A/N: HI! Okay so chapter 2! Cause I'm going away for a week to a terrible land with no internet. My grandparents place ick! ANYWAY so I thought I'd update before I have to scurry off to spend quality time with my family. Cassie meets everyone in this chapter so its very exciting :) I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE MERLIN CHARACTERS! Only Cassie is mine! THANK YOU TO THE LOVELY YOUNG LADY WHO REVIEWED YOU ARE MY FAVE!

ANYONE INTERESTED IN BETAING? Cause I could clearly use one… tee hee. WELL ENJOY!

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Cassie woke to the sound of thundering hooves. Wait hooves? She pulled her eyes open to see two men on horses riding towards her. She sat up quickly which was a bad idea because she immediately felt dizzy. She pulled the guitar, which she still had clutched in her hand and her bag which was about a foot away from where she lay, towards her and sat on the ground staring up at the men as they approached.

The men were sort of strange looking. They wore what looked like chainmail and armor and they looked very serious about it. They reached Cassie and dismounted, drawing their swords and moving towards her.

"Tell us who you are and why you've come here" the younger one of them said jabbing his sword towards her threateningly. Cassie was unsure whether to laugh or run screaming. This had to be some kind of practical joke, didn't it? She stared up at the two men, there was no hint of joking on their faces and she was pretty sure she wasn't home anymore. "Tell us!" repeated the knight, because he had to be a knight, with all that armor. He stepped forward and jabbed the sword towards her again letting it stop just at her throat.

Now Cassie was going into full panic mode, the sword at her neck was very real and if she didn't think of some kind of story fast, she wouldn't be alive long enough to figure out where she was. She opened her mouth but she couldn't make words come out and her panic increased. She was pretty sure she was about to pass out again when the other knight stepped in "Sir Kay, the poor girl is terrified and injured, there is no need to be so unkind" the older man pushed the sword away from her throat and Cassie visibly relaxed.

"Can you tell me what happened?" he asked kindly, crouching down so he was at the same level she was.

"Actualmente no, porque no sabe que paso o porque estoy aquí, no sabe donde es aquí!" she told him, her first language slipping out in her panic. The knight in front of her looked up at his companion "Did you understand any of that?" he asked.

The younger man shook his head, as confused by the strange girl's speech. The older man turned back to her "You can understand me?" he asked slowly and clearly. Cassie was about to answer that she spoke perfect English but then thought better of it. If she pretended she only spoke Spanish she would have more time to figure out where she was and how to get home before having to come up with a story for some guys in chainmail. So she simply nodded.

"Alright, you're hurt and we're going to bring you back to the castle so someone can tend to your injuries" the older knight said kindly, standing up and offering his hand to help her up. Cassie took it and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. She slung the leather strap of the messenger bag over her shoulder and held her guitar close to her as the knight led her towards his horse.

Cassie had never liked horses, at all. She had only been on one a few times before but she didn't enjoy the prospect of having to ride one all the way back to the castle. But she sucked it up and handed her guitar to the knight, giving him a look to inform him if he mistreated it she would personally kill him. She stuck her foot in the stirrup, pushed herself up and swung her leg over the horse to sit on it. She looked down and held a hand out to the knight for her guitar and found him staring at her with a mixture of surprise and curiosity. He handed her the guitar and got up behind her, reaching around her to hold the reins. Having a complete stranger that close to her was a little uncomfortable but the idea of falling off the horse kept her sitting still.

They reached the town just outside the castle walls which was already filled with life though it was still early. The people around them stopped and openly stared at Cassie as she rode by. She tried to imagine how strange she must look to them, her clothes were very twenty first century and the instrument in her hand was probably completely foreign to these people as well. She stared straight ahead and ignored their comments and stares. It was something she was used to from being a singer.

As the horses trotted through the castle gates Cassie felt herself relax just slightly. Normal people milled about in a large courtyard and a few other knights were standing around by a set of steps that led up to the palace. It was in front of those steps that the horses stopped. The knight behind her dismounted and held his hand out to help her do the same. Cassie instead handed him the guitar and swung down herself. She took the guitar back from him with an appreciative nod.

