Chapter 10
I'm reaally starting to dislike Camelot. Oh, don't get me wrong- everything's gorgeous here. I even have a best friend Gwen, and her mistress seems to be friendly too. But what I don't like is Uther. And I know I could get hanged just for this - he's that rash. But he made me become Arthur's bloody servant! Again not seeing his connection between reward and being that prat's servant. And of course this time i dont have a choice, since i now live here. And not only that but I also have to keep saving the royal pratty cocky 'I can defeat anything' prince highness himself over. And over. And over. And let him take the credit. Again. And again. And again.
So here I am caught in another predicament. Oh and also, there's a sword being pointed at my heart. Great day so far.
"Uhm. I was ju- just getting my master's armor." I stuttered backing away from the owner of the shield I swore was hissing. The knight glared at me for a while as I collected some of the armor on the table.
"Well then. You better get to it." he put his sword back in his sheath and watched me as I clamored out with Arthur's several pieces of armor.
Armor is very heavy.
Especially when you're trying to run away from a guy that could have killed you.
I sighed as I closed the door and calmly walked over to the tent.
"What in the world took you so long?!" the prat demanded.
"Oh just seeing the sights." I rolled my eyes.
"You do reallize the tournament starts today right?" He said as I began attempting to put on his shoulder armor.
"Yes sire." I glared at my work, begging it to let me fasten it. The faster I get this done the faster I can leave and not talk to him. "You nervous?" I changed the subject.
"I don't get nervous."
"Oh. I thought everyone got nerv-"
"Shut up Merlina!"
"Yes sire." With pleasure. I thought.
The armor finally worked and I stood back admiring it.
Arthur let out an exasperated sigh. "Forgetting something?"
"Hm?"
"My SWORD?!"
"Oh! Right... Here you go. Sorry." I handed it to him. "You probably.. Need that.. Heh."
Arthur took it and stalked off.
I watched him fight other knights.
All was swell, as Arthur kept beating his opponents.
The tournament was over for the day and I took off his armor.
Did he say thank you? Nope.
"You're not sewing a blanket, Merlina!"
Apparently I was being too gentle. I glared even harder at the armor, trying to keep myself from saying anything where the result would be a rotten tomato being flung at my face.
"My apoligies, sire."
I yanked hard at it, and it came off.
"Now I want all of it to be polished nice and shiny!" He smirked cockily, patted my shoulder and closed the door right as Gaius came in.
I blew air out of my cheeks and muttered. "Would it kill him to say please and thank you?"
"Oh yes. Most dastardly illness of all." Gaius chirped jokingly.
I sighed again, going into my bedroom.
The next day..
"Oh come on Merlina! You're not even trying."
"Sorry sire." I muttered.
"Shoulder! Shield! Shield! Shield!" Arthur kept whamming wherever he said he was. "Shoulder! Shield!"
"Head!"
"Head?!" I was not prepared for this I thought as Arthur whammed his sword into my helmet, and I collapsed onto the ground.
"You're a lot braver than you look. Most servants collapse after the first blow."
I groaned as he said, "Now how's your mace work coming along?" He spun his mace over my head and I let my head fall onto the ground, aching to stop.
The practice was soon over and I trudged back to Gaius's.
He chuckled when he saw me, mud on my left cheek and forehead.
"So. How was your first practice with Arthur?"
I dropped the helmet and some other armor, and took off the shoulder armor, which somehow had managed to stay on for quite a bit.
I put my hand to my ear. "Do you hear a clanging?"
After a good clean-up, I found myself seated as Gaius poured some soup into my bowl.
"I mean -" I continued complaining to Gaius. "Doesn't Arthur have stable boys? A - and scarecrows?! Why do I have to be the one that has to muck out the stables and have to be his practice target?!"
Gaius opened his mouth but I continued. "AND I know I'm his servant, still not seeing how it's a reward by the way, but, honestly he really should pick up after himself. His room's always a mess, and I am *always* the one that has to clean it up!" I huffed. "Geez, he's such a baby sometimes!"
Gaius sat down, not even bothering to interrupt by now.
"And then he *dares* to tell ME to clean my room?! I'm too busy cleaning up after him!" I sighed, putting my arms on the table, and resting my head onto them.
"And he wants me to give Morgana flowers. He gets superbly jealous; it's kind of amusing actually..." My voice was muffled as my face was buried in my sleeves.
"Jealous of Knight Valiant?" Gaius asked.
