Something was wrong. Merlin knew it. How did she know it? Because nothing was wrong! Everything was perfect.
Merlin and Morgana studies on Seers were going incredibly well. Lancelot and Ewan's training against magic users was getting better. And today was Arthur coronation as crowned prince.
Merlin was in Arthur's chambers watching with an amused smirk as Arthur paced back and forth practicing his speech for the coordination.
He was practically shaking he was so nervous.
"Alright. Come here." He froze and looked at her as she walked up to him and grabbed his hands. She put his hand on her hip and put her hand in his shoulder. And together they started to waltz around the room.
"What are we doing?" Arthur asked.
"Whenever me and my mom got into a fight, once we made up we would dance. Nothing impartial. It wasn't really a waltz like this. Just dancing . It helped. It made me smile." She explained as she and Arthur twirled around the room.
"So why are we doing it?" He picked Merlin up and placed her on the floor once more.
"To distract you." She said simply.
"Merlin I was wondering. Tonight. Would you, I mean if your uncomfortable with it you don't have to. But-" Arthur rambled.
"Arthur!" Merlin said making him stop. He looked at her and chuckled.
"Right. Sorry. I would like for you to be my first dance as crowned prince." He told her. She was shocked. So much that she froze and stopped there dance.
"Like I said you don't have too-" He started but once again she cut him off.
"Why me? Isn't it supposed to be with like Morgana or something." She asked still not really processing. Arthur looked at the floor.
"Normally, a crowned princes first dance is with his mother. But she's not really around. So I get to chose who I want. Most people are expecting me to dance with Morgana but... I love Morgana. Of course. I mean she is like a sister to me. But you Merlin, are my best friend and this is one of the biggest moments of my life. After my actual coronation as King and my wedding. I want you to be there with me as my friend and not my servant." Arthur finally finished. He looked up to see her smiling.
"I would be honored." She said happily and hugged him. "You my best friend too." She whispered fondly in his ear.
-
Once Morgana heard Merlin was his first dance partner she flipped.
"Oh My Stars we have to get you ready!" Morgana screamed. Merlin heard a chuckle behind her. She turned to see Arthur there leaning against the corridor wall, arms crossed and an amused smile.
"See what you've done!" She called out to him as Morgana started to drag her away. She glared as he started to laugh.
Morgana threw her into her chambers and shut the door, which was quite loud. Gwen jumped at least a foot into the air.
"You two scared me." Gwen joked laughing with them.
"Gwen! Guess who was chosen for Arthur's first dance as crowned prince." Morgana said and Gwen smiled confusion on her face.
"Congratulations Morgana." She said and looked at Merlin.
"Not me silly. Merlin!" Gwen instantly perked up.
"Oh I knew he would ask you!" Gwen said smiling but then realized. "You have to look perfect! We only have three hours!" Gwen said and started to grab dresses.
"It will take more than three hours?" Merlin asked worriedly.
"Well. Yes." Morgana said as if it were obvious.
"Great." Merlin mumbled as they began.
As Arthur walked down the aisle he kept his head held high and his eyes on his father. Uther had the biggest smile Merlin had ever seen. Yes, she's only been here for a couple of months, but still. When Arthur reached his father he knelt on the floor.
"Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of this kingdom and its dominions according to the statutes, customs and laws laid down by your forebears?" Uther booming voice said.
"I do, Sire." Arthur replied softly, probably because he couldn't form anything louder.
"Do you promise to exercise mercy and justice in your deeds and judgments?" Uther asked and Merlin snorted in her head. Uther had to do this and promised to be fair and just. Just tell that to any magic user.
"I do, Sire." Arthur said gaining confidence.
"And do you swear allegiance to Camelot, now and for as long as you shall live?" Uther asked the final question beginning Arthur pledge.
"I, Arthur Pendragon, do pledge life and limb to your service and to the protection of the kingdom and its peoples." Arthur looked up at his father and smiled.
