Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.
Ch. 9
"So Jon was able to guess this would happen just by looking at the first set of battle-pairings?" Merlin asked Gwaine several hours later.
"Yup," Gwaine replied, taking a swig of water, "So me versus Arthur and Jon versus Leon. This will be interesting."
Merlin shook his head in amazement before adding, "Has anyone convinced him to wear armor yet?"
"I tried this morning after his first match. No luck."
Merlin sighed, "Why are all knights stubborn to the point of stupidity?"
"Hey," Gwaine complained, "I'm a knight too!"
Merlin grinned mischievously; "I rest my case."
Gwaine, laughing, swung his fist in the general direction of Merlin's head but the manservant easily ducked it.
"Consorting with the enemy, Merlin?" Arthur asked, approaching the pair with Jon right behind him.
"Only giving him water," Merlin replied, handing Arthur and Jon their own full water-skins.
"So, Jon," Arthur began turning to look at the boy, "Leon finally gets his chance to fight you. You nervous?"
"My father would say a good warrior never get nervous," Jon said, "But I've got to admit I never actually considered getting this far."
"I don't see why," Merlin told him, "You've had no trouble...except against Percival."
"I won that one because I could duck under him," Jon said, thinking back.
"You won fairly," Percival objected, approaching the group. He turned to face Arthur and added, "If I may suggest something sir?"
"Go ahead," said Arthur.
"I think you should recruit Jon no matter the outcome of the next three battles."
"Well," Arthur said, "I was going to formally ask him at the feast tonight..."
Jon's mouth dropped open, looking so surprised that the others had to laugh.
"S...sire..." The youth stammered, "I'm honored but I think you need to know..."
"Sire! Sire!" The man in charge of organizing the battles came running forward. "My Lord, if you and Sir Gwaine are ready the crowd is restless to begin."
Arthur nodded and told Jon, "We'll talk tonight; but I want you to wear the uniform of Camelot, Jonathon." Arthur began walking to the arena calling to Merlin, "Merlin! Go get my helmet!"
"You said you weren't using a helmet this round."
"Get the helmet you lazy-"
"Gwaine's not using a helmet!"
"Gwaine?"
"It's more exciting without helmets."
"Merlin! Get over here! I don't need a helmet!"
Jon and Percival exchanged amused glances as they followed at a slower pace.
In the shadows of one of the tents, Boknavon watched the group pass by with a sneer...
"And the winner is King Arthur Pendragon of Camelot!" The crowd went wild at the conclusion of the most exciting match yet. Both Gwaine and Arthur were panting, exhausted. Gwaine actually went and sat on the fence as Arthur waved to the crowd.
"And that," Gwaine gasped, trying to wipe the sweat out of his eyes, "Is why you're king."
"I'd like to think I'm king for a few other reasons too," Arthur replied, approaching his knight to return his sword. "And that battle is also the reason you are one of my most trusted friends, Gwaine."
"Yeah," Gwaine replied with a slightly rogue smile, "If I'd won you'd have to kill me." Arthur rolled his eyes and Merlin came running forward with water for both of them.
"They want to start the next match right away," he told them. "I think both Jon and Leon are getting restless."
"Okay," Arthur said, waving one last time to the crowd, "Let's clear the field."
As soon as the trio was out of the way, Dragon took his seat on the fence.
"Our final match before the finals! May I present, Sir Leon of Camelot!" The crowd cheered as Leon entered arena, waving. He too, had chosen to not wear a helmet during the semi-finals.
"And the first time contestant, Lord Jon of Francia."
Jon entered, also waving to the crowd. The two men faced each other in the center of the arena and turned to salute Queen Gwen and King Arthur - who had just entered the area reserved for nobles and royalty. Merlin took his accustomed spot behind Arthur's throne, the other knights gathered around, and the horn signaling the start of the matches was blown.
Leon didn't wait. He began attacking from the start - hoping to unsettle Jon, the defensive fighter, with the ferocity of the attack. Jon, like he had every time, surprised everyone by attacking right back. Jon's lighter sword and meant that he could move it faster, and he moved it fast into every opening Leon left - openings available for so short a time that Gwaine whistled in admiration and Arthur leaned forward in his chair. Fancy footwork and then, when Leon was completely accustomed to the offensive fighting style. That trick. Leon swung, Jon stepped back, and Leon almost overbalanced. Leon swung again, this time following the first swing with two more in rapid succession so that Jon would be unable to move to either side. Jon ducked underneath the first two and somehow caught the third with the tip of his sword. The sharp blade skidded off Leon's metal gloves, but surprised him enough that he pulled back - and Jon followed and did the same maneuver he had done on Gwaine three days before. Leon's sword fell to the ground and Jon's sword was at his throat. The crowd was silent for a split second before cheering like crazy. Jon blinked in surprise, and gave Leon a questioning look that the more experienced warrior understood.
