CHAPTER EIGHT! Yay it's getting longer :) . Review and Enjoy!

Chapter Eight – And so the Future Ends

As we rode through the gates of Camelot I gave up on keeping my distance from Merlin. I leaned against him, and rolled my head back trying to get a better view of the towers and spires of the castle. It was beautiful, though I couldn't quite say that for everything. The part of Camelot we traveled through was littered with hay and dung, chickens and children clad in dirty shifts ran wild. Vendors called out advertising their herbs or perfumes. I wouldn't call it the stunning beauty of the castle, but still it was amazing.

The closer we rode to the castle the less and less we saw of chickens, and the streets got cleaner. Little houses whose windows were lit with candles as the sun began to sink below the outer wall. I gave up on watching the city, but the castle was still illuminated with the last rays of the sun that no longer reached the lower parts of Camelot. It bent off the tall towers causing long casts of shadows and golden light. I didn't take my eyes off of it until the sun must have sunk below the horizon, and the castle was nothing but a looming shadow that housed glowing squares of light.

"It's amazing…" I said quietly, still in awe.

"Yeah I guess it is, the tavern is pretty good… not that I would know."

"Something tells me you do." I smiled.

"No I don't… well not really… I mean I've been in there a few times."

"What are you talking about Merlin?" Arthur called back, "Every time I need you, you're in the tavern." The prince laughed. I turned in the saddle, and raised an eyebrow at him though it was probably too dark to see.

"No I'm – I don't –" he gave an exasperated sigh, "Ah what's the point?" I laughed and turned back around as we walked through the gates of the inner wall. The castle towered even higher from such close proximity. The clatter of hooves on stone echoed off the walls, and torches being lit dimly illuminated us and the soldiers behind us. Merlin dismounted, and then helped me down to the ground. Hostlers rushed about taking horses to the stables, when one took River I started to panic a bit. The prospect of not being able to watch overhim in this place, scared me.

"No! I want to go with him!" The hostler stopped looking back at me.

"Ally no; we need to get you to Gaius. He needs to look at your ankle." The hostler was shifting his weight back and forth, not sure whether to wait or to head to the stable.

"I'm going with River." I said obstinately, wincing as tried to hop around him. I would not leave River anywhere unless I had seen it first.

"No you're not." He put out an arm blocking me.

"Yes I am." I ducked under his arm, and used River to support me as I told the hostler to start taking him. I held the cantle of my saddle to keep myself up right as I hopped along next to my big dappled gray gelding. Merlin caught up to me.

"You need to stay off of your ankle."

"I need to make sure River is well settled in."

"Camelot has great stables, you're horse will be fine."

"I want to know exactly where he is, and where my stuff is."

"Fine, then I'll carry you." He grumbled bending down and lifting me up over his shoulder.

"Merlin! Put me down!" I snapped feeling my cheeks heat. He didn't though. In fact he carried me into the stable, which was up to my standards for a medevial stable, back out and all the way up through the castle. He didn't set me down once until we reached a small wooden door.

"You don't look that strong." I muttered, still cross that he had carried me. It was really suprising he didn't have the sturdy build of Arthur. He was much slimmer, and beneath his lose clothing you couldn't really see much, but there had to be some sort of muscle down there.

"You have no idea what Arthur makes me carry up and down the stairs." I laughed at that as he opened the door and helped me into a candle lit room. Wooden work tables were covered in different instruments, and plants, and colorful liquids. At the end of the tables there was a cot covered in off white linens, which Merlin helped me over to and sat me down. At that point a little old man walked into the room. His face was wrinkled and shoulder length snow white hair contrasted against brown robes.

"Merlin, who is this?" he asked walking over somewhat stiffly.

"This is Ally; we met her in the woods. Ally, this is Gaius."

"Hello." I smiled politely; old men were easier to talk to than younger ones.

"She's broken her ankle." Gaius just nodded in response, and had me lay down before bending down next to my foot. I hissed as he prodded it, and moved it around. Everyonce in a while I would jerk back my leg on reflex causing it to hurt even worse. There was silence as Gaius worked, save for the interjections of my yelps each time he pushed too far.

