Jaya's revulsion about Lord Bayard's sudden interest was quickly distracted by the girl who looked to be about her age with the piercing blue eyes. She was gliding through the crowd, her eyes never leaving her mark. Jaya searched the crowd and did her best to figure out who this girl was looking at. Something about the way that she was always watching, despite continuing a conversation or a task that had been asked of her, made Jaya uncomfortable. Jaya suddenly realized that by trailing this girl that was up to something, she would be staying out of the way of Lord Bayard. She highly doubted that he would be concerned with knowing where this serving girl was.

Freya stood where she was, just off to Jaya's left, wondering what it was about the visiting Lord that had Jaya so uncomfortable. It wasn't unusual for dignitaries that visited the castle in Dublin to call Jaya pet names in quiet conversation. She just seemed to have that personality that made everyone want to do that. But usually Jaya didn't notice, and wasn't like her to ask for something like that unless she was very interested in avoiding someone. A little part of her was worried that Jaya was going to do something rash to keep from having to be around Lord Bayard more than absolutely necessary. And as soon as she noticed that Jaya had stopped paying attention to the room at large and had focused on one thing, Freya realized that she had been right. Jaya started hazing away from her and Freya knew in an instant that she had lost Jaya. She risked a look across the room at where she had seen Arthur last, Merlin half a step behind and over from his left shoulder, like he always was. She felt a small smile tug at the corner of her mouth when she caught sight of him standing where he had been the last time that she had looked across the room at him. As she was looking back to find out where Jaya had gone, her eyes landed on a tall girl, about Jaya's height, with her hair all wrapped up except for a couple of tendrils that dropped down onto her shoulders. In a flash Freya realized that she was staring at Merlin, or at least she was pretending she wasn't. Judging by the light blue colors that she wore and the fact that Freya hadn't seen her about the castle before meant that she had come with Lord Bayard. Freya looked back and forth between the serving girl and Merlin to just make sure that she wasn't just imagining things. She wasn't! Freya looked around for Jaya and found her wayward princess had melted into a group of red-cloaked knights that included the curly haired one that was called Leon if she remembered correctly.

"What was it about him that you didn't like?" Gwaine wondered.

Jaya shrugged and half shook her head. "I don't really don't know what it was. He was just one of those people. Made my skin crawl just standing a few feet from him." Jaya's upper lip curled up slightly and her shoulders shifted slightly uncomfortably.

"Not a nice dude then." Gwaine assumed.

Jaya shook her head. "Long winded, self entitled king."

Gwaine snorted. "Sounds like I wouldn't like him."

"You didn't." Jaya informed around half a bite of some eggs.

Gwaine made a noise like it didn't surprise him.

"Shall I continue?" she wondered.

Gwaine nodded and smiled at her. "Sure.

"Where was I?"

"Freya had just found you with the knights."

"Jaya."

Jaya looked over her right shoulder at Freya's slightly uncomfortable face. "What is it, Fey?"

Freya looked at the men, their arms rippling with muscle under the chainmail that covered their arms. She knew that Jaya felt the most comfortable around men like this, but sometimes she wished that she could be as brave around them as Jaya was. "Can I talk to you a minute?" she heard her voice, it sounded small and mousey even to her. Jaya, gods bless her Irish soul, had always been sensitive to the things that she hadn't asked, and didn't fail this time, smiling as she excused herself from the knights and slipped her arm around Freya's and led her a few feet away.

"What is it, Fey?" Jaya asked, looking at her, searching her over as if to see what was bothering her.

Freya pursed her lips and then shifted her weight uncomfortably. "Who is she? And why does she keep staring at Merlin like she...like she…"

"Like she wants to make sure that he's never out of her sight again?" Jaya asked, her tone clarifying.

Freya looked away and then nodded slowly. She started slightly when Jaya gripped both of her upper arms tightly.

"You said she's looking at Merlin like that?"

Freya nodded.

Jaya pursed her lips, her eyes flying back and forth as she thought. "That's not good, Fey. Not good at all."

"I know! She's only just visiting too!" Freya muttered through clenched teeth, hoping that she had said it low enough that Jaya hadn't heard.

Jaya loosened her hands and let them drop to just above Freya's elbows. She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes slightly. "Why, bless me!" she giggled quickly. "Fey, is that a jealous tone I hear?"

Freya looked at her sharply and then frowned when her blush gave her away before she had a chance to say anything to the negative.

