The Lost King—Chapter 9
"WHY AM I HERE!" Arthur demanded.
That was the question that had been on Addy's mind since she had first lain eyes on Arthur again. What was Arthur doing here? How had he come back to life in the first place? It seemed like a really important question, one that kept nagging at her. Something she should know, but couldn't quite remember. She recalled the words of the strange little doctor. "Remember what I told you," he had said. It had seemed cryptic, more than just a doctor giving advise. But what was she supposed to remember? All she could recall was small talk about all the snow they were having in Cardiff and something that going on in the news. Nothing that would pertain to her situation now. "They will need your help, before the end." What was that supposed to mean? She did have a slight feeling that there was something more, something he gave her...something round...small...shiny. Then, it was gone. Her mind had gone blank. She let out a frustrated cry and stomped her foot on the ground.
Merlin spun around, suddenly recalling she was there. "Oh! Addy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
She waved him off with a polite smile. "-no worries. I was just thinking of something else."
"And who is this, Merlin?" Arthur asked, somewhat annoyed. But not by her, by the fact that he had seen the girl standing there and Merlin hadn't yet introduced her. Sometimes, he could be such an idiot.
Merlin replied with a nervous flutter. "This is Addy."
Putting her troublesome thoughts aside for the moment, she turned to Arthur. "Sire," she said, bowing. "It's good to see you again."
"We've met?" He asked, looking her up and down. She was a slight girl with dark hair and wide hazel eyes. He was positive that if they had met before he would have remembered her.
"Yes," she continued. "Long ago. In Camelot. Although I believe I probably looked quite different." She tossed aside her doctor disguise and pulled down her bun, letting her hair spill about her face. "Your men found me in the forest and thought I was a spy."
"You!" He said incredulously. "Yes, I remember, now. The peculiar one. So, you're here, too?"
Merlin took a step back. The look in Addy's eyes was nothing short of an inferno. "Peculiar one?" She repeated angrily. "I'll have you know, I had just travelled back in time a thousand years. You try it and see if it doesn't mess you up. Oh, wait. You did. And you ended up running around naked and scaring a bunch of Welsh villagers!" She was pointing at him, barely even coming up to his shoulders.
A slightly shocked Arthur stood back and gaped. This woman had some fire! It's no wonder Merlin was clearly so taken with her. Even now, he was watching her berate him with a sappy puppy-dog look in his eye. But what she saw in Merlin, he would never know.
He held out his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Calm down, my lady. I did not mean to insult you."
She seethed and huffed. Then she glanced at Merlin. He was giving her a 'he's a prat, but what can you do?' look. She sighed.
"So," Arthur said to Merlin. "Travelled back in time? Is she a sorcerer like you?"
Addy laughed sarcastically. "Like him? I have no magic. And he's, well, he's Merlin. The greatest sorcerer ever to have lived. He's doesn't have magic, Arthur. He is magic. Do you really not know that?"
Arthur did not, apparently. "'Is magic?' Him? What is that supposed to mean?" He laughed.
A fierce wave of protectiveness surged inside her. "You really don't know anything, do you? Do you know how many times he saved your life? Or what it was like for him to live at Camelot with the constant fear of exposure and death hanging over his head? Or what it was like for him to be put down and picked on and never get any recognition? He's always been there for you, Arthur. Believing in you, counseling you, saving you. And yet, you still treat him like he's an idiot and nothing more than your servant!" She had no idea where all this had come from. The intensity of the emotions were scaring her, and yet, she still couldn't stop herself. "You would be nothing without him! Just show him a little respect!"
She realized that they were both gaping at her. Feeling embarrassed but still angry, she said, "Look. I'm tired. I'm freezing. And I'm starving. Just... get in the car." And with that she walked past them and climbed into her driver's seat, leaving the two of them frozen where they stood.
Arthur was the first to recover. "Are all women from this age like that?" He asked with equal parts revulsion and curiosity.
Merlin shrugged, a bemused smile lingering about his eyes. "I don't know. But I've never met anyone like her. Not in a thousand years."
Author's note-
So this was my attempt to right some of the wrongs Merlin has had to suffer. :( Hope it was okay. I know it was pretty brief.
As always Reviews are welcome. BIG thanks to all of you who have reviewed so far. I believe there will be four more chapters after this one. And things are about to get a little dangerous for our trio... the Afanc is coming!