"It appears to be a clean break." The old man concluded, "I'm going to need to reset it, and wrap it." He stood, and walked away for a minute returning with a wad of cloth which he handed me. "Bite this." He ordered before returning to my foot, apprehension filled me. I knew this would hurt a lot. It had hurt when they reset my arm, and then I had anesthetic. I bit down on the cloth, screaming into it as he pushed the bones back into place. Pain rushed up and down my leg, and I closed my eyes causing the tears I was trying to hold back to flow out. Slowly it subsided, and I relaxed into my cot. Merlin sat beside me, and handed me a handkerchief.

"thanks." I said wiping away the tears.

"You're welcome." He replied, we sat in silence as Gaius wrapped my ankle tightly in bandages. I winced, but nothing was as bad as when he reset it. When the old man finished he stood.

"You need to stay off of it for a week or so, so that it heals right. Then you can walk around, but not for long all right." I nodded, but once again I was not happy about it. I wanted to be able to go see River. Not be trapped in this room day in and day out. Gaius had to go run an errand of some sort, and I was left with Merlin. For the third or fourth time in the past day I found myself floundering to find some sort of conversation topic. Why am I so bad at this? I sighed and glanced over at him. Praying he would say something so this awkward silence would just end without me making a fool of myself. And yet it dragged on... and on... I had to say something but what?

"S-so what's it like to w-work for Arthur?" he rolled his eyes oh no, what if everyone asks him that? What if he hates that everyone only cares about Arthur. Oh now I've probably offended him, and he'll – my internal panicking was cut off.

"Polish my armor, muck my horses, and wake me up early Merlin, why did you wake me up early Merlin?" He sighed, "He's a prat, but I guess he's not too bad." He laughed.

"The prat wants a word with you Merlin." We both froze, and slowly looked up at the doorway where Arthur and Clarisse were standing. Arthur scowled, and Clarisse looked like she was trying not to crack up.

"Yes sire." Merlin also looked like he was holding back a smile as he stood and walked out of the room. Clarisse slid past Arthur and sat down next to me.

"How are you?"

"I'm okay. So where were you?"

"I had an audience with the king." She smiled smugly.

"Oh really? And how did that go?"

"Pretty well, the king seems to be a good man."

"That's good what did you talk about?"

"I told him who we were. I am Lady Clarisse Jaques of America, a war ravished kingdom very far away."

"And who am I?" I asked excited to hear what identity she had made up for me.

"You are my maidservant Alexandra Fraley." My face fell.

"… A maidservant… I could have been anybody and you made me your maid?" I yelled, why would she do that? We were best friends, now our relationship would be expected to be that of a higher and lesser person. Servant and master.

"Well it doesn't make sense for a noble to be traveling without a servant of some sort. Anyways you don't really pass for noble; you're too shy and soft spoken, you wouldn't even like it. And you wouldn't be able to be with Merlin, you do have a thing for him don't you?" I could tell she felt bad she was rambling off reasons, excuses, trying to say sorry without throwing away her pride and apologizing.

"I don't have a thing for Merlin." I protested.

"It didn't look like that on the ride here." She smiled a hint of relief in her eyes. She didn't think I would press her anymore about making me a maid. She was right, as angry as I was I hated fighting, and I wasn't going to say anything. Instead I just turned red at the mention of my nap on Merlin during our ride to Camelot.

"I just fell asleep." I scowled.

"Keep telling yourself that." She laughed as Arthur came in.

"Lady Clarisse, I will walk you to your rooms now."

"Oh I don't want to trouble you Milord."

"It's none really your chambers are on the way to mine."

"All right then. Well I see you later Ally, get better." She squeezed my shoulder as she stood.

"Bye Clarisse." As she walked out next to Arthur I had this dreadful feeling that things we're changing. Our past… or more future was coming to an end, and something new was going to take its place.