Chapter 7: The Perfect Knight (Part 2: Revelation)
Author's Note: As I promised, I finished the next chapter quickly because I had so many ideas floating in my head already. This chapter is dedicated to all my regular reviewers: Alkeni, High Serpent King, morganaforever, Magic713, and Rya3SaberVltar. You guys really help me write the story, whether you know it or not! This chapter contains several unexpected plot points, but I thought they were some nice ideas. As always, criticism is welcome!
I also wanted to reply to one anonymous review by Oracleton here because it hit the point; Merlin seems to be laughing more because I think it's his way of coping with being underappreciated by everyone around him. As for him mocking Athur and Uther, well knowing that the city would be dead if you didn't exist should give him a sense of superiority over everyone else. The fact that Uther would kill him if he found out what Merlin really was only makes it all the more ironic. (Though I should try to use the word 'laugh' less often too!)
Merlin ran back to his chambers, still in shock from what he had just witnessed. He had been amazed at how quickly Morgana had embraced his powers the week before, but was it because Morgana knew that she had magic herself? It would certainly explain why she wanted Uther dead so much, but he felt there was something more to it; after all, if she did want Uther dead, Merlin was sure she would have tried again by now.
Whatever the case, Merlin believed that he would have to watch Morgana carefully from now on. If she didn't know she had magic, it would be disastrous if it suddenly revealed itself when there were other people around. While he feared for her safety, a part of Merlin was glad that there was someone who possessed the same gifts he did; he had always felt so alone in Camelot before. Invigorated by this knowledge, he set out towards the library with a new found determination. As usual, all the guards in the castle seemed to be half blind; it was a simple matter to hide from the 'patrols', such as they were.
It wasn't long before Merlin entered the library proper. Unlike other castles he had heard about, this room was built to house books by the original builders of the castle. Here was a part of the sum of human knowledge, written down on fragile pieces of parchment that slowly rotted away with age. It was like a maze, with shelves upon shelves of books lining every corner of the room. The smell of parchment filled the air, as if one had entered the den of some ancient beast. It awed and saddened him at the same time; he knew that very few people came to visit this treasure trove anymore.
Soft footsteps from outside the library bought Merlin back to reality. He knew that he did not have much time, and he needed to finish his task quickly. Fortunately for Merlin, the books concerning the genealogies of the Noble houses were often edited by the keeper, Geoffrey. It didn't take him long to locate the page with the seal of the House of Northumbria and copy it onto a fresh roll of parchment. It was ironic; one single piece of parchment was all that separated the common man from a high lord. If only all men and women were judged only by their deeds, and not by their birth; the warlock thought that he would definitely qualify as a noble. For a moment, Merlin was tempted to create a seal for himself, but he instantly squashed the idea. While people may believe Lancelot was a noble, Merlin knew that his build and looks were too distinct, and someone was bound to realise that his seal was forged. Still, the look on Arthur's face as he declared himself to be the son of some faraway lord would almost be worth facing the executioner's axe.
With the piece of parchment safely in his grasp, he sneaked back to his chambers undetected and instantly fell into his bed. He had a feeling that it would be a long day tomorrow; he had to somehow convince an honest man to lie in front of the king; that would not be an easy task.
"Wake up Ser Lancelot!" said Merlin in his usual cheerful voice. "I have a gift for you."
"I'm no 'Ser'," said Lancelot sleepily. "And what's that in your hand?"
"This is your one and only chance of fulfilling your dreams milord," said Merlin seriously. "You are Lancelot, the fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria."
"How is this possible..." said Lancelot with shock in his voice. "No Merlin, this isn't right!"
"So you no longer want to be a knight then?" asked Merlin. While almost all the men in the kingdom would have seized the chance to escape from the tedious cycle of ordinary life, Lancelot's morals seemed to be preventing him from doing so.
"Of course I do!" said Lancelot with a torn voice. "But it would be a lie; it's against everything the knights stand for."
"Tell me Lancelot, who made these laws concerning who was worthy of being a knight?" asked Merlin with a serious voice.
"The King, Uther Pendragon," said Lancelot. "Everyone knows that, but what does it have to do with anything?"
"I don't know if you know your history, but before he was a king, Uther was just a man," said Merlin in a sagely voice that surprised himself. "Uther conquered this kingdom, even though he had no right to it in the first place. This piece of paper isn't what makes you a noble; your actions and morals should be the only thing that matters."
Lancelot paused, as if considering Merlin's words carefully. Finally, he gave a nearly imperceptible nod, as if the very idea of not telling the truth was still alien to him. Merlin didn't give him a chance to reconsider; it was time to make Lancelot a knight, and he knew exactly who could help him with that.
Lancelot stood as still as a statue while a bronze skinned girl carefully put on his new suit of armour. It still fascinated him how women were treated so differently in Camelot; back in Essetir, women were generally see and not heard. Lancelot always suspected that it was fear that made the men in Essetir treat their women so badly; perhaps they were afraid that they would be able to usurp their place in society if they did not control them. He turned back to look at the young woman in front of him; although she was not overly attractive compared to other women he had met in his travels, she exuded an aura of genuine kindness that was all too rare in this world.
"This is very kind of you, Miss..." said Lancelot smoothly.
"Gwen," said Guinevere, her gaze darting towards his eyes for a short moment. "It's short for Guinevere."
"Guinevere," said Lancelot slowly as he tested the name. "That's a lovely name; I think it suits you."
Gwen blushed and looked in Merlin's direction, as if she was asking for help. Lancelot gave her a quick smile to reassure her, but somehow that seemed to make things worse.
