The Dragon's Call - Part 3

Estelle woke with the sun, the sounds of birds chittering outside of her window coaxing her into waking consciousness. She'd had a restless sleep. Every few hours, she'd woken to the sound of someone calling her name. It was an unfamiliar voice - deep and gravelly - and it had seemed to rattle and echo inside her mind. At one point, Estelle thought she was going insane. A part of her blamed her own negligence - she'd kept forgetting to take the potions Gaius had been making for her. Though, deep down, she knew that the voice she'd heard was a completely unrelated issue.

A faint swishing sound caught her attention. She glanced over to find Nora tiptoeing her way around the bedchambers, evidently trying to organise the room while she thought Estelle slept soundly. The redhead smiled fondly and slowly stretched out with a yawn, subtly telling Nora that she was, in fact, awake.

"My Lady - I did not realise you were awake!" Eleanora informed her, a note of apology in her tone.

"It's quite alright, Nora," Estelle assured with a laugh. "I was admiring your efforts in keeping quiet." A tired grin stretched across her lips and her maidservant rolled her eyes with a huff.

Nora hurried around the room, taking a cursory glance back towards Estelle - who still lounged about on her bed. "Well, if that's the case, you won't mind getting yourself dressed while I get some things in order," she all-but ordered the princess.

The laugh that followed echoed through the vast corridor outside of Estelle's bedchamber, catching the curious attention of all nearby stewards.

"Of course - anything for you, Nora," the redhead responded, still chuckling happily when the grumpy maidservant huffed again.

Estelle ambled out of her comfortable bed, the skirts of her nightgown tickling her ankles as she moved towards one of her dressers. She scanned through her options thoughtfully, humming as she deliberated. "Nora - what do I have on the agenda today?"

"Well," the brunette began. "Prince Arthur insisted on your presence during the hunt today, you've got a lesson in needlework this afternoon and the feast dedicated to the Lady Helen is later tonight."

Estelle listened to Nora's re-telling of the day ahead and, she had to admit, she was a tad disappointed. Immediately, she'd written off the needlework lesson - not that she would tell Nora that. She'd learnt all she formally needed to know on the skill and would not further subject herself to that torture. Instead, she found the only thing she was really looking forward to was the hunt with Arthur. How depressing.

She ignored the dresses and instead grabbed a pair of black breeches, white shirt and a simple blue fitted tunic - an outfit that was breathable and would allow her full range of motion. As she changed, she thought she heard her chamber doors open and close.

"Nora?" She called out, pulling the breeches up to her hips.

"Mm hmm?" Was the reply - the pitch a tad higher than she would have expected. Strange, Estelle thought.

"Are you okay?"

There was a brief pause. "Mm hm," the voice replied decisively, a faint rustling sound accompanying the reply.

Estelle peeked through the tiny hinge gaps in the changing screen with bated breath. She huffed out a laugh when she saw who it was, a wicked grin spreading across her lips.

Merlin was floundering around, holding one of her dresses up like a shield as he frantically looked for an escape. Estelle shook her head in amusement.

"Nora?" She called, watching delightedly as Merlin grimaced.

He seemed to prepare himself before replying, rather delicately. "Yes?"

"I'm stuck," she laughed. "Can you help me with my shirt?"

The man blanched, his skin turning a deathly pale shade. "Uhh…". He was at a loss for words, pacing around and making wild arms gestures, flailing the dress around, as he tried to figure out what to do. Estelle chuckled and poked her head around the changing screen.

"I'm joking, Merlin," she told him with a wide, mirthful smile.

The man in question froze, slowly lowering the dress as if he were afraid of spooking her. "I–uh, I–I was just–". Estelle raised her eyebrows at his stumbling response. "Gaius!... Gaius asked me to deliver this," he plopped the dress onto a long, oak table and grabbed a vial, the blue liquid inside of it sloshing wildly as he waved it around.

"Thank you," she told him with a smile. "You can just leave it on the table, I'll be out in just a moment." Her head disappeared behind the screen and she quickly slipped the tunic on, straightening out the shirt as she walked back out to talk to Merlin.

His hands wrung together apprehensively. "Sorry about that," he apologised with a sheepish smile.

