scolding, like how her mother did when she used magic to help around the house.
"Well, we better keep you out of trouble, then. You can assist me until I find some paid work for you."
Gaius pulled out some potions and small sacs, before taking one of each and placing them on the table. "Here; Hollyhock and Feverfew for the Lady Percival, and this is for Sir Olwin. He's blind as a weevil, so make sure he doesn't down it all at once, will you?"
"Okay," Merlin said, grateful for the lack of a scold.
"Also…" Merlin winced, waiting for more chores, when he instead handed her a sandwich. She smiled and took it. "Off you go. And Merlin, I hardly need to remind you that any form of magical practice will get you killed."
Merlin rolled her eyes, saying, "I think watching that man get executed yesterday reminded me well enough."
Gaius chuckled. "You might want to watch your mouth around others, young lady. I can imagine that they wouldn't take your sass lightly."
Merlin shrugged, grabbing the medicines she needed to deliver. "What will the do?" she asked. "Execute me?"
"No, but a day in the stocks won't be very fun."
"Ha! As if I'll be meeting anyone who'd have the power to put me in the stocks."
Gaius smirked. "You'd be surprised."
Merlin took a bite out of her sandwich and left the chambers. She walked down the corridor and through the square, and finally arrived at what appeared to be Sir Olwin's door. She knocked and stepped back. An old man opened, pooping his head out, as if he could see.
"Erm, I brought your medicine," she said, handing him the bottle.
He took it, and popped the cork, before chugging the contents.
"Uh, Gaius said not to down the whole thing at once…?"
Apparantly the man was deaf, too, because he finished the remedy and handed her back the bottle before closing the door on her.
Merlin looked down at the bottle and up at the door. She waved her hand, and said, "I'm sure it's fine."
Merlin crossed the drawbridge gate, and passed into the training grounds, looking around. She saw what appeared to be knights (at least, they looked like it. They could've also been pretty rich boys).
She made sure her hair was still securely tucked into her cap, and that her bindings were tight enough. She knew how assaulting men could be when it came to women.
She noticed that there was a lot of cruel laughter coming from the crowd of pretty-boys. She rolled her eyes, and marched over, wondering what he hell they were doing.
"Where's the target?" called the first, most striking man. He held an air of pompousness and royalty, but also this superiority complex it seemed. He was strikingly handsome, with large muscles and this "I'm better than you" smile. He was the type of person girls would swoon over.
Merlin wanted to punch him immediately.
"There, sir?" a scrawny looking boy said, moving a target.
The gang laughed tauntingly. Merlin walked faster to get there to stop their taunting.
"It's into the sun?" Blondie asked.
"But, it's not that bright?" the thin, mousy haired boy said.
"A bit like you, then?" Laughter.
Merlin's blood boiled. How dare they treat this poor boy so terribly?
"I'll put the target on the other end, shall I, Sir?" he asked, moving the target. Clearly, he worked for Blondie, but Merlin didn't see why he didn't just quit.
"Teach him a lesson!" one of Blondie's lackeys said. "Go on, boy!" he yelled to the servant,
"This'll teach him," Blondie echoed, wearing a smirk on his face,
"Yeah," another lackey said, grinning.
"Haha, teach him a lesson!" the first lackey repeated.
Blondie threw a dagger at the target with remarkable precision, and it struck the very middle. Thank god, the wood is thick enough, Merlin thought. If the wood had been thinner, the dagger might have stabbed the serving boy.
"Hey, hang on!" the servant called, looking scared.
"Don't stop!" he called.
"Here?" the servant asked, looking tired.
"I told you to keep moving!" Blondie yelled, throwing yet another dagger at the target. "Come on, run!"
The servant shuffled lamely across the ground, struggling with the weight of the target. It probably didn't help to have the force of a sharp object shoving itself into the board.
"Do you want some moving target practice?" the blonde ass asked his buddies, and they all laughed.
The servant finally fell, dropping the target, too. The target rolled away from him, and he scrambled to his feet to go retrieve the target. Merlin put her foot on the target. She plastered a smile on her face, and helped the boy up.
"Hey, come on, that's enough."
"What?" Blondie said, eyeing her.
"You've had your fun, my friend. Leave him be."
"Do I know you?" he asked, looking irritated. He wasn't really looking at her, which bothered Merlin. He seemed to be looking down at her.
"I'm Merlin," she said, raising her chin and extending her hand to him.
He looked down and sniggered at her hand. "So I don't know you."
"I suppose not."
