Ember : Merlin's Sister

Arthur's Bane - Queen Annis

*Ember's POV*

The next day, we reached Queen Annis's castle. The guards let us pass into the throne room, where Queen Annis sat.

"Queen Annis." Arthur said, as we entered.

"Arthur Pendragon." she greeted him. Then her eyes landed on me, "A chevaleresse?"

"Yes, my lady."

"You must be good with a sword if Arthur has allowed you to become one of his knights."

"She is. She beat one of my men with her arm in a sling."

I laughed, as did everyone else, but it made me feel sad at the same time. Gwaine wasn't there to laugh with us, or to tell us to shut up.

"We are grateful you have allowed us passage." Arthur thanked her.

"We are allies, Arthur. These are troubled times."

That they most definitely were...

"You must dine with us." Annis decided for us.

*Merlin's POV*

Queen Annis lead us all to the dining room. She and Arthur were talking, when she spoke up, and looked at me, "I would love to see your fool perform."

I saw Ember start chuckling, trying not to laugh.

"You heard her, Merlin." Arthur said.

I picked up a few apples, and cast an enchantment, and started juggling. Everyone was laughing, they didn't expect it. Ember just hid her face. She was laughing a lot, I could tell.

After a while I bowed, and we all left.

I was helping Arthur in his chambers.

"Never knew you could juggle, Merlin," he said, "I didn't even think you could catch."

With that, he threw some boots at me, "See!"

*Gwen's POV*

Earlier that day, Sefa had told me of a sweetheart. That she could not say who it was, but that it was someone outside Camelot.

That night, she left the city. I thought it rather suspicious, but, eventually, thought nothing of it. I assumed she was going to see him. I thought him lucky, to have someone such as Sefa, who was willing to leave at that hour to see him. I smiled as I saw her leave through the south gate, then went to sleep, hoping that Arthur was alright.

*Arthur's POV*

The next day, we continued to Ismere. The night before, Annis had told me Morgana was looking for something, and that my men would still be alive.

"Ember, a word?" I called her over. I knew her and Gwaine and Percival were good friends. Very good friends in Gwaine's case, "I thought you should know, there is a very good chance they are still alive."

"I know. I heard Queen Annis telling you. Morgana's making them look for something. But I can bet that if it's manual work, Gwaine will be getting no work done."

"Why do you say that?"

"It's Gwaine." she answered simply. She then turned and mounted her horse, and rode to catch up with her brother.

We left the castle, and Annis turned to me, "Be careful. Good allies are hard to find. I'd hate to lose one."

"I will."

I mounted my horse, and rode ahead to catch up with everyone else.

*Gwen's POV*

Sefa was helping me dress, but she didn't seem herself... A little... Distant... She was also being quite forgetful, which wasn't like her.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" she looked at me, slightly confused, "My papers for the council?"

Then, she remembered, "Oh, of course. I'm sorry..."

"Are you alright, Sefa? You don't seem youself today."

"I'm sorry..."

"Last night, I saw you leave the city."

"I... I..." she just stuttered.

I could tell it was something she'd rather not speak about, or that she found it difficult to explain.

"Sefa, I may be Queen, but you don't have to hide anything from me."

She cocked her head a little, in a sort of puzzled way, "My lady?"

"Whoever he is, he is lucky to have you."

Then, she breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed silly, but it seemed as though she was hiding something from me. Be I shrugged off the thought, thinking I must be insane to assume such a thing.

*Merlin's POV*

I sat by a small pool of water, just thinking. Everyone else was laughing and joking around, but I couldn't. Not knowing what we faced once we reached Ismere. Then, Ember and Arthuir came up behind me.

"What's wrong?" Ember asked, sitting next to me.

"How can they laugh and joke? Even you, Ember? Don't you know what we'll face in Ismere? Any of you?"

"Of course we do!" Arthur answered.

"We have to take each day as it comes, and make the most of it." Ember continued.

"Because it might be your last..." it hurt, thinking like that, when Ember was one of the knights.

"You're learning!" she mock congratulated me.

"Why are you so upset?" Arthur asked me.

"Morgana is powerful. Powerful and dangerous."

"I know." he replied, simply.

"And you don't care?"

"Only about my men."

"Excuse me." Ember interrupted, in mock horror.

"And you, as well, Ember." he added, rolling his eyes, "Whatever lies ahead, I won't abandon them, because they wouldn't abandon me."

"Come on, Merlin. Get something to eat. You'll need it." Ember dragged me up, along with her. We turned around and joined everyone.