"Well anyway, you don't have to thank me; Merlin there did all the work," said Gwen nervously. "He even paid my father to make the armour for you!"
"You paid for the armour?" said Lancelot with shock evident in his voice. "But how? I thought I would just be receiving an old suit from the armoury."
"Oh don't worry about it," said Merlin with knowing smile. "You need to look like a noble, and I spared no expense; besides, I have plenty of gold on hand."
Lancelot was beginning to suspect that there was far more to the boy he had saved that he had originally suspected. He was an enigma; sometimes he would seem wise beyond his years, but at other times he could be impossibly immature as well. Whatever the case, he had no doubt that Merlin was concealing something from him, and he didn't want to pry further. He quickly turned back to Gwen; the girl was a much simpler person to understand, and he didn't want to dwell on Merlin's secret.
"Even if Merlin did pay for the armour, I have to thank the both of you for aiding me me; I'm just a man from some faraway land, and it humbles me to think that the two of you would help me."
"Well I think it's great that Merlin's got you this chance," said Gwen shyly. "We need men like you."
"Someone who was trained by numerous sellswords?" asked Lancelot with a raised eyebrow. "Why am I getting the feeling that you're only trying to make me feel better about this false seal of nobility?"
"No, it's true!" protested Gwen. "Camelot needs knights like you; someone who isn't a high lord who sits in his castle all day."
"Well I'm not a knight yet, milady," said Lancelot respectfully.
"I serve a lady," said Gwen with an embarrassed smile. "I'm not one myself."
"You do?" asked Lancelot with surprise. "Strange, where I come from you would not be allowed to leave your mistress on the pain of death."
"Sounds like a horrible place," said Gwen. "But the Lady Morgana is more of a friend than a mistress."
"Perhaps I'll get to meet her someday," said Lancelot. "But I doubt she could be half as pleasant as you are."
"I think you'll see her soon enough; Arthur dragged her down to watch the knights train," said Gwen with a light laugh. "Don't worry, she might seem intimidating the first time round, but she really cares about people like you and me."
"Well thank you again, Guinevere," said Lancelot. Privately he was intrigued with this 'Lady Morgana'. It was a rare woman who could intimidate a man, and Lancelot would very much like to meet her.
Morgana watched with feigned contempt as Arthur disarmed yet another one of his opponents. While she was still angry at being dragged out here to watch the men fight, she was also glad for the break in her monotonous routine. When she was younger, her father had allowed her to train with his own squires; she was like the son that he never had. In those days she was used to being underestimated when she held a blade, and it was all too easy to exploit the arrogance of all the boys she had fought against. Uther had of course banned such practices, saying that it was not proper for a lady to fight at all; no doubt he was afraid that she would scare off her would be suitors. Even so, she still held great admiration for the art of swordplay; in many ways it was similar to politics. All it took was one false move, and you would be defeated before you even realised it.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a handsome young man wearing the armour of the house of Northumbria walking besides Merlin. Morgana realised instantly that this must be the man Merlin forged the seal of nobility for. She watched the man with an eagle-eyed gaze as he walked up to Arthur in a manner that was altogether far too respectful.
"What is it?" asked Arthur with an annoyed expression on his face.
"My name is Lancelot," said Lancelot with an air of false confidence. "I'm the fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria, here to request to serve as a knight under your command."
Morgana couldn't resist smiling at the man; did he really forge a seal of nobility just so he could become a knight? The very idea of it seemed ludicrous to her; to become a noble just so you could be ordered around by men like Arthur. Perhaps he was using it as a cover to assassinate Uther, but she doubted that; they would have sent someone who acted more like a genuine noble, someone who would lick Uther's boots before he stabbed the king in his back.
"Lance...a lot?" said Arthur with a depreciating snort. "My servant mentioned you. I presume you have your seal?"
"Sire," said Lancelot as he bowed and presented his fake seal.
Morgana shook her head almost imperceptibly; while he looked as well built as any noble, he had none of the arrogance that most nobles carried around with themselves. Still, she did not expect Arthur to see through his ruse; the prince had never been one to judge people properly. However, she couldn't help but think that Lancelot's humbleness had a certain charm that appealed to her. She stopped her chain of thought as she saw Arthur draw his training sword with a flash and press it to Lancelot's neck; no doubt he was trying to prove his superiority to Lancelot, as he did with all his men.
"Sluggish reactions," remarked Arthur. "On a battlefield you'd be dead by now; come back when you're ready."
"Sire, on a battlefield I would not expect a friend to try and strike me down," said Lancelot calmly as he pushed away the blunted metal blade. "I'm ready now."
Morgana almost laughed aloud at the man's audacity. It seemed to her that Merlin had found someone who was almost exactly like himself; there was no doubt in her mind that Lancelot genuinely came to become a knight. After all, no assassin would be so bold as to attract the attention of the king's son.
"You are, are you?" said Arthur as he glared at the man who had dared to argue with him. "Fine. You can start by cleaning out the stables."
"Arthur," interjected Morgana. "Do you think this is a man is your servant? Think of what Lord Eldred would say if he knew that you sent his son to clean your own stables."
"I couldn't care less about what Lord Eldred has to say," said Arthur with a smirk. He quickly turned back to address Lancelot. "If you really want to be a knight, you will do as I command."
Lancelot looked at Morgana for a second, as if thanking her for trying to help him. She ignored him; all she wanted to do was to prove to Arthur that he could not force those beneath him to do whatever he wanted them to do. Unfortunately, Lancelot bowed to Arthur and slowly went off towards the stables. Morgana gave Arthur a look of pure disdain as Arthur returned her gaze with a victorious smile. Why was it that she was the only one who would stand up to the irritable prince?
