I wake up and scream in pain as I feel my wound open up.
"Come on witch, time to burn," a voice heavy with the sent of rum speaks close to my face. I scream again louder and out of fear. Footsteps move outside of the door, I freeze bracing for more troops to come in and kill me.
"Let her go!" a figure yells at the man, I see the flash of his blade. "I command you," this has to me Arthur.
"You heard him, blade down!" I say filled with new energy, I hit the mans hand with my knee and grab the hilt of the blade and plunge it into the stone floor. I stand and my blood soaked hand rests on my attackers solder and he stairs at me as my eyes close and I collapse.
"Auther, he is trying to kill her, is that what you teach your knights? To raise a weapon at a lady?" Merlin was shouting at Arthur, Arthur was sitting in a chair looking at me as my eyes flicker open.
"Who are you calling a lady? Surly not me," I say weekly and smile at the two men who protect me. I try to sit up and wince in pain before sliding backwards.
"Yes you, Merlin here said you were good as dead," Arthur said and Merlin's eyes opened wide. "But he also wants me to unknight the man who did this to you."
"I never said that," Merlin said looking at Arthur, "I never said you were good as dead," he says looking right at me I raise my hand to silence him, he gives a frustrated grin and leans against the wall.
"This man who stabbed me, he is angry that I defeated him in front of you. I took his honor, me falling and holding his shoulder with a blood soaked hand gave that back to him in a sick twisted way. This will never happen again, I'm positive of this," I say looking down at my stomach it was stitched up but I was alive. "Merlin, thanks for caring about me so much. It's more than any one has done for a long, long time," I smile at him as he sits on the bed next to me, he holds my hand in both of his, he kissed the back of it. I hold his face in my hands and look in to his eyes, he leans forward and my arms wrap around his neck. I really like this boy! He slides closer, Arthur stands up and ruins the moment. I bight my lower lip as I look away. Merlin kissed my cheek in a rush to follow the prince. I frown and look down at my blood soaked tank top and scooped up the one dress I had I put on the materiel and took my blue cloche off the window. I take my sword and put it in its pocket, I shove my pair of thin shoes on and took the pen from the dresser top and wrought on a piece of scrap paper "off to see the town, see you at dusk". I opened the door and walked with purpose down the corridor and down the stairs, I pushed my way out the door and in to the deserted street, I turned sharply to one direction and walked to the courtyard, Merlin was in it with Arthur, I looked at them, talking. My head jerked to the side as I walked into an alley.
"You looking for trouble little miss?" a large man said from the shadows.
"Well its gonna take more than you to start trouble," I say passing him and moving further into the shadows.
"More than me? Who are you?" the man asks standing up and looking at me.
"The most horrifying nightmares you could ever have," I say dismissing him, he grabs my arm with his large hand I smile as I twist around. "I don't suggest you touch me," I say punching his lower jaw, he lets me go to punch me in the stomach. I drop to the ground before he hits me, I jab him in the arm reputedly he drops to the ground unable to move.
"Azalya?" Merlin calls down the alley, I wave hesitantly at him. He runs to me and pulls me out of the alley he looks me over to see if I was hurt I wasn't and he hugged me.
"Merlin, I'm fine, don't worry about me, I'm tough," I say pulling my curly hair back with a ribbon I had raped arrowed my arm as a bracelet. I pull my hood up and try to walk past Merlin, he grabs my wrist and looks into my eyes.
"What'd I do?" he asks.
"Nothing, I need to clear my head, that's all," I say patting his hand, he lets me go and I walk down the dirt road, I walk through the paths connecting the servants homes and stop at a well and sit on the outer rim. I let the tears fall slowly and silently, this is moor than I wanted to deal with. Gwenevell came over to me and lowered my hood, I look at her and she has sympathy in her eyes, I collapse crying into her small frame. I shake my head and concentrate on regulating my breathing, I stop crying and wipe the salt water off my face, looking up at the sky I stand. "Merlin," I whisper and run to the castle as fast as I could, he grabbed me as I entered the walls and wrapped me in his arms. "Sorry I'm late," I say looking in to his eyes, he smiles and I smile back.
"Are you ok?" he asks.
"Yes, are you?" I ask kissing his forehead.
"Perfect, now," he says looking back at me with my sudden burst of happiness. I lead him to the hall with the door to my little room, I hug him and kiss his cheek before saying good night and going in my room, I sleep soundly that night safe in my bed, no one came to kill me, I felt safe for the first time in a long time.
"Did you sleep well?" Merlin asks me as I walk out of my room and to the kitchen.
"Ya," I say while yawning, "How about you?" I sat down next to him and prop my head up with my hands, elbows on the table.
"I've been up for three hours. I slept well," he flattens a piece of my hair as he talks, I roll my eyes.