Estelle laughed as she stepped closer. "Don't worry, Merlin. Did you happen to see Eleanora on your way in, by chance?"

"Oh – yeah, she was heading down the corridor." He vaguely waved his hands in the direction that she must have headed.

The princess hummed thoughtfully. "I must have annoyed her very much for her to leave so suddenly," she mused.

Merlin responded by shaking his head vehemently - so much so that it took her by surprise. "Oh, no– I can't imagine you could have done anything like that."

She grinned, sweeping up the vial to examine the bright blue liquid. "No, I can be very annoying… just ask Nora or Arthur." She caught the grimace that came across Merlin's face at the mention of a certain prince. "You haven't had any more trouble with him, have you?"

He hesitated - and that was enough for her. "No– not really," he fumbled to answer.

She levelled him with a disbelieving glare. "Trust me, Merlin– I know he's an idiot. It's one of the reasons I like annoying him so much." They both smiled at that. "So, you can talk to me whenever he's being unbearable."

He seemed to mull it over a bit as he fiddled with his neckerchief.

"Would you believe me if I said that wasn't the first time that's happened to me today?" He asked, pointing towards the changing screen.

Estelle elected to graciously ignore his obvious attempt to change the subject and grinned widely. "Who?"

She watched as Merlin's cheeks flushed pink and he sent her an abashed smile. "It was the Lady Morgana. Gwen had to come and save me."

The redhead giggled, remembering the sight of him flapping around in a blind panic as he tried to get out of the situation. "You certainly have a way with women," she commended.

His face turned an even darker shade of crimson.

"Come on," Estelle laughed, lightly touching his shoulder as she moved past him. "I need to go and find Arthur." She felt Merlin jerk at the contact and went to make a teasing remark when she saw the pained expression that flashed across his face.

Her expression darkened. "What happened?"

Merlin managed to squirm his way out of her hold, forcing out a chuckle through his grimace. "It's nothing, really."

She tried to catch his eye with her own, but he was studiously avoiding her gaze as if it would set him aflame. Her stare narrowed suspiciously. "Was it Arthur?" She practically spat his name out.

"It's fine," he responded calmly, no longer fidgeting around and, surprisingly, holding her stare evenly. Though he was wrong - it was most certainly not fine.

Estelle stalked towards the door, fists clenched firmly at her sides. Arthur had always been a self-absorbed idiot, but beating people who didn't bow to his every whim? That was a new low - even for him.

A light grip encompassed her wrist, startling her out of her march and she spun back to face Merlin - who dropped her arm as soon as she whirled around. "Please, don't," he implored. "Trust me… I've got it under control."

She watched the light dance within his bright, blue eyes, and the unexpected confidence that lay behind them. There was definitely something more to Merlin than met the eye, and she found that she did trust him.

Her gaze regarded him for a moment, letting him sweat out her decision. "Okay," she responded hesitantly. "I'll leave it alone for now. But I won't be so kind to him if it happens again," she finished with a promised warning.

Merlin nodded, his frame relaxed ever-so-slightly. She quirked a smirk at that. "Thank you."

Estelle's smirk transformed into a full smile and she clapped her hands together once. "Well, I was going to see Arthur… but now he can fend for himself on the hunt. Mind if I join you on your tasks from Gaius?"

He seemed taken aback by her request, but stuttered out an acceptance nonetheless.

The two of them left Estelle's chambers and set about the castle and then the town square. Most of what Gaius had asked Merlin to do was delivering medicines and ointments to the townspeople and courtiers of Camelot. They made a good team, Estelle thought. Merlin was still learning the layout of the kingdom, so Estelle acted as a guide while he handled the vials and who they were going to.

"So, what made you want to come and experience Camelot?" She asked when they'd hit a lull - only having two medicines left to deliver. She knew he'd been living with his mother, as he'd told her before, but made no mention of why he'd decided to move.

Merlin seemed to hesitate, as if trying to choose his words carefully. "It was my mother's idea," he began. "I didn't really– fit in, in Ealdor. I'm quite lucky to have Gaius here really, or I don't know where I would have gone."