"Yet you called me friend."
Merlin squinted her eyes, and her lip curled into a snarl. "My mistake."
"Yes, I think so," he said, stepping closer to her.
"Yeah. I'd never have a friend who could be such an ass," she said, rolling her eyes. She turned on her heal, walking away.
The blonde boy snorted. "Nor I one so stupid."
Merlin stopped walked, and raised her head, laughing.
"Tell me, Merlin, do you know how to walk on your knees?"
"No."
"Would you like me to help you?"
Merlin turned to face him, "Oh, I wouldn't if I were you."
He chuckled. "Why? What're you going to do to me?"
"You have no idea," she said, shaking her head.
"Be my guest!" he said, gesturing to his face. "Come on,"
She clenched her fist.
"Come on,"
She glared at him.
"Come ooooooooooon!"
She raised her arm, and moved it to go in for a punch, but right as he grabbed her wrist (she knew he would), she kicked him hard in the knee, bringing him down to his knees with a startled gasp.
"Whoa!" The knights called, pulling their swords from their sheaths. Merlin rolled her eyes.
"Tell me, do you know how to walk on you knees?" she said humorously.
He still had a tight hold on her wrist, and tugged her down. She fell quickly, face first into the dirt.
"I'll have you thrown in jail for that!" he hissed, putting his knee on her back.
"What, who do you think you are?" she asked, spitting dirt from her mouth. "The King?" she said, snorting.
"No, I'm his son, Arthur."
Merlin froze, before saying, "Damn." It was meant to be a whisper, but it came out rather loud. The knights went nuts with laughter.
In retrospect, Merlin should have taken Gaius's advice about watching her mouth. She winced when she remembered how she acted.
"Ha! As if I'll be meeting anyone who'd have the power to put me in the stocks."
"You'd be surprised."
She yelped as the guards tossed her into her cell violently. Her cap tumbled off, revealing her hair. She looked back at the men's eyes widened at her "magically a girl" look, but walked off, wordless.
'Lady Helen' arrived in Camelot on horseback. Any reflective surface she passed showed her true form - Mary Collins, but no one paid enough attention to notice.
She arrived in the throne room to greet Uther and a few court members.
"Lady Helen. Thank you so much for coming to sing at our celebrations," Uther said, his voice echoing throughout the room.
"The pleasure's all mine," she said, smiling at him coldly.
"How was the journey?" he asked.
"Oh, the time it took, Sire," she said, the smile remaining on her face.
Uther took her hands and kissed them. "Well, it's always worth the wait."
"It will be."
—
Merlin… Merlin…
Merlin woke up, startled and stiff. She realized she was laying on the cold stone ground of her jail cell.
Understanding that that incessant calling was coming from below, she pressed her ear to the ground, but heard nought.
"Merlin!"
She snapped her head up. "Gaius…!" she said, grinning sheepishly at him.
The cell door opened, and Gaius stepped in, sighing. "You never cease to amaze me. You would assume that someone like you would keep their head low, and look at what you do! You behave like an idiot."
"I'm sorry."
"You're lucky. I managed to pull a few strings to have you released."
Merlin's eyes gleamed. "Oh, thank you, thank you! I won't forget this!" She gave him a warm hug.
Gaius almost felt bad for what would happen next.
"Well, there is a small price to pay for freedom, Merlin."
Merlin was in the stocks, laughing as rotten fruit and vegetables were hurled at him by little children. "Oh no!" she called sarcastically, as more fruit was pelted at her. She could hear Gaius laughing. "Thanks!" she called, rolling her eyes. She winced when a potato hit her in the head. Thank god it was rotten, and that it wasn't as hard as it could've been.
The children ran off when they ran out of rotten foods to pelt. Merlin called out, "I'll be here! …Waiting!"
The children giggled and ran faster. Man, did Merlin love kids.
A young lady with dark skin and a pretty face came up to her and said, "Hello, I'm Guinevere, but most people call me Gwen. I'm the Lady Morgana's maid," she said, smiling at her.
"Merlin, at your service," she said, extending her hand an inch or two for Gwen to take it.
"Like the bird?"
Merlin grinned. "Like the bird," she confirmed. "Though, most would call me 'idiot'."
"No, no, no. I saw what you did. It was so brave," she said, complementing.
Merlin shrugged as much as she could with her head trapped between wood. "It was stupid."
"Well, I'm glad you walked away. You weren't going to beat him," she said, as if it were fact.
Merlin scoffed. "Oh, I- I can beat him, easy."
