Breakfast

I awoke in front of the fireplace, which was still going, and found a red pillow to be under my head. I sat up and a red silk blanket slipped away from me. The room was dimly lit by the sunlight coming from a window, but no one seemed to be around. I got up quickly and made my way back to my own room, frightened i'd find Merlin and Edgar awake and unhappy.

Several servants were bustling about, but non of them paid me too much attention. When I reached Merlin's I opened the door quietly, thinking they may still be asleep. Yet, what I found when I opened the door was Merlin rushing around the room in a half-panicked state.

"Where are my shoes, Edgar? Did you move them? You must stop moving everything!" Merlin was looking under the table by the time I shut the door. Merlin heard the door and jumped, hitting his head against the table. "Ouch!"

Edgar was just sitting in front of the fireplace, shaking his head at Merlin. "He has just received word that the king has returned and is awaiting his presence at breakfast. What have you been up to, miss Fia? You were gone when we awoke this morning."

"I went for a walk in the castle." I said nervously.

"Found them!" Merlin cried. "Sister, you must get dressed at once." Merlin then rushed to find his belt.

Edgar helped me get ready by picking out a light green dress with golden trim for me to wear. "Why is Merlin so distressed?" I asked Edgar. "Surely he knows the king will not hold his being late against him."

"I believe our Merlin is simply eager to see his friend returned safely." He explained.

"That makes sense." I said, holding back the smile that crept towards my lips.

I walked with Merlin down to the dining hall where we found Uther and Aurelius, seated as they were when I first ate with them. Merlin greeted Aurelius with a hearty hug and slap on the back.

"It is good to have you back, sire." Merlin said, a great big smile on his face.

"It's good to be back." Aurelius replied. "Please, do have a seat."

We all sat down in the same arrangement as before, Aurelius at the head, Merlin and Uther to his sides and I next to Merlin. Our meal consisted of breads, meats, cheeses, and eggs, but i could hardly concentrate on my meal. I kept glancing over at Aurelius, who spoke animatedly with his brother and Merlin. He was now free of dirt and grime, and his hair was neatly combed. He wore a blue tunic, which seemed to make his eyes brighter, and a brown vest made of leather. When there was a lull in their conversing I thought to ask Aurelius about his wound, but thought better of it. I would not wish to make things awkward between everyone.

After a little while, a servant came in, keeping his head down and hands behind his back. "Sorry for the intrusion, master Merlin, but I cannot find your bucket to do my chores. I have searched practically everywhere."

Merlin's eyebrows furrowed and he glanced over at me, knowing full and well that I had left the room quite mysteriously before the bucket went missing. "Fia, what do you know of this? I used the bucket last night to smother the fire, it should have been by the door."

Vulnerability

I shook my head, "No, I hardly know anything about you." I rinsed my hands with water and grabbed the cloth again to clean around his wound. "Well, other than the fact that you are in dire need of bathing." I jested, hiding a smile.

Aurelius gave a half-smile. "Well, my apologies, I did not think to bathe before you came out of nowhere."

I gave a little smile. "So, how did you end up here in Camelot?" I asked as I began to dress his wound.

"It was a few years ago. I was probably about nineteen or twenty at the time and Uther was probably sixteen. Father was very bent on the both of us being great warriors, so we trained relentlessly. I took to it much faster than Uther, but it did not matter when the time came. Our castle was taken over, I cannot even remember by whom anymore. They attacked everyone from civilians to our parents, we had no time to prepare or draw our forces. My mother forced Uther and I to promise we would do everything we could to get out alive. Because of that, We... I abandoned our home, allowing them all to be slaughtered. I never even got the chance to fight." Aurelius took a deep, trembling breath and closed his eyes. "We eventually found ourselves here in Camelot, which was in an uproar over their king. Uther and I, still upset at the loss of our people, took this opportunity and killed the king who had deprived his people of the necessities to live. We had seen enough innocent people suffer." Aurelius lay his hand on mine, which I had not realized was still lying against his wound, even after I had dressed it. His hand was rough and calloused, and his eyes appeared dejected and vulnerable in the fire's glow. "I've grown very weary of fighting and death." He whispered softly, as if it were a half-secret half-wish. "Yet, I would rather die than abandon another kingdom to destruction. That is why Merlin is of great importance to Camelot. He could save us from the things that destroyed my previous home."

