Okay all, this is a Fem Merlin fic. I don't know what made me decide to write this, or why I'm writing it, but I hope you all enjoy it. Also, just for reference, I am not going to copy each episode line by line. It is way too much trouble. Although there will be the funny conversations between Merlin and Arthur that there always were. This is most likely going to be an Arthur/Fem Merlin fic but I'm not promising romance straight away. In fact it would be no fun at all if they fell in love straight away. Also, I'm going to include thirteen episode like chapters for the year that Merlin and Arthur are looking for Morgana between series 2 and 3, which will be series 2.5. There will also be another thirteen chapters to account for the year in between series 3 and 4 that passed, which will be called series 3.5. So there will be extra adventures and weirdness and I hope everyone enjoys it. I'm not going to perfectly mirror every episode, in fact there will be changes, some things are going to change things drastically at many points. I hope you all like it no matter how strange it gets. LOL!

This chapter, The Dragon's Call, Eve Myles guest stars and she was in Doctor Who AND Torchwood and various other things. Gotta love Eve Myles. Funnily enough Colin Morgan also starred in an episode of Doctor Who, although I don't actually remember seeing him ever.

SUMMARY: How would things change if Merlin were a girl! Find out here. AU! Eventually Arthur/Fem Merlin, Gwen/Lancelot, Morgana/OC, and other possible pairings.

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Merlin: Sorceress Extraordinaire.

Chapter One – The Dragon's Call.

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Merlin was walking towards the city of Camelot. She sighed as she shrugged her pack onto her shoulders. The journey hadn't been as long as she thought, but it was long enough when carrying all your worldly possessions in a pack on your back. She recalled the conversation that she'd had with her mother before she left.

xXxXxXx FLASHBACK xXxXxXx

"Merlin."

Merlin had finished packing away everything she owned when her mother called to her. Merlin looked at her small pack. Apart from some clothing, and her own hairbrush, she didn't really own very much. She pulled on her worn brown jacket over her blue tunic, and tied her shoulder length, thick black hair, into a bun. Her fringe hung messily over her forehead. Then she tied her red neckerchief round her neck and walked into the other room, where her mother stood waiting for her. Her best friend, Will, was also waiting for her. He'd lived with them since the death of his father, when he was ten.

"Good luck Merlin." Will said sadly.

"Thanks Will. I'll write to you both. You know I will." Merlin said. She wanted to reassure her best friend that she wasn't going away forever. She would find a way to keep in touch. Will grinned.

"I know you will. You be careful on your journey Merlin. You're like my little sister and you're only seventeen. If I could've gotten the time off from work then I would be walking with you to make sure you were safe. So you have to make sure to stick to the trade routes. At least there will be loads of people, so you'll be a lot safer then walking through the woods." Will blabbered on. Merlin grinned at her surrogate brother.

"I will be perfectly fine Will. I promise." Merlin told him. She looked at her mother.

"Here is the letter I wrote for your Uncle Gaius. Be careful and be safe. Try not to get into any trouble. I love you so much my daughter." Hunith told Merlin sadly. Merlin grabbed her mother in a tight hug and felt her mother hug her back just as tightly.

"I promise I'll try and stay out of trouble." Merlin whispered to her mother. Then she let go and hugged Will as well. She walked out of the door and saw the miller's cart near the end of the tracks.

"Harold promised he'd take you as far as he can, near to the border of Escetia. But after that, you have to travel alone." Hunith told Merlin. Merlin nodded.

"I'll be safe and I will write to you both as soon as I get there. I promise I'll let you know I've gotten to Camelot safely." Merlin replied. She gave both Will and Hunith one last hug before she ran over to Harold, the miller's cart, and hopped up on the back. Harold nodded at her mother and acknowledged Merlin's presence in the back of his cart, before he started his cart going. Merlin looked back at her home, her mother and Will, for as long as she could see them.

xXxXxXx END FLASHBACK xXxXxXx

Merlin walked into Camelot and couldn't help being awed by everything around her. She'd never been anywhere but Ealdor, Camelot was simply enormous in comparison. She saw people were gathering for some reason. Being new in Camelot she figured it might be a good idea to try and catch a glimpse of what was going on. As she walked into the crowd, she saw a chopping block. It reminded her of what the butcher might use to chop up his meat once he'd killed the animals. Now Merlin wasn't so sure she should be here. She got her first glance of the king then. King Uther was an extremely intimidating and formidable looking man. He stood with absolute precision and pride. His eyes were fierce and cold with hate as he stared down into the square. Merlin didn't catch half of what he was saying because of the whispering crowd around her. She saw a middle aged man bought out. He was made to kneel on the ground next to the block. Merlin was horrified, as she realised she was about to witness an execution.

