I'm sorry for the long wait. I started my first year of University but I promise I plan on doing more regular updates.
Chapter 7-The Gates of Avalon
Arthur was drifting through murky water wearing his armour. A woman was standing over him. He was drowning.
Morgana woke with a gasp. She was terrified.
"Arthur! Arthur!" she cried shakily.
-0-
Arthur was slinking through the woods with a crossbow. Merlynn burst out of the trees and bumped into him, 'accidently' just as he pulled the trigger. She was wearing her breaches and had rabbits hanging from ropes slung over her shoulders.
She hated when they went hunting.
"What is it?" she cried.
Arthur turned to her angrily. "You really are a total buffoon, aren't you, Merlynn?"
"I was just asking," she defended herself.
"Who? Me or the deer?! We're supposed to be hunting. It requires speed, stealth and an agile mind." He reiterated his statement by pocking her squarely in her forehead.
Merlynn shrugged. "So you're able to get by on two out of three, then?" She smiled to herself.
Just as Arthur was going to reply he was interrupted by a woman's scream.
"What was that?" Merlynn turned to Arthur worriedly. The prince just shushed her. They stood for a few moments when a second voice pierced the air.
"Please! Don't!
"Help!"
Arthur quickly grabbed his sword from Merlynn and took off in the direction of the voices with Merlynn at his heels. They reached a clearing and saw a man laying on the ground as a bandit drew his sword to kill him and a young woman struggling with three other purse snatchers.
"No, no, I beg you! Mercy!" cried the old man.
Arthur was quick to shoot one of the robbers with his crossbow. The others men were on them in a matter of seconds. Arthur was fighting off the bandits, but failed to see the man sneaking up behind him. Merlynn's eyes flashed and a branch above him snapped and sent the bandit crashing to the ground.
Arthur killed the man in front of him and the last bandit ran off in fear. Arthur cast his gaze up to the tree.
"Stroke of luck," he muttered to himself.
Merlynn's eyes were fixed on the bandit running away. "And let that be a lesson to you!" she called out to him.
Arthur turned and gave her a look. She shrugged at him.
"What? I was covering your back," she assured him.
Arthur rolled his eyes before approaching the old man and young woman. "You alright? Didn't hurt you?"
The young woman turned to Arthur and lowered her hood, revealing a beautiful woman underneath.
She smiled sweetly at him. "No... Thanks to you. I'm Sophia. This is my father."
Arthur took her hand in his and kissed it. "Arthur Pendragon... at your service,"
Merlynn caught a look at his face. She didn't like that look. He seemed to be a bit dazzled by Sophia.
-0-
Arthur and Merlynn had esscorted Aulfric and Sophia back to the castle and were now stood in the courtroom.
"My name is Aulfric, heir to Tír-Mòr. This is my daughter, Sophia." The old man adressed the king.
"You're a long way from home. What brings you to Camelot?" Uther asks curiously.
"Our home was sacked by raiders," Aulfric informed the court. "We barely escaped with what few possessions we could carry."
Arthur was leaning on a pillar and he couldn't seem to be able to take his eyes off Sophia.
"These are dangerous times. What will you do?" The king asked, actually looking concerned.
"We travel west to Caerleon where we have family and, I hope, a new life."
Uther nodded. "You must stay here awhile, break your journey. A noble family like yours is always welcome in Camelot."
As Aulfric and Sophia left the room, Merlynn noticed how Arthur's eyes followed the young woman.
-0-
Merlynn followed Arthur back to his chambers.
"Make sure you put her in a decent room." Arthur ordered her as he shrugged off his jacket.
"The one next door's empty," Merlynn informed him without thinking.
Arthur looked at her in surprise. He had thought... maybe she... obviously he was wrong.
"The one next door's fine. Excellent, in fact…" Merlynn rolled her eyes at his response. "Shut up, Merlynn."
Merlynn looked at him in confusion. "What? I didn't say anything."
This time Arthur was the one to roll his eyes. "You didn't have to. I want to make it clear that my intentions towards Sophia are completely honourable. Put her in the room on the other side of the castle. It's warmer, more comfortable."
Merlynn smiled a little, maybe he wasn't all that eager to have her close to him after all. "Of course. She…er...is very beautiful," she stated awkwardly, her hand subconsciously going to her knotted hair, and eyes glancing down at her dirty breaches. Sophia had been walking around the woods in a gown and still managed to look beautiful.
