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When Ryll opened her eyes, she found herself momentarily confused, forgetting for a second the events of the day. She blinked, gazing around the richly furnished room in a state of disbelief. Then the morning came rushing back to her, and she put a hand to her side. There was no pain. She carefully unwrapped the bandage and looked down at the wound. There was no mark. She breathed in sharply. Whatever had caused her wound to heal so quickly was not within her understanding. Merlin had seemed just as surprised as her. Somehow she got the feeling that he thought she had done something. She shook her head. If she had the knowledge to heal wounds that quickly, she would have done so before now. That was not the kind of gift you just wasted. But what was she thinking? She was now a guest of Uther Pendragon. She had heard just what he did with people who practiced magic whether they meant to or not. But magic? She had never been gifted in that way. Not to her knowledge.

Replacing the bandage, Ryll got out of the ornate four-poster bed, carefully tucking in the deep green cover. A dress had been laid out at the end of the bed. It was a light blue to match her eyes with a carefully beaded band that ran around her torso and a full skirt that flowed down to her feet. She stepped out of the nightgown she had been given and into the dress, marveling at the smooth feel of the fabric. Her worn boots had been replaced with soft slippers. There was a tap on her door, and Morgana entered, her expression brightening when she saw Ryll dressed and looking better.

"You look much better," she said, smiling.

"I'm feeling much better."

"When I saw that arrow pierce you, I thought that you'd been badly injured."

"I guess it wasn't as bad as it looked. I have tough skin." She smiled, hoping they could drop the subject.

"Are you feeling up to dinner? Uther would like to meet you."

"I'm feeling well enough for dinner. I just hope I'm up for meeting the king. I'm not exactly used to being in the presence of royalty," she admitted.

"You'll be fine. You don't need to put on airs just to impress him. He's very grateful to you for saving me in the forest."

Ryll nodded, following Morgana out of the room. She led her down a set of spiraling stairs and down a hallway. Everything was grey stone, lit by torches along the walls. Camelot wasn't exactly cold, but Ryll found it difficult to find any comfort along its corridors. They came to a double set of wooden doors set with iron. Two guards stood along side the doors, holding spears and looking formidable in their armor. Morgana walked straight past them and into the well-lit dining area. A middle-aged man stood with his back turned to them, one gloved hand resting on the back of a tall-backed chair.

"My Lord," Morgana said, interrupting his contemplation. He turned, his severe eyes softening when he saw his ward. His eyes turned to Ryll. They were grey and cold, but held a certain light that Ryll decided could be caring. She wouldn't want to get on his bad side thought, she knew that. "This is Amaryllis."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, your highness," Ryll said, bowing her head.

"The pleasure is mine. I can't tell you how glad I am that you were riding through the forest when you were. You are welcome to stay in this castle for as long as you like as my guest."

"Thank you, that means a lot to me. I'm afraid I've nowhere else to go," Ryll confessed.

"No family then?"

Ryll shook her head. "No, my Lord, they died when I was young. I've traveled around ever since."

"That must have been difficult."

"Yes, it was, but now I'm here in your beautiful kingdom, and already I've made a friend." She glanced gratefully at Morgana who smiled in return.

"Please join us for dinner," Uther requested, motioning toward the table as the servants stepped forward to serve them.

They had just sat down when Arthur entered the room, Merlin trailing after him. It seemed as if the two had been quarrelling because Merlin had a look of frustration on his face while Arthur looked peeved. His blue eyes alit on her and changed to a look of appraisal.

"You're looking much better," he said, seating himself across from her.

"Yes, I feel much better." Ryll smiled, hoping no one would question her quick recovery. Merlin cast her a look from behind Arthur's back, and her smile faltered.

"Tell me, where are you from?" Arthur asked.

"Originally I was from Hithar, a small village west of here. But after my parents died, I moved around a lot."

"I'm sorry to hear about your parents," he said sympathetically.

Ryll bowed her head solemnly. "It was a long time ago," she atoned.

"Morgana tells me you have quite the skill with the bow," Arthur changed the subject.

"Yes, I do. I've been practicing since I was a little girl."

"Maybe you can teach me a thing or two," Arthur replied.

