(Untitled)

[dragonsemrys]

Merlin has lettuce in his hair.

(It's not on purpose.)

One warlock scrubbing up by the fireplace. There's ale and some fruit with honey waiting for him when he's done.

[tinytag: BBC Merlin]

Comments

[a_lioness]

"Food fight?" asks the redheaded woman sitting in a nearby armchair, legs stretched out (not terribly far) before her. She has been watching him with mild curiosity, a small smile on her otherwise impassive face.

She is dressed nicely in black tunic, tight breeches and boots, in a fashion that might seem fairly familiar to Merlin, and has a well-made and lovingly maintained sword across her lap. A shirt of light mail at her feet looks as if it has been recently shed, along with a scarlet and gold shield depicting a lioness rampant.

[dragonsemrys]

"Got put in the stocks," Merlin says, giving his face a final swipe. "My lady," he adds when he sees her.

[a_lioness]

Alanna blinks.

"For what crime?"

Eyebrows raised, she extends an index finger and points at a bit of lettuce he's missed.

[dragonsemrys]

Merlin plucks out the lettuce, looks at it, and tosses it into the fire with a sigh.

"Mostly for being a terrible servant," he says, and if he sounds remarkably cheerful about it, well, he is a cheerful fellow.

[a_lioness]

Apparently. Alanna is unused to anyone handling stocks quite so well. She smiles a little and nods, as if this clarifies something. Then:

"Are you? A terrible servant."

[dragonsemrys]

"Oh, yes," says Merlin nonchalantly. "Can't be found when the prince needs me, I lose his possessions, I don't always keep my thoughts to myself..."

[a_lioness]

Alanna laughs, far more than the average person might at that answer. Violet (unusual, magical) eyes bright with humor, she leans carefully forward and gives him a mostly serious look.

"It sounds to me," she declares, "that you are precisely the type of servant a prince needs."

[dragonsemrys]

"That's what I think!" says Merlin, beaming. "But Arthur has very strict ideas about a servant's place.

"We'll still getting used to one another."

He stands and makes a little bow. "I'm Merlin."

[a_lioness]

"I speak more or less from experience," Alanna tells him, tone lofty, "so should your Arthur ever require a voice of reason..."

She steeples her fingers and smiles at Merlin over them.

"Alanna. Former squire to Prince, now King, Jonathan of Tortall."

[dragonsemrys]

"It's very unusual for a lady to be a squire," Merlin remarks. then teases a bit, "You must be an unusual lady.

"I don't know Tortall. Is that in Gaul?"

[a_lioness]

"It is, yes."

She wishes it were otherwise.

"And I am." At that, she grins. "Of course, no one but the prince and a few other friends knew I was a lady at the time. Females weren't allowed to train for knighthood, you see."

Beat.

"It borders Galla, if that helps," she answers last, almost nonchalant.

[dragonsemrys]

Merlin frowns, thinking about it, then shakes his head. "I don't know Galla, either.

"I know a few girls who can handle swords in the court, and they're quite good at it, but I don't think any of them have been formally knighted."

[a_lioness]

"Different worlds, most likely. Though it's refreshing to meet someone from somewhere not entirely dissimilar. Do you know that in some worlds people can fly in machines of their own design? Madness."

Alanna dislikes airplanes.

"Where are you from?" Beat. "And could they be knighted?" she adds with more than a passing interest. "By law?"

[dragonsemrys]

"Oh, of course." The many alternatives of Milliways, not just the future people he's met, are something he still needs to get used to.

"Flying machines...I've never heard of that.

"I'm from Camelot, and I don't know. I've only seen men knighted. It's very prestigious, being a knight of Camelot."

[a_lioness]

Staring, Alanna manages to keep what she's thinking off her face.

Arthur, Merlin, Camelot.

Former friend (of sorts) to Mordred, claimed by Morgan for her protection, Alanna can't not finally put two and two together. But all she says is,

"And Tortall as well. It was well worth pretending to be a boy for eight years. Camelot is in Britain, is it not?"

After all... many alternatives of Milliways, indeed.

[dragonsemrys]

"Britain?" he repeats blankly. "No, we're in Albion."