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jessisnotnormal · 2 months ago

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Chapter 24: The Black Knight

Masterlist

<- Chapter 23

When Merlin awoke, he couldn’t remember for a few moments why he felt so content. Then he sighed, turning onto his back as he recalled the memories of the previous night with Jada. She was so easy to be around; she made him feel so relaxed and comfortable, and it was such a welcome change to not have to be constantly on guard, whether it was from being attacked or being revealed.

“How’s your head?” Gaius asked, once Merlin appeared on the stairs.

He flashed a crooked smile, giving a small laugh. “Fine. We only had mead.”

“Makes a change, for you,” Gaius teased.

Merlin crossed the room to get himself some breakfast, spooning it into a bowl. “Jada doesn’t like to drink. Or, she doesn’t like other people drinking. I’m not sure.”

“So you took her to the tavern?”

“I asked her before I knew. I offered to go somewhere else.” He sat down, beginning to eat as Gaius collected his things together. “She said she had fun, anyway.”

“Good. Did you?”

Merlin grinned. “Yes. Even if she did make me dance.”

Gaius raised an eyebrow, his expression amused. “Did she? I thought you said you only had mead.”

Merlin laughed, feeling his cheeks ache from his smile. “I did. I’m telling you, if I’d have been drunk, I definitely would have fallen over.”

Gaius chuckled, closing up his bag and swinging it over his shoulder. “Eat your breakfast, before you’re late.”

Merlin sighed, shovelling another spoonful of porridge into his mouth. Today was going to be a good day.

“So, why exactly is your father only crowning you now, then?” Merlin asked as Arthur struck one of the training dummies with his sword.

“Because,” Arthur began, landing another blow. “Winters in these parts can be harsh. Many of the other noble families wouldn't have been able to make it to the ceremony if we'd done it when I first came of age.”

“Couldn't you have just done it anyway? What does it matter if some people are missing?”

Arthur straightened up, lowering his sword and looking at Merlin like he was stupid. “Do you have any idea how important this ceremony is?”

Merlin made a face. “He’s just going to put a crown on your head. You’ve already had one at some of the feasts.”

Apparently that was the wrong answer, because Arthur looked irritated now. “This ceremony is to recognise me as heir to the throne of Camelot. It officially makes me the future king. It’s kind of important.”

“Not important enough to do on your actual birthday, though,” Merlin muttered.

“Merlin!”

“I mean, it's already autumn! You've been of age for months now--almost a full year already, if you think about it.”

Arthur attempted to dismiss this with a wave. “Feasts are better around harvest-time. And during the summer there's too many tournaments. And in spring the weather can still be unpredictable, so we couldn't ask people to travel then.”

Merlin gave him a sideways glance, trying to assess whether these were excuses Arthur that Arthur genuinely believed, or just ones that had been fed to him. “So how important can it be then? If there's no real rush to get it done?”

“Merlin!”

“Right. Crown Prince. Very important. Everyone in the kingdom must be invited.”

Arthur gave him a typical Arthur-look, bulging his eyes out slightly to let Merlin know what he’d said was apparently obvious. He turned back to his training, and Merlin’s gaze wandered over to where Morgana was training Jada with their own dummy.

He’d never seen Jada wield a sword before, especially not since she started practising. Morgana seemed to be training her well, though. She was a little sluggish, and sometimes a bit stiff, but Merlin thought she definitely seemed to be getting the hang of it.

They paused for a break, and Jada turned to get some water, her gaze landing on Merlin as she did so. She returned the smile he sent her, though Morgana noticed and followed her gaze, before sending Merlin a little smirk of her own when she spotted him.

“Merlin, are you even listening?”

Arthur’s voice called him back to attention, and Merlin turned to him with a questioning look. “What? Who, me? Yes, I was. Um…”

Arthur turned to see what Merlin had been so focused on, then rolled his eyes at him. “Perhaps you could spend more time doing your job, and less time watching the girls?”

“Sorry. What did you say?”

“I said you’re going to have to make sure my armour is freshly polished for the ceremony, and that my cloak is washed.”

“Does it not get uncomfortable, wearing all that armour all the time?”

“It’s a royal ceremony, Merlin, not a party. Everybody has to wear a uniform. Even you.” The last he said with such a smirk that Merlin felt a spike of fear.

“I’m not wearing those ridiculous robes again.”

“You’re a servant of the royal household. You have to.” The prat was definitely enjoying this.

“Not the hat. Please, Arthur. Or the cape.”

“I think it’s a cloak, actually.”

“It’s definitely a cape. Did you see the thing? I’m not wearing it.”

“You know, some people would be honoured to serve in such a prestigious position.”

Merlin narrowed his eyes, but Arthur’s grin only widened. “You call washing your socks prestigious?”

There was definitely a hint of evil in Arthur’s smile, but at the last moment, he compromised. “You have to at least wear the crest.”

Merlin sighed, blowing a breath out. “Fine. But that’s all I’m wearing.”

Arthur grimaced. “I hope not.”

“No!” Merlin slapped a hand to his face. “Obviously not! That’s all I’m wearing of your stupid uniform.”

“Good. Because I’m not sure Lady Edna would ever return, otherwise. You might even give her a heart attack.”

Merlin shook his head, feeling the tips of his ears burn. “Is she the one that’s about a hundred years old?”

“She is warden of Castle Blythe and a respected guest,” Arthur said, miming offence for a moment. “And yes, that’s the one.”

Merlin grimaced at the thought of wrinkly old Edna seeing him in just a tabard, then gave a violent shudder. “Yeah, I think I’ll wear extra clothes to the ceremony, now.”

Arthur gave him a smug look, but before he could open his mouth, Merlin cut him off. “Still not wearing the hat.”

The castle soon began teeming with activity in preparation for Arthur’s ceremony, and guests from all across the land were arriving in their droves. Everyone was kept busy, Merlin in particular, as he stood by Arthur’s side throughout all his royal greetings and social calls.

After an early morning and a long day of frantic preparations, the evening finally arrived. It was typically chilly for late September, with a howling wind rising up as night fell, but some of the other servants had lit the larger braziers in the Great Hall to try and keep the cold of autumn at bay.

Merlin had been given the task of holding the wine jug for the evening instead of attending to Arthur, though at least Arthur had finally agreed he only had to wear the tabard. He had helped the Prince dress and prepare before Arthur headed to Uther’s chambers, likely to receive some final words of wisdom. All the nobles and servants were now gathered in the hall to await the Guest of Honour.

“So, what exactly is all this about?” Jada asked, standing beside him as they waited.

“It’s celebrating Arthur’s coming-of-age,” Merlin replied.

“How old is he, then? Since everyone’s making such a song and dance about it, I’m assuming either eighteen or twenty-one.”

“Twenty-one.”

She put on a gruff voice, flexing. “He’s a man, now.”

“Allegedly since December. Not that you’d be able to tell,” Merlin laughed. “He still can’t dress himself.”

They giggled together for a few moments, earning some strange looks from some of the more serious nobles seated nearby. Then, Jada nudged Merlin.

“So, when’s your birthday, then?” she asked.

“Mine?” Merlin frowned, perplexed she’d even ask. “I don’t have one.”

She laughed, but another look at him changed her expression. She tilted her head. “Really?”

“Really. Only nobles and important people celebrate their birthday.”

“But you must know when you were born, surely? Even if you don’t celebrate it.”

Merlin gave a half-shrug. “Sometime in summer. That’s what my mother counted from, anyway.”

Jada looked strangely sad, which only confused Merlin more.

“Does that mean you have a birthday, then?”

“What, am I not important enough?” she teased.

“No, no, that’s not what I meant, I…”

She gave a grin. “Everybody has a birthday where I’m from. Mine’s the 16th of April. Emily’s is the 30th of December. Jim and Izzy are both in January; his is the 20th and hers is the 12th.” Her face fell again. “Everybody has one.”

Merlin gave a helpless gesture. “Not me.”

She fell silent for a while, and Merlin thought the topic was over. At last, she turned back to him. “You should pick a date. Just any date you like in summer, and celebrate it then.”

“How would I celebrate it? I can’t hold a feast or a tournament.”

“You just…” He’d never seen her look so lost before. “You just do whatever you want. You can have a party, or go out to the tavern, or for a meal, or take a day trip. Whatever you want.”

“This is important to you, isn’t it?”

She looked up at him, seeming surprised. A confused mix of expressions passed over her face, but one corner of her mouth tried to smile. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be pushy or anything. You can do nothing, if you wanted to. It’s just that where I’m from, it’s kind of sad to not have a birthday, you know? It’s a celebration of you, of your existence.” She shrugged, her gaze dropping. “I don’t know, I just thought you deserved that.”

Merlin smiled. “I’ll ask my mother if she remembers. Then you can help me plan how to celebrate, all right?”

Jada’s smile was slower, more shy. “If you really want me to.”

“Of course. If you’ve had twenty-one birthdays, you must be an expert by now,” he teased, grinning.

Jada returned it, but just at that moment a murmur began to ripple through the crowd, a new excitement in the air as all the guests got to their feet.

“Looks like Arthur’s on his way,” Gwen noted, appearing at Merlin’s side with a tray of tomatoes in her hand.

“Finally,” Merlin joked.

The King arrived dressed in his ceremonial robes, with Morgana in a gown and Arthur in his chainmail closely following. The red of the Prince’s cloak caught in the firelight, his hair golden as he advanced to the centre of the room. All eyes were on him.

Uther took his place before them, turning to face his son as Arthur knelt at his feet. Silence fell amongst the onlookers.

After a long and dramatic pause, Uther began. “Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of this kingdom and its dominions according to the statutes, customs, and laws laid down by your forebears?”

“I do, Sire,” Arthur answered.

“Do you promise to exercise mercy and justice in your deeds and judgements?”

“I do, Sire.”

There was a sceptre in Uther’s hands, and now he turned it to hold it down to Arthur. “And do you swear allegiance to Camelot, now and for as long as you shall live?”

Arthur grasped the sceptre firmly, his voice clear. “I, Arthur Pendragon, do pledge life and limb to your service and to the protection of the kingdom and its peoples.”

Uther gave a flicker of a smile before he turned to a servant who stood nearby holding a velvet cushion. Atop the cushion sat a golden circlet, and this Uther now held before him as he turned back to his son.

“Now,” he said. “Being of age and heir apparent, from henceforth, you shall be Crown Prince of Camelot.”

He placed the crown on Arthur’s head, and the room burst into applause. Arthur rose, turning to face the onlookers with a small smile on his lips.

“So, how does it feel to be servant to the Crown Prince of Camelot?” Gwen asked, a playful light in her eyes.

“Washing his royal socks will be even more of a privilege,” Merlin retorted.

Jada snorted from just behind him, having turned to undertake some last-minute tuning of their lute.

Gwen snickered. “You’re proud of him really. Even though you complain about him constantly.”

Merlin gave a surly pout. “I am not.”

“You are. I can see it in your face.”

He turned his face to her, his expression serious. “Those socks are very clean. Of course I’m proud of them.”

Gwen gave a giggle, giving up. Jada looked up as she finished fiddling with the lute, turning it into its proper position.

She was halfway through saying “Wish me luck” and turning away when the window shattered, sending shards of coloured glass flying into the room. Merlin looked up just as Jada bumped back into him, sending the wine jug clattering to the floor as his reflexes tried to steady the two of them. The sound was covered by the screams coming from a few of the nobles, but he felt the wine soaking through his clothes where it had splattered him.

It must have been a storm, his brain rationalised, or the wind blowing the window in, but looking back at the scene told him a different story. A knight in black atop a dark horse had burst in through the window, and was now approaching down the aisle between the tables. The knights surrounding Uther drew their swords, but the King himself remained frozen, stunned.

“What in the devil’s name?” Uther blurted.

The approach seemed to take an age, the only sound in the room now being the steady clop of the horse’s hooves against the stone floor. At last, the knight halted, throwing something onto the ground before him.

Merlin’s breath caught in his throat: A gauntlet.

There was silence. For several long moments, none of the knights made any movement, until at last Arthur sheathed his sword. Before he could bend and pick the gauntlet up, however, one of the younger knights beat him to it.

“I, Sir Owain, accept your challenge,” he said confidently, an almost arrogant smirk on his face.

The Black Knight turned his head sharply towards Owain, and the smirk vanished. “Single combat. Noon tomorrow. Till the death.”

His voice shook Merlin to the core, but without another word he turned his horse and exited the same way he’d entered. There was something wrong about him, something uncanny and unsettling. Why had he come here?

Jada shifted, and Merlin suddenly became aware that he was still holding her up, his arms around her chest as she tipped unsteadily back against him.

“Sorry,” he said quickly, helping her get her balance back. “Are you all right?”