"Someone go fetch Gaius, this girl is injured" the knight who had been riding with her told a slim, dark haired boy who was carrying a bucket. The boy nodded and after looking curiously at Cassie for a second he ran off. The title of 'injured' finally made Cassie look at herself, the wrist that had been swollen that morning was now extremely puffed up and she had a long cut that was still bleeding slowly on her left arm. She was pretty sure her left knee had also dislocated and relocated from the fall and that it was beginning to swell too. She began to limp up the steps with the help of the knight who had rescued her as a white haired old man in a long blue robe came running up to her to help her up the stairs.

The two half carried her up to a room and laid her on the table "Can you handle her Gaius?" the knight asked the old man. The old man nodded and turned to pick up something from his counter. "She doesn't speak English but she can understand it fine" the knight added and turned to smile at Cassie before he left.

"Can you tell me where it hurts my dear?" the old man named Gaius asked her. Cassie mutely held up her wrist and pointed to it then pointed to the cut on her arm and then to her slowly swelling knee.

Gaius smiled kindly "This is something for the pain, don't drink too much now or you'll pass out" he warned. Cassie smiled gratefully at him and sipped the potion he handed to her. It tasted terrible. She coughed and made a face at the small vial. Gaius chuckled "I'm sorry my lady" he said taking her wrist and gently beginning to wrap it. She shook her head to show that it was alright but Gaius didn't seem to notice.

As he began to tend to the long cut on her arm Cassie finally spoke "Where am I?" she asked softly. Gaius turned to her in surprise "You speak English!" he exclaimed staring at her in surprise.

"Of course I speak English, I never said I didn't the knights just assumed" she said rolling her eyes "Now can you tell me where and, well when I am?" she asked, becoming unsure as she continued to speak.

Gaius frowned "Well my dear, you're in Camelot, in the present" he informed her, a little concerned about her when question.

Cassie's eyes widened and she felt her jaw drop "Like, King Arthur Camelot?" she asked incredulously.

He frowned "Young Arthur is not King yet, he's still only Prince" he told the small girl in front of him. She was the strangest girl he had ever seen, she wore a pair of very tight trousers and boots designed for boys. Her shirt showed one whole shoulder and the sleeves were cut too short to be practical. She spoke in a strange accent and used terms that were just as strange.

"But I'm in that Camelot, with Sir Lancelot and Merlin the warlock?" Cassie continued to question, she wanted to be sure she was where she thought she was.

Gaius gasped "Warlock? My lady that's a serious accusation" he said in a soothing tone but his eyes were wide and full of terror.

"Accusation? I thought it was common knowledge" she tilted her head to the side, confused by the idea that Merlin wasn't a public warlock.

"Anyone who uses magic in King Uther's Camelot is put to death. Calling anyone a warlock, especially the Prince's servant is a terrible thing" Gaius explained patiently but he was still scared of this girl's knowledge.

Cassie herself was pretty freaked out, she hadn't ever gotten to the King Arthur chapter in her legends book but she was pretty sure this wasn't how it went. As she continued to ponder, the dark haired boy she had seen on the steps before walked into the room. She looked up at the slim boy and smiled.

Caught off guard for a second, he smiled back with a lost look in his eyes. Then Gaius claimed his attention "Merlin, I would like you to meet our guest" he said, gesturing at Cassie.

"Wait, you're Merlin?" she asked, surprised. The boy looked confused and nodded "You've heard of me?" he asked.

"You're supposed to be old and have a beard" she said in answer. Merlin turned to Gaius "What is she talking about?" he asked walking closer to the two of them.

Gaius sighed "Why don't you tell us your story" he said turning to Cassie "Maybe things would make more sense if we knew who you were" he prompted gently sitting down, ready to listen to a long story.

Cassie stared down at her lap "You probably won't believe me" she murmured. Gaius sighed "My dear I have seen many things in my lifetime, I'm sure your story is not the strangest" he assured her and began to find something to tend to her swollen knee. She sighed looked back up "You better sit too" she said to Merlin and he did.

