𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑟 - 𝐿𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑀𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑎𝑛𝑎

━━━━━━ ✧◦☉◦✧ ━━━━━━

━━━━━━ ✧◦☉◦✧ ━━━━━━

Merlin sat on the dirty floor of his cell among the straw and threw a pebble at the wall opposite the one he was leaning against. He paused for a moment, raised his head and turned to look at the bars of his cell when he heard echoes.

He got to his feet and curiously approached his cell door. Suddenly Millicent appeared in front of him, startling him. He didn't know how she had found out he was there, but he didn't dare ask. He remained silent for a moment, trying to gauge his sister's state of mind.

They stared into each other's eyes for a few moments and suddenly Millicent lunged for the bars, thrusting her arm through to grab her brother's shirt. But he, who knew his sister by heart, barely managed to jump back. "Ahah !" he shouted, proud that he hadn't been caught.

If he had any doubts, this action made it clear to Merlin that she was furious.

"You're not going to get away with this Merlin, I'm going to kill you," she said, confirming what he had already thought.

Attracted by the noise, one of the guards came up behind Millicent. Merlin looked at him. "Is this solid ?" The guard didn't seem to understand. "Are the bars solid ?" The guard looked at him, stunned. Was he asking that in order to escape ? Because if so it was the stupidest thing he could have done.

Merlin understood what was going through the guard's mind and shook his head in the negative. "No, no, I don't want to get out, I want to make sure she can't get in."

The guard glared at Millicent before looking in turn at the two wizards, understanding nothing of what they were witnessing. "Twins," Millicent said simply, enlightening him to the situation.

A low chuckle rang out from the soldier's throat in reply, and he gave Merlin a sympathetic look before walking back to the dungeon entrance, leaving him alone with his sister.

"I can explain," he began to justify himself.

A guttural sound came from Millicent's throat. "You better. But you see, I thought about it on my way here and I couldn't find a single acceptable explanation for you trying to hit a prince. A prince, Merlin ! For God's sake !"

Merlin didn't know how she knew that, but once again he didn't dare ask. He should defend himself first. "A prince, perhaps, but an ass, I can assure you."

"I know," she whispered, annoyed.

"You met him ?" he asked, surprised. "You met Arthur ?"

"Prince prat ? Alas, I did."

"Is he still alive ?" Merlin almost worried.

Millicent rolled her eyes. "Of course he is, Merlin !"

"I was just asking..." he murmured, feeling that the more he talked, the more he was getting on his sister's nerves.

"I'm not like you," she said with an ironic and knowing smile. Merlin gave her a sheepish smile that caused her to raise her eyes once more.

Then he had the hope that she would be more lenient with him, now that he knew she had met that jerk. "You've met him, you should understand. Except maybe if he acted differently with girls."

Millicent sneered, not at all amused. "Believe me, he acts worse with them."

"Then you can't be mad at me, right ?" Merlin swallowed as he saw his sister's gaze as stern as ever, perhaps even more so. "Right...?" he tried to ask again in a small and unnaturally high voice, pitiful.

"Oh, can't I ? You think I can't ? I'm more than angry Merlin, I'm furious !" she snapped. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Do you remember everything Gaius told us ?"

"Oh, roughly..." Merlin said nervously, scratching the back of his neck.

"You did the exact opposite !" She exclaimed again. "At everything ! From his quarters to the drawbridge, you managed to find yourself in a cell !"

"But he's going to get me out, isn't he ?" He asked, suddenly worried about his fate.

"I hope for your sake he can. I haven't spoken to him yet. But you must stop acting like this, Merlin. Stop being selfish and start thinking about others and the consequences of your own actions."

"How can I be selfish when I am in a cell ? "

"We live with Gaius, the court physician. Our actions affect his name by example. You haven't even thought about it. That's what I mean by selfish." The more she spoke, the more ashamed Merlin felt. Then she softened a little and sighed. "And think of me. I am not going to help get you out of situations like this every day. You're going to kill me with worry one day, Merlin..."

"I'm sorry..."

"Listen, don't move..." Merlin looked at her, showing the walls around him. She grinned, sorry. "I mean... Don't speak. To anyone. Please. And let me handle this. I'll talk to Gaius."

