Author's Note: Hey everyone! I tried to get this chapter up and out extra fast, but it didn't quite turn out that way.
Well thank you very much for reading! And as always, have an amazing day!
Cheers!
TTT
Chapter 10
The moon was still high in the sky as Cal tossed in his sleep. He was restless and his eyeballs darted back and forth beneath their lids. His breathing was ragged, and he cried out in his sleep. His mind was confused and he was haunted by swarming, twisting visions. Visions of a sort he had not seen for years.
He was in a battle, a bloody, pointless battle. Men were screaming and dying, their comrades unable to drag them to safety. Fire was everywhere, and smoke burned in his lungs. He felt himself slip as his foot landed in a mixture of mud and blood.
It was a trick, there was no reason for all of this. The entire affair reeked of an evil, a darkness lurking in the background, controlling it all.
But there was hope.
In his blotted, convoluted dream, he could sense it. Two lights, shining through the darkness, making it go away. The lights got brighter, and the darkness retreated a little further.
Cal felt a hope rise in his heart. They were all going to be okay. It wouldn't last forever.
The two lights continued to shine until the darkness was pushed back, just to the edges of Cal's vision. He felt a cheer of triumph rising in his throat, for they had won! But the shout faded and died in his throat before it had even begun. For out of the darkness, a blacker evil rose, a shadow. The shadow extinguished the two lights, running them off beaten and broken. The hope was gone.
It would all end in tragedy.
The scene shifted, and Cal saw men, woman, and children, all going about their daily business, oblivious to the shadow that had been born in the battle, unaware to the fact that it was coming, and soon. No one saw it, no one stood in its way.
Well, all except one.
Cal saw a skinny, black haired boy in a field, his eyes glaring defiance at the approaching darkness.
Slowly, the light began to shine again, but it was weak, and unready. The shadow collided with the lone boy, and the scene shifted, and then broke.
Cal's eyes snapped open, his right hand grabbing for the knife lying under his pillow and sitting up in one smooth motion.
His room was quiet and still, the moon shining peacefully through the window.
The knife slipped from his hand and clattered uselessly to the floor as Cal clutched at his throbbing head.
He hadn't had a nightmare in ages, and he had begun to think that maybe they would no longer plague him. Why was he having them now? Something big was about to happen, he had known that for a while now, but maybe whatever was coming would be even bigger than he had expected.
He squinted his eyes. That was a disturbing thought, for he had been anticipating the worst. Cal didn't know how much the world could take.
He stared at the ceiling, and gave a shaky sigh, trying to calm himself down. Whatever happened, he knew that he would more than likely live and have to keep on going. That's what he had been doing his entire life.
His gaze slipped from the ceiling, shifting to the window, and he thought of Merlin. He was the boy standing in the field, of that Cal was certain. He was going to go through a lot here soon, and in the end Cal wasn't sure if he would make it out alive. However, he knew with surprising certainty that he wanted to be there for Merlin when the shadows hit. He had grown to actually quite like the boy and was not about to let him face it alone.
Cal combed his fingers through his mess of blonde hair and yawned.
It was late, and he was beyond exhausted. He remembered how nightmares had always done that to him.
He would have to talk to Merlin tomorrow.
With a weary sigh, he fell back onto his pillow and closed his eyes.
He could worry about the end of the world in the morning.
...
Dawn's early rays shone through the leafy canopy above them, casting playful shadows over Arthur and his knights.
The cheerful atmosphere of the forest conflicted with the mood of the men, who were thoughtful and serious. They had a job to do, and were at odds on the best way to accomplish it.
"All I am saying," Sir Kay said irritably, "Is that we can't just go barging through their front door! We need to think this through slowly and logically."
Several of the Knights had to hold back eye rolls, as they were in the presence of their prince.
"That is a very logical sentiment Sir Kay," Sir Borch, a pompous looking Knight said mockingly, contempt dripping from his voice, and a few of the knights held back laughs, "And if these were normal circumstances, know that your flawless logic would be well heeded. But now we have no time to sit back, thinking, as much as you may want to, not when a sorcerer is threatening our homes and families."
A few of the knights nodded their agreement.
Arthur was leaning back against a tree, deep in thought.
Both of his knights had valid points, but he thought that Sir Borch was being a little harsh.
They had been at it for almost an hour now, and Arthur knew that they had to decide on a strategy soon, or they would run out of time.
The problem was, they didn't know where Emrys lived, or even what he looked like, and so the first course of action had to be finding him, and fast. Arthur had been growing progressively more anxious, for some sixth sense was warning him that he was running out of time. They had to kill the sorcerer tonight, with the darkness to cover them.
That meant they had to find Emrys before nightfall. Arthur rubbed the bridge of his nose.
He knew the best course of action available, the only course of action, and as dangerous as it might be, he knew he had to follow it.
He straightened his shoulders and lifted his head. Knights never shied from danger.
"Men," Arthur said, in a voice that commanded their instant attention, "I have decided what we must do."
The knights stared at his face in interest, trying to discern his decision from his expression. Most of the knights were older than Arthur by a good five years at the very least, but they had learned to trust him completely, and not just because of his title. Arthur had earned their respect time and time again, and they had absolute confidence in his good judgment and courage.