Lancelot slowly shovelled the horse dung into one corner of the stables. Despite the situation, he smiled to himself; he had done worse in his time, and if this was what it took to be a knight, so be it. Suddenly, he noticed he was being watched from a distance by them same stunningly beautiful woman he had saw earlier this day, clad in a flowing violet cloak. He shifted himself into the most dignifying position possible; this woman had tried to help to him today, though he was still not sure why.
"Do you really think this is what the fifth son of a great lord would do?" said the lady in a casual voice. "Shovelling dung for the Prince of Camelot."
"Forgive me, but we have not been introduced; my name is Lancelot, and you are?" asked Lancelot boldly, gazing directly into her emerald eyes. He had a feeling that he had to stay strong in front of this woman; it was almost as if she was testing him.
"I am the Lady Morgana, the ward of King Uther Pendragon," said Morgana dismissively. "But I suspect you knew that already; no doubt Merlin had already told you about me."
"He has?" asked Lancelot cautiously. He had no idea if this lady knew that he wasn't really a noble, but if she knew Merlin...
"I suppose he failed to mention that it was I who told him how to obtain your false seal in the first place?" said Morgana with a superior smirk on her face. "Relax, I won't betray your secret; it's much more interesting to watch your progress instead."
"Why are you helping me?" asked Lancelot with surprise; he did not expect himself to find an ally among the nobility, never mind someone who had the ear of the King himself.
"Why does Merlin trust you?" retorted Morgana, not answering his question. "What is your real purpose here?"
"I wish to serve as a knight; to protect the helpless and defend this realm from those who would threaten it," said Lancelot truthfully. "As for Merlin, I helped him flee from that winged creature."
Morgana gazed at him for a while, as if trying to tell if he was telling the truth. He stared directly back at her; he had nothing to hide, and he wanted her to know that.
"So it's true," said Morgana with a light laugh. "You got that seal just so you could become a knight; never realising that being the son of the most powerful northern lord would make you a very powerful man."
"I care nothing for politicking the high lords love so much," said Lancelot with a hurt look on his face; did this women believe he would be capable of such a vile deed? To use a friend's trust to increase his own personal power?
"Never the less, that is a game you will have to play," said Morgana with a smile. "The court will be very shaken by your arrival. They will be trying to gain your 'father's' favour through you, and if you want to survive you will have to do exactly as I say."
"So it's all just a game for you?" asked Lancelot angrily. "Are we all just puppets to you? So you can pull our strings and watch us dance?"
"Very good," remarked Morgana. "I see there is some fire in you after all; it was a pity you didn't show it to Arthur today when he ordered you to clean this... place."
"He is the prince," said Lancelot slowly, not fully understanding what Morgana was getting at. "I am honour bound to obey his word."
"Is that what you believe?" said Morgana sarcastically. "Remember Lancelot, you were supposed to be born into privilege; you've had servants doting on your every word since you could speak. If you must pretend to be a noble, first you must act like one."
"What's your point?" asked Lancelot as he slowly understood what Morgana was trying to tell him. While he did not understand the intentions of this woman at all, it seemed to him that she could be more dangerous than Arthur could ever be. Unfortunately, he had always been drawn to danger.
"Arthur may be an idiot, but his father is anything but," said Morgana curtly. "If you wish to live through the coming days, you will heed my advice."
With that, she swiftly left the stables, leaving Lancelot alone to ponder her words.
"Gwen, what do you think of Merlin's new friend?" asked Morgana as her maid helped her change into a different dress; she had ruined her previous one by going down to the stables.
"Lancelot?" asked Gwen with surprise. "He seemed like a good man to me; why do you ask?"
Morgana recalled their brief conversation they just had with perfect clarity. Nobody had dared to challenged her in such a direct manner before. They either simpered and bowed, or they expected her to do exactly as she was told. Lancelot was different; he had treated her as an equal despite his lower birth. Somehow she didn't think she could describe her current judgement of Lancelot to her maid.
"I am interested in what he will do," said Morgana at last. "But he needs all the help he can get if he is to pretend to be a noble for the rest of his life."
"Do you think you could help him?" asked Gwen hesitantly.
"Do you want me to help him?" asked Morgana curiously. She was surprised by the worried tone in Guinevere's voice; had Lancelot captured the attention of her maid?
"I think Camelot needs more men like him," said Gwen. "Someone who will stand up for what is right, no matter the cost to himself."
Morgana slowly considered her maid's words. This man was different from the rest; he seemed believed in a strong moral code that compelled him to protect the weak; it took her a moment to realise that he almost reminded her of her father. At that moment, she made her decision; she would not let another honourable man die at Uther's hand.
"I'll do what I can Gwen," said Morgana reassuringly as her maid finished typing up the last straps on her dress. "But first, I need to go see a mutual friend."
Morgana walked confidently though the halls to Gaius's chambers. None of the guards questioned her; it was common knowledge that she occasionally sought sleeping draughts from the court physician. As she knocked on the wooden door however, she prayed that it would be Merlin and not Gaius who opened the door; she needed someone who Lancelot could trust, and Merlin was the perfect fit. She released the breath that she had been subconsciously holding when the young sorcerer finally opened the door; it would have been hard to convince the physician to let her inside and talk to Merlin.
"Morgana!" exclaimed Merlin with surprise. "Don't worry, Gaius isn't here, you can come in."
