Merlin and Anna stood in silence momentarily.

"Well, we don't have to wait till the competitions over, do we?" Anna started.

"No..." Merlin continued.

"We could get together in secret..." Anna suggested.

"But where. I'm supposed to be on call for Arthur 28/9."

"28/9?"

"28 hours a day, 9 days a week." Merlin sighed.

"I know the feeling." Anna agreed. "I should still be going..." She turned.

"Wait," Merlin touched her fingers. "When will I see you again?"

"How about at the Tavern tonight?" She asked.

"You sure that's the best of ideas?" Merlin asked.

"It's somewhere neither Arthur nor Oliver would dare go. You know Camelot better than I do, where else?" Anna was unsure.

"I guess. Ok. I'll meet you there at 7.30." Merlin smiled, Anna returned it and left, quietly shutting Merlin's door behind her. Merlin punched the air in triumph and smiled his face off. He went back out to Gaius.

"What happened? She looked unbelievably happy when she left..." Gaius was inquisitive.

"Oh, nothing, nothing." Merlin shrugged. Gaius raised an eyebrow. Merlin's excitement over took him. "I got a girl!" He exclaimed.

"Right... and what about Arthur?"

"Arthur's not a girl..."

"No, I meant are you really going to have time for Arthur and keeping up a relationship?" Gaius was being practical; Merlin was just excited about getting a girl let alone keeping it up.

"I've got a first date; I'm just going to see where it goes." Merlin shrugged. Gaius shrugged and went back to his work. "I should go see if Arthur wants anything." Merlin muttered, leaving the room.

Arthur only wanted a word.

"I saw you with that girl again Merlin."

"No! No! When I was carrying your armour I couldn't see and crashed into her. She offered to help!" Merlin exclaimed. He did manage to leave out the bit where they arranged to meet at the Tavern.

"I think, there's something about her you can't stay away from Merlin."

"I wouldn't disobey you, Sire."

"You know you would Merlin, you have before and most probably will in the foreseeable future." Arthur taunted. "Yet that doesn't stop the fact I still ban you from seeing her. At least until the tournament is over."

"Yes, Sire." Merlin sighed, getting on with his chores. If I get caught, He thought.

"Merlin, it's 8 o clock, you may go now." Merlin's eyes widened as he remembered what time he told Anna.

"Thank you, Sire." Merlin didn't rush, or he'd look really suspicious. He went back to Gaius briefly to explain where he was going and he didn't know when he'd be back.

As Merlin arrived at the Tavern at quarter past 8 and he saw Anna trudging away.

"Anna!" He called, running after her. She turned at her name.

"Merlin? Where've you been?" She asked; her face lighting up at his arrival.

"Arthur." Merlin said one word and Anna nodded in understanding.

"I told Oliver I was 'ill' to get out of working tonight." Anna smiled and made quotation marks in the air.

"You still want to go in?" Merlin asked, looking back at the tavern, flinching when he heard an awful cry of a drunken man breaking another drunken man's nose.

"Maybe not in there." Anna answered and Merlin smiled.

"I know this great place." He smiled and slipped his hand in Anna's and jogged into the forest.

Merlin took Anna to a clearing, it was lit by the bright moon and there were a variety of beautiful plants; ranging from 5 leaved purple flowers to drooping willow tree's that swayed in the light breeze.

"Merlin, it's beautiful." Anna smiled, looking at the stunning night around her. Merlin helped Anna into the small wooden boat that he could row downstream. They sat in silence momentarily.

"Arthur has banned me from seeing you, again." Merlin mentioned.

"Maybe we should wait till after the tournament." Anna sighed.

"No. That's too long away!" Merlin protested.

"What if Arthur finds out?"

"Then I lose my job, starve to death and die." Merlin stated, Anna laughed.

"The Final is in 3 days, and then I will be leaving with my master."

"Couldn't you stay in Camelot?"

"I could. But I wouldn't have a job; I'd starve to death and die." Anna repeated Merlin's words exactly.

"King Uther isn't heartless; he'd get you a job."

"I've seen the poor here, there's people dying, he doesn't seem to notice."

"Arthur will change that when he becomes King." Merlin reinforced his belief in Arthur.

"Yeah, but he doesn't like me." Anna sighed.

"He doesn't know you. He doesn't have any right not to like you." Merlin told her.

"Maybe I will stick around after the tournaments over." Anna muttered.

"That'd be great." Merlin enthused.

"My Mother used to tell me I was clever, it couldn't be that hard getting a job." Anna mused.

"I live with the Court Physician. He'd accept help if it was offered."

"Let's wait for the competition finish first." Anna wasn't sure. They floated in silence for a minute.

"What's Sir Oliver like then?" Merlin asked.

"I don't really know him that well. I'm just his servant." Anna didn't try to make conversation.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, just tired. It was a long journey here." Anna whispered. Merlin noticed Anna was clutching her side, as if injured.

"Are you sure?" Merlin asked, concern etched into his voice.

"I'm sure." Anna smiled to reassure him. "I should probably be getting back. My master has more matches tomorrow, I need to be awake." Anna smiled at Merlin and he rowed them back to the riverside.

"When will we see each other again?"

"Maybe back here tomorrow night? I'm sorry I've been such a bore today." Anna apologised.

"Don't worry. Riding can tire you out after long journeys." Merlin understood.

"So back here tomorrow night?" Anna confirmed and Merlin nodded. Anna reached up on her toes and kissed Merlin's cheek. "Goodnight." She whispered and ran off back towards the city. Merlin smiled to himself.

Thanks to sci-fi geek1133 and Cooper101 for the reviews, and Ellerosser, narnia365 and selene sheppard for the alerts.

Please recommend and review xxx

~SalJCDKSL