Chapter 23

"I think it looked rather pretty on you," I smirk. Leon's face pulls back tight, his head shaking. "Was it the colour? Purple would suit you more."

"I think it was more the flower in my hair that wasn't what suited me," he scoffs, a gentle laugh erupting from his throat. I pout childishly.

"Are you sure? Because I know someplace we can test that theory," I sing, grabbing his arm as though to drag him off to the suggested place.

"No!" he chortles, pulling away. "Besides, I'll probably forget it is there and we have to be in the throne room for Lord Godwyn's arrival. And I will not be the laughingstock of the knights."

Leon has been kind enough to accompany me on a small trip out of the city to find some flowers to liven up my room. I have been putting in the extra effort to avoid the castle whenever I can but considering it is the place of my work and living, it's been difficult.

I'm not planning on avoiding him forever. No, that would be ridiculous. But I want enough time to pass so the memories are not fresh in either of our minds and hopefully we can return to whatever state we were in before the other week.

Secretly, in the back part of my mind, I've been hoping that maybe being around Leon will lessen my feelings for Arthur. I certainly miss him, and I know that if Arthur wasn't here, they would come back.

I don't think I ever stopped loving the knight, it just… dimmed from the past two years of repressing it. I'm not sure what Leon feels himself, but it has been around two years but only one year ago we kissed again back in the forest after Alvarr. He pretty much confessed he felt the same way as before.

But what would even happen if we both did? What would come from it? We'd just end back up in the same place that we left.

And that thought process is the only thing stopping me from running back to him. Back to someone I can love to forget another. It wouldn't mean I love Leon any less because of Arthur.

"Well, we better make sure we're back in time then," I sigh, shifting my direction back up towards the castle. "I heard that Godwyn has a daughter. Is she nice?"

"Not sure," Leon shrugs. "But I've only heard good things about her. Her name is also Elena actually."

My brows raise in pleasant surprise. "Oh, really? Well, I hope she is."

"In fact, rumour has it that Uther wants Arthur to marry her," he says simply, as though it has no real impact on anything.

"Marriage?!"

"Possibly, it's only rumour after all."

A new bitterness sits on my tongue.

Xc

Making sure the flowers are arranged neatly, I finally force myself to head down to the throne room, not wanting to be the person who arrives late.

Uther and Arthur stand near the dais platform, Merlin nearby, and the rest of the court present and waiting. I run on the tips of my toes behind the knights and courtiers to the warlock, pinching Leon's back as I pass him. I glance back, sniggering at his surprise face, a hand resting on his back.

"Did I miss anything?" I whisper to Merlin, sliding in next to him.

"No, they haven't arrived yet."

Uther stands next to his son, smiling. It's almost an odd look on him. "Arthur. It is an exciting day."

"The arrival of Lord Godwyn is always a cause for celebration," Arthur answers.

"And Princess Elena," Uther adds.

Arthur nods slowly once, pursing his lips. "Yes."

"I hear she's something of a beauty," Uther says, hinting at his thought process.

"Really?" Arthur questions, almost absent-minded. His eyes move towards me and I hastily flicker mine away, realising that I have been staring.

"Oh yes. Beautiful, charming, witty," Uther lists. "Strategic."

I let out a long, silent breath as Uther confirms Leon's gossiping earlier. I'm glad I stopped things with Arthur before they got out of hand. They ended under my own control, not because of Uther. It doesn't hurt any less, but it is bearable to know that I was smart enough to foresee something like this happening.

"Strategic?"

"I have always thought so. W-we have always thought so. That is, Lord Godwyn and myself. That is, he finds you strategic, not Princess Elena," The King says, his words fumbling over one another. Arthur's face shrinks in confusion.

"He finds me strategic?"

"Oh, yes."

"And beautiful?" I almost snort at that one but it's broken by the Throne Room entrance opening, three people walking through. It's not hard to tell them apart but the third person, an elderly lady has yet to have a name. "Father, what are you trying to say?"

"Lord Godwyn is a serious ally. The strength of such a match cannot be underestimated."

"Please tell me you mean a jousting match," Arthur retorts.