Morgana didn't wait as she entered the room for the second time in a week; it was strange how she was seeing this boy so often; in days past she would never had cause to leave her own chambers for weeks on end.
"So what are you doing here this time?" asked Merlin inquisitively as he locked the door behind her. "Thanks to you, I already got the seal for Lancelot; it's working out perfectly."
"If only it was so easy," said Morgana with a superior smile. "That piece of parchment isn't all that matters; for Lancelot to fool Uther, he will have to have to act like a noble."
"You don't think he's arrogant enough?" said Merlin with a sigh. "I thought as much myself."
"He might be able to fool Arthur, but Uther is an entirely different matter," said Morgana. "However, there might be a way around his lack of acting talent."
"So how do we convince Uther he's a genuine noble?" asked Merlin.
"If he presents Uther with riches as a gift from his 'father', surely it would ease some of his doubts," said Morgana in a conspiratorial tone. "High lords often try to gain the king's favour with gold; no doubt he expects Lord Eldred's 'son' to do the same. All you have to do is obtain it from the treasury unnoticed."
"Stealing from the treasury?" asked Merlin with what seemed like mock concern. "That seems rather hard; fortunately I already have this treasure on hand."
Merlin bent down towards a floorboard and retrieved a small wooden object that seemed all too familiar. A small gasp escaped from Morgana's throat as she realised that it was the exact same chest that she had cast aside when she had killed Valiant, the knight who planned to slay Arthur in front of all of Camelot. Unbidden, the image of the serving boy she had killed came wafting back in her mind, as if his spirit was still trying to torment her.
"Are you alright?" asked Merlin with concern in his voice. Morgana desperately tried to maintain some semblance of normality; it would not do at all for the boy to find out that she had killed Valiant; he would start asking too many questions.
"It's nothing,"" said Morgana quickly as she tried to regain her composure. Merlin tilted his head to one side, knowing that something was wrong but not quite sure what. He opened the chest for her to look, and there it was; nearly a thousand gold coins, all packed up neatly into the small wooden box.
"That will be sufficient," said Morgana in voice that was slightly shaky; she hoped Merlin did not notice it.
"I found it by the side of the road," said Merlin, apparently not noticing how unnerved Morgana was. "It says here that it was the very same chest that Uther gave to Valiant; what I don't understand is why someone would kill him and leave his gold behind."
"I don't know," said Morgana quickly. "Why does it matter; he's dead either way."
"Yes but still, it just seems to me something is not quite right," said Merlin.
"Well it seems that you have everything in place," said Morgana abruptly, she felt the urge to leave the room before Merlin realised that something was wrong. "I hope it will be enough to fool Uther; if not we'll just have to find another way."
Merlin scratched his head as Morgana left; he would never be able to judge her intentions. One moment she could be completely ruthless, the other she could almost be as compassionate as Gwen. Whatever the case, it was a very good thing that Morgana had an interest in keeping Lancelot alive; the man would need all the help he could get. He still had not asked her if she knew that she had magic either, but he suspected that it had not been a good time to approach such a delicate subject.
At that moment, Lancelot entered the room, covered in dirt from head to toe. He definitely did not look like the part of a noble at all.
"Lancelot, you really need to start standing up for yourself," said Merlin exasperatedly. "There's no way Arthur's going to take you seriously if you act like you're his servant."
"You're the second person to tell me that today, but you said it in a much clearer way," said Lancelot with half a smile. "The Lady Morgana come to see me at the stables."
"She went to see you directly?" said Merlin with surprise. "What did she say?"
"I'm not sure myself," said Lancelot with a laugh. "But I had a feeling she was trying to get under my skin."
"Don't worry, I'm sure she wants you to succeed; she would already have revealed your secret to Arthur if she didn't," said Merlin reassuringly; he of all people knew exactly how intimidating Morgana could be.
Before Lancelot could respond, Gaius walked into the room, almost dropping his potions as he saw the sight of Lancelot covered in mud.
"I'll just go clean myself up," said Lancelot hastily as he quickly left the room, leaving Merlin to face Gaius's questioning.
"Err, he found work at the stables," said Merlin lamely.
"I see. And the truth before I lose my temper?" asked Gaius in a frustrated voice.
"He's trying to become a knight; Arthur told him to clean the stables," said Merlin with a sigh. Why could he never lie to his uncle?
"The First Code of Camelot has never been broken for any man," said Gaius angrily. "What have you done Merlin?"
"Alright, I bent the law, but they were unjust," said Merlin defiantly.
"You used magic to fool Arthur, didn't you Merlin?" said Gaius in a low voice. "It's often the first step towards the path of ruin that has claimed so many sorcerers before you; many of those with magic consider themselves to be above the laws of 'lesser men'."
"I would follow the law if it was right!" said Merlin angrily. "Why is Uther allowed to control everyone else? He made all these stupid rules; are you saying he's infallible?"
"Yes!" snapped Gaius. "At the end of the day, Uther is the one who controls the army; he maintains order and we must follow his laws, no matter if they are right or wrong. The day we stop believing in him is the day chaos will reign over Camelot."
"We shouldn't let tyranny control us," said Merlin quietly. "I will do the right thing, no matter what it costs me. I owe Lancelot my life; the only way I can pay for that debt is by giving him the opportunity he deserves. If you want to punish me for it, go ahead."
To Merlin's surprise, Gaius did not respond. However it seemed that there was a mix of very conflicting emotions on his uncle's face. Merlin couldn't decide if it was fear, anger or respect. Whatever the case, at least he wasn't being yelled at anymore.
