sorry it has taken me so long to update. fear not! for i will now be posting a chapter a day untill saturday when the new series starts. also i know the title for this chapter isn't very good, i drew a blank and couldn't think of a suitibly cool name. i however think its apt. we find out a little more about jane, we delve deeper into gauis & huniths past and as for merlin *evil laugh* poor merlin, i dont hink he's happy about the turn of events right at the start of this chapter.

i don't own merlin. i own my OC's and representations of charactors from the legands who havent turned up yet. (agrivane will be in my sequal but not how you expect) hope you like tha chapter...

truths about servants

Merlin smiled as he saw Jane run past him shouting orders to the other castle staff. He was running toward the council champers he turned a corner and ran right into sir Ulvic. "Sorry Sir, are you alright?" Ulvic looked at him moment. "Young man you're a twig, how you ever thought your bumping into me would hurt I don't know. Go on, the king waits" Merlin nodded and bowed briefly to the old knight before he ran on. Dodging maids and other servants. He laughed as he saw Hew slap another servant who had been trying to run away and hide. Hew looked up and bowed to the young warlock. "Abusing the other servants hew?" Merlin asked as hew fell into step next to him. "No sir, he was hysterical and uttered the words 'it isn't our fight we should just leave them all to die' I disagreed and found such cowardice disgraceful." Merlin quirked an eyebrow at the servant and laughed. "I'm not entirely sure working for Arthur has been good for you, you used to be far mellower." Merlin turned another corner into the corridor with the council chambers at the end. 'The king seams to agree, that's why I've been reassigned." Merlin wasn't really listening properly anymore, he was reaching out with his magic to make sure the heightened defences were still in full force, "I am to serve you for a while" hew couldn't help the smirk that appeared on his face when Merlin shouted "what!" in a voice several octaves higher than normal. "UTHUR!"

Uthur looked up at the unceremonious use of his name he was ready to glare when he noticed it was Merlin, and hew. "Ah I see you met your new servant lord Emrys" uthur said looking back down at the charts on the table. "no, because I'm fairly certain we all agreed, given I was a servant just under a year ago that my having a servant was out of the question I don't need one give him back to the" his rant was broken by hew brushing some debris dust off the warlocks shoulder, Merlin flicked the servant's hand away glaring at him. "I don't need a servant, hew will you stop fussing over my cape!" uthur rolled his eyes as hew jumped back a little. "Merlin, my son made you his blood brother, in the old laws of Camelot that gives you a viable claim to the throne, and I will not have a potential heir to my son's throne run around with out a servant."

Uthur stated it all in such an understated tone that Merlin almost missed the bit where he was now a pendragon by default. He growled as hew stifled a laugh. "hew go and scrub my chambers, gather herbs form the eastern store room for Gaius, polish my fighting staff, arrange my books alphabetically in order of size and then go and help with clearing debris" hew gulped. "But sir" "call me Merlin, and report back to me if you run out of things to do." Merlin winked at the poor boy enjoying getting his own back. Hew dismissed him self from the room. "Does he actually need to do any of that?" uthur asked with a bored tone not looking at Merlin. "No, I was a hard working farm hand before I was a hard working servant. Leaving things un done doesn't make sense to me" uthur sighed at the subterfuge. "You are a difficult man to get a grasp of Merlin. Maybe that's one of the reasons my son trusts you so implicitly" Merlin nodded. "Sire you wished to talk to me about tactics?" he said looking at the charts and reports on the table.