He nodded, and as she started to leave, he called her back. "Millicent." She stopped and turned back to him. "Thank you."

🎕

"I've found you a paid work !" exclaimed Gaius with a big smile on his face, his hand raised, happy to announce this to his niece as she walked into his quarters.

Millicent froze, finding nothing more to tell him about what had just happened. "Merlin's in jail."

She looked at him with a forced smile, waiting for his reaction, not knowing what else to say. Gaius' smile faltered and he let his arms fall back around his body. "He what ?" he asked before shaking his head. "I... He... How ?"

"Well, funny story," she began nervously. "He saw a knight playing a little too rough with a servant during a training session, if I'm not mistaken, but it wasn't really a knight. It was..."

"Arthur ?" Gaius said with a sigh, closing his eyes and cutting her off.

"Oh, so he really is like that with everyone." Millicent snorted a sarcastic laugh.

"He's a prince."

"Yeah, he liked to say that."

"Wait, you met him too ? You were with Merlin when it happened ?"

"If I was, do you really think Merlin would be in a cell right now ?" she asked as if the answer was obvious. "No, I had the honour of meeting Prince Prat after that little... row ?"

"Little row, eh ? I hope, for Merlin's sake, the King sees things the same way you do." Gaius said before heading for the door to his quarters.

"So you'll help him, won't you ?" she asked as she followed on his heels.

"Of course I'm going to help him. And you, you come with me."

🎕🎕

"I have very little time for you Gaius, for as you know Lady Helen is coming soon, so speak and be quick." Millicent, standing a little further back beside her uncle Gaius, faced the King in the huge throne room. The king sat on his throne. And not far away was the beautiful girl with the long black hair she had seen through the window of the castle the day before at the execution of Thomas James Collins, and behind her was another girl she assumed to be her maid.

"I won't be long." Gaius cleared his throat, he glanced at Millicent and for that moment she had a bad feeling, but she had no time to wonder as Gaius spoke. "As I'm sure Lady Morgana has already told you, I have offered her the services of my niece as her maid."

At these words, Millicent suddenly turned towards Gaius, trying to hide the surprise on her face. That was a low blow. Working for the nobility. Suddenly, the idea of working in a tavern, as Merlin had imagined two days before, seemed much more acceptable to her.

Millicent's eyes fell on the girl standing not far from the king with her servant. The famous Lady Morgana, she guessed. The girl gave her a discreet smile.

Millicent stood up straight, feeling the king's stern gaze on her. Uther placed a hand under her chin. "As I told her, and as you know, Gaius, Lady Morgana already has a maid, in addition to all those who serve at the castle."

Morgana frowned slightly, as if displeased by what she had heard. She suddenly looked innocent before turning her head towards the King and giving him her beautiful, ingenuous smile. "Well, I'm the king's ward, so two wouldn't be too many. Besides... it would give Guinevere more free time, and if they're more rested they'll be more efficient."

Uther frowned slightly as he watched the one Millicent assumed to be Guinevere. "Guinevere is bad at her job ? Doesn't she suit you ? We can replace her if she's not efficient."

Guinevere's face began to drop, frightened at the thought of losing her position. Morgana shook her head sharply, immediately correcting this misinterpretation. "No !" she exclaimed. She cleared her throat and regained some composure. "I mean... Everyone knows that Guinevere is the best maid in all of Camelot."

"Then why would you want a second ?"

Seeing the King's behaviour made Millicent understand even more why Arthur was such an ass. The apple had obviously not fallen far from the tree.

"Do you know how complicated it is for women to put on and take off clothes ? An extra pair of hands wouldn't go amiss," Morgana tried to be humorous now. Millicent was even surprised that it was so complicated for her to get what she wanted. She thought a woman like her could have anything she wanted.

And she wondered why she was going to all this trouble to get the King to accept her. After all, he had a point. She already had a maid. Guinevere.

"And most ladies of the court get by with less than you have at your disposal, Morgana."

"But I'm your ward, don't you think I'm entitled to more than most ?" She looked up at him with doe eyes, batting her eyelashes with a tender smile. "Please... There will be nothing for you to worry about. Guinevere will teach her everything, all we need is your approval."