She straightened her dress, but gave him a smile. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Sorry about that. Oh, Merlin, your leg…”

He looked down at himself, having forgotten about the wine in all the confusion. His right leg was practically soaked, having taken the worst of the spill, and his right boot had a distinctly soggy feel to it now. Even his torso hadn’t managed to remain unblemished, and though it was only a splash on his stomach, he was fairly certain it had managed to soak through both the tabard and his tunic already.

Jada had bent down to retrieve the jug, as though by picking it up again all the wine would just hop back in.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice worried.

“It’s all right,” he replied. “Um…”

He looked around them for some sort of solution, thinking.

“I’ll make it up to you. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

He looked back to her, but Jada’s eyes were on the pool of liquid at his feet. “Jada, it’s all right. It’s fine, really.”

She looked up at him, her eyes wide and confused. “But… you’re soaked.”

“It’s fine, it was an accident. It just means I need to figure out a way to sneak out of here to get changed.” He looked at her fingers tightly clutched around the jug, and an idea dawned.

“Here,” he said, taking it from her gently. “I’ll go and take this back to the kitchens to be refilled, and while I’m out I’ll go back to my room and get changed. Arthur will just have to put up with me not wearing the tabard. Can you and Gwen clean the rest of it up?”

He turned to Gwen. “You wouldn’t mind that, would you, Gwen?”

Gwen had been watching Jada, but now she smiled sweetly. “Not at all.”

“O- okay,” Jada nodded, bending to pick up Merlin’s discarded tray.

“Where is the Royal Bard?” Uther’s voice broke into their little circle, and Jada shot to her feet.

“Here, Sire,” she replied, eyes wide again.

“Come, sing us a song.”

“Uh…” She looked back at the mess uncertainly. Merlin saw Arthur’s gaze follow hers, and disapproval filled his features as he landed on Merlin.

“Merlin, is there anything you actually can do without mucking it up somehow?” he asked.

Merlin put his hands behind his back, suddenly aware that Uther’s intense gaze was now on him, as well. “Sorry, Sire. I just dropped it.”

Arthur gave a pained sigh, rolling his eyes. “Perhaps serving food and drink was a bit too advanced for you.”

“It was my fault.” Jada spoke up unexpectedly, though she shrank as Uther’s gaze turned onto her. “I’m sorry. I bumped into him when the knight burst in.”

Uther sighed. “Go and get yourselves cleaned up. When you return, I expect a performance worth waiting for.”

They bowed and curtseyed, then set the tray and jug down before scurrying out of the hall, heads down.

“Sorry for getting you in trouble,” Jada said once they were outside.

Merlin gave her a lopsided grin. “Don’t worry about it, I’m always getting myself there anyway.”

She gave a brief smile, but it didn’t even remotely reach her eyes.

“Jada?” Merlin asked. “What’s wrong?”

Her arms folded themselves across her chest, wrapping around her.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to keep apologising to me.” She looked up at him silently. “Look, come here.”

With a hand on her back, he guided her quickly into one of the alcoves at the side of the hallway. She turned to face him once inside, still just as guarded, but Merlin kept his voice soft.

“Whatever it is, whatever you’re worried about, I’m here for you,” he assured her. “I’m your friend. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, but I still want to help, if I can. I’m on your side. We’re a team, you and me. Just tell me how to help.”

She hesitated, seeming to fight behind her guarded walls for a few moments. Then, at last, some of them disappeared, and she stepped forwards and wrapped her arms around him. She pressed him against the wall, burying her face in his shoulder, and took a deep breath. Merlin’s response was immediate, hugging her close to him also. He turned his head to her, ignoring the tickle of her hair on his face, and sighed.

After a few moments of comforting silence, Jada stepped back, though neither of them let go of the other completely. Merlin kept his hands lightly on her shoulders, and Jada put her own hands on his arms with a smile.

“Thank you,” she said softly, then sighed. “I needed that.”

Merlin flashed the hint of a grin. “Anytime. Although you’re probably going to stink of wine, now.”

“Oh, gosh,” she said, laughing. “I’d forgotten about that.”

“Come on.” With a chuckle, he touched a hand to her arm, guiding her back out into the hallway. “If you didn’t need to change before, you definitely do now.”

“Promise you’re not mad at me?”

He let his hand slide down from her shoulder, over her wrist until it gently took hold of her fingers. He gave a gentle squeeze—barely a movement at all, it was so soft. “I promise,” he murmured, letting go again.

Jada looked up at him, searching his face for any hint of deception. He kept his gaze on her, steady and open, and at last she smiled. It was small, but this time it reflected in her eyes, and Merlin felt his own face mirror the motion.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go and get changed so we can head back.”

It wasn’t until the feast was over and everyone had returned to their chambers that Merlin’s thoughts returned to the Black Knight. He was just getting ready for bed while Gaius was finishing up his work at his bench, when Merlin paused on the stairs, looking back.

“Have you ever seen this Black Knight before?” he asked.

Gaius didn’t look up. “I don’t believe so.”

“You didn’t recognise his crest?”

The physician turned to him with a frown, now. “Crest?”

“Which house is it?”

“I’m not sure. I didn’t see it that clearly.”

“Yeah, but he’s not someone you’d forget in a hurry, is he?” Merlin didn’t think he’d be forgetting the knight anytime soon, at least.

“No,” Gaius agreed, fetching something from one of his other tables.

Merlin turned to lean his back against the wall. “So you don’t think he’s from around here?”

“That would seem likely.”

“Then what’s he doing here?”

“Merlin, your faith in my all-seeing knowledge is both touching and wholly misplaced,” Gaius responded. “Maybe if you’ve finished your work, you could go to bed and leave me to finish mine.”

Taking the hint, Merlin straightened up. “Okay. I’m going.”

He turned and began heading further up the stairs, but only made it a few steps before turning again. “Gaius?”

Gaius’ voice had all the patience of an exasperated parent. “Merlin.”

“Do you think Owain can beat him?”

The frustration had left Gaius when he turned to Merlin again, and Merlin could see his guardian choosing the words carefully. “We’ll find out soon enough.”

Merlin’s heart sank, his thoughts going out to poor Owain. He hoped they were both wrong, and that tomorrow Owain would win and that would be the end of it. But his gut told him to prepare for the worst.

As he turned for bed, Merlin tried to ignore his worries. Gaius was right: They’d find out soon enough.

Chapter 25 ->

#bbc merlin #out of the ashes #merlin #gaius #arthur pendragon #jada thorburn #guinevere #uther pendragon #owain #writing #merlin x oc #fanfic #fanfiction #chapter 24

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jessisnotnormal · 2 months ago

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Chapter 23: The Rising Sun

Masterlist

<- Chapter 22

It was two days before Jada saw Arthur again. According to the talk around the castle, the Prince had returned late the previous night, but it wasn’t until morning came that all his fellow conspirators met in his chambers to hear his tale.

“The meeting went off rather smoothly, in the end,” Arthur told them. “We arrived to find some of the Druids already waiting there for us, and then he just went off home with them.”

“Well, that’s good,” Jada said. “It’s all over and done with now.”

“Mhm,” Arthur agreed, then turned his attention to Morgana. “Did my father suspect anything while he was with you?”

“He threatened that if he ever found out I was involved in the boy’s escape, I would live to regret it,” Morgana replied bitterly. “But he can’t charge me with anything, so I imagine this will pass soon enough.”

“And there’s been no lead for the guards to follow?” Jada asked.

“They found the grate pulled off its hinges,” Arthur said. “But my father believes the Druids did it. As far as he’s aware, the boy used magic to break out of his cell and then met some of his people at the grate. He’s angry, but there’s little he can do about any of it now.”

“When isn’t Uther angry about something?” Morgana joked with a mischievous wiggle of her eyebrows. Arthur rolled his eyes at her, but it seemed more in jest than protest.

“So, all’s well that ends well, then?” Jada said, relaxing now that it seemed the incident was finally over.

“I don’t suppose any of us are going to get a reward?” Merlin prodded, giving Arthur a hopeful look.

“Your reward, Merlin,” Arthur began, “Is not being executed for treason.”

“Ah.” Merlin pressed his lips together and sighed.

Now that everybody was informed, they all began to make towards the door, each of their moods seeming lighter now.

“Oh, there was one more thing,” Arthur said, calling their attention back to him. “The boy told me his name. I don’t know if any of you would find it particularly important, but he was called Mordred.”

“Mordred,” Morgana repeated, smiling, but Jada felt her blood run cold.

“Mordred?” she said, her voice rising in pitch.

Arthur seemed not to notice, and Morgana had already passed through the door, but Jada could feel Merlin’s eyes on her as he followed her into the hallway.

“Hey, are you all right?” He dropped his voice low, tugging on her arm slightly to turn her towards him.

“Yeah, fine,” Jada said distantly. She couldn’t understand; she was supposed to save Arthur, but Mordred was supposed to kill him. She’d just helped save Mordred’s life. Morgo had told her to save Mordred’s life. “I have to go do something.”

She wished she didn’t sound so vacant, but she needed answers, and she needed them now. She turned away from Merlin’s confused gaze and headed down the corridor, out of the castle and into the woods.

Morgo had no reason to come back, she knew, now that he gotten what he wanted from her. But she had to try. She had to know.

She’d only been in their meeting-spot for a few minutes when he stepped out of the brush, his brows furrowed and a cautious expression on his face.

“What the hell are you playing at?” Jada blurted, but she had no intentions of stopping herself. “You send me all the way back here, away from my family, away from my friends, to stop Arthur being killed, and then you have me save Mordred? What the hell, man? What do you want from me?”

Morgo hesitated, those eyes watching her steadily.

“If Uther had executed him, Arthur would never even be wounded by him! Everything would have been fine! I don’t understand what kind of game you’re playing, but I want no part in it.”

“You would be content to let Uther murder a ten-year-old boy if you knew who he was?” Morgo asked. His voice was steady, his gaze focused, and whatever he was thinking or feeling, his expression was utterly controlled.

“I…” Jada began, though she couldn’t find the words to finish.

“He has done no wrong. His only crime so far was to be born. Would you really punish him for that?”

“If he’s not going to kill Arthur, then why am I here?” Her voice was back under control now, matching Morgo in focus.

“You were not brought here as an assassin.”

“Then why am I here?”

Morgo regarded her for several long moments, his jaw set almost as stubbornly as Jada’s. Then, he seemed to slump, the tension leaving him suddenly and the fire in his eyes dying away.

“I have tried,” he said, a strangely hopeless note in his voice now. “I have tried everything I can think of to change his fate. He is my best friend. I’ve looked after him ever since he arrived in our camp.” He gave a fond smile, though it was tainted by sadness. “If there was anything I could do to rewrite destiny, I would do it. But I cannot.”

He looked up at her now, his tear-filled eyes a sudden reminder of how young he was. “All I can do is try to right the wrongs that he is going to commit. But I need your help for that. My magic may be strong, but it only allows me to see the future. I cannot fight with it—we Druids are pacifist—and I cannot even master the basic healing spells that our people are known for. I cannot save Arthur.”

“Neither can I,” Jada said, her voice softer now. “I have no magic. None.”

Morgo gave her a small smile. “But you do happen to know the most powerful sorcerer who will ever walk the earth.”

She folded her arms defensively, hesitant to either confirm or deny his statement.

“You do not need to fear me,” Morgo reassured her, then tapped his temple. “Remember, I can already see him.”

Jada hesitated, then asked in a quiet voice, “What do you see?”

Morgo sighed, passing a hand over his eyes. “Too much. It’s all very confusing. You might not believe me, but I would love for none of this to happen so I can just go home, too.”

Jada gave a soft snort. “Adventuring’s cancelled. Everybody go home.”

Morgo laughed, a gesture which made his face seem much younger. It must have been a terrible weight, Jada thought then, to be able to see the future in a place such as this. He looked tired, and older than she’d first thought, though from what Iseldir had told her, it didn’t sound like Morgo slept much.

“All right, then, fortune-teller,” she teased, putting her hands on her hips. “What do I need to do? How am I supposed to help you set things right?”

He smiled, dropping his hand from his face at last and inhaling. “Honestly, I’ve no idea.”

“Wow. I think I want my money back.”

He snickered at that. “I told you I can’t control it very well. Just do as you please for now, I suppose.”

“But what if I accidentally rewrite history by doing something wrong?”

“I think you underestimate time. From what I’ve read and what I’ve seen, the universe has a way of protecting itself from things like that. Besides, what you consider history has already happened with your influence. You were always meant to come here, so your actions won’t change anything. I hope.”

“Well that fills me with confidence,” she joked. “But I don’t remember ever reading about a Jada in any of the legends, so I’m going to assume I don’t mess anything major up that badly.”

