Everything that happens through season four still occurs before this chapter, only Lancelot du Lac never happens and Gwen is still in Camelot. Also, I'm planning on making this a trilogy! The next story being the end of Clara's destiny and her and Emrys defeating Albion's greatest enemy. Fitting that in here just wouldn't work and would be too much with all this already going on.
A Few Months Later
"What's taking so long?" Arthur whined from behind his changing screen.
"It's the Feast of Beltane, the King must look kingly," Merlin replied, distracted.
"I'm hardly going to look kingly in my undergarments, am I?" Arthur shot back in irritation.
"Maybe to Hermione you will," Merlin muttered as he worked.
"What was that?"
"Nothing, my Lord." Another few seconds of silence until Arthur piped up again.
"Have a little patience. Think of something pleasant," Merlin suggested through clenched teeth.
"You in the stocks?" Arthur mocked.
"Wait one second..." Merlin fiddled with the item in his hand.
"One?" Arthur asked, suddenly stepping out from behind the screen. "What have you got there?" Merlin spun around, obviously hiding something behind his back.
"Nothing," he fibbed. "My hand." He grinned, but Arthur wasn't convinced.
"My other hand," Merlin switched the thing to his opposite hand to show Arthur the other hand. Arthur strode forward and turned Merlin around, pulling his belt out of the manservant's hands.
"Why are you putting another hole in this belt?" he inquired, as if Merlin was stupid.
"I was, er... enhancing it for comfort and ease of use," Merlin elaborated, cheeks and the tips of his ears pink.
"Are you saying I'm fat?" Arthur asked in disbelief and offense.
"No," Merlin retaliated. "I'm saying that the belt is one hole shy of perfection."
"Ridiculous," Arthur scoffed, wrapping the belt around himself and going to buckle it. He let out a quiet grunt as he failed to close it. "Come on..." It wouldn't budge another millimeter.
"Don't be too hard on yourself. A little extra padding goes with the job. What, with all the feasts and banquets and ceremonies," Merlin attempted to cheer him up, simultaneously mocking him. Arthur pulled off the irksome belt and handed it to Merlin.
"Right, Merlin, do what you have to do," Arthur said begrudgingly. "Not a word of this to anyone, understand?"
"Trust me, if there's one thing I'm good at, it's keeping secrets," Merlin said, smiling to himself. A knock sounded from outside the doors. Arthur and Merlin's heads swiveled at the sound.
"It's me," a woman's voice said softly, "Can I peek in or is Arthur indecent?"
"I'm perfectly dressed," Arthur called back, his sour mood turning around.
"Almost," Merlin muttered again.
"Speak up, Merlin, you look stupid when you mumble," Arthur slapped him on the back with a smirk.
Merlin rolled his eyes and continued working at the belt. The doors opened all the way as Arthur approached them to receive his guest. Hermione wore a pale, powdery blue satin gown with a silver, elaborate belt above the hips, accentuating her small waist. Over the dress was a transparent long sleeved dark blue gown, the sleeves large and long. On her upperarms over the sleeves were some sort of silver, intricate bands that tightened the sleeves against her arms underneath the bands. She'd left her hair down, the way Arthur like it, and twisted and pulled the sides back. She wore no jewelry, but that ever still hidden compass of hers. She had been rather afraid to take it off after all they'd been through- she could not bear the thought of losing Arthur, and hoped it could help her in the case such disaster did strike.
"You look beautiful," Arthur admired. Hermione glanced down at her outfit, a little surprised.
"Oh, thank you," she smiled adorably. "You look dashing. Although, you're missing something."
"Working on it," Merlin said, not looking up from the belt.
"Are you putting another hole in it?" Hermione asked, her mouth open in amusement.
"Yep," Merlin responded.
"Hey, that's a secret, remember?" Arthur glowered.
"She could see it in my hands, Arthur, don't be ridiculous," Merlin rolled his eyes and held up the finished belt. "Done."
