Dear readers,
I drew my inspiration from several other fics like this (Merthur, Fem!Merlin). It may not be orignal, but it has a plot of it's own. I haven't seen all of the series, so you guys may give advise if you want to.
This story will be 25 chapters in total since I have decided which episodes to rewrite and which not. There will be a lot of chemistry building in this for the end, so I'd love some suggestions for things. I also mix some things up, I won't stay canon.
If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask!
At least, I hope you enjoy reading it. Have a nice day, please review if you have any time!
With love,
~ Artemis Hunter 441
Chapter 6: Lancelot
Merlyne was now outside castle, picking herbs for Gaius on a bright day.
It was nice to finally get away from all the business in the castle that fed everyone up. Cause in the forest, it was peaceful.
The witch did carry a sword with her on her outings for Gaius to the forest since Arthur had insisted on it.
Unconsiously, the warlock prince did care for his maidservant allthrough he never said that out loud in public.
Suddenly, the physician's ward heard a low growl and looked up. She drew the sword while she placed the basket with herbs down near a tree.
"Who's there?" Merlyne shouted, her hands firmly on the grip of the sword.
Arthur had been training her for the past weeks now and she was getting better, but still nowhere near perfect.
The witch took a deep breath as she walked deeper into the forest, closer to the sound.
Then, she saw a large creature with a set of large brown feathery wings, four claws and the head of an eagle.
A man, a quite handsome one, with dark brown curly hair reaching just over his ears was trying to fight the creature that was a Griffin. He was on the point of collapsing due the large gash in his side.
Just then, his sword broke in countless splinters when he tried to stab the Griffin in the shoulder.
The Griffin stroke with it's claw, throwing the man a few meters away against a fallen tree.
Merlyne came in action, ripping her dress* a large part shorter. Luckily she wore white trousers underneeth.
She jumped on the open field, in front of the wounded man.
The Griffin roared viciously.
"Get another meal!" the witch groaned as she charged at the magical beast. She was able to get a cut in the Gryffin's nail, but that was it.
Merlyne's sword shattered as she threw it against the side of the fleeing animal.
"Great, now I've got to tell Arthur that!" the witch groaned before turning to the man.
He had a large gash on his side, something that could infect rather quickly.
"Thank you, for the save." the man said, a smile on his face. "I'm Lancelot."
"Merlyne. I'll bring you to a physician, just hold on to me." Merlyne said as she took one of his arms to lay around her shoulder so she was able to get him up. She was not strong, but she had to get him to Gaius.
The witch got lucky as she neared the citadel, a pair of Arthur's loyal knights were so noble to help her carry Lancelot to her uncle's quarters.
As they tumbled in, Gaius raised his eyebrows at the large gash. "By the gods! What caused that ugly one?"
"A Gryffin. I scared it away for a little while, but it'll come back." Merlyne told as the knights placed Lancelot on the bed.
The physician paled. "Oh my goodness, Merlyne! Those creatures are dangerous!"
"As if I don't know that myself! But I couldn't leave him to die at the creature's claws." the young witch told.
"I understand, but please, be careful!" Gaius hissed.
Merlyne rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, of course! I just need to inform Arthur about my broken sword and get a new one. Nothing unsuspicious here."
Arthur heard of the Gryffin in the woods from Merlyne just after Knight's practise. He wasn't quite happy about the whole situation, giving a dangerous magical beast that was ripping people apart and his maidservant's broken sword.
The Prince went to the lower town, to the local blacksmith to find Tom and his son Elyan.
"Ah, Prince Arthur, what can I do for you?" Tom asked when the blonde man stepped inside.
No one questioned why the Prince would go there, as it was said that Tom made the best weapons.
"I came to check upon the armour I ordered." Arthur replied.
The blacksmith smiled. "Ah, yes. The armor is finished and ready to use. Whoever you let it be made for must be a lovely lady."
"Thank you Tom. Also, my maidservant managed to break her sword this morning while collecting herbs for Gaius, she'll need a new one similar to the one she had before." the Crow Prince told.
"Of course. Elyan!" Tom called.
Elyan peeked around the corner. He was just as tall as Arthur and around the same built. "Yes father?"
If the first rule of the Knight's code hadn't been the thing that noble blood had to be there, Elyan would have made a great Knight of Camelot.
"The Prince's maidservant needs a new sword, would you start forging it while I show the Prince the armor?" the blacksmith asked his son.
The younger man nodded.
"Follow me." Tom told.
Arthur followed the older blacksmith to a wooden closet.
"On you to open it up, my lord." the blacksmith said, guesturing to the closet.
