Disclaimer: I do not own BBC Merlin.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Northumbria

Merlin noticed three things as soon as she woke up.

First, she was having a splitting headache. Second, she was now sporting a dress that was way too provocative for this era and her mother would allow her to wear. And lastly, she was chained, together with the other girls she was trying to save a while ago, in a wooden cage.

Cheeks flaring in anger and embarrassment, Merlin wildly looked around. They were in some kind of a room. Possibly somewhere uninhabited due to the dilapidated walls, frightening amounts of cobwebs and rickety floors. The air was putrid with sweat and other things she did not want to know. Sniffles could be heard from the other women trapped with her, but there were roars of laughter from outside the cage.

Blinking, Merlin scooted closer to the wooden railings to peek. She could make out the faces of two burly men standing guard, talking between themselves. She guessed they were probably the ones who chained her inside this wooden cage. Sighing, Merlin had to roll her eyes at how ridiculous her situation was. She was annoyed that even in the ancient times, she was a favorite subject for kidnappings.

Merlin could make out a group of different men of different statuses. Some wore grand clothes that could even match King Arthur's and his riches. Others wore armors, boasting their swords and with emblems of families she could not recognize. Others wore a peasant garb, and with a sinking feeling, Merlin had this idea where she was.

She made a face at her gaudy, provocative clothes, as she scooted away from the railings. She refused to think of any possible means as to how her clothes were changed. Cheeks reddening with embarrassment once more, Merlin crawled to the closest girl she could talk to.

"Where are we?" she asked under her breath, her eyes trained intently on the two men guarding their cage.

"I… I don't know, Mercia, I think," the frightened girl replied, haphazardly wiping her tearstained face. She was quite possibly of the same age as Princess Merlin, with strawberry red hair and green eyes. She was a beauty, Merlin reckoned, and perhaps this was the reason why she was imprisoned here inside the cage.

Merlin frowned and looked around, mentally noting that there were only four people, including her, left inside the cage. "Are they… are they selling us?" she demanded, horrified.

As if on cue, the railings were opened and one of the girls at the far corner of the cage was dragged out. Her screams were chilling and Merlin made a move to save her, but the girl beside her latched on her to stop the angry princess. "Do you want to die?!" she shrilly whispered, darting terrified looks at the burly guards.

The princess sighed and glared lightly at her. "If they sold us to those bastards," – she jutted a thumb towards their audience – "we surely will be."

The girl paled at her statement and looked away from her glare.

Merlin sighed once more, her features mellowing. "Look, I'm Meredith, and I promise I'll get us out of here," she promised with a small smile.

She warily looked at the princess. "H-how?" she asked, shooting more furtive looks towards the guard.

"Trust me, -?"

"Emily," she whispered. "Call me, Emily."

The railings were opened once more and the girl, Emily, nervously stuck closer to Merlin. One of the guards, glanced leerily around the cage. His eyes lingered on Merlin for a while, but the princess glared, and he grinned, showing off his unsightly set of yellow teeth.

"You," he grumbled, pointing his finger at the other girl in the cage. "C'mere."

The poor, frightened girl whimpered and cowered, prompting the man to sigh. He climbed inside the cage and dragged her by her ankle, with the girl shrieking loudly.

"HEY!" Merlin exclaimed, but he merely cackled and locked the railings once more.

"Oh blast, oh blast, oh blast," Emily cried, fresh tears leaking from her eyes. "We're done for! I am sorry, Mama. I am so, so sorry."

The princess desperately looked for a route for escape. They were quite in the middle of the room, with eyes that could wander to their cage. The cage was locked firmly, and the two guards were still standing side-by-side in front. At the far left of the room was a door, and if only Merlin could think of a way wherein she, and Emily, could exit from this awful place.

"Trust me, Emily," she whispered, directing her eyes at the lock once more. Before a burst of magic could escape her, the door was opened once more, the lewd man back inside.

"Now, which of you should I choose?" he asked, eyes greedily roaming around Emily and Merlin. The former cowered behind Merlin with the princess putting a protective arm around the frightened girl.

