Not in this land alone.txt

Not In This Land Alone
 
Merlin was lost.  This wasn't surprising or even unusual but today he'd had plans that specifically involved not being lost.  In exactly seventeen minutes he was starting his summer job at Buckingham Palace and being late would probably not make the best first impression.
 
Hell, being late was probably a treasonable offence.  Merlin really didn't want to be put in the Tower of London; he'd gone there on a school trip once and the ravens had terrified him. 
 
Behind Merlin, Victoria Station stood large and comforting.  If worse came to worst, he could just jump on a train back home and pretend it was some other Merlin Emrys who was supposed to be reporting for work today.  He was sure it was a very common name.
 
Except, if Merlin did that, Will would laugh at him.  And, even worse, Merlin would be stuck picking plants, watering and spreading manure on his Uncle Gaius's allotment for fifty quid a week for another summer.  It was Gaius who had suggested he apply for this job; Gaius had been the royal physician for decades and, not being above a little nepotism, Merlin had willingly applied.

Gaius, in turn, hadn't seemed particularly sad that Merlin wouldn't be around to help out this summer. In fact, Merlin was fairly sure he was planning a party for his cucumbers to celebrate. The cucumbers always died when Merlin went near them; it wasn't his fault.
 
He regretted that decision now.  Now he was lost and had ? great -- thirteen minutes left.  Probably, he should have printed himself directions from Google Maps but it was a palace, in the middle of London; he'd assumed it would be pretty well visible.  He'd assumed wrong.
 
In desperation, prepared to withstand the mocking, he phoned Will.
 
"What, have they sacked you already?" was how Will answered the phone because Will was a terrible boyfriend.
 
"No," Merlin said, jumping quickly out of the way of a group of Japanese tourists who were clearly on a mission.  He wondered if he should follow them; they might be heading to the Palace.  "I'm lost."
 
Will burst out laughing and Merlin took another couple of steps after the Japanese tour party, trying not to look like he was following them.
 
"Merlin, that is priceless.  I'm buying you one of those handheld GPS things for your birthday.  Or maybe just a lead."  A moment's contemplative silence.  "Hm, that'd be kinky.  What do you think?"
 
"I think you're an arsehole," Merlin told him.  "Now please, please go on the internet and tell me where the fuck I'm supposed to be going."
 
"Calm down," Will said, still laughing, "What do you think I'm doing."
 
Okay, so maybe Will wasn't the worst boyfriend.  
 
"Thank you."
 
"Hmm.  Do you see a Buckingham Palace Road?"
 
Merlin looked around.  "Nope."  Even he would have made that connection.
 
Will laughed.  Merlin liked Will's laugh, even when it was directed at him.  It reminded him of being five years old and hiding together under his bed.  It was soothing.
 
"What can you see?"
 
Merlin looked around.  Mostly he could see a lot of roadworks and theatres.  "Billy Elliot?" he tried.  "Wicked?  Hey, you should meet me up here one evening so we can go and see that."
 
Will snorted.  "In your dreams," he said because he didn't fully appreciate the importance of Merlin's crush on Lee Mead.  "Okay, stand so Victoria Station's behind you, Wicked's on your left and Billy Elliot's in front of you."
 
Merlin twisted around, trying to line himself up like Will instructed.  It was like playing Google Maps Twister of something.  "Okay," he said, feeling like he'd achieved one thing at least.
 
"Got it?  Turn left then right then keep walking."  Will made a sound that was his spoken equivalent of a wince.  "And dude?  You've got seven minutes."
 
"Shit," Merlin said and started to run.
 
***

 
By magic, Merlin managed to get to the Palace with one minute to spare.  And when he said by magic, he actually meant by magic.  (Making a couple of traffic lights go his way wasn't the worst use of magic ever and his mum probably wouldn't yell too much if she ever found out.)

He had to go through a checkpoint manned by actual soldiers to be allowed into the Palace grounds, which was equal parts terrifying and kind of hot. The solider on duty didn't smile at Merlin, but he also didn't laugh Merlin away from the gate either so Merlin counted that as a win.

The fact that Merlin was wearing his uniform (white shirt, navy blue trousers, waistcoat and a blazer with gold buttons and red trim) probably helped - which was good, considering he'd felt like a complete twat wearing it on the Tube, like the only kid at school who didn't realise it was mufti day.

Until he was actually inside, he wasn't completely convinced that this wasn't a really bad joke on Gaius' part. Seriously, who let Merlin work in Buckingham Palace?

