Author's Note: ….I have nothing to say except for an apology for my horribleness concerning my updates—or lack thereof. Before we roll into this chapter, there are some people I'd like to thank—the reviewers!

Moon Fox: I'm so glad you've liked the start! Lindsey and I have loved your Coins saga, so it is pretty cool to hear from you!

Castgirl: Thank you so much! I am planning on sticking with this idea, even though my updating schedule is horrible (I apologize yet again).

Phoenixfire513: I'm glad you enjoy it thus far, and I hope you continue to do so!

Now enough of my chatter, here's the chapter!

I awoke to my brother standing over me, a sly grin plastered on his face and a sparkle of mischief in his blue eyes.

"Why are you in my room?" I demanded, aiming a pillow at him.

"Thought you wanted to start training," he replied. "Best to get an early start!"

I groaned, rolling over and pulling my blankets over my head. "Not. Happening."

"Well, this is the last chance you'll get today, as I am a very busy prince," Arthur sing-songed before bouncing on my bed. "Come on, sister dear; it's a wonderful day to practice that form of yours!"

"How did you get in?" I mumbled into my pillow, trying to go back to sleep.

I felt one of my brother's hands slip around my waist. "Allison is such a sweet girl."

"I'm going to kill her," I hissed as Arthur ripped my blankets off of me, scooping me up like a sack of potatoes and carrying me away. "I don't have my sword!" I protested, lacking the energy to kick and bang my fists on his chest to free myself as I did when we were children—well, younger children.

"I have two," he replied, not missing a step before sitting me down and handing me one of his blades, its weight a little different than the one I normally practiced with. "Now, let's begin with your stance…"

"Are you still going to kill me?" Allison asked, her voice light as we walked through the market, searching for some material and other odds and ends, since I had a little time to spare before I had lunch with my father at noon.

i sighed dramatically. "I think I have the heart to forgive you—just this once." Allison smiled, swinging her basket on her arm. After my first 'official' lesson with Arthur, I stumbled back into my room to find breakfast, a tub of water at the perfect temperature, and a dress all waiting on me. Even though she does some silly things—like letting my brother into my chambers at an unspeakable hour in the morning—the redhead beside me was truly the picture-perfect maid. "I honestly have no idea how you put up with me," I confessed; a sparkle came into her eye.

"Oh, I manage."

"Hang on!"

Allison laughed, though it trailed off as she glanced behind me. "Oh, no," she whispered.

I turned around, seeing my brother throwing daggers at his current manservant as he ran, using a target as a shield. "Poor Morris," I sighed, shaking my head at Arthur's antics.

"Poor Morris indeed," she agreed. "What on earth happened between those few minutes you and Arthur were born?"

I laughed. "Honestly? I have no idea."

Allison shrugged. "Well, at least I got stuck with the nicer one of the two."

"I'm overjoyed you view your job as being 'stuck with' me."

"You're very welcome, m'lady." I smiled at her teasing, grateful she was not as stiff and overly proper around me as other maids that I had in the past. Her easygoing, relaxed nature around me let me see her as a friend instead of just a servant, and for that I was very glad.

"Oh, look!" Allison's calling made me look back to where Arthur was now fighting a boy with black hair. I had no clue what had happened to cause this, but it wasn't working in the other boy's favour. In a moment, he turned, and I caught a glimpse of his face. He looked strangely familiar…

"Why did he do that?" I asked, exasperated as Arthur had two guards drag the poor boy away. "He's such a prat sometimes," I huffed.

"If you need to visit someone, m'lady, I can look for what you need on my own."

I nodded in thanks to Allison, then I went to see if I could help get the boy out of trouble. First things first, I needed to pay Gaius a visit.

"Gaius!" I exclaimed, almost running into the physician outside of his door. "I was just about to look for you! I saw my brother got tangled up with a boy in the square; I was wondering—"

"Yes, it was Merlin," Gaius finished, frustrated. "That boy is a never-ending puzzle." He shook his head.

"Lady Kyndra?"

I turned, seeing a servant rushing towards me. "Yes, Aidan?" I asked once the boy regained his breath.

"The King…the King sent me to look for you."

