X. Sir William of Deira

When one of the squires gives the charging signal, Galahad and Gwaine both urge their horses forward, and the animals, who have already been prancing nervously, charge at each other from opposite sides of the sand covered track of the tournament arena.

Arthur watches his knights with keen eyes from the edge of the track as they both raise their wooden lances to hit the opponent's shield or armor, or if possible unhorse him. Galahad's lance swings precariously in the air in front of him, though, and Arthur shakes his head in annoyance.

"Hold your lance steady, Galahad! You have to lean forward!" he shouts, but the young knight fails to follow his instructions.

Gwaine notices that Galahad is having trouble keeping his balance, and he pulls his own lance upward instead of attacking Galahad, and so they both pass each other in the middle of the arena without engaging.

Arthur heaves a sigh as both knights rein in their horses at the end of the track, before handing over their lances and shields to their squires. When Galahad opens the visor of his helmet, he looks actually relieved to be rid of the long wooden staff again. Afterward, both knights urge their horses into a trot and ride to the edge of the track, where Arthur is waiting for them.

"Would you mind telling me what that was?" Arthur asks Galahad, shaking his head in displeasure as Galahad and Gwaine stop in front of him. "I thought you'd have gotten the hang of it by now."

Galahad doesn't meet Arthur's eyes, and he doesn't answer either.

Gwaine brushes a hand through his hair. "Maybe it's just not for him," he says, shrugging. "Face it, Arthur, he'll never make it past the preliminary round at the tournament."

Galahad has apparently already accepted that he's hopeless at jousting, and he looks at Arthur almost pleadingly. After a moment, Arthur takes a deep breath, exhaling slowly. Galahad is an excellent young knight, and Arthur can recognize much of himself in the boy. By now, Galahad has even become an outstanding swordsman, but he's a total fiasco at fighting on horseback with a lance.

"All right," Arthur finally says. "Maybe you will do better next time in three years. You're still young, so you have time to learn."

Galahad looks relieved at that, and he nods briefly, before turning his horse around and riding back to the squires, so they can take the horse back into the stable.

"Don't take it too hard, Arthur. I know you like the boy, but fighting on horseback just isn't for him," Gwaine says.

Arthur sighs again. "Yeah, I know. It's just that…" he doesn't finish the sentence, but Gwaine raises his eyebrows with a knowing grin.

"It's just that you're itching to fight in the tournament yourself. Especially since knights from almost every kingdom will be there. And therefore, you want to see one of your knights win the tournament for you at least."

It should annoy Arthur that Gwaine can see through him so easily, but it doesn't. Gwaine knows him very well, and with each day the tournament draws closer, Arthur tries harder not to let on how much it bothers him that he's not allowed to participate himself. He has always loved to compete with knights from other kingdoms to prove that he is the strongest and best of them all. Now, as king, he can't do that anymore. Even though he hadn't been able to do that in the other time during the last ten years either, there hadn't been time for tournaments because there had been real battles to fight. Now, there is peace in Camelot, and Arthur is once again in his prime.

"Who's next?" Arthur finally asks, pushing those thoughts away. He should be grateful that there's peace in Albion, and he truly is.

The tournament is going to take place in two days, and on this last day of training Arthur has his knights compete against each other to select the four of them who are going to represent Camelot in the tournament. Gwaine has already secured his place, and Leon will also be among those who will participate. As for the other two slots, Arthur will make a decision tonight. The knights Arthur will finally choose are going to be exempt from all duties from then on, and can use tomorrow to rest before the tournament begins.

Arthur turns his head to the right end of the arena, wondering what's taking the next two knights so long. He can't believe his eyes, however, when he sees who is riding into the arena in full armor on a black stallion at that moment.

Shaking his head firmly, Arthur points a finger at Morgana as she reaches him and Gwaine. "Oh no, you won't!"

"I won't do what, brother dear?" Morgana asks sweetly as she stops her horse, raising an elegant eyebrow.

Arthur glares at his sister. He allowed her to participate in training for the tournament because she had pestered him for days on end, and he eventually became tired of arguing with her. She did very well, but Arthur didn't expect her to insist on actually entering the tournament when she knows perfectly well that it's not possible.

"You're not going to fight in the tournament," Arthur says firmly. "Even if you were a knight and not a woman, you're still the Princess of Camelot. So even if you could participate, I wouldn't allow it!"

Morgana snorts disdainfully. "Oh, and I thought you wanted Camelot to win the tournament at all costs. And I'm your best chance at winning because I'm the best of your knights."

"You are not even a knight!"

Morgana lifts her chin. "Well then, you better knight me before the tournament begins."

Arthur lets out an exasperated sigh, before putting his hands on his hips. "Morgana, you know I can't do that. You're a woman."

"You made it possible for commoners to become knights," Morgana retorts in a flat tone, before glancing at Gwaine briefly. "No offense, Gwaine."

Gwaine has his hands crossed on the front of his saddle, watching the exchange between Arthur and his sister with blatant amusement. At Morgana's comment, he shakes his head with a grin on his face. "None taken."

Arthur doesn't pay Gwaine further attention, especially since he knows that Gwaine is not even a commoner. His father was a knight from Caerleon, which makes Gwaine a noble.

"Morgana," Arthur says instead, trying to regain his composure. "Camelot has had to go through many changes over the last year. Allowing women to become knights now might be one change too much."