"For the crime of sorcery there is only one punishment I can deliver." Uther stated calmly. Merlin felt terror grip her, as she saw the man's head shoved onto the block. The executioner lifted his axe and the drums rolled. Merlin looked around and saw a woman at her window, looking over the courtyard, and she saw her look away from the proceedings, with a sad look on her face. Merlin felt physically sick as she saw Uther's hand signal, and the axe fell. The man's head was rent from his body in one chop. Merlin was thankful for that. She'd only ever seen one execution before this one. It had been messy. The executioner hadn't been able to chop clean through the neck of the condemned first time around. In fact it had taken four swings to take the head from the body of the condemned man. This had been when a man had been convicted of murder in her village. Even then, she hadn't been a willing witness. She'd been made to watch by one of the village's local bullies. Then the king declared a festival to celebrate the marking of twenty years since magic was eradicated from the land. Merlin wasn't sure why there should be a festival to celebrate chopping a man's head off but she wasn't going to open her mouth. She'd just got here.

Suddenly a heartbroken wailing caught Merlin's attention. The crowd moved aside to reveal an old woman. Her grey hair was matted and long, her skin was pale and wrinkled. She wore a grey sack cloth robe and a crystal around her neck on a black cord.

"It is not magic that is evil. It is you, Uther Pendragon, with your hatred and your ignorance. You took my son! But by the time this festival is over, you will share my tears. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a son for a son!" The woman yelled.

"Seize her!" The king ordered coldly. But before the old woman could even be reached, she'd muttered some spell and disappeared in wreaths of shadowy film, and was gone. Merlin was shaken by this display and she wasn't sure if she really wanted to have seen it.

After the execution, Merlin decided it was time to go and find her Uncle. She found her way towards a pair of guards.

"Can you tell me where I might find Gaius, the court physician?" Merlin asked politely. One of the guards gave her a friendly smile and pointed through the door he was standing next to.

"Up there lad." The guard replied. Merlin nodded her thanks, despite the fact that she was a girl, she had bound her chest with cloth for the journey. She didn't want to be caught by bandits as a woman alone. Bandits did terrible things to girls in her position. She went up the staircase through the door, past the sign that was marked 'Court Physician' and towards the first door she saw. Almost by instinct she walked in and found herself surrounded by books and scientific tools. There were bubbling potions on a couple of tables, and Merlin saw an old man on a rickety balcony, looking through books.

"Hello? Gaius?" She asked. The man turned slightly to see who was calling him, and the railing of the balcony broke. The man yelled in panic and Merlin did the first thing that came to her mind. Her eyes glowed gold and she slowed time, slowing the man's descent. Then, she realised there needed to be a soft landing for the old man and so beckoned the bed in the corner to come forward and placed it under the man, without ever physically moving. Then time became normal again, and the man landed with a thump on the cot, bits of debris from the balcony railing falling with him.

"Are you alright?" Merlin asked. The old man got up and looked at her carefully.

"What did you just do?" The man asked.

"I didn't do anything." Merlin protested. Of course the man didn't believe her.

"I know what it was, I just want to know how you did it. Where did you study?" The man asked. Merlin blinked.

"I never studied. I don't know any spells." Merlin replied honestly.

"Don't be ridiculous." The man shot back.

"What would you like me to say?" Merlin asked.

"The truth." The man said firmly.

"I was born like this." Merlin replied.

"That's impossible." The man shot back. Then he gave Merlin an odd look.

"Who are you anyway?" The old man asked.

"Are you Gaius?" Merlin asked. The old man nodded.

"I am." Gaius replied.

"I have this letter for you." Merlin said, as she pulled the letter from her pack.

"I don't have my reading glasses." Gaius shot out.

"I'm Merlin." Merlin said gently.

"Merlin? Hunith's daughter?" Gaius asked. Merlin nodded.

"But... you weren't supposed to be here until Wednesday." Gaius said.

"Um... it is Wednesday Uncle Gaius." Merlin replied. Gaius blinked owlishly.

"Oh. Well put your pack up there." Gaius told the girl, as he pointed up some stairs, to another door. Merlin nodded warily.

"You won't tell anyone about..." Merlin didn't say anymore, but gestured to the fallen debris. Gaius shook his head.

"No. Although I should say thank you, Merlin." Gaius replied.

"It's not a problem Uncle Gaius." Merlin replied.

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That night, Merlin gazed out of her window for a while. She watched the hustle and bustle of the people and it was almost like watching an army of fireflies as she saw the lit windows all over the great city. Merlin sighed as she closed her window and got into bed. However, as she slept, she was woken by a voice calling her.

