Ok guys bare with me this chapter is very boring in the fact that there's no fights or magic or anything really. But it does introduce a VERY important character, who is completely my own creation.

A lot of you said my characterisation of Uther was crap and after rereading I agree. Sorry about that will try better. Also that my grammar is bad so I went through this very thoroughly, but if it still isn't enough, sorry. I don't want to use betas or grammar checkers etc, because I would like to improve on my own, so again sorry if this bugs some people. I hope you all enjoy this anyway despite crap grammar xxx

After explaining to Gaius what was happening, Merlin went to the stables and ordered one of the stable boys to ready three horses. That should save some time he thought; he then returned to Arthur's chambers to pack, only to find another of the servants had already done it. Arthur was sitting on a chair by the fire fully dressed in his winter wear. "I suggest you go put those on", said Arthur indicating the pile of clothes and boots on the bed.

"What?" asked Merlin thoroughly confused. He walked over to the pile to see what was there. It was a new set of winter clothing, everything Arthur was wearing yesterday. He looked over at the prince and grinned. "I thought you won the bet?"

"I did but I realised that I was wrong, I…

"Hang on I think the world just ended, did you just say you were wrong?"

"Don't push me Merlin, but yes I was wrong. Now let state the main reason you have those clothes before you get all superior on me. Having you as a manservant when you are well… means you are somewhere nearing competent; when you're ill, you are next to useless. Therefore you can only conclude I have my best interests at heart".

"Did you rehearse that little speech? Your best interests my arse. Anyway look who's talking about being useless when their ill, at least I don't fall over." Grabbling a cushion from the chair Arthur hurled it at Merlin completely missing him and unbalancing him enough to fall off the chair.

Merlin hurried over to Arthur to help him up, but when Arthur saw the look on Merlin's face he just glared "Don't say a word, just go change!" he growled.

"What me? Never" laughed Merlin, about to hurry off but stopping at the door; "Arthur?"

"Yes Merlin?"

"Thank you." Arthur just smiled at his servant. "You might want to watch it though; people will start thinking you've gone soft."

Merlin stayed just long enough to see Arthur's face turn into a scowl again, and have another pillow thrown at him, before turning to flee in case Arthur found pillows to be insufficient in causing harm.

****

"Where'd you get those from?" asked Gaius when Merlin emerged from his room in the clothes Arthur gave him.

"Arthur; seems he learned something yesterday. I see you didn't have guilt trip someone into getting you winter clothes". He said indicating Gaius's winter clothing.

"No but I did saved for three years to attain it all" he quipped making Merlin look sheepish.

It had already been dark when Arthur woke up an hour before. As much as Merlin and Gaius had tried to persuade Arthur otherwise, he had insisted on going straight away. The forest was silent and freezing, snow covered the ground and frozen lake; nothing moved. Merlin wasn't too bothered, for the first time this winter season he was warm, wrapped up in clothes fit for the prince himself. Well really they were the Princes, Merlin chuckled. "Merlin stop laughing its annoying" came Arthur's voice from behind him; this just made Merlin laughs more.

"Why shouldn't I be cheerful? I'm just so warm. See this prince thought he was tougher than me, thought he could last longer in the cold; of course he couldn't, bit of a sissy really." he taunted . Merlin didn't get the answer he expected and when he looked back he found out why. Arthur was sprawled on the road beside his horse looking slightly dazed. This just started another round of laughter from Merlin as he got of his horse to help. Arthur was trying to get back on his horse, but Gaius resolutely denied him from doing so.

"I was afraid of this, your balance is completely off. We should have waited until morning, you can't ride on your own horse, you'd just fall off again. Get on the Shire horse with Merlin." said Gaius looking old.

"But …what….I can't…there's…no room. Anyway you can't order me round I'm the prince!" Arthur concluded arrogantly.

"Sire that's a shire horse Merlin's riding, it's carried three people before now; I'm sure it can carry the two of you. You are the one that insisted we start off tonight, if you carry on like this, it will take us just as long as if we left in the morning."

"Fine", replied Arthur grudgingly as he got on the horse behind Merlin.

****

As it happened, four hours later, saw the three riders on the road leading up to the manor house of one Lord Faren. It was a little past midnight, and Arthur was coughing so violently, that Merlin asked if he had a cold, then told him he should wrap up warmer next time. Arthur thought this very justly earned the swat across the head he gave Merlin.

