Valiant
Notes:
I am so sorry.
It has been a long time since I last updated. Multiple things have happened, I had my exams and essays for University.
Regarding the fic,
I had been indecisive about adding this chapter- because tbh, I have read 'Valiant' episode in different fics so many times that I had wanted to do something else- but then I realized that this time around Merlin is trying to gain trust and friendship- and these adventures- Valiant, Sophia, Afanc- all these episodes played an important role in Arthur's and Merlin's friendship and will help Arthur trust Merlin. They will also help Merlin gain a good reputation as a witchfinder.
By some, this way of gaining trust could be seen as manipulation but for me, I feel that Merlin is trying to resume his and Arthur's friendship, trying to make it into what it was the first time around, only this time, Arthur will respect Merlin more. Love him more.
Manipulation is working towards something malicious, the only thing that Merlin wants for Arthur is happiness. So, no, for me it is not manipulation.
I again wanted to apologize for how long it has taken for me to update, but be rest assured, no matter how long I take to update this fic, I will never, ever abandon it. This is my baby.
Last, I hope you like this chapter. 3
Chapter Text
The first day of the tournament passed in a hurry and without any hitches.
That is of course when you don't count the fact that Merlin had gotten to Arthur's chambers a bit later than usual and Arthur ranted at the witchfinder whilst getting ready.
"Do you have any idea, how important this day is for me, Merlin? And then you come late!"
Actually, Merlin had been early yesterday- today he was on time, but he wouldn't dare to correct Arthur about that right now.
Hence, Merlin nodded sagely, so as to not aggravate Arthur further and not moving his eyes from the Prince who seemed to be waging a battle with his own armour, with his servant, Morris, as collateral.
Today was the first day of the three-day long tournament, hence Arthur was trying to mask his nervousness with anger. Although to be fair, Morris was pretty incompetent when scared and right now the lad was terrified.
"Urrrggh! Morris. That's the hauberk! It goes AFTER the chainmail- are you slow in the mind? You have done this a hundred times before!"
Arthur shouted, his anger and irritation coming out on both Merlin and Morris.
When Merlin had woken up today, he had known it was going to be a long day for him, for some reason his head had been aching like there was no tomorrow and Arthur's shouting, Morris's whimpering and even the constant clanging of weapons (which Merlin could swear he could hear all the way up from the battlements) was not helping the situation.
The servant whimpered once again and fetched Arthur's chainmail and started putting it on the Prince- only in his fear, with shaking hands, the servant managed to get Arthur's hair stuck in the chain links and the ruckus started again.
Merlin winced as he was well aware of how painful it was to have your hair pulled out due to chain links and shook his head in sympathy for Morris.
This whole process had been going on for more than 15 minutes now. Arthur would shout, Morris would make a mistake and Merlin would just grit his teeth, trying to keep the pain in his head away.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and decided to take the situation in hand, they were late as it is.
He dismissed Morris and went to the Prince himself- who had stiffened and relaxed immediately when he had felt Merlin's presence-though the witchfinder didn't notice this, too busy getting Arthur's hair out of the chain links.
He detangled a very… tangled Prince and when Arthur's head popped out of the chainmail- the Prince took a deep breath and looked like he was about to launch into a long tirade when Merlin stuffed a bun from the breakfast tray into his mouth.
"Eat. You are hungry."
Arthur looked outraged for a second before finally realizing that he was way too hungry to ignore the bun in his mouth and bit into it with less than royal grace.
He could always shout at Merlin after breakfast.
The warlock put on the rest of the necessary garments on the royal person before bringing a comb and presenting it to Arthur. He didn't want to take unnecessary liberties with the royal- and combing the Prince's hair without his express permission was definitely taking some serious liberties.
"What?" the Prince asked in a confused tone, voice a little muffled as he was still chewing. Merlin rolled his eyes and said,
"Your hair is all over the place, Arthur." Arthur nodded and bowed his head, confusing Merlin until he said,
"Well, what are you waiting for then?"
Merlin huffed a breath at the utter laziness and raised Arthur's bowed head using his finger to lift the chin- he was taller so he didn't need the prat to bow his head- and with his right hand, he went about taming Arthur's blonde mess.
Which turned out to be more difficult than he remembered it being.
"Your hair is like…. Silk." Merlin laughed, still trying to make Arthur's hair stay but failing miserably. He glanced down to look at the Prince but found him looking already, Merlin swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing and continued,
"I am trying but they just keep… slipping over your eyes." Merlin tried to comb them once again but laughed again when the hair slid back down.
"Yes, Merlin. That is why I just let them… be. They are atrocious, I need to get them chopped." A warrior's vision was imperative during duels- a second's distraction could mean either victory or defeat and if the former required him to keep his hair short, then that is what he will do. In fact, he should have gotten his hair cut before the tournament- he didn't know why he had delayed until now.
"Oh, I am sure there is no need for that-,"
Merlin said hurriedly, personally the warlock liked it when Arthur's hair was longer. He checked to make sure that Arthur wasn't watching when his eyes flashed gold, he was again being obvious and careless when it came to using his magic,
"See, done. They just needed a bit of... coaxing."
Arthur shook his head to prove a point and was shocked that his hair did indeed stay as they had been combed and was secretly glad that he won't have to get his hair cut just yet. He also looked at Merlin with disbelief before shaking his head again and dismissing the whole matter altogether.
He had a tournament to win.
The Prince seemed even more jittery when they made it out to the arena- it wasn't apparent to anyone but him how these tournaments affected Arthur.
Don't get him wrong, he knew that Arthur loved these brutal things but he also realized now how right Gaius had been in past life when he had said that Arthur had his own pressures and responsibilities.