Estelle frowned at that. "Well, you seem to fit in well here," she reassured with a smile, hoping it was a comfort to him.

Instead, he let out a chuckle that didn't sound overly amused. "Yeah, tell that to Prince Prat."

She coughed back the laugh that bubbled up her throat. "He's very much in the minority. The rest of us are glad that you arrived." At his questioning look, she continued in amusement. "You bring some life to the old place."

If Merlin seemed to brighten up after that, she pretended not to notice.

Estelle continued on her path to lead Merlin through the town. "So this next one is for…?"

He scrambled for the piece of parchment that held the names of Gaius' customers that were due a delivery today. "Uhh– Branok… Arvel." He handed over the parchment so she could read the brief directions Gaius had written for Merlin.

"Oh yes, I know where that is."

They continued through the town in amicable silence. Estelle could tell that Merlin was concentrating on memorising their surroundings, and did not wish to distract him. The town was bustling with activity; the townspeople taking advantage of the unrelenting sun, with not a cloud in the sky. Estelle contented herself with watching as young children chased one another, giggles escaping their mouths as they ran wildly through the cobbled paths.

She was so lost in thought, Estelle didn't realise Merlin had asked her something until she saw the expectant expression on his face.

"I'm sorry." She winced and smiled apologetically. "What did you say?"

Merlin didn't seem to take any offence to her absentmindedness. Instead, he chuckled with an amused gleam in his bright blue eyes. "I asked what made you come to Camelot," he replied; his gaze regarded her cautiously, as if he was worried about overstepping.

Memories of her father came to mind; a strong man with a full beard, imposing and stubborn. Yelling at her; cursing her name. She'd been young; young enough that she'd been too scared to argue back, to stand her ground. So she'd run and never looked back, and he'd never bothered to look for her. Probably too relieved that she would never disgrace his court with her tainted presence.

But she settled with: "My father and I never really saw eye-to-eye on a lot of things. So I decided it was best to find somewhere where I could fit in and be useful. I met Arthur and his father on my travels and they took me in." A story of half-truths. She regretted having to resort to such trickery, but she couldn't take the risk in revealing too much… Not yet.

Merlin seemed to take a minute to digest the story, but seemed to accept it well enough. He didn't have a reason to think otherwise, at least. "Well, I'm glad that you did," he said quietly with a bashful smile.

She returned the smile tenfold, truly touched at his kind words, and he averted his gaze to the road ahead. Estelle recognised the path they were on and pointed to a small shack at the end of the street. "That's where Branok Arvel lives," she informed Merlin.

He swiftly made his way to the small house, knocking thrice on the wooden door. An elderly man met him at the threshold and thanked Merlin profusely for the vial of medicine that he handed over. Merlin smiled awkwardly at the old man and hurried back to Estelle, who watched on in amusement.

"Last one," she sang once he was close enough, and pretended not to notice the brief look of disappointment that flashed across Merlin's features.

The two took their time finding and delivering the last vial; Estelle deciding to 'take the scenic route' to their destination. They passed market stalls, farmers, more boisterous and laughing children, richly-dressed courtiers - some of whom looked down their noses at the local townspeople. She watched Merlin take in the vibrant community that made Camelot so sought-after with something akin to awe. She knew how he felt; she felt it every time she set foot into the heart of the kingdom.

Soon enough, they found their destination and delivered the last vial that Gaius had given to Merlin. Surprisingly, it was already late-afternoon - the sun having started its downward descent, filling the sky with beautiful shades of orange. Arthur would be livid that she'd gone missing all day, and the thought brought a smile to her face.

Estelle suddenly remembered Nora's itinerary for the day and sighed. "Come on," she said. "We better head back." At Merlin's questioning glance, she elaborated. "We have Lady Helen's banquet to prepare for." Dawning realisation washed across Merlin's face, and the two swiftly made their way back to the castle.

Estelle walked Merlin back to Gaius' chambers and thanked him for allowing her to spend the day with him. Predictably, Merlin flushed and stammered out that she needn't thank him - that it was his pleasure. It was safe to say that they both left the conversation red-faced and with fond smiles.

