Chapter Two: Training

Nimue woke that first day to the sound of bells ringing loudly. These had to be the church bells she heard faintly from the farm she'd lived on so long ago. They were not a pleasant way to wake, especially at this hour of the morning. Morning, she thought, glancing out the window into the dim dawn. Yeah, just barely. And it was a chilly morning, as well. Nimue pushed aside the blanket she was using and stood up.

She had to break a thin sheet of ice on the basin beside her bed before she could wash. The whole time she shivered, but not from cold. Nimue could simply not sleep in the bandages she used to bind her breasts. She had to work quickly, despite chattering teeth and shaking hands, to wrap the bandages around herself and then dress. On the upside, it was much quicker to brush her hair and she didn't have to braid it.

Dressed at last, Nimue stepped out into the main part of the rooms. A fire had been started in the hearth and a tray of food lay on the small, low table, but there was no sign of Merlin. She walked hesitantly towards the table, chewing on her lower lip. Will he be angry with me if I eat? she wondered. Perhaps that's food only he's allowed to eat. Nimue's stomach rumbled loudly and despite her apprehension she approached the table. She tore a hunk of bread off a fresh loaf and spread some cheese on it, then settled herself before the fire to munch happily.

"Ah, awake at last, Nim?"

Startled, Nimue turned to face Merlin. She clutched the hunk of bread, feeling guilty, but he made no mention of it as he grabbed something from the tray for himself. For someone at this hour of the morning he was surprisingly cheerful. She watched him, nibbling at her bread, as he set a kettle full of water over the fire in the hearth. I have to remember to respond to Nimial now, Nimue thought, forcing a smile as Merlin turned to look at her. How I hope I can handle this.

"I hope you're up for some hard work," Merlin said, settling down on a chair before the hearth. "Being my page won't be easy."

"I'll do my best, sir," Nimue responded, her voice quiet.

"Have you had any training with the sword?" Merlin asked, regarding her steadily.

She felt unnerved beneath his gaze. "Um…n-not really…but I can learn! I'll try real hard!"

Merlin chuckled softly and she felt her cheeks darken. Nimue knew she was really too old to begin to learn sword fighting, but she would try her hardest. The look in his eyes made her glad that she could at least use a dagger, and do some fighting hand-to-hand. Something tells me I'll be working really hard for the rest of my natural life, Nimue thought, groaning inwardly. I hope I'm up to this.



As it turned out, Nimue couldn't have been more right. Her first day was the easiest. She learned that she would have more than just lessons in fighting, archery, and horseback riding; she had to learn to read and write, had to study history and mathematics, and had to learn etiquette. That involved serving at the ladies' table several nights a week, right alongside the commoners who also served at Camelot. Nimue found she liked many of the servants, but the high born ladies she could do without.

They liked to tease her, almost as much as the other pages, the squires, and the knights did. Because she was small and a peasant they decided from day one that she wasn't up to scratch. Nimue suffered through their taunts and kept silent about it. It was her problem, and she wasn't going to go crying to Merlin about it. She refused to cry, even when she sank into bed at night, tired to the bone and covered in bruises.

Nimue thought she could handle the hard work and the taunting. In fact, she was usually working too hard to pay attention to the taunting. No, real trouble came in the form of Lady Chelinda, a beautiful blonde who was fairly knew to the court of Camelot. She had a real taste for younger boys, or those who at least looked younger. Which posed a real problem, because not only did she have an eye for 'Nimial', she was also married to Bryant, one of the biggest and meanest knights Nimue had ever seen.

It was only the first day of her third week. She'd had to race upstairs to Merlin's room after horseback riding, because she stank of the stable. The few minutes she'd had to wash herself down had not felt like nearly enough, before she was pulling on a clean uniform, then racing down to the ladies' dining hall. Nimue was met in the kitchens by Micah, a peasant boy a couple years younger than she, who she had become quick friends with.

"You've gotta serve Lady Chelinda tonight," Micah warned her. "You got her side of the table."

Nimue sighed and rolled her eyes. "Great, just great."

All the ladies on Chelinda's side of the table were…spirited. That was the way the squires and knights liked to put it. Nimue had learned awfully quickly to dodge their grasping hands. The last thing she needed was for them to grab for a certain something and find it not there. She'd dropped a couple of trays, which had gotten her extra special duty: latrine cleaning. So Nimue didn't want to risk dropping anymore, not when she was already exhausted.

The night went so eventless that she was certain she was home free. Chelinda didn't even try to grab her once, which was a great relief. Nimue was turning tray with the dish for cleaning hands after dinner when a hand came down on her shoulder, startling her and nearly causing her to drop the tray. It was Micah, and he looked upset and nervous.

"What?" Nimue asked, frowning.

"Lady Chelinda has requested your presence in her rooms," he replied. "Tonight."

Nimue's eyes widened. "I can't do that!"

"You can't refuse, either," Micah told her.

"But…but she's married!" Nimue protested. "What…what about her husband? Bryant would…he'd tear me apart, Micah! Tell her I can't!"

