The Sound of A Whisper (Merlin BBC)

Chapter Twenty - Three

Chapter 23:

~Cara (past) ~

                After Merlin recovered, our walks continued. Gaius was angry for me for hiding that my scars opened during the commotion of Merlin being poisoned, but he eventually got over it. It had knocked my recovery time back two weeks according to him. Merlin gladly started taking me for walks again.

                We were walking in the woods, headed towards a meadow that Merlin wanted to show me. I had made a deal with Arthur, through using guilt so that I could have my walking partner for the time that he was training with the knights. Other servants easily took over the little Merlin did during that time.

                It had been three days since Merlin was heeled. Three days since he and Gwen had kissed. And three days since I had wondered about what I felt in reaction to seeing that.

                “You have been quiet,” Merlin commented. “Are you in pain?”

                “No, I was just in thought,” I said. I was thinking about him and Gwen kissing, but I wasn’t going to say that.

                “What were you thinking about?”

                I didn’t reply. I had nothing to say on the matter worth saying.

                “Cara?” he asked.

                My mind was too troubled. I heard his words, but quite register them enough to answer. Instead, all I could think about was them kissing. That moment kept replying over and over again in my head.

                “How is Gwen?” I asked.

                “Gwen?” he asked raising an eyebrow at him. “She is fine, I guess, I haven’t seen her today.”

                “Oh?” I said. “I thought you two were courting now.”

                “What?” Merlin looked shocked. “One minute, we are almost to the meadow.”

                He lead me out of the woods and into a beautiful clear meadow. All around was full bright, green grass and flowers of every color. I looked around in the bright sun that felt warm on my face. I wanted to smile, but my heart was too focused on the serving boy that stood by my side.

                Reaching down, Merlin picked some small white flowers.

                “Here you are,” he said handing them to me.

                I took them and looked down at them.

                “What is troubling you?” he asked, placing a finger on my chin and guiding my head up so I was looking at him.

                “It’s nothing,” I said, brushing him off and turning so my back was to him. “I just…it’s nothing.”

                “Guinevere and I are not courting, Cara.”

                “Why not? She is a lovely girl and clearly cares about you,” I said trying to keep my pain from showing on my face, despite him being behind me.

                He was quite for a moment. “She is a lovely girl and does care about me, but not in the way you are suggesting.”

                I let out a sarcastic laugh before turning around to face him. “She kissed you Merlin.”

                “I nearly died, and I…well I haven’t given it much thought, but she is not the one that… Why does it bother you so much?”