Chapter 9
Arthur was rudely awoken to the sound of someone moving noisily around his chambers. He opened one misty eye and could barely make out the tall, scraggly shape of his manservant loading the table with fruits and bread and various other things for his breakfast.
He sat up slowly and stretched, opening his mouth in a wide yawn.
“Merlin,” he said as he wiped the sleep from his eyes, the other boy spun round. “What have I told you about knocking?”
“Erm… sorry sire, I just thought you might want your breakfast ready for when you woke up,” Merlin stammered.
“Yes, well, you know what thought did?” Merlin narrowed his eyes and screwed up his face in confusion.
“Sire?”
“Never mind,” Arthur sighed as he pulled himself out of bed. Merlin hurried over and helped him off with his night shirt, washed him down, and then helped him to dress for the day before making the bed as the Prince strolled over to the table and began helping himself to the food.
He watched the young servant work with a mix of pride and silent awe. He admired the way Merlin just got on with things. Sure he gave Arthur some lip sometimes and questioned him, and sure, Arthur constantly told him how useless a servant he is. Truth was, he was actually the best servant Arthur had ever had, and the best friend. But the Prince would never tell him that.
“Merlin,” he said after a moment. “Once you’re done there, I want you to go down to the stable and saddle my horse. I feel like going hunting today.”
“Yes sire,” Merlin said as he gathered the Prince’s laundry and headed towards the door.
“Oh and Merlin,” the boy stopped in his tracks. “Saddle one for yourself too, you’re coming with me.”
Merlin nodded curtly and left the room. As soon as he was out of the door his shoulders slumped and he let out a huge sigh. Ever since the incident with the unicorn, he had been greatly averse to going hunting with Arthur. The whole episode with the questing beast hadn’t done much to change his opinion either. But still, Arthur was the Prince and his word was almost law. So if Arthur said they were going hunting, they were going hunting.
What Merlin didn’t know was that this was about to become another memorable hunting trip, but not because of any animal.
Arthur stalked the stag through the trees, advancing silently on the balls of his feet. Merlin moved uncharacteristically quietly in the bushes beside him. He really is a fast learner, Arthur thought, smiling to himself. He raised his bow and took aim. As he loosed the arrow the stag moved, causing the bolt to thud into a low tree branch. Arthur cursed as the creature bolted and he decided to give chase.
He ran after the creature as it bolted through the forest until finally, it ran out of the trees and into the clearing by the lake.
“Gotcha,” Arthur whispered as the deer stood still and looked about itself for its unseen predator. As he raised the crossbow and once more took aim, the sun glinted on something off to his left, just inside his peripheral vision. He glanced in it’s direction then glanced ahead again. In that split second, the deer had vanished.
“Damnit!” Arthur cursed as he threw his crossbow to the floor in a fit of temper. He glared over to what it was that had distracted him and caused him to lose his quarry. His expression quickly changed to one of mild dread and concern as he realised just what he was seeing.
There, lying in the pebbles that surrounded the lake, her long blonde hair washing back and forth in the swell, was a woman. Her long blue dress clung tight to her soaked, lifeless body. Beneath the dress, Arthur could make out the shape of an armoured bodice but, as he approached her, he realised it was not made out of any metal he recognised.
She looks oddly familiar, he mused as he knelt down beside her. He took her wrist in his hand and felt along the wrist. It was faint but there was definitely a pulse. She was alive, well that was a relief.
He looked up as Merlin came sneaking through the undergrowth.
“Guess we lost it sire, nothing we can… oh!” Merlin stood and stared in horror at the body of the woman. “Is she….?” he asked.
“She’s still alive.” Arthur said curtly. “Help me lift her. We have to get her to the horses then take her back to Gaius. She’s very weak.”
Merlin moved forward and stood at the opposite side of the woman to Arthur. Arthur stood and, grabbing her arms, pulled her up into a sitting position. Merlin got behind her and helped to stand her up whereby Arthur placed his arm around her waist and gently threw her over his shoulder.
With Merlin trailing behind, holding his slightly damaged crossbow, Arthur made his way steadily and swiftly back to the horses.
