Blooming Romance

When I woke up I sat up and winced. I held my side as I looked around, I was in a room I didn't recognize and that's when I noticed Father sitting, asleep, in the chair next to the bed. "Father?" I asked my voice scratchy. He instantly sat up and looked right at me.

"Merlin, are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm in one piece aren't I?" I asked trying to lighten the mood.

"It's not funny, your magic was revealed." I tensed when my father said that.

"Who saw?" I asked.

"Just Gaius and he's going to keep your secret." I nodded. Gaius was one of my father's friends and had told him that he was a Dragon Lord. I rubbed my eyes and looked out the small window, it looked like it was the middle of the night and then it dawned on me.

"Arthur," I said.

"He's fine and I practically had to pry him away from your side a few hours ago to get some sleep." I laughed, I was never going to let him live this down. I felt a twinge of pain run up my side so I stopped laughing. I heard someone coming up what sounded like a few stairs. Two sets of footsteps, one was slow and patient, the other slow but impatient.

The door opened and Gaius and Arthur walked in. We all looked at each other and Arthur ran up and hugged me. "O-" but my pained noise was cut off my Arthur pressing his lips to mine. My eyes widened and then closed. Father cleared his throat and Arthur pulled away. My eyes snapped open and I looked at the sheets in front of me.

The older men exchanged glances and left the room leaving the door opened a crack. "I'm so sorry Merlin! This is entirely my fault," Arthur said, "I should have brought Leon or one of the other knights with us."

"It's fine Arthur, I've had worse," I said my voice barely above a whisper. I cupped his cheek, "Really I'm fine."

"No! I should have been paying more attention to what was going on," Arthur said gripping my hand. I let my hand drop from his face.

"Go get some sleep, you look like you need it," I teased.

"You look worse than I do," he retorted

"At least I have an excuse."

"Alright, I'll go but you'll send for me if you need anything?"

"I will, thank you Arthur," I said pressing a chaste kiss to his forehead. He stood at the doorway and I smiled weakly. He closed the door behind him; I slumped down in my bed and fell asleep. I woke up and was alone so I decided to pay the dragon a visit. I snuck past a sleeping Gaius, these were the physician's chambers after all, and when I got to the entrance there were no guards so I slipped into the cavern with no problem.

I stood at the overhang and waited for the dragon to appear. The same gust of wind like before buffeted me and the dragon watched me, golden eyes burning through the darkness. I stood waiting for him to speak.

"Why do you seek me out young witch?"

"You know why."

"I do but tell me anyway," he said.

"I want to know what you meant about Arthur and my destinies. I don't understand."

"You will, soon. That's what told you last time."

"No! I want a straight answer for the once!" I said. "It's the same from the Druids and you! 'You and the young Pendragon's destinies are intertwined. He is your destiny and you are his'!" I yelled frustrated.

"So you have spoken to the Druids, I thought so," the dragon said, "I assume that you know what you are to them."

"Yes. I do. They call me Emrys, they revere me as god, the very essence of magic and the Old Religion," I responded. "Why?"

"You should ask them, I am not the one to tell you. It is not my destiny. That is for another," the dragon answered.

"Why can't I get a straight answer from anyone? Why do I have to figure out everything or someone has to tell me to get someone else to tell me?" I asked, "Can you at least tell me that."

"That is destiny at work young witch. Some are destined to help you, the others to destroy you and the young Pendragon," he said and flew away.

"You leave me with more question then I came here with!" I yelled at the empty place where the dragon had once perched. I blew the loose hair out of my face and walked back to the physician's chambers. He stood looking at me like I had done something very wrong. "Hello Gaius."

"You aren't supposed to leave without my consent," he said crossing his arms.

"You were asleep and I didn't want to wake you. I needed to stretch my legs a bit," I lied. He just pointed to the attic room and I hung my head. I walked to into the room and fell asleep once my head was on the pillow.

"Merlin, get up!" I heard Gaius's voice penetrate my sleep. I sat up sleepily and there he stood with fresh bandages. "Time to change your bandages, I should have done it yesterday when you were up."

I stood and Gaius moved the fabric around the cut gently. He unwrapped it and I saw it had healed leaving behind a jagged white scar. "Remarkable," Gaius muttered, "You healed, as if by magic." He looked up and gave me a knowing look.

"Do you want to see how it works?" I asked in a whisper.

"I would," he said. I focused on the chair and pictured it in my head moving over to where we were. I felt the magic surge through me and I knew my eyes were flashing gold. It moved and I sat on in it a pleased grin on my face. "Did you use an incantation in your head?"

"No, I just think of it doing what I want and it does," I explained. "The Druids can't explain it either."

"Hm. That's interesting."

"They call me Emrys, do you know what that means?" I asked thinking about my conversation with the dragon. Gaius looked at me.

"I don't know what it means but I've heard of some of the prophesies that they have and that name seems to pop up a lot."

"Well, thank you. I think I should go talk to my father about all this," I said thoughtfully. I walked absently to my chambers and changed. I knocked on my father's chamber door. "Father?"

"Come in Merlin!" he called. I walked in to see the king had a guest, Arthur.

"Arthur!" I said surprised.

"I'll leave you two alone," Arthur said. As he was walking out I grabbed his arm.