"I mean a love match," Uther replies, barely focusing on his words as the three guests walk closer.

"Love?!" Arthur cries, perplexed.

"Not love," Uther corrects. "Love has nothing to do with it, but the other bit. You know, a permanent union."

"Marriage?!" Arthur cries again, now seething.

"I knew you would understand. Godwyn!" Uther welcomes, stepping forward and the two men hug each other in greeting. I finally bring myself to actually look at Princess Elena. I suppose she is a beauty, even under that mess of a hair. But who I am to judge on looks, she could be wonderful.

Doesn't stop me from having an instant dislike towards her. Her she comes, prattling along, never even having met Arthur and she's already in the works to marry him. And to share my name is just the gods taunting me.

"Oh, it's been too long," Godwyn replies.

"Princess Elena, you are most welcome."

Elena walks forward but barely takes two steps before she trips over her own feet, practically slapping the floor with her face. Arthur, Merlin, and I look down at her bemused. Lucky there are no qualifications to be a princess besides marriage or birth for I fear she would fail to meet all of them.

Uther arranges for them to be shown their chambers. Merlin heads down to their carriage to collect their bags and I travel with Gwen to assist her. To my dismay, Arthur tags along. I keep quiet until Merlin turns back up; a plethora of bags strapped around him.

"Are you alright, Merlin?" I gape.

"Fine," he gasps out, his throat straining visibly as he seems to be using all his muscles to hold himself up. I walk behind Gwen and Arthur with him, ready to catch anything that falls, even if it is Merlin himself.

"You put them in the best quarters?" Arthur asks Gwen.

"Everything's arranged," she assures. "Princess Elena can't fail to be impressed."

"And Merlin-" Arthur turns back to his manservant "-it would be good if the bags were to arrive before they did."

Merlin offers a look of exasperation and disbelief as he pushes on past them, nearly knocking Arthur down. I begin to walk forward to help him, but Gwen beats me to it.

"I'll make sure he gets there alive," she smirks, following after Merlin who is swaying from side to side, hunched over. Which leaves me with the blond Prince.

"I'm guessing you overheard," he says, speaking first.

"Yes. You seem upset at the news," I reply, trying not to sound blunt but I'm terrified if I don't, he will be able to see through the mask.

"I am," he says as though it is obvious. "I have no desire to marry her. You…know how I feel."

"I thought we agreed to forget about that," I mutter, digging my toe into the ground.

"I never agreed to anything," he counters. I huff, not wanting to answer. "I'm not going to marry her," he adds after the pregnant pause.

"Good luck telling your father that," I snort, lifting my gaze from my shoe. He's closer than I thought, and I take a step back in surprise. "Besides, your father is right. It would be strategic."

"What about love? Isn't that what marriage is about?" he questions, stepping forward again. The way he says it, he sounds desperate for my answer.

"I'm not sure," I answer honestly. "But you should get to know her. After all, you could be spending the rest of your life with her."

I force the conversation the finish there as I turn, walking back in the direction we came from. I can hear Arthur grunt loudly out of frustration assumingly. I march back to my chambers, locking the door behind me.

I feel so confused by my own actions. I love him yet I refuse to out of the knowledge that he would never be able to publicly announce me as his own. But I am angry at his father's decision to marry him off which I knew would happen. There's only one winning scenario for me and it can never happen.

There's a knock at my door and the sound of something sliding across the floor. I sit up from my bed, tilting my head to look. A piece of paper with my name in it sits on the floor just past the gap of my door. In very familiar handwriting.

I grin, leaping up to snatch the letter, opening it immediately to read it. The smile doesn't leave my face as I read the words which belong to Gwaine. The man actually kept his promise and wrote again, and it hasn't taken him six months to do so.

He writes that he doesn't expect a letter back, but he would be at an outlying village to the west of Camelot for a week and if I wanted to, I could meet him there. After finishing reading it, I put it on my desks so I wouldn't forget it, lying on my bed for a nap.

xx

The door to my chambers rattles, the handle being used from the other side, not opening since I put the lock in place.

"Elena?"

"Merlin?" I whisper, walking to the door, unlocking it for the warlock. "Merlin, is something the matter?"

