In a small market, with booths lined up along one side of the narrow hall, a man could be seen wandering by, looking for a specific stall.
When he spotted the merchant he wanted, the man said in a low undertone, "I understand you have a shield for me."
The merchant nodded and motioned for him to come behind the counter. The man followed.
The merchant held up a shield bearing the crest of three intertwining snakes. "With your swordcraft and this shield, I guarantee you will win." The merchant assured the man.
"Show me how it works." The man ordered.
"Certainly." The merchant said obediently. "Tharinna imbicentra. Orpha hormanace doll!"
After the incantation is complete, snakes slither out of the shield, their hisses piercing the otherwise quiet area. The man looked on them with something akin to wonder.
The merchant looked proud that he had managed to impress the man. "When you're competing in the tournament, you pin your opponent under the shield, a snake strikes" he said, moving his hand like snake, making it strike. "Your opponent will be paralyzed." The merchant handed over the shield and smiled.
"The snakes are now under your command. They will do anything that you tell them to do."
"Anything?" The man asked, looking up from his newest acquisition.
"Just say the word."
The man and merchant looked at each other, both laughing darkly before the man's face turned blank.
"Kill him." He ordered
The merchant became terrified as a snake striked out at him and he fell dead. The man looked over the body with a blank expression before turning to leave.
Dressed in full armor and carrying the enchanted shield, the man made his way for Camelot. He placed his helmet and seal on the registration table.
"Knight Valiant of the Western Isles. I'm here for the tournament." He said
The steward nodded and wrote something down. "Welcome to Camelot." He welcomed him.
In a training field outside of the castle, Arthur stood in his standard armor minus the helmet. Merlin was also wearing armor with a helmet and shield. Clumsily, Merlin sticked the sword into the scabbard. Alexia, in her Alex form, is sitting near the fence.
"Ready?" Arthur asked, looking far too pleased.
"Would it make any difference if I said no?" Merlin asked.
"Not really." Arthur shrugged
Merlin clumsily drew his sword and Arthur began his attacks.
"Body. Shield. Body. Shield." Arthur chanted
"Shield." Merlin repeated
"Head."
"Head?" Merlin repeated, confused, before Arthur smacked him on the head. "Ow."
"Come on, Merlin." Arthur said exasperatedly. "You're not even trying."
Arthur hit Merlin in the back with the sword before facing him with a swordsman's pose.
"I know. Ah."
"Once more." Arthur said before starting again.
"Oh, no." Merlin complained.
"To the left. To the right. And left. Head."
"Ow!" Merlin yelped.
Alexia flinched seeing Merlin like that.
"Come on, Merlin!" Arthur yelled in annoyance. "I've got a tournament to win."
"Can we stop now, please?" Merlin asked, his voice shaky. "Ow! Shield. Body." He dutifully repeated.
"Shield."
"Shield. Ah."
Arthur hit him in the head again for good measure.
"Ow." Merlin whined. He toppled over backwards and his helmet rolled off.
"You're braver than you look." Arthur admitted, looking mildly impressed. "Most servants collapse after the first blow."
" Sire!" Alexia yelled, coming to Merlin helping him stand.
" I think I can help you with practice. Clearly you are not able to practice with Merlin." Alexia said hoping to change the mind of prince.
Arthur thought for a moment before nodding his head.
" Merlin you go and sit there." Alexia said and then wore the armour with his help.
Now Alexia and Arthur were standing infront of each other with swords in their hand.
Alexia took a deep breath.
She closed her eyes and opened them, and the practice started. Alexia was putting a good fight with Arthur. Which was quite surprising for both. Since Alexia never learnt it, while Arthur never believed that his manservant was so capable with sword.
Merlin was totally exhausted sitting near the fence.
In the physician's quarters, Merlin and Alexia walked in, dropping the armor with loud clangs.
Gaius looked at them and chuckled, mixing a vial with one hand. "So, how was your first day as Arthur's servants?"
