The Adventures of Merlin

“And…there,” Isabella said to her sister, Alys, as she snipped a string. “Your dress is ready.”
Alys looked at herself in the mirror. Her birthday feast was that night, and her sister had just perfected her dress. It was a deep blue, beautiful dress that reached down to the floor. There was short tail covered in sequins that would trail behind her as she walked. It fitted her curved body snugly, and her breasts were shown off by the deep neck of the outfit. The short sleeves hung off her shoulders, leaving room for her long blonde hair to be braided down the front of her right shoulder. She wore minimum makeup, for her hazel eyes needed no complementing, and had lipstick on her small but attractive lips. Smiling, she spun around twice in a circle, her dress spinning with her.
“Perfect!” Alys cried joyfully, hugging her sister.
Isabella smiled back. “Now for the finishing touch,” she said, delicately grabbing Princess Alys’s crown off the dresser. She placed it gently on her sister’s head. “Gorgeous,” she said as she stroked her sister’s hair. “Not a single man, servant, nor king will be able to resist you tonight.”
Alys turned to Isabella . “Do you need any help getting ready?”
Isabella shook her head. “No. I asked your servant girl to let me prepare you tonight specially, it being your birthday. You’re growing up far too fast. Emeline, my servant, will assist me in getting ready.” Isabella kissed her younger sister’s forehead. “Happy birthday.”
Alys turned back to her reflection as Isabella left and positioned a misplaced hair back with the rest. “It’s going to be a big night,” she said to her mirror image. She touched a hand to her left ring finger. “Hopefully something spectacular will happen tomorrow.”
*****
“Cheers to Tehra!” the men yelled, holding up their goblets of mead to the only woman sitting around the campfire with them. She grinned at them.
“You’re the solitary woman to be able to accomplish such a feat as taking King Leofrick’s crown right from under his nose!” a man named Frederick, Tehra’s closest comrade exclaimed before downing his drink. Frederick was very tall and of medium build. He had dirty blonde hair and emerald green eyes. He slammed his cup down on the ground.
“And you’re the only man to be able to drink seven tankards of mead in a hour!” Tehra said, joining her friends in slapping her companion on the back.
“So which kingdom is next for the taking?” another man, Rowan asked.
A man of large stature rolled open a map of land. He was tall with unkempt brown hair and shining blue eyes. Though all the members of this small thieves guild were young, this youthful man was the oldest. “Mordrivale,” Oliver, the leader of the guild said, pointing to a kingdom to the east.
“Then it is the castle that we shall steal from till we are carrying too much to walk!” another man, Henry, said, and the last man of the group, Merek cheered.
“Right,” Oliver said. “Tomorrow is Alys’s birthday, the Princess of the Kingdom of Mordrivale.”
“It’s like they’re begging us to rob them blind,” Tehra smirked.
“It’s up to us to grant their wish,” Oliver said. The men cheered again. “Sleep now, friends.”
Tehra settled down on the ground. She took her long brown hair down and it fell down past her shoulders. She laid down and closed her dark brown eyes that were harmonized by her long lashes. She pulled her strapping but lightweight body into a comfortable position, and fell asleep.
*****
“Merlin!” Arthur yelled. “Merlin! Wake up!”
It was a two day’s journey for King Arthur and his manservant, Merlin, to get to Mordrivale from Camelot. A journey that left time for very little rest, and Merlin had dozed off while riding his horse as the sun came up over the horizon.
Calls not working, King Arthur took off his gauntlet and threw it at Merlin’s head, startling him awake and causing him to fall off his horse. Merlin yelped midair before touching the ground and landed hard on his back. “We’re under attack!” he yelled, jumping up, then looked at Arthur staring incredulously at him.
“Or…not…” Merlin trailed off.
“You really are an idiot,” Arthur said, rolling his eyes. “We’re almost to Mordrivale.”
“Oh, good. I get to stand around while you drink yourself to unconsciousness,” Merlin said.
In just a few more hours they had made it to the castle.
“Welcome to Mordrivale, King Arthur,” a servant said. “My name is Russell, the head serf here.”
