A/N: There are few stories of fem!Merlin and Leon, and I read them. Suddenly Leon and Merlin insisted that I must write one of those. For three days, when I wrote my last chapter to Side of Leon, they bothered me. And I started to write.

So here is the first chapter, I hope Leon is not too much out of character. But this is how he presented him, and strangely I can see that these are the reasons, he is so proper and prim.

Please give me feedback, what I did write wrong and how I can make it better. English is my second language and I do not have a beta-reader.

Leon is already on my back, so soon there will be next chapter, I do not know if it will be for this story or the other one.

Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin


One playful curl of hair could not resist trying to get his way into the knight eyes. Annoyed man pushed it away. King Uther had been pleased of his work up in the north, in the farthest garrison, where king sent him three years ago.

On the first year he had been just one knight out of twelve, in the second year he had become the second in command and after the last commander had died in an ambush, he had risen to the commander position.

After six months being in the command, King had called him back to citadel. Giving him the position as one of his trusted knights.

Leon could not understand, what the king had been thinking when he had sent him up to north, had he wanted the knight to have more experience or was he sent away because the king had envied him, for the close relationship he had had with Arthur. They had been like brothers; Arthur had turned to him when something had troubled his mind or had had questions. Leon did not know if Uther resent him for that. Pondering over that problem, he did not look where he was going.

Just moment before he collided with a maid, his instincts made him stop. He had to push that damn curl out his eyes again.

"Forgive me, my lord." Maid muttered, but he could hear no regret in the girl's voice, she knew exactly whose fault it would had been if they had run into each other.

"No need to apologize, it was all my fault." He smiled, for reassurance when the girl raised her eyes to him. Leon had to catch his breath; he could drown in those blue eyes.

"Yes, it was." Girl said and took off to the direction where he had come. Leon shook his head; he had never met servant who had so little respect for unknown noble. It made Leon smile it was like a fresh breath of air. Since he could remember, his mother told him that everyone is equal, no one was better than the other, whatever someone else said. He looked after the girl; her black curls waived as she ran, she was different.

Leon shook his head again and turned to Gaius' door, he opened it quietly and stepped in. Gaius stood at his workbench mixing some kind of salve. Leon looked at him, the man had grown older, his shoulders had hunched more.

Leon's father had been great knight, but not as good of a father, he had tried, but it had not been best in the roll. Leon had been twelve when Lionel Leodegrance had died in a bandit's attack. He had mourned and missed him and done every stupid thing he could think of to act out. Sir Bors, whose squire he was, could not control him. At fourteen he had gone out at one night and got so drunk that he did not remember most of that night, next morning he had had hangover from hell and Sir Boris had assigned a punishment that had turned Leon around. Two mounts as Gaius' assistant. Leon had found himself a second father.

"Still experiment with people's health?" Gaius turned quickly; he almost dropped his spoon into the bowl. "Leon you're back."

Leon stepped down from stairs and took Gaius into a hug, oh how he had missed the old man.

"Let me look at you." Gaius pushed him arms length away. "You have grown, no more a boy, but a man. The beard suits you." Leon smiled, but the physician was not finished, he squinted at the knight, "You look tired, and you favour you left arm, so your right one is injured."

"Gaius it's nothing." He tried to pat physician's hands, which had started feeling his arm, away.

"You are a bad liar, come sit and let me look at it." He dragged Leon onto a chair. Younger man was glad that he had taken of his armour before he had come and see Gaius, otherwise the whole protests had taken more time. Gaius clicked his tongue when he saw the puncture wound. "How did it happen?"

"Bandit's arrow, it is healing, you do not need to worry."

Whatever Gaius discovered, he was pleased, "You are right, for the very first time since I know you, you have not downplayed your injury."

"I am smarter than I was before I left. Thank you," he took the cup Gaius offered, "Who was the girl who left here?"

Gaius raised his eyebrow, he knew something had happened, he was not sure if Leon noticed servant who just went pass him. "She is Merlin, my grandniece. My apprentice."