Uthur tapped a report. "I fear the sisters are planning something big. Cenred most likely has taken a back seat, he is unpredictable but one thing you can count on is him starting something before letting others do the nasty work while he sits back and enjoys the carnage." Merlin nodded. "That is certainly the impression I get from previous encounters and reports. May I be blunt?" uthur nodded. "I don't think you are likely to see the end of the week. The sisters and Cenred have obviously been planning for all eventualities," uthur nodded in agreement "yes I thought as much, don't let Arthur do anything rash when the time comes." Merlin tried to keep his face neutral at the king's casual acceptance of his approaching death. "Sire?" "Now I am at the end I see certain things I have missed before. Igrain was cared for as a kid by a sorceress, who always entertained her as a child using magic. She loved magic. Its why," Merlin stood silently aware that if it weren't just him and the king, none of this would be being said. "when nimueh said she could help us gain an heir we were so happy, she mentioned a life would, likely, be required in return, we were saddened but decided to find a faithful old knight or servant who would know their life gave Camelot hope, she never said it would cost me what is most dear" Merlin spoke quietly interjecting. "That is what I suspected sire" uthur looked at the young man in front of him. "I see now that it is my reaction to that that has caused this war, that caused Morganna's existence, had I been a little more lenient then perhaps this all could have been avoided, you are proof than my wife's views were right she always told me that magic was a tool to be used properly and with restraint, I should never have forgotten that.

Merlin felt a little uneasy as it all fell into place, "sire, sir Ulvic was going to be the life wasn't he, that's why he is still going that's why he still survives," uthur looked at Merlin with a raised eyebrow. "the enchantress nimueh misjudged your love and your wife's spirit, I assume you had the knight close at hand so the exchange would be quick and painless?" uthur nodded not knowing where this was headed. "Your wife's death at the hands of nimueh didn't just bring Arthur into the world it fortified Ulvic blood, blood that," uthur stood up straighter. "Blood that runs through Leon and Malcolm. I was right then, the family is blessed." Merlin clicked his fingers and all the scrolls on the table rolled up and lined themselves neatly in the centre of the table. "Even in death your wife is a remarkable lady, whose grace and countenance is unparalleled" uthur smiled. "Yes, I think she would have tolerated you long before I have," Merlin laughed, "I wouldn't be surprised, I'm fairly certain she wouldn't have stabbed me" "you didn't know my wife."

"I really don't think this is a good idea," Galahad said as Tristain, Lancelot and Percival stood behind him. "Relax, it will be fine" Galahad nodded. The four of them were standing in the middle of a defensive ring formed by Camelot's soldiers. "No really Galahad relax, this will hurt if you're tense." The teen knight gulped at Tristain's words. "Experienced in this sort of combat are you?" he asked his companion. "Yes, besides Bellanor will be there to help" Tristain answered. "Remember your bow" Percival added. Galahad squared his shoulders and focused on the sky where a griffin was headed in their direction. "your right I really" his sentence was cut off by the other three knights launching him into the air as the griffin swoop low, he whooped with joy and adrenalin as he slammed into the griffins side and hoisted himself up onto the creatures back riding it like a horse. Bellanor plummeted down and came level with him. He noticed that the mere presence of her wyvern calm the griffin he was riding. "This is most definitely not what I thought would happen when I became Lancelot's son" he commented as he fired an arrow into the shoulder of an enemy knight.

"Funny, this is exactly what I thought would happen when o found out I was Merlin's sister" Bellanor joked as she swooped down low. As she got level with the top of people's heads she muttered a spell and caused the mud to latch onto Cenred's forces slowing them down. One of the trapped soldiers took a shoot at her with his cross bow. Glenda didn't like that so swooped down and slashed at his shoulders he screamed in agony and fell to the floor. "Good girl, just make sure you don't do that to any of the red knights yes?" Glenda growled. "Yes I know you like attacking people but the soldiers and knights in gold and red are our friends" Glenda growled again. "No we don't attack friends, that isn't what we agreed, play nice." Glenda whinnied but settled down.

"Gwen" Arthur dodged an arrow. "Guinevere!" Arthur ran forward when she finally looked around. "What do you want Arthur, I'm busy" he gritted his teeth and pulled her round to face him properly. "For god sake woman I'm trying to apologise! The least you could do is pay a little attention!" he hadn't meant to shout or to talk to her in that tone. "Woman? Woman? You have the audacity to refer to me in that tone as if I am some common fishwife!" She shouted back at him. "You are of course correct my love I should have been more careful with my choice of words." She turned away from him. "I love you Gwen. And one day I intend to marry you, I need you to know that I will always listen to what you have to say, I've already apologised to Tristain for forcing his hand." She turned towards him again. "Is now the wrong time to point out that apparently you need Merlin around to babysit you and stop you from being a complete and utter prat?" Arthur laughed as he turned so they were back to back and fighting in tandem "no dear heart I think this is the perfect moment to point it out" he smiled when he heard her laugh. They started to fight the enemy in Ernest again now they knew that everything would be ok between them again soon.