"Yes," he told Jon, "It's over. You won."
"I'm in the finals?" Jon demanded in a strangely high voice that Leon attributed to nerves and adrenaline.
"Yes...er...can you lower your sword?"
"Sorry," Jon replied, lowering the sword. He picked up Leon's sword from the ground and handed it to him, Leon accepted the gesture with a gracious smile. Jon saluted to the king, and, to his surprise, Arthur stood to give him a standing ovation. Of course, that meant the entire court stood as well. Jon felt dizzy as he turned to face the crowd and waved. "I'm in the finals," he whispered. Then much louder, thrusting his sword into the air, "I'm in the finals!" The crowd cheered even louder and Arthur raised an eyebrow, although his smile was still in place. Jon grinned that sheepish smile in the direction of the king and Arthur shook his head, laughing.
When Jon - and Leon for that matter - finally made it through the crowd to the royal pavilion they were unsurprised to find all of their friends waiting for them plus a few knights Leon had known for years but Jon only recognized by sight.
Merlin was the first to notice them and came bounding forward with a broad smile; "Congratulations Jon! I don't know much about fighting but that was brilliant!"
"I know a lot about fighting and that was brilliant!" Gwaine shouted from over by a table laden with food. Jon laughed, "Thanks."
"You did something I've never seen before," Arthur mused in a slightly dark tone, "But, now you've got to get past me." Jon blinked, at the tone, unsure of how to respond. But then Arthur's face broke into a broad smile and Jon grinned.
"Come on, young warrior," Gwen said, coming forward, "Have some lunch before you begin thinking about the final round." Jon complied, still smiling. Merlin found himself staring, for one second, Jon had looked exactly like his twin sister. "I've really got to ask him about Jo," the young wizard thought, "At the very least get an address for letters..."
There were only a few minutes left until the next bout and Jon was pacing inside of the tent they were letting him use as one of the final contestants. "What am I doing?" he hissed at Dragon. The hawk cocked his head and ruffled his feathers. "I know, I know, this was my plan and all my fault...but if Arthur gets beat by a girl...that'd be terrible for him. Even if that girl has beaten everyone else already, it will just make all of Camelot seem weak." Jo ran her hands through her hair and continued worriedly, "But they won't let me NOT fight and Arthur will know if I try to throw it...damn it all..."
Dragon flew to Jo's shoulder and nipped her ear affectionately. "I've got to tell him before the fight..." Jo whispered. She grabbed her sword instinctively and ran to find Arthur, ran right past Merlin who spun around and called, "Jon! Arthur wants you to...damn it." He finished as Jon sped out of earshot. Merlin followed at a much slower pace, taking the rare opportunity to not think about anything or have something pressuring to do. At least, he tried. His relief was ruined by caching sight of Tyreen Boknavon marching toward the battle area with a determined expression Merlin didn't like at all. Every single one of his instincts went off and he followed Tyreen with the same caution he had once used while following Morgana.
Jon ran into the arena just as Arthur, wearing minimal armor out of respect for Jon's choice of protective attire, managed to quiet the crowds from his place in the center of the arena. He smiled when he caught sight of Jon, and turned to face the crowd.
"Before we begin the final match," the young king began, "I would like to announce a special prize that will be going to the second place winner, Sir Jonathon Starmount..."
Merlin followed Tyreen through the crowd, acutely aware of Tyreen's hand slipping inside of his cape to grab a vaguely familiar shape...
Dragon flying high through the air caught sight of a second shadow - Bad man. Mistress below. Danger, maybe. Danger but no danger when fight with Big-Master-with-shiny-thing-on-head and one with-big-red-hat-I-caught. Danger for real when attack when Mistress not aware. I watch like one-with-magic...
"...Jon," Arthur said, turning to face him, "Will be given a position as a senior knight of Camelot, and invited to be part of my personal guards." The crowd cheered, Gwaine cat-called, Gwen stood to signify her approval, and Jon's mouth dropped open.
Tyreen had made it to the fence. His face curled into a sneer as the crowd cheered their approval, and he pulled out and aimed the object within his cloak: a loaded crossbow. But it wasn't Jon who was the target.
