XI. A Lesson in Deception
Merlin pulls the hood of his cloak down a bit further as a man exits one of the taverns, stepping out onto the street. He's coming in Merlin's direction, but he passes Merlin by without noticing him, partly because the man is probably in a hurry to get home at this late hour, and partly because of the spell that makes Merlin appear inconspicuous and harmless. There are only a few people out on the streets of the Lower Town, but Merlin didn't want to risk being recognized.
After the preliminary round of the tournament this afternoon – in which Morgana as well as Gwaine and Lamorak emerged as the winners of their groups and entered the next round together with Sir Richard of Canterbury – Merlin went back to the castle, and once again searched for Myror with the help of his magic and a small bowl of water. He was lucky this time, because at that moment the assassin just paid for a room in one of the taverns in the Lower Town. It was the Golden Jug Tavern and Inn, for Merlin recognized the innkeeper. After paying for the room, Myror went upstairs to the first floor, and to a door on the right side of the small hallway.
Before Merlin could head to the Lower Town to take out the assassin, however, he had to attend dinner that evening, and although Arthur made excuses for Merlin as soon as possible, it was nearly midnight by the time he finally left the castle. Not wanting to bother Nimueh at this late hour and confident that he could take care of Myror perfectly well on his own, Merlin hadn't asked her to accompany him.
Merlin turns a corner, before walking down a narrow street to his right, and from there he can already see the tavern's sign hanging above a nondescript wooden door. When he enters the taproom, there are only a few patrons still sitting at the tables, and although a few of them turn their heads when the door opens, they look away again the next moment without actually noticing Merlin. The innkeeper, who is standing behind the counter, also looks up, but he only does so briefly, his gaze simply wandering over Merlin, before he turns back to polishing the tankard in his hand.
No one stops Merlin as he walks to the stairs at the back of the taproom. He climbs the steps and enters the narrow hallway, sparsely lit only by a single, nearly burned-down candle in a wall mount. After reaching the landing, Merlin pulls back the hood of his cloak to get a better view of his surroundings. The doors to the guest rooms on either side of the hallway are all closed, and Merlin casts a spell to ensure that his footsteps don't make a sound on the wooden floorboards. With a wave of his hand, he extinguishes the candle on the wall, and the hallway falls dark. Because of his magic, however, Merlin can easily see in the darkness, and he walks to the second door on the right, before opening it silently due to another spell.
Faint moonlight falls through the tiny window opposite the door, and Merlin slowly enters the small room. A narrow bed stands in the right corner, and the outline of a body is visible under the woolen blanket. Merlin closes the door behind him without taking his eyes off the bed. However, just as he is about to turn his head to survey the entire room, he feels his magic flaring up, reacting to a threat. A thud sounds behind him as his magic flings his attacker against the wall, but before Merlin can react further or turn around, he feels a prick on the right side of his neck.
Suddenly, the spell allowing Merlin to see in the dark fails, and only the pale moonlight falling through the murky windowpane allows Merlin to still see something. Hands grab him from behind and Merlin's blood runs cold, as he realizes that Myror must have waited behind the door; the bulge under the covers was just a distraction. Merlin tries to fight back, but his muscles no longer obey him, and a shiver of dread runs down his spine as his arms and legs go numb an instant later. If Myror was not supporting him from behind, he would have slumped to the ground. A moment later, Merlin hears a soft voice close to his ear.
"I had actually intended to take care of you tomorrow, Court Sorcerer. Everything was prepared to take you out of the game, so I would have all the time I needed to deal with your king. I planned for this eventuality as well, though, and I'm not complaining about this development. It allows me to reach my goal even faster than I expected."
Without being able to resist, Merlin is slowly lowered to the ground, where he remains lying with his head turned to the side. His gaze is fixed on the dark floorboards, and part of the wall on the other side of the room, and he can neither turn his head nor move his eyes. The only movements his body is still capable of are the reflexes to breathe and to blink.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Myror says quietly from above, and a pair of leather boots step into Merlin's field of vision. "This poison comes from a distant land, and I have been assured that not only is it strong enough to immobilize a man instantly with a single drop, but it's also not detectable by magic and capable of stripping a sorcerer of his powers. And it works splendidly, I see."
Fear floods Merlin as he realizes that Myror is right. He can't move, nor can he reach his magic. When he tries, it feels like a thick, sticky layer is covering it, effectively blocking him and not allowing him to cast a spell. However, he can't be completely cut off from his magic, because then he would already be on the brink of death, as it had been the case with the magical shackles last year.