"Now being of age and heir apparent, from henceforth, you shall be Crown Prince of Camelot." Uther replied looking down at his son in joy.
He placed the crown on his head and the crown erupted in applause.
"So how does it feel to be servant to the Crown Prince of Camelot?" Gwen asked teasingly.
"Washing his royal socks will be even more of a privilege." She joked.
"You're proud of him, really. Even though you complain about him constantly." Gwen told her and they both looked at Arthur, who was talking to Ewan and Leon.
"Those socks are very clean! Of course I'm proud of them." Merlin said and Gwen laughed.
Arthur turned to walk over to them but froze at what he saw. Merlin.
She looked like a goddess. Her hair was up on her hair in a messy bun. And she had a gold and blue beaded crown around her head. And her dress.
It was a light blue, his favorite color. It had sleeves. And the straps were connected at the top with metal. Then around her waits was a golden belt.
Arthur walked up to Merlin ad Gwen still gob smacked.
"Merlin you look... like a Goddess." Arthur told her in awe. Gwen smirked as Merlin blushed.
"Thank you. Crowned Prince." She said thankful and teasingly.
"It all feels sort of surreal." Arthur said.
People were beginning to get antsy. They all wanted to dance. But Arthur had to dance first.
"Are you ready Merlin?" Arthur asked grabbing her hands. Merlin nodded and smiled as Arthur lead her to the middle of the dance floor.
Merlin could feel all of the nobles faces. Looking in confusion and disgust.
She didn't dare look at Uthers face. She kept her gaze on the floor as Arthur and her got into position.
"Your going to do fine. Relax Merlin." Arthur told her quietly.
"It's not that. It's just... I can feel the looks of disgust on their faces. I don't know how but I do." She whispered back.
"Well. At least my fathers smiling." He said and Merlin looked up in shock.
"He is?" She asked in disbelief. Arthur nodded and she chuckled
"I thought that he of all people would have hated this." She told him.
"As did I." He told her. The music had gotten no farther than a couple of notes when the windows shattered.
People ran and screamed as a man on a horse charged in wearing black armor.
Arthur put his arm around Merlin who started to fall. "I'm fine." She told him as he helped her stand together they stood tall and watched the knight. Arthur with his sword in hand.
"What in the devil's name?" Merlin heard Uther cry.
The Black Knight walked up to Arthur. Both Merlin and Arthur felt his cold dead air about him.
"Arthur." She whispered.
"I feel it too." He told her and held her hand as the Knight stood just before him.
The knight threw his gauntlet down. The crowd gasped, but Merlin and Arthur stood there as if it never happened. Finally Arthur put away his sword. And went to pick up the gauntlet. He was just about to touch it when another knight ran in and picked it up.
"I, Sir Owain, accept your challenge." The other knight, Owain said wth confidence.
"Single combat. Noon tomorrow. Till the death." He said and Owain paled but nodded. With that the black knight left.
"Have you ever seen this Black Knight before?" Merlin asked Arthur who stood there staring at Owain shocked.
"I don't believe so." Arthur finally looking at her. Gaius walked over to Merlin to see if she was alright.
"I'm fine. You didn't recognize his crest?" She asked them both and Gaius turned.
"Crest?" He asked.
"Which house is it?" Merlin clarified.
"I'm not sure. I didn't see it that clearly." The three started to walk to Gaius and Merlins chambers
"But he's not someone you'd forget in a hurry, is he?" Arthur told him.
"No. He is not." He said thinking.
"Then what's he doing here?" She asked him and herself at the same time.
"Arthur, Merlin, your faith in my all-seeing knowledge is both touching and wholly misplaced. Maybe if you've finished your work, you could go to bed and leave me to finish mine." Gains snapped.
"Merlin. Your bleeding." Arthur said in a panic. Merlin looked up at him confused.
"Bleeding?" She asked him and he pointed to her stomach... where there was a blood stain.
