So turns out I forgot to save my comments on this chapter before uploading it, so here we go, round 2!
Viviane stood before the throne, currently occupied, as was the chair to the right. The King and Queen smiled at Viviane from their seats. Beware the smiling monarchs. It had been a couple days since she had arrived and had spent most of the time running errands for Gaius. Very little time was actually spent resting. Still, her wound had healed quickly. I honestly don't know if this is supposed to be unusual or just random narrative.
"Viviane, Gaius tells me your all patched up." Arthur said.
"Yes my lord." Viviane smiled. "Thank you for all the kindness you have showed me."
"Well, your welcome to stay as long as you want." Arthur assured her.
"Thank you, but it would be prudent of me to live here in luxury while others work to survive." Viviane explained. I don't think they ever said you could stay here for free...
"Where will you go from here?" Arthur asked understandingly.
"Wherever I can find work." Viviane shrugged.
"Actually," Gwen spoke up. "My maid left recently to help her brother with their shop. Convenient Well, anyway, the point is I would love to have you replace her if you're up to it." Very convenient.
"Thank you Milady, that is very generous of you." Viviane smiled "But I'm afraid I don't know the first thing about it."
"That's fine." Arthur dismissed. "Merlin here didn't know squat either when he first started. Isn't that right Merlin?" He called to his servant standing on the wing. Merlin just smiled fakely. The stick up his butt was really starting to hurt.
"Yes, and I know what to do, so I can help you with figuring it out." Gwen smiled.
"Thank you milady." Viviane bowed again.
"Great, and you'll be all fit to start tomorrow?" Arthur asked.
"I believe so my lord." Viviane smiled.
"I'm looking forward to it." Gwen smiled. Merlin's gut squirmed unpleasantly. He had a sudden realization that the king and queen's hiring process was actual trash. No interview. No resume. No references. She might have a criminal record! Or a drug problem! What if she was a veteran? Without even an application, how would they know? On a serious note, how have these two NOT been assassinated already? There security is virtually nonexistent for two monarchs with at least one evil half sister with murderous intentions.
Scene .oOo. CHANGE!
Merlin's arm ached he had been scrubbing Arthur's armor for hours and he still had the Shoulder pads. All the rest of Arthur's armor had been scrubbed to fine dust. Only the shoulder pads remained in their complete state. Between doing all his win chores lose chores were for losers and helping Viviane do learn the ropes he was exhausted. She got knots pretty quickly but she was really getting hung up different ropes on the royal ship. He was also finding her increasingly annoying. Same Merlin same.
"You're here too?" Merlin groaned. That annoying voice was back. He turned to see Viviane standing there, a sword in each hand. this is a plot hole but you don't know that yet. "I'm just running some odd jobs." Viviane explained, motioning to the swords in her hands. By odd jobs she meant murder. She was murdering people.
"I see." Merlin nodded, then turned back to the armor. Viviane watched him for a little while then spoke again.
"Why are you doing it like that?" she asked. Merlin turned to her surprised. "Doing it that way must take forever! There's no one around either." Welcome to vague sentences that can be misinterpreted, staring: Lady Lump!
"What are you suggesting?" Merlin asked nervously.
"What's going on here?" Gawain asked entering behind Viviane, who quickly moved out of the way as Leon and Percival entered in behind him. i.e. the Drunk, thing 1 and thing 2.
"I was just telling Merlin that he could clean armor quicker than that." Viviane explained. Merlin threw done the rag in disgust. It was gross and covered with horse crap.
"Alright then." He said turning to Viviane. "Show me how I could do it faster."
"Better yet, how about a race." Gawain suggested.
"Loser takes up dinner?" Viviane asked looking at Merlin.
"Your on." Merlin said picking up the rag again. He had no shame.
"Hope you aren't a sore loser." Viviane taunted.
"Save it for when you're serving the food alone." Merlin smirked.
Its a .oOo. Scene Change!
"… So I won't be there to serve dinner tonight." Viviane finished. wow that transition tho
"Well that was so sweet of Merlin to offer to do it for you tonight!" Gwen said beaming. Well its clear who SHE ships.
"Yes, unusually so." Arthur said, looking at Merlin strangely. It was jealousy. Arthur had never fully realized his feelings for Merlin but now that his wife was shipping his manservant with a random OC, Arthur felt a strange anger boil up inside him. Merlin just put on a fake smile as he cleaned the clothes off Arthur's bed.
"How about you just take the night off." Gwen said to Viviane.
"Are you sure milady?" Viviane asked astonished.
"Why not? You've been working so hard since you started, you deserve a little break. I can manage on my own for one night." Gwen winked. The twitch in her eye did not go unnoticed.
"Thank you milady." Viviane smiled. The queen was clearly having a stroke. One less barrier to the throne.
"Don't mention it, relax and enjoy yourself." Gwen smiled. Viviane bowed and excused herself out of the room. As she passed Merlin she smirked slightly. Because she's evil.
.oOo.
Merlin staggered to his room exhausted. Gaius was there alone thankfully. Merlin was pretty sure he could not deal with Viviane any more. Why did everyone else think so highly of her? Just because she was pretty? Or because she was some sort of warped portrayal of the author who is insecure about her friends and herself and finds security through writing herself into a tv show where she has complete control over who does what when because at least there she can find friends even if they are imaginary and act like cardboard cutouts of British people who live miles and miles away?
"Dinner's on the table" Gaius said motioning to the bowl of soup on the table. Merlin said nothing, but collapsed into the chair and inhaled the soup ravenously. "Try not to eat the bowl." Gaius commented. Merlin grunted in reply. Hunger had a habit of turning Merlin into a caveman.
"All finished?" Merlin almost choked. He looked around frantically. Where was the wild choking hazard coming from? "Look up." Viviane said. She was perched up in the loft, resting her chin on a big stack of books. Like a prick.
"Leave me alone." Merlin groaned as he finished the last of his small supper. His hunger satiated, Merlin found his ability to speak again.
"Aw, Gaius, Merlin doesn't like me." Viviane fake pouted.
"Shut up." Merlin rolled his eyes. Yes Viviane, shut up.
"Hey, tomorrow let's have a sword fight!" Viviane said excitedly. Merlin gave her a look. "Leon's been giving me some pointers and I want to see if I'm better than you now!"
"If you want to test your skill you should spar with one of the knights." Merlin said getting up.
"Is wittle merwin scawed?" Viviane asked.
"If your trying to taunt me it won't work." Merlin said laughing.
"Oh, come on!" Viviane whined, "It'll be really quick."
"Fine! Alright, I'll do it!" Merlin resigned. That was a really quick, unexplained change of heart. Viviane cheered making Merlin's headache worse. Even as a preteen I had issues. This fanfiction is actually a metaphor. Viviane represents everything I hate about myself and Merlin represents my self loathing.
"Alright, time for bed, both of you." Papa Gaius said waving Merlin toward his bedroom door.
"You can have the bed Papa Gaius, I'll sleep up here." Viviane said leafing through another book.
"Are you sure? It's not very comfortable up there." Gaius said raising an eyebrow.
"No, it's perfect up here. I'm just going to do a bit more ready before I hit the sack, don't mind me." She said nodding at the open book in her hand.
"Alright, but don't stay up too late."
"Will do." Viviane agreed before she lost herself in the books pages.
WOAHHHH CLIFFHANGER!
Can Viviane be trusted? Will Merlin ever smile in an unfake fashion?
Will Gaius awake to find holes through all his books, left their but a certain bookworm who will go unnamed?
Find out on the next installment of "Lady Viviane: How NOT to Write an Original Character"!