The knights of the Lunch table: Modern AU story.
Arthur began inching away from his desk. It was one minute to lunch time. Make that, fifty five seconds. He silently began placing his pens back in his pencil case and putting it away. He made his expression look as innocent as possible. Then, finally…
RIINNNGGGG! The lunch bell sounded and everyone in the classroom jumped up and ran out before the teacher even had chance to say a word.
As normal, Arthur was the first person out of the classroom. He was the first person in the lunch room. He was the first person sitting at the famed 'lunch table'. Glancing around, he willed his best friends to hurry up. Saving seats was forbidden. However, surely fighting unwanted people off your turf wasn't? Arthur groaned as he opened his rucksack, remembering that the Lunch Room monitor had banned his wooden sword yesterday and failed to return it to him. So, he opened his lunch box and an idea sparked. He grasped the large stick of celery and held it under the table, ready to attack anyone who dared to sit at the lunch table.
Finally, he noticed one of his best friends, Leon, was dashing over as fast as possible, followed by Percy, Lance, Elyan and Gwaine.
"Sorry we are late, our teacher was holding us back because fighting people with pencils is not per.. per…"
"Permitted." Replied a familiar voice. Arthur turned to see Merlin standing behind him.
"Ah, Merlin, there you are! Did you do my homework for me?"
"All done! Can I sit with you today?" Merlin pleaded, handing Arthur a maths sheet full of perfect answers.
"Fair enough."
With that, the group of friends sat down around the table and opened their lunch boxes. It wasn't long, before a certain dark-haired, pale-skinned girl walked up behind Arthur.
"Look out! It's a witch!" Shouted Gwaine. Arthur leapt up, celery stick in hand.
"Oh please brother. You seriously think you can defeat me with that limp green thing?" Arthur's sister taunted.
"I do." Arthur grinned playfully before the pair burst into fits of giggles.
"If you are going to fight me, you'll have to do a royal speech first!" Morgana challenged.
"I can't! I'll get in serious trouble! I've already had my wooden sword confiscated thanks to you!"
"Aww! Is little Arthur frightened of the giant?" Morgana teased. Indeed, compared to the ten year olds, the Lunch monitor towered over them like the giant in Jack and the Beanstalk, and her voice was deep too. Even Percy found his knees knocking when her shadow leaned over him!
As if by luck, a little kid fell over, and with no other staff available, the Lunch Monitor had to take him to the medical room!
"Merlin! I want you to go outside and keep watch!" Arthur ordered.
"For what?"
"The giant! I'm going to do a speech!" Arthur grinned mischievously. Rolling his eyes, Merlin walked out of the room and kept watch for his friend. Once Merlin disappeared, Arthur took the opportunity and leapt up onto the table. Several lunchboxes flew off of the sides and the contents went splat all over the floor. The entire room fell into silence as they stared at the blonde boy standing on the middle table. Arthur held up his celery stick as he stood straight and firm.
"I, Arthur Pendragon, King of the Lunchalot, propose a dual to begin!" He shouted and the room of children cheered in excitement.
"Who shall be the first to fight me?" he asked, looking around the room. Gwaine stood from the Lunch table.
"I, Sir Gwaine of the Lunch table, accept your challenge!" He grinned picking out a celery stick from his lunch box.
"Then, let battle commence!" Arthur yelled, causing another loud cheer from the children. He jumped down from the table into a small space where Gwaine joined him. They both held their celery sticks tightly, for a moment waiting for the other to make the first move.
Morgana smiled. She loved it when her brother proposed duals. Gwaine stepped forward quickly and lunged at Arthur with his celery stick, but Arthur brought his stick up blocking the move. They continued lunging and blocking before becoming more daring and doing more complex moves. Arthur spun on his feet and delivered a nasty blow. Not to Gwaine, but to Gwaine's celery stick. It snapped in half at the impact.
"You… you broke my celery stick!" Gwaine mumbled, and then he felt some competitive anger grow inside him and let out a roar before lunging forwards…
Meanwhile, Merlin was nervously standing outside the lunch room. Arthur had told him to keep watch, but what exactly was he supposed to do if the Lunch monitor came back? He could hear some muffled cheers, sealed away in the Lunch room. He wanted to watch the fight but he couldn't. It was boring, just standing, so he put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a packet of cards before smiling as he practised his favourite magic trick.