Little did she know that while her back was turned he chanced a glance at her back. "Yes, she is."
Merlynn didn't understand why there was an uncomfortable feeling in her chest, but she forced herself to continue. "And if your intentions are ….honourable..."
"Oh, they are. Most definitely." Arthur nodded. They really were, no matter how beautiful a woman was, he would never disgrace her before marriage.
"Then what's the problem with her staying next door?" she asked confused.
"There isn't one. You've convinced me. Put her in the room next to mine." He slapped her shoulder as he passed. She looked up in surprise. Wait what... What had she just convinced him to do?
That is how she found herself handing Sophia a blanket outside of her new room.
"If you need anything, just let me know," she told the young woman.
"Thank you," Sophia smiled sickly sweet at her. Merlynn didn't know why, but something about it made her feel nauseous.
As soon as Sophia had entered her room, Morgana appeared next to Merlynn looking very anxious.
"Who is that?" The kings ward questioned.
Merlynn looked at her confused. "Er…Sophia Tír-Mòr. We rescued her in the woods. Well, Arthur did most of the rescuing."
"She can't stay here," Morgana declared.
Merlynn looked at Morganna suspiciously. That wasn't like Morgana. Normally she would have been in there checking that Sophia was okay after hearing that she had been attacked.
"The King said that she and her father are welcome in Camelot," she informed Morgana. This only seemed to distress her more. "Is everything ok?"
Morgana seemed to come back to herself. "Yes. Thank you." She marched down the corridor, unaware that Merlynn was watching her worriedly.
-0-
"I'm taking Sophia out for a ride today. You know, show her around," Arthur told Merlynn the next day.
Merlynn managed to school her features in time.
"Where do I come into this?
Arthur looked at her a bit sheepish. "Well, I'm supposed to be on patrol with the guard of my father this morning, so I need you to cover for me."
Merlynn looked at him in shock. He had to be joking. "What, and lie to the King?" Her face expressed her denial. "No. No way. No, he'll see right through me. He'll have me in the stocks quicker than you can say rotten tomatoes."
"Merlynn," Arthur looked at her earnestly.
Merlynn sighs and continues to shake her head.
"I need you to do this for me." Arthur begged.
"I am a terrible liar," she told him. "I start sweating, my…my vision blurs, my…my brain stops working."
Arthur rolled his eyes at her. "Well, no change there, then," She looked at him offended and started to walk past him. He grabbed her arm, quickly realising that wasn't the way to get her help. "Look, I promised Sophia I'd take her out and if I don't turn up it'll blow my chances."
Merlynn glanced down at the ground, putting off asking her next question for just a few more seconds. "You like her, then?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yeah. What's not to like? I want to spend some more time with her, but I need to get my father off my back. I can't order you to lie to the King, but ...you'd be a friend for life if you did." His blue eyes were wide and looking at her pleadingly.
Merlynn let out a defeated sigh. She couldn't deny him this. "Go on, then, you don't want to keep her waiting."
Arthur sent her a dazzling smile, that cut staright through her. "Thanks, Merlynn. I won't forget it."
Neither would she.
-0-
It was safe to say that Merlynn's predictions about her ability to lie to the King had been roven correct.
She was in the bloody stocks, and was currently being pelted at with rotten tomatoes.
"I forgot how much fun this was," she muttered to herself sarcastically. She then proceeded to flinch as a tomato came hurling towards her face.
-0-
After many hours she was released and quickly headed to her and Gaius' chambers. She was covered from head to toe, which Will discovered after he ran up to her and had a good sniff.
"Have you been playing with your food again?" Gaius asked her jokingly. He stopped smiling though when he noticed she had one hand cupped around one of her eyes.
Merlynn sat down next to him, "The King put me in the stocks," she told him, moving her hand away to reveal a red and irritated eye. "Some tomato juice got in my eye."
Gaius stood and tended to her eye. "What'd you do this time?" He asked.
"Nothing," she winced as he dropped some sort of solution into her eye. With her good eye she saw his doubtful expression. "Honestly, it wasn't my fault Arthur wanted to get out of going on patrol with Uther and the guard, so I covered for him and took the blame." She practically spat out the words between her teeth.