The tense shoulders also had something to do with the fact that Uther considered a tournament- such as this- a proof of Arthur's worth.
Merlin scoffed at the idea- if only what a King required was brawn and strategy then maybe these tournaments would have been good of judging someone's worth but in reality, a King is much more than a warrior.
He is a Judge, a President but above even all that a King has a great heart- if a King is not noble, kind and loving of the people under him then he is an incomplete King.
The difference between Uther and his son was just this- Uther is a warrior, and Arthur... a born King.
No tournament could ever fathom the worth of his Prince. No matter how much of a prat he was to Merlin in the mornings.
Merlin is brought out of his thoughts when finally all the knights entered the arena and Uther got up to welcome them. Merlin looked at each one of them, keeping his eyes uninterested when Sir Valiant was announced, he also saw Sir Ewan being called.
Merlin had cultivated a tender friendship with the said knight these past few days and had gotten to know the other man better than the last time. Ewan was a very loyal knight, always thinking of the people, the Prince- first, and never himself, which was why Merlin was sad for what was about to happen to the knight.
The tournament started and gradually, just like last time, both Arthur and Valiant moved up the tournament victory board. Ewan was still unbitten from a snake but seeing as how the things were progressing, he reckoned it will be tomorrow that the knight would fall against Valiant and day after would be the 'final' between Arthur and Valiant.
Later that afternoon, immediately after the tournament, Merlin had been forced to retire to his chambers by Gaius.
The physician had noticed that Merlin wasn't feeling up to the task of keeping a guard over Arthur and had asked Leon to accompany the Prince wherever he went until Merlin had taken a nap and recovered.
Apparently, Leon had been the one to guard Arthur before Merlin had ever entered Camelot and this had come as news to Merlin.
The warlock knew that the knight had always been a good knight and friend to Arthur but Merlin had never known that he had practically stolen Leon's place from beside Arthur in both lifetimes.
He might have to apologize to the knight by getting Morgana to notice him- he might appreciate it more than guarding Arthur anyway.
Once he has had a nap, he feels marginally better and his headache- which was still very much there- but had somewhat receded to the back of his mind, he decides to see what Arthur was up to.
He went to Arthur's chamber, nodded at Leon standing outside the doors, who nodded back and left once he saw that Merlin was back on duty.
He entered the chambers without knocking and found the Prince practising angrily in his chambers- still in complete gear, all sweaty. Merlin ducked back out of the room, stopped an errant servant and said,
"Get some bath water for his majesty- and make it warm." the servant nodded and dashed down the hall hurriedly.
When Merlin re-entered, Arthur froze and whipped his sword around, placing it close to Merlin's neck, thinking it was a stranger.
"You need to knock before you enter my chambers, Merlin- and why do the guards never alert me that you are here?" His voice was a tad frustrated, but he did remove the sword from Merlin's neck. Merlin just shrugged to the question and remarked,
"You know I never knock, they probably know it too... also, you need to get out of your smelly armour." Arthur just shook his head at the insult and continued practising-the prince had probably realized by now that there was no disciplining Merlin.
The Prince was again brought out of his concentration when two chambermaids came into the room to keep the bathwater and add bath oils, Arthur looked at the water confusedly and then at Merlin.
"What's all this?"
Merlin turned towards the chambermaids without answering Arthur and said,
"Thank you, that will be all."
The elder girl blushed- confusing Merlin- and bowed before leaving.
Merlin shook his head before looking at Arthur who was huffing a laugh and automatically raising his hands to make Merlin undress him- looking longingly at the water now, after having realized how badly his shoulder ached.
He had also been delaying a bath because he didn't want to deal with Morris... so he had waited until Merlin came back from... wherever he had gone.
While the Witchfinder removed his armour, he couldn't stop himself from pointing out a previous observation,
"Those maids love you, Merlin, surely you can't have missed that."
Merlin rolled his eyes and shook his head- he knew very well that this was Arthur's way of trying to get Merlin like another girl, a maid, in order to divert Merlin from Gwen. Arthur had always been a possessive and jealous prat but what he didn't understand what that Merlin was too defined by destiny to even think of making a genuine move on Gwen- that and he loved the maid like a sister.
To be honest, though, Merlin loved riling Arthur up so he would probably continue flirting with Gwen. Just because.
Which was why Merlin just shook his head and smiled at the back of Arthur's head before saying,
"I have no idea what you're talking about- both those maids are too young to like anyone- let alone me- and anyway,"
Merlin continued casually, maybe too casually,
"I already have my eye on a dark-skinned, curly-haired beauty,"
Merlin smirked widely and rushed out of the room before the blonde man could finish throwing the goblet he had aimed at his head.
*The Next morning- Tournament day 2
Merlin wasn't sure what he was supposed to be doing… he had again woken up with a massive headache that was refusing to go down and the clanging of swords in front of him wasn't helping the situation.
Oh, how he wished he had coffee to help him out today.
Nonetheless, the tournament had started and Arthur was going to be fighting next.
This morning when he had entered the Prince's chambers- the state of the said room had been in tatters. Arthur had dismissed Morris from every duty that involved dressing or undressing the Prince and which automatically meant that Merlin had those duties now.
"You are late." Arthur had said as a conversation starter, making Merlin glare at him.
"You're welcome, my lord- I am doing a job that is not a part of my duties-," Merlin said plopping the chainmail now and guiding Arthur's hands through the holes before continuing, "only because you decided to be a prat to your servant."
Arthur's breastplate went on and then as if he had not even heard Merlin, he continued,
"Do you know how important this tournament is for me?!" Merlin rolled his eyes… pretending not to hear the Prince too, he continued his previous line of thought and said,
"And will I get paid extra? No! And I can't teach poor Morris how to dress you because it's not his fault- it's yours! You can't seem to stand still."
