A/N: I don't own Merlin
It had been a month since she had pretended to be a knight, and everything felt like never had happened. Her destiny felt like it was going nowhere she had to find the once and future queen, but she felt like she had been given a wild goose chase of a destiny. How was she meant to protect someone she didn't know who it was? Rose was watching the jousting practice stood on a balcony looking over the training ground. She saw Arthur unhorse someone and then change his lance and the go against someone else. She saw Arthur unhorse this one as well she could tell by Arthur's body language, he was angry. He got off horse and argued with Leon then he stormed off. Rose got of her seat and went to Arthur chambers to see what was going on. Arthur was passing backward and forward looking angry.
"What happened?" asked Rose.
"It turns out my knights are letting me win, they are treating me differently because I am a prince," said Arthur.
"Unfortunately, it comes with the job of being crowned prince, if they injure you, they would probably end up in the stocks or worse" said Rose being honest with him.
"Thank you for your honesty, I just wish I could be taken seriously" said Arthur.
"Well, if you ever wanted to swap places," said Merlin. Arthur looked at Merlin and an idea seemed to flicker on to his face.
"Rose, can you leave us," said Arthur. Rose nodded and left the room. She went to the library and got a book about knight's code and manoeuvres. She took it to her chambers and sat down at the desk. She read until nightfall before going to bed.
The next morning Rose woke up and saw a note on her desk from Morgana saying that she had been summoned to the throne room. Rose stretched out and made herself up a bath. She read the book in the bath enjoying the warmth of the bath, every time it would cool down, she would use magic to heat it up slightly. Once she had had enough of the bath she got out and got dried and dressed she put her hair up in a ponytail before going to the town she saw Merlin and Gwen take a man into Gwen's house. Rose knocked on her door and entered. Gwen and Merlin were cleaning up a farmer and making him look like a knight.
"Rose come join us" said Arthur
"Aren't you meant to be off killing a bear lion creature?" asked Rose sitting down on a seat next to Arthur.
"Yeah well about that, my plan is, to joust and for them to not know it's me to prove myself" said Arthur.
"If they injure you, they are going to discover it's you" said Rose. The farmer paced backwards and forwards in chainmail and armour.
"From now on, you're Sir William of Daira. Imagine you're really...arrogant. Knights like to think they're so much better than everyone else." Said Merlin.
"Walk around with your chest out it shows confidence, neck held up, you walk with nobility and honour like you own the place" said Rose remembering what she did when she had pretended to be knight. Arthur gave her an impressed look.
"Follow her advice she knows how to sneak into a battle and pretend to be a knight" said Arthur. Rose got up and walked like a knight William followed her lead.
"That's more like it" said Rose. She sat down again next to Arthur and laughed as William carried on strutting backwards and forwards.
"Clean my armour, boy" said William in a deep and manly voice.
"Yeah you do need to polish our armour" said Arthur.
"Normal people that are not prince's clean their own armour" said Rose. She could see that Merlin was tired and knew Gaius was probably using the fact Arthur was away to put more chores on him.
"It's alright Rose, I'll clean the armour" said Merlin. Rose rolled her eyes he was too loyal for his own good.
"Fine then I'll help you" said Rose. Merlin gave her a thankful look and smiled.
They left the house and went to the armoury and started polish and clean the armour. She sat down on the floor crossed legged and Merlin sat opposite her.
"This will take us most the night, you sure you want to stay" asked Merlin.
"Off course I want to stay, I wish he would get some humility and actually do stuff for himself," said Rose. She sat back on the wall and polished the helmet and shield.
"Unfortunately, you can't change the fact he was bought up a prince" said Merlin. Rose nodded she was still confused by stuff in the royal household sometime missing her much simpler life in Ealdor, but she could never leave now she would miss everyone so much.
"Yeah" said Rose. They scrubbed the armour until it was all clean. They took the armour to Gwen's place and left it on the table before leaving for the night. Rose went to her chambers and had some fruit before going to bed.
The next day the tournament was in full swing the jousting was going well. Rose sat in the tent that Arthur and William were swapping places. Arthur came into the tent and sent William out to show off to the crowd.
"Typical, I do the work and someone else gets all the credit" said Arthur.
"I know the feeling" said Merlin. He looked even more tired than before, she gave him a smile and he yawned.
"Will you teach me to joust?" asked Rose.
"When your taller" said Arthur. Merlin gave a scoff noise which made everyone look at him he looked really annoyed.
"You're not teaching her it is bad enough you keep teaching her sword skill" said Merlin. Rose was even more confused why was he acting so protective he didn't usually care that she was learning knight skills he was usually calm about it.
