Chapter Four

Before the sun had begun to rise up over the hills, Artorius and Jasper woke up and hurried back to their own chambers. With the sun came the promise of a rare warm day during the harvest. Around late morning, Merlin carried a tray of brunch to Artorius' chambers. He had eggs, sausage and some fruits prepared. Coming to the door, he knocked twice before entering. Artorius was still in bed. Merlin put the tray on the table and carefully made his way to the sleeping prince. He started lowering his hand to shake the prince awake when … "Morning Merlin," Artorius said causing him to pull his hand back. "I heard you come in."

"Oh," Merlin said as Artorius sat up with a groan.

"Is it late morning already?" he asked.

"Around brunch time," Merlin said.

"Didn't seem like it," he said getting up yawning. He looked out the window and smiled seeing the sun. "Sun's out."

"Yeah, every now and then it pops out during harvest time." He was walking around the room looking for anything to pick up. "Uh, anything going on today?" he asked.

"Well, my father is going to be with King Uther all day," the prince said pulling a grape off the vine. "Jasper and I were planning to spar a bit with our knights. Keep them on their toes." Merlin nodded putting the clothes he picked up off the floor and put them in a basket. Artorius finished his brunch quickly before grabbing some workout clothes from the wardrobe. Merlin put the tray back together and grabbed it and the basket of clothes before turning to Artorius who disappeared behind the dressing screen.

"I'll be right back, Sire," Merlin said.

"Merlin, you don't need to follow me around all day," Artorius said.

"I know, it's just that Lancelot was told off by my father last night about making me his personal servant and well, he's trying to get me while my father's in Council."

"Oh, okay," Artorius said.

"I'll see you in a little while then," Merlin said before walking out the room.

Anya groaned feeling the sun hit her face when Ezra pulled the curtains open. "Good morning, milady," she said.

"Morning," she said getting out of the warm bed. She was not looking forward to spending the day with the ladies of the court sewing and knitting and gossiping. She'd rather be out in the training field with her brothers. However, she promised her father she would give Camelot's ladies a chance.

Which gown would you like to wear today, milady?" Ezra asked.

"Let's go with the dark blue one today," she said going behind the screen. Ezra nodded and went over to the wardrobe to get out the dress her lady wanted. Anya went over to her table to eat the food Ezra had brought in for her. "Beautiful day out," she commented.

"Gorgeous," Ezra said hanging the dress over the dressing screen. Once Anya was finished with the food, she went over to change.

"Pity I'll be inside with Morgana and her friends." Ezra sighed out for her lady as she cleaned up the food tray.

Lancelot watched as Artorius walked down the steps into the courtyard with Merlin after him carrying two swords. He stepped forward when the prince and sorcerer apprentice drew close. "Excuse me, Your Highness, but I need to borrow Merlin today." Merlin groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Here we go again," he muttered which Artorius heard.

"Oh, does Gaius need him for something?" he asked the knight.

"No, the stables need muck out."

"Then, no. You can't borrow him," Artorius said. Merlin smirked softly, but Lancelot saw it.

"It's one of his daily chores that he must perform," he said to Artorius.

"Unless I'm mistaken, mucking out stables seems more like a stable boy's job rather than a future physician and sorcerer," Artorius said. "Wouldn't you say so, Sir Lancelot?" he asked.

"Yes, but ..."

"Plus..." Artorius said interrupting Lancelot, " I think the King and Queen wouldn't like it if they found out you deprived their guest of his servant." Lancelot bit the inside of his cheek. "Get yourself another lackey for the next month," the prince ordered. "Come on, Merlin." Artorius hurried past Lancelot with Merlin in tow. "What a pip," he said causing Merlin to chuckle. "I can see why you call him, Prat-a-lot."

A space was set aside for the Sarmatian knights and the princes. Jasper was leaning against a table watching Lucian sparring with a younger knight when his brother and temp servant came up to him. "What's with you?" he asked seeing his brother's scowl.

"Lancelot tried to steal Merlin from me," he said as Merlin put the swords on the table. Artorius showed him how to strap them on him.

"I was talking with one of the more experienced knights, Sir Leon," Jasper said. "All the knights hate Lancelot except for one, Percy. He's the red haired chap over there," he said pointing to the ginger haired knight. "Apparently they grew up together," he said. "All Lancelot does is order servants around. They're all afraid of him even though the Queen's told them they can go to her with a problem."

"How did he become leader of the knights anyway?" Artorius asked.

"His father," Merlin said. The two princes looked at the sorcerer. "Sir Ector was one of our best knights and a friend of the King's. It was his wish that his son take his place, but Lancelot was too young when Ector was killed, so Uther helped him into knighthood and when he deemed Lancelot was okay, he made him leader of the knights. That was five years ago."

"Who's normally the leader of the knights?" Jasper asked.

"The Crowned Prince, but we don't have one," he said. "He was kidnapped years ago. He's still missing."

"Oh, Jasper, this is Merlin," Artorius said forgetting that they hadn't met. "Merlin, my brother Jasper."

"Pleasure, Merlin," Jasper said holding out his hand to shake Merlin's. A little hesitant, Merlin nervously shook Jasper's hand. "You're Gaius' assistant, right?"

"I am," he said. "Though I'm more of an apprentice to hone my magic. I could be the Court Sorcerer."

