The Power of Three
Chapter Five: Lancelot, Part Two
It was a stroke of good fortune that Merlin happened to run into Morgana on his way to Camelot's library.
"Merlin!" she smiled, and a warmth spread throughout the warlock's body at how genuinely pleased she appeared to be to see him. Over the past month or so, he had grown more at ease with being around the beautiful noblewoman, though he still tread very carefully around her and tried to avoid too much familiarity. She seemed to have no such reservations, and greeted him like an old friend, not like a servant, whenever she saw him.
Merlin had the feeling that this wasn't just because he had magic, however; she had always been kind to him even before she discovered the truth. Having the shared bond over his secret had certainly propelled them into being friends faster than Merlin would have anticipated, and the more time they spent together, talking about magic, or how annoying Arthur was, or anything, really, the more he discovered just how much he liked being around her.
"Lady Morgana," he greeted her formally, and she rolled her eyes.
"Honestly, Merlin, at this point I would think you would be tired of formality. We're friends," she reminded him. "Even Gwen doesn't tag my title onto my name whenever she speaks to me."
"Ah, but Gwen is your servant, and has been your friend for years now. I'm the weird village boy who became the prince's servant by mere chance, and the king doesn't like me much anyway, and I'm a man, which means I'm automatically not trusted around noblewomen. I have to keep up appearances, for propriety's sake."
Morgana eyed him disbelievingly. "You call me 'my lady' even when no one else is around."
The truth was that Merlin had spent his entire life being told that he wasn't enough by pretty much everyone but his mother, and just his position as a servant made him, in the eyes of society, entirely unworthy of a noble's friendship. Things were different with Arthur, since Merlin was his servant and they had a strange relationship that many nobles and servants alike scratched their heads at. Plus, he was a prat, and apparently it was Merlin's destiny to make him not a prat, so there was that.
But Morgana… She was beautiful, a noblewoman, the ward of the king, admired by men of much greater standing than Merlin himself. She was intimidating, even in her kindness, and Merlin truly cherished their blossoming friendship. He was terrified of overstepping any bounds or having his intentions misunderstood, first because he did not want Morgana to change her mind about him, but also because he didn't want to be seen or heard being too familiar with her, because despite all that was against him presently, he really liked his life and didn't want to lose it over a misunderstanding.
Unable to think of a way to explain this to Morgana without seeming completely paranoid or hurting her feelings, he opted for humor, "You never know who could be listening at a door or lurking invisible in a corner," he protested. Granted, he still came across as paranoid, but only in a joking way.
"Gwen was right - you are strange," Morgana observed with a chuckle, and Merlin ducked his head sheepishly. "Not that it's a bad thing." She then turned serious. "It looks like you were going somewhere in a hurry. What is Arthur having you do now?"
"Oh, this isn't for Arthur," Merlin quickly waved the idea off. "I'm just checking on something, for a friend."
If Morgana were curious, she didn't show it. "I won't keep you, then. Perhaps we can talk at a later time."
She made to continue on her way, but Merlin stopped her. "Before you go," he said, "can I ask you a question?"
Morgana turned to face him. "Of course."
"I was just wondering… what do you think of the First Code of Camelot?"
Her expression harbored surprise for a split second at his question, but her elegant face quickly smoothed over. "You mean the law that only nobility can fight for Camelot?"
"That's the one."
She considered this for several long moments. "Honestly, I've never understood it," she answered finally. "Nobility has never been a matter of blood to me, but a matter of heart. I have seen royal men do terrible things, and I have heard tales of common men doing selfless acts. At one time, it might have made sense to only enlist members of families that could be trusted by the king, but Camelot is strong now. It would be even stronger if it acknowledged the worth of all its citizens, not just those of nobility… Does that answer your question?"
Merlin stared at her in awe, her words bolstering the longing for justice he had felt after his conversation with Lancelot last night, and he found himself wishing not for the first time that Uther shared her open mind and gallant ideas for the future. She was a noblewoman, but she stood up for those who most people of her rank looked down upon - magic users, commoners, the persecuted. He realized with a start that she was waiting for him to answer, and he shook himself out of his amazement. "Yes! I believe the same; thank you!" Should he ask her the other question that he so desperately wanted to? Or would she see through him, or feel he was going too far with his idealism, even for her?