Myror crouches down next to him, and Merlin sees the flash of a blade. If Myror kills him now, they would find out if Merlin is indeed immortal. From one moment to the next, everything could be over. Merlin curses himself for his arrogance. He only told Arthur that he was heading to a tavern in the Lower Town, but there are several taverns in the Lower Town. And he should have taken Nimueh with him instead of thinking he could deal with Myror on his own just because the assassin doesn't possess magic. He had done exactly what Kelda had warned them of: he had underestimated Myror.
Even knowing that it isn't going to work, Merlin tries to contact Arthur through their bond to warn him that Myror is coming for him, but although he can feel the connection between them, the impenetrable, sticky mass covering his magic prevents him from reaching Arthur.
Bracing himself, Merlin waits for Myror to kill him, but the assassin merely grabs Merlin's hand and pricks his index finger with the tip of a dagger.
"Don't worry, I won't kill you," Myror says, as if guessing Merlin's thoughts. "After all, no one paid me to do that. But someone might want you dead at a later time, so it would be foolish of me to kill you now."
Myror's hand with the dagger disappears for a moment, and when it comes back into Merlin's field of vision, the assassin is holding a transparent crystal hanging from a silver chain, the smooth surface catching the moonlight. Taking Merlin's finger, Myror coats the crystal with Merlin's blood.
Merlin has seen a crystal just like this before. Back in the other time, two bandits used such crystals to transform themselves into knights to participate in a melee tournament in Camelot. All of a sudden, Merlin realizes what Myror's plan is, and he cries out inwardly, but no sound escapes his throat. The crystal will transform Myror into Merlin's image, and allow the assassin to get close to Arthur in order to kill him. And Merlin is powerless to warn Arthur or to stop Myror.
After a moment, Merlin hears the rustling of clothes as Myror stands up again. "Your king will not survive the night, unfortunately," he says, not sounding sorry at all. "And the amount of gold I will receive for his death will more than compensate me for all my expenses and the preparations I had to make in order to take care of you."
A moment later, Merlin hears footsteps on the floor and then the sound of the door being opened and closed again, while he can do nothing but lie motionless on the wooden floor of the tavern, deprived of his magic.
By the time Arthur nods to the two guards standing outside his chamber, it's well past midnight. He's tired, and his shoulders are tense from sitting for such long hours, first watching the tournament, and then attending dinner, and even though he knows it's not going to do any good, he rubs a hand over the muscles on the side of his neck.
Entering his room, Arthur notices that Merlin is back already. The candles have been lit, and Merlin is standing next to the fireplace, where a small fire is burning.
Arthur strips off his fine red leather jacket, draping it over the back of one of the chairs at the table in the antechamber, before removing his crown from his head and placing it on the tabletop. Rubbing his forehead, he's certain the metal band has left marks.
"Did you take care of Myror?" he finally asks, glancing at Merlin.
Merlin nods. "Yes, I did."
"Then why didn't you come back to the dining room? Instead of waiting here and leaving me alone with King Rodor and King Llywarch?" Arthur wants to know, sullenly.
Dinner with the two other kings has not been unpleasant, but it has been a long day, and Arthur had almost forgotten how exhausting it can be to play the role of attentive and courteous host to royal guests.
"I'm sorry," Merlin replies, but it sounds off, and Arthur squints at him skeptically.
"Is everything all right?"
Merlin, however, smiles and gives a carefree shrug. "Yes, of course."
Arthur eyes him doubtfully, because something about this is not right. It sounds like a lie, but Merlin never lies to him, nor does he hide his true thoughts from Arthur. He doesn't have to anymore, and it's not possible anyway due to the connection between them. Instinctively, Arthur reaches down their bond trying to brush Merlin's mind, but he pauses when he suddenly encounters a thick and sticky mass blocking his way.
Merlin still has that strange smile on his lips as he walks around the table toward Arthur.
By now, Arthur is sure that something is wrong, and he calls Merlin's name in his mind as loud as he can, but Merlin doesn't respond, nor does he visibly react. Before Arthur can think of what to do now, however, Merlin suddenly lunges at him, and only thanks to his instincts honed by years of combat training, is Arthur able to step to the side in time. An instant later the dagger, that Merlin is suddenly holding in his hand, would have slashed open Arthur's throat. The next moment, Merlin already attacks him with another swing, and Arthur barely has time to react. He manages to dodge, but he collides with the table and staggers sideways. Grabbing one of the chairs next to him with both hands to regain his balance, Arthur pushes the chair toward Merlin with his next movement. Merlin kicks the chair out of the way with a cold and determined expression in his eyes, and Arthur continues to stumble backward as Merlin comes after him, dagger raised, poised to strike.
