Gaius gave me to all clear the next day after making me drink some horrible tasting herbs however they did start to help my throat although Gaius warned me not to use my voice just yet.

I went down to the kitchens and took Arthur's breakfast tray and went up to his room. My arms ached by the time I got there but I didn't complain. Not that I could anyway.

I opened my mouth to say 'good morning sire' however I closed my mouth again when I remembered I couldn't and blushed a little when I saw him.

"Good morning Starflame" Arthur said to me getting out of bed and going to Merlin.

I bowed my head to him and placed his breakfast dishes how I saw his dinner dishes were and stood to one side doing my best not to smile and blush when I saw him.

"Thank you Merlin. And thank you Starflame for my breakfast. Why don't you come and join me Starflame? You had to carry that all the way up here." Arthur patted a seat beside him.

I shook my head blushing. I've already ate sire I wrote to him. Merlin had narrowed his eyes at Arthur for some reason. I noted to myself.

"If your sure?" Arthur didn't look at all believed.

I nodded my head again, though the fruit looked amazing.

"Alright then." Arthur said.

We watched and waited as Arthur are his breakfast.

"You'll be pleased to know that I've got a relaxing day today." Arthur said to us and Merlin snorted.

"You never have an relaxing day sire" Merlin told him.

"Well, we only have morning practice with the knights and then go in the court room for the rest of the day." Arthur explained to us.

"There you have it sire, you don't." Merlin said.

"What has gotten into you Merlin? Your not normally this cheeky. Perhaps a visit to the stocks again might help you. They've been empty for a while now." Arthur said.

Merlin shook his head and became silent again.

The breakfast was very quiet for the rest of it and I cleared the bowls and plates up and took them to the kitchens as Merlin got out swords and shields from our chambers.

"Now today Starflame your going to fight with some of the other knights today to help them learn and I shall try to get Merlin to fight." Arthur said to us as we walked out onto the field.

I nodded and Merlin said "yes sire" and Arthur got the knights lined up.

"Get into pairs!" Arthur ordered and a knight spoke up. "Sire, we have an odd number of knights."

"Yes Lancelot, we do. That is why your facing Starflame today." Arthur said.

"Yes sire." Lancelot nodded and I walked over to him.

You'll have to excuse me, I cannot speak at the moment sir. I wrote to Lancelot.

"That's alright Starflame. We will work in silence."

Me and him sparred for the morning and I found myself tiring and my throat hurt badly.

I drank a lot in the break and then Arthur wanted me to fight him.

I obliged however I felt very tired and my throat was aching and in the end I had to stop gasping for breath I drank lots of water but nothing helped it.

"Well done Starflame. Let's go again." Arthur said.

I looked up pleading for rest but I don't think he noticed. I began coughing, hurting my throat more.

"Sire, that's enough, Starflame needs to rest. Don't you remember sire, that she nearly died from poison a couple days ago. She should still be resting more." Merlin told Arthur and helped me up and I lent into him as I coughed my way back to Gaius.

I smiled at Merlin as thanks and he smiled back. He eased me back in bed and worked on making some herbal remedy that Gaius had left instructions to for me if I needed it and he was out.

"I'm so, so sorry Starflame." Arthur said coming in. "I should of realised you weren't up to how your normally could do things, can you forgive me?" He apologized holding out flowers.

I smiled and nodded. I could, he just got carried away with himself, but the flowers? What were they for?

Arthur smiled and hugged me and walked over to the door. "Merlin, when you've finished I'll be in the Throne Room awaiting you." Arthur walked out leaving me and Merlin.

Merlin banged the instruments he was using down and poured the mixture into a cup for me.

"In case you forget." He hissed. "I was the one who stayed near you while you were dying, I was the one taking you back to Gaius, and I'm the one who's looked out for your wellbeing, not Arthur." Merlin then left me looking confused and bewildered.

Looking down at the cup, I drank the contents which helped my throat and I sat a while looking at the flowers before getting up and walking to the Throne Room, I was not dying so I had to go in there.

Knocking on the door, I entered and quietly walked to the back of the room near to Merlin.

"Sire, our crops have failed to grow, again. This is the fourth year sir that we've been unable to grow anything. Our food and grain supplies are getting low and we ask for assistance in bringing more seeds to us." An poor tattered clothed farmer was pleading to the Royal family.

"We can give you seeds to sow to grow, but why do you need our assistance?" King Uther asked the farmer.

"We are near your boundaries and are almost entirely cut off from the rest of the kingdom, except for one road. But sire, bandits and highway men hid and lay in wait for us. Only the other month we got a years worth of seeds to sow from the neighboring village who were more than happy to give to us to help feed and sow our village, but before a days journey into our village, we were plundered and returned empty handed.
       We went back sire, to the village, but they would not give us any more grain. 'Go to the Kong's they told us. They will help you." The farmer explained.

"So you want to risk an royal family member's life to help a village get some food?" Uther said.

"I didn't- we didn't mean that sire, just perhaps, a couple knights to come with us. That should scare the bandits and let us get to the safety of our village. They could come back after that." The farmer said.

"How far is your village?" Uther asked.

"Falwood is seven days march on horse, fourteen if not more if on foot sire." The farmer informed them.

"Father, we have not been to Falwood in a long time. It would help us too if one of us went to renew a bond they have with Camelot. I fear," Arthur lent forward towards his father and whispered quieter. "I fear that if we don't show compassion enough, they may side with Merlooth, and Falwood has seven hundred people strong, the last time we knew. They won't want to fight for us if we turn them away." Arthur said.

Uthur nodded. "You could be right. Alright farmer, My son will take Sir Kandahar and Sir prednisone and accompany you to your village with you and your two assistants." Uthur addressed his subject.

"Thank you, wonderful, merciful King Uther. You will not regret it!" The farmer thanked Uther.

Uther raised his hand, waving as the subject bowed his way out.

"Alright Arthur, you have your way. Starflame, my son says your a good swordsman, or should I say, swordswoman, is this true?" Uther addressed me.

I bowed my head as a yes.

"My Lord, may I speak please." Merlin spoke quickly when he saw Uther frowning.

"What is it Merlin?"

"Starflame lost her voice while screaming in agony when she was poisoned. She cannot speak at the moment, whether she wants to or Gaius told her not to." Merlin said.

"But you can speak, right?"

"Hesssssss sirrrrrr" I said and broke down coughing again.

Merlin quickly gave me a cup of water to drink. My throat hurt badly now.

"Ok, don't speak then at the moment. Is it true you are not beaten by my son yet in duels?" Uther said.

I nodded in response.

"Ok, you are no longer my son's personal servant, you are his swords teacher and I expect you to teach him what he needs to know. You will accompany him to Falwood." Uther told me.

I grinned and bowed to Uther, there was no need to speak, the message was clear.

"Well, what you doing here? Your leaving sun break tomorrow." Uther said.

We nodded and hurried out the room. Time to prepare.