Hi! Sorry for being two days late...this is the last week of school for me and I was pretty busy. On the bright side, this is my longest chapter yet! Over 4,000 words =D. Apart from that, I'd like to thank everyone who's followed, Favorited, reviewed or simply read this story so far - it means a lot to me, guys. A special thank you to Teekalin, who gave this story a shout out on her awesome story The Rising of Merlin (it's a crossover between Harry Potter and Merlin, and it's really cool, so check it out!). Thanks again!

Anyway, enjoy ATOFAI's newest chapter, and as always - don't forget to review! :)

Chapter Ten: Destined

For a painstaking second, Elsa couldn't draw her stare away from him. His eyes were unreadable, his fists clenched, back stiff – Elsa noted this in an instant, and as a result, a strange pang passed through her. Why – he's a total stranger – who is he?

Yes, this unknown young man was a total stranger, but Elsa couldn't help but feel a strange pull as she stared into his eyes – a feeling as if they should know each other. Strangers – no, they should be close; had she never met him before? No, she knew that they hadn't – but that didn't stop her from feeling that strange longing -

He blinked, and Elsa ripped her gaze away, her breath going out in a silent rush.

Elsa wanted to shake herself to dispel the strange emotions seizing her – but no, wouldn't that be too obvious? The situation came back to her slowly, not really mattering – oh, my gloves. Elsa reached out with a slightly trembling hand to take her disheveled gloves from the young man's hand, her eyes involuntarily darting up to meet his just once.

"Th-thank you," she stuttered, clenching her already-crumpled gloves in her hand. Holding them there, she told herself to pull them on – of course, put them on – but there was a strange reluctance. Elsa ignored it, yanking the well-worn fabric into place.

"Are you okay?" The newcomer said softly, his voice carefully controlled – Elsa looked up to meet his blue eyes, but they were still guarded and unrelenting.

"Yes – I'm sorry, I just..." Elsa stumbled over her words, not knowing what to say. How could she explain this away? "I don't know what..."

Thankfully, Elsa's silence was broken by the old physician, his voice compensating. "You don't have to apologize," Gaius informed her, his eyebrows drawing together. "Apparently you were affected by that fall. Does your head hurt? You may have had a concussion."

Elsa turned to him, still at a loss. "Er – no, not really..."

Gaius frowned, tilting his head as he examined Elsa. "Hmm. Well, that doesn't prove anything. Do you feel as if you have all your memory? Tell me your name."

"Um – my name's Elsa..." Elsa hesitated, flitting back to just a few moments before – Gaius had been calling her by her name. Princess Elsa. "Wait – you already said that. How did you know my name?"

"Several of the articles that you were wearing when you were found indicated that you are a princess of Arendelle." Gaius replied. "After knowing that, it was only a simple matter of investigating the royal records to determine your name…my lady."

Elsa stared, her eyes wide, as Gaius leaned closer to her to examine the scrape on her cheek. Princess of Arendelle – my lady. The words stuck in her mind like loud and prominent rebukes – stupid, stupid, stupid. They know who I am – how do I explain this? All her pointless self-chiding couldn't take away her mistake. – will I ever be free?

Gaius leaned back, giving a 'humph' of satisfaction. "That looks fine...well, other than that, how do you feel? Do you remember what happened to you?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Elsa saw the dark-haired young man straighten slightly, expectantly. She hesitated, her mind frantic – what could she say? How could she excuse the fact that she, the princess and heir to Arendelle's throne, had been in the middle of the woods, all alone? In a heartbeat, her mind conjured an impossible scene – she could take off her gloves, use her magic to fight her way out. What? Elsa shook off the ridiculous thought, gulping. But before she could speak –

"I wouldn't be surprised if you don't remember anything," said the young man standing beside Elsa's bed, his tone consoling. "You slammed your head pretty hard when you fell."

Elsa looked up at him, finding herself surprised – she didn't even know him, but those words were not something she expected. But – she felt a wave of relief spread through her. Thank you. "No – you're right. I don't..." Elsa made her voice confused, trying to sound lost. "I can't remember what happened. The last thing I remember was when I was in Arendelle – but I can't remember anything unusual."

The young man didn't say anything, but Elsa felt it – disappointment? Resignation? It was as if he was radiating his hidden emotions – or, Elsa really had hit her head as hard as they thought. Finally he sighed almost imperceptibly, shifting.

"Well, your memory should be back soon – right, Gaius?" He said, his tone much lighter than before. "Don't worry about it. Anyway, I'm Merlin – nice to meet you, Elsa."