He draped the woman’s body over his saddle and then got up beside it. Holding the reigns in one hand and gripping the body tightly in the other, he set off at a gallop towards Camelot with Merlin trailing closely behind.
Merlin ran into Gaius’ house out of breath.
“Quick., Gaius, we need to clear some room,” he said breathlessly.
“Calm down Merlin,” Gaius said patiently. “Now tell me what’s wrong.”
Merlin took a couple of deep breaths, gulping the air down as though he would never breathe again.
“When we were hunting, we found this woman, she looks dead but she’s not. Arthur’s bringing her now, we need to make room for her.”
As if on cue, the door was kicked wide open and Arthur hurried in carrying the woman in his arms.
Gaius started in shock as he saw the lifeless form but, recovering his sense quickly, he pulled the small cot closer to him and motioned for Arthur to lay her down on it.
Arthur placed her tenderly down, making sure her arms were at her side.
“Were did you find her?” Gaius asked. His tone was short and urgent.
“By the lake, when we were hunting.” Arthur said. “I’ve checked and she’s still alive, but she’s very weak.” Gaius nodded and set about feeling for the woman’s pulse and placing his hand on her forehead.
“She has a slight fever,” he said. He asked Merlin to fetch him a bucket of water. The young man dutifully left.
Arthur stood looking down on the woman, confusion covering his chiselled features.
“Gaius,” he asked softly. “Do you know this woman?” Gaius looked up sharply but the Prince was too busy staring at the woman’s face to notice. Gaius breathed an inward sigh of relief as he lied.
“No sire, I’ve never seen her face before.”
“Hmm, she seems familiar.” Arthur mused.
“Well, my prince, she’s certainly never crossed my path before.” Arthur seemed satisfied with this response and stopped scrutinising the woman.
“Should I tell my father about this?”
“I wouldn’t bother sire,” Gaius said, maybe a little too quickly, or so he thought. “This was probably the result of an accident and she’ll be fine in a few days. It’s nothing to bother the king about.” He secretly prayed.
“No, you’re right. I shouldn’t bother him with this.” He stood up straight and prepared to leave. “Let me know when she comes round. I want to be certain this was an accident.”
“Yes sire,” Gaius said as Arthur walked out of the door. Seconds later Merlin arrived with the bucket of water and handed it to Gaius who began to use it to cool down the patient’s head.
Merlin watched quietly in anticipation. Then, gradually, he began to notice things. Things like the tender way that Gaius dabbed the woman’s forehead, or the sadness that filled his eyes as he looked at her. A seemingly daft idea came into Merlin’s head as he watched, so he decided to fish around to see if it was true.
“Arthur sad she looked familiar,” he said, conversationally.
“She would do,” Gaius responded. Merlin was shocked. He had at least expected an attempted change of subject, not this.
“Why is that?” he asked, genuinely curious.
“Merlin,” Gaius asked, looking at him. “What do you know about the circumstances surrounding Arthur’s birth?”
“Only what you’ve told me,” Merlin responded.
“Well, the reason this woman looks familiar to Arthur, and I imagine, to you as well somewhere deep down, is because you’ve both seen her before,” he looked up into Merlin’s eyes, at the shock and wonder he saw there. “This is the lady Igraine’s eldest, and only surviving, sister.”
“Arthur’s aunt.” Merlin whispered.
“Yes, Merlin.” He looked down into the youthful face, so peaceful in it’s unconsciousness. “This is the Lady Viviane. Question is,£ he continued, “what’s she doing around here, and what on earth happened to her?”
They exchanged a nervous glance.
“Should we tell Uther?” Merlin asked softly.
“No!” Gaius responded, a little too vehemently. “Uther banished her and Nimueh under pain of death. If he knows she’s here he’ll have her executed, and then we’ll never have and answers.”
“Answers to what?” now Merlin was intrigued.
“To what she’s doing here now, after all these years.”
Viviane’s eyes moved about rapidly as she heard the voices around her. Merlin, she thought as she slowly came round.