Gwen raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because you don't look like one of those big, muscle-y kind of fellows."
Merlin rolled her eyes. "Gee, I'd hope not. It'd be hard getting a job as a maid if I look like a man," she said with a laugh.
Gwen's eyes bulged. "Maid?" she asked incredulously. Then she noticed that Merlin's frame was rather feminine and that she probably wore bindings and that she was wearing a hat that would definitely hide long, girly hair. "Not that, you know, you couldn't be a girl, it's just, erm, I can't see you that well so you could definitely be a girl, and, well…"
"What?" Merlin asked, smiling with amusement.
"You don't look like a girl?" she said, before covering her mouth, barely believing she would say something so rude.
Merlin smiled, and motioned for Gwen to move closer. She whispered, "I'm in disguise."
Guinevere started to laugh, amused, and glad Merlin wasn't offended.
"Well, it's great you stood up to him."
"You think so?" Merlin said, ears turning pink at the kind words.
"Arthur's a bully, and everyone thought you were a real hero."
"Oh, yeah?" Merlin asked, smirking.
"Mm-hmm," Gwen said, nodding.
Both girls started to giggle.
It was then that the children returned with more rotten fruit to pelt Merlin with.
"Excuse me, Gwen, but I my fans await," she said.
Gwen saw the children and ran off, not wanting to be hit with rotten food, and then the children started to throw their ammunition. All the while, Merlin laughed.
Merlin was in Gaius's chambers, and she strung her hair into a bucket, letting the water drip out from her bath. She sat down with Gaius to eat her dinner.
"Do you want some vegetables with that?" Gaius asked, eyes sparkling with amusement.
"Ha ha," she said, snorting. "I know you're still angry with me."
"Your mother asked me to look after you," he said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes…?" Merlin said, as if that was supposed to mean anything. Gaius sighed.
"What did your mother say to you about your gifts?"
"That I was special."
"You are special. I have never seen anything like… what you possess before."
"What do you mean?" Merlin asked, with a mouthful of porridge. A little dribbled down her chin, and she wiped it up with her spoon. She ignored the disapproving look from Gaius.
"Well," he started, "Magic requires incantations, spells, and years of study. What you do is… elemental, instinctive."
"What's the point," she began, taking in more porridge, "if it can't be used?"
"That, I don't know."
"Did… Did you ever study magic?"
"Uther banned such practice twenty years ago," he said.
"Why?" Merlin asked, incredulous. What could have been so bad about magic that caused Uther to give all users of it the death penalty.
She saw that he hesitated to answer the question. "At the time, it was used poorly. It threw the natural order into chaos. Uther took it upon himself to rid the land of magic, even the dragons."
"What?" Merlin asked, amazed. "All of them?"
"There was one dragon he chose not to kill, and kept it as an example. He imprisoned it in a cave, deep beneath the castle where no one can free it."
Merlin looked down at her food, now forgotten, deep in thought.
"Now, eat up," Gaius, said, noticing that if Merlin thought for too long about the situation, no good would come of it. "When you've finished, I need you to take a preparation to Lady Helen. She needs it for her voice."
Merlin walked up the Spiral Staiway from across the Balcony Corridor, and entered the Lady's guest chambers. She put the potion bottle on the vanity table, and took a glance around the large, luxurious room. She noticed an effigy, and was slightly creeped out, as well as an odd looking book. She picked it up, examining it. She could feel this strange feeling as she held the book, as if it were emanating some kind of power.
Suddenly, she heard footsteps, and dropped the book, covering it with a rag, as she removed the tracks of her snooping.
"What are you doing here?" a cold voice asked, coming from behind her.
Merlin spun around. "I, uh, I was asked to deliver this to you by the court physician, a preparation…" she said, turning back to take the potion. She grabbed it and gave her the bottle, a smile plastered on her face. That was when she fled.
Merlin was walking through the Square, wearing her usual attire. She carried a basket, and was buying things from the various markets that were in the area. Her eye caught a nice, crystal bottle, and thought that it would be a good gift for Gaius, but she realized that the money given to her was from Gaius, so buying him a gift with his own money was rather arbitrary. She sighed, thinking she could just put it off for a day where she had a paid job and could afford such luxuries.
"How's your knee-walking coming along?" a familiarly taunting voice called from behind her.
Merlin sighed through her nose and ignored Arthur, only walking faster.
"Aw, don't run away!" Arthur called.
Merlin snickered, putting an apple in her basket and paying the lady behind the stand. "What, from you?"