"What are you talking about? You know I enjoy learning stuff" said Rose defensively.
"Your too young, he forgets your age sometimes" said Merlin equally as defensive. She looked at Arthur with perplexed look.
"I'm going to go before Merlin locks me in a tower" said Rose hotly. She left the tent and found Morgana in the stands she had no seat so was about to sit on the floor, but Morgana stopped her and sat her on her lap wrapping her arms around her waist.
"You alright?" asked Morgana.
"Yes, I am all good" said Rose. They watched the winners of the day go around the circle before heading back into their tents.
"Meet me in my chambers tomorrow morning" said Merlin's voice inside her head. She ignored Merlin and carried on watching the jousting match.
Rose hated it but she headed to Merlin's chambers the next morning after Gwen had got her ready for the first morning in a few days. She had dressed Rose in a blue dress with blue shoes and blue ribbon keeping her hair in plaits. She got to Merlin's chambers to see Merlin was having a good old rant at poor Gaius Rose couldn't see Gaius's face, but she could tell that his eyebrows were probably raised.
"Do you think I sit around doing nothing, I haven't had the chance to sit around do nothing since I arrived in Camelot, I'm too busy running around after Arthur, do this Merlin, do that, If I'm running around after Arthur, I am doing chores for you, when I am not doing that I am looking after Rose keeping her safe and stopping her joining the knights, when not looking Rose I am fulfilling my destiny. You know how many times I've saved Arthur's life" ranted Merlin. Gaius looked like he was about to answer but Merlin cut over the top of him "do I get any thank? No! I have fought griffins, witches, bandits, I have been punched, poisoned, pelted with mouldy fruit. All the while I must hide who I really am and avoid Rose revealing her magic or Uther would have us executed. Sometimes I feel like I am being pulled in so many directions I don't know which way to turn". He sounded angry and upset Rose stepped in at that. Merlin saw her stormed towards her took her hand and took her with him. To the jousting match.
"Are you alright?" asked Rose.
"Just feeling tired today, I feel like I do so much and yet its not even seen and now Arthur in his mission to prove himself is tiring me out" said Merlin honestly. Merlin dropped Rose off at the royal box before heading to Arthur's tent. The jousting carried on, Rose found this a rather boring sport you didn't even see each other's faces and they just attempted to know each other of horse like what talent does that show. The only upside was she had a seat today not having to sit on Morgana's lap this time. Arthur got into the final and everyone was cheering except Gwen who seemed to be getting fed up living with the prince.
Everyone again left the stadium and Rose went to the lower town to see Gwen. She however surprised to see Gwen being kicked out her house by Arthur. She went into Gwen's house and saw that Arthur was staring at a chicken.
"What are you doing?" asked Rose.
"Thank god you're here, what do I do with this" asked Arthur desperately. Rose gave Arthur and amused look before pointing at the seat at the table and started to cook. Arthur was trying to treat Gwen. Then it clicked the once and future queen the way Arthur and Gwen would interact and argue. It made sense now. Maybe Gwen was the once and future queen she made a mental note to ask Kilghara later.
"Watch, this is how to cook" said Rose. Arthur sat down and watched her cook. She made a fire and put the chicken on a spit over the fire.
"Thank you" said Arthur
"Your welcome" said Rose. She took the ribbon out her hair and let her hair down. So, it was curly down her back. She placed it on the table and carried on cooking while Arthur watched. Merlin came in and they both looked up to look at him.
"Gwen said your cooking" said Merlin.
"Well Rose is teaching me to cook, do me a favour grab me a jug of wine" said Arthur.
"Also, could get some flowers and a vase?" asked Rose. Merlin nodded and left leaving Arthur and Rose to it.
"What are the flowers for" asked Arthur.
"Something that I know she will like" said Rose. She carried on cooking and Arthur watched with interested.
"What are you doing with the carrots?" asked Arthur
"I am boiling them" said Rose. She gave him a smile and went through the cupboards and found a few candles she lit them with fire and put them on the table.
"How come you are helping me? You're not paid neither are you getting anything out of it" said Arthur in a curious voice. Rose turned to look at Arthur and realised he isn't used to people actively wanting to help him or spend time with him without them being paid or for it benefit to another person. Arthur was automatically assumed to become a knight and the knights had to be nice to him. Arthur was a product of a royal and a sheltered life.
"Because you're a friend, you teach me stuff and help me out and I'm a friend that helps you out to" said Rose. She gave Arthur a quick hug before continuing to cook.