"Take me instead," Merlin bravely said, lifting her chin if he dared to defy her.

The man released that horrible cackle once more. "Feisty are we?" he asked, crawling closer the duo. He was thoughtful for a while, before grabbing hold on Emily's ankle. The redhead trashed and screamed help, but the man was too strong and Merlin couldn't help but to let go of the frightened girl.

"Save the best for last, eh?" the henchman exclaimed, throwing a lewd wink towards Merlin's direction.

Shivering in disgust, she threw the darkest glare she could. Emily was brought at the center of the room, and Merlin watched, disgusted and horrified, as the greedy men's eyes drank her form. Her auctioning started, Emily's bid steadily increasing as various men fought to buy her.

While they were busy auctioning Emily, Merlin once again focused her attention at the lock. "Tospringe [1]." Her eyes turned gold as the lock was opened with a soft click. Thankfully, the two henchmen were too entertained with the auction that was happening to notice that the last girl to sell off was in fact a sorceress.

This time, Merlin directed her eyes at the ceiling. "Cleof ahríes [2]," she muttered. A loud rumble was heard from above, cracks now appearing from the ceiling, before huge rocks came tumbling down. This caused a huge ruckus in the small auctioning room, prompting loud shouts from the men.

"Sál, bindan híe [3],", she exclaimed, hands directed towards the two men. Instantly, ropes appeared out of thin air and wrapped themselves around the hands of the henchmen guarding her cage. Shouts of exclamation and surprise escaped from their mouths and Merlin took that opportunity to forcefully open her cage and knock the two brutes down. Strings of obscenities escaped from their lips as Merlin hopped down from the cage and blindly dashed through the falling debris.

"EMILY!" she exclaimed, rushing forward and grabbing the left arm of the petrified redhead. "Forþeccan ús [4]," she cried, an instant dome-shaped shield forming around her and Emily. Princess Merlin then immediately pulled Emily to the exit door, and with a loud bang, she and Emily ran out of the godforsaken place. Merlin muttered another spell that caused the collapse of the whole building, much to the surprise of her companion.

"You're…"

Merlin placed a finger against her lips. "I'd appreciate it if you don't tell anybody," she then said, nervously tugging Emily away from the destroyed place. "I… I don't mean any harm, I promise."

Emily wordlessly nodded as Merlin continued to pull her away as far as they could. They finally stopped as the shouts ceased and the house was too small for them to see. Emily's knees collapsed and she half-sobbed, half-laughed in relief.

Princess Merlin gently smiled and crouched down in front of her. "We're safe," she claimed. "You're safe." Although she saved one, Merlin couldn't shake off the feeling of remorse upon leaving the other women that were trapped inside the auction house.

To her surprise, Emily threw her arms around Merlin and hugged her tight. "T-thank you," she tearfully whispered, prompting Merlin to smile. "Oh god, I will never, ever, defy my mother's orders anymore."

King Arthur found himself once more in the Court Physician's bedchamber.

The stress of Merlin's pretend-death and Agravaine's apparent betrayal was taking its toll on him already. Going to Gaius was comfort, partly because the old physician was the one who knew everything about his predicament and he could drop his pretense as a king for a while.

The Knights of the Round Table were already pestering him to act towards Agravaine's treason. Arthur knew he should be planning now. He couldn't shake off this imminent danger looming over Camelot. Agravaine's disappearances at night were becoming frequent and Arthur did not have to follow him to know where he was going and who he was meeting. But, for some strange reason, he had this gut feeling that acting right now was too early. His meetings with his most trusted knights were becoming frequent, too, and they had already come up with a sound strategy, which he fervently hoped would be effective once they were put into action.

In addition to Agravaine was Arthur's longing to see Merlin once more. Perhaps, another reason why he frequented the Court Physician's bedchambers was because Princess Merlin's memories were abundant in this room. His eyes would constantly magnetize towards her room, somehow hoping that she would suddenly arrive and flash that brilliant smile of hers again.

But then again, the image of a pyre and a princess as a fugitive would flash in his mind's eye, and he would be forlorn once more. With a disappointed sigh, he wondered what Merlin was doing already.