"Oh, I'd lost track of the time. Tell him I'll be there shortly. Thank you, Aidan." After the boy had disappeared again, I turned back to Gaius. "I have to go—Father's expecting me for lunch. If there's anything I can do to help…please, do not hesitate to ask."

Gaius smiled, patting my hand. "Thank you, my lady. Now, off you go, before you're too late."

"I apologize for being late, Father," I said as I sat down next to Morgana and across from Arthur.

"No harm was done, my dear," he replied, patting my hand and smiling. He would never admit it, but the great King Uther had a one soft spot in his heart—me. The majority of Camelot knows it, but no one brings it to light.

"So, Kyndra, what all have you done this fine day?" Morgana asked, thanking to the servant that poured more wine in her goblet with a smile.

I smiled, rolling a grape around in my fingers before popping it into my mouth. "Not much, Morgana. I just spent a little time with Allison in the market...then I met a boy."

I saw Father's head snap up. "A boy? Where?"

"Oh, we met yesterday, but I saw him again while I was at the market," I replied nonchalantly. "Apparently, he ruffled Arthur's peacock feathers a little." I watched as Arthur's face began to match his shirt, then continued. "He was a sweet boy; black hair, blue eyes—very polite. His name is Merlin, if I remember correctly. He'd be excellent company, I think. Don't you agree, Morgana?"

Morgana was beaming as Arthur fumed. "Oh, yes. Excellent company indeed."

"In my defense, Father, he deliberately insulted me in front of my men," Arthur spoke up, his blush beginning to fade.

"And I am sure it will all be worked out in time," Father, still trying to hide a chuckle, smoothed in. "Right now, we should worry less about a boy in the market and more about the Lady Helen's arrival; she is due here in a few hours." With that, the three of us excused ourselves and left Father to prepare for the evening.

Once Arthur parted ways with Morgana and me, the brunette linked arms with me, her jade eyes sparkling. "So, who is this mystery boy?" she inquired.

"Oh, just a boy Gaius is taking care of," I replied, rolling my eyes at her raised eyebrow. "My goodness, Morgana, I've spoken to him once!"

"That's right," she replied, laughing, "I'd almost forgotten you preferred knights in shining armour." At this, she winked at a knight as he passed by; he quickly blinked, bowed, and mumbled "My Ladies" as quickly as he could while trying to hide his tomato-red face.

"Owain is just a friend, Morgana," I insisted once the knight had hurried away, "a very good friend."

Morgana nodded as we stopped at her chambers, though a grin was still on her face. "Your secret is safe with me." She patted my hand that was looped in her arm, her happy demeanour fading. "I am glad you're going to be with me to welcome Lady Helen. I spoke with Uther last night and insisted that I would not be there, since all this is to celebrate…"

"I understand," I replied, squeezing her arm so she did not have to finish. "It's hard to understand why he does all of this, but...he's doing what he thinks is best."

Morgana nodded. "I know...it's just difficult to try to get him to see that it is not all evil, that there is some good that could come from it." With that, she slipped inside her room, closing the door quietly behind her. I sighed, then walked to my own chambers to prepare for the arrival of Lady Helen.

It seemed like the dead of night when I was finally summoned to the Throne Room to greet Lady Helen as she arrived.

As I glided between Guinevere and Morgana, my father sent me a soft smile from his throne. "Just in time, Kyndra," he whispered as the doors opened, revealing the singer in a rich purple dress with a high gold belt around her waist.

"Lady Helen." Father rose, as she finally reached us, allowing her to curtsy before taking her hands in his own. "Thank you so much for coming to sing at our celebrations."

"The pleasure's all mine," she replied, her hazel eyes sparkling.

"How was your journey?"

Helen sighed. "Oh, the time it took, Sire."

Father smiled again before kissing her knuckles. "Well, it's always worth the wait."

"It will be," she promised, holding a hand to her heart and smiling.

"I'm sure she's exhausted from traveling," I began, looking towards my father, "and I know that cannot bode well for one's voice. Father, let one of the knights escort the Lady Helen to her chambers for the evening, that way we may all get some rest. We all have busy days ahead of us."