Arthur snatched it away, mumbling angrily under his breath as he fastened it.
"Don't you want to say anything to me?" Merlin asked, waiting for a thank you.
"Yes, you're terrible at keeping secrets and making holes in belts," Arthur said in a pleasant voice, barely suppressing a smirk.
"Arthur, don't be so rude," Hermione rolled her eyes, always amused at their brotherly banter.
"What? It's true!" Arthur defended.
"Well, I'm just saying-"
"Arthur? May I come in?" Gwen's voice rang out from the other side of the door. Hermione's already big eyes widened and Arthur opened his mouth. Merlin looked like a deer caught in a headlight, knowing about Hermione and Arthur's rekindled feelings, but that Arthur's relationship with Gwen was still going on.
"Hide!" Arthur hissed. Hermione hopped out of her satin heels and dashed behind the screen. She stayed still as Arthur replied to Gwen, "Come in!"
Merlin snatched up the shoes, sighing in relief, and hid them behind his back, pretending to be keeping his usual stance. Gwen wore a servant's dress still, but her best one. It also did a good job of accentuating her best bodily features, though, ironically, Arthur was devoted enough to Hermione and a respectful enough man to be able to look only at the gorgeous woman's face.
"Arthur, the feast can't begin without you," she reminded him gently, Merlin knowing it was his time to leave the room. Once he was gone, Gwen's hand was on Arthur's cheek. Hermione couldn't help but peek from the slits in the screen. Arthur's back was to her. Gwen was close enough to Arthur to make Hermione's skin crawl, and the way she touched him made her feel territorial. She hated that this "relationship" wasn't over yet.
"I know, Guinevere," Arthur replied, slipping out from underneath her embrace to walk over to the door. She seemed a little taken aback.
"Let's go then," he pressed her. She followed, glancing around the room once before exiting. Seconds later, Merlin entered with the heels in hand.
"All clear."
Hermione rushed out and accepted the shoes, putting them back on her feet.
"I really hate having to do that," she complained. "I've done it dozens of times these past months."
Merlin felt quite bad for her, wanting Arthur to break it off with Gwen probably as much as she did.
"Come on, we need to get down to the feast," Merlin reminded her tenderly, and they left the room together.
Agravaine stood by the siege tunnels, holding what seemed to be smoke grenade. He lit it and tossed it at the feet of some sentries guarding the entrance to the tunnels. They began to cough and soon passed out. He stepped past them, signaling for Morgana's troops with a torch. The sent back a signal.
The dining hall was bustling with conversation as Merlin snuck in first, Hermione arriving calmly a few minutes after. She approached the Knights of the Round Table, all of them greeting her cheerfully.
"Have you seen Agravaine?" Arthur asked Gaius as he went up to his head table.
"Er, no, sire. Not since this morning," Gaius responded, a tad puzzled.
"Strange. He should be here by now." He took his spot at his table, Hermione residing by the knights. She couldn't sit by Arthur, obviously. Merlin arrived by Arthur with a heaping plate of food. This brought a smile to Arthur's face as he examined the dish.
"Ah! My favourite. Herb crusted caper," Arthur was as happy as could be, as he often was when food was involved.
"Easy now, we don't want any more holes in that belt," Merlin coughed casually. Percival snickered and choked on his wine nearby. Arthur narrowed his eyes at Merlin specifically, Hermione covering her smile by taking a sip from her goblet.
"Ha ha," he forced out.
"Wine?" Merlin asked Gaius, who nodded. Merlin poured the old physician some of the rich burgundy liquid. Arthur beckoned to Merlin, nodding for him to lean in. Merlin stepped closer, and jumped as Arthur grabbed his shirt.
"It's a good job you don't have anything of any actual importance to keep secret, isn't it?" he hissed coolly.
Agravaine exited the tunnels and looked for Morgana's army, worried that she wasn't there yet. But his expression relaxed and he smiled when he saw the Southrons approaching. He led them through the tunnels strongly.
