Merlin 1. Chapter 1: A Window To The Past

**A/N: Hello! It's your mysterious author here! Kind of getting in to Merlin, so i thought I'd write a fic. Please excuse any mistakes and feel free to point them out and make criticisms in reviews; it might not be up to scratch with any particular series, I've only seen about 10 episodes scattered about all four series. And, yes; the title is quite cheesy, but I'm sorry, I can't think of anything else.**

**Merlin/OC**

**Disclaimer: I own everything... **

**LOLJK I WISH! Nah, I just own Beth.**

**P.S: All Whovians, you know I'd walk 500 miles for you... Maybe I'd walk 500 more too... **

**A Future in the Past.**

I pulled the hood of my jumper up over my head as I walked amongst my classmates. It was a trip to the National History Museum; new artifacts had been discovered in the general area of Somerset that pointed towards the Arthurian legends of Camelot, Knights of the Round Table, Excalibur, King Arthur himself and even Merlin the Great Wizard, to be true.

There where tomes and scrolls, which had both taken at least a year to translate since discovery; they had even thought to have found a knight's chain mail.

"The most recent finding is that of a sword. Archaeologists believe it once belonged to Sir Lancelot of the Round Table!" the Tour Guide, a small and bald man with a large stomach, glasses and a tweed suit that scarcely fit him, squealed excitedly. "A _very_ meritorious discovery indeed!"

_It's all lies_, I thought. _They're all fakes, or misinterpreted readings_.

Camelot did not exist, and everyone knew that until those stupid pricks found a bunch of tattered books and parchment that would fall apart if you breathed on them.

Honestly, I didn't believe in any of it. Maybe while I was a child had I thought of it, and adored hearing stories and legends of the valiant King Arthur with his loyal adviser Merlin, the greatest wizard to ever live. But Arthur pulled no sword from a stone, Merlin was no wizard and it was all a bunch of made up nonsense.

"Over here we find what appears to be Merlin's book of Magic! Now, Merlin is widely perceived as a powerful warlock who served and advised the magnificent King Arthur in the time of Camelot. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written in 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures. Geoffrey combined existing stories of Myrddin Wyllt, Merlinus Caledonensis, a North Brythonic prophet and madman with no connection to King Arthur, with tales of the Romano-British war leader Ambrosius Aurelianus to form the composite figure he called Merlin Ambrosius, or, in Welsh Myrddin Emrys.

"Geoffrey's rendering of the character was immediately popular, especially in Wales. Later writers expanded the account to produce a fuller image of the wizard. Merlin's traditional biography casts him as a cambion: born of a mortal woman, sired by an incubus, the non-human wellspring from which he inherits his supernatural powers and abilities. The name of Merlin's mother is not usually stated, but is given as Adhan in the oldest version of the Prose Brut. Merlin matures to an ascendant sagehood and engineers the birth of Arthur through magic and intrigue. Later authors have Merlin serve as the king's advisor until he is bewitched and imprisoned by the Lady of the Lake.

"Several decades later, the poet Robert de Boron retold this material in his poem Merlin. Only a few lines of the poem have survived, but a prose retelling became popular and was later incorporated into two other romances. In Robert's account Merlin is begotten by a devil on a virgin as an intended Antichrist. This plot is thwarted when the expectant mother informs her confessor Blaise of her predicament; they immediately baptize the boy at birth, thus freeing him from the power of Satan. The demonic legacy invests Merlin with a preternatural knowledge of the past and present, which is supplemented by God, who gives the boy a prophetic knowledge of the future.

"Robert de Boron lays great emphasis on Merlin's power to shapeshift, on his joking personality, and on his connection to the Holy Grail. This text introduces Merlin's master Blaise, who is pictured as writing down Merlin's deeds, explaining how they came to be known and preserved. Robert was inspired by Wace's Roman de Brut, an Anglo-Norman adaptation of Geoffrey's Historia. Robert's poem was rewritten in prose in the 12th century as the Estoire de Merlin, also called the Vulgate or Prose Merlin. It was originally attached to a cycle of prose versions of Robert's poems, which tells the story of the Holy Grail: brought from the Middle East to Britain by followers of Joseph of Arimathea, the Grail is eventually recovered by Arthur's knight Percival.

"But back to the magic; it is said that these words written in this tome are the very words the great Merlin himself uttered, and anyone who is likely to try and copy would fail. Who knows what would happen if one were to practice the magic from this book, but were to misread or falsely say a word?"

I listened no more to the mindless droning of useless information that came from the Guide. The only reason I was here was because of the history course I was taking, and it was obligatory to attend. If I didn't, I'd fail the class.

Finally, after many more minutes of dull drivel, we were dismissed for lunch break.

The class dissipated from the room and headed for the nearest cafe. Miss Wilkinson, my history teacher, stayed behind to talk to me.

"Very unresponsive today. I am disappointed. Aren't you going to eat?" She spoke in direct sentences and questions.

"No, Miss. I'm not hungry. I was just thinking of staying behind here to have a look at some of the other artifacts." I answered, trying to fool the old bat.

Luckily it worked, although she gave me one of her stern, suspicious looks before eventually trotting off to join the other teachers.

I looked from object to object, finally settling on the Book of Spells again. The words were big and complicated, and mostly hard to read from a thousand plus years in hiding.

I read some out loud, trying to phonetically speak them. I went over them again and again. My head started to spin; I was feeling woozy.