"Cenred, you are a man of your word, I never knew one king could have such a big army" Cenred smirked at the blonde sorceress "you asked for spectacle I gave it. So are you going to let me in on your plans? Or do I have to guess" Morganna walked in to the room wearing her battle dress. "All in good time Cenred, you distract the knights and we will take care of my brother and father." He stood up from his throne. "with some one reasonable like you on the throne I would happily ally myself with Camelot" she smiled gently at him "with me on the throne your comradeship would be most welcome Cenred, but first I need your men to stop being so bloody hopeless!" her change in tone from gentle lady to ferocious sorceress had been so sudden and jarring that it almost made Cenred take a step back. Almost. "My men are doing their job." "Your men are dying." Morganna responded not even bothering to look at him. "you have an army ten times the size of Camelot's, even with allied help you still dwarf the opposing armies, and yet, and yet! You still haven't got the advantage!" her latest out burst was followed by all the candles in the throne room igniting and sending sparks dancing along the ceiling.

Cenred just raised an eyebrow "fond of shouting isn't she, the princess." He muttered. Morganna turned around her eyes a golden inferno, "I am capable of so much more" the sparks and fire congealed and shot directly at him the fire wove its way around him never touching but just scraping the outer layers of his clothes as quickly as it had come the fire disappeared "be thankful I choose to shout my lord" her voice was dripping with sarcasm. He patted his shoulder that had caught fire before speaking. "Temper temper. Though if this is how you treat allies I'm looking forward to seeing how you treat enemies." Morgouse who had been calmly standing there stepped forward. "We burn friends, we incinerate enemies. Remember that." He looked at morgouse. "Is that a threat?" "Goodness no, when I threaten you, you will know it" she replied smiling to innocently. "Well then finalise your plans milady. I am off to find a new top. Someone has scorched this one beyond use." As he walked off he removed his top revealing the toned scared back and torso beneath. Morganna rolled her eyes at his arrogance but laughed when she saw her sisters approving looks. "Sister now is not the time to be distracted" morgouse turned at her sisters words "but he's such a wonderful distraction." She said smiling. "One I will grant you when this is over." Morganna said as she turned and walked out the room.

Gaius ran as fast as he could around his workshop grabbing the herbs and salves he needed. Ignoring Hunith who was scurrying along behind him "cousin, brother you need to slow down!" he spun round and almost hit her with a bunch of marjoram. "We can't afford to slow down hurry." The end of his sentence was cut off by Hunith throwing a bunch of mint at him and grabbing a broom while running out the room. "Quit dawdling old man!" "I'm only ten years older than you" "you look more" he ran after his younger cousin, his surrogate sibling. "Why the broom?" he asked as he ran behind his 'sister' she spun on the spot gathering up the hem of her skirt so she could run more easily. "In case it's needed." Was her answer he was about to ask what she meant when an enemy knight smashed through the window and Hunith thwacked him hard across the face sending him sprawling against the wall motionless. "Thought it would come in handy come one we need to" she broke off her sentence to hit the knight again this time with such force that he fell still permanently. "Get to the infirmary" she finished her sentence.

"Should I be worried that my little sister is so competent with a fighting staff?" Gaius asked raising an eyebrow as he set a brisk pace towards the sanatorium. "It's a broom" she answered from behind him. Gaius rolled his eyes. "Oddly that doesn't ease my trepidation" Hunith laughed gently at her cousin as they turned the corner, she glanced out the window and saw her son fighting side by side with uthur and his knights.