"Morgana's gonna kill me!" She said after staring at it for a moment. Now that she saw it she could feel it. Once they reached Gaius's chambers Arthur left so Gaius could work.
Arthur, Gwen and Morgana were all standing in Morgana's chambers.
"He shouldn't have picked up the gauntlet!" Arthur told them.
"So put an end to it." Morgana told him.
"The challenge has been taken up. The fight cannot be stopped." Arthur told them sadly.
"Then fight in his place." Morgana pushed.
"I can't." He said angrily.
"Why not?" Morgana said taken aback at his yell.
"Owain picked up the gauntlet. Owain is the one who must fight. That's the Knight's Code. He knew that." Arthur told her calming down.
"What can you do about it?" Morgana asked him.
"I don't know."
Gaius walked into the archives praying he was wrong.
When Geoffrey saw him he let out a sigh of relief. "Gaius. Thank God."
"You know why I'm here?" Gains asled knowing he would.
"The Black Knight." Geoffrey said solemnly.
"So it is he?" He asked.
"You saw his crest?" Geoffrey asked avoiding the question.
"Have you confirmed it?" Fails asked getting to the point.
"It is the crest of Tristan de Bois." Both men looked at each other confused.
"And he is the only knight ever to have carried such a crest?" He asked just to make sure.
"Yes. According to the records." Just at that moment Uther walked in. His sword at his side.
"Explain." Was all he said.
"Tristan is the only one to have ever beat the crest." Geoffrey said.
"Dead men do not return." Uther told them.
"Well Sire. He might not be alive." Gains said and both men looked at him.
"What?" Uther asked.
"What I mean is that it could be a wraith." Gaius clarified and Geoffrey nodded in agreement.
"Yes that would make sense." Geoffrey said in thought.
"What is a wraith?" Uther asked them both.
"The spirit of a dead man conjured from the grave." Gaius told him.
"Sorcery." Uther spit out. Both men nodded.
-
That night Gaius went to the magical four. As Gaius liked to call them in his own mind. Ewan, Lancelot, Morgana and of course, Merlin.
"So wait. Arthur uncle and Uther fought each other to the death. Uther won killing Arthur's uncle. Now back from the dead is Arthur's uncle?" Merlin recapped.
"Well- yes actually." Gains told them.
"So if mister six feet under is dead how come he's outside in the court yard right now. And not 6 feet under." Ewan said.
It's a wraith." He told them.
"A what?" Lancelot asked.
"It's a spirit brought back by magic. For the magic users to use like puppets." Ewan told them. They all stared at him.
"What?" He asked them confused. "I read too."
"Anyway. Yes Ewan is right. It's a spirit that is used as a puppet for powerful sorcerers." Gaius told them still eyeing Ewan oddly.
"How do we kill it?" Morgana asked.
"We can't." Ewan said sadly.
"What do you mean we can?" Morgana asked.
"He's already dead." Merlin realized.
"So what do we do? Owain is going to die." Lancelot asked.
"We need a weapon forged in the breath of a dragon." Gaius told them.
"Can we meet the dragon now?!" Ewan asked standing.
"Please?" Lancelot asked giving the girls their puppy dog look.
"I guess." Merlin teased.
Merlin knocked on Gwen's door. When Gwen opened the door she looked tired.
"Merlin?" She asked confused. When she saw the other three she looked even more confused.
"We need your best sword." Lancelot said.
"What? Why?!" She asked as they barged into her house.
"Please Gwen. We can't tell you." Morgana told her.
"Why not?" Gwen asked hurt.
"It's illegal." Merlin told her shortly.
"Illegal? What on earth are you four doing?" Gwen asked.
"Well. So say it shortly the black knight is Arthur's dead uncle being used like a puppet by an evil sorceress. Since he's already dead we need a sword that can kill the dead." Merlin told her quickly.
"And how do you plan on doing that?"