Just before they got outside the house Arthur insisted on getting off Merlin's horse and riding his own.

"The house is only a hundred yards away!" Merlin said confused.

"I can't be seen riding on the back of my servants' horse", he said "it would be unseemly." Getting off turned out to be far harder than he thought, and he ended up flat on his face in the snow; much to Merlin's amusement.

"Your Majesty what an honour it is to have you here", cried a tall, elegant man coming out of the house; just as Arthur was getting unsteadily to his feet. "I am sorry my house is not what you are used to but I hope…" Arthur silenced the man by putting up his hand.

"Lord Faren, please this is not a social visit, we are here only to help those stuck in the cave. Now if you will get one of your men to take us up there…"

"Highness I'm sorry for interrupting but trekking up there at this time of night would do little good, it's very treacherous. Start in the morning after a good nights sleep".

"Very well, we'll start in the morning" he yawned still swaying slightly.

"Good good Sire, we have rooms for you and your physician, if you'll follow me please."

"What about my servant?"

"Oh yes there are servants quarters in the attic Sire. Ronelle! Come here and show the Princes servant up to the attic. He'll be sleeping in the bed next to yours." A slim red headed girl came out of the house; she had a tatty dress on, her face was pale with large black circles under her eyes. She was obviously tired, but Arthur found she was still quite pretty.

He looked at Merlin for his reaction, but as always Merlin seemed oblivious, he smiled at the girl, but it was nothing more than a smile; then again Merlin was like that with everyone. She bowed at Arthur, tilting her head to the side slightly as if trying to determine his worth. Oh dear Arthur now your hallucinating he thought to himself.

Ronelle lead Merlin into the house and a gangly looking stable boy took the horses away to the stables. The Lord showed Arthur and Gaius into the house talking non-stop. Arthur hardly paid any attention, he just wanted to curl into a ball and never wake up. He was showed to his room but the Lord didn't leave him then, he seemed to be happy to talk to him all night. Thankfully Gaius after giving him a tonic to drink, inquired after his own room and they left him in peace. On inspection, in comparison to his own room, this was the size of a match box; it barley fit the king sized bed in it for goodness sake. At this point however he didn't care; swallowing the tonic, he clumsily kicked off his boots and took of his over layer of clothes. Falling on the bed he went into a deep sleep.

****

Upstairs, the attic was warm, which Merlin found odd for an attic, but then he spotted the fire glowing and flickering down the opposite end. The heat from the fire seemed to penetrate everything in the room giving a homely impression. All the five other beds in the room looked inviting, piled high with blankets and pillows. There were nightstands with boxes on, chairs with clothes draped across them and a coat rack with nothing resembling coats on. Each bed had a curtain attached to the wall beside it, which could be pulled down as a partition. "Here" said Ronelle handing Merlin a pile of blankets, then sitting down on the bed opposite him, "I hope they're warm enough".

"Thanks" he replied taking the blankets and unfolding them. "So, how long have you been working here?"

"I've been working here since I was six; almost all the people that start work here don't leave again. It's a good job, pays well and the family are one of the nicest around. That kind of thing doesn't come round very often, so people stick with it."

"Sounds like you really respect them."

"Yes I owe them a lot. Up until I was five I lived in my family home, my fathers a blacksmith in the village the Lord governs. One day the house caught fire, we tried to put it out, but it spread too quickly. My baby sister was two at the time, we thought she was out playing in the fields, she wasn't; she was hiding in the house. When we heard her cry out from inside the house, Lord Faren was the one who went in and saved her. He loaned us the money for the repairs, he would have paid, but my father was adamant we pay him back he's too proud.

"They let us stay in the guest rooms while our house was being rebuilt, I stayed in the one your masters in now. My sister, brother and I had lessons with their children learning to read, write and all sorts of things. I was six by the time our house was finished but I liked it so much here that they offered to give me a job. I'd walk here every day from the village and when I was ten I moved up here."

"That's… "

"Incredibly kind for a noble?"

"Yeah"

"I know it's odd, but that's always what it's like, we are hardly the only ones to benefit from his generosity. Your Prince seems to be the same, he made sure that you were taken care of before he went off."

"'My Prince' that's a odd way of describing him and anyway he doesn't care for me very much. I doubt he'd even notice if I were to leave. Oh no wait he would notice, when he ran out of clean clothes," laughed Merlin bitterly.

