A/N Okay, happier about this chapter than the last one. Really glad that I haven't gotten any hate about my Arthur/Lancelot pairing, I thought that it was something fresh that actually made a lot of sense. Thank you to everyone who has read my story this far, and to those who have followed, favorited and reviewed, you guys are AWESOME. So here is Lancelot pt. 2, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin, if I did, nothing bad would ever happen to Merlin, because he's a little cutie pie.
Night fell and everyone gathered in the banquet hall for the feast that was being held in Lancelot's honor. Merlin stood in the back of the room with Gaius and watched as Lancelot mingled with the other knights. She beamed with pride. "Look at him, Gaius. Does not Lancelot deserve this moment?"
"I never said that he didn't." Gaius claimed. "But destiny and desserts are not the same thing. You played God, Merlin. You set him on a path of your choosing. Tonight you brought him triumph, but who knows what the future may hold."
"Yeah, I don't know what your invitation said, but on mine it said 'Celebration'" Merlin said sardonically, grabbing a tankard of ale from a passing servant. Gaius chuckled.
"Good point." He patted his ward on the back. "Don't come back too late and don't drink too much." He turned and left as Merlin walked over to join Arthur, who was standing over in the corner in her armor. Apparently, her father and her had a deal that she didn't have to wear a dress to banquets being held after knighting ceremonies as long as she wore one to all of the other feasts.
"Hello." She greeted the princess, who looked over and smiled at her.
"I have to admit, Merlin, you're terrible at many things. Fighting, for one. Being on time, staying out of trouble, walking in a straight line-"
"Is there a point to this?" Merlin interrupted, glowering at the princess.
"You were right about Lancelot… about him being worthy of being a knight and…." She saw Merlin's self-satisfied grin and frowned.
"Oh, don't look so pleased with yourself. You're still a complete idiot." Arthur looked over to where Lancelot was talking with Morgan, and smiled to herself. Merlin noticed her gaze and grinned widely.
"You know what? I think our Sir Lancelot might have eyes for you, Arthur."
Arthur considered this and then shook off the idea. "Don't be stupid, Merlin. Of course he doesn't."
"What? So what if he did? Would that really be so bad?"
Arthur didn't answer, but she blushed profusely.
Morgan and Lancelot watched Arthur and Merlin from across the room. Morgan closely observed the raven-haired maid with a curious smile. "Tell me, Lancelot." He nodded towards the girls. "Do you think she's beautiful?"
Lancelot's eyes wandered to the golden-haired princess and he sighed. "Yes, my lord. Very much so."
Morgan nodded in agreement. "As do I."
Arthur pounded on a nearby table and lifted her tankard in a toast. "Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in a toast to our new recruit, our new knight of Camelot, Sir Lancelot." The room erupted in applause and Lancelot looked to Merlin, who raised her goblet at him and smiled.
The next morning, Merlin woke up with her head pounding. When she came downstairs, she saw that Lancelot was just as hung over as she was. "Two yards of ale? More like two miles." He groaned, and Merlin gave a little chuckle. Gaius held two phials of thick, green liquid out to them.
"Don't look at it, don't smell it, just down it in one." He ordered. After downing it, their headaches eased off and they sighed with relief.
"Better? Good. Can't have you nodding off first day on the job, Lancelot."
"That's Sir Lancelot." Merlin corrected with a smile.
Suddenly, two guards stormed into the physician's chambers and arrested Lancelot.
"What's going on? What are you doing?" Merlin demanded as they dragged the knight away.
"King's orders."
Lancelot was forced to his knees before Uther, who looked over to the court genealogist. "Tell him what you told me."
The man held up Lancelot's fake seal. "These credentials are faked. The seal itself is faultless, forgery of the highest possible standard, but a forgery it must be. There is no record of the fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria."
"You lied." Uther clarified. "Do you deny it?"
Lancelot glanced up at Arthur, who was standing behind her father, biting her lip with concern. He gave her a sad look before turning his attention back to the king.
"No, sire." He responded, and the princess looked down with disappointment.
"You've broken the First Code of Camelot. You've brought shame upon yourself and upon us. You are not worthy of the knighthood bestowed upon you. You never were. And you never will be." Uther declared before motioning to the guards. "Get him out of my sight." Lancelot gave Arthur one last look before the guards escorted him down to the dungeons.
Arthur sighed as the council chamber doors closed. "Sire." she spoke up and her father turned to look at her.
