Twins Eyes // Merlin Fanfic

Chapter 2: Staring into space and air. Thinking.

*Merlins PoV*

I smiled to myself, weaving through people as I hurried to find the Prince. I was already running late after my unbelievable encounter with my sister, and needed to reach the princes chambers before he did. Considering I was already supposed to have polished his boots and armour, run him a hot bath and sharpened his sword; well, I was doomed.

"Arthur," I said breathlessly as I reached him in Gaius' room. "Uh, Gwen is looking for you. Something about down in her fathers house, meeting you." His faced turned solemn, and he thanked Gaius and left in a hurry. Shaking my head as my teacher tried to ask questions, I sprinted back to Arthur's room and began doing my jobs in the hope that my distraction would give me just enough time. Holding one hand out to keep the polishing itself armour up in the air, I cleaned the boots myself and allowed the hot bath to run.

Hearing fast footsteps down the hall, I quickly sharpened his blade and returned everything to its rightful place just as an angry face slammed the door open. "MERLIN!" I bit my lip to bite back a smile; his face was redder than crimson and his eyes were so small I could barely see them beneath his screwed up skin in anger.

"Ah," I said quietly, the humor evident in my voice. "What the hell did you think you were doing, sending me on a wild goose chase after the girl I love!" he said rather quickly, eyes widening after he realised what he had blurted out exceedingly loudly. "I-uh-I didn't mean it like that," Arthur said with a spiteful glare. Pursing my lips to trap the bubbling laughter, I nodded sarcastically in agreement and turned away to solmenise my expression.

"So, she didn't actually need to talk to you and she wasn't actually at her fathers house then?" I asked innocently, pretending as if I knew nothing of my pathetic plot. He bit his lip, blinking long and hard. "No," he said with a sickly sweet tone. "Her father was though, laughing like a madman at me, a madman. You will pay for this, Merlin. After all, you're only a serving boy." The light had left his usually bright eyes along with the overly sugary voice, leaving a dull and hardened tone. He meant it.

In the knowledge I'd started something I couldn't resume, I sighed internlly and looked away, standing up and putting the boots by the cabinet. "I'll just be going then," I mumbled dejectedly, thinking I could've been a best friend in the making for my Prince. Why was it always me who ruined my chances? I returned quickly to my room on the edge of the castle and lay on my rough bedsheets, staring into space and air.

Thinking.

*Kaira's PoV*

I scrambled back down the cobbled back streets, finding the small, unasuming 'house' I'd been sleeping in for the past few days. Slipping my bag onto the rock solid bed, I placed my few possesions atop the chest of draws and folded my 'clothes' - scraps of large materials- into a draw each and lay down, staring into space and air.

Thinking.

Thinking of my brother, my mother and my non existent father. In private daydreams I had visioned his smiling face, long robes and hooked nose, not dissimilar to Merlin's and my own. Next to him would've stood a majestic dragon, many feet tall and even more feet long. Maybe the father of Kilgharrah and uncle of Kallah.

Amongst the few relatives I'd come to know, it was plainly obvious that my sibling and I, as identical twins, would be the last dragonlords. Unless of course we ever found somebody to love. Unlkely.

The air began to thicken, the hottest part of the day coming into play as the midsummer sun beat down on camelot like Kallah's strong wings. On the subject of my fearless friend, I filled my small bag with a little food, a water pouch and some small knives, powerless against larger animals but not entriely useless when the time came for foraging for food.

Slinging my large war bow on one shoulder and my precious quiver of arrows on the other shoulder, I shut the rickety, wooden door quietly and ran speedily through the crowds to the fringes of the woods where I was met by a friendly faced knight on a beautiful, black mare. Obviously of the King's cavalry and Round Table. No peasant of Camelot could own such a beast. Oh and the striking red cape and shimmering chainmail may have slightly given the game away too, might I add.

"Now, Miss, I'm afraid you can't go in there," he said with an intriguing Irish accent. "And who would you be to tell me that?" I asked with a smirk, surprised when I saw one develop on his face too. "Sir Gwaine, knight of Camelot. Funny man and Ladies man at your service."

A light earted laugh escaped my lips, bubbly and bright.

"Well, funnyman, I need to get into the forest. a friend of mine awaits me." Removing the fact that this friend was actually a firebreathing -though rather friendly- dragon, he seemed curious.

"Any names, for me?"

"I'm afraid he likes to keep his identity unknown, plus he isn't into men like you." No lies there I suppose.

He seemed to find my response funny, for he replied with a laugh. "I meant yours; I can't very well call you 'Miss' for life, now can I?" I smiled. "Call me Kaira. Kai for short."

He nodded, seeming to find my name legit. "I seem to find you and your personality familiar, though I can't quite put my finger on where. Do you have a brother or sibling I might be acquainted with?" Gwaine asked casually, not seeming to be suspicious, just genuinely interested.

"Yeah, acutally I do. His name's Merlin. Not sure whether you'd know him, He's just a serving boy here."

He sat up straighter, frowning at me intensely. "M-merlin? Merlin is a rather close friend of my own; never did I know he had a sister." He shook his head a little, before thinking of somehting. "Does that mean you have...m-?" I slapped his leg hard. "Don't say it!" I said in a harsh whisper. My voice resumed its natural volume. "But yeah....I do." I smiled a small smile, the edges of my mouth creeping up into a curve.

How did Sir Gwaine know Merlin had magic? Maybe I shouldn't have told him.

Should I have? I just hoped that Merlin was okay with all of it. If not, well, tough luck.

He smiled a little, awe impressed on his face. "Awesome. I guess I've got no choice but to let you into the forest then, Kai." His use of my nickname so quickly strengthened my smile; we'd only just met and my attatchment to this quirky, humorous and altogether good looking knight grew stronger with every word of his thick Irish voice.

I nodded thankfully, giving his horse a pat as I headed into the forest. "Beautiful mare you've got there by the way Gwaine, you might have to take me on a double ride one day." I looked back, gave hum an over exaggerated wink and disappeared into the dark, shady forest and out of plain sight. His expression lingered in my mind as I walked, a smirk made from his deep lips and a mischevious glint in his hazel eyes.

Now to find Kallah.