“There’s the spirit,” he laughed. “Now, if you’re done shouting at me, I expect not to see you again for some time. I’ll find a way to let you know if I learn anything about the portals, or if anything pressing occurs that you’d need to know about. If you want to find me, however, just come here. I’ll see you coming, one way or another.”

“I’m assuming that the owl is some sort of magic spy, right?”

“An informant. When I can get her to cooperate.”

“Sure. That makes perfect sense, and isn’t odd at all.”

“Albion has its own idea of normalcy,” Morgo said. “You’d probably go mad if you questioned everything.”

“Oh, believe me,” Jada replied, eyebrows raised. “I know.”

Once back in Camelot, Jada returned to her chambers. She was supposed to meet Morgana for training at noon, now that everything had returned to normal, and she had just finished getting ready when there came a knock at her door.

Opening it, she found Merlin on the other side, and he greeted her with a cheery smile. “I’m not disturbing you, am I?”

Jada couldn’t help but smile back warmly. “I was just on my way to train with Morgana, but actually I was hoping to see you today. I wanted to apologise for losing my temper last night.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it,” he said, shrugging it off. “I can walk you down there, if you want? If you’re in a hurry.”

She grinned, grabbing her training sword and shutting the door behind her. Merlin fell in step beside her, and Jada liked how natural it felt to have him there now. “Are you sure Arthur’s not going to miss you?” she asked.

“No, I’m on a break right now,” he replied.

“And you chose to spend that break talking to me?” she teased. “I’m surprised you’re not sick of my face by now.”

Merlin snorted, his grin widening. “I actually wanted to ask you if you wanted to do something with me tonight. But, if you’re sick of my face, that’s fine.”

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “Well, what exactly did you have in mind?”

“Well, I thought that you should really get to experience Camelot life while you’re here,” he began.

“And dodging attacks from magical beings isn’t the true Camelot experience?”

She loved it when he smiled like that. It was so open and warm. “Maybe, but I thought going to the tavern might make you fear for your life a little less.”

“Oh, uh…” Jada slowed, all that warmth suddenly gone.

It only took a second for Merlin to notice, and he turned to face her. “What is it?”

“I just…” She tried to think of how to word it. “I’m just not very comfortable around drunk people.”

“Oh.” She could see him processing it, but then a hint of his smile returned. “Well, most people don’t really get that drunk there, anyway. You remember Lancelot’s feast?”

Jada nodded.

“It’s just like that, really. Most people can only afford the mead, and there’s hardly any alcohol actually in that. Occasionally, there’s some wealthier people who come in and drink the wine, but they don’t really get rowdy, or anything.”

Jada was still uncertain, and Merlin softened again. “We can do something else, if you want. I just thought you might like the music. That’s what most people go for, anyway.”

“I…” She frowned, feeling torn. “I’ll have to think about it.”

Merlin relaxed, giving her another warm smile. “Okay. Just let me know.”

He turned and began walking with her again, chattering easily by her side all the way to the training yard, where Morgana and Gwen were waiting.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you later, then,” he said. “Let me know what you want to do.”

“I will,” Jada replied, giving a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing, really.” He waved it off, though one side of his mouth was turned upwards, and made to leave. He gave Gwen and Morgana a wave before he departed, and Jada watched him head back through the castle gates.

When she turned, Morgana greeted her with a barely-restrained smirk, her eyebrows quirking at her playfully.

“What?” Jada asked, hurrying into position.

“Nothing,” Morgana sang innocently. She turned to exchange a look with Gwen, who was doing a much better job at hiding whatever it was they found so amusing.

“Ugh, just get to beating me up already, would you?” Jada scoffed.

Morgana twirled her sword, a cocky tilt to her head now. “If you insist.”

It wasn’t until after training was over that Jada remembered Merlin’s offer. She was no closer to deciding whether to accept it or not, and she felt a bubble of anxiety at the thought of being surrounded by a crowd of rowdy drunks.

Although, Merlin had said that nobody really got themselves that drunk. She’d even tried the mead herself, and that certainly only barely counted as alcoholic. She’d enjoyed Lancelot’s feast, too, even if she had technically been there to work. She just didn’t know what to do.

“Is something the matter?”

She looked up to find Gwen looking softly at her, and Jada realised that she’d stopped gathering her things up in her preoccupation. Morgana had already headed off.

Jada tried to laugh it off. “Sorry, just miles away.”

“You looked like you were worried about something.” She wasn’t pushing Jada, not really, but her warm eyes were encouraging.

Jada deflated. “It’s nothing, really. Merlin invited me to go to the tavern with him, but I’m not really sure whether I should go. I tend to get a bit nervous around… well, those sorts of places.”

“If you don’t want to go, I’m sure he’d understand,” Gwen reassured.

“It’s not that I don’t want to…” She paused, once again torn. She did want to spend more time with Merlin, and the teenaged Skyrim-fan within her was secretly dying to see what a real tavern was like, but… “It just makes me nervous.”

“You could always go for a little while, and then leave if you don’t like it.”

She considered this, then nodded once. “Yeah, I guess I could. And if I don’t like it, at least I’ve tried it, and I’ll never have to go again.”

Gwen beamed at her, and Jada wondered how the entire season of spring could be embodied by just one woman. “There you go.”

“Thanks, Gwen. I’ll go tell him.” She began to head back towards the castle, but spun on her heel suddenly. “Uh, you wouldn’t happen to know whereabouts he’d be, would you?”

Gwen started walking with her, and gave a soft laugh. “Probably fetching Arthur’s lunch. If you’re quick, you might catch him in the kitchens.”

“Thanks Gwen, you’re the best!”

Merlin was in the kitchens, as Gwen had predicted, and seemed to be having some sort of disagreement with the cook when Jada poked her head round the door. She couldn’t make out what the woman was saying to him, since her back was to Jada, though from the tenacity of her ladle-waving, she didn’t seem too pleased. Merlin responded by nodding, though his lips were pressed together and his eyebrows raised, and the second the cook turned her back he was scowling at her and muttering under his breath.

He headed towards the door with Arthur’s plate of food, his scowl splitting into a grin when he saw Jada.

“Are you giving that poor woman a hard time again?” she teased.

“Poor woman?!” Merlin scoffed, flabbergasted. “It’s not my fault it’s ruined. Maybe if she didn’t have such a sour face, the cream wouldn’t have curdled.”

“Merlin!” Jada reprimanded, giving him a smack. It was half-hearted, though, and she could tell by his fake offense that he knew it.

“Well, it’s true!” he defended. “What are you doing down here, anyway?”

“I just wanted to come and tell you that I’d like to go out tonight. But, um…” She hesitated, running a hand through her hair. “I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay there for. I haven’t been out in ages, and I might, um…”

“It’s okay.” His smile was understanding, and he nodded once. “If you don’t like it we can go and do something else. I don’t mind.”

Jada sighed, relieved. “Okay. Thanks. Thank you.”

“It’s not a problem. Now I, uh…” He gestured down the hallway with one thumb, glancing down at the plate. “I’ve got to go give this to Arthur, before he gets mad.”

“Oh, yeah, sure,” Jada replied. “That was all I wanted, really. I’ll see you later.”

“Okay.” His grin widened, showing a dimple on either side. “See you tonight.”

The tavern was called The Rising Sun, but the depiction of the sun on their sign outside did not look like it was all too thrilled about rising. It was a bright yellow, except for around the eyes, which were much greyer and looked to Jada as though it was suffering with its own hangover.

The building itself was bigger than Jada had expected, particularly as it was situated in the lower town and surrounded on either side by much smaller, one-roomed houses. It was, however, the main hub of city life—a place where people from all across the kingdom could gather and mingle, and travellers could stay in the rooms upstairs for a few gold coins.

“Remember, we can leave whenever you want,” Merlin said as they approached. “Just let me know you want to go, and we’ll go. How are you feeling?”

Jada tried for a smile. “A little nervous. I definitely wouldn’t do this on my own.”

Merlin put a hand on her shoulder, reaching out for the door. “Don’t worry, I’ll look after you.”

He pulled open the door and held it for her, but kept a hand on her back as she passed through. Jada was glad of it as she stepped inside, a reminder that she wasn’t alone as she scanned the room warily.

To her surprise, it really wasn’t as busy as she’d been expecting. There was a fair amount of people there, sure, but where she’d been expecting a mass of people confined in one place, in reality most people were sat peacefully at their own tables. There was a space cleared in the centre where a handful were dancing, but overall the atmosphere seemed more jovial than outright chaotic.

Merlin scanned the room beside her for a moment, then gestured towards a table in one of the nearer corners. “Is that one okay?”

Jada followed his gaze, then turned back to him and nodded.

�� He led her over there, carefully weaving through some of the other people, and flashed her a smile as they sat down. “How are you feeling?”

She looked over her shoulder at the room, then back to him. “Okay so far. It’s a lot quieter than I was expecting.”

“Yeah, it gets a bit busier later on, but it’s still nothing too hectic. I thought coming earlier might be better to start off with.”

“Thank you,” Jada said, her tone sincere. It meant a lot to her that he would consider something like that.

Merlin gave her a crooked smile. “It’s not a problem. Really. Now, what do you want to drink?”

“Um…” She pressed her lips into a line as she thought. “I think I’ll probably just stick with mead.”

He nodded, pulling a bag of coins out of his pocket and beginning to count them out. Just as he seemed to finish, a young-ish girl maybe in her mid-twenties appeared, wiping the table down vigorously.

“Afternoon. What’ll it be, then?” she asked cheerily.

“Two mugs of mead, please,” Merlin replied, sliding one of his coin heaps over to her. Jada fumbled with her own purse, but Merlin shook his head. “It’s all right, I’ve got it.”

“Merlin…” Jada began. Like he hadn’t already done enough for her.

“It’s fine, really. I’ll let you get the next round.”

She sighed, shaking her head at him but setting her purse down. The barmaid scooped the money into her pouch, and disappeared.

“You do far too much for me, you know,” Jada said.

Merlin chuckled. “Why? I don’t mind. I like helping.”

“Just when I start thinking I’ve paid you back, you go and do something else.”

He shrugged. “You don’t need to pay me back.”

“I feel like I’m taking advantage of you.”

“I’m offering.” He nudged her knee under the table with his own. “You worry too much.”

Jada laughed, dropping her head to try and hide it.

“You do pay me back, anyway,” he continued. “It’s just not in physical things.”

Jada frowned slightly. “What do you mean?”

Merlin shrugged again, leaning forward on the table. “I like being around you. I can just… be myself. I don’t have to worry that I’ll say too much, that I’ll give something away. I’ve not really had this that often before, especially since coming to Camelot.”

“What about Gaius?”

He sighed, his gaze on the rest of the room. “Gaius, is… I can tell him some things, but then sometimes I think that keeping things from him is for the best. I don’t want to worry him.”

He traced a knot in the wood of the table with his thumb, pushing down on it distractedly. “I don’t know. Like with the boy; I knew he’d lecture me on risking my own life for a stranger, and being stupid enough to do it right underneath the guards’ noses. I know it’s because he was worried about me getting myself killed, but… I don’t know. I don’t know what else I could have done.”

“I think you did what you thought was right,” Jada said. “I think Gaius probably just wishes that it didn’t have to be you that does it all.”

He gave a soft laugh. “He’s not the only one.”

“Definitely not.”

He looked up at her, seeming surprised, then gave a soft smile.

The barmaid returned, appearing suddenly beside them with a handful of drinks. She set two of them down on their table to a duo of “Thanks,” then bustled off to a group on the other side of the door.

“Did you really mean what you said yesterday?” Merlin asked quietly over his mug. “About Uther.”

“Of course. I wouldn’t have said it otherwise.”

“You’d really do that for me?”

“Call me an idiot,” Jada laughed, looking down for a moment. When her gaze returned to his face, she was serious again. “But yes, I would.”

He smiled, though it was a small, gentle movement, before worry entered his eyes. “You shouldn’t.”

“Camelot would be boring without you,” she joked. “Besides, who else would I get to pay for everything?”

He snorted, shaking his head. “I should have known you were just using me for all my riches.”

“How could you have been so blind?”

He looked up at her through his lashes, a smirk across his lips, and Jada grinned.

Just at that moment, the minstrels burst into a livelier tune, snapping Jada’s attention to them. Suddenly, an idea struck her.

“Do you dance?” she asked.

Merlin looked shocked, and gestured down at himself. “Have you seen me? Do I look like a dancer?”

“You look like you’ll be gangly and awkward,” Jada admitted, standing up. “But I can’t dance, either. So come on, it’ll be fun.”

“You and I have very different ideas of what the word ‘fun’ means,” Merlin replied.

“Oh, come on.” She held her hands out for him to take. “I don’t even know how to dance in this era, so you’ll have to teach me. Please?”

