Waking up after such events would obviously leave someone feeling sore, but all I find myself caught with is a pulsating headache as my eyes blink open. Trying to take in my surroundings, I'm met with the sight of the ceiling, stone and plain. 

But it was a familiar ceiling, I was still in the castle, I would recognize that color tone of stone anywhere. A ceiling light was connected by the chandelier in the middle of the room. Finally having enough consciousness to sit up, I try to, but immediately regret it.

Pain arches in my back, it feels like someone had cut open small holes in my back with a knife. Falling back down on the bed I was laying on, I trace a hand to my back and feel some bandages wrapped around myself.

Wondering why I'm bandaged up, and where I am, someone heard my struggles and came walking to my side. I froze and looked up at a girl with shining silver hair, her grey eyes seemed to cut right through me. Her face was hard to read, but I vividly remember her being at Merlin's side during...

The memories come flying back, and I find myself about to push off the bed again, but the girl next to me grabs onto my shoulder, pushing me back down on the bed. if she wasn't going to let me leave, then I could at least ask her what happened.

Making eye contact, I speak up. "What happened at the party? Is Arthur and everyone alright?" 

I spoke these words, but they came out strangled and hoarse. My throat was abnormally dry, and I tried to swallow, but my saliva seemed to not be working. A cup was pushed in front of my view, I glanced back up at the girl, her face motioned from the cup to me.

I nodded and took the cup, some weird liquid was inside, colored of a strange blue. raising an eyebrow, I looked over at the girl, who was looking at me expectantly. Giving in to drinking didn't take much resistance on my part, I was parched.

The only part that made me dislike the drink was the texture. It was hardly happy going down my throat, it had trouble traveling down and I felt like I was going to gag from it being stuck for a moment.

After forcing the liquid down, I spoke as I looked at the empty cup. "So, are you going to tell me now?" I asked.

The girl suddenly took the cup from my hand and walked over to a table to set it down with others. My eyes then wandered around the room, I recognized this room easily, I had been inside it many times with Arthur and Theo; sometimes by myself.

This was Merlins workshop.

Alchemic bottles lined one wall, all having strange liquids and some even glowed. Another side of the room was full of paper, having one desk with piles of it all around. The bed i was atop was in the middle of the room, three sides of the bed my sight was blocked by curtans that were meant for privacy I was guessing.

The girl worked busily, throwing a bunch of weird looking plants into a stone bowl and started to smash them up, then placing them into another liquid. Watching made me momentarily forget my worry, but not for long.

"Hey, are you ignoring me?" I called over to her.

She stopped for a moment, then glanced over at me and made the gesture with her hands of zipping her mouth. Was she telling me to be quiet? This girls level of sass was unsurmountable. If I could stand I would've walked over to her and shook her to tell me where everyone was.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

I called out a few more times but she had little reaction, not a peep from her was made. Slowly giving up, I decided to gather my thoughts. After the explosion, I was carried to Merlin's workshop to this... girl.

I saw during the fight, after the assassin had thrown the daggers; she had stopped them in the air before they hit Arthur. I haven't heard of this girl before. She can use magic and she showed up with Merlin, is she an acquintance of his?

As I'm beginning to relax, I felt a nudge on my shirt; which I had just noticed that I wasn't wearing my clothes from the party, and instead a plain white shirt and grey pants. When I was changed was unknown to me.

The girl had returned with another liquid, this one had a slightly different color, and it was darker. I accepted it into my hands and stared down into the liquid. Unlike the last mixture she gave me, this one was warm.

The look on her face seemed excited, yet anxious. Raising an eyebrow, I shrugged and gulped it down as fast as I could. I'm happy I did drink it fast, it tasted horrible, but it slid down my throat easier than the last one.

"Ugh... what was in that?" I mumbled to myself, not really questioning the girl as I thought she would just ignore me again.

The girl stared at me, probably waiting for some sort og reaction to the drink she just gave me. Feeling nervous suddenly I laid down on my back again, sitting up hurt a bit still. But I had noticed that the pain was easing somehow. 

If this girl really was a magician, then her concoctions were probably healing me somehow, or it was one of Merlins magics he used on me when I was asleep. That old Wizard must trust this girl quite a lot to use his workshop. I remember when me and Theo used to play pranks on him by mixing up his drinks and putting whatever we made into his afternoon tea.

Thinking of the past, I failed to notice the girl had taken the other now empty cup back the table and started another one of her alchemic pieces. 

I made a silent prayer to have someone else to talk to other than this quiet girl giving me gross liquids.

Just as if answering my calls, the door opened to show the old man himself, Merlin. His pointed hat was in his hands, and as he made eye contact with me; that cheeky smile of his formed. The same smile that he usually grew when he was about to lecture me.

"Dagonet... I thought I taught you the dangers of alchemists fire before?" He said, setting his hat atop his head once more and walking over to me. Half way to me, the girl walked beside him and handed him the third potion she had created.

He inspected it and nodded to her. "Good work, keep at it witht he fourth." 

My body recoiled at his words. There was going to be a fourth? What about a fifth? A cold sweat ran down my back, I better not have to stay in bed all day taking weird medicine from this socially awkward girl.

Merlin handed me the cup, as he did this I pointed over at the girl, who was now back at the table and not looking this way. "Who's that?" I asked.

The old man gave me a half smile. "As you know, I was away on business in the east. I met her shortly after arriving." he said.

"Okay, but why is she here?" I asked, pointing down at the ground.

"Because she is my new apprentice. Her magical skill is vast, but she needs to be polished." He said, pointing at the cup in my hands. "She has been making a series of potions to make the wounds on your body heal faster without using your life force."

"My life force?" I questioned, becoming worried again.

Merlin leaned back in the chair he was sitting in at the side of the bed. "If healed by magic, if the wound is great enough it will take a huge amount of mana to heal; not only that but it will take a toll on the persons life span. Which is why she is working on an alchemic solution, which doesn't do this." He explained.

"Okay..." Silently I gave in, glancing over at the girls back once more.

"Let me guess, she hasn't said a word?" Merlin said, twisting a part of his beard. He and I made eye contact then, and for a fleeting moment I saw sorrow in his eyes; but it was quickly replaced with his normal stern stare.

"Yeah... does she have anxiety or something?" I mumbled my question.

He let out a chuckle. "No, nothing of the sort. I'm sure if she could she would speak a lot." He said.

"If she could?"

"Yes."

There was silence between us. Merlin was staring over at the girl, his face still blank. I couldn't fathom all of the thoughts that  were flowing through that head of his. Now that I think about it, I wouldn't want to even if I could.

"Whats her name?" I asked.

Merlin smiled at this question, saying her name with ease.

"Carmen."