Lancelot walked along the streets of Camelot, considering the words both Merlin and Morgana had given him as he did so. They had implied that he was too meek; that he shouldn't just do what the Prince told him to do. He remembered that back among the mercenaries he travelled with, any sign of respect was considered a weakness. Perhaps it was the same with the nobles in Camelot; maybe he had been too naive in assuming that by showing respect, he would receive the same in return. With this in mind, he walked directly towards the training courtyard. It was time to show Prince Arthur exactly what he could do.
"Sire," said Lancelot in a loud voice as he approached the Prince.
"I thought I told you to sharpen the swords in the armoury," said Arthur with a smirk.
"Do you think me a servant?" asked Lancelot as he tried to inject a sense of righteous anger into his voice. "Perhaps you're sending me to do all these menial tasks because you're afraid to face me."
From the corner of his eye, he spied the Lady Morgana, giving him a small nod. It was enough to convince Lancelot to stay on his present course; she obviously thought he was doing something right. Without warning, Arthur pulled a training sword from the training rack and tossed it directly towards Lancelot. The dark haired man reacted instantly, twisting his body to avoid the blade and catching the handle as it passed him.
"Not bad," said Arthur in a grudging voice. "But you were completely off the mark, I merely thought you weren't worth my attention; perhaps I was wrong after all."
"My father once said that words alone count for nothing," said Lancelot boldly. "Can you back up your words with steel?"
"I could cut you down before you could blink," said Arthur dismissively.
Before Lancelot could respond, the Prince drew his own sword and swung a powerful blow at Lancelot's torso. Lancelot barely had time to take a step back and readied his own sword. Despite the life threatening situation, Lancelot smiled to himself. At long last, he was in his own element; he swung a blow from above, aiming for the Prince's shoulders as he did so. Arthur had to shift his hand into an unnatural position to block the fast counter-attack. The prince wasted no time however, immediately slipping his blade around Lancelot's own and tried to thrust the blade towards Lancelot's heart. Unfortunately for Arthur, the fight did not end so quickly. His blow was weak because of his weakened grip, and Lancelot managed to divert the blow to his side before withdrawing by one step and resumed his stance once more.
By now a crowd had gathered around the two men; some people were even placing bets on who would win. He was surprised that the people even thought he had a chance; now he was all the more determined to defeat Arthur. With a start, Lancelot noticed that he was already breathing heavily, while Arthur had barely begun to break into a sweat.
The blows the Prince swung at him came in quickly, his blade cutting the air first above his head, before changing directions and coming at him furiously from the either side. Lancelot did not know that a sword could be used in such a fast manner, but he somehow managed to dodge or block them all. He even managed to punch Arthur in his face when the Prince overextended himself in his furious attack. As blood flowed down from Arthur's nose, the crowed drew a collective gasp of anticipation.
Lancelot noticed the guards at the gate start to move in on him, but the Prince waved them away. The golden headed man raised his sword to his right and aimed it at Lancelot's throat. He struck from above, and Lancelot attempted to move in to counter Arthur's blade, only to realise too late that the blow was a feint. The blow shifted directions and came in from the side, striking Lancelot's ribs with a sickening sound and sent him toppling to the ground. Lancelot's world burst into stars as he gasped for air, trying to recover his breath.
"Congratulations, Lancelot," said Arthur with a grudging smile. "You've just made basic training."
Lancelot barely had time to give Arthur a thankful smile when the warning bells rang, and Arthur quickly turned around and ordered his men to gather on him; the last thing Lancelot saw was the Lady Morgana giving him a worried look before his body surrendered to the pain and his world faded into blackness.
"You just can't seem to keep yourself out of trouble, can you?" said Merlin as Lancelot finally came around. Gaius had spent the entire afternoon making sure that the man had no internal injuries; even training swords could kill if you hit people too hard with them.
"Speak for yourself," said Lancelot with a groan. "I got exactly what I wanted, and that was Arthur's respect."
"You're a very strange man Lancelot," said Merlin with a shake of his head. "You get hurt, but you think it's a victory anyway."
"If you never fall down, how would you learn to pick yourself back up?" asked Lancelot. "Duelling with the prince taught me many things I would not have learned in any other way."
"If you say so," said Merlin. "But while you've been knocked out, something big happened."
"What?" asked Lancelot with alarm. "I recall hearing warning bells before I fell unconscious."
"I don't know," admitted Merlin. "The king has ordered an emergency meeting; but of course being a commoner, it means that I can't attend unless I'm accompanied by a noble."
"Well, since I'm a nobleman now, I might as well make use of that position," said Lancelot mischievously. "Care to help me to the meeting place?"
Merlin stood on his tiptoes to try and see what was happening. He was at the back of a small crowd, and all he could see was a sea of heads. He slowly pushed his way closer towards the throne and finally caught sight of Ser Leon on his knees before the king. Merlin somehow doubted that his crime was his fault, but such was the life of a knight; you had to take blame for events beyond your own control. It still baffled Merlin's mind that Lancelot would want to become one at all.
You've failed me Ser Leon," said Uther angrily. "Now all of Camelot knows that we are under attack; even worse, you showed that displayed an unacceptable level of incompetence by failing to kill this creature; you have made us appear weak to all of Albion."
"I'm sorry sire, but I had to return with the news," said Ser Leon with shame evident in his voice. "The beast came so quickly; we didn't even have time to arm ourselves. It razed the entire garrison, and last time I saw it, the beast was flying towards the city itself. I'm surprised I got here before it did."