"The way I see it," Arthur said, putting on an air of confidence, for he knew that the knights were hanging on his every word, "The only way to find where Emrys lives, is to ask."
Some of the knights opened their mouths to respectfully object, but Arthur held up his hand and they silenced immediately.
"I will send those of you in who haven't been seen inside the kingdom before- That means Sir Norum, Sir Borch, and Sir Arphry. Two of you will ask around the town, and the other will snoop around the castle itself. I'm sorry," Arthur added, glancing at Allen and Kay, "We cannot enter the city until dark, as it would risk discovery, for I doubt that our previous enterprise will be quickly forgotten."
Sir Allen and Sir Kay inclined their heads, acknowledging the wisdom of the precaution.
"Borch, you and Arphry search the town, see what you can find," Arthur continued, then turned to Norum. He still wasn't sure if he should trust the man, not since he had reacted so calmly to being healed by magic. When the other knights had seen the healing the dragon's breath had caused, they had been horrified and not a little angry. They had disagreed with him about not telling the king, and Arthur couldn't bring himself to order them not to.
Norum just didn't make sense. Yet for some indiscernible reason, Arthur just knewthat he could count on him, that he wouldn't let him down. It was for that very reason he was giving this job to him.
"Norum, I want you to sneak into the castle, you won't have to get very far inside, just to the kitchens or someplace accommodating servants. They will gossip your ears off. But for god's sake be careful, I have already lost one man down here, and I don't wish to lose another." Arthur said seriously, looking Norum directly in the eye.
Sir Norum smiled and shook his head, "Don't worry about me Sire, I will make sure not to let the servants lop too much off of me."
Arthur raised his eyebrows. There it was again, that unexpected quality of humor. Arthur's lips quirked.
"If they do, I'll still have four knights left to replace you." Arthur replied in a tone only Merlin would have been able to detect laugher in. Merlin knew him better than anyone, a sad fact, but a true one.
Norum, uncertain as to if Arthur was serious or not, did the safe thing, and inclined his head.
Arthur frowned. He hadn't realized he was joking.
Arthur shook his head, a slight sigh escaping his lips involuntarily. He missed Merlin, he missed the skinny idiot who would insult him back when he jibed at him, and he was ready to have him back.
That reminded him…
"Oh, and Norum," Arthur added, now entirely serious, though his knights didn't seem to notice the difference, "When you're in the castle, find the whereabouts of Lord Haymor's chambers- the Lord that Merlin said he is currently working for. Tonight, when we kill Emrys, we can grab my runaway manservant in the process."
…
Merlin stared out the window, his eyes looking past the castle, past the town, past the tree line, to the horizon in the far distance- in the direction of Camelot.
He was homesick.
Merlin had been in Escetia for a couple weeks now, but had gotten almost nowhere with his mission. He didn't know who Cenred was planning to attack, he just knew that the kingdom was preparing for war. But they had known that in the beginning, and Merlin felt as if his time here had almost been an entire waste.
He was ready to go home, but he couldn't, not yet, not with a clear conscience. The future of Camelot rested on his shoulders.
He was just so lonely.
Behind him, Merlin heard the door swing open, and turned around surprised, knowing that Danen had kitchen duty today.
In walked a skinny, redheaded, speckle-faced boy, who was a few years younger than Merlin himself. The kid wore glasses, and had awkward wood chips sticking out between his crooked teeth, causing his mouth to always lull partly open.
Merlin found them mesmerizing, in a slightly weird, ugly way.
"Who are you?" A whining voice demanded from the crooked teeth.
"Uhh," Merlin said, more than a little confused, "I'm Emrys." Merlin managed to put a grin on his face- This kid couldn't help what he looked like.
At the redhead's expressionless face, Merlin elaborated, "I'm Lord Haymor's servant." The kid nodded, and wiped his nose on his sleeve.
"Oh, yeah you," He said carelessly, now forgetting Merlin and looking down his nose at the room, "This is it?" he sulked indignantly, "I had thought the accommodations would be finer."
Merlin's eyebrows rose, and he rubbed the back of his head, tousling his hair. "Yeah, well, they're not that bad really. I have actually grown to quite like them." Merlin smiled at the youth, but the redhead didn't smile back.
The boy began walking around the room, and rummaged through the papers on the desk.
"Uh," Merlin began, rather nonplussed, "So, is there something I can do for you?" The teen didn't answer, but moved toward a bookshelf and managed to spill ink all over some of the notes on the desk simultaneously.
The redhead frowned, staring at his ink stained hands with a look of inconvenience on his face.
Merlin tried to laugh.
"Oh, that's okay," Merlin said, moving to pick the inkwell back up, "Those papers weren't that important anyway."
With an annoyed glance at the ink, the youth shrugged his shoulders and snoopily opened Danen's chest of belongings, pulling out his stuff.
Merlin hastily stepped forward.
"Uh, hey wait, that's my friend's, you probably shouldn't…" Merlin broke off as the boy slammed Danen's chest shut, and began advancing towards his. Merlin frowned, and with a quick flash of his eyes, heard the chest click as it locked.
The redhead looked upset when he couldn't get it open. He stood up and continued wandering around the room, looking more and more dissatisfied.
