#farawayreality

    That following morning I woke up to the sound of bells and the light shining through the window. Merlin was already awake and had left the room. As I descended the stairs into the main room of the physicians quarters, Gaius was walking to the table and purposefully knocked over the bucket of water that was sitting on the table beside where Merlin was eating breakfast. Merl, out of instinct, stopped the bucket with the flash of his golden eyes. But as soon as he realized what he had done he loses focus and water splashes across the floor. 

    “How did you do that?” Gaius softly askes Merl,”Did you enchant a spell in your mind?”

    “I don’t know any spells” Merlin shook his head with wide eyes.

    “What did you do then? There must be something?” as Gaius asked Merlin more questions I slowly walked closer, eyeing the two of them.

    “It just happens” 

    “That is true, Gaius. Ever since I first met him a few months ago, he has almost done it on instinct” I added. Merlin grabbed the mop and began clearing up the spilt water.

    “Well, we better keep you out of trouble. You can help me until I can find some paid work for you. Here” Gaius handed Merlin and I, each a medication to deliver for him. As we grabbed them he explained what they were and who we were to give them to,”This is for Lady Percival and this is for Sir Alwyn. He’s a blind as a weasel. So, warn him not to drink it all at once”

    “Okay”

    “And here”, Gaius handed Merlin and I each a sandwich.

    “Thank you, Gaius” I smiled.

    “Of you both go,” Gaius said. Then after a moment he added,”And Merlin, I hardly needly tell you that the use of any form of enchantments would get you killed” As Merlin and I headed out, Merlin nodded an I shouted goodbye to Gaius and as we got further away I heard him chuckle. 

    On the way towards our first errand, I couldn't help but stare in wonder at the castle around me. The architecture alone was awestrucking, and the people fascinated me. Despite knowing all I do from the show, it feels entirely different truly being there. We arrived at Sir Alwyn’s door first. He opened the door.

“I brought you, your medicine” Merlin was about to hand the medicine to him, when I remembered the scene in the show. I grabbed the vial.

    “Sir Alwyn, Gaius said to make sure you don’t drink all of the medicine at once” I stated and then handed it to him. 

    “Thanks, Carly. I nearly forgot to tell him what Gaius instructed” Merlin said as we walked out towards the training grounds.

    “Ehh. It’s nothing, just saving your butt as usual” I replied with a smirk before I bursted out laughing.

    “Ahaha. Always making fun of me, eh”

    “Well, yeah. That is my job as your best friend, afterall” Then I heard the familiar voice of a certain Prince. 

    “Where is the target?” Arthur had asked the servant.

    “It’s over there, in the sun. It’s not that bright”

    “A bit like you then?” The arrogant prince started with a sarcastic smile. I had nearly forgotten that although he has always been cute… he also is a royal pain in the behind.

    “I’ll move the target over to the other side, shall I sir” the tired servant replied in a monotone voice. I would assume probably just wanting the work day to be over soon.

    “This’ll teach him,” Arthur said to one of the knights behind him as he began to throw daggers at the poor serving boy. 

    Realizing that a dagger had been thrown at him, the servant stopped and said,”Hey, hang on?”

    “Don’t stop!” Arthur instructed. The boy struggled to carry the target further down the field.

    “Here?”

    “I told you to keep moving” Arthur shouts as he throws another dagger, “Come on! Run!”. The servant began to run with the target on his back. Arthur throws another dagger at the poor boy. I looked over to Merlin, who seemed to be angered by the treatment of the boy. “Moving target practice” Arthur jokes to the possy of knights behind him. Then he throws a final dagger, as I knew he would. At this point in the show, Arthur is a spoiled, arrogant, prince. Even if deep down, he is kind hearted and just… he is so used to having to put up a facade, he may truly believe this is himself. The servant dropped the target as he fell. Causing it to roll towards Merlin, who stopped it with his foot.

    “Merlin… don’t” I whispered as a warning. I know this all must happen but it still doesn’t mean I can’t try and protect my friend from what I know lies ahead for him, if he does this. Regardless of if it was justified, or not.

