Four; Good Luck Charm
The weeks passed by with no sudden death threats against the royal family. It was a welcomed change as the autumn months grew colder and Camelot became content in the calm. The people were restless for a change and an upcoming tournament was just as the kingdom needed to raise its spirits for a long winter.
Gaius and Lynette's routines had changed quite a bit to accommodate Merlin's crazy schedule. His appointment as Arthur's manservant came as a welcomed surprise as she watched the two come to terms with the arrangement. From what Lynette could gather Arthur took pleasure in ordering her cousin about while Merlin loathed every minute.
Lynette had offered many times to help Merlin with his workload, but he never took her up on it. He was determined to prove himself that he could get his chores done without help from his cousin or magic. Merlin didn't want to be a burden to anyone, especially his family. They had already done too much for him and now he wanted to pull his weight.
Lynette blamed the dragon for Merlin's current state of mind. He had taken the dragon's prophecy more seriously than Lynette had and within the last weeks had tried his best to keep Arthur from harm. If truth be told she was cautious of the dragon's words and what ulterior motives he might have. She had been taught that not all magic is evil, but had learned the hard way that not all magic was good either.
She tightened her hold on her cloak, which draped thinly around her shoulders, and leaned back against an old tree that she was resting on. She had been out picking herbs for her father when she was suddenly invited by her cousin to watch Arthur prepare for the upcoming tournament. Merlin had made it sound like he would be getting some training out of it as well, but to her that didn't seem to be the case.
"Ready?" Arthur called drawing his sword.
Merlin gave him a pointed look as he asked, "Would it make any difference if I said no?"
"Not really."
Lynette winced as Arthur began to attack Merlin with brute force. He called out where he was going to hit, but Merlin was either too slow or disoriented to react. She winced with each blow that made an impact with Merlin's body. She knew instantly that he would be sore later on in the evening. The girl made a mental note to make a salve for her cousin to use on any open wounds and that would eventually appear.
"Body, shield, body, shield. Head!"
Arthur suddenly whacked Merlin on the head with his sword causing the boy to stumble back, "Ow! Head?"
"Come on, Merlin! You're not even trying!"
Merlin only groaned in response, "I am!"
Arthur looked over at Lynette in frustration to which she just shrugged and said, "This is the first time Merlin's helped you prepare for a tournament ,Artie. Try to give him a chance to get used to the different weapons."
"There are multiple weapons?!" Merlin shouted.
Arthur just nodded ignoring Merlin's outburst, "Once more."
Once again Arthur began attacking an unprepared Merlin who had only seconds to defend himself. Lynette couldn't watch the two boys try to knock the stuffing off of each other violently and tuned them out. Instead she thought back to when she and Arthur would spar as children. He had always been so patient with her as she tried out multiple weapons to see which fit her best. Now he had little tolerance as he beat the living daylights out of Merlin.
The blonde was shaken out of her memories when she heard a loud grunt followed by a soft thud. She stood up and walked over to where Arthur was now standing over Merlin. His body was contorted at an odd angle as the heavy armor pressed down onto his heaving chest. The prince wasn't breaking a sweat while His servant was gasping for breath and soaked from head to toe.
"You're braver than you look. Most servants collapse after the first blow."
"You could have eased into it Arthur."
"Where's the fun in that?"
"Is it over?" Merlin asked, looking around.
"That was just the warm-up," Arthur answered, picking up his mace and swinging it over his head. "How's your mace work coming along?"
Merlin looked between Arthur and Lynette before heaving out an exasperated sigh. Lynette gave him a hand to help him up before she turned to glare at Arthur, "Try to keep him in one piece please."
Arthur held his hands up in surrender, but let a small smile creep its way onto his face, "No promises."
Lynette knew she wasn't going to get anywhere from watching them continue their violent training session with different weapons. She returned to the base of the tree to collect her basket full of herbs and began walking up to the castle. She didn't look back when she heard Arthur roar with laughter and Merlin groan in pain. Her father needed help preparing medicine for the competitors and she wanted to get a head start on the salve for Merlin.
The door to the physician's chamber opened slowly causing the physician and his assistant to stop what they were doing to see who was there. They both gasped at the state Merlin was in as he slowly entered the room. The armor he had been wearing previously at the start of his practice with Arthur was now falling off him in pieces. Lynette was officially mad at the prince of Camelot.
"So, how was your first day as Arthur's servant?" Gaius asked, chuckling slightly at Merlin's entrance.
Merlin looked at them before tapping his head, "Do you hear clunking?"
"That good, huh?" Lynette asked sarcasm evident in her voice.