I must have fainted, because everything went black.

"Hurry up, you idiot."

"I'm walking as fast as I can with all of this equipment to carry!"

I awoke to the sound of two voices bickering in the distance. At first, I thought it was staff at the museum, bringing in more artifacts to the exhibition, but then I took a deep breath, my eyes still firmly closed. I had taken a lungful of air with the distinct odour of a field mixed within. I choked it back out in a horrid cough.

The rustling footsteps of the people the voices belonged to stopped.

"Arthur, did you hear that?" one said.

"I did. It didn't sound pleasant. Which way did it come from?" the other replied.

"From over there."

The footsteps approached me and stopped two feet from my body.

"Ah, right. Well, um." the second voice said.

The first cleared its throat awkwardly.

It was then I opened my eyes slowly.

Two men stood before me. One was tall and well built, wearing regal clothes. He had blonde hair and brown eyes.

The other was tall but lanky, wearing blackish-brownish trousers, a blue top, a red scarf and a brown jacket. He had black-brown hair and blue eyes.

Suddenly I was very aware that my body was strikingly cold. I looked down myself, I was lying front down on the pasture of green grass, my auburn hair tickling my back. That's when I realised I was naked.

_Butt. Naked._

_In the middle of a field._

"Dear God!" I screamed.

The men jumped and turned their backs.

The blond one spoke to me, his back still turned, not looking to me. "May I ask what you are doing lying naked in a field, lady?"

"I don't know." I answered curtly.

"Do you know where you are?"

"No."

"Do you have any clothes?"

"It would appear not." Quite frankly I was both embarrassed and confused at that last one. Where had my clothes gone? Why was I naked in a damned field?

I was ashamed at my body too; a fat mess of a vessel.

The blonde man took what seemed a cloak off from his body and threw it behind himself at me. "Put that around your body. I shall carry you back to Camelot myself."

Did he just say _Camelot_? No, I must have misheard him. I put the cloak around my body and covered myself. "I can walk on my own." Standing feebly to my feet on weak feeling legs. I tried to walk but only stumbled back to the ground again.

"Nonsense. By the looks of it you can't walk very well at all." the Blonde said, turning around and picking me up, carrying me bridal style. I clutched to keep the cloak around me.

"What are you _doing_?" I screamed, it wasn't a question. My feet kicked furiously.

The other man grinned, taking hold again of the bags he had set down. He mumbled something under his breath.

I didn't hear what it was, but the darkness overtook me again soon after.

"When do you think she'll wake up, Gaius?"

It was his voice again: the black-brown haired man's.

My eyes shot open and I fell off the surface I was lying on with a startled yell and bump.

"My guess would be now, Merlin." A different man, Gaius I presumed, answered.

Did he say _Merlin_?

I looked at myself and noticed that I was no longer naked, but wearing loose trousers, like this 'Merlin' person, and an itchy, worn out shirt.

"You clothed me?" I was a little self conscious that either one or both of these men had seen my fully naked body.

"Worry not, lady. I am the royal physician." the much older man, Gaius, answered.

He had grey hair, was quite tall, and was wrinkly like my Granddad. He reminded me a lot of him actually.

"_Royal_ physician?"

"Yes, for the Royal Pendragon family of Camelot."

This was the point when I burst out laughing. The two men stared at me as if my head had just grown a twin.

"Ca-Camelot! And Me-Me-Merlin!" I managed to splutter out between fits of giggles.

"What's funny about that?" 'Merlin' asked, sounding a little offended.

"Next you'll be telling me that it was the magnificent King Arthur who carried me here from the field!" I cackled again.

"Prince Arthur actually. And if you wouldn't mind, would you tell us your name, Miss?" Gaius asked.

My name?

Surely this was a dream. And in dreams your mind makes everyone already know you. Right?

I sighed. "Beth Taylor." I said quickly. "Look, I'm not buying any of this. Tell Miss Wilkinson that I'm sorry, and I'll pay more attention in class, whatever. Just quit the act. Where did you find this old hut anyway?"

"This old hut, young lady, has been my home for many years. Who is 'Miss Wilkinson'?" Gaius told me, a look of annoyance hinting on his face.

"Oh, so this _is_ a dream then. That's fine. I'll just go back to sleep then." The door knocked right on cue and swung open to reveal two guards.

"Lady, the King requests your presence."

"Oh _does_ he now? Well, that's just marvellous. Going to meet _the King_ now!" I said sarcastically to 'Merlin' and Gaius, a mocking grin on my face.

The guards took me by the arms and dragged me in the direction of the King.


	2. Chapter 2: Meeting Fictional Royalty

2.

Two doors opened to reveal a large polished hall. There were guards and two or three knights in the room, and amongst them the King and Prince Arthur stood.

"This is her, father. The girl my manservant and I found in the field."

I rolled my eyes.

"You, girl. What is your name?" The King asked.

"Beth Taylor." I said simply.

"What is your business in Camelot?" King Uther addressed me, taking seat on his throne.

"I have no business in _Camelot_. I have business in London, yet I dream I'm here."

"Where is this London place? Is it a rival kingdom?"

I scoffed at that and refused to answer.

Uther sighed. "Is that where you're from? This London place?"

"Yes." I paused. "Could you tell your cronies to unhand me? I'm not going to cause a riot." I paused again. "Probably."

"You will be let go when I am sure you are of no threat to Camelot or its people. Many have arrived in the past, and it would seem little or none have brought good upon us."