He asked.
Alexia and Merlin groaned.
" Do you hear clanging?" Merlin asked suddenly. Making Alexia laugh a bit.
" Mine was fine, though tiring, while Merlin's was... Uh" she stopped turning to Merlin who slumped at table in his tunic. Gaius moved to him and painfully massaged Merlin's shoulders.
"Ah! It was horrible." Merlin complained. "Ahh, and we've still got to learn all about tournament etiquette by the morning." Spying the book further down the table, Merlin focusef on it and chanted "onhríne achtung bregdan."
The book slide down the table towards Merlin and flipped open, revealing a large outline of a knight in armor.
"Oi! " Gaius exclaimed, slapping the back of Merlin's head. "What've I told you about using magic like this?"
"If I could actually feel my arms, I'd pick up the book myself." Merlin complained, bringing a hand to his aching head.
"Never mind your arms. What do I do if you get caught?" Gaius scolded
Merlin turned around to look at Gaius. "What would you do?" he asked innocently. Alexia looked at him shocked. Merlin truly was most innocent and naive person. Truly.
"Well you just make sure it doesn't happen, for all our sakes." Gaius said as he once again began the massage on Merlin's shoulders.
"Ah!" Merlin cried while Alexia winced as his shoulders cracked painfully. "I save Arthur from being killed and I end up as a servant. How is that fair?"
"I'm not sure fairness comes into it. You never know, it might be fun."
Alexia just scoffed. "You think mucking out Arthur's horses is going to be fun? You should hear our list of duties. I never did so much work in my whole life, that I did just today."
"We all have our duties. Even Arthur." Gaius reminded them.
"It must be so tough for him" Merlin said sarcastically. "with all the girls and the glory."
"He is a future king. People expect so much of him. He's under a lot of pressure." Gaius told them.
"Ah!" Merlin jumped as his shoulder made a rather large crack. "That makes three of us."
Alexia winced again.
Gaius left Merlin soon.
" Alexia! Dear, are you fine, do you need any massage?" He asked.
Alexia quickly shook her head vigorously.
" I am going to change and wash. It was way too much tiring. But it can be fine with a hot water bath." Alexia said and went to the room.
Gaius looked at Merlin in question, while Merlin just shook his head in answer. Clearly Gaius was not able to see that she ran from his massage.
After some time.
Merlin and Alexia brought Arthur's armor through the lower town towards Gwen's house. In Gwen's house, Merlin wore the armor as Gwen taught him and Alexia to put it on.
"So, you've got voiders on the arms." Gwen said, putting a hand on the correct piece of armor.
"Mm-mmm." Merlin and Alexia mumbled.
"The hauberk goes over your chest." Gwen teaches, pointing out the correct piece.
"The chest. The arms. The chest." Merlin and Alexia chanted.
"I guess you know what to do with the helmet." Said Gwen, holding it out towards Alexia.
Alexia chuckled. "Erm, yeah. Yeah, that was the only bit I'd figured out." She said as he stuck the helmet on Merlin's head. Gwen giggled at how ridiculous he looked in armor.
" Merlin, dear, please never wear armour again." Alexia said and laughed hard.
"How come you're so much better at this than me?" Merlin asked Gwen, ignoring Alexia's insult
"I'm the blacksmith's daughter." Gwen reminded him. "I know pretty much everything there is to know about armor, which is actually kind of sad."
"No, it's brilliant!" Merlin and Alexia said smiling widely.
Outside of his tent on the tournament grounds, Merlin struggled to get the vambrace on Arthur's lower arm, while Alexia stood there holding next piece.
"You do know the tournament starts today?" Arthur said, watching with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, Sire." Merlin replied with a slight smile. As he fixed one of the buckles on the armor, Merlin looked up and asked innocently, "You nervous?"
Arthur gave him a look before obviously lying. "I don't get nervous."