The Prince laid his hands on the handles and slowly opened it up to find a beautiful iron armor** for a woman.
The chest plate was one piece as were most other pieces. Only at the joints were pieces to make it functional. The skirt was made with chainmail, leather drapes hanging from it
Arthur smiled. "It's perfect Tom, I couldn't have wished anything better. Pack it up, it's time to bring this to her new owner. Let's see what she thinks about it."
"Of course, my lord. Where do we need to transport it?" Tom asked.
"I'll take it with me. I'm giving it to her myself."
Merlyne was in Gaius' quarters as Arthur walked in with a bag thrown over his shoulder. Whatever was in it, it wasn't so light, not even for Arthur.
The Prince placed it on the floor. "Merlyne, I want to give this to you."
The witch servant turned curious and walked over to her master and opened up the bag. Her mouth fell open.
The bag contained an iron armor crafted fro a woman, in this case, it was her.
"Is this for me?" Merlyne asked, a little surprised.
"I know how stubborn you can be. And if you follow me into battle, please put this on! I don't want you to die saving my life or that of one of my Knights." Arthur replied. "Tom is also busy with your sword, it's probably done tomorrow by lunchtime or something."
"Thank you Arthur, I don't know what to say." the maid said.
The warlock Prince waved it off. "You might be just a servant in many eyes, but in mine you're a great friend with whom I can share all my secrets without fearing for my life!"
"First time you actually admit what I mean to you." Merlyne cheekily commented.
Arthur rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Just put it on for me to see."
The maidservant took the bag with her to her room to get in the armor there.
It gave the warlock Prince time to take a good look at the man Merlyne saved from that Gryffin.
The man, apparently carrying the name Lancelot, was very handsome with his longer wavy brown hair and sharp facial features. His body looked strong, probably either a foreign Knight or the son of a manual labourer.
Arthur sat down near the man who was slowly waking up. "Hey, you alright?"
Lancelot groaned as he slowly sat up, turing to the Prince of Camelot. "A little dizzy, but that's it."
"Just don't do anything too fast, then." the Prince advised.
The brunet scratched the back of his head. "Could you tell me where I am, and who that woman was that saved me? I'd like to thank her for what she did."
Arthur smiled. "You'd mean Merlyne, the physician's niece. And you're in the hospital wing of Camelot castle."
Lancelot blinked. "Good, cause I actually wanted to travel here before that beast attacked me, whatever it was."
"Why did you want to come here?" the Prince asked.
"I wish to become a Knight." the brunet replied.
"King Uther only allows noble sons, are you one?" Arthur asked.
Lancelot paled and shook his head. "I should have known, yet Camelot has the only King that is at least a bit honorable even with his magic executions."
"I know what you mean." the Prince smiled. Here there was someone who shared thoughts with him, someone who could be trusted to talk to as a normal person.
Both men heard the wooden door of Merlyne's room open up.
The witch walked out in the armor. "For an armour, this thing is comfortable!"
Arthur smiled form ear to ear. "I'm glad. You like it?"
"Like it? I love it, you prat!" Merlyne exclaimed. "Although, I think those kneecaps should be a bit lighter."
"I'll tell Tom that." the Prince said.
Lancelot stared at the woman in armour, now even more looking like the warrior he'd seen in the forest.
"Oh, you're awake!" the servant witch said as she saw Lancelot's brown eyes looking at her.
"He just woke, I kept him company for the time you put on the armour." Arthur told.
"Then I hope you haven't been an insufferable prat to him." Merlyne said, laughing at her own words.
"I hope my father won't hear you say that!" the warlock prince said as he rolled his eyes. He knew his maidservant loved to insult him in various ways, but 'prat' was her favorite.
"So… Lancelot, why were you in the forest?" the maid asked as she looked at the bandages of the wound, seeing those had to be replaced soon.
"I came to become a Knight of Camelot, but I apparantly cannot since I'm no nobleman." the brunet saidly replied.
"That's rediculous!" Merlyne commented, grabbing some clean bandages to replace Lancelot's with. "Arthur, can't you change it?"
"If I could, I would have. Only a King can change laws and I know my father won't change it." Arthur replied.
The witch groaned. "Fuck Uther, why is that stupid rule even there?"
"Apparently because my dear daddy doesn't trust peasants." the Prince groaned.
Lancelot blinked with his eyes. "You're Prince Arthur?"
"That I am, as much as it pains me." Arthur told. "It seems all great to be a Prince, but not when your father's enemies keep coming after you one way or another to kill you."
Merlyne changed Lancelot's bandages. "Isn't there anything you could do?"
