A/N: So, I had my last exam today, so Dobby is free! But, you know, without the socks ;)

Anyway, I'm glad I was about to finish this. Some part really did not want to be written, so I had to struggle with them for a little while. That said, there's obviously a lot of Lancelot in this chapter, hence the title (I replaced chapter 24's title so I could use it here). I'm actually okay with how it turned out. But this tournament. God, this tournament. It got so much bigger than I had originally planned. I foolishly thought I could just spend 3 chapters on the whole thing and then move on, but the story was like 'NOPE!' and here we are, 5 chapters in, and we still have one more competition to go, and then the ball. Sorry if it's getting a little tedious, I promise everything will start moving faster after this!

Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 26: Lancelot

After Elric had cleared Lancelot to leave, the king had sent for him. Princess Merlynn hadn't known what he'd wanted either, but she'd accompanied him to the king's study. Lancelot was nervous, though he tried his best to hide it. Glancing at Merlynn, he didn't think she noticed.

She shot him a friendly smile, and he was amazed at the person walking beside him. Here was a princess of a mighty kingdom, and not only was she incredibly kind and brave, she had magic. Unlike many others, Lancelot didn't have anything against magic in particular, except that he felt one should be cautious with it. But Merlynn had saved his life with it, and Lancelot felt even less inclined to judge her for it. He briefly wondered where she had learned it, but pushed the thought aside, it didn't matter.

He was led into the throne room, and brought before the King. He was a tall and imposing man, who was frowning lightly at Lancelot, so the swordsman lowered his head and bowed. He could hardly believe that this was the princess' father, they looked nothing alike. Next to the king, however, the queen was perched on her throne, and she looked exactly like her daughter, with raven tresses and deep blue eyes, as he had noticed when she had visited the physician's hut earlier.

"The only other people in the room were a beautiful blonde woman in an exquisite dress, a blonde man who was just shy of scowling at the room, a knight of some kind who stood at the door, and a dark haired man with a sword strapped to his side. They all looked royal, but none of them bore any resemblance to Princess Merlynn in any way, so he didn't think they were family.

"Mother, father, may I present Lancelot, the brave man who saved my life earlier today," the princess announced. Lancelot kept his head down, a little overwhelmed at the situation.

"Rise, Lancelot," the Queen said, and he was pleased to note the gentle tone in her voice. "It seems you've have quite a day."

Lancelot stood up straight and hesitantly returned the Queen's smile. "I have, my lady, but the service I did for your daughter was my duty and my honour, nothing more," he said.

The King's frown turned into a smile at that. "You're quite the puzzle, lad. You've no noble blood, yet your bearing and manners are better than those of many noblemen of my acquaintance."

Lancelot wasn't sure what to say to that, so he briefly glanced at the princess beside him. She was grinning, and nodded encouragingly at him. "My family raised me well, my lord," he replied, for lack of anything better to say. What did one say to a compliment like that?

The King let out a bark of laughter. "No doubt, they did. Tell me, lad, where does your family reside?"

At this, Lancelot hesitated. The familiar ache laced through his heart at the innocent question, and he had to clear his throat before he could speak again. "Nowhere, my lord. They were killed by raiders some years ago."

"Oh, Lancelot, I'm so sorry," Merlynn said, her eyes shining with compassion. Usually, Lancelot disliked it when people said they were sorry, because they couldn't imagine his loss, or because they didn't mean it, but something in the princess' eyes gave him pause. She truly felt sorry for the tragedy that had befallen him, and that realization sent a mild shock through him.

"Thank you, my lady," he said softly, before turning to face the King and Queen again. "It happened many years ago, and since then I've worked to become the best swordsman I can be, so that I may prevent others from going through the same tragedy."

"A noble cause, indeed," the Queen said softly. "You should train with our knights some time. I'm sure Sir Fredrik would be glad to see what you can do."

Lancelot glanced behind him a the knight he'd seen earlier, and then man inclined his head, a small smile visible even behind the beard. "That I would, my lady," the man said. His voice was gruff, but it was warm, and he seemed friendly enough.

"I wouldn't want to intrude, my lady. I was travelling to Camelot where I'd hoped to join their famed ranks as a knight."

The blonde man sighed. "Our knights are made up solely of noblemen, it's the law," he said.

Lancelot frowned. "Our knights, my lord?" he asked, puzzled.

"I'm sorry, I keep forgetting you're not from here," Merlynn said. "This is Prince Arthur Pendragon of Camelot," she said, gesturing to the blonde man. "My sister, the Lady Vivian, and that is Lord Rowan, chief advisor to the King and champion of today's tournament," she went on, gesturing to the beautiful blonde woman, and the dark-haired man.