"But we can fight just as well as you can," Morgana replies defiantly. "You know that Morgause, Isolde, and I can take on any of your knights in combat."

Arthur closes his eyes for a moment, taking a deep and calming breath, before he looks at Morgana again. "I know that, Morgana. And the knights know it too, because you train with us often enough. But that doesn't change anything. I can't change all of Camelot's fundamental laws at once. And even if I could, I would still forbid you from participating in the tournament because you are the Princess of Camelot!"

Morgana lets out a frustrated huff of breath. "When you were Prince of Camelot, you participated in dozens of tournaments, and you could have gotten injured or killed in every single one of them!"

Arthur throws his hands up in the air. "I had to do that. Father expected it from me. I had to prove myself as a knight, or no one would have taken me seriously."

"Yes, and I'm sure you hated it," Morgana replies sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"No, I did not, as you very well know," Arthur replies, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I loved competing with the other knights because I'm the best, and because I wanted our father to be proud of me. But you don't have to prove anything. I know you would like to, and believe me, I can relate to that, but if something happens to me, you will become Queen of Camelot. You must think of the kingdom. You can't risk your life in a tournament just to prove that you're as good as any man."

Morgana presses her lips together, her eyes still blazing, but she knows that Arthur is right, even though she doesn't like it. Arthur wouldn't have liked it either if his father had forbidden him from participating in tournaments for that reason. However, Uther has always been convinced that Arthur is the best – he's his son after all – and so it never occurred to him that Arthur could be injured or even killed in a tournament.

"All right, have it your way," Morgana finally says pointedly, before turning her horse and trotting back toward the stables.

Arthur shakes his head, taking a deep breath. After a moment, his gaze falls on Gwaine, who's looking at him with an amused grin on his face.

"What?" Arthur asks, tilting his head.

Gwaine shrugs. "Nothing. Don't worry about her. She'll come around," he says, before giving an amused snort. "And it's not like she actually had a chance of winning the tournament."

"Don't let her hear you say that, or she'll rip your head off," Arthur warns him. "And she's not going to do it with her magic, she'll do it with her bare hands."

Gwaine just laughs. Apparently, he thinks Arthur's warning is a joke.

"Well, she's pretty good with a sword, I'll give her that," Gwaine finally concedes. "But jousting is another matter entirely."

Arthur looks at him pointedly. "You should not underestimate Morgana, Gwaine."

Gwaine's amused grin doesn't falter, though. "Whatever you say, princess," he says with a wink. "And now let's get back to training. Leon's already here, and since he doesn't have a partner anymore, I'm happy to offer myself. I can easily go another round." With that, he turns his horse around, before riding back to his end of the arena.

Arthur watches him for another moment, frowning, before he walks over to Leon to give him a few pointers about things he noticed during yesterday's training.

Arthur enters the council chamber later that afternoon with Merlin next to him. The man who claimed to have an important message for Arthur is already waiting for them, alongside Leon, Lancelot, and Bors the Elder. Arthur recognizes the man immediately. His name is Kelda, and Uther sent him to Cornwall many years ago to join King Odin's court and keep his eyes and ears open in case Odin tried to attack Camelot or the Pendragons to avenge his son's death.

Arthur killed Odin's son in a duel after Prince Balder rode through the gates of Camelot and challenged Arthur without having a reason for it. Arthur had had no quarrel with Balder or with Odin's family, and he had tried to get Balder to withdraw the challenge. However, the young prince had refused, insisting on his right to challenge another knight to a fight to the death according to the Knight's Code. Arthur still believes that Odin must have made his son somehow believe that he had to prove himself, and to do that, he had wanted to defeat Arthur Pendragon in single combat. Balder had been an excellent swordsman, but Arthur managed to defeat him. He refused to kill Balder, though, and instead urged him to withdraw his challenge once again. Balder, however, hadn't listened, attacking Arthur before he had even finished his sentence, and when Arthur had to defend himself, a careless movement caused Arthur's sword to pierce Balder's chest.

Arthur still regrets what happened back then, because before Balder's death, Camelot and Cornwall had been allies. He pushes those thoughts away, though, as he and Merlin stop in front of Kelda. The man bows deeply, and even before he begins to speak, Arthur already knows why he has come to Camelot.

"Sire, I bring news from Odin's kingdom. Odin has put a price on your head."

Arthur merely nods, while Leon snorts in disbelief. "Surely he wouldn't dare."

Kelda's eyes narrow. "I was there in person and heard it with my own ears," he says, voice flat. "The assassin Myror accepted the bounty."

Arthur glances at Merlin, meeting his eye's briefly, and Merlin doesn't look the least bit surprised either.

"Have you heard of this Myror before, sire?" Lancelot asks, after apparently noticing the look between Arthur and Merlin.

Arthur considers his answer. Finally, he nods. "Yes, I have. But you don't have to worry, he will not reach his goal."

"You shouldn't underestimate Myror, sire," Kelda says warningly. "He's ruthless and merciless. He is the most feared assassin throughout Albion, and I believe he's heading for Camelot as we speak."

"I believe you Kelda, and I assure you, I do not underestimate Myror," Arthur replies calmly. "Thank you for coming to warn me. I know you have brought me this information at great risk to yourself."