Uther sighed before looking at Gaius. "Is your niece a responsible person ? You know I want only the best for Lady Morgana."

Gaius straightened up, his posture haughty. And he nodded solemnly. "I will vouch for her." Millicent was surprised by Gaius' support, as he didn't know her very well and she had been far from showing him the best side of her personality since her arrival. But the fact that he was willing to take risks for her warmed her heart and made her smile discreetly.

Uther looked at Morgana again. "Very well then. As you said, Morgana, you are my ward and you know I can't refuse you anything."

Morgana contained her joy as she shared a knowing smile with Guinevere. "Thank you, Your Grace," Gaius said with a nod. He glanced at Millicent who imitated him.

Uther looked at Gaius as he cleared his throat a second time. The king wondered what his physician was still doing here. "Gaius ? Do you have anything to add ?"

"Well..." He sounded nervous.

"Speak at last, Gaius."

"My niece has a brother, Merlin. And due to an unfortunate... misunderstanding, he was sent to a cell... by Prince Arthur, sir."

"Yes, I've heard that my son sent a boy to the dungeons, and you tell me he's your nephew ?"

"Alas, sir," Gaius sighed, jaded. "I'm afraid it is."

Uther hummed thoughtfully. "That is unfortunate indeed. But I do not have time to deal with it tonight, Gaius, we are waiting for Lady Helen."

Gaius sighed and looked forlornly at Millicent. He walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, indicating that he should go with her. "Come, we'll sort this out tomorrow," he whispered to her.

Just as they had decided to leave the matter in abeyance, the king seemed to reverse his decision. He raised his hand to stop them as they were about to leave. "Wait, Gaius."

"Sir ?"

"You have been a loyal friend for many years, and it gives me no pleasure to see you leave so upset. Perhaps I could spare you a few minutes before Lady Helen arrives to sort out this unfortunate problem."

"Believe me, sir, I wish to resolve this matter as quickly as you do."

"It has been brought to my attention that your nephew has insulted and attempted to physically assault my son. Therefore, Arthur have decided to put him in a cell. Can you explain to me how you think this is a misunderstanding ?"the king asked.

As Gaius thought of an answer for Uther, Millicent took a step forward. "If you'll allow me, my lord..." She paused and bowed her head slightly, a sign of false submission to the king and, more importantly, to avoid her uncle's gaze.

Uther motioned for her to continue. "I was not present when it happened, but I had the great honour of meeting your son, the Prince." Millicent tried to keep the slightest hint of sarcasm out of her voice, even though every word she had just spoken almost scratched her vocal chords.

"And after talking to the prince and my brother, I can easily retrace the event. My brother witnessed a scene which he misinterpreted. On his way to visit the magnificent city outside these walls, Merlin thought he was rescuing a young boy. While your son was simply training with knights, accompanied by his servant, my brother thought he saw a boy being martyred by bullies."

Uther sat up slightly on his throne, surprisingly attentive to Millicent's words. She could feel the pressure building as she realised she held all the cards to get Merlin out of this mess.

Millicent saw the king raise his eyebrows. Surely he had not appreciated the comparison between his son and a bully. The witch tried to make up for it quickly. "Of course, if he had been more attentive, he would never have had the audacity to confuse the prince with a simple bully."

Uther seemed to reflect before speaking again. "Indeed, it looks to me like a misunderstanding. And I would hope that Gaius would not have brought someone dangerous to court, but I cannot overlook the violence he intended to show."

Millicent nodded as if she agreed with everything the King had said. "I agree completely. Violence is no solution. And my brother is not a violent man. We were brought up by our mother alone, my brother and I have only known the gentleness of a mother, and he is not a warlike person."

Was she suggesting that her brother was a big girl's blouse ? Well, sort of. Was he ? Not really. Would Merlin kill her if he heard the way she described him ? There was a good chance. Was that the worst she was going to say ? No, the worst was yet to come.

"And to tell you the truth, sir, my brother is someone... How can I say this..." Millicent deliberately fidgeted with her fingers as if nervous, searching for the words she had already chosen in her mind.