Lancelot bowed again, even though he wasn't sure he was supposed to. So this was Prince Arthur, rumoured to be the best swordsman in all of Albion. He didn't look quite as imposing as Lancelot had envisioned, but he did have a regal air about him.

"Yes, Galdara has a similar law, unfortunately," the King said. "But ours is not as strict as Uther's." The way he said the name of the King of Camelot led Lancelot to believe that there was some bad blood there, though he couldn't guess as to what it was.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Merlynn purse her lips. Perhaps this discord had something to do with the Princess?

"Either way, I'm sure that your quest to better yourself as a swordsman will not be hindered by training with knights of Sir Fredrik's calibre," the Queen said, effectively cutting through the tension that had risen in the room.

Bowing again, Lancelot accepted the offer, though he could not help the disappointment he felt at having his lifelong dream shattered.

"Then we shall see you tonight. You are our guest, Lancelot, for as long as you wish it," the Queen said, and with that, they were dismissed.

/*/

Merlynn led him outside again, though the blonde man – Prince Arthur – followed them. "I'm sorry, Lancelot, I had no idea that it was your dream to become a knight," the Princess said, resting a hand lightly on his arm. The gesture was unexpected, but certainly a welcome one.

"Well, not everyone has what it takes to be a knight," Prince Arthur said airily.

Merlynn glared at him. "As if you believe that. I've heard you complain more than once that the noblemen's sons are getting less talented every year."

Prince Arthur shrugged, though a smile had formed on his face. Lancelot was a little surprised at the way these two royals talked to one another, but then, what did he know of royal etiquette? "Don't mind him, Lancelot. Every law can be overturned by its ruler. Though I doubt Uther will be changing that law any time soon," Merlynn said.

Prince Arthur was frowning at her. "That law is in place to ensure that we can trust those who protect us."

"Implying that those of lower birth are inherently less trustworthy?" she snapped. "Or that those of noble blood are more so?" And suddenly, it was like Lancelot wasn't there at all. He wondered if the two royals realized how intense they looked, standing quite close together, and glaring at each other. If nothing else, there was passion there.

It was another disappointment for Lancelot, but only a slight one. A Princess and a commoner would never been able to be together anyway.

"I never said that!" the Prince shot back.

"But you implied it!" the Princess retorted, never missing a beat. "But you know as well as I do that Valiant wasn't an isolated case." As soon as she said that, she blanched and stepped back.

Prince's Arthur face went from angry to concerned, and he stepped forward, hands extended as if to steady her. Lancelot himself wasn't sure what to do, nor was he certain exactly what had happened.

"Merlynn?" the Prince said softly. "He isn't here, he can't harm you."

"I know. I know," she replied, her posture tense, but she seemed to be pulling herself together. "Would you ask a servant to take Lancelot to a room? I think I need to lay down for a moment," she said, and, without waiting for a reply, turned around and walked away.

Both men kept their eyes on the Princess until she was out of sight. Prince Arthur shot a sideways glance at Lancelot. "Bad memory," he said curtly.

Lancelot nodded, though he was still not certain what exactly had happened.

Prince Arthur flagged down a servant and had them show Lancelot to a room,

/*/

A knock came to the door, and Merlynn instantly knew who it would be. Arthur had always been more thoughtful than he let on. Quickly, she threw a robe over the shift she was wearing, and opened the door. "Hello, Arthur."

Arthur offered a tight smile, and came in when she stepped aside. It was sweet of him to see if she was alright, but honestly, she'd just overreacted. She hadn't thought of Valiant in ages, and she's forgotten that she was now in the same country. It had been a bit of sudden shock, but she was over it now.

"How are you?" he asked hesitantly.

Merlynn shrugged. "I'm alright. I was just… I'd forgotten. I didn't think I could, but I'd actually forgotten about him."

Arthur stepped closer, resting a hand on her arm. "He can't hurt you, you're safe."

"I know that. It was just an overreaction," she replied. Arthur's hand was warm on her arm, and she drew comfort from it as she looked into his eyes. For a moment, they just stood there, consoled by each other's company, before Arthur looked away and cleared his throat. His hand fell away, and Merlynn tried not to notice how cold she suddenly felt.

"I should go. We only have an hour left before the feast," Arthur said, looking a little uncomfortable.

Merlynn nodded, not trusting her voice. One more small smile, and then he was out the door. Merlynn let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Just one more day. One more day, and the tournament would be over, and Arthur would… he would return home. And she wasn't sure how she felt about that. Destiny aside, Arthur had become her friend, somehow. He'd gone from arrogant prick to someone she would entrust her life to.

