Here is my new story. It isn't going to be very long, I've already finished it actually. It will be five chapters. I am considering a sequel though, it wouldn't be posted any time soon, but we'll just see how this goes first. Hopefully you like it. It's nothing complex or anything, but it was fun to write. Well, don't sit here reading this little authors note, go on and read the story! Off with you now!

Chapter One

Merlin awoke that day unaware that things were about to go very horribly wrong. No it wasn't an evil sorcerer plotting against Arthur's life or even some magical beast terrorizing Camelot. In fact it effected Arthur very little, in perspective at least. It was actually a rather normal uneventful day, given the day hadn't been more than a few minutes long for Merlin at this point. It all started with Merlin being awoken by a slightly grumpy Gaius. Merlin opened his eyes blearily, to see his guardian standing over him, shaking him awake. Merlin quickly glanced at his window. It was still dark. Now he was slightly grumpy.

"What is it Gaius? It's too early for me to get up," Merlin complained turning away and snuggling under his blanket trying to fall asleep again.

"Sorry Merlin but I need you to collect some herbs for me," Gaius said ripping Merlin's blanket away from him.

"Can't you just go buy some in the market?" Merlin asked trying to squirm his way out through any opportunity.

"You know very well that all the markets have run out of herbs. We only just came out of winter last week. It will take them some time to restock, which means we have to do so on our own, now get moving!" He said taking away Merlin's pillow. When that failed to persuade him out of bed Gaius tugged the young man off his cot and onto the cold stone floor.

"Hey!" Merlin yelped as he quickly froze outside his warm bed. Gaius left knowing Merlin wouldn't be able to sleep for some time now.

Merlin glared for a moment before sitting on his bed smacking his lips tiredly. Finally he started to get dressed. He grabbed a bag to store the herbs he would pick and Gaius handed him a list of the herbs he needed.

"Oh and Merlin," Gaius said as final words of advice as he handed Merlin his breakfast that consisted of a chunk of bread. "The last herb there may not yet be found anywhere. It usually takes a little more time to grow after the winter."

Merlin nodded tiredly and left wordlessly as he nibbled on his bread.

Arthur started his morning with Gwen shaking him awake gently. He smiled groggily at the sight of her face. For once he wasn't being woken by an annoying idiot and his annoying and unusual cheerful smile that seemed to defy logic so early in the morning. Then Arthur realized it wasn't morning. Not early morning. Not when he was supposed to have woken up. Merlin was late. Again. Arthur jumped out of bed and let Gwen help him get dressed.

"Why didn't you wake me sooner, better yet where is that idiot whose supposed to be doing his job right about now?" Arthur questioned.

"I just thought you looked so peaceful, so I let you sleep in a little. It's hardly a crime. You could use it. As to where Merlin is, I have no idea. He never showed up," Gwen was always waking up on time, almost always before Merlin would arrive.

Arthur rolled his eyes at Merlin's disappearance. "Guess I'll just have to throw him in the stocks or something," Arthur mused a little too gleefully for Gwen's taste, earning him a slight smack to the back of his head.

"You will do no such thing," Gwen reprimanded. She never let Arthur have any fun, at least when it came to torturing Merlin. Although, he still managed to get away with throwing the occasional goblet at the idiot when Gwen wasn't looking.

"He didn't even finish his chores from yesterday," Arthur complained as they both made their way towards the physicians chambers to find the boy in question.

"I don't blame him," Gwen continued as they continued. Merlin had shown up late enough times since they got married that they didn't even say anything about what they were doing or where they were going. They simply went to find Merlin whenever he showed up late. Gwen went out of concern that he might be sick or injured and Arthur to have the pleasure of throwing something at him. "You work him too hard, and he has to work for both of us now. You could go a bit easier on him you know," Gwen consoled.

They had had this conversation a few times, but all that came of it was a couple of days where Merlin would get a slightly more manageable workload. Most of the time Merlin kept how overloaded he was from Gwen to keep her from worrying, but every now and then she would notice and get on Arthur about it. The conversation continued on its normal route until they arrived at the doors to the physicians chambers.