As she approached her own chambers, the doors flew open, revealing a flustered Nora. When the brunette spotted Estelle, her face turned thunderous and she stormed towards the redhead.

"Where have you been? I've been looking everywhere for you," she demanded. "The prince told me you didn't even attend the hunt with him today." Nora crossed her arms tightly and raised a delicate eyebrow, not-so-patiently waiting for Estelle to grace her with an answer.

Estelle glanced about the hallway, searching for something to aid her with an answer that would be palatable for Nora. When she could find nothing, she decided to just go with the truth. "I was helping Merlin deliver medicines to the townspeople," she explained calmly, fighting the storm with tranquillity.

"Merlin?" Nora repeated in confusion. Estelle forgot that she had never mentioned him before, and it was now evident that they'd never met.

"Gaius' nephew," she replied simply.

Nora seemed to take a calming breath. "If you're quite finished squandering your duties, we need to get you ready for the banquet tonight."

Estelle laughed abruptly. "My duties?" She repeated incredulously. "Nora, my 'duties' for the day consisted of practising needlework and keeping Arthur company. My absence in both of those things is not life-altering, and instead I made myself useful."

Eleanora huffed. "It is the principle of it," she countered.

"Well, the principle is ridiculous," Estelle argued, walking past her maidservant and into her chambers.

She heard Nora sigh heavily before following her into the bedchambers. They seemed to silently agree not to speak any more on the matter, instead focusing on getting Estelle ready for the feast for the Lady Helen.

They stewed in quietude as Nora worked Estelle's hair into a long, intricate braid. The brunette had done a fabulous job; her auburn hair inset with tiny emeralds that glinted brightly under a candle-lit glow.

Estelle sat before her vanity mirror as Nora retrieved the dress she had picked for the occasion. It was a gorgeous silk gown; emerald in colour - matching the jewels that were woven into her hair - with sheer, long sleeves. The bodice was embroidered gold around the low, sweetheart neckline. Quite simply, it was the most beautiful dress she had ever owned.

Nora helped her put the dress on and she couldn't help but admire the gown in the mirror, appreciating the way the light bounced off the smooth material and how it complemented her auburn hair nicely. She ran her hands down the silk and smiled, thanking Nora for assisting her. They did not mention their earlier disagreement.

"You look beautiful," her maidservant told her softly, a fond smile across her lips.

Estelle melted, reaching for Nora's hand and giving it a squeeze. "Thank you," she replied. "For everything. Truly."

Nora ushered her out of the bedchambers, and Estelle swiftly linked their arms together. "Lady Morgana wished for you to walk with her to the banquet," Nora informed her, leading her through the castle's many corridors and towards said Lady's chambers.

"Then to Morgana we shall go," Estelle responded brightly, following her maidservant's lead.

They arrived at the Ward's bedchambers just as the dark-haired beauty herself and Gwen were leaving. Quite simply, Morgana dressed to kill. Her thick hair was gathered up in an elegant chignon, several dark strands artfully falling out of place. She wore a stunning, deep burgundy, halter-neck dress which trailed elegantly to the floor. The gown was held around her neck by a delicate, gold chain, with matching golden accents around her waist. A thin, jewelled diadem rested across her forehead, complemented by the tiny matching jewel that was strategically placed under the outer corner of her eye - an expensive teardrop.

"Wow," Estelle blurted, unabashedly.

Morgana smiled widely, smoothing her hands across her gown. "You don't look too bad yourself," she laughed, reaching a hand out for Estelle to take.

The two linked arms and continued down the corridors, towards the main banquet hall - with Gwen and Nora chatting happily behind them. "I'm surprised Arthur wasn't barging down your door to accompany you to the feast," Estelle teased, a smirk gracing her lips.

Morgana rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide the faint redness that started to fill her cheeks. "I wouldn't touch him with a lance pole," she responded firmly. It sounded as though she was trying to convince herself rather than Estelle.

"If you say so."

They passed the threshold of the entrance to the banquet hall. A faint buzz of conversation filled the grand space. Ladies huddled around in small groups, looking as regal as ever with their heads held high whilst they undoubtedly gossiped about the knights that had gathered across the opposite side of the hall.