"Merlin." The voice echoed through her mind. It startled her awake and she found it hard to get back to sleep again.

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The next morning, Merlin woke up and dressed in her blue tunic and black breeches, and she re-tied her hair as she stumbled down the stairs.

"Good morning Uncle Gaius." Merlin said, half yawning, with a grin on her face.

"Good morning Merlin. I got you some water. You didn't wash last night." Gaius said. Merlin blinked and nodded as Gaius ladled some white goop into a bowl.

"Thanks Uncle Gaius." Merlin replied, as the bowl was put in front of her. Merlin used her spoon to get a lumpy mouthful of white goop. She looked at it without much cheer, as it slopped back into the bowl. From the corner of her eye, she saw Gaius knock the bucket of water off the side. Without thinking, Merlin shot up and her hand was held out before her in a stopping motion. Her eyes flashed gold before she even noticed, and the bucket froze in mid air. She and Gaius exchanged looks and Merlin just... let go? Lost concentration? Either way, the bucket fell to the ground, water splashing over the old wooden floor. Merlin rushed to the side to grab a mop and start cleaning up the water.

"How did you do that? Did you incant a spell in your mind?" Gaius asked. Merlin shook her head.

"I don't know any spells. I just... it just happens. It's always happened. I've been like this for as long as I can remember." Merlin replied. Gaius nodded and then took the mop from her.

"Well I need not tell you that you must be careful. Being caught using magic is punishable by death, as you no doubt saw yesterday." Gaius told Merlin sagely. Merlin looked down at the ground.

"Did you ever... practise magic Uncle?" Merlin asked her Uncle curiously.

"King Uther banned the practise of magic twenty years ago." Gaius replied.

"Why did he do that? Why does the King hate magic so much?" Merlin asked.

"Well, when King Uther came to these lands, people used magic for the wrong ends and everything was chaos. Since then, Uther has made it his mission to eradicate all magic, even the dragons." Gaius replied.

"What all of them?" Merlin asked.

"There is one left. The King chose to keep it as an example. It's chained somewhere deep beneath the city where it cannot be freed apparently." Gaius told Merlin. Merlin felt rather saddened at that prospect.

"Here, I need you to deliver these potions for me. You can run some of my errands until we find some paid work for you." Gaius told his young charge, as he handed over two bottles of potion. Merlin took in what Gaius said and then turned to leave. Gaius grinned at the girl, as he stopped her and handed her a bacon sandwich. Merlin grinned back at her uncle.

"Thanks Uncle Gaius. I'll be back soon." Merlin said cheerfully as she left the physician's rooms.

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It didn't take Merlin long to deliver the potions. She'd asked for directions when needed, but she didn't have too many problems. Her Uncle Gaius' name was all she seemed to need for absolute trust. Merlin was walking through the market when she saw a group of men, picking on a servant boy.

"No Morris, that target shouldn't be in the sun like that." A blond man said.

"It's not that bright." Morris replied sheepishly.

"A bit like you then." The blond snapped back. Merlin glared as she saw the boy pick up the heavy wooden circle and start moving it.

"This'll show him." She heard the blonde whisper to his friends. Then he took a dagger from his belt and threw it at the target. Merlin's eyes went wide as the dagger hit the target. The boy looked horrified.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Morris yelped.

"Keep going. I want a moving target." The blonde sniped back. Merlin glared as the boy started running around, trying to avoid the daggers. It was barely a minute before the weight of the target became too much and Morris dropped the target on the cobbled ground. It rolled over to Merlin, who put her foot on it, to stop it rolling any further.

"That's enough. You've had your fun friend." Merlin stated as the group seemed to catch notice of her. The blonde, who seemed to be the leader of the group, gave her an odd look.

"Do I know you?" He asked.

"I'm Merlin." She introduced herself cheerfully and held out a hand. She didn't want to cause trouble after all. She'd promised her mother she would be careful. The blonde ignored it.

"So I don't know you." The blonde added.

"I just introduced myself." Merlin shot back.

"Yet you called me friend." The man carried on, as though Merlin hadn't even spoken.

"My mistake." Merlin hissed.

"Yes I think so." The blonde sniped.

"I'd never have a friend who could be such an ass." Merlin stated firmly. She turned around and made to walk away.

"Nor I, one who could be so stupid." The man shot back. Merlin turned around and glared.

"I've got better things to do with my time then play games with a prat like you, who bullies servants." Merlin shot out.

"Tel me Merlin, do you know how to walk on your knees?" The blond shot back viciously. Merlin shook her head in amusement.

"I don't, nor do I wish to learn." Merlin stated. Then she turned and walked away.