They entered without knocking to find Gaius closely examining a strangely colored vial of liquid. He looked at them briefly when they entered, but continued working.

Gwen and Arthur didn't get a chance to say a thing before Gaius answered the question he knew they would ask. "Merlin's not here."

"Then where is he?" Gwen asked kindly as Arthur just put his hands on his hips and looked disapproving at Merlin's door.

"I asked him to collect a few herbs for me this morning. He hasn't quite returned," Gaius answered as he poured a sickly green liquid into a brown one.

"He sure is taking his sweet time," Arthur complained.

"Arthur," Gwen said unfavorably.

Gaius shook his head. "Actually he should have been back by now. I wonder what's taking him," Gaius said stopping his work and looking slightly concerned.

"At the tavern I suppose," Arthur huffed.

"This early?" Gwen pointed out.

"I've told you, he has a serious problem," Arthur said looking bored.

"He's not at the tavern," Gaius said frowning even more. He knew the young man never went there, Arthur just didn't know that from all the times he had used it as an excuse when Merlin was off saving the world.

"Then where is he?" Arthur asked. A seed of worry was planted in his brain. He wanted to uproot it before it grew.

Gaius shrugged, "I've no idea."

It had been a year since they had regained the kingdom from Morgana, again. A year of blissful marriage for Arthur and Gwen. It had been rather peaceful, surprisingly, but not everyone was happy. Merlin had to work harder now that he served both Gwen and Arthur. During Gwen's first month of being queen, she hadn't wanted to let Merlin do anything for her and would secretly do chores every now and then. Merlin had finally convinced her to stop that, but it did leave him with more to do. There was also Tristan who still mourned Isolde, but that only made him focus on being a good knight, a great one actually. Arthur had finally promoted him to training the new knights since he had little time for that now. Still, most of Camelot loved their new queen and prospered as there was no word of Morgana to be heard of anywhere.

Other than Gwen being queen and a new knight, things were much the same. Merlin pondered on everything that had changed, and what was in store. He mostly thought about Morgana and as to where she might have disappeared to and how. He was barely paying attention to the herbs he was collecting, though it had become easy to identify them that it hardly required much thinking.

It had still been rather dark when Merlin had entered the forest, but the sky was starting to lighten up slowly. The sun had nearly come up all the way by the time he had finished two thirds of the list. Merlin sighed. He couldn't help but also think about all the chores Arthur had in store for him. He had somehow managed to neglect several tasks the previous day which means he had to do all his normal tasks and finish everything he hadn't yesterday. That and he was already going to be late. It would mean a full days work with little rest. He probably wouldn't even be able to have lunch. He might get dinner if he was lucky.

Merlin sighed again as he reached the last two herbs on the list. feverfew and bergamot, Merlin read. Merlin looked for the small white flower of the feverfew he knew wouldn't be a problem to find. They grew like weeds. He located a bush not far off in front of a wall of boulders. Merlin barely glanced at the rocks and moved on to making an attempt to find the elusive bergamot. He decided to look for ten minutes before giving up, so he started to look for the scarlet flower that would indicate it's presence.

He walked away from the wall of boulders for a couple of minutes before swinging round again taking him uphill. He was looking for the great soil the bergamot required and found several spots that would be perfect for it, but still there was no bush full of scarlet flowers. He reached the top of the hill and turned around again. He was just about to give up when he saw it.

There it was just sitting between some rocks. It wasn't much, but Merlin figured any was better than none. He realized this was just above that wall of stone where he had found the feverfew. It had probably been just out of sight where it was. Merlin rolled his eyes at the plants trickiness and walked towards it. Then suddenly the ground cracked and Merlin felt his stomach rise and fill with butterflies. He was falling down, down into blackness. It was just before hitting the ground that he realized it was a long ways he had fallen and that it probably wasn't a good thing.

Merlin managed to land on one of his feet, but he didn't stay that way long. He buckled and felt something snap. He threw his arm out to catch himself and felt another wave of pain. Finally his head reached the ground with a smack and blackness filled his mind.

There's the first chapter. I hope you lied it. Next one will be up soon. Probably Saturday or Sunday. See you then!