He looked around as if searching for help, but upon finding none, he sighed, downed the rest of his drink, and took her hands. “You’re definitely going to owe me for this one.”

Jada giggled as she led him towards the central space, her adrenaline surging. “You’ll almost definitely be better at it than me, so at least you won’t be the worst dancer in the room.”

“Thanks,” Merlin replied sarcastically.

They joined the circle that had formed around the space, and were quickly swept up into the dance. It wasn’t what Jada had expected, consisting of the entire circle sidestepping one way a few paces, then back the other, and then the man to the left would lift the woman on his right across to his left, and the dance would begin again. It took her a few tries to get it right, but before long Jada had been spun halfway around the circle and was grinning from ear to ear.

She looked back at Merlin as she landed, just managing to catch sight of him whirling a small slip of a girl around to his left and grinning just the same. He still looked a little ungainly as they sidestepped, but Jada didn’t imagine she looked much better herself, and all his reservations seemed to have been forgotten.

At last, she’d made it almost all the way around the circle, and now Merlin was to her left.

“Hello, stranger,” he greeted as she landed, clasping their hands together.

“Fancy meeting you here,” she replied.

First to the left, now to the right, then turn to your partner and—She jumped into the air, Merlin’s hands at her waist, and he twirled her round to set her gently down again on his other side.

The minstrel directing the dance clapped for all the participants, beginning a round of applause all through the room, and then another song sprung from their instruments and the circle dissolved.

“Thanks for not dropping me,” Jada joked, nudging Merlin with her elbow. “See, I told you it’d be fun.”

“Can we go and sit back down now?” he asked. “I’m tired.”

Jada snorted, prodding him in the side with a finger. “Wow, you really need to get in shape.”

“Hey, you weren’t lifting half the people on the floor!” he pointed out, pouting a little.

“You were barely lifting us, we jumped.”

He pouted more now, his lower lip jutting out as he rubbed a bicep pitifully.

“God, you’re so dramatic.” She rolled her eyes at him, though she couldn’t keep her grin hidden for long. “Come on, then. Do you need to go all the way back to Gaius and ask for a remedy, or will the table do?”

“The table is fine,” he grinned, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her back to their corner, all arm pain now miraculously cured.

He sat beside her this time, between Jada and the rest of the room, and peered into her mug before sliding it over to her. “You didn’t drink much,” he commented.

“No. You can have some of it, if you want.”

“Do you not like it? I can get you something else, if you want.”

“No, it’s fine. It tastes like honey,” she replied. “I just thought it might save you getting another.”

“You wouldn’t be trying to get out of your debt, would you?” he teased, one eyebrow quirking upwards.

Jada grinned, lifting the mug to her lips and taking a swig. “Not at all. Here.” She pulled her coin purse out again, tossing it onto the table in front of him. “Get what you like. This’ll probably do me, for now.”

“Sure you don’t want to try any of the others?” he asked, already counting out coins again.

“I’m sure. Just don’t get wasted.”

“Wasted?” he frowned.

“Super drunk. I’m not carrying you home.”

“Oh, I see, so you’ll commit treason for me, but you won’t carry me home if I get too drunk?” He tutted, shaking his head. “What kind of friendship is this?”

Jada laughed, unable to stop herself from beaming at him. “I’m only here for your riches, remember. I’ll just drag you back to the castle by your ankle.”

A laugh erupted from his chest, his grin turning his eyes into almond shapes with little crinkles at the edges. He turned away to call the barmaid over, a taller girl this time with darker skin, and ordered another mead.

“Are you not going to have one of the other things?” Jada asked once he’d paid and the girl had headed off.

“No,” he replied, turning back to her. “I tend to get drunk quite fast, so I’ll just stick to the safer stuff for tonight.”

He didn’t want to make her nervous, Jada realised as she took another mouthful of her drink.

“You’re so sweet to me,” she said. “I’m not surprised you’re a lightweight, though.”

His expression somehow managed to mingle amusement and confusion. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, look at you. You look like a stiff wind’d blow you over.”

He bit back another laugh, his tone sarcastic once more. “Again, thanks.”

“It’s not a bad thing,” she remarked. “It’s just a thing. You pull it off.”

Her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out whereabouts in her brain that had come from, lifting her mug to her mouth again.

Merlin looked like he was trying to figure out whether it was a compliment or not, too. “Um, thanks? I think? You’re not getting drunk off of mead there, are you?”

Jada a made a ‘pfft’ sound. “No, it’s just the adrenaline from coming here wearing off. Jim and Izzy say Sleepy Jada always sounds like she’s drunk.”

“We can go home, if you want,” Merlin offered, his expression softening.

“Not yet.” She gave him a sly smirk. “I want to get you to dance some more, first.”

He scoffed, but looked behind him at the circle anyway. “I don’t think there’s a group dance on again yet. They probably won’t do many more until towards midnight.”

“I don’t care,” Jada said. “I want to dance with you. Please?”

“I’m not very good at it,” Merlin warned. “Really.”

Jada peered past him, over his shoulder to the pairs already leaping and spinning about together. “How hard can it be? Even if we make a fool of ourselves, we’ll just pretend we’re really drunk and don’t remember it.”

Merlin shook his head, sighing in defeat. “I really have to stop listening to you,” he said, getting up anyway and offering her his hand.

She grinned, taking it and rising to her feet. “Am I really that bad an influence?”

“Let’s find out.”

They made their way back to the circle, trying to examine the technique of the other dancers. From Jada’s perspective, it looked very much like the way the Hobbits had danced at Bilbo’s party, or when Jack and Rose had gone to the party below deck in Titanic. One hand in your partner’s, the other on their waist or shoulder, and then what looked like a combination of skipping and spinning and hoping for the best.

“Ready?” she asked, taking a breath and looking up at Merlin.

“No,” he replied, offering her his hand, anyway. “I don’t suppose I could change your mind, though.”

“Nope.” She took his hand, resting the other on his shoulder and grinning.

Merlin put his free hand on her waist and drew a nervous breath. “If I die through dancing with you…”

“I’ll make sure your memorial is fitting. Now, 3… 2… 1…”

They jumped into the space, and the current from the other dancers immediately swept them away. An exhilarated cry escaped Jada as they spiralled away, whirling and twirling together around the floor. Merlin looked simultaneously thrilled and terrified, clutching tightly onto her hand and giggling ecstatically. The rest of the room was a blur around them, and Jada could only hope that they didn’t crash into anything or anyone in the chaos.

Despite the both of them being complete beginners, so far neither of them had managed to trip, stumble, or get their legs tangled together, and as they continued to spin Jada felt both of them relax into the energy of the music. They held onto each other as though they would fly off across the room if they let go—which Jada wasn’t entirely sure wouldn’t happen—their knuckles white and their faces beaming. It was exhilarating; like Jada imagined riding water rapids would be for people who weren’t deathly afraid of still ponds. She trusted Merlin not to let her be lost to the current, and he was counting on her not to do the same.

When the music ended, the two of them were so out of breath that they had to just stand for a moment, still in position and grinning at one another wildly.

“Okay,” Merlin said, chest heaving. “Maybe I’ll let you talk me into things more often.”

“See?” Jada panted, the two of them separating now and stepping back slightly. “I told you it would be fun.”

“I need a drink.” He took her hand, leading her back to the table and settling in beside her again. One of the barmaids had brought a new mug while they were away, and he took a long swig of it.

“Thank you for inviting me here,” Jada began, resting her chin on her hand and letting her eyes shut for a moment. “This has been the most fun I’ve had in a while.”

“I’m glad.” She opened her eyes to see Merlin smiling at her, drink still in hand. “Thank you for joining me. Do you want to head back?”

She nodded, the exhilaration wearing off now and leaving her sleepy.

“Okay. Just let me finish this, and I’ll walk you back.”

They finished their drinks in content, tired silence, then headed back out onto the streets of Camelot.

“Are you warm enough?” Merlin asked, touching the back of his fingers to her arm.

Jada nodded.

“Gosh, how are you always so warm?” he remarked. “Every time I touch you you’re almost burning up.”

She gave a groggy shrug. “I just run hot. I always have, I think.”

He touched her arm lightly again. “I’d hate to feel how hot you are with a fever. I think you might burn my hand.”

She chortled. “Maybe. But hey, nice warm hugs!”

Merlin gave a chuckle, the crooked smile appearing again. “Well, that’s definitely one benefit.”

“We should hug more often. I like hugs.”

He eyed her sideways, his expression amused. “Are you sure you’re not drunk?”

“No, I told you. I just get like this when I’m sleepy.”

“All right. Well, you’ll be back home soon, and then you can sleep.”

“Not home. Not really.”

She’d said it casually, and not really thought about it other than the semantics, but she could see it had had a different effect on him.

“No, I suppose not. Sorry. I just meant you’ll be back in your chambers.”

She watched him for a few moments, at his downcast eyes and downturned mouth. “When I get back, I’ll have to do the spare bedroom up for you. It’s a bit full of junk at the minute, but I’m sure I can sort it out. Then you’ll have a place to stay when you come visit us.”

He gave a soft laugh, some of the sadness lifting. “Good, because I’d miss you otherwise.”

“I’d miss you, too. Plus, I’d have to prove I didn’t imagine this whole thing, or else they’ll probably try and put me in a hospital. So I can take you back as evidence.”

His laugh was louder now, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders to pull her closer. “I’m starting to think you might have a few secret motives for keeping me around.”

“Not secret ones. Just the money and the evidence.”

“Of course.”

Before long, they had arrived at the castle and reached the door of Jada’s chambers. Merlin leant against the doorframe as Jada stepped inside.

“Thanks for coming out with me tonight,” he said. “I had a lot of fun.”

“Me too,” she replied. “Thanks for inviting me.”

“So, now that you’ve been and experienced it, would you do it again?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I’d like to.”

He widened his eyes, giving her a hopeful look. “Would you… do it again with me sometime?”

Jada grinned. “Definitely.”

His face burst into a bright smile. “Okay. Okay, good. I’d like to do it again sometime, too. With you. Um…” He gave a shy laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Go on,” Jada laughed, gesturing with her head for him to go. “Before Gaius starts to wonder where you are.”

“Right,” he said, straightening up. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“As if you even have to ask, at this point,” she teased. “See you tomorrow, Merlin. Sleep well.”

“You too.”

He turned and headed off down the hall, and Jada waited for him to disappear from view before she shut the door. She changed quickly into her nightgown and all but fell into bed, settling into a deep and peaceful sleep. She hadn’t been this happy in a long time.

Chapter 24 ->

#bbc merlin #out of the ashes #jada thorburn #arthur pendragon #morgana #merlin #morgo #guinevere #writing #merlin x oc #fanfic #fanfiction #forgot to schedule a chapter for saturday so you can have it on jada's birthday instead #this one seems a fitting celebration #the first date (not that either of them realise it yet lol)#chapter 23

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jessisnotnormal · 3 months ago

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Thank you to everyone who got me to 50 likes!

#50 likes #tumblr milestone #thank you

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jessisnotnormal · 3 months ago

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Chapter 22: Escape

Masterlist

<- Chapter 21

When a knock sounded at Jada’s door, she hardly expected Arthur Pendragon to be on the other side. The Prince looked awkward, as though he hadn’t expected to be there himself, but in his eyes there was an intense purpose.

“Oh, Arth- Your Highness,” Jada said dumbly, her brain refusing to work in its confusion.

“Jada. I have a matter of great importance that I wish to discuss with you. May I come in?”

She stepped back to allow him entry, still frowning as she shut the door behind him. What important business could he possibly have with her?

“I have been informed that you have some manner of contact with the Druids,” the Prince stated.

Jada’s blood went cold. She could feel it drain from her face, but she struggled to conceal her guilt before she turned around to face him. “I only read about it in a book, sire.”

Did that count as a crime? Shit, was she about to get Geoffrey in trouble, as well?

Arthur pursed his lips. “Interesting. I’d have thought my father would have used such information to find the Druids himself by now, if it lay within a book here in Camelot.”

“It didn’t tell me where to find them, exactly,” Jada said, scrambling for an explanation that wouldn’t cost someone their head. “It just told me of a place where they meet outsiders. You know, for supplies, and stuff.”

Arthur seemed very relaxed for someone who had come to accuse her of treason. He regarded her casually, his hands clasped behind his back, and Jada only now noted that he was unarmed and unguarded. If he’d come to arrest her, would he really have come alone?

He turned then to look out of the window, wandering slowly over to it. “I need you to get a message to the Druids. Tell them that we’re bringing the boy to them tonight, and that they will need to meet us by the grove of oaks on the south-west side of the forest. Can you do that?”

“I… what?” Jada blurted. “You’re not… you’re not arresting me?”