"Why'd you lock your door?" he asks, scrunching his nose as he looks up at the door's hinges. I cock an eyebrow sassily.

"Because some people like privacy," I retort. "And because they have friends that like to barge in unannounced."

"Right. Sorry," he says but his tone is anything but apologetic. I roll my eyes, knowing that knocking will never be a habit of his. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"About what?" I ask, walking back to sit on my chair.

"About Arthur," Merlin says. There's an insinuation behind the way he says it but I'm not game enough to try and guess.

"What about him?"

Merlin sighs, sitting on the edge of my bed. "I know about how you feel for each other."

To say I'm surprised is a little bit of an understatement. While I'm not sure what Arthur tells Merlin about the topic (although I could guess that it wasn't much), I never told him about my own. He had guessed over a year ago, but I had quickly dismissed the accusation and he had never brought it back up again.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I gulp, playing with the letter which is the only thing in reach.

"Arthur doesn't want to marry Princess Elena," Merlin says. I shrug, letting the letter fall back to the desk. I turn my head towards Merlin, giving the conversation my full attention.

"I know."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I've already talked to him about this. He has a duty as a Prince."

"But you have feelings for him," Merlin presses as though it is a valid argument.

"What of it!?" I exclaim, throwing my hands up. "So what if I love him? That doesn't change the fact that I'm a seamstress and he's a Prince." Merlin sinks lower into the edge of my bed at the outburst, letting the words sink in. I groan as I replay them in my head, knowing what I just admitted. "Oh… Please don't tell him that.

"You love him?" Merlin asks astonished. "I'm sorry. I won't say anything, but I think you should tell him. Mabye he can find a way to get out of this whole thing."

"What's the point? It's not like I can marry him anyways," I grunt, resting my jaw on a closed fist. "At least she's not some stuck up brat."

Xx

I watch from the window as Arthur and Elena mount their horses. Elena is on top of the horse before I can blink, then out of the Square before I finish breathing out one breath. Arthur struggles to catch up with her, Merlin racing after the both of them, his own horse fat with all their things.

Tonight, is a banquet and I have been given a pile of dresses that need adjusting. I have a whole page of paper with people's measurements written down. People tend to gain weight coming the winter months, eating more to keep their warmth. Luckily it doesn't snow in whatever part of England we are in.

My day is spent in my room, Castor joining me for some of it. He does help lift my mood, and for a whole two hours, I can say I completely forgot about everything that has been plaguing my mind.

Because it is a banquet, I would be able to sit and eat with the rest of the serving members invited, minus the few that remain to serve their masters like Merlin, but I could sit with Gaius or the knights. I am genuinely looking forward to this evening.

Evening comes and after assuring my appearance is adequate, I head down to the Banquet hall which is already filled with the people of the court. A sea of colours dominated by red robes belonging to Camelot's knights.

I catch sight of my two favourite knights sitting together but they are surrounded by some of their fellow warriors, laughing with drinks already in their hands. I smile gently, moving my gaze across the room again. My smile grows as I spot Gaius sitting off a little to himself.

"This is quite a feast," I comment sitting down next to him.

"That it is," Gaius agrees, eating the ravish looking cooked potato. A plate of food is placed in front of me, along with a goblet of wine. "I do hope you enjoy yourself tonight."

I stare at the physician, trying to understand the meaning behind his words. Fiddling with the fork and knife I begin eating.

"I intend to," I respond, settling on not questioning him. As I roughly chew a particularly tough piece of meat, I can't help but draw my eyes up to the royal table at the head of the hall where I know Camelot's own royalty and their guests are seated. Lord Godwyn and Uther are engaging in general chatter by the looks of it and Arthur is looking at Elena as she is picking food out of her dress top. Arthur's eyes drift comically away.

Even from over here, I can see them lock with mine. My chewing slows as I grow very conscious of myself, sitting up a little straighter. I perk an eyebrow in reference to his company. His eyes flicker back to the other Elena then back to me. His shoulders rise as does his chest in a dramatic sigh, obviously intended for me to see.