"It's not much," The redhead said finally, coming to a stop in the middle of the room. Merlin shrugged, lifting his hands expressively with a smile, "I suppose not, but compared to what I'm used to, these chambers are fantastic!"
"Well, I am sure that the chambers are more than adequate for someone of your standards," The boy said snootily, pulling at the woodchips jammed between his teeth, "But I had expected better from Lord Haymor. If I am to work for him, he will have to treat me far better than his other, average servants."
Merlin felt his face fall, and hurriedly stuck the grin back into place.
This kid was going to live with them? Seriously?
Feeling as if the world was playing some kind of cruel joke on him, Merlin tried to act welcoming.
"Oh!" Merlin said smiling, "You're Fernor's replacement! Sorry, I didn't know you would be coming in today." Stepping forward Merlin held his hand out to the short youth, who stared at it blankly. Merlin looked awkward, and slowly withdrew his hand.
"So," Merlin said experimentally, rocking on the balls of his feet, "Yeah, I'm Emrys. What was your name again? Didn't quite catch it last time," Merlin said politely.
The boy gave him a scathing look- an impressive feat, considering he had his fingers stuck in his mouth.
"That's because I didn't say it," He said, looking down at the hand that was yanking at a woodchip.
'What are those things anyway?'Merlin thought, hiding the confused look on his face. This boy was just weird.
Merlin waited, seeing if the redhead would say anything further. He didn't.
The kid looked around the room, and his eyes lighted on Merlin's bed.
He moved towards it, his feet skidding on the stone floor.
"This is mine," the woodchip boy said, plopping heavily onto the bed with a sigh.
Merlin felt color rising into his cheeks. This was going a bit too far.
Some instinct told him that protesting wouldn't get him very far, so he was going to try a different tactic.
Merlin felt an easy smile slip onto his face as a devious idea formed in his head.
"Oh, that's a relief!" Merlin said with feeling, "I have been wanting to get rid of it for ages! Danen and Fernor assigned it to me, and I have been stuck with it ever since! I don't think that it is entirely natural… I think that it might be- diseased."
The smug look that had been growing on the boy's face fell away. He looked at Merlin suspiciously.
"Why? What's wrong with it?" The boy demanded, his freckled face puckered and uncertain.
"Oh… don't worry, it's nothing toobad." Merlin said reassuringly, and his heart lifted with devious glee as the kid's face filled with alarm.
"What is it?" The boy squeaked, his eyes wide, "What happens?"
Merlin noticed that the kid still hadn't jumped off the bed. At least he has some backbone in him, Merlin thought introspectively.
"Weeelll," Merlin drew it out, then lowered his voice, leaning forward on his toes, "The first time I slept in it, I woke up in the middle of the night feeling terrible, like there was something crawling up my throat…" Merlin paused, leaving the sentence hanging in the air like his best friend Will had always done when he was playing a joke on him.
It had the desired effect, as the boy stopped yanking on his woodchips, and his hands moved unwillingly to his neck.
"What was it?" He asked, forgetting to act demanding.
Merlin smiled. He was getting to the good part.
"Slimy, smelly, warty frogs!" Merlin exclaimed, and held back a grin at the strangled yelp the boy gave, leaping off the bed like he had been burned.
"Apparently the bed has some sort of curse on it," Merlin said with a shrug, then paused, troubled.
Since when had lies slipped so easily from his tongue?
Merlin stopped his teasing, a slightly sad look on his face. He had changed.
Merlin mentally promised himself that he would bite his tongue the next time he was inclined to lie, because it was becoming all too easy, and he was getting far too good at it.
The boy didn't seem to notice his change in demeanor though, and continued to brush himself off, poking and prodding at his throat, an aghast look on his face.
At that moment the door opened and Danen walked in, an apprehensive expression crinkling his features.
When his eyes fell on the redhead standing by Merlin's bed, his shoulders slumped ever so slightly.
He shot Merlin an apologetic glance, silently letting him know that this wasn't his idea. Merlin smiled at him, and shook his head. The kid wasn't that bad.
Danen shrugged. He obviously had his doubts.
"Well I see that you two have already met." Danen said, putting on a cheerful tone and smiling, "So Bernard, what do you think of your new home?"
Bernard's panic seemed to have faded slightly as he was no longer prodding at his throat. He stared at Danen, his face green.
"I think it's horrific." He said simply, glaring at Merlin's bed.
Danen's smile faltered.
"Oh," was all he could say, and shifted uncomfortably onto his other foot.
Merlin decided to intervene.
"I'm sure he will get used to it once he settles in," Merlin said optimistically, effectively shattering the slight awkwardness that was beginning to form.
Merlin turned to face the redhead.
"So, your name is Bernard? Hmmm, can I call you Bernie? It kind of suits you."
Bernard stared at him in annoyance.
"No," he said irritably, "my name is Bernard, and only Bernard… or is that too big a word for you?"
Merlin bit back a retort. He was here to get information, and he could only get it if he played nice with people.
"If you don't like Bernie, I suppose Bernard is good too," Merlin said, forcing a good-natured smile.
"You suppose Bernard is good too?" The redhead asked gallingly, pushing his glasses further up his nose.