"Do you contest my judgment?"
"His deception was inexcusable. But he meant no harm, Sire, I'm sure of it. He only wished to serve." Arthur explained and Uther frowned.
"The First Code is a sacred bond of trust. It is what binds the knights together. How can you trust a man who's lied to you?"
Arthur had no answer to this.
Merlin stood outside of Lancelot's cell with her head resting on the bars. "I am so sorry. I don't know what to say, Lancelot."
"You're not to blame." Lancelot argued and Merlin shook her head.
"Yes, I am. I pushed you. I made you lie."
"The choice was mine. My punishment is mine to bear, and mine to bear alone."
The maid sighed and pursed her lips. "I wish there was something I could do."
"There is." Lancelot replied. "You can stop blaming yourself."
Merlin walked back into Gaius' chambers, head hung with guilt. When she entered, Gaius was bent over his work table, reading. He looked up at his ward. "Merlin?"
"Please, don't say that you told me so."
Gaius shook his head. "I have no wish to gloat, Merlin. What's done is done." He beckoned her over. "Here. Come and take a look at this. I realised my mistake. I've been looking for the creature in the wrong place, in the records of all known living things in the kingdom. And then I thought, but what about creatures only recorded in legend? In myth? Then I discovered this." He pointed to a picture and Merlin gasped in recognition.
"That's it, Gaius. That's the monster."
Gaius opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off by the sound of the warning bells.
Down in the square, the knights were rushing out to fight the monster. Arthur raised her shield and spear.
"ON ME!" She yelled as the knights gathered around her in a defensive position. "DEFEND!" The knights raised their spears at the creature, which rushed at them and knocked them all to the ground. Arthur struck at it with a fallen spear, only to have it shatter as it hit the beast. The princess let out a yell as it threw her back into one of the walls, leaving her slightly dazed. Her eyes widened in fear as the creature charged at her again, this time for the kill.
"Arthur!" one of the knights shouted, throwing her a torch. She picked it up and swung it at the beast, which recoiled in fright and flew off, hissing angrily. Arthur sighed in relief as one of the knights helped her up and she went to report back to the king.
Uther patted his daughter on the back when she entered the council chambers. "You said your knights were the best in the land. You proved that today."
"All I know," she reported breathlessly, her body still throbbing in pain from hitting the wall. "Is that the beast is still out there, and it will strike again."
"Let's not wait for it. The kingdom has been menaced by this creature for too long. We finish this now."
"Sire," Gaius stepped into the room, Merlin close behind him. "If I may. I've been researching this creature, Sire. I believe it to be a griffin, a creature of magic."
Uther looked at the physician with curiosity. "What's in a name?"
"It is born of magic, Sire, and it can only be killed by magic."
"You are mistaken. It's a creature of flesh and blood like any other. Arthelia proved that today."
"I'm not so sure, Father." Arthur spoke up, and Uther stared at her. "I struck the griffin with a spear, yet the griffin was unharmed. Sire, our weapons seemed useless against it."
Uther shook his head. "Useless? I think not. No, it's tasted our steel once; the next time will be its last. When will your knights be ready to ride again?"
Arthur bit her lip, knowing that the king would not be convinced. "An hour, maybe two."
"Good. We finish this tonight."
"Is it true that the griffin can only be stopped with magic?" Merlin asked Gaius once they were back in the physician's chambers. Gaius nodded grimly.
"Well, if Arthur rides out against that thing, she'll be slaughtered. We need to do something."
"Yes," Gaius agreed. "It seems that magic is our only hope." He looked at the young witch in silence for a few seconds before she realized what he was suggesting.
"You mean me? I can't go up against that thing, Gaius. It'll kill me!"
"But if you do not, then Arthur will surely perish." Gaius argued. "It is your destiny, Merlin. The true purpose of your magic."
Merlin hung her mouth open in disbelief. "No...this is madness. I don't have magic that powerful. There must be another way. Do you even care what happens to me? Oh, just do this, Merlin. Do that, Merlin. Go and kill the griffin, Merlin. I'll just sit here and warm my feet by the fire."
"Merlin!" Gaius shouted, interrupting Merlin's rant. "Merlin, you are the only thing I care about in all this world. I would give my life for you without a thought. But for what? I cannot save Arthur. It is not my destiny. I don't know what else I can say."