Jaya smirked but did her best to keep most of the glee from her face. "I don't know who she is yet, Fey, but I'm sure she's just as struck by Merlin's stunning cheekbones and black hair as you are."

Freya broke free one of her arms and swatted at Jaya, her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed together slightly. "Jaya." she scolded.

Jaya just absorbed the hit and smirked. "Couldn't help it."

Freya snorted indignantly and then looked off to where Merlin and Arthur were now standing, near Morgana and Gwen, who was darting glances at Arthur when she thought no one was looking. "Can you...would you...I mean, I know you're busy, and you don't have to do it for me but-"

"I'll follow her, Fey. And I'll keep an eye on him."

Ah, Jaya, the gods certainly had blessed her with an amazing amount of intuition about certain situations. Freya wasn't sure how it was that Jaya did it, but she was grateful every single time.

Jaya looked at Freya for a moment, her eyes sparkling, but still serious. "It'll be all right. Merlin is not nearly as observant as you. I'm sure he has no idea she's been staring at him all."

Freya watched as Jaya fought the smirk that threatened to come through and shook her head slightly when her resistance to it crumbled. "Jaaaayyya." she protested.

"I know that you're not worried about that, Lass. Just couldn't resist." Jaya patted her cheek slightly and then looked at her pointedly. "Where is she right now?"

Freya glanced around the room and then nodded off to Jaya's right and behind her. The girl was starting to weave her way through the people gathered toward the doors that lead out of the throne room. "She's leaving."

Jaya slowly turned around and looked where Freya's eyes had been and then with a quick look back at Freya to wink, Jaya started toward the door at a completely different angle.

"Jaya." Freya hissed before she was too far away.

Jaya turned slightly and smiled brightly. "You worry too much."

Freya pursed her lips. "Just don't get caught."

Jaya smirked and winked again and then melted into the crowd as only she could.

Freya watched her go and wondered to herself for the briefest of moments if she was doing the right thing by sending Jaya off after the mysterious serving girl from Mercia. She decided that it was too late now, and that she should be on her way, she had many things to do yet before Jaya was expected to take lunch with Arthur.

Jaya made it out of the throne room without a problem and glided after Blue Eyes, as she had decided to call her until a name presented itself, momentarily warring with herself if she should magically change her dress into something that she was more used to sneaking around in. But that's when she caught it. It was just a faint feeling, really nothing more than a tickle. But that was very powerful magic. She hadn't realized that Merlin had magic until the dragon had mentioned to her that he did. Jaya paused behind a column and pondered that for a moment. Why was it that she didn't notice Merlin's magic until after it was brought to her attention, but felt Blue Eyes without having ever set eyes on the girl before today? Jaya slid her head to the right slightly and narrowed her eyes as she watched Blue Eyes take some blankets and three pillows from an older, dignified looking maidservant. That's when it dawned on her, as she was slipping through the shadows created by the mid-morning sun to get passed the maidservant who was handing more bedding to another young girl. That magic wasn't good magic. It was evil. Jaya was pretty sure that doing any magic around Blue Eyes would be a mistake of the highest order at this point. So Jaya did her best to stay out of sight and followed Blue Eyes through the halls, all the while wondering to herself how it was that someone who had never been in the castle somehow didn't act the slightest bit lost or confused about which way to turn. Where was she going?

"Why do I always get landed with the grunt work?" Merlin complained, sagging under the weight of a heavy bag, passing Gaius in one of the open hallways that looked out over the bustling courtyard.

"It's what servants do." Gaius answered, smirking slightly.

"My arms will be a foot longer by the time I get this lot inside." Merlin grumbled. "Or they might fall off entirely."

"It's character building. As the old proverb says hard work breeds...a harder soul." Gaius fumbled slightly.

Merlin looked at him and his eyes narrowed slightly as his eyebrows rose. "You just made that up."

"Merlin. I would do no such thing." Gaius looked at him, indignant.

Jaya was really starting to wonder where Blue Eyes was going. They had circled the main part of the castle a complete time, and she was still carrying those blankets and pillows. She was just looking busy. That's when Blue Eyes obviously faked a trip and landed on her hands and knees, dramatically scattering the blankets as she fell. Jaya rolled her eyes and quickly ducked behind one of the corners of an adjoining hallway, and had all she could do to keep from pinching the bridge of her nose and rolling her eyes when she watched it happen along with the small performance of half-hearted injury. That's when she caught sight of who the show was for…

Merlin.