"Alright Merlin, I will let you have that, seeing as you know him and I do not; but without you, your Prince would be lost." she replied eyes almost glowing with the intensity. "Royalty is only Royalty because we are on our knees. If we do not follow, they cannot lead. There are many things a servant can do, that a prince can't". Her

"Wow where did that come from?" asked Merlin; almost as if he was breaking a spell Ronelle shock her head, looking dazed.

"I really don't know" she replied looking bemused. "Sometimes it's like it's not even me speaking, like someone takes over my body and uses my mouth." She looked up at Merlin from under her long eyelashes, she smiled tentatively "and now you think I'm totally insane. Right?" despite himself Merlin smiled back and shock his head. For some reason he liked this strange girl, there was something unpredictable about her and it reminded him of someone, though he couldn't place who.

"So…" Merlin started looking around the room for a change of subject, when his eyes fell on the other beds. "Who else lives up here?"

"Oh um, well there's me, obviously, another maid, she sleeps next to me, the stable boy's is the one opposite you, the cooks assistant, he sleeps over there by the fire." She replied hesitantly. "The cook doesn't live here she has her own house in the village."

"You missed one out."

"Yes I know, the last bed belongs to Aaron the lords servant…he's one of the twelve missing, maybe even one of them in the caves."

"Oh. Shouldn't everyone else be up here now," he replied awkwardly, trying to change the subject yet again "I mean it's kind of late?"

"Well the stable boy, Jim, is most likely still tending to your horses, he's usually up this late but he sleeps like a log sol doesn't need that much. Kay, the cooks' boy is putting away the food that was laid out for your prince." When Merlin gave her a quisical look she added "We didn't know if your prince would be hungry or not."

"Arthur can't eat at the moment he's too ill and he's not my prince, I've already told you that."

"Whatever, anyway it's good to know he doesn't normally look that sickly" she laughed "What happened?"

"He thought he was as tough as me" Merlin laughed. She looked at him confused, so he briefly explained about the bet.

"I told you there were things you could do that he couldn't," she laughed. Merlin laughed too, he really did like this girl.

"What about the other maid, where's she?" Asked Merlin remembering Ronelle hadn't mentioned her, she laughed again at this.

"Oh yeah" she glanced over at the other maids bed, then turning back with a glint in her eye said "She probably with Kay helping to clear the food." The sentence made perfect sense, but the way Ronelle said it left Merlin in no doubt that whatever the two were doing, it was not clearing up food.

At that moment the door to the attic opened and the young couple themselves entered, arms wrapped around each other looking tired. The boy, (who Merlin assumed was Kay) was tall and slim with cream skin and curly black hair that made his big green eyes look even greener. The girl had long blond hair, framing her thin slightly tanned face." There you are, I was wondering where you sneaked off to," scolded the girl looking at Ronelle. Turning her attention to Merlin she looked at him with brown puppy dog eyes. "Who's your friend?" she asked cocking her head to the side and completing the puppy effect.

"Merlin this is Callie and in case you didn't figure it out already, that pile of skin and bones is Kay." Kay nodded in Merlin's general direction but made no other response.

"Well I hate to break up this lovely little conversation but seeing as we're all here now, I for one would like to get some sleep." Grumbled a voice from the door; turning Merlin saw the stable boy from earlier coming into the room. Like the others he looked worn-out as he walked to his bed pulling the curtains closed.

"And that was Jim," whispered Callie as a gentle snoring started to emanate from Jims curtain, "He's always so sociable." They all smiled a little at this.

"He's right though, we need to sleep," said Ronelle. The others nodded. Kay and Callie shared a kiss before turning to their beds and closing their curtains around them. "You need to get some rest too. Don't worry about waking your prince tomorrow, I'll do that."

"Oh no it's fine, really. He's my responsibility."

"Alright how about whoever finishes breakfast first tomorrow goes and wakes the prince , and then the other brings up his breakfast to his room"

"Deal, I could do with being able to eat breakfast at a normal pace for once" Merlin grinned. Smiling Ronelle pulled her curtain around her. Merlin did the same, taking off everything but his underwear and pulling the blankets over him.

"Goodnight Merlin" came Ronelles' voice through the curtain.

"Goodnight" said Merlin just before falling off to sleep.

Review please xxx