"I am standing still!" Arthur shouted, offended, making Merlin smirk in triumph- all this while the Prince had been ranting and ignoring Merlin, it had been like talking to a deaf person but upon noticing that Arthur had been the one to acknowledge the Witchfinder first, the Prince glared some more.
He put on the armour all the while feeling Arthur eyes on himself… did he have something on his face? He was still sleepy…or maybe the Prince was trying to distract himself from the nerves.
Merlin turned his back towards Arthur and said,
"Don't worry, my lord…. You were passable with a sword, yesterday. I am sure you would be fine today too." He looks up to see Arthur sputtering.
Passable? Passable! The prince narrowed his eyes when he saw Merlin's shaking shoulders and picked up the closest thing to him- his comb- and threw it towards the Witchfinder.
The comb hit the back of the raven head and Merlin whipped his body to face him- offence on his face. Now it was Arthur's turn to smirk.
"I think you were talking about yourself when you said 'passable'… I am the best swordsman in the land and I will prove it to you with this tournament." Arthur declared and picked up a pear from his breakfast plate and left the room, chomping.
Merlin smiled and followed his Prince. At least the prat had his confidence back.
And here Merlin was- regretting every decision he had made as his head pounded him into oblivion. He didn't understand what was causing the headache but he will surely find out sooner or later.
He chose to ignore it and instead focused on Arthur's current opponent.
Merlin was just standing outside the Prince's tent and could also see Valiant fighting his own opponent.
Both Arthur and Valiant were way on their way to the top of the challenge board and Merlin was sure both will be fighting against each other in the finals, sooner than expected.
The Witchfinder knew that though he held a powerful position in court, he did not yet hold as much sway over the King as a noble knight would- if it came to his word against the Knight… the knight would surely win.
As much as he was loathed to say, Uther was a strong King- not a good king but strong- whereas Arthur was both. Where Arthur would believe Merlin because he was not blinded by ranks and stations, it would take some time for Uther to start believing him, a peasant, on his word.
It was because of this Merlin would need another noble and who better to use than Sir Ewan. Much like last time, the said knight had gotten hurt and had been rushed to Gaius's chambers to see if the old physician could do something for him- but it was for nought.
The warlock pressed his temples and breathed deeply before releasing it… he felt himself stagger back a step when he someone supported him with a hand on his arm.
"Merlin, are you sure you should be standing in the sun?" Of course, it was Gaius.
Merlin lowered his hands from his face and turned to face the physician, "I am fine, Gaius. Just some headache… I am sure it will go away soon enough, Ewan on the other hand.."
The physician shook and sighed before saying,
"His future is looking bleaker by the minute. Until I can identify the snake and even then, I will need the said snake's poison to create an antidote- and he doesn't have as much time left… I am only here to inform the King regarding the deteriorating health, Arthur was concerned too."
Merlin bit his lip in thought before glancing around to make sure no one was overhearing and said, "Don't inform him. yet."
Gaius's eyes snapped to his and Merlin could easily read the disapproval in his eyes.
Merlin pinched the bridge of his nose again and Gaius's eyes softened a tad bit,
"I do not know what is going on in that head of yours, Merlin… but whatever it is make it quick. Ewan won't last the night." Merlin smiled a small smile and nodded.
"And, have this." Merlin saw what Gaius was giving him and recognized it as the potion for headaches. The warlock smiled with gratitude and took it from his mentor,
"Thank you, Gaius. What would I do without you?" Gaius rolled his eyes and mumbled to himself, loud enough for Merlin to hear, 'I am sure you would manage.' "Do make sure you take it soon- it has a short lifespan."
Merlin smiled and nodded and as soon as Gaius was out of sight, he uncorked the potion and tipped it in his mouth. The pain was bad already… he wasn't going to wait to for it to get worse.
Arthur had just finished defeating his last opponent for the day when he turned to see Merlin- a smug smile on his face- only to find the Witchfinder pressing his temples, eyes screwed shut. A frown marred his face when he saw the other man stumble and then drink a potion given to him by Gaius. He made his way back to his tent and was about to ask what was wrong when he spotted Valiant coming towards them.
Merlin too, had seen knight Valiant heading towards them and had erased any show of weakness from his posture- Headache... what headache?
The knight looked towards them, smirked and nodded at the Prince before glancing curiously towards Merlin and then back to the Prince.
"May I offer my congratulations on your victories today." Valiant smiled a bit disconcertingly whereas Arthur's smile was more a grimace but he nodded nonetheless and said, "Likewise."
The Knight's eyes then turned to Merlin again but this time with a predatory gleam in them- Arthur wasn't sure whether Merlin had noticed it, seeing as the Witchfinder was looking rather bored by the whole exchange.
"You don't fight too bad, either." Valiant dragged Merlin's attention forcefully, stepping forward to say, "Camelot has finally found its Witchfinder then, I suppose?"
Merlin smiled a fake smile, remembering that Valiant had been present when Arthur and Merlin had sparred and replied, "Thank you and yes."
Valiant seemed to be expecting something more because he waited for a moment before realizing that the conversation had come to an end, he nodded and started to leave while saying, "I look forward to seeing you both at the reception then."
Merlin nodded and waited until the Knight was out of hearing range before saying, "Creep."
Arthur huffed a laugh but smothered it before saying, "So, still think I am 'passable' with a sword, huh, Merlin? Maybe you think Knight Valiant is better… he did seem to like you." Arthur finished, still offended that Merlin had called him a passable swordsman- also he wanted to know more of his opinion on the other Knight.
