A/N: Hi! I think I did this in a reasonable amount of time, though I did suffer from writers block for a little while... I wanna thank all my reviewers: Moonlightwastaken., Maria, BlackWolf2013, Morganaforever and Kota.

disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, only Merlynn ^^ Again, I apologise if I seem to have stolen parts of other stories (see chapter 1)

Enjoy!

Edit: I got rid of something that was a little too stupid and embarrassing to leave in. Thank you to DarkAngelmi818 who pointed it out to me (to be fair, I was a dumb 16 year old when I wrote this...).

4 Valiant (part 2)

"You're telling me you've got to fight that?" I asked, looking from Arthur to the giant knight he was going to have to face.

"Yes, and he's strong as a bear, but he's slow."

"And you're fast." I stated.

"Exactly." Arthur replied as I got his sword. I patted him once on the shoulder for good luck before he made his way to the arena.

While Arthur was fighting, I saw Valiant again. He smiled at me cruelly.

"How are you getting on?" Gaius asked, appearing at my right.

"Fine, just doing my job. Minding my own busyness." I said, a hint of anger in my voice. Sure, it wasn't Gaius' fault, but still, it wasn't fair!

I walked away from him, off to watch the fight.

Arthur won quickly enough, holding up his sword to the cheering crowd.

Unfortunately, Valiant also won his match, causing him to have to fight Arthur in the finals.

"Valiant is fighting Arthur in the finals. He'll use the shield to kill him." I told my uncle and walked away.

I was sitting in Gaius' chambers, looking at Sir Ewan. If only he would get better, wake up… He could tell the king about Valiant's snakes…

"Merlynn, about what I said yesterday… Look, Uther really wouldn't listen to you or me… But you are right, we can't let Valiant get away with this." Gaius entered the room.

"But we don't have any proof." I had a feeling my uncle had a plan.

"If I could cure Ewan, and he could tell the king that Valiant was using magic… The king would believe another knight… But how to get the antidote? Well, that's another matter."

I got an incredibly stupid idea in my head, got up and went for the door.

"Merlynn?" Gaius questioned. I didn't answer and got on with my plan.

I checked if Valiant was still in the throne room, enjoying the feast with the other knights and the king. Next, I hurried to Valiant's chambers. The door was locked, but a simple spell opened it for me. A chill went down my spine as I was about to enter the room. It made me pause.

'This is ridiculous, he isn't even here!' I told myself and stepped inside. The shield was clearly visible on a chair next to the table. As a precaution, I took my knife and held it in front of me. I ticked it against the shield a few times, but nothing happened.

I lowered my knife and leaned forward to study the snakes. They weren't moving. A noise from the hallway made me look over my shoulder, turning my back to the shield.

Luckily, the footsteps I'd heard passed the door without hesitation.

A slight hiss made me look at the shadows cast on the wall to my left. The snake had come to life after and had lifted itself, ready to strike. I quickly turned and slashed my knife, accidentally cutting off the snake's head, though I wasn't complaining.

The two other snakes came out as well and hissed menacingly. I quickly gathered the snakehead and fled the room.

I hated snakes, even as a little girl they frightened me. That's how Will found out. I was ten and was gathering wood by the edge of a forest as a viper wanted to strike. I had shrieked and my magic had lashed out involuntarily, protecting me.

The whole 'spectacle' had been in Will's line of sight, and at first he had intended to go to the village and scream out to everyone I was a witch. That is, until he saw me, crying and hysterical in fear.

Gingerly, he had wrapped an arm around me and comforted me and brought me back to my mother. After that, I felt I was indebted to him and wanted to repay him.

In the present, I found myself outside of Gaius' door and walked in. After he had taken some venom, he announced he could start preparing the antidote.

"I'm going to tell Arthur." I informed him.

"You'll need this." Gaius handed me the snake head. I took it cautiously, dead or not, snakes were creepy.

"And Merlynn? What you did was very brave." He said, which made me smile.

"You? You chopped its head off?" Arthur asked incredulously.

I nodded. "It was sort of an accident, but I don't mind the results." I told him.

"But that doesn't matter. Ewan was bitten by a snake from the shield when he was fighting Valiant. You can talk to Gaius, see the puncture wounds in Ewan's neck where the snake bit him. Ewan was beating him! He had to cheat!"

I could tell Arthur didn't believe me, it was in that stupid little smile on his face. "Valiant wouldn't dare use magic in Camelot." He reasoned.

"Ewan was pinned under Valiant's shield, no one could see the snake bite him." I countered.

"I don't like the guy, but that doesn't mean he's cheating." Arthur said, getting up from his chair and walking over to the fireplace.

"You think I'm doing this because I know you don't like him? Arthur, I don't like myself, especially after what he almost did to me! I-" I stopped dead, realizing what I had just given away.

"What did he do to you?" Arthur asked, frowning deeply.

"Nothing, it's not important, what's important is that Gaius is preparing an antidote-"

"What did he do?" he interrupted me.

"He… He almost… raped me… If Gwen hadn't shown up…" With a pang in my heart, I realized I still hadn't found the time to make it up to her.