"I never dreamt I'd see the day my son was fighting side by side with the king of Camelot. Much less that one." Gaius noticed the slightly hostile tone in his sister's voice. "Hunith that is a dangerous tone to take in this city especially at this time." He warned. His eyebrows furrowed with worry. " the man killed all of ballinor kind and then chased my love beyond his jurisdiction out of spite and fear and drove him from the woman he loved robbing the last dragon lord of ever meeting either of his children, robbing Merlin of a sibling. I have seen how deeply Arthur cares for Merlin and as such I will of course try to be civil towards uthur, but don't, ever, tell me to be friendly towards him, he ruined my life our family." Gaius went to defend his friend but Hunith grabbed his arm and forced him to look at her. "Did you know dragons once existed among men in human form? They did but decided it didn't suit them so settled on being what Kilgarrah is now. But they left a small group a clan, of dragon men who would stay in human form marry human wife's and have human children but those sons of the dragon men would grow stronger and wiser than most, and when their fathers died they would gain their sacred gift of communicating and commanding dragons. But it is more than that. As Merlin is a part of magic. The dragon lord is a part of the dragon. Ballinor felt every dragon die, felt all of his dragonlord cousins die. Can you imagine such agony? I can't but I have seen it written across the face of the man I love." She walked away leaving Gaius to process it all. After a moment he moved on following her.

Gaius entered the sanatorium and was met with noisy frenetic chaos he wove his way through passing remedies to maids who were acting as nurses for the injured knights and Camelot citizens. Jane was sitting chatting happily to a young teenager who was still wearing a knights helmet that was far to large for him Gaius guessed the lad must be about thirteen, he only noticed after he had walked past the pair that she had been sewing a deep wound on his forearm shut, he turned his head to check she was doing it correctly and the boy was ok, the boy looked up at him and gave the slightest of nods. "That boy is very brave," Gaius turned to see Sir Malcolm sitting on a chair having a bandage applied to his left leg.

Gaius took over dressing the knights wound and told the scullery maid how had been tending to him to go and help Hunith take an inventory of what was being used and what needed restocking she nodded her head and curtseyed shyly at the knight who thanked her for patching him up. "he's sir grahams son, his father was defending the lower town when an enemy soldier killed the man, the boy ran out of a near by home took his fathers helmet for his head and sword to defend himself and fought back three men twice his age before I was able to go and provide back up, he got cut on his right forearm and just switched to his left." Gaius smiled ruefully "the logic of youth, I some times wonder if we select you to late, when you have had to long to become accustomed to a comfortable life." Malcolm winced as Gaius tightened the bandage.

"you may have a point, I lied to uthur about my age, became a night aged fourteen, sir James died saving my life a year later, he always said it was because he had seen my calmness in battle, and that Camelot would need that one day." Gaius smiled at something he remembered. "He suffered dreams like the lady Morganna," Malcolm looked up. "You mean he was a seer?" the quiet knight said slightly confused. "Yes, not a powerful one, his visions were vague, barely there. It was more like he had feelings he had a feeling he would die saving a comrade, he had a feeling the prince would befriend a commoner, he didn't know the details ever, I guess he had a vision, a feeling about you." Gaius patted the knight's shoulder indicating that he was finished putting the bandage on.

"Does Jane, does she?" Malcolm found he couldn't finish the sentence, Gaius shook his head gently, "no I don't know the full details, and it was never my place to ask but I believe at one point in his family's past there was a weak sorcerer, probably a great grand parent. Some how by a quirk of fate sir James tapped into the echo of that power when he was a boy, a minor trauma probably set it off. Jane shouldn't ever know, unless something changes," Gaius looked away into the distance, deep in thought.