Gaius turned to give him – Merlin – a pointed glare, which Merlin replied to with a look of confusion. After a second, Merlin suppressed a smile, turning back to Elsa. "I mean – princess." He gave a tiny bow, twisting his lips to keep from smiling.

Elsa shook her head, still in confusion about Merlin's abrupt change in personality. "You don't..." She felt strange being bowed to by this man, a stranger-not-stranger from another kingdom – especially when Elsa had practically given up her position as princess anyway.

Gaius gave both her and Merlin a badly stifled incredulous look, and Merlin laughed.

Gaius cleared his throat, shaking his head skeptically. "Well – anyway, you do seem to be in good health other than your memory loss and that scrape...if you'd prefer it, I can arrange for you to be moved into one of the guest chambers. I'm sure you'd enjoy the privacy compared to this."

Elsa blinked, unable to help feeling surprised at Gaius's expectancy that she would be staying – of course, that was foolish. He was the court physician – that meant that the court, even the royal family, knew of Elsa's presence here. They wouldn't just tend to her wounds and send her off with good wishes. But...Elsa stuffed down her panic once again as she thought of her powers, held in check only be a pair of fragile gloves. What am I going to do?

"Uh – yes, that would be nice..." Elsa replied quickly, breaking the silence. Stop acting like a refugee – act like a princess. "I must thank the king for his hospitality..."

"Yes, he's been anxious to greet you and be sure of your good health," Gaius said, offhand, as he rose to his feet and shuffled over to one of the cluttered tables. "He has requested your presence, as soon as you are feeling up to it."

What? Elsa gaped, mentally cursing herself – she'd only said that out of courtesy, not realizing that it would have to become a reality. She was expected to appear before the king – the tyrant himself? How could she? If I have to meet Uther Pendragon – no, I can't, how will I possibly hide it from him? Elsa's frenzied mind backed itself into a corner of despair; she couldn't think of anything past the drowning feeling of being trapped. Why is it always this way...always trapped?

Beside her, Merlin visibly flinched. Elsa whipped her head around, frowning in confusion – but he met her eyes calmly, a bright smile covering the concerned look in his eyes.

"You shouldn't strain yourself, though – I'm sure the king can wait another day until he sees you. You should rest, for today."

Again – this was the second time that Merlin had saved Elsa her fumbling words and eased her hidden panic. Elsa could have hugged him – quite a flamboyant move, for her. It's almost as if he knows…Elsa shook the thought out of her head, letting relief take its place.

From across the room, Gaius gave a cough of slight irritation. "Thank you, Physician Merlin," he said sarcastically, but Elsa could tell that his chastising was only out of fondness.

Merlin spread his hands, shrugging. "What?" He asked, grinning. "You'd say the same thing. I'm only saving you time."

Gaius shook his head slowly, looking back to whatever he was busy with at the worktable. "Well, perhaps you could save me time by doing something useful." He grumbled, before meeting Elsa's eye. "My lady – if you would like, Merlin can escort you to the guest chambers that have been prepared. There, you can eat and rest if you'd like; we'll have a maid sent up to assist you with whatever you might need."

Elsa nodded slowly – thinking it through first, this time – but it didn't seem like this could be a bad decision. If she stayed in the guest chambers, at least she'd be alone and away from all these questions and opportunities for her to make a mistake. "Yes – that would be fine, thank you."

Elsa swung her legs over the side of the beg and pushed herself to her feet, ignoring the slight wave of dizziness that washed over her. Brushing the wrinkles out of her dress – how long had she been wearing this for now? Two days? Three? – she took careful steps after Merlin towards the entrance to the room – a fragile looking wooden door.

"Thank you for caring for me..." Elsa said hesitantly, turning to address Gaius a final time. "You've been very kind."

"It was my pleasure, my lady." Gaius said, bowing slightly. "I will visit you again tomorrow to apply more ointment to your wound. Rest well, princess."

Elsa inclined her head to the old physician, giving him a slight smile before turning back to Merlin, who was waiting for her patiently. He gave her a bright grin and continued leading her out into the corridor, his steps confident and cheery. Elsa couldn't help but frown, looking after his lean figure. The kind old man, and this pleasant and strangely appealing young man – they were good, innocent people, and every second that they spent with her, they were in danger. A horrible image flashed through her mind – her magic out of control, gloves forgotten, and Merlin and Gaius hurt just as Anna had been – Elsa gulped, forcing the thought out of her head. That won't happen again, Elsa vowed to herself. I won't let it.