A flying beast that killed over a hundred knights? Merlin looked at Lancelot sharply and the dark haired warrior returned his gaze with a concerned frown; they were both thinking of the same beast that had attacked Merlin. The warlock silently cursed to himself; why couldn't the gods give him a small moment of peace? Wasn't it enough that he had already saved Camelot once?
"So the beast will attack Camelot?" said Uther in an unconcerned voice. "At least we won't have to track it down then. Arthur, prepare your knights; we must destroy this creature before it does any more damage to this kingdom."
"Have faith father, we'll be ready," said Arthur with a false air of confidence.
"Your Grace," said Morgana in a clear voice, drawing the undivided attention of all the men in the room. "Perhaps we should allow those who are not knights to do battle as well; we should bring all our forces to bear on this creature and ensure that it is destroyed."
There were murmurs of agreement in the court; it was obvious that the nobles cared little for this particular tradition. Merlin himself had always found it rather odd that only knights could do battle. If only knights could fight, then why bother having guards in the first place?
"These are the traditions of Camelot, and they will not be cast aside at the slightest hint of danger!" said Uther angrily as he reasserted his authority. "Arthur, you will do as I say; go and prepare your men."
Morgana fell silent as Arthur bowed and left the throne room. While some might judge Morgana's silence to be submissiveness, Merlin knew all too well that it was something very different; it was anger. And an angry Morgana could do some very drastic deeds.
Lancelot watched in silence as Arthur stood in front of his men, no doubt preparing to deliver a speech of some kind. It was strange; while the Prince did not seem physically imposing, he still had an aura of power around him; it invigorated his men. No mercenary leader had ever inspired this amount of loyalty in his troops; this was a completely different experience to Lancelot, and he wanted nothing more than to be a part of this elite group of warriors. He quelled his thoughts as Arthur drew a breath and began to speak:
"The creature is heading for Camelot. It's fast, agile and extremely strong. But as powerful as it is, it is only a beast; it has the mind of an animal, while I count each of you among the best Camelot has to offer, in both mind and body. When it comes, we will show no mercy! We will cut off its head and mount it on our walls as a symbol of our unbreakable will. For the glory of Camelot!"
"The glory of Camelot!" cried out each of the knights in unison. This was the reason why Lancelot had wanted to become a knight; he longed to be among men who would fight and die for a cause that was righteous and just. Slowly, he approached Arthur, maintaining eye contact as he did so. He would not appear weak before this man; those who were worthy to fight at his side must be strong.
"Yes, Lancelot?" asked Arthur with an amiable tone. It was a vast change from the disparaging smirks he had given him just a few days before.
"I heard what the king said," said Lancelot simply. "In the event of a battle, only a knight can serve. Sire, I would gladly bleed for the opportunity to fight by your side."
"Oh don't be so dramatic," said Arthur exasperatedly. "But you are correct, Lancelot. You are not yet a knight."
Lancelot wanted to curse his luck and walk away, but instead he stood his ground and stared directly into the Prince's eyes, as if he could force the man to change his mind by the force of his will alone.
"But your enthusiasm is noted," said Arthur at last. "I will bring your test forwards; you will face me at dawn."
Lancelot couldn't help but grin from ear to ear as he bowed, only to be stopped by Arthur.
"Oh and don't bow to me for heaven's sake. I get that enough from those rich aristocrats in the court," said Arthur with an annoyed voice. "You are a warrior Lancelot; never forget that."
Lancelot gripped the leather handle of his sword more tightly than he needed to. The full plate armour was uncomfortable; he felt like he was trying to move while being weighted down by a giant steel block. What would once be a near effortless cut with a blade now took nearly all his focus to execute properly. He had trained with leather armour for all his years as a sellsword; mercenaries needed to be swift and agile, and be able to retreat if necessary. How men could fight in these restricting metal suits was beyond him; he cursed his foul luck and wished he had more time to train in full plate armour. Arthur's commanding voice quickly forced him to ignore his concerns; there was nothing he could do about his lack of training now.
"Lancelot, fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria, this is your final challenge," said Arthur in an authoritative voice. "Succeed and you join the elite, fail and your quest ends here."
Lancelot nodded to the prince and put on his helmet. Immediately, his world shrunk into a narrow band of light that shone through his helmet's visor; he felt like he was being suffocated inside his own body. The Prince advanced on him and tested his defences with a light blow; a blow that Lancelot barely managed to react and block in time. Unfortunately for Lancelot, the Prince didn't seem to be affected by the heavy armour at all; he moved fluidly in it as if it was a second skin.
The prince swiftly stepped to the side, leaving Lancelot's vision. The dark haired man spun wildly, trying to find his target. It was too late when he heard a footstep to his left; Arthur had flanked the man and now Lancelot found a steel gauntlet coming directly at his head, knocking his helmet off. Lancelot stumbled back and Arthur quickly swept the dazed man off his feet with one powerful blow, sending him flat to the ground.
"Pity," said Arthur with a sigh. "You seemed to have so much potential."
Fury and denial overcame Lancelot's emotions as the Prince went to remove his flag and with it, the only chance he would ever have to become a knight. He kicked with all his might, his steel boot making direct contact with Arthur ankle, sending the blond haired man to his knees. Somehow, Lancelot's grasping hands managed to find his fallen sword, and before Arthur could recover from the expected attack, Lancelot had the blade pressed to the Prince's neck.