"Thank god," he sighed. "I thought you were as deaf as you were dumb."
"Well, seeing as I'm neither, that hardly changes the fact that I have things to do. Besides, I've told you you're an ass, I just didn't realize you were a royal one," she said nonchalantly, turning to face him with a bored look. "What are you going to do? Get you're daddy's men to protect you?" she asked, wiggling her fingers at the knights behind him.
Arthur laughed. "I could take you apart with one blow."
"And I with less."
"You sure?" he asked, looking at her doubtfully.
The knights began to coerce them to a fight, and Merlin grinned. She took off her jacket and tossed it aside. She heard Arthur laugh at her, clearly seeing how thin she was.
"Here you go," he said, tossing a mace at her, and she missed, letting it drop. She picked it up, only to see Arthur swinging his mace like it was a second hand. "I'm warning you, boy, I've been trained to kill since birth."
"Wow, and how long have you been training to be a prat?" she asked, feigning innocence.
He snorted. "You can't address me like that."
Merlin pretended to look fearful. "I'm sorry! H-How long have you been training to be a prat, My Lord?" She gave a little curtsy with her tease.
Arthur gave her a perturbed grin and started swinging the mace at her. "Come on, Merlin, come on!"
"That you catch phrase, then?" she asked. She raised her voice about two octaves, speaking shrilly, "Come ooooooooon!"
They fought (well, Arthur fought, Merlin just backed down the market stalls, trying to avoid the mace). A crowd began to gather, and as Gaius heard the commotion, he looked out the Physician's Chamber's window to see Merlin in trouble again. Merlin tripped on nothing (again) and fell back.
"Haha! You're in trouble now!" Arthur taunted.
"Oh god!" she groaned. She had long since lost her mace. She looked around for something to help her, when she noticed two large hooks behind Arthur, who was dramatically swinging his mace, smiling charmingly at the crowd. Showoff, she thought bitterly. She felt a spark, and watched as the hooks entangled themselves with his mace. Merlin got up quickly, and as Arthur managed to untangle himself and go for another attack, she moved a box in front of him, and he walked right into it, hitting his shin.
"Ow! Argh!" he cried. He tried to go for her again, but Merlin tightened a rope, making him trip. She picked up her mace and started swinging it.
"Do you surrender?" she asked dramatically.
"To you?" he asked, like the thought made him squirm.
"Do you? Do you give up?"
Arthur backed up, getting his foot in a bucket and fell backwards, crying out. Merlin excitedly did a little victory dance. Then she spotted Gaius and winced, realizing that he would not let this go later.
All of a sudden, there was a sharp pain in the back of her legs and she fell into the hay.
The guards rushed forward and grabbed her, and she yelped. "Wait," he called, and they all looked at him. "Let him go. He may be an idiot, but he's a brave one," he admitted reluctantly. "There's something about you that I can't quite put my finger on, Merlin."
Merlin didn't bother correct his mistake of calling her a boy (it seemed everyone thought so), and took the complement.
"How could you be so foolish?"
Merlin winced at Gaius' tone, and rubbed the ointment on her arm's bruises. "He needed to be taught a lesson," she said.
"Magic is to be studied, mastered, and used for good. Not for idiotic pranks!"
Everyone seems to call me an idiot today, she thought. "What is there to master? I could move objects like that before I could talk," she said, irritated with everything - Arthur, Gaius, herself.
"Then, by now, you should know how to control yourself!" he retaliated.
"I don't want to!" she cried, feeling tears prickle at her eyes. "If I can't use magic, what have I got? I'm just a nobody, and I always will be. If I can't use magic, I may as well die."
Merlin left the room to go to her own bed chambers. She felt so angry. She couldn't use her magic without the fear of being killed, and it seemed that all the odds were against her favour. She roughly flopped onto her bed, wincing when she landed on her back. She heard her door creak open, and Gaius walked in with a basket filled with medical supplies.
"Merlin? Sit up and lift your shirt in the back, would you?" he asked.
Merlin did as he asked, revealing bruises on her back from the fight.
"You don't know why I was born like this, do you?" she mumbled.
"No," he said honestly. He began to tend to her wounds.
"I'm not a monster, am I?" she asked, a hint of fear in her voice.
He looked her in the eye, his eyebrow masterfully raised. "Don't even think that."
"Then why am I like this?" she asked, exasperated. "Please, I need to know why."