"Really? I thought everyone got nervous."
Merlin mused
"Will you shut up!" Arthur yelled.
Alexia gave prince a stare.
Merlin took Arthur's cape from Alexia, tied it on him with some difficulty, and then handed Arthur his helmet. Stepping back, Merlin admired his work with a smile. "Great, yeah. I think you're all set." Merlin said.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Arthur asks incredulously.
Alexia quickly took a sword from beside and gave it to Arthur.
" Sire!" She said.
" My sword!" He said showing it to Merlin, telling him what he forgot.
Merlin laughed at his mistake. "Oh, yeah. Yeah, sorry. Guess, uh, you'll be needing that."
Arthur just left the camp.
" That went well." Merlin muttered.
" Yeah surely." Alexia said sarcastically.
" Good lord Merlin! How can you forget giving a knight his sword?" Alexia asked shaking her head.
Merlin just shrugged in response.
In the stands, Gwen and Morgana sat excitedly as the competitors entered the arena. Merlin and Alexia peeked around the entrance to the field as Uther strutted past the front line of knights.
"Knights of the realm, it's a great honour to welcome you to a tournament at Camelot. Over the next three days, you will come to put your bravery to the test, your skills as warriors, and of course, to challenge the reigning champion, my son, Prince Arthur." Uther said.
While Valiant turned to glance at him.
"Only one can have the honour of being crowned champion, and he will receive a prize of 1,000 gold pieces." Uther declared.
On a nearby table, a box was opened revealing the gold. Everyone gasped and many people looked on the box with longing.
"It is in combat that we learn a knight's true nature, whether he is indeed a warrior or a coward. The tournament begins!" He announced.
The crowd cheered and the knights exited the arena. Uther stopped by Arthur on his way to the stands.
"I trust you will make me proud." Uther muttered, slapping Arthur on the back before moving towards the stands.
The two opponents faced each other as guards took Arthur and the other knight's capes, and they both put on helmets. The crowd cheered loudly and Gwen whooped as Arthur and the knight fight.
"Yeah! Come on!" Merlin cheered while Alexia just stared at them taking in their techniques.
Arthur won the fight after not long, and the crowd cheered at the prince's victory.
"Yeah!" Merlin cheered
Several different fights flash took place. Valiant won all of his, Arthur and Merlin watched one of his fights.
"Knight Valiant looks pretty handy with a sword." Merlin commented as he and Alexia worked with Arthur's armor.
After his last fight of the day Valiant exited the arena and stopped near Arthur.
"May I offer my congratulations on your victories today?" Valiant said, still managing to sound arrogant while congratulating another.
"Likewise." Arthur replied courteously, although he doesn't sound impressed.
"I hope to see you at the reception this evening." The knight said while looking at Alexia for a second, before turning to leave, followed by his servant.
"Creep." Alexia muttered
Arthur and Merlin look at her and laughed.
Hearing laughing sound, Alexia realised she said that out loud. A slight shade of pink rose on her cheek.
Then Arthur turned serious. "Uh, for tomorrow you need to repair my shield, wash my tunic, clean my boots, sharpen my sword, and polish my chainmail." Arthur walked away while Merlin and Alexia looked slightly annoyed.
After some time, all of the chores magically being done while Merlin and Alexia sprawled at Merlin's bed while reading the magical book.
When Gaius entered, all of the objects dropped to the ground in a loud clatter.
"Are you both using magic again?" Gaius exclaimed
"No." Merlin and Alexia denied.
"What's all this, then?" Gaius asked, gesturing towards the mess on the floor. Merlin just shrugged innocently, while Alexia turned her attention to the book.
Although not buying his act, Gaius looked too tired to argue. "I just came to tell you that supper's ready." Gaius said, turning around and closing the door behind him.
Merlin and Alexia sighed in relief as Gaius left.