With a quick glance, Arthur looks around for something he can use to defend himself, and he spots Excalibur in its scabbard on the table beneath the window. Arthur extends a hand to call the sword to him with magic, but he bumps against that thick, sticky wall again and nothing happens. He can't reach Merlin's magic, and apparently neither can Merlin, or he wouldn't be attacking Arthur with a dagger.
Ducking the next swing by a hair's breadth, Arthur uses his hand to block Merlin's forearm, before giving him a hard shove. Merlin stumbles to the side, and Arthur leaps toward the table by the window. Reaching for Excalibur, he pulls it out of its scabbard, and parries Merlin's next attack an instant later. The blade of the curved and richly decorated dagger collides with Excalibur, and Arthur curses the spell Merlin has cast over his chamber ages ago to prevent sounds from getting outside, because otherwise the guards would surely have heard the loud clang of metal on metal.
Being forced into action by the next slash directed at his chest, Arthur gives ground. He has no other choice but to attack Merlin in turn, because even though he doesn't want to hurt him, he has to stop him somehow. Sidestepping, Arthur feints a block, before twisting at the last moment and swinging at Merlin. The tip of Excalibur hits Merlin's chest when he can't dodge fast enough, and the sword slices through Merlin's shirt. The fabric rips open, leaving a thin cut on Merlin's chest that instantly fills with tiny droplets of blood.
Strangely, Arthur feels no echo of the injury, and when he spots the thin silver chain hanging around Merlin's neck and the transparent crystal on it, he realizes why. Arthur has seen a crystal just like this before, many years ago. Two bandits had taken the form of knights with the help of such crystals back in the other time to participate in a melee tournament in Camelot. Gwaine had saved Arthur when the two fake knights had tried to kill him.
That crystal around Merlin's neck can therefore only mean one thing: this man in front of Arthur is not Merlin.
After this realization, Arthur has no more reason to hold back, and he moves in for the attack. His opponent grabs Arthur's sword arm, though, pushing it aside, while he slashes at Arthur's neck with the dagger in his other hand. Arthur leans backward to evade the dagger, while at the same time yielding with his hand that's holding Excalibur. Twisting his wrist, he strikes upward an instant later, and the sword hits his attacker's thigh. The man stumbles backward, and Arthur uses the movement to free himself from the hand gripping his arm, before thrusting Excalibur through his attacker's stomach in an upward strike.
A choked gasp escapes the man in front of Arthur, and even though he knows it's not Merlin, it's still hard to watch Merlin's blue eyes widen in shock. Arthur withdraws Excalibur, gritting his teeth as the man sinks to the ground. The richly decorated, curved dagger slips from his fingers and clatters to the stone floor, before the man topples sideways.
Arthur stares down at the dead man and for a terrible moment he thinks he has made a horrible mistake, but then the contours of Merlin's form blur, and what emerges is a man with dark brown skin, a short beard, and bald head. Arthur breathes a sigh of relief, as he recognizes the man lying dead at his feet as the assassin Myror.
At the same time, however, cold fear grips his heart as he realizes that Myror used Merlin's blood to take on his form with the help of the crystal. This in turn means that Myror must have overpowered Merlin to get access to his blood. Arthur tries to reach Merlin through their bond once again, but even though he can feel the connection between them, there is only this thick mass that he cannot overcome. This however tells him that Merlin is still alive, he just seems to be drugged in some way and unable to access his magic.
Arthur, however, doesn't know to which tavern in the Lower Town Merlin went after he excused himself from the dining room. And he apparently didn't take Nimueh with him because Arthur is pretty sure that one man without magic would definitely not have been able to overpower Merlin and Nimueh at the same time.
Arthur is going to have a serious word with Merlin about this, but to do so he must first find him.
With fast steps, Arthur hurries to the door to send the guards to fetch Leon, Gaius and Nimueh.
Merlin has no idea how much time has passed when all at once he hears footsteps outside in the hallway. If it's Myror who is coming back to his room, there are only two possible reasons for that: Either he has achieved his goal and Arthur is dead, or he has been interrupted and didn't get the chance to carry out his plan. Merlin prays to the gods that it is the latter, while at the same time clinging to the hope that Arthur cannot be dead. He's certain that he would have felt it, even though he still can't reach his magic. That thick, sticky mass blocks his ways, and he's not able to move a single muscle.
The footsteps are coming closer, and finally the door is pushed open, the light of a lantern illuminating the room.
"Merlin! Thank the gods!"