Cassie launched into her story unsure of the reaction she would get from the two men in front of her. She told them how she went to her brother's grave that morning and while sitting playing a song there she fell through the ground and how she was found and her speaking Spanish to buy time.

When she was done Merlin was staring at her half in awe and half in disbelief. However Gaius was looking at her like he was trying to think of a question. After a second or two of silence she had to say something, Cassie had never been much one for silence "I know its hard to believe but its true" she said.

"No my dear I believe you" Gaius assured her, receiving an incredulous look from Merlin. "I have seen this kind of magic before, but I have quite a few questions" he said, smiling kindly at the girl while he wrapped her knee over the skin tight blue pants she had on.

"Yeah, go ahead, ask away" she said smiling, happy that he believed her.

"What I would like to know most is how you knew about Merlin" Gaius said sitting back down, finished with her knee.

Cassie bit her lip, a habit she had been meaning to break. She didn't want to give away what Merlin was going to do in life but she wanted to be honest "Merlin will do things later in his life that will make him very, very famous" she said a smile creeping onto her face as she said it.

"Really?" Merlin asked, his face lighting up. Gaius gave him a look, "The Lady doesn't know that much, does she?" he said giving Cassie a stern look.

"Nope" she said popping the P, "Just know you're famous" she grinned "By the way, stop calling me 'Lady' its just Cassie" she said to Gaius.

Gaius frowned "But you do need a reason to be in Camelot and being a Lady works very well" he said looking at the tiny girl in front of him.

"If you're going to make her a Lady might as well make her a Princess" Merlin chimed in from his seat by the table, half kidding.

But Gaius turned to him nodding "You are right, My Lady, do you think you can come up with a story of a distant land where you are Princess?" he asked turning back to Cassie.

She frowned and began to shake her head slowly "I don't know, I mean I'm about the farthest thing from a princess there is, I grew up in Little Dominica for crying out loud, I'm pretty poor where I come from" she told them.

"But you must try My Lady" Gaius insisted. Cassie bit her lip again but nodded. The three spent the next hour going over how to act like a Princess and what to tell Uther, who was apparently king instead of Arthur. They left the details up to her, reminding her to tell whatever lie was closest to the truth so she could keep up with it.

"Do you think you are ready my lady?" Merlin asked, smiling at her. He had grown to like the tiny girl who had fallen into Camelot in the hour they'd spent, teaching her how to be a Lady.

"As I'll ever be" Cassie sighed and hopped off the table, being careful not to land too hard on her injured leg.

"I just have a question" Gaius said his brow furrowing.

"Shoot" she said, then seeing his further confusion "Go ahead and ask" she clarified.

"What is little Dominica?" Gaius asked looking truly interested.

She laughed "It's a section of New York city where a lot of immigrants from the Dominican Republic live" she explained. The two still looked very confused and Cassie groaned "I can't do this!" she complained.

"You'll be fine, there's just one thing we need to get you" Merlin continued. Cassie raised her eyebrows and looked between him and Gaius.

"We need to find you some proper clothes" he said looking over her shrug tee, skinny jeans and combat boots.

Cassie groaned "Please don't tell me' proper clothes' means what I think it does" she said hiding her face in her hands and peeking through her fingers.

Gaius smiled at the strange girls reaction "Of course My Lady, it means a dress"

"Oh you have got to be kidding me" Cassie said staring at the long, green gown Merlin had brought her to wear.

"Unfortunately he's not My Lady, we can get you your own wardrobe soon enough but you cannot go visit King Uther wearing that" Gaius said kindly.

Cassie fought a smile, he thought she was unhappy that it wasn't her own dress. "I don't mind that its someone else's , I mind that it's a dress!" she huffed.

"Well that's what all women wear in Camelot, and be thankful, Gwen had to go through a lot of trouble to steal this from Lady Morgana's old things" Merlin insisted.

