The Stocks

by Devon Shea

Just some stories revolving around the Pendragon habit of putting people in the stocks. A couple of OCs happen by. They could be short, long, sweet, funny, sad. We'll see. Rated T for sporadic bad language and violence. I do not own Merlin. I wish I did because I would have ended it differently.

1. Chapter 1

Set some time in Season 1

Getting stuck in the stocks could be a surprisingly useful way of learning things about the people in your town. While vainly dodging the turnips being flung at his head, Merlin caught a glimpse of Sir Leon stopping at Meg the Ribbonseller's booth and picking through her offerings, discarding ribbon after ribbon until he seemed to find the one he actually liked. He gave Meg an actual smile when he picked up the dainty green ribbon. Coins changed hands after a brief discussion and both parties parted content. Merlin watched the normally taciturn Sir Leon walk back toward the keep, smiling gently at the lacy, green ribbon in his hand before he tucked it into his belt pouch. Merlin wondered whose hair he would see it adorning after his current stint as the city's comic relief was over.

The mystery was solved at the next court feast. Merlin had to admit that the green ribbon twining through the braid of Sir Leon's mother's red hair set it off perfectly in the torchlight.