In the throne room, the knights in the tournament line up to meet with Uther and Lady Morgana. Knight Valiant made it to the front of the line and bowed low to the king "Knight Valiant of the Western Isles, My Lord." He said after he straightened
"I saw you fighting today." The king said, looking impressed. "You have a very aggressive style."
"Well, as My Lord said, 'To lose is to be disgraced.'" Valiant said, earning another approving glance.
"I couldn't agree more." Uther agreed, turning towards Morgana. "Knight Valiant, may I present the Lady Morgana, my ward."
Valiant bowed to kiss Morgana's hand while further back in the line, Arthur looked on with a wry grin.
"My Lady."
"I saw you competing today." Morgana said, obviously impressed with this new knight.
"I saw you watching. I understand the tournament champion has the honor of escorting My Lady to the feast."
"That's correct." Morgana purred
"Then I will give everything to win the tournament." Valiant said.
Morgana smiled and nodded to him, Valiant nodded back.
"My Lady." Valiant said once again, before walking over to shake hands with other knights, Morgana and Gwen watching him. Arthur bowed to his father.
"Arthur."
"Father." Arthur replied Arthur threw a look over at Valiant before walking to Morgana.
"They all seem rather impressed by Knight Valiant." Morgana said, trying to rile him up.
"They're not the only ones." Arthur retorted
Morgana tilted her head slightly as she studied him. "You're not jealous, are you?"
"I don't see there's anything to be jealous of." Morgana's smile faded and Arthur walked on.
"Could Arthur be any more annoying?" Morgana murmured to Gwen, who is standing right behind her mistress. "I so hope Knight Valiant wins the tournament."
"You don't really mean that." Gwen said shaking her head.
"Yes, I do." Morgana disagreed, giving the knight another look.
The next morning, Merlin was checking over Arthur's clean armor when he heared a hissing sound. "Hello? Is there someone there?" Merlin called out.
Noticing Valiant's shield, Merlin leaned down to get a closer look and saw one of the snake eyes blink.
"Can I help you with something, boy?" Valiant asked in a patronizing tone.
Merlin stumbled back, out of the reach of the sword. "Nope. I'm good. I, I was just...I was, erm, gathering my master's armor."
"Then you'd best be on your way."
"Right, yeah. No problem." Merlin agreed, picking up the load of armor.
Alexia appeared in the room.
" Merlin Arthur is waiting." She said before she noticed that sir Valiant was standing there too.
" Uh! Is something wrong?" She asked glancing at them.
Valiant shook his head and left.
Alexia looked at Merlin, who signed he will explain later. They left the armour room to go to Arthur.
When Arthur arrived, the table was laid out with all of Arthur's cleaned and repaired equipment.
"You both did all this on your own?" Arthur said, disbelieving.
"Yes, Sire." Merlin said, smiling proudly.
"Now let's see if you can get me into it without forgetting anything. Without Alex's help." Arthur said wryly. Merlin proceeded to put on all of Arthur's armor and weapons perfectly. Finally Merlin handed over his helmet.
"That was much better." Said Arthur grudgingly.
"Not that it could have got any worse." He added.
"I'm a fast learner." Merlin said.
"I hope, for you sake, that's true." Arthur retorted.
"Good luck." Merlin and Alexia wished him. Arthur just nodded and walked out of his chambers.
In the tournament arena, Arthur marched into the middle and acknowledged the crowd. Merlin and Alexia stopped and watched him from the entrance.
Gaius moved up quietly behind them, scaring them slightly when he said, "Is it my imagination, or are you two beginning to enjoy yourself?"
"It…" Merlin sighs, "It isn't totally horrible all the time."
" He is nice guy." Alexia added.
Merlin watched as Arthur fought his next opponent, cheering "Yeah!"
Alexia shook her head at him.
Then Valiant entered to fight in the arena. During the fight, Valiant knocked down Sir Ewan, whose helm rolled off. Valiant pinned him down with his shield.
