Chapter 25

Medieval Time: Camelot

This is another chapter mostly written by my co-author Kohana aka Uchiha no Kaori

Appearing in room with royal red curtains hanging from a bed, a wooden dresser, and a table in the center of the room with a single chair, Liz let go of their hands to look around. Moving over to the window in the room, she looked out onto the ground marble white grounds of Camelot. Brushing strands of hair from her face, she would grin as she saw the market and homes of peasants just beyond the courtyard. Covering her mouth with a pleased giggle, she rushed out of the room without a word to the boys. Liz explored the halls without being seen till she saw a servant girl leave a room. Waiting some moments for the girl to be gone, and the hall empty, she slipped into the room and stripped off her southern bell clothing except for the corset. Taking down her hair as she did so.

Looking through the dresser in the room, she would pull out a royal blue and tan dress that had flowers embroidered on the bodice and the sleeves. The dress itself laced up in the back and had a square neckline with 3/4 length sleeves. Liz found heels to match and slipped them on as she smoothed down the dress. Brushing out her hair, she'd pull it back into a braid and look around. Smiling as she saw a beautiful silver circlet set with a centerpiece of sapphire. The circlet had five medium Celtic Trinity Knots, which float around the stone, as the silver wire weaves down into a braided effect on her forehead from the Trinity Knots, allowing the headpiece to be secure and sturdy. The last thing she did was in add blue gemmed earrings and a bracelet of onyx, crystals, and lapis. And Liz examined herself in a mirror, she thought she looked the part of royalty.

Nodding, she quietly slipped out of the room and looked around before becoming visible. Holding her head high, she walked the halls of Camelot in search of her boys. Hands folded in front of her, resting lightly on the skirt of her dress.

Dan was aggravated to almost being pissed off. "She doesn't give a shit about no one but herself. Just run off without a fuckin word not knowing where we are or even if it's safe to split up. Just fuckin up and leave!" Dan exclaimed as he paced back and forth.

Clockwork wasn't too happy either. He had noticed the golden light around them. This was the first time it looked like someone had purposefully time jumped. He wanted to ask her about it but as soon as they had ended up here she had run off like a child running for an ice cream truck. He wasn't as mad as Dan though and let the other man rant as he leaned against a wall. He knew Dan cared deeply for Liz and just wanted to protect her, and her running of alone meant they couldn't protect her. He also knew the girl probably wanted her own space. She was the only female after all. It was all a very difficult situation for all.

As she neared the room, Liz stopped out in the hall to look out a window. Spying a very young Arthur out in the courtyard with the guards practicing. A poor young man who had to be eighteen with short dark brown hair was running around as the poor target for Arthur. "Merlin…" She murmured. Hearing voices behind her, she would look over her shoulder to see a woman of color and beautiful dark haired girl coming their way. "Gwen and Morgana?" Liz quickly moved from the window to slip back into the room the boys were in. Leaning against the closed door once she was inside the room, she listened to the two women pass by softly chatting. When the echo of their voices faded, she pushed off the door and walked over to the boys. "It's Camelot! And Arthur isn't king yet." She told them excitedly.

"Yaaaaaay….." Dan muttered.

"This may not be good." Clockwork spoke.

"And why not?" She pouts. Placing her hands on her hips as she pouted, biting her bottom lip.

"Before that….did you purposely transport us through time? I mean I don't think you have control of where we may go, I just think you may can leave places when you are ready to leave them." Clockwork said.

"Maybe….It could have been more on Gillie reacting to the desire to leave." Liz tells him. Shrugging her shoulders. "What does it matter? You guys agreed anywhere but there and now we are here. Come on! This is history! In the days before Arthur was king! I even saw a young Merlin!" She cheered, flopping down onto the bed and keeping herself propped up by her elbows.

"Merlin...hmmm…..it's been a long time since we spoke. I wonder if we have met already or if this is a time before." Clockwork murmured. He then shook his head. "We still need to be cautious. There's a lot of magic around here. It could be dangerous for us."

"Yes, yes. I know. Uther disliked magic and believed it to be evil." Liz got up from the bed and kissed Clockwork's cheek with a smile. "I'll be careful!" Liz gave an excited squeal and headed for the door again.

"Dammit wait for us." Dan growled as he followed her out. Clockwork shook his head and started to follow then stopped. "Hm." he murmured before leaving the room, but heading in another direction. He wanted to see about something.