It's Arthur's voice, and Merlin has never felt so relieved in his entire life than at this moment. He feels hands on his shoulders, and he's turned onto his back, before seeing Arthur's face above him a moment later. He's still not able to move, though, but tears of relief fill his eyes at seeing Arthur in front of him safe and sound.
"What's wrong with him?" Arthur asks anxiously, when Merlin doesn't react, and Gaius appears in Merlin's field of vision. He has apparently knelt down next to him, and Merlin feels fingers on his neck, checking his pulse.
"It looks like he's been paralyzed, sire," Gaius answers after a moment. "His pulse is strong, and he's breathing, though."
"Nimueh, can you try to reach him with your magic?" Arthur asks next.
Merlin senses Nimueh's consciousness against his mind a moment later, and he tries to make her understand what has happened, though everything is slow and sluggish.
"He was drugged, but he's conscious. He saw through a scrying spell that the assassin was staying in this tavern," Nimueh says slowly. "When Merlin entered the room, Myror surprised and overpowered him. He then paralyzed Merlin with a poisoned needle and used his blood to disguise himself as Merlin using a magical crystal."
"Myror is dead, Merlin. I killed him," Arthur says, and Merlin inwardly breathes another sigh of relief. "Do you know what kind of poison Myror used?"
"No, he doesn't," Nimueh replies after listening to Merlin's thoughts. "The assassin only said it came from a distant land. He said it wouldn't kill him, so the effects should fade and disappear over time."
Merlin feels Arthur's hand on his shoulder. "All right. Leon, Gwaine, lift him up. We'll take him back to the castle. And Merlin, when you can talk again, we'll have a very long conversation about why you thought it was a good idea to just take off without backup and without telling me exactly where you were going."
On the third and final day of the tournament, the wooden bleachers of the arena are filled to capacity, and many people have even tried to get a place on the stairs to watch the last round of the joust.
The fanfare trumpets announce the two knights who have made it to the final, and Arthur watches them ride slowly into the arena a moment later.
Merlin is sitting next to Arthur, and he's able to move and use his magic again after the poison has lost its effect in the early hours yesterday morning. Arthur is still angry at him for endangering his life by being careless and arrogant, but Merlin's first words after the poison had worn off, had been an apology, and to be honest, Arthur is too relieved that Merlin is all right to really hold on to his anger. Besides, after the semi-finals of the tournament yesterday, something else requires all his attention.
Down in the arena, a squire is walking in front of each of the two knights, carrying the crest of the knight's noble family, and two servants are following them, each holding a banner that shows the kingdom the knight is coming from. Although none of the banners display the golden dragon of the Pendragons, one of Arthur's knights has still made it to the final, so to speak. Morgana is wearing the armor of the knight announced as Sir William of Deira, after she beat Gwaine in a spectacular fight in one of the two semi-finals.
Unlike in the preliminary round, in which a knight only needed a single hit to defeat his opponent, three points are required to win a match in the next rounds, including the final. A hit on the shield or the armor of the opponent scores one point, and unhorsing the other knight scores two points. If the opponent withdraws because he's not able to continue or can't get back onto his horse, he immediately loses the match.
Morgana and Gwaine fought bitterly against each other over four courses, until Morgana finally managed to hit Gwaine's shield. The impact made Gwaine lose his balance, and he was no longer able to hold himself in his saddle. After a hit from Morgana in the first course, she therefore won the match. Gaius immediately rushed to Gwaine's side, but Arthur already knew that thanks to the protection spells Merlin placed over all the knights, nothing more than Gwaine's pride would be seriously hurt. After Gwaine got back to his feet and pulled off his helmet, he nodded respectfully to the presumed Sir William of Deira, showing his respect and congratulating him on winning the fight. It was a great match indeed, and Gwaine fought bravely and fearlessly. He has no reason to be ashamed for not winning, and he acknowledges Sir William of Deira's victory like an honorable knight should.
Morgana's opponent in the final is Sir Richard of Canterbury, who won his place in a thrilling match against Lamorak. Of course, Arthur would have preferred Lamorak to make it to the final, but Sir Richard of Canterbury from the Kingdom of Kent deserved his victory. Lamorak is a fearless fighter, but he is still young, and in the end he lacked the experience to win against Sir Richard, who is a decade older than both Lamorak and Arthur.
Down in the arena, Sir Richard and Morgana ride around the track once, accompanied by the thunderous applause of the audience and the bright sounds of the fanfare trumpets. Gwaine and Lamorak have taken their seats behind Arthur and his father, as is customary for the losers of the semi-finals. When the sounds of the trumpets fade, Sir Richard and Morgana take their places at opposite ends of the arena, and their squires hand them their lances and shields.
