Castle of Cards

Chapter 1

"You fight as well as some of my knights," Arthur called across the clearing, stealing a glance at the petite beauty as she threw her sword into the dirt with disgust.

"Casualty of growing up around knights," she muttered, stepping over the dead man at her feet before turning toward the brush of trees he was quickly moving toward.

Merlin, he thought the adrenaline of the fight giving way to fear and sorrow as the image of his servant collapsing with an arrow embedded in his side moments earlier replayed in his mind. She'd arrived out of nowhere, only drawing attention to herself when Merlin had yelled in pain while attempting to remove the lethal projectile. Arthur had made eye contact with her then. For a fleeting moment, his arm had been raised and he'd nearly thrown his sword in her direction before he'd realized she was tending his wound and trying to help.

Nodding as she pulled the manservant into the brush away from the fighting, he'd turned his eyes back to their attackers, only realizing she'd joined the fight a few seconds later when a sapphire jeweled dagger protruded from the back of the now deceased bandit who had attempted to take advantage of his distraction from behind. He'd watched out of the corner of his eye as she picked up a fallen man's sword and join the fray, quickly killing two of their attackers with the speed and agility of any knight he'd be proud to say he trained.

"Move," she snapped breathlessly, pushing through the group of his elite knights who had swarmed their fallen friend after the last man had fallen. Pushing her way past the men, she called, "I need water," the annoyance in her voice failing to hide the panic pooling in her eyes. Not addressing anyone in particular, she pulled a pair of leaves from the small satchel tied around her tiny waist. "I don't have a bowl so cup your hands." She quickly demonstrated before grinding the leaf into dust in Percival's palms with a rock and pouring enough water to mix the powder into a paste.

"Are you a physician?" Gwaine asked, and Arthur couldn't help but note the anguish in his voice. He and Merlin had always been good friends and he certainly couldn't begrudge him that. In truth, Merlin was all of their friend and there was little doubt all of them were fighting to protect their fallen and helpless friend as much as they were fighting to protect their King and their own lives.

"Of a sort, I suppose," she muttered, smearing the paste over and around the wound before covering it with a full leaf and securing it in place using an improvised bandage ripped from the cloth of her shirt. Satisfied with her work, she reached her hand to his forehead and whispered under her breath, the movement causing the man beneath her to shudder and gasp before falling back into his slumber.

"What did you just do?" Arthur asked, bristling at the display but unsure if he even wanted to know so long as the man beneath her survived.

"I said a prayer." She visibly stiffened. "Gwaine?" She looked around at the knights until the rogue identified himself.

"I'm told your loyalty to Arthur began through your loyalty to him. It is for this reason I task you with this. He'll be fine, but you must not disturb the bandages. Gaius will know how to handle the leaf; disturbing it too soon or removing it incorrectly could yet kill him. He'll require blood soup as soon as possible. Under no circumstance can he die. Do you understand?" Noting the stunned and battle-weary knights nod, she patted his leg softly before abruptly standing, turning to face the sandy-haired monarch behind her.

She was tiny, her blue-green eyes exotic next to the ivory of her skin and the warm and golden tones of brown in her neatly braided hair. Her jeweled dagger along with the fine silks and velvet of her riding clothes left little question of her station. Whoever she was, she was from a very wealthy and prestigious family.

"My Lady." He nodded to her, prepared to greet her formally when the weight of what had just occurred seemed to crash upon her and her delicate features twisted into a mask of hatred and anger.