    “Come on. That’s enough” Merlin shouted towards Arthur, unaware that he was speaking to the Prince of Camelot, himself.

    “What?”

    “You’ve had your fun, my friend” Merlin attempts to help the serving boy.

    “Do I know you?” Arthur asked as he walked closer to Merlin. Oh no, here we go. At least it will be entertaining for me, I guess.

    “I’m Merlin” he reaches out his hand to shake Arthur’s in introduction. While Arthur, he simply ignores it all together.

    “So, I don’t know you then”

    “No”

    “Yet, you called me Friend?”

    “That was my mistake”

    “Yes. You think so?”

    “Merlin, don’t you dare” I warned as I stepped closer to him in an attempt to intervene.

    “Yeah, I’d never have a friend who could be such a prat” I facepalmed. That idiot, he really said it. As if there was any doubt.

‘Alright! Merlin, that’s enough. Let’s go. Now!” I sternly said. But he just stood there staring at Arthur.

“Nor I one, who could be so stupid. Tell me Merlin, do you know how to walk on your knees” Wow! They are really acting as if I wasn’t here. Whatever, I tried. If Merl ends up in jail, that is on him.

“No”

“Would you like me to help you”

“I wouldn’t if I were you”

“Why? What are you going to do to me?” Arthur continued with a smile. Probably getting a real kick out of this. I would try to get Merlin out of this, but there is no freakin’ way on this planet that Arthur would listen to me and let him get away.

“You have no idea”

“Be my guest!” ‘Be our guest! Be our guest! Put our service to the test! Wrap a napkin ‘round your neck….’ Sorry, it was too perfect. I could not resist. “Come on! Come. Come oooon” With that Merlin swings is fist. To which, Arthur, caught and twisted behind his back,”I could put you in jail for that”

“Who do you think you are? The king?”

“No. I’m his son. Arthur” I watched as Merlin was taken away by the guards. As I just stood there and shook my head, “Are you really friends with that idiot?” he asked me.

“Yes, I actually am” I answered with sass and raised my eyebrows. With that, I turned on my heels and went to inform Gaius of what Merlin got himself into.

We (Gaius and I) walked to the cell that Merlin was held in overnight. “Merlin!” Gaius called, “You never seize to amaze me. The one thing that someone like you should do is keep your head down. But what do you do? You behave like and idiot”

“I’m sorry”

“I managed to pull strings to get you released”

“Ohh! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I won’t forget this”

“Wait, Merlin. There’s more” I stated. This is going to be hilarious. Serves him right for not listening to me.

“There is a small price to pay,” Gaius added as we left the cell.

While they put Merlin in the stocks and all that, I went for a nice walk. Which pleasantly led to me running into Gwen and introducing myself, “Oh. I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was walking” I apologized as I ran into someone.

“Oh, that’s quite alright. I am not harmed”,she looked up and seemed to recognize me,”Wait. You're that girl that was trying to help whoever was standing up to Prince Arthur, right?” 

“That’s right. And you are?”

“Oh, sorry. Hi. I’m Guenivere, but you can call me Gwen. I’m the Lady Morgana’s maid”

“Lovely to meet you, Gwen”

“Your accent. It’s odd, I’ve never heard one like it before. Where are you from? If you don't mind me asking”

“I get that a lot. I am from really far away. A country called America, I am sure you’ve never heard of it. It’s quite new, and few know of it”

“Ahh” she said in realization. Thankfully she accepted my explanation,”How did you come to be here in Camelot?” she asked as we began to slowly walk down the streets of the lower town.

I took a moment to think of what all I could and wanted to tell her about the subject of my mysterious arrival,”Honestly, this is going to sound mad. I don’t know. I woke up a few months ago in Ealdor, a village in Cenred’s Kingdom, with a killer headache and many injuries. But, I have no memory of how I got there. Last I remembered I was back home”.

