Sparks Fly [Merlin/Arthur]

[maryjane]

Mary-Jane looked about the city of Camelot in wonder. It had been months since the last time she had ventured inside the city walls. She looked about and let a gentle smile pull at her lips even as she turned this way and that. And then she flinched when someone bumped into her by accident. The man had appologized but the damage had been done. All of Mary-Jane's fears of the city came rushing back. This is where that fateful day two years ago had happened. Only three people in the world knew of what had happened here on this very street. Not including herself but Vesper, the culprit himself, and of course her newest friend. Arthur Pendragon. She flushed lightly at the thought of him. She didn't love him, of course not that would be a silly thing to do. Fall in love with a Prince of Camelot, bah!

Mary-Jane had more sense than that. She flushed because it was amazing to think that someone like Arthur could care for someone like her. It brought the smile back to her lips. With her basket tucked neatly in the crook of her arm she started off toward the palace. She wished to give this basket to Arthur as thanks once more for saving her life. It meant so very much to her to know that her Prince was a true gentleman and that he could go about rescueing damsels in distress whenever he so deemed it. She flushed again as she looked up at the gate before continueing forward. But there where so many knights around! Mary-Jane found herself gasping for breath as she tried to get over herself and move foreward. She didn't know where to begin! She hadn't been inside the palace before. She knew she would be wandering aimlessly lost for a long while unless she found someone who could help her.

Mary-Jane looked about the courtyard before she saw a young man not very much larger than herself but bigger nonetheless dashing across the courtyard then stopping for a moment. She raised a questioning brow as he seemed to look about as if he was looking for something or someone. Mary-Jane shrugged then approached him cautiously. She laid a gentle hand on his arm and gave him an innocent and gentle smile as she watched him with her fearful golden brown eyes. "E-Excuse me sir can you help me?" She asked him.

She nibbled on her lower lip before she drew her hand away and took a step back not knowing what she had been thinking getting so close to someone let alone a man. A shiver ran threw her body as she looked up at him fearfully. Her expression of fear and innocence making her seem much smaller than she actually was. A light mahogany colored curl fell across her right eye and she pulled her shall tighter about her slim shoulders. She swallowed before she could find the strength to speak again. "I-I I'm looking for Prince A-Arthur." She stuttered. She swallowed again as she looked up at him. "I-I wanted to thank him for saving my life.." She finally got out after a moment more.

[pie]

Merlin ran through the castle, as he often did when he was in a hurry, looking for Gaius. He was supposed to have been back with Arthur almost thirty minutes ago, but Gaius had pulled him aside and had him run off to give a remedy to someone. Someone he had found, but it turned out he had grabbed the wrong remedy from Gaius' chambers, and in the long run, it had taken him forever to get them the right one. What had turned out to be the right one? The first one! "Stupid blind old man..." he mumbled.

So now, running out and into the courtyard, Merlin stopped and looked around. Where was Arthur? he wondered. And would he be mad he was late? Merlin had a reason to be, though. He couldn't very well tell the Physician no! And then he felt someone's hand on his arm, and looked at her with a slight confusion, pulling out of his thoughts.

"What's wrong?" he asked her gently. She appeared as if she was afraid. It didn't seem the fear of danger. So, he decided, it was probably just the fear of being in such a large city. When she pulled back, he believed that that was what it had to have been. And she said she was looking for Arthur. Arthur had saved her life? Well, that would be reason enough to want to thank him, he guessed. "I'm actually looking for him himself, right now," he informed, smiling warmly. "I'm his personal manservant... Yeah, sounds cooler than it really is, cleaning all day, you know. Here, let's check the Training Grounds, he might be there at this time of day."

He motioned for her to follow him before heading off towards that direction.

[maryjane]

Mare flinched slightly when he asked her what was wrong. She continued to nibble on her lower lip as she watched him cautiously. She didn't know how he would react to her wanting to go see Arthur, she was after all a nobody. She pulled the basket full of cookies closer to herself and gripped the handle tightly, her tiny knuckles turning white, as she watched him the color drained from her face until he spoke again. And by his words she couldn't stop the tiny giggle that escaped her lips which she covered with her hands. Her eyes widened and she instantly curtseyed and bowed her head. "F-Forgive me, I did not mean to laugh.." She said fearfully. But she nodded and followed after him tenatively.

She looked about in wonder, her eyes drawn to everything that moved. Every sound that was maid. Everything was so new to her, she was intoxicated by the sheer beauty of the place that she didn't want to leave again. She smiled softly to herself as she followed after Arthur's personal manservant, when she realized he had not given her his name, so there was no way she could properly thank him for his kindness. She worried her lower lip between her teeth once more before she spoke. "M-My name is Mary-Jane.. May I ask yours sir?" She asked shyly as she clutched her little wicker basket that had been made by Vesper and then given to her as a gift.

Mare brushed the lock of beautiful mahogany colored hair from her eyes as they entered the training grounds. She instantly grew nervous with all the men around. She shivered slightly and her eyes grew wide and she let out a soft whimper and she stopped short and took a step back and bumped into one of the men. She flinched and then stepped foreward. She was instantly transported back to that night two years ago and she instantly placed her hands over her ears and crouched down to try to make herself as small as she could as she continued to whimper pitifully in her attempt to stop the rapid fire of images that where a reminder of her attack. Tears started to trail down her face as she tried to block it all out. "Not again.. Please not again.." She whispered softly to herself.

[Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur was going to KILL Merlin. He had been late, and therefore, the Prince was forced to dress himself in his training attire. Ok . . . well, he didn't technically dress himself. He just had to go through the inconvenience of finding someone else to help him get dressed. Still! It was Merlin's job after all to tend to him, and he had failed miserably. Arthur was already mentally plotting his revenge, how he would get the idiot back . . . and it all started with mucking out the stables. Perhaps he would make him even sleep there tonight!

Arthur had not noticed Merlin or the woman enter onto the field -- as he had been busy training his men. It wasn't until he heard a woman's voice, that he turned around and saw her crouched on the ground, and Merlin standing right next to her. What has Merlin done now?! Arthur quickly announced that that was it for the day, though he knew the determination in his men would probably cause them to spend extended amounts of time training and practicing. He put his sword back in its sheath and began to walk towards Merlin and the woman. When he was standing rather close to them, Arthur gave Merlin a bit of a glare.

"What the hell did you do to her?" He mumbled, in more of a mocking way. He often blamed Merlin for things . . . just for the fun of it really. Arthur did not immediately recognize the woman either. He crouched down in front of her, keeping enough distance so that neither of their personal space was invaded. That was when she did in fact look familiar . . . it was Mary-Jane. He remembered having helped her and he remembered hearing her rather devastating story of her past. No wonder she seemed this . . . upset. While Arthur may not know the specific reason, he knew enough about her personality to know that it was a fragile one. "Are you alright?" He asked in a deep, concerned voice. Why had she come here? Had something else happened? Is that why she was so upset?