The Prince sank in his thoughts, maybe he could. His hands folded themselves on his lap.
"Is there anything?" the wounded man asked.
"Arthur is one of the most determined men I have ever met, he'll be a great King when he ascends the throne. There's no doubting that in my eyes." the maidservant in armour told. "He'll find something, I'm sure."
Then, Arthur spoke up. "I think I know something, but we'll need the Forbidden Arts. Merlyne, I'll need your help for this. Go to Geoffrey and ask him for a book on noble seals, it's on my name. Also take some scrolls with you, some may not come out good."
Merlyne smiled and went back in her room to redress in her normal clothes.
"What are you planning?" Lancelot asked.
"Some cheating, but it's the only way."
Lancelot didn't believe his eyes anymore when he witnessed the Prince of Camelot and his maidservant use magic to copy a chosen noble seal several times from the book onto the scrolls.
Their eyes glowed, those of the Prince heavenly white and those of Merlyne pure gold as they chanted a spell that sounded like an old foreign language. "Write þás gelicnesse ond afæstne þa þæm clute þa."
"I trust you can keep a secret?" Arthur asked.
The brunet male fiercely nodded. "I won't Sire, I promiss."
The warlock Prince nodded. "Good. Cause if not, I'll have your head on a stick, understood?"
"Aye, my lord." Lancelot confirmed.
"And please, just say Arthur." Arthur told.
"I don't think I'm in a position to do so." the brunet said, raising his eyebrow.
"Neither is Merlyne, but she does it." the royal sorcerer commented. "Not that she ever really did except for when mocking me. I prefer to be called by my name, I quite hate it when people call me Sire."
"If that is what you wish…" Lancelot said.
Arthur sorted through the scrolls, looking for imperfections on them that Geoffrey would see.
The first two were quite clearly fake, the following three had still small traces of fakeness and the three others looked quite good. But only one was absolutely near perfect.
"Are you sure this will work?" the brunet asked, eyeing the faked seal.
"I know Geoffrey, even he won't be able to tell this is a fake one." the Prince told as he handed Merlyne the scroll. "But first, we've gotta get you an outfit first. And for that, we've gotta go to the lower town."
Arthur took Lancelot to the lower town, to the blacksmith.
There, his mesurements were taken by Elyan and a chainmail armour created together with a fitting seal cloth.
The seal cloth was blue, carrying the crest of twin eagles, one blue and the other yellow on the opposite background, a crown around their necks.
After that, the men went to the throne room to meet up with Merlyne, carrying Lancelot's genealogy and Arthur's armour which he would wear after presenting Lancelot to his father.
"Don't worry Lance, you can do this." the witch encouraged as she handed Arthur the fake genealogy.
"I don't think this has been a good idea, what if he discovers?" Lancelot asked, his face a bit pale.
Arthur placed a hand on the brunet's shoulders. "Believe me, he won't. I have secured that with the spell."
"I did not know a Prince would ever need a copying spell." Merlyne teased.
The royal warlock shot his maidservant an angry glare which he couldn't hold long. "Let's go then." and he opened the doors to the throne room where King Uther sat on his throne.
On the sides of the throne were Gaius and Geoffrey, eight Knights of Camelot standing on the sides of the aisle.
"Arthur, who is this noble you have brought in?" the King asked, eyeing Lancelot.
"Father, may I present, Sir Lancelot of Deira." Arthur formally introduced before stepping forward and handing the scroll to Geoffrey.
The court librarian opened the scroll to find the seal and family tree on it. He searched for any traces of fakery, yet he could not find any and his eyes were very good at it. "It's real Sire, I cannot find any fakeness."
King Uther turned to his son and the man, a confirmed foreign nobleman from the lands of King Cenred. "So, Sir Lancelot, what brings you here to Camelot?"
"My lord, I wish to become a Knight of this realm." Lancelot replied as steady as he could, trying to appear a noble.
"I see. Arthur, when can he have his trails?" the King asked.
"It's possible that he can have them this week, next week at last. There aren't many candidates left anymore." the Prince replied his father.
"Get it done this week. You're excused." Uther almost barked.
With a non-visible eye-roll, Arthur bowed before leaving, the non-noble followed Arthur's example.
"So… what happens next?" Lance asked as they were outside of the throne room.
"We prepare you for your trails as I get on with the others. You can ask Sir Leon for practise or watch me fight, we could spar after I'm done with today's trails." the Prince of Camelot said.
"That would be amazing. Thank you for doing this all for me Arthur, I'm forever grateful to you." the brunet said.
The two had stopped in the middle of his scentence.