There was a girl waiting for him on the other side of the gate and she raised her eyebrows when he sidled up to her trying to look like someone who wasn't really-very-nearly late.
 
"Merlin Emrys?" she asked.  She looked doubtful but not mean or anything and to be fair Merlin probably wasn't giving the best first impression.
 
"Yes, hi," Merlin said breathlessly.  "Um, I mean, yes.  I'm Merlin.  Sorry I'm late."
 
The girl smiled like she was considering not writing him off as an idiot, which was nice.  She was holding a clipboard and wearing a blouse and a long, dark blue skirt; Merlin wondered if she was someone important.
 
"That's all right," she told him, marking something on her clipboard.  "I'm the person you need to report to and I won't tell anyone."  She held out her hand and he wiped his palm on his trousers before taking it.  "I'm Gwen.  I'm your supervisor."  
 
"Hi, nice to meet you," Merlin said, remembering what Gaius had said about making sure his handshake was firm but not too tight.
 
"I'm Gwen," Gwen said again then, "Oh no, wait, I've already said that, haven't I?"  She flushed.  "Sorry.  This is my first summer as a supervisor, so if I make a hash of it, please tell me."
 
"Okay," Merlin said, feeling better about his own nerves now.  "I won't hold it against you."
 
Gwen laugh was unexpectedly bright.  "I think you're supposed to tell me that I won't make a hash of it," she said.  She was still blushing, but she didn't seem to mind.  "Come on.  I have to take you to HR for your induction, then I'll get you started on some actual work."
 
"Right," Merlin said, turning to follow her across the pale, gravelled courtyard towards the entryway.  His stomach started to knot up with apprehension.  Buckingham Palace, wow. The poshest place he'd worked up 'til now was Waterstone's last Christmas.  
 
Outside, the weather was bright, just bordering on too hot, but as soon as they stepped inside the palace Merlin was hit by cool air, like the heavy stone walls were refusing to let in the summer heat.  
 
He shivered.  
 
"All right?" Gwen asked, hunching her shoulders a little.  "This is the cloakroom; it's always freezing in here.  You can leave your things in here."  She looked over at him.  "Except you don't have any things. Come with me then."
 
Merlin stopped himself from reassuring her that he really did have possessions, he just hadn't brought anything with him, and followed her through the cloakroom and along a white-walled corridor with square, boxy windows and into a fairly nondescript office with four desks pushed together into a pod in the middle.

There was only one person in the room, a girl not much older than Merlin who smiled and stood up, shaking his hand and waving him into a seat.

"I'm Freya," she said, "Have a seat."

Merlin sat and nodded at fire regulations, disciplinary procedures and signed data protection forms, confidentiality and security forms until his hand felt like it might fall off.

Apparently he really might end up in the Tower if he wasn't careful.

Once Gwen and Freya were suitably satisfied that he'd been inducted to within an inch of his life and possibly signed away his soul, Gwen swept him out of the room and back along the corridor until they stepped out into what was obviously a public area, judging by the ridiculously huge, double-staircase, which glittered and shone like something out of Titanic.
 
Half way up the stairs, Gwen stopped and curtsied.  
 
Merlin straightened automatically, but when he looked around, he couldn't see anyone.
 
"Um, Gwen?" he asked.
 
"It's silly really," she said, offering him an embarrassed smile.  "We all do it, it's tradition."  She nodded her head at the painting directly in front of them and oh, right, Merlin got it.
 
The painting was huge, a large, dark square inside a heavy, golden frame; King Uther standing in front of a window somewhere, dressed in a smart black morning suit with a golden labrador at his feet.  
 
"Did you know him?" Merlin asked, automatically lowering his voice.  King Uther had been dead for nearly a year now, but he was still the person who came to mind when Merlin heard someone mention the King.
 
Gwen looked at the painting for another moment then turned back to Merlin.  "No, of course not.  I mean, I met him a couple of times when I was a kid; my dad's worked at the Mews all my life. He got the MBE last year."
 
"Cool," Merlin said, not really sure what else to say.
 
Gwen nodded awkwardly for a second then started up the stairs again.  
 
Merlin followed her and told himself he shouldn't ask her anything else, except he'd always been nosy and really bad at controlling it.  "Do you know the new king?" he asked.
 
"Hmm?" Gwen asked, pushing through a door at the top of the stairs and heading down another corridor.  The further through the palace they went, the more ela...