Danen came to his rescue.
"Bernard is a very nice name," Danen said in a placatory voice, walking further into the room and sitting down at his desk.
His smile morphed into a look of horror at the state of his desk.
"My love letters!" Danen exclaimed, appalled, staring at at least twenty ink-stained parchments. "You pig! What have you done to them? I was going to give them to her tonight!"
Bernard now looked amused- an unusual expression on his face.
"All of them? Isn't that a little- odd?"
Danen stared at him, indignant.
"You're one to talk! What type of savage uses wood chips for braces anyway? I'm in love; I can give her as many letters as she wants!"
Bernard looked down his nose at him.
"Good, then do her a favor and don't give her any at all! No self respecting lady wants to deal with piles of paperwork. Most people get paid to read that stuff. Of course," Bernard added, "What self respecting Lady would like you to begin with? Carry on."
Distracted, Danen didn't hear him. He was already franticly grabbing for a clean sheet of paper to rewrite what he could decipher.
Satisfied that he had won the battle, Bernard made his way to Fernor's previous bed and looked it over suspiciously before sitting down.
Merlin leaned back against the wall in exasperation, his head falling backward with a thunk, and considered for a moment actually creating an angry hoard of frogs to come leaping out of Bernie's throat.
No, no, he couldn't do it, it just wasn't… right.
The only sound in the room was the frantic scratching of Danen's quill on parchment.
Merlin threw his arm over his head and decided that he should probably say something, knowing that it wouldn't do well for them to leave their conversation hanging like this.
"So," Merlin said, uncomfortably grasping for a pleasant subject, "It is Princess Isabella's 11th birthday today, and King Cenred is throwing a banquet in his sister's honor."
"Nobody has ever thrown me a party in my honor." Bernie said sulkily, tugging at the woodchips wedged between his teeth.
"I mean, with all I do for everyone, you would think that somebody would recognize all my hard work and dedication! Some people are just so ungrateful! If anyone deserves some fancy party, it's me."
Merlin rubbed the top of his head, causing his already wild hair to stick up in all different directions.
Surely one frog wouldn't be noticed… His lips quirked.
Merlin tried to dismiss such thoughts as ridiculous, and after a rather vicious inner battle almost entirely succeeded in stifling such notions.
Almost.
…..
"Halt!" A gruff voice called out, and a spear was pointed at Sir Norum's chest, "What is your business here?"
Sir Norum smiled easily at the guard at the gate, seemingly unfazed by the finely honed piece of metal pricking his unprotected chest.
He gestured towards himself and the two other knights, now disguised as peasants, "Why, my good sir, my companions and I have arrived at this great city of yours in search of work. For tales of its glory have stretched far and wide, and although we are poor, humble folk, we just knew that this was the kingdom where we could make our living."
The guard glared at him. He didn't like Norum's attitude.
"Is that so?" He asked suspiciously, looking the other two men up and down, "Where do you hail from?"
Norum flashed the guard a disarming grin. He knew exactly what to say, as he and Prince Arthur had gone over it time and time again before the Prince had finally decided that his men were ready.
Arthur had truly been concerned for their welfare, and that thought turned Norum's grin a little more genuine.
"We hail from Mercia sir," Sir Norum lied without so much as batting an eyelash, "I was born there, and these two fellows moved in later, before that they lived with their parents, course we don't tell very many people that, as it is rather embarrassing. Like this one fellow I used to know, he was the laughing stock of the entire village for years until he finally left his parents' house at the ancient age of 45! Can you believe it? 45? What was his name… oh, I will remember it later. Anyway thankfully these here chaps left a might earlier, but not by much if you get what I'm saying!" Norum roared with laughter, and slapped one of the other knights on the back.
Prince Arthur had told him that it was easier to get around if you acted like a simpleton- a fact that he said he had learned from a certain, nameless manservant.
He had been right.
The gate guard stepped a little closer, adding pressure to the spear at Norum's chest. To his disappointment, Norum didn't flinch. In fact, he did the opposite.
"Sir, if I may offer my humble advice as to your technique in handling that spear of yours," Norum said politely, "you may find it easier to control if you loosen your grip a little bit, clutching as you are makes it shake in a most unguardly fashion. Your hand must have blisters something awful…" He trailed off as the pressure increased to a dangerous level.
The guard stepped so close that Norum could smell his rancid breath, "Shut, up," the guard hissed.
Norum shrugged his shoulders, but ceased his ramblings.
The guard stepped back and surveyed the entire group, taking in their able-bodied appearance and toned muscles.
"Just what kind of job do you have?" The guard asked suspiciously.
"Well, as I just said sir, we don't have jobs yet…"
"What job will you have?" The guard practically shouted.
Norum smirked. He was enjoying this.
"I'm a blacksmith sir," Norum tried to grin stupidly. Prince Arthur had told him he didn't pull it off very well.
Thankfully, this gate guard seemed to be a lot less discerning then his Prince. He bought the look.
Angrily, the guard asked, "And what if I told you that I don't believe you? What if I went and told all my superiors that I think you are an intruder and a fraud?"
Norum's grin didn't even waver.
He knew that this man was just blowing steam, and that the guard didn't actually believe that he had the mental capacity to be anything but a blacksmith.