I can feel sorry for myself (and I do) for the situation. To see the man you love sitting next to another woman that he is expected to marry is a hard trammel on the heart. A tragic romance if you will but I recognise the sucky situation for Arthur as well. Even if he is a prince, he should be able to marry for love, even if it still has to be someone of noble blood. To be expected to do this, without even having met her before…it's almost cruel. And I shouldn't make this harder on him by turning my back and no longer supporting him. He needs people to turn to that aren't his father or the knights. And if not Merlin, then I will be there.

I raise my glass, giving him a little toast before turning my attention back to Gaius. I watch curiously as his attention seems to drift anywhere but directly ahead of him like he's avoiding someone. I search in the general direction, almost laughing as I see Grunhilda, the maid to Elena eagerly ogling Gaius.

"Seems someone has eyes for you Gaius," I chortle behind the protection of my raised goblet. "Should I invite her over here?"

"No!" Gaius exclaims, almost knocking me off the seat with how high he jumps. "I mean, no. I would rather not."

"Alright," I snort, my eyes wide.

We eat in silence for a few more moments, our mouth occupied but it appears that I did not have to invite Grunhilda over as the older lady grabs her plate and waddles over to us. She shits down on the other side of Gaius.

"May I?" she asks. "You've been avoiding my gaze."

"No, no. Er…my gaze isn't as sharp as it used to be," Gaius replies. I pretend to have interest elsewhere, my eyes staring somewhere off in the room, but my ears are perked, listening intently.

"That's why I thought I'd move a bit closer. All the better to appreciate me, eh?" she laughs. The timing is horrible on my end as I just so happen to be taking a sip of wine. Her statement catches me off guard and I mix a gasp while I drink. The liquid hits the back of my throat and I begin spluttering in. I try to hold it in, holding my lips shut but it only gets worse.

Gaius' hand pats me on the back roughly as it morphs into a full-blown coughing fit. Water fills my eyes, beginning to track down my cheeks. I'll give it to the lady; she has confidence, nothing wrong with that but it was so unexpected. Guess it shouldn't have been after she invited herself over.

"I'm ok," I cough, finally settling down. A few eyes are on me and y cheeks burn in embarrassment, but I laugh it off as it's hardly the worst thing to happen. In fact, it probably added a little amusement to my night. To avoid another scene, I pick up my plate and goblet. "I'll let you two get to know each other," I say, moving out of my seat.

"El..." Gaius mutters, grabbing at my sleeve but I slip past him, figuring which seat would be best to move to.

A knight that was seated next to Leon has moved and I take the opportunity to sit next to him.

"How's your evening going gentlemen," I greet, plopping down in the seat opposite Castor.

"It was going fine until you started choking to death," Leon snorts, "Please don't ruin the mood by dying here."

"You sounded like a cat with a hairball," Castor adds. I huff, digging back into my food.

"Well sorry, I'll try and hold it off until the night has ended."

"That would be preferable," Castor agrees. "What brings you over here anyways?"

"Gaius has some company that is more than friendly. Well, on their end anyways." At my statement, Castor turns around and Leon and I lean in our seats to look over at Gaius. He sits uncomfortably as Grunhilda fusses over him.

Once again, I risk a glance at the royal table. Arthur is frowning, looking over in Gaius' direction. Perhaps he has been observing Grunhilda's actions as well. Dismissing it, I pour my focus back onto the knights, following Gaius' advice and enjoy my night.

Xx

"Is this what we're looking for?"

"Elena. That's grass."

I frown, chucking the plant over my shoulder, tossing it back into the wild of the forest. Merlin marches along with his herb bag already almost full, just looking for a few more things before we head back to the castle. I offered to come, and Merlin readily agreed to the company. Of course, I provide nothing else but chatter as I am admittedly pathetic at plant identification. But it gets me out of the castle and I always enjoy being around the warlock.

Merlin taps my shoulder, bringing me from my daydream and points through the foliage. I follow his finger, spotting Brunhilda. I don't know why she's gotten Merlin's interest, but I follow him as he follows her.

The squat old lady as she sits on a rock near a pond. We watch from behind a tree. I want to ask what he's doing but my voice might be heard by her as well and it would be terribly awkward to be caught stalking a maid.