Like Merlin often did, he chose to blunder on ahead anyway and hope for the best. "So… if you think that it is unfair for commoners to be barred from becoming knights, do you think it is okay for them to do whatever it takes to change that? Do you believe it is wrong for a person of strong character who only wants to serve to use deception just to get through the door?"
Morgana contemplated this, her expression unreadable, and Merlin feared that he had said too much. He was preparing to tell her never mind, that it was just a stupid hypothetical question and to forget about it, please, when she answered at last. "I cannot say for sure, because while I question the code that says only nobles can become knights, I have to wonder if deception is the best way to elicit change. After all, even the best-told lies are often discovered, and if that were to happen, progress towards equality could not only be halted, but erased." A tightness clenched Merlin's heart - he had been sure Morgana would be his unwitting champion in justifying what he was planning to do. With a wink, she added, "Though who's to say if I am right? Perhaps you need to do what you feel is right, damn the consequences."
Merlin felt as if he were tottering at the edge of a very dangerous cliff. "Oh, no," he stammered, doing his best to avoid being consumed by the panic. "I'm not doing anything. This has nothing to do with me." I have to stop letting my guard down around people like this. This is the second time this morning I've let something slip! he chided himself furiously.
Morgana, to her credit, didn't question or egg him on like Arthur had. Instead, she turned, shrugged one shoulder, and called back, "Whatever you do, Merlin, just be careful."
Merlin watched her, agog, until she reached the end of the hallway and turned a corner, out of sight.
The rest of the way to the library, Merlin brooded on what Morgana had said. There was no doubt that she knew he was up to something, or at least that he was considering being up to something, but she had neither outright condoned nor condemned him for it, even without knowing what that something was. The fact that she was affording him this level of trust staggered him. He didn't really know what he had done to deserve it, but now he was plagued with the issue of what would happen to their friendship if he made the wrong choice and messed things up.
Still, he resolved as he approached the great double-doors that led to Camelot's vast pantheon of knowledge (and the grumpy old man who guarded it), this was for Lancelot. Although Morgana might have been right in that deception may not be the best way to make change happen, sitting around and doing nothing would certainly not help anything. This way, Lancelot could become a knight and work to change hearts and minds from the inside. Once he had become an invaluable asset to the knights - slain the creature, perhaps, or some other heroic deed - then he could reveal the truth and Uther could see that nobility did not just lie in the hearts of those in power.
Yes, it was deception, but it was a necessary deception, Merlin was sure of it now. It was sacrificing a bit of integrity for the greater good. He had no difficulty believing that Lancelot was to his core good, and once he proved himself, the rest of the kingdom would see it, too. Besides, he owed the man for saving his life when his own magic had failed him.
He couldn't wait to tell Lancelot about his plan, couldn't wait to see his reaction to learning that he could try out for the knights, after all. He would be so pleased.
"No," said Lancelot about half an hour later, crossing his arms. The way that he looked at the forged seal of nobility Merlin dangled in front of him was a mixture of longing and revulsion.
Merlin couldn't believe what he was hearing. "No? But Lancelot, you said it yourself: You've always dreamed of becoming a knight. This way, you can!"
"I appreciate what you're trying to do for me, Merlin - I have no idea what kind of trouble you went through to obtain such an official looking document - but what you're suggesting is dishonest. How can I expect to be a knight, a man who fights for Camelot with honor, if I am only admitted because of a lie?"
"You're looking at this the wrong way," Merlin prodded. He felt kind of bad pressuring the man, but Lancelot was about to give up on his dream, a dream that he was more than worthy of. "You'll still have to prove yourself a worthy opponent against Arthur in order to be accepted as a knight. The seal is only a formality, something to open the door. You'll be stepping through that door of your own merit." He could tell that Lancelot was wavering, torn between his honor and his life's work, so he pushed harder. "And once you prove yourself as a knight, that seal won't matter anymore at all. Everyone will know that you deserve to be there because of who you are and what you can do, not a silly piece of parchment that means nothing when it comes to true valor!"