I slid my hand out from under his and rested my hands in my lap as I sat against my feet. His eyes looked as if he had lived a thousand lives. They reminded me of Edgar and Merlin; They're the kind of eyes that had innocence stollen from them and had dreams crushed.

Aurelius sighed. "I am sorry, I should not be burdening you with such things, I hardly know you." He had a hint of a smile on his face.

"I hardly know myself either." I said, gazing downward. I appear as if I've lived years, but really I have only lived for a week, with the exception of the two years of unconsciousness.

Aurelius pulled his legs up to himself and rested his right arm on his knees. "Merlin did not speak much about you, all though he does love to talk. Are you from the same land he is? Zelix, was it?" He gazed at me curiously.

I froze. What had Merlin told him? Aurelius was so vulnerable with me before, he deserved my vulnerability in return, but what would happen if he knew I was an alien? Surely Merlin had not told him those kinds of things.

"I don't mean to be rude or pry. If you don't want to speak of such things that is all right. Perhaps I am just use to Merlin's chatty nature."

"I don't remember my home." I said quietly, shaking my head. "I left before I was even a day old."

"You don't say!" He exclaimed. "You appear so much older than a child. You should be what? Two? This does baffle me so!"

My heart began to race, he knew way more than I expected. I started to back away, but he quickly grabbed my arm.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He spoke softly and his grip on my arm was light. "I did not mean to frighten you I should have been more careful."

I looked into his eyes, fear still pumping through my body. "I..." I tried to talk, not even sure of what I could say. This man knew me about as well as I knew myself, and it frightened me. There is one question that has continued to haunt me ceaselessly: "Who am I?" Warm tears cascaded down my face and my body began to tremble.

Aurelius pulled me to him, allowing my head to rest against his chest, his strong arms holding me. "You're Fia." He whispered soothingly. "You are brave, because you have ventured here. You are patient, because you have put up with my brother and I. You are kind, because you have chosen to care for me when I was hurt and listen to my burdensome story. And you are lovely. In everything you do, you are just lovely." He rested his head on my own, no longer trying to soothe me with words, but simply with his presence, and I have to wonder how I ever thought he could be cold-natured.

An Early Return

I lay awake that night, thinking of all the magic and healing I had learned. I rolled to my side and looked out the window. The stars twinkled in their navy blue blanket, and I wondered if my real home was up there. My heart hurt as I thought of the possibility of there not even being a home left to return to. This weighed on me so heavily, yet I am so grateful to have Edgar and Merlin. Surely it weighs on them more than I, since this is the only planet I have known. Looking at the stars, I felt I could hear them all whispering wishes into the night, and I whispered my own, "Please, let my home be saved... let me meet my parents and see them safe from this terror."

Letting out a sigh, I looked out into the streets before the castle and saw three figures riding up on horses. I sat up quickly and pushed my face to the window to get a better look. Aurelius was back early, and the two knights from before were following him. They took their horses to the stable's next to the castle and were then making their way inside. I slid out of my bed and opened the door gently. The door let out a soft creek, but neither Merlin nor Edgar stirred. I grabbed a purple colored cape to cover my night dress and tiptoed past Merlin's cot and made sure not to get too close to Edgar's large ears as he snoozed on a small bed made of hay in front of the unlit fireplace.

I opened the door and shut it as quietly as I could, and then made my way down the steps of the corridor to the entrance. I stood against the wall, a few steps up from the bottom where the door lied. Aurelius came in with the two knights, a smell of sweat wafted instantly into the large room of the castle. The two knights went up the left corridor, opposite of the one I resided in, and Aurelius made his way forward between the corridors, where he would find his chambers I presumed.

Aurelius stopped, not far from where he started, and leaned against the stone wall, gripping at his left shoulder.

"Aurelius?" I called, a little worried by his actions.

Aurelius stood straight up and spun around, trying to appear natural, and looked at me as I descended the rest of the steps and walked over to him.

"Are you hurt?" I asked, reaching towards his left shoulder.

"No, no." he said, taking a step back.

"You don't have to hide things from me, your majesty." I said. I noticed his chain-mail was torn at the space between his collarbone and shoulder.

"It's nothing." He said, but I knew he was lying.

