Disclaimer: I do not own the Merlin series. Some of the content used is also not mine.
Chapter 2 Valiant
Arthur and Merlin are right outside the castle walls practicing.
"Ready?" Arthur asks.
He looks at Merlin, who is donning some armor.
"Would it make any difference if I said no?" he asks.
"Not really," Arthur replies. Merlin draws his sword as Arthur starts his attack. At least now he had a reason to push Merlin around Arthur thought to himself. "Body. Shield. Body. Shield. Head."
"Head?" Merlin asks as Arthur slams his sword into his helmet.
"You're not even trying," Arthur complains, playfully hitting Merlin in the back. "I've got a tournament to win."
"Can we stop now, please?" Merlin begs, but Arthur does not listen.
He continues with the attack, hitting Merlin again on the head. Merlin topples over backwards and his helmet rolls off.
"You're braver than you look. Most servants collapse after the first blow," Arthur says with a laugh.
Merlin is shocked when Arthur offers his hand to help get up.
"Is it over," he asks.
"That was just the warm up. How's your mace work coming along?" Arthur wonders as he starts to swig one around.
Arthur swings a mace over his head. Merlin falls back down to the ground.
xxx
Gaius laughs as an exhausted Merlin walks in.
"So, how was your first day as Arthur's servant?" he asks.
Merlin taps his head and wonders, "Do you hear clanging?"
Merlin sits at the table and Gaius starts to massage Merlin's shoulders.
"It was horrible and I've still got to learn all about tournament etiquette by the morning," Merlin complains. His eyes then focus on a book on the table. "Onhríne achtung bregdan."
The book goes to Merlin and opens up. Gaius slaps the back on Merlin's head in disapproval.
"What've I told you about using magic like this?" he asks. "What do I do if you get caught?"
What would you do?" Merlin wonders.
"Well you just make sure it doesn't happen, for both our sakes," Gaius replies.
Gaius goes back to treating Merlin's shoulders
xxx
It is the day of the tournament, and merlin is having difficulty getting Arthur into his armor.
"You do know the tournament starts today?" Arthur asks.
"Yes, Sire," Merlin replies. "You nervous?"
"I don't get nervous," Arthur says.
Merlin tried not to laugh at this.
"Really? I thought everyone got nervous," he says.
"Will you shut up," Arthur yells.
Merlin, after forgetting the sword, sighed with relief that nothing else had gone wrong. Arthur wins his round and everyone cheers for him. He and Merlin watch as Knight Valiant fights.
"Knight Valiant looks pretty handy with a sword," Merlin says as Valiant approaches them.
"May I offer my congratulations on your victories today?" he greets.
"Likewise," Arthur replies.
Valiant then leaves with his servant.
"Creep," Merlin mutters.
They both share a laugh for a moment. For that moment, Merlin saw the Arthur that had been in his bed chambers a week earlier. Maybe there was hope after all that Arthur was not so bad.
"Uh, for tomorrow you need to repair my shield, wash my tunic, clean my boots, sharpen my sword, and polish my chainmail," Arthur says as he walks away.
Then again, maybe not.
xxx
Later on in the armory, Merlin is gathering Arthur's thing when he hears a hissing sound.
"Hello? Is there someone there?" Merlin asks.
Merlin sees Valiant's shield and can swear one of the snake eyes blinked. He goes to touch it when someone puts a sword to his chest.
"Can I help you with something, boy?" Valiant asks.
"Nope. I'm good. I was just...I was, gathering my master's armor," Merlin says, grabbing his things and leaves, going to Arthur's chambers.
"You did all this on your own?" Arthur asks in amazement.
"Yes, Sire," Merlin replies, feeling very proud of himself.
"Now let's see if you can get me into it without forgetting anything," Arthur says.
Merlin is able to dress Arthur with no problem.
"That was much better," Arthur says, impressed. "Not that it could have got any worse."
Again, Merlin got that feeling that Arthur was different, but did not know to show it.
"I'm a fast learner," Merlin said.
"I hope, for you sake, that's true," Arthur said.
Merlin opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He did not know to reply to that comment.
xxx
Merlin enters Gaius's chambers and puts down Arthur's armor. The knight that Valiant defeated still lay unconscious.
"How is he?" Merlin asks.
"It's most odd. Look at this. See these two small wounds. Looks like a snake bite," Gaius says.
"How could he have been bitten by a snake? He was injured in the sword fight," Merlin reminds Gaius. And then Merlin remembered Valiant. He went to spy on the knight and saw the snakes on his shield come alive. "The snake ate a mouse - one swallow, straight down. Sir Ewan was fighting Valiant when he collapsed. It must've been one of the snakes from the shield. I have to tell Arthur."
"Merlin, be careful. Accusing a Knight of magic is very serious," Gaius says. "You'll need proof to show Arthur."
Merlin nods and takes off again.
xxx
Arthur looked upon the snake head in Merlin's hand in shock.
"You chopped its head off?" he asks.
"Yeah. Oh, don't act so surprised," Merlin says.
"You are something else, Merlin," Arthur admits, daring to even let a small smile escape his lips. "BUT Valiant wouldn't dare use magic in Camelot. I don't like the guy either, but that doesn't mean he's cheating."
"I know I'm just a servant and my word doesn't count for anything. I wouldn't lie to you," Merlin says.
For some reason, Arthur cannot help but believe the boy. He did not what it was, but he trusted him.