"Maybe there's someone with more knowledge than me," he said hesitantly. She realized that he knew who this person was, but wasn't going to tell her, so she didn't press.
"If you can't help me, no one can."
Gaius changed the subject when he handed her a small cup, filled with a potion. "Here, this will help ease the pain."
Merlin… Merlin…
A deep voice called out tho her in her sleep, and she knew that she had to go and see who this blasted person was, who kept calling her. She got out of bed groggily, and snuck out of Gaius' Chambers, making sure she made as little noise as possible. She had to use her magic to stop the various clutter on the tables and shelves from falling.
Merlin…
After what seemed like an eternity, she finally left eh chambers and snuck down the corridor to leave the castle. She had to cross the Square, and make sure that no guards were watching before she could enter the opposite building. She descended the Wrought Iron Stairway and bit back a curse when she saw a pair of guards. She threw their dice away from them to distract them, feeling relieved when they runoff after it. She grabbed a torch, lighting it against another, and headed down the Tunnel Stairway, descending deep below the castle.
Merlin… Merlin…
Merlin entered a cave, huge, with stalagmites and stalactites everwhere, crystals embedded in the far walls, where they hadn't already been mined. Looking up, the cave seemed to have no opening. Looking down, there seemed to be no ending.
In the middle, however, there was a huge rock, that was taller than any mountain Merlin had seen. It's peak reached the height of Merlin's feet on the ledge she stood. Upon it, a huge beast with dark scales, sharp teeth and claws, and golden eyes. Its legs were shackled to the rock, trapping it. It's wings were folded. It was looking right at her.
"Merlin," he said, in a human voice, which startled Merlin. He began to laugh. "How small you are, for such a great destiny."
"Why?" she asked. "What do you mean? What destiny?" she commanded. She decided not to ask why the beast would talk, because she feared she knew the answer - magic.
The Dragon - she concluded it was a dragon, because she knew that there was a dragon grabbed deep beneath the castle, and here she was, with a trapped dragon deep beneath the castle - spoke once more, "Your gift, Merlin, was given to you for a reason."
"So there is a reason," she said, sighing in relief.
"Arthur is the Once and Future King, who will unite the land of Albion," he informed her, adjusting his position on the rock.
"Riiiight," Merlin said, nodding exaggeratedly.
"It is the truth. Unfortunately for him and Albion, he faces many threats from friends and foes alike."
Merlin squinted at the beast. "I don't see what this has to do with me."
The dragon snorted. "Everything! Without you, Arthur will never succeed. Without you, there will be no Albion."
Merlin took a step back, slightly scared. "No. No, you've got this all wrong."
"There is no right or wrong," the Great Dragon said. "Only what is and what isn't."
"But I'm serious!" Merlin said, chuckling nervously. "If anyone wants to go and kill him, the can go right ahead, be my guest. In fact, I'll give them a hand!"
The dragon laughed loudly. "None of us can choose our destiny, Merlin, and none of us can escape it."
"No. No way. No- No. There must be another Arthur, 'cause this one's an idiot."
If dragons could smirk, this one did. "Perhaps it's your destiny to change that," he said, before flying off.
"Wait!" she called. "Wait, I need to no more! Stop!"
Later, Merlin was in her own bed chambers, in an uncomfortable sleep. She still didn't like what the dragon had said to her the night before, and had strange dreams that made no sense- dreams filled with fire and yells and swords and pain. She didn't understand.
OI!
Merlin shot up, to see Gaius in her chambers. He picked up her tunic from the floor, the one she had worn the day previous.
"Have you seen the state of this room?" he asked, gesturing to the surrounding area. Things were strewn out everywhere, though Merlin wasn't sure how that had happened, because she never moved any of her things.
"It just… happens." she said lamely.
"By magic?" he questioned, giving her his signature eyebrow raise.
"Yes?"
"Well, you can clear it up without magic. And then I need you to fetch me some herbs - henbane, wormwood, and sorrel." He gave her a bottle filled with a red potion. "And deliver this to Morgana. The poor girl's suffering from nightmares."
He tossed some more clothes at her, and she mumbled, "Mmm, I know the feeling," groggily.
Merlin entered the Lady Morgana's chambers, looking around the exquisitely furnished room for a good place to put the potion, when she saw the Lady walking behind a changing screen.
"You know, I've been thinking about Arthur… I wouldn't want to touch him with a lance pole," she said, and Merlin snorted quietly in agreement. "Pass me that dress, will you Gwen."
