Hey everybody who reads my little author's note. There's not much to say today, though I do have a couple of questions to answer. First off though, the favorite OC (outside character for those who don't know) review competition will go through this week. So far, Marise is the winner. But leave me a review telling me who your favorite OC is and why you like her, and whichever character gets the most votes will get a larger role in the second to last chapter, which is where Merlin gets his girl. But, review or no review, I hope you enjoy my story and keep reading!

To answer the couple of questions I've gotten this week, here are the answers! First, I wasn't planning on doing more chapters after the Merlin one, but if I get enough interest in that I'll give it a try. But all of the couples will be getting more time in the last chapter, so we'll see how things have progressed for them. I was also thinking about doing a boys point of view of the same period that this chapter covers, but once again that's up to you lovely readers!

Disclaimer: Sorry all you sue happy lawyers, I'll bow to copyright laws and say that I do indeed not own Merlin.

Interlude

Merlin had no idea why he kept ending up in The Dancing Boar with his companions. He'd like to be able to blame it on Gwaine's bad influence, but ever since he had begun courting Marise, his visits to taverns had dropped considerably.

"Merlin," Arthur called. "Stop straining your brain overthinking things and come sit down with us."

Mentally calling Arthur as many names as he could, Merlin took a seat at the round table Anna had reserved for them. She was bustling about the table, setting everyone's drinks down. Merlin's gut clenched as he noticed how her hand rested on Percival's arm for a moment before she began to walk towards him.

"I put juice at your spot," she told him under her breath as she past him. "No drunkenness for you tonight. I figured you'd be least likely to want to get drunk, and I'd hate to have so many important people witless with no protection."

Merlin grinned at her despite the bitterness in his stomach. What made Percival so lucky as to have a girl like Anna? Or, he wondered, his bitterness spreading, what had gotten any of these men their ladies?

"Glad you could make it Merlin," Lancelot said jovially, patting him on his back as he took a seat next to Arthur. "The Prince here kept telling us you might be too busy mucking out stables to make it tonight."

"Just because I dropped that bucket of dirty water on his head, he has to make a big deal out of it," Merlin grumbled, glaring in Arthur's direction.

"There were spider webs in that water I'll have you know!"

"The main point is that we're all here now Prince Arthur," Elyon commented.

"What news was so important that you needed to bring us here, sire?" Leon asked curiously.

"Well," Arthur paused, "let's get some drinks in us before I start telling you."

Merlin rolled his eyes and began to sip at his grape juice while the other men took hearty swigs of their liquor. Great, it was news that even Arthur needed liquid courage to get out. This could only end in disaster.

"Alright," Arthur said, standing up without swaying. He wasn't drunk enough to begin to slur his words, but he soon proved his tongue had loosened itself. "Guinevere and I are to be married at the end of this month, no matter what my father says. We're finally going to do it."

"That's wonderful!" Gwaine cried. "Another round for the Prince here!"

Leon also congratulated the Prince, while Merlin and Percival were quieter about it, both of them knowing something more about the situation with Gwen. Nobody expected Elyon to comment and he met their expectations, the only phrase he said being, "And you'd better watch out for her, or Prince or not I will give you a pounding you'll never forget."

When Lancelot began to go at his drink with quite a bit more vigor than normal, Merlin switched his juice for Lancelot's liquor.

"We need to be sober to get his lot home," Merlin reminded him just as another voice overrode his.

"And of course we needed to have a follow-up meeting about the mission I gave each of you," Arthur added.

Merlin groaned loud enough to be heard, earning himself a glare. Awkwardly, he took a deep swig of Lancelot's drink. He'd been hoping Arthur had been too drunk to remember much of that night, especially the challenges.

"I was surprised," Arthur continued, turning to his right side, where Merlin and Lancelot sat, "that it was you two who have still to find a girl to care for. Merlin I can understand, you're too much of a clout to get one right away, but Lancelot, I'm surprised at you. Even Percival, no offense, has found a woman to be with, and he hardly speaks? What's holding you two back?"

Merlin took another swig of the drink before finding words he didn't remember thinking about pouring out of his mouth,

"I had a woman."

"Really Merlin, what happened to her?" Arthur's voice was eager and pleased.

"You killed her," he muttered in reply, taking another swig of the drink, having found it to taste quite good. "After I went through all the trouble of hiding her and promising to protect her, you killed her!"

"Are you serious Merlin? Since when do I go about killing women?"

"Since she turned into a monster cause of some curse. Then she became the stupid lady of that stupid lake and now I'll never see Freya ever again thanks to you!"

"He must be drunk already!" Lancelot declared, slinging an arm about Merlin's neck and stealing the tankard away from him. Leaning closer to him he whispered, "What happened to staying sober?"

"Right," Merlin gasped, his eyes moving restlessly, as if they were following stars. "What did you drink?"

"It's very potent," Lancelot replied. "I am used to it, however, and apparently I'm a great deal better at holding my drink then you are."

"Anyway," Arthur said, standing up once more, though he was still eyeing Merlin strangely, "you two have a deadline. I want to see you dancing with women you care about for our wedding ball in a month's time."

"Great."

Don't you love random interlude chapters? I hope you enjoyed seeing Merlin again, and please feel free to leave a review telling me what you did and did not like about the chapter. Only one more chapter before Merlin's, so I'd better get finishing his chapter! Thank you so much for reading!