AN: Finally got this one finished. It took me longer than expected and my interest sort of wained somewhere in the middle, but there you go.

Please review :)

When Merlin awoke, he was lying in his chamber with a long, silver cloak pulled up to his chin. He pushed it off with shaking arms, though not before noticing that it smelt like her. The scent made his head spin. Tentatively, he rose to his feet and under threat of his knees buckling, tottered over to the door.

It was closed, but through the wood, he could hear someone singing softly to themselves. He opened it a crack and was surprised that he recognised the tune immediately – it was an old lullaby Hunith used to sing to him when he was a child. The lullaby that swept away the nightmares and made him feel safe. Now, in a voice more wonderful than his mother could ever hope to possess, there seemed something sinister to the tune, some underlying darkness that he had never notice before.

Without meaning to, he shuddered.

"Isolde?"

There was no reply so he pushed the door further and stepped out in Gaius' chamber. It stunk of burning, and Merlin could feel with every breath a thin layer of soot line his throat. It was then that he saw her, stood over by the window and staring out as if in a trance. When she spoke, he was so startled that he jumped, knocking his funny bone on Gaius' table. It was covered in shredded herbs and scraps of leaves.

"They have no idea, do they?"

"What?"

"The people. They just… drift around. They have no idea about magic, us. About what's really out there."

"Sometimes," Merlin grinned, "I think that would be easier. Then there would be no pretending, none of the worry. I could just be myself."

"The magic is yourself, Merlin. It's what makes you who you are. Special. It takes time to see that, but eventually, you will." In the reflection of the glass, he saw a dark look appear on her face. "It took me longer than most. I thought that –" she made a strange noise in the back of her throat that sounded like a cross between a sob and a growl. "I thought I could cut it out of me. I certainly tried." Unconsciously, her hand drifted to her heart as she turned so that she was facing him. He felt as if there was some sort of barrier between them that stopped him from getting any closer, but he did not think it was a spell. It was something else, something stronger and more human. He realised it was sorrow.

"But I think it will be different for you. You have a great gift, Merlin. The greatest there will ever be, I think. And one day, people will recognise you for that." Without meaning to, he grinned. She smiled too, but then she faltered and turned back towards the window. "But you'll be lonely. It's your destiny I think. To be accepted, but never fully understood. That is the curse of magic."

The words reverberated around his head several times before his attention became focused on her again. She was looking frail he decided, and if it was possible, even paler. The eyes too were looking desperate, the blue orbs more dead than alive. Merlin tried desperately to think of some joke he could crack to ease the tension, but he realised that now wasn't the time.

"I'm sorry if my words upset you," she said after a while. "I can be like that sometimes." A light, tinkling laugh escaped her lips and without being fully aware of it, Merlin joined in. He liked it when he smiled; it made her so much more beautiful and a little less terrifying.

"What happened to the herbs?"

"I tried to make an ointment. I followed the book and everything. I was going to clean up but – I got distracted."

Merlin laughed, imagining her glaring down at the pestle and mortar in disgust.

"It's fine. I'll clear it up now, and then I'll make you some proper stuff. Gaius always says to use a little bit of your intuition in these things."

After making the medicine, Merlin took great care in tidying the room back to its original state, or what he could remember of it anyway. It was odd, he decided, because he felt like there was a great section of his memories shrouded in mist. He could remember yesterday, and he had no problem with remembering now, but the time in between was distorted .

"This morning," he mused. "Was I anywhere?"

She studied him for a while before answering.

"You were with Gaius and then you were with me."

"I don't remember…" A sudden feeling of nausea over came him and he felt the cloth he had been using to wipe down the side slip through his fingers. "There was a slate. I was meant to give it to Uther. What happened to it?"

Again, there was that cold studying, that calculated look in his eye as she seemed to think about what she should say.

"You fainted, and then you dropped it. Don't you remember, Merlin?"

He began to shake his head, but one look in her eyes and he was nodding. Of course he had dropped it. He could remember it slipping through his fingers! How silly of him to think that she might have done something with it!

"Yes. I remember."

"Good. Now –"

Her words were cut off by the sudden sound of the door being slammed open to reveal a tall, blond haired man with narrowed blue eyes.

"There you are, Merlin! I didn't realise that it was fetch your own servant day!"