He turned back to her, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “No. But I do need you to do something else for me when you get back. Merlin is going to meet me at the grate on the north-east side of the city with a grappling hook after dark. I need you to pack some food for me and the boy and then help him pull the grate off.”

Jada was surprised. “Merlin is helping?”

“Yes. Now, can I count on you to be there?”

“This isn’t some sort of trap?” Like he’d tell her if it was, she thought.

Arthur fought a smile. “No.”

She couldn’t see what had suddenly made Arthur change his mind, but she hoped that it was a sincere change. Not wanting to give too much away, she tried for a casual shrug. “You’re the Prince. It’s not like I can really say no, is it?”

His lips quirked, but he covered it with a professional nod and began moving towards the door. “Good. I will expect to see you later, then.”

“I guess so,” Jada responded, getting the door for him.

Once he’d gone, Jada still found herself feeling just as confused. Somebody had gotten Arthur involved, and somebody had told him about her knowing where to meet the Druids. Had it been Merlin? He was apparently involved in this new plan, but would he really risk ratting her out like that, if Arthur had remained loyal to his father?

Morgana and Gwen both knew too, though Arthur hadn’t mentioned either of them. Could one of them have told him? Whichever the answer was, Jada couldn’t help feeling a little ruffled by the thought of such information—which could have easily gotten her killed—being passed about behind her back like that. They could have at least discussed it with her beforehand.

No point worrying about it now, though, she decided. It seemed the rescue operation was back on, and she had to get to the forest and back before nightfall.

For the first time since she’d met him, the boy in the forest was not alone. She arrived at the usual spot to find him accompanied by a much older man with wispy silver hair and a serious countenance, dressed in the same earthy tones that seemed to be common amongst the Druids.

“Jada Thorburn,” he greeted, his voice seeming as expressionless as his face. “What a pleasure it is to finally meet with you.”

Jada glanced at his hand on the boy’s shoulder, then to the boy's round, childish face, trying to get a read on the situation. She wasn’t sure she liked this man at all. “And you are?”

He smiled, just a flicker of his lips, but it never even neared his eyes. “You have no need to fear me. We are allies, after all.”

“I think I’ll be the judge of that,” she replied, folding her arms. “And I like to know who my allies are, if it’s all the same to you.”

He sighed. “Very well. I am Iseldir, leader of my particular Druid camp. I believe you have already met one of my pupils.”—He gestured to the boy beside him—“And I had hoped you would have returned another to me by now.”

Jada didn’t relax. “Something came up.”

Iseldir sighed again, his nose letting out a whistle. His hand left the boy as he moved closer to her. “We are a peaceful people. We mean you no harm, much as Uther has convinced himself otherwise. I only wish for the boy to be returned safely to us.”

Jada regarded him, then turned her attention to the boy she knew. “What do you think? I know you. I trust you not to lie to me. Tell me the truth, and I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

The boy smiled, stepping forwards now too. “Iseldir is a good man. He took me and my parents into his camp when we needed a place to stay, away from Uther and his tyranny. He has guided us all over the years, and the Druids likely only exist today in such numbers because of him.”

He stepped closer, passing Iseldir with a cheeky smirk. “He may not be the most charismatic of people, but he is sincere and honourable. You can trust him as you trust me.”

Jada hesitated, turning her gaze back to Iseldir. Then she sighed, dropping her arms to her side. “The boy was caught as we tried to smuggle him out of the city. He’s in the dungeons as we speak, but Prince Arthur has a plan to get him out. He wants you to meet him at…”—Where had Arthur said, again?—“At the oak grove on the south-western side of the forest. If all goes to plan, the boy will be delivered to you tonight.”

Now Iseldir’s smile was more genuine, though Jada wasn’t entirely sure it would ever look wholly natural. “Thank you. Once the boy is returned safely to us, we will have no need to disrupt your life further.”

Jada nodded and turned to head off, but after a moment of thought, she paused. “I hope things get better. I hope you’ll be able to live freely someday soon.”

“As do we,” Iseldir replied. “But until that day should arrive, my people will remember those who helped us. If you or your friends ever require our aid, we will be willing to give it.”

A thought occurred to her then, and she stepped closer. “You don’t happen to know anything about liminal zones, do you?” It was a long shot, but better to ask now than kick herself later, she thought.

Iseldir turned to look at the boy, whose eyes had filled with an unusual excitement. He looked up at the older man as if awaiting permission, and at last, Iseldir sighed. “Morgo here has taken a keen interest in studying them recently, but I am afraid I only know-”

“Wait, wait, wait. Morgo?” Jada interrupted.

The boy placed a hand over his heart as he bowed, swishing his cloak out behind him dramatically. “Yes, Morgo is I, and I am Morgo. I think you have earnt the right to know, now.”

“You’re Morgo?” How was that possible? The last time she’d seen him, he’d been taller, older, and back in the real world. “What are you, a shapeshifter, or something?”

He cocked his head to the side, frowning but faintly amused. “Me? No. No, certainly not.”

“Then how are you so young?”

His frown remained for just a second longer, before he turned to Iseldir and began tugging his sleeve excitedly, bouncing where he stood. “It was her, it was her! I told you! I told you she’d come through the tear!” He stopped bouncing, a childish pout appearing. “You didn’t listen to me.”

“And so you took it upon yourself to find out?” Iseldir was unimpressed, his tone even scolding. “What if you had been wrong? You would have endangered yourself and the rest of our camp.”

“Um, excuse me,” Jada interrupted. “But what the hell is going on?”

“I see the future,” Morgo blurted, lurching towards her before Iseldir could stop him. “I saw you arrive from the other world, but when I told Iseldir, he didn’t believe me. He didn’t think there was anyone capable of passing through a tear like that, but you did!”

“It hasn’t been done for decades,” Iseldir defended, still irritated. “And even when it used to occur, the people who passed through always returned to their realms before the tear was closed again. You shouldn’t still be here.”

“I…” Jada’s thoughts were far too jumbled for her to make any sense of, so she ended up gaping like a fish as she stared at him.

Now, Morgo was pulling at her sleeve, his blue eyes wide enough that she could see the ring of gold in the centre. “How did you do it?”

“I…” She shook her head, trying to clear it enough to answer. “I didn’t. You did. You brought me here, against my will, and just… just abandoned me. If you are really Morgo, that is.”

He frowned, his tugging stopping as he mulled it over.

“No, I…” She could almost see the lightbulb flicker on over his head. “Wait! Are you saying…”

Suddenly, he released her sleeve, beginning to pace back and forth over the grass. His voice was just loud enough for Jada to hear him, yet she got the distinct feeling that he was talking to neither her nor Iseldir now. “I suppose that, theoretically, it would be possible for you to come from a dimension in which time is already farther along than it is here. But if I am of this world, and this time, then how would you have come to know me without having passed into this world yourself? Unless I managed to somehow pass into your-”

He cut himself off suddenly, turning back to her with an intense expression. “Don’t tell me anything that isn’t absolutely necessary, but did you first meet me in your own world?”

Jada was struggling to keep up, but that was a question she could answer, at least. “Yes.”

His excitement was back, but this time he turned it on Iseldir. “Did you hear that, Iseldir? Do you know what that means?”

Iseldir looked about as lost as Jada felt, which she found strangely comforting. He sighed, shaking his head at the boy. “You astound me, Morgo. I do not.”

“It means that someday, somehow, I am going to learn how to cross worlds.” He stood proudly with his hands on his hips, grinning.

“Unless it’s a complete accident,” Jada pointed out. “Like what happened to me.”

His beaming ceased, a glower replacing it. “Yes, I suppose. Perhaps,” he muttered.

“The important question is, though: can you get me home?”

“Um, well,” he began, his hands doing half the talking. Jada had never seen him so animated. “The short answer is that no, I cannot. Because I don’t know how, yet. But someday!”

The grin returned, and Jada imagined that she was supposed to find that helpful.

“Someday? How long is that going to take?” she asked. “You can see the future, you said. Can’t you give me something more specific?”

He gave her a disapproving look. “I can’t see my own future. Anything that I am involved in is a complete blank.”

Jada folded her arms, unimpressed. “Of course. So what can you see?”

He gave a non-committal sound, shrugging. “Some things about Albion. Arthur and Emrys, mostly. I get glimpses of you every now and then.”

“Right.” Jada pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling as though if she didn’t take a few breaths she was going to start pulling her own hair out. “So you can see my future, but not the parts that you’re involved in. Well, can’t you just look and see how much of my future takes place here, before the blank spot that better be you taking me back home? At least then we can get a rough estimate.”

“Oh, would you like me to go and fetch my crystal ball?” He seemed genuine, but in less than a second the disapproving frown was back. “It doesn’t exactly work like that. I’m not in control of this. Not yet, anyway. It just…”—His arms gestured vaguely, a little erratically—“…Happens.”

With a blank expression, Jada turned to Iseldir. The elder Druid seemed to have given up entirely on keeping Morgo under control, instead simply watching with a baffled look to his otherwise immovable features. When he noticed Jada’s attention turn to him, it mostly vanished.

“There are many young Druids amongst us with immeasurable gifts. They come to me and my camp for guidance, and we help to guide them, to hone their talents until they are no longer spontaneous and erratic, but something that they can command.”

“Must be quite a collection of chaos you have there,” Jada commented.

Iseldir looked at Morgo and hummed, and Jada thought his eyebrows raised just slightly. “Morgo is still young. He has not yet perfected his ability, and so his visions are beyond his control. They appear most often in his dreams, but sometimes the most powerful ones can occur even in his waking life. Some prove to be of great importance, whereas some are… less so.”

“I saw a man milking his cows in some forgotten village last night,” Morgo said, wrinkling his nose. “You’d think if I was going to lose sleep over something like this, it would be something important. But, no. Thirteen cows I watched him milk. Clarabelle was clearly his favourite.”

Jada found herself squinting at him, half-wondering how her life could possibly get weirder than this moment. “So, just to be clear, nobody currently knows how to get me back home to my own world, and you still want me to go help bring your friend back to safety?”

“…Yes,” Iseldir responded, though he looked as though he’d had to cycle back through the conversation in his mind, also. “I’m afraid I do not know anything about this crossing worlds or defying time, but I do know that if this boy is not rescued, he will be executed. Whatever else you believe, you must know that this would be a terrible thing to allow to happen.”

Jada nodded, glad at last that she had something she could keep up with. “Sure. Clearly I’m more of a mercenary than a leader. Just point me in the right direction.”

She turned away again, before another thought occurred to her. “Does he have some kind of special power? The boy, I mean.”

Iseldir’s face was grave. “He has a more powerful magic than I have seen in a long time. But he has little control over it. You must return him to us.”

Jada nodded. “We will. Be sure to meet us where the Prince arranged.”

Now it was Iseldir’s turn to nod, and they parted ways. Jada wrapped her cloak more tightly around her as she headed back to Camelot, her mind trying to process all that had been revealed in just one conversation.

It was strange, really. Despite her rightful mistrust of adult-Morgo, she found herself warming to his younger self much more easily. She wasn’t pleased with that fact—he had to turn into a deceptive asshole at some point—but she suspected that it was the babyish face that misled her.

Still, if Morgo had really grown up in 6th-century-Camelot, it did explain a lot about how he’d acted in the present day. He’d seemed so out of place, even in his own home—or, well, what Jada had presumed to be his own home. She wondered when he had acquired it. Or where, since it certainly didn’t look like anything she’d seen in Camelot.

And then there was Ubi. When exactly had he shown up? Was he from Camelot, too? She’d known Ubi for roughly three years now, and yet somehow he’d managed to hide all of this from her. Was he even the person she’d thought she knew? Maybe when she got back, Jim would reveal himself to be a shapeshifter and Izzy an alien from outer space.

She shook her head, wondering how many shreds of her sanity she still had a hold of. At this point, she was almost willing to accept anything, whether it be boys with pet owls, fearsome beasts of legend, or even a skinny little thing with galaxies in his eyes and the weight of the world on his shoulders. Camelot defied the rules she thought she knew, and it was both terrifying and enthralling to be free of them.

Once she’d made it back to Camelot, her first port of call was the kitchens. The sun was just beginning to set, so Jada was hoping that all of the servants had already packed up and gone home for the night and she would have little trouble.

As she arrived, however, she saw that there were still a few people lingering about, tidying up the last of their equipment while the cook watched over them with a stern expression. Jada had heard about the cook from Merlin, who insisted that she was one of the most unpleasant old boots he’d ever encountered, and from just the look on the woman’s face, Jada certainly did not wish to challenge her.

A few more minutes wouldn’t make her late, she thought, deciding to wait for them all to leave. She posted herself up against the wall, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible until the servants begin to pile out.

