Disclaimer: I own nothing.

This is the Tenth Doctor, if you can't tell from the fact that he's with Martha.

Oh, and this fic is supposed to be shipless, but I am a hardcore Merthur shipper, so if it's totally obvious, I apologise.

The Doctor and Martha ran into the TARDIS, breathing heavily. The Doctor was, as usual, smiling like a madman in the face of near-death. In fact, he was starting to laugh. And maybe Martha, in the beginning, would tell him that it isn't at all funny to almost be killed by aliens, but after travelling with The Doctor for a while, almost everything in life is funny, so watching him laugh made her begin to laugh as well.

But that was when there was pounding on the door and Martha wasn't smiling anymore.

"Sontarans. So touchy when you get in the way of their wars," The Doctor muttered.

"Yes, touchy," Martha said, "As in they're going to break in and kill us, Doctor. I think we'd better go."

"Silly Martha," The Doctor crooned, "The hordes of Genghis Kahn couldn't get through the doors, let alone a few Sontarans."

"A few? Doctor, it's an entire army!"

He pursed his lips, as if in consideration. "Well, maybe it wouldn't be a terrible idea to get going then," he decided.

"Yes, thank you, so let's go!"

"Where to?" he asked, walking at a leisurly pace over to the controls.

There was more pounding, loud and hollow. "I think they've got a battering ram," she said.

"How quaint," The Doctor replied with a grin. "Now where to?"

"God, I dunno, pick somewhere!" she said desperately.

"You pick."

More banging, and she could have sworn she heard the cracking of wood. In her desperation, she yelled out random numbers. "England, 495!"

He gave her another grin. "Good choice!"

Thankfully, the TARDIS started to wail and off they went into the past. Martha took a deep breath. "Why's it a good choice? What happens in 495?"

"Nothing in particular," he said, "but that's around the time Arthur is alive."

"Arthur? King Arthur?"

"Well," The Doctor said, counting on his fingers, "in 495 he's not quite king yet. He's the prince. His father Uther'd still be king in 495. But yes, it's the same one."

"We're going to meet King Arthur?" she asked with a smile.

"Prince Arthur," he corrected.

"Oh, whatever," she replied. "It's still cool. We're going to Camelot!"

"Indeed we are!" The Doctor exclaimed.

After a minute, the TARDIS touched down. Martha smiled to The Doctor and together they peeked out the door. They had landed in the middle of what seemed to be a forest, but in the distance they could see a glorious sight: Camelot. Mostly, they could see the castle, which was, to say the least, enormous.

They started to walk, going into the gates of the city and looking at all the people. "So how do we meet Arthur? He must be hard to find," Martha asked after a while.

"Normally, I would agree with you, except he's coming this way."

Martha turned where The Doctor was looking to see a procession of knights with red capes and chainmail galloping through the city on horseback. She swallowed as she looked at Arthur, who must have been the blonde one in the front.

"My god, he's hot!" she whispered.

"I suppose he is rather pretty," The Doctor agreed.

That was when Martha realized they were all in the attire of a knight except for one. "Who's the dark haired boy with him? He's not a knight."

"No he isn't," The Doctor replied. "Must be a servant."

Just then, the boy with the dark hair looked over to them, and he looked at them curiously. She looked down at her clothes. She knew she and The Doctor never changed into something time-appropriate, and most people didn't notice, but this boy did.

"Merlin!" the blonde man that had to have been Arthur hollered. "What are you daydreaming about? I'm talking to you!" The boy with the dark hair shook his head, looking to Arthur.

"Yes, sire, sorry sire."

Martha blinked. "Merlin. The Merlin. Like the wizard," she said incredulously.

"It seems so," The Doctor mused. "I didn't know Arthur knew him so early in life. In fact, I didn't know he was actually real. Kind of thought he was a myth."

"But he's a servant."

"Maybe the name was used in the myths, but he's not actually a wizard," The Doctor said.

"Plus, I thought he'd be an old man." She privately thought that Merlin was attractive too.

"Well I don't imagine he's always been an old man!" The Doctor said. "Had to have been young sometime."

She rolled her eyes. "I meant I thought he was a lot older than Arthur."

"Again, the myths might not be true," The Doctor said. He was quiet for a moment. "But then again…" he murmured, following the knights. She ran after him.

"What?"

"Listen to what they're saying."

They had stopped riding now and were getting off their horses. Arthur was speaking. "The sorcerer may have gotten away this time, but he will not get away again, whoever it is."

"By now he has sought refuge with the druids, my lord," said one of the other knights. "We've tried and failed to find them enough times."

Arthur's eyes narrowed and the knight stood up a little straighter. "You do not have faith in my ability to lead you?" Arthur demanded.

"No, of course I do, sire," the knight said hurriedly.

"Then we will leave at dawn tomorrow."

Martha stared at Arthur, feeling intimidated by him even from thirty feet away, hiding behind a fruit stand. She wasn't sure whether he was just mean, or if his aura of power made him frightening. Maybe it was both.

She looked around the group, wondering where the boy had gone. Merlin, the servant. She found him and took in a sudden breath. He was still staring at them.

"Merlin's suspicious of us," Martha said.

"I imagine so, seeing as he's a sorcerer," The Doctor said casually.

"I thought you said the myths might not be true."

"Changed my mind," The Doctor said vaguely. "He can probably sense something off about us. If we are to believe the myths, Merlin would do anything to protect Arthur. He must watch out for oddities, such as ourselves."

"So you're saying he really is one of the greatest wizards of all time."

"Don't think he would call himself a wizard, but yes."

"Then maybe we should go."

"You don't want to talk to Arthur?"

"He seems a little mean, actually." And with Merlin the powerful warlock watching them… she added in her head.

"Of course he seems mean, he's a spoiled prince," The Doctor said. "But don't you want to talk to him just to say you've done it?"

She smiled. "I suppose that'd be nice. But how will we get an audience with him?"

"Merlin!" shouted Arthur again, even though Merlin was standing only a few feet away.

Merlin didn't break eye contact with Martha as he said, "Yes, sire?"

"Make sure the horses are watered and fed."

"It's what I live for, sire. At least the horses are intelligent company," Merlin replied dryly, which made Arthur glare at him and take a deep breath. A few of the knights looked like they were trying hard to stifle a laugh. She had a feeling he sassed off to Arthur like this often and smiled too, deciding maybe she'd like him after all. As long as he didn't try to kill them. But really, he mostly looked curious about them for the time being, so maybe she was just being paranoid.

"Then maybe," Arthur said with a dangerous glint in his eye, "if you like horses so much, you should muck out the stables as well."

Merlin looked exasperated, seeming to realise his sass had backfired. "Right, sire." Arthur and his knights started to go inside, but Merlin didn't move.

"Merrrrrrlin!" Arthur belted. "Get a move on! I want you done by sundown to bring me supper!"

Merlin rolled his eyes and started to walk and Arthur entered the castle. The second he did, Merlin changed course, coming right towards Martha and The Doctor.

"Um, Doctor," Martha said. "He's coming over here."

"I see that."

"What should we do?"

The Doctor thought for a moment. "Have a little chat," he replied.