Merlin snorted, "Not everyone likes me, Arthur- see you for example. If I remember correctly, you hate me, sire. And, although Valiant is quite handy with a sword- I think he is more Lady Morgana's type than mine."
The Prince tried not to wonder on what exactly was Merlin's type but was stopped from asking more questions when Merlin asked,
"Sire, I have somewhere to be… shall I meet you after the reception?" Arthur frowned… where did Merlin have to be? He had been counting on his witchfinder's company for tonight as he had always detested the old lords who tried to talk about their daughters with him or the old ladies of the court, who, Arthur shudders, still tried to seduce him and his father.
But then Arthur focused on the creased forehead, the raven-haired man had been looking unwell since the morning- maybe he was wanting to visit the physician... or maybe it had something to do with covert glances Merlin kept throwing at Knight Valiant.
Arthur gritted his teeth. No. It had been clear to him that Merlin did not return Valiant's attention and even if he did, Arthur was certain that Merlin would never fraternise with the enemy.
Ridden with such thoughts, Arthur nodded after a bit of hesitation and went back to his chambers to change for the reception.
Merlin had to make sure that his plan to catch Valiant would work.
He quickly made his way to Gaius's chambers and opened the door to see how Sir Ewan was doing. The said knight was imperative to his plans, his survival could either make or break Merlin's position as a witchfinder.
Gaius looked up when the door to his chambers opened and his look turned into one of disapproval when he spotted the Warlock, the physician had figured somethings out then.
Merlin sighed and felt his headache creeping back in- the potion Gaius had given him was a strong one but whatever it was that was causing him the pain was stronger.
He waited for Gaius to say something and wasn't disappointed.
"You should have saved Ewan if you knew this was going to happen."
Gaius's voice was sombre but confused at the same time, so the man had finally come to the conclusion that Merlin had known something was going to happen.
Though Merlin had shown Gaius the most important things through his memories... he had held back a few things too. Not just in Gaius's case, even Gwaine didn't know everything.
They had been shown everything that held any significance for both of them, except their deaths and how those happened, they had been shown the truth of their relationship with Merlin and a few others, they knew that Merlin was Emrys- theoretically immortal, considering how long he had lived and they knew that Merlin had time-travelled. Everything else- the details- Merlin had kept to himself.
The Physician had only had a few months with this Merlin but in that time he had come to know that his boy could never put an innocent man in danger and then just declare him his collateral. This knowledge was confirmed as the warlock spoke next.
"I will cure him, Gaius. I just…needed him to get bitten…. I know I am the Witchfinder but I am still a peasant, Uther will never take my word over and against a noble- at least not until I have his complete trust."
A look of understanding fell over the old man, who nodded in contemplation… Merlin was right, he thought, he had not considered such a possibility. This also told him that he should probably learn to trust his ward more- just as much the man in his memories had.
He should learn that if Merlin did something, it would be well thought and in favour of a better future. He thought further over Merlin's current decision of letting Ewan get bitten and realised that though the King had declared Merlin as the Witchfinder-he will only believe a peasant with a certain proof- especially against a noble, the warlock will have to earn the trust before he could accuse anyone, leave alone a noble, of sorcery.
"How are you going to get the antidote?"
Merlin glanced at Gaius sideways before leaving the room without answering the question. The physician sighed and replaced the wet cloth on sir Ewan's forehead with a new one, shaking his head a little.
Merlin needed to hurry, anytime the reception would end and Valiant would come back. He also needed to be careful… last time his stupidity had led to Ewan's death… this time he will not let the knight die.
Merlin opened the door to the armoury and knelt in front of the yellow shield with green snakes- Valiant's shield and touched one the snakes with his bare finger in an almost caress.
Magic, he had learned, always attracted magic.
Much like he had predicted a single snake materialized and Merlin quickly took out his dagger from his boot and beheaded it- he didn't wait long to feel sorry but he did enchant the remaining snakes to freeze inside their shields… only Merlin could bring them to life now.
Nodding when he was satisfied with his work, he quickly discarded of the dead snake's body and took the head to Gaius's chambers- making sure that no one had seen him enter or leave the armoury.
He opened and closed the doors to Gaius's chambers, quickly and raised the snake's head in his hand with a victorious smile and offered it to Gaius to extract some venom.
Merlin waited whilst Gaius prepared the antidote, feet tapping on the floor with hope and nerves that the knight wasn't going to die.
Gaius worked in silence while Merlin paced.
Finally, when Gaius turned, he held a greenish looking potion in his hand that surely had to smell worse than it looked- because it sure was stinking up the room.
The physician asked Merlin to hold the knight so that he could force the potion down the throat.
Holding the knights sweaty and fever-warm body in his hands sent another wave of guilt down Merlin's body but the warlock pushed it down. This had been necessary and once the potion worked…. if the potion worked- then this would all be worth it.
Gaius pinched the knight's nose and poured the potion down his mouth. Merlin guessed that the potion must have been quite painful to consume because soon the knight started thrashing on the cot- making Merlin use all his strength to hold him down.
Finally, after what seemed like ages, Ewan seemed to calm down and breathe a sigh indicating that all was at peace inside- Merlin chanced a glance at Gaius… the physician looked relieved and nodded at Merlin.
The warlock got up and picked up the snakehead from the table and just stared at it for a minute, indecision marking every line of his body. He breathed deeply and said,
"I need to go."
"Where do you plan to go to? Or rather... who do you plan to go to?"
Gaius asked, already knowing the conundrum that Merlin was facing inside. Arthur or Uther.
He could go to Uther directly, that was what his duty as a Witchfinder asked of him, but the whole situation felt empty without Arthur.