He saw the moment Lancelot's resolve cracked.
"All right," he said, a faint weight in his voice but a twinkle in his eyes. "All right." He held out a hand for the scroll; Merlin bestowed his faked birthright upon him.
"Great!" Merlin cheered. "Now, we have to hurry - Arthur will really kill me this time if I'm late again!"
"Now's your chance." Merlin nudged Lancelot in the back, toward Arthur, who had just pummeled yet another prospective knight. When Lancelot hesitated, Merlin pushed again. "Go on!"
Spine stiff, head held high, Lancelot strode toward the prince. "Prince Arthur," he greeted, bowing. "My name is-"
"Lancelot," the prince supplied, catching the other man off guard. At the look of surprise on Lancelot's face, the prince reminded him, "My servant mentioned you." He looked the newcomer up and down, head to toe, making sure to take his time - one of his favorite intimidation tactics he used to rattle over-confident upstarts. After a long thirty seconds, he met Lancelot's dark eyes and asked, "Do you have your seal of nobility?"
He clearly hadn't been expecting Lancelot to produce the scroll so immediately - or maybe even at all - as surprise manifested on his face before his eyes flickered suspiciously from Lancelot to his servant watching eagerly from the sidelines. Merlin mouthed, Told you so. Arthur ignored him.
He examined the scroll for a long time. "The fifth son of Lord Eldric?" he asked at last, gaze darting back to Lancelot's face. "I didn't realize he had five sons. I've only met the four." Lancelot didn't respond, but to his credit, he managed not to appear guilty, either. Arthur considered him for a while longer, then handed the scroll back. "I'm glad to have met you at last," the prince said finally.
Lancelot took the seal back, and the moment he did, Arthur struck. Lancelot had not even seen Arthur reach for the empty waterskin, so focused on the conversation, and when the leather slapped across his face, it took him completely off-guard. He staggered to the chorus of surrounding gasps at the unprovoked attack and turned to face Arthur, bewildered, trying his hardest not to touch his stinging cheek.
"Sluggish responses," Arthur observed in a clipped tone. He glanced again from Merlin - who was in turn glaring indignantly back at him - to Lancelot. "Not aware enough of your surroundings. That will get you killed on the battlefield. A knight must always be on the lookout for danger and prepared for battle at all times. You're not ready."
"But, Sire," Lancelot argued as the prince turned his back. "I can do this. I am strong and capable. Allow me to prove myself, please."
Arthur kept his back to the man, but answered, "Fine. If you really want to serve Camelot, you can start with the royal stables. They need mucked, and the horses need tended to." A slight chuckle rose up from the rest of the knights. The prince called out, "Training is over. Good work men." He left, Merlin casting Lancelot an apologetic look as he scurried after him.
Furious, Merlin turned on Arthur the moment the door to the prince's chambers closed behind them. "Why were you so hard on Lancelot?" he demanded, fists on his hips. Arthur shrugged off his sweaty tunic and tossed it at Merlin's head. Merlin caught it on reflex but didn't yield. "You always at least give prospective knights a chance to prove themselves! Why didn't you this time?"
Irritation bubbling in his voice, Arthur snapped, "I don't have to explain myself to you, Merlin. It seems that you have once again forgotten that I am the prince, and you are a servant."
Merlin didn't budge. "Is it because I'm the one who brought him to you?"
Arthur turned to him, eyebrows raised. "What?"
"Is it because I want him to be a knight? Do you really hate me that much?"
"Seriously, Merlin," Arthur sneered, "don't get a big head. I don't care enough about your opinion to let whether you endorsed a person affect my judgment on the matter."
"Well, you should," Merlin insisted stubbornly. He knew very well that he was toeing a fine line, but Arthur was being awfully unhelpful. "After all, I am the one who saw Lancelot fight. He saved my life, remember?" Merlin's eyes widened. "Were you serious before? Are you punishing him for saving me? If I feed myself to the beast, will you consider him?"