Arthur nodded. Another servant took Merlin and Arthur’s horses. “I’ll bring them to the stables, sire,” he said.
“I’ll show you to your chambers,” Russell said, leading the way. The castle was heavily ornamented with candles, carpets, basins, and other gilded belongings. He opened the door at the end of a long stone corridor. “Here we are.”
“Thank you,” Arthur said.
“You’ll be sleeping in the servant’s quarters, we have prepared a bed for you,” Russell said to Merlin. Merlin stared.
“Don’t look so disappointed, Merlin,” Arthur said, patting Merlin’s back as Russell walked away. “I’m sure you’ll be comfortable. I know I will be.”
“I’m glad,” Merlin grumbled. “How long are we going to be here?”
“Just one night,” Arthur replied. “Now, my shirt needs ironing for tonight. Make sure to get right to it.”
*****
“Alright, the feast starts in about a hour, but certain festivities will already be taking place, as the preparations for the banquet are complete,” Oliver said. “Rowan and Henry, you will take the west tower. Erik and I will take the east tower. Tehra and Frederick, since you two are both stealthy and quick on your feet, you will take the main hall and King’s quarters.” Everyone nodded. “Be vigilant and careful. We meet back here outside the city walls at dawn.”
“The old team, together again,” Frederick said, grinning. They put on the hoods of their cloak. Surpassing the guards without trouble, they remained lingering in the courtyard until nightfall, the start of the feast. Loud music and laughter indicated the beginning of the dinner.
They entered the castle effortlessly as the guards were protecting the dining area. Hidden in the shadows, they were in the main hall, leading to the king and other royalty’s chambers.
“I’ll take the guests’ rooms,” Tehra whispered to Frederick “They’ll have many valuables they treasure too much to leave home, now they’re ours. You can take the king’s room and meeting hall.”
Frederick nodded. “Be careful,” he whispered, and crept away surreptitiously.
Tehra slipped into the first guest room. She plundered jeweled necklaces and bracelets from this room as well as the next. If she had to guess, these were the visitor rooms belonging to Queen Lena and her daughter, Princess Joan. She crept into the next room within the hallway. Whoever was staying here didn’t take much from their home kingdom, she noted. Looks they only took enough to travel by themselves on horseback.
She searched the night table, finding nothing but a set of keys. “Useless,” she muttered to herself. “Probably for gates and doors in their own domicile.”
With a start she heard footsteps approaching the room. She skulked towards the wardrobe and opened the doors, hiding behind what few clothes were hanging there.
“Spills his wine all over his shirt in his drunk stupor,” a man muttered. “Now he wants a new one.”
The footsteps approached her. Tehra drew her dagger and prepared herself for the man about to open the doors to wardrobe. A young serving boy opened the doors. He was lanky with short cropped black hair, sharp blue eyes and full lips.
“Uh,” the word barely escaped his mouth before Tehra put one hand against his mouth and the other with her dagger touching his throat.
“Utter another word and your life will abruptly end.” Tehra whispered viciously. “Who are you?”
The boy spoke quickly when Tehra removed her hand from his mouth. “My name is Merlin,” he said. “I’m King Arthur’s servant. I was just coming to get him a new shirt, he spilled wine all over the one he was wearing.”
Tehra glared at him. “You will not speak a word of finding me here to anyone, is that understood?”
Merlin nodded. Tehra climbed out of the small area of the wardrobe and landed lightly on the ground before looking back to the servant boy who loomed over her. Then they both heard footsteps approaching. Tehra realized in horror that they were headed towards the room.
“Your master?” she whispered to Merlin, but he shrugged.
As the doors opened, Tehra kissed Merlin, much to his surprise. After a moment of resistance, he kissed her back, moving his lips to Tehra’s slow rhythm. Tehra moved her hand up the back of Merlin’s shirt for the desired effect, and it worked. The man who had opened the doors cleared his throat loudly.
Tehra looked at the man as if in surprise, and Merlin stared at Tehra for a few seconds before turning to the man. King Arthur stood there with his large burly arms crossed. His fair hair was pulled back by his crown and his blue eyes stared solely at Merlin.