Merlin nodded, sitting down at the table. Lynette walked over and sat down next to him, while her father began massaging Merlin's shoulders. She took the remaining armor off his body and placed it beside her to clean. He would need it for his next session with the prince.
"It was horrible and I've still got to learn about all the tournament etiquette by the morning." Merlin complained before raising his hand towards a book on the opposite end of the table. "OnhrÃne achtung bregdan!"
Lynette gasped in surprise and watched in awe as the book slid across the table to where Merlin was sitting. Sometimes she forgot how powerful Merlin was with his magic and it scared her slightly. She didn't fear how he would wield it but rather what would become of him should he ever need too. Lynette leaned forward to look at the page the book had opened up to and saw a labeled picture of armor.
Gaius was not so impressed with Merlin's blatant use of magic and slapped the back of his head, "Oi! What have I told you about using magic like this?"
"If I could actually feel my arms, I'd pick up the book myself." Merlin countered.
Gaius shook his head, "Never mind your arms. What do we do if you get caught?"
Merlin seemed to think it over before asking, "What would you do?"
The trio fell silent as each of them contemplated on what they would do should that ever happen. Each of them would be executed by the king. Lynette knew for sure that she wouldn't go down without trying to prove her family's loyalty to Camelot, even if they possessed magic. She wouldn't let any of her friends or family members die for the sake of an unjust law.
"Well, you just make sure it doesn't happen, for all our sake," Lynette suggested as Gaius grabbed the salve she had made to treat his cuts that littered his shoulders.
Merlin looked down again before cringing in pain holding his shoulder, "Ah! I save Arthur from being killed and I end up as a servant. How is that fair?"
"I'm not sure fairness comes into it. You never know, it might be fun." Gaius offered with a knowing smile.
Lynette knew instantly that the smile was meant for her. It wasn't so long ago that Arthur had detested any thought of having a servant. Now he was enjoying it like all the other nobles, but Lynette knew he would be kinder than most. Arthur couldn't help but forge a bond with anyone he met and Merlin was no exception.
Merlin scoffed at the idea, "You think mucking out Arthur's horses is going to be fun? You should hear my list of duties."
"We all have our duties. Even Arthur." Gaius replied.
"It must be so tough for him with all the girls and the glory." Merlin stated, looking over at his cousin.
Lynette rolled her eyes at him, "Yes, I'm sure you want to run the whole kingdom every day with a target on your back."
The physician nodded in agreement, "He is a future king. People expect so much of him. He's under a lot of pressure."
Gaius applied pressure to Merlin's arm causing him to wince at the pain, "Ah! That makes two of us."
"Merlin I almost forgot." Lynette said, placing a bowl of soup in front of him. "I asked Gwen to help you with Arthur's armor today. She agreed to show you the basics and how to dress Arthur in each garment. You need to go see her as soon as you finish here."
"Are you not coming?" Merlin asked, putting on his brown jacket.
Lynette shook her head, "Arthur wanted to see me after you were done training for the day."
Merlin looked over at his cousin and smirked, "Alright, my queen."
Merlin bowed obnoxiously before leaving to go see Gwen in a hurry. Lynette shook her head at his childish behavior and cleared away the sweaty bandages. She knew she would need to prepare more as more knights arrived to fight in the tournament. She just hoped she wouldn't have to use all of them.
As she finished up with the cleaning Gaius reached out to stop her from leaving to see the prince, "One moment sweetheart."
He began rummaging through an old trunk, before returning with a faded red ribbon. It was unusual to see her father hold something so delicate in his aged hands. She wondered how long he had kept it and how he had come to possess it. More importantly she wanted to find out if it was a mere trinket or if it meant something more to him.
"Father, it's beautiful."
Lynette smiled as she held the cloth gently in the palm of her hand. Seeing it up close she found a new sense of appreciation for the small item. It was not of high quality, but it was definitely nicer than the dresses in Lynette's current wardrobe. Her inspection of the cloth only presented more questions as she looked at her father in confusion.
"Every girl needs a token for her knight, and you are no different, my child." Gaius said and tied the ribbon around his daughter's wrist before kissing her hand. "Off you go then."
Lynette hugged her father and whispered a thank you before taking off to the Prince of Camelot's chambers. Where she knew he was undoubtedly awaiting her brisk arrival.
The corridors of the palace were bustling with life as Lynette made her way down the winding corridors. She kept a tight hold of the ribbon in the palm of her hand as she dodged the normal hustle and bustle of court. Servants, knights, and nobles alike went about their business preparing for the tournament, which would start later that day. It left Lynette on edge to know that most of the competitors would become her patients as a direct result of the violent fights.
