An update? So quickly? From me? I know you're all shaken up, but it's real! Part II of The First Winter is here!

Again, I don't own the right to either series, but I do own the right inconsistency, which I adopted shortly after writing my first fanfiction on Wattpad.

Enjoy!

When Percy finally finds the knights a few hours after an awkward conversation with Arthur and Aggravaine, it's to some peculiar news.

Leon is hunkered down in his seat, looking bedraggled and awfully sorry for himself. Considering that Percy saw him just before his confinement ended, it's with confusion that he views the other man now.

Elyan looks up from where's got a hang on the other man's shoulders. "Hey, Perce."

"Hey-" he lets out a light cough into his elbow, causing Leon to give him shrewd and suspicious eyes. "What's going on."

So, they tell him, though the senior knight is reluctant to do so, saying that he's still too sick. Admittedly the knight had been hiding this news from him. Shortly after Percy had come down with a cold and broke his wrist (which is still wrapped tightly and braced, but well on the mend), Sir Leon has begun to struggle with things he had long since mastered.

At first, it's little things, barely noticeable enough to warrant light teasing. He'd fumble a block or react more slowly than usual. Then it grew. He'd cut himself badly while sharpening his blade once and another time, he'd tripped so badly on the stairs that he would have tumbled down them headfirst if Arthur hadn't steadied him by grabbing the back of his red cloak. At that point, the bumbling and clumsiness had begun to get ridiculous and everyone thought he'd come down with a cold.

Then he couldn't hold his sword.

It was actually quite ridiculous, but for days now Leon could not keep a grip on his sword no matter how tightly he grasped its hilt or steadied his stance. He had even tried multiple other swords but nothing would work.

Arthur had officially taken him off his duties, both with paroles and with training, until the matter could be resolved. It left the knight, who had worked his entire life to be great at his job serving the prince and protecting Camelot, feel adrift and distraught.

"It must be sorcery," Elyan notes, settled down beside their friend.

Percy can't help but silently agree, though his thoughts linger on the goofy Merlin and remembers the deep prejudice that runs through the land. He doesn't want to say something that encourages that fear and hatred, but he doesn't imagine that a more natural reason is the answer to strange happenings.

"Have you talked again to Gaius since things escalated again?" Percy asks instead. Gaius knows magic, both in theory and in practice, though he does little of it these days. He's also one of the masterminds behind much of the plot foiling that goes on in Camelot unnoticed.

"I did," Leon nods. "He's looking into it and suspects that there be a curse of sort on me, but he has no answers yet."

Percy frowns, though he's glad the old man, and thus Merlin, is on it. "And you've looked all around the training fields and asked around about anything or anyone strange?"

From their frowns, he suspects they haven't. "We checked the fields," Elyan finally says. But there's just grass and Gaius has said that none of the equipment appears affected not even Leon's blade. We haven't asked anyone yet, though."

"The fields are rarely watched by anyone who is not us, especially the new protocols were put into place and winter fell," Gwain adds.

The demigod acknowledges that this is true but then freezes. The fields are normally off-limits to anyone who is not a trusted knight, noble, or guard and the nobles won't drift that far into the grass with the snow that was on the ground recently, but there was one person that broke that rule and Percy himself had sent her off.

He turns back to the knights, "There was that merchant woman watching you all the day I fell and broke my wrist."

Recognition sparks all around as a breath of "aha" is released.

"But why would a merchant girl curse Leon to be …. Clumsy?! He's Leon, not a malicious bone in his goody-two-shoes body!"

Sir Leon's eyebrows furrow. "That is both kind and insulting, Sir Gwain-"

"You're welcome."

"But you're sure she was from a merchant family, Percy?" he continues as if he was never interrupted.

The demigod shrugs. "She was wearing clothes of the type I've only seen on some of the wealthier merchants from the lower town. Fashionable but plainer than the castle garb."

A weary sigh is released. "I do not have any qualms with a merchant family myself, but I know my father did. He caught the fancy of a merchant girl when he was young and from what I know, they were quite smitten, but then his knighthood took over and he was kept mostly at the castle. They grew apart and eventually married my mother, a noble that King Uther introduced him to and whom he fell quickly in love with. Apparently, the girl's family was outraged and came to the castle to complain that he was engaged to be married to their daughter, that they had already lain together."

Leon's nose wrinkles, far too uncomfortable talking about things. "My father denied the absurd allegations, of course, and Uther dismissed it, only refraining from arresting the whole family for slander because my father spoke on their behalf. It was quite a mess, but also handle quite discretely for which my family was grateful. My mother only told me about it later because a merchant girl a little younger than me had spit on my mother one day in the market. Apparently, the girl from my father's childhood had been forced to marry shortly after the whole affair to maintain the family's image. She'd had a daughter but died of a weak constitution only a few years later."