"Seems like she has trouble with authority."

"You noticed?" Gaius voice was full of amusement.

"Yes." Leon thought he heard Gaius mutter, "You haven't seen anything." But he must have imagined it.

"How is Arthur?" Leon asked like he did not have care in a world. Gaius' looked him, raising an eyebrow. "You have not talked to him?"

"Not since the day I told him, that I was leaving, he did not even answer my letters."

"Still?" Now both of Gaius' eyebrows were in his hair.

"I can understand him, then it was the emotions, and now he is worried if I forgive him. So, how is he?"

"You might be right, that's how he feels." Gaius' took his own cup and sat on the other side of the table. "He is changed in the last two years. Less arrogant, considers more, cares more, does not bully servants as much, he has grown to be better."

"I cannot imagine that Uther had any hand in that."

"No, I think it is more to do with his new servant. Arthur feels more challenged, he wants to prove himself, but not this time to his father, but to everyone else."

"Good for him." Leon smiled.

Leon spent another hour with Gaius, then returned to his own chambers. On the way back he looked all around trying to see glimpses of Merlin. Leon did not know what had happened, but he was positive, those blue eyes would haunt him for many nights.

When he reached his rooms, he wondered if he should send a word to Arthur, let the prince know that he was back. Or maybe Uther had informed Arthur with his plans, regarding Leon. Leon was not sure, king had not told Arthur that he was sending his childhood friend away, he had let Leon do that, the knight had had to tell fifteen-year-old teenager, that he was leaving, and he did not even know when and if he would return. He had spent an hour to calm the teenager down, who had been begging for him not to go. And then prince had stomped out in anger, Leon had not seen him after that, three days later he had headed up to north. He had written at least five letters to the prince and gotten no response. Maybe the boy did not even want to see him. In the name of the Crone, why everything had to be in such a mess.

He had poured wine I his goblet when he heard a commotion outside his door. "Are you certain they said Sir Leon?" That was Arthur, Leon's eyebrows rose, with few quick paces he was at the door. "Yes, Sire," sire was said so sarcastically, that Leon's eyebrows rose almost to his hairline, "Gaius was the one who told me."

There was a hesitant knock on his door, like the one who was on the other side did not know if he hoped that the rooms were occupied or hoped that the information, he received was wrong.

Leon did not hesitate, he had not seen his prince, who he considers to be his little brother, for three years, he did not care that Arthur had not spoken to him or written to him, he missed the boy.

He opened the door. "Sire." He bowed and stepped back to let the prince in. Arthur really was hesitant; he stepped inside and looked the other man. "Sir Leon…" he started, but no word left his mouth. He swallowed and started again, "Sir Leon…" and stopped.

That was the moment Leon laughed, he could not resist, "Gods be damned Arthur, to you really think I still resent you, because you walked away. You were a boy, and another boy, who you called your best friend left, not on his own devices may I add. I understood you, maybe I would have acted the same way." He looked his prince, the worry that had been in Arthurs eyes was replacing with hope, "I do not resent you, I missed you for all those three years."

Arthur stepped farther into the room, the one who had accompanied him, had stepped in as well and closed the door. But Leon did not have the time to inspect the person, because suddenly he found his arms full of Arthur. "You forgive me?" came quiet question from his shoulder.

"There is nothing to forgive." Leon placed his cheek on Arthur's head.

"There is, I was a prat." Prince raised his head and looked into Leon's eyes.

"Oh, he admits it." Hearing the person mutter thus, Leon looked over Arthur's head and gods be damned, blue eyes full of mirth looked back at him. It was not the time to drown himself into those eyes, Arthur was more important.

"You might have been, but I have heard you are one no more." He pushed the boy away, so he could look at him, the boy was growing up, he was now eighteen, by law a man already.

"He still is a prat." This time it was said louder, Leon eyes widened, he waited Arthur's reaction, that could not be good.