The audience in the bleachers cheers and claps loudly when Dagonet gives the charging signal and the two knights urge their horses forward. The animals, Morgana's bay stallion and Sir Richard's white horse, have already been prancing restlessly, and they charge toward each other while their riders raise their lances.
Only a few moments later, the first round was over, and Morgana was hit by Sir Richard at the edge of her blue and yellow shield. However, she turned to the side and deflected the lance so that the impact could not throw her out of the saddle.
At the end of the arena, both of them rein in their horses, and Sir Richard is given a new lance, after the first one has splintered, and Morgana is handed a new shield. Shortly after that, they take their places again. The charging signal is given, and both horses gallop toward each other once more.
This time, it's Morgana who lands a hit, and the tip of her lance shatters into pieces as it strikes Sir Richard's red and green shield dead on. The knight in the green tunic is thrown backward by the impact, and his lance jerks upward. The extra weight causes him to lose his balance and he falls off his horse.
Morgana reins in her bay stallion while Sir Richard's squire catches his master's horse, calming the animal. The crowd cheers and Gaius, standing at the edge of the arena, rushes to Sir Richard. However, the knight has already sat back up and by the time Gaius reaches him, Sir Richard is back on his feet and refuses Gaius' help. With a disapproving look on his face, Gaius moves away.
The crowd only cheers louder as Sir Richard gets back up, because that means the fight will continue. Currently, Sir Richard has scored one point with his first hit, while Morgana gets two points for unhorsing Sir Richard in the second course.
Sir Richard walks to the end of the track, where a platform allows him to get back into the saddle of his white horse, which is held for him by his squire. Meanwhile, Morgana is handed a new lance, and after Sir Richard also has his lance back in his hand, they both get ready to face each other again.
Arthur holds his breath as the two horses charge toward each other. If Morgana manages to hit Sir Richard one more time, or even unhorse him again, she would win the tournament. However, Arthur faces this outcome with mixed feelings. On the one hand, he wants a knight from Camelot to win the tournament, but on the other hand, Morgana is not a knight at all, and he would have to make a decision as soon as she takes off her helmet and everyone will see that a woman has won the tournament.
When Morgana and Sir Richard meet in the middle of the track, Morgana throws herself to the side and tries to land a hit against Sir Richard's shoulder, while dodging at the same time to evade Sir Richard's lance, but she's too slow, and Sir Richard manages to hit Morgana's shield. The lance splinters, but it's not a direct hit, and although Morgana staggers for a moment, she remains on her horse. The crowd cheers and applauds as the opponents rein in their horses, and Sir Richard trades his lance for a new one. Each of them has scored two points now, and the next hit will decide who wins the tournament.
Sir Richard and Morgana get ready for the next and perhaps last course. Dagonet gives the signal, and the horses charge forward again. For a moment, it looks as if neither Sir Richard nor Morgana will land a hit this time, but then Morgana moves her lance to the side at the last moment, pulling it up just so that it hits Sir Richard's shoulder, while Morgana herself stays out of reach of her opponent's lance. The crowd erupts in loud cheers as Morgana's lance shatters against Sir Richard's shoulder with a loud cracking sound. The knight sways sideways, but he manages to stay in the saddle as his horse gallops to the end of the track.
Arthur releases his fingers from the armrest of his throne as the tension falls away from him. Morgana has actually won.
The next moment, Dagonet already announces Sir William of Deira as the winner of the tournament.
Morgana reins in her horse, while Sir Richard's squire catches and slows down his master's horse at the end of the arena. Sir Richard sways considerably, but he stays upright, handing his shield and lance to his squire, before slowly dismounting. When Gaius walks over to Sir Richard from the edge of the arena, the knight pushes his visor up, before sending Gaius away again with a wave of his hand.
Morgana, who has also handed over her lance and shield to the boy acting as her squire, urges her bay stallion into a gallop for a lap of honor around the track of the arena. The audience waves and cheers, and Arthur watches his sister, before taking a deep breath.
"What are you going to do now?" he hears Merlin's voice in his thoughts.
Arthur answers without taking his eyes off Morgana. "The only thing I can do. Not that I don't want to do it anyway, but she's put me in an impossible position, and I can promise you I'll give her a piece of my mind for it later."
Morgana finally stops her horse in front of the bleachers and in front of Arthur. She bows her head, before also nodding respectfully toward Sir Richard, who has removed his helmet and is standing at the edge of the track. He returns the nod politely, even though he's clearly struggling to keep from scowling.