"Let me help you." I said as I began to steer him towards the corridor. "Your quarters are this way, right?"

"Yes." He said, not putting up a fight. Women seemed to have great power here. Once we got to his room, where a nice big bed laid out in the middle and to the left of a fireplace, I had him sit down.

"Sit in front of the fireplace." I ordered as I grabbed some logs and nestled them into position for the fire.

Aurelius sunk down against his bed, his wounded side closest to the fire. He closed his eyes and rested his head back against his bead. "I'll be all right, really."

I glanced at him, but he did not move or flutter an eye. I stuck my hand out above the wood and closed my own eyes. I concentrated on the thought of a fire and quickly felt the tongues of flames licking at my palm. Moving my hand back, I looked to Aurelius, but his eyes were still shut. I moved closer to him and said, "I need to see your wound, that way I know how to treat it."

Aurelius sighed and shifted forward. I helped him pull off his chain-mail, and instantly saw a giant blood stain, darkening his already red tunic. Pulling off his tunic I was relieved to see that the wound was not deep, but the fact that it had not stopped bleeding was a little unnerving. He looked at me, dirt caked on his face and darkening his hair. "What's the diagnosis?"

"Let me run upstairs to my chamber, I need to get some agrimony and water to clean this up." I said, standing up, he simply leaned back and closed his eyes.

I run back upstairs to my corridor, being careful not to trip in the darkness of the castle. When I reached the room I tried my best to open the door quietly. At the table I found the medicine Merlin had made while teaching me how to stop bleeding, and grabbed a small bucket of water with a cloth along with dressing for his wound. I closed the door and went back down stairs and into Aurelius' room. Aurelius had not moved, blood trickled down his side. I sat in front of him and used the cloth and water to soak up some of the blood.

Aurelius gave a little startle. "That's cold, you could have warned me." He said, looking into my eyes.

I shook my head and focused on tending to his wound. "You're right, sorry your majesty."

"Please, you don't need to address me so formally."

I applied the agrimony to his wound. "Then what shall I call you? Ari?" I asked, giggling a little.

"If that is what you like." He said. His face was gentle, yet he seemed to have aged years from only a couple days of battle. "My mother sometimes called me that." He said softly, smiling to himself. Yet, as quickly as it came, his smile all but vanished, and a serious tone took its place. "Have you heard of how Uther and I got here?"

Magic and Herbs

I spent a lot of time with Merlin, watching him work with people, concocting potions to help illnesses or scraps. He appears to be not only a knowledgable person of magic, but also a healer. He taught me a few things here and there as he would grind herbs with a mortar.

After our lunch with Uther, Merlin took me back to the room, planning on teaching me some magic. He sat me down in front of the fireplace and turned to grab some wood.

"You have to be very careful when you use magic, sister, for it always comes with a price." Merlin sat next to me, setting some logs in the fireplace. "Always remember, the weightier the spell is, the bigger the price. For instance, the price for fire is wood." Merlin closed his eyes and stretched his arm over the wood. "Our people practiced magic based on wishes, so our strength comes from wishing." Merlin then moved his hand back as flames jumped up from the logs, leaping in the cool air. "Simple as that." He said, turning to look at me. "Ready to give it a shot?"

I nodded, and Merlin placed his hand over the fire, and instantly the tongues vanished. I stretched my hand over the fire and closed my eyes. I hardly even imagined what a fire would be like before I felt the warmth under my palm. I opened my eyes and pulled my hand back. "I hardly did anything!" I exclaimed.

Merlin smiled, "That is because your name is Fia, fire is your specialty. You'll be able to control fire and heat as easily as breathing before you know it." Merlin stood up and brushed the dirt from his hands on his tan tunic.

Edgar came over, getting tired of being stuck in the back room. "Are we playing with fire?" He asked.

I smiled. "Yes, what else would we do? Say, Edgar, did you have a specialty back at home? Like, i'm supposed to be good with fire, were you good at something?"

Edgar chuckled to himself. "Believe it or not I was very good with our animals. At our first planet I was quite the farmer. I suppose it would only be fitting to be a rabbit now."

"Did we have animals like the ones here?" I asked.

"No, not exactly like these, but they served the same purposes." Edgar explained.

I looked back at Merlin. "What is your specialty, brother?"