"And Arthur was prepared to let you do this?" He asked surprised. He had seen how the young prince looked at his niece.
"It was his idea," she informed him.
Gaius was now wrapping a bandage around her head to cover her eye.
"And what made him neglect his duties? It must've been something terribly important."
Merlynn's whole face turned sour. "Sophia," she snarled.
Gaius looked down at her concerned. "The girl from the forest?" He finished up the bandage. Merlin instantly turned her attention to the dog sat at her feet.
"He wanted to take her out for the day. He is besotted," she grumbled.
"But they've only just met."
"I know. I guess it must have been love at first sight." She looked down at Will and continued to rub his head.
Gaius glanced down at his niece, noticing the sad expression etched onto the side of her face visible.
"Yes…I suppose it must be."
Later that night Merlin was looking at her reflection in the glass of her window. She looked at the side of her face now obscured by the bandage. She raised her hand up to hide that side of her face. As she stared at the normal side of her face one question went through her mind.
What did Sophia have that she didn't?
-0-
The next morning, Merlynn was getting Arthur's armour ready when the owner himself walked in. And he was... dressed?
"You're dressed!" She cried confused.
"Nothing gets past you, does it, Merlin?" He asked her sarcastically not looking at her.
Merlynn flapped her hands in the end. "What…You're supposed to be wearing these! Your father's bestowing a knighthood on one of your men this morning!"
Arthur shrugged not in the least bit concerned. "I'm giving it a miss," he informed her
"Won't the King mind?"
"Not if you…er…cover for me, again. By the way, thanks for yesterday, I heard you ended up in the stocks. Bad luck." He didn't sound the least bit sorry.
Merlynn shot his back a cold and unamused look. "They were throwing potatoes at me. It's only supposed to be rotten fruit."
Arthur finally looked up at her, about to comment about there not being any rules. But when he noticed the bandage he stopped.
"What happened to your eye?"
Merlynn's hand rose subconsciously to rub over the bandages. "Some juice from one of the tomatoes landed in it. Gaius said I have to keep it covered for a day or two."
He looked at her hesitantly, "If it's any consolation, I think it was worth it."
Merlynn gave him an unimpressed look. "It's not."
But Arthur wasn't paying attention anymore. He was staring off into the distance. "Great. Fantastic," he was mumbling to himself. "She's incredible."
He completely missed the devastated look on his servant's face.
"Don't worry. I'll find a way to get you out of it," she told him.
Arthur snapped out of his daze at her words. He shot her a smile. "Just make sure you don't end up in the stocks this time." He then quickly departed eager.
"I won't. I think I'm starting to get the hang of this whole deception lark," she said to herself. And she really was, she was able to convince herself that she did the right thing, for Arthur.
-0-
A few hours later Merlynn entered her chambers, once again covered in rotten food. Gaius was sat at his desk when he looked up. He sighed in exasperation.
"Not again Merlynn, surely?"
"You would think that the appeal of pelting the same person with fruit would wear off after a while, but, oh, no!" she muttered bitterly.
"I heard that Arthur wasn't at the knighting ceremony," Gaius commented giving her a knowing look.
She walked over to the table and filled a basin with water, and proceeded to remove the bits from her hair. "Yeah he wanted to make the most of his time left with Sophia," the name left her lips in a hiss.
"So you helped him?"
She pulled a particularly large piece of tomato out of her hair, flinging it into the bowl. "I'm his servant, I had to."
"You shouldn't have done that, Merlynn."
She looked up at her uncle in curiosity.
"I fear that Sophia may not be all that she seems."
Merlynn's face contorted into worry. "Why?"
Gaius got up and stood next to her. "What do you know about seers?"
Merlynn shrugged. "Not much. They're…supposed to be able to see the future, like prophets?"
Gaius gave her a small smile, she had been studying the book he gave her. "It's said to be an innate ability. Those who have it are born that way. Some aren't even aware that what they see is the future. It comes to them in their dreams."
"What's this got to do with Sophia?"
Gaius gave her a grave look. "The night before she and Aulfric came to Camelot, Morgana had a dream. Sophia was in it."
Merlynn looked at him in surprise. "Before she arrived in Camelot?"