But then if he did decide to get Arthur involved, then there was still a chance that this could go wrong and it would only lead to Arthur not trusting him in the future… but... it could also go very well and without the Prince in the loop, he would probably feel hurt or turn bitter for not being allowed to get involved. It was not just that...Merlin knew that he didn't want to do this without Arthur.
Gaius smiled, already knowing from Merlin's expression who he was going to go to. The physician shook his head when the warlock left the room without answering his question for the second time that day.
Merlin breathed deeply outside the Prince's chambers. It was happening again… his palms were sweating; his mouth was going dry… even his heart was beating significantly faster.
The guards guarding outside the chamber kept throwing Merlin worried looks.
This was stupid, why was Merlin overthinking this?… All he had to do was enter the door and ask Arthur to trust him… had it been this difficult last time?
Merlin shook himself and breathed in deeply before straightening his shoulders.
He opened the door- without knocking- and entered to see Arthur still in his formal clothes practising with a sword.
"You know, Merlin. If I had not known that you were the only one who would ever dare to enter my chambers without knocking, I would have beheaded you."
Arthur turned to look at Merlin and frowned, seeing the expression on his face,
"What is it?"
Merlin was still not sure whether or not to involve Arthur in this but before he could chicken out he threw the snake head at Arthur- who instinctually caught it- and then once realizing what it was he hurriedly dropped it on the table.
"What the hell, Merlin-,"
"Valiant is using magic." Arthur forgot what he had been about to say and looked at the Witchfinder with serious eyes.
"Merlin, I know you and I- both- don't like the man but that doesn't mean that he is using sorcery." Arthur turned his back on Merlin and started swinging his sword again.
Merlin bit his cheek to stop himself from saying something he will regret and composed himself.
"Look at that snakehead, Arthur. It's an exact replica of the snakes on Valiant's shield… have you ever seen such snakes during your hunts?" Merlin said, hoping that logic will win Arthur over where his words hadn't.
Arthur paused his practice to pick up the snakehead again- his natural curiosity taking over.
Merlin saw as doubt crept into Arthur's eyes- he knew he was right about one thing- they had never seen such snakes anywhere near Camelot… and it did look eerily similar to the ones on Valiant's shield.
Arthur turned when he heard Merlin say,
"I wouldn't lie to you, Arthur… not about dark magic."
The Prince studied the genuine face and looked at the snakehead again… he didn't look up when he asked,
"You could have gone straight to my father about this…. Why come to me?"
He felt Merlin come closer- the static that he always felt in the presence of the other man, growing stronger,
"Because we will be spending an unhealthy amount of time in each other's company and it will be good for both of us if we learned to trust each other… yes?"
Arthur finally looked into the imploring blue-gold eyes looking at him and decided to go with his gut and nodded.
"Shall I bring the King to the great hall and you arrest Valiant?" Merlin smiled too and nodded- both of them leaving the chambers, side by side.
"Arthur, Merlin, what is the meaning of this?" Uther demanded and both the aforementioned men looked at each other before turning back to the King.
Valiant had been brought to the great hall with his hands behind his back and surrounded by a flurry of guards.
Merlin swiped an eye across the room- but when he still couldn't see Gaius anywhere- he nodded at Arthur somewhat reluctantly- this could either go perfectly according to Merlin's plan or Merlin was going to get sacked… again.
The Prince turned to look at the King and said,
"Sire, Knight Valiant of the Western Isles has been suspected of using sorcery in the tournament by the Witchfinder."
A hush fell over the council and even Uther looked unsettled for a second before he composed himself and turned to look at Merlin while also managing to look at Arthur,
"What proof do you have of this accusation?"
Merlin knew that because of the Prince's backing, this accusation was more severe. He had to make sure that got resolved right here, right now.
Everyone turned to look at Merlin- Arthur, Morgana- who looked not only shocked but also offended (Merlin remembered that Morgana had fancied Valiant a little bit, although how she could like Merlin and Valiant, was above him. They were completely different kinds of men) and even Valiant was glaring at him now instead of the Prince.
Merlin bowed his head in acknowledgement to the King and started,
"Sire, today at the tournament I saw something…unnatural. During Sir Valiant's semi-final round, which was against our own Sir Ewan, the snakes on his shield came alive."
Gasps could be heard from the people behind him but he ignored everything and continued,
"All three snakes came alive and one of them bit sir Ewan on the neck." Merlin paused as the voices rose around him, Uther raised a hand to silence them and Merlin continued,
"Now, naturally, I thought my eyes were deceiving me sire but exactly after the tournament, I left to see Gaius and inspected Sir Ewan's body. The said knight of Camelot was only hours away from inevitable death- but the cause of his failing health was not his injuries but the two puncture marks on his neck-,"
"This is absolute slander, my lord." Valiant cut Merlin off calmly, his voice amused and low, continuing,
"The physician could have easily created any puncture wounds and passed it as a snake bite. Sire, this is a clear way to get me disqualified and the Prince seems to be in on this scheme."
Valiant looked disdainfully at Arthur.
Arthur who had been silently watching just gritted his teeth and intervened before Valiant could continue his rant,
"Sire, if the Witchfinder may continue." Uther dragged his eyes away from Valiant and nodded in their direction making Merlin resume, now even the king wanted to see how Merlin would be able to defend himself.
"That possibility wasn't far from my mind, sire. Puncture wounds could happen from anything, anywhere… but these coincidences were just proving what I had already seen-,"
Leon from the side whispers but everyone hears him- so was the silence in the room.
"The snakes."
Merlin nodded and confirmed with a smile, "Yes, Sir Leon, The snakes." The Witchfinder turned towards the King and ventured further.