"Hey! I'm talking to you boy!" The man yelled. Merlin sighed inwardly. She wasn't sure why this man was mistaking her for a boy. It was probably something to do with the clothes she was wearing. She didn't bother to correct him. She just ignored him and carried on walking, leaving the man seething behind her.

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Merlin had been asked by Gaius to go and get some more water from the well, so she hefted the heavy, large bucket and walked towards the water pump that was near the town square. When she got there, she saw the poor servant, Morris, in the stocks, having rotten fruit and vegetables thrown at him. She sighed as she started pumping water into the bucket when she heard a slight cough behind her. She turned and saw a mocha skinned girl standing behind her. Her hair was dark and curly, and she seemed to have kind, chocolate coloured eyes.

"Um... hi. I'm Guinevere, but my friends call me Gwen. I just wanted to say that you did a brave thing today. No one usually stands up to Arthur." Gwen said kindly. Merlin blinked.

"Why not?" Merlin asked. Then she caught another glimpse of the poor servant in the stocks.

"Oh." Merlin said, as she grasped the idea of why poor Morris was in the stocks.

"Everyone thought you were a real hero, standing up to Arthur like that. You made him furious when you walked away." Gwen told Merlin kindly.

"Good. I'm glad I managed to wind him up. He deserves it. I'm Merlin by the way. I'm staying with my Uncle Gaius, the Court Physician." Merlin introduced herself. The two girls shook hands.

"I am glad you walked away though. Arthur is one of those rough, tough, save-the-world types. I don't know how long you'd have lasted." Gwen replied.

"Probably not long. That doesn't stop me from doing the right thing." Merlin replied. Gwen smiled.

"You're not a boy are you? I heard Arthur call you a boy, but you seem a little too... slender and feminine to be a boy." Gwen asked shyly. Merlin grinned.

"No I'm a girl. You're one of the few people who've noticed." Merlin replied. Both girls giggled for a moment before they saw that the local children had run off to get some more rotten produce. They walked over to Morris.

"I'm Merlin, and I'm sorry if you got in trouble because of me." Merlin told the boy. He looked up at her sadly.

"It's alright. You've got more guts than me. Besides I've been sacked." Morris replied. Merlin and Gwen's eyes went wide.

"Oh I'm so sorry." Merlin consoled honestly.

"I never meant for you to lose your job. I just... I wanted them to stop picking on you." Merlin added.

"Oh Morris. What are you going to do now?" Gwen asked.

"I thought about it a lot while I've been stuck here. I decided that I want to learn how to defend myself. I'm thinking of joining the army. That way, it won't take for a girl to come along, for me to fight for myself." Morris replied.

"Good luck Morris." Gwen said sadly.

"Yes. Good luck. Oh and thanks for noticing I'm a girl. How comes your master didn't spot that?" Merlin asked.

"He's... not that observant unless he's hunting to be honest. He doesn't pay much attention to those of us of the lower classes." Morris replied. That was when they saw the children coming back.

"Maybe I'll see you both again some time. Thanks for the chat, and don't feel too bad Merlin. I think I'll be on my way up if I can make it through the army training. You've inspired me in a weird sort of way." Morris told Merlin.

"Good luck mate." Merlin replied cheekily. Morris just grinned and gave her a thumbs up before they had to run away from the stocks, as the children started throwing rotten fruit and vegetables again.

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That night, Merlin heard the voice calling to her again.

"Merlin." Merlin found that it made her nervous. She shivered in her bed as she wondered where the voice was coming from.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Merlin had finished her chores for Gaius that morning. Now he wanted her to make some deliveries, and he handed her a potion for the Lady Morgana. Merlin waited for instructions on how to get there, and then she was gone. After all, the sooner she gave the lady her medicine, the sooner she got back home.

Merlin made her way into the palace, and found her way to Lady Morgana's chambers. As she walked in, she saw a dark haired woman playing with her hair, as she stepped behind a dressing screen.

"You know Gwen, I've been thinking about Arthur." The woman said. Merlin could only assume this was the Lady Morgana, and was speechless. She had no clue what to say.

"I wouldn't touch him with a lance pole of course, but if he wanted me to go to the feast with him then I think he should ask me himself. He hasn't asked me, so you know what that means?" Morgana asked. Merlin took her chance.

"I don't know what that means my lady, and I think you've confused me for someone else." Merlin said. Morgana poked her head out and looked at Merlin, who was still wide eyed.

"You're that girl who stood up to Arthur in the Market place, right? Gwen told me about you. Your name is... Merlin yes?" Morgana asked. Merlin nodded.

"Yes my lady." Merlin replied.

"Oh stop calling me 'my lady' enough people do that already. If you have to give me a title then just call me Lady Morgana. At least you're saying my name." Morgana said firmly. Merlin nodded.