"Do I seem like the type to cause trouble?"

"Yes." he answered slowly. "You pay no respect towards me or my son with the way you address us, you act with an air of arrogance and dignity, yet you belong to no royalty, you have a look in your eye that tells me you think you know more than everyone here," I tutted at that, "and you were found lying naked in a field on the boundaries of Camelot. Tell me, child, do you do this often?"

"Why would I bother to? It wouldn't be something I enjoy." I answered. I was beginning to get annoyed.

"You don't seem like a Druid; I see no tattoo."

"A what now? Look, I'm sorry. This is a waste of my time. I really just want to go back to bed and wake up in the museum again." I struggled against the guards holding me where I was, but it was no use, they only tightened their grip. I took a deep breath and hissed it back out again.

"We have no place for you here in Camelot, no jobs for the likes of you: lazy, arrogant. I'm afraid I must dismiss you from my kingdom."

It was then that 'Merlin' had decided to burst through the doors, puffing and panting loudly. He tried to catch his breath again and I tried to suppress a giggle. Badly.

"What is it?" the King asked impatiently, a scowl on his face.

When he had gained his breath well enough, Merlin spoke. "Gaius told me, to tell you, to excuse this lady's behaviour, for she is unwell in her mind, sire." he said between breaths.

"And why couldn't Gaius inform me himself?"

Arthur shifted his weight. The knights followed suit.

"Gaius is brewing her remedy. He told me to run to tell you, my lord, in case she said something regrettable and execution worthy." Merlin replied, his breath now fully regained.

"That as the case may be, this girl still has no job, nor a place to stay. Therefore she is useless and should be expelled from the kingdom at once."

Prince Arthur stepped forward and presented himself to the audience of the room. "Father, I have an idea." When the King nodded for him to proceed, he did so. "Beth could work for me, alongside Merlin."

"But she is a _woman_." Uther stated.

"But she has the capability to do a man's job. I can tell." Arthur persisted.

"Fine, but where will she stay?"

Merlin piped up, "My Lord, Gaius has offered to have her stay with us."

Uther looked to me again. "Fine. But I will have you closely surveyed for the rest of the week. Any attempt at trouble and you shall be thrown from my kingdom. Any attempt at magic and you shall be executed."

I was released from the grips of the guards suddenly, and after being held up, the surprise had not given me time to prepare for the drop. I fell down, for what seemed the third or fourth time since this dream had started.

Merlin held out his hand and helped me up. He took me out of the hall and down corridors.

"Uther doesn't know you're magic, does he?" I queried.

Merlin froze. I was up against the stone wall of the corridor in seconds, his hand clamped over my mouth. "Shh!" He checked that no one had heard my question. "How do you know of my magic?" he asked, taking his hand slowly from my mouth.

"Lucky guess?" I replied with a knowing smile.

"You can't, tell, anyone." he said in hushed tones, still scoping to see if anyone was anywhere within ear distance.

"I wasn't planning to." I spoke in the same hushed tones as him, but a little louder, like stage whispering.

"No one knows. No one except Gaius, and you I suppose. It has to be kept a secret!" Merlin had taken hold of my shoulders and was shaking me whilst telling me, his voice level slowly returning to to normal.

"Alright, _alright_! Keep your neckerchief on." I rolled my eyes again.

"Keep doing that and they'll roll out."

I growled. He let me go and raised his hands in surrender. We walked down more corridors and stairs until finally we reached Gaius' hut.

It was then that I realised how it looked. There were books, upon books, upon books, upon books... Well, there were a lot of books. And there were phials sitting about, and the odd herb too. There was a leech tank, and a small cauldron like pot. It didn't seem too bad, actually.

"Nice place, d'you mind if I use a bed?"

Gaius tutted. "You still think this is a dream." It was a statement, not a question.

"Of course I do! Camelot isn't real! It never has been!" I wasn't shouting, but I had raised my voice loud enough from frustration. Gaius didn't see it that way through.

"Enough! You want to sleep? And wake up in the real world?" he asked me. I nodded my head. "Take this sleeping draught. You will wake up revived and ready for life in the real world." He held the phial of water like liquid out to me. I eyed it suspiciously. Finally, I took it from his wrinkled hand, unstopped it and downed it in one gulp.

I tried to speak, to ask for the directions of the bed, but mouth wouldn't open. It was too heavy. Then, all of my limbs grew heavy, my eye lids starting to close, and I started to plummet to the ground. I braced myself for impact, but it never came. Two pairs of hands stopped me from falling to the floor. They carried my slumping body forward and dropped me on a soft surface. There were muffled voices, but I couldn't decipher them, I was too tired. I fell asleep.

I awoke to someone shaking me, and for a brief moment thought I was back in the museum. But then I smelt the hut.

I groaned loudly in annoyance, it's too early. The shaker persisted, even when I tried to thump them. I cracked my eyes open a peep and saw who it was. Another groan of annoyance escaped my mouth. "This really isn't a dream, is it?"

"Nope." Merlin was grinning widely at me.

I remembered my behaviour from before sleep and groaned again. It was shameful. If that really was Uther, I counted myself lucky for not being dead.

"What are you looking then, Merlin?"

Merlin's grin lessened. "You have to get up and dressed or we'll be late for Prince Arthur."

"What? You mean I still have to work for that prat?" I spat out, sitting up rather too quickly. My head span and my vision blurred, but with a few blinks that was sorted.