Arthur nods to Bors, who pulls out a small leather pouch full of coins. He tosses it to Kelda, who catches it, looking pleased, before bowing to Arthur. Finally, he puts the hood of his cloak back up and follows Bors out of the council chamber.

After the double doors have closed, Leon exchanges a glance with Lancelot, before looking at Arthur and raising his eyebrows. "All right, care to fill us in?"

Merlin snorts in amusement, before answering with a small smile on his lips. "This has happened before. I know what this Myror looks like, and he's not going to get anywhere near Arthur."

"And then what?" Lancelot wants to know. "We could pay him more than Odin offered him. Maybe he would stop pursuing the bounty then."

Arthur, however, shakes his head. "No, that would be bad for his reputation. He won't go for that."

"All right. Then, I'll kill him?" Merlin proposes, his tone dispassionate, and as Arthur shakes his head, he notices Leon blinking in surprise, before fixing Merlin with an incredulous look.

"No, not if we can help it," Arthur replies. "Can you alter his memory so that he decides he no longer wants to be an assassin? He could wish to retire in a small village, get married and have children?"

Merlin shrugs. "Yeah, sure."

Leon, who hasn't taken his eyes off Merlin, stares at him in bewilderment. "You can do that?"

Merlin nods. "Yes, and I've done it twice since we arrived in this time."

"Whose memory did you alter?" Lancelot wants to know, squinting at Merlin suspiciously.

Arthur is certain that Lancelot doesn't actually think Merlin used his magic in that way on him or any of the other Knights of the Round Table, but he can see a small sliver of doubt in Lancelot's eyes nevertheless. Merlin seems to notice it as well, but what Arthur feels through their bond isn't disappointment, but rather resignation. Softly brushing Merlin's mind, Arthur lets him feel that no matter what Arthur is never going to doubt him. Merlin glances at him briefly, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Finally, he looks at Lancelot again, making a show of rolling his eyes.

"I didn't do it carelessly, believe me," Merlin says, tilting his head. "One was a sorcerer named Edwin. He wanted to kill Uther and Gaius because his parents were executed during the Great Purge. However, they'd actually been evil sorcerers who had committed crimes, so I guess the execution was at least partially justified in that case. And the second one was a former student of Gaius who had been obsessed with opening the Tomb of Ashkanar and stealing Aithusa's egg in order to use her to become rich and powerful."

Arthur watches Leon and Lancelot closely, and they both look guilty for doubting Merlin after learning that he has only ever used his powers against people who intended to harm Camelot and Arthur.

After a moment, Leon clears his throat. "I could help Merlin find this Myror," he suggests, shrugging as he looks at Merlin. "You can't be everywhere at once, and a second pair of eyes would increase our chances of finding him."

Merlin, however, shakes his head. "Thank you, but I can look for him with a magical mirror, so finding him won't be a problem. I'll take care of Myror, and you make sure there are no other incidents during the tournament. With two kings and their respective heirs visiting, and competing in the tournament yourself, you'll have your hands full, I assume."

"He's right, Leon," Arthur says, and Leon nods in agreement, while Arthur turns to Merlin. "But Leon's not wrong, either. This Myror is very dangerous, and I don't want you to face him alone. I'm sure he'll bribe one of the guards or a servant to figure out the best way to get to me. Someone will talk to him, I'm under no illusions about that. And that person will tell him that he can only get to me if he gets you out of the way first, which makes you a target as well. That's why I want Nimueh to help you take care of Myror."

Merlin raises his eyebrows. "I don't need Nimueh's help," he states flatly. "Myror doesn't have magic. I can easily deal with him on my own."

Arthur, however, tilts his head, casting Merlin a long look. "Do it for my peace of mind, then, please."

For a moment, Merlin looks like he wants to argue, but something in Arthur's eyes must have stopped him, because eventually he sighs, before giving a shrug. "Fine."

"But how do you want to explain to Nimueh how you know what this Myror looks like?" Lancelot wonders, and Arthur has to admit that Lancelot has a point. They both look at Merlin with raised eyebrows.

Merlin, however, grins. "That shouldn't be a problem. She thinks the Crystal of Neahtid shows me the future."

It's still early the next morning, and although the sun has only just risen, the castle as well as the town is already bustling with activity. Everything is being prepared for the beginning of the tournament tomorrow, and visitors from all over the land have arrived to watch the spectacle. During the last few days, knights from several kingdoms had set up their colorful tents outside the arena, taking advantage of the opportunity to assess their opponents, and to train in the arena in preparation for the joust.

Arthur is already on his feet as well, and on his way down to the throne room to make sure that everything is arranged for the arrival of their esteemed guests. Later today, King Llywarch and his son Prince Owain are going to arrive from Dyfed, accompanied by their best knights. Dyfed is a small kingdom west of Camelot, and large parts of the land are located directly by the sea. The kingdom shares its largest border with King Godwyn's kingdom Gawant, and Godwyn, Llywarch and Uther have been allies for many years. Arthur, along with his father, once traveled to Dyfed, and he still remembers the rough and rocky coastlines and the wind whipping across the green plains.

Prince Owain is not going to participate in the tournament, because he's three years younger than Morgana, and therefore hasn't come of age yet. He is the youngest of Llywarch's two children, and his older sister Elen is already married to a lord from the south of Dyfed. If rumors are to be believed, it was a purely political marriage to secure Llywarch's control over an important region at the southern coast of his kingdom.