"Well, speak up, he's not here to hear anyway," the king grew impatient.

"Let's say... he's rather... slow on the uptake."

Gaius' eyes widened, as did the King's, and even Lady Morgana and her maid's, understanding the undertone Millicent had deliberately placed in her words. "Oh..." The king fell back in his chair. "You mean that..."

Millicent nodded sadly with a downcast expression. "Yes."

Yes, Millicent had just made her brother out to be a mental retard who was more like a woman than a grown man, and she'd done it shamelessly. And she would do it again in a heartbeat if she had to. For one thing, it was the only solution she could think of, and for another, he deserved it. She was the one who had to get him out of this mess, so he would have no say in how she did it.

"Even in my small village, we have heard that you are a just and magnanimous king, and I dare hope that you will show mercy to my brother, who has seen an act meant to be heroic turn into an unconscious mistake." Gaius looked on in astonishment, not knowing her to be so eloquent, and a certain admiration for her intelligence, tinged with a slight fear at the manipulation she was displaying.

Uther ran a hand under his chin before resting his eyes on Gaius. "Well, I suppose I could let him out, but he still needs to be punished to understand the consequences of his actions."

Millicent nodded. "You are quite right, Your Majesty." But a slight fear came over her. "And just what kind of punishment are you talking about ?" She hoped her brother wouldn't have his finger cut off like the thieves. That would be most unfortunate.

Just as the king seemed to be thinking, Gaius intervened again. "Allow me to make a suggestion, my lord."

"Go on, what do you have in mind ?"

"Perhaps the pillory would be more than enough."

The king considered the matter before nodding. "It seems reasonable to me. But I don't think I can arrange it before tomorrow."

"Oh, let him spend the night in the dungeon," Millicent said suddenly, surprising herself. She'd been completely out of character for a moment, having just thought that spending the night in the dungeon would teach her brother a few lessons. Now the King and Gaius had turned on her.

"I mean... I told you, my brother takes a long time to understand, but he always does in the end. I'm sure a night in the dungeon will make him think. And he's wasted enough of your time and your son's already."

Millicent held back a small, petty smile. Gaius could see that she took great pleasure in convincing the King to leave her brother in the dungeon for the night.

"Well, Gaius, at least you have a responsible niece, that's remarkable. It's a shame it's the girl who's inherited that trait though." Millicent's smile froze at the comment. She forced it back onto her face.

"Well, I will try to instil that sense of responsibility in my brother and share it with him," she barely managed to articulate between her clenched teeth.

What an obnoxious jerk.

Millicent and Gaius bowed one last time before leaving the throne room. "You're really cruel, you know that ?" said Gaius in a whisper, but with a smirk that betrayed his amusement. He said that about everything she had just said about her brother.

"I know," she huffed with a slight sneer.

Morgana watched Gaius and Millicent disappear behind the huge door of the room before turning to Uther. "Can I go too, just for a few moments ?"

"I told you I wanted you to be with me to greet Lady Helen," the King replied in his stern voice.

"Please, I'll be quick."

The King sighed. "You'd better be here when Lady Helen arrives." She didn't even let him finish before Morgana walked out, Guinever at her heels.

As Millicent and Gaius made their way to his quarters, Millicent heard a voice calling out to her. They both stopped and as the brunette turned she saw Lady Morgana hurrying towards her.

Before she realised what was happening, she heard Gaius shy away from her. "I'll wait for you in my quarters." She glanced at her uncle, hoping he would not abandon her in the face of the king's ward, but he was already on his way.

Coward.

Looking ahead, Millicent saw that Morgana had reached her, her maid behind her. Millicent bowed, trying to make a rather dubious curtsy. Morgana gestured to stop her. "Oh no, no need for that," she said with a smile.

Millicent looked at the King's Ward, wondering what she had come to follow her for, and she quickly cleared up the mystery. "You're going to work for me and we haven't even had time to exchange a few words."

Morgana wanted to get to know her new regular maid, but Millicent believed that Morgana had come to give her instructions or something, not to exchange pleasantries. Yes, it had to be said, Millicent had a very strong opinion of the nobility.

