I do not own any of the Merlin Characters from the show; they are the property of the BBC and not I.

Chapter One – updated 26/12/11

"What the hell are all you lot gawking at? I thought this was meant to be training! Not, 'Let's-all-stand-about-and-stare' at whatever it is that you are staring at!"

Arthur glared at the backs of his Knights' heads, who seemingly had not heard a single word that he had said. Today was not going well! Firstly Merlin had not turned up so he neither had his breakfast and now it seemed that Camelot's finest had been reduced to a group of deaf, dumb idiots.

"Excuse me, but you're Prince was speaking to you!" Arthur growled, debating if hitting one of them with the hilt of his sword would be considered an overreaction.

Gwaine's hand shot out without Gwaine himself actually looking around and latched onto Arthur's arm dragging him forward so that he was stood with the rest of them.

"Shut up Princess and tell us who you think that chick talking to Merlin is!"

Disgruntled Arthur switched his gaze towards the other side of the training field where Merlin stood chatting animatedly to a girl. Arthur blinked.

"Who is that?" he asked incredulously, watching in shock as his manservant attempted to squirm away from the girl who was trying to remove a smudge of dirt for his cheek, before finally giving in and leaning back against the railings.

Gwaine shot Arthur a withering look,

"We were hoping you would be able to tell us that one Princess. She seems to know Merlin really well."

The girl in question was standing dressed in a pair of black skin tight trousers, a white shirt which ended in flared cuffs at the elbow and a tweed waistcoat. As she spoke she gently kicked at the pebbles by her feet with the tip of one of her knee high back boots which were equipped with heels which looked impossible to walk in never mind anything wear day to day.

"An old friend perhaps?" Lancelot offered,

"No." Gwaine muttered, "They look closer than that." A frown furrowed the man's forehead.

"An old girlfriend?" Elyan threw in as a guess,

The whole group dissolved into laughter.

"Girlfriend!" Arthur spluttered. Elyan just shrugged, mild annoyance showing on his face.

"Arthur?" The whole group spun round to find themselves facing a quizzical Gwen. "Arthur? Why are you lot doing staring at Merlin and his sister instead of training?"

"Sister!" Gwen's eyebrow shot up as all four men answered in unison.

"Yes his sister." She repeated slowly. "She's visiting him for a bit, they haven't seen each other in a while she's been away travelling." Gwen shifted the basket of washing in her arms so it sat further up on her hip.

Arthur felt a stab of jealously at Gwen knowing more about Merlin then he did.

"Since when has Merlin had a sister?" he asked "I've never heard of her and I didn't meet her when I went to Ealdor?" realising he'd been rambling Arthur quickly cut off.

"I mean it's not like I care that much anyway. It's just Merlin afterwards."

Arthur felt Gwaine's hand clap him over the shoulder.

"You just keep telling yourself that Arthur."

Gwen suddenly felt very awkward, what was the big deal with Merlin's sister visiting. Granted he never mentioned her and she had a strange dress sense but she was a lovely person and Merlin's sister. It was disconcerting how Gwaine kept staring at her though.

"We should go meet her." Gwen was snapped out of her scrutiny of Gwaine by Arthur's abrupt announcement.

"Just to you know, welcome her, to Camelot. Officially." Arthur nodded to himself as he spoke, trying to convince himself that he wasn't going over there just to be nosey. If he was honest, he was a little hurt Merlin hadn't mentioned a sister to him, they were friends he thought, though he would never tell the idiot that.

Merlin's eyes went huge when he saw his sister leaning against the barrier around the training field. He was meant to be getting Arthur's breakfast but he's only just got the letter from Catherine that she would be arriving today and he hadn't had time to tell Arthur or get someone to cover for him.

"Catherine!" he yelled, sprinting towards the girl with the short choppy brown hair, grinning back at him.

"Baby brother!" She laughed, enveloping him in a huge hug, her slim frame concealing that she was much stronger than she appeared. "Well not so much baby brother now!" she teased, pinching his cheeks she looked him over. He was skinny as a rake but he still had those beautiful blue eyes and the constant bed head.

"I only got your letter today!" Merlin admitted, almost jumping around in excitement. He'd missed her so much.

"Well you know me. I always race to see if I can beat Hunter." Hunter was the falcon who Catherine kept as a companion on her travels. Humans apparently spoke too much. The note to say that she would be visiting had come tied around Hunter's ankle and Merlin had nearly lost a finger trying to retrieve it.

"He really doesn't like the delivery part by the way." Merlin said, holding up his hand to show her the finger with a chunk missing from it.

"You have to watch the beak." Catherine conceded.

"Merlin!"

"Oh no." Merlin felt his heart sink. "Arthur!" he said cheerily. "I know I forgot your breakfast but I had something important come up. I'll be on time tomorrow I prom..."

"Merlin I know."

"Huh?" Merlin stared at Arthur confused. "You know what?"

"That your sister is visiting. Which you could have told me don't you think since you seemed able to at least tell Gwen." The confusion didn't leave Merlin's face.

"I didn't tell Gwen."

"Yes you did." Arthur insisted, "She was just telling us about how this was your sister." He indicated to Catherine who was carefully watching a semi-drooling Gwaine.

"Oh. That was me." She interrupted.

Both Arthur and Merlin looked at her.

"How do you know Gwen?" Merlin asked.

"Ran into her in the lower town, asked for directions and she told me who she was and showed me the way. I recognised her name from your letters."

Explanation excepted Merlin turned back to talk to Arthur.

"I'm sorry I should have said she was coming, I just didn't have time. I only found out this morning!"

"It's fine Merlin. But you know what as she's your sister and Gwaine is so obviously fascinated by her!"

Gwaine's head shot up at Arthur's observations managed to break through his half drunk mindset.

"Am not!" he argued, only partly aware of what he was saying "Well I... it's not that you're not fascinating... you are... but... I... I... SHUT UP PRINCESS!"

Catherine suppressed a snort of laughter at Gwaine's blushing face.

"As I was saying," Arthur continued, "Perhaps ..."

"Catherine." She supplied helpfully, still smiling at Gwaine who was now shuffling his feet and staring at the ground muttering darkly about Princesses.

"Perhaps Catherine would like to join us on a hunt this morning?"

"I thought we were training this morning?" Elyan asked.

"We went hunting yesterday!" Merlin objected, his face falling miserably.

"Change of plan."

Arthur smirked at Merlin. That would teach him from keeping thing from him. Merlin hated hunting.

"Sounds like fun." Catherine chimed, "When will we go?"

"Let's head of as soon as possible." Arthur suggested, watching as Merlin's face became even more downcast. "Merlin go get the horses ready. I'm sure Gwaine will entertain your sister will you do."

Catherine watched as her brother wandered back up to the castle. It looked like this visit was going to be more interesting than she first though.

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