"That's the illegal part." Ewan joked.
"Please Gwen. I promise I will tell you everything after the black knight is gone. But I need you to trust us." Merlin begged.
Gwen looked at them all. Then she closed her eyes and sighed.
"Fine. My fathers going to kill me." She mumbled.
Gwen walked over to a chest. Inside the chest was a sword case.
"This is my father best sword. Said it was his prize possession. I swear if this isn't important I will kill you all." She warned. They all nodded and left.
"Thank you Guinevere." Lancelot said warmly and gave her a kiss. Gwen smiled into the kiss.
"Your welcome. Be careful." She told him. Once Lancelot was outside they all looked at him and he blushed.
"Lets go meet the dragon!" Ewan whispered excitedly.
By the time that the four of them were at the entrance of the cave the knights were bouncing with excitement.
"Relax you two." Merlin teased.
"We can't! It's a dragon Merlin! A bloody dragon!" Ewan replied. Merlin rolled her eyes but smiled at their enthusiasm.
When they walked into the cave they noticed that the ledge was too small. Merlins eyes flashed gold as more rocks flew up and connects to the ledge making it more of a platform.
"Merlin! Morgana!" The dragon said happily, seeing his visitors. Both girls nodded their heads. The dragon noticed the two knights and smiled even more.
"Sirs Lancelot and Ewan. It is a pleasure." They were so much in shock that they could only nod.
"Do you know why we are here?" Merlin asked him growing serious.
"It may surprise you, Merlin, but my knowledge of your life is not universal." Kilgharrah answered sarcastically.
"It's to do with Arthur. His life's in danger. He will die, unless I can make a weapon that will kill the dead." She said and showed him the sword.
"You want me to burn the sword." He said knowingly.
"I only know that it is the only thing that can stop him." Morgana told him.
"Who?" He asked.
"Arthur's Uncle. Tristian." Merlin told him and he looked at them both.
"Alright. But know that Arthur is the only one to wield this sword. And you must bring it back to me once you are done." He warned and the four of them nodded.
Merlin used her magic to lift the sword up to his level.
Kilgharrah blew fire on the sword. The four turned away for it was too hot and too bright to see. When they all looked back they saw a sword with a gorgeous golden glow.
"Thank you Kilgharrah." Merlin told him as they left.
They all agreed that giving Arthur the sword could wait after some sleep.
The next morning around an hour or two before dawn Merlin and Morgana walked into Arthurs chambers with the sword in hand.
"Rise and Shine!" Merlin called waking him up and opening the curtains.
"Early." He mumble his face still in his pillows. "Fired."
"Arthur we need to talk." Morgana told him. Arthur sat up confused hearing the ward.
"What are you doing in here?" He asked her then looked at Merlin. "What's she doing in here?" His head obviously not awake enough to make sense.
"We need to talk." She told him.
"Today Owain is going to fight the black knight and die. The knight is a wraith. A spirt brought back to life using powerful magic. And the only thing that can kill it is this sword." Merlin told him showing him the sword. He picked it up and inspected it.
"Why is this the only thing that can kill it?" Arthur asked them. He noticed Morgana's face pale as she failed to come up with an excuse.
"You just have to trust us." Merlin told him. They stared at each other intently for a couple of moments.
"It's enchanted." He stated.
"Maybe. We can't tell you who and where." Merlin told him and took a step forward.
"So. Will you kill the wraith?" She asked him only a couple of inches away from his face.
His eyes flickered towards her mouth and back at her eyes. "Why me?"
"The deal was they enchant the sword. You are the only one allowed to use it, and we have to bring it right back." She told him and leaned in a tiny bit.
Arthur could feel her breath. "When?" Was all he could say without his voice cracking.
"Now." She told him. Still staring right into his eyes.
They stared at each other for a moment before he sighed. "Fine." He said stepping back.