Merlin saw the dress she was referring to, and passed it to her with a moment's pause. "Erm… I-"
"I mean, the man's a total jouster. Just because I'm the King's ward doesn't mean I have to accompany him to the feast."
"Well-" Merlin started, wanting to tell her that she wasn't Gwen, but she was interrupted again.
"Does it?"
"No, of course not," Merlin started. "But-"
"If he wanted me to go, he should have invited me himself. Do know what that means? It means I'm going by myself."
She left from behind the changing screen, and when she saw Merlin, holding a dress of hers and a bottle of potion, she narrowed her eyes.
"You're not Gwen," the Lady said, puzzled. "Who are you?"
"I'm, er, Merlin," she said quickly. She bit her lip. "Uncle- I mean, Gaius asked me to deliver this potion for your nightmares, My Lady. I didn't mean to intrude."
"Oh, well, that's quite alright. Say, since Gwen isn't here, do you mind helping me with this fastening?" she asked, turning around.
"Of course," she said, putting the dress and potion down to help. "You know, if I do say so myself, I have to agree with you about Arthur?"
Morgana raised an eyebrow, and with a hint of amusement, said, "Really?"
"Yes," Merlin said. "Honestly, he can't tell the difference between a woman and a man to save his life."
"He thought you a man?" she asked, laughing.
"Mmm. It was quite funny, up until he challenged me to a duel. I almost won, too, until he pushed me into a stack of hay."
The Lady seemed to be in thought. "Arthur is a real fool, you know. So… I think we should show him that you are in fact, a woman, at the feast," she said, smirking, as she picked up the other dress.
"My Lady?" Merlin asked. She wasn't sure where this was going.
"By the looks of it, I believe I have a dress that would fit you…" she said, walking over to her wardrobe, picking out a silky blue dress, which was more revealing than anything Merlin had ever worn. It had a leg slit from the knee down, and had an off-shoulder neckline. Merlin's eyes widened.
"Oh, My Lady-"
"Please, call me Morgana."
"Morgana, I'm really honoured that you would help me, but I can't accept this, it's worth more than anything I've ever owned, and-"
"I insist," Morgana said, shoving the dress in her direction. "Also, I need to know if you're wearing bindings, because if you are, then the dress will be altered to fit you better."
"I, erm, yes, I am," Merlin said, taking the dress.
"Try the dress on, off you go!" Morgana said, grinning excitedly, as she ushered Merlin behind the changing screen.
Merlin began to change, feeling nervous. When she had finished dressing, she moved from behind the screen and in front of a mirror. "Oh, my god."
"Do you like it?" Morgana asked.
"It's very different from my usual attire, but it's very flattering," she said, smiling slightly.
The dress was a pale, silvery blue, and flowed down her frame nicely. It wasn't tight, was easier to walk in than she thought (meaning she didn't trip nearly as many times as she could have). The leg slit was very appealing, and she smirked at the thought of sticking her leg out dramatically.
"You'll need a nice pair of shoes with this dress, you know," Morgana said. "Here, I outgrew these a long time ago."
The shoes weren't as stunning as the dress, but they were definitely more than the ratty old boots that Merlin normally wore. She slipped them on, and the look was complete.
"My Lady?" a familiar voice called.
"Gwen! Come look at Merlin, this is what she'll be wearing tonight."
"Merlin?" Gwen asked, flabbergasted. "Merlin from the stocks, Merlin?"
"That's me," Merlin said, moving her fringe from her face. "Hi."
"Wait, you were in the stocks?"
"Yeah, funny story, I kind of called the Prince an ass and almost punched him in the face, before kicking him in the shins?" Merlin said sheepishly.
"Wow. That's… brilliant," Morgana said, her eyes sparkling. "Absolutely brilliant."
"You think so?"
"Oh, definitely," she said. "This dress will make him pay."
"You look lovely, Merlin," Gwen said earnestly. "Very pretty."
"More than pretty!" Morgana said. "Now, it's either I wear this little tease," she said, before picking up a maroon gown, "Or give them a night they'll really remember."
Bronwen, a serving girl, brought a bowl of fruit to the Lady Helen's guest chambers, knocking on the door. Lady Helen opened the door, letting her inside.
"Lady Helen," Bronwen greeted, curtseying. "Complements of the King."
"Come in," she said. Though there was no malice behind her words, she sounded cold.
She walked in with the bowl, setting them atop her vanity. Helen sat and picked up an apple, beginning to eat it.
"So sweet. How will I ever repay him?" she asked.