Sir Malcolm noticed that Gaius was watching his sister's progress. "It must have been hard on you to stay here, and watch so many die" the knight commented quietly. "My grand mother was a powerful sorceress, she could mirror life and death, but she got warped, she forced my grand bather back to life when he had been happy dead, the half life he was left with, the knowledge that another person had been cruelly slaughtered so that he could live destroyed him." Gaius stood up and Malcolm followed. "When I started practicing magic. I promised myself I would never push myself too far I would never take any risks, but my family, magic has been in our blood forever. We have always been powerful. When I heard that ballinor had wed my sister just before his exile when I heard she was pregnant I knew it was likely the merging of their two bloodlines would result in something, someone amazing possibly the foretold Emrys. I knew Arthur needed someone close by to watch over him when his father could not."

Malcolm nodded before commenting "it was you who told him fairytales and taught him to read, it was you who made sure his mind remained less closed than his fathers" he paused. "I realise those words sound treasonous but that was not my intention. "What happened to uthur, the loss of his beloved queen the manipulation. I can see why he holds such narrow views, it is why I have always been reluctant to use to much magic, knowing what it did to my grad mother, but Merlin is different, he doesn't just have access to magic he IS magic. His power is limitless if he were to only focus. He is the best of us as I truly believe Arthur to be, and that is thanks to his father's wisdom and rule," Malcolm looked over to where Hunith was tending to a wounded girl. "Does your cousin, sister sorry. Does your sister have magic?" Gaius laughed. "She probably does I dare say had she practiced she would have been more powerful than me but she always preferred to do things the physical way" Malcolm raised an eyebrow. So Gaius clarified. "Why trip a person over with magic when you can have the satisfaction of hitting them with a broom and kicking their shin." He said it with a smile.

Jane finished stitching the teens arm and started applying a bandage. "You have his eyes you know, father told me once but I never was close enough to see." Jane raised a puzzled eyebrow. "my namesake, father was good friends with him we have a painting of him in the home, father always told me 'sir James had a daughter, she was born out of wedlock against his wishes, one day you will meet her she has his exact eyes' and you do." Jane paused looking up a frown on her face "mother never told me who my father was, I guess now I know why he wanted me gotten rid of" her words were so out of character and blunt that the young James leant forward and touched her shoulder.

"no no, you miss understand, had he had his choice he would have married your mother thus making you legitimate, but he was still young and his parents forbid it, they even tried to have your mother removed from the citadel staff, but sir James was a smart man, he promised never to set eyes on you or your mother again if his parents forgot about everything. So they did. But he had been specific, HE wouldn't lay eyes on you but that didn't mean others couldn't. Until he died some of his wages went to your mother to keep her out of destitution. When he died he placed all of his worldly good into a trust. For you." Throughout his monolog Jane had been pacing in front of him but now a thought occurred to her. "Why haven't I come onto any money then? Surely the inheritance should have kicked in by now." James looked at her with sad eyes. "Father was always very fond of Sir James, like brothers he used to say. But he was not a fan of James's parents, sour people. They took it Jane, they took your inheritance and because it was their prerogative to do so they struck your name from records they disallowed you any stake in anything that was theirs" Jane let out a hollow laugh. "Because the daughter of a maid could never be a lady. HAH!"

James looked at the young seamstress and smiled. "No she could not. Queen maybe but never a lady" Jane turned to look at him and saw the mirth in his eyes and suddenly found her self laughing. She sat down and finished dressing lads wound. "I'm sorry you lost your father. He sounds like a good man." James nodded before answering. "I'm sorry you lost yours, he was a good man and a loyal friend I hope to be half the man he was." Jane smiled ruefully. "well from what I've seen so far I cant think of a better young knight to keep my fathers name alive" she squeezed his shoulder and moved off, finding it odd that perhaps, in time, she and James might share a similar relation ship to that of their fathers, and she smiled thinking she would like a brother like James.

merlin has a servant! bwahahahahahahah! oh dear. well he is 'lord emrys' now. poor jane, stipped of her claim. actually as she resides in my head i can tell you she isn't all that bothered. she'll be taking a gwain like stance of the situation. ie. 'screw the nobles'

hunith really doesn't like uthur but the fact merlin is still alive means she will be civil towards him.

i like my new OC james, its highly likely i will make him galahads buddie. the leon to galahads arthur. its possible.

next chapter up tomorrow.