Millicent pretended to be more grateful than she really was, seeing her new position as more of a poisoned chalice than anything else. And as they faced each other, Millicent couldn't help but ask the question that had been burning in her mind, feeling that she could speak more freely to the young woman than to her guardian.

"I thank you for that, I assure you, but... may I ask why you accepted ?" This question seemed to take Morgana by surprise. Millicent then explained her reasoning. "You must understand that I am unfamiliar with all these customs and I am in danger of being a very poor servant. Especially compared to Guinevere," she added, indicating Guinevere with a wave of her hand.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Guinevere replied with a comforting smile. "We all started somewhere."

"All maids could be considered bad compared to Guinevere," Morgana said in praise of her maid, which surprised Millicent. She was rather pleasant at the moment. Which surprised her, given that she had grown up surrounded by the Tyrant King and the Prince Prat. "She's been doing this for a long time and she's very good at it."

"Then why ?"

Morgana's expression softened further. "Gaius helps me a lot, so it makes me happy to return the favour. And obviously you're already in a lot of trouble with... what's his name ?" she asked, slightly confused. "Your brother."

"Merlin."

"Yes, Merlin. So if there's anything I can do to help, I'd be happy to."

Millicent frowned slightly, taken aback by all this kindness. For apart from Gaius, all of Millicent's encounters since arriving in Camelot had been rather tumultuous. "We are strangers."

Morgana had no time to reply when a guard came to call her, informing her that the King wanted her back at his side. She looked at Millicent and felt sorry. Without warning, she placed a hand on Millicent's, which surprised her. "I'm really sorry, but I don't have much time for you now."

Now that sounded a bit more like any highborn lady. She was just a servant now, and even without that title she was just a common girl, so why should she bother to grant her anything ? But what disturbed Millicent most was that the King's Ward seemed sincere in her words and genuinely disappointed that their exchange had to be cut short.

"But I want us to get to know each other better, okay ?" Millicent nodded slowly, confused, and then Morgana released her hand before walking away. But unlike when she had come to meet her, Guinevere was not hot on her mistress's heels. She was still there, facing Millicent.

"You look troubled."

"Well, she's..."

"Kind ?" Guinevere's question wasn't really a question. She looked at Millicent with her head tilted slightly, a soft mocking smile on her lips.

"Yes," Millicent admitted.

"And that surprises you ?"

Millicent arched an eyebrow as if the answer to that question was obvious. "Well, yes." She was even surprised that it seemed so normal to the maid.

"I see, nobles..." she said in a knowing tone.

"And besides, she grew up with Prince Arthur, so..." Millicent couldn't help adding. She had expected a female namesake of the Prince, not his opposite.

Guinevere seemed horrified at the comparison between the two. "My God, don't compare them. Arthur is a bit of a bully."

"He's a prince."

This remark, both bold and sincere, drew a soft laugh from Guinevere. "Your brother's deed was brave." Millicent looked curiously at Guinevere. "I saw what happened from one of the windows in Lady Morgana's chambers," she explained.

Millicent sighed, "I would have preferred to say stupid, but that's what he is."

Another light chuckle left Guinevere's lips before she gave Millicent another polite smile. "I have to go."

"Of course," Millicent acknowledged with a bow of her head. She straightened, clasping her hands in front of her as if to ground herself.

"And don't worry. I'm sure you'll get on well with Morgana and I'll be there to help you."

"Thank you, Guinevere."

"Oh, call me Gwen, please," she insisted, a gleam of amusement in her eyes.

"Call me Milli then."

"See you later, Milli." Gwen gave her a final nod of encouragement before turning away, her skirts swishing softly as she walked down the corridor, leaving Millicent to catch her breath before facing her new duties.

🎕🎕🎕

Guinevere came to collect Millicent from Gaius' quarters in the early hours of the morning, just as the castle was waking up. The young woman was to spend the day with the King's ward's maid, absorbing her habits and daily routine.

The first few hours were strange for Millicent. She tried to be discreet, not to get in the way, not to disturb. So much so that at times she felt like a silent shadow following in Guinevere's wake. Truth be told, she felt more useful as a decorative plant than in any other role. She watched Guinevere's every move, analysed the way she spoke to others, noted every detail : what she did, how she did it, why, for whom, when. So many things that might have seemed insignificant to an outsider, but suddenly took on crucial importance.