Merlin slowed, matching Elsa's pace as he walked just a step ahead of her. "I think you'll be comfortable in the guest chambers. The king likes to keep everything up to the highest standards, so you can expect sheets of silk and a wardrobe full of the finest gowns." Merlin joked with a smile, glancing back at Elsa. "It's the only way to rest, of course."

Elsa laughed appreciatively, smiling. "Of course," she replied, unable to resist. "I shall expect nothing less." Her words were light, and she couldn't help but feel at ease like this – just joking with Merlin, someone she'd met just a minute ago. No – don't get comfortable, that's the mistake you always make –

"But, anyway – I think you'll like it here," Merlin said, his tone more thoughtful. "Other than a few certain people –" Here he paused, meeting her eyes conspiratorially. "– who I'm sure that you'll have the pleasure of meeting, everyone's quite pleasant. Though – you'll definitely get Camelot's royal treatment, since…"

Elsa grimaced a little, shrugging. "I'd almost prefer not to…" she murmured – but wait, what was she saying? Distance! It was far too easy to feel comfortable around him. "…though of course I'd appreciate it." Elsa added hastily, ducking her head.

Merlin noticed her quick words, and fell silent for a moment, apparently deep in thought. "You know…" he said finally, hesitating. "Everyone's been pretty concerned ever since you were brought to Camelot. We all want to help…and I really hope everything turns out all right."

Elsa nodded slowly. "Thank you…"

For a minute they walked in silence. Elsa mulled over Merlin's words, eyebrows pinched together. We all want to help. She shook her head fractionally, closing her eyes. Until you know the truth, that is…

"So you don't remember anything at all?" Merlin's question abruptly broke the silence. Elsa jerked her gaze back to him, thrown back into hesitation.

"Uh – no, nothing," She replied – perhaps a little too quickly. "It's as if I just woke up here after my usual day in Arendelle."

Merlin raised his eyebrows, shaking his head. "That must be pretty disorienting…"

Elsa blinked. Oh, right – act disoriented. "Yes, it is…quite strange, actually."

Merlin nodded slowly, opening his mouth – chewing on his words? After a brief pause, he spoke up. "When you first woke up…well, it looked like you were having a nightmare. That might have something to do with what happened to you, you know. If you can remember it, it might trigger your memories to come back." He said brightly, turning to glance at her with wide, helpful eyes.

What? Elsa stopped involuntarily, one foot an inch above the ground. A nightmare? She remembered the vibrant flashback that she'd had just before waking up – the men surrounding her, a new commotion arising, and her hand raising as she prepared to use her magic. Elsa drew a quick breath, stepping forward firmly.

Merlin, a few steps ahead of her, had turned to look back at her, frowning. She nodded, walking on. "You're right...but I don't remember what it was about. All I remember is a sense of fear – there are a few flashed of color and strange voices, but I can't make them out." I'm getting a lot better at this lying thing, aren't I?

Merlin made a tiny sound of surprise, quickening his pace to keep up with her. "Oh. It was just – well, you were muttering things in your sleep. That's why I thought it was a nightmare, though I thought you might have remembered."

Elsa didn't pause this time, though the shock and sense of panic flared up in her chest once again. What did I say? "I – I don't remember anything like that." Her voice faltered, unsure.

"You were saying things like, 'let me go' and 'you'll be sorry,'" Merlin provided, an insistent note in his voice.

Elsa blinked with a sharp intake of breath. Those words – exactly what I said, what I thought. "...strange," Elsa said finally, averting her eyes.

"Are you sure you don't remember anything?"

Why is it so important to you? Elsa thought angrily, gritting her teeth. If he kept this up, she'd surely make a mistake. "No, I don't," Elsa stated, her voice hard and final. "I'd really prefer not to discuss it."

He hadn't been expecting that, Elsa could tell. Merlin stiffened, his expression straightening into a blank mask. "Of course," he said quietly, looking away. "Pardon me."

The rest of the walk was spent in silence. Elsa felt her heart pounding, still acutely aware of her situation, but as she walked beside Merlin's stony form, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty for her reprimand. It would have been nice to have had at least one friend in this dangerous place...Elsa squashed the thought, clenching her jaw. I can't have friends...not as long as I'm a danger to them.

The door to her new living quarters was a heavy, dark wood that Merlin pushed open for her, allowing her to enter with an alert expression. "I hope you're comfortable," he said formally – but his voice held a note of concern and apology. Elsa couldn't help but feel relieved. "A maid will be here to assist you soon."