"Of course Lady Morgana. Um... as for Arthur, I'm not sure I'd touch him with a lance pole either." Merlin said. Morgana laughed as Gwen arrived in the room.

"Merlin! I'm so glad to see you. What are you doing here?" Gwen asked.

"Well Uncle Gaius asked me to deliver this sleeping draught to Lady Morgana. I... sort of... just got here." Merlin replied.

"What are you planning to wear to the feast then Merlin?" Morgana asked.

"I don't know. My uncle suggested that I wear a dress as it's a special occasion." Merlin replied.

"Oh do you have a blue dress? It would match your eyes." Gwen exclaimed. Merlin looked at the two women wondering what exactly she could say. She was poor as could be and she only owned two dresses. One was a sack cloth brown. The other was her nightgown. In Ealdor there wasn't very much need for anything pretty.

"I know just the thing." Morgana stated, almost gleefully. She had a wicked smile on her face and Merlin wasn't quite sure if she should be worried.

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Merlin was on her way back home after Gwen and Morgana had decided to make sure she had a dress for the feast, when the same group of men appeared to her left. She carried on walking, ignoring the men. Especially the one who Gwen had told her was Arthur.

"How's your knee walking coming along boy?" Arthur quipped. Merlin was determined to ignore the blond.

"Oh don't run away." Arthur called after her, mocking tone in his voice. Merlin didn't like being thought of as a coward, whether she was a boy or a girl. She turned around and glared.

"Why would I run away from you?" Merlin hissed.

"Oh thank God. I thought you were deaf as well as dumb for a minute." Arthur shot out.

"What makes you think that the way you treat people is alright exactly? You're not the King." Merlin spat.

"I'm Arthur, his son." Arthur stated.

"That's supposed to make a difference? A Prince should treat his people with respect. I may not have known you were royalty, but that doesn't mean you're any less of an ass. You're just a royal one. You should think before you act." Merlin shot back.

"Oh? Are you going to teach me? I must warn you though. I've been trained to kill since birth." Arthur said snobbishly.

"So how long have you been training to be a prat?" Merlin quipped.

"You can't talk to me like that." Arthur stated, almost seeming amused.

"Oh I'm sorry." Merlin began.

"That's better." Arthur said and made to turn around. Merlin grinned as she carried on.

"How long have you been training to be a prat My Lord?" Merlin said sarcastically, as she made a mock bow. Arthur threw a mace at her. It dropped to the ground as Merlin tried, and failed to catch it mid-air.

"Pick it up." Arthur stated. Merlin blinked but she picked it up. She was certainly glad she knew how to dodge when Arthur swung for her head. As she moved backwards, jumping over carts, and avoiding more blows, people cheered loudly. Soon Merlin was using her magic instinctively and sneakily, making Arthur trip, making sure his mace got tangled in low hanging things, and generally, making sure she stayed alive. But then she saw Gaius and got distracted. That was all it took. Arthur whacked her in the back with a broom stick, knocking the wind out of her. She nearly fell, and she got another whack in the back of the head and lost her footing. She was seeing stars. She felt her hair come loose from its string binding and she fell to the ground. Gaius made his way through the crowd and gave Arthur a fierce glare.

"Sire, I thought you were above fighting with young girls." Gaius said harshly. Arthur looked totally confused.

"What girl?" Arthur asked.

"My niece? Merlin? Who you've just hit about the head. Goodness knows what damage has been done." Gaius scolded harshly. Then Gaius helped Merlin to her feet. Merlin still felt a little dizzy.

"Merlin, come on let's take a look at that lump on your head." Gaius said kindly. Merlin was dazed but she allowed Gaius to lead her away. Arthur still had a gobsmacked look on his face.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Arthur felt like an idiot. Not only that but he didn't feel very proud of himself. Hitting a servant boy was one thing, but hitting a girl was completely different. He went out of his way not to hit girls. He hadn't even liked training with Morgana when they were children. It just wasn't very chivalrous to hit a girl when you're so much stronger. At least that was Arthur's view. He watched Gaius lead the skinny girl away and wondered how exactly he could've missed it. Her clothes hid most of her feminine shape, but her face wasn't exactly very manly, and her hair had been tied up. Arthur took a note to himself to start making more observations in the future, no matter the class of the person he was speaking to.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Once Gaius got Merlin back to their chambers, Gaius was furious.

"How could you be so stupid Merlin?" Gaius snapped.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asked. But she knew what he meant.

"I saw you Merlin. What would have happened if you got caught? Your mother would've been devastated." Gaius scolded.

"I didn't start it, but I wish I'd finished it. That prat needs teaching a lesson!" Merlin exclaimed.