"He did what!" Arthur yelled. I was taken aback by his reaction.

"Why do you care?" I asked despite myself.

"Because… He's a knight, and no knight should behave like that. A knight is supposed to be honourable, especially to women, all women." He explained.

"Look, it didn't happen, okay? Gwen interrupted him and he left. Look, when Ewan's conscious, he'll tell you himself what happened! If you fight Valiant in the finals he'll use the shield, it's the only way he can beat you."

Arthur didn't reply. "Look at it!" I wanted to pick it up, and show it to him, but the thought made ma shudder, so I just pointed. "Have you ever seen a snake like this in Camelot?"

The prince picked the head up and examined it.

"I know I'm just a servant, and my word doesn't count for anything," Arthur's head shot up at that, but he remained silent, "I wouldn't lie to you." I said, completely sincere, looking in his eyes.

"I want you to swear to me what you're telling me s true." He said after a few seconds.

"I swear it's true." Arthur stared into my eyes a few seconds longer before nodding, accepting my sincerity.

"Than I believe you." I could help the small smile that crept onto my lips. He believed me!

Next morning, Arthur asked for an audience with the king. Everyone was present, Gaius excluded, since he was still taking care of the patient.

The meeting went okay, until Gaius announced Ewan's death and Arthur let it slip that I was the one that saw the snakes. I was nearly dragged off by the guards for interrupting the king and accusing a knight of cheating, but, much to my dismay, Valiant stopped the king. He was playing the noble knight. Arthur got lectured and was forced to apologise.

"I believed you, I trusted you, and you made me look like a complete fool." His voice was quiet, but I could hear the anger and the shame in it.

"I know it didn't go exactly to plan…"

Arthur turned around, and his volume rose. "Didn't go to plan? My father and the entire royal court think I'm a coward! You humiliated me!" he screamed. I flinched at his rage, but didn't loose my wit.

"We can still expose Valiant." Arthur turned away from me, staring out the window.

"I no longer require your services." He said, his tone just loud enough for me to hear.

"You're sacking me?" I asked. 'Over one mistake?'

"I need a servant I can trust."

"You can trust me!"

"And look where it got me this time! Get out of my sight!" he yelled.

"Arthur, please!" I grabbed his upper arm to turn him around, but he pushed me back. I lost my balance and fell to the ground.

"Get. Out." He repeated. This time I wasted no time to scramble to my feet and run out of there.

I could think of nothing else to do but see the dragon again, I needed to tell him something.

"Where are you?" I called out in the huge cave. 'I just came to tell you, whatever you think my destiny is, whatever it is you think I'm supposed to do… You've got the wrong person!"

Nothing, not a sound… It was very strange to be talking to a seemingly empty cave.

"That's it… Goodbye." I turned to leave, but the dragon's voice stopped me.

"If only it were so easy to escape ones destiny." He flew into my line of sight and landed on the large rock in front of me.

"How can it be my destiny to protect someone who hates me? He hit me!"

"A half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole. Very soon, you shall learn that."

"Ah, great! Just what I needed another riddle." I said sarcastically.

"That your and Arthur's path lies together is but the truth."

"What is that even supposed to mean?"

"You know, young warlock, this is not the end, it is the beginning." He said and flew back to wherever his nest was.

"Just give me a straight answer!" I yelled after him, but he either didn't hear me, or decided to ignore me.

I was sitting on the stone steps in the courtyard when, to my surprise, Gwen approached me.

"Hello, Merlynn." She said quietly, sitting down next to me.

"Gwen." I acknowledged.

"I've been thinking… I don't think you're evil… you know, because of your… gift…"

I looked up, but decided not to interrupt for fear that she would change her mind.

"I'm not going to report you, but just… keep it away from me? I don't want to get in trouble, but I do want to stay friends… Can we do that?"

I was too happy to respond, so I just threw my arms around her neck and hugged her tight. When we released each other, we lapsed into a comfortable silence.

"So, is it true what you said about Valiant using magic?" she asked.

My grim mood returned as I nodded. I was reminded painfully that I had lost my job and my destiny was about to fall to pieces.

"What are you going to do?" she asked me.

"Why does everyone think it's down to me to do something about it?"

"Because it is! You have magic, and you're the one who found out! You're one of the only ones who knows about it." She whispered. "You have to show everyone you were right and they were wrong."

"And how do I do that? No one who matters is willing to listen."

"I don't know." She admitted. "I suppose there isn't a spell you can use?"

I looked up at that. Maybe… I noticed a stone statue of a dog, if I could make that one come alive, I could definitely make Valiant's snakes come out too early!

"That's it!" I whispered.

"I got up and walked toward it. "Where are you going?" Gwen asked.

"Do you have a wheelbarrow?" I asked.

Gwen got a wheelbarrow and assisted me in getting it into my room. Once there she left to tend to Morgana again and I got my spell book.

Gaius had asked what I was doing with one of the statues, to which I answered I was going o let everyone see the snakes.

"Babay odothey arisan quickem." I said. Nothing happened. Maybe I had gotten it wrong, so I tried again, and again and again. Still nothing happened.

