Merlin laughed as he saw Gwen trip over her own feet, sending the basket she held flying, fruits and flowers spewed about. Scowling, Gwen bent to pick them up, sending a glare Merlin's way.
"Merlin! That isn't funny!" Gwen complained as she rolled peaches into the basket, "do you know how long it will take to get these clean?" Letting his laughter subside, Merlin crouched down to join her, the fruit smooth against his skin.
"Sorry, sorry" he apologized, wide grin on his face, "but you're usually so in step with everything, I'm a bit surprised is all." Shaking her head, she couldn't help but laugh along- Merlin was just so cheeky, it surprised her that she was never able to get mad at him for anything. Grunting, she got up, hoisting the basket against her hip as they continued walking.
"So, what is it Arthur needs you to do later?" Gwen asked after a few minutes of awkward silence. Merlin blinked- did that prat really need him for every waking minute of the day?
"I think it was for some jousting match he has lair today," Merlin answered nonchalantly, a grim look wiping away his boyish grin. The last time there was a joust Arthur had almost been killed, and it wasn't exactly pretty. The sun cast long shadows across the gravelly pad as they strolled through the market, Gwen picking up a cucumber, asking, "Does this look ripe to you?"
"Do I look like an expert in vegetables?" Merlin joked, making Gwen laugh, her brown curls shaking against her tanned skin. Gently, she placed the vegetable back on the stand, jumping suddenly, smacking Merlin's arm, "Merlin!"
"What?!" he cried, raising his hands in defense. Gwen jumped again, hitting him even harder.
"Gwen!" Merlin had a confused look on his face, "ow!"
"Stop rubbing your foot against my leg!" Gwen scolded, clutching the basket tighter against her hip.
"But I'm not!" Merlin cowered, shielding his head with his arms as Gwen went to hit him again.
"But I feel you doing it!" Gwen said, "I mean, who else is with me-"
"I swear! I'm not tho- YEOW!" he suddenly cried in agony, clutching at his thigh as he felt a sudden prick of the skin. Gwen's eyes widened as Merlin crashed to his knees, groping for her hand to get support.
"Merlin?!" Gwen asked cautiously," are you alright?"
"I think something just bit me!" Merlin squealed, biting his lip to keep from crying out in pain. Cautiously, Gwen hoisted Merlin to his feet, slinging his arm over her shoulder, "Alright, i think we should get you back to Gaius, no?" Nodding in agreement, Merlin and Gwen hobbled their way through the crowds carefully, each step Merlin took causing his leg to cry out in agony, the skin pulling, muscles twisting and shrieking, warm blood running in rivulets down his leg, soaking the inside of his boot.
As soon as they had gotten back to the castle, Gwen pushed open the door to Gaius' chambers, nearly pushing Merlin onto the couch, carefully setting down the basket afterwards. Tiredly, Merlin wiped sweat from his forehead as Gwen grabbed a rag, dunking it quickly into a bucket of water gaius had sitting on the table.
"Alrighty then," Gwen said to herself as she gently dabbed the cloth on his forehead. The door swung open, creaking on its hinges as Gaius walked in, maroon colored robes sweeping the floor as a confused look flashed through his old eyes.
"What happened in the ten minutes I was gone?" Gaius asked, waddling over, taking the cloth from Gwen and tossing it aside. It landed with a wet plop somewhere on the floor of the other side of the room.
"Should I-?" Gwen asked, jabbing a thumb in its direction. Gaius shook his head.
"Never mind it," he said, "for now, help me figure out what happened?" Sighing, Gwen wrung hr hands before letting them fall idly in her lap.
"I-I don't know," she stammered, playing with the yellow fabric of her dress, "we were walking, standing at the fruit stand of the market and I felt soothing rub against my leg, so I thought maybe it was Merlin, then-"
"Merlin?" Gaius asked incredulously, "my dear, Merlin would never do that-" Gwen nodded.
"I realized that after hitting him a few times-"
"And that hurt!" Merlin interjected.
"- And then he suddenly fell in pain," Gwen ignored Merlin's comment, "saying that something bit him…." Gaius raised an eyebrow in question, reaching down with shaky, arthritic hands to unlace Merlin's boot, shaking it off his leg and letting it collapse to the floor. Gently, Gwen picked up the boot, stroking it absentmindedly as Gaius reached down to unroll the hem of Merlin's pant leg, then suddenly drawing his hand away.
"What is it?" Gwen asked, glancing at it.
"Something is wrong…" Gaius trailed off. Neither of them noticed the door creak open, a young girl slip into the room, crouching quickly behind the table as Gaius lifted his head, pushing himself up off the couch. Gwen let her eyes trail after the old man as he stopped in front of the table, opening a book that sat upon the wood, the leather old and frayed, notes sticking every which way out of its pages.