“What are you lurking around here for?” A scathing, abrasive voice demanded, making Jada jump. The cook was standing in the doorway glaring at her, and wielding a ladle in one hand that she pointed at Jada.

“I, uh…” she scrambled for an excuse, eyeing the ladle nervously. “I’m waiting for someone.”

“Waiting for someone? Waiting to go mess up my kitchen, more like. Shove off.”

Jada frowned, opening her mouth to respond, but then thought better of it. She’d only waste time by arguing with the woman, time which she was beginning to run out of. She sighed and pushed off the wall, though she couldn’t help the eye roll as she moved away.

“You’re lucky you’re not working for me, or I’d have clapped you round the ‘ead for that,” the cook warned.

Jada didn’t answer, instead ducking around the corner to wait for the old bag to leave. Merlin had been right; she was awful.

After several more long minutes of waiting, the cook emerged once more. She gave a few hateful looks up and down the hallway, probably expecting to find Jada back again, but then she shut the door behind her and left. Jada was relieved that she didn’t lock the place up; she wasn’t sure how she’d have broken in, otherwise.

Once she was satisfied that the cook had gone completely, Jada sneaked her way back up the hall and through the door. The kitchen was exactly how she’d imagined it would be, with great metal cooking pots hung over now-extinguished fires, slabs of meat hanging from hooks in the ceiling, and counters large enough for multiple servants to work at at once.

She didn’t have time to marvel at it much, though; she was on a mission. She wasn’t exactly sure what kind of food Arthur expected her to get for their trip, but Jada figured that some of the bread on the counter would be a good start.

What did a prince eat on a human smuggling trip? She raided the cupboards, managing to scrape together some meat and a few slices of cheese, though her nerves had her checking the door every few seconds for fear of getting caught.

Eventually, she managed to pull together two parcels that would probably pass as decent packed lunches, if the child in question was going out into the wilderness for several days. She was just wondering whether she was expected to do anything about drinks when she heard voices right outside the door, and dived with the packages behind one of the counters.

The door opened, and Jada all but held her breath. She could hear the quick shuffling of feet on the stone floor, though thankfully they seemed to stop still by the doorway.

“Come on, no-one will find us down here,” a female voice whispered, a hushed giggle punctuating her words.

There were more footsteps, followed by the door squeaking closed, and then Jada heard a lower voice hum, “Are you sure?”

The first voice giggled again, and suddenly Jada became aware of how very urgently she needed to get out of there. Her eyes darted around the room, before settling on another door on the farthest wall from where she had entered. It was certainly a possible escape route, but she’d either have to crawl behind some of the shelving to reach it without being seen, or clutch her packages tightly and just make a break for it.

Silently cursing whatever deity had led her to be there in that exact moment—who, she imagined, was probably laughing their ass off right now—she fastened the bags up securely, tossed them over her shoulder, and started to crawl across the stone on her hands and knees.

“I’ve missed you,” the girl was saying, though Jada was trying her best to block them out.

“I’ve been busy. I’m sorry.”

Jada halted, frowning. It was hard to tell since they were keeping their voices so low, but that one had almost sounded… like Merlin? She couldn’t stop herself from looking back over her shoulder, awkwardly trying to peek around the counters to prove herself wrong.

“You’ve not found someone else, have you?” the girl asked, failing to hide the sour note behind her teasing.

“No,” Maybe-Merlin replied, giving a low chuckle. “There’s only you.”

A bitter taste appeared in Jada’s mouth. Merlin would have told her if he was seeing somebody, wouldn’t he? Hell, they’d talked about it often enough. It wasn’t like he hadn’t had the opportunity.

But it wasn’t like it was any of her business, either, she realised. Stifling an automatic sigh, she started to crawl towards the door again.

Giggle-Girl giggled again, living up to the nickname Jada had just now appointed her with. “That tickles!”

Merlin could do better than this, Jada thought. He could do much better than some seedy romp on a kitchen counter. She wasn’t sure who exactly that ‘much better’ involved, since she’d never even considered that he might have eyes for a fellow servant, or anyone other than Gwen or Morgana, for that matter. But she knew he could do better.

In her distraction, one of the bags slipped off her side, knocking against the shelving and sending a pot clattering to the floor. Somehow, despite countless years’ worth of human evolution, Jada’s fight-or-flight reaction managed to utterly fail her in that moment, some prehistoric rodent instinct awakening instead and throwing her flat on the ground in a prone position. She grazed her chin on the stone and knocked most of the wind out of her lungs, but her brain had clearly decided that this was the hill she would die on and froze her body entirely.

She heard the surprised gasps behind her, and then Giggle-Girl whispered, “What was that?”

There was a moment of hesitant silence, before footsteps began to creep towards Jada. Whether it was Merlin or not, Jada realised, she couldn’t let them find her here. If he was a complete and total stranger, he would probably report her for thievery, but if it was Merlin… Well, she’d never be able to live down the embarrassment.

As if her brain had suddenly managed to reboot itself, Jada unfroze, leaping to her feet and racing out the door. She heard Maybe-Merlin shout a “Hey!” behind her, but she didn’t stop to look back at him. She sped out of the kitchen and down the halls, all the way until she reached the edge of the courtyard.

Here she had to slow to a walk, since if anyone happened to see her sprinting across the cobbles it would almost certainly arouse suspicion. She tried to catch her breath as she headed for the gate, all the while listening behind her for any sounds of pursuit.

None came, and by the time she’d made it out of the city, her heart was almost back to its usual rhythm. She turned her thoughts now to the task at hand, which first involved finding the grate that Arthur had described, and then waiting for them all to arrive.

God, she really hoped that hadn’t been Merlin. It couldn’t have been, could it? If it was, he’d never make it to the grate on time, and they were counting on him to help pull it off and get the boy out.

And that wasn’t even mentioning how awkward it would be.

No, she thought. It would be fine. Merlin would be here, and everything would go to plan. She just had to wait.

She found the grate with a certain amount of ease, after following the city wall around until she reached it. Jada settled herself on a patch of grass behind some bushes, trying to calm her nerves while she waited. She must have been the first to arrive, which was good, since it would likely be all-systems-go once Arthur appeared. With any luck, Merlin would be next, and then Arthur and the boy.

She wasn’t sure how long she waited there before she heard Arthur’s hushed voice. “Merlin! Jada!”

Jada emerged from behind her bushes, holding up the bags of food she’d scavenged. Arthur nodded once, then turned his attention back to the shrubbery.

“Merlin!” he hissed, obviously assuming Merlin simply hadn’t heard him.

“There’s been no sign of him, Sire,” Jada said. “I don’t know where he is.”

Arthur looked down at the boy, who looked much healthier than he had the last time Jada had seen him. His skin was less grey, and his eyes were bright, and Jada realised that this was the first time she’d seen him standing up, instead of huddled in a corner.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be here,” Arthur said, reassuring him. The boy said nothing.

The silence that followed was threatening to smother Jada, and she chewed at her lip. Had it really been Merlin she’d seen? If it was, what did that mean for the three of them waiting for him?

Merlin wouldn’t abandon them. Not now, not like this. Not when he knew the price they’d pay for getting caught. The price she’d pay.

So where was he?

A clamour of bells rang out, breaking the silence, and Jada looked to Arthur wildly. Arthur didn’t seem much calmer himself, sending worried glances at her, the boy, and back down the tunnel behind them, but then his brain began to kick into gear.

“Here, Jada, help me get this off,” he commanded, grasping the bars of the grate and preparing to push. Jada took hold of it from the other side, and on Arthur’s count they pushed and pulled until Jada thought her biceps were about to tear in two.

The boy watched them, his eyes wide with fear, but without the grappling hook their efforts were useless. Jada’s grip slipped, the rough metal scraping her palms, and the force of her pulling sent her sprawling onto her butt.

Arthur slammed his hand against the bars, his face red with hopeless frustration. “Damn it, Merlin!”

A door clunked behind him, the sound of it echoing down the tunnel towards them all. Both Arthur and the boy turned to look behind them, freezing at the echoes of footsteps and voices that reached them next.

With eyes wide, Arthur looked to the boy, then at Jada. It took him only a moment to make a decision, and then he threw his torch on the ground, stomping on it to put it out.

“Jada, get out of sight,” he ordered. “They don’t have to catch all of us.”

Jada did as she was told without a second thought, grabbing her bags and retreating back into the bushes as she heard Arthur draw his sword. She could hear the footsteps continuing, but whether they were growing closer or it was just their echoes, Jada could not tell. She could see nothing, could hear nothing from either Arthur or the boy, and if she’d thought the silence before was suffocating, this one was maddening.

There were footsteps outside now running directly towards them, and Jada sank lower into her cover and prayed. The bushes beside her rustled. She held her breath, trying her hardest to not disturb even a single leaf as they passed by her. They halted at the grate, and she knew that it was over. Arthur and the boy had been found.

“Hey!”

Wait a second, Jada thought. That voice- it couldn’t have been…

“Where the hell have you been?” she heard Arthur hiss, and suddenly all of her muscles seem to relax in one exhale.

Merlin.

“I had trouble getting out of the castle,” Merlin was explaining as Jada left her cover again. She saw the boy give him a disbelieving look, but neither Merlin nor Arthur seemed to notice.

“Get this grate off,” Arthur demanded, and Jada had to admit she was grateful that at least one of them could remember the plan right now. “They’re coming.”

Merlin attached the hook to the bars, then retreated to the end of the rope. Jada fell in beside him, and together they were finally able to haul the grate off the wall. Arthur and the boy wasted no time in getting out of there, and the four of them hurried to get themselves away from the scene as fast as possible.

Merlin had managed to hold up his end of the plan eventually, and led them to Arthur’s horse. The Prince mounted it swiftly, and Merlin lifted the boy up to sit in front of him before Jada handed him the bags.

“If my father asks where I am, I’ve gone on a hunting trip,” Arthur said. “You’d better make yourselves scarce, or they’ll execute you in his place.”

Merlin nodded, and Jada noticed the boy staring intently at him. Arthur turned his horse away, before it carried the two of them off into the night.

Once they were out of sight, Merlin and Jada turned to head back to Camelot.

“I almost thought you weren’t coming,” Jada said, tucking a stray curl behind her ear. She tried to laugh her nerves away, but something in Merlin’s eyes told her it hadn’t been nearly as convincing as she’d hoped.

“I’m sorry,” he replied quietly.

He’d told Arthur he’d had trouble getting out of the castle, and Jada remembered her escapade in the kitchens once again. On the one hand, she really had no right to know the ins and outs of Merlin’s personal life, but on the other… On the other, she could have been executed.

“What happened, Merlin?” she asked. “Where were you?”

His gaze had been fixed to his feet, but he looked up at her now. He took in the slight furrow to her brow, the seriousness of her voice, and sighed, his shoulders slumping slightly. “I’m sorry. I just… I had a bad feeling about it all. About the boy.”

“A bad feeling?” Her frown deepened, but she didn’t want to get angry yet. “What kind of bad feeling?”

The corner of his mouth quirked in a way that wasn’t a smile, but vanished before Jada could pinpoint what it was. “It’s hard to explain.”

Jada waited a few moments, but it was clear he wasn’t going to elaborate of his own accord. “Try. Please.”

His gaze flickered to her again, seeming surprised that she wasn’t dropping the subject. “I don’t know if I can,” he started, but then changed tactics. “It’s… part of my powers.”

“You’re lying.” Jada stopped walking, folding her arms. She could tell by the ‘innocent’ light that came into his eyes, the way his face smoothed in a mockery of openness. She’d seen him use that expression on Gaius often enough.

Merlin stopped, too, turning back to face her with a curious expression now. She could see him register that she was hurt, but it only seemed to confuse him more. “Does it matter? Something told me not to help the boy, so I wasn’t going to. But then I changed my mind. I ignored it, and everything’s okay now.” He gestured after Arthur and the boy, as though that sold his point.

“Does it matter?” Jada repeated, incredulous. “You were going to leave us to get caught, and let me and the boy be executed because you had a ‘bad feeling’, and you’re asking me if it matters?”

“No, that’s not what I meant- I-” There was a strange look of surprise on his face, as if he’d somehow been entirely blindsided by her. “You know I wouldn’t let Uther execute you. Don’t you?”

“But it’s fine for him to execute a child? That bit doesn’t bother you at all? And as for not letting him execute me, unless you were specifically preparing for some sort of jailbreak, you almost did!”

“Jada!” He was hurt, she could see it in his eyes, but she could have died. She could have died. “Why are you even so attached to this boy? You, and Morgana. You don’t even know his name, yet you’re both so willing to die for him.”

“Because he could have been you!”

The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them, but immediately silence fell. Her fists were clenched as she stared at the floor, jaw clenching and unclenching, the only sound in her ears being her uneven breathing.

