Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin except for the characters Alva and Evangeline. Thanks for reading and please enjoy!
Evangeline took over kitchen duties full time as the cooks remained plagued by a mysterious fever. Alva spent her days organizing Gaius' rooms and memorizing spells from books she found in Merlin's room. Merlin was in Arthur's room when he heard an explosion from below. He dropped the plate of armor and sprinted down to Gaius' room, the source of the loud explosion. Arthur and various knights were already inside, waving away thick white smoke.
"What the hell happened?" Arthur coughed. Merlin shrugged and pushed inside. Alva lay unconscious against the wall across from Gaius' workbench, the pendant resting on her skin glowing brightly. He bit his lip and placed a hand on the metal, chanting quickly before letting the knights come in. Arthur drew his sword, walking around quickly before gesturing for his knights to open the windows.
"What happened? Is she okay?" he asked, kneeling next to the fallen girl. She breathed deeply and she eyes fluttered open. Merlin sighed with relief, helping her climb to her feet.
"What happened?" Arthur asked again.
"I don't know," she replied. "I was simply organizing books and I accidentally knocked a liquid into one of Gaius' powders and there was a bright explosion." Arthur rolled his eyes and shouted for his men to find Gaius.
"Girls shouldn't play for chemicals," he muttered under his breath and turned away. Alva glared at him, her eyes glowing golden for a second and the Prince's trousers were suddenly around his ankles. He yelped, yanking them up once more. Merlin snickered but shot a scolding look at Alva. She shrugged and shut herself in her room.
"Merlin, get me a new belt. I think this one's broken," he instructed and marched out quickly. Merlin laughed and started cleaning the mess. He doubted Alva had caused the explosion by accident. Nothing Gaius' stores could cause an explosion of that power by simply being mixed together. The girl had been using magic and she was going to get herself killed. As he swept the floor, Evangeline burst into the room, her brown hair wild around her pale face.
"Where's Alva? Is she okay?" she shouted. Merlin nodded, gesturing to their little room. The young woman sprinted to in, shouting angrily as soon as she saw her sister. Gaius soon arrived as well, coughing at the smoke.
"Merlin! What did you do?" he cried, rushing to his charred workbench.
"It wasn't me!" he protested. "Alva was the only one in here!" Gaius sighed and stared brushing burned ingredients off the table when he paused, picking up a small, oblong object. It was thin and light, with the end bulging out like joints.
"This is a bone," he muttered. Merlin frowned, going to his master's side.
"A bone? I don't know any spells or enchantments that need bones," he whispered.
"And a good thing too! Bones, especially human bones, are only used for dark magic," he explained. Evangeline suddenly appeared again, running her hands through her hair.
"Sorry about that!" she said hurriedly and rushed out. Merlin turned back to the black bone in Gaius' hand.
"Alva was practicing dark magic?"
"I fear the worst kind," he murmured and pocketed the bone, walking out slowly. Merlin snuck to the door, glancing in. Alva rested against the back wall, her hair hanging over her eyes. He sighed when her head shot up, glaring at him through the door crack. He stumbled back, running out of the room.
Guinevere carried Lady Morgana's washing in her arms as she returned to the lady's chambers, whistling softly. A soft clank caught her attention and the young woman stopped in the hallway, glancing sharply over her shoulder.
"Who's there?" she called. There was no reply and Gwen continued walking, in silence this time. There came a soft clank again. She stopped again, nearly dropping the basket.
"Arthur if it's you, this isn't funny!" she cried softly. The clanking grew louder and louder until it seemed as though someone was going to come around the corner. Her eyes widened as a knight in full armor walked into the hall, his eyes totally white and his skin a deathly grey. Guinevere screamed, dropping the basket and fled around the corner into Morgana's rooms, panting. Morgana shot up from her seat, rushing to her maid's side.
"Gwen, what's wrong?" she asked, trying to still her shaking maid. Gwen's skin with pale with fright and it looked as though tears were about to spill over.
"I saw a-a-a…"
"A what?" Morgana snapped. Gwen took a deep breath and looked deep into her lady's eyes.
"A ghost."
Uther sat heavily on his throne, resting his chin on his fist, staring at trembling Guinevere. The young maid could barely stand, seated in a chair in the middle of their receiving hall.
"Are you sure about that you saw?" he asked once more. She nodded.
"It was a knight of Camelot. Not a man I knew by name, but I'd seen him before and I remember he died almost a year ago during a bandit attack," she explained. The king sighed, looking over at his trusted physician.
"Gaius, what do you think?"
"Sire, I'm afraid the only explanation is magic. Dark magic," he replied gravely. Merlin stiffened by his side, remembering the human bones they'd found after the explosion. Uther sighed, looking at his son and then his ward.
"So it seems there is a sorcerer here in Camelot, then," he announced to the court. They broke into frightened mutters and whispers. Gaius glanced over his shoulder at Merlin, who returned a frightened glance. Uther rose from his throne and looked around the room heavily before addressing the court.
"I will take action against this sorcerer immediately. If anyone else has an experience like that of Guinevere's, come to myself or Prince Arthur immediately so we can investigate," he said an strode out quickly. Merlin walked away just as quickly, making a beeline for Gaius' chambers, followed closely by Arthur.
"Merlin, do you have any idea what might've happened?" he asked, grabbing the doorknob before Merlin could. As they pushed inside, Merlin cried out as Arthur walked in. Alva stood in the middle of the rooms, her hair flying wildly around her head. The necklace around her floated off her chest, glowing brightly than everything else in the room. Arthur exchanged a confused look with Merlin before approached Alva, only to be blown back to the wall. Merlin approached as well, but he went for the boiling pot next to Alva, instead of the girl. A force began to press against him, but Merlin fought it until he reached the cauldron and managed to knock it over. Alva's eyes shot open and she screamed. The room nearly blew open, knocking Merlin against a bookshelf and he blacked out.
Merlin felt a slap across his face and his eyes opened, looking up at Prince Arthur. He scowled and lifted him to his feet.
"What the hell happened?" he asked. Merlin shrugged, rubbing the lump that was starting to grow on the back on his head.
"She got away?"
"I can see that!" Arthur snarled and ran out. The palace was in panic when they got out into the courtyard. On the highest tower above the castle stood Alva, laughing. Below her, in the window ledge was Evangeline, shouting at her. King uther stood near the main staircase, his eyes wild with fright.
"Who is that?"
"Dunno!" Merlin said quickly. The King frowned and looked up at the girl again. She shouted something and a fire bloomed in a bale of hay. People started screaming and running around. King uther spotted Gaius on the other side of the yard and rushed to him, pushing people out of his way.
"We need to get her off the roof!" he snarled.
"What do you suggest I do?" he asked. King Uther looked down at his physician with meaning and then sprinted away to pull sobbing child away from a flaming bale. Merlin heard the King's words and chanted quick spell under his breath. Alva's chanting stopped and she cried out, falling from the tower. He chanted again and a large wagon full of hay broke her fall. Evangeline shrieked from the tower window, dropping her head into her hands before disappearing into the tower. Merlin sprinted to the cart as Alva began to stand. His eyes glowed and she was knocked down again, this time unconscious.
Note: Enjoy! R&R!