"Merlin!" There was annoyed huff from Arthur. It seemed that seeing how close her prince was to this new knight, Merlin felt she should be as proper as the protocol called for.

"Well, you are a prat."

"Idiot!"

Before Merlin could say anything, else Leon coughed, loud enough for them both to turn to him, Merlin blushed, and Arthur seemed little bit sheepish. "I apologize Leon."

Then the prince looked between Merlin and Leon, "It seems like I have forgotten to make introductions. Sir Leon Leodegrance this is Merlin mu personal servant."

Leon offered his hand to the girl, Merlin looked the hand with doubt, but then she accepted it. "You are the poor soul who was punished for saving prince's life." At the Merlin tried to hold back her smirk, she was not very successful with it.

"Hey!" Arthur exclaimed. Leon only laughed and sat in front of the fire, Arthur took the other armchair, Merlin stood behind Arthur, the prince looked at her and rolled his eyes, "Go find yourself a chair, you do not need to be afraid of Leon."

"I am not afraid of Sir Leon, you clotpole." Merlin proclaimed and went to find a chair to herself. Arthur shook his head again and looked at Leon. "How long are you staying?"

"Permanently," Leon poured Arthur wine and took his own goblet, "If Uther does not send me away again."

Arthur did not comment on the last part. "What position has he given you."

"One of his trusted knights, I do not know how trusted I will be..." Before he could finish his thought, Arthur was up from the armchair. "His trusted knight?" it was a hiss.

"Yes, his."

"Why did he not give you position in my command." Now Arthur was pacing around.

"Arthur sit down and drink your wine." Arthur only huffed at this command, Merlin looked at pacing Arthur and Leon. Leon shrugged his shoulders; he had not expected Arthur to listen to him. "You know as well as I do, that Uther may trust me, but he does not think highly of me. Sir Lionel's third son, I am as low as the servants, to your father. Knighted me at age eighteen was to get you and Sir Bors of his back."

"Then why did he not put you under my command?" Arthur fell into his chair, with one go he emptied his goblet.

Leon pushed the annoying curl out of his eyes. "It is a test you know; he tests my loyalties."

"What?"

"He wants to see, to whom I am more loyal, to him or to you."

"Why doesn't he test your loyalties serving under me." Arthur held out his goblet for Merlin to fill it.

"That would not serve the purpose, you know that as well as I do," He pushed the curl away from his eyes again, "I must be all prim and proper, follow the knights code, all his orders and when king wants, go against you. Otherwise, he won't let me to become your knight. I think he sent me to north, to get me away from you. I was too close to you and he did not like that. Now he needs proof, that I am his knight not yours."

Arthur sighted. "You are right, in the name of the maiden, but if you are not one of my knights in a year, I will go warpath, for you with father."

"I would like to see that." Merlin smiled sweetly at Arthur.

"Oh, you will see that, you are going to stand right beside me and go into stocks for me."

"Why must I go into stocks for you?" Merlin was flabbergasted.

"Because Princes do not go into stocks, but the servant do." Arthur smirked at her, Leon laughed, but it was cut short by a yawn.

"You are tired Leon." Arthur looked Leon with sympathy.

"I have been on a horseback for five days, rested only few hours at night. Today had an early start, as soon I got here, reported to Uther, who interrogated me for many hours, then I went and sat with Gaius."

"You need to rest." Arthur took goblet from him and pulled him from the chair.

"But I need to see Gwen, I have not spoken to her for three years." Leon tried to offer some resistance to Arthur, who was guiding him to bed.

"It is dinner time, so she is busy, go to sleep, Merlin will inform her that you are back and when she had finished for the night, she will call on you." Arthur pushed him to sit.

"We will to that." Leon took off his boots and laid onto the bed, as soon his head touched the pillow, he was asleep, Arthur and Merlin could not even leave.

Leon had been right, his dreams were haunted by beautiful blue eyes.