Merlin sighed and nodded. "I'll say it for you. We have two hours to find a way to slay a griffin." She walked over to one of the bookshelves and began to look for a book that could help them.
Lancelot paced back and forth nervously. About an hour ago, he'd heard screams and monstrous screeches coming from the courtyard, but none of the guards would tell him what was going on and the window of his cell was too high and too small to really see anything. After a few minutes, everything had gone quiet. Since then, he'd begun anxiously walking around, awaiting some kind of news. He heard the door to his cell creak open and he turned to see Arthur standing there, staring at him fiercely.
"Leave us." She ordered the guard. She waited until the guards had left before speaking.
"I should've known." She whispered, biting her lip. "I really should've known."
Lancelot stepped forward. "My lady…"
"I mean, really. Just how stupid am I?" she yelled. "You don't look like a knight, you don't sound like a knight. How on earth did I not see it?"
She took a deep breath and shook her head. Lancelot looked at her apologetically. "I truly am sorry, my lady."
Arthur sighed. "I'm sorry, too. Because, Lancelot, you fight like a knight. And I need...I mean Camelot needs..." She ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.
"The creature?" The princess nodded.
"We could not kill it. I've never faced its like."
"I faced it myself some days past. I struck if full square. I wondered how it endured."
"There are those that believe this creature, this...griffin, is a creature of magic, that only magic can destroy it." Arthur explained, and Lancelot raised an eyebrow.
"Do you believe this, my lady?"
She shrugged. "It doesn't matter what I believe. The use of magic is not permitted. The knights must prevail with steel and sinew alone." She sighed again before stepping out of the cell and motioning for Lancelot to do the same.
"There's a horse waiting outside."
Lancelot smiled widely. "Thank you, my lady. Thank you."
"Lancelot," she continued in an emotionless tone. "Take it and never return to this place."
Lancelot's smile faded. "No, no, please, I...It's not my freedom I seek. I only wish to serve you, to serve with honor."
"I know, but I cannot let you ride with me. My father knows nothing of this. I release you myself, but I can do no more. Now go before I change my mind." And with that, Arthur left the dungeon to go and fight the griffin she knew she couldn't defeat.
Merlin threw her head back in frustration. The spell was too much. She'd been trying for the past two hours to get it right, but she kept failing.
"Try again." Gaius urged her. "You have it in you, I know that you do."
Merlin chanted again, but the dagger she was using was still just a useless dagger. She groaned.
Gaius squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry, Merlin. I know you're trying."
"And I'm failing. And if Arthur dies because I'm not good enough..."
She was interrupted by Glynn rushing into the physician's chambers. "Merlin! Lancelot's riding out to kill the griffin!"
She stood up in surprise. "What? How do you know?"
"He came by my house and asked for some armor and a sword. He said something about Arthur and how he wouldn't let her down again."
Merlin ran out the door in a flash, hoping to catch up with Lancelot before he rode off. Luckily, she arrived just as he was saddling up his horse. He turned when he heard someone approaching and furrowed his brow with curiosity.
"What are you doing, Merlin?"
"I'm coming with you." She announced, grabbing another horse from the stables.
He shook his head. "No, you're not, Merlin. You're not a warrior. You'll get hurt."
"I'd like to see you try and stop me." She said, saddling her horse. "Besides, You said it yourself, Lancelot, Arthur needs all the help she can get. Now let's go."
Lancelot rolled his eyes as he climbed onto his horse.
When the two finally caught up with the knights, they were all lying on the ground, either unconscious or dead. Merlin scanned the ground for the sight of golden blonde hair.
"Over here!" Lancelot yelled, and Merlin rushed over to see him hunched over Arthur, who was leaned against a rock with a nasty scratch on her head. "She's alive, just knocked out."
A loud screech sounded behind them and they both turned to see the griffin at the end of the path, eyeing its new prey. Lancelot climbed back on his horse and, lance pole in hand, began to charge at the monster.
"Okay, Merlin." She whispered to herself. "It's now or never."
Bregdan anweald gafeluec
Nothing happened. She took a deep breath and tried again. Still nothing happened. Lancelot was getting closer to the griffin, and Merlin knew that if the spell didn't work this time, Lancelot would be killed. She closed her eyes and practically yelled
Bregdan anweald gafeluec!