“Mind telling me what’s going on, Merlin?” Arthur snarled.
“I was…she…” Merlin drifted off, still in a state of confusion.
Arthur turned his attention to Tehra. “Your highness,” Tehra whimpered. “This man led me to believe these were his quarters, my sincerest apologies, my lord.”
“You may go,” Arthur grunted, returning his sight to the dazed Merlin.
Tehra walked swiftly past Arthur, but bumped into him as she passed.
“A thousand apologies, sire!” she exclaimed, looking fearful. “This man has also intoxicated me with cider, and I am not in my right mind.”
Arthur didn’t respond but signaled for her to go. Tehra bowed and grinned back at Merlin before departing.
“Merlin!” Arthur roared once Tehra had left. “What were you thinking?”
“I…” Merlin started before returning to his normal frame of mind. “She is a thief!”
“You expect me to believe she was a thief?” Arthur stormed. “You were practically on top of her! In my chambers!”
Merlin gawked at Arthur, trying to think of a way to explain, when he noticed something amiss.
“Your crown,” Merlin stuttered.
“What about it?”
“It’s…gone…” Merlin breathed.
Arthur’s hand flew to his head, discovering that he was, indeed, short of a crown.
“Bandit!” he yelled, running throughout the castle. “Thief!”
Tehra caught Frederick right before the warning bell was sounded all over the stronghold. Frederick looked at Tehra. “What happened?” he asked.
“No time,” she hissed, grabbing Frederick’s arm. They sprinted out of the castle and into the woods. Oliver and Erik were already back at their camp. They had heavy sacks upon their backs.
Oliver stared at them questioningly. “What happened back there?”
Frederick looked at Tehra and she looked down. “A servant boy entered the room I was looting.”
“You were not able to persuade him to keep his mouth shut?” Oliver asked skeptically.
“His master came in,” Tehra muttered. “And he went running and screaming down the halls as if he were in mortal danger.”
“He probably was with you around,” Rowan laughed as he jogged up alongside Henry. “Now that we’re all here, shouldn’t we be going?”
Tehra nodded, embarrassed at being the failure of this mission.
*****
“I’m sorry for the disruption,” Arthur apologized, now in his new shirt, kissing Princess Alys’s hand.
“I am sorry that you were robbed of your crown, and that we did not catch the perpetrator in time,” Alys replied, smiling reverently at Arthur.
“Look what I found!” a man cried out, and everyone turned to King Arthur’s servant, Merlin who had just entered. He held up Arthur’s crown.
“Well, at least you’re good for something,” Arthur mumbled. Merlin placed the crown back on Arthur’s head.
“It’s very fortunate that your servant is so attentive,” Princess Isabella noted.
Merlin looked at Arthur with an expectant grin.
Arthur glared. “I am indebted to you, Merlin.”
“It was nothing, sire,” Merlin beamed. Arthur harrumphed.
“Shall we get back to the feast, then?”
Everyone cheered.
Arthur kept his eyes on the beautiful Princess Alys throughout the feast, watching her dance joyously and chat with the other guests. He sighed with passion, and Merlin looked at him.
“Have your eyes on her, do you?” Merlin asked, though he was talking of the Princess Isabella, whom he himself had taken a fancy to.
“What can I say?” Arthur sighed. “She’s beautiful.”
“And what of Gwen?” Merlin referred to a woman blacksmith that Arthur had fallen in love with back in Camelot.
“Right!” Arthur nearly yelled as he crossed his arms. “I shall remain faithful to here, as she has to me, even throughout my trials and tribulations.”
Merlin looked back to Isabella. “But she is breathtaking.”
“Come along Merlin,” Arthur said, wrapping his arm around Merlin’s neck as if in a headlock. “She’s too old for you. Not to mention a princess.”
Merlin shrugged. “I can dream, can’t I?”
“Only if the dreams are of washing my clothes, shining my boots, and preparing the horses for the way back tomorrow.”
Merlin rolled his eyes. “Prat,” he said under his breath.