King Llywarch has already informed Arthur that he's certain that one of the knights representing Dyfed is going to win the tournament in the end. Arthur, however, is confident that one of his four knights will be victorious. Gwaine is undoubtedly the best of them, but he's also impulsive and reckless, which results in him being a bit too sure of himself at times, risking unnecessary hits just to be able to land a hit himself. Leon is the most level-headed of Camelot's knights, always opting for a tactical approach, and apart from sheer skill and dexterity, that's not to be underestimated. Arthur is also placing his hopes in the young Lamorak. The nephew of Lady Trudith has proven to be very skilled with the lance, and unlike Lancelot, whom Arthur has also chosen to represent the Knights of Camelot, Lamorak has no qualms about unhorsing an opponent. In Arthur's opinion, the knights from the other kingdoms won't stand a chance, and he hopes that Camelot's knights will only meet in the later rounds and then decide who wins among each other.

Besides King Llywarch and his son, Arthur has also invited King Rodor and his daughter Princess Mithian from Nemeth, a kingdom on the southern border of Camelot. He had planned to ask Princess Mithian and her father to visit Camelot later in the spring anyway, and the tournament gave him the perfect occasion to extend an invitation. While he won't have much time for Princess Mithian during the tournament, King Rodor has already announced his intention to stay in Camelot for a few days after the tournament to discuss the dispute regarding Gedref. Uther has always claimed older rights to the small area at the border between the two kingdoms, and although Gedref has belonged to Camelot for years now, inhabitants from Nemeth still live there. Arthur intends to put a swift end to this dispute by conceding Gedref to King Rodor. The only reason Rodor wants Gedref is to demonstrate strength to his lords and especially to the neighboring kingdoms. He's an old man, and he wants to leave his daughter Mithian and his son Edric the legacy of a strong kingdom.

Last time, Arthur agreed to marry Princess Mithian to settle the dispute over Gedref and strengthen both kingdoms. However, if he decides to take Mithian as his wife this time, he will do it out of love, and not to end a decade-old feud over some unimportant strip of land.

In the other time Princess Mithian has been a beautiful young woman, warm-hearted, funny and intelligent, and Arthur believes that he could have loved her if his heart had not already belonged to his Guinevere back then. When he has a chance to get to know Mithian better after the tournament, he's going to find out if that's still the case. However, in this time, Mithian has only just turned 18, so she might be different from the 23-year-old Mithian that Arthur had known in the other time.

Arthur turns a corner, and he's about to descend the first steps of the staircase, when he hears hurried footsteps behind him.

"Arthur!"

After pausing and turning around, Arthur spots Leon coming toward him from the other side of the corridor.

"There you are," Leon says, once he has reached Arthur. "I've been looking for you. Tristan and Isolde have just returned from their patrol, and they bring news you need to hear."

Arthur looks at Leon expectantly, but Leon waits until two servants have walked past them down the stairs before continuing. "Apparently, some farmers living a few miles from the village Howden have reported that they've seen giant black scorpions roaming their fields. The beasts have already killed several sheep, and they're heading in the direction of the village."

Arthur stares at Leon, dumbfounded. "They killed sheep? How big were these scorpions?!" he asks, but Leon shakes his head.

"I don't know. That's all Isolde told me in the courtyard earlier. She and Tristan are waiting for you in the council chamber."

Arthur nods, before following Leon down the stairs. When they enter the council chamber, Tristan and Isolde are waiting for them, and they brief Arthur quickly on what the villagers have told them.

Finally, Arthur crosses his arms in front of his chest. "And you are sure that these reports are reliable?" he asks suspiciously.

Isolde, however, nods without hesitating. "Yes, I believe so. We should act quickly before these creatures decide that the villagers of Howden make a better meal than the sheep of the farmers they passed."

Arthur looks at Isolde skeptically for another long moment, but news of giant scorpions as big as horses isn't the strangest thing he's ever heard, and he can't imagine anyone making something like that up. For a scorpion to get that big, though, there must be magic involved. Either these beasts are magical creatures and reach such a size naturally, or a sorcerer's experiment has gone terribly wrong. Arthur hopes that it's the former.

"Damn it," he curses quietly. He can't and won't turn his back on those villagers, but he also can't round up his knights and Merlin and ride off to hunt down the giant scorpions – not while King Rodor, King Llywarch, Princess Mithian, Prince Owain, and over a dozen knights from the other kingdoms are in Camelot for the tournament.

Tristan seems to guess his thoughts. "Don't worry, Arthur. Let us take care of this. Not all your knights are taking part in the tournament, after all," he says with a meaningful look.

Arthur knows that he means Isolde and himself in particular. He had refused to even participate in training for the tournament, saying that he has no sympathy for such silly knight's stuff. Isolde is a woman, and therefore can't participate at all, since she cannot even officially become part of the knighthood. Arthur knows that he can count on Isolde and every single one of his knights, but that's probably not going to be enough in this case.

"I know that," he replies. "But we need magic to deal with these beasts. Scorpions the size of horses must be magical creatures. I can't spare Merlin at the moment, though. He's my Court Sorcerer, and the two kings that are going to arrive today have been watching Camelot suspiciously due to the changes that occurred last year."

"We have other powerful sorcerers here in Camelot," Isolde points out with a shrug.