"Well mister, I like sleeping. don't you normally take care of Auther?" I ask looking around the room.
"Ya, but he has to go on this quest, he has to do this alone. Now he is in the throne room waiting for a vision," he says curling his fingers in my messy hair.
"Should we go make sure he's ok? Weird stuff happens here," I say pulling his hand out of my hair.
"ya I wanted to see that you were ok though first, you seam to attract metal," he said and thin stands and leaves. I hurry to my room and change into my armor and peasant close, my sword on my hip. I run down the stairs and almost run into Guinevere, she was peeking through the door at Auther, she was standing next to Merlin.
"thought I could be of assistance," I say looking at the two fiends, they jump at the sound of my voice, Merlin stretched his arm out towards me and I ducked under it and look through the crack in the door, Auther was kneeling in the low light his head was bent, my hand reached for him.
"He looks so fragile," I breath, Merlin rubs my shoulder and I let the humidity lessen in the room as I lower my hand. I curl my fingers into Merlin's and we step away from the door, Guinevere had left. I close the door and lean against Merlin, he was up against the wall next to the door, we slide down that wall and sit on the floor close to the door, close to Auther. My head rested against Merlin's shoulder he leans in a way that makes me feel like he is protecting me, I fall asleep on his shoulder to his steady breathing. I am kicked awake, I feel my hands press against worm, ruff cloth and I open my eyes. My face was inches away from Merlin's, I jump a little not expecting to be that close to him, he stirs and opens his eyes. He gives me that goofy smile of his and I put my forehead against his.
"Hey love birds, get up, Uather is coming," a servant said as they kick my foot. I stand up as fast is I can using a little air-bending on the way. I extend my hand out to him and he takes it gently, pulling him up I look at his face, I rub the dirt smudges from his face with my thumb, he looks my face over. Guyus grabs Merlin by the arm and takes him into the throne room, I follow grabbing Merlin's hand, I stand next to him in the line, Auther was still kneeling in the position that he was in yesterday when I last saw him. The doors open loudly and I turn my head a fraction of an inch and see the king walk in the room, he lays his hand on his sons shoulder.
"Have you decided?" he asks looking at his boy.
"Yes father, I will go to the paralyses lands and retrieve the trident," he said this as he looked at his father for approval.
"Yes very good my son, a feast shall be prepared in honor of this act," he waved his hand in dismissal to the servants, the knights remained, and I did too standing as still as stone staring at Auther. "You are dismissed," he the king says not expecting to see another servant besides Merlin in the room.
"Come there is much to be done Merlin," Auther says taking Merlin by the shoulder, I drag by his hand.
"Auther, I don't know the lands as you do but that place sounds terrible," I say sitting on his bed and covering my face with my hands.
"Azalya, they are not as paralyses as you staying after my father dismissed the servants," he said I hear the clanking of old chain mail being removed and him changing behind the screen.
"You know as well as I that I am no servant," I say shaking my head, he knows that I am not the proper lady I should be.
"I know and it saddens me to see you putting your self in the way of unfortunate happenings," he said coming before me and taking my hands off my face, his light blue eyes gazed into my darker ones as he kissed my hand.
"My life has been an unfortunate event," I say looking away and sighing.
"Never say that," he had taken my face in his hands after I looked away and he gently made me look at him, "Never."
"But it's true!" I say pushing him away from me. "I am a street rat, a cheating, stealing, lying street rat. Auther you must know this in your hart to be true, I am not what I seem! I am not worthy of your high praise!" I say wanting to tell him everything, I stand and head for the door.
"Listen to me Azalya you may have been that in the past but I forgave you, you are worthy, it is I who am not. I was born into this role taught it, but you, you are a princess at hart, strong and brave. It matters not if you are proper, your heart is what shows who you really are. Being striped of a tittles is what makes you grand!" Auther was trying to tell me how grand I was, he sees moor in me than I do.
"Auther Azalya, you ok I heard yelling," Merlin had entered probably after snooping.
"Merlin," I whisper in terror, I look at my hands wrapped in Aurther's his face inches from mien.
"Azalya its fine, you don't love me, I was a fool to think you would, I apologize," he set down the armor he was carrying and shut the door behind him.
"Oh Merlin," I whisper staring at him my face full of pain. "Oh but I do Merlin! I do, I love you!" I say looking at him, Auther let my hands drop, he looked frustrated that this all happened. I step towards Merlin and he wraps his arms arrowed me protectively, I raise up on my tiptoes and I kiss him.
If you have any comments as to the weirdness of this chapter just ask me about it in the comments if you think she should be in love with Auther I'm sorry I need this couple later. If you have any concerns tell me, and I apologize for my spelling I cant spell worth crap and I know it. BTW I own nothing!