"Do you submit, Sire?" said Lancelot in a triumphant tone. With the sound of blood pounding in his ears, he did not notice the guards behind him seize his arms from behind. His earlier sense of triumph quickly turned into despair. 'This was it,' thought Lancelot sadly. 'I cheated to defeat the Prince, and now I'm going to suffer the consequences.' Still he did not admit defeat; he simply stared directly at the prince with a defiant glare; he would not face his end like a coward.
"On your knees," said Arthur, gazing coldly at Lancelot with his steel-blue eyes. The guards quickly forced Lancelot onto his knees.
"You knelt as a man," intoned Arthur in a solemn voice as he placed his sword on Lancelot's shoulders. "Arise now as a Knight of Camelot!"
Lancelot could only gaze at the Prince in shock as the small crowd around him gave a thunderous applause.
"Arise, Ser Lancelot, Knight of Camelot!" said Uther in a regal voice. It had been mere hours since the Prince had knighted him informally in the training courtyard. Lancelot still could not believe it himself. At long last, he had what he striven for over half his life; no more was he Lancelot, the mercenary who fought for nameless lords who fed and clothed him. Now he was Lancelot, a Knight of Camelot.
"My lord, before I set out, my father commanded me to give you this as a symbol of his friendship," said Lancelot respectfully as he handed Uther a beautifully crafted wooden box. Inside was the gold Merlin had given him right after his test with Arthur. He still couldn't believe how resourceful the manservant was; how could he have come up with such a vast amount of gold?
"Lord Eldred has always been a dear friend to me," said Uther with a rare smile as a servant took the elaborate chest away from Lancelot's hands. "I shall treasure this as a sign of our unbreakable bond; forged long ago on the field of battle. He would be very proud of what you've accomplished today."
"I have always done my best to please my father," said Lancelot respectfully. Somehow he didn't think it would be wise to seem arrogant before the king. "And I have wanted nothing more than to serve among Camelot's elite since I was but a boy."
"I have not seen Lord Eldred for many years," said Uther. "Longer than I'd imagined, it seems. Last time I saw him, it seemed that he only had four sons."
"Is your memory failing you already Your Grace?" interjected Morgana before Lancelot could utter a response. "Last I recall, Lord Eldred sent all five of his sons to seek my hand; they all mentioned how handsome their youngest brother was, but alas he was sick with the fever and could not come."
"Of course," said Uther with a smile on his face; it seemed to please him that Morgana was talking about her suitors. "It must have slipped my mind; I have so many duties to attend to."
"The burden of Kingship is a heavy one, Your Grace," said Morgana in a meek voice. Lancelot gazed at Morgana with new found respect; she had lied to protect him; a mere commoner. In his heart he thought that he could never repay this debt in full; he simply flashed her his most charming smile as he did his best to maintain the role Merlin had created for him.
"I will write to your father at once," said Uther with an almost fatherly smile as he watched Morgana dip her head in response to Lancelot's 'advances'. "No doubt he will be pleased to hear of your success."
"Of course, Your Grace," said Lancelot, bowing deeply in order to hide his nervousness. A letter? This may not be over yet.
"I've kept you too long already," said Uther contentedly. "Enjoy the celebrations."
Lancelot glanced at the Lady Morgana as she flowed through the hall, moving as effortless through the packed crowd as they parted before her very presence, talking to one guest after another. As she passed him however, she did not stop; her eyes merely seemed to inspect his figure, and for a moment Lancelot felt exposed in some way. She gave him a small smile when he coughed lightly to hide his embarrassment. Her message was clear: 'I helped you, and now you are mine.' Somewhere in the back of his mind, Lancelot didn't think he minded too much, but the knight inside him quenched his cruder thoughts. He swore to himself that he would repay that debt; he just wish he knew how. He noticed a hand tapping him of the shoulders, and immediately snapped himself out of his thoughts; he was supposed to be celebrating after all.
"Tell me, do you think her... beautiful?" asked Arthur.
"There's no man in this world or the next that wouldn't think otherwise," said Lancelot wistfully. "But back where I came from, we always said that the most beautiful women were also the most dangerous."
"Huh, you're more intelligent than you look," said Arthur with surprise. "But tell me, why are you so drawn to her then?"
"Men like us, we're drawn to danger like moths to a bright flame," said Lancelot wistfully. "Sometimes we get burned, but it doesn't stop us from trying again."
"I can see why she likes you so much," said Arthur with a grin. "You seem just like the type to be a challenge for her, but not enough to beat her. I'm beginning to doubt if any man can."
Lancelot only grinned back at Arthur; he was glad that he was finally among men who could think for themselves. At long last, he truly had a home.
As Merlin watched Lancelot converse with the Arthur, he felt a deep sense of success. He had always wanted to used his magic to improve the lives of others, and at last he had achieved it. Here was a good man who finally got what he had deserved all along. The world was often cruel; but this time fate will finally be good and just to a man who deserves it.
A hand suddenly brushed past his own, knocking his drink over at the same time. Merlin turned around to protest; only to realise that it was Morgana. She was walking towards the exit, and Merlin knew that her action meant that he was supposed to follow her. With a soft sigh, he turned around and followed her out of the grand hall; somehow he didn't think she was there to congratulate him on his success.
Morgana walked as fast as she could until she had reached the armoury; it was often deserted at this hour and the alcoves offered plenty of hidden places to talk quietly. It was the perfect place for a secret meeting; for in her childhood she often played hiding games in these very halls and none of her elders had ever been able to find her. It seemed ironic to her that she was still playing those games so many years later. As she expected, the warlock soon arrived in the hallway; hot on her heels. She had to give the boy some credit; he had picked up on her intentions far more quickly than she would have expected from an uneducated man. She quickly waved him over to her chosen spot; there was much to do if they wanted to keep Lancelot alive.