Arthur watched Percival chatting with a lovely maiden, a little bored. To the right Hermione was speaking with Gwaine, who was most likely flirting with her, as usual, from the flush in her cheeks and smile on her face as she laughed. Arthur turned away, depressed. Merlin took notice and headed over.
"You all right?" he asked the King.
"No one likes to be called fat, Merlin," Arthur lied.
"Sorry." Arthur continued to mope.
"It's Gwen, isn't it?" Merlin ventured to ask.
"I don't know how I can break things off with her," Arthur answered quietly. "The longer I stay with her, the better she gets. But at the same time, the more Hermione is hurt."
Merlin said nothing else. He hoped Arthur would make a wise decision soon, for his best friend's sake, and his king's sake.
Southrons easily snapped the necks of the sentries at the gate, then proceeded to cover the lower town with a flammable substance. Agravaine dropped a flaming torch on it and the whole lower town went up in flames. He smirked in satisfaction. Morgana watched from the hills, Helios at her side and the Southron army behind her.
"It's time," she said darkly.
The Knights attempted to put out the fires as the townsfolk fled from their homes.
"We need more water. Now!" Elyan ordered, sweating from the spreading heat.
"Forget about the water," Leon stated solemnly.
"But if we can't-" Leon grabbed Elyan's arm and pointed ahead where the Southron's were advancing.
"How did they breach the gate?" Elyan asked breathlessly.
"We can't worry about that now. Quickly, sound the alarm!" The knights drew their swords.
Arthur stood up from his seat, confused, as the warning bells sounded. The people in the hall were alarmed and baffled. Hermione was staring at the doors, as if waiting for something. Gwaine burst in, out of breath.
"Sire! We're under attack! They're within the city walls!" Gwaine informed Arthur loudly. Arthur hastily pulled off his cloak, Hermione listening to every word.
"Merlin, get everyone to the inner chamber," Arthur ordered.
"Yes, sire. Everyone follow me!" Merlin grouped the diners together as they buzzed with questions and worried whispers. Arthur grabbed a sword and jumped over the table, going to Gwaine with orders.
"Gwaine, secure the armoury! Percival, with me!"
Hermione slipped out of the group of people and dashed to her chambers, heart thumping in fear. She ripped off her clothes and threw on her chain mail outfit, sword in its scabbard and wand hastily hidden. She wasn't going to sit in safety while her city, her home, fell to the hands of evil. She skidded out of the chambers and forced her way past shouting sentries and knights in the corridors. She looked around for Arthur, and spotted him on the defensive in the corridors. She ran over to him.
"What's going on?" she asked quickly. His eyes widened at her arrival, and his expression became firm as he held her arm.
"Go back to the group and hide," he ordered her.
"I'm not leaving you here where you could die any moment!" she protested. He held onto her as she struggled.
"And I'm not letting you stay here so you can be killed in front of me," he responded, a hint of frustration in his voice.
"I'd die for Camelot any day, now let me go, Arthur," she said quietly. He held fast, but then let go.
"Do not go into the middle of battle, do you hear me? Stay in the very back defense," he told her, a little strained but knowing she was too independent to stop. If he was being honest, it was one of the many things he admired about her. The corridor went empty for a millisecond, in which he planted a kiss on her forehead.
"I have to go," he said tenderly. He touched her shoulder once before dashing away.
Elyan patroled a corridor when Agravaine marched down with some Southrons. Elyan, eyes narrowed, stopped him.
"This is your doing," he accused. Agravaine rolled his dark eyes.
"Oh, stand aside. There's nothing you can do about it now."
Elyan drew his sword slowly. "I can kill you for the traitor that you are." Agravaine sniffed in disdain and drew his sword in response.
"Brave words, Elyan. And they shall be your last." Before the fight could ensue, Elyan was thrown backwards and he went limp. Morgana stepped out from behind a Southron, annoyed.
"We don't have time to play soldiers, Agravaine," she said acidly. Morgana marched past, her army following loyally.