"Rise and Shine!" Merlin said pushing the drapes swiftly aside to let the warm sunlight hit Arthurs face. Arthur's disturbed jolt from his deep sleep usually gave Merlin a dose of guilty pleasure every morning. Arthur rubbed his head in displeasure, his eyes still closed and groaned when Merlin stood over him waiting for Arthur to rise.

"Merlin…." Arthur groaned, his eyes still closed as the side of his face layed sloppily on his pillow.

"Yes?"

"Bring me some really strong tea…"

"I have it here.."

Arthur opened his eyes just slightly to get a good look at Merlin, who was staring at Arthur grinning, and happened to be holding a cup of hot tea. Arthur responded in cautious shock, got up from his bed and grabbed the cup glancing at the tea and Merlin before taking a sip.

"You're learning Merlin…"

"Actually, you told me to bring you some tea 10 minutes ago when I first came by.. "Merlin said watching Arthur looking to the side in effort to recall this claim. "You just plopped back into your cozy little bed of yours and ignored me."

"Well thanks." Arthur said sarcastically, drinking some more tea and shaking his head to wake up. "We have a big day ahead of us Merlin. You're going to have to go out and meet three people- I'll give you the names it's in my jacket pocket- and figure out if they've seen Morgana."

"Yeah…"Merlin said his stomach twisting a little. After a long sleep last night, and giving Gaius's advice a little thought, he wondered if telling the King was indeed a better plan. "So Arthur, what exactly happens if Morgana does attack us..and we don't catch her in time?"

Arthur took another sip of his tea and lowered the cup to swirl the contents as he stared at the table across the room.

"I'm glad you asked that." Arthur sighed. "If today doesn't prove well, then I've concluded that perhaps it may be best to tell my father what's going on so we can start guarding the kingdom. I just- I have a feeling Merlin. "Arthur said turning to Merlin. "I think something is going to happen today." He said shaking his head. "Now, I know, a feeling is not good enough reason to keep with our plan. But if we think logically, it's just been one day since the list has been gone, well, one and a half days max. Logistically, it wouldn't be very likely Morgana will even think of attacking, much less be able to organize an attack. Anyway, once you talk to those three people," Arthur said getting up to his coat hanger and reaching inside the pocket to pull out a scrap of paper with ink over it. "We'll go over what happened and see from there."

Arthur walked over to Merlin and pushed the list against Merlin's chest. Merlin held the small scrap of paper while turning to Arthur and nodded with uncertainty. Arthur seemed tenser than ever before, almost as if the sleep didn't help.

Merlin strolled outside of the kingdom immediately hearing the hustle and bustle of the villagers out in the market. Through the gate, he could see villagers shopping, smiling, buying pieces of meat, apples and corn.

Merlin observed a pretty brunette woman with striking green eyes shyly listening to a raven haired man with a hat leaning towards her with a smile in his eyes, talking animatedly whilst keeping his eyes on her. Merlin chuckled as he walked out of the kingdom and was suddenly distracted by a small little boy chasing a squirrel holding a piece of bread in its little tiny hands, nibbling the bread away before it sped off again. The little boy was being chased by his mother, who passed a shop carrying baskets of the most colorful powders he's seen.

"Get ya herbs and spices from the far east! It's from lands that you've never seen. Itall make ya mouth barn!' yelled the shopkeeper to a crowd of curious villagers, who were scrutinizing these spices with a worrisome eye; some ladies were yelling at their ever so interested husbands to get out of the area. Merlin heard the words 'magical', and 'trouble' whispered harshly by these women who almost had to pull their husbands by force to take them away from the shop.

"Oh!" Merlin gasped tripping over a something in the road. He looked below to see a long wooden rod being lifted, and met a pair of angry blue eyes belonging to a young boy.

"Get out of my WAY! I'm PLAYING!" yelled the short little boy, his face fuming and getting red, his face scrunched up to scare Merlin and his hands on his hips.

"Henry! Have you no manners?" yelled an older women pulling the little boys ear, as she dragged her crying boy to the right hand side.

"AY BOY! GUTS LIKE DAT CAN MAKE YA WIN THE TOURNMENT!" growled three large men in armor and covered in dirt, carrying their weaponry. Their front teeth missing and the rest brown and rotten were laughing away whilst pointing at Merlin to ridicule him.

"Would you like to buy some tonics! It'll make you strong and is a sure way for you to win the tournament" A lady said in a silky voice. Merlin turned to his left in surprise and felt the ladys' breath on his face. He stared at her big brown watery eyes and her messy long hair. She was observing Merlin very close , scanning the whole of his face, while holding a bottle of dark liquid.

"No-no thank you." Merlin said trying to slip away. He could never remember Camelot being so busy and wasn't sure what to make of it. Though it made sense since there were visitors coming to not only compete in the tournament, but to watch as well. It was a big business opportunity too for many small shops, for the many visitors meant more customers.

Merlin shook his head and looked down his list of names. He needed to recollect why he was out in the village market. He needed to meet the first person on the list.

"Baneth, Kristopher – Son of a Baker (shop name - Baker's Fool). His father used magic to help him bake items. Father dead. Accused of enchanting food to manipulate emotions. Son may take over 'Bakers Fool.'