Gaius sighed. "I've been watching Morgana since she was very young. And though I tried to persuade myself otherwise, I realised that..."
Merlynn moved closer and sat on the bench near Gaius.
"...some of the things she said she'd dreamt came to pass. I kept it secret from Uther, of course. The gift of prophecy is too close to the work of magic."
"You think Morgana is a seer?" Merlynn asked for clarification.
Gaius looked at her gravely. "I don't think it. I fear it. Morgana said she dreamt that Sophia killed Arthur."
Merlynn's eyes widened and her whole body tensed. This explained Morgana's starnge behaviour. "Couldn't that have just been a dream? Maybe the- the woman Morgana saw just looked like Sophia."
Part of her wanted something to be wrong with Sophia, the other part didn't want Arthur to be in any danger.
"That's what I hoped. But Aulfric caught me in Sophia's room and, in a flash of anger, his eyes changed colour."
"Who are they?" She asked fearfully.
"It's not who they are that worries me. It's what they want with Arthur."
-0-
That night Merlynn decided to follow Aulfric. He lead her into the woods. Aulfric reached the Lake.
Merlynn watched him from behind a tree. The wind had started to blow all around them, unnerving her, as she could feel the build up of magic around her.
She watched as Aulfric addressed the Lake. "I seek an audience with the Sidhe elders! Do:tiag-sa ar idbairt do denam!"
A blue haze erupted over the lake. Little lights racing so fast that Merlynn couldn't focus on them. Her eyes flashed and suddenly everything slowed. Merlynn was shocked to see that the lights, were fairies.
And they were beautiful.
She was amazed by the beautiful sight and smiled.
Aulfric's booming voice brought Merlynn back to the situation at hand. "I come before you to plead for the chance to win passage back to Avalon and a life of immortality!" One of the fairies comes close to Aulfric as Merlynn watches.
"Your punishment for killing another Sidhe is a mortal body and a mortal life. You will never be able to return to Avalon." The fairy addressed Aulfric.
Aulfic looked a little regretful. "The crime was mine, not my daughter's."
The fairy was not having it. "The gates of Avalon remain closed to your daughter. Unless the soul of a mortal prince be offered up to them," he spat.
Aulfric smiled. "Thank you. An immortal life for my daughter is all that I desire, so I promise you the soul of the greatest prince of all. Arthur Pendragon!"
Merlynn's whole body froze. Arthur's life was in great danger. The fairies disappear into the Lake and Aulfric was laughing in glee.
-0-
"Avalon. What you saw at the lake, it's Avalon. It must be…" Merlynn had run back to Gaius to tell him what she had seen.
"What's..." She asked.
"The land of eternal youth. Mortals are only supposed to glimpse it the moment before death." Gaius informed her in shock.
Merlynn glanced down at herself as if to check that she was in fact alive. "Well, I've seen it and I'm still here." She pointed out.
Gaius looked at her in amazement. "Extraordinary. What did it look like?"
Merlynn looked at him in frustration. "Does it matter? They're going to sacrifice Arthur and we don't even know who 'they' are yet."
Gaius looked at her in trimumph. "We do now,"
Gaius sits by his desk and Merlynn follows him.
"I found writing like this on the top of Aulfric's staff. It's Ogham, an ancient script. Abas ocus bithe. Duthectad bithlane. 'To hold life and death in your hands.' From the writing on his staff and what you saw at the lake, I'm afraid I'm now certain. We're dealing with the Sidhe."
Merlynn looked at him in confusion and worry. "That does not sound like a good thing."
"They're masters of enchantment."
Merlynn felt hope rising in her chest. "You think Arthur's been enchanted?"
Gaius nodded. "Almost certainly. I'm afraid Morgana's dream is coming true."
-0-
As if to prove Gaius' theory later that day, Arthur has asked his fathers permission to marry Sophia. See his anger Merlynn had followed him back to his chambers and was greeted with the sight of him packing.
Arthur looked up at her arrival. "Get out," he ordered her.
Merlynn approached him carefully. "I thought the King was a bit harsh."
"I don't need sympathy, Merlynn, especially not from you."
"But I did think he had a point," she continued.
Arthur turned to her angrily. "I ordered you to get out. Now leave me!"
"I know what you think you're doing, and I know you think you're in love with Sophia..." She was trying to get through to him.