"Then why are Earth are you working?" he asked.

"My mother thought it would be good for me," Merlin said. "My father is Balinor."

"Oh, the Dragonlord," Artorius said. "We heard bits of a story how he saved Camelot from a rogue dragon," he said.

"He's the kingdom's hero," Merlin said with a proud smile on his face. A grunt caused them to look up from their conversation and saw Lucian had taken down the young knight.

"Come on, Dag," he said. "I was wide open on my blind side," he said.

"I..." Dag started to say.

"You had a clean shot."

"But the Princess, my lord," Dag protested.

"What about her?"

"I wouldn't want to face her wrath if I were to injure her future husband," the knight said causing the others to chuckle. Jasper and Artorius chuckled behind their fists. Ever since Lucian and Anya got engaged, the other knights had been holding back in sparring sessions with him. Lucian sighed as he helped the younger knight to his feet.

"What she doesn't know can't hurt her," he said. "You must not hesitate to strike when you see an opening. Especially against marauders."

"Yes, my lord," Dag said going back to the other knights as Lucian yelled for his next victim.

"Where is Anya?" Artorius asked.

"She promised father she'd spend some time with Morgana and the courtiers."

Up in the castle in the Queen's parlor, Anya was sitting with Morgana , Anna and two ladies from the court, Lady Bess and Lady Mary. They were sewing, embroidering as Morgana played cards with Anna. She was making arrows. It caused quiet a stir in the room when Anya asked Ezra to get the supplies she needed to do her task. She didn't say she would sew and knit like the others did to her father. She promised she would sit with them. Ezra helped her lady roll up her sleeves on her navy blue dress and rolled up her own before helping Anya. "You make arrows?" Bess asked, looking at the feathers and glue with disdain.

"Someone has to," Anya said clipping off the twine and placing the finished arrow aside to let it dry. "Certainly not going to be my brothers," she said.

"Lazy?" Morgana asked causing Anya to chuckle.

"Any given day, they'll go rushing out to retrieve a baby dragon or eggs, but when it comes to maintenance on the weapons, they'll suddenly become tired and disappear from sight."

"They make you do it?" Anna asked.

"Only if they don't want me to beat them in a sparring session," Anya said attaching some feathers with glue.

"You fight as well?" Mary Ann asked.

"Of course, I do," she said. "I'm a Keeper just like Jasper and Artorius."

"Keeper?" Morgana asked.

"We retrieve and protect stolen eggs and baby dragons," Anya said. "I am the first female Keeper in over a century."

"You seem a bit proud of yourself," Morgana said.

"They told me I couldn't be a Keeper because I was a girl," she said. "I proved to them they were wrong. I was fourteen by the time I reached the tenth level."

"Out of how many?" Anna asked.

"Ten," Anya said. "I finished earlier than most in my class." Another arrow finished and joined the others in the pile.

"Your brothers are quiet handsome," Mary Ann said.

"So everyone tells me," Anya said. "Don't tell them that though. Their heads are big enough as it is," she said causing them all to chuckle.

"Are they promised to anyone back in Sarmatia?"

"We don't do that in Sarmatia," Anya said. "Jasper has been a bachelor all his life and Artorius," she said trailing. "He was going to get married this past summer, but ..."

"But what?" Morgana asked.

"The gods apparently had other plans for him," she said and remained silent after. Anna looked over to see Bess was being very quiet.

"You're awfully quiet over there Lady Bess," she said.

"It's not right," she said.

"What?" Anya asked.

"Women fighting," Bess said. "A woman's place is not on the battlefield. She belongs in the castle."

"And who do you think is left to defend the castle after all the men are dead on the battlefield?" Anya asked.

"If all the men are dead, then the women should just give up."

"So they can be slaves to their conquerors and continue with their sewing and embroidery?" Anya asked. Morgana could tell she getting angry at Bess' disrespect for her homeland. "That is not the Sarmatian way."

"And what is the Sarmatian way?" Bess asked rather snobbishly causing Morgana to roll her eyes.

"Fight to the death," Anya said.

"Well, what do you expect from a bunch of pagans."

"Pagans?" Anya asked.

"Or whatever you call your unholy ways."

"Bess," Morgana warned.

"What?"

"Paganism is a religion in my country, but so is Christianity as you call it here," Anya said. "In fact, every child in Sarmatia is baptized."

"I meant nothing by ..."

"You've insulted my religion and my upbringing, Lady Bess," Anya said unrolling her sleeves. "I guess I was wrong about people in this kingdom. My cousin obviously never met you when he was here." She stood up from her seat causing Ezra to stand as well. "You're lucky you didn't insult my homeland in front of my father. Your fingers would've been broken." Bess gasped out in distress.

"I beg your pardon," she said.

"I've tried this mingling thing, now if you'll excuse me, Lady Morgana, Princess Anna, I have better things to do and I've grown tired of present company, save for you." She left with out another word and then Princess Anna glared over at Bess.

"Well done," she said. "We're supposed to be friends with them, Bess," she added.

"But I .."

"She's right," Mary Ann said. "You should not have insulted her like that."

"I would avoid her for the rest of the day," Morgana said.

"Maybe for the whole trip," Anna suggested before putting her cards down and leaving the room. Now there were two people mad at Lady Bess.