"Yeah... Don't know why Morgana likes him. He's a bit of a creep. Probably just to get Arthur jealous."
Gaius sighed and stood up saying, "Well, I am sure Arthur will lighten up the load on you after the tournament is over."
"Mm.. Maybe." I muttered, washing the dishes and closing my bedroom door.
I slid down the door, sinking to the ground. I hugged my legs, muttering, "If Arthur stays alive for that long..." thinking of the hissing shield.
The next day, there was a fight between Knight Valiant and another one. Valiant was being creamed, until he was able to knock him down to the ground and the other knight didn't come back up. Gaius and I quickly brought him into the clinic, and Gaius found the snake bite.
I kept a close eye on Knight Valiant. And after the banquet, where I didn't have to "keep [Arthur's] cup full," I decided to stop by Valliant's quarters. Just a quick, "friendly" stop. No biggy.
I may or may not have used magic to unlock the door, and then I slipped in. I drew a sword from the rack, and then I pointed at the shield.
"Uh. Okay. Uhm... Well, I'm sure you want to do it; I'm a threat to your master since I know that Knight Valiant is using magic. So. Go ahead. Kill me."
I glared at the shield. Nothing.
Crud.
I sighed, but stopped in the middle of it, because someone was coming. I cracked open the door and looked, but nobody was coming.
I stared at the wall, and as my eyes drifted to the strange shadow on the wall, the hissing became much more noticeable.
I quickly grasped the sowed and spun around, cutting off the snake's head.
The other two were quickly slithering to me, so I grabbed the snake head - my proof - up and ran out the door, passing the magic- using knight. Gaius used the venom and got started on the antidote, and I hurried to Arthur.
"Arthur!"
Arthur sighed, putting his papers on his desk. "What is it now?"
"Don't fight in the tournament tomorrow!"
"And why is that?" He put his fingers on his forehead and massaged it.
Ignoring his body language, I continued with my warnings. "Knight Valliant will kill you. He's using a magical shield. The snakes come alive an-!"
"Merlina, I don't like the guy, but I think you're getting a little carried awa-"
"No. I'm not. And for once in your life would you just listen?!" I pouted.
Arthur raised his eyebrows, sighed, and said, "Fine. Get it out of your system." He made a continue gesture with his hands.
"The snakes on Knight Valiant's shield come alive. There are snake bites on the knight, and Gaius says the poison would have kicked in immediately. So he didn't get bitten before the fight, but during it."
"There's no way my father would ever - "
"I have a witness!"
"A witness? I thought he had die-"
"No Gaius is making the antidote."
"... I thought you would need the snake head for an antidote.."
"I cut it off! Here." I handed him the snake head.
He took it, making a face as it touched his skin. "You.. Chopped its head off? You?"
"Oi. I'm not as helpless as I look."
He sighed glancing at it. "Merlina. There's now way that Father will take a servant's word over another knight's... I mean no offense, but..."
"I have evidence! The other knight's word, the snake bite, the science-y evidence Gaius found, and the snake head! Think Arthur, does that snake look like the ones native to Camelot?"
Arthur studied it, standing up and walking over to me. I always forget how tall he is until he's standing right in front of me.
"No.. I don't recognize it..."
"A-And you have to admit that there are striking similarities to the snakes on the shield and that head in your hand!"
Arthur sighed. "All right. I'll request an audience with the king."

Author's Comments

Hi guys. So.
Misunderstanding. xD
I have gotten a lot of comments about how I said in the author's comments on the first chapter that I had said will and merlina will be married.
But in the chapter I had said fiancé.
Yes. I do know the different between husband and fiancé.
I just meant that in my fanfic they (at that time would be and now they were) married.
Ok. Hopefully that cleared everything up. XD
But I can't edit it cuz I deleted the "rough draft" thing to make room for more chapters. And the site won't let me copy and paste it. . so That's why I'm clarifying here instead of in the first chapter.

So. I have warned you of this before. xD
But I'm going to be changing it. A LOT.
Some of its cuz I like it to be different than the original story cuz it's less boring, or cuz I can't remember the technical order or cuz I don't like that episode or part.
So I may be combining episodes, skipping episodes, coming back to them. Pretty much anything. XD
Just FYI. ;)

And I know. The episode isn't finished. The chapter is just really long... So I'm doing it in two. Hehe. XD