The Secrets of Camelot

Chapter one

The sun rose over Camelot as the lower towns began their morning hustle, wives fetching water for their houses, traders coming in to set up shop, and travelers coming to find some breakfast and an inn. One traveler stood out in particular, his eyes shone like gold, but his hair was dark as ebony. His skin as dark as bark. As well as the two cats peeking out of his bag. He wasn't like the usual visitors to Camelot, he was special. He was Merlin.

Born to an impoverished widow, Merlin didn't grow up with much, but it was enough to survive on. His mother always knew something was different about him, however, different got you killed. So she tried her best to hide his irregularities and to make him seem normal in the eyes of their village, but his eyes made it difficult. So in a desperate attempt to keep her child safe, Dindrane wrote to her old friend in Camelot, asking her to take in Merlin. So Merlin left, with only what he could carry on his back as well as his twin cats, Gareth and Igerna. So basically his entire life.

Merlin knocked on the creaky wooden door, reading Apothecary. It slid open as a young woman looked up from her books and potions,

"Yes?" she said in a rather annoyed tone.

"My name's Merlin. I'm Dindrane's son. Are you Enide?"

"Oh, Merlin. You're early. I wasn't expecting you till Friday. Please come in, make yourself comfortable." Enide stood up, dusting off her pants and ushering Merlin in.

"Milady, are you wearing pants?" Merlin looked away blushing.

"What you've don't have women scientists in your village? What has Din been teaching you?" she rolled her eyes but began to clean a spot on the table off for him.

Enide brought out a bowl of soup and Merlin devoured it. He asked for seconds and thirds until there was none left. She picked up the bowl, but he stopped her,

"Please allow me. I have to earn my keep somehow"

"Oh trust me, you will be" she winked and cleaned up the bowl.

Merlin settled into his new home, Enide had given him the empty room opposite to hers. The walls were lined with books on medicines, herbs, animals, and the human body. Nothing of true interest to Merlin, but he flipped through them nonetheless. Gareth and Igerna settled in as well, taking it upon themselves to hunt the mice near their quarters while Merlin slept. Merlin began to help Enide with her duties, delivering tinctures to her particularly sexist patients as well as those that needed home deliveries. One day though, when Enide was making her normal round of tinctures and Merlin was reading, a message arrived from the king.

"Merlin," Enide called from her desk, "We've been invited to a banquet tonight. I believe it's time for you to meet the king and his son" a grunt came from Merlin's room.

That night, Enide put on her fanciest dress, it was dark blue with gems that shown like the stars themselves. It was the first time Merlin had ever seen the apothecary in a dress. Merlin put on his fanciest outfit as well, though his was not as nice. It was a simple oversized shirt tucked into his oversized pants with only a belt keeping the outfit on. His shoes were dirty and his hair was ragged, but he was as handsome as he'd ever been. They walked from their tiny rooms to the banquet hall.

Merlin's eyes widened at the sight of the expansive rooms. A banquet table was pushed off to one side with two larger gold encrusted thrones. The other side had the nobles mingling, women gossiping and the men boasting about their latest conquests. Enide snorted and approached a man dressed in the finest silks with a golden crown resting on his balding head. She bowed and began a conversation, leaving Merlin alone and feeling out of place. Although he had caught the eye of a young man in the corner, his hair as golden as Merlin's eyes. He approached Merlin as though approaching a wild animal, his red silk cape flowing behind him.