Arthur was enjoying himself. So was Gwaine. Gwaine was now using a bread roll as a shield, but Arthur refused to. The dual ended when Arthur knocked the celery stick and bread roll out of his friends hand. There was loud cheer for the both of them.
"Who will be next to battle me?" Arthur called out.
"I, Sir Percy of the Lunch table, accept your challenge!" Percy stood and nodded. Arthur changed weapons. He grabbed four breadsticks and handed two to Percy.
"The dual begins… now!" Arthur grinned holding up his breadsticks as Percy tried to attack from above. Arthur blocked with the bread sticks before ducking and spinning behind him.
Merlin gulped.
"What are you doing?" boomed the voice of the Lunch monitor as she towered over him.
"I… I… I…"
"Spit it out!"
"I was practicing my favourite magic trick, m-miss!" Merlin told her quietly.
"Show us it then!" The monitor ordered.
"S-sorry?" Merlin asked, quivering in his boots.
"I said, show us the trick!" The lunch monitor repeated, but quieter and not so menacing.
"Ok." Merlin relaxed and fanned out the cards.
It wasn't long before Arthur had won another dual. He had aimed for the back of the knees as he knew that was Percy's weakness. Percy instantly got up, laughing, showing he was in no pain what so ever.
"Who shall be next to take up my challenge?" Arthur asked. The room was silent. Leon stood, but another voice beat him to it…
"I, Guinevere of the girls table, accept your challenge." A petite girl stood. She had tanned skin and long, dark curls. Everyone gasped.
"But you're a girl." Arthur stated.
"So? I can fight!" Guinevere argued, pulling up her sleeves.
"No you can't. You're a girl." Arthur smirked, "Girls don't like to fight or even get dirty!" Arthur laughed.
"And yet I've still beaten you more times than ever!" Morgana smirked. Arthur blushed in embarrassment and frustration; scowling as some other children struggled to stifle a laugh.
"That never happened!" Arthur replied quietly, though the deep shade of red across his face suggested otherwise.
"So are you going to fight me? Or just stand there?" Guinevere challenged.
"Of course! I never refuse a dual!" Arthur grinned. Gwen stepped towards him, rather close.
"What weapons are you going to… oof!" Arthur wasn't expecting to get hit in the stomach like that.
"Hang on! I did not officially start the dual!" Arthur moaned.
"Arthur, careful, my sister is tougher than she looks!" Elyan voiced warily.
"She's your sister?" Arthur exclaimed, but had to duck to avoid another punch.
"Come on Arthur! Don't be such a girl!" Morgana teased from the sidelines.
Arthur grumbled before starting the fight properly. However, Elyan was right. Gwen was made of much sterner stuff than anyone could have predicted. She was fast and furious- Arthur enjoyed this even more because it was a good challenge. However he was determined to win. He knocked Gwen off her feet and she yelped out as she hit the floor. Arthur stood over her.
"Do you yield?" He asked. It seemed she was, right up until she kicked him in the worst place she could. Arthur yelped out.
"That's cheating!" He squeaked in the highest pitched voice you could ever hear, causing laughter to erupt all around him. Gwen laughed.
"I think that makes a tie!" She smiled before getting to her feet and offering to shake Arthur's hand.
"Very well, but I'll beat you next time!" Arthur mumbled. Gwen gave him a hug before walking off.
It was then in the silence there was the sound of Merlin's voice outside the door. Everyone instantly chipped in and cleared up the room before sitting down to eat. Merlin entered, stunned that the lunch room was so clean. The Lunch monitor followed behind him.
"So, what happened?" asked Merlin in a whisper as he sat back down.
"I won the duals." Arthur claimed proudly.
"All except one… you drew remember?" Morgana sneered.
"Yes." Arthur replied quietly, tucking into what he believed a well-deserved cheese sandwich.
"Who with?" Merlin asked.
"Guinevere, Elyan's sister." Morgana smirked.
"You tied? With a girl?" Merlin nearly fell off of his seat in shock but also he was laughing too hard to control himself.
"Shut up Merlin!" Arthur replied, shooting a deathly stare at Merlin and then Morgana.
"What? I wasn't the one that kicked you where it hurts!" Morgana grinned sheepishly causing the whole table to erupt with laughter, much to Arthur's annoyance.