An odd expression formed on Arthur's face, his jaw working furiously. If Merlin didn't know the prince any better, he could have sworn that Arthur was trying not to laugh, or smile at least. "Maybe," he said lightly, then walked over and shoved Merlin's right shoulder playfully when he saw the offended expression on the servant's face. "After all, all you've done for the past ten minutes is berate me and overstep your bounds as a servant." He hesitated for a brief moment, then said, "Besides, there's something more pressing to discuss. I wanted to talk to you about that seal of nobility he showed me today."
Merlin's mouth went dry, but he managed to mostly maintain his composure on the outside as uncertainty reared its head. "Uh, okay. What about it?"
"I want to know where you got it from." Arthur's voice was light, but his eyes held a kind of hardness in them.
"Me? I didn't get it for him. It's his. It has his name on it," he reminded the prince.
"Just because something has someone's name on it doesn't mean it actually belongs to them," Arthur pointed out.
"It's his family seal, Arthur, what do you want me to say?"
"I want you to tell me the truth, dammit!" Arthur growled, throwing himself into his desk chair. "And get me a new shirt; it's chilly in here."
As Merlin did as he was told, heart pounding like the hoofbeats of an encroaching warhorse, he asked as mildly as possible, "About what?"
"About why you were asking so many questions this morning about the First Code, about how twitchy you've been about the whole subject, and about how I have never heard of Lord Eldric having a fifth son, and yet Lancelot happens to have a fresh seal from the Eldric line saying that he is the fifth son?"
"Arthur, I don't know what you're-"
"I know you're trying to help a friend," Arthur said, somewhat more softly, "but if you want to see a change in the way things are done in Camelot, then there are better ways to do it."
"What do you want from me, Arthur?" Merlin asked, trying to keep his breathing in check, trying not to give in to the panic rising inside of him.
"I told you - I want you to tell me the truth!" Arthur shouted, half rising from his seat, all semblance of control gone in an instant. He sat back down, his face smoothing over almost immediately. A flare of regret lit up in his eyes, so short-lived that Merlin thought he might have imagined it.
"I have," Merlin said, and for a moment he was the very picture of a perfect servant - head bowed, hands behind his back. He lifted his eyes to meet Arthur's, and said steadily, "The seal is his. Lancelot is the fifth son of Lord Elric."
Arthur studied him, then dropped his own eyes and sighed. "I'm having dinner with my father and the council tonight, so I'll need my good boots shined and my blue tunic pressed before then."
"Arthur-"
"Hurry, Merlin, I haven't got all day."
Merlin hadn't been this unsure of where he stood with Arthur since the Valiant debacle, so he felt it best not to pursue this any further. He left the room, feeling Arthur's sharp gaze on his back long after he had closed the door.
Arthur could have kicked himself. He'd been relatively calm about this whole magic business almost from the beginning. Why was he suddenly getting angry and lashing out now, right when he was about to tell Merlin that he knew?
That, he knew, was the reason why. He had been planning on using the subject of Lancelot's seal to lead into the discussion on Merlin's magic, but his emotions had rebelled, sending him into a state of anger toward the servant that he hadn't felt even upon first learning of his magic. What was wrong with him? After all, he still trusted Merlin fully: Merlin had saved his life, had spent the last week recovering from a poison that he'd drank in Arthur's stead, and had treated Arthur like a person instead of a prince. Arthur considered him a friend, but of course wouldn't dare tell Merlin that anytime soon. Whatever small scrap of propriety that still existed in him would be extinguished at that knowledge.
Yes, that was it - even though he wanted to talk to Merlin about his magic, Arthur was afraid. They'd fallen into a strange but comfortable rhythm since Merlin had been called his servant. They bickered, Merlin supported Arthur no matter how ill-tempered the prince became with him, Arthur for some reason genuinely enjoyed the servant's company but refused to admit it aloud. Merlin took more liberties in talking to Arthur than anyone below his station had ever done. A part of Arthur feared what openly acknowledging what he knew would do to this rhythm. Maybe nothing would change, or maybe everything would. Deep down, Arthur wasn't ready to find out, so he had lashed out.