"Thank you, Merlin," Elsa said with a tiny smile, her hands clasped. "I appreciate all your help."

Merlin nodded, returning her smile slightly, and pulled the heavy door closed as he left. It made a dull thud as it shut, and Elsa sighed, gazing at the cold and unwelcoming sight. Alone at last, she thought sadly, turning to face the spacious and lonely chambers – and try as she might, she couldn't stop herself from wishing that Merlin was still here.

Merlin shoved the heavy door closed, touching his forehead to the rough wooden surface for a brief moment. Well, that was...interesting. He sighed heavily, knowing that Elsa wouldn't be able to hear through the thick castle walls and oaken door, before pushing off from the door and striding down the familiar hallway, not really paying attention to where he was headed.

After experiencing that memory or whatever it was that Elsa had projected at him accidentally – for it was definitely Elsa that had done it, Merlin knew, because she'd recognized the phrases that he'd heard in that memory – Merlin had raced for Gaius's chambers unhesitatingly. He'd arrived just as Elsa was shouting at Gaius for her gloves, and Merlin had quietly retrieved them from the table where they'd been left. Surprisingly, he'd felt a certain magical aura around the battered pair of gloves – he supposed that it must have been a mild magical containment charm. Of course, this made sense – why else would Elsa have been so desperate to get them back? She needed them to contain her magic.

Mulling over this, Merlin frowned. If Elsa needed those gloves to much, then she must have been pretty uncertain about her abilities to hide her magic. If she was worried about it getting out of control...She's in danger here, Merlin thought uneasily. If anyone other than him and Gaius saw her magic, then a whole set of problems would be unleashed. Because Elsa was a princess, Merlin wasn't actually sure that Uther would execute her. Then again...Merlin had often doubted that Uther wouldn't execute Morgana if her powers as a Seer were discovered. Elsa, a stranger, would surely be killed.

The thought of Elsa being executed sent a shudder through Merlin's body. He wouldn't let that happen – he'd have to help Elsa get out of Camelot, then. But to do that, she'd have to trust him. And that's never going to happen unless she knows that I know about her powers, and that I accept that...Merlin shook his head, frowning. Well, you did a great job burning what little of a bridge you had with her, Merlin thought, mentally chastising himself. How stupid of him – Elsa was obviously still confused and uncomfortable here. His pushing to try and get Elsa to admit that she did remember what had happened to her was obviously too much.

Well, hopefully the damage wasn't that bad – after his careless words, Merlin had felt that Elsa was irritated, but also a little guilty for her harsh words at Merlin. It was strangely easy to tell what Elsa was feeling – maybe just because they both had magic? Merlin felt that that wasn't quite the reason for the strange connection that they had, but right now he just couldn't pinpoint it. I wonder if she feels it too...

Merlin was walking swiftly down corridor after corridor, his head slightly bowed as he remained deep in thought, so he didn't even notice where he was going until he found himself coming up to the Physician's Chambers. Merlin faltered in his sure steps for a second, grimacing – with all that had been going on, Merlin had yet to tell Gaius that Elsa had magic. He felt pretty guilty, to be honest – it was just that Merlin usually did things on his own, and only told Gaius if it was completely necessary. Merlin was already in the habit of keeping everything a secret, so it was almost natural to keep Gaius in the dark and act like everything was normal. There really isn't anyone who knows all of my secrets...Merlin thought sadly, feeling a pang of loneliness before shaking it off. Besides the fact that it was natural for Merlin to keep his troubles to himself, he also didn't want Gaius to worry – and sometimes, he really didn't want Gaius to try and impose his opinion on Merlin's decisions. Merlin loved Gaius like a father, of course – but Gaius was always very cautious and wary, and sometimes Merlin's idea of what was right and Gaius's idea of what was safe caused Merlin's judgment to be pretty clouded. It was just easier to work alone and then have to accept all of the consequences for himself.

But with this situation…Merlin was pretty sure that he'd have to tell Gaius, despite what he preferred. Morgana's visions were about Elsa and the events that her arrival would bring...Elsa's magic might be discovered by someone, and if it was then Merlin would need Gaius's help...and Merlin would probably need Gaius's advice anyway, because amongst all these problems he was sure that he'd find himself completely lost at some point.

Sighing in resignation, Merlin stepped forward and opened the door firmly, entering the room looking only a tiny bit like a puppy preparing for a scolding. Gaius looked up at the sound of his footsteps, and immediately got up with an anxious look on his face – one that Merlin knew very well. What now?

"Gaius?" Merlin asked hesitantly, frowning.