"Who are you to tell me what I'm thinking?" He questioned her.
Merlynn looked at him with an open expression. "I'm your friend."
"No, Merlynn, you're my servant," he snarled.
Merlynn continued. Ignoring the pain that statement caused her. "You don't know what you're doing. She's cast a spell on you. You're enchanted."
"I told you people would try to keep us apart." Merlynn turned around and was surprised to see that Sophia and Aulfric were standing in the doorway.
"I know. I won't let that happen." Arthur promised her.
"Look, don't listen to her, she's controlling you," Merlynn cried she was getting desperate.
Sophia took another step forward. "We can elope together. Get away from this place, these people."
Merlynn pointed at Aulfric. "I saw you. I followed him. They're planning to sacrifice you."
"You let your servant talk to your guests this way?" Aulfric commented scathingly at Merlynn.
"I know what you're going to do, because I followed you to the lake and I heard everything. You have to believe me," she begged looking at Arthur.
Arthur was shaking his head looking lost. He didn't know who to believe.
"Don't listen to her, Arthur. Let's go. Let's leave tonight," Sophia continued to coax him.
"She's going to kill you. Sophia plans to sacrifice you to buy a life of immortality. If you go with her, you'll die!"
"It…it doesn't make sense. We're…we're in love." Arthur stammered. There was a war going on in his head.
"They're magical beings! Look at the writing on the staff." Merlynn took a leap for Aulfric's staff but he moved it out of the way. His glare was matched with his eyes turning red.
"Look at his eyes. Look at him. Do you believe me now? Arthur, do you see?" She cried.
Arthur turned around. His eyes were also red. "I see everything."
Merlynn hesitently stepped towards him and pressed her palms to his cheeks. "Please come back." She begged him. She rested her forehead against his. "Come back to me." Her eyes were closed so she didn't see how his eyes slightly faded back to blue.
Their peacful moment was interuppted by a great shout.
"Na mben sis!"
Merlynn felt a great pain hit her side and felt her body going flying and hit a wall.
Everything went dark.
-0-
Gaius rushed into the Prince's chambers and saw Merlynn lying on the ground.
And she wasn't moving.
Gaius moved towards his niece and placed her hand on her chest, he couldn't feel a heartbeat. He leant down and placed his head against her chest, he couldn't hear anything. He placed his hand against her cheek.
"Merlynn. Oh, my poor girl." He closed his eyes as they filled with tears.
"W-what..." He quickly looked down to see Merlynn stirring.
"Merlynn! What happened to you?" He knelt down and helped Merlynn to her feet. He must have been mistaken about her heart.
She seemed very determined. "Aulfric. Where's Arthur? I have got to go after him. What's that buzzing noise?" She was still a bit confused.
"Careful, Merlynn, you can barely stand up." He chastised her.
"I have to go." she told him earnestly as she tried to shrug off his hold on her.
"You can't, not in this state. You owe it to your powers that you survived this at all." He informed her.
"I'll be fine, he needs me," she protested.
"Has that buzzing stopped?" Gaius asked skeptically.
"Yeah," she nodded.
"Liar."
Merlynn rolled her eyes at him. "I have to go, Gaius. He'll die if I don't."
"The Sidhe are a vicious people. You must be careful."
Merlynn nodded shrugging out of Gaius' arms. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
She then walks toward the window.
Gaius stopped her. "Merlin?" Points at the door. "This way."
Merlynn nodded pointing at him. "Just testing."
She then makes a run for the woods, leaving a very confused Gaius behind. He didn't understand how he, with all his years of experience, had managed to not hear or feel Merlynn's heart-beat.
-0-
Merlynn ran as fast as she could through the woods. By the time she got to the lake Arthur was already submerged with Sophia stood above him, and Aulfric was stood on the bank watching.
Her eyes scanned the area looking for something she could use. That's when she noticed Sophia's staff was on the ground.
"Onbregdan." She cried, summoning the staff to her. She ponts it at Aulfric.
"Swilte, gold beorþ." A bolt of light hits Aulfric and he explodes.
This caught Sophia's attention, as she saw what was happening on the shore.
"Father! No! No!" She tried to run to the shore. But Merlynn wasn't having this. She points the staff at her.