"Arthur!" Merlin shouted a warning as his eyes briefly - and unnoticed by anyone - gleamed gold. Magic pushed the arrow high into the air and Tyreen completely missed king. Then Merlin tackled the knight to the ground and several men in the crowd helped pin the rogue knight down. Arthur drew his sword and began making his way to help, already shouting at Tyreen for his disloyalty. But Jon only glanced at Tyreen before turning away. Blood was pounding in her ears and the world seemed to slow...her father's voice was loud in clear as she remembered a lesson taught many years ago to a blind boy, a headstrong girl, and a traveler eager to learn the art of sword fighting. "Ambushes and assassinations always have something in common," Lord Starmount had said, "After the first man is down, don't let your guard down. There is always a second killer."
Now, in the middle of Camelot, Jon paused and looked at every face in the crowd in one glance. She saw what no one else did: Lord Boknavon the elder stepping out from behind the royal pavilion and aiming a stronger crossbow at the back of Arthur's head.
"Sire!" Jon launched himself across the arena and knocked Arthur to the ground just as the arrow flew through the air. Merlin looked up and his eyes flashes golden once more and the crowd was amazed to see Boknavon drop the crossbow. A brown blur shot down from the sky and Boknavon cried out as Dragon, shrieking like a devil, attacked his face. Boknavon tried to cover his face, shouting for help; but, Gwaine and Leon simply took advantage of the opportunity to clap his arms in chains. It was only then that Dragon stopped tearing as his face and flew, still screeching but now in a tone that sounded worried, to where Arthur - and Merlin who had vaulted over the fence as soon as he forced Boknavon to drop his weapon - were kneeling next to Jon in a rapidly spreading pool of blood.
Jon was clutching his shoulder, struggling to stay conscious through the pain of the large arrow that had easily pierced the leather outfit and was presently still in his shoulder.
"Jon, stay awake," Arthur commanded, beginning to untie the straps holding the leather armor in place. "I need to pull out the arrow and then Merlin will stop the bleeding with..."
"I have bandages," Merlin said, pulling them out of his pocket.
"Why do you..?" Jon gasped, looking at Merlin trying to avoid looking at the arrow sticking out of his shoulder.
"Just in case," Merlin said, trying to keep it light, although the amount of blood was seriously starting to worry him, "Someone always gets hurt on the last day of a tour..."
Suddenly, Jon interrupted. The young lord of Starmount had put two and two together through the dizziness - "I shouldn't feel this dizzy, the arrow must have been poisoned" - and cried out, "Arthur wait!"
But Arthur had tugged off the leather and ripped open the blood-stained shirt. Merlin and Arthur both froze as a formally white strip of material was revealed - material that was no longer tied and revealed that...
"I was going to...tell you..." Jon gasped, "Before the match..." Then Jon's eyes - "not Jon, Jo," realized Merlin - rolled back and she passed out.
"Is he okay?" Gwaine asked, coming forward, and both Arthur and Merlin shouted, "Go away, Gwaine!"
Gwaine ran back to the fence shouting to them, "What'd I do!?"
"Merlin," Arthur hissed, trying to cover the young woman he had known as Jon with the remnants of her shirt, "Get me a cloak and tell everyone to move."
Merlin nodded and chased after Gwaine to where he and the other knights were instinctively keeping others away. "Elyan," Merlin said, "I need your cloak." Elyan instantly took off the red cloak of the Camelot knights and handed it to the manservant, asking, "What's going on?"
"I'll explain later, just keep everyone away and tell Gaius...Gaius! Gaius!" Merlin interrupted himself as he caught sight of his surrogate father trying to get through the crowd. "Gaius, meet us in your rooms!" Gaius nodded and switched directions. Merlin sprinted back to Arthur as the king finally managed to break the arrow and pull it free from Jo's shoulder.
"Bandage it," Arthur ordered. Merlin went to obey and then froze.
"Er..."
"What's wrong, Merlin?"
"She's a girl," Merlin whispered.
"Yes, I noticed," Arthur hissed, "and she's bleeding to death."
"But I don't want to touch...and it's her shoulder..."
Arthur understood and, to Merlin's surprise, answered in a worried whisper instead of getting angry. "I know. But she's losing too much blood and smell this." Arthur gingerly picked up the arrow head and held it up in front of Merlin's nose. Merlin sniffed and his eyes widened; "Poison."
Merlin bit his lip as he looked at Jo and he asked Arthur, "Can you lift her arm so I can wrap it?"
Arthur nodded and carefully lifted Jo's left arm and Merlin deftly wrapped it up her arm and then around her shoulder instead of around the chest like her normally did. The bandage began to stain instantly, and the two men exchanged worried looks before Arthur carefully scooped the young girl up in his arms and Merlin threw Elyan's cloak on her. Then the two men jogged as quickly as they could to the castle, shouting at everyone to get out of the way. (And in Merlin's case, moving people out of the way with small nudges of magic when absolutely necessary.) Gwen instructed the knights to keep everyone out of the castle and followed her husband at a slower pace.