She's right about that, of course, but strictly speaking, none of them have ever promised Arthur that they would fight for him. However, they have already risked their lives to protect Camelot when they accompanied Merlin to the Isle of the Blessed on Samhain to open the veil between the worlds. A handful of giant scorpions shouldn't be a big deal compared to that. Arthur, however, isn't going to order any of them to join this venture. Balinor has done more than enough for Camelot, and as for Ruadan, Arthur has to think of Sefa, since Ruadan can't do it himself because of the spell that compels him to follow Merlin's orders. And since Arthur wants to keep Nimueh here to help Merlin search for Myror, that leaves only Morgause, because Arthur needs Morgana by his side during the tournament just as much as he needs Merlin.

A short time later, Morgause and Merlin enter the council chamber as requested by Arthur. To his surprise, Morgana is with them as well. Tristan and Isolde tell them what they've already told Arthur and Leon, and by the time they've finished, Merlin's gaze has darkened.

"They're called Serkets," he finally says. "Their sting is highly poisonous, and they live deep in the forest. It's unusual for them to come so close to one of the villages. Normally, they don't leave their territory."

"That's true," Morgause agrees. "We need to find out what caused them to come near Howden."

Arthur nods, before taking a deep breath. "All right, since I can't leave Camelot right now, and I need Merlin here, I want to ask you to take care of this, Morgause if you're willing. Tristan, Isolde, and Galahad will accompany you."

Morgause nods. "I'll do it. But there is no reason for Galahad to accompany us. Swords are useless against Serkets. I would like to take Morgana with us, instead."

"I have invited two of the neighboring kings to the tournament," Arthur replies, shaking his head. "I need the Princess of Camelot by my side."

Morgause gives him a hard look, though. "Nimueh and I have trained her well and Morgana is the most powerful of us, except for Merlin. If those creatures near Howden are actually Serkets, then I will need Morgana's help."

Before Arthur can protest, Merlin shoots him a sidelong glance. "She's right, Arthur," he says, and in his mind he adds, "I don't like it, either, but I've dealt with Serkets before. And I needed Kilgharrah's help then to get out of that situation. I have to stay here because we have to show King Llywarch and King Rodor that I'm not a mad sorcerer who has taken control of you and is now pulling the strings in Camelot. But if Morgause says she's going to need Morgana's help, then you should let her go. I'm sure we can think of something to explain her absence. Or you can ask Nimueh to accompany Morgause instead. I can deal with Myror on my own."

Arthur suppresses the impulse to grimace as Merlin so aptly sums up why he has to stay in Camelot. Of course, that's the real reason, but Arthur would rather interpret it as Merlin showing the two kings that as Court Sorcerer, he's capable of ensuring that Camelot remains a peaceful and stable kingdom, even if magic can be practiced openly from now on.

And if he has to decide between explaining Morgana's absence to King Rodor and King Llywarch, and having Merlin take care of the assassin on his own – because unlike Nimueh, Morgana can't walk around town when she's supposed to be in the castle helping Arthur entertain the other kings – he's going to choose the former.

Now, Arthur is kind of glad that he hasn't told Morgana about Myror, because otherwise she would probably refuse to accompany Morgause. They've decided to keep the bounty Odin put on Arthur's head a secret, confident that Merlin and Nimueh can deal with it without worrying anyone else and probably alerting Myror to the fact that they know he's coming. Besides, this tournament is important for Camelot's reputation, and Arthur had already had a hard time convincing Lancelot and Leon to participate despite the threat to Arthur's life, so he decided not to tell Morgana because she would have undoubtedly insisted on canceling the tournament altogether.

Finally, Arthur closes his eyes, exhaling heavily. "All right," he says. "If you leave right away, you might be back for the feast at the end of the tournament. I will tell King Llywarch and King Rodor that Morgana must attend to an urgent matter concerning… one of the lords in the south."

Morgana raises an eyebrow in amusement. "An urgent matter?"

Arthur shrugs, unable to think of a better explanation at the moment, but he still has a little time to come up with something, after all. Finally, he looks at Tristan, Isolde, Morgana, and Morgause for a long moment.

"Please, be careful out there."

"We will," Morgana promises.

Arthur nods, knowing that he's sending them off to a real fight, while the Knights of Camelot will only fight for the sake of glory and honor.

Once Morgana, Morgause, Tristan, and Isolde have left, and the door of the council chamber has closed behind them, Arthur turns to Merlin to address the matter of the assassin.

"Is Myror here yet?"

Merlin shakes his head, however. "No. I searched for him this morning, but he's still a few miles away in a small village. Perhaps he needs more time to prepare for the mission than Kelda assumed."

Considering that, Arthur nods thoughtfully. "All right, then. Keep an eye on him. As soon as he sets foot in the city, I want you and Nimueh to take care of him."

Merlin nods. "We will," he assures Arthur firmly.

Lancelot checks the buckles of the bridle, his sturdy chestnut mare waiting patiently next to him, unperturbed by the bustling activity in the courtyard outside the stables. His new squire, Thomas, watches with a concerned look on his face, as Lancelot reviews his work. Moving on to the buckles on the saddle's breastplate, Lancelot tests if the straps are tight enough, and after a moment he decides to tighten one of them. Finally, Lancelot glances over at Thomas, giving the boy an encouraging smile. He hasn't done anything wrong.