"Sorry." Blue Eyes apologized, frantically pulling the things back to her.

"It's all right." Merlin soothed, smiling like he always did when one of the serving girls were worried that they had upset him for some reason or another.

"Excuse me." Blue Eyes mumbled sheepishly, haphazardly picking up the blankets.

"Let me give you hand with that." Merlin offered, slinging the bag he was holding down to the ground and crouching in front of her to hand her a smaller throw pillow.

Jaya watched their eyes meet and her lips pursed and slid to the right slightly as they stood up together and smiled awkwardly at each other. Her eyes bounced up to Gaius and she saw that he wasn't very much impressed with what happened either.

"Hi, I'm Merlin."

Jaya silently cursed him. Must he be so trusting all the time?

"I'm Cara." she smiled.

"Hi Cara." Merlin smiled brightly.

"Aren't you Arthur's servant?"

"I am." Merlin shrugged like it wasn't a big deal.

"That must be such an honor." Cara breathed.

"That's what they keep telling me."

Jaya rolled her eyes.

"Well, you know, someone's gotta keep the place running." Merlin chuckled slightly.

Jaya's eyes actually hurt she rolled them so hard. She leaned her forehead against the cool stone in front of her and momentarily forced herself to calm down. Ye gods Merlin.

"Thank you, Merlin." Blue Eyes-Cara-hummed sweetly.

Jaya slid her head around the corner slightly so that she could see them with one eye again. Cara hmmmm?

"Hmmm?" Merlin looked down at the last pillow that he was holding and cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Oh, right...here. No problem."

Cara accepted it and placed it on top of the pile in her arms. "It was nice meeting you, Merlin." she stepped past him and started down the hallway.

Merlin cranked his neck around to watch her go, not moving.

"Shouldn't you get back to running the place since no one else is?" Gaius asked, chuckling as he started away.

Merlin turned and looked at him with his eyes narrowed and shook his head.

"Running the place, aye? Should I just add Cara there to your list?"

Merlin nearly jumped out of his skin and ground his teeth slightly before turning to look at Jaya. "I don't know how you do that. But stop!"

Jaya grinned brightly and patted his shoulder as she swished by. "I'll just add her then."

Merlin watched Jaya go, his nose flared slightly as he tried to figure out what it was about what she said that bothered him so much. After another moment of half-glaring at her back he turned back the way he was going and hefted the heavy bag.

Jaya snickered to herself for the next couple of hallways about how frustrated and flustered Merlin could get just by having her appear and know what was going on, and oh the look he would give her when she would tease him about girls. She followed Cara through the next couple of halls and only once barely missed being caught.

It was halfway through the next hallway that Cara dropped the blankets and pillows on one of the broad windowsills and walked away from it without looking back.

Jaya snorted to herself. That didn't surprise her at all. At all.

Cara hurried to her chambers, was inside for only a few moments and then was back out into the hallway, walking purposefully with a small box tucked up under her arm. Once she had wound her way to the other side of the castle, she paused outside one of the doors and after quickly glancing around, uttered a short spell just above under her breath and unlocked the doors.

Jaya watched from the closest inset in the wall, mentally counting off the minutes wondering when Cara would be coming out again. She was slightly surprised when in less than two minutes Cara was back out and walking back toward her. There was a short moment when Jaya was sure that she would be spotted, but Cara apparently wasn't concerned with being followed. She simply walked right past Jaya's most recent hiding spot without looking around her. Jaya let her go. There really wasn't much point in following her. She looked around at the height of the sun and suddenly stood upright. She was going to be late for lunch with Arthur. That was not going to be good. Jaya waited for another moment or two before she was sure that it wouldn't be detected and quietly whispered a spell to herself, her eyes flashing silver a split second before she simply vanished from where she was standing in the alcove.

Freya nearly jumped out of her skin and spun around to look at what had caused the noise. Her hands slowly went to her hips and her lips pursed together. "Jaya Ó Caiside. What did you just do!"

Jaya slid off the edge of the table rubbing her right hip. "I slammed into the table, Fey."

"Where did you magic yourself from?" Freya asked, her hands not moving.

"The other side of the castle." Jaya shrugged, starting to stand upright the candlesticks and placing the free-rolling apples back into the bowl where they were supposed to be.

"The other side of the cas-" Freya sighed slightly. "Why?"

"Her name is Cara. At least that's what she's calling herself."