It had worked. They told her it would be tricky to teleport her body through the medium of water, and that it may slow her heart rate, but that had been part of the plan. She had been found and brought to Camelot, to Gaius. Merlin was here too. Now, her real work could begin.
He sat up slowly and stretched, opening his mouth in a wide yawn.
“Merlin,” he said as he wiped the sleep from his eyes, the other boy spun round. “What have I told you about knocking?”
“Erm… sorry sire, I just thought you might want your breakfast ready for when you woke up,” Merlin stammered.
“Yes, well, you know what thought did?” Merlin narrowed his eyes and screwed up his face in confusion.
“Sire?”
“Never mind,” Arthur sighed as he pulled himself out of bed. Merlin hurried over and helped him off with his night shirt, washed him down, and then helped him to dress for the day before making the bed as the Prince strolled over to the table and began helping himself to the food.
He watched the young servant work with a mix of pride and silent awe. He admired the way Merlin just got on with things. Sure he gave Arthur some lip sometimes and questioned him, and sure, Arthur constantly told him how useless a servant he is. Truth was, he was actually the best servant Arthur had ever had, and the best friend. But the Prince would never tell him that.
“Merlin,” he said after a moment. “Once you’re done there, I want you to go down to the stable and saddle my horse. I feel like going hunting today.”
“Yes sire,” Merlin said as he gathered the Prince’s laundry and headed towards the door.
“Oh and Merlin,” the boy stopped in his tracks. “Saddle one for yourself too, you’re coming with me.”
Merlin nodded curtly and left the room. As soon as he was out of the door his shoulders slumped and he let out a huge sigh. Ever since the incident with the unicorn, he had been greatly averse to going hunting with Arthur. The whole episode with the questing beast hadn’t done much to change his opinion either. But still, Arthur was the Prince and his word was almost law. So if Arthur said they were going hunting, they were going hunting.
What Merlin didn’t know was that this was about to become another memorable hunting trip, but not because of any animal.
Arthur stalked the stag through the trees, advancing silently on the balls of his feet. Merlin moved uncharacteristically quietly in the bushes beside him. He really is a fast learner, Arthur thought, smiling to himself. He raised his bow and took aim. As he loosed the arrow the stag moved, causing the bolt to thud into a low tree branch. Arthur cursed as the creature bolted and he decided to give chase.
He ran after the creature as it bolted through the forest until finally, it ran out of the trees and into the clearing by the lake.
“Gotcha,” Arthur whispered as the deer stood still and looked about itself for its unseen predator. As he raised the crossbow and once more took aim, the sun glinted on something off to his left, just inside his peripheral vision. He glanced in it’s direction then glanced ahead again. In that split second, the deer had vanished.
“Damnit!” Arthur cursed as he threw his crossbow to the floor in a fit of temper. He glared over to what it was that had distracted him and caused him to lose his quarry. His expression quickly changed to one of mild dread and concern as he realised just what he was seeing.
There, lying in the pebbles that surrounded the lake, her long blonde hair washing back and forth in the swell, was a woman. Her long blue dress clung tight to her soaked, lifeless body. Beneath the dress, Arthur could make out the shape of an armoured bodice but, as he approached her, he realised it was not made out of any metal he recognised.
She looks oddly familiar, he mused as he knelt down beside her. He took her wrist in his hand and felt along the wrist. It was faint but there was definitely a pulse. She was alive, well that was a relief.
He looked up as Merlin came sneaking through the undergrowth.
“Guess we lost it sire, nothing we can… oh!” Merlin stood and stared in horror at the body of the woman. “Is she….?” he asked.
“She’s still alive.” Arthur said curtly. “Help me lift her. We have to get her to the horses then take her back to Gaius. She’s very weak.”
Merlin moved forward and stood at the opposite side of the woman to Arthur. Arthur stood and, grabbing her arms, pulled her up into a sitting position. Merlin got behind her and helped to stand her up whereby Arthur placed his arm around her waist and gently threw her over his shoulder.
With Merlin trailing behind, holding his slightly damaged crossbow, Arthur made his way steadily and swiftly back to the horses.
He draped the woman’s body over his saddle and then got up beside it. Holding the reigns in one hand and gripping the body tightly in the other, he set off at a gallop towards Camelot with Merlin trailing closely behind.