"Yes, of course," Father agreed, giving Helen one last smile before she was escorted out of the throne room.

As the doors closed behind our guest and the others, I took the chance to grin at my father. "Well, someone seems a little smitten."

"I am just glad she made it safely here, that is all," he insisted, though he tried to avoid my eyes, which amused me even more.

"Come, Father; you can say a woman is pleasing to you, I won't mind. Arthur, on the other hand…"

"He'll never let me hear the end of it," Father groaned, making the both of us laugh aloud. "My dear...you won't say anything to Arthur?"

"Not a word; I promise."

The king smiled, kissing my cheek. "I do think it is time for all of us to get some rest, as you so wisely suggested before I did something...quite stupid."

"You did seem a little speechless for a moment there," I teased, the two of us trying to swallow our laughter to prevent waking the others sleeping in the castle.

"Yes. Sleep well, Kyndra."

"Good night, Father."

The next morning, I walked to the lower town with Allison's dear friend and fellow maid, Guinevere, to try to find something nice to surprise Morgana to wear for the quickly-approaching banquet. Since she and I were so close, Guinevere hoped that our two brains could come up with something.

As we walked, we passed a laughing Gaius, a crowd of children eagerly looking for rotten fruit and vegetables, and an unfortunate soul standing in the stocks. "Do you know him?" I asked Guinevere, nodding towards the boy.

"I do not," she admitted before walking towards him. "We can find out, though."

Once we got closer, the boy raised his head, revealing raven hair speckled with bits of food and bright blue eyes. It was Merlin.

Though I knew his name, I let Guinevere, who was usually quite reserved, to speak first. "I'm Guinevere, but most people call me Gwen," she began, a cheerful smile on her face and her brown eyes warm. "I'm the Lady Morgana's maid, and this is the Lady Kyndra."

"Right," he replied, looking slightly embarrassed. "I'm Merlin." He hesitated for a moment before sticking his hand further out of the stocks, shaking Guinevere's hand before my own. "Although, most people just call me Idiot," he admitted.

I shook my head. "Oh, no; I saw what you did. It was so brave."

Merlin shook his head. "It was stupid."

"Well, I'm glad you walked away. You weren't going to beat him," Guinevere declared, and I tried to bite back a grin. As sweet as she was, the maid could be very...honest, to say the least.

Merlin snorted. "Oh, I...I can beat him."

"You think? Because you don't look like one of these big, muscley kind of fellows."

"...Thanks."

Guinevere suddenly realised how she sounded and immediately began to back-pedal. "No! No...um...oh dear…"

"I'm sure you're stronger than you look," I put in, trying to help the poor maid find some words.

"Yes! It's just, um...Arthur's one of these real rough, tough, save-the-world kind of men, and...well…"

"What?" Merlin asked, looking almost afraid of what would come out of Guinevere's mouth next.

"You don't look like that."

I watched as his blue eyes sparkled as he looked around, making sure no one was near before motioning us to come closer. "I'm in disguise."

"Well, it's great you stood up to him," Guinevere summarised once we had all laughed at Merlin's joke.

"What? You think so?" He asked, looking from her to me.

I sighed, thinking about my brother. "Arthur can be a real prat, especially to those he thinks are below him. I do think he needs someone to tell him 'no' every now and then."

Guinevere nodded. "Everyone thought you were a real hero."

Merlin's eyes widened a little in surprise. "Oh, yeah?"

"Mm-hmm," the two of us chorused as children reappeared, arms and baskets laden with ammunition.

"Oh, excuse me, Guinevere, Lady Kyndra. My...fans are waiting."

Guinevere and I nodded, getting out of the line of fire just as the pelting resumed. "What do you think?" she asked, once we were safely away and out of earshot.

"Of what?" I asked.

"Of him. Of Merlin."

"He seems like a nice boy. Maybe in need on a lesson or two concerning tact, but nevertheless, very kind." We walked for a few steps in silence before I asked her, "What about you, Guinevere? Did you like him?"

The maid beside me nodded. "He was nice, just like you said, m'lady. I have a feeling we'll be seeing him again soon."

"Maybe so," I smiled at Guinevere before heading to my chambers for another lesson with Arthur.