Star-Crossed Lovers
Chapter 4
Arthur and Merlin are walking through the courtyard on their way to the training ground. Merlin is carrying Arthur's armor and sword. He drops a vambrace and nearly loses his grip on the rest of his load, rattling the armor and poking Arthur with the sword as he bends to retrieve the fallen piece.
"Oi! Watch it!" Arthur yelps.
"Sorry, Sire." Arthur looks over at the clatter and sees what Merlin is carrying.
"Merlin, you idiot, can you not remember what is needed for tournament practice?" Arthur says. "Where's my shield?
"Sorry, Sire." Merlin says again. "You had gotten it so banged up yesterday that I had to take it to the armorer for repair."
"Well, where is it, then?"
"I'll go fetch it right now, shall I? Here." Merlin dumps the items he had been carrying on the ground in front of Arthur. "You can manage this lot, can't you?"
Arthur looks at the pile in disbelief as Merlin strolls away. He raises his head, about to call Merlin back when he sees Gareth following and changes his mind. "Gareth, help me with this," he calls. "After we get to the practice grounds, find your brother and both of you work with Sir Leon."
"Yes, Sire." Gareth throws Merlin an angry glance, jealous of Merlin's easy manner with the prince. Arthur continues on to the practice ground with Gareth carrying his armor, as Merlin hurries to the armorer to fetch the shield he failed to get earlier.
xXx
On his way back from the armorer, Merlin halts when he sees Mercutio sitting on a bench near the tavern reading from a small book. He wants to ask about his comment from the night before. He sets down the package he is carrying, and reaches out with his hand for Mercutio's shoulder to capture his attention.
Mercutio startles at the touch and looks up at Merlin questioningly.
"Who are you? What do you know of Emrys?" Merlin asks quietly, looking around to see if they might be overheard.
Mercutio looks at him steadily, "you are known to us all. The Druids have long been welcome in the kingdom where I live, and magic is practiced freely."
"That can't happen in Camelot while Uther is king," Merlin sighs, "but when Arthur is King, that day will come, I am sure of it."
"Emrys, you must be careful until then."
"Yes. But call me Merlin. It is my name here."
"Yes, of course, I understand." The blond man says. "I am Mercutio. I am here in Camelot with Prince Romulo, from Montague."
Before Merlin can answer, Gaheris and Gareth approach from the direction of the lower town on their way to join the knights at practice. They overhear Mercutio and glance at each other: information to be used at another time and place. Instead they stop, pleased they have interrupted Merlin's conversation.
"So, Merlin," Gareth sneers," where's Arthur's shield?"
"Didn't Gareth hear him tell you to fetch it a short while ago?" adds Gaheris.
"The whereabouts of Arthur's shield are his concern, not yours," Merlin answers back. "Stay out of his business."
Gaheris slaps Merlin hard across the mouth, breaking his lip, "I've heard you have a smart mouth! This will shut you up."
Mercutio steps forward putting his hand on Gaheris's chest to object to his treatment. "That was uncalled for."
"Who are you to tell us how to treat a servant?" Gareth demands.
Feeling protective of Merlin, Mercutio says, "I will teach you how to behave honorably."
The twins both reach for their swords, as does Mercutio. They circle warily, swords drawn. Merlin hovers nearby, anxiously watching the twins. Mercutio is the more experienced fighter, and easily parries left and right as the two younger men slash wildly. He fights both of them vigorously, his defensive maneuvers becoming more aggressive as he assesses the boys' skills and weaknesses.
"This can't go on," Merlin thinks. "No good will come of it no matter who wins." Merlin springs forward to get in the middle to prevent the fight from becoming a bloodbath. He shouts at them, "wait! Stop! This is all my fault."
His intervention brings him between Mercutio and Gareth, grabbing at Mercutio to pull him away. His action blocks Mercutio's parry. Gareth lunges forward and stabs Mercutio in his side under Merlin's arm. "No! You've killed him, you fool!" Merlin shouts at Gareth.
Tossing a warning look at Merlin, Gaheris grabs his brother's arm and they both hurry away.
Mercutio falls, dragging Merlin with him as he clutches Merlin's jacket. They land hard, Merlin breaking his fall as best he can. Mercutio is bleeding heavily from his wound. Merlin looks around frantically for someone to help, but sees no one. He grunts with the effort of lifting Mercutio to a standing position. Mercutio is conscious, but barely. Supported by Merlin's shoulder, he staggers in the direction that Merlin pulls him. The package with Arthur's shield is forgotten.
It's not far to Gaius's chambers where Merlin knows help awaits. Merlin calls out to Gaius when they reach the steps, and Gaius appears at the top.
