Camelot's Detectives [Merlin | Nora]

[Lady Elenora]

Nora could not help the sobs that kept cursing through her as she walked down the hallway. She knew that she should be more composed since it was not like her father's death was out of no where, but she could not help it. She felt so alone in the world with no family left. Well, apart from some cousins (one in particular that she did not want to mention for she knew he had done something to cause her father's deterioration) and extended family and a few friends (like Caitrin). Other than that she felt like she had no one.

Tomorrow was to be her father's memorial and King Arthur and his wife Queen Guinevère (or Gwen as she prefered to be called) had been very kind and compassionate when she arrived. They even made her promise that if she needed anything that all she had to do was ask. But Nora felt like she would be a burden if she did so, so she remained quiet and tried her best to be as composed as possible.

She was about to make a turn, when she felt some tears escape which she wiped with her sleave. It was at this point that she missed seeing that someone was coming towards her. Not until she walked straight in to them. It turned out that it was Arthur's man servant, Merlin.

"Oh my god. I'm so sorry Merlin." Nora quickly apologized feeling very bad at bumping him to him especially as he was carrying Arthur's laundry. For some reason none of the sheets fell to the floor which Nora thought was odd but did not think much about it.

Tags: Merlin
Timeline: After series 4 ended. Not long after Gwen's crowning.
Time of day/Setting: Mid-Morning. Hallway in the Castle. May move around the place!
Notes: This thread follows on from the on-going thread I'm doing, called A Helping Hand with Caitrin de Archer. Posting banner was made by Princess Polyxena.

[consultingwarlock]

It was not even a month after Gwen's coronation, and Merlin found himself still adjusting to having to call one of his best friends 'Queen', as well as seeing her in a position that was elevated much higher than her prior title as maid to the previous King's ward. Not that he wasn't happy for her, he was thrilled that Arthur had found it within himself to go against the general expectations of him as King, and instead of marrying one of noble birth, had chosen Gwen who to Merlin was more than noble, despite being born to a blacksmith. This was just one of the recent changes that Merlin had noticed about Arthur, and he couldn't help but think that the time of Albion was drawing nearer. For once, there were no attacks, magical or otherwise for Camelot to deal with, and the lands were in a period of calm.

But even within this time of peace, there was still the opportunity for tragedy to strike. Sir Anthony, a treasured knight of Camelot, had recently passed away, and having been a principal trainer of Arthur as he was growing up, was going to be sorely missed. To commemorate the passing of a personal friend of the King's, Arthur had organised a memorial service for the loyal knight, inviting Sir Anthony's daughter Lady Elenora to Camelot for the service. Their family had visited the castle often, and Merlin had met Lady Elenora a few times previous having been in attendance when Arthur greeted them. When Merlin had found out about Sir Anthony's passing, he had felt sympathy for the Lady, knowing from previous discussions with Arthur that her father had been unwell for a while and she had been left to run the estate by herself. Although not as daunting as running a Kingdom, Merlin knew how stressful being in a position of power could be having worked for Arthur for many years, so sympathised with her position.

Lady Elenora had arrived earlier that day, and Merlin had watched as she managed to keep her composure as the King and Queen greeted her, despite the devestation she must be feeling. He knew himself what it was like to lose a father, and although he hadn't had time to build a strong connection with Balinor, he had an idea of the pain she must be feeling. He only wished he could do something to help, as he knew that she must be feeling terribly alone, having lost the last of her direct family members.

As he was debating this subject internally, he didn't realise that the corridor he was walking down wasn't as empty as he thought. Laundry stacked high in his arms, he didn't notice anyone walking the other way until they collided. Sheets flying up in the air, it was instinct to throw out his magic, eyes flashing gold as he slowed down time just long enough to prevent them all from falling to the floor. When the seconds sped up to their normal pace once again, he recognised Lady Elenora just as she spoke, apologising for bumping into him. "It's fine!" he assured, smiling in her direction. "It was my fault. I should have been paying more attention." He looked at her more closely then, trying to gauge whether she had noticed his brazen display of sorcery, but found his attention drawn to her red eyes lined with moisture. "My Lady, is everything alright? Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked, concern present in his voice. He didn't like to see anyone upset, and his previous thoughts about wanting to help sprang to the front of his mind.

[Lady Elenora]

"It's fine!" he assured her, smiling at her. "It was my fault. I should have been paying more attention." He told her and Nora tried to laugh, but it came out rather like a half sob, half laugh. She hoped that he would not notice her distressed state, but he did. He looked at her more closely and saw her red eyes lined with moisture. "My Lady, is everything alright? Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked, very concerned and Nora was grateful to him for caring. Though, she also could not stop beating herself up for being so careless in displaying her emotions. But she could not help it.

"Umm well" she started to speak, but the sobs overcame her again and she stopped. It was getting all too much for her. Not just the grief, but the knowledge that her father's death could have been caused by murder. Though, her friend Caitrin knew and was the one to suggest that maybe her father's death was suspicious, she felt like she needed to tell someone else. For she could not keep it to herself anymore. Not only that, but she needed help -- she did not know how to get justice for her father. For she knew that her cousin was smart and cunning and it would require solid proof to prove his guilt.