"You have a noble heart, and that's far more important than noble blood." Arthur said. "And as Kilgharrah says, you are supposed to be the bravest of them all."
Lancelot raised an eyebrow. "Who's Kilgharrah?"
"The dragon that lives beneath this castle." the warlock Prince replied like it was a hunderd procent normal.
"A dragon?!" the soon-to-be Knight asked, paling a little.
"He talks in freaking riddles, your brain is always a mess when you've talked to him." Arthur said as Merlyne walked towards them with his armour.
"I take it you spoke to him many times?" Lance asked.
Arthur's maidservant dressed the Prince in his chainmail layers while he spoke to the man beside him. "A lot when I was still a child. I discovered him when I was only six years old and got lost in the dungeons. You'd probably ask what I was doing there, but that doesn't matter now anymore. I stumbled in the cave and that crazy dragon started talking about me being the one to unite the Five Kingdoms and some other Druidic nonsense about one Lady Emrys. Later I found out it wasn't rubbish or nonsense, it is apparently my destiny."
The fake nobleman smiled. "Quite a destiny you've got there. You'll probably need some Knights to help you out."
"Probably, yes. And I hope you will stand beside me when that moment is near." Arthur said.
"If I'm still here Sire, then I will. I promiss you my faith." Lancelot spoke.
"Good, now let's go down to the fields. Merlyne, get me my sword!"
Merlyne sat on the wooden fence in her orange-red dress that was now shorter due her encounter in the forest. She watched as her master defeated nobleman after nobleman again and again, he didn't seem to tire very much.
"He's a good fighter, isn't he?" Lancelot asked. He had been leaning on the fence the whole time, dressed in a white tunic and dark brown pants.
"He's great, it's why he earns his name as the best swordsman of this realm." the maidservant replied.
"You think he'll be a great King? One everyone would follow into battle?" the fake nobleman asked.
"I know Arthur is destined to be the greatest King of them all, the one to rule over all Albion first. He's noble and pure of heart and soul. If I was a Knight, I would sure follow him without a doubt." Merlyne told.
Lancelot eyed the Prince, who again defeated a nobleman in a fight. "I think I would too. I just have this feeling around him that makes me feel stronger, there's just something about him I can't put a finger on."
"It's just Arthur being Arthur, his soul just wraps around you when you get to know the real him. He's sometimes just too noble for his own good." the witch servant told.
The brunet looked at her. "I have to say, you looked very good in that armour earlier. I wouldn't have taken you as the maidservant of the Prince of Camelot."
"Arthur had it made for me, he knows I tend to get a little too stubborn at times and just follow him into dangerous battles to save him. He wants to make sure I'm well protected." Merlyne told.
"He cares for you greatly." Lance observes.
"Arthur's a caring soul, he's good with people. I know he'll never rule like Uther does, Arthur will pour his whole heart into his people." the maid said. "I've seen how far he's willing to go, and it's a whole road far."
The day King Uther heard about the Gryffin terrorizing villages around the castle, he ordered more men to be knighted as soon as possible. He didn't really listen to Gaius's warnings that the Gryffin was a creature of the Old Religion and therefor of magic itself, such a creature could only be defeated by magic.
Trails were brought forward, Lancelot's were right that day.
So while Lancelot and Arthur were fighting on the fields, Merlyne studied the spell she'd need to kill the Gryffin.
It was a fire spell, so it wasn't one Arthur could use since his abilities to use the element of fire were limited to conjuring a small light.
When the witch saw Gwen coming, she closed the book. "Hi Gwen!"
"Hello Merlyne. Who's that new guy?" the dark skinned maid asked, eyeing Lancelot.
"That's Lancelot of Deira, I found him in the forest yesterday, he wished to become a Knight." Merlyne replied.
"He is a looker, that's for sure. Yet, I don't stand a chance by a nobleman." Guinevere sighed.
The witch servant smiled. "Nah, don't be so sure."
Gwen raised her eyebrow.
"Arthur and I are not exactly the prototype master and servant. If you start out being friends, which is not a crime, it might blossom into more if it's meant to be." Merlyne told. "And otherwise, you've always gained a friend."
"There may just be some truth in your words." the blacksmith's daughter said, placing her hands on the fence.
Lancelot lasted at least two minutes in a fight against Arthur, winning through pretending having lost.
The men walked over to Merlyne and Gwen when they were done.
"I have to say, that was a stunt you pulled there." the Prince commented before giving his sword to his servant.
"Thank you. So… I guess I have to get ready for that ceremony."