"The leather has softened from use, so we should tighten this strap a hole from now on," he explains, and the boy breathes a sigh of relief, before nodding dutifully.

Next to Lancelot, Gwaine is waiting for his own squire to finish saddling his horse, and bring it out of the stables so he and Lancelot can make their way down to the arena with some time left to warm up their horses before the preliminary round of the tournament begins. When Lancelot glances over at him, he sees Gwaine shaking his head with an amused smile on his lips.

"You're far too lenient with the boy, Lancelot."

Lancelot can't help snorting at that. He knows better than to take Gwaine seriously. His new squire doesn't know that, though, and the boy's eyes widen, before flickering from Lancelot to Gwaine and back again.

"Thomas, please go and see why Gwaine's squire is taking so long."

The boy nods, before running off into the stable, grateful to have escaped the attention of the two knights.

"Stop scaring my squire," Lancelot says with a disapproving frown.

Gwaine grins. "But it's so much fun to scare them. Their eyes become huge, and when they look at me, I feel really important and grown up. And if they want to become knights, they're going to have to stop acting like scared little girls at some point."

Lancelot shakes his head slightly, but he can't help smiling. He is about to say something in return when he hears a voice behind him.

"Good morning, Sir Lancelot, Sir Gwaine."

Lancelot turns around and spots Guinevere walking toward them. She's wearing a dark red dress embroidered with flowers at the collar and hem, and her dark hair is braided like a crown around her head. She looks stunning, and Lancelot stares at her for a long moment, before he remembers his manners and hastily bows as she stops in front of him.

Behind him, Lancelot can hear Gwaine's amused snort. "I'll go and see what's taking our squires so long. Good morning, Gwen."

Guinevere watches Gwaine leave, trying to hide her smile, and after a moment, the sound of Gwaine's footsteps has disappeared.

Lancelot can feel himself blushing because he bowed before Guinevere in such a formal way, but he's convinced that she deserves to be treated like a lady.

"Good morning, Guinevere," he finally says.

Guinevere looks at him with an affectionate smile on her lips. They have spent a lot of time together during the winter, and they've slowly gotten closer during that time. Lancelot is still overjoyed that Guinevere returns his feelings, but all at once he remembers last night. He went to her house to spend the evening with her, but Guinevere turned him away at the door. However, Lancelot is certain that he didn't imagine the closeness they shared during the long dark hours sitting in front of the fireplace in Guinevere's house while the land outside was covered in snow.

His thoughts must have been visible on his face, because Guinevere drops her gaze, looking guilty. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior last night, Lancelot. It's just that I wasn't expecting you and…" she breaks off, grimacing.

Lancelot presses his lips together as he thinks he knows what she's trying to tell him. "I understand," he says curtly.

Guinevere shakes her head, though, before stepping forward and placing a hand on his arm. "No, you don't. It's not like that. There is no other man. There's only you. I don't want to lie to you, but I can't tell you why I couldn't let you in yesterday."

There's a pleading look in her eyes, and Lancelot senses that she's telling the truth. He's glad that his worst fear has not come true, and all at once he feels guilty for suspecting that she's been cheating on him.

Lancelot reaches for Guinevere's hand on his arm and lifts it up to his lips. Looking at her with a tender smile, he presses a gentle kiss to her fingers. "There's only you for me as well. And there always will be."

A bright and happy smile appears on Guinevere's lips and after Lancelot releases her hand, she reaches into a small pouch at her belt to pull out a thick white ribbon. It's made of a soft fabric, with lace at the sides and red embroidery in the middle. Guinevere looks at Lancelot sheepishly as she holds it out to him. "I thought you could wear it at the tournament. For good luck."

Lancelot accepts the ribbon, a warm, happy feeling rising inside him as he looks at the tournament ribbon that is going to show everyone that he's riding for a lady who has given him her favor.

"Thank you, Guinevere," he says, attaching the ribbon to the belt over his tunic so that it will be visible during the tournament. "I'll do my best to win the tournament. For you."

Guinevere smiles fondly. "I don't care if you win or not. I already know you are the bravest and most honorable knight in all the lands."

Lancelot returns her smile, before leaning down and brushing their lips together. His hands come up to cradle her face and Guinevere sighs softly, before putting her hands on his hips. Lancelot could have lost himself in the kiss, but the sound of hoofbeats on the cobblestone of the courtyard causes them to break apart again, and Guinevere steps backward.

Turning his head, Lancelot sees Gwaine exiting the stable with his horse and their two squires. The grin on Gwaine's face tells Lancelot that he saw what he just interrupted, and Lancelot can't help but blush a little.

When Gwaine reaches them, he stops next to Lancelot, clapping a hand on his shoulder in a companionable gesture.

"Come on, let's go. We have a tournament to compete in," he says. Then he notices the tournament ribbon on Lancelot's belt, and he looks at Guinevere with a dramatic sigh. "I'd really love to tell you that Lancelot will win the tournament for you, Gwen, but I'm afraid I can't let that happen. After all, he already got you, so he needs to learn that he can't have it all."

Lancelot rolls his eyes, but Guinevere laughs. "We'll see who wins the tournament in the end," she says generously. "You're very skilled with your lance, Sir Gwaine, but I know from my own personal experience that Sir Lancelot is a true master in that regard."