Liz chuckled and grabbed Dan's hand. "Come on, come on!" She said, tugging on him as she led him through the maze like halls in hopes of getting down to the courtyard so as to observe the blossoming friendship of Merlin and Arthur. Plus the muscled knights. That was a big plus. She hoped some of them were topless.

He allowed himself to be dragged along by Liz though he had an annoyed look on his face the whole time. Dan was still unhappy with her having run off alone before and he wasn't over it yet.

As they got down to the courtyard, it seemed they were arranging a hunting trip. "Prince Arthur!" The messy blonde haired and blue eyed young man of twenty, turned to face her. Arthur had never seen her before yet she was dressed with status. He didn't question the man she was pulling along. Simply assuming him to be a servant.

"My Lady." He walks away from his men and Merlin. "Forgive me, I've never seen you before yet you seem to know me."

"You wouldn't. I only just arrived. My name is Elizabeth. I'm from a kingdom very far from here."

"A pleasure, Princess. Forgive me, but my men and I were just getting ready to set out on a hunt."

"A hunt? May we join you?" Arthur seemed hesitant. He would look behind him to his men then at her.

"It could be dangerous." Liz gave a small grin as she looked at Dan.

"I'm very used to danger. Plus I am more than confident in the ability of that of you and your men to keep me safe." She said almost teasingly. Truly, it was not their strengths or ability to wield a sword that she was relying on to be kept safe. But that of Dan's power. The one constant thing she's had since their journey began. It was almost frightening how much Liz found herself relying on Dan and Clockwork lately. Even more so after Dan's confession. Arthur sighed but gave a reluctant nod.

"Very well, but I beg of you to stay close, Princess." Liz nods and walks back over to the small group with him. Unaware that Merlin had been looking at her oddly while seeming to curiously study her from where he stood. Spear and crossbow in hand.

"You and your men…." Dan thought to himself. He figured that meant that she didn't need him. "To her this was all a grand adventure to run into men she thought were good looking." He gave a snort and pulled away. Looking at her for a moment, he made a "Tch" sound and turned to walk away. "Go have fun."

Liz turned and looked at him. Arthur seemed appalled that a servant would speak to her in such a manner. "How dare-"

"Leave him!" Liz said quickly, waving him off. Not wishing rude comments to spark a fight. "He is like that all the time." She muttered, upset that it came down to her depending on these mortals for protection after all. Arthur shook his head and looked at her.

"Should get yourself a better manservant, m'lady."

"What, you mean one like yours, sire?" Arthur snorted and looked at Merlin.

"No….Better." Liz laughed and took an offered cloak from Sir Bedivere.

"Thank you, sir." She bowed her head and put the cloak on. Lifting the hood over her head as she left with Arthur and Merlin. Liz would conveniently find herself placed between the two beings of legend as they passed through the gates of Camelot

Dan's eyes were blazing. He was tired of being flung around time. He was tired of being made to play nice, and he was tired of not being able to do what he wanted. He looked up at the castle he was in and smirked. He wasn't going to just sit here while she run off to play princess. He started to gather a blast in his hand, rolling it around from time to time as it grew larger and larger. Pulling back his arm, he launched the blast at the nearest wall and watched as it exploded into dust and cinders falling around to catch tapestries on fire. He was starting to feel better already.

"Daniel, what are you doing?" Clockwork asked as he appeared behind the other man.

"Therapy." Dan growled before starting to gather another blast.

"Stop!" Clockwork said grabbing his arm. "If you continue this we'll end up surrounded by guards!"

"Good. Moving targets." Dan said yanking his arm free. "Don't get in my way, Clockwork. You'll get hurt."

Out in the forest, unaware of what was happening within the castle, Arthur, Liz, Merlin, and five of Arthur's knights, were silently tracking a rather large beast that had been sighted just moments before when they first entered the forest. No one had been able to make out its features or see what kind of monster it had been. Arthur was an excellent hunter for a Knight and a Prince. It didn't take very long for them to find where the beast had gone. Keeping low to the ground, Arthur turned his head and held out his hand to Merlin. "Merlin, spear." Merlin half turns to hand it to him and drops it on his hand instead. "Do you have any natural gifts Merlin?" Arthur grumbled, picking up the spear as Liz quietly laughed.