She carried cooking and then finished off. She served up the food and gave Arthur a hug before leaving the house. She snuck around the back of the house when she saw that Gwen was coming back. She was going to watch them both. Rose stood at the window stealthily watching them talk about stuff. Rose smiled at how sweet and awkward they were. Gwen started to clear the table when she stopped.
"Where did this come from?" asked Gwen in a disappointed voice. She lifted the blue ribbon she had put in Rose's hair that morning.
"Is it not yours?" asked Arthur. Rose put her hand to face feeling the second-hand embarrassment and awkwardness from Arthur.
"No this is Rose's; I should know I put it in her hair this morning; I take it she cooked this meal," said Gwen.
"Does it matter where it came from, we had a nice meal," said Arthur.
"Yeah, if you're getting a child to cook for you," said Gwen.
"She knows more about cooking than me, I can catch a chicken but when it comes to cooking that's what servants and peasants are for," said Arthur. Rose put her hand to her face again. Great so now they were arguing she didn't know why is bothered sometimes but saying that there was a way that they argued that was very old married couple type.
"I am not ashamed to be a servant and I doubt Rose is ashamed to be from a peasant life, a good king should respect his people" said Gwen. Arthur took her hand and pulled Gwen towards him.
"I'm sorry, I have a lot to learn…" said Arthur. The sentence faded as a man came up behind her he was aiming a cross bow through the window. She pulled her sword out her scabbard and the man turned around. He looked at her and she looked him, and he shot a cross bow at her she caught it with her magic and sent it back at him them sent a ball of fire at him. He fell backwards and rolled to the side to avoid it the fire hit the area that was where he was sitting, she put the fire out before glaring at the man. Rose put some space between her and the maniac trying to kill her before running back to the castle. She wasn't running away she just had a feeling that she was probably not going to beat him.
It was the last day of the tournament Rose was so ready for it be over. She hadn't got chance to see Merlin since the evening before so couldn't tell him about the crazy man from last night. Morgana helped her get ready she was doing Rose's hair.
"Did you know there is an assassin after Arthur" said Morgana. Rose shook her head. Morgana put both her hands on the either side of her head and gave it a gentle shake "stay still"
"No, why would someone want to kill Arthur?" asked Rose.
"He killed king Odin's son, in a fight to the death" said Morgana. She carried on doing Rose's hair until her hair was flowing down her back. They finished off and went to the stadium for the finale. She sat down on the chair next to Morgana. She saw them joust, but something seemed different about this one. The lance was shiny she stared as the lance managed to pierce the skin, she looked at the guy. Arthur was helped back to his tent.
"Merlin, what's going on, you need to check on the other knight he has a knife attached to his lance" said Rose into Merlin's head. A few minutes later Arthur came back out again and he looked weak. She crossed her fingers in her lap and both jousters went towards each other the knife glinted in the sunlight. The assassin fell off his horse and dangled off the horse either unconscious or dead. Merlin helped Arthur off his horse and helped him back to the tent. Rose cheered with everyone else happy that Arthur was okay. The farmer came out to get the glory and not Arthur. This gave Rose a sting of worry. She got up and snuck away while everyone was distracted by the fake knight. She ran to Arthur's tent and saw that he was bleeding.
"Are you okay?" asked Rose.
"I am alright, I have had worse" said Arthur. Gwen was tending to his wound with care.
"I'll leave you to it" said Rose. She left the tent and went back up to the castle.
She decided to use the distraction to go to see Kilghara. She went down to his cave and sat down on a rock. Kilghara flew down from the above rock and sat on his own rock. He smiled when he saw her, and she gave him a smile back.
"Hello, can I ask you something?" asked Rose
"Hello young one, of course ask away" said Kilghara
"Is the serving girl Gwen the once and future queen" asked Rose. Kilghara nodded his head and Rose stared at him with a shocked expression, she didn't expect her theory to be right. Her destiny had a reason now not just Rose staring at all the women that interacted with Arthur.
"You are correct, your destiny is to protect the once and future queen by being the link between the light and dark" said Kilghara.
"What's that mean the light and dark" said Rose.
"In the not so distant future your allies will be divided, you will the link between the two groups as your love and your friendliness will hopefully stop the terrible things to come" said Kilghara.
"What does that mean?" said Rose.
"You will find out with time" said Kilghara. Rose sighed at this response wouldn't it be easier if he told her stuff rather than leaving her to guess.
"Do you always have to be vague" said Rose.
"The impatience of youth" said Kilghara. He chuckled and Rose smiled. His laugh was infectious. He blew warm air through her hair and Rose breathed in the smoky air. He knew that calmed her down when she was worried or stressed. She sighed feeling a lot more confident at least she knew who the once and future queen was now.
The end