Once he was away from her he could finally breath again. Merlin smiled and walked out of the door, knowing they would follow.
Arthur stood there to recollect himself for a moment when he heard a cough. He slowly looked up to see Morgana looking at him knowingly.
"Shut up." He told her and marched off after Merlin. Morgana in his trail.
Without armor, Arthur charged into the middle of the square. He stood tall and waited for the knight to move. It never did. Arthur went to attack and, as if faster than light, the knight was suddenly fighting back.
They fought for a minute until Arthur finally got a good stab on him. The wraith exploded and caused them all to flinch back seeing the sparks.
Merlin ran up to him and patted his back. "You did it!" She said happily.
Arthur nodded staring at where the knight once stood. "I'll see you at dawn."
He walked off and went back to sleep. Merlin and Morgana happily did the same.
When Merlin actually woke Arthur up he was much less grumpy. He got up with a smile and quickly got changed for the day. As he walked out from behind the changing screen he noticed Merlins stare.
"What?" He asked and she snapped out of her thoughts and looked at him.
"Oh. It's just. Your wearing the necklace." She said pointing towards his neck smiling.
He looked down at the charm on the leather cord. "I never took it off." He told her and smiled.
She quickly went back to picking up random items that Arthur had thrown in the floor. Arthur watched, from his seat in front of his breakfast, as Merlin bustled around the room. His head propped up by one of his arms. He smiled slightly as she started to hum a random song as she worked.
It amazed Arthur how perfect she looked.
With her trousers and red shirt. And that stupid little blue scarf. Her hair was half up. The front of her hair being pulled back and tied with a ribbon.
Still, she looked almost unreal. The way her eyes sparkled and the way her smile made the entire world brighter. The way she held her head up like she was a princess. The way she gracefully and clumsily walked. She was clumsy and would normally trip over random things around the room. But it was just intriguing to watch.
And don't get him started on her personality. She was daring. Never cared about status. She always treated people as an equal. She was witty. She had the sharpest wit he had ever seen. And the fasted wit. She could come up with a come back with in a millisecond. She was smart. She understood things that most peasants couldn't. Not to mention she could read and write. Sometching not many people could do. Let alone a servant.
And her heart. Her heart was huge. She was so loving and caring and just kind. She was generous. She would help anyone who asked. Even if she didn't know how she would do whatever possible to help.
She was perfect. Absolutely and positively perfect. And that's why he-
"Arthur!" He heard her shout. Snapping out of his thoughts his head quickly shot up at her. He gave her a questioning and worried look.
"Are you alright? You've been staring off into nothing for a couple of minutes." She told him. He shook his head to recompose himself and smiled at her.
"Yes. I'm fine." She nodded still looking at him unsure.
Why he what? And that why I what? He thought to himself.
The rest of the day he was able to push away his questions for himself. Every once and a while he would find himself watching Merlin. He would quickly shake his head and go back to whatever he had been doing.
It was almost sunset when Gwen walked into his chambers and stood there. He looked up at her and waited for her to say something. When she didn't he did.
"Yes Gwen?" Arthur asked looking her up and down.
"Merlin wants you in the royal garden sire." She said quickly and left. Arthur looked out the window confused. It was almost dark. What could she want?
Once he walked out there he noticed that there were a group of musicians. The same musicians that play at feasts and things like that. Then he noticed her.
Merlin.
She was in her normal clothes. Red shirt, blue scarf, and black trousers. But something about the light made her looks like she was glowing.
"What's all this?" He asked once he got to her.
"Well. I do believed that I was promised a dance. Sir, Crowned Prince of Camelot." She told him teasingly.
Just then the music started to play and together that dance. They glided around the garden and joked along the way. What neither of them noticed was the figure watching from a window in the castle. Disgusted by what they saw.
Anyway I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. If there are any typos/mistakes do not be afraid to tell me. If there are any suggestions on anything really I will gladly take them.
Bye! ? ? ?
