Merlin doesn't belong to me.

The Critic

Guinevere Adams walked out of the restaurant and waited for a taxi. She had just left Le Fay's a new restaurant in Camelot and as usual the service had been great, the food even better. She was getting frustrated, not that she wanted the food to be bad but it wasn't possible that every restaurant in Camelot had no waiting time, had good service and she always got a good table.

As she looked around she saw her picture. No wonder she had been given that table. Everybody knew who she was.

Guinevere was a restaurant critic, a job she really loved. She worked with The Camelot Review and it had taken her four years to get to the top. At first her editor Morgana Grayton had stuck her in the fashion department until a chance assignment had taken Gwen where she'd always wanted to be. The food department. The paper's regular restaurant critic, Vivian had gone on her honeymoon and Gwen had stepped in. She had been so good at it, and when Vivian had resigned, her husband had been offered a job overseas; Gwen had been given her shot and here she was a year later. She was the most feared and fearless critic in Camelot.

A taxi pulled up and Gwen got in. the cabbie smiled at her said, "You're Guinevere Adams, the food lady." Gwen nodded and smiled at him. "So what did you think of that restaurant," the cabbie continued, "Should I take the missus there for a meal?"

As Gwen assured him that the restaurant was very good. If even a cabbie was able to recognize her, then how much more the restaurant proprietors and staff? No wonder every place she visited these days was nearly perfect. Everyone knew who was.

000

"That isn't good news," Morgana said when Gwen told her later that day. "We have to do something."

"Maybe their food and service is that good…" Gwen began only to be interrupted by Morgana's, "they've been taking us for a ride; we have to assume that all the reviews we've written over the past one or even three months have been fake. We have to do something; the reputation of Camelot's most respected newspaper is at stake."

Gwen knew her much The Camelot Review met to Morgana. It was quite literally her life and she will kill anyone who threatened it. She only hoped she wouldn't be caught in the crossfire.

000

"What's up with Morgana?"

Gwen had gone to the fifth floor to talk to Elyan, her brother and his partner Percy. Percy and Elyan were best friends and they worked the crime beat of The Camelot Review.

"She found out that some restaurants may have been duping us," Gwen told them and explained the whole story.

"I bet she's going to make you go back again," Elyan said. "You know how obsessive she is."

"How much The Camelot Review means to her you mean," Percy replied. "She acts like it's a living breathing person."

"Intruders beware."

They all laughed, Morgana could really be harsh at times but none of them could ask for a better boss. She knew what she wanted and always went for it but she was loyal and always protected them, no matter what the cost.

000

"Isn't that a bit excessive?" Gaius asked Morgana when she explained her plan to him. Gaius was the owner of The Camelot Review as well as being Morgana's uncle. He had been its editor until eight years ago when poor health had forced him to retire.

"We can't have people taking us for a ride," Morgana insisted. "Our reputation is at stake."

"But doing that," Gaius asked. "Do you think it's really necessary?"

"Of course it is," Morgana replied dismissively.

"I doubt Gwen will agree," Gaius pointed out.

"She will," Morgana replied. "She also has a flair for the classics. I'll convince her it's like The Scarlet Pimpernel or Measure for Measure."

"And that will work?"

"Then I'll threaten Elyan and Percy," Morgana replied. "She'll do anything for them."

In the end Morgana didn't have to blackmail Gwen or even tell her about the classics, Gwen was ready for an adventure. Operation Undercover Restaurant critic was a go.

000

Arthur was frustrated.

The family restaurant Pendragon Red was failing and had been doing so for many years. It was Uther's fault of course; he refused to realize that times had changed and that people were interested in new and exotic dishes. That the standard fare the restaurant had served for the past hundred years wasn't good enough anymore. They couldn't afford to expect the reputation that Uther's father had had to tide them over anymore. People expected much more these days and they certainly had more choices. All in all Arthur was glad that they still received customers, although they were not as many as Arthur would have liked.

Arthur had attended a very good culinary school and worked under the most celebrated chef in London and had returned home ready to change the image of the restaurant. Uther had listened to his son's ideas but none of them had ever been implemented. Arthur would have given up and left the business hadn't it been for his father's failing health.

Uther was very sick and so for the first time in the four years since Arthur had returned home, he was going to get a chance to really run the restaurant. Not that it was going to be easy. Uther still insisted to making all the decisions.

Arthur read about the other restaurants and had even visited a couple. They all had great reviews from The Camelot Review, which was the most influential newspaper in Camelot; although Arthur hadn't gotten as good service as Guinevere Adams the restaurant critic had said they gave. Still inspite of that, people preferred to go to those restaurants that she gave good reviews to, she hadn't been to Pendragon Red yet and at first Arthur had been grateful, she would have crushed them, but now Arthur really wanted her to visit them.

Arthur needed Guinevere Adams to visit Pendragon Red. She was the one person who could save them.

000

"I'll call Gaius," Merlin told Arthur. Merlin and Arthur were best friends and they worked together at Pendragon Red, no one knew wines as well as Merlin. Hunith, Merlin's mother and Gaius were old friends.

"What will he do?" Arthur asked.

"He'll get Gwen to visit the restaurant," Merlin replied, "and she'll be impressed and then everyone will want to eat at Pendragon Red again."

Arthur doubted that Merlin's plan would work but he let Merlin go through with it. It couldn't hurt to call Guinevere Adams.

000

"It's perfect," Morgana told Gaius when he told her about Merlin's call. "It will be Gwen's first cover assignment. They'll never know what hit them and we'll write the truth about at least one restaurant in Camelot." Morgana was ecstatic.

000

"You're going to wear a disguise," Elyan was surprised.

"I don't know why you're surprised," Gwen replied. "You two do it all the time."

"We write about criminals," Elyan reminded her. "You are going to eat at a restaurant."

Gwen threw yet another outfit onto the sofa. "I thought I would dress up as an old woman," she said, "or maybe a man. What do you think?"

"I think that that is just crazy," he replied, "but I know just the person to help."

Gawain arrived a few minutes later. He worked at the Camelot Royal Theatre as a costume designer and make-up artist. After he got Gwen ready he said, "And don't you dare think I'm letting you go by yourself."

Gawain had let Gwen's hair down – Gwen always had her hair up, did things to her face, and made her wear a dress – she always wore suits. She looked very different, a relaxed, younger and carefree Gwen. She had complained saying that she doubted Morgana would be happy with the disguise.

"If anyone at that restaurant recognizes you," Gawain told her, "I'll get you a ticket for every opening night."

"You do that already," Gwen reminded him, "I never have time to attend."

"I am that confident," Gawain replied. "When do we leave?"

000

Arthur stood at the door as he always did to welcome the guests to the restaurant. It had been two weeks since Merlin had called Gaius and they had been told that Guinevere Adams was to eat at Pendragon Red and Arthur doubted she'd ever show up but he kept doing what he did, ensuring that the guests who entered through the red and golden doors all received quality service.

Gwen and Gawain got out of the taxi and walked towards Pendragon Red.

000