A/N: This chapter is supposed to be after Freya comes and goes, so Merlin's still a little upset about it.

Ch. 10~ Odds and Ends

Time flew past in Camelot, and the air quickly turned chilly. Within the castle, the preparations for the winter solstice festival were in high swing. Tia was running back and forth through the halls, trying to help Gwen get all of the pieces needed for Morgana's dress for the ball. Uther was holding a masque in celebration of another successful year of peace. Quite honestly, Tia didn't understand the point of all the meaningless feasts and balls that Uther was so adamant about hosting that year. To her, it was a reminder of the last twenty years worth of repression on people who never did anything to the king. She had known many of the older people back home who had practiced the old ways. In her travels around the kingdom, she had met more than a few discreet covens trying to hide from Uther so they could be safe to live out their lives in peace.

Tia was so deep in thought as she rounded the corner to Morgana's room, that over the pile of cloth and objects in her hands, she didn't see the harried manservant running down the hall.

WHAM! They collided, and everything they both carried went flying across the hall around them. One of the enormous lengths of cloth flew up and unrolled, drifting down on top of the two.

Merlin shook his head and pushed himself up to see the Court Entertainer groaning underneath him.

"Oh, Miss Tia! I am so sorry! Are you alright?"

"I think I hit my head." She reached up, eyes still closed, and placed her hand on Merlin's chest to push him up more, but stopped moving when she realized who it was.

He tried to get up, but the cloth had twisted around them, making it very difficult to move more than a few inches apart. "I'm sorry, I can't-" his foot slipped and he landed on her again. "Ow, sorry!"

"Stop saying that. It's alright; I know you aren't doing it on purpose. Just find some way to get us out of this stupid thing."

"I'm trying." However, them moving about only succeeded in tightening the cloth even more.

"Ouch, ok, just stop for a moment. There's a knife on the back of my belt. My arms are pinned, so I need you to reach around and get it."

"Ok, ok. Knife, right." Merlin managed to get his arm unstuck from where it had been pinned above her head and reached down to her waist. "I can't get under you; I need you to pull up if you can."

"I'll try." Tia arched her back a little to give him access to her back, which made both of them pause.

Merlin stared down at her in the dark through the darkness caused by the thick cloth. She was so warm, so soft against him….but he couldn't think like that. He shook off the thoughts. She belonged to Arthur, even if they were separated by class. Even the thought of the possibility of her with him was high treason against the person he was sworn to protect.

"Merlin," she whispered.

"Yes?" he answered just as breathlessly.

"That's not my knife."

"Oh!" he pulled his hand away from the top of her rear, grasping the hilt of the knife. "Sorry."

The knife cut through a small section of the cloth like it was made of butter, freeing them quickly. Merlin sat up, pushing the heavy material away so that they could move better. In doing so, he caught a glance of her skirt riding up her thigh, which was quickly remedied when she dragged herself out from under him. He turned his head away from her as he handed her knife back.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." He snuck a look at Tia, and saw that she was smiling. "No, seriously, don't mention it. Please. Arthur would probably have me killed for this."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, he'd probably have me beheaded for crashing into you."

"Why in the world would he do that? It was an accident."

"Yeah, but I don't think he'd see it like that, what with the way you two are."

Tia stopped picking up all of the mess. "Alright, I'm lost. What the hell are you talking about, Merlin?"

"Don't pretend you don't know. I see the way you two are around each other. Every time you come around, his whole personality brightens. If anyone says or does anything against you in any way, he's there to tell them off. When I tried to help you all those months ago, you asked him to help you instead. I know what's going on between you two."

"Oh, pray tell, what exactly do you think is going on between me and El Pequiño Rey?"

"How can you just stand there and say things like that? I'm sure everyone else in the castle knows, the way you two carry on. I'm not too stupid to see that you love him! I'm not too stupid to see that you're probably sneaking around with him, too!"

At this, she froze. "That's what you think of me? That I'm some sort of cheap whore who sneaks around behind people's backs? That I'd sink to the level of the men who took me from my home and forced me to become something horrid? Well, let me tell you something, Merlin: You. Know. Nothing. I hope you know better than to speak to me again after this, hijo de puta.* Because if I ever catch you anywhere near me again, oh," Tia gathered the rest of the things on the floor, then stood back up to face him. "Voy a cortar el pene fuera y te hacen ver como le doy de comer a los más viciosos de los perros de caza del rey.**" With that, she turned and left.

Well, that could've gone better.

Later that evening, Merlin was tidying up Arthur's bedroom, arranging it for dinner, then bed. Suddenly, the door slammed open, making the young man jump. He didn't even see it as the prince grabbed him by the front of his shirt and hauled him against the wall. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"I didn't do anything!"

"That's a load of crock if I've ever heard it." He pulled Merlin away from the wall, and then slammed him against it again.

"Arthur!" Gwen appeared out of nowhere, pulling on the prince's arm. "Stop it. I'm sure he's got an explanation for his actions. If you knock him out, you won't know why he did it."

"You're right, of course. Thank you, Gweneviere." He dropped his hold on the manservant. "What happened between you and Celestia?"

"Of course, she'd send you after me." Merlin got up and dusted himself off.

"Merlin, please," Gwen said gently. "Tia's been locked in her room crying for the last few hours. The only thing she said was that you two got in a fight. We need to know what happened."

"Why don't you ask him?!" he pointed a finger at Arthur. "Ask him why she's just a servant, yet she's got a room fit for a princess, and the favor of the king. I'm sure he'd be willing to tell you how even his father's been giving favors to his lover."

They stared at him for a moment. "Wow, you really are as simple of a fool as you seem." Arthur shook his head. "One would think you'd have figured it out by now, since everyone else has."

"What? Hm? What has everyone else figured out?"

"You idiot. Celestia isn't my lover. She's my cousin."

A/N: Du-du-duuuuu! Plot Twist! Don't you just love my stories? So, please tell me what you think, Read & Review and all that jazz.

*= "you son of a bitch"

**= "I will cut off your penis and make you watch as I feed it to the most vicious of the king's hunting dogs."

Yes I am a very dark person sometimes. That's what happens when I write while I'm sick and it's rainy outside.