Chapter 2
Author's Note: This is the rewritten version of Chapter 2 and I hope you guys like it! Almost done with the rewrite for ch 3. :D Disclaimer: Check Chapter 1 cause you guys know the drill.
Chapter 2
Adelis couldn't stop staring. It was him, the person who she'd never thought she'd meet again.
Merlin went from a scrawny little boy with scruffy dark brown hair into a tall, handsome, young adult with the same scruffy hair, but only it looked a lot cuter. His eyes, oh his eyes were so perfect! Adelis looked deep into them and she could see his soul. She felt her legs turn into jelly.
'No wonder I fell in love with him! He's changed so much, it's hardly believable. I bet he still gets himself in a lot of trouble.'
Merlin stared at Adelis. She had changed over the years, definitely for the better. When he looked into her eyes; he noticed that her blue-green eyes sparkled with life. Something he had seen disappear when her mother married her step-father.
He laughed at her dumb-founded expression, causing her to blush.
Merlin looked at her hair noting that Adelis had her hair down. It looked a lot different from when she was little and had funny looking pigtails. She also wore a dress. Which surprised him because knowing Adelis; she would always wear Merlin's old pants and shirts that didn't fit him anymore.
Merlin grabbed Adelis by the forearm and pulled her toward him. Adelis realized that she was about to be pulled into Merlin's famous bear hug for death, she tried to squirm her way out, but Merlin had a strong hold on her.
They were in a tough situation, Merlin was trying to hug Adelis, and Adelis was trying to get away, so Merlin ended up twisting her, on her side and accidentally tickling her.
"M-M-Merlin!" She cried out desperately, trying to stop her laughter.
"M-Merlin stop! Y-Y-You know how ticklish I am!" Adelis cried out again.
Merlin was about to respond, when a deeper voice cut in.
"Merlin! What are you doing? You are the most pathetic excuse for a servant in all of Camelot! Why do I even bother? Oh wait! Maybe it's because I am the prince of Camelot!" A tall blonde man said, walking towards Merlin and Adelis.
He looked oddly familiar. By that time, Merlin had set Adelis down, back on her feet and standing awkwardly, not wanting to talk to the man.
"Merlin! Who is this? Aren't you going to introduce me to her?"
Adelis' mouth dropped. This was the same man who had the knights with him when he saved her. 'I wonder how Merlin knows him. He's definitely not the type of person Merlin would normally been seen with.'
"Hello, I'm Adelis, a childhood friend of Merlin's. I recognize you, you're the man who saved me from Daris, and I never got to thanks you properly… so thanks you!" She blurted out.
The blonde smiled. "Merlin!" He tapped his foot impatiently, waiting to be introduced.
Merlin just continued to stand there, staring at nothing.
"I am Prince Arthur." He said very smoothly.
Adelis looked bewildered. The prince of Camelot had saved her from Daris? A prince had saved her? 'What is the world coming to?' She thought.
Arthur bent down to grab Adelis' hand, and kissed it. Adelis looked a little uncomfortable while Merlin tried holding back a fit of laughter. Arthur glared at Merlin.
"Saving you was no problem. It's my duty to Camelot to save damsels in distress. It's my pleasure to meet you, Adelis. You can call me Arthur, just Arthur. So what brings you to the celebration of my birthing day?" He smiled.
Adelis stared at Arthur, admiring his muscles and his silky blonde hair that she wanted to just run her hands through. Merlin nudged her and knocked her out of her obsessive glancing.
"Huh? Oh! Umm… well my mother wanted me to get some food from the market for my step-father. Since Camelot is the closest place from my village that has plenty of food sellers, I decided to come here, plus it's your birthing day, I just assumed that everybody would be here. So how do you and Merlin know each other, since Merlin clearly stands out from your type?" She said, trying to change the subject.
Arthur and Merlin glanced at each other, smiling before answering. Merlin started.
"Well I was living with Gaius, the court physician, and I was helping him deliver medicines to his patients-.."
Arthur interrupted. "I was training outside with a few friends, when this idiot showed up and tried to start a fight."