Merlin’s voice was quiet, though he couldn’t quite keep the shock out of it. “What?”

Jada took a deep breath, though she couldn’t quite force herself to look at his face. Her voice was low too, though where Merlin’s had been soft, Jada’s was defeated.

“It could have been you. If Uther ever caught you, I…” Her voice failed her, and she lifted her arms in a helpless, clueless gesture. “I don’t know what I’d do. No, actually, that’s a lie. I’d do this. All of it. I’d find a way to break you out because there’s no way in hell I’m letting him hurt you.”

The silence that followed seemed so long that Jada started to count the number of times her heart hammered against her chest. Eventually, she looked up at him.

Merlin was frozen, his eyes wide and his lips parted, and none of the rest of his body seemed to know how to react at first. Then all at once, he seemed to spring back to life, moving so quickly he was almost a blur. Before Jada could even blink, his arms were around her, pressing her to him so tightly that she forgot how to breathe.

Although, she admitted, that could have just been due to her surprise, as it took her several slow seconds before her sluggish brain caught up enough to hug him back. Then she was matching him in ferocity, pressing her face into his shoulder as her arms tightened around him.

“I’ll fight him, you know,” she mumbled without lifting her head. “I don’t care if it’s treason. I’ll still fight him.”

Merlin chuckled, his breath tickling her neck, but he made no other response for a long time. He tucked his face into the crook of her neck, and Jada though she heard him let out a content sigh.

“Thank you,” he murmured at last. “I’ve never- I’ve never had…”

He gave up, hugging her more tightly instead, before letting go and stepping back. “I’m sorry,” he said again. “I didn’t mean to put you in danger. I just didn’t know what to do.” He sighed once more, though this one was more frustrated, and ran a hand through his hair. “I promise I’ll think things through properly next time.”

“Next time?” Jada laughed, before becoming serious again. “I’m sorry for shouting. I didn’t mean to get so upset.”

Merlin was watching her steadily, a fond smile on his lips.

“What?” Jada laughed, brushing her hair back with her hand.

“Nothing,” Merlin replied. “I’m just glad to have a friend like you.” He tossed his arm around her shoulders as they turned and headed for home, grinning.

Jada chuckled, turning her head to look up at him with a smile. “Yeah, me too.”

Chapter 23 ->

#bbc merlin #out of the ashes #jada thorburn #arthur pendragon #iseldir #morgo #merlin #writing #merlin x oc #fanfic #fanfiction #chapter 22

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jessisnotnormal · 3 months ago

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Love writing. Hate writing. Love my prose. Hate my prose. Writing today (positive). Writing today (dying). There’s always tomorrow (yay!) There’s always tomorrow (FUCK).

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jessisnotnormal · 3 months ago

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Hello, I'm hamdi 🇵🇸 After 100 days of displacement, my family and I found ourself forced to leave our home and land in Gaza. 🏡💔 The journey to Egypt was not a choice, but a necessity imposed by the harsh conditions. we crossed the border, carrying with us scattered dreams and hopes for a better life, but we quickly realized that displacement was not the end of the suffering, but the beginning of a new chapter.

In Egypt, we are stuck between a bitter alienation and a painful reality. 😔🚧 We do not have residency, which makes every step difficult and every day full of challenges. Prices in Egypt resources are unforgiving, and the ones we brought with us are quickly melting away. 💸 While we try to endure and survive, our hearts remain attached to Gaza; The homeland that never leaves our minds or leaves us for a moment. 🇵🇸💔 Our loved ones there live under siege, and we live under the burden of alienation and worry for them. Every day in Egypt feels like an endless wait, and every contact with Gaza opens a door to pain. 📞💔 Returning to Gaza did not alleviate the anxiety, but rather confirmed to me that the suffering continues, whether we are inside or outside.

We may still have 300 days to reach the “goal” that we do not yet know, but until then, we will continue to face the challenges of life with patience and strength, waiting for the day when safety and stability return to us and our loved ones. 🍉🌈🤲 Donate now: In these difficult times, every donation makes a difference. Your support can help alleviate the suffering of families living under siege in Gaza and facing the challenges of daily life. 🇵🇸❤️🍉🤚 Please put your hands in mine and support my children🙏🙏

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jessisnotnormal · 3 months ago

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worlds slowest fanfic author tries really really hard

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jessisnotnormal · 3 months ago

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Chapter 21: Worry

Masterlist

<- Chapter 20

After walking Jada to her chambers—she insisted on donning her cloak before she headed out—Merlin bid her farewell and headed down to the stables. The plan, as they’d all agreed upon, was that Morgana would sneak the boy out of her chambers and meet them at Gwen’s house, collect the supplies Gwen was preparing, and then Merlin would walk both Morgana and the boy to their horse. Morgana would then head out of the city and meet Jada, who would take them to the Druids.

It seemed simple enough, but Merlin couldn’t help the worry that settled in his stomach. If they weren’t successful, if something went wrong, he was afraid to think what might happen.

He made sure that Morgana’s horse was fed and watered, but he thought that tacking it up so late in the evening would seem more than a little suspicious. Better to wait until they came back, he decided, giving what he hoped was an innocent-looking smile to Tyr the stable-boy as he departed.

Merlin headed next to Gwen’s house, where he found her hurriedly packing food into a bag.

“Is your father still at the forge?” he asked after she’d let him inside, returning quickly to her packing.

“Yes,” Gwen replied, giving a small laugh. “I don’t know how I’d ever explain this to him, otherwise.”

Merlin hummed in response, recalling how terrified he’d been of letting Gaius know what had been going on. “Do you need any help?”

“No, it’s all right. I’ve just got a few more things to add, and then I’ll be finished.”

At a loss as of what to do with himself while the minutes dragged on, Merlin soon found himself pacing. Morgana should have left by now, he was certain. She should be arriving any minute, providing she’d not been caught by the guards, but the warning bells hadn’t been sounded yet, so there was no reason to worry. No reason at all, he tried to assure himself. Everything would be fine.

“I hope they’re okay,” Gwen said, breaking the anxious silence. “Morgana really cares about the boy. I’ve never seen her this way with anyone.”

Merlin slowed his pacing, leaning beside the fireplace to look at her. “I’m sure she just wants to protect him.”

Gwen hummed, but her expression remained unconvinced. Whatever she was thinking about, Merlin had no time to ask because in the next instant the warning bells broke out, their clamouring chimes reopening the pit of worry in his stomach. He rushed to the door, opening it just a crack to peek out into the street, but there was no sign of anyone anywhere.

“Come on, Morgana,” Gwen murmured from behind him, and Merlin could hear her beginning to pace now.

He wished he knew what was going on. They wouldn’t have sounded the warning bells if they’d caught Morgana; there’d have been no need. Perhaps they’d been spotted? If that was the case, then it was going to be even more difficult to get out of the city since the guards would be on high alert.

Merlin worried his lip, his brows knitting together as he stared out into the night.

At last, two hooded figures appeared at the top of the street, one significantly shorter than the other but both hurrying towards them.

“They’re coming,” Merlin announced, but there was little time to feel relieved as the two burst through the door.

“There’s enough food for three days,” Gwen said, handing Morgana the bag she’d prepared.

“Your horse is fed and watered,” Merlin added. “I’ll take you to it.”

“No,” Morgana protested. “There’s no point in all of us risking our lives.”

Merlin frowned. “What about you?”

“I’m the King’s ward; I’ll take my chances.”

“Morgana!” Gwen reprimanded, horrified.

“I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to either of you,” Morgana insisted. Before either Gwen or Merlin could respond, she made for the door again, pulling the boy behind her. “We must go.”

Goodbye, Emrys.

Merlin looked in shock down at the boy, who’s intense gaze was fixed on him. It was not the first time he’d heard him ‘speak’ in his mind, but each time it had happened Merlin found himself taken by surprise.

He gave no response, instead slamming the door shut quickly behind the two of them and turning back to Gwen. He didn’t feel any better now that Morgana had been and gone, and from the looks of things, neither did Gwen. The worry still nagged at his edges, even more so now that the guards were on their tail and Jada’s stage of the plan had yet to begin. He didn’t know what he would do if any of them were caught.

As he bid Gwen goodnight and began the walk back home, he found that this part of the plan was much worse than the first. At least earlier he had been waiting to do his part and had been able to keep himself occupied with rehearsing it all in his mind. Now, both he and Gwen could only wait helplessly to learn of the outcome, suddenly useless in the whole situation. It was torturous.

If Morgana made it to Jada and then on to where the Druids were waiting, he wouldn’t know about it until the morning when the two of them returned. But if they were caught…

Morgana might be able to use her standing to receive only a light punishment, but the boy would most certainly be executed. Merlin wanted to believe that there might be some loophole for Jada, too, but in his heart he knew that she was more likely to face the same fate as the boy, and not Morgana.

He shouldn’t have gotten her involved, he thought to himself. He should have waited until it was just him and Gaius to ask for help. He’d known Jada would never betray them, but if she was sentenced to execution now because of him, because of his naivety, he didn’t know what he’d do.

Gaius was fast asleep when he returned, but Merlin knew that he wouldn’t be so lucky himself. His worry kept him up into the early hours, acting out different scenarios over and over again in his mind, full of what-ifs and doubts. He imagined breaking Jada out of the cells, though where she’d go after that, he had no idea. It wasn’t like he could send her away somewhere else; she’d already been isolated from her home, and cutting her off entirely from everything she’d grown accustomed to in this world just seemed cruel beyond measure.

Maybe he’d have to go with her. That seemed fair; it was his fault she was in this mess, after all. He wasn’t sure how he’d juggle keeping her hidden and fulfilling his destiny with Arthur, but it wasn’t as though he was a stranger to multiple identities. The Druids were already calling him ‘Emrys’, apparently, so it seemed Merlin had more identities than even he knew about.

He could take her to Ealdor, he thought sleepily. That way his mother could keep Jada company while he was off in Camelot with Arthur. He’d visit whenever he could, obviously. He’d been meaning to visit his mother for a while, actually, but it was hardly as though all the bandits and witches and magical beasts took his personal schedule into account whenever they attacked the kingdom. It was rather rude of them, really. Didn’t they know Merlin was supposed to have his own life, too? A few days between catastrophes was really all he was asking for.

He must have dozed off eventually, because the next thing Merlin knew, it was light outside. He didn’t exactly feel well-rested, but a part of him was grateful that the waiting, at least, would be over now, and he could stop worrying at last.

He washed and dressed and headed downstairs, but the look on Gaius’ face as Merlin bid him good morning set the worry gnawing at him again.

“What is it?” he asked, almost too afraid to listen to the answer.

“Morgana was caught last night,” Gaius responded gravely. “The boy is sentenced to be executed.”

Merlin hardly dared to breathe, but there was still one piece of the puzzle missing. “Jada?”

Gaius shook his head. “As far as I’m aware, she was not arrested. But I have not seen her since yesterday.”

Before his brain could give the signal, Merlin’s feet were already carrying him out the door. Morgana wasn’t going to be executed, or Gaius would have said so, so it appeared that Uther was going to let her off lightly. She would be fine—probably distraught, but not in any physical danger.

He had to find Jada. As soon as Merlin knew she was safe and well, they could figure out what to do next. He hoped that she’d simply returned during the night after Morgana failed to meet her, and Gaius just hadn’t seen her yet today. She’d probably slept in. She didn’t seem to cope well with nightly adventures, he noticed. She always looked so tired afterwards. He’d probably arrive at her chambers to find her still asleep, and then he’d feel bad for disturbing her, but at least he would know she was safe.

There was no answer when he knocked on her door. Probably asleep, he assured himself. He tried again, louder this time, and when that didn’t work, he called her name.

Still, there was silence.

He didn’t want to just barge in there and invade her privacy, but he had to know that she’d made it back all right, so after looking up and down the hall, Merlin eased the door open just a fraction, calling her name again.

It took him a moment to notice that the room was light, and another to realise why that was wrong. The curtains were open, so Jada couldn’t have been sleeping, since daylight was pouring into the room making it impossible. Either she’d already been and gone, or she hadn’t come home at all last night.

Merlin stepped further into the room, hoping to find something that indicated which situation was true. The bed was made, though that didn’t tell him much since the other servants were already doing their rounds of the castle.

The wardrobe, he thought. Jada had insisted on wearing her cloak the night before; if it had made it back to her wardrobe, she must have made it back to the castle. He opened both wardrobes—though one, he found, was completely empty—and even checked behind her changing-screen. He couldn’t find her cloak anywhere.

The worry was starting to take hold of him now, but before he let himself panic, Merlin forced himself to stop and think. If it had been him, if he had been the one waiting on Morgana, what would he have done when she’d never arrived? Eventually he would have come back, he thought, wondering what was going on. But if she hadn’t made it back, then something must have stopped her.