"Magic is not for petty pranks Merlin. It is supposed to be learned and harnessed for good." Gaius snapped.

"What's to learn? I could move objects like that before I could talk!" Merlin yelled.

"Then you should surely be able to control yourself by now." Gaius shot back.

"Maybe I don't want to control myself. Magic is all I have. Without it I'm nobody and I always will be!" Merlin yelled. Gaius looked at Merlin carefully.

"If I don't have magic, I might as well die." Merlin added sadly. Then she ran up the four steps that led to her room and slammed the door shut behind her. She threw herself on her bed and shoved her face into her pillow, to make sure she didn't cry. She heard a knock at her door a few minutes later and sat up, as Gaius came in to the room with a small bowl and a cloth.

"Let me take a look at your head and back Merlin." Gaius replied. Merlin nodded and Gaius turned away while Merlin slid off her tunic and used it to cover her front. Gaius took a look at her back.

"It'll leave a brilliant bruise but apart from that, there is no harm done." Gaius said kindly. He put some special paste on the bruising to make sure it wasn't too painful, and to bring it down. Gaius turned away again so Merlin could throw her tunic back on again. Then he started probing the back of her head.

"You don't know why I was born like this. Do you Uncle Gaius." Merlin commented.

"I'm afraid not Merlin." Gaius replied, as he checked the lump over. He squeezed excess water out of the cloth he'd left in the bowl of water he'd bought it. Then he used the cool cloth to wipe at the lump on the back of Merlin's head.

"I'm not a monster am I Uncle?" Merlin asked. Gaius didn't even hesitate as he saw the broken look in his niece's eyes.

"No Merlin. You must never think that." Gaius told her firmly.

"Then why am I like this?" Merlin asked.

"I don't know Merlin. You are a question that has never been posed before. Maybe someone with more knowledge than I, has the answers you seek." Gaius replied.

"If you don't know the answer, I doubt anyone else does." Merlin told her Uncle firmly. Gaius couldn't help but give his niece a kind smile, knowing what kind of faith she must have in him.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Later on, Merlin was taking a preparation to Lady Helen's rooms, for her voice. Merlin knocked on the door and found that it was slightly ajar. She pushed the door open a little further and walked in.

"Hello? Lady Helen?" Merlin called softly. She decided to leave the preparation on Lady Helen's dressing table. As she placed it down, she noticed a straw doll and an old, arcane looking book that had strange embroidery on the front of it. Merlin reached towards the cover of the book when she heard footsteps in the hall. She spun round as a woman with dark hair walked into the room, wearing a resplendent purple gown.

"What are you doing here?" The woman asked coldly. Merlin turned for a second and picked up the preparation and held it out towards the woman, who she assumed was Lady Helen, almost as a peace offering.

"I was sent by Gaius, the Court Physician, to give you this preparation for your voice Lady Helen." Merlin replied and made a quick bow. Lady Helen took the bottle from Merlin's hand and Merlin fled the room as quickly as she could without causing offense. After all, no matter how cold the woman had been, she was still nobility, and nobility had to have their rules respected. Merlin decided to head over to Lady Morgana's chambers to talk to her and Gwen. That would definitely take her mind from the awkward moment she'd just had.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Later that day, after Merlin had once again visited Gwen and Morgana, so that Gwen could take measurements from her, Merlin bumped into Arthur in the corridors. He looked slightly shamefaced.

"Sire?" Merlin mocked bowed as she greeted the prince.

"I didn't know you were a girl. I certainly wouldn't have whacked you like that if I had thought you were." Arthur said.

"It shouldn't matter if I'm a boy or a girl. What should matter is how you treat your people. We're still human, even if we don't quite fit in to your social scale." Merlin said plainly. She didn't wait for his answer as she walked down the stairs. She looked back up at the palace as she walked away, and took note that Arthur was watching her from one of the windows.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Arthur watched Merlin leaving the castle. She was interesting. At least on some level. She had guts and she stood up to him. That was something that Arthur had never known before. No one, man or woman had ever so brazenly called him out on his treatment of anyone, especially his servants. There was something about this girl, Merlin that was making Arthur think about things that hadn't really occurred to him before. He wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Merlin heard the strange voice again. It seemed to call out to her when she was trying to sleep. This time she snuck out of bed, her white cloth nightgown hung to her ankles, she slipped on her boots, and grabbed a shawl to keep her warm. It was black and red and woollen, and she wrapped it around her shoulders and tucked the ends in at her arms. She snuck through the courtyard, and found herself nearing the dungeons. She saw two guards playing a game of dice and with a few flicks of her instinctual magic, the guards were chasing after their dice, and Merlin, her hair hanging over her shoulders, crept down the stairs and lit a torch. She went down a dark, stone flight of stairs. It was almost like going downhill through a tunnel. When Merlin found herself at the end, she walked towards the mouth of another opening. She stepped out on to a ledge and felt very vulnerable as she saw the sheer drop, marred with stalactites and stalagmites that had grown out of this cave over thousands of years.

