Hooray, finally Samar's come back into the story after only briefly seeing him in chapter 1, hopefully now it should get a little more interesting. Not 100% happy with this chapter, but hey ho, hope you like. Please review (:

Chapter 10

"Merlin?"

Merlin rolled his eyes and turned back to the table he had just come from to see what Arthur wanted this time. He didn't try to hide the fact that he wasn't enjoying serving at yet another celebration on Morgana's return. After all, he wasn't the one eating all the glorious food, and he didn't think that Morgana was some brave heroine, he felt that there was a little more, a different story behind the one that she had told.

"I was just wondering why you seem to be the only servant serving drinks this evening." Arthur explained, not looking at Merlin, but at something behind him.

Merlin's brow furrowed slightly with confusion. "I'm not." He looked around to see what Arthur was gazing at.

The Great Hall had been suddenly filled with colour that night, perfect for a huge celebration. Different patterns of drapes hung from the walls, the empty space of the Great Hall had been filled with great oak tables that were piled with food. Uther still sat on his throne, but he no longer looked old and grim. He was joining in with the celebrations, beaming at the sight of the all the nobles and knights who were celebrating around him. They were smiling, talking, laughing and listening to the music a few minstrels were playing quietly in the corner. A thousand candles burned, lighting up the Great Hall in a bright yellow glow. But Arthur wasn't looking at the decorations of the Hall; he was looking directly at Feu who was currently chatting happily away with Gwen.

"I told Feu she needed to find a job now she was a lot better, I thought a servant job would do for her for now." Merlin explained, assuming that the look of Arthur's face was because he was slightly confused by the sight of Feu in the middle of the hall.

Arthur shook his head, "no, I know that. But that doesn't seem to be what she's doing."

Merlin glanced back at Feu and Gwen, "no, good point." He paused, looking back At Gwen and Feu again, who were still talking and didn't seem to be interested in serving any more drinks this evening.

"Any reason why?" Arthur asked, he was now beginning to sound slightly irritated.

From what Merlin had heard of Feu's conversation with Gwen, they were talking about dresses and hair, which Merlin thought he would never catch Feu talking about. She wasn't that kind of girl, but perhaps there was nothing left to discuss. This really only meant one thing, "I think she's bored Sire." He said.

"Well I'm sure there are plenty of people who could do with another drink," Arthur pointed out, which Merlin knew meant she should actually get to work if that's her job.

Merlin nodded and moved away from Arthur's table as the Prince turned his attention on someone else to talk to, someone Merlin had never seen in Camelot before, but took little notice of. He was glad to get away from him, Merlin wondered what was making the Prince grumpy today. Perhaps he had eaten too much already and had gone stomach ache.

Suddenly a figure appeared next to him. "Merlin!"

Merlin jumped at Feu's rather over excited voice, he almost dropped the canter of wine he was carrying, catching it quickly, he looked back up into Feu's sparkling eyes, and couldn't help but grin back at her.

"Has anyone told you you're a little loud this evening?" He asked in a light-hearted tone.

"I'm not actually sure what I'm meant to be doing here," Feu continued as if Merlin hadn't spoken, but she did lower her voice a little.

"Serving drinks," Merlin reminded her, wondering if Feu had perhaps helped herself to some of the wine.

Feu nodded, but didn't seem very pleased about that reply. "Haven't these people learnt to fend for themselves? Like I've had to?"

"Well it's a little different when you're living in a City, we have hierarchies," Merlin tried to explain, aware that Feu probably never had been in a world where there was a division between rich and poor, and there was a leader you had to follow and respect.

Feu made a peculiar snorting noise at this, "seems all a bit silly to me."

"I cannot agree more." Said a sudden voice behind them.

Merlin and Feu turned around, slightly startled by the sudden, new voice and looked up at the stranger. Merlin was surprised to find him face to face with the same man Arthur had just been talking to. He wondered what the man wanted and why he had never seen him in Camelot before.

The man was clearly a gentleman, if not, a nobleman. His clothes were grand, expensive and brand new. He had sleek, jet-black hair that had been combed back, and eyes that seemed to match the colour of his hair. They were a sharp contrast to his white teeth, which were revealed when he smiled down at Merlin and Feu. His voice was rough and low when he spoke, but he appeared friendly enough. Merlin could almost feel him warming to the man already, and retired the man's friendly smile with one of his own.

Feu however, had reacted completely differently to the sight of this man. The smile that had been on her face had completely disappeared, and the spark in her eye had vanished. She suddenly seemed to be very pale, and even afraid of the man in front of her. Merlin noticed how tense she had suddenly become.