"I'd still like that ride and picnic, how about tomorrow if that's alright with my father and Gaius of course," I said letting go of his sleeve. Arthur nodded and left, a little bounce in his step. I smiled and closed the door. "We need to talk."

"Alright daughter. Speak."

"It's about the name the Druids gave me. Emrys," I said, "They couldn't explain my gifts and I need answers. I need to go to the Druids. The dragon told me one of them was destined to give me some answers and I need them right about now."

"Alright, when we go back-"

"No, it has to be soon."

"Alright, the day after tomorrow. I'll start the arrangements," he said waling me out.

"Thank you." he waved it off. I paced not knowing what to ask to Druids when I saw them the day after tomorrow. I knew what I wanted to ask, just not how to ask it. I heard the door open but decided to ignore it. I felt a pair of arms grab my shoulders and spin me around.

"Hello," Arthur said. He pecked my nose, I pulled away and paced. "What is it?"

"I'm thinking, you should try it sometime," I teased. He made a shocked face.

"Well, right now I'm thinking that you should come back over here and kiss me."

"I'll do the thinking, wouldn't want you to hurt yourself," I said not really hearing the last bit.

"Merlin, come over here," Arthur whined, in a very manly way of course. I looked at him sternly.

"What do you want?" I asked planting my hands on my hips.

"For you to come over here."

"No," I said and stood by the window deep in thought. I felt Arthur's head rest on my shoulder. I looked at him and he was pouting. "You look like a kicked puppy."

"I should look like a prince who can't get a kiss."

"Aww, the poor baby."

"Yes and I'll die if you don't kiss me right now!" He held his throat like he was suffocating. I kissed him and he pulled me toward him and placed his hands on my hips. I gasped and he chuckled without breaking our kiss. The door opened and Gwen stood shell-shocked. Arthur looked over with a grin and I looked out the window to see a quite a few people staring at our window and smiling.

The blush crept up all the way to the tips of my ears and all the way down my neck. When I looked Arthur was smirking and Gwen was still standing there looking down at the floor. "What is it Guinevere?" I asked my voice trembling. I pulled out of Arthur's arms and walked toward the handmaid.

"Your father asked me to get you ready for dinner with the kings and the prince but I can see you're busy," she said almost shouting the being busy part.

"Actually I think Arthur was just leaving, weren't you Arthur?" I said. He nodded, gave me a quick kiss, and left. Gwen went to the wardrobe and pulled out the green dress that she had picked for me to go riding with Arthur.

When I undressed she looked away from the scar. I pulled the dress on and turned to Gwen to tie it up. She did but I could feel her hands shaking. "Gwen?" I asked when I turned around.

"Yes?"

"What's wrong?"

"It's just that, well, when you were injured Arthur never left your bedside until King Balinor told him to go get some rest. It reminded the kingdom of when Queen Igraine died. The king wouldn't let anyone go near her and he wouldn't go see Arthur. It scared everyone that Arthur had been so, I don't know the word, desperate maybe. It unnerved people," she explained knotting her hands in her apron.

"Oh, well, I didn't know Arthur cared so much."

"Yeah, no one else did either."

I thought and undid the plaits in my hair letting it fall loose. I left it down and went to the banquet hall. Arthur was waiting and we walked in and sat next to each other. Whispers rippled through the crowd and I ignored them.

King Uther stood and raised his glass, "May I have everyone's attention. I would like to say that we feast in the thanks that Princess Merlin is still with us and safe," he said and I smiled.

"Now let the feast begin!" Uther shouted. I talked with Arthur and sipped some wine.

"Well, the day after tomorrow is supposed to be nice, how about that picnic?" he asked.

"I can't, I'll be heading back to Ealdor for a little while then," I said taking his hand. "Some issues have arisen with the merchants. Father can't be there so I'll confer with them in his stead."

"I'll have my most trusted knights escort you back to home," Arthur said.

"No. I don't want to trouble you and I like to travel alone. You seem to forget I landed you flat on your arse the other day at training, I think I can handle a few bandits," I said. Arthur gaped at me.

"Arse is not a very lady-like word princess," Arthur said.

"Well if you haven't noticed, I'm not very lady-like Arthur." I giggled at his face.

"Alright, we'll go tomorrow then," he said. He leaned in to whisper in my ear, "it'll be like magic." The word magic made chills run up my spine. We talked and ate and when the night was over Arthur walked me to my room.

We stood at the door and Arthur, who I think had a bit too much to drink, pressed a desperate and hungry kiss to my lips. The smell and taste of wine assaulted my senses. I tried to pull away but Arthur pulled me closer. I pushed against his chest and turned my head away.

"Good night Arthur," I said and bolted my door behind me. I dressed in my nightclothes and fell asleep. I woke up to a loud thud. I opened the door but no one was there so I decided a little visit with the dragon would calm my nerves.

Once again no one was guarding the entrance so I slipped into the cavern and waited. The dragon perched in the same spot as usual and waited for my flow of questions but tonight I only had two. "Who, when I go to the Druids am I looking for? Why Arthur?"

"His name is Mordred, he will tell you what you need to know. And concerning Arthur, what happens and why is up to you young witch." The dragon waited and when I didn't ask any more questions flew off into the darkness.

I went back to sleep and drifted in an endless ocean.