"I'd like that." She caught Merlin throwing her another glance as if disapproving her choice to join he prince. Obviously he was still upset over something they had argued about. Ryll wondered if Arthur was this easy to get along with when he wasn't being so polite.

"Tomorrow then, if you're up to it," Arthur said decisively.

"I will be," Ryll promised.

…

She was dressed shortly after dawn, carrying her bow out to the courtyard where she met Arthur. He greeted her cordially and led her out to the training field where Merlin had set up two targets. He stood to the side while Ryll and Arthur shot.

Arthur was good, she'd give him that, but she was better. Ryll's arrows formed a tight circle around the center of the target, their white-feathered fletchings standing out against the bright gold. She raised the bow once more to fire her last arrow, pulling the string back to her jaw, fitting her thumb under the jawbone, and focusing in on the target. She took a breath and then exhaled slowly as she released. The arrow made a satisfying 'thwump' as it hit the target, embedding itself in her already tight circle of arrows.

"Where did you learn to shoot like that?" Arthur asked incredulously as his arrow hit just outside the bulls eye. "I mean, I've practically been training from birth, but I'm not that good."

Ryll turned to survey him, smirking slightly. "I guess you could call it a gift," she replied.

"I guess." Arthur looked at her in both confusion and astonishment.

Merlin ran forward to pull out Arthur's arrows, handing them back to him. Arthur's eyes didn't leave Ryll's. Merlin then turned to pull hers out.

"I'll do that," she said, turning away from Arthur and helping Merlin pull out the arrows, showing him how to place his index and middle finger around where the arrow had embedded itself in the target and wiggle it out with the other hand.

"Thanks," Merlin told her quietly.

"Arthur doesn't seem to appreciate you much. I didn't realize you were his servant," Ryll said softly.

"Ah, he's not that bad. He's just a bit unappreciative," Merlin replied.

"Merlin, hurry up!" Arthur yelled, looking impatient.

Merlin rolled his eyes toward Ryll. "Make that very unappreciative."

Ryll smiled, talking her arrows from him and going back to where Arthur stood. "Best two out of three?" she asked. She could see the spark of competitiveness in his blue eyes. A slight breeze had picked up, tossing his blonde hair and her golden hair. She knew the wind would work to her advantage as she drew back the bow, calculating the wind current and aiming slightly to the right. When she released, the arrow went slightly to the left as she had predicted, but hit the center of the target once more while Arthur's hit further to the left. They continued to shoot another two rounds, Ryll winning both, before they pulled their arrows out and unstrung their bows – or rather Arthur handed his off to Merlin while Ryll unstrung her own.

"I don't seem to stand a chance against you," Arthur said appraisingly.

Ryll smiled demurely. "I'm sure your highness is quite accomplished in many other things."

Arthur smiled. "I suppose you're going to tell me you can handle a sword next."

"Well, yes, actually. I had to learn to defend myself. But I'm sure I'd be no match for your highness."

They headed back to the castle, Merlin's arms full of Arthur's bow and arrows. Ryll carried her own. The white stone sides of the castle shone brightly in the afternoon sunlight, and Ryll took in the glorious sight. It was so different from what she remembered of her childhood village. Those were vague memories, but they consisted of ramshackle buildings, starving people, bandits, beggars, and thieves. She'd had to learn how to fend for herself after her parents died when she was seven. She'd been taught how to use a bow at the age of eight and how to wield a sword at the age of ten. It had been a rough life, but Ryll felt safe for the first time in a long time.

"We should have a look at that wound again. Just to make sure it's healing alright," Merlin told her as they entered the castle. Ryll felt a jab in her heart.

"Right, good idea." She thought back to when she had checked on her wound earlier and found it fully healed. What would Gaius say? He'd probably accuse her of sorcery. "Can you just check it?" she asked. "It's just, I don't want to bother Gaius."

Merlin looked at her, his eyes suspicious, but he nodded. "Sure."

"Merlin, after you're done with that, remember to wash my red jacket for the knighting tomorrow and polish my armor for next week's tournament. I want to be able to see my reflection in it."

"Yes, sire," Merlin said begrudgingly.

"And be quick about it. We don't want you lazing around on the job again." Arthur turned to Ryll. "This was enjoyable. Perhaps we can do it another time."