Merlin's eyebrows furrowed. "I do not know. I have been searching my whole life for something to call my own, but I have yet to find it."

Edgar hopped over to Merlin and stared up at him. "I have watched you many years, I find that to be quite the opposite. You have never found something to be bad at. You, Merlin, are the most powerful person of magic yet."

"Oh, you're just saying that." Merlin said, shaking his head, but you could tell he was hiding a smile behind his disbelief. "Now, sister, let me show you how to make a blood-clotting solution from herbs. Using herbs is one way to save a life without the price of magic, and should always be used first." He motioned at me. "Follow me to the table." I followed Merlin and sat across from him. He grabbed an herb known as agrimony, a beautiful yellow flowered plant, and ground it up. Once ground up he added a little water to it to make it more of a pasty consistency. "Once you have it like this, you simply rub it over the wood and it should stop the bleeding." He explained. "This is something that will most likely come in handy, so do not forget it."

Talking Rabbits

Later that night, as I lay in Merlin's bed, I couldn't help but think about Aurelius fighting for his life out there. He just seemed so child-like before with the way his hair is always sticking up somewhere, and now he would be clothed in armor. I sighed, rolling over to look out the window that was in the wall that Merlin's bed rested. Camelot was quiet, cloaked in a dark blue sheet of night. I hoped Edger was getting along well with the Saxon disturbance.

Then I noticed something odd, a white blog in the darkness of night. I sat up to get a better look. It was definitely Edgar hopping down the road towards the castle. He was hauling what looked like a decently sized bag made of canvas, constantly glancing around at his surroundings.

I jumped up and opened the door that separated Merlin's sleeping room from his main room to find Merlin sleeping on a cot. "Merlin! Edger is outside!"

Merlin sat up, looking around frantically. "What?" He rubbed his eyes. "Edgar? I did not know he would come so quickly." He got up from his cot and stubbled to a window. "Why, that's just a rabbit, sister."

I suppressed a laugh. "Yes, a rabbit in a top coat carrying a canvas bag."

"That is a bit suspicious." He turned to look at me, nothing registering, and then he gasped. "Edgar is a rabbit!"

I allowed myself to laugh that time. "Yes, Edgar was transformed into a rabbit."

"You failed to mention that during our discussions." He glared at me and then gave way to a little smile. "I will go fetch him." Merlin pulled on some boots and then headed out the door.

I went back to the window. Edgar hadn't made too much distance, having a hard time with such a large bag. Merlin didn't take long to reach Edgar, taking the weighty bag from Edgar and lead him into the castle. I then moved to sit in a chair at Merlin's table, facing the door.

"My, you know, some dusting wouldn't hurt!" Cried Edgar, already getting nit-picky about his surroundings.

Merlin then opened the door, letting Edgar in. Edgar came over to me, grabbing my hands in excitement as Merlin dropped his bag next to the door.

"Good to see you again, Edgar." I said, smiling at his fuzzy face.

His whiskers twitched. "Oh, this is far better than I ever expected! We are to be treated as royalty!" he cried.

Merlin cleared his throat. "Well, perhaps Fia and I, but we can't let others see you Edgar. A talking rabbit in a topcoat, no matter how fashionable, is very suspicious."

Edgar nodded. "Yes, of course."

We spent a long time chatting with one another, including a long detailed report of Edgar's day, which mainly consisted of all the cleaning he did around his cottage. It was all so perfect, as if I finally have a family, as odd as it may be, and I think this place could really be home.

The Saxons

Aurelius sat staring at his food, his hands folded in his lap. His hair was mostly tamed now with the exception of the side of his head where he had been resting it against his hand. I had to fight off a smile after noticing that, it made him appear childlike.

"The food is very nice." I said. I figured if I am going to be here a while I must learn to make the best of it, even if it does mean speaking with this questionable king.

He looked up at me, his eyes squinting a little. "Yes, I suppose it is." He exhaled rather loudly and poked at a grape. "I feel I must apologize for my actions earlier, it was unchivalrous of me."  He sighed again looking towards the doors across from him.

I wondered if he wants to leave as much as I do. "That's all right... You were just trying to protect Merlin."

He gazed over at me, eyebrows furrowed, "I... Yes, yes."

