"Shall I assume the inside is neat as well?" Arthur asked.
"It is." Merlin nodded.
She raised a brow, "Even your room?"
"Uh, no, some habits are rather hard to break." He laughed.
"I thought so. Now, you said it had changed very much, how did you mean? This is just like it's always been."
"I meant the rest of Camelot. I kept the palace the same because, well, I still live here. But even so, the lack of bustling within the walls can be nerve-racking at times."
"I see. But you made sure you had a path?"
"I need to go out to get food and other supplies as well as to receive some form of human communication, Sire."
"Really? I thought you only made a fool of yourself when you tried that last one."
"Not always, I did make friends with Gwen, remember?"
"Yes, by the both of you stumbling over your own words if I recall." Arthur tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"I also have friends now." Merlin defended, "I haven't merely been waiting for you to come back, you know."
"No? So you have or had a family during my time away?" A brow was raised at him.
He sighed, "No. I didn't think it right to make someone suffer by loving an immortal when they themselves would not survive half of half that person's life. And it'd be rather odd to baby sit my great-great-grandkids with after having done so with their parents and so on. I'd have been turned into a ruddy experiment if I had tried."
"Would someone have dissected you?"
"They would have – still would – tried."
"And you would have gotten away with your marvelous fighting skills, right?"
"I am tougher than I look, prat."
"Now, now, Merlin, that's no way to treat a lady, is it?"
"Suddenly you've accepted that you're a girl?" Merlin asked.
She put her hands on her hips and gave an exasperated sigh, "Of course I have, how much different can being a girl be?"
"Would you like to go inside, Your Majesty?" He asked with a large, goofy and bemused grin on his lips.
"Absolutely." Arthur nodded before she frowned at herself, "And perhaps a bath and new clothing."
"Well, the clothes aren't new but I'm sure we can find something that will fit." Merlin said, "And I'll get a tub ready so you can bathe."
Arthur nodded and ran a hand through her frizzing, thick locks.
[|]
A gentle knock brought Arthur's eyes to the door. She paused a moment and wondered if Merlin would speak first. He did, "I think I found one that'll fit."
"Come, let me see." Arthur commanded.
Merlin sighed, "Swear upon your sword that you're covered."
"I'm covered, Merlin." She rolled her eyes. He entered the room cautiously, which caused another eye roll from the female king. Before Arthur tried to speak again, Merlin held up the vivid red dress.
"What do you think? Will it fit?" Merlin asked, a bit quieter than normal.
"Wasn't that Morgana's?" A brow rose.
"I figured you could wear your sister's gown." He shrugged, "Besides, we'll get you some more modern clothes tomorrow, so you'll be able to wear pants again."
"Thank G-d." She breathed then frowned, "Couldn't you just get me some of your clothes though? I still should be able to fit into them. Less they've been burned or something."
"No, they've been eaten by moths mostly. I managed to save a couple of mine but all of yours are gone." Merlin moved toward the window, "Also, we're going to have to call you by a different name."
"Why?"
"The moths or the name?"
"The name of course."
"Oh, I don't know, Milady, perhaps because your first name is one meant for a man, not a woman? And besides, you'll be out of the palace that we'll have to call you something more suitable. And you can't keep your last name because – shut up, Arthur – it's too well known."
"What do you mean 'too well known'?"
"Arthur, our lives, our complete existence, is fable to the people who live in this age. Has been for centuries. We're myths, legends even, and you were the last Pendragon to ever be on the Earth."
"Really?" Arthur leaned her head back and looked at her friend upside down, the rest of her hidden beneath the water.
"Yeah, really," He sent her an impish smirk, "so don't let it go to your head."
She stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed. He shook his head and turned to a book that was perched by the window, a set of half-moon glasses perched on his nose. After a moment, Arthur gave a groan of annoyance, "This bloody hair. How'm I supposed to clean this?"
"The same way you cleaned it before, Arthur." Merlin said, only half of his attention on the whiny king.
"It's not the same, Merlin. Ugh! My hair's too long." She sighed.
The mage rolled his eyes, "Then I'll go get a clean tub and you can finish up and dress in the robe and then I'll help you with your hair."
Arthur watched him leave with curious eyes.
[|]
"It's still in the way." She murmured and watched herself in the mirror, her fingers tangled in her clean and dried hair.
"Then tie it up." Merlin replied, eyes back on that book. Arthur whispered something, face flushed. He looked over, a mite annoyed, "What?"
"I don't know how!" She exclaimed, eyes on her hands that were clasped tight.
"Sit on the couch and I'll help in a moment." Merlin finished reading his page. The mage grabbed the nearby brush and sat beside her, "Turn with your back to me."
Her brows rose but she did so. Merlin adjusted and began to brush her long locks. After had finished, he started to braid Arthur's hair. The king could feel Merlin's long and nimble fingers tug and manipulate her locks gently. It was oddly relaxing and Arthur's eyes fluttered shut.
"So, Merlin, any suggestions for my new name?" She asked.
"Hm. Perhaps Matilda, Freya, Ivette, Nesta, Ariel and Ita." He commented.
Arthur scoffed, "No. Just no."
"Fine then, clotpole, you come up with a name." Merlin glared. There was silence for several moments and Merlin half expected that she'd fallen asleep.
Arthur's voice was quiet and almost shy, "What about Albion?"