"Merlin?" he says, as he peers down the dimly lit staircase.
"Gaius, please come help me. He's been badly injured in a swordfight."
Gaius descends the stairs, and lends his shoulder to support Mercutio as they slowly, painfully, climb the steps to the physician's rooms. They lead Mercutio to the bed in the center of the room, and Gaius gives him a draft to ease his pain and make him sleep. Gaius immediately gets to work, ordering Merlin to fetch the instruments and ointments he will need. At Gaius's order, Merlin runs to fetch fresh water. When he return, he and Gaius work together to repair the damage caused by Gareth's sword.
When Gaius is satisfied that nothing more can be done, he asks, "what happened, Merlin? Who is this man?"
xXx
After the fight, Gaheris and Gareth do not head over to the practice area as Arthur had ordered. Instead, the go to the council chamber to see the King. When the guards open the doors to announce the twins, he King is seated at the table, reading a document, others scattered on the table in front of him near the quill and inkwell. Sir Leon is standing opposite from where the King is seated, with several parchments in his hand. Gareth and Gaheris enter nervously.
"What is it?" Uther asks, looking up from the document he is holding.
"Your Majesty, I've killed a sorcerer and a spy," Gareth declares proudly.
"Have you indeed?" Uther says, bored. "How do you know?"
Gaheris answers, "We saw them near the training grounds yesterday, watching the knights and the prince practice. And he has magic. I saw him use it."
Gareth continues his story, "I overheard him today say that his name is Mercutio and he and his companion were from Montague."
"And Merlin knows. I saw him talking to the man, near the tavern." Gaheris adds, "that's why we challenged the stranger."
"Find Arthur's servant," Uther commands the guards "bring him here. And someone fetch Arthur."
Gaheris says, "we fought him, both of us, and would have defeated him fairly, had Merlin not intervened."
"The serving boy jumped in front of me to protect the sorcerer, but I stabbed him and killed him," Gareth confesses.
Uther is furious and rails at Arthur when he arrives, "Were you aware that your servant is consorting with spies and sorcerers?"
"What, Merlin? You can't be serious."
"He was seen, and overheard, talking to a stranger near the tavern," Uther shouts.
"The tavern. Of course," Arthur says angrily. "He was supposed to go get my shield."
xXx
After seeing to Mercutio with Gaius, Merlin goes back to where the swordfight took place to find the package with Arthur's shield that he had left there. He's relieved to see that it's still on the ground where he had dropped it in his haste to convey Mercutio away safely. Merlin picks it up and then, as he turns back to head to the practice fields to bring Arthur the shield, the guards stop him. They grab him roughly and march him into the citadel to the council room. He is forced to his knees, dropping the package containing the shield, near the end of the table in front of the King. He looks over at a glowering Arthur who is standing to the King's right.
Uther questions him. "Whom were you talking to at the tavern?"
"What? When?" Merlin stammers.
"These two squires said that they saw you in conversation with a stranger they believe to be an enemy spy and a sorcerer. You tried to intervene when they challenged him. It was only because of Gareth's skill with a sword that the sorcerer was killed. Why were you helping the spy? Why were you consorting with a sorcerer?" Uther looms over Merlin, shouting.
Merlin cringes visibly, "No, Sire. I didn't . . . I wasn't! I was walking by the tavern on my way back from the armorer with the shield for Arthur. The stranger stopped me to, to . . . erm" he flounders, "ask directions to the Darkling Woods. I didn't know who he was until he gave me his name."
"I should have you executed for this!" Uther thunders at Merlin. "Consorting with a sorcerer is against the law."
"A sorcerer? Who? Wait, no! Please. Let me explain!" Merlin looks frantically at Arthur. "Here's the shield. I have it." He gestures to it and reaches forward to pick it up. One of the guards kicks his hand away from the package and picks it up to hand to Arthur.
Despite his displeasure with Merlin, Arthur steps up and says, "Father, Merlin is a loyal servant. I trust him. Surely, a passing conversation doesn't merit such punishment. Maybe an afternoon in the stocks will teach him not to talk so freely to strangers."
"Take him out," Uther commands the guards with a dismissive gesture. "And secure him in the stocks. We'll decide further punishment later."
The guards grab Merlin by his arms, pulling him up from the floor and march him out of the room. He looks back at Arthur.
"Now, who is the other man?" Uther asks the twins.
Gaheris answers, "I heard the sorcerer call him Prince Romulo."
"Yes, of Montague," Gareth contributes.
"Who?" Arthur is puzzled.
"This man is the one Morgana met at the feast and says she loves and wants to marry." Uther tells him. "And I know exactly where he can be found this afternoon."