"No. Well, let me think. I'm not naturally rude or insensitive."

"Just naturally irritating." She found their bickering rather amusing. The group move forward and soon heard growling noises. For a moment, Merlin looks frightened, and Arthur is quick to catch Merlin's expression. "It's probably more scared of you than you are of it."

"That would be true, if it was something smaller than us…" Liz whispered, shrinking back behind the two a little. Arthur signals to his knights where to go. Two men to the left, and two to the right. But that's when the Questing Beast, a creature with the head of a cobra and the body of a cheetah or a leopard, least that's what Liz thought it looked like, jumps out at them. Liz would scream, actually terrified of such a large beast as Arthur drops his spear and grabs her hand as they all take off running. Merlin would trip and fall. "Merlin!" Arthur looks back behind them and momentarily releases her hand as he and Sir Bedivere help him up. The three take off running as Bedivere subsequently falls chasing after them.

After getting a good distance away, the remainder of the group stop to catch their breath. "What was that!?" Liz screeched, shaking a little as Merlin asked, "Have we lost it?" Arthur looks at them, subconsciously looking them over for injury, before looking to the rest of his men with a head count.

"Who's missing?" The statement has Merlin looking around with Liz.

"Where's Sir Bedivere?" No sooner had Merlin asked, Sir Bedivere is heard screaming in the distance.

"Think it's time we get back…" Liz said, lightly grabbing onto Arthur's arm. The prince nods and sets out back to Camelot with them.

Dan was not listening as Clockwork pleaded and begged for the man to stop blowing the castle apart. He even tackled the other ghost man and the two struggled with one another for a bit until Dan ended up on top of Clockwork and punched the other ghost until he was almost unconscious. Dan was in one of his uncontrollable rages and he would have continued to beat on the other ghost until Gillie finally put a stop to it, blocking all of Dan's powers and causing the angry ghost to double over in pain as he rolled off of Clockwork. The commotion would have drawn the attention of several guards. And after much struggle, the two were brought to face Uther. A visit that ultimately ends with Clockwork in the Physician chambers and Dan down in the dungeons.

"I-I'm ok. I...he didn't...he wasn't himself." Clockwork murmured still a little senseless from the pounding. "He'd never hurt us. He...he has a problem with emotions and…" Clockwork blinked, or tried to with one eye almost swollen shut. "Heh….I sound like an...old battered wife….but he really can't…...he can't control it."

Gaius, an old but still lively man, and the physician, arched a brow as he took care of Clockwork. Despite the disguise the old Ghost wore, even Gaius, an ex magic user, could see that he was more than he and the other gentlemen seemed to be. Gaius couldn't help but wonder what he meant by 'us' when the guards had said it had only been the two. Gaius wouldn't have the chance to ask, as Merlin and Liz came rushing in at that exact moment. "Gaius! The king has asked to-"

"Clockwork!" Liz gasped. Rushing over to him as she threw her hood down.

"Merlin, who is this?" Liz looked up at the physician.

"My name is Elizabeth…" She looked back down at Clockwork with a frown. She didn't have to ask what had happened. She knew who could damage him this badly. Holding a hand over the old ghost, she'd slowly run it along his body. Reversing the damage. "And we're ghosts…" Merlin and Gaius seemed shocked over this, but there was no time to currently discuss it. With a firm order for both beings to stay here, Gaius and Merlin went off to the king's council chambers.

Clockwork sat up after she had reversed his wounds and reverted to his true form. "He got carried away, Liz. He was upset. He didn't mean for me to get hurt. He never would. Not anymore. I'm sure. He…..he's in love with you." he murmured the last part. He then shook his head and smiled. "I found Merlin's book that let me summon a few things. I was able to get my old clothes back from where we left them in London. Yours and Dan's also. I hid them in the room we appeared in."

Liz sighed and covered her face in her hands. "I know, I know….And he shouldn't be." Liz lowered her hands, not willing to upset the way her hair and the borrowed circlet were placed. "I keep trying to distance myself. From him….from you. Only just enough so that I'm not in this triangle...When I go home, when these adventures are said and done...I'm going back to an entirely different reality. One that already has both of you in it and neither of you are mine in the sense that you are now." She gave a sad smile and looked away. "He needs you more than he does me. You'll be the only thing he has left when I return home. And that's just the way it has to be…"

Clockwork shook his head. "When we return, if things go the way you think, it would mean, I'd have to try and find a way to contain him once more."