"Pardon me for interrupting you," the man said as Merlin opened his mouth to say something, he held out his left hand, his right hand staying firmly in his pocket. "I have not visited Camelot for a very long time, and I like to introduce myself to the servants as well as the masters."

Merlin took the stranger's hand and shook it, he liked the look of this man, but he was still a little confused. "Sorry, who are you?" He asked.

The man smiled, "forgive me, I have not properly introduced myself yet. I used to be friends with Morgana's mother before she passed away, my name is Samar."

"Nice to meet you Samar," Merlin replied, "my name is Merlin."

Samar smiled, but it seemed slightly less of a pleasant smile, but Merlin couldn't see the danger behind the smile, or in the tone of his voice. "Merlin? An interesting name. It's nice to meet you, Merlin."

"And this is," Merlin turned his head to introduce Samar to Feu, and for a moment wasn't sure where she was. Feu wasn't standing where she was before, right beside Merlin, but in fact lingering behind him, as if she was trying to hide from Samar. "Feu," Merlin said, beckoning her forward, slightly annoyed. He couldn't understand why she looked so afraid, and she was embarrassing him a little now.

"Feu eh?" Samar said, cocking his head slightly to one side so he could see the girl standing behind Merlin. His smile widened. "That's a pretty name. It's nice to meet you, Feu." He didn't offer her his hand.

"And it's not nice to meet you," Feu replied in a low, quiet, but almost threatening voice. She tried to control her fear and anger that was suddenly bubbling up inside her at the sight of this man.

Feu's reply seemed to annoy Merlin even more, "Feu, we don't speak to people like that," he told her. "Especially people you've never met before."

Feu didn't look up at Merlin; she kept her eyes fixed on Samar. "But we have met before." She said.

"Sorry, I don't think we have. I always remember a face," Samar told her, with another friendly smile that sent cold shivers up Feu's spine.

"And so do I," Feu told him firmly, and she couldn't help it, the sight of this man she thought she would never seen again, suddenly appearing when she thought she had finally found happiness, was a mixture of emotion she couldn't control. Her eyes flashed bright green in the middle of the crowded hall.

This was the last thing Feu was meant to do, especially in front of some of the most important people in the City who didn't realise she still existed. The colour changed in her eyes shocked Merlin, but also made him afraid.

Merlin glanced around quickly, worried that someone might have noticed her eyes flash green in a way that could only be caused by magic. He looked around the Great Hall, but no one seemed to have noticed, no one was watching them. But there was one person who may have noticed; Morgana had been casting malicious glances over in their direction all evening. However, Merlin hadn't seen this.

He turned back to Samar, wondered how he would react. He expected the man to be scared, perhaps even angry at the sight of this, to cry aloud for guards that some witch was in their presence. But Samar didn't do any of this, in fact he laughed.

"I'm afraid you must have mistaken me for someone else." Samar told her. He hadn't taken his eyes off of Feu, and yet he acted as if nothing peculiar had happened at all.

Samar took his hands out of his pockets and ran his hands through his hair; it was then that Merlin caught sight of the two missing fingers on his right hand. He couldn't help but be surprised to see such an injury on someone of such a high rank, unless he was once a soldier. It must have been some sort of terrible accident, or perhaps Samar had had those fingers missing from birth. Feu's face however, was drained completely of colour when she saw the missing fingers.

"Merlin," she whispered, tugging at his sleeve, her eyes had moved from Samar's face, and were now fixed on his missing fingers "Can I have a word with you please." It wasn't a request, more of a demand.

The very sight of Samar's missing fingers had made Feu's heart rate triple, she had hoped that perhaps she was wrong, that this wasn't the Samar that she knew. But the sight of the missing fingers had confirmed her worse fears, and now she wanted to do nothing but to escape this crowded hall. The only thing that made her hesitate before leaving, was the thought that if she did go, she would have to tell Merlin everything. She just hoped she could trust Merlin.

Merlin glanced back at Feu, and saw the fear in her eyes. Even though he couldn't understand why Feu was suddenly acting so strangely, her fear worried him. He didn't like to see her like this, so he nodded.

"Excuse me Samar," he said turning back quickly to the gentleman, who was still standing there, looking almost amused by Feu's sudden urgency for departure. "We have to be going, perhaps we will be able to talk another time?"

Samar nodded, "oh I hope so. Goodbye Merlin, goodbye, Feu." There was something in Samar's eyes as he said their names that even made Merlin feel uneasy.

After this brief goodbye, Merlin let Feu pull him quickly and a little roughly out of the Great Hall. Unfortunately he didn't manage to see the look that Samar gave them as they left, before he turned back to talking to the King and his son. He didn't get to see the small smile that grew of Morgana's lips as she watched a panicked looking Feu rush out of the Great Hall.