And the men definitely were not any better. They too gathered around in groups, laughing loud enough to be purposeful. Their eyes ran over the ladies of the court, particularly lingering on the more daringly dressed women.

Estelle could pinpoint the exact moment that Arthur noticed Morgana. He straightened up and visibly gulped - it was almost ridiculous to witness. He said something to the group and blindly hit out at one of the knights talking next to him, gesturing towards the dark-haired woman at Estelle's side. Soon enough, all of the men were gaping in their direction. Most of them had their stares pinned on Morgana, though one or two of them let their eyes linger on Estelle.

The two moved further into the hall and Morgana played it off naturally - an expert in her craft. She lowered her eyelashes, as if she were too shy to hold their stare. Estelle thought the charade was comical; Morgana could eat them all for breakfast if she so wished. She said as much, and Morgana broke her timid character to laugh heartily.

Much too soon, they ended up in front of Arthur and his friends. The blonde grinned at them both - though Estelle hadn't forgiven him for his treatment of Merlin, and refused to smile back. He wisely did not look in her direction again.

She zoned out as Arthur began lathering on the compliments to Morgana, instead letting her eyes wander the hall. Uther was sitting in a grand throne towards the back of the hall, conversing with members of his court. He caught her eye and gave her a small smile and nod, before turning back to his counsellors. Before him was a long table filled with delicacies, matching the banquet tables that took up the length of the hall. Her mouth watered at the sight; the tables were brimming with succulent meats and gravy, fruits and vegetables, full-bodied wines that Estelle knew would quickly flood her body with warmth.

So fixated she was on the food, she did not immediately notice the figure standing at the very outskirts of the hall - until she was met with a familiar pair of startlingly blue eyes.

Merlin had already been looking at her and he smiled awkwardly when she noticed him. Gaius was trying to tell him something, but he seemed to not be paying much attention to whatever the court physician was saying. Estelle chuckled quietly, though the sound still drew Arthur's attention. He seemed particularly miffed that her amusement had interrupted whatever grand tale he must have been recounting.

"And what, my dear Stella, is so amusing to you?" He inquired with a sarcastic lilt, scanning the room to find what she had been looking at. His eyes lightened with glee when his gaze stopped on Merlin, who was still looking at Estelle. "Yes, I'd laugh at that idiot too."

Arthur spent the next few minutes poorly recreating his encounters with Merlin; imitating the man with a high-pitched voice. Estelle watched him with unconcealed distaste and shot glares at the knights who laughed heartily at Arthur's mockery.

"You're an ass," she told him when he paused to gauge her reaction - and strode off towards the very person he'd been trying to ridicule. The knights jeered and laughed, and she could imagine the sour look that must have flooded Arthur's face.

Merlin's eyes grew wide as he realised she had abandoned the prince and was making her way towards him.

"Mind if I join you?" She asked with a sweet smile designed to woo. "I can only take so much stupidity before it starts rubbing off on me." Estelle nodded her head towards the prince, and the both of them snickered at the thunderous expression he was casting over to them. The redhead was pleased to note that Morgana looked positively thrilled, covering her giggles behind a delicate hand.

"In that case, you probably shouldn't spend too much time with me," he quipped with a wry smile.

Estelle rolled her eyes and linked her arm with Merlin's, resting her hand in the crook of his elbow. She opened her mouth to come up with some witty retort when the hall lapsed into silence. Uther had stood from his throne, and that warranted for quietude as the king prepared to speak. He gestured for everyone in the hall to find their seats. Estelle smiled sadly as she left Merlin's side to stand beside Morgana - who waited in front of a seat next to Uther.

The king cleared his throat. "We have enjoyed twenty years of peace and prosperity," he began. Estelle was not quite sure she agreed with his bold claim, but listened nonetheless. "It has brought the kingdom and myself many pleasures, but few can compare with the honour of introducing Lady Helen of Mora."

The court took their seats and applause echoed through the hall as Lady Helen made her entrance. Her lips parted and she began singing a tear-jerking melody. Her voice was clear and mellifluous; effortless. The soothing melody she sang rose and fell in pitch the way the coastal tide ebbs and flows - it felt natural, undemanding. Estelle felt herself relax, as if the song called for her muscles to lighten. She could quite easily fall asleep. But she thought that might be rude; to fall asleep in the middle of a performance - so she shook awake her weary mind and concentrated on the lyrical phenomenon.