"Oh Lance, before you go, I want to introduce you to my friend Guinevere whom we all call Gwen, she's Lady Morgana's maid." the witch servant quickly introduced.
Gwen smiled weakly. "Sir."
Merlyne rolled her eyes.
But Lancelot then did something that shocked all three of them, he took Gwen's hand and kissed her knuckles. "Milady."
The handmaiden blushed fiercely.
"Where's this all about?" Arthur asked in a whisper, leaning against the fence.
"I had a feeling that Lance and Gwen sort of belong together, like it's destiny." the witch told.
The warlock Prince looked between the two in front of them. "I think I see what you mean."
Arthur and Lancelot sat together at the feast that was thrown in honor of all new knighted Knights, enjoying the bread that had been given to them by one of the kitchenmaids.
The two looked at the small group of women that existed out of Morgana, Gwen and Merlyne.
The Prince leaned to his companion. "Who do you find the most beautiful?"
"I don't think I'm in a position for that, but all three of them have their own elements of what mankind discribes as beauty." the new Knight replied.
"I'm only asking to your taste. To me, the Lady Morgana is stunning, but it's Merlyne that catches my eye." Arthur admitted. "She's just different from them all, she has this outlandish beauty no one can rival."
"If I have to say it, I'd prefer miss Guinevere." Lancelot told. "But I can see what you mean."
"I hoped I was the only one." the warlock grunted.
"You saw it with your own eyes, pointing it out to me. If you wish to be with her, you should probably tell her one way or another before she gains intrest in another." Lance advised.
"It's just that I don't know what to do, it's just how I feel when I'm around her." the warlock told, hanging his head. "When I'm alone with her, I feel free. Free of worries, free of my duties…"
"I may be no expert, but it's clear you feel strongly for her." the Knight observed.
Arthur looked at the man sitting beside him. "She is part of my destiny, I just don't know what place she has in it."
Soon, the Knights would ride out to fight the Gryffin that night. The night after the ceremony.
Lancelot stood with Arthur and the other Knights, ready to ride out.
"I have a bad feeling about this…" the Prince grunted.
"The Gryffin?" the fake nobleman asked.
"Too, but it's mainly my father." Arthur told, looking up at the speaking King on the balcony.
"It's what Gaius told you, isn't it?" Lance asked.
The warlock nodded. "We need Merlyne, and I trust it she'll follow us."
The brunet agreed. "She will Sire."
When the Knights rode out, Arthur constantly watched their backs to find any sign of his maid following.
There were none that made it clear, but the witch's powerful aura was feelable.
When the Knights encountered the Gryffin, a strange mystical fog hang in the air.
Arthur felt the magic pounding in his veins, feeling powerful and strong. It was desperate to protect its wielder.
They tried different tactics to slay the Gryffin with steel only, but it only got them ending up dead or unconcious with their swords broken.
Only Lancelot and Arthur were still alive and concious by the time Merlyne made herself known.
She hadn't dressed herself in armour, but in the boyish clothes she wore the first days in Camelot.
"Didn't I tell you to wear that bloody armour?" Arthur shouted as he jumped aside.
"You may have mentioned it." the maidservant said before her gaze focussed on Arthur's sword.
Since the Prince didn't carry Excalibur with him all the time, so his normal sword would have to do.
Merlyne took a deep breath with her eyes closed, opening them when she started to chant the spell several times. "Bregdan anweald gafeluc! Bregdan anweald gafeluc! Bregdan anweald gafeluc! "
A blue flame came alive on the Prince's iron blade, shining light between the mystical white fog.
Arthur took the flame as a sign that his maidservant had succeeded in her spell and threw the blade right at the Gryffin's heart.
The enchanted sword pierced the Gryffin's skin as it hit it's heart. The beast fell dead, slain by magic.
Lancelot took a deep breath. "That was some fight!"
The Prince looked around him, at the bodies of his men. "We should wake those still alive, and carry the others."
"Yes Sire!" the brunet Knight agreed as he walked over to a few fallen mates, checking their pace.
Arthur looked at Merlyne. "Thank you Merlyne, you truly are the most powerful witch."
"Stupid Druidic legends." the witch maidservant said, but she had a wicked grin on her lips.
"Don't get used to it. No help me and Lancelot!"
* nl . pinterest pin / 57 34 34 96 50 37 19 64 56 /
** nl . pinterest pin / 57 34 34 96 50 37 27 07 10 /
I hope you enjoyed it.
It's far from canon, but I did tell you I would not follow the series, not even in the first season!
Some tips on how to get on with Gwen/Lancelot now? Thank you all!
Please, review if you have the time.
~ Artemis Hunter 441