A/N: Here is the next chapter, Leon and Merlin could not keep quiet, I am working on a next chapter already. This story is coming out differently than I expected, but we never know what turn the stories will take, it is always surprise. Enjoy and please tell me what you think.
Gods be damned the threw his helmet into the ground, why did not Arthur remember what Leon had told him. He wanted to throw a chair out of the tent.
"Sir Leon."
He turned quickly and lost himself into Merlin's blue eyes, "What?" Oh, yes, he was angry, otherwise he would not snapped like that.
"I know why you lost the joust to Arthur." at that confession, anger left Leon, he was so tired, he lowered himself onto the chair what he had wanted to throw out of the tent before. "At least one of you listened."
"Arthur listened too, but he is upset, that everyone lets him win. He will finally understand that you are doing it for a reason, but right now, he is not in mind to accept it." Merlin stood her hand in fort, she sounded hesitant, Leon knew that she was not used to talk to nobles so freely when they were alone, if Arthur was there, there would not be any problem.
"I know, thank you, Merlin." Leon rubbed his face. "I am afraid he will come up with some kind of plan that would go so wrong."
"He definitely will, but I will be there and try to do everything that he won't get himself killed."
Leon looked the girl, that brave girl who was making her way into his heart.
"If you need any help, come and find me, I cannot do anything openly, but I will find away."
"I will, Sir Leon." She bowed and headed to the tent flaps.
"Merlin," Leon called before she could step out.
"Yes." She turned around.
"Call me Leon, when anyone else is not around, well except Arthur and Gaius."
"I will Sir..." there was a pause, was that a blush Leon saw on her cheeks, "Leon." And gone she was.
Leon needed to talk to someone, no he needed to talk to someone who was smarter than him. He knocked on Gaius' door, no answer, he touched the handle, the door was locked, create.
He stopped a passing servant, if he remembered correctly called George. "George," he had gotten it right, because the boy looked amazingly at him, it was not usual, et nobles remembered servant's names.
"Yes, Sir Leon."
"Could you please pass around word that Sir Leon is looking for Gaius. I am in my rooms and if Gaius does not have time to visit me, he could send a word and I will come to him."
"I will do that, Sir Leon." George bowed and hurried away.
Leon made it back to his rooms. He still was upset over Arthur; he needed some perspective; Gaius was the only one who could give him that.
Hour later there was a knock on his door. Moment later Gaius stepped in. "You were looking for me." Leon nodded he offered Gaius a seat and goblet of wine. "Tell me your troubles."
"How much Merlin told you, about me and Arthur's conversation on the evening I returned?"
Leon did not know how much Merlin told everything what was going on, but he guessed pretty much.
"I like to hear it from you." Gaius took a sip from his wine and listened. Leon told him everything what he had to Merlin and Arthur. "You are right, that sound like Uther, he wants loyalties for himself, he does not understand that if person is loyal to Arthur, he she is also loyal to him." Gaius looked at Leon, he saw sadness, tiredness and every other emotion that a man possessed who was doing things he disliked. "You are asking me, if you are doing the right thing?" Leon nodded. He pushed the damn curl out of his eye again.
"You, foolish boy, of course you are doing the right thing. I heard that north was gruesome, it is a miracle that you survived, if you want to talk about what happened there, I am here. But in the matter of Uther, only thing you can do is play his games, because these are games. If you do not, he would not go after you title and life, but he will send you to place much worse than the north was. And then you cannot do anything to help Arthur."
"You are right." Leon sighed; he did not know where the melancholy had come from. "He cannot play his games for long, but I have a bad feeling that our Prince will do something stupide soon."
"Yes, I think he will, but Merlin will be there to help him, even if it gets them both into more trouble." Gaius finished his wine and rose, "Let's hope we all will survive, I am loyal to Uther, but I am more loyal to Arthur." Saying that Gaius nodded and left. Leon looked his wine glass, what a mess.
He had not believed the information that Arthur had gone on a quest. Because the prince would have not gone alone, even if he had not taken any of his knights, he would have taken Merlin, but she was in Camelot and that meant Arthur was in Camelot. Then he had seen Sir William of Deira on a horse with a lance in his hand and he had known. He knew that stand, he knew those moves, that was Arthur. When he road against Sir William, he gave his everything and he was proud when he was hanging on the side of his horse, same time he was cursing, his prince was stupid, doing tricks like that. He was bewildered that Uther did no see what was under his eyes.
