Thank you for all the reviews and all your kind comments, I am so glad that people are enjoying the fic.


The candlelight flickered off the crumpled page Merlin was reading, casting long shadows over the rest of the room. He sighed and rubbed at his eyes, trying to convince his body that he was choosing to be awake in the middle of the night, not focusing on the frustration that lay behind his bedroom doors; the bed-like structure that didn't seem to want him to sleep one wink tonight.

It was possible Merlin was externalising his issues, because it was surely better to curse his bed to a smouldering pile of ash than himself… probably.

He blinked back over the page, forcing his eyes wider and prayed that this next pass actually made the tiniest bit of sense.

The steady silence of the night was broken by a quiet knock at the door. He looked up, surprised that another soul was gracing this midnight hour, to the pleasant surprise of a welcome face peering around the door.

"Mithian," he greeted, an unconscious smile slipping across his lips.

She smiled but her eyes held slight bruises beneath them, her pallor a little drawn. This was the first up-close glance he'd gotten of the princess since the night of the wyvern attack. Since then he may have perhaps spotted her across a room or from the window, perhaps straining his neck above the crowds to watch her and Gwen walk by, before getting a clout on the head from Arthur for daydreaming. But both Arthur and Gaius had been keeping him busy with the clean-up and aftermath of the attack. This was the first night he had spent in his chambers since, having been camped out in the infirmary until Gaius shooed him away to take his place.

If Gaius had been hoping his ward would sleep he'd be sorely disappointed, and from the looks of the princess she was in the same boat.

"Can't sleep?" he asked.

Her shoulders sagged, her full tiredness showing on her face but she still smiled, just a small pleased turn of the lips.

"Merlin. I didn't expect to see you here."

"You mean in my home?"

"No," she chuckled, coming to settle on the bench opposite. "Maybe here, but I thought perhaps you would be asleep."

"Ah, there's no rest for the wicked." Merlin chuckled, but Mithian just gave him a shrewd, sharp look, one that she shouldn't be able to achieve if she were as tired as she looked. Merlin sighed. "Sleep doesn't seem to be my friend these past few nights. But it should pass, it normally does."

"It seems we are plagued with the same troubles." Mithian sighed, absently rubbing her fingers along the grooves of the wooden table top.

"What seems to be on your mind?"

"Plenty," Mithian said, a strange bitterness in her tone. Merlin raised an eyebrow and she sighed, "Perhaps it's taking a while for the 'real Camelot' to purge from my thoughts."

"Real Camelot?" Merlin asked, confused.

"Fire, beasts, midnight wake up calls. I close my eyes every night only to snap them open a few moments later thinking I've heard the warning bell toll." Mithian huffed an unamused laugh. "I think it would be better if I could get just a few moments sleep."

"Oh – I can make you something if you'd like-" Merlin was half way from his seat, mind flurrying through the ingredients for Gaius's sleeping draught when Mithian rested her delicate hand on his arm.

"Sit, Merlin." He did. But she didn't remove her hand from his arm, instead she brought her other hand up from the table top, and trailed it through the thin hairs along his arm. They all responded as one, lifting from the skin like a startled cat and Merlin had to batten down a body shudder.

"I did come to get something from Gaius but… it makes me groggy in the mornings. I don't particularly like it."

Merlin watched for a moment as the candlelight played off Mithian's face, her eyelashes sending shadows over her downturned eyes. There was no denying that the Princess was beautiful: fae and pale with warm eyes and a wicked smile. But she was tired, and it hurt Merlin to see her so downtrodden. As loath as he was to detangle himself from this small mesh of their limbs, he rose, Mithian's hand trailing down his arm and hand as he pulled away.

"Here," he murmured, collecting a small pouch from one of Gaius shelves. Mithian looked at it questionably when he passed it to her. "It's lavender, put it under your pillow, it might help you to drift off."

"Thank you." The sincere relief in her voice was enough to make Merlin smile and shrug his shoulders in embarrassment.

Her hand slipped into his and he helped her to stand, she wasn't quite steady on her feet and Merlin used that as his excuse for keeping hold of her hand all the way to the door. He pulled the door open for Mithian to depart, damping down the odd twinge in his gut when their hands fell apart.

She turned at the doorway, close enough that the warmth from her body seeped into his skin, making his heart beat rabbit-fast in his chest. He swallowed and forced his gaze away from her lips to her eyes.

"Do you have some for yourself?" Her eyes weren't a much better focus of his attention, sparking bright and intelligent.

"First I have to decide whether I'm tired enough to withstand Arthur's taunts that I smell like a girl all day tomorrow."

Mithian gave him a small smirk, and before she could leave he caught hold of her hand, lifting the knuckles to his lips in a kiss much the same as Arthur's wedding. It had the intended result, the smile this time less shocked and more fond.

Mithian bestowed a small squeeze to their connection. "Sweet dreams, Merlin."

"And you too princess."

Perhaps the princess had a latent magical talent, because when Merlin's head hit his pillow a few minutes later his eyes drifted automatically into sleep, his dreams filled with pale pastels, flowing dresses, stolen kisses and a pleasant burning in his chest.

Mithian slowly rose to waking, the early morning sunshine already risen and shining through her window.

That woke her up - It was morning?

She looked over to her chamber's table to see that Clarrisa had already been, a small breakfast laid out and today's clothes hung by the screen.

Mithian let out happy bark of laughter and fell against her pillows: she'd slept, for most of the night. Feeling a hand under her pillow she looked at the little miracle pouch. She fiddled with the little package, tied neatly together at the top with a purple bow and her face lit with a giddy smile.

She felt rested, and excited, abut nothing in particular except the day ahead.

Still holding the small gift of lavender, she stared at it every few seconds with a smile, as finished her morning meal. Then there was a small knock at the door. She waited for Clarrisa to enter, the girl always gave a small knock before entering, but no one came.

Intrigued, Mithian rose, opened the door, and peered around it.

Merlin stood on the opposite side, his arms held loosely behind his back. She felt her perpetual morning smile grow.

"Morning Merlin," she said, leaning against the half open door.

"Princess." He said, dipping his head in a bow, a teasing smile on his lips. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very, thank you."

"It was nothing, really." They just smiled at each for a moment before Merlin blinked and shook his head. "I came to see – well… What are your plans for today?"

"I was due to have lunch with the queen. Why? Do you have a better proposition?" Mithian tilted her head coyly.

Merlin smiled cheekily, his eyes fixing on hers from beneath his long lashes. "I thought perhaps you would like to see the Real Camelot."