He shrugged.
"Well then sir," Norum said simply, "I suppose that I would be marched to my death and be hung within the hour," He smiled brightly.
The guard's jaw jutted forward.
"Do you care nothing for your own life? I could kill you right now you brainless worm!" The gate guard was trying to make him angry, to trigger some sort of reaction out of the infuriatingly calm Sir Norum.
"Brainless worm? I should think not. My mother always told me that I was as smart as a bull, and twice as handsome!"
The gate guard's face was turning a beautiful shade of red, and Norum was just young enough to genuinely think his expression funny, rather than intimidating.
He knew that a laugh would be pushing it at this point, and it took all of Norum's years of training to push back down the laugh that was tightening in his throat.
The guard watched his struggle for control through rapidly narrowing eyes.
"Let the poor fools in Sergeant," A slightly amused voice commanded from somewhere behind the gate.
Norum's head snapped in that direction. That voice. It couldn't be… was it him? Of course not, he was being ridiculous.
The guard looked over his shoulder, a rather upset expression on his face, and called into the gatehouse, "But Captain, surely you don't-" They heard a loud, convenient cough from the gatehouse, "err, I mean, yes sir."
Grudgingly the guard lowered his spear and stepped to the side, allowing the knights to step through into the city.
As the undercover knights entered, Norum's eyes strayed to the gatehouse door, and hoped beyond hope that he might be able to see the occupant inside. He told himself that it was just wishful thinking, and that it was immature of him to distract himself when their mission was so important.
The door was slightly ajar, and Norum leaned as far as he could without acting suspicious, trying to peer through the crack. The room inside the gatehouse was dark, lit only by a candle and the sunlight streaming in through the small gap between the door and the frame.
He saw a shadow move in the opening, then his horse carried him forward, and his chance at seeing the man was lost. He was taken beyond the gate, beyond the door, and beyond the man inside.
…
The people of Escetia were rude and unhelpful.
Sir Borch and Sir Arphry left Sir Norum at the town square, and then preceded to ask person after person, man after man, child after child, if they knew or had ever heard of, a man named Emrys.
Most of them simply gave them the cold shoulder and continued walking, while some curtly replied that they had never heard the word, and even if they had, they probably wouldn't admit it to the likes of them.
Only a handful admitted that they recognized the name, but weren't sure where the man lived.
The streets were narrow and dirty, while the alleys were even more so. By the time the sun hit its zenith in the bright sky, Sir Borch and Sir Arphry were exhausted and irritable.
They were tired of these closed-mouthed people, and they were unused to being treated as commoners.
Sir Borch felt that if he got pushed or shoved one more time, some poor soul would be faced with his gauntlet.
When they passed by the tavern in the afternoon, the temptation of a cool drink was almost unbearable. But at heart, both were Knights of Camelot, and they continued their relentless pursuit of this elusive man who called himself Emrys.
They could only hope that Sir Norum was having better luck.
…..
In all reality, Sir Norum was indeed having an easier time of it.
Whether it was his open, friendly manner, or the fact that he was asking around the castle courtyard that made the difference, no one will ever know, but either way, the commoners opened up to him easily.
No one knew where Emrys resided however, and Norum was getting desperate. The hot afternoon sun was shining down on the cobblestones of the courtyard, baking them in its burning rays.
Guards were patrolling the castle walls and were standing erect and straight at the fortress's many different doors, their armor reflecting the shining beams in the passerby's sensitive eyes.
Norum rubbed his chin, feeling the slight stubble grate against his fingers, and sighed as another inquiry of his came to naught.
It was getting late, he needed to find Emrys and report to Prince Arthur as soon as possible.
He finally decided that he had no other options available than to enter the castle itself. As far as he could see, it was the most logical and proactive thing he could do.
He had been watching the guards at the various doorways for some time now, and his trained eyes had picked out almost instantly the most relaxed guard on duty.
The guard looked slumped and bored, his gaze lost somewhere in the far distance. The bored guard was standing in front of a low archway, used only by servants and trainees. To Norum, it was his way in.
Falling into line with a group of chattering maidservants, Norum kept quiet and kept his head down. As he passed by the unobservant guard and under a stone arch, Norum sucked in his breath, and didn't let it out until he was through.
The man on duty didn't look twice at him.
Dressing as a commoner most certainly gave one advantages on these rare occasions.
He entered a dark, cool stone corridor, with stairways leading up to either side of him. A slight breeze was drifting through the open entryway, brushing the back of Norum's sweat-drenched neck, causing him to smile and take a deep breath. Much better.
The talkative handmaidens began to make their way up the stairway to the right, and after a quick hesitation, Norum decided to follow, hoping the other servants in this castle were as extroverted as they were.
The stone staircase twisted upward in a continuous, steep spiral, lit only by the occasional torch. The smooth walls were cold to the touch, betraying the heat of the sun hitting the castle outside.
Abruptly the stairway came to a landing, and Norum stepped out of the shadow of the tunnel into a bright, high-ceilinged hallway with floor-to-ceiling windows along one side. Golden dust motes floated peacefully in the air, casting a surreal, thoughtful atmosphere to the castle.