Merlin gave Arthur the death glare. It obviously didn't work, for Arthur started laughing at the angered Merlin.
"Actually, what really happened was, after I delivered the medicines, I went outside and I saw Arthur and his friends, who were using a person to move a target, so I decided to put a stop to it, once the person fell."
"Then Merlin called me his 'friend' and I told him it was a mistake, since he was a stranger and was not one of those people I would normally spend time with."
"I told Arthur that he was right; which I hardly ever do and that it was a mistake because I'd never have a friend who could be such an arse."
Adelis laughed.
"Then I challenged him to try and swing at me, but I was to fast for him and I hurt his shoulder. I also told him that I could put him in prison for trying to assault me." Arthur added.
"At first I thought Arthur was just being extremely arrogant and asked him who he thought he was; The King? Big mistake on my part." Merlin said sheepishly.
"Merlin was shocked when I told him I was King Uther's son, Prince Arthur. Then I had called some guards and they took him to the cells."
"Yeah well, later on I had called Arthur a prat then corrected into a royal prat. Then later that evening, I saved his life from a creepy old sorceress who tried to kill him at the celebration of 20 years without magic." Merlin finished.
"So you saved Arthur and you put your differences aside and became friends?" Adelis guessed.
"Well… not exactly." Merlin replied.
Arthur grinned. "Then my father decided that Merlin would be my manservant, for a form of reward. So he has been, ever since. He's dreadfully horrible at it to mind you!"
Adelis burst out laughing. "M-Merlin, a manservant? That's HILARIOUS! Merlin, I can't believe you called the Crowned Prince of Camelot a prat! You haven't changed a bit!"
Merlin just grinned and shrugged.
"Ah well, you know me Adelis."
"That I do Merlin, that I do."
Just when Arthur was about to say something, a bell sounded in the distance. Arthur turned to Adelis.
"Well Adelis, it was a pleasure meeting you. Do not be a stranger and come back and visit us." He kissed her hand again.
"Like wise Sire, I will try. Farwell Merlin. It was nice seeing you after all these years." She smiled and watched Arthur and Merlin go towards the sound.
Adelis picked up the basket and looked up at the town tower clock. Then it rang. It was seven. She knew she'd better get home soon, before the creatures attack. It was dangerous in Camelot and the woods at night.
'Well I do have some left over money; I could probably spend the might in an Inn or something.' She thought.
As Adelis walked down a dark alley to get to the Inn, she saw a dark shadow following something.
She whispered "Islite!"
A flash of crystal-blue light sheered through the darkness, revealing that nobody was there.
She slightly shivered and quickly proceeded to the Inn. She opened the squeaky door and barely managed to dodge a mug of mead. She went over to the counter and waited for the women to stop talking to a man, standing across from her.
"Um… Excuse me Miss." Adelis said as politely as she could.
The woman stopped talking to the man and turned towards Adelis.
"Yes dear, what can I help you with?" She asked.
"I would like a room for the night please."
"Alright dear. That will be 75 gold."
"Your room is upstairs and two doors to the right. Enjoy your stay!" said the Innkeeper.
Adelis thanked her and walked to her room. Once she was there, she closed and locked the door and collapsed on the bed.
The next morning, Adelis woke up and glanced at her surroundings. The room was dark and the walls were made out of bricks and there was dark wood for the floor. The bed was twin sized and very short. There was a bear skinned rug in the middle of the room. Next to that was a wooden table with a few chairs that were missing a few legs.
Adelis stretched and quickly cleaned herself up to at least look presentable to walk around outside. She returned the key and started on her journey home.
Adelis arrived on the dirt path, on a hill, that overlooked Ealdor, around noon. She noticed a bunch of men on horses, surrounding the villagers.
The villagers looked kind of scared from what Adelis could tell. The men were shouting at them and pointing to the crops.
Most of the villagers shook their heads and got on their knees, begging. One of the strange men that arrived was yelling and he unsheathed his sword.
"No!" Adelis yelled as she ran down the hill and towards the villagers, hoping that it wasn't to late.