Suddenly the doors burst open, two guards came rushing in with great panic on their faces and sweat dripping from the tips of their hair. "Sire, the Saxons are just about across our border, they've killed four of our men already." They were both young, possibly younger than both Aurelius and Uther, how sad that they would have to risk their lives so young.... One stood tall, hair like a grizzly's reaching his shoulder, and the other had hair like straw, but with a hint of strawberries to it. Their faces seemed kind, but their panic and urgency over took them.

Aurelius stood up quickly. "I must go change at once, you two gather more forces, you can explain the rest on the way." The two nodded and ran off quickly; Aurelius turned to me. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you can find your way back, tell Merlin I will return in three days hence." And before I could say a word Aurelius was gone.

Dinner

I hesitated. "I should head back to see Edger, you can go on without me."

Merlin gave me a reassuring smile. "It's getting dark outside, Edgar can wait. Don't worry, I promise Aurelius won't be a bother to you."

I looked down at my bare feet, which were coated with dirt. I just didn't know how to feel about everything that happened. It may be that I'm experiencing everything so vividly because I'm new to this human life, but all of these emotions are tiring me out.

"It really bothers you, doesn't it?" Merlin asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Looking up at my brother I saw great concern in his eyes. I nodded. "He just changed so quickly... it was frightening, Merlin." I took a deep breath and let it out. "Is he really like that with all the girls?"

Merlin was quiet for a moment, thinking. "I can't say that he's much different, but the coldness you thought you saw in him was a protective wall. He and his brother have been through a lot, sometimes I have noticed he just shuts down. It's hard to explain, maybe with time you will understand."

I had no idea what Merlin was speaking about, most of the stories I knew were about Arthur, and I know a little about Uther as king, but I'm not sure Aurelius was put into my mind when I came here. I sighed, looking out the window. It was almost completely dark now. "I'm worried that Edger will be worried." I told Merlin. "He seemed sad to see me go after we had been reunited."

Merlin smiled. "Don't worry your little head about that, sister." He walked over to the window, which was still open, and placed both hands down on the stone. The wrist with which he wore his bracelet began to glow faintly, casting a mesmerizing green tint to it. Shortly after a sparrow came and fluttered down next to his right hand, looking up at him eagerly. Merlin muttered to the bird and then the sparrow took off. He closed the window then looked back to me. "Edger will get your message of safety and a long awaited greeting from myself, all is well." Picking up the candle from the table, Merlin walked back over to me. "Shall we go eat the royalty's delectable food?"

I nodded and walked with Merlin. "Will I be able to do things as you did someday?" I asked in amazement, still astonished by the way he easily communicated with the sparrow.

"You mean with the sparrow?" He asked.

I nodded.

"Oh, sister. I will teach you so much more. We have far to go to save home." He chuckled.

We finally entered a long dining room with the family crest hanging above a long table. At the head of the table sat Aurelius, clothed in the traditional king garb, unlike before, and a king's crown resting upon his head. To the left was Uther, wearing nice clothes as well, and a smaller crown upon his head. Uther was taking a role of a prince, since Aurelius had seniority, but Aurelius listened well to Uther's ideals, at least that's what Merlin had told me.

"Glad you could join us." Aurelius stated, seeming less cold, but far from pleasant.

"We lost time catching up, sorry, sire." Merlin took his seat across from Uther, and I sat next to Merlin. The table was full of food, several plates were coated with fruits, loaves of bread, and some kind of cooked bird. I think it is a chicken.

"Now, Merlin, you don't need to address me in such a way, you know you can do me no wrong." Aurelius said, seeming to lighten up a bit. "Let us eat."

A few servants would flutter in and out, filling our cups with water or wine. We ate mostly in silence, with the exception of a few stories Uther felt he must tell, with which most were about funny things people had said or embarrassing stories of Aurelius. It's a wonder that Aurelius has not snapped with Uther, if he could hardly put up with for one day, I huffed to myself. The food was delicious, every bite I took sent my taste buds on a flooded ride of flavor. I wonder why our people did not give in to the tastes of these delicious foods more often.

"Merlin," Uther began, after a short silence. "I need your opinion on something, would you care to walk me back to my chambers?"

"Of course, Uther." Merlin stood up, heading out with Uther, and I felt everything I had just eaten was about to come back again all too soon. Surely Merlin wouldn't leave me...

Yet, I was now with Aurelius, alone.