7. AFRAID
The crystal blue eyes that belonged to Merlin grew bigger than they ever had been before. Was Lady Rosalie simply hysterical? Or was she telling the truth? Was that the secret she'd been hiding all along? That she was a sorcerer. It would explain her reluctance towards the Pendragons. As a matter of fact: it would answer all the questions he had about her.
Merlin's eyes shifted from left to right, fortunately enough the hallways were completely deserted and he and Lady Rosalie were the only ones there. He grabbed Lady Rosalie by the arm and dragged her into an empty room of the castle.
"Are you mad? You can't go saying things like that out in the open." Merlin hissed, not meaning to sound angry at all. He was merely protective. The last thing he wanted was to see Lady Rosalie executed.
"But it's true, Merlin." Lady Rosalie countered defiantly. "It is who I am."
One thing remained unclear to Merlin: how was it that Lady Rosalie possessed magic, but none of her relatives did? It didn't make any sense. It was known to be something you inherited.
"Are all the people in your family sorcerer's?" Merlin asked hesitantly, not sure if he was asking to much with this particular question.
"I'd think so." Lady Rosalie answered. "But I never knew my actual family. I call King Edmund my father, because that is what he has been to me, and he has always treated and called me his daughter – but 'tis not what I am." Lady Rosalie confessed. "He found me when he and his knights were scouring the outstretches of the Brecillian forest, they came by a camp that belonged to a tribe of druids – who'd all been killed by Uther." Her gaze fell to the ground. "My father found my, crying in one of the burnt tents. All the knights took an oath, never to speak of my true identity. To the kingdom I was known as Princess Rosalie, but I am no princess at all."
Merlin was left completely astonished. Perhaps that was why Lady Rosalie was always so humble, so kind and so humane towards all the villagers. Not that arrogance was something you inherited, but you'd almost think so.
"When did you find out that you weren't really the king's daughter?" Merlin then asked, his curiosity growing more and more.
A sigh left Lady Rosalie's lips, meekly smiling as she met Merlin's gaze. "As a child I always played tricks on my brothers. First I thought I was just, very clever but when I once set fire to the curtains in my room just with a single thought, I knew I was different. Soon after I was informed of the truth."
"That must have been hard." Merlin mumbled sympathetically, trying to wrap his mind around all that poor Lady Rosalie had been through.
"Actually, not really." Lady Rosalie admitted. "It kind of appeased me. Deep inside I always felt like an outsider, and now I know I actually am. Nonetheless I feel very grateful, if it hadn't been for my .. father, I would not be here today."
Amazed by her strength, Merlin leaned back against the edge of a wooden table, looking at her. "I see." He spoke quietly. "You mustn't tell anyone that you know magic, my Lady." He then urgently said. "Uther will have you executed without a second thought. The word 'magic' itself sends him into a blind rage, beyond reasoning."
"I know." Lady Rosalie said, swallowing hard. "But I can't just sit by watching the knights round up innocent people for my foolish actions, can I?"
Merlin could sadly enough not disagree on that part. It would not be right, but he would hate to see Lady Rosalie being executed. There had to be a way to mark the claim of having seen magic, as false, and then it would all be over.
"Just, promise me you'll lay low. We'll figure this thing out." Merlin implored, nearly wanting to fall down on his knees, begging.
Suddenly, the look on Lady Rosalie's face changed. As if suddenly an idea had crossed her mind. "I have an idea." She then said, grabbing Merlin's arm as they ran to her chambers. From under her pillow she retrieved the cloak which was the only thing they could identify the sorcerer by.
'This is the cloak I wore when I fled from the farmers." Lady Rosalie explained, as she looked down upon the cloak. "We could hide it somewhere in the forest, leaving a false trail for the knights to go after."
Merlin grinned, nodding his head. "That's a great idea. I'll plant it there myself when I have to go collect herbs for Gaius." Merlin stated, relieved that they'd figured a way to save Lady Rosalie's neck. He tucked the cloak in his bag and was ready to leave, but then Lady Rosalie stopped him.
"Merlin – now you have to make me a promise." She said severely. "Promise you will not tell Arthur what I have told you. When the time is right I will tell him myself."
Without a second thought Merlin nodded his head, after all; he knew what it was like keeping secrets and he was pretty darn good at it too. "Won't tell a soul."
"Thank you, Merlin. You're a true friend."
Merlin glanced over his shoulder and smiled at her as he walked out of the door. "You're welcome, my Lady." And then he sped off to tend to his chores.
