AN: here is chapter 4. I found it really hard to write so please let me know what you think I would appreciate it a lot. Also I would like to dedicate this chapter to Lander my younger brother who turned 20 last week. He is a wonderful beta who constantly nags me to update more often. So this update is for him. Happy Birthday Bro.
A princess of Camelot
The tails of Princess Anna
"Would you like some vegetables with that" Gaius asked as he placed a bowl of soup in front of a very glum looking Merlin.
He may have only known the boy a few days but he was sure that his comment would raise a smile from him and he was surprised when it didn't.
Merlin's expression remained unchanged as he stared down at the bowl in front of him
"I assume there is a reason why you look as cheerful as a goat with tooth ache" asked Gaius as he took his own seat
"You mean other than the fact that I have just spent all morning in the stocks being pelted with rotting fruit and vegetables" Merlin asked without any trace of humour
"Yes other than that" Gaius agreed in the same tone
Merlin's only answered was a deep sigh that made Gaius's brows shoot up. It had been many years since Gaius himself had sighed like that but he remembered well what it meant.
"Good grief" the old man blustered
"You only arrived two days ago, how can you be having girl problems already?"
"I met her yesterday" Merlin told him miserably, he was not at all surprising that Gaius knew exactly what was going on in his head.
Gaius waited silently for Merlin to explain his problem which he haltingly did. Merlin told him about how he had met a pretty servant girl who had helped him both when he was lost yesterday and when he was in the stocks that morning. He told the older man how she had introduced him to Gwen as her "friend Merlin". He explained how he had felt he could trust her the moment he met her.
"So far I don't see a problem" Gaius gently probed when Merlin seemed unable to continue.
"She's not really a servant she's the princess" Merlin admitted softly seeming even more interested in his soup.
"Oh I see" Gaius said with a gentle knowing smile
"She lied to me, I thought I had found a friend that I could trust and she didn't even tell me who she really was" Merlin ranted anger swiftly taking the place of his earlier sadness.
"So the problem is that you told Anna your secret before you knew she was the princess, now you fear she will tell the king" Gaius asked in a tone that sounded genuinely concerned.
"What? No" Merlin exclaimed in shock looking at the older man as thought he had lost his mind.
"You didn't tell the princess about your magic?" Gaius pressed
"Of course I didn't" snapped Merlin
"So even thought you felt you could trust her and considered her your friend, you didn't tell her the whole truth about yourself?" Gaius asked him softly
It took Merlin a moment to realize that Gaius had just dug a pit for him and he had willingly thrown himself into it. Anna had not lied to him any more than he had lied to her.
"That's totally different" he tried to defend himself
"How so?" asked Gaius
"If the king somehow found out about my magic I would lose my head"
"And if the king discovered what Anna was doing she would go completely unpunished I suppose" Gaius challenged gruffly finally losing patients with the young sorcerer.
"I think I may have over reacted" Merlin admitted regretfully after a moments silence
Gaius only nodded in agreement
"Any ideas on how to apologize to a princess?" Merlin asked him hopefully
"Well for most princesses I would sagest grovelling" Gaius told him smirking at how uncomfortable the suggestion made Merlin look
"But Anna is not most princesses so a genuine apology should suffice"
"Any ideas on where to find our unusual princess?" was Merlin's next question
"I have no idea" Gaius told him softly "But if you take the lady Morgana her sleeping draft you might just stubble upon her"
Merlin snatched up the bottle that Gaius was holding out to him and rushed out of the door not bothering to finish his soup
"Oh and Merlin, try to avoid Prince Arthur on your travels" Gaius called after him but the the rapidly departing young man showed no sign that he had heard the older mans advice
Not 10 minutes after Merlin left in search of Anna she walked into Gaius's chambers after softly tapping on door.
"Ah Princess, two visits in two days to what do I owe the pleasure" Gaius greeted her
"It's Anna please Gaius I have had enough of being "princess" for one day" Anna told him with a gentle smile
Gaius couldn't help but smile Anna was a double of her mother in many ways but she took after her farther when it came to diplomacy, he didn't miss how well she had side stepped his question. So he tried a more direct approach.
"Are you looking for Merlin?" he asked
"Yes, I feel I owe him an apology" she admitted softly "Actually I owe a few people apologies but I am starting with Merlin" she added after a moment remembering the way she had spoken to Sir Leon when he had saved her from her from exposing her secret yesterday and how she had sniped at Gwen and Morgana as they helped her dress this morning.
"I am afraid that Merlin is not here right now Anna he is out delivering Morgana's sleeping draft and looking for you" Gaius informed her with a bright smile "you are welcome to wait for him here if you wish" Gaius offered indicating to a stool that stood beside his bench.