"Not if Gillie remains inside him, but then again it wouldn't be fair to the little guy…" Liz sat down beside him and looked down at her hands in her lap. "There's….no other choice. I just can't...I have friends and your son...he's such a little tyke but he...I can't leave him. And traveling between realities can be dangerous and damaging to the fabric of time."

"So…...what do we do then?" He murmured. Surely there was some loophole. Something that could be put into their favor. He then blinked a few times. "There are different ways. We could be in a completely different timeline now. We don't know. There could be one where you did stop Dan and I from fighting over my staff. And if you did, that version of you has returned home in your place." Clockwork said, thinking out loud. "We would not have seen it was going to happen because we can not see our futures. And so technically, we could be the anomalies. The other versions could be spinning off in many different directions. Time is not a straight line. It always branches. There are so many what ifs that create other dimensions and different time lines. I'm babbling. Am I babbling?"

Liz was giggling as she listened to him babble on much like someone she knew. "Its a huge IF, Clockwork...one that we don't certainly know. It would be wrong to give false hope. For now...the safest thing would be for me to distance myself. But that doesn't mean you can't step up in my absence as you should have been from the start. It's not just me he's fallen for here." She smirked and placed a hand on his face. Stroking his cheek with her thumb. "I'll keep a focus on getting us all back to your tower. You can get close to Dan if you wish. We can see where it goes from there I suppose."

He sighed and put his hand over hers. "He wants you…..I'm just…." he shook his head. "The more you try this…...distance thing, the more angry he is going to continue to be." Clockwork looked down. "We need to go see about getting him out of the dungeons."

"Leave that to me. In the meantime, know this…" She lifted his head by his chin as she smiled. "You are no more special to him than I am, nor is he any more special to me than you are." She would gently kiss him as she ran her fingers through his hair before pulling back as Gaius and Merlin walked in.

Clockwork was surprised by the kiss and the touch of her fingers in his hair. He let out a small moan before kissing her back. He heard the two men walk in though just as she pulled away.

"This is no ordinary beast, Merlin." She heard Gaius say, turning her head to look over her shoulder at them.

"Don't worry."

"No, listen to me, you don't understand. Uther may not respect the Old Religion, but it is very real. To face a beast such as this, you must understand where it came from."

"What do you mean?" Liz inquired curiously. Gaius looked at her and Clockwork.

"At the very heart of the Old Religion lies the magic of life and death itself. The Questing Beast carries that power. One bite, you die, and there is no cure."

They would see Clockwork in his true form, but the old ghost didn't seemed bothered by it. instead he asked, "Questing Beast?"

"It was so strange and scary, Clockwork! It had the head of a cobra with body of a...a mix of a leopard and a cheetah! And it was huge!"

"I see." he said nodding.

"There's more. Arthur has been ordered to ride out at dawn with a handful of men to take out this beast."

"He'll be killed!"

"I'll be there to protect him, my lady." Liz sighed and shook her head.

"Merlin, would you be so kind as to escort me to the dungeons? I'm afraid my uh...well my friend, or manservant as Arthur so kindly called him out his hearing range," Liz chuckled a little, "has caused a bit of trouble and found himself there. I need to get him out."

"Only if you agree to tell me about yourself."

"Done." Liz would pull the hood of the cloak back up as she left with Merlin to retrieve Dan.

Gaius watched them leave and then looked to his patient. "You are looking better already. If I didn't know any better I would say that you and the young sorceress are quite different from the rest of us."

"We are a type of temporal ghosts." Clockwork explained.

"Ghosts of time?" Gaius mused. Walking over to take Liz's seat next to him. Glad to be resting his weary bones. "I am a man of science...Until today I did not think ghosts existed." Gaius groaned as he sat down. "And what of the young sorceress with you? She does not give off the feeling you do."

"She is only part ghost. She only has one foot in the grave, so to speak." Clockwork said with a chuckle.

Gaius chuckled and folded his arms over his chest. "That would certainly explain the spark of life she seems to have compared to you, my friend." Gaius would get up and begin to prepare a late meal for them all.

"Yes, well, we all have our moments of feeling more alive. Would you care for some help?" Clockwork asked.