Merlin ran into Gaius’ house out of breath.
“Quick., Gaius, we need to clear some room,” he said breathlessly.
“Calm down Merlin,” Gaius said patiently. “Now tell me what’s wrong.”
Merlin took a couple of deep breaths, gulping the air down as though he would never breathe again.
“When we were hunting, we found this woman, she looks dead but she’s not. Arthur’s bringing her now, we need to make room for her.”
As if on cue, the door was kicked wide open and Arthur hurried in carrying the woman in his arms.
Gaius started in shock as he saw the lifeless form but, recovering his sense quickly, he pulled the small cot closer to him and motioned for Arthur to lay her down on it.
Arthur placed her tenderly down, making sure her arms were at her side.
“Were did you find her?” Gaius asked. His tone was short and urgent.
“By the lake, when we were hunting.” Arthur said. “I’ve checked and she’s still alive, but she’s very weak.” Gaius nodded and set about feeling for the woman’s pulse and placing his hand on her forehead.
“She has a slight fever,” he said. He asked Merlin to fetch him a bucket of water. The young man dutifully left.
Arthur stood looking down on the woman, confusion covering his chiselled features.
“Gaius,” he asked softly. “Do you know this woman?” Gaius looked up sharply but the Prince was too busy staring at the woman’s face to notice. Gaius breathed an inward sigh of relief as he lied.
“No sire, I’ve never seen her face before.”
“Hmm, she seems familiar.” Arthur mused.
“Well, my prince, she’s certainly never crossed my path before.” Arthur seemed satisfied with this response and stopped scrutinising the woman.
“Should I tell my father about this?”
“I wouldn’t bother sire,” Gaius said, maybe a little too quickly, or so he thought. “This was probably the result of an accident and she’ll be fine in a few days. It’s nothing to bother the king about.” He secretly prayed.
“No, you’re right. I shouldn’t bother him with this.” He stood up straight and prepared to leave. “Let me know when she comes round. I want to be certain this was an accident.”
“Yes sire,” Gaius said as Arthur walked out of the door. Seconds later Merlin arrived with the bucket of water and handed it to Gaius who began to use it to cool down the patient’s head.
Merlin watched quietly in anticipation. Then, gradually, he began to notice things. Things like the tender way that Gaius dabbed the woman’s forehead, or the sadness that filled his eyes as he looked at her. A seemingly daft idea came into Merlin’s head as he watched, so he decided to fish around to see if it was true.
“Arthur sad she looked familiar,” he said, conversationally.
“She would do,” Gaius responded. Merlin was shocked. He had at least expected an attempted change of subject, not this.
“Why is that?” he asked, genuinely curious.
“Merlin,” Gaius asked, looking at him. “What do you know about the circumstances surrounding Arthur’s birth?”
“Only what you’ve told me,” Merlin responded.
“Well, the reason this woman looks familiar to Arthur, and I imagine, to you as well somewhere deep down, is because you’ve both seen her before,” he looked up into Merlin’s eyes, at the shock and wonder he saw there. “This is the lady Igraine’s eldest, and only surviving, sister.”
“Arthur’s aunt.” Merlin whispered.
“Yes, Merlin.” He looked down into the youthful face, so peaceful in it’s unconsciousness. “This is the Lady Viviane. Question is,£ he continued, “what’s she doing around here, and what on earth happened to her?”
They exchanged a nervous glance.
“Should we tell Uther?” Merlin asked softly.
“No!” Gaius responded, a little too vehemently. “Uther banished her and Nimueh under pain of death. If he knows she’s here he’ll have her executed, and then we’ll never have and answers.”
“Answers to what?” now Merlin was intrigued.
“To what she’s doing here now, after all these years.”
Viviane’s eyes moved about rapidly as she heard the voices around her. Merlin, she thought as she slowly came round.
It had worked. They told her it would be tricky to teleport her body through the medium of water, and that it may slow her heart rate, but that had been part of the plan. She had been found and brought to Camelot, to Gaius. Merlin was here too. Now, her real work could begin.