"But still sire, I wanted to be sure and thus as a last resort I went to the Armoury." Out of the corner of his eyes, he sees Valiant stiffen, as he continued,
"I had a mouse with me when I entered and after dangling the prey in front of the predator… the expected happened. A single snake reluctantly materialized out of the shield and though it shocked me, I took this opportunity to behead a single snake." Merlin looked at Arthur who was already passing the decapitated head to the King.
Here- Valiant starts losing his calm demeanour and he distinctly hears Valiant shout a
"Lying Bastard!"
,but Merlin ignored him and so did most of the people, too busy trying to get a look at the snake.
Uther studied the red-eyed snakehead carefully and realized that though the snake looked unlike any snake he had seen near Camelot…. He still couldn't take a peasant's word against a noble- that and also the fact that this snakehead could be a random snake... even if Magic seemed likely.
Taking a peasant's word over a noble's was going against his own law and though his own son was supporting the Witchfinder- the Prince himself hadn't testified to actually seeing sorcery being performed and thus the support did not hold.
He turned towards the Knight and asked,
"What do you have to say regarding these accusations, Knight Valiant?"
The said Knight scoffed and rolled his eyes at Merlin,
"Sire, I have no idea what the Witchfinder is going on about. It is a perfectly normal shield, check if you like, sire. But these accusations are false and I will not be slandered for a crime I didn't commit."
Uther turned his glaring eyes at Merlin and said,
"Bring this shield to me!"
Merlin lowered his eyes and removed the freezing spell from the snakes, hopefully at Uther's touch the snakes would come alive.
Merlin offered the shield for the King to touch but also said,
"Careful, sire."
The whole great hall seemed to wait with bated breath until the King's index finger touched the shield…and yet…. Yet nothing happened.
Merlin was confused…. The snakes should be coming out. He frowned trying to gauge what was going wrong but the king wasn't going to wait for him.
"Is this what I have employed you for, Merlin? To slander Camelot's noble guests with falsities."
Merlin pursed his lips and retreated down the steps, still looking at the snakes on the shield…there must be something holding them back.
He would have performed magic to call them to life but it was too risky among so many people whose sole attention was on him.
"And you Arthur… what were you thinking walking in here without any concrete proof and accusing your opponent of tomorrow?!"
Arthur gritted his teeth and prevented the urge to look down like a chided child.
"Sire, if I may?" Valiant's smug voice cut in. Uther and Arthur turned to look at the Knight whereas Merlin continued to frown.
"Your son made these allegations in the first place, sire… if he is afraid to fight me tomorrow I will graciously accept his withdrawal."
The people of Camelot in the great hall shouted together- no one insulted their Prince and got away with it, but the King raised a hand and the crowd quietened.
Uther looked at Arthur, anger seeping in his every move,
"Is this true?" He walked closer to Arthur and asked,
"Do you wish to withdraw from the tournament?"
Merlin could see Arthur's jaw clench in both embarrassment and anger when he gritted out a,
"No." The Prince shook his head once and bowed his head. Merlin could see that the King was going to shout at Arthur, but just as the situation was starting to get out of hand a servant rushed to Merlin and whispered something in his ear.
Merlin strode towards the King again and said,
"I apologize on interrupting, Sire. The Prince was merely supporting me in my allegations- if it is anyone's fault… it is mine." Arthur looked at him in shock, clearly telling him to shut up- because Uther will only humiliate Arthur, to Merlin he could do much worse. But Merlin continued,
"Although… if you would allow me, I have one last proof." Uther looked ready to deny Merlin and maim him at the same time, but Arthur intervened,
"Father, please. Let's just get this over with… the Witchfinder is only trying to do his job."
The King gritted his teeth but nodded- to publically dash a royal suggestion was unwise.
Merlin nodded at the servant and the door opened to allow Gaius and a very weak looking Sir Ewan into the Great hall. People gasped as they had all thought that the Knight was surely dead. Even the king looked like the continued existence of the knight was coming as a shock to him, so did the Prince.
Merlin had made sure not to mention Ewan was recovering to anyone, he had also made sure to not tell Arthur that they had Ewan prepped as a witness- he had not been sure that the knight would make it and didn't want to get Arthur's hopes up.
Arthur though realized what was going to happen, looked at Merlin and smirked slightly and the warlock smirked back.
Valiant was a dead man.
"Sir Ewan."
Uther's voice rang in the great hall and the said knight bowed his head.
Gaius intervened to say,
"Sire, I request you to make this quick on him as he is still very weak from not one but two attacks on his person."
Everyone's eyes widened and people started whispering. Gaius was a treasured and respected man in Camelot- His word held sway both amongst the people and the King himself and right now the old physician was aiming his most scary look at Sir Valiant.
Uther nodded and asked,
"Sir Ewan. Is it true that Knight Valiant used sorcery to defeat you?"
For a second there was no reaction but after that second the Knight nodded lethargically.
"He had me pinned to the ground, sire. Just then he seemed to say something, which made the snakes materialize. There were three in total and one of them bit me over here." The knight showed his neck which had a purplish hue surrounding the puncture wounds. Some people winced whilst some exclaimed in disbelief.
Uther nodded. This was it- a noble's testimony against a noble. Law was upheld. Valiant jumped towards Knight Ewan but the guards held strong- not letting him slip through and Uther announced his judgement.
"Take Sir-…. Take Valiant to the Dungeons. He will be executed tomorrow at dawn." Declared Uther before continuing smugly,
"Using magic in Camelot's own court and thinking that you won't get caught." Uther huffed out a laugh and glanced at Merlin approvingly, his expression completely different to what Merlin had been subjected to for the last half hour,
"Let your execution come as a warning to all your sorcerer friends- Camelot is stronger than ever before, strengthened by our very own witchfinder."