She looks at Gwaine with a sly grin, while Lancelot feels his face turn pink again. After a moment, Guinevere takes a step forward, stands on tiptoes and kisses him briefly, before turning around and walking toward the gates.

Merlin walks up the wooden steps to the elevated bleachers behind Arthur, while the musicians in the arena below sound a fanfare on their trumpets to announce the king's entrance. Behind Merlin follow Uther and Lady Trudith, as well as King Rodor, Princess Mithian, King Llywarch and his son Prince Owain. Bringing up the rear are the members of Arthur's council and some of the knights that aren't participating in the tournament.

On high poles above the bleachers the red banners of the Pendragons are moving leisurely in the light breeze, and the golden dragon is glinting in the sunlight. It's a bright morning, and every last seat in the tournament arena is filled by spectators, many of them waving small flags, but all of them eager to watch the best knights of the realms fight for honor and glory.

All the knights participating in the tournament are already assembled in the arena. They sit on their horses, side by side in a long row, clad in their colorful tunics, and in front of each of them stands a squire holding a small shield with the crest of the knight's noble family.

When Merlin and Arthur reach the pavilion put up for the king, his family and his guests, Merlin sits down on the chair to Arthur's right. Uther and Lady Trudith sit behind Arthur, while the chair to Arthur's left, where Morgana should sit, stays empty. Arthur remains standing in front of his throne, letting his gaze wander over the crowd and the knights in the arena until the trumpets fall silent again.

"Knights of the realms," he begins. "Welcome to Camelot. You've trained for this day for many years. This tournament will put your bravery and your skill to the test. Today you will fight for glory and honor, for this is the ultimate test of courage. It will be the measure of you as men. For only the most skillful and the most fearless among you will emerge as the worthy champion. Let the tournament begin!"

From the corner of his eye, Arthur can see Merlin searching the bleachers on the opposite side of the arena, while the spectators anxiously watch the next two knights down below getting ready to compete against each other. Just like Merlin, Arthur is certain that Myror will use the preliminary round this morning to get an overview and devise a plan for how best to get to Arthur in order to kill him.

When Merlin was searching for the assassin with his magic this morning, Myror had just entered town, joining the people on their way to the arena to watch the tournament.

Merlin can't seem to spot Myror on the other side of the arena, though, and turning away from the joust to search their side of the bleachers would be too conspicuous, so Merlin finally turns his attention back to the two knights getting ready to compete down below. When Arthur does the same, he just sees the two knights spur on their horses to charge toward each other.

The knight on the right side, wearing a green tunic and riding a magnificent white horse, comes from the Kingdom of Kent, and he makes short work of his opponent. By leaning to the side at the last moment, he dodges the lance of the other knight, who is sitting in the saddle of a black horse. At the same time, the knight from Kent manages to strike his opponent's yellow and black shield with his own lance. Just as designed for that, the thin, light wood of the lance's tip bursts and cracks on impact to prevent serious injuries. The knight on the black horse is thrown backward by the force of the impact, but he manages to hold onto his saddle, reigning his horse back in at the end of the arena.

The crowd cheers loudly and while the two knights disappear briefly to hand their lances and horses to their squires, the next two knights are already entering the arena.

"The winner of this encounter is Sir Richard of Canterbury!" Dagonet announces as herald of the tournament. He's standing on a wooden platform on one end of the arena, and the crowd cheers with excitement as the victorious knight from Kent, now without his helmet and his white horse, enters the track once more on foot to be celebrated by the crowd.

Sir Richard is a middle-aged man with black hair and a black beard on his chin and upper lip, and he only waves briefly to the crowd. Meanwhile, Dagonet hangs a small black plaque next to the knight's red and green crest on the large board to indicate that he has already won a match in his group during the preliminary round.

Arthur feels the brush of Merlin's mind against his as the next two knights get ready to compete in the arena. He can always feel Merlin's mind at the edge of his awareness, and it's a warm presence that has become his constant companion.

"I can't find Myror, but I'm sure he must be here somewhere."

Arthur thinks about what they should do now. Meanwhile, he watches the two knights on their horses charge at each other – as king, he doesn't want to appear disrespectful – but his mind is elsewhere.

"Keep looking. I'll excuse you from dinner with the other kings early, so you and Nimueh can take care of Myror. But please, be careful."

Arthur senses the hint of a smile from Merlin, accompanied by a comforting warmth.

"I promise you that we will be careful. You have nothing to worry about."

Arthur is about to reply when Dagonet's words down in the arena reach his ears. "The winner of this encounter is Sir William of Deira!"

Hearing that name, Arthur abruptly turns his attention back to the joust.

"What?!" he blurts in disbelief while the crowd in the arena is cheering loudly. The two knights have already left, and it takes a few moments for the winner of this match to reappear. When Sir William of Deira finally enters the arena again without his horse and his helmet this time, Arthur gapes at the brown-haired man in his blue tunic.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

He turns around to look at Merlin, but apparently Merlin has neither heard Dagonet's announcement nor spotted the man, who is now starting to wave at the crowd tentatively.

"What's wrong?" Merlin asks in confusion, brows furrowed.

Arthur is about to answer, but he remembers just in time that they should better not have this conversation aloud.

"This guy, Sir William of Deira is most definitely not a knight!"

Merlin's gaze wanders to the right side of the arena, and when he sees the man that is supposed to be Sir William of Deira, his eyes widen. "Wait a minute, isn't that…?!"