Something happens – quicker than my eyes can see but a plant near her bends, as though there is a wind but there is none. I feel my mark heat for only a moment as the movement happens again. What on earth is Merlin doing?

The herb basket drops from his hands and my arm fill them instead as he nearly pulls me over. He sprints away, forcing me to run to keep up.

"What's wrong?" I exclaim as we are far away enough.

Merlin turns wide-eyed but keeps marching towards the castle. "She...She – tongue," he splutters out.

"Tongue?"

"We need Gaius," he responds, not giving me any further information. Deciding that I could wait for an explanation I keep up with his speedy pace to prevent delay.

Xx

"I've seen some strange tongues in my time. Maybe she was suffering from an infection. Was it discoloured?" Gaius asks after Merlin explains seeing an abnormal tongue protruding from Grunhilda's mouth.

"Discoloured? Yes."

"Brown?" Gaius guesses. I shrivel my nose at the image of a brown tongue. Whatever would cause that, I pray that I never catch it.

"Purple," Merlin answers. Gaius and I lean back in shock. "And…long. Like…" he trails off, picking up a large pipe looking things from the table, holding it up to his face. "This long."

"Where would she even store that thing?" I gape, eyeing off the length.

"That's not an infection," Gaius observes, at this point, pointing out the obvious.

"No. It's magic. Some sort of magical creature has infiltrated Lord Godwyn's household. The question is: why?"

"I don't know. But I have a feeling we should probably find out," Gaius notes. I smirk, leaning forward with my arms resting on the table in front of me.

"Gaius, you have made quite an impression on her. You'd probably be best for the job."

"Me? No, snooping is Merlin's thing," he denies.

"Yes, but so is getting caught," I add. Merlin scoffs from beside me, pinching my side. I smack his hand away. "You know it's true, Merlin. What I mean is…you could…work a better excuse than Merlin could if you were to be caught, that is."

Gaius glares at me but Merlin voices his agreement and the physician is outvoted. Merlin and I wait for him in the chambers. After a while, I do start getting worried that maybe he is not the best snooper or liar. Just as I am about to tell Merlin that I am going to look for him, the door slams open and then close again, a flustered looking Gaius striding back over to our table.

"I found pixie dust," is the first thing he says.

"Pixie dust?" I question. "Like, the powdery gold stuff?"

"There's no mistaking it," Gaius confirms. "Grunhilda is a pixie. It would explain a thing or two. Pixies have one weakness, which is for…more…distinguished gentlemen."

"What are you trying to say?" Merlin prompts as Gaius paces around.

"Grunhilda has shown a certain interest towards me," he stammers out. Merlin's face lights in amusement and I can barely hold back my own laughter.

"She likes you?" Merlin asks and his tone only brings the giggles past my lips as Gaius nods slowly.

"Merlin, you should have seen her at the feast," I giggle. "I had to leave to give them time alone." Merlin snorts.

"Oh, that is disgusting," Merlin gags, his face now in mock disgust. "Imagine…imagine if she kissed you. Ugh."

"Merlin!" Gaius exclaims exasperated and probably a little embarrassed, but the teasing is all in good humour. "Pixies are the servants of the Sidhe. To them, Elena could be very valuable. I think Elena may be a changeling."

"The Sidhe again?" I ask with a sigh, groaning at the last experience we had with them. "And what's a changeling anyway?"

"Someone who is inhabited at birth by a fairy. It would explain the clumsiness."

"And Elena has no idea this thing's inside of her?" Merlin questions. It's still a little odd to hear them say my name yet not meaning me.

Gaius shakes his head solemnly. "And when the time comes, it will possess her entirely."

"It's been waiting a while then, hasn't it?" I scoff, pulling a leg up onto the seat. "Patient bunch fairies must be."

"Sidhe live for more than a thousand years," Gaius explains. "It may be that they have created this changeling knowing that Lord Godwyn and the House of Pendragon would one say seek unity through marriage. That would give the Sidhe something they want more than anything."

"And I can't even plan a week ahead," I mumble to myself.

"A Sidhe Queen," Merlin guesses. "Elena? Are you up for a little more snooping around tonight?"

"I think I can spare a few hours."