He hurt his knuckles knocking on Morgana’s door, uncertain whether he would even find her inside. For all he knew Uther might have locked her in the dungeon, but fortunately for Merlin the door opened before he could question himself too much.

He was surprised to find a rather pale Morgana answering the door instead of the usual cheery face of Gwen, but he didn’t have time to worry about her morose expression just yet.

“Have you seen Jada?” he asked.

Morgana looked surprised at his brashness, but then her brows furrowed. “No, why?”

“I don’t think she came home last night. You didn’t see her at all?”

“Not since she left here with you.”

Merlin exhaled, running a hand through his hair. So she hadn’t met Morgana, and she hadn’t been brought in after Morgana was captured. That was both a good thing, and a bad, he thought.

“Have you tried her chambers?” Morgana suggested.

Merlin nodded. “I don’t know where else she could be.”

Morgana moved back, holding the door open for him. Not knowing where else to turn to, Merlin stepped inside, crossing the room to lean against her table.

“Where’s Gwen?” he asked.

“At home,” Morgana replied. “I gave her the day off. It’s not like I’ll be leaving my chambers, anyway.”

Merlin sighed, his hand anxiously rocking the chair beside him back and forth as he thought.

When Morgana spoke again, her voice was broken. “I promised him I wouldn’t let anything bad happen.”

“You can’t blame yourself. You tried your best.”

“It’s not enough.”

Merlin looked at her properly now, focusing on her for the first time since his arrival. Morgana looked utterly distraught, barely holding back tears as her bottom lip quivered.

“He’s in jail now,” he said. “There’s nothing more we can do.”

A fierceness filled Morgana without warning, and she moved towards him with such determination that Merlin almost took a step back. “I will not let him die,” she insisted, but in the next moment her ferocity had vanished, leaving her uncertain and vulnerable once more. “Can I count on your help?”

Merlin hesitated, feeling the pain of indecision clawing at him. He wanted to help Morgana, but he was beginning to feel more and more uneasy about the whole situation. Breaking the boy out of the dungeons was hardly going to be any easier, after all.

Morgana was still waiting, her eyes watery but firm. Not wanting to disappoint her, Merlin finally nodded, and she returned it with a relieved smile.

“Thank you,” she said, and before Merlin could say another word, she spun on her heel and left the room, heading out on whatever life-risking mission she was planning now.

Well, that could have gone better, he thought to himself. He really had to stop letting himself get roped into every illegal plot that happened in Camelot. But, more importantly, he had to find Jada.

As he made his way through the castle, Merlin thought back over the night. If he retraced Jada’s steps, he would surely find the answer sooner or later; after all, she’d only gone to the gates of the city.

With a jolt, he suddenly realised how unguarded the outside of the city gates were. Of course, the guards at the gate were there to prevent any suspicious arrivals, but if Jada had been hiding out of their sight in the forest, then anything could have happened to her. And no-one would have seen a thing.

No bandits would dare come that close to the city, would they? What would they be looking for, anyway? They usually waited for travellers farther down the road, as far as Merlin knew, to pose less risk to themselves from any of the guards intervening.

He’d reached the courtyard now, and was only brought out of his thoughts by the scrape of a whetstone against a blade. Looking up, he saw the executioner back on his platform, lazily sharpening his axe as though he hadn’t a care in the world.

Merlin swallowed, forcing his gaze away from the blade and trying to resist the urge to tug his scarf higher up his neck. He’d worry about that later.

For now, he had enough to worry about with remembering that Jada had been kidnapped once already. What if Morgo had found her again, and had snatched her away to finish whatever strange business he had attempted the first time around? Merlin felt his fists clench. Whoever this Morgo was, Merlin would be damned before he let him harm any one of his friends. Even if he had to go after them alone, Merlin wasn’t going to let him take Jada without a fight. Morgo had no idea what he was bringing on himself.

A familiar sight stopped him short, his feet halting in the middle of the courtyard. He was sure he’d just seen a head of brown curls push their way into the throng of people milling about, but a withered old man with a scraggly beard had cut off his line of sight to them.

He searched the crowd for several moments, leaning this way and that to try and get a better view, and then he spotted her again over by the row of stone columns.

“Jada…” he breathed, rushing towards her and dodging several other people on his way. He grabbed her by the wrist, spinning her away from the crowd until they were safely behind one of the pillars and out of earshot of any passers-by. “Jada!”

“Merlin!” she gasped, seeming just as surprised as he was. Her surprise quickly gave way to confusion, however. “What happened?”

“Morgana was caught. I thought…” He looked her over, his eyes scanning for any cuts or bruises or other sign of harm. The bottom of her cloak was covered in mud and leaves, and there was some dirt smudged on her cheek, but he could see no injuries. “Where have you been?”

“I was waiting for Morgana,” she explained. “But she took so long I fell asleep. I guess that explains why, though, if she got caught.”

“You…” Merlin wasn’t sure when he’d taken hold of her other arm, too, but he gave her a small, urgent shake by them now. “You fell asleep? Jada, I…”

Suddenly, he let go of her, stepping backward with a shake of his head and an exasperated laugh. “Of course you did. I knew you’d slept in.”

She gave him a frown, tilting her head slightly to the side. “What do you mean?”

“I was looking for you. I was worried about you.”

A slow smile spread onto her lips, and her gaze dropped to the floor. “Thanks,” she said after a moment. “And, I’m sorry. But you really didn’t have anything to worry about”—She reached up to pull the necklace off, holding it out to him in her palm—“It’s kept me as safe as you like.”

Merlin exhaled, unable to help the smile that appeared as he looked down at the necklace. “I’m not sure I should take it back. You seem to need it just as much as I do.”

“Definitely not,” Jada laughed, stepping closer to loop it over his head. “I really don’t think falling asleep has the same danger level as constantly being attacked at all.”

“We’ll have to get you one that gives you more energy, then,” he joked. “Then maybe you’ll be better at staying up late.”

“Now, wouldn’t that be useful?” she remarked, turning to head back to the castle. “A stone to help you pull an all-nighter. University students would buy them by the bucket.”

He gave her a questioning look, falling in step beside her.

“University is where you go to learn stuff when you’re an adult, basically. From about age eighteen onwards. I’ll tell you more about it some other time, if you want, but first I need to know what’s happening with Morgana and the Druid boy.”

“The boy’s going to be executed, but as far as I know, Morgana isn’t facing any punishment.”

“So we have to find a way to get him out again, then.”

“Wha-” Merlin stuttered, taken aback, then tried again. “He’s already in jail. There’s nothing we can do.”

“I don’t believe that. There’s got to be something.”

“Why is everybody so determined to risk their lives over this?” he blurted, exasperated. “If Morgana gets caught again, Uther won’t let her escape so lightly, and if you or I were to try anything…” He looked at her seriously, willing her to understand. “It’s over, Jada.”

Jada halted, the two of them now in the hallway, and stared back at him fiercely. “No.” As her gaze continued to hold his, she softened. “I understand if you’re afraid. That’s okay. I’m afraid, too.” She lowered her voice, though there seemed to be no-one else within earshot. “But I can’t let Uther get away with this. I can’t stand by and watch him kill an innocent person, let alone a child. I’m already involved in this now, I can’t just stop.”

She shifted her weight, her brows puckering. “Can you understand that?”

Merlin sighed. “I do. But I wish you wouldn’t risk your life because of it.”

She gave a flash of a grin, there and gone in just a second, and Merlin wished she would take this more seriously. She began walking again. “Hey, you started all this, remember? You’re the one who risked your life first.”

“Jada, I’m serious. What if you get caught?”

His tone made her falter, and as her gaze returned to him he saw the fear and uncertainty that lay hidden there. “I don’t know,” she admitted. She wrapped her arms around herself, falling silent for a long time.

“I’m sorry I dragged you into this,” he said after a while.

Jada smiled at that. “That’s okay. It was my decision, really. I was going to ask you about the boy, anyway.”

Merlin shook his head, a fond smile of his own appearing. “I think I’ve had a bad influence on you.”

She let out a laugh, her head tilting back as she did so. “I don’t mind. I’m sure Gaius thinks I’m the one corrupting you, anyway.”

“Well, you are the one suggesting a prison break,” he teased.

“For a fugitive you hid!” she giggled, but immediately dropped her voice again, looking around them fearfully.

Merlin laughed, then sighed. “I’ve got to get back to Arthur, now. Just… don’t do anything stupid until I get back, all right?”

Jada’s smile returned, but she nodded. “All right. I’ll see you later.”

“You better had.”

She turned off and headed down the hall, and Merlin smiled after her for a moment before returning to his duties.

When he stepped inside Arthur’s chambers, he found both the Prince and Morgana deep in discussion. They were sat at the table, heads bent conspiratorially towards one another, but upon Merlin’s entrance they both froze and looked up.

“Sorry,” Merlin said sheepishly. “Was I interrupting something?”

“Nothing you need concern yourself with,” Arthur replied immediately. “Go make yourself useful, muck out my horses.”

Obviously something was going on, but Merlin knew his place, and that was not to question his betters. He started to shuffle back out the door.

“I trust Merlin.” Morgana’s voice was quiet yet steady, and it stopped Merlin where he stood.

Arthur glanced back and forth between the two of them, before relenting and gesturing Merlin inside. Merlin shut the door behind him, but continued to linger uncertainly by it.

“We’re going to break the Druid boy out of the dungeons,” Arthur stated.

“You can’t do that!” Merlin blurted before he could stop himself.

Morgana was obviously confused by his change of heart, but was nevertheless insistent. “We have to. Uther’s going to execute him at dawn.”

“I mean…” Merlin began, wracking his brain for a reasonable excuse. “It’s too dangerous. You’ve already been caught once, and if the King catches you a second time, he’ll never forgive you.”

“I’m not worried for myself,” she replied.

Fortunately, Arthur was swayed by Merlin’s logic. “Merlin’s right. When my father finds out the boy’s escaped, he will suspect you of being involved.”

“It’s suicide,” Merlin added, relieved that Arthur, at least, was willing to listen to him.

Another glance at the Prince told him a different story, however, as an idea seemed to be dawning in his mind. “You must go to my father and apologise,” Arthur began, addressing Morgana. “Dine with him. He cannot hold you responsible if you’re with him when the boy escapes.”

Morgana frowned. “You need me if the plan is to work. You can’t do this on your own.”

Arthur turned his gaze to Merlin, a sly grin appearing on his face. Merlin did not like that look at all. “Merlin will take your place.”

“Me?” he gawked, but Arthur was already springing into action, rising from his seat and approaching Merlin.

“I’m going to take the boy out through the burial vaults,” he said. “There’s a tunnel that leads beyond the city walls. Get my horse from the stables and meet me there. There’s a grate that covers the entrance to the tunnel, bring a rope and a grappling hook to pull it off.”

“No, no, I can’t-” Merlin protested, but neither of them paid him any heed.

“Jada knows where to take the boy. If we ask her, I’m sure she’ll agree to meet you at the grate and lead you there,” Morgana interjected.

“No!” He’d just spoken with Jada about this. He knew she’d agree undoubtedly, but he’d already spent one night worrying about her. She didn’t need to be put into any more danger.

“Merlin’s right,” Arthur agreed, much to Merlin’s surprised relief. “If my father notices her absence, he will accuse her of being involved. I’ll have her send word to the Druids of a different meeting place, one that I know, and then I won’t need her to guide me.”

Okay, that wasn’t so bad, Merlin thought. He didn’t have to worry so much about that. He was, however, worried about the way Arthur was eyeing him up.

“Merlin won’t be able to pull the grate off alone,” Arthur said. “He won’t be strong enough.”

Despite himself, Merlin took offence, glancing between himself and Morgana. Surely he wasn’t that much weaker than her?

“Well, I won’t be able to help, if I’m dining with Uther,” Morgana pointed out.

“No…” Arthur agreed, twirling the ring on his finger as he thought. “Jada will, though. She can prepare some food and water for the journey while Merlin readies the horse, and then we can all meet at the grate.”

Merlin was practically pleading now. “Arthur, no. Jada-”

“Merlin! Do you understand?” Arthur cut him off. “If you’re not there to meet us, we’ll surely be caught.”

Merlin hesitated, but the look on Arthur’s face was not one to be argued with. At last, he gave in, nodding. Without another word, Arthur swept out of the room, heading off to drag Jada back into the mess that they’d created.

Giving one last, morose glance to Morgana, Merlin left also.

Chapter 22 ->

#bbc merlin #out of the ashes #merlin #jada thorburn #guinevere #morgana #gaius #arthur pendragon #writing #merlin x oc #fanfic #fanfiction #chapter 21

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