"Yes!" Arthur replies. "It's the peasant we hired in the other time to play me in this very tournament, so no one would treat me differently because I was the prince!"

"But what is he doing here?" Merlin asks, head tilted to the side. "He can't actually be a knight this time. Or can he?"

Arthur snorts as he remembers the man. Only after they had washed him thoroughly and put him in clean clothes had he looked half-decent. That hadn't changed the fact that he hadn't been the sharpest sword in the armory, though. Besides, he was nothing more than a poor peasant whom they had paid to pretend to be a knight and wave to the crowd, while Arthur had been the one who actually competed in the tournament.

Arthur shakes his head. "I can't imagine that he's actually a knight. I mean…" but he trails off as a terrible suspicion arises inside him. "Oh, no."

Merlin looks at him with concern. "What is it?"

Arthur shakes his head in disbelief, but the longer he thinks about it, the more certain he becomes that he's right.

"Morgana," he curses. "She did the exact same thing we did back then. There have never been any Serkets who have killed sheep near Howden. She, Isolde, and Morgause made it all up! Tristan must have been in on it, and I bet Guinevere knows too. And they hired the same peasant we did back then to do the public performances. They're probably sleeping in Guinevere's house too, just like we did!"

"You're saying that Morgana is competing in the tournament as Sir William of Deira?" Merlin asks dumbfounded, and Arthur takes a moment to nod absentmindedly at the next two knights in the arena, before turning his head to Merlin and fixing him with a grim expression on his face.

"I'll bet my crown on it." He snorts, shaking his head. "I just can't believe it. If she actually wins, she's probably going to reveal her identity to the crowd and try to force me to accept women as knights. She's the Princess of Camelot, what was she thinking?!"

Merlin looks at him skeptically. "But is she good enough that she could actually win?"

Arthur scowls. "Yes, she is. She managed to convince Leon to train with her in secret back when we were kids, because she wanted to prove that she could beat me at jousting, too. Uther was furious when he found out and from then on, he made sure that none of the knights would let Morgana persuade them to practice with her anymore, be it with a lance or with a sword. Although knights like Leon or Ector should be far superior in terms of experience, she was pretty good at training for the tournament last week. I should have known she wouldn't just back down when she rode into the arena for the final selection of the knights. And now she's competing in the tournament behind my back to prove to everyone that she's as good as any man!"

"Well, she is, isn't she?" Merlin says, and Arthur glares at him.

"That's not the point! I told her I couldn't make another change of that magnitude so soon. Not after I've already changed so much in such a short time."

Merlin is silent for a long moment, and Arthur grits his teeth, watching the joust in the arena below.

Finally, he hears Merlin's voice in his head again. "So, what do we do now?"

"Nothing," Arthur replies flatly. "There's nothing we can do without causing a scandal."

"I guess not, no," Merlin admits thoughtfully.

Arthur watches as one of the knights down below unhorses his opponent, and the crowd cheers as the other knight hits the ground hard a moment later.

"Thank the gods you've put protective spells on all the knights, their shields, and their armor," Arthur says with a snort. "I don't think Morgana would be foolish enough to enter the tournament without casting a protection spell on herself, but it's better to be safe than sorry."

"Shall I strengthen the spell I cast on her?" Merlin offers, but Arthur shakes his head with a barely perceptible movement of his head.

"Oh, no. If she gets hit, it only serves her right to get a few bruises."

During the preliminary round that morning, Morgana has another fight against a knight from Nemeth, whom she unhorses in the first course. Since this knight from Nemeth has therefore already lost his second match in the preliminary round, his chances of making it to the next round as the winner of his group are slim.

There are five knights in each of the four groups, and they all compete against each other in the preliminary round. To win a match, a knight has to score at least one point, so he has to either land a hit to the armor or the shield of his opponent, or to unhorse the other knight.

During lunch in the castle, Arthur, Prince Owain, and King Rodor enter into a passionate discussion about which of the knights they have already seen in the arena might have the best chance of winning the tournament. Prince Owain argues that Sir William of Deira has shown considerable skill, even if he is not from his own kingdom Dyfed. Arthur still places his hopes in Gwaine and Lamorak, but he has to admit grudgingly that Sir William of Deira has fought well so far.

In the afternoon, Morgana manages to enter the next round as the winner of her group after she defeated her next two opponents with superior skill. Leon, who is also in her group, managed to win his fight against Morgana, but since he himself has already lost two of his fights before that, Morgana scored the most points in that group by winning four of her fights.

Arthur notices Merlin glancing at him as the crowd cheers Sir William of Deira after he won his fourth match by unhorsing his opponent.

"That was very good," Merlin comments, watching Arthur's reaction cautiously.

Arthur doesn't answer. Instead, he eyes the peasant standing at the edge of the arena with his helmet under his arm, waving to the people in the bleachers. The guy has become increasingly confident in his role by now, Arthur has to give him that.

"Do you think she could actually win the tournament?" Merlin asks across their bond after a moment.

"We'll see," Arthur replies vaguely, before focusing on the next two knights, who are getting ready to compete against each other in the arena.

A/N

Odin's son did not have a name. Balder, according to Wikipedia, was a son of Odin in the Edda.

I made up Edric as Rodor's son, so someone could rule the kingdom later.