"Thank you Gaius" Anna accepted as she sat down
"Here, you can make yourself useful while you wait, chop these" said Gaius handing her a sack full of yarrow root
Anna took the sack with a smile she had been helping Gaius ever since she was a young child and had always found it enjoyable.
They had been working in silences for a short time when Gaius noticed how dirty the work was making Anna's dress.
"Here child, protect your gown" he told her holding out an apron to her
"No thank you Gaius" Anna answered without looking up from her work
"I hate this gown it is far too pink and frilly" she explained
"You look lovely in it" Gaius reassured her
"You remind me very much of your mother Anna, she was never comfortable with finery but she always suited it"
"Thank you Gaius" Anna smiled and finally accepted the apron but before she could put it on a ruckus drew them both to the window.
Anna couldn't help but gasp in horror at what she saw; Arthur was chasing Merlin around the market with a mace. Gaius was obviously as shocked as she was but his anger seemed to be directed at Merlin not Arthur.
"Why do I even bother talking to that boy" he grumbled as he left the room in a hurry
"I am asking myself the same thing" Anna muttered throwing the apron down onto Gaius's bench and following him out of the room.
It felt like it took much longer to reach the market than it normally did but Anna was sure that was in her head, she was glad she had taken the time to change into flat shoes before going in search of Merlin earlier or it would have taken even longer.
When she and Gaius finally reached their destination Merlin was somehow winning and unprincess like as it was Anna could not help but cheer for him. Gaius on the other hand looked unimpressed.
Merlin looked up from the prince that he was sure he had defeated when he heard a familiar female voice cheering among the mostly male crowed. There among the peasants and servants was Princess Anna Pendragon. His heart swelled at the pride he could see shining in her warm blue eyes but she could not hold his attention for long because as soon as he saw the disapproving look on Gaius's face he could look away and that would prove to be his down fall because Prince Arthur chose that moment to recover his footing and knock Merlin flat on his back.
Arthur couldn't help but smirk as he watched the guards haul Merlin to his feet the boy was insolent but he had more spirit than most. He had tried to avoid hassling Merlin again knowing that if Anna found out he had had yet another run in with the boy she would never let him hear the end of it.
Arthur wanted to believe that this run in was not his fault, he couldn't help it that Morris and Stanley (those idiots he called friends as Anna had christened them last night) had noticed Merlin when Arthur had purposely not. He couldn't help it that they had pointed him out to Arthur and he couldn't help it if the boy didn't have the brains not to stand up to him. There was no way Anna could blame this incident on him yet Arthur could see her in his mind's eye with her arms folded and lips pursed in disapproval.
It was that image that made Arthur do what he knew to be right and order the guards to release the boy. It wasn't until he had strode away from Merlin that Arthur realised that the Anna he had seen wasn't in his mind's eye she was really stood there and had most probably seen the whole thing.
"Having him realeasted dose not make up for trying to beat him to a plup" she snapped at him and marched away before he could even think of saying anything to her. She didn't see the flash of guilt that passed over Arthur's face nor did she see him walk away from his so called friends without a word
Anna was beyond angry, she couldn't believed what she had just seen but there was a small part of her that could not deny she was proud of Arthur for letting Merlin go instead of throwing him in the dungeon or the stocks again but she was not going to let him know that at least not for a while anyway.
Anna took some deep breathes to calm herself as she made her way back to Gaius's chambers she still had an apology to make and now she had to apologise for Arthur's behaviour as well as her own.
Anna was disappointed to find that by the time she had calmed herself and reached Gaius's chambers Merlin was sleeping. Gaius reassured her that his deep sleep was a side effect of the pain draft that he had given Merlin for the injury's he had received during his fight with Arthur and there was no reason to be concerned but she couldn't help but worry.
It had been many years since Anna was allowed to train with Arthur but she could still remember the fear she felt every time she had to spar with him. Arthur would never intentionally hurt her but he just didn't know how not to. Arthur had been taught to never strike with any less than full force, in battle this attitude kept you alive.
Gaius allowed Anna to slip up the stairs to Merlin's room to check on him. Pretending he was too preoccupied with his work to notice what it was she was doing.
Merlin was sprawled across his bed all messy hair and gangly limbs, he looked so young and defenceless. Anna's heart went out to him. Without a thought the princess of Camelot got down on to her knees so she was on the same level as a peasant boy.
"I am sorry for misleading you Merlin" she whisper softly into his ear
"And I am so so sorry for what Arthur has done to you but if it brings you any comfort I have the feeling that things will improve between the two of you and my feelings are rarely wrong"
Then Anna did something that she knew she wouldn't dare do if Merlin was awake, she pressed her lips to his fore head
"Sweet dreams Merlin" she wished him as she slipped out of the room.
Thanks for reading
Millie