"Yes, but you're not alone. We both have to." Merlin's grin was back.

This was surreal; I was sitting in a room, with Merlin!

"What about clothes? I don't have any of those."

"I asked my friend Gwen if she could fetch you a dress." He gestured towards the yellow dress lying on the end of the bed. "That is your clothing for today." He stood up, and walked towards the door. "If you could get dressed quickly please?" And he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Now all I had to do was figure out how to put this dress on.

**A/N: Okay, so: **

**1. The yellow dress is that one that Gwen wears sometimes. **

**2. This story is set in no particular series- except it kind of is. Set after Lancelot dies, before Morgana goes all evil, and Freya's dead too. Obviously set before Uther (SPOILERS) dies or gets ill. Er, I guess you could say it's kind of set in the middle of series 3 and series 4. Okay? But just saying here, that if anyone else is dead or alive, you lot should tell me, because I either can't remember, or, I haven't seen the episodes yet. **

**3. I'm not sure when the next chapter will be up, because I have school tomorrow and don't have proper access to the Internet or any computers. I'd probably take a stab in the dark and say... 5th or 6th of November, guys! So, not that long a wait, but still.**

**So that's all folks! Happy searching!**


	3. Chapter 3: It's Not A Dream

Merlin

3.

I stood outside my bedroom while Beth got changed, waiting to walk with her to Prince Arthur's chambers.

She was different to other girls. In the way she looked and the way she acted. For one, her hair was a dark, rich, auburn colour I had never seen before, and it didn't match her eyebrows. It was curious; I had to remember to ask her about that. Another thing with her hair was that it was straight. Absolutely straight. No wave, or kink, or curl in it at all. I wondered how that could be, as well. Her face was pretty and delicate, and her eyes were the most vibrant green I had ever seen. Her body was slim. Unusually slim. Unhealthily slim. Stick thin, bony, but still beautiful. I could tell if she gained a little weight it would be more beautiful. I mean, I had seen her naked on the first day of meeting her! But I was polite and left the room whilst Gaius checked on her and clothed her. Yet she was naked. Possibly she was naked now too. Right behind the door. Undressing herself slowly...

_Merlin, control your desires!_ I scolded myself.

There was another thing. She knew of my magic! Maybe she was a sorceress! Maybe I wasn't alone! The way she acted sometimes, it was almost as if she were enchanting you. He had certainly changed the mind of the King, and that was a hard thing to do at the best of times. She acted like she knew more than she let on. As if she was from the future or something.

The door opened slowly behind me. "Sorry it took so long; I can't tie the laces at the back. Can you do them for me?" Beth asked as I turned to greet her.

"Yeah, sure." I replied helpfully, taking the strings and knotting them together. I tied the last one slowly, looking at the back of her head and neck, her curious hair in choppy layers down her back.

I cleared my throat. "There, done." Beth turned around with a smile on her face.

"We have time for breakfast, what are you having?" I asked her.

"Oh, um... I'm not hungry." she replied sheepishly. I stared at her, puzzled.

"You haven't eaten a thing since you arrived. How can you not be hungry?"

"I'm just not, okay?" She snapped. "Sorry. I'm just not hungry."

I looked at her again_. So skinny_. I furrowed my brow but dropped the matter. Maybe she'd eat later on.

I grabbed a slice of loaf and held my arm out to her playfully. She linked her arm with mine and we strode off. We walked down the stony corridors, passing nobody as we went. The kitchen was brimming with cooks and scullery maids. It was boiling hot and almost unbearable to stand in. "The Prince's breakfast?" I asked Madeline, the red woman in charge of Arthur's breakfast every morning. Of course, she wasn't really red (well, not on purpose, if she was born with red skin, Uther would surely have her head) but with the heat of the kitchen... She handed it to me and Beth and I set off again.

"How do you get your hair like that? It's unusually straight, no waves. It's also a different colour than your eyebrows... Are you a sorceress?" I asked suddenly, excitedly and quietly.

"It's straightened and dyed." she answered as if it were the simplest thing in the world, but I was more confused.

"Yes but how do you get it straight? And did you say died? You killed your hair?"

She laughed at that. "No! With hair dye! But you don't have that sort of thing here. Nor do you have straighteners. They work with electricity and straighten your hair with heat."

I was more confused than ever. "What's electricity?"

She laughed again. It was a tinkly laugh, like what you might hear a faerie laugh like. I liked it. "I promise I'll explain later. You can ask me anything when we're done with work."

"Okay, but I have one last question to ask." I pushed.

"Go on then."

"Where are you from?"

"The future." she answered with a mysterious smile. That was all she said on the matter. Another mental note to remember to ask her about it again later.

We stopped outside of Arthur's room and I handed the tray of breakfast to Beth and opened the door noisily. "Morning, sire, it's a beautiful day so wake up!" I yelled, grinning like a fool.

The pratty prince groaned under his covers and turned over. "Not this morning, Merlin; I'm too tired."

"Aren't we all?" I quipped.

I think the smell of toast drifted over to him, because it wasn't shortly after his complaint that he rose from his bed to eat.

"Good morning, Beth." he addressed the girl beside me as she set the tray of food in front if him.

"Good morning." she said, and quickly added "Sire." to the end after a look to me.

"What do you need us to do today?" I asked, fearing the worst. I started to make His-Royal-Pain's bed with the help of Beth, who needed guided a little.

