Love Like Magic

The Poisoned Chalice

"Why do I always get landed with all the donkey work?" Merlin grumbled.

Gaius chuckled at the boy's scowling, shaking his head as he called after him as he trudged past, "You're a servant, Merlin, it's what you do."

Merlin turned back to the old man, dropping the basket of clothes with a loud thud. "My arms will be a foot longer by the time I get this lot inside."

"It's character building. As the old proverb says, hard work breeds..." the old man trailed off, forgetting came next. Merlin raised his eyebrows, waiting until he remembered.

"A harder soul." Gaius nodded, trying to seem confident.

Merlin looked at him skeptically. "There's no way that's a proverb. You just made that up."

"I didn't," Gaius protested just as a servant girl tripped and fell between them.

Lily, who had been following behind with a basket of dirty clothes, stopped short and raised an eyebrow. She was certain that the girl had only pretended to fall. She watched in silence as the girl apologised and Merlin bent to help her. Her eyes narrowed, something about the girl was putting her off. And she really didn't like the way Merlin and the girl were now looking at each other.

"Hi." Merlin smiled as they straightened back up, making Lily scoff.

Her grip on her basket tightened and unknown to herself, she was glaring holes into the girl's head, absolutely disgusted with the bashful smile she returned him.

"I'm Merlin." He extended a hand.

She took it, smiling wider. "Kara."

"Typical. Show a man a pretty face..." Lily continued to mutter darkly under her breath, coming up with a few colourful analogies that Gaius could have lived without hearing. The old man watched his ward with amusement.

"You're Arthur's servant." She recognised. "It must be such an honour."

"She's pretending. She already knew who he was, the little simpering-"

"Lily," Gaius warned. Both turned to look at Merlin in surprise as he stuttered out,

"Uh, yeah, it is. Well, someone's gotta keep the place running." Lily scoffed again, lips pulling up in a jealous sneer as she marched past, purposefully checking Merlin's shoulder as she went.

She didn't trust herself to look back as Merlin yelped in surprise, which was quickly followed by his bashful laughter as he gave Kara back the clothes she was carrying.

Once she was in the laundry chamber, she stopped short, wondering at herself for feeling so angry. Then, it was swiftly followed up with more anger and resentment when she realised Merlin hadn't even caught up to her like he usually would when they were heading in the same direction.

"Men and their stupid fancies. Dense, the whole bloody lot of them," she grumbled as she dumped the clothes into the tub, ready to wash them.

"Who's being dense?" Gwen's merry voice asked amusedly as she set down her basket next to Lily.

"No one," Lily lied, ears turning slightly red.

"Oh, come on Lily, I've known you since we were kids, I know when you're lying. Come on, out with it. Who are you grumbling about?" Gwen crossed her arms, making Lily sigh.

"Well, there's this guy..." she trailed off uncertainly. Gwen nodded for her to go on.

"And, well, we've only known each other for a few months, and well, lately I keep getting irritated when he doesn't pay attention to me or when other girls start flirting with him... and there are times when I just find him so utterly adorable that I umm..."