It was a few days after his conversation with Arthur and Merlin was pacing in the hallway outside of Lady Vivian's door trying and failing to get up the courage to knock. Every time he raised his hand to the door he chicken out and started pacing again.
He almost wished someone would attack Arthur and give him an excuse to delay the conversation, but since it seemed no such event was going to occur he turned once again to Lady Vivian's door and just as he raised his hand to knock the door swung open and he jumped as he came face to face with Lady Vivian.
"Merlin!" she said, slightly startled.
Merlin froze and it seemed to him for a moment that everything he had thought about saying to her had completely left his brain and he stared at her blankly.
"Merlin?" She asked. "Are you alright?"
"Um, yeah." he said slowly lowering his hand. "I just thought maybe we should talk…you know…that's yeah that's why I came by and I wasn't expecting you to open the door so quickly." His eyes dropped to stare at his boots.
"Sorry," Lady Vivian said. "I thought I heard someone out here. I guess that was you."
Merlin felt his ears go red with embarrassment as he realized she had heard his pacing.
"I'm glad you've decided to stop avoiding me." She said after a moment and he looked up startled.
"I wasn't avoiding you." He protested and she gave him a pointed look. "Alright, maybe a little, but I wasn't and really I'm still not sure what to think of all this."
"Thus avoidance was the answer?" She asked one eyebrow raised.
"Yes." He admitted. "Not a very good one. I'll admit, but to be honest you are kinda a royal pain and your Father scares me. It just seemed easier to try not to think about it."
To his surprise Lady Vivian smiled at him. "He can be quite scary, but he will not hurt you." she said. "As for me, I hope you will give me the chance to prove I'm not the same person I was a year ago."
Merlin studied her upturned face and felt himself relax. "Alright." He agreed. "But we are not courting."
"Of course not." Lady Vivian said. "I had to tell my Father that I wanted to court you or he never would have agreed to let me come."
"So you don't want to marry me?" Merlin asked carefully.
"How should I know?" She responded. " I hardly know you."
"Good."Merlin said with a sigh of relief.
"I'm I really that repulsive to you, Merlin?" she asked, indignantly.
"No." He said, quickly. "It's just the conversation we had last you were here left a bad taste in my mouth and You were not the kind of person that I would ever consider marrying and in the year since I have wished many times over that you were not my soulmate."
"I understand." she said, her eyes dropping. "I was not a nice person and to blind to see it. I'm sorry."
"It's alright."Merlin said, wanting to make her feel better. "That was then and this is now. You asked for a chance to prove you are not the same person you once were and I'm ready to give you that."
"Really?" She looked up, a hopeful smile brightening her face.
"Of course." Merlin said. " Arthur was a complete clotpole when I met him and if he has changed then surely you can and surely a lot quicker at it then he is."
"Thank you, Merlin." She said, taking his hand. I do hope we can at the very least be good friends."
"Me too." Merlin agreed, grinning at her.
He was relieved that Lady Vivian did not seem to have in mind the intention of trying to force him into marrying her and it did truly seem as if she had greatly improved since their last meeting.