Of course, there was also the matter of the seal. There was no way it was real, Arthur was sure of it. Maybe, if Arthur didn't know what Merlin could do, he would have dismissed the fishiness of the situation, but knowing of Merlin's magic allowed Arthur a unique perspective. Somehow, Merlin had forged that seal using magic. Not only was this another blatant lie not to save his life but for a sort of personal gain, but Arthur was now in the frustrating position of having to decide what to do with this information.
This was the first time he'd seen evidence of Merlin's using magic for purposes that were non-altruistic, and it bothered him more than he cared to admit. Sure, he was forging official documents in order to help a friend, but that didn't make it right. Even if Arthur didn't agree with the First Code of Camelot, sneaking around and using magic to undermine the system in place wasn't the answer. Arthur chose to ignore the fact that magic itself was illegal, yet he himself was undermining the system by keeping Merlin's magic a secret. There would be time to ponder that later, after he found a way to sort this whole mess out.
"I'm so sorry, Lancelot," Merlin sighed late that evening. "I didn't expect Arthur to treat you so unfairly."
Lancelot offered the ghost of a smile. "You've done more for me than anyone else has before, Merlin. I thank you."
"But I failed," Merlin argued miserably.
"Perhaps it is best that you did." Both men looked up as Gaius entered the chambers, balancing a couple of large books. He set them down heavily on the table between Lancelot and Merlin. "After all, I warned you about getting involved, Merlin."
Not ready to hear "I told you so" from Gaius, Merlin abruptly changed the subject. "Have you learned anything more about the creature?" Gaius had been conferring with Geoffrey of Monmouth over a few of the library's tomes, cross-referencing them with some his own, for the past hour.
"Ah!" The old physician opened the top book and flipped to a marked page. "Yes, we believe we have figured it out. It is called, according to this ancient text, a griffin."
Merlin and Lancelot leaned over the book, nearly knocking heads. It took just a glance for them to both confirm Gaius's suspicions. "That's definitely it," Merlin said while Lancelot nodded in agreement. "Like a massive chicken spawned straight out of the underworld."
Gaius lifted an eyebrow at the colorful description. "Yes, well, beyond that, this text says that it is a creature of powerful magic, which seeks gold above all else and lines its nest with it. It is also a dangerous, ruthless hunter that can hunt on the ground like a lion or from the skies like a bird of prey.
"It says here that the ancient peoples drove its kind deep into the mountains long ago, but occasionally one will wander into more populated areas and attack villages and even kingdoms in search of more treasure." His face was grave. "If it is venturing this close to the citadel, it could mean that something has disturbed its nest or its treasure, and that it is making its way toward Camelot to search for more."
"Can it be reasoned with?" Merlin asked, noticing that his question was instantly met with bewildered glances from his companions. "What? Dragons can - I mean, I've heard that dragons are sentient, that they are - were - intelligent enough to reason."
Regarding his ward suspiciously, Gaius answered slowly, "Although dragons were sentient creatures, there is nothing in this text to support the idea that the griffin is anything more than a basic beast with magical protection and a hunger for treasure." When Merlin still appeared unsure, Gaius asked, "Did the one that attacked you seem particularly interested in talking out your differences?"
Exchanging a glance with Lancelot, Merlin shook his head. "No, it just made a lot of terrifying noises and tried to eat us."
"So if we can't reason with it, and weapons break upon contact with its flesh like mine did, how are we supposed to defeat it?"
Merlin's heart sank when he saw how worried Gaius seemed. "Unfortunately, the only way to defeat a creature of magic such as this is with magic."
Merlin swallowed heavily. "But Uther will never allow it. Arthur already said that his father was mad when the mere possibility of having to fight with magic was brought up."
"I can attest to that," Gaius agreed. "But if we cannot get him to see reason, then I truly fear for Camelot."
