A Life in Camelot (New Version)

Chapter Two: Dinner and Merlin

**disclaimer again: I don't own any Merlin stuff**

CHAPTER TWO

DINNER AND MERLIN

"Will she be all right, Gaius?" I hear a voice say. The voice is deep, but it's muffled, as though I'm underwater.

"It's a miracle she managed to survive the time vortex," Gaius says. Wait... How would he know about the time vortex?

"What's the time vortex?" The man says.

"Arthur, the time vortex had been a legend, but the swirling you saw was undoubtedly it."

I stir and move to the side slightly and that minuscule move makes my head ring. "Ow," I groan.

Arthur hurries to my side and looks at me with the same concern he had before. "How are you? Are you okay? You've been out for days."

"Days?!" I sit up suddenly, and I immediately regret it. Shots of pain race through my head and I see nothing but a swirling void.

"Gaius! Will she be all right?" Arthur says again as he helps me lay back down.

"She'll be fine, m'lord. She may see a whirlpool of sorts, resembling the vortex and also headaches. Factor in the long fall and she'll have some pain." Gaius picks up his things and I manage to whisper my thanks as he leaves.

Arthur goes to leave as well, but I reach out and grab his arm. He looks down at me. "I'll get Guinevere to help you," he says. He then makes a face like one does when they mentally kick themselves. "I'm Arthur, by the way."

"Jordan, and I have a question: Where am I?"

He gives me a funny look. "You're in Camelot."

He leaves and I sink back into the pillows. How they have such plush pillows in Arthur's day I've no idea. But they're... So... Comfortable. I doze on and off for a few minutes until I fall asleep.

*******

When I wake up, I'm in a different room on a really fancy bed. I slowly ease myself up and am amazed that my head doesn't hurt nearly as much as it did before. I look around and see a young woman standing by the door. She stands up straighter when she sees me awake. "Hello, m'lady, I am Guinevere and I am here to help you," she smiles sweetly and I can't help but smile back.

"Hello, Guinevere, but please, call me Jordan."

"As you wish, m'l-- Jordan. But only if you call me Gwen."

Gwen walks over to the closet and picks out a dress. This couldn't be called a dress, it'd be considered the most formal formal gown of all formal gowns (A/N: yeah, I meant I put formal in twice there XD).

The floor length gown was a deep blue with scalloped folds and silver embroidered dots.

"I can't wear this," I protest. "I don't even know whose this is."

"It's mine," says another woman who appears in the doorway, her piercing green eyes framed by dark curls surrounding her pale face. "I am Morgana," she says with a smile, extending her hand.

I reach out and take it, unsure of what people did back then. She curtsies, so I do the same. Awkwardly. In a pair of pants. Yeah.

"If you'll excuse us, m'lady, I need to help Jordan get dressed for the meal," Gwen says.

"Of course," Morgana says, leaving the room.

Gwen takes me behind the partition. "You were bathed earlier, so now we just need to get you in this dress."

Finally, after what seemed like hours of tugging and tying and not breathing, I was in the dress and my shoes. I walk over to the mirror, and I am astonished. The gown looks beautiful, but then again, everything is beautiful in Camelot. I'm about to leave, but Gwen stops me and doesn't give me a choice about my hair. She sits me down by the vanity table. She works in silence as she brushes it and twists it into some strange looking thing that looks so alien on my head. She examines her handiwork and nods appreciatively. "Ready."

We walk down the stairs and I lift my skirt in my hands to keep from falling. When we reach the bottom, Gwen tells me to let go of my skirt so I do. Upon entering the throne room/ dinner room (?), I trip over the hem of my skirt, subsequently falling to the floor. Somebody catches me before I hit the ground though. I look up and see a man with dark hair and deep blue eyes and mumble "thank you."

"You're welcome," he says with an odd look on his face as though he isn't used to being thanked.

"Merlin, stop flirting and get over here!" Arthur shouts from the table.

Merlin blushes and says "Well, I've gotta go. See you around!"

He sets me straight on my feet, and runs to Arthur.

Gwen walks over to me and winks. I glare at her. Gwen leads me to the table.

"Jordan! Sit here by me!" Arthur exclaims.

I walk over to Arthur, and Merlin pulls out a chair for me.

"Thank you," I say again. He nods and walks away with that same look on his face.

"So, father, this is Jordan, she was unwell, and Gaius looked after her," Arthur says by way of introduction.

His dad looks straight at me, introduces himself as Uther, and asks Arthur what the hell he's done by bringing a peasant into his beloved castle.

Wow.

Warm welcome.

*******

Ehehe oopsie, short-ish (?) chapter again, but the next one isn't. MUAHAHAHA!!!

Thanks for reading. :)

<3