Hope you enjoyed the seventh Chapter.
Feel free to review, I would love to know what you think.
Chapter 8- New Friends.
Camelothad a great variety of weather. One day would be the most beautiful sunny day that you had ever seen be the next could easily be showering. That morning the sun had been shining brightly in the sky but the night was the complete opposite. The sky had clouded over and had unleashed a torrent of rain. Amidst the rain it would often thunder sending echoes throughout the castle.
Alaya was laid in her soft bed listening to the rain. She wasn't awake because of the rain or thunder but a great sense of unease. She knew if her mother were to discover that she was in Camelot, Linella would hold Uther responsible and try to brake the companionship between the two kingdoms, of which she was never fond of. The last thing that Zewen needed right now was a war with a vastly superior kingdom.
Getting tired with tossing and turning in, admittedly, her rather comfy bed, Alaya decided that she needed to do something, anything that would tire either her body or mind. Deciding on what she would do to help her sleep, Alaya rubbed her face and headed out into the cold, silent stone corridor in her soft cotton shorts and oversized white shirt.
Alaya stealthily made her way through the castles corridors, avoiding any guards, heading for one room and one room alone. She had no reason to dodge the guards but she figured that it was for the best. The room that she was searching for was Gaius's chamber. She had decided that she would get that book about the rare beasts and read until she feel asleep. She used to do that when she had a nightmare as a child. The only difference between now and then was that then she had had her father to hold and read to her as she nodded off as well as her old fluffy teddy bear.
Alaya had managed to sneak through the castle without being seen by anyone. Not one guard saw her tip toe through the cold corridors. Either they didn't care or don't pay attention. Once at Gaius' chamber Alaya gently pushed the wooden door open and slowly popped her head around. She saw Gaius snoring peacefully away in his cot, his covers hanging off of the bed. If anyone deserved a good nights sleep it was him.
As lightly as she could Alaya pulled up the covers making sure that Gaius wouldn't get cold. She then began scanning the table for the book she had been reading earlier that day. Gaius had not bothered to put any of them away. He was only going to have to get them out again so what was the point. All he did was clear a small space on the table just in case.
There was something coming from the far room. Some kind of mumbling or chanting. With intrigue taking over her, an old habit she had never been able to conquer, Alaya crept closer to the door. The chanting was panicked and in some foreign language that she didn't recognise. Curiosity got the better of her and she lightly placed her ear to the door.
"Egweneth iben alto." the voice said, rising in volume.
The next thing Alaya knew she was thrown across the room with the door to the mysterious voice's room landing on top of her. Gaius woke with a start to see Alaya crumbled beneath a door at the other side of the room. Merlin appeared in his doorway, his hair a mess on his head and a shocked and pale look on his face. His shirt was hanging off of one shoulder as his eyes blinked absorbing what had just happened.
The two men rushed over to the unhinged door and pulled it off of the young woman beneath it. All Alaya had was a graze on her head and a small cut on her arm. Other than that she was smiling giddily up at Merlin who was as white as a sheet.
"It appears that you are not what you seem Merlin." she said playfully.
They helped Alaya to her feet and Gaius immediately sat her down at the table so he could tend to her wound. Alaya hadn't taken her eyes off of Merlin the entire time. By the look on his face Alaya could tell that Merlin was terrified about what she might do with her new found information.
"Don't worry Merlin, I'm not going to say anything." Merlin's face relaxed a little but he still wasn't fully convinced. "You've never tried to harm me, well not intentionally or that I know of. There are good and bad people just as there will be good and bad sorcerers."
He gave her a thankful smile now fully believing her. Gaius chuckled to himself as he bandaged Alaya's arm.
"You always were open minded." he mumbled with a smile on his face.
Alaya looked so proud of herself as she rose from the table. Then it hit Gaius. It was the middle of the night and he had woken up to see Alaya, whose chambers were located a fair way away from Gaius', buried beneath the door of Merlin's room.
"Why were you even here in the middle of the night?" asked Gaius sitting down on the edge of his cot.
"I couldn't sleep so I wanted to get that book I was reading earlier to help me."
"I could give you a sleeping draft."
"No thank you Gaius. The book will do for now. If it carries on though I promise you I will come and get one. I promise."
That seemed to satisfy Gaius. He searched through the books on table for a while before finding the right one. He handed over the book with a little bow of his head and a smile on his face.
"To make me feel better at least let Merlin walk you back to your room."
Knowing that Gaius wasn't going to take no for an answer Alaya agreed. She tucked the book under her arm and waited for Merlin to return as he went to grab his jacket and boots.
The corridors back to Alaya's room were just as deserted now as they were before. As they walked back through the cold stone corridors Merlin saw Alaya shiver. Being the gentleman that he was he quickly passed her his jacket. Although it did take him a while to convince her to take it. She and Merlin walked in silence until Merlin decided to ask a question that he had avoided asking Arthur.
"How do you know Arthur?"
Caught a little off guard Alaya stopped in her tracks for a moment.
"Well if you didn't hear the first time my mother is Queen Linella of Zewen. My father, Pelledur, used to bring me to Camelot with him when I was a child. Arthur was the only one my age so we spent a fair amount of time together. Well there was Morgana but if you've noticed I'm not your typical woman. Eventually Arthur and I became inseparable." she explained, her face growing sad, "What about you? How did you end up as Arthur's manservant?"
All the way back to her room Alaya and Merlin exchanged stories about how the many ways they annoyed Arthur. Alaya's mainly consisted of pranks she would play on him or the amount of times she had beaten him in a fight. Merlin's were mostly about the ways he would rub Arthur up the wrong way, the ways he woke Arthur up to the ways Merlin would remind him of the things Arthur would rather forget. He made a point to mention that Arthur denied that she had beaten him in a fair duel and that made her chuckle but didn't surprise her one bit.
They arrived at Alaya's room having to stifle a laugh. Her room wasn't too far away from Arthur's and both agreed it would be better not to wake him up. He was never the nicest person when he was awoken abruptly. Alaya pushed open her large chamber door.
"Well happy reading Aya."
"Wow first you throw a door at me and now you've already given me a nickname. I will Merl... I'm gonna stick with Merlin. Merl makes you sound like a cow or a tavern floozy."
"What I do in my spare time is my business. Goodnight." joked Merlin.
"Oh your jacket." she remembered pulling off the brown jacket and handing him it. He smiled his thanks as he put on the jacket himself before dragging his tired feet back down the corridor. Alaya, on the other hand, gave him a small smile before entering her chamber. Once in her room she jogged to her bed, immediately curled up in the covers and started to loose herself in the book.
Back in the corridor neither Merlin or Alaya had noticed Arthur's door open slightly. He had woken up after hearing voices in the corridor. He saw Merlin outside off Alaya's room both of which in their sleeping clothes. The prince feel a pang inside his stomach as he watched them laugh and bid each other goodnight.
Am I..? he thought as he closed his door again, Am I jealous? No it's only Merlin for gods sake. With a shake of his head Arthur shook away his thoughts and returned to his luxurious bed.