The look in his dark eyes told her everything she needed to know; Lady Chelinda did not take 'no' for an answer. I am in so much trouble, Nimue thought, swallowing had. If she refused to go, Lady Chelinda would poke and pry into her life until she found out the truth, no doubt. If she went, Chelinda was bound to find out her secret a whole lot sooner. And that wasn't even counting what Bryant would do to her either way.

I have to convince her somehow that this is a bad idea, Nimue thought, chewing on her lower lip. She peered out into the dining hall, but Lady Chelinda was already gone. How was she supposed to convince the Lady that 'Nimial' made a bad choice as a secret lover? She glanced at Micah, but there were no answers in his large, dark eyes. Nimue could tell by the expression on his face that he had been assigned to bring her to Chelinda and he was waiting on her.

"When?" Nimue asked, sighing in defeated.

"Midnight," Micah replied, looking at her apologetically.

Nimue groaned. "Great, just great. I'll meet you at the servants' quarters."

At least she had a few hours to come up with a plan, not that that was a good thing. Because it meant that, even if she managed to slip away quickly, she wouldn't be getting into bed until late, but she'd be up before sunrise. Maybe I should tell Merlin, Nimue thought, biting her lower lip. He could help me, tell me how to get her to leave me alone. But she was determined to do this on her own; Merlin had given her far more help already than he would ever owe her.



Nimue met Micah in the servants' quarter a little before minute. It was dark and silent except for the small candle he held. He hustled her behind a changing screen (thank God!) where she changed from her pages' uniform into some of his old clothes. Lady Chelinda might not like that, but it was a wise precaution. Then the two of them slipped together through the halls to the wing where the ladies' rooms were. Nimue wasn't able to move as silently as Micah was, no matter how hard she tried.

At one point they were almost caught. They ducked together into a dark alcove and Micah turned to the wall, hiding the dim light of the candle with his body. She stared out into the hall, able to see enough in the dark to recognize the broad shoulders and light gait of the man who walked by: Lancelot. Nimue stared after him in amazement, even after he disappeared into a room, until Micah elbowed her in the back. Then she slipped from the alcove and they continued down the hall.

"What room did he go into?" Micah asked.

Nimue glanced at him. "Who?"

"Lancelot," Micah replied. "It was him, wasn't it? What room did he go into?"

"The one at the end, on the left," Nimue told him. "Why?"

"Guinevere," Micah said softly. "Damnit, the fool! While the King's at court, yet!"

Nimue stared at him open-mouthed. Lancelot and the queen!? Oh, that's madness, she thought, huddling closer to Micah's side as though she thought he could protect her. She wondered if anyone besides the servants knew about it. And why would one of the King's loyal knights sleep with his wife like that? What sort of nighttime activities did the other knights participate in? Merlin wouldn't do that, Nimue thought, shuddering. I know he wouldn't She wished she could be sure, though.

Finally Micah halted before a door and nodded towards it. Taking a deep breath, she knocked once, waited for permission, then stepped inside, pulling the door closed behind herself. Lady Chelinda stood at the back of the room with her back turned towards the door. She wore a thin robe in light blue, embroidered with silver. Her golden hair hung loose down her back. Nimue had once had hair that long. She reached up, subconsciously pushing at her now short hair.

Chelinda turned, her movements graceful. "There you are at last," she said, smiling at her.

Nimue stared. No doubt Chelinda thought her smile was seductive, and it would have been if she was male. As it was, it was just kind of scary. She backed up against the door as Chelinda moved closer, her hips swaying as she walked. Feeling very much like a choice piece of meat, Nimue reached behind her for the handle of the door. Why me? she wondered. Why, why, why me? What did I ever do to deserve this?

A knock on the door startled them both, and it was followed by Micah's voice, "My lady, your husband is here."

Chelinda's eyes widened. "Under the bed, quickly," she hissed at Nimue.

Nimue didn't need to be told twice. She scrambled past her and dropped to the floor, sliding under the bed. The door opened and she heard the heavy fall of boots on the floor. Foolishness, she thought, peering out from under the bed. This whole endeavor is utter foolishness. She curled up beneath the bed, listening to Chelinda's little noises as Bryan kissed her, and began to wish she was back in the loft of the old farmhouse where she had lived for most of her life.



Merlin pushed his hair back from his face with a sigh. I am so glad that's over and done with, he thought, as he paced along the corridor. I thought that would never end. It has to be after midnight now. He'd been helping Arthur work on the treaty with Spain. It would have been much simpler if Arthur had a daughter to marry off, but for some reason he had produced no offspring. Merlin worked to find out why, but he was a mage, not an omnipotent god, and he couldn't figure out everything.

"Sir! Sir, excuse me!"

Merlin turned, confused. There was a servant boy running up to him. The wavy, wild dark hair and large, liquid dark eyes looked familiar. Nimial's been running with this boy, he realized. Damnit…Nimial! Why else would the servant come to him? Merlin had seen the boy struggling with the teasing of the other pages and squires, and even the knights. And he'd seen Nimial trying to deal with the ladies, too. He'd been waiting for the boy to say something to him, hoping he wouldn't be too stubborn to ask for help, but it seemed now he would have to ask on his own.

"Sir…Nim…" the boy panting, coming to a stop and resting his hands on his knees.