Fortunately, the first part of the morning did not end with this quiet observation. Guinevere, aware of her new apprentice's discomfort, took the time to talk to her. She told her of her daily life, not only in the castle, but also outside, in the lower town. She spoke of the busy streets, the stalls she sometimes visited and the people she knew. She spoke with a simplicity that made Millicent think she had glimpsed another world, far beyond the stone walls of Camelot.

As the two young women strolled through the busy streets of the city, Guinevere completed the explanations that Millicent had missed on her first visit. Millicent listened with interest, but suddenly there was a gleam of mischief in her eyes. She turned her head towards Gwen and smiled.

"Tell me, Gwen, would you mind if we went to see my brother at the stocks ?"

Guinevere paused for a second before shaking her head in amusement. A smile spread across her face. "Not at all, a little support wouldn't do him any harm, I suppose."

Millicent let out a small laugh before muttering to herself, her eyes already turned towards the public square. "Support, yes..." To tell the truth, she was thinking about something else than just comforting her idiot brother.

Millicent arrived at the stocks as her brother was being pelted with tomatoes and other vegetables that were no longer fit to put on a plate. She didn't even pretend to feel sorry for her brother and shamelessly let a sneer escape from her mouth. This sound, which Merlin knew by heart and would recognise anywhere, caught his attention.

He made the mistake of looking up to find his sister in the crowd and got some rotten cabbage thrown in his face. Running out of things to throw, the children ran off to quickly fill their baskets again.

"You're enjoying yourself, aren't you ?" Merlin asked his sister, already knowing the answer.

"That's an understatement," she said with a mocking smile.

"I suppose it's deserved."

"I wouldn't argue with you on this one, Merlin."

"I'm touched that you took the time to come and see me," he joked, preferring to laugh at his situation now that he realised he couldn't escape. He would have to suffer his punishment until someone deigned to come and release him.

"And miss this show ? Never."

"Say, that's a bit itchy on my face there," Merlin tried to point to a particular spot on his face with his bound hands as a remnant of tomato fell from his hair to the floor. "Could you..." He stopped his question before he had finished, seeing the expression on his sister's face. "Or at least wipe my..." Once again, his sentence died in mid-sentence as he realised he wasn't going to get any help from the brunette.

"And get my clothes dirty ? I've gone to more than enough trouble for you already." She scanned her brother's face, which had seemed rather unaffected so far. "These kids have pretty bad aim."

"That's what you say. I'm the one who gets kicked in the back of the head with vegetables," he complained, but Millicent paid little attention to his complaints.

"That's what I'm saying, they've got a bad aim."

"I find getting lettuce on my hair bad enough, so I wouldn't complain about their lack of skill." As he spoke, Merlin saw Millicent looking over his shoulder. He started to straighten up, forgetting for a moment that he was stuck, but without another word he saw her walk away. The boy panicked, "Hey, where are you going ?" he called worriedly, "I don't like that look !"

Guinevere, who had remained in the background during this exchange, took advantage of Millicent's absence to introduce herself and speak to Merlin, inadvertently distracting him from what his sister was preparing.

Millicent returned a few moments later, followed by the children, who ran back to finish what they had started. She paused for a moment, level with the children, and looked at her brother in amusement. She was prepared to swear that he and Guinevere were flirting rather awkwardly.

Her attention was caught by one of the children tugging at her skirt. "There, you're at a good distance, ma'am," he pointed out.

She offered him a smile. "Thank you." Then she started bouncing a tomato in her hand and looked at her brother. "Now it's just the two of us."

Merlin, who had just finished talking to Guinevere and noticed the children had returned to look after him, noticed his sister standing out in the middle of them. His eyes fell on the tomato in Millicent's hands and he looked at her, offended. "You won't dare ?"

Seeing Millicent's smile widen in response, Merlin sighed in resignation before closing his eyes. He knew something that few people knew about Millicent, and that was that her aim was good. Very good. So good, in fact, that she was the only woman in her village who had ever accompanied the men on the hunt when times were hard and they had lost all their cattle.