"Where are you?" Merlin called. Nobody would hear her now. She felt like she was hundreds of miles from the castle. Then something flew straight up towards her and Merlin yelped at the surprise. She watched as the flying creature sat on a larger ledge that was across from her.

"I am here young sorceress." The creature replied. But Merlin could well assume that this was not an ordinary creature. This was a dragon.

"You're the one who's been calling me for the last few days?" Merlin asked.

"Indeed I am young Sorceress." The Dragon replied.

"Why did you call me?" Merlin asked.

"How small you are for such a great destiny." The dragon replied. Merlin glared slightly.

"Don't speak in riddles. What do you mean?" Merlin asked.

"Why, only that your powers were given to you for a reason." The dragon replied.

"So there is a reason?" Merlin asked. She had been haunted all her life by the knowledge of her magic. She just wanted to know why she had such power.

"Prince Arthur will be a great King. He will unite the lands of Albion and those of us with magic will be free to live in peace." The dragon told Merlin firmly.

"What has that got to do with me?" Merlin asked.

"Why it has everything to do with you, young one. Arthur will face many threats, from friend and foe alike. You are the one who will protect him. Without you, there will be no Albion. Without you, we who possess magic will never be free again." The dragon replied. Merlin looked up at the dragon speculatively.

"Um no. No. No, no way am I doing that. Arthur is a bully and a prat, and if someone wants to kill him they can go ahead. I might even give them a hand." Merlin quipped. The dragon laughed.

"None of us can change our destiny and none of us can escape it, young one." The dragon replied.

"But you must have the wrong person, because this Arthur is a complete and total idiot." Merlin shot back. The dragon grinned toothily at Merlin.

"Perhaps it is your destiny to change that Merlin." The Dragon replied. Then he was off, flying upwards.

"Hey wait! I wasn't even finished asking you questions yet!" Merlin yelled. But the Dragon didn't reappear.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

The next night, Merlin was dressed in a gown that was very like Gwen's own red one, with white sleeves, only Merlin's was a royal blue, that set of the colour of her eyes. Merlin had left her hair loose and it was brushed and hung gently over her shoulders as she stood next to her Uncle. That was when Morgana walked in, wearing a burgundy, halter-neck dress. Merlin almost snickered when she heard Arthur speak.

"Lord have mercy." He said, in a rather dazed way. Merlin smirked to herself.

"She looks great doesn't she?" Gwen stated. Merlin grinned.

"You did a great job Gwen." Merlin replied.

"I know. You know people say she'll be Queen one day." Gwen told Merlin.

"Not that I'd want to be her. Who'd want to marry Arthur?" Gwen added. Merlin and Gwen giggled together. At that moment, the trumpets sounded and Gwen ran to take her place behind Morgana, who was now sat on the left hand side of the King. Arthur went to sit on his right hand side, and everyone else took their seats. Merlin was stood near an archway. Merlin didn't really pay attention to most of the King's speech, until the end.

"It is my pleasure to present, Lady Helen of Morah." King Uther exclaimed. Then the music started, and the King sat down. Merlin saw Lady Helen standing on a stage in a mustard coloured gown as she started singing. Merlin wasn't sure what it was exactly that drew her to it. But she noticed that people were falling asleep. Just drifting off, and gently laying their heads down into their arms, almost as though this were a great dance of some kind. Merlin looked at her Uncle, and even Gaius had fallen asleep. Merlin slapped her hands over her ears as she saw cobwebs start to appear over everything. There was no other explanation then that this had to be magic, and it was Lady Helen that was using this magic.