"I'm glad you came back here first, Merlin," said Gaius hurriedly, shuffling around his cluttered worktables to get to Merlin. "I'm afraid we have a problem."

"Really?" Merlin replied in a flat voice, his expression wary.

"This Princess Elsa – there's more to her than what meets the eye." Gaius said, a hair cryptically, and Merlin internally sighed. He could feel another argument coming on.

"Yes, I know," said Merlin, maintaining a calm voice. There really wasn't any way to avoid Gaius's inevitable insistence that Elsa was an enemy, but he might as well try. "She has magic. That's what she's hiding, and frankly I don't blame her – especially as long as we're in Camelot."

Gaius responded with a shocked expression, his eyes wide. "She – she has magic?" He sputtered in a hushed voice. "That – but then, this is even worse than I thought!"

"Oh – well, I though you already knew that." Merlin replied, a little unsure now. What did Gaius know that he didn't?

"No – oh, Merlin, you have to be very careful with this. I don't know how we'll convince the king, because she's still a princess – I suppose that we could say we witnessed it –"

"Gaius!" Merlin stopped him, irritated. "You're not thinking of turning her in?"

Gaius turned to him with incredulous eyes. "In this situation, Merlin, we really have no choice. She will bring nothing but trouble to Camelot."

"Well," Merlin said, taking a deep breath. "Why don't you tell me what you know about her first, before we decide to execute her?"

Gaius eyed him for a second, hearing his irritated tone, and let out a sharp breath through his nose before obliging. "When we first found out Elsa's real name, it seemed very familiar to me – I was sure that I'd heard it somewhere before, and not just in the context of royal families and such. I couldn't remember what it had been, but I spoke with a few old friends that are still living in Camelot. From them, I've gathered a bit about Elsa, and I have to say it's more than suspicious. When Elsa was just a child, all was normal – the king and queen were a bit protective of their children, but that was nothing unusual. But then, when Elsa was around ten years old, the royal family suddenly withdrew from their own kingdom. The gates to the palace were closed and almost no one was admitted in. The king and queen, of course, did appear to the public every once and a while, and they still convened with the court and participated in other matters of state. Their youngest daughter, Anna, was seen sometimes, though rarely. But Elsa...she hasn't been seen by the public since the gates to Arendelle were closed. The king and queen had always maintained that Elsa had acquired some rare illness, but as far as everyone could tell, no specialized physician ever came to call at Arendelle. Elsa didn't even appear at her parents own funeral, two years ago. Despite their king and queen's claim that Elsa had an illness, apparently the citizens of Arendelle all believe Elsa to be cursed, deformed, or dead. And if this is truly Elsa, she's certainly not deformed or dead...so she must be cursed."

Merlin had begun to shake his head slowly halfway through Gaius's speech, and now he met Gaius's eye with a skeptical look. "Come on, Gaius, it's obvious," Merlin said confidently. "She's not cursed. She has magic! Like I said. That's the reason that the royal family withdrew – because their daughter suddenly started displaying magic. Someone must have noticed or something. They couldn't allow the public to find out, with so many who distrust it. So they made sure that no one would find out." Phew. Merlin relaxed. At least he didn't have to distrust Elsa now.

Gaius, however, was having his doubts, as usual. "I don't know, Merlin…" he said slowly, thinking over Merlin's explanation. "I still don't trust her. Even if she had magic, why would the king and queen keep her from everyone - even everyone's sight? It's not that hard to contain your magic, even if she was really incompetent...there must be something else."

Merlin heaved a heavy sigh. "Gaius, I do trust her. There's something...I don't know, but I can tell she's not evil. She doesn't mean us any harm...she's just scared and eager to get out of Camelot."

"Your interpretations of how evil people are don't always prove to be the best, Merlin."

Merlin threw his hands up in the air, frustrated. "I'm not going to just turn her in and let her be killed. Let me just try and help her get out of Camelot. There's no harm in that."

Gaius frowned, about to say something, but Merlin simply turned away, making for the door. "I've got stuff to do," he said flatly, scowling. Fine...I'll just do it on my own. What else is new?

So! Merlin and Elsa have officially met, and both have felt the strange connection that they seem to have...wonder what that's about? ;) Anyway, things are picking up here. I should hopefully update within next week, though it may be later again (like Wednesday/Thursday) because my life is nonsensically busy. But don't worry, I wouldn't dream of ditching this story (again). Once again, sorry about that.

Please leave me a review and tell me what you think, and sorry for the delay!

~whatswiththemustache