"I'm going on patrol with the Knights at noon, so you can leave after cleaning my room." Arthur replied with mouthful of toasted bread. I saw Beth pull a face of slight disgust at that. I grinned.

We finished the bed just as Arthur had finished his breakfast. "I'm going to talk with my father before I leave. Then you can help me in to my armour, Merlin, and you're both free to do whatever it is you do after."

I nodded and saw that Beth had nodded too. She had to leave the room while Arthur dressed. "She's a lot quieter than before." he commented.

"Er, yes. I think she's settled down and realised where she is and who she works for now." I added.

"Yes. You're quite right, Merlin." the Prince replied and strode to the door to find Beth falling at his feet when he opened it. "While I may sweep women off their feet I would prefer it if they didn't lie at mine."

"I was... Checking, um, checking for wood... Worm, my lord. Yes, I was checking for woodworm." she answered as she stood up. She pressed her ear to the open door and knocked with a frail fist. "Nothing here." she declared after a few times repeating the action. When Arthur gave her a strange look she 'explained'. "My father was a carpenter; he always told me the importance of finding woodworm and wood-rot before it's too late."

I smirked at her behind Arthur's back, holding my laughter in and masking any that came out with a cough. He stared at her strangely and shook his head; he stepped past her and walked down the corridors.

I couldn't hold it any longer, so I burst out a loud laugh. Beth gave me a glare, but soon burst into laughter herself. "So what do we have to do in here?"

"Well, we have to empty the chamber pot, tidy his chambers, clean away any dust or spills or messes and then we have the rest of the day off. And by the look on your face, I'll empty the chamber pot." I grabbed the pot from under the Prince's bed and made my way to empty it. I came back to find that Beth had cleared the table and was making a start on tidying away Prince Clotpole's night wear. I tidied away any unnecessary equipment Arthur had been using the day before and cleaned the spills and crumbs from the table he had eaten at this morning.

I looked around the room. There was still a lot to do.

It had been two hours since we had started Arthur's chambers, and we were finally finished. I had had to leave in the middle to fit the prat with his armour, but came back as soon as I was finished and he had headed off.

Beth and I headed off to have lunch, and I was thankful that she ate.

Now, she was sat on a grassy bank in the field Arthur and I had found her in, nibbling on a piece of the bread we had sneaked from the kitchen. I decided this was my chance to ambush her with questions.

"Why are you so thin?" was my first. It was responded with a small look and a quiet "I just don't get hungry much".

I looked at her again. "You told me you were from the future. How is that even possible? And how far into the future, if it's true?"

She looked directly at me. "Of course it's true. Although, if what you say is true, and Uther kills any link to magic, then I don't think it would be wise to tell him I travelled in time. I'm not sure how it's possible. One minute, I was in a history museum reading your "spell book", which was on display, and the next I wake up in this field completely naked with you and Mr I'm-Prince-Blonde-Hair-Blue-Eyes staring at me. Safe to say it's the strangest experience of my life so far. I'm a long way away from the life of two thousand and eleven."

I was amazed. Two thousand and eleven? That was a thousand and more years from now! "What's a museum?"

"It's a place where objects of interest are displayed for others to see. I was there with my school. The archaeologists - they're like historians, people who look into the past - had thought they had discovered the place where the kingdom of Camelot once ruled. There were all sorts of artifacts; swords, armour, they thought they'd found your spell book too."

"And did they?" I asked, seriously intrigued.

"I don't know. I think they may have." she paused. "I think it's the reason I'm here."

Thank the heavens they found it then, I thought. I was taking quite a liking to this girl, despite her strange eating habits and even stranger past.

"Is it normal when you're from to lie in fields naked?" I asked, amusement clear in my voice.

"_No_. No, it is not. I have no idea what happened to my clothes, or why I was even in a field." Beth's voice was playfully serious and her expression mock-offended.

"How old are you?"

"I am nineteen. How old are you?"

"Twenty-one." Then we went silent. I had no more questions to ask. It was after a while she burst into laughter again.

"I have nothing left. Everything was left behind. My clothes, my phone, my iPod, my laptop, my friends and family. Oh, God! I left Tumblr and Twitter behind!" was what she shouted. I wanted to ask her what many of these things were, but I knew now wasn't the right time. "What is there for fun in this place?"

"Honestly? Not a lot. But we could take a stroll through the forest later if you want? Or hit the tavern?" I told her, hoping she wouldn't say tavern, because if Arthur knew I was there... I don't really spend any time in that grotty place, but thanks to Gaius he thinks I spend all of my free time there.

"The forest sounds good. I like nature. It calms me dramatically." She replied, and I was calm. "Then maybe we could hit the tavern after." and then I inwardly groaned. "So where are we going now?" she asked as we stood from the bank.

"I'm going to take you on a tour around Camelot."

"And what if I refuse?" Her tone was playful.

"Then I shall have to take you by force!" My voice was equally spirited. I wrapped my arms around her tiny waist and hoisted her over my shoulder. "To Camelot!" I declared in a mocking noble voice.

"Oh no! Help me, help me! I'm being taken hostage by a handsome yet clumsy fool!" She screamed for effect as she took the tone of a daft damsel in distress.

"You think I'm handsome?"

"Don't get excited about it, most of the knights, and Arthur, are too." She told me, again in mock-seriousness.

I carried her away to the castle.