"No! You can't do this! I will not stand for it." Valiant started shouting but no one was paying attention to him.
Merlin and Arthur looked at each other as Valiant kept shouting something or the other.
He smiled at the Prince who returned it but Merlin was confused when that smile turned into horror.
"Merlin!" Merlin turned his face to see what Arthur was looking at and came in face to face with two snakes. Before Merlin could do anything Valiant shouted something else and though Arthur was able to behead another one of the snakes- he couldn't stop the last snake from lunging and burying its's fangs in Merlin's neck.
Merlin saw as Arthur beheaded the next snake as well, the Warlock smiled at his prince before closing his eyes and slipping into oblivion.
Merlin was somewhere between consciousness and complete darkness. He knew this because he could very much feel his headache. again.
He could also hear a snippet of things going on in the background.
"-… alright?" someone changed the wet cloth on his forehead … the voice sounded like Gwen's but soon it dissolved into someone's else's. Was Merlin finally losing his mind?
"Hello." Merlin turned towards the silky soft voice of a female. He didn't know who it was but he knew her, he had been feeling this presence for a few days now- specifically since his headaches started.
Merlin kept turning in circles in search of the voice… he knew… knew this voice somehow.
He stopped turning when his eyes caught a flash of deep red.
"Hello, young Witchfinder." Nimueh glided towards him and he found that he could not move… his hands and legs felt like something was weighing them down, something like a crane.
Nimueh came closer to him and knelt in front of him,
"I have been trying to reach you for days now… although something kept blocking me…is it a charm perhaps? Some jewellery that prevents me from entering your mind?" Merlin didn't answer the question, just pretended that he could not speak either in this state.
He recognized where they were- Isle of the blessed, although how Nimueh was doing this… visiting his mind when he was lying weak…this was something that had never happened to him before. Never in his thousand years had he experienced someone visiting his mind. Kilgharrah had spoken to him yes… but even the dragon had only been able to manage the act of talking, not visiting.
He felt her cold fingers stroke his cheeks and he turned his glare on her
"I heard you caught your first act of sorcery today. Well done" Nimueh smiled, still stroking his cheek before continuing,
"I just wanted to let you know that I look forward to meeting you, Witchfinder and just wanted to see you before coming to Camelot myself. Which I can promise will be happening soon."
Nimueh laughed. Why was she talking to him about her plans? Was this a trick, a way to make him change teams? Perhaps to make him feel anxious and fidgety- people tended to make mistakes then.
But before he could utter a word, Nimueh's laughter faded and other voices… more familiar voices permeated his consciousness.
"Is…. a nightmare?" Merlin couldn't catch everything but he knew that someone was holding his right hand tightly while someone kept changing the cloth on his forehead. He needed to tell Gaius what had happened with Nimueh… he needed to ask the physician how to prevent such a visit from happening ever again.
He concentrates on the different auras present in the room- usually, he tried not to see something so personal because it revealed more than it should but Merlin had no other choice- his eyes were closed and he wanted to know who all were in the room.
There was a light blue one… signifying stability, helpfulness and keen mind with experience, that was definitely Gaius… the physician seemed worried but also sure that his ward will recover.
Next presence was orange and pink.
Huh, bright. That was without a question- Gwen. That girl was sunshine and love all the way through but it was also responsibilities and dreams, a pure soul this one but also ambitious.
The presence that was holding Merlin's hand was… surprisingly deep purple. Dark but the potential to be beautiful and strong.
Morgana.
There was no doubt about it. Her intelligence exceeded everyone in the room, her kindness, love and the want for justice also was unbeatable. Morgana, Merlin understood was a lady of extremes. If she loved something- she would kill for them but if she hated them- she would destroy their world.
But… this kind of person also cherished relationships- love, family, friends... the more of such emotional connections- the lesser the probability of them turning dark.
Merlin now knew that there was a flaw in his decision to distance himself from Morgana. That was the wrong thing to do… what he should do was talk to her. Comfort her when her magic manifested.
Merlin... also saw in her aura that she cared for him much more than she should for a friend and it was then he knew that he needed to let her down slowly and as soon as possible- when what she felt towards him was just infatuation.
He really needed to talk to her, Merlin decided. He didn't want to give her any wrong ideas, he couldn't be hers. Ever.
Merlin unconsciously squeezed her hand and she squeezed his in return.
The last presence in the room was unmistakable. Red and Gold.
Arthur.
There were many things that the Prince was feeling right now but Merlin was sure if he opened his eyes he would see nothing but a carefully masked and restrained Arthur who had been taught since birth to reign his emotions… that was why Merlin took in as much as he could get from Arthur's aura. This could be the only time he would able to read Arthur at such a personal and intrusive level.
As he said, the Prince was feeling many things at once. There was an underlying worry but some guilt too. There were other conflicted emotions- possessiveness, confusion and…. Jealousy. Seriously, Arthur? Gwen was just tending to him, clinically… it wasn't like they were having an orgy in the middle of Physician's quarters.
He really dreaded the day that Lancelot came back because from there it was just Arthur acting like a caveman. All. the. time.
A clear picture of Arthur throwing Gwen over his shoulder and carrying her away like a Neanderthal came to his mind and he could help but bite his cheek to stop the grin from forming.
Slowly but surely as Merlin continued focusing on Arthur's presence, his own consciousness returned. His eyes felt heavy but he was able to open them fully and the first person he saw was Arthur because his inner eye had already been focused on the Prince.
Arthur looked shocked to see Merlin looking at him instead of the other two people beside him… he also looked relieved- which made Merlin feel a bit giddy on the inside.