"When he hears you sing," Bronwen said bubbly. "Well, that will be more than enough, won't it? I'm ecstatic, looking forward to the performance."
"So am I," she said coolly.
"I love singing, you know. I sing all the time." Bronwen was tidying up the vanity, making it cleaner and neater. "My betrothed says I have the voice of a fallen angel."
She removed the cloth from the mirror, only to show Lady Helen's true form as Mary Collins, and paled. She tried to leave the chambers, but Mary grabbed her arm, and drained the life from her.
Bronwen lay on the floor, dead, as Mary Collins at her apple.
In the banquet hall, Merlin entered with Morgana, biting her lip and hunching her shoulders.
"Walk like a Lady, Merlin," Morgana said. "Shoulders back, good posture, long neck, chin up. Look regal. Think of murder."
"What?" Merlin sputtered.
"Just do it, you'll look gorgeous."
So Merlin obliged (with difficulty). She walked in, hearing Arthur joke with his knightly buddies.
"…Merlin… so I stood up and…" he feigned a punch to one of his men's stomachs, and they all went nuts.
Suddenly, they seemed to notice Morgana and Merlin.
"God have mercy," he said, before his eyes trailed to her as well. His eyes seemed to glint. Merlin bit back a smirk, because she knew he didn't recognize her. Yet.
He approached them both. "Morgana, you look well," he said, smiling faintly at Morgana. He turned to Merlin, and she panicked. She glanced at Morgana, who made a motion to lift her hand. Merlin mimicked her, and Arthur took her hand and kissed it.
She made a gagging motion to Morgana, who pursed her lips to hide a laugh.
"You look wonderful. Might I ask your name, My Lady?"
Merlin smiled sweetly at him as he raised his head. "Merlin," she said.
Arthur's eyes bulged, and he took a step back. "What?"
"Are you deaf as well as dumb?" she whispered mockingly. "It was nice to meet you, My Lord."
And with that, Merlin walked off, smirking.
Arthur stared after her, before turning to Morgana.
"You knew about Merlin," he said.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, feigning innocence.
"Morgana, I think… I think I beat up a girl by accident," he hissed.
"Really? That's shameful."
"Morgana," he said, paling, "tell me I didn't fight a Lady."
"You didn't fight a Lady, Arthur, get yourself together," she said, rolling her eyes. "Merlin's just a friend. I thought I'd give her a gift, since she spent a whole afternoon in the stocks, was called a man, and had to fight you with no previous experience."
Arthur's eye twitched. "It's not my fault she looks like a serving boy."
She smacked him in the arm. "That's rude."
"She called me an ass. A royal one!"
Morgana smirked. "Ever stopped to think that maybe you are a royal ass?"
"Morgana, help me. How am I to get out of this… predicament? I attacked a girl, and one who is now strutting around in a pretty dress. What will become of me if the knights hear I attacked a maiden?"
"So she's pretty?"
"That," he seethed, "is very much besides the point. Just help me out of this."
She smiled smugly at him. "Oh, I know a way."
"You do?" he inquired, hopeful. Anything to protect his pride.
"Yes. It's bound to be a bit tough for you, considering you're a Pendragon, but it's quite simple. Go over, and apologize."
Arthur groaned.
Over where Merlin stood, as Morgana and Arthur had their own conversation, Guinevere approached her.
"She looks great, doesn't she?" Gwen asked.
"Oh, definitely," Merlin said. Morgana looked like a queen in her maroon dress.
"Some people are just born to be queen," she sighed.
"No!" Merlin gasped, gaping.
"Yes. I hope so. One day. Not that I'd want to be her. Who'd want to marry Arthur?"
Merling grinned. "I know. He's just so… unappealing. But, I thought that you liked those real rough, tough, save the world kind of men, hm?"
Gwen smiled, rolling her eyes. "No, I like much more ordinary men."
"I'm sure."
"Oh, quiet," Gwen said, swatting her arm lightly. "Besides, I saw him eyeing you a little more than Morgana there. That little hand kiss…" She bent down, and then when she raised her head, a look of mock-shock was plastered on her face. "'…Woman!'"
Merlin laughed. "His face did resemble that of a fish out of water."
Gwen grinned. "Now, I have to tend to the Lady. You go and act like a Lady."
At the celebration in the dining hall that night, everyone bustled around. Merlin still wore the dress that was given to her by Morgana, and stood near the edge, for she didn't have a reserved spot.