I tried to say it differently: whispering, yelling, in a happy voice, an angry voice… Everything!

As the night fell, I got too frustrated to continue, so I went to take a walk. Somehow, I ended up at Arthur's door, so I walked in.

He barely looked up when he said: "I thought I told you to get out of my sight?" But there was no anger in his voice.

"Don't fight Valiant in the finals tomorrow," I pleaded, "he'll use the shield against you."

"I know." Arthur replied, still not looking at me.

"Then withdraw, you have to withdraw!"

"Don't you understand? I can't withdraw. The people expect their prince to fight. How can I lead men into battle if they think I'm a coward?"

"Valiant will kill you! If you fight, you die!"

"Then I die." Arthur may have been a prat, but he was a noble and brave prat.

"How can you go out there and fight like that?"

"Because I have to… It's my duty."

I was about to leave when he called me back. "Merlynn?" I turned to find him much closer than I expected.

Arthur let the back of his index finger go over my painful right cheek. "I'm sorry about that. Truly, I am."

"Arthur Pendragon apologising for something? Can someone hand me a pen and parchment, this I need to write down." I joked.

He let his hand drop and stepped back. "You can read and write?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, and you'd better live so I can continue keeping them a secret from you, understand?"

"You should ask Gaius to look at that." I knew a dismissal when I heard one, so I left and continued trying to bring the dog to life.

I tried and tried until morning, I was half asleep. I could hear the people cheering outside, which gave me little energy to keep trying, I couldn't be late!

Suddenly I heard a low growling sound, and when I opened my eyes I saw a Rottweiler standing next to my bed.

"I did it!" I laughed, but the smile melted off my face as the dog barked loudly at me, growling and baring its teeth.

I got up as quickly as I could, grabbing my spell book and got out of there, closing the door behind me.

Gaius walked in when I was safely outside my door. "Arthur's fighting Valiant."

"I know, I'm on my way. Oh! Whatever you do, don't go into my room, I'll deal with it later."

I said, knowing he'd take a look, but not really caring. I ran flat out to the arena, only to have to wait for the perfect moment to expose Valiant for the cheater he was.

Arthur knocked off Valiant's helmet, and the idiot took his off as well. How dumb can one person be?

Valiant pushed Arthur to the floor and stepped on his shield, so the prince was forced to leave it or be stabbed. Not long afterwards, Arthur lost his sword and to avoid the other knight's weapon, he stepped into his swing and wrestled him away.

Valiant was far enough away for me to act, it was now or never.

"Babay odothey arisan quickem." I whispered. I felt the magic flow through me.

It worked, the snakes came out and Valiant looked panicked. Uther, along with pretty much everyone else, got up from his seat in shock.

"And now they see you for what you truly are." Arthur said.

Valiant just chuckled and ordered the snakes to kill Arthur.

My eyes widened as I realized he didn't have his sword anymore and thus, no means to defend himself with.

"Arthur, catch!" I found myself yelling and threw him my most valuable possession; my knife.

He beheaded both snakes in one strike, and the battle between the prince and the cheating knight resumed. Arthur won not too much later, even though Valiant had the upper hand because of his longer weapon and that he still had his shield, but Arthur had the necessary skills.

For no other battle had the public cheered so loud and so enthusiastically. And never had I felt so relieved.

Arthur patted my shoulder in passing, and proceeded to get changed for the feast, where Gaius and I headed immediately.

"My honourable guests, I give you Prince Arthur, your champion!" Uther announced as Arthur walked in. On his face was a smile, one of pure happiness. I cheered along with all the other guests as I stood at my uncle's side.

"See? I told you he gets all the girls and the glory." I told him, smiling nonetheless.

"And he owes it all to you." He answered, turning my smile into a smirk.

Arthur guided Morgana to the middle of the hall. There, they seemed to get into a bit of an argument, and each went another way, Morgana to talk to Gwen, and Arthur to me. Gaius had already left.

"Can you believe Morgana? She says you saved me, like I needed any help."

I didn't look at him. "Of course, sire, might I get my knife back now?" I asked hinting that he was wrong, but not wanting to say it.

"I wanted to say, I made a mistake, it was unfair to sack you." He said as he handed me my knife back.

"Twice in one day, Arthur, I believe you're getting sick, maybe you should find Gaius. But don't worry about it, you can buy me a drink and we'll call it even."

"I can't really be seen buying drinks for my servant."

I suppressed a smile. "Your servant? You sacked me, remember?"

"Yeah, well, now I'm rehiring you. My chambers are a complete mess, my clothes need washing, my armour needs repairing, my boots need cleaning, my bed needs changing and someone needs to muck out my stables."

"I really wish I could smack you right now, but I guess that wouldn't be proper, my lord." I said with a smile. Arthur was about to retort until I laughed.

"Honestly Arthur, you make it so easy." I said and, still smiling, walked over to Morgana and Gwen to really enjoy the feast.

A/N: So, what did you think?

Next up: a super short mep (mini-episode) it should be up by tomorrow, or maybe the day after tomorrow.

One more thing: REVIEW!