Meanwhile down in the dungeons, Merlin, who after having a brief scare of her being part ghost and a 'sorceress', as she called herself for the moment, was using his magic to keep the guards distracted long enough for her to slip by and down to Dan's cell before casting a sleeping spell on them. The guards, come morning of course, would simply assume they had a bit too much to drink and simply passed out. Walking down to Dan's cell, she would push the cloak's hood down as she phased through the bars. "You have no problem misbehaving while I'm gone and yet you have not yet bothered phasing through those cuffs or these bars. Why?"

"Didn't…..really feel like it." Dan muttered as he kept his face directed towards the floor. His long black hair having fallen from it's holder now concealed his face. "He ok?" he muttered.

Liz nodded her head and walked over to him. "Yeah...He was in bad shape when I entered the physician's chamber, but I fixed him for you." She said softly, reaching up to touch his cuffs and phase his hands out of them. "I shouldn't have gone off like that...He wouldn't have gotten hurt if you hadn't grown so attached to me." Liz muttered. Lowering her head a little as she freed him.

"It was nothing you did…..just...lost my cool was all." Dan muttered as he rubbed at his free wrists. "Don't worry about it. Thanks for watching over him."

"Someone has to keep in shape for you…" She said, smiling a little before hugging him. "I'm sorry, Dan...You only got upset because you got jealous, and don't say you didn't…" She gave him a squeeze before letting go and moving over to the bars. "You got jealous because I've been trying to distance myself since your confession. Since the pirate ship actually...I figured, if I didn't get attached, it would hurt less when we all got home and have to go our own ways." Liz told him. Lightly touching the bars to make them intangible while holding a hand out to him so they could phase through.

When she hugged him, he hugged her back lightly. "I…." he closed his mouth and shook it before taking her hand. "I guess….I should apologize to him…" he murmured. He didn't want to think of them all being separated. He was worried though that through his actions and his rage that he may have pushed them both away. He didn't know what he could do to make it up to the time keeper.

Liz phased them through the bars and but held onto his hand as she pulled the hood back up. She didn't say anything else as she joined Merlin on the stairway. "Is he…?" The boy points to Dan and Liz just nods. "...Right then." Merlin breathes, turning as he led them back towards Gaius's chambers.

Dan was quiet as he followed along quietly for once. He still kept a firm grip on Liz's hand.

When they got back to the Physician's chambers, she waited for Merlin to be sure the door had been locked before removing the hood and nudging Dan towards Clockwork as she went over to Gaius with Merlin to help serve their dinner.

Dan sighed. He hated apologizing. Even when it was necessary. "Uh….hey." Dan said as he transformed into his true form.

Clockwork nodded. "Daniel." he said.

"Look…..I'm…."

"Do not worry about it. It's not a big deal." Clockwork spoke up interrupting Dan. "Liz was able to heal me. I know you were upset. I know you wouldn't mean to do that to me." He said as he walked over to Dan. Then before anyone could say anything, and before Dan even registered Clockwork was going to do something, Clockwork slugged Dan hard across the jaw causing the man to stagger back in surprise. "And now we are even, and it can be forgotten." He said turning and walking over to the others.

Dan rubbed his jaw as he watched in shock. He then chuckled and nodded. "Ok then."

Even Liz found herself in shock, although having cringed when Clockwork hit him. Blinking, she'd look at a slightly frightened Merlin and give a sheepish laugh. "Yeah….they're like that…." She muttered to him. Walking past him to bring Dan and Clockwork a bowl of the stew Gaius had made. "I know it isn't much compared to what we have been eating lately, but here food is scarce...We'll have to make due."

"It's fine." Clockwork said taking the bowl. He then gave a slight bow to their hosts in gratitude. Dan took his bowl and also bowed. He was playing it safe and being polite. He didn't want Clockwork to get pissed off again. Not that he was scared of the other ghost. He just didn't want to piss him off.

Liz placed a kiss on his cheek and fondly ruffled Clockwork's hair as she took her bowl with a soft thanks and sat down with them. Merlin sitting over on her right and Gaius across from him beside Clockwork. Leaving Dan on her left. And as Liz looked at the scene, she smiled. At least for tonight...things were somewhat at peace.

Clockwork chuckled and ate his soup while Dan just quietly swallowed his almost whole.