**A/N: Bit longer than normal!**

**I'd like to thank everyone that reviewed and story alerted etc etc, and I'd like to thank ****Magic Whispers**** for pointing out that Prince Arthur's eyes are indeed blue, and not brown as I have previously stated. Sorry for that mistake! :) If there are any more please point them out! Also, I'm going to do a few chapters in Merlin's perspective, as I feel them necessary. This will be noted by the "Merlin" above the chapter number. Many thanks!**

**Review please? They make me happeh!**


	4. Chapter 4: SplishySplashy Water Fun

Merlin.

4.

"So that was Camelot!" I exclaimed as I finished showing Beth around the kingdom. It had taken longer than expected and was now near night fall, the sky darkened and the moon already starting to shine.

"Thank you for showing me around." Beth said quietly. She was smiling, but she still looked quite sad.

"Coin for your thoughts?"

"I miss my family. My mum'll be so worried. I don't even want to think what my dad'll be like. And my little sister..." that was when she burst into tears. I pulled her into a hug and she sobbed quietly onto my shoulder. I guess she just needed one to cry on.

I kept my mind as clear as I could, but that didn't stop me thinking about my own mother and how much I missed her. Tears started to fall silently from my eyes too. Beth sniffled and lifted her head from my chest, where she had set it whilst I was comforting her. "Why are you crying?" she asked me quietly, reaching her hand to my face and clearing the few tears that refused to roll down the rest of my cheek and drip off my chin.

"Nothing." I replied simply and cleared her face free of tears too. I cleared my throat. "We should head to the forest. I know this lake there; something terrible happened in it once, but it's beautiful at night."

"Okay." she said quietly. I held out my hand and she took it in hers. A strange buzzing feeling shot up my arm and filled my body. This was different. I'd never felt something like this before. The look on Beth's face made me think she had felt it too.

I cleared my throat again and we started walking, me ahead and dragging Beth along by her hand. We passed through the gates and guards and headed towards the forest. Me, being clumsy as usual, walked right into a thick branch on a tree and fell to the floor, almost taking Beth with me had she not let go of my hand. I rubbed my head and groaned. Beth held her hand out for me and I took it. She pulled me to my feet again.

"You're so silly, Merlin."

"You're so silly, Merlin." I mimicked in a high-pitched voice. That was rewarded with a smack on the arm. She was surprisingly strong for a woman.

Beth frowned, but it quickly evaporated. Good. She was prettier when she smiled. "Come _on_, Merly-whirly; take me to the lake now."

"Merly-whirly?" I questioned, walking forwards as I spoke.

"It's your new nickname!" she replied, grinning from ear to ear.

"Well, maybe you need a nickname too!" I thought hard about one. "Hmm... Oh! I know: Tell Taylor!"

Beth burst into fits of laughter. "'Tell Taylor'? That's rubbish!" Her hand grabbed my arm and the buzzing feeling returned. "Your eyes have gone all gold and shimmery."

"Must be the moonlight; yours are too."

I took the short route and we arrived at the lake sooner than expected. I felt regret and grief. This was Freya's lake, also the Lake of Avalon, and I was taking another woman here? I felt like I was betraying Freya. But I know she would want me to let go and love again, so I had to at least try to. "Can I swim in here?"

Beth's voice broke me from my mind and I was jolted into reality again. "But you aren't dressed to swim?"

"I can strip down to the undercoat." she looked hopeful. Who was I to turn her down?

"I suppose. Keep to the shallow parts, though."

She squeaked in delight and reached behind her to untie the laces of her overdress. I turned my back as she shrugged it off. The next thing I heard was the splashy, twinkly noise of water. I turned around again to see Beth sitting down in the shallow end of the lake.

"Comfortable?" I asked with a grin on my face.

"Most definitely!"

I heard a twig snap behind me. Instantly, I whirled around to see who, or what, it was.

A small deer, walking on nobly legs, edged its way to the lake. It was highly unusual that such an animal were to be out at night, but for it to walk past a human and sneak closer to another? That was very near impossible!

It stopped in front of Beth at the edge of the lake. She reached out her hand to stroke the deer, and, instead of running away, the deer pushed its head even further out to touch Beth's hand.

A look of awe was spread on her face as she stroked the deer's head gently. She looked to me and beckoned to come over. I took a step forward, then another, then another.

The deer turned to me, startled, and ran back to the forest.

"Sorry." I whispered to Beth. She shrugged her shoulders and the smile appeared again.

"Come in! The water's not even cold!" she beckoned.

I shook my head and she gave me a pleading look. Big round eyes staring up at me like a hound, pleading.

I gave in and took off my boots and scarf, walking towards the lake. I dipped a foot in. Beth was right; the water wasn't cold at all. If anything, it was warm like newly drawn bath water. It was inviting.

I walked further in to the lake to beside Beth and sat down with her. The water was up to our necks and we grinned like idiots. Beth's face was flawless. No scars or cuts or blemishes like there had been a few before. Now it was smooth and powdery, lit up by the moon's white glow. Her eyes still sparkled with a faint gold that I assumed was a reflection off of the water.

"You're pretty." I said quietly.

Beth scoffed. "Thanks, but I'm not really."

"No, but don't you see? You really are pretty."

