An American Teenager in King Arthur's Court

[7] OMFG YOU SNEAKY BASTARD

I awoke to a knock on my door. A brief glance out the giant windows to my right told me that it was still night time, but who would visit me in the middle of the night? And why?

With heavy lids, I slid out of bed, my bare feet hitting the cold stone floor, the light from the moon the only thing lighting the room. Another knock echoed through my room and I slowly made my way toward it.

What if it's some wierdo who'll snatch me up and take me away to their evil lair? What if it's the infamous Morgana and she's come to see the mysterious stranger that appeared in the heart of Camelot? The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I put my hand on the doorknob and quickly opened it.

What I saw had me sighing in relief. Merlin stood outside my door carrying a plate full of food and 2 goblets, a cheeky smile on his face.

"May I enter?" he asked with a wink, holding up the two goblets and raising an eyebrow. He still wore the outfit he wore to dinner, but the top few buttons of his shirt were open and his hair looked like he'd been running his hands through it over and over again.

I stepped aside, gesturing him to come in. I actually liked Merlin. So far, besides Gwaine, he's been the only one who's been welcoming to me, and I didn't realize it until now, but I actually considered him a friend.

With heavy footsteps we made our way to the middle of the room and plopped down on a rug placed in front of a dormant fireplace. Merlin placed the plate full of food in front of me and gestured for me to eat.

"I brought food. What, with all the events that took place during dinner, I hardly believe you had enough to eat," he says, plucking one of the many slices of bread from my plate and eating some.

This nice gesture was almost too overwhelming. I felt myself tear up as I looked at Merlin, catching his eye.

"Thank you," I said, trying to put as much gratitude as I could in those two words. He simply smiled at me and handed me a goblet full of wine.

"So, I heard you and the Prince had a little quarrel after he escorted you up here," he said giving me a little side-eye. "Would you like to talk about it?"

I shook my head.

"Not really," I said. When it came to Arthur I was just as confused as Merlin probably was. That blonde haired boy was a mystery to me. You'd think with all the heroic tales written about him, someone would've picked up on his distinct lack of charisma. Or his bull-headedness.

We sat in silence a few moments more, eating the food, drinking the wine. Suddenly a thought popped in my head.

"Merlin?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"Where is the Queen?"

Heavy silence filled the room. Raw waves of energy seemed to be coming from Merlin and I couldn't help but flinch at the sting on my skin.

"The Queen is dead," Merlin finally spoke.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me if-"

"I do not mind sharing this story with you," Merlin interupted, trying to nonchalantly shrug off his initial reaction. "But you must promise to never ask anyone of this again. It is a sensitive subject to most in the Kingdom."

I nodded my head. I could understand the feeling of loss. My parents had been victims of that horrible car crash one year ago and it still hurt to think about them. For the Kingdom it's been 8 years and it still hurt them. I'd wondered if it'd take me that long to get over my parents passing, now I guess I kind of had my answer. Merlin continued speaking, staring out the window up at the sky.