Merlin heaved in a sigh and turned to his left in search for Bakers Fool. He's never been there himself, for he preferred 'Bread and Grits', for although the shop was called Bakers Fool, the prices were sky high. He felt quiet at a disadvantage in ensuring Kristopher would immediately help and trust him.

He looked up and saw a man dumping a few bread rolls onto a lined basket and placed a thin cloth over it before little hands of children near by tried to touch and take it. Merlin walked over to the Bakers Fool and inhaled the aroma of the freshly baked bread and immediately felt his stomach rumble. He arrived at the shop and saw the Baker, his skin glowing and rosy, smiling under his dark moustache that matched his thick full hair and taking a few coins from a women who in exchange carried away a loaf of bread. Merlin scanned the bread and dug in his own pockets for some coins.

"What can I get for one shilling?" Merlin called out to the Baker who was now free and admiring his baskets of bread. The sun was bright and hit the Bakers eyes in such an angle the bakers eyes was a brilliant blue.

The Baker glanced at the coin in Merlin's fingertips and roared in laughter.

"You can get yourself a bite ,my friend, with that kind of coin!" The Baker said chuckling some more, as he turned to loosen up a loaf of bread from an iron cast into an empty basket.

"Oh wait, I got a silver coin!" Merlin said holding up a shiny silver coin from his jacket pocket to his surprise.

"Ahhh now that's more like it!" the Baker said nodding to the coin. "You can choose what you want.. I've got the clapbread, tourte, chear, wastel, and if you want something special, I've got pandemain."

"Hmm…" Merlin said scanning the array of breads. "Got any cocket?" Merlin ask, which was the cheaper and lower quality bread.

"Cocket? My goodman, you don't want cocket! You can eat cocket at any time of the day! This is the time to experience something you haven't tried… come on! Try the pandemain! I've sifted the flour 10 times, believe me! No one believes me, but I have! You can taste the difference. Go on try a piece." the man insisted pushing a piece of pandemain, the highest quality bread, into Merlin's face. Merlin grabbed the piece and took a bite, and to his pleasant surprise he the bread was light, chewy and flavorful. Although he wasn't sure if there was a difference from it being sifted 10 times versus 4, it was almost better than the castles bread. He refocused his gaze on a smiling baker, awaiting Merlin's reaction.

"It's good…" Merlin nodded.

"Great, I will get ya a piece of pandemain for a silver coin!" The man said slicing a thick piece of pandemain.

Merlin didn't want to argue at this point for he wanted this Baker to be as happy and helpful as possible.

"Thanks, I'll make sure the Prince tries it.." Merlin said watching the Baker slice the Pandemain.

The Baker paused and thought a little before looking at Merlin.

"Oh how could I have no noticed! You're Prince Arthur's servant!" The Baker said happily. "Why didn't you tell me.. don't … no need to pay me anything. If you're highness tastes my bread, it would be reward in itself!" the Baker said putting more variety of bread in a basket. "If you don't mind sire, you can tell him it's baked by Baker Kristopher Baneth from Bakers Fool. Oh how I wish so very much that I could bake for a royal dinner one day… how I could be guest baker!" The man said dreaming away with a smile. "It'd be such a honor.. I'd show Baker Bradley.. He thinks Bread and Grits is better than me. Wait until he hears the King has eaten my bread!" The man said excitedly to himself, arranging the bread.

Merlin didn't have the heart to say that the King would probably ignore the bread basket Kristopher was putting together, though watched on, wondering when he could ask about Morgana.

"I'll let them know.." Merlin said looking at Kristopher rearranging the breads in the basket."Hey- listen.. I've got a question.. have you happened to see uhm… Lady Morgana around by any chance?"
Kristopher paused in arranging the basket and looked up at Merlin in a suspicious way.

"Lady Morgana? I thought she was banned from this kingdom?" He said.

"Oh yea… she is.. I don't know, I just kind of thought that maybe I saw her around just a moment ago.." Merlin said looking around. "But it was probably someone else."

"Well if I was the Lady Morgana I wouldn't dare try coming back to Camelot. The King was so angry at her, she shouldn't even dare step in.. "

"Well if you happen to see her, or bump into her, and she tries to talk to you, then.."

"Why would Lady Morgana want to talk to me?" Kristopher said getting slightly pestered.

"Well, not YOU, heh.. not you. I'm just saying if , well let's say she decides to buy some bread –"

"Well I'd never serve her bread! I'd turn her away from my shop! I don't deal with traitors!"

"Right.. well actually, it'd be better if you don't. You see, the King would want to catch her, and if you can tell her to meet you for you know, some free bread or something later on, and then tell us beforehand when you two plan to meet, then we would be able to catch her.."

Kristopher stared at Merlin cautiously and nodded. "I see…well… I can promise you that." He responded, still staring at Merlin stiffly, the basket of bread lying beautifully next to him. He stared at Merlin almost as if he was waiting for Merlin to go away.

Merlin nodded and smiled, and took the basket and walked away. Why was it so much easier in Merlin's imagination?