Arthur rises from his chair and the crowd falls silent. "Sir William of Deira, I congratulate you on your victory in this year's tournament. You will be the guest of honor at the feast tonight, and you will receive 100 gold coins as a reward for your courage and your outstanding skills."
The crowd begins to clap again, and Morgana finally opens her helmet, before taking it off. Her long, black curls are revealed underneath, and she looks at Arthur with a self-satisfied grin and a challenge on her face. "Thank you, my king."
Arthur meets her gaze, keeping his face impassive, as the clapping and cheering of the audience abruptly stops, and a murmur goes through the crowd. From the look on Arthur's face, Morgana seems to realize that he has known all along who was hiding under the armor of Sir William of Deira, and the determined expression in her eyes falters momentarily, before she recovers her composure.
"I fought in the tournament as Sir William of Deira to prove to everyone that a woman can be a knight just as well as a man," Morgana says in a loud voice, looking defiantly up at the bleachers.
"Wait a minute, I lost to Morgana?" Arthur hears Gwaine's voice behind him, apparently the first of the knights and nobles on the bleachers to get over their shock.
Merlin snorts softly, and a moment later Sir Richard finds his voice as well.
"This is outrageous!" he exclaims angrily, walking toward Morgana. "She's not a knight! A woman cannot even enter the tournament! I demand to be declared the winner!"
Two guards down in the arena take a step forward and position themselves with raised spears between Morgana and Sir Richard, who finally stops, still furious.
Morgana regards him with a sweet smile. "You have lost. I advise you to take it like a man."
The crowd is talking wildly by now, and between indignant shouts, there is vigorous applause. Arthur closes his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before reaching for some of Merlin's magic.
"Silence!" he says firmly, and his magically enhanced voice drowns out the noises in the arena, instantly silencing everyone. "Princess Morgana, you have fought bravely and honorably, and you have defeated the strongest knights of the realms. However, you are not a knight, and therefore you had no right to participate in this tournament. I hereby declare Sir Richard of Canterbury the winner."
Morgana glares at Arthur, and loud shouts of protest as well as approving cheers arise from the crowd. Sir Richard bows briefly, a triumphant expression on his face.
Arthur raises a hand to silence the crowd again. "Be that as it may," he continues. "Princess Morgana has shown every man and knight today that a woman can indeed be a fearless fighter and a formidable opponent, and so I hereby rule that from this day on, women will also be permitted to join the ranks of the Knights of Camelot."
There are angry as well as enthusiastic calls from the audience again, and behind him, Arthur can hear his nobles talking excitedly all at the same time. Meanwhile, Arthur looks down at Morgana, who is meeting his gaze with a pleased grin on her face, before nodding to him once. Arthur returns the nod with a barely noticeable dip of his head, giving the people in the arena a moment to come to terms with what he just announced. Finally, he raises his voice again to continue.
"Knights of the realms. Each and every one of you has proven your courage and skill, and you have fought honorably for your family and your kingdom. Tonight, we will honor the winner of this year's tournament, Sir Richard of Canterbury, with a feast in the throne room of the castle."
It takes a moment for the crowd to respond, but when the Knights of Camelot begin clapping, the people join in a moment later. The applause from the crowd is still tentative, but as Sir Richard waves to the people, they duly celebrate him with a round of loud cheers and applause.
Morgana dismounts from her horse and one of the guards holds it for her as she walks over to Sir Richard. She says something that Arthur can't understand, before offering him her hand. Sir Richard hesitates for a moment, but then he shakes hands with Morgana. Finally, Morgana takes her horse's reins again, before leaving the arena.
Arthur turns his head to look at his father, who is sitting behind his throne next to Lady Trudith. Uther has his eyebrows drawn together, and his gaze is fixed on a spot in front of him. Arthur knows that as far as his father is concerned, he has just finally shattered the Knight's Code, after Arthur had already trampled on it by allowing commoners to become knights. However, the Knight's Code is Uther's legacy and Arthur has to go his own way.
He lets his gaze wander over the members of his council sitting next to the pavilion, and only Lord Allendale and Geoffrey actually look concerned at the prospect of women being allowed to become knights. Lady Odilia has a content smile on her lips, as does Lady Evaine. Meanwhile, her husband, Sir Bors the Elder, seems undecided about what to make of all of this.
Finally, Arthur surveys his guests' reactions. King Rodor seems skeptical, but King Llywarch meets Arthur's eyes with an amused expression, shaking his head as if he's enjoying the show. Arthur will have to assure both of them at the feast tonight that despite allowing women to become knights in theory, he's not actually intending to knight a woman. His gaze moves on to Princess Mithian, who in turn is watching Arthur in amazement. She quickly looks to the ground, however, when their eyes meet.