When he was helped off his horse, he checked Minerva over, the horse was thankfully alright. He went to remove his armour, his shoulder hurt, but he did not have time for that, he needed to catch Merlin, he threw his cloak over his shoulders and left the tent.
He went and leaned onto the gates of the tournament and waited, he knew that Merlin would come out of them, he was right few minutes later Merlin came. "Is he trying to get himself killed?" He hissed.
Merlin turned quickly to him, shock on her face. "What?"
Leon grabbed her arm and bulled her under the stands. "I know who Sir William of Deira is, when his jousting."
"How?" Question was so full of fright that Leon had to sigh. "I am not blind, and do not be scared, I won't tell, but where is he?" Merlin looked into his eyes, how those blue eyes mesmerized him, seeing what she needed in his eyes, Merlin sighed, "Come."
He followed her, he knew that rout, it took to Gwen's house, before they reached it, they ran into Gwen herself.
Her was full of dread when she saw Leon, the knight growled, "I should have guessed that you are mixed in it to."
"Sir Leon..." Gwen started but Leon shot her a look. "Do not say anything, it is not your fault. Is he there then?" He pointed to Gwen house door, both girls nodded, "Do not enter before I come out, I have something to say to him." They nodded again.
He entered to the cottage, Arthur turned, "Gwen." then blanched seeing Leon there, "Leon."
"What are you playing at Arthur, this is one of the stupidest stunts you have ever pulled. To you have such need to prove that you are better than me?" He raised his eyebrow.
Arthur looked sheepish at that. "Really," Leon could only shake his head, he did that too much lately, "I know that you are best of us all. I thought better of you. Why do you need to play games like Uther? Why do you need to lower yourself into his standards?" Arthur did not answer but Leon saw his words were affecting the prince. "Let me guess, when the tournament is over, you will revile yourself. To show everyone how good you are. Why I do not know you need to do this. Frist you could get yourself killed and second you do not have to prove yourself to anyone. Your knights know who you are, they..." he paused, "...we are all loyal to you. We would die for you; we know how good you are. I thought so highly of you and now you just shattered all my beliefs." Saying that he turned, he did not react to Arthur's, "Leon!" he opened the door and walked away. Gwen and Merlin looked after him, but he did not even glance at them. It was the first time he thought to drink himself senseless in years.
He did not let himself to drink, no man or woman was worth to drink himself to darkness, may be one woman was worth it, but right now was not the time to wonder on it.
He stood in the stands to look the final, he may be disappointed in Arthur, but he wanted to see what would happen. The first round was all wrong, Arthur staggered on the horse after he had been hit with the lance, his opponents' lance's tip had been sharp, he was wounded, cruse was stuck in his throat. Then Leon saw Gwen and Merlin running, it was all wrong, he ran towards Arthur, but the next round started before Leon reached the prince, he could not do anything. His face fell on Merlin and saw something that made him stop, her eyes turned gold, Merlin had magic. Arthur's opponent started falling before Arthur's lance hit him. That moment Leon realized that, yes Merlin had magic and she used it to protect Arthur, that was good enough for Leon. He knew, even if Uther did not believe it, not all magic users were bad.
He saw how Arthur entered the tent, he wanted to follow, but he could not go after him, right now it was not his place. He waited Arthur to come out and claim his prize, somehow, he was not even surprised when Sir William came out of the tent. Leon had a strange feeling that the boy was not even from nobility, but it did not matter, he was proud of Arthur.
Prince gave him another chance for that feeling that evening, Arthur had stopped Uther who want to attack king Odin for the assassin, understanding the grief what father felt for is dead son. Arthur proved to Leon that his beliefs in the boy were well placed.
Leon smiled and turned to leave the throne room. "You should talk to him." He turned and there stood Merlin.
"He knows where to find me." He smiled the girl.
"He is too proud for that."
"No, he is not. I know him since he was three, if he wants to talk to me, he knows where to find me." He nodded at the girl, and left, the knowledge what Merlin was, stood heavily on his shoulders, but he knew he would never betray her.