After Leon is done speaking, the room falls silent. Everyone is contemplating the words spoken. Honestly, from such a noble knight with such a pristine reputation, this is probably as juicy as the gossip gets and it's only Leon's luck that his father spited the mother of a petty witch.

Percy looks around everyone, eyes creased. Only Gwain looks mildly amused at this piece of dirt he's had the joy of hearing. Finally, "If we tell Arthur, the law says that she be tried and put to death."

And that's the root of it all. How much prejudice runs through the knights of the land. Percy's glad Merlin isn't here. He wouldn't want for the servant to watch his friends say hurtful things about magic, knowing that it runs through the warlock's very veins.

Admittedly the room is quiet enough that a bug hitting the window would be noticed. No one moves as they contemplate this new revelation.

"She hasn't tried to harm me," Leon finally says and you can tell that he's uncomfortable with the thought of killing someone just because she turned him into a clumsy and terrible knight. Sure, something bad could have happened if Leon made a fatal mistake on patrol or accidentally hurt someone, but he didn't. Finally, the curly-haired man looks up at Percy, "How should we handle the situation?"

The knights shouldn't be putting so much faith in him. He knows this and he thinks they may be at least somewhat conscious of it as well and yet, he gives them his opinion on the matter anyway (after some considerable needling on their part, mind you).

That's how he and Leon ended up heading to the home of the woman who had been spying on the knights a few weeks ago. It's cold and Percy is bundled up in fur of all things, something from Leon's personal closet.

The Tapper family is one of the older merchant families, specializing in some of the more affordable wines. The family did not live all together and was instead spread out in a few different houses just outside the gate so the walk there is thankfully short.

Her name is Maria Tapper, named after a grandmother or something. Elyan was actually the one to share this information, having been introduced to them a while ago by his sister. He complained that Maria was temperamental and had insulted their late father's forge.

They're going to talk.

Oddly enough Percy is the one to recommend this course of action, pointing out that it would be more beneficial to have a witch forgive him and become an ally than trying to undermine them. He also didn't feel that killing someone was the appropriate responses and merely cited that they had much stricter laws regarding such punishments where he comes from, which isn't untrue at least. However, it's time and not the distance that has caused those shifts.

Maria isn't the one to answer. Instead, it's a shaggy-looking and shorter man. He's dressed warm and carrying a bag, likely on his way out before they knocked.

"'ello, what can I help ye with?" His voice is deep and rich, contrary to his smaller frame, and when he smiles at them Percy can imagine how difficult it is to not buy this man's wine.

Percy subtly nudges Leon forward and the knight inclines his head. "Hello, we're hoping to talk to Maria Tapper in regards to a misunderstanding we had the other day."

The man nods thoughtfully, eyes distant as he takes a moment to think. "Hope she wasn't too much trouble. She got her a mouth for sure, but she means well. I believe she'll be back from the market shortly and I don' mind waitin' with ya."

It's with some relief that two men follow the other into the house, who introduces himself as Merrick and laughs heartedly about the meaning. Instead, he claims to be of modest means with little more ambition than to be good at making wine. He even pours some of one of his favorites into a few goblets for his guests.

They accept with receiving smiles and Percy holds back a grimace as the dry small of wine wafts to his nose. He's no fond of alcohol, but at least Gabe rarely drank wine and never anything of quality from what his mother complained. Hesitantly the demigod takes a sip and is surprised to find the taste of the mulled beverages warm and full of spices. It settles nicely in his stomach as he takes another drink.

Leon strikes up a conversation with Merrick and it's only a moment before the man remembers their family. He laughs, "Yer father used to be close to ma sister, he did. She was enthralled. Sorry 'bout the trouble they caused yer lot. She was right angry about the whole mess our mum and dad made o' it. She held no grudge, ya see, but lil Maria has always listened to her grandad 'bout such things."

Percy frowns. "We heard your sister passed shortly after her daughter was born. You have my condolences."

Merrick waves him off. "Was sad and it still pulls ma heart, but she was always sickly and caught lung fever. Wasn't much to do 'bout it. She was happy 'bout her girl though and she'd loved that husband of hers anyway."

The knight shifts in understanding and his shoulders seem to straighten a bit with the knowledge that his father's old girlfriend moved on. Of course, she wouldn't have been able to teach her daughter her own version of events then.

He opens his mouth to express sadness at the woman's long-ago passing, but it's then that the daughter opens and a voice calls through the house, "I'm home, Uncle! Father said he's making a trip our to a lord's residence for a delivery and he'll be back the-"

Her voice immediately cuts off as she comes around the corner to see the three men at her kitchen table, wine goblets in hand, and fire merrily crackling in the grate.

The third and final part of The First Winter will be up shortly!