"Your medicine book?" Gwen asked. Gaius nodded, oblivious to the girl who sat under the table, wiggling her toes as dirt from the floor crept in between them, itching her skin.
"Yes," Gaisu answered, "I assume this has a cure. It seems like something followed you home."
"What? Like, an animal?"
"Yes," gaius sighed, flipping each page carefully, the paper thin in his hands.
"But how would you tell?" Gwen asked in disbelief, "there isn't any way…."
"I saw clawed hoof prints in the dirt as I walked in," Gaius explained, "meaning some sort of animal followed you home." Claws? the girl thought, biting her lip to keep from saying anything, maybe… my dragons? Glancing down, she stared lovingly at the bunched up fabric in her hands, more specifically at the three blackis-gray eggs in her lap, one cracked open. Letting her eyes wander around the room, she saw the slim tail of scales slither underneath the couch the injured boy sat on. Of course, in her bout of happiness, she jumped up suddenly, rattling the egg in her lap and bumping her head, making the wood shake, much to Gwen and Gaius' surprise.
"What the…" Gwen said as the girl suddenly crawled out from under the table, making a dash for where Merlin sat. It was slightly difficult though, having to protect her eggs at the same time.
"Ahhh…..!" Merlin squeaked, jumping up, then immediately falling as he darted out of the girl's way, the girl herself diving to get her hand underneath eh couch, her thin fingers groping for whatever it was hat as underneath the seat. For one second, she was on the floor, the next she was being dragged into a sitting position, Gaius leering over her as Gwen and Merlin baked away, Gwen supporting Merlin as best she could.
"Get out of my way-" the girl said, trying to crawl past the old man, yelping with pain as he kicked her backwards. Her arms tensed as she clutched her eggs even tighter, trying her best to conceal them in the fabric of her blue dress.
"Gaius!" Gwen cried out, pointing to the floor. Slithering out from under the seat was a small…..
"Dragon!" the girl exclaimed, scuttling over to it excitedly, dirt staining her dress as she did so. Sun bounced off the scales, which were a deep scarlet, almost blood red- so dark they were almost black. With a big grin, she scooped the dragon back into her lap, much to the animal's surprise.
"Okay…. what is happening?!" Gwen shouted as they watched the dragon stare at the girl, the suddenly cuddle up to her like a babe suckling its mothers breast.
"I finally found you!" she said lovingly to it, pecking the top of its head with kisses, the baby dragon purring with happiness. Slamming the book shut, Gaius lifted it, tucking it under his arm. She better not be looking for this, he thought as he watched her play with the creature. it wasn't a medicine book, but a magic book, one he had given Merlin when h first arrived at Camelot.
"Merlin cleared his throat, catching the girl's attention at last, "Um, I don't mean to intrude on whoever this is, but…." he gulped, "what is that…?" Her blue eyes glared at th young warlock, going to clutch her pet protectively.
"I could ask you why my dragon is with you, no?" she countered. Merlin winced, noticing the scales digging into the skin on her arms, drawing blood as she hugged it tighter.
"Your dragon?" Gwen scoffed. The girl nodded.
"Yes, my dragon," she stressed, "you don't see anyone else claiming it, do you?" Gwen shook her head.
"Well, no…" Gwen said uncomfortably, examining the girl's features. Her blue eyes were piercing and icy, concealing a somewhat loving nature underneath. Her full lips were pale pink, her skin a pale snow white, with high cheeks and flawless complexion. everything about her was slim, and her hair, which looked blond at first glance, Gwen saw was completely white like Gaius', as if she had years of age on her, yet she looked to be about sixteen years of age, not much younger then herself.
"So," the girl said, "how did you come to possess my drago-" her eyes widened with shock as gaius clamped a leathery hand over her mouth.
"Don't you know?!" he hissed at her. Impatiently, she pushed him away.
"Know what?" she asked haughtily.
"Those are illegal in Camelot!" Gaius said with bewilderment. The girl cocked her head- how could one ban dragons from flying free in the skies? To roam about as they please?
"Illegal?" she asked, "back home they are the most treasured things on Earth." Merlin and Gwen exchanged looks- she was definitely not from around the kingdom.
"Where are you from that allows dragons to survive?" Gaius asked.
"Westeros, of course," the girl grinned, "everyone knows Westeros is where dragons and humans thrive in peace!" Her face fell when the trip before had look sod awe and confusion on there faces, "S-surely you've heard…?" she faltered, stroking the scaly back of the dragon absentmindedly.
