Chapter 3: Magic

Mary woke up in bright sunshine.

"Good morning, Milady", Gwen's voice sounded and Mary sat up in the bed to find out where exactly the maidservant was in this big room. Confused the lady looked around and snatched a glimpse of a shadow on her left.

"There you are", she said in relief and peeled herself out of the blanket. She never had understood how she was able to survive the nights when being completely rolled up in the blanket.

Actually she should suffocate every night anew or strangle herself.

Getting up she saw that Gwen had prepared breakfast. Yawning Mary walked to the table, stretched herself and took a seat. Curiously she looked at what the maidservant brought her.

"Looks good", she stated and began to eat. "Do you want some?", she asked Gwen who looked at her in surprise.

"No, thank you", she replied. "I already had breakfast. Besides, that's out of place."

"Oh no", Mary said with a wave of her hand. "Back at home we all had breakfast together. Well, when everyone had been around."

Gwen had already started to make the bed.

Mary wanted to stop her but then she remembered the words of her mother: It wouldn't be like it was in her family everywhere. In other households servants were not that close. Elsewhere servants were just servants.

Mary never had understood that. But now she saw how natural this was for Gwen.

"May I ask you something?", Mary asked the maidservant.

"Of course", Gwen answered and came to the Lady.

"King Uther told me to go and see the physician." Mary had to reflect on the reason for a second before she remembered it: "Because of my nightmares. Where can I find him?"

Gwen explained the way to him and then continued tidying up the room while Mary ate her breakfast and watched the maidservant doing her work. In some kind of way the lady was fascinated by that. Like by so many other things.

"Do you need anything else?" Gwen asked finally and Mary shook her head.

The maidservant dropped a small curtsey and left the room.

Today she did not seem as stiff and upset as the day before, Mary realized.

Then she changed her clothes and went on her way to find the physician.

It was a tiny little bit chaotic.

Strange gadgets and constructional systems stood on the tables, here and there liquids were bubbling, probably mixed together from different herbs and ingredients stacked in the cupboards.

Mary stared with her mouth wide opened. It all reminded her of dad's old study. Including the rashes of books conquering every free space and some shelves.

With a joyful laugh she took one of the books and started reading immediately.

"Who are you?", someone asked wondering, surprised and slightly caught in the act.

Mary looked up. She had not even noticed the old man with the white hair standing there on the other side of the room.

She closed the book but still held it in her hand and walked towards him.

"I'm Mary. King Uther told me to see you", she explained putting a smile on her face. She almost could not hold back her excitement over this place.

The old man looked at her surprised and thoughtfully. Then he seemed to remember, smiled and came to her, took her hand.

"Lady Mary, of course", he said delighted. "The last time I saw you, you just were born. You look like your mother, but you have your father's eyes."

„You knew my parents? They never told me that."

"Of course", the man replied. "Your father was a good friend of the king and I took care of your mother while she was pregnant. Take a seat. Uther said you are suffering from nightmares?"

Mary sat down. Her parents never had talked about the time before and shortly after her birth. This confused her.

"Uhm, yes.", she finally replied silently. "Nightmares. Because of the death of my parents." You get used to fibbing, she thought.

The man looked at her doubtfully and Mary looked him straight into his eyes, not understanding his curious look. Did he suspect anything? Or did he know anything?

Finally he turned around, went to a small cupboard and took a little bottle out.

"This will help you to sleep. Take it before you go to bed. I will make sure that you get a new bottle every day", he explained and gave her the potion.

"Thank you", she said and just as she was about to ask him about her parents a young man dashed in from the side room.

"Gaius", he started but then noticed the visitor, stopped like glued to the spot, staring at her.

Mary stared back. He had been in the hall yesterday, had he not?

She shifted her head a bit, looking straight into his eyes – and it hit her like a stroke.

"A magician!", she yelled out, jumped out of her seat, walked towards him, remained in front of him glooming and looked at him up and down. Shocked and stock-still he stood there.

"You are a magician", she repeated joyfully.

Confused and a bit scared he looked from Mary to Gaius and back. He was searching for words, but remained silent, looking around hectically.

Mary did not understand his reaction.

"You ARE a magician, aren't you?", she asked this time, looking for answers inside the young man and then turned around to ask Gaius: "Is he?"

The physician walked towards her, took her arm to lead her back to the chair.

Uncomprehending she stared at him with her big eyes, sat down and waited for an explanation.

"Do you have powers yourself, Lady Mary?", Gaius asked. The young man seemed even more confused. He sat down, staring at both of them.

Mary lowered her head.

"No", she said with a low voice. "Unfortunately not."

"But you detect magic and magicians?" he continued asking.

Mary nodded.

"And I guess that your parents did not die because of a riding accident?", Gaius stated finally.

„No, they died fighting a strange monster", Mary told them. "It had destroyed a village close by and had injured many people. They came to my parents asking for help. Everyone knew that they were magicians. Father wanted to go on his own but my mother did not allow that. Together they would be stronger, she said. Well, she was right. If father had gone alone he would have died and the monster would still be alive. Together they were able to kill it. But the price was their life."

Tears ran down Mary's cheek. She had loved her parents so much.

Gaius put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her and turned to the young man: "Mary's parents were magicians but kept their powers secret. They used to live in Camelot but by the time Uther banned magic staying here became more and more difficult. A life without magic seemed too hard for them. Shortly after the birth of their daughter, Lady Mary, they went to the outer territories."

"Ah", the young man just said.

Mary looked up.

"Banned?", she asked marvelled.

"Magic is being punished", the young man replied bitter. "Uther has banned it."

"You have to be very careful", Gaius warned her. "Even if you don't have powers yourself you will be accused of it if your story becomes known. Knowing your parents I assume, they had let you grow up in a little world of magic. Note this: It is forbidden here. People accused of using magic are executed."

"Of course", she replied more in shock than in understanding.

"Merlin?", Gaius turned to the young man. "Escort Mary to her rooms."

He got up immediately, nodding keenly with a smile on his face.

Merlin twinkled.

"We will get to handle this", he said grinning and leading her outside.