"Calm down, boy," Merlin said. "Catch your breath before you faint."

The servant boy took a deep breath, straightening as he did. This has to be Micah, Merlin thought, studying him. The boy talks about him all the time. Nimial didn't even seem to realize how much. He watched the boy at night, those few nights they were able to dine together in their rooms, as he chattered enthusiastically about his friends among the servants. But not among the pages or squires, which had him worried. Merlin could understand the pages, as they were all younger, but the squires should be more accepting of Nim.

"Chelinda, my lord," the boy went on, still a little breathless.

Merlin's eyes widened. "You mean…but Bryant is here!"

"Actually, my lord, he's there," Micah said, his voice and face anxious. "I guess Nim…Nimial is hiding, cause I hadn't heard him getting beat, but I don't know how long that will last."

Damnit, Merlin thought, frowning. If Nimial is caught, Bryant will kill him! He couldn't believe the boy had been foolish enough to accept Lady Chelinda's offer. Yes, she could be pushy, but he thought Nim had more sense than that. Well, there was only one thing for it. He turned his attention back to Micah, who was watching him with those large, liquid brown eyes, waiting for Merlin to tell him what to do.

"Lead me to the room," Merlin commanded. "I'll tell you what we're going to do…"



Nimue listened to the creaking of the ropes beneath the mattress, trying to drown out Bryant's soft groans and Chelinda's delicate little noises. Each fall of the mattress had her flattening herself against the floor as hard as she could, praying she wasn't about to be crushed. Please, someone help me, she thought, squeezing her eyes shut. I swear, I'll never go near another woman again! Not that Nimue would have thought that women would be her problem in this case.

Oh, God, this even sounds gross! she thought, trying to block out the slapping sound of body into body. Why would anyone ever want to do this? Not that Nimue knew too much about it; her cheeks turned bright red at the merest implication. She was just wondering if she could make a run for it, if perhaps Bryant would be caught up enough, when a loud knocking interrupted her thoughts. That should have relieved Nimue, but she was frightened that perhaps someone had seen her go in Chelinda's room and was going to tell Bryant. It was a foolish worry, but she wasn't in a very reasonable state of mind at the moment.

"Sir…my lord Bryant! Sir, the King requests your presence immediately!"

"Now!?" came Bryant's angry growl. "God damn it all!"

There was a lot of swearing, scrambling, and rustling, then the stomping of boots and the slamming of the door. Nimue lay beneath the bed, waiting, hoping perhaps that Chelinda would leave too. She could not risk being stuck here. There was another knock, softer, and this time the lady got out of bed to answer the door. There was the faint swish as she pulled on her robe. Good, Nimue thought, maybe someone will take her away too. Then she could escape.

"Good evening, Lady Chelinda."

Nimue recognized that voice. She scrambled around beneath the bed, forgetting about the noise she was making. What is he doing here? she wondered, as she poked her head out from beneath the bed. Why would he come to the room of this…this Merlin was staring at her, his eyes partially amused, partially angry. Realizing that she was probably in for a very long lecture tonight, Nimue crawled out from beneath the bed and climbed to her feet, ignoring Chelinda's flirtatious gaze.

"Well, I was wondering where my page had gotten to," Merlin said quietly. There was no longer any humor in his voice. "Come along, Nimial. Now."

Nimue followed him out of Chelinda's room. She was so relieved to have gotten out of it that she was prepared to listen to whatever lecture he wanted to give. They walked down the hall together in silence and she wondered if he was so angry that he wasn't even going to talk to her. Merlin didn't speak again until they had reached his rooms, up in the tower, and she had sat in a chair by the hearth at his instruction.

"What did you think you were doing?" Merlin asked, his voice still dangerously soft.

"N-Nothing…" Nimue stammered, her cheeks turning red. "I…I mean…I wasn't going to…she's really…I didn't want to, honest!"

Merlin's dark eyebrows lifted. "Then why did you go?"

"I…I thought I could stop it," Nimue said, staring down at her hands. "I mean, get her to leave me alone. I'm not really…interested. I…I just…"

She heard him sigh. He knelt in front of her and reached for her face, startling her and forcing her to look up. His eyes were gentle, the anger fled. Maybe she was imagining it, but he looked a little hurt. Nimue wanted to lean her cheek into those slender fingers. She wanted to erase that look from his face. Merlin had a face that was good for sorrowful expressions, it seemed. But he pulled his hands away and leaned back, away from her, flashing a wan smile.

"I wish you would tell me next time you're having trouble," Merlin said quietly.

Nimue shrugged. "Well, I just…I wanted to solve it myself," she said. A thought occurred to her, and she quickly added, "Besides, not too many people would call that a problem."

"Bryant's wife?" Merlin's eyebrows rose. "Nim, that is a big, big problem. And what about all your other problems?"

Nimue knew what he was talking about; all the teasing. But she couldn't talk about that with him. Merlin watched her for long moments, but he didn't push her, and when he realized she wasn't going to talk, he rose to his feet and left. He already came to my rescue once, she thought, twice if you count when he took me as his page. Nimue already owed him so much. She would find a way to handle her next problem by herself.