Not surprisingly, the next thing he knew, the tomato his sister had been holding in her hands just moments before hit him right in the face. The tomato crashed into his nose, then slid gently down his face until it fell off and hit the ground.

Merlin winced and Millicent came to his side, making sure she was out of range of the children's shots. "Why did you do that ?" Merlin asked.

"For being an idiot," she replied with a knowing look. She rubbed her hands together before placing them on her hips. "Well, I'll leave you to it, I know your fans will look after you." Millicent merely winked at her brother and left without another word, joining Guinevere.

"Poor Merlin, you're not taking it easy on him," she said with a soft laugh, full of sympathy for Merlin.

"We had a disagreement to settle, he and I," the witch replied simply.

"And ?" Genever asked curiously, even though it was clear that Millicent was not going to push the matter any further.

"It's settled."

🎕🎕🎕🎕

After visiting Merlin at the stocks, Gwen talked less about their role as maids and more about the court and its customs. She shared details with Millicent that she herself might have preferred to ignore. The court, the nobility... Millicent could never have imagined that this world would one day mingle with her own. And, to tell the truth, she would have preferred that it had never happened.

Guinevere mostly mentioned Uther and Arthur, but especially Morgana. Millicent quickly realised that Gwen spent most of her time with the King's ward. A detail that intrigued her. Was she just resting ? As far as she could tell, Guinevere spent far more hours with Morgana than was necessary. Not because she was forced to, but because the young noblewoman constantly requested her presence.

They were friends.

The information took Millicent by surprise and she made no attempt to hide it. Gwen noticed immediately. "What's the matter ? Something seems to be troubling you, Milli," Guinevere gently urged her to tell him what she was thinking.

"I don't want to be rude or hurt your feelings, Gwen," the brunette began carefully. "But... how can you be sure that she thinks of you as a friend when she treats you like a maid ?"

"Which I am." Yes, Guinevere was Morgana's maid, and that was what made the line between Guinevere's position and her friendship with her mistress difficult for Millicent to grasp. "But she does it respectfully."

"Isn't she just respectful then ?"

Guinevere stretched a smile. "You'll understand yourself."

Millicent scoffed, held back a louder sarcastic laugh and rolled her eyes. "Oh, I doubt she and I are going to be friends."

"Why is that ?"

"Well..." Yes, that was true. Why's that ? Millicent wasn't convinced that Morgana would give her her friendship, but she didn't care because she didn't even want it. She could do without it. "I'm not the type to make friends," Millicent concluded, playing with her hands as if she were wearing rings, but her fingers were devoid of jewels.

"And yet we have become friends !" Millicent raised her head in surprise and met Guinevere's sparkling eyes. Her words were sincere and she was full of spirit. You had only met the day before and the young woman already considered you her friend ? Surprised, Millicent did not answer, and her silence almost made Guinevere uncomfortable. "Aren't we ?"

"Of course we are !" Millicent exclaimed, not wanting to hurt Gwen's feelings. To tell the truth, she had answered automatically, but now that she had given the question a little more thought... A gentle smile formed on Millicent's lips. "It's just that it's the first time I've made a friend so quickly." She said these words in a low voice, revealing a hint of vulnerability that Guinevere would not have imagined in her new friend.

"Why is that ?" Guinevere asked, a little surprised. Millicent may have been reserved, but Guinevere found her rather easy to befriend. She seemed to be a woman of great spirit.

"Oh, it's not necessarily other people's fault," Millicent admitted. "It's just that I'm rather..."

"Wild ?" Gwen had answered without thinking, seeming surprised herself that she had said her thoughts out loud. Millicent smiled as she saw her new friend embarrassed by the situation. "At first glance, I mean !" Guinevere tried to make up for it, fearing she had offended Millicent, but instead a burst of laughter escaped Millicent's lips.

Reassured, Gwen let out a chuckle before slipping her arm around Millicent's and pulling her along with her into the corridors of the castle. "You'll see, I'm sure you and Lady Morgana are going to be very good friends."

━━━━━━ ✧◦☉◦✧ ━━━━━━

Hi, I hope you enjoyed the chapter ! Have a good night/day <3