Of Chores and Crowns (A Merlin Fanfiction) ✔

Chapter One

I plunged my hands into the soapy water, laughing loudly as I listened to the other servents sing drinking songs they had learned from their most recent visit to the pubs.

"In the boozer

you're a loser

if the dice you're shaking."

I giggled, humming along. I had heard it before, sung by some of the knights. I scrubbed at Fayelinn's dress, attempting to return it to the state it was before her ride through the woods.

"You'll get hurt

and lose your shirt,

sit there cold and quaking."

It was early, and I could just see the sun begin to rise over the mountains in the distance. Anna and Nicole stood up behind me, singing louder. They grabbed each other and began whirling around the room in a chaotic dance.

"Lady Luck, your gifts are bad,

you trick us, then you make us mad,

make us gamble, make us fight,

and sit out in the cold all night."

Ben, the King's manservent, stomped his foot along to the beat. More of my friends hopped up to dance along, whirling around in the vibrant colors of the royal family.

"'Brrr!' The naked loser moans,

when he's cold and left alone,

shakes and shivers as he groans:

'I wish I could be

asleep under a tree

With a hot sunshine warming my bones.'"

Everyone was up and moving by this point, save for myself. I laughed, scrubbing the dress along with the beat. My friends didn't seem to appreciate me being the only one not getting into the music, and they raced forward, grabbing my arms and pulling me up from my stool.

They knew I was quite familiar with the song, seeing as I used to work as a barmaid before I began work in the royal household.

Everyone sang louder, and I couldn't help but join in, grabbing the hands of Ben, and whirling him around with me.

"But now let's roll the dice again

and win some drinking money!"

Water was splashed onto the floor as someone knocked over a bucket. Our shoes splashed in the puddles, kicking up water. We all knew we would have to clean all of this up later, but for right now, we were having fun.

"Who thinks about November's rain

while it's still warm and sunny?"

With the end of the song, we all let out a shout of joy. Laughter rang out through the laundry room, and we all clapped. As the laughter died down, we began cleaning up the mess we made, and went back to our work.

There was still a giddy feeling throughout the room, but it was shattered when the door slammed open, revealing an irritated maid.

"Dawn!" She called.

I stood up, making myself noticed. She whipped her head around to look at me, as she propped her hands on her hips.

"Her highness would like to see you in her chambers." She said through clenched teeth.

I sighed, and nodded. I started moving towards the door, but paused, looking back at the dress which was still soaking in the water.

Anna stepped up, resting a hand on my arm, before she said, "I will take care of it for you."

"Thank you." I replied, smiling gratefully.

Without another word, I started racing for the door. I slipped a bit in a puddle that hadn't been cleaned up yet. Laughter broke out behind me as I raced out the door, a small grin on my face.

I hummed the drinking song, as I made my way towards Faye's room. I dried my hands on the blue shift I had thrown over my dress. I stopped by the kitchens to grab a tray of food.

I finally reached Faye's room and knocked quietly, before entering. Faye was sitting up in her bed, a frown on her face as she looked out the window.

I set the tray on the table, clearing my throat. Faye snapped her head around to look at me, relaxing a bit when her eyes met mine.

"Why are you up so early, my lady?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Faye sighed and climbed out of bed, moving to sit at the table. She pulled the tray towards her and began to eat, as I moved to rummage through her wardrobe for something for her to wear today.

"I have an awful feeling about today, Dawn." She finally said, "I was tossing and turning all night long. Finally, I just couldn't seem to fall asleep again."

"Do you feel ill?" I asked, finally choosing a emerald green dress. "Would you like me to fetch Remerald?"

As the court physician, he would surely know what was wrong with her, if I brought him to the room.

"No, we needn't bother him with something as silly as a feeling."

I laid the dress on the back of a chair, and began making the bed. Finally, I said, "Well, I believe it will be a beautiful day."

Faye sighed again, and pushed her tray away. I eyed the amount of food left on the plate with a bit of worry. She barely ate anything.

She sat down in front of her mirror, and I moved behind her to start pinning back her hair. I watched her through the mirror, and noticed how tired she looked.

"Are you sure you are okay, princess?"

"I guess only the day will tell."

I bit my lip, but fell silent, instead focusing all my attention to her hair. When it was done, I carefully helped her into her dress, humming slightly as I laced up the back.

"What jewels would you like today?" I asked, pulling out her jewelry box.

I opened it, and she looked through the contents with dull eyes. Finally she picked out a simple necklace adorned with blue gems. I helped her put it on, as she placed her small crown on the top of her head. I pinned it so it would stick in her hair, and stepped back to look at her.

"You look gorgeous, my lady." I told her, smiling.

"Yes, well, that is nothing new."

I held back a small chuckle. Where most people couldn't stand the princess's attitude, I was able to take it in stride. It was one of the reasons we fit so well together.

In return, she did not act as harsh to me as she did with others, and she allowed me to act more freely around her.

In all honesty, I had it easy compared to some of the other servents.

"Well, come on, Princess. Your father and mother will be waiting for you." I said, bowing my head slightly.

"Yes, I suppose we mus--"

The door slammed open, cutting her off. A knight stood in the doorway with wild eyes and a panic expression. I tensed up immediately, knowing without a doubt that Faye's bad feeling had not be ungrounded.

"The kingdom is under attack!"