Guess Arthur was starting to tolerate him then.
The next person he saw was Gaius who came rushing at him, to check his vitals and whatnots. Gwen seemed relieved too but Morgana was yet to give up on his hand. Merlin turned to face her and smiled wide. He wanted to convey with his eyes that he was sorry but also that he forgave her.
Morgana seemed shocked for a second but after that, she gradually smiled too- building up to a grin of herself- and that was when Merlin knew everything will be alright.
Merlin started to get up but was pushed down by Gwen,
"Uh-uh, you are not going anywhere mister."
The warlock huffed and shook his head, he opened his mouth but no voice came out, he cleared his throat and tried again,
"Water… please." Gaius nodded and hurried to get Merlin a cup with water in it.
Gwen took it from Gaius and pressed cup to his lips, keeping a hand under his neck to support him. Merlin pushed the glass away after a few sips and he could feel something important at the back of his mind but he couldn't remember what it was that he was trying to remember.
"What happened?" Merlin asked after a minute of silence.
Gwen looked around the room and when no one answered she took the lead,
"After Valiant started getting dragged away he shouted something- it must have been a spell… for the snakes to come alive because they did…. You were distracted and didn't notice it until it was too late. Arthur killed one of the snakes before it could bite you but couldn't stop the other one from biting you on the neck."
Merlin nodded, remembering this part, his free hand rose and touched the wound on his neck that felt a little tender.
Gwen continued, "As soon as the snake bit you, you crumpled to the ground. For a second everyone was shocked- as magic was being performed right in front of them but… Arthur, he killed the second snake too and got you here as quickly as possible." Merlin turned to look at Arthur and smiled, receiving a nod from the prince.
"And how long have I been out of it?" Merlin asked and Arthur spoke for the first time.
"Five hours." Merlin nods but frowns too it must be past midnight then… why were they still here?
"Shouldn't you all be sleeping?" Morgana squeezed his hand at the question,
"Don't be stupid, Merlin, Gaius told us that one bite from this snake, kills. You are lucky to be talking- Ewan keeps relapsing into a coma." Merlin turned his head towards Gaius, concern lacing his eyes,
"What's wrong with him?"
Gaius took a deep breath and sat down on the stool,
"I don't know… he keeps coming and going out of consciousness." Merlin frowned and hurriedly propped himself up and left the bed- or at least tried to, Morgana was still holding his hand but once she noticed, she hurriedly let go. He sat on the corner of his bed, a bit dizzy... and tried to look past Arthur, trying to catch a glimpse of Ewan.
The view of the knight was though blocked by a sombre-looking Arthur.
"Father had demanded that Gaius gives his full attention to you right now-,"
"Yes, I suppose he feels guilty for not believing you." Morgana interrupts Arthur with a sharp tone, making a prince take a deep breath for maintained calm.
Merlin nods and then surreptitiously glances at Gaius who takes his hint, thankfully, and says, "Sire, my lady… perhaps it would be better if we all spoke tomorrow? Merlin needs his rest and I am sure you all require some sleep as well." Gwen was the first one to nod and get up.
"Come, my lady. Gaius is right." Morgana looked at Merlin one last time, nodded reluctantly and turned to Gaius, "Gaius, if you could give me tonight's sleeping draught…"
Gaius nodded and said,
"Of course my lady." Together, Gwen, Morgana and Gaius exited his chambers leaving Merlin alone with Arthur.
The Prince waited until he was sure the three were out of earshot before coming and sitting on the bed- the same place that Gwen had vacated. Arthur frowned when he sat on the bed but ignored the extreme softness of the mattress under him and spoke.
"How are you really feeling?" Merlin huffed out a laugh,
"The bite is a bit sore and I feel a bit lethargic… but fine apart from that."
Arthur nodded and said without preamble, "Valiant is dead."
Merlin's eyes widened as he was taken aback,
"Why and how? His execution was tomorrow at dawn if I remember correctly."
"Yes, but once we knew he was using magic right there amongst the people, we had to kill him immediately. He was too much of a danger to keep overnight." Merlin nodded slowly at the reasoning… Valiant had brought this on himself.
Arthur got up from his bed and moved towards the door, Merlin called out just before he had left his chambers,
"Arthur."
The Prince turned to look at him, still not used to someone calling him by his name.
Merlin waited for a second before saying something he should have the moment he was told that Arthur basically saved his life. Well, technically, it was never in danger but still…he supposes the thought counts.
"Thank you." Arthur's eyes that had been looking at Merlin, dropped to the ground and a single nod was the only answer Merlin received. Arthur turned back and left too.
Merlin got off the bed as soon as everyone had left- a bit weak legged- but he made his way towards Ewan. Gaius stood beside him when he started checking Ewan's vitals and using his magic to see what was causing the relapses.
"You shouldn't be using your magic Merlin, you must be tired."
Merlin smiled at Gaius but internally he was frowning at the black mass inside Ewan's head. The antidote had worked, just like it had with Merlin but they had been too late to get the antidote for Ewan, hence the poison had been in the knight longer than it had been in Merlin.
Merlin sends some of his magic with the purpose to heal the blackness in the Knight's head, making Ewan frown even in his unconscious state. The warlock places his cool hand on Ewan's head, surrounding the blackness with gold… and gradually the darkness receded, the effects of magical poison failing in front of the magic that dispelled it.
Merlin opened his eyes, not realizing that he had closed them and his knees buckled. He shouldn't have used magic so soon after being cured himself- but at least Ewan wasn't in pain anymore and would wake up as soon as his body heals.
Gaius steadied Merlin and walked him back to his chambers. Sighing, the old man put his ward to bed