The servant reached Arthur's chambers slower than she had hoped with all the foot traffic and was relieved to see the oak doors up ahead. She knocked once to announce her presence and waited to enter until she heard a small grunt of permission. She opened the door to find Arthur's chambers cleaner than they have ever been. Lynette could only guess that it was all thanks to Merlin's hard work.
She looked around the prince's chambers and found Arthur leaning against a wall near his window. His arms were crossed and a frown was set almost permanently on his handsome face. His body was tense when she walked over to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. She knew he must have been worried about something, but she couldn't fathom what. She went on her tiptoes and placed her chin on his shoulder and Arthur leaned his head atop hers as they entered a calm silence
"What's wrong Artie?" Lynette asked.
Arthur turned to look at his childhood friend and sighed, "Nothing just thinking."
She let go of his shoulders and walked around him so that she was facing him one on one, "Arthur that was not your nothing face."
Hearing her call him his full name Arthur knew he would have to tell her what occupied his mind. Lynette always knew when something was bothering him and she only called him that when she was worried about him. She could always tell when he wasn't himself. It was something learned while growing up with her that trying to hide anything from her was futile. She knew him the best and Arthur would be a fool to think otherwise.
"Arthur, are you nervous?" She asked, placing a comforting hand on his arm.
"No of course not!" Arthur shook his head but stopped after seeing her raise 'the eyebrow'. "Maybe a little."
"Arthur, you know you don't need to pretend when it's just us." She exclaimed.
Arthur nodded and placed his hand on top of hers, "I know Nanet."
"Then why try?"
Lynette watched as he avoided her gaze. It wouldn't be long before he was telling her what was truly troubling him, but she also didn't want to push. Everybody had their secrets, even the prince of Camelot, and thinking any differently wouldn't be fair. She let out a long sigh as she squeezed his hand in comfort, silently telling him that he didn't need to tell her.
"I'm worried about the tournament."
Lynette looked up into his ocean blue orbs that were full of sorrow, "You're an excellent fighter Arthur. Why doubt yourself now when you've come so far?"
"Because I'm no longer just Arthur. My father is grooming me to be the next king and a king should know how to defend people. If I can't win in a simple tournament then how can they trust me to lead them in a battle? Camelot is my home and I want to prove myself."
Lynette turned Arthur to face her and placed her hand on either side of his face, "You have always had the people's loyalty Arthur. You have shown them numerous times that your life is dedicated to furthering Camelot's future and that is something your father can not claim. They know this. It's why they love you, Arthur. They don't cheer for you because they have too. They cheer because they want to."
Lynette took his hand in her own and gently placed the worn ribbon in his hand. He looked down at it thoughtfully before looking up at her. For a moment a mutual feeling of loyalty passed between them. It didn't stem from greed or pride but simply friendship between people from completely different classes. Lynette was Arthur's champion just as he was hers.
Arthur places the ribbon back in Lynette's hands before holding out his wrist, "I'm going to need help."
She smiled and wrapped it around his wrist, "I want you to know that you will never lose me. You have had my support since the day we made that promise to each other so long ago. You will always be my champion Arthur."
A moment of silence fell between the two as they thought back to their forbidden promise. It seemed so long that they were young and carefree, now Arthur was due to be officially crowned prince. Lynette was learning everything she could from her father. Neither of them had time to be young, but they never forgot that promise.
Arthur looked down at her once more as she finished tying the ribbon and whispered, "I know."
"Good."
Arthur laughed at her short response and brought her into one of his famous bear hugs, "You always know just what to say."
"And don't you forget it." Lynette said laughing.
Arthur held her closer and laced his chin on her shoulder. It was rare when they got a moment alone together. He wanted to savor it. He let her go and held her at arm's length. She was absolutely beautiful under the sun's afternoon rays. Her brown orbs were full of kindness as they held his gaze. For a moment he thought about skipping the tournament and spending the day with her instead, but he knew the consequences would be severe.
Arthur was pulled from his thoughts when Lynette placed a kiss on his cheek, "Good luck, my prince."
Arthur felt his heart swell with pride at hearing her call him that. It was rare for Lynette to use his title when it was just them. She only called him that when she was extremely proud of him and Arthur couldn't help but feel like he had earned it. He didn't want to let her or his people down. Her support was all he needed to face the uncertainty that each fight would surely have during the course of the tournament.
Lynette smiled as Arthur placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before taking her hand in his. She knew her words had given him the boost of confidence he needed to face the kingdom and his father. She allowed him to wrap her arm through his and followed him as they walked out of his room and towards the training grounds. She knew Arthur was capable of defending Camelot and now it was his chance to prove it.