Water hit my face. Beth had splashed me and was smiling innocently. _Oh, no! There was no way she was getting away with that!_

I flicked water at her face. She grinned. I could just see what she was thinking, so before she splashed me again, I dived underwater and narrowly missed the wave of water that was headed for my face. I grabbed for Beth's ankles and pulled her under too. She didn't seem to mind, other than the fact she was trying to make me inhale water by tickling me and make me laugh. We both surfaced for air. I was soaked to the bone, and so was Beth. We stood there with the biggest smiles on our faces, laughing loudly. I grabbed her from behind and tried to pull her down to sit down beside me again. She stubbornly stood, so I pulled harder. Beth squealed playfully and landed on my lap with a thump, creating a big splash of water. She giggled and looked up at me from her position, her back against my chest.

I smiled down at her and held her close. She turned around slowly, levelling her face with mine. I leaned closer, as did she. I looked into her eyes and she did the same; they were so golden. Our lips were close and almost touched when the sound of loud yelling arose from the lake bank. My head spun to find the owners of the voices.

Four men, drunken on mead, were making their way towards the bank, tripping every now and again.

"Stay here." I whispered to Beth. "You'll be safe." I stood and waded my way through the water to the edge of the lake.

"Oh, look, lads!"A small one said. "We've got ourselves a rather large fish here!" The other three laughed along.

"He's all slippery!" A large one (large in the aspects of tall and weight) added. They all laughed again.

"Fishy's all quiet. Maybe we should do something to make it speak." the small one said again. "Get 'im, lads!"

Suddenly, all four men charged towards me. Startled, I flung my hand out; the small one flew back and hit hard against a tree. The other three stopped running and looked stunned for a moment, before charging towards me again. The large one tackled me to the ground and punched my head twice, but I sent him flying towards a tree with a quick spell. That was two down and two to go. The third came at me with a stick and I muttered a spell that held his body unmoving with a strong force. He fell to the ground silently, unlike his friends who were lying unconscious under trees.

It was the fourth that surprised me. He jumped me from behind and threw me to the forest floor. A dagger was produced from his pocket and he loomed over me. The dagger rose in the air and fell. I closed my eyes and waited for the worst, but it never came.

I heard Beth scream "No!", and I opened my eyes to see my attacker flung to the side and smacked against a tree. He fell unconscious to the ground.

I sat up and looked in the direction of Beth. She had run from the spot I had left her and was standing at the edge of the lake.

Had she done that? Had she saved my life?

Had Beth used magic?

**YAY. A NEW CHAPTER UP!**

**I'm a little sad that this isn't as long as the others, because I spent so long on it, but still!**

**A massive thank you to everyone who kindly reviewed, story alerted, author alerted, favourited the story and favourited me!**

**This would have been up on the thirteenth, but it was my birthday and I was being sociable!:o. I'M 15 NOW! VWORP VWORP!**

**Reviews are love! ~**


	5. Chapter 5: Playful Banter

Beth.

5.

In Gaius' hut we sat while he healed Merlin's injuries. The big fat plonker of an attacker had given him a black eye and a fat lump on the side of his head from one punch, and a busted lip from the second.

I recalled what had happened less than an hour ago.

_The final attacker had Merlin in a position where death was a certainty. He loomed over his quivering body with the dagger in his hand. The villain's arms rose in the air and were brought down faster than expected. Something in my head made me scream "No!". The attacker was flung to the side before the dagger could so much as poke a hole in Merlin's tunic. The villain lay unconscious on the forest floor._

_My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath. I hadn't realised that, in my worry of Merlin's life, I had run through the water to the lake's edge. The water was cold now; I shivered._

_Merlin stared at me like I was that three headed dog, Fluffy, from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. He slowly stood up and walked to me. I stepped out of the freezing water. "Did you- was that- did that- were you-?"_

_"It wasn't me!" I screamed. "I swear! I'm just as confused as you are."_

_He stared at me strangely again and I stared back. "You're shivering; let's get you to Gaius before you catch something." He shrugged his jacket off and draped it around my shoulders. I pulled it tighter around me and gave in to its warmth._

_Merlin wrapped his arm around my waist too and held me close, as if trying to heat me up again himself._

"You _may_ need stitching on this lip, Merlin." Gaius told him as he cleaned the gash of a bust lip on Merlin's face. Merlin winced as Gaius prodded it with his cloth. "Keep your head still."

I laughed at Merlin's expression. It was one of annoyance and that needy look a five year old gets when he hurts himself.

"You look funny!" I said to him.

He gave me a dirty look so I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Children, if we are quite finished playing." Gaius spoke. "You two should go to sleep. I am deeply sorry that there are no spare beds, Beth, but you will have to share with Merlin. Sleep head to toe or back to back; whatever way, just sleep." And with that, Gaius set about tidying up his remedy tools.

I traipsed up to Merlin's bedroom and sat on the edge of his bed. He, of course, followed me and sat on the opposite side.

The air was thick with an awkward silence and with our backs to each other, our eyes could not meet.

Merlin cleared his throat and I spoke at the same time. "So should I just sleep in what I slept in yesterday?"

He was quick in response. "Er, yes. I suppose you should do. I'll leave until you get changed from your dress."

"You don't have to leave, just turn your back. I'll do the same while you change too."

"Al-alright then." he cleared his throat again. I gathered my 'nightclothes' and waited for him to turn his back, which had turned away from me whilst we were talking so his face faced mine. When he had turned his back again I undressed. The old clothes hung oddly loose around my large frame.

I turned to Merlin who was lying on his half of the bed, with his back to me, in a white tunic and his trousers. I lay down on my half, my whole body straight as a brick because of the small space of the bed. "Night, _Merly-Whirly_."