A moment later, Arthur turns to King Rodor, determined to stick to his plan to get to know Princess Mithian better during her visit to Camelot, despite this unexpected development.
"King Rodor, would you allow me to ask your daughter to accompany me to the feast tonight?"
Rodor looks surprised – probably not due to the nature of this question, but more due to Arthur's timing. After a moment, however, he smiles and nods. "Certainly, King Arthur."
Arthur thanks Rodor, before turning to Mithian. "Princess Mithian, would you do me the honor?"
Judging by the look on Mithian's face, she didn't expect Arthur to actually ask her, after already receiving her father's permission. She regains her composure quickly, though. "It would be my pleasure to accompany you to the feast," she says with a small smile on her lips.
"Excellent," Arthur replies. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I need to have a few words with my sister."
Mithian suppresses a grin, and King Rodor snorts softly as Arthur walks past them. Leaving the bleachers, Arthur turns toward the knight's tents outside the arena, and the knights and squires, who are tending to their horses and chatting about the tournament, bow their heads respectfully as Arthur passes them by.
When he reaches the tent that belongs to Sir William of Deira, he sees the boy who has acted as Morgana's squire standing by the bay stallion. Upon closer inspection, the animal looks a lot like Tristan's horse, just the blaze is different, but Arthur suspects that could have been accomplished with a bit of magic. Finally, Arthur opens the fabric of the tent and enters.
Morgause and Isolde are in the process of undoing the straps on Morgana's armor and chainmail, removing the separate pieces. Morgana's face is still red from the fight earlier, but her eyes are shining. In the back of the tent, Arthur spots the peasant who has pretended to be Sir William of Deira, and Arthur looks at him briefly. The man is still fully in character, and he returns Arthur's gaze with an arrogant expression. However, when Arthur raises his eyebrows mockingly, the man apparently remembers that he's actually a peasant and not a knight, and hastily looks to the ground.
When Morgana sees Arthur, she squares her shoulders, meeting his eyes with a challenging look. "Go ahead. You can start yelling at me. I won't interrupt you."
Arthur, however, smiles, before shaking his head. "I'm not angry, Morgana. Sure, I was furious after I found out you were Sir William of Deira, but I can't really be mad at you for the rest of it." Arthur shrugs, and Morgana stares at him in utter bewilderment.
"You're not angry?" she asks hesitantly.
"Not really, not," Arthur replies with another shake of his head.
Meanwhile, Morgause and Isolde have removed Morgana's armor and chainmail, leaving her in a dark blue gambeson.
"Morgause, Isolde, would you please leave us?" Arthur finally asks, and Morgause exchanges a quick look with her sister.
After a moment, Morgana nods, and Morgause and Isolde leave the tent, Isolde grabbing the former Sir William of Deira by the collar and pulling him along when he doesn't realize that he was included in this request as well.
Morgana undoes the strings on her thick, padded gambeson, before taking it off. The loose black shirt she wears underneath is rumpled and almost completely soaked with sweat. She leaves it on, though, for Arthur's sake, probably.
"What do you want to tell me that you can't say in front of my sister and Isolde?" she asks, glancing at Arthur curiously, before walking over to a small table in the corner of the tent to pour herself a cup of water from a pitcher. She downs the cup in one go, before filling it a second time.
With a flick of his wrist, Arthur uses Merlin's magic to soundproof the tent, making sure no one can listen in. Morgana notices, and her eyebrows furrow, but she doesn't comment. Instead, she raises the cup to her lips again.
"The reason I can't really be mad at you for entering the tournament and hiring that peasant to perform as Sir William of Deira is because I did the exact same thing back in the other time."
Morgana nearly chokes on her drink. Lifting a hand in front of her mouth, she swallows, before putting the cup back on the table with a thud.
"What?" she finally asks, blinking in surprise. "Why?"
Arthur smiles wryly as he remembers the reason for not wanting to participate in the tournament as Prince Arthur back then. "I found out that some knights – or more like all of them – let me win during training for the tournament, because they were afraid of accidentally hurting the future King of Camelot. I didn't want a special treatment, so I came up with the idea of having someone play the role of an unknown knight at the tournament, while I would be the one secretly competing. I told my father that there were reports of a magical creature roaming the woods not far from Camelot, and just as I had intended, he sent me and a couple of knights to kill the monster. I ordered the knights to ride to a tavern in a small village nearby and stay there, while I snuck back into town. Merlin found the exact same peasant you chose, and we had him enter the tournament as Sir William of Deira." Arthur grins, as Morgana's eyes widen. "I won the tournament," Arthur continues. "But I had learned my lesson. A knight's worth is measured by his selflessness and willingness to help others, not by winning a tournament, so in the end I didn't reveal that I had been Sir William of Deira."