“I am so sorry. That must have been awful. I am glad you are alright now”

“Thank you, Gwen” I said before asking,”Would you like to walk with me to see Merlin. Uhh, the boy who stood up to Arthur?” I clarified.

“I would love to. Where is he, anyways?”

I stifled a laugh,” The stocks’.

We walked to the stock but I stopped a few feet away. I wanted to give them a moment. Quite honestly, in the show at the beginning I kinda shipped them. They were both so shy and adorable. I watched as they interacted and may have ease dropped in on their conversation.

“I’m Guenivere but most people call me Gwen, I’m the Lady Morgana’s maid” Gwen introduced herself.

“Right. I’m Merlin” he awkwardly stuck out his hand for her to shake, “Although, most people just call me Idiot”.

No, no, no. I saw what you did. It was so brave”

“It was stupid” I am glad that he is at least learning from his mistakes.

“Well, I’m glad you walked away. You weren’t going to beat him”

“Oh, I could beat him”

“You think? Because you don’t look like one of these big, muscle-y kinda fellows”

“Thanks” Merlin said sarcastically, and probably a bit offended.

“No! No! No! I’m sure you’re stronger than you look. It’s just, Arthur’s one of these big, rough, tough, save the world kinda men. And well…” 

“What?’

“You don’t look like that” Gwen said as nicely as she could, not wanting to hurt his feelings.

Merlin looks around, then says,”I’m in disguise”. Making Gwen laugh, and honestly me too. I love Merlin, but he needs an ago check, not just Arthur.

“Well, it's great you stood up to him”

“You think so,” Merl smiled.

“Arthur’s a bully and everyone thought that you were a real hero”

“Really” Gwen hummed as a response. “Oh, excuse me Guenivere. My fans are waiting” with that Gwen ran for the castle. While I stood and waited for a while. Later that evening, I walked into the chambers (Gaius’) once Merlin had been freed from the stocks. I had stayed the rest of the day to keep him company. Gaius had made soup for dinner. 

“Want some vegetables with that?” Gaius joked as we sat down.

With a sigh Merlin said,”I know you’re still angry with me”.

“Your mother asked me to look after you”

“Yes”

“As she did me” I added with a caring but firm look.

“Really? Yes, she did”

“Merlin, what did your mother say to you about your gifts?” Gaius asked.

“That I was special”

“You are special. The likes of which I have never seen before”

“What do you mean”

“Well, magic requires incantations, spells that take years to study. What I saw you do was… elemental, instinct”

“What’s the point if it can’t be used?”

‘That I do not know. You are a question that has never been posed before, Merlin”

“Did you ever study magic?” when Merlin asked that, I looked at Gaius with a knowing smirk. To which I earned a pointed one from Gaius, so I just smiled back.

“Uther banned all such work, 20 years ago” Oh no, here comes the story of the Great Purge. Scarlett, don’t show any reaction because you know Merlin will pry you for an answer that he is not ready for.

“Why?”

“People used magic towards the wrong end, at that time. It threw the natural order into chaos. Uther made it his mission to destroy everything that resembled magic back then, even the dragons (Kilgharrah is the last of his kind)”

“All of them?”

“There was one dragon, he chose not to kill. He kept it as an example. He imprisoned it inside a cavern beneath the castle. Where no one can free it. Ahh, eat up. Once you finish it I need you to bring a preparation to Lady Helen. She needs it for her voice”.  The Lady Helen, or I really should say, Mary Collins. I had nearly forgotten about her, he planned to kill Arthur in an act of revenge, how she already killed the real Lady Helen. I supposed I should talk to Gaius about it.

“Hey, Merl. I am gonna stick back. I need to talk with Gaius about something privately” I told him as he was about to leave for Lady Helen’s room.

“Are you ill, Carly?” he asked with concern.

“No, don’t worry. I just need some advice”  With my answer, he took with a deep breath of relief.

“Okay, I’ll see you later then?”

“See you later, alligator” he gave me a confused look,”never mind, bye”

“Bye”