Guinevere's Rules

Rule Nine: If At First You Don't Succeed, Try, Try, Again

The next morning, I woke up to banging on my door. Grunting, I sat up in my bed, bleary eyes staring at the door. "What?" I shouted in confusion. It was still dark outside, why was I awake?

"Get up, Gwen! You need breakfast and then I'm teaching you." I heard Merlin shout at me. Stumbling to the door, I pulled it open and came face to face with the offending sorcerer. "Good, you're awake. Get dressed and meet me in the mess hall." 

With that, he turned and briskly walked away, leaving me in a state of confusion as I pulled on some clothes that the people here gave me. Glancing at my phone, I chocked when I read the time 5:10 AM. Glaring at the numbers, I huffed and shuffled down to the mess hall. 

I was going to murder Merlin. 

After getting something to eat, I stalked towards Merlin where he sat in the empty hall and plopped down. "It is 5:25 in the morning. Why am I awake and how are you awake?" 

"We are awake so you can start to learn some magik and answer some of your questions. Believe it or not, I can wake up on time." Merlin said with a wry smile. 

Gawaine's words came back to me and I tried to imagine Merlin as a young man. I imagined that he wouldn't be too muscular but definitely stronger than he looked. In fact, I imagined him to look similar to Harry Potter, maybe without the glasses. 

I laughed lightly and nodded. "Well, you showed me," I said sarcastically, shoving food into my mouth. 

We were finished with breakfast and in the training yard by 5:40, back in the same little area we took last time. "In order to use magik, you must know how to connect with it. I had planned on waiting a little while to teach you this but seeing how well you got meditation, I think you can start on connecting with magik." Merlin explained to me from his little stump. "This is a difficult task that takes most people a month or two at least to conquer." 

Basically, he doesn't want me to get my hopes up. 

Nodding, I closed my eyes and tried to follow exactly what I saw Guinevere do yesterday. Closing my eyes, I focused on my breathing until I calmed my mind. This part was fairly easy, but when I tried to open myself to the magik, everything fell apart. I opened my eyes for a brief second to be blinded by a golden light, then nothing. 

Everything looked the same as it had before I closed my eyes. 

"That was good for a first attempt," Merlin assured me. 

I glanced over at the man and sighed. I failed, I didn't feel assured. Guinevere could do this as a child, yet I couldn't even get it as a twenty, almost twenty-one-year-old woman. Determination filled my mind and I straightened my back and closed my eyes, "Gwen, I think you should probably take a minute to rest." 

"I'm okay. I can get this. I just have to try again." I insisted. 

Once again, I closed my eyes and calmed my mind. I stayed that way longer than the last time, making sure I wasn't trying to rush anything. Then, I slowly focused on my mind and body, letting everything open up. I felt warm once again like I had when I first came to Albion through the portal. 

Then, I slowly slid my eyes open. 

Everything was golden, it was absolutely beautiful and incredible to see through my own eyes and not through Guinevere's. It only lasted for two seconds before the gold faded back to color. 

I had failed again. 

"Ugh!" I groaned and fell backward, laying against the floor. 

Merlin poked my side with his foot. "Why are you frustrated, I just told you that it takes most people at least a month to connect with magic, you are almost there in just two tries."