Morgana stares at Arthur for another long moment, before she bursts out laughing. Arthur joins in, and finally, Morgana shakes her head in disbelief.
"So, you knew that I was Sir William of Deira all along."
"Yes," Arthur replies with a grin. "Imagine my surprise when a knight I knew was most definitely not a knight participated in the tournament. It wasn't hard to put two and two together after that."
A snort escapes Morgana, before she squints at Arthur dubiously. "But why didn't you say anything? You could have stopped me."
Arthur shrugs. "I wanted to see if you would actually win. And you did."
Seeing Morgana's frown at that, Arthur sighs. "Morgana, I have no problem with allowing women to become knights. I know that you, Morgause, and Isolde are just as brave and skilled as my knights. I just couldn't justify changing the Knight's Code again, not after I have already repealed the requirement of a noble heritage. People can only accept a certain number of changes at a time. But by winning the tournament, you showed everyone without a doubt that women are just as fierce and skilled fighters as men, and that made it possible for me to change the law. So, basically, I have to thank you for giving me an opportunity to do something I wanted to do anyway but couldn't do on my own."
Morgana looks genuinely surprised, before shaking her head in amusement. After a moment, she rolls her eyes. "I bet you and Merlin put a dozen protection spells on me after you found out I was hiding under the armor of Sir William of Deira."
"I would have done that if it had been necessary, even though they would not have been strong enough to prevent you from getting a few well deserved bruises," Arthur replies. "I'm glad you were cautious enough to put your own protection spells on your armor, though. But apart from that, I had Merlin put protection spells on all the knights during my speech the first day. This was a tournament. I couldn't let anyone get seriously injured or even die fighting for honor and glory, when there will be real battles to fight in the future."
Morgana raises her eyebrows. "No one was seriously injured?"
She knows just as well as Arthur does that the joust is one of the most dangerous of the knightly virtues, and many knights have lost their lives during tournaments fought on horseback.
"No." Arthur allows himself a satisfied smile. "There were a few bumps and bruises, a dislocated shoulder, but not even one broken bone."
Morgana returns his smile, before filling her cup again. Leaning against the table and taking a small sip, she meets Arthur's eyes again. "So, what happens now?"
"I will instruct Geoffrey to make the changes to the Knight's Code. We will wait a few days, and then I will fight you, Morgause and Isolde on the training field. The same rules as for the selection bouts for the knights apply, and if you pass – which I'm pretty sure you will – then I will knight you. Don't expect me to go easy on you, though," Arthur warns her, and Morgana snorts softly.
"As if we needed you to do that."
Arthur shrugs, before fixing his sister with a pointed look. "However, that doesn't change the fact that you are the Princess of Camelot. You will not ride into battle with me and the other knights."
Morgana presses her lips together, but she takes a deep breath and nods. "I know. We've already had this discussion."
"Good. I'm glad to hear that," Arthur replies. "I'll have to go back to my guests now. And I'll have to figure out how to explain that you've been here all this time, even though I've told everyone I sent you south to take care of something important, without looking like an idiot. You should go back to the castle, take a bath, and get ready for the feast tonight. Which brings me to another point."
Morgana cocks her head to the side, and Arthur allows himself a smug grin. "Well, you are the Princess of Camelot, and it is the custom that you accompany the winner of the tournament to the feast."
Eyes widening, Morgana's mouth drops open as she realizes that she will have to spend the entire evening with Sir Richard of Canterbury. She's about to protest, but Arthur gives her a warning look, and after gritting her teeth briefly, she forces herself to smile pleasantly and give a brief nod.
"And I want you on your best behavior. Just think of it as punishment for lying to me and entering the tournament even though I forbid you from doing so. And I swear, if you even think of influencing Sir Richard with your magic, I will make you regret ever thinking of participating in this tournament. Are we clear?"
Morgana sighs, but she nods, accepting her punishment. "Yes, we are."
"Good," Arthur says with a pleased smile. He turns to leave, but pauses, before looking at Morgana again. "And in case you were wondering: I'm incredibly proud of you for winning the tournament for Camelot and for me."
A grin slowly spreads across Morgana's face, and Arthur returns it, before turning around and leaving the tent belonging to Sir William of Deira.