"We have enjoyed twenty years of peace and prosperity. It has brought the kingdom and myself many pleasures, but few can compare with the honour of introducing Lady Helen of Mora," the King said, raising his goblet to a toast.
Applause rushed throughout the room. The music began to play, and Uther, along with the court, took their seat. Helen began to sing, her voice melodic and dark, filling the room like a loud instrument. It was so peaceful, Merlin felt the need to curl up and sleep. She nearly did, until she noticed that everyone around her was nodding off to sleep, as well. Cobwebs began to form over the people in the court.
Merlin noticed and pressed her hands over her ears, and then she saw Helen staring at Arthur intently, before pulling a dagger from her sleeve. Merlin knew what was going to happen - she would assassinate the crown prince of Camelot.
Just as she raised her arm to throw her dagger, Merlin felt a familiar rush of warmth in her body, and a tingle in the back of her eyes. The chandelier, directly above Lady Helen, dropped, crushing her. Everyone awoke at the sudden end the the music, pulling the cobwebs off in confusion. Uther and Arthur jolted up to see Mary Collins, half-dead, on the ground beneath their chandelier.
Mary Collins raised herself enough, with a final burst of energy and magic, to throw the dagger at Arthur with deadly precision. She collapsed, dead.
Merlin slowed down time, and ran towards Arthur, and pulled him out of the aim of the knife. The knife embedded itself into the chair.
Merlin cried out as she fell back with Arthur, him atop her. Arthur and Uther both stared at her in shock.
"Can't… breathe…" she wheezed, gesturing to Arthur on top of her.
"Oh. Oh," he said, getting up. He helped her up as well, and she dusted herself off.
"You saved my boy's life. A debt must be repaid." Uther declared.
"Oh, well…" Merlin could feel the heat in her face.
"Who are you? I must ask," he asked.
"I'm, er, Merlin. Gaius' ward and great-niece," she said, wincing.
"You dress like a Lady," he said, looking her up and down.
"It was a gift, Your Highness. I have no noble blood," she said quietly.
"That is no matter, you will be rewarded nonetheless."
"No, honestly, you don't have to, My Lord," Merlin said.
"Nonsense, you don't need to be so modest. This merits something quite special."
"Well…"
"You shall be rewarded a position in the royal household. You shall be Prince Arthur's handmaiden," he declared.
Merlin paled. "What?" she squeaked. She didn't want to be the prat's handmaiden.
"Father!" Arthur said angrily.
The court applauded. Gwen looked at Merlin pityingly. Morgana winced.
"Hell," Merlin muttered. She avoided Arthur's gaze, and went to her uncle, instead.
"Seems you're a hero."
Gaius walked into her chambers, smiling at her. It was the day after the banquet and celebration, and Merlin couldn't be more irritated with her life.
"Hard to believe, isn't it?"
"No, I knew from the moment I met you, when you saved my life."
"But that was magic," Merlin said, confused.
"And now," Gaius started, nodding, "we've finally found a use for it."
"What do you mean?" she asked, flopping onto her back.
"I saw how you saved Arthur's life," he said, smiling at her.
"Oh, god," she said, wincing.
"Perhaps that's your magic's purpose."
Merlin sighed, covering her face with her pillow. "Destiny."
"Indeed," Gaius said. He held out a book, wrapped in cloth. "This book was given to me when I was your age, but I have a feeling it will be more of use to you than it was to me."
He gave it to her, and she unlatched the ends, taking a look. She was surprised at how she could understand every word of text, despite it being in a foreign language.
"But this is a book of magic," she said, snorting. She realized that, at some point, Gaius probably learned magic, and the thought amused her.
"Which is why you must keep it hidden."
The air was tense for a second, but then Merlin smiled. "I will study every word.
There was a knock on the chamber door, and then a guard stepped in. Merlin put the book beneath her blanket quickly.
"Merlin, Prince Arthur wants you right away."
"Wonderful," she muttered, rolling her eyes.
Gaius's eyes twinkled. "Your destiny's calling. You'd better find out what he needs."
Man I loved writing this. Almost ten thousand words - ha. I have no life.
Funny, this only took me a collective six hours to write and one hour to edit. I wrote a short story with 4000 words (an original) that took me a few weeks. I guess that's because I'm lame, I like Merlin more than my OCs, and I didn't have a transcript for the episode to work from.
Movie Recommendation: Hugo. It stars Mordred - I mean Asa Butterfield.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed. If you liked it, leave a review, and I'll consider writing Valiant. Favourite, follow, whatever you like. It's your choice.
Buh-Bye!