"Why are we talking here?" asked Merlin with lamenting tone . "I was celebrating; can't you just let me feel good about myself for once?"
"I assume you weren't close enough to hear what Uther said when Lancelot was knighted, so you don't know the danger he's in," said Morgana curtly, cutting Merlin off before he could voice any more complaints.
"Danger? What sort of danger is he in now?" asked Merlin, his voice suddenly alert and quiet.
"Uther wrote to Lord Eldred concerning Lancelot," said Morgana. "If he ever receives that letter, things could get very complicated."
"What are we going to do?" asked Merlin in an aghast voice; he had obviously not received this information yet.
"I've already dealt with the messenger..." began Morgana.
"Dealt with?" asked Merlin in an uncomfortable voice. "How?"
"I killed him," said Morgana with mock seriousness. As the boy's eyes rounded, she gave an exasperated sigh. Surely he didn't believe her to be so stupid. "Are you mad? Of course I didn't kill him; that would have been far too suspicious. I just bribed him so that he would not deliver the message."
"But Uther will expect a reply," said Merlin, relaxing his posture as he did so. "How are we going to give it to him?"
"Well you forged a seal of nobility," said Morgana unconcernedly. "Surely you can forge a letter as well; I'll dictate it for you."
"Ummm, I can only forge it if I have something to copy it from," explained Merlin. "I'll need to see what Lord Eldred's calligraphy looks like."
"Uther keeps all his letters of correspondence with the lords in his private chambers," said Morgana thoughtfully. "I could retrieve them; the guards won't question my presence if they do catch me. They'll assume I want to talk with the king."
"I'll come with you," said Merlin quickly. "If any guards do show up, I'll try and distract them so you can have time to escape. I don't want you having to explain to Uther why you were in his room."
"I'll manage fine," said Morgana dismissively. She did not want to appear weak to the boy. "Although if you really do want to help, you may do so; I doubt I'll need it anyway."
Merlin gave a slow nod, as if accepting her answer. She had no doubt that he would follow her anyway. As she turned around to leave the armoury, Merlin placed a hand on her shoulders to stop her.
"Thank you Morgana," said Merlin respectfully. "I couldn't have done this without you."
"I have my reasons," said Morgana mysteriously as she pushed his hand away and walked out of the hallway, leaving Merlin to ponder her answer as he hurried after her. The fact was that she didn't quite know what she was doing herself, and somehow that scared her more than anything else.
It didn't take long for Morgana to reach Uther's personal bedchambers; fortunately his guards were still at the celebrations and so nobody was standing by the gate. As she reached forwards to try and open the door, she cursed silently to herself as she realised that the door was locked. In theory, nobody castle would dare break into the King's chambers. By locking his chambers, it meant that even servants couldn't clean his chambers while he wasn't present; what secrets did Uther hide here?
"Told you that you'd need my help," said Merlin cheekily as he stepped beside her. With a few soft words that Morgana couldn't quite catch, the door gave a small click and swung open. Morgana didn't know whether to be impressed or annoyed by Merlin. Once again, the sorcerer had proven her wrong after all; she was not used to having her words coming back to bite her.
"Stand out here and watch the hallway," commanded Morgana. "I'll come back when I've found what we need."
"Alright, but be careful," whispered Merlin worriedly. "If the King comes, I don't think I could stop him for long at all."
"If he does, I'll find some way to explain myself to him," said Morgana nonchalantly. "I always do."
She didn't wait for him to respond as she quickly entered the king's chambers. It was a beautiful room; on the wall opposing her was a carved wooden map of the realm of Albion. The room itself had multiple stained glass windows; the moonlight that shone through them bathed her in an ethereal glow. The walls themselves were made of murals, chronicling battles that Uther had won in his youth.
Morgana quickly made her way to Uther's closed wooden bookshelf; she knew she had to move fast, for the celebrations couldn't last much longer. She was relieved when she opened the door; Uther had indeed stored all his letters in here. Even better, there were already sorted, waiting for the king to review them if he needed to. However, she frowned when she came to the section that should have held all the letters from Northumbria. As she looked closer at the shelf itself, she noticed a thin rectangle cut into the left side. Growing more curious now, she tapped on the spot and confirmed her suspicions: the space was hollow. It did not take Morgana long to pry out the piece of wood; she reached inside to grasp whatever it was that Uther had took the effort to hide in his own bedchambers, but was rather disappointed when she found that it was only another letter.
When she opened it to read however, things changed; her hands shook slightly as she slowly took in the words formed on the parchment in her hands.
Your Grace,
As you have ordered me to do so, I took command of the reinforcements sent by Lord Wessex to the Gorge of the Trident, where Gorlois's army battled the enemy forces. To my surprise, he actually managed to triumph over the enemy even without the extra men promised to him; it was a good thing we prepared for this eventuality. As per your command, I led my men in to attack him while he was still weak; this time, I made sure that I killed the man myself. He won't be a threat to our grand design anymore.
Your faithful servant,
Ser Eldred of Northumbria.
Words could not express the emotions Morgana was feeling now, for it was beyond mere human expressions as she took in the truth. She could only hear the blood pounding in her head, her thoughts screaming one word alone: Vengeance.
A/N: I'm sure you all noticed the changes in Lancelot's actions due to different events that took place this time; let's just say I have plans for him. Oh and of course things are now going to become very interesting I think :).
So what do you guys think of this chapter? Please leave a review on what you thought about it if you have the time!
P.S The action scenes are a pain to write properly.