She had to find a way back to Camelot, preferably without alienating her father. For some reason, she doubted he'd let her go back willingly. But before she could worry about that, she had to focus on this banquet, Lancelot was no doubt a novice to royal celebrations, and she wanted to spare him the gossip she always had to suffer through. But she could only do that if she was dressed and ready to play the part of princess again, so she strode purposefully towards her closet and pulled out a dress.

Just one more day and all this drama would be over.

/*/

As it turned out, Merlynn ended up being escorted by Lord Rowan, which left Arthur to make sure Lancelot got to the banquet safely. He still didn't know what to expect from a royal banquet, but Merlynn had assured him that he needn't worry. Lancelot couldn't help it, though. He had a lot of respect for Merlynn and her family, but he also had no illusions about most nobles. They'd see him as an interloper, someone out to secure a favour from the crown, or to prey on the Princess's feelings. So as he and Arthur entered the banquet hall, he was wary.

Prince Arthur had smirked when he'd noticed his nerves, but Lancelot wouldn't let it unbalance him. He had a feeling that there was something between Arthur and Merlynn, and that was why the Prince was a little less polite. Perhaps they were engaged? Or perhaps the Prince intended to ask King Olaf to court Princess Merlynn? Whatever it was, he'd do his best to appear only to be polite, and to make sure the Prince didn't view him as a threat.

The banquet was smaller in scale than Lancelot had imagined. Most of the nobles were still milling about, and he couldn't see either Merlynn or the eldest Princess anywhere, but he saw the King and Queen and Lord Rowan speaking to another Lord and Lady. Sir Fredrik was standing by the main doors, keeping an eye on everything. When the man caught sight of him, he walked over.

Sir Fredrik offered a curt bow to Arthur. "Prince Arthur." And then he turned to Lancelot. "Lancelot, I didn't have an opportunity to speak to you earlier. My company of men start training at dawn, if you're still interested. We will break off training in order to provide security for the royal family during the tournament, but after the winner is crowned, we will resume," he explained.

Lancelot nodded respectfully. "I would be honoured. I have heard many good things of the knights of Galdara," he replied.

Sir Fredrik grinned, and suddenly Lancelot could see a scar pulling at the other man's right eye. It made him look a little lopsided, but no less distinguished. "Good man. Prince Arthur, the invitation extends to you as well, of course. My men enjoyed your expertise the last few times you trained with us."

"I'd be happy to, Fredrik," the Prince replied.

With that, the knight bowed again and returned to his post, having never stopped to scan the crowd around them.

Soon enough, a servant announced dinner, and all the nobles and royals went to their seats. Prince Arthur steered him to the high table. The King and Queen sat in the middle, of course, flanked by Princess Vivian and Merlynn respectively. The Lord Rowan was seated next to the eldest Princess while Arthur took a seat between Merlynn and Lancelot.

The meal itself was grander than Lancelot had ever seen, let alone eaten. Merlynn tried to talk to him a few times, but it wasn't that easy with Prince Arthur sitting between them.

"So tell me, Lancelot, why did you want to become a knight of Camelot," Arthur asked eventually.

Merlynn looked on curiously, and Lancelot took a moment to think about his answer. "As I said before, my lord, my family was killed. I was only a boy at the time, and there was nothing I could do. I vowed that day that I would never stand by and watch others undergo the same fate. I apprenticed under a blacksmith, but used most of my time to wield the swords. After two years, there was nothing more the blacksmith could teach me, and I wasn't a very good apprentice, so he gifted me a sword and sent me on my way. I have trained with mercenaries, competed in some tournaments, and learned as much as I could. But everyone I came across said the same thing. The knights of Camelot are the best in all of Albion, and their Prince is rumoured to be the best swordsman to ever live," he said. He didn't mean it as flattery, it was the truth, and he trusted that Arthur would see it in the way he'd meant it. "All I've ever wanted was to protect people, and the knights not only protect individuals, but a whole country."

Arthur seemed to be considering him. "You've a noble heart, Lancelot. Had you been born under different circumstances I'd let you join my knights instantly. But the King makes no exceptions, no matter how skilled or brave the individual."

Lancelot inclined his head. He knew this, of course, but it was gratifying to hear the Prince say it. When he looked up, he saw that Merlynn had put a hand on the Prince's arm, and that she was smiling softly at him.

Lancelot was still not sure what was going on between the two, but he was certain now that they had feelings for one another. And he would not stand in the way of that.

A/N: So, what did you guys think? This chapter turned out to be longer than I'd intended, but after the long wait, you guys definitely deserved it! Leave me a review and tell me what you think!

Review replies:

Ashes: Aww, I'm blushing! You're so sweet! I'm so glad you're enjoying it, and I hope you liked this chapter too!