Help is Always Given

Chapter 6

Camelot

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The Doctor and Amy reach the city after an hour of trekking through the woods. Amy is speechless at the beauty and complexity of it all. They make their way through the city, and eventually come to the main doors to the castle. They enter and go left down a hall and then down some stairs. They find themselves surrounded with bustling servants, some cleaning dishes or clothes, others cooking, some sit at a table eating their dinner in a hurry.

Amy leans into the Doctor and whispers, "Do you think any of them would know where the queen is right now?"

"I'd think so," the Doctor replies, "it's just the matter of if they'll tell us."

They scan the room and Amy singles out a young man about her age sitting at the table eating stew and walks over to the table and sits across from him. The Doctor follows and sits next to her on the bench.

He ignores them, continuing to eat his lunch, hurrying to get done to continue work. Amy clears her throat and puts on a smile and asks flirtatiously, "Hello, we're new here, just arrived today, and we were told to go see the queen, do you know where we can find her?

The young man looks up at her and drops his spoon back into his bowl. Stammering a little he says, "Y-yes. I'm to take her her lunch today as soon as I finish with mine own. You can follow me if you'd like."

"Oh that would be wonderful..." Amy pauses for a name.

"Oh, uh, Dimitri," he said.

"Dimitri," Amy smiles, "Thank you, Dimitri! I'm Amelia and this is.." She gestures to the Doctor and pauses trying to come up with a name.

"Will!" The Doctor says, extending his arm across the table. "I'm Will."

"Nice to meet you both, let me just finish up here." Dimitri replied. Once he finished his lunch he picked up a silver platter with half a chicken, an assortment of fruits and cheeses, and asked Amy if she'd carry the pitcher and goblet. It didn't take long to get to the Queen's chambers. They went up two flights of stairs, down a hall, and it was the door on the left, facing the town below.

Dimitri knocks twice and they hear a faint 'Come in' from inside. They all enter and Dimitri and Amy set the food and wine on the table. Gwen is sitting at the head of the table looking over some sort of book. Dimitri bows to her, turns and smiles at Amy and the Doctor, and then leaves.

Without looking up, Gwen says, "Yes?"

The Doctor sits down next to her and Amy sits on the other side of the table opposite the Doctor. That really gets her attention. Servants don't sit at the table without being instructed or allowed to do so. The Queen looks up, a little annoyed.

"Gwen, Queen Guinevere," the Doctor corrects, "You're probably wondering who we are and you have no clue. You shouldn't, we don't work here in the city, it's our first time. Regardless, we're going to need you to trust us-"

"Why should I trust a complete stranger?!" Gwen intervenes. "Give me a good enough reason and I might not call for the guards."

"We're travelers. We came across someone who is a friend of yours. Merlin. He gave us a task and he said you could help with it." The Doctor explains.

"When did you meet him? He's been away with Arthur on a hunting trip, he's only just returned this morning," counters Gwen.

"Um, a few days ago, while traveling." The Doctor says.

"Then why wouldn't Merlin ask me himself for this 'task' to be performed?" She questions.

"That's where it gets a little complicated," Amy says. She pulls out the drawing of Mordred's sword and sets it on the table in front of Gwen. "He asked us to find you and have a replica of this sword made, he said you were a blacksmiths daughter and you'd know how to craft it."