Lady Helen prowled closer, her eyes seemingly pinned on the king and his son. Something glittered in her gaze; something that Estelle immediately grew wary of. She scanned the rest of the audience, and stifled a gasp. The court was filled with cobwebs; they seemed to grow and expand, covering the seated crowd. Estelle frowned in confusion. And then she realised that they were asleep. Every single person. The servants and handmaidens who had been standing around the edges of the hall had dropped to the floor - apparently in a bizarre sudden and deep sleep. The only person who remained awake, and was just as bewildered, was Merlin.

The singing rose incrementally; rising and rising until it reached a point where Estelle thought it would be physically impossible to go any higher. Lady Helen was halfway to where Estelle was sitting, with Morgana, Uther and Arthur. The singer reached into her sleeve and slid out a sharp dagger. Estelle abruptly arose from her seat at the sight, and Lady Helen raised the dagger above her head - her eyes locked on a sleeping Arthur. She was going to kill Arthur?

Movement out of the corner of her eye stole her attention for a mere second. It was just enough time for Estelle to see Merlin's eyes flash gold, followed by a deafening crack. The chains that held the grand chandelier of the hall snapped like a twig, sending it crashing down to the ground - directly on top of the Lady Helen. Magic. That's what made Merlin different; why she kept feeling as though he was important, special. He had magic, and he had saved Arthur's life - despite the prince's idiocy.

As if a spell was lifted - and Estelle supposed that it was - the court members began waking, crying out as they tried to pull away the cobwebs that covered their faces and bodies. Confused muttering filled the hall, and Uther rose from his throne alongside Arthur. Everyone let their gaze fall on the woman crushed by the chandelier.

It was no longer Lady Helen that lay underneath. Estelle recognised the old woman that stared hatefully up at the king; the old lady from the courtyard, who had wailed out at the loss of her son… Who had promised revenge on Uther. An eye for an eye.

With the last of her strength, Mary Collins heaved the dagger up and sent it flying towards Arthur. Estelle tried to get her body to move, to get to Arthur and pull him out of the way. Time seemed to slow; her body moved sluggishly, as if lethargic, despite her mind screaming at her to get to him.

And suddenly, as if it never happened at all, time resumed. A dagger thunked loudly into the empty seat of the prince - who now lay sprawled over the floor along with a familiar dark-haired man.

The two men pulled themselves off of the floor, brushing themselves off. Uther thundered towards Merlin, a hand rested heavily on Arthur's shoulder. "You just saved my boy's life," he stated, shock and a sliver of fear filling his face. "A debt must be repaid."

Merlin shrugged unassumingly, trying to shake off the praise and consequent reward. "Oh– well…".

But Uther did not allow it. "Don't be so modest," he said. "You shall be rewarded."

Again, the dark-haired man tried to brush off the notion, and Estelle had to smile. "No, honestly, you don't have to, Your Highness,"

"No, absolutely. This merits something quite special," the king replied, glancing between his son and Merlin. "You shall be rewarded a position in the royal household. You shall be Prince Arthur's manservant."

Estelle winced as the crowd broke into applause at the graciousness of the king, while the redhead felt an immense amount of sympathy for poor Merlin. She could hear Arthur try to argue with his father, and both him and Merlin avoided looking at the other.

Somehow, she had a feeling that she would be playing the mediator quite often with those two. And now she just had to wait for an opportunity to speak to Merlin about what she had seen and, judging by the worried glances he kept sending her, he knew it.

A/N: Sorry for the wait! I struggled to write this chapter for some reason, but I hope you all like it! I'll be glad to move on to the next episode and give you guys some action!

Guest: Thank you so much for your kinds words! I really try to flesh out my OCs as much as possible but never know how successful I actually am with it lol. I too love a flustered and bashful Merlin and this will definitely keep making appearances hahaha

AGuest: Thanks for taking the time to leave a review! I hope this chapter was just as interesting :)