"I'd like that." Ryll smiled. She watched as Arthur walked away.

"What do you think of Arthur?" Merlin asked Ryll as they headed toward her room. His tone was casual, but his eyes glinted with curiosity.

Ryll narrowed her own eyes. "He seems nice enough, but he obviously enjoys bossing other people around." She eyed Merlin. "I'm not sure we'd get along very well further than a few archery sessions."

"He's not all that bad. He's got a good heart. He'll do anything to save someone's life without thought of himself. He's saved my life before."

"He's a knight though, that's what they do," Ryll replied.

"He's more than that."

"Why are trying to make me like him so much?" Ryll asked, stopping and turning to face Merlin. She narrowed her eyes.

He just grinned at her. "No reason." She couldn't help but smile a little.

"Fine, let's get that wound checked." She nervously led Merlin to her room. What would he say when he saw it was fully healed without a mark? Could she just play innocent? Pretend she had no idea how it had healed so quickly? Well, that was the truth at least.

When they reached the door, she hesitated for a moment and then turned to Merlin. He stopped short, casting her a confused look. "What if something happened to you that you couldn't explain?" she asked before she could stop herself, her words sounding breathless in the deserted corridor. Merlin's blue eyes narrowed slightly, but Ryll pressed on. "I mean, what would you do if you didn't know what was happening to you?" She bit her lip. Now she was just speaking in circles.

"Well, I suppose I'd try to figure out what was happening," he replied after a pause. "Is this something you could tell me about?"

Ryll hesitated, wanting so badly to trust someone. Merlin seemed sweet and trustworthy, but Ryll didn't know how to breach the subject. "Just check my wound for me, please. You'll see what I'm talking about." Merlin blinked, but nodded without saying anything. His joking demeanor was gone as Ryll led him into her room.

She sat on the bed and lifted the bottom of her tunic slightly so that Merlin could unwind the bandage. "Sorry," he said apologetically as his fingers brushed her skin.

"You're just being helpful, you don't have to apologize," Ryll assured him. His fingers were cold against her skin though he tried to gingerly remove the bandage without touching her. As the last strip of bandage fell away, Ryll watched Merlin's expression change to shock.

"That is where the wound was, right?" he asked.

"There's nothing there," Ryll whispered. "I don't know why or how. I didn't do anything. You've got to believe me. I know how Uther feels about sorcerers."

Something flashed behind Merlin's eyes, but it was gone after a second. "I'm sure it's nothing. If you were a sorcerer, you'd be aware of it," he assured her. "Gaius has some really good remedies, and you obviously heal very quickly." Ryll nodded, not quite believing him. But what else could she believe?

"You're right," she found herself agreeing. Merlin's blue eyes met hers from where he knelt.

"Don't worry. We'll just get rid of the bandage. If you're still concerned, just tell everyone you're still healing."

"Alright." Ryll paused for a second. "Merlin, if there really is more to this, you will tell me, won't you?" she asked.

"Of course."

She smiled hesitantly. "I feel like I can trust you," she said to him.

"I hope so," he answered. There was a silence that stretched on for a moment, and then Merlin stood. "I suppose I should go see to Arthur's armor," he said, pointing toward the door.

"Yes, wouldn't want to unbalance things with Arthur," Ryll said, smirking slightly. "What were you arguing about before dinner last night?" she asked on a whim.

"What makes you think we were arguing?" Merlin asked.

"Just the expressions on your faces."

"Oh, he was just upset because I accidentally shrunk one of his favorite jackets when I was washing it."

"Oh." Ryll stared at him for a moment before laughing.

"He didn't think it was very funny," Merlin said, grinning.

Ryll snorted. "I doubt it."

"I'll see you later," Merlin told her, heading toward the door.

Ryll smiled at him, watching him leave. She ran her fingers over where the wound had been. Whatever Merlin had told her and whatever he would wish her to believe, she knew that something had happened after the arrow had pierced her. Something dangerous. She pulled down her tunic and lay back on the bed, memories crashing down upon her like freshly churned waves. Sometimes no matter how hard you tried to hide from something, it always had a way of creeping back. If her secret were to be discovered, there was no doubt in her mind that Uther would have her executed. Shutting her eyes, Ryll pushed away the memories, locking them deep inside of her.