Uther did not see reason. No amount of logic would convince him that magic was the only way to combat the beast. He would not listen to Arthur or Morgana on the matter, and he dismissed Gaius outright.
"Find another way," he ordered before sending the physician away.
Two days later, a neighboring village was attacked, leaving two people dead, one missing, and many more injured. Arthur loaned Merlin to Gaius to help with the fallout, and Morgana sent Gwen to assist as well. It was a long and grueling day at the makeshift infirmary outside of the village. The devastation that resulted from the attack horrified Merlin; he, Gaius, Lancelot, Gwen, and some other volunteers spent the hottest part of the day binding wounds, distributing medicines, and helping sort through the rubble in the town. It was after dark by the time they arrived back in the citadel, Gaius veering for the king's chambers to give a report, Merlin and Lancelot making their way back to the physician's rooms with dragging feet.
Morgana was waiting for them at the door. Merlin straightened his slouching back upon seeing her and dusted off his filthy tunic. He knew he reeked of blood and sweat, and he was covered in dust and debris. Lancelot watched him out of the corner of his eye, a knowing grin toying with his lips.
"Lady Morgana!" Merlin exclaimed. "How long have you been here? I'm so sorry; we've been-"
"I know what you've been doing, Merlin, there's no need to explain yourself to me," she interrupted as Merlin opened the door and let her in. He and Lancelot followed. Concern crinkled the corners of her eyes. "How are the people?"
"It was bad." There was no point sugar-coating the truth. Besides, Morgana was exceptionally talented at seeing through half-truths and all-out lies alike.
Her eyes flickered to Lancelot, as dirty, sweaty, and smelly as Merlin. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Morgana."
"Lady Morgana," Lancelot greeted. He bowed. "It is an honor to meet you."
"You can call me Morgana," she insisted. "Any friend of Merlin is a friend of mine. You're Lancelot, correct?" He dipped his head. "I heard about how unfairly Arthur treated you. I heard that he didn't even give you the chance to prove yourself, despite your noble status." Merlin felt her pointed gaze on him and realized that she knew exactly what he had done. His face burned, but she didn't pursue the matter.
"I simply was not good enough, my lady," Lancelot said. "It was well within his right-"
"Please." As usual, Morgana didn't hold back. "Merlin told me what you did. It sounds like you fought bravely against the monster, and whatever his reasoning, he should have given you the chance to prove yourself."
"I appreciate that, my lady, but what's done is done. I will have to go elsewhere to pursue my dream if the prince continues with this course of action."
"Don't give up so easily," Morgana advised. "You may yet get the chance to prove yourself to him."
Morgana was right: Lancelot got the chance to redeem himself the very next morning, when the griffin attacked the citadel.
The fight was short-lived and unsuccessful: The knights' weapons glanced off of the griffin's feathery hide, inflicting no damage whatsoever. Arthur found himself cornered by the beast, ineffectively trying to stave it off with a broken weapon. The griffin reared back, connecting a blow to Arthur's chest that would have killed him if he hadn't been wearing full armor, knocking the prince to the ground.
As Arthur tried to regain his bearings and fight despite knowing he had no chance of surviving, Lancelot appeared, torch in hand, and charged straight at the creature, a fearsome war cry preceding his attack. Thank the gods, the griffin seemed to hate fire - it would have been helpful if Gaius's books had told them that - and after a few tense moments of Lancelot waving the torch and the griffin hissing and rearing back, it took to the sky with an angry screech.
They were safe for now, but it would be back, Arthur knew.
Lancelot helped him to his feet. "Are you okay, your highness?"
Rubbing his chest, feeling the deep gouges in the armor, Arthur realized just how lucky he was to be alive. He nodded curtly. "Thank you. You saved my life."
"I was just doing my duty, sire." There was no hint in his voice, no selfish intent, just solemn reverence. It was this that caught Arthur's attention. Lancelot hadn't done this to try to get Arthur to reconsider him for the knights. He had rushed into battle because it was the right thing to do. As much as it pained him to admit it, Merlin had been right. From everything Arthur was seeing, Lancelot deserved at least a chance to try out for the knights.