"Moping will not bring her back, sire," Gaius suddenly proclaimed, lifting his eyes from the bubbling cauldron. Upon seeing his frown, he shook his head and tutted. "If Merlin sees you right now, I am sure she will not be particularly happy, Arthur."

He would crumple on the table, placing his chin on top of his arms. He sighed once more and completely broke free from his mask of composure. He could not take the pressure placed upon his knights, the hurt he felt of Agravaine's betrayal, and the gnawing worry with Merlin's adventure. It was a miracle he could still pretend to be calm in the presence of all these stressors of his life.

"It's been a week, Gaius," he murmured in a muffled tone, head buried between his arms. "There's still no letter."

The physician was silent for a while, and Arthur thought he was back to ignoring him and focusing on his potions once more. But Gaius, as gently as he could, replied, "She can take care of herself, Arthur."

"Oh, I know that," he snapped in irritation. "But that does not mean I can worry myself sick! I am her bodyguard, for heaven's sake. I should be with her right now."

"But you heard her, Arthur," Gaius pleaded. "You are needed here, and I am positive she wanted you to continue assuming your role."

All King Arthur did was grumble under his breath, mentally cursing this destiny that had put him and Merlin in this kind of situation in the first place.

"Do not worry, lad," Gaius urged, walking closer to Arthur. "I am quite sure things will return to how it was before."

It was a poor excuse of a reassurance and he and Gaius knew that. But, in spite of himself, Arthur smiled. It was the only assurance that Gaius could offer in this strange and complicated situation really. He just wished that the return Gaius spoke of will come sooner than later.

"Well, we're here!" Emily cheerfully proclaimed as she hopped down from the cartful of hay. Merlin smiled and followed suit, thanking the kind farmer with a smile.

Blinking her eyes, Merlin's gaze swept all throughout the small town of Wells in Northumbria. Turned out that Emily was from here. Thankfully, Northumbria was near Mercia; hence, they were able to travel for a full day. Merlin's bottom and legs were already stiff with disuse from riding the cart, and she just wanted to rest.

Her sudden abduction by the disgusting henchmen had left her almost broke. She was thankful for being clever enough to partition her pounds in case situations like these arose. Princess Merlin couldn't help but feel irritated with the waste she left back in her inn.

"You can come with me, if you like," Emily offered to her when Merlin revealed that she was merely a traveler with no clear destination in mind. It relieved her that Emily did not bring up the fact that she was a sorceress their whole journey. Princess Merlin reckoned Emily was too grateful for being saved to be bothered by this small, significant fact, and she was thankful for the maiden. At least, she was somehow assured she would not find herself strapped at a pyre in this place, too. Merlin then revealed that she was on a mission, but at a loss of what to do and where to go next, and the redhead chirpily told her to start with Northumbria.

It was a fairly far kingdom from Camelot, and Merlin wondered if the lost king and his manservant could have wandered off to this place and hid.

There was an undeniable energy she felt upon stepping foot in this town. Her magic was going haywire; her gut feeling positively strong, and Merlin had this inkling she was near.

"Come, Meredith!" Emily exclaimed, clutching the arms of the dumbfounded sorceress and pulling her. Merlin smiled at the happy redhead, reckoning that despite the traumatizing event that she had to undergo, the young maiden was actually a cheerful person. Once again, she couldn't help but think dark nothings about the henchmen and those greedy men she witnessed a day ago, knowing that they could have corrupted such a happy soul to satiate their disgusting appetites.

As Emily pulled her, Merlin's eyes roamed around the small town. The people here were considerably healthier than in Mercia, and their bustling business was reminiscent of Camelot. People greeted Emily along the way and they were eyeing her with curiosity. Such was the smallness of the town that any newcomer would already be identifiable by the townspeople.

The redhead finally brought her to a small house with stone walls and a red roof. Emily took a sharp intake of breath first, nervously shot a look at Merlin, before raising her fist to knock.

The door was opened and Merlin blinked, wondering how it was opened when no person greeted them.