Merlin watched as Lady Helen made her way to stand in front of the high table, where Morgana, the King and Arthur were all sat. Gwen was on the floor behind Morgana's chair. It was then that Merlin caught the flash of silver, as Lady Helen drew a dagger from her sleeve. Then she seemed to be aiming it at Arthur, and even though Merlin remembered what she had said to the dragon the night before, she wasn't prepared to help someone murder Arthur in cold blood. He might be a prat but this certainly wasn't the right way to deal with him at any rate. Almost as though it were instinct, Merlin used her magic to make the grand chandelier over Lady Helen, fall on top of the woman. Once that happened, people began to wake up, and Merlin noticed that Lady Helen was no longer Lady Helen, but was the old woman from the execution, held not even a week ago. Then Merlin saw the look in the old woman's eyes as everyone started to shift from their positions. Gwen stood up and brushed herself down. Morgana was shifting cobwebs from herself, as were the King and Arthur. Merlin saw the hatred appear on the old woman's face and as she saw the woman grab the knife, Merlin knew that knife would be aimed at Arthur once again. As the old woman used the last of her strength and tossed that dagger with all her might, and possibly some magic moulded into the force of the throw, Merlin used her magic to slow time, and ran to Arthur's side. As time began to speed up again, Merlin yanked Arthur out of the way, just in time, as the knife hit the back of Arthur's chair and forced it's self all the way through without effort. Had Arthur still been sat there, he would have been skewered like a piece of meat on a spit. Merlin saw Arthur glancing at the knife and then at her. He didn't seem to know what to say. He brushed himself off and stood up, offering Merlin a hand. Merlin took it and she found herself on her feet again in no time at all.

"You saved my boy's life." The King said. Merlin looked at the King with wide eyes.

"It was the right thing to do sire." Merlin replied gently.

"You must be rewarded for your bravery." The king told Merlin.

"There really is no need sire." Merlin started, but the king waved off any protests.

"Don't be so modest. This warrants something quite special." The king said.

"I really don't-" Merlin tried to speak again, but she was cut off by the king again.

"You shall have a place in the royal household. You shall become Prince Arthur's maidservant." The king decreed. Everyone clapped loudly. Merlin wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. It seems destiny wasn't without a certain sense of irony.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Merlin was sat in her room later on, thinking on what the dragon has said. That was when Gaius entered the room, carrying a bundle, wrapped in red cloth.

"I can't believe that just happened." Merlin stated.

"You're a heroine now Merlin." Gaius said kindly. Merlin shook her head.

"Who would've thought it?" Merlin replied, a smile on her face.

"Oh I knew the moment I met you. You saved my life, remember?" Gaius stated.

"But that was my magic." Merlin replied.

"So, that was how you saved Arthur. I saw what you did. It seems that we've found a use for your gifts." Gaius replied. Merlin sighed.

"What like destiny?" Merlin questioned sarcastically. Gaius nodded, ignoring the sarcasm.

"Exactly." Gaius replied. He handed the bundle he'd been holding to Merlin.

"This is for you Merlin. It was given to me when I was your age, but I have a feeling you will make much better use of it then I have." Gaius said kindly. Merlin opened the bundle and stared down at the book within. She opened it and her eyes were wide with joy.

"It's a book of magic." Merlin uttered reverently. Her eyes were wide and sparkled with a hidden joy.

"Keep it safe Merlin." Gaius warned.

"I will study every word." Merlin replied as she looked at the book in awe. There was a knock suddenly and the voice of a servant rang through clearly.

"Merlin, Prince Arthur wants to see you." The male voice said. Merlin sighed.

"Your destiny's calling. Better go and see what he wants." Gaius told Merlin.

"Of course he would call me, at God knows what hour." Merlin stated as she shook her head in amusement. She went to put her book away, before she ran off to find out what was wanted of her. Destiny or not, she didn't have to like it.

xXxXxXxXxXxXx

Okay all, I hope you liked my version of Fem Merlin. I didn't include everything from episode one, and I changed things, because... well I want to be original. Just for reference, the reason I didn't have Merlin trying to fight Arthur is because (no offense meant to any male readers here) girls tend to think more before they jump into a fight, and tend not to be offended by the same things that boys are. I'm not saying it's the same for all girls. As a kid I was well known for jumping into a punch up before I thought about the consequences. But I'm thinking about things that might change if Merlin were a girl, so I figured that maybe Merlin would be just slightly more cautious. Therefore a girl Merlin would more likely walk away before being thrown in the dungeons.

As for Arthur mistaking Merlin for a boy, it's easily done. Girls with shoulder length hair can tuck it into the back of their jackets and most people don't take notice. At this point of the series, Arthur didn't really pay attention to his servants or other people. So instead of making Merlin too foolhardy, I made my fem Merlin more altruistic? I think that's the word I'm looking for, but possibly not. She cares more about the way Arthur is treating others, rather than the way he treated her.

Also the little scene with Morris the old manservant was just a titbit to put someone in the stocks and so that there was a reason for Arthur to have a servant vacancy. I always felt that it was never really explained in the show, in all honesty, and no one ever saw poor Morris again. So I figured to send him off on some sort of adventure.

I have been putting some of Arthur's P.O.V when he's around Merlin, but I'm not sure how that's going to affect the dynamic all the time. Please R&R and let me know what you think. I'd be really appreciative of any suggestions. Thanks to everyone for reading and I hope you enjoyed the first chapter.