A corridor stretched off to his left and to his right, while in front of him another hallway twisted out of sight.
With a shrug, Norum walked down the one to his left, deciding that it was as good a guess as any.
Servants passed by on either side, and some threw him curious glances, but for the most part they ignored him.
Norum began politely stopping one person after another, inquiring about a man named Emrys.
Many of the faces of the people he addressed brightened when they heard the name, they said they knew Emrys, and that he seemed like a very trustworthy, likeable young man. None of them knew where he lived.
Norum's eyebrows rose.
Emrys seemed to keep his cards very close to his chest.
But somebody had to know about the guy- at least that is what Norum kept telling himself as his attempts at finding the man began to feel more and more futile.
Norum sighed, and rubbed his face. This was ridiculous!
He was now aimlessly walking down a brightly lit hallway, hoping to pass some unsuspecting servant so he could ambush them with questions.
Surely someone in this ghastly castle knew the whereabouts of the evil, bloodthirsty sorcerer!
He passed by a door that had two guards stationed at either side, and too late did he realize that he had unknowingly entered the wing of the royal family.
A small body came hurdling through the door, gracelessly colliding with Sir Norum.
"Princess!" One of the guards exclaimed, hurriedly helping her up and glaring daggers at Norum.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" The princess began, looking apologetically at Norum's face, "I didn't mean to…" She trailed off, seeming to catch herself.
She was around ten to eleven years old, and she had dark brown hair and brown eyes.
"Forgive me, Your Highness," Sir Norum exclaimed, horrified, "I am so sorry, I had no idea-"
Abruptly, she drew herself up, taking on a regal bearing she had most likely learned from her mother.
"How dare you! Watch where you're going!" She shrieked, losing all kindness under the scrutiny of her guards.
Sir Norum broke off, startled. She had seemed nice enough at first…
Yet he had been around royalty enough in his life to know the correct response- even for miniature ones.
"The fault lies entirely with me, Your Highness. It was a clumsy, irresponsible move on my part and I beg your pardon and your forgiveness."
The little princess waved her hand in dismissal, hardly looking at him.
"Yes, I suppose I can forgive you," She said distractedly, keeping the uncaring air about her. Yet the curious sidelong glance she sent his way did not escape Norum's notice. He almost smiled at her antics. She seemed rather… odd.
Norum waited to see if she would say anything further, and when she didn't he got the feeling he was dismissed.
He bowed low.
"Thank you Your Highness, and once again, my most embarrassed apologies."
He began to back away when out of the corner of his eyes he saw her perk up.
"May I inquire as to what you are doing in this wing of the castle?" she asked, "I haven't seen you here before, and I know everyone who is supposed to come this way," She tried to sound reserved, but curiosity leaked into her voice anyway.
Norum turned back around and hesitated.
It wasn't normal for royals to concern themselves with the lives of commoners, and his instincts told him to tread carefully.
He smiled, putting his easygoing façade on.
"Forgive me, Your Highness, I was just looking for someone."
The young girl looked at him expectantly, now losing all pretense of reserve, "Yes? And who might that be?"
Norum's eyebrows rose.
Nope, most definitely not normal. Now deciding that the truth was his best bet in this situation, Norum shrugged slightly and smiled.
"I am trying to find a man named Emrys, he's a friend of mine," Well at least that was mostly truthful…
Norum saw the girl's face brighten with recognition as he said the name. He felt a newfound surge of hope.
"Oh, Emrys? I know him! Yes, yes I met him a few weeks ago! He was attacked by bandits! He was shot through the shoulder with an arrow! Thankfully Lord Haymor found him in time, or else I am not sure what would have happened…" She trailed off again, and looked annoyed at herself.
Norum's lips quirked. It seemed the little princess had two personalities.
Then what she said hit him.
Lord Haymor… He had heard that name before… but where?
'Oh! Prince Arthur's manservant, Merlin, works for Lord Haymor!'Norum remembered, slightly puzzled by the coincidence.
Sir Norum decided to risk a question.
"If I may ask, do you know where Emrys lives, Your Highness?"
The princess nodded, once again becoming distracted, "Of course, he resides in the chambers beside Lord Haymor's. He is working as one of his servants. Now I must go."
The princess hurriedly ran off, her two guards trailing her, before Norum could even offer a proper goodbye.
That may have been a blessing in disguise however, as Norum was too stunned to speak. Emrys and Merlin were working for the same master.
He must tell the Prince.
…
"What?" Arthur practically shouted, horrified, "He is rooming with Emrys?" He stopped, his mouth hanging open, and then rubbed his hands through his blonde hair in agitation, "We have to get Merlin out of there!"
The thought of innocent old Merlin working side by side with the greatest enemy of Camelot was more than Arthur could bear.
The skinny idiot would probably find out who Emrys was and then proceed to get himself killed in some stupidly heroic attempt to save Camelot.
That thought was meant to be slightly embellished, but then Arthur realized it hit just a bit too close to home with Merlin.
His eyes widened.
"We have gotto get him out of there!" Arthur repeated, fear now knotting its way into his stomach, giving an urgency to his voice that hadn't been there before.
"We will, Sire," Sir Allen said softly, trying to calm his Prince down, and then looked at the setting sun.
"Just a few more hours."