"Óga ceoles." A bolt of light hits Sophia and she explodes. Merlynn was quick to run into the water.
"Arthur! Arthur! Arthur!" She cried.
She dove into the water and looked around. She couldn't find him. She came back to the surface to take another breath. Her dress was getting tangled around her legs and was weighing her down. She dove down again and this time was absolutely ecstatic to find him. She wrapped her arms around his chest and pulled him up to the surface.
She managed to drag the prince back to the shore. She leant over the unconscious man.
"Arthur?" She asked fearfully. Her eyes were filled with tears. He had to live! He had too! She patted his cheek trying to get him to wake up.
His eyes opened slowly for a few seconds. "B-blue..." he muttered before his eyes closed again.
-0-
Merlynn was giggling as her and Gaius exited Arthur's chambers. They had managed to convince Arthur that he had tried to elope with Sophia and the only way Merlynn could stop him was to hit him over the head with some wood. He had actually believed them.
"Merlynn!" She heard she turned back to Gaius and waved as she headed back into the chamber.
"You 're not gonna hit me over the head as revenge are you?" She asked him hesitently.
He gave her a little smile. "No you're safe. I just wanted to say I'm sorry."
She looked up at him in shock. "W-what?"
"I'm sorry, for how I've been acting the last few days. It was unfair of me to let you be put in the stocks for my choices. It was wrong of me to put you in a position that you had to lie to the king. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."
He looked sincere and seemed to actually want her forgiveness.
"I-it's fine." She assured him giving him a smile.
He smiled back at her, "Good, I'm glad. And don't worry I am going to tell my father that I didn't tell you about my plans to go hunting this morning. That way, I can avoid telling him about Sophia and you won't get in trouble. Have the rest of the day off, let your eye heal." She had almost forgotten that she was still wearing the bandage.
"Thank you." She gave him a little curtsy and moved to leave.
"A-and also just so you know, anything that I felt for Sophia... It's not there anymore. Just thought I would reassure you that you won't be chasing me down again anytime soon."
She couldn't contain the smile, stretching across her lips. She gave him a little nod and rushed out of the chamber, leaving a Prince staring at the door longingly.
-0-
That evening Merlynn and Gaius were just getting ready to eat when Morgana came into their chambers.
"Morgana," Gaius greeted.
Morgana looked at him hesitantly. "I've had some troubled nights."
"I prepared another draught for you. Have the dreams stopped?"
Morgana shook her head before looking at Merlynn. "Arthur told me what actually happened. You must've hit him round the head really hard."
Merlynn winces slightly as if in sympathy. "Yeah. I feel really bad about that."
Gaius walks up to them and brings Morgana her medicine. "Here you are. Remember, every night just before you go to sleep."
"Thank you, Gaius." She says before she begins to leave.
"Wait Morgana!" Morgana stops at Merlynn's yell. Merlynn quickly runs into her room grabs something from her bed before racing back to Morgana.
Gaius told me how you have had trouble sleeping recently, so I made you this." She holds out her gift. Morgana takes it from Merlynn's hands. She looks down at the woven bracelet resting on her palm. It was messy and had bits sticking out.
"My mother used to make them for me when I was little and had nightmares. It isn't as good as the ones she makes but, I thought maybe it might help." Merlynn looked away in embarrassment a red glow on her cheeks.
Morgana smiles and pulls an embarrassed Merlynn into her arms. "Thank-you Merlynn. You're a good friend."
She gave Merlynn one more squeeze before she pulled away and left.
"She must never find out the truth." Gaius reminded his niece.
"Why not? She had a premonition that helped save Arthur's life," Merlynn argued.
"And it could've cost her her own. If Uther ever found out, things would never be the same again. It must remain a secret."
"Is she like me? Can she use magic?" She asked him curiously.
Gaius smiled down at her fondly. "No one's like you, Merlynn."
"But she has the gift?"
Gaius cast a worried look to the door where Morgana had just left. "For her sake, I hope not."
-0-
In Morgana's chambers, the kings ward was tossing and turning in her sleep suffering from another nightmare. Morgana suddenly woke and was shaking out of fear. She looked to her bedside table, reached out and clutched her new bracelet. She wrapped it around her wrist, and settled down to go to sleep once more. For the first time in days, she slept peacefully, in the knowledge that she had a friend watching out for her.