"I apologize, but no one in Camelot has heard of such a place," Gaius said as a look of sorrow befell her pretty face. She snapped her head up suddenly, "I'm in, Camelot, you say?" She said it strangley, the word sounding foreign on her tongue. Gaius nodded.
"Yes," he said, "I am Gaius, the court physician. This is Gwen, Lady Morgana's hand-maid," Gwen curtsied politely, a tad nervous that she was dealing with something illegal, punishable by death, Gaius continued, "and this is Arthur's manservant, Merlin."
"It is a pleasure…." she said, her eyes trained on the young wizard. It seems he has dealt with dragons, she thought, for even though he cowered, he did less so then the other two. Merlin cleared his throat uncomfortably, breaking eye contact.
"So," he piped up, "you are?"
"Oh! Sorry," she apologized, standing to her full height, which was not that much taller then Gwen, possibly a bit shorter as she bowed her head slightly, white hair falling in her face, "I am Daenerys Taragryn, Mother Of Dragons."
"Excuse me, what?" Gaius asked, cupping an ear.
"My name is Khaleesi Daenerys Taragryn, Mother Of Dragons," she repeated.
"Alright then," Gaius said with a nod, "do you know where you are?"
"You said this was Camelot, no?"
"And whose kingdom is this?"
"I… I do not know," she said, "my brother, Viserys, he dumped me here as soon s he got the chance." Gwen raised her brows. What kind of sibling would do that?
"Well, can you at least take a look at this?" Gaius asked, gesturing to Merlin as he hobbled over lifting the leg of his pants, revealing two small bite marks, the blood now trickling lazily, like water dripping from a faucet.
"Did Viserion do that?" Daenerys asked.
"I guess?" Merlin said, "if that's the name of your dragon?" Daenerys nodded.
"Well, I guess you would have to drain the wound of the venom, no?" Gwen suggested. Daenerys nodded in agreement, saying, "Although it doesn't look deadly, it is. You'll need to rest for a few weeks."
"H-how many weeks?" Merlin stuttered with a nervous laugh, his face going as pale as Daenerys' hair.
"Probably four at the least?" Daenerys said with a shrug of her shoulders, "I mean, the dragons don't usually bite someone unless they feel attracted, like when-"
"Like mating?!" Merlin cut off. She nodded, and Gwen couldn't help but stifle a laugh as vision squealed happily in Merlin's direction.
"What's so funny?!" Merlin asked incredulously. Gwen let it out, bursting into hoots and gales of giggles.
"When is the baby due, eh, Merlin?" Gaius joked, cracking a grin from Daenerys. Merlin groaned- this was not what he needed.
"Well, can we heal this or not?" he asked. Gaius nodded, guiding Merlin to the chair once more.
"Yes, Merlin, we will," he said, "but D-Daeneriu- Daene-"
"Daenerys," Daenerys said for him, ending his struggle of pronunciation.
"Yes, Daenerys, I'll need you and Gwen to stay here until we get this all sorted out." Gwen eyed the dragon warily as she and the newcomer took seats at the table, Daenerys watching with fascination as Gaius began mixing potions. Just like a child, Gwen thought as she watched her blue eyes shine with amazement.
"Where did you live before coming here?" she asked Daenerys suddenly.
"Westeros," she said simply. Gaius finished mixing the potion, holding it out before him carefully as he waddled over to Merlin, having him take a sip. He sputtered, spitting half of it out.
"That is disgusting!" Merlin shouted.
"Well, you'll need it, so drink up!" Gaius ordered, Merlin complying reluctantly. Daenerys laughed as she watched Merlin gag down the potion.
"You should be lucky, having such a wonderful physician," she stated, "back home, we don't have this kind of supplies."
"Where did you live that you didn't have this kind of supplies?" Gwen asked, pressing even further, wary of her first answer.
"I told you, Westero-"
"Not Westeros, wherever tat is," Gwen cut her off, "did you live anywhere before Westeros?" Daenerys nodded, "I did, yes. Why?"
"Where?" she asked.
"The barren of the Dothraki Sea," Daenerys answered. Gwen cocked her head, looking to the other two for an answer- she had never heard of any of these places. Viserion yawned as it sat in Daenerys's lap, forced tongue flicking between sharp teeth.
"I think we need to have a talk with King Uther," Gaius mumbled.
"Who is that?" Daenerys asked, "is he going to take my dragons away?!" A sudden look of fear glinted in her bright blue eyes and she hugged her dragon closer to her chest, the eggs in her lap rattling. Merlin and Gwen exchanged looks.
"I think," Merlin said finally, "you should speak with his son first."