Arthur locked his jaw, and stared at the sun as well.
He didn't want to wait a few more hours, he wanted to unsheathe his sword and charge the castle now. But he couldn't, he had to sit back and twiddle his thumbs. He was tired of waiting, and patience had never been his strong point.
He rubbed his face with both hands, and plopped onto the pinecone covered ground of the forest, resting his back against a small tree.
He just hoped the idiot was okay.
…
"So what are those things again?" Merlin asked with a choked back laugh. They were in the Great Hall, and the guest's for Princess Isabella's birthday had already arrived. They were awaiting her grand entry, and the musicians were tuning their instruments, in anxious anticipation for the Escetian Princess.
Merlin and Danen were standing against a wall, as was the traditional custom for servants working in the Great Hall.
"They are rumored to hold his teeth in," Danen sniggered, and shifted his handhold on a large twine tied bundle of letters.
"But I personally think that his mother just jammed the wood between his teeth when he was little, in a pathetic attempt to straighten them out."
Merlin chortled, guiltily trying to stifle sound, knowing it was wrong to laugh. It wasn't Bernard's fault his mother had ruined his life forever.
He had just emerged victorious against his rebel sense of humor, when Danen nudged his arm- hard.
"She's here!" Danen whispered, his face turning a pleasant shade of red. He clutched his armload of love letters to his chest.
Merlin smiled at his friend's antics, and shook his head, following Danen's gaze.
The girl Danen was staring at was young; she could barely have been out of her teen years. She had rather short red hair that just brushed her shoulders, and a large smile.
Danen glanced down at his bundle, then back at the girl. He looked as if he were anticipating, yet dreading the moment he gave them to her.
Merlin could almost see him thinking, 'what if Bernard is right?'
Merlin grinned encouragingly at him, and pushed him lightly between the shoulder blades.
"Go on," Merlin said with a laugh, "She doesn't look too ferocious."
Danen nodded his head, but didn't look too sure.
With a nervous laugh and a little wave, Danen approached the redheaded girl, who saw him coming and smiled brightly.
Merlin watched them talk, and felt another pang of homesickness. He tried to push the feeling back down, as this was meant to be a joyous occasion. But the feeling of restlessness and anxiety hadn't left him, and he couldn't help but feel that something huge was about to happen.
Truthfully though, Merlin didn't want anything huge to happen, because that meant more time here in this strange land, straightening the problems out.
He liked Cenred's kingdom, he really did, and he felt that he had made some truly genuine friends here.
But it wasn't home.
"Oh my, don't we look happy today." A familiar voiced drawled beside him.
Startled, Merlin yelped, swinging in the direction of that annoyingly amused voice.
Cal smirked.
He was leaning lazily against the wall beside him.
'How did he even get there?' Merlin wondered, unsure whether he was amazed at Cal's sneakiness, or the fact that his ears were just about as sensitive as a brick.
"I can't blame you though, birthday banquets truly are dreadful, too many sickeningly happy people in too small a space." Cal shuddered, glancing sidelong at Merlin to see if he had gotten him to smile.
He had.
"Yeah," Merlin agreed with a sad shake of the head, "On the bright side at least I don't have to wear a perfectly hideous hat. That is one advantage of being a servant here."
Cal smiled, but it didn't have the usual grin in it. Troubled, Merlin suddenly realized how tired Cal looked tonight. He must not have been getting enough sleep.
"Was it really that bad?" Cal asked, his head leaning slightly to one side, "Your time serving… your other master."
Merlin was surprised by the question.
Cal normally kept his feelings to himself and let everyone else do likewise.
Merlin considered the question, his mood becoming thoughtful. When he found his answer, he knew that it was the absolute truth.
"No," Merlin replied softly, "It wasn't bad at all. In fact, my time there was the best in my life."
Cal seemed pleased by his answer. He turned toward him.
"Listen Merlin," Cal said, suddenly serious, "There is something I need to talk to you about-" Cal's sentence was cut short as a trumpet blew, and the chamberlain announced, "Her Highness, the Princess Isabella!"
The room fell silent, and all turned to the large double doors at the end of the hall.
Cal murmured under his breath, "I'll tell you later," then quickly made his way to sit in a place of honor surprisingly close to King Cenred.
Merlin had been nervous about attending the banquet tonight, out of the fear that Cenred might recognize him, but his fear had been ungrounded so far, as Cenred had yet to even throw a glance his way.
At a signal from the king, the musicians began to play a formal, yet joyous song.
The great doors opened, and Princess Isabella, sister to King Cenred, glided into the hall.
Merlin sucked in his breath a bit too hard, and he coughed loudly in shock.
But in a really weird way, it actually made sense.
The room erupted into cheers.
Princess Isabella, was also the scullery maid Emma, who he had met his very first day in Cenred's kingdom.
Isabella beamed at the cheers, and gave a little wave.
As she began walking towards her seat, her eyes roamed the room until she found Merlin's, and she actually had the grace to look embarrassed.
She smiled at Merlin, who with a grin of astonishment and a shake of the head, smiled and waved back.
Everyone truly was full of surprises.
'I wonder why she did it,' Merlin thought, laughing to himself and continually shaking his head because he didn't know how else to react.
