I Don't Belong Here

✦Witch and Flower✦

Big day today. Merlin and I have spent half the morning making sure that Arthur looks his best and as least menacing as possible. Another kingdom is coming to Camelot to sign a peace treaty. Or make a peace agreement or whatever it is they call it here. Alliance... whatever. The anticipation is in the air, stretching over every inch of Camelot. Apparently, they've been at war for quite some time. Not war like World War I or II, more like the Cold War where everyone is on the brink of launching nukes. Not really though, considering they don't even know what an atom is.

When Arthur is looking the best I can get, I follow him to the throne room. There, the king is standing front on center, a space for Arthur on his right and a line up of knights flanking him. Arthur joins his father while I join Merlin behind the lineup.

The doors open after a few minutes revealing a lineup similar to ours only the people are wearing silver and blue, not gold and red. The two lines approach each other and meet in the middle. The man in blue with a crown is a good head taller than Uther and has long hair and a beard.

"Camelot welcomes you," Uther declares. "The Lord Bayard of Mercia." I look around at the lord's company. There are some handsome knights, beautiful women, but something about the room seems cold like there is something that shouldn't be here. I can't shake the feeling as Uther continues his speech.

"The treaty we sign today..." Oh, they do call it a treaty. "...Marks and end to war and the beginning of a new friendship between our people." He sticks his hand out and the lord takes it. They give each other a firm handshake, sealing the treaty. The crowd erupts into applause. To follow appearances I clap too. Merlin does as well but not very enthusiastically. I elbow him lightly and he glares at me. He only rolls his eyes before clapping a little faster to sound more excited.

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Arthur gives us some more work to do. I'm cleaning his chambers while Merlin's doing some heavy lifting. I'm done with Arthur's room so I go to where Merlin is supposed to be to keep him company since Arthur didn't give me anything else to do other than keep him and his room clean.

I find Merlin crossing paths with Gaius in the hallway.

"Why do I always get landed with the donkey work?" Merlin complains to the old man.

"You're a servant, Merlin. It's what you do," Gaius laughs.

"But Y/n doesn't have to do this," he continues to complain. "Hell, she's stronger than me, she should be doing this stuff."

"It's character building," Gaius tells him. "As the old proverb says: Hard work breeds..." He can't seem to think of anything but he spots me trying not to laugh. I punch my fist into my hand then make a heart with my hands, trying to tell him 'strong heart'. "A harder soul," Gaius finishes. I barely contain my snort, slamming my hands against my mouth. I forgot they don't know what those hand signals mean.

"There is no way that's a proverb," Merlin says suspiciously but with a hint of amusement. "You just made that up."

"I did not," Gaius says a bit offended. I snort but a woman tripping and dropping her pile of clothes right next to them distracts them from me.

"Sorry," she says softly. She's wearing a blue dress and her hair is wrapped up in a turban with only two strands falling out on either side of her head. She looks sweet and innocent. But her vibe is not that. I feel the same cold I did in the throne room earlier.

"That's all right," Merlin assures her.

"Excuse me," she says softly again.

"Let me give you a hand with that," Merlin offers. He bends down to help her with her things. She looks up and suddenly becomes fascinated with him. He notices and they share some intense eye contact as they rise from the floor.