After having sprinted all the way over to the outstretches of the fields and towards the clearing that led to the forest, Merlin had torn a small piece of the cloak and hung it on a branch. He'd gone deeper in the forest, laying the rest of the cloak on a log of wood. Then he made himself scarce as quickly as possible, collecting the herbs that Gaius needed.
When he returned to Camelot, Arthur pulled him aside. "Merlin, where have you been? It is past noon and I haven't had my lunch."
Merlin stepped back, cringing at the fact he'd lost track of time and forgotten to feed his master. "I'm sorry sire, I shall prepare your lunch immediately."
Half-heartedly Arthur patted him on the shoulder. "Yeah, you go do that." And he watched Merlin sprint off the palace kitchens.
It didn't take too long before Merlin returned with a bowl of soup and a jug of water, setting it out on the table, for the impatient crown prince.
"Thank you." He muttered as he plunged the spoon into the soup, quickly starting to eat.
Whilst Merlin quietly watched him he couldn't help but ask: "So, how's the search for the sorcerer going?" He asked, trying to sound as indifferent about the matter as he possibly could.
"Ser Leon picked up his trailer. He won't get very far." Arthur chuckled smugly. "Idiot. Any sorcerer who is foolish enough to practice magic within the kingdom of Camelot has it coming for 'em."
Merlin coughed, trying to laugh it off soon after. He'd practiced magic in Camelot numerous amounts of times. Was it really destiny that he could never be caught because he had to help Arthur create a better kingdom in the future? Or was it just plain old luck?
"Anyway, I trust Ser Leon will catch the sorcerer by nightfall." Arthur continued. "And I shall have confessed my love for Lady Rosalie by that time too."
This time Merlin nearly choked on the air he was breathing. Lady Rosalie was in such a fragile state at the moment, and if Arthur came barging in with all his obvious feelings, would she be able to handle it? Even though she returned his feelings, the feelings she was returning came from a man who would have her head if he knew the truth. The matter was so controversial that it made his head spin.
"You alright, Merlin? Here, drink some water." Arthur offered, sliding his mug over towards Merlin, who started shaking his head.
"No thank you, sire. I'm fine." He assured him.
Disbelievingly Arthur eyed him for a moment and then simply shrugged. "Well alright, if you say so." He muttered, continuing to eat his meal.
Professing one's love for another was always a difficult matter. How could anything ever speak what was truly in the heart? Poetry never really seemed to get it right; it was always either just a tad bit too sugary, or just not affectionate enough. Flowers weren't as unique as they used to be and simply getting down on one knee with a speech up your sleeve was a cliché.
No, Arthur knew he had to do something completely out of the ordinary. He'd made sure that Guinevere kept Lady Rosalie out of her chambers during the entire afternoon, giving him the time (well, actually giving Merlin the time) to set everything up.
He'd arranged for many candles to be scattered around the room, all lit and sizzling. Rose petals had been laid out all over the floor, over the white sheets, the table, the window pane and any possible surface. The room looked quite romantic, almost as if Arthur was going to propose, yet all he was doing was taking the first step to something much greater.
When he heard footsteps down the hallway, he prepared himself, standing right in the middle of the room, awaiting Lady Rosalie's arrival.
The door swung open, and in walked Lady Rosalie, her eyelashes batting with surprise seeing all the candles, the rose petals and of course: Arthur.
"What is all this?" She managed to utter, completely baffled, still standing in the doorway.
"Rosalie," Arthur began in a deep voice, and Lady Rosalie already felt her heartbeat pick up its pace, her breathing grow unsteady. She knew what was coming for her. ", from the day we met I always knew you were different than all the other girls I'd met before. I have dabbled in love very little, never finding what I was looking for." Arthur stepped closer to Lady Rosalie. "Maybe it was because I never knew what I was looking for, before I actually found it."
Lady Rosalie slowly edged the door closed behind her, hanging onto Arthur's every word. He was wrapping her around his finger.
"You have me under your spell, bewitched me and I feel like I am completely yours." By now Arthur was standing merely inches away from her. "I don't know if what happened last night meant anything to you, but it merely confirmed what I had already assumed." His hand softly stroked her soft, flushed cheek. "I am in love with you, Rosalie."
No matter how beautiful his words sounded, no matter how enchanting the room was decorated, Lady Rosalie felt paralyzed. She was standing eye to eye with the biggest threat to her very existence but at the same time she felt like without him, she was going to fall apart sooner or later. He had latched himself onto her, dug himself deeply inside her heart with no hesitation.
Lady Rosalie feared that if she ever tried to push him away, if she'd even try to eradicate him from her heart, that she would bleed to death. Perhaps she could not verbally admit it, but she loved him, just as much as he loved her.