"Night_, Tell Taylor_." came a tired response.

!~

I woke up and found my head resting on a hard surface. At first, I thought Merlin had kicked me onto the floor during the night, but there was something stroking my hair. My eyes found their way open. I saw white cloth. I heard a thumping. I felt the surface rise and fall steadily. I put two and two together. My head was on Merlin's chest. Sure enough as I looked upwards I found Merlin's head attached to his neck, which was obviously attached to his body. His eyes were closed and seeing as his breathing was slow he was asleep. He slowly and gently stroked my hair. It was comforting. His other arm was wrapped tightly around me, as if I was his teddy bear.

Footsteps approached from outside of the room. I closed my eyes and slowed my breathing to the same rate as Merlin's, hopefully looking like a sleeping me.

The door opened. "Merlin, Beth. Time to get up or you'll be late for work- What on Earth?"

I heard Merlin grunt. "What?" I kept my eyes closed and my breathing as slow as I could. His arms loosened around me. I frowned slightly and tightened my grip on his shirt. "Oh, uh. Nothing actually happened! I swear!"

"I believe you, Merlin. Wake her up, or you'll be late for work."

"Yes, Gaius."

The door shut shortly after.

A hand stroked my hair gently and trailed down to shake my shoulder. "Beth. _Beth_? Wake up, we'll be late." Merlin sighed. "Let's have you, lazy Daisy!" he said in a cheery, bright tone.

I opened an eye and looked up at him; he was looking back. I groaned and he mimicked, trying to push me off of his chest. "Come on, Beth. Or I'll push you on to the floor." I remained stubborn and stayed on his chest.

With a hardy push I found myself staring at the floor. Merlin was in fits of laughter as he stood up on the opposite side of the bed. I glared up at him as I stood to my feet.

"What will I wear? The clothes from last night need a wash."

"I will see if I can pawn another dress from Gwen." Merlin said, taking his white nightshirt off and replacing it with a red tunic. I turned my back and covered my eyes whilst he changed his underwear and trousers.

"Can't I just wear this? Maybe with a different top?" I gestured to the lavender shade tunic and the black trousers I wore.

Merlin chuckled. "You are a lady."

"Yes, thank you, Captain Obvious. What has that to do with anything?"

"Ladies who work in the royal household do not wear what men do. Ladies in general wear dresses as they are supposed to."

"But technically I'm not supposed to even be working for Arthur. Technically I should be a maidservant for lady nobles like Guinevere."

Merlin laughed again. "You mean Gwen? She's not nobility! She is the daughter of a blacksmith! A serving girl herself for the Lady Morgana."

I spun around to face him. "What? But she mar- Her future is _noble_!" I said, careful to not let vital details slip out; if I was going to do this, I was going to make sure to let everything stay in path with the legend, even though in the legend Arthur is king by age ten from pulling Excalibur from the stone.

"You are wearing a dress and that is final. You are watched every second of the day buy guards who will report to Uther anything suspicious. You not wearing a dress is definitely suspicious." he said. I huffed. "Wait there, I'll be back shortly with a dress. Perhaps even venture out into the 'workshop', as you called it, for bread or an apple or something for breakfast."

"Not hungry."

"Fine." He made to leave through the door, but paused upon opening it. "Beth...?"

"Yep?" Enunciating the 'p'.

"Who is 'Captain Obvious'?" A look of pure confusion spread on his face.

"I'll explain later." I replied with a grin. He smiled back, still confused, and left the room.

!~

Merlin returned with a light blue dress from Gwen. It was hard to believe that she, the Once and Future Queen, was a serving girl for the woman who, in years to come when Arthur is king, is responsible for raising the child who will bring the Once and Future King to his death.

I took the dress from him and changed quickly in the privacy of our room. The material swished over my body and hung, again, oddly loose around my body.

I opened the bedroom door to find Merlin standing with his back towards me, looking very much like a guard. I cleared my throat and he span around to meet me, a look of worry on his face.

"That is drowning you. Go change back; I'll get you a different one."

"Nope! I'm fine in it. Beggars can't be choosers."

"Beth..."

"Merlin... Look, I'll tie something around my waist. Where's your red scarf from yesterday?" Merlin walked to a corner and searched through some clothing. He found it and threw it to me. I tied it around my waist with ease. "There; problem sorted."

"You shouldn't be able to do that. That scarf's not even that long..."

"Nonsense."

"_Beth_..."

"_Merlin_..."

Merlin sighed. "Come on, or we'll be late for work. If you go to get Arthur's breakfast, I'll wake him up. Team effort!"

I giggled. "All engines a-go!"

Merlin chuckled. "What's an engine?"

With a wide smile and a laugh just as big, Beth shook her head and made way for the door.

~!

**Apologies for the late upload! Blame my mother and a biological virus.**

**My mother banned me of all Internet access for a while, and then, once the ban was lifted, I came down with a virus. It made me too tired and ache-y and I couldn't even be bothered to speak let alone sit at a computer and type a story. My brain wasn't working as a side effect, so you can imagine how the chapter would have turned out if I had written it when ill. It'd be a bit like the Sherlock!fic 'Flowers in a Box'.**

**Anyway, thank you to the only reviewer of the last chapter: Magic Whispers. Also a big thanks to all who alerted and favourited in any way, shape or form.**

**Next chapter will be up when I write it! Merry Christmas!**


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Merlin, Friendship, Romance