Alaia Skyhawk: Well I'm back after just over three months of following Season 4, and it's time to start this one up again. There'll be a sub-ep added to A Question of Brotherhood probably last week of January/first week of February. I'll also be posting weekly updates to the fic I'm uploading on behalf of my friend Julie, "Let My People Go".
But enough about that, onwards with Resolve :D
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
Music: N/A
"Whom History Won't Remember" Episode: N/A
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Chapter 7: The Once and Future Queen ~Part 1~
The breeze caused the forked red banner to flutter where it was held out mid-way down the jousting lane. The sun shining down as two men eyed each other from atop two horses, before two visors were closed and the flag was lifted and swept out of the way. Two knights charged at each other, two lances lowering, before just one struck with splintering force and sent the man in question tumbling out of his saddle.
Merlin winced in sympathy, eyes on the floored knight as he went to take the prince's broken lance off him.
"Now that has got to hurt."
Arthur raised his visor, smug and superior.
"That's the point, Merlin. It's not a pillow fight. Now fetch me another lance."
Merlin hastened to do as he was told, coming back with a fresh lance and just as quickly getting out of the way. Arthur then lined up for the next joust, this time against Sir Leon, and the flag snapped out of the way.
Both men sent their horses charging down the lane, their lances coming down in almost perfect unison before the sunlight that baked the arena glinted off Leon's armour at just the angle to dazzle the prince.
Arthur's balance was thrown off, and he lifted his lance to turn his head away from the light, and Leon lifted his refusing to strike him while he was vulnerable. And when the prince brought his horse to a stop, he threw down his lance angrily before dismounting to face his knight.
"Why did you pull out? I was wide open. You could have un-horsed me."
Leon frowned.
"I was fearful I might injure you, Sire."
The prince pointed to the jousting lane.
"You had the advantage. You can't afford to hesitate."
"I wouldn't have done if I were facing a different opponent." Arthur's expression went from irritation at one of his knights failing to use an opportunity, to a man dawning on a deep sense of offence as Leon continued. "You are the future king, My Lord."
Arthur took a slow step towards him, disbelieving.
"When you jousted against me in the tournament last year... Are you saying you let me win?"
Leon seemed to realise now the nerve he had struck, shaking his head after a moment and averting his eyes.
"No, My Lord."
It was clear that Arthur didn't believe him, as he angrily turned to face the other knights down here practicing for the tournament.
"It doesn't matter who I am. I do not expect any special treatment from you, from any of you! Is that understood?"
The knights were all looking shamefaced as they nodded in acknowledgement, before Arthur turned and stormed away from the arena to make the fair hike to the castle. The jousting field was outside the castle and city walls, and required anyone returning from it to the castle, to go up a long sloping road that was bad enough going up when you weren't wearing fifty pounds of metal. The result was that Arthur was dripping sweat as he at last made it back to his chambers, a fact his servant didn't appreciate when his master began shedding and dumping the now 'fragrant' and damp armour.
The prince was utterly furious, practically throwing his jousting helm down on the table.
"How am I supposed to prove myself, if my opponents aren't trying their hardest?"
Merlin began to pick the discarded armour up, trying to be upbeat.
"I'm sure they're not doing it all the time."
Arthur glared at him.
"So it's happening some of the time?"
Merlin winced.
"No, I'm certain it isn't."
The prince stared at him for a long before, before jabbing a finger in his direction, fuming.
"Now you're doing it! You're telling me exactly what you think I want to hear!"
"Yes." Another stare, and Merlin rapidly began to correct himself. "Er, no, um... What was the question?"
Arthur turned away, letting out a long sigh of exasperation.
"That just proves it. All my life I've been treated as if I'm special. I just want to be treated like everyone else."
Merlin grabbed the last and largest pieces of dropped plate-armour, using the breastplate like a bowl to carry everything else as he slowly inched his way back to his feet.
"Really?"
"You have no idea how lucky you are."
Merlin found himself glancing down at his armload, also noting the barely describable odour of sweat, metal, and polishing oil. He was lucky to be dealing with this?
"Well, any time you want to swap places, just let me know."
Arthur straightened up, turning as something dawned on him.
"That's not a totally stupid idea."
Merlin was too busy balancing his burden to look at his master.
"You're Prince Arthur." He gave him a brief grin before turning for the door. "You can't change who you are."
He was soon out the door, and so didn't hear the prince musing to himself over his new plan. In fact the only inkling he got as to what was going on was later while Arthur was dining with his father. An activity during which the conversation came to mention a 'report' of a 'magical creature' near the northern borders... Something which dealing with would require Arthur to ride out and miss the tournament. It took all of Merlin's self-control not to burst out laughing at the description of ' a body of a lion, the wings of an eagle, and the face of a... bear'.
In fact he found it so funny that he was sure it was written all over his face once he retreated out of Uther's line-of-sight, a fact evidenced by the flat stare Arthur directed at him. Only once out of the council chambers and returning to his rooms did Arthur say anything to his servant verbally, and that amounted to an order to find him somewhere to stay and a disguise... and also someone to stand-in as a 'knight'.
And that led Merlin to where he was now, strolling through the upper town in the dark of evening, to knock on the door of a certain friend of his.
Gwen opened it after a few moments, regarding him with surprise at the late visit.
"Merlin, what brings you here?"
Neither knew of the danger now within Camelot, or of the bribed guard who told that threat of a prince's supposed departure to the north that would happen the following morn.
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Alaia Skyhawk: I'll end it there. Just a nice little warm-up to ease me back into this story. What with having to adjust from writing "Merlin can use his magic in front of Arthur" to "Merlin has to act like an idiot with no magic in front of Arthur" XD
