Ch. 6~ Meeting Merlin

Gaius was frantic when I got back from visiting with Arthur.

"Tia, please tell me you've just seen Merlin coming up behind you," he moved past me.

"Merlin?" I set down my basket of groceries.

"Hunith's son. I sent him out to run some orders to the patients. He should have been back by now."

"No, I haven't seen anyone. Do you want me to go look for him?"

"Yes, oh, thank you. He's, uh, wearing…a blue shirt."

"That's only every other man in Camelot." I chuckled. I was sure Merlin was just enjoying the sights.

"And, um, a red neckerchief, with-"

"Gaius, he wouldn't happen to also be wearing a brown jacket?"

"Yes, actually. You've seen him?"

"I ran into him earlier, he asked for directions."

"Oh, well, we have to find him. Hunith would have my hide if anything happened to her only son."

"I already know where he is…Arthur had him thrown in the dungeons."

"Oh, dear."

After hearing why Merlin had been imprisoned, Gaius ran to the dungeons. When he got back, he told me that he would be released in the morning.

"Why can't you get him out tonight?" I asked as I stirred a pot of stew.

"He physically assaulted the Crown Prince. You of all people should know the concequences."

Indeed I did. Before Uther had found out who I was, Arthur snuck up on me accidentally. The trauma from the voyage was still fresh in my mind and I flew into a rage. So, I ended up in the dungeons. Father and son came down to visit me and that was how my identity became known.

Merlin POV

He was curled up in the corner of his cell, trying to keep warm. Suddenly, a guard came up and started jangling his keys as he unlocked the door. When the man came in, he was accompanied by a maid with dark skin.

"Hullo. My lady, the princess, asked that you be brought something warm to eat." She set down a platter with a bowl of thick, rich stew and a roll of fresh bread.

"Thanks." Of course, his mind was reeling as to why a princess would care if he was fed. Oh, well, food was food and he was hungry.

They waited until his bowl was empty, then the maid took it and left, the guard locking up behind her.

"Sleep tight, eh, buddy boy. Don't let the rats get to you."

Tia POV

Back in my room, I sat on the window seat watching the moon rise. There was something odd about this Merlin. He didn't look at me with the lustful gaze most men did. No, it was more like simple curiosity. I heard the bell toll in the high tower. Eleven o'clock. And that familiar tingling started in my belly. I laid down on my bed.

My snaky little… Arthur had said. The mark on my right arm burned, my burden…my curse. I closed my eyes.

I went to the market a bit early that day, to clear my head from the night before. It wasn't even noon before I came across a mob gathered around a market stall. It took a few moments of being shoved and stepped on, but I finally managed to see what the commotion was. Arthur and Merlin were fighting again. Oddly enough, it looked like Merlin was doing rather well holding his won. Gaius came up next to me.

"What is he doing?" the elder man was fuming.

Then Merlin saw us. His eyes had been flashing gold. Arthur took his chance, grabbing a broom and started hitting the scrawny man.

I pushed to the front, dropping my basket. "ARTHUR! STOP THIS!"

Everyone looked at me as if they couldn't believe a peasant would call out the prince. Then they saw the ring dangling from a string around my neck. The people around us bowed. I went forward and wrenched the broom out of Arthur's hands.

"I thought you would know better, beating someone weaker than yourself. Tal comportamiento terrible desde el príncipe.* Control yourself." I noticed that my old accent was coming out again, as it often did when I was upset.

I stood there for a few moments while everyone dispersed. My mind whirred, What was going on? Gaius and Merlin were already almost to the tower when I turned around, so I picked up my basket and hurried after them. When I opened the door of the tower, I hear Merlin yelling.

"If I can't use magic, them I might as well die." Then he stormed off into his room.

"What happened?" I set down my basket on the table.

"he was using magic to with the fight. Merlin would have won if he hadn't seen me. Poor boy's going to have some nasty bruises. I suppose I shouldn't be too hard on him. Arthur would have killed him if you hadn't stepped in when you did."

*Such terrible behavior for the prince.