"Arthur. I mean, sire." Merlin blinked several times in confusion, his mouth hanging open. "What?"

"What do you mean, 'what'? You're late! I gave you permission to spend the morning helping Gaius on the condition that you'd be in my chambers at noon! How else do you expect the chores to be done? Magic?" Merlin opened his mouth and then shut it again with a snap. "Don't speak. I bet you've got some sort of reason why you're late, but I don't want to hear it. And aren't you meant to be delivering something to my father?" Merlin nodded, his mouth dry. "Where is it?"

"What?"

"The rune. I'll take it to him. It's obviously too much to ask of you, Merlin."

"I haven't got it."

"What?"

"It smashed."

Arthur's eyes opened very wide and then narrowed again as he took a stride towards the young warlock. "Merlin, you idiot! What do you mean it smashed?"

"It broke. I don't know where it is now."

"And how did you manage that, genius?"

"It was my fault." The lilting feminine voice rang out loud throughout the chamber and at once a look of disgust crossed the prince's face. "I dropped it."

"Is this why you're late, Merlin? Because you've been with some –" Arthur froze, the words dying on his tongue as he caught sight of the perfect, statuesque figure at the window. The frown disappeared, replaced at once by a look of such charm that Merlin was sure he'd spent many hours practising. "I'm Prince Arthur." And then he did something Merlin had never expected him to do; he bowed.

"Isolde. A pleasure to meet you, your majesty." She curtsied back, her eyes never leaving the prince's face. There was, it seemed to Merlin, an intensity that he'd never seen before, an odd sort of desire. Merlin felt a pang of jealousy surge through him that he desperate tried to quash. Isolde was his, something that up until now, no one else had been able to touch, and he had liked that.

It had made him feel special.

"I should walk Isolde home. It's –" the warlock began before Arthur interrupted him.

"You should be in my chamber cleaning my room. And then mucking out my horses. And cleaning my tack. Whilst you're at it, you might as well do my armour again – there were smudges on it last time – and sharpen my sword. My clothes need washing as well. And I want a bath when I get back so make sure that's ready for me. I'll walk the lady home."

"Sire." Merlin nodded. But not without making his irritation known by a sigh. Isolde caught his eye and winked, at once, he felt his frown broaden into a grin.

"It is a wonderful offer, your majesty, but I'd rather go alone. I have... things... to do; I fear your presence would only complicate matters."

"I –"

"I insist." Her gaze scorched holes in the prince's veneer, and for a moment, he looked bemused about the obvious rejection. Then, he frowned and said,

"The offer stands, my lady. Perhaps you'll do me the honour of another time." Turning back to Merlin, he said, "Still here? I thought I told you to get a move on?" Merlin grinned.

"You know me, sire. A bit slow."

"Quite," the prince replied, but he smiled too.

They filed out into the courtyard. Arthur began to stride out across the courtyard, but all of a sudden he stopped as if pulled back by imaginary strings and turned back to face Isolde and Merlin, who was lagging reluctantly behind.

"Isolde?"

"Yes, sire?" Merlin could not help but notice how the prince blushed under the intensity of his gaze.

"My father is having a banquet next weekend. I – I mean we – would be honoured if you would attend."

She seemed to consider it for several seconds before she assented.

"I would like that."

Arthur nodded before walking away again.

"When will I next see you?" Merlin asked when he was certain that Arthur was out of ear shot. "I want you to teach me what you know about magic."

"It'll be sooner than you expect," she said with a peal of laughter. "I find myself at loathe to stay away from you for too long. I'm always happier when I'm with you." Merlin tried to hide the blush of ecstasy.

"Thank –"

"Merlin!" The shout came from Arthur who was waiting impatiently at the top of the steps. "Hurry up!"

"I better –"

"You're like a star, Merlin. You brighten the world around you, bring beauty and light but eventually you fade, and there's darkness again." The warlock smiled sadly before hurrying off after his master. Isolde sighed watching him disappear from view.

"That is my curse."

AN: I have a feeling that everything is going to start going wrong for Isolde after this. Hopefully will get the next crapter up asap in which she'll meet the rest of the cast - and not everyone is going to take to her as well as Merlin and Arthur I'm afraid. :L