"Millie!" a voice exclaimed from below, and Merlin looked down. Apparently, a boy, probably in his third year of life, was the one who opened the door. The princess couldn't help but smile at how adorable he looked. Merlin had always wanted little siblings like him, but for some reason, King Balinor and Queen Hunith deemed it enough to have her as their child.

"You're quite a handful," Hunith told her once when she asked, humor in her voice. Smiling at the memory, Merlin knew that the queen was merely half-joking. Or not. Contemplating about, she reckoned she was really quite a handful.

"Oh, Johnny, I thought I would never see you again!" Emily tearfully gushed, bringing the child into her arms. She turned around to look at Merlin. "Say hi to my new friend, Meredith."

The boy shyly lifted his small, chubby hand to give her a small wave. Warmth pooled in Merlin's heart, unable to suppress a soft 'aww', and waved back. Children always had this special place in her heart. Back home, most of the charities she attended to were those of orphaned children, and she had grown to love each and every one of them.

"Johnny, who was at the door?" a voice suddenly exclaimed from inside. Then, a woman, probably in her middle ages, came into view. She had the same red hair that Emily sported and she guessed that the woman was probably her mother. Upon seeing her daughter, the woman stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening.

Tears pooled in Emily's eyes, placing down a wriggling Johnny back on the floor. "Mama," she croaked, voice already raw with emotion.

Anger first flashed in her mother's eyes, but it was quite brief. Relief soon flooded and she pulled the girl into her arms. "You insolent brat," she said, lacking the angry tone in her voice, "how many times do I have to tell you not to stray too far in the forest?"

The young redhead sniffled and vigorously nodded her head. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she sputtered. "I won't do it again."

Merlin fidgeted, uncomfortable with the displayed sight in front of her. She felt like she was intruding with such a heart-warming reunion between mother and daughter.

At the same time, Emily's mother noticed her. She pulled away from her daughter and questioningly looked at Merlin.

"Oh, Mama, this is Meredith," Emily said, smiling through her tears. "She was the one who saved me from those goons with her ma" – she was cut off by Merlin's hard stare – "with her might." She sheepishly grinned as Merlin expelled a soft sigh. "She has nowhere to go as of now and err… I offered for her to stay here for a while."

Her mother was dubious for a while, shooting a glare at her child. Merlin stepped forward and cleared her throat. "Ma'am," she started, "I promise not to be a burden to you and your family." She gave a grin down at Johnny, who quickly scurried behind the legs of her mother. "I can… I can do chores for your family, as payment." Emily's mother was still hesitant, but Merlin was desperate. "Please, just for a few days, ma'am. I will be off before you even know it."

For a while, she assessed the princess. Merlin felt nervous under the gaze of older woman that looked so much like Emily. Finally, she offered her a small smile and nodded. "Call me Maria," she then said, ushering them inside.

"Thank you," Merlin said, relieved. "I promise not to be a burden."

"I will be partly responsible if she is," Emily cheerfully piped in, earning her an eye roll from her mother.

Once they were inside, Merlin was met with the warmth of a home. She could remember the small abode her original counterpart lived with his widowed mother, Hunith. Despite the stark difference between the castle and Original Merlin's house, the latter was still much warmer because it was home. Merlin felt nostalgic all of a sudden.

"Our house is not much, but we do love each other," Emily said with a grin upon seeing Merlin's face. "Your family might be missing you right now, Meredith."

She gave her a sad smile. "I hope so," the princess murmured, the faces of the king and queen swimming in her memory.

"You can stay with Emily in her room while you are here," Maria then said. "Please do make yourself comfortable."

"Thank you," Merlin voiced out once more. "I really appreciate this."

"Come, I'll show you to our room," Emily said, pulling Merlin once more. With a smile, Merlin obliged and knew she would adjust in this home immediately and would miss this if she had to go.

[1] Tospringe - Open quickly
[2] Cleof ahríes - Rock, fall down
[3] Sál, bindan híe – Ropes, bind them

[4] Forþeccan ús – Shield us

A/N: Thoughts? Drop a review :)

Next chapter features... well, I really really really like the next chapter so there :) I'll probably update on Friday or Saturday :)

With love,
WickedlyAwesomeMe