Cassie sighed heavily "Fine, gimmie" she held out her hand for the dress. Merlin handed it to her and she stomped off to his room to change. She had to unwrap her knee in order to get her skinnies off and then attempt to rewrap it herself. The dress was beautiful and though a little long it fit her relatively well. She kept on her combat boots hoping they would remain hidden by the dress and then went back down the stairs to the room where Gaius and Merlin were waiting.

"What do you think?" she asked spinning in a circle, the dress spinning out around her. She stopped and looked at the two men in front of her.

"Very nice My Lady" Gaius smiled at her then looked at Merlin. The younger boy was looking at her with wide eyes, Gaius's grin grew wider as he elbowed him.

"Really nice" he said snapping out of his awe "You actually could pass for royalty like that" he added earning himself a cuff on the head from Gaius.

Cassie just laughed and pulled the hairtie out of her messy bun to let her waves cascade down her shoulders "Okay, take me to the King!" she said standing as straight as she could and facing the door, ready to go lie for all she was worth.

Gaius led her down to the Kings meeting chamber and a set of guards in heavy chainmail let her in.

"Gaius you have brought me the mysterious young woman?" a man at the end of the high ceilinged room stood up from the throne he was sitting on. There were several other people in the room including a beautiful dark haired woman seated in a chair next to the man who was obviously the King's throne.

Other men in chainmail stood around staring at the pretty girl with the old physician in front of them. Cassie bit her lip but quickly let it go, lip biting was not a princess habit. "This, my lord, is the Lady" Gaius said bowing slightly.

"Welcome my Lady" the King dipped his head in a sign of respect "My knights have informed me that you do not speak our language but you understand it" he said.

Cassie swallowed then spoke "I do speak your language my lord" she said bowing her head as well, after all she was supposed to be royalty too. "I was a bit confused this morning when your knights found me and I spoke only in my first language" she spoke the truth but Cassie could feel that she was going to have to start spinning lies.

The King smiled kindly "Excellent! Now my dear please tell us who you are and where you are from" he said, sitting back down and settling in for a long story.

Cassie sighed, she knew this was coming "I am Princess Cassandra of…" here Cassie panicked trying to make the name of a country pop into her head "Puerto Rico" she spoke the first name that came to her mind before she could think about it. Her quick thinking had drifted back to a conversation she and Ryan had at two am the week before. Cassie had said their American tours should include Puerto Rico because it was technically part of America.

The King's voice pulled her from her thoughts "I have never heard of this Puerto Rico, where is it?" he asked.

Cassie sighed, she figured she better stick as close to the truth from here on out "It's a small island nation across a massive sea" she informed him.

"That is perhaps why I haven't heard of it. May I ask what prompted you to make the long journey here?" the King said graciously but his eyes were hard.

"My country is small and peaceful we don't have a big army, a country to the north of us, called America decided that they wanted to take over. When they attacked we weren't ready and my father, the King sent me to find someplace to hide to keep me safe" she told him, the history of American imperialism rolling off her tongue easily.

"But how did you get so far on your own?" the King asked, genuine concern showing on his face. He believed her story.

"I was dressed as a man and I had two other knights with me but they were killed on the journey here. We were attacked many times and I don't quite remember how I got to the field where your knights found me" Cassie answered, the lies spilling out.

Uther rose again and came to place his hand on Cassie's arm "I am terribly sorry my lady, you are welcome to stay here as long as you like" he said a kindly smile on his face.

"Thank you my lord" Cassie smiled back and dipped her head in a quick bow.

As she straightened the door behind her banged open and a tall blonde boy walked in. He stopped short when he saw the King had an audience "My apologies father, I was unaware you had a guest" he said looking at Cassie briefly before turning his blue eyes back to his father.

"It is alright, I would like you to meet the Lady Cassandra, princess of Puerto Rico" King Uther introduced "My Lady, this is my son, Arthur, prince of Camelot" he stepped back and the two acknowledged each other their eyes meeting immediately.

Spanish translations:

Actualmente no, porque no sabe que paso o porque estoy aquí, no sabe donde es aquí: Actually no, because I don't know what happened or why I'm here, I don't even know where here is.