"Strike him." Valiant ordered
The serpents came out of Valiant shield, while Ewan stared at them with wide eyes.
"Strike him!" He ordered again.
The serpent striked out and bite Sir Ewan who fell unconscious.
Valiant hit him over the head and stood up victorious while the crowd cheered loudly. Arthur, Alexia and Merlin saw Sir Ewan just lying there.
"I think he's badly hurt." Merlin muttered to Arthur and Alexia, as Gaius entered the arena to check on the fallen night. Only Alexia knew what actually happened.
Merlin and Alexia plowed through the door to the physicians chambers and put Arthur's armor down on one of the tables. Before joining Gaius at Sir Ewan's side.
"How is he?" Asked Merlin worriedly.
"It's most odd." Gaius told, pointing to a small would on his neck. "Look at this. See these two small wounds. Looks like a snake bite."
"How could he have been bitten by a snake? He was injured in the sword fight." Merlin said.
Gaius nodded, and explained "But the symptoms are consistent with poisoning: slow pulse, fever, paralysis."
"Can you heal him?" Alexia asked.
"Well, if it is a snake bite, I'll have to extract venom from the snake that bit him to make an antidote." Gaius said, busying himself at one of his worktables.
"What happens if he doesn't get the antidote?" Merlin asked, looking worried.
"Then I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do for him. He's going to die." Gaius said, matter-of-factly, before going back to tending Sir Ewan.
Merlin looked thoughtful for a moment before murmuring. "He was fighting Knight Valiant."
"What's that?" Gaius asked, distracted.
"Nothing." Merlin muttered as he walked out the door, Alexia following him.
" I heard a hissing sound in armoury today, while I went to collect Arthur's armour today. One of the snakes on Valiant's shield blinked at me." Merlin said to Alexia.
Alexia nodded.
" It means, it was sir Valiant." she said.
As Valiant walked through the one of the castle chambers towards his rooms, Merlin and Alexia spied on him from around the corner. They followed to spy on Valiant in his guest quarters. As they watched from the open door, Valiant pulled a mouse out of a cage and dangled it in front of the shield.
"Dinner time. Come on." Valiant said.
The snakes in the shield appear and Valiant feeds the mouse to them. With a horrified look, Merlin and Alexia scurried away, but Valiant heard them and followed. As Valiant came around the corner into the chamber, Merlin and Alexia hid in an alcove. Alexia was pressed between wall and Merlin. When he couldn't find anyone, Valiant gave up the chase.
Merlin and Alexia burst their way into Gaius' chambers. "I've... we've just seen one of the snakes in Valiant's shield come alive. He's using magic." Merlin informed Gaius, slightly breathless.
"Are you sure?" Gaius asked.
Merlin looked sick as he explained, "The snake ate a mouse - one swallow, straight down. Sir Ewan was fighting Valiant when he collapsed. It must've been one of the snakes from the shield." Merlin threw the ailing knight a look before saying, "I have to tell Arthur."
"Is there any chance you might be mistaken?" Gaius said, standing up.
"I know magic when I see it." Said Merlin confidently.
"Perhaps, but have you any proof?" Gaius asked.
Merlin looked slightly crestfallen. "Don't you believe us?"
"I fear you'll land yourself in trouble. How will you explain why you were in Valiant's chambers?" Gaius pointed out.
"What does that matter?" Alexia exclaimed. "He's using magic to cheat in the tournament!"
"But you can't go accusing a knight of using magic without proof. The King would never accept the word of servant over the word of a knight." Gaius informed them.
"What? So what we say doesn't count for anything?" Merlin asked.
"I'm afraid it counts for very little as far as the King is concerned. That's the way it is." He said.
" What kind of stupidity is this? Servant are more aware of surroundings than any other person. Moreover, everone should be treated equally in matter of sayings." Alexia babbled.
" You both should rest and do Arthur's work." He reminded them.
Alexia huffed while Merlin just nodded.