She opened her eyes and watched as the lance pole began to light up blue just as Lancelot collided with the monster. It howled in pain for a few seconds before falling down, dead. Merlin jumped up and cheered with excitement until she heard Arthur stirring. Not wanting to answer any uncomfortable questions, she turned tail and ran, leaving Lancelot standing over the griffin's body. Arthur opened her eyes and stared with amazement. "Lancelot, you did it!" she exclaimed, rushing over to the man and embracing him tightly. "You killed it!"
Arthur walked into the council chambers with a wide grin on her face. Uther ran over and hugged his daughter with joy. "You did it, Arthelia. You did it." He pulled away and Arthur shook her head.
"No, Father. It was Lancelot" She waved her hand and Lancelot walked in. Uther's smile fell.
"What's he doing here?" Uther demanded furiously. Lancelot took a few steps back.
"Father, I can explain." Arthur interjected and the king pointed at the phony knight furiously. "You! Wait outside!" Lancelot turned and walked out. The guards closed the doors behind him, but he could still hear Uther and his daughter arguing inside the council chambers.
Merlin came running around the corner at the end of the corridor, wearing her trademark smile. "What's happening?" she asked.
"They are deciding my fate."
The two stood in silence for a few minutes catching bits and pieces of Arthur and her father arguing.
"His actions change nothing"
"…served with honor."
"The law is the law"
and, finally, Arthur loudly yelling, "Then the code is wrong!"
Merlin nodded enthusiastically. "They'll restore your knighthood, of course they will. You killed the griffin."
"But I didn't kill the griffin." He stated, looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was listening. "You did."
Merlin laughed nervously. "That's ridiculous."
"Bregdan anweald gafeluec" Lancelot recited, giving a little smile at Merlin's worried look. "Don't worry, Merlin. Your secret is safe with me. Although you yelled it so loud, I am surprised that you still have a secret." Merlin chuckled. "I am grateful, but I cannot take the credit for what I did not do. There'll be no more lies, no more deceit."
"What are you going to do?" she asked and Lancelot shrugged.
"The only thing that I can do." He turned and barged into the council chambers.
"What's this?" Uther demanded. Lancelot bowed to the king and the princess.
"Forgive me, Sire. I've come to bid you farewell."
"What is this, Lancelot?" Arthur asked and Lancelot gave her a small grin.
"I lied to you both and now there is conflict between you. I cannot bear that burden, as you should not bear mine. I must start again, far from here. Then, maybe one day fate shall grant me another chance to prove myself a worthy knight of Camelot."
Arthur shook her head in disbelief. "But...Lancelot, you've...already proved that to us."
"I need to prove it to myself." He explained. He bowed once again before walking out, leaving behind a confused Arthur and a pleased Uther.
The next morning, Lancelot was preparing his horse to leave when Arthur walked over to him, dressed in her blue shirt, black trousers and brown vest. Lancelot bowed. "My lady."
"You really are leaving, aren't you?" she asked, disappointed.
"I'm afraid so, my lady. Though I will miss my friends here; Merlin, Glynn, Lord Morgan, but you most of all."
Arthur bit her lip and turned her attention to helping him fix his saddle.
"You know, Lancelot, you still owe me an answer to why."
He tilted his head questioningly. "My lady?"
"Why did you come back? To save us from the griffin?"
Lancelot took the princess' hand and smiled. "You were in danger, and, knight or no, I had to do what I could to protect you."
Arthur smiled and looked at him closely. "You really believe that, don't you?"
He nodded, causing the princess to blush slightly. "Lancelot, I don't believe I've ever met your like before. And I doubt I will again."
"Nor I you, my lady." He kissed her hand before climbing onto his horse.
"Where will you go?" She asked and he shrugged.
"I'm not sure, but I promise you, one day I will return and be the knight you deserve." And with that, he rode out the gates of Camelot.
Gaius and Merlin stood in the battlements, watching as Lancelot left Camelot behind.
"Perhaps you were right, Gaius." Merlin admitted. "Perhaps I should have never got involved."
"No Merlin, I was wrong. Lancelot needed you and you needed Lancelot. Your destinies were entwined."
Merlin sighed as the knight disappeared from sight. "Do you think that we'll ever see him again?"
"That I cannot say."
Merlin smiled to herself. "Until next time, Sir Lancelot."
A/N Thank you all again! Really. I hope that you just loved this chapter, because it was a whole lot of fun to write. Anyway, next story is Gates of Avalon, which is going to be an interesting one. I should have it up by the end of the weekend. Please review, they mean a lot. Until next time, Later, Pretties!