Author's Note: sequel to Merlin's Protector! Keep an eye out on potential sequel which may or may not be the highly requested Merlin's Best Man! Please enjoy and please review.
The next couple weeks in Camelot had been dead depressing for the knights, Merlin, Arthur, and Gwen. Lancelot was dead and without him there were no childish fights over who was Merlin's best friend, no reliable and lovable guy to be there for someone, and an empty spot pretty much everywhere someone looked.
It wasn't until Elyan, who was completely hammered, loudly told Percival and Leon that since he was Gwen's brother it meant he was Merlin's new Lancelot.
"Hang on that's not right," Leon frowned, "if anyone is to be Merlin's new Lancelot it would be me seeing as I know Merlin the longest after Arthur."
"I thought if you were to replace Lancelot you would have to be like him and I am Lancelot's second best friend and have many common interests as him and therefore I should be the new Lancelot!" Percival cried out.
He then stood up with the intent of crying as the grieve of losing his only best friend came back, he needed to be Merlin's new Lancelot so he can have a best friend again! Leon stood up as well to give him a pat on the back in comfort but also to make sure Percival didn't shame himself in front of all of Camelot.
"Yeah but as Gwen's brother I hear nothing but Merlin so I know him best out of the three of us and therefore I should be the new Lancelot!" Elyan burst out.
"Hang on! Seeing as I have an ability to live through every dangerous quest and defence against monster attacks shouldn't I be the new Lancelot? Then I can be there forever for Merlin against Gwaine's stupidity and err...well Gwaine's stupidity!" Leon said trailing off a little at the end due to his loyalty to his prince. A slight pause stood between the three of them when another thought came to Leon fast like lightening. "In fact would I not be a more improved Lancelot since I won't be able to die on Merlin?"
Percival slammed his drink onto the table and punched Leon hard in the jaw while roaring, "You take that back!"
Leon had then stumbled back into someone causing them to shove him into a more irate, large, burly man.
Of course a bar fight ensured and they had great difficulty to explain it to Arthur at training the next day.
MMMMMMMMMMMM
"I beg your pardon?" Arthur said the same time Gwaine blinked stupidly and Merlin mumbled a, "What the fuck?"
"Who do you think is a good replacement for Lancelot," Leon repeated his question, "we feel now that he is gone one of us should be replaced in Merlin's affections for him and take over the fight to be his best friend."
"I know Merlin best thanks to Gwen!" Elyan jumped in.
"Yeah but I don't know you very well," Merlin muttered under his breath.
He was ignored.
As usual.
"That means nothing!" Leon snapped rather uncharacteristically, "I have known Merlin the longest!"
"Well I'm the one most like Lancelot!" Percival snarled. "We both enjoyed poetry, and being the perfect knight, and helping people, and listening to people, and nature, and-"
"Yeah we get it, you and Lancelot were a pair of pansies," Gwaine interrupted knowing though Percival would rarely speak when he got started you can never shut him up without being firm.
"I don't know..." Arthur said hesitatingly, "Lancelot was a very fine knight and it would be difficult to replace him."
"What are you talking about? Lancelot was a perfect piece of manhood, he was kind, chivalrous, polite, intelligent, witty, good-humoured, never held a grudge, had the right morals, never let power get to his head, one of the best fighters I have ever known, and he was very easy on the eyes, hell if I wasn't into women I would have shagged him," Gwaine said cheerfully ignoring the disgusted looks he was receiving from his friends, "I doubt we'll find that in just one of these guys."
"I am a senior knight and I have never let the power get to my head!" Leon burst out.
Elyan snorted. "You order us about all the time when Arthur isn't around!"
"Yeah? Well you're not so well mannered, are you? Where's that chivalrous, polite, kind side especially around your sister?" Leon shot back.
"Well you're not exactly good looking, witty, intelligent, and one of the best fighters, are you?" Elyan snarled. "I mean look at you! You look like your grandmother half the time!"
"Don't bring my grandmother into this, you chauvinistic pig!" Leon roared his cheeks flushing bright red.
"I am all those things and extra strong!" Percival said hopefully to Merlin as Elyan and Leon's screaming match turned into a sword fight much to Gwaine's and Arthur's amusement.
"Yes but you're not Lancelot!" Merlin cried out in despair. "You have never slept in my bed, you have never hugged me in a manly way, you have never really spoken to me, and you don't know my deepest darkest secrets!"
"Merlin we all know about your cross-dressing tendencies and your sexuality that you like to hide in the closet," Arthur said carelessly, "there's nothing deep or dark or secretive about either of those."
Merlin who had been so busy doing all that servant work as well as work an advisor would do and then actually some apprenticeship work for Gaius had been too busy to really miss Lancelot. Until now. Lancelot was the only one his age who knew. Knew about the magic, the hardships, the loneliness, and the giant dragon...
Now he was gone and the others weren't exactly Lancelot in the understanding category.
So no one can really blame Merlin when he burst into loud sobbing tears.
"What on earth is going on?"
All the men but Merlin flinched at the sight of Gwen standing at the door with her hands on her hips.
"T-t-t-they're talking about replacing Lancelot!" Merlin wailed between a heart breaking sob. "No one can replace Lancelot!"
He then threw himself into Gwen's arms and sobbed some more before wailing incoherently on how wonderful Lancelot was and how much he missed him. Gwen mumbled soothingly as she stroked Merlin's hair and gave him a cuddle while he continued to cry on her shoulder.
"You should be ashamed of yourselves!" she hissed at the shame-faced knights, "that was highly insensitive of you! You know how oversensitive and girly Merlin is!"