"I want you to swear to me what you're telling me is true," Arthur says.
Merlin takes a cautious step forward.
"I swear it's true." he says.
Arthur then surprisingly places a hand on Merlin's shoulder.
"Then I believe you," he says.
Merlin could not help and smile at this. He cleared his throat when he noticed that Arthur had left his hand on his shoulder for a lot longer than expected.
xxx
Arthur summons the court and tells his father about Valiant.
"Do you have evidence to support your accusation?" Uther asks.
Arthur nods and then motions for Merlin, who comes forward and hands Uther the snake head that he had beheaded.
"Let me see this shield," Uther demands.
Merlin leans into Arthur, who tenses some at having Merlin so close.
"Don't let him get too close," Merlin whispers.
Arthur regains his bearings and pulls out his sword.
"Be careful, my Lord," he tells his father.
Gaius enters and declares that knight Ewan is now dead, leaving no witness to prove that Valiant used magic.
"So you have no proof to support these allegations. Have you seen Valiant using magic?" Uther asks his son.
"No," Arthur admits. He then pulls Merlin back to his side. "But my servant fought one of the snakes from..."
"Your servant?" Uther asks. "You made these outrageous accusations against a knight on the word of a servant boy?"
"I believe he's telling the truth," Arthur says.
Merlin is taken aback how Arthur is defending him. He did not have to.
"Take him away," Uther orders.
"No," Arthur yells as the guards take hold of Merlin.
"My Lord," Valiant says.
"Wait," Uther commands, and the guards stop, but they still have hold of Merlin.
"Obviously there has been a misunderstanding. I withdraw the allegation against Knight Valiant. Please accept my apology," Arthur says.
"Accepted," Valiant replies.
The guard's grip on Merlin is replaced by Arthur's as he is dragged back to Arthur's chambers.
"I believed you, I trusted you, and you made me look a complete fool," Arthur says in a low tone. It was not mad, which scared Merlin more. "My father and the entire royal court think I'm a coward! You humiliated me! I no longer require your services."
"You can't do that," Merlin yells, tears threatening to come out.
"I'm the Prince. I can do what the hell I want. I need a servant I can trust," Arthur says.
Merlin knew he was going to regret this, but he told of Arthur's arm.
"You can trust me," he says, pleading with Arthur to see sense.
Surprisingly, Arthur does not pull away.
"And look where it got me this time. Get out of my sight!" he yells, finally pulling Merlin away.
He cannot look at Merlin as he walks out. Merlin heads straight for the dungeons to see the dragon.
"Where are you?" he asks. "I just came to tell you that whatever you think my destiny is, whatever it is you think I'm supposed to do, you've got the wrong person!"
"If only it were so easy to escape one's destiny," the dragon says.
"How can it be my destiny to protect someone who hates me?" Merlin asks.
"You cannot honestly think that. A half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole," the dragon replies. "Your and Arthur's path lies together is but the truth. You know, young warlock, this is not the end. It is the beginning."
xxx
Merlin wheels in a dog statue into Gaius's chambers.
"What are you doing with that statue?" Gaius asks.
"I'm going to let everyone see the snakes for themselves," Merlin answers. Merlin puts the statue at the foot of his bed and gets out the magic book out from under a floor board. "Bebay odothay. Bebay odothay arisan quickum."
After many failed attempts, Merlin makes his way to Arthur's chambers.
"I thought I told you to get out of my sight," Arthur says as Merlin enters the room.
"Please don't fight Valiant. He'll use the shield against you. If you fight, you die," Merlin says.
"I know," Arthur replies.
"How can you go out there and fight like that?" Merlin asks.
"Because I have to. It's my duty," Arthur says as a servant starts to help him with his armor.
"Let me," Merlin offers.
Arthur nods and dismisses the servant.
"Thanks," he says.
"Just be careful," Merlin replies.
He can barely look at Arthur as he finishes.
"Merlin," Arthur asks.
"I… I got to go," he says, running out the door. Merlin runs to his room and continues attempting the spell. He could not let Arthur die. When all seemed lost, there is a growl, but Merlin does not notice and keeps repeating the spell. He finally stops when he hears a bark. "Yes!"
Merlin runs down the tournament grounds, hoping he was not too late. When he gets there, Arthur is still fighting Valiant. Merlin finds an opportunity and makes and the snakes on Valiant's shield come alive.
"Kill him," Valiant yells.
Arthur backs up toward the stands and Merlin grabs a sword from the ground.
"Arthur," Merlin calls
Arthur catches it and beheads the snakes. He disarms Valiant and kills him.
xxx
Arthur walks up to Merlin during the banquet.
"About today…" Arthur begins to say.
"Yes," Merlin asks.
"Well, I wanted to say I made a mistake. It was unfair to sack you," Arthur replies.
Merlin smiles. He knew Arthur was not going to thank him for saving his life.
"No, don't worry about it. Buy me a drink at the tavern and we'll call it even," Merlin says.
"Careful there, I might take you up on that," Arthur says into Merlin's ear. Merlin prayed that his cheeks would not give him away. "By the way, I'm rehiring you. My chambers are a complete mess. My clothes need washing. My, uh, armor needs repairing. My boots need cleaning. My dogs need exercising. My fireplace needs sweeping. My bed needs changing. And someone needs to muck out my stables."
Merlin sighed. He was going to have to learn to deal with the way Arthur was. If that was the case, Arthur was going to have deal with the way he was as well.