'Why would a Princess dress up like a servant and roam the castle?'Even as he had the thought, he knew the answer.
Arthur had done much the same thing not too long ago.
Maybe she was just trying to find out who she really was.
The food was served and the wine cups filled. Music and laughter filled the room, and the sound of it put Merlin in high spirits. It was nice to be somewhere so… normal.
The music took on a humorous tune, and the brightly lit room took on a very cheerful atmosphere.
Merlin was refilling a noble's wine glass, and the party was in full swing when he noticed Isabella beckoning to him.
Merlin hesitated, unsure if it would be wise to venture that close to the King. He took as much time as he could to finish filling the wine goblet, then when he ran out of time to stall finally decided that if he disobeyed a direct order from the Princess, he would probably be executed anyway.
He grudgingly made his way towards her, trying to blend into the background as much as possible.
Yet it seemed the more he tried to look inconspicuous, the more noticeable he became.
'Just act natural,' Merlin told himself, shiftily glancing at the king.
Thankfully the king was not yet looking at him as he approached, as he was conversing with one of his many advisors.
Merlin quietly walked up to Isabella, wisely keeping his back to the king and allowing his eyes to fall to the floor in respect.
Yet his voice belayed the effect of his body language.
"Is there something I can do for you, Your Highness?" Merlin asked teasingly.
Emma laughed, and motioned for him to fill her cup.
"I really am sorry I lied to you," She whispered contritely, then hurriedly added, "It's just that sometimes I get bored of sitting around the castle all day, and want to get out on my own without have to escort my own personal parade around with me wherever I go. I just want to be able to be normal."
Merlin smiled kindly at her, "I think I understand what you mean, I have a friend who had a somewhat similar mindset once. He didn't like being treated differently based on his title, and wanted to find himself without it."
She looked confused.
"He did?" Emma asked, wondering what friend he could possibly mean, and if she knew him so she could ask him some advice.
Merlin nodded at her, and then threw a quick glance at Cenred, who had yet to notice him. Merlin knew he needed to get out of there- and fast.
"And what happened? Was he finally able to be himself?"
Merlin gave her a watery grin, remembering the day.
"Yeah, yeah he was," Merlin answered softly.
"More wine young man," A boisterous voice commanded next to him.
Merlin bit the inside of his lip, and his stomach did a summersault. That was the voice of the King.
Merlin slowly turned around, trying to keep his face turned away as much as possible. Yet doing this made the move awkward, and some wine sloshed out of the bottle and stained the pristine white table cloth. That, caught Cenred's attention.
He looked up at Merlin's face, frowning.
"Watch where you're pouring, servant, or I will see to it that you are removed."
Merlin nodded, and quickly mumbled his most sincere apologies.
Cenred didn't quite hear him, and looked up once again in irritation.
"Speak up!" Cenred ordered, and then paused, his eyes slightly narrowed, staring thoughtfully at Merlin's face.
"My, my, you do look familiar young man, have I seen you before?"
Merlin's uneasiness froze in his chest, and turned into terror.
"What?" Merlin squeaked, his voice cracking and high pitched, "No, no Your Majesty, never."
The king's gaze turned suspicious.
"Is that so?" Cenred asked, his voice low.
Merlin nodded his assurance, bobbing his head quickly up and down.
"Yes Your Majesty, quite so!"
"Hmmm," Cenred said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin, "Very well, be off with you."
His knees weak with relief, Merlin bowed and spun away, his legs moving as quickly as they could without causing anymore suspicion.
He told himself to not look back, and to just return to his work. It was the safest thing that he could do now.
That may have been a wise decision, it may have not.
For if Merlin had looked back, he would have seen Cenred's suspicious eyes boring into his back, knowing that that young man, was a horrible liar.
…..
The moon's rays reflected off of Arthur's unsheathed sword, casting dancing lights over his serious looking men.
Arthur stared at the castle.
It was big, and strong, and had all the advantages. It housed a powerful sorcerer whose ultimate goal was to kill his father and bring destruction upon Camelot. But it also held his servant, and Arthur was not about to let the castle keep him.
They would get him out tonight, and kill the sorcerer in one fell swoop.
Author's Note: In all honesty… well, in almost all honesty, that really wasn't that bad of a cliffy… was it?
But the bright side is the next chapter will be relatively short… emphasis on relatively. So basically that means that it will be out very soon. And I mean that, because I am looking forward to the next chapter too!
Once again, and now and forever, special thanks to… Notquitebezerk, Ebonyice, 1, Falling Down The Stairs, Ruby890, Eclipseoftheheart17, Wisegirl24256, Castwomanswrath, Cwam, Emachinescat, Suzie, Lilyplusjamesistotallove, Whirlwind421, llLethell, Merlin Fan, Nykskyblue, Rawr52, Ariacle, Coby, Katherine Moonhawk, Micro Chibi Baka San, Ringo's imaginarycat, TaintedXIllusion, 104Arianna, Imperial Mint, Teenmuggle, Arbitrary9, Klester1987, Sydelle Rein, DragonGem777, SilverHeart09, DragonflyonBreak, BabyGlover, Kjate95, and Hazelbunny!
Thank you!
Cheers!
TTT