Before he could stop himself, he blurted, "Tomorrow, at noon. You will fight me then, for a chance to join the knights."
Lancelot's gratitude was almost enough to make Arthur forget the predicament he'd gotten himself into.
Arthur couldn't sleep that night. He kept switching between anger at Merlin for getting him into this situation in the first place and anger at himself for being so weak. Royal seal or not, Arthur knew the truth. By letting Lancelot try out for the knights, knowing that seal just had to be forged, Arthur was flouting yet another important rule of Camelot, perhaps the most important after "no magic." What kind of prince would he be if he continued to defy his father's law?
And what if someone found out the truth about Lancelot after the fact? Not only would the man himself be in trouble, but if the king were to find out Arthur was complicit in the deception, that would only make matters worse for them all. If only Merlin hadn't dragged him into all of this with his irresponsible and selfish - yet somehow still selfless - use of magic! And then Arthur had had to go and let sentiment overtake him in a moment of high emotion after a battle. It was all a mess.
He supposed all he could do now was fight as hard against Lancelot as he could, even harder than normal, and make sure he beat the man. Then, Lancelot would be turned away from the knights, Arthur's morals and the kingdom's First Code wouldn't be compromised, and then Arthur could finally - finally - have that talk with Merlin and drill it into his skull that using magic this way was not acceptable.
Despite Arthur's intentions, Lancelot pulled a sly trick at the end of their fight - which Arthur had all but won - and ultimately had the prince at his mercy. Damn it!
It was a stroke of genius, the prince had to admit. Lancelot had pretended to be down, and at the last moment, disarmed and at the prince's mercy, the man had turned everything on its head, attacked much more quickly than Arthur would have thought possible, and then it was Arthur on the ground, staring down at the point of his own sword, wielded by the man he had thought he had defeated.
Even as the guards started to drag the man away for attacking his prince in such a way, Arthur couldn't deny the man's talent anymore. It had been a dirty trick, not something one would expect in an honorable battle - but Arthur had learned early on in his career as a knight that battles against opposing forces were rarely honorable.
As much as it pained him to admit it, Arthur had to concede that Merlin had been right. Lancelot could fight. And now that his father was drawing up plans to bring the fight to the griffin, a fight that Gaius said couldn't be won without magic and for which his Ifather refused to consider said magic, Arthur needed all the brave, strong fighters he could get.
Arthur couldn't deny it any longer. He needed Lancelot.
A/N: Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: general zargon, oma13, CrystalFire, emrysmorgan, SherlockHolmes4884, Taz, Gingeraffealene, scylla646, Nimbus Llewelyn, and Shaula. Also thank you so much to everyone who has read, favorited, and followed the story to this point! So sorry I was a day late in getting this to you all, but I was incredibly ill yesterday and was unable to post anything. I'm starting to feel a lot better today, though.
I did want to clear up/reiterate something about this story based on some reviews I got for the last chapter about the episode rewrites: I'm still planning on "rewriting" every episode (that's the point of this story, after all, to see how the show itself would change), but rewriting is a relative term. I'm going to take the villains, main ideas, etc. from the episodes and rework them, often into entirely new stories. The ultimate goal is to write a new story but ground it in the episodes themselves. (On that note, I really am enjoying "fixing" the magical creatures. Doing research on griffins was a blast!)
I also sort of got a little in my own head about the story because I was afraid people were not enjoying the "rewrite" aspect of it, but ultimately I realized that I'm happy with what I'm doing, because it's not just a basic rewrite (and nobody even said that anyway; my anxiety just got the better of me). As Nimbus Llewelyn and scylla646 wisely pointed out, things will have to change, even if the players stay the same, and that is true! Things will absolutely change, and soon. I am following what the story itself demands. And, of course, ultimately I am writing this because I enjoy it, and because it is something I would want to read. Plus, I've wanted to "fix" this show for a while now; it's quite therapeutic. :)
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks again so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Please let me know what you think - the reveal of the magic reveal (?) comes next chapter, so things are about to get juicy! ;) See you next week!
~Emachinescat ^..^