An American Teenager in King Arthur's Court

[3] An Investigation

Merlin didn't even notice I was having an existential crisis and he continued on with his questioning.

"Well, Gwen," he emphasized, "your name is not of this region, and the same can be said about your tongue. Tell me, where do you come from?"

This next question was so out of his depth, he didn't even know. And the truth- if this doesn't turn out to be some crazy dream- was too far-fetched for him to actually believe me.

"I'm from..." crap, I need to think of something quick! Think! Think of all those books I've seen mom read...."Essex! I'm from Essex!"

Merlin gave me a long look and simply sighed before coming up closer to my face until we were inches apart, him leaning forward on his knees, me leaning as far back into the wall as I could. I vaguely wondered what my breath smelled like.

He gave a dark laugh, and his eyes seemed to grow slightly darker.

"Gwen," he started and I could feel his warm breath on my face. This wasn't a romantic position. The person just inches from me was not the same person I had a conversation with just moments before. This new man in front of me had the face of a 20 year old but eyes that were so heavy, so full of wisdom and power that it scared the crap out of me, "You're lying. I've traveled to Essex and to all the neighboring kingdoms and no one speaks the way you do. So, where are you really from?"

"A-A-America," I breathe out and suddenly he's back in his initial position, happy as can be.

"I've never heard of America before! What is it like over there? Surely it must be a sight to see by the way you turned out. So much fire," he said, giving me a wink and continuing to eat a bit of the bread he managed to tear off.

I stayed silent, until he looked at me and smiled, like he was expecting me to answer him. I belatedly realized his question wasn't a rhetorical one, but I didn't answer it anyway. Instead, I answered by stubbornly crossing my arms over my chest, continuing to nibble on whatever was left of the loaf of bread he gave me earlier. He chuckled and kept going.

"Alright, Gwen," he kept saying my name like it amused him or something, "one last question. Before you so elegently fell to the ground in the Grand Hall, why did you ask the King what year it was?"

This last question was asked slightly more seriously, his eyes still the dark shade they turned earlier, even though a small smile still remained. He made never-ending eye contact with me and it felt like he was looking into my soul. I had to tell him the truth! But, the question was, would he believe me?

"Listen, Merlin," I heaved a huge sigh and leaned forward, raking my fingers through my oily hair again. "I promise I'll tell you the truth. But, you have to promise you'll try to believe me, no matter how impossible what I say seems."

He nodded, never breaking eye contact. I sighed again and dead panned completely facing him, the bread on the ground and forgotten.

"Merlin, the reason you've never heard of America is because....well, America doesn't actually exist yet," his face turned back into the disbelieving one again, but I leaned forward and grabbed his arm. "Merlin!  I'm from a land that doesn't exist yet because I'm from the future! I was sent here by the table in your Grand Hall and now I have no way of getting home! I'm tired and I miss my apartment! I miss food! I miss my clothes! I just want to leave so I can find a way to get back home!"

He paused for a minute and kept staring me in the eyes before thinning his lips and nodding his head. Standing up, he brushes his dark pants before extending a hand down to help me up. Slowly I take his hand before he yanks me up.

"If what you are saying is the truth, I fear there are dark times ahead of us. I don't believe in coincidences, so your being sent here was not a mistake. We must take you to the King to pardon your sentence before anything else is to happen," he explains while taking a key out of his pocket and opening the door to freedom.

Merlin thinks what? That I was sent here to help them battle dark forces or some crap? Everything was happening too damn fast for me to properly process anything before I was being pulled out of the dungeons down a dimly lit corridor by Merlin, thinking of nothing but the fact that I was still wearing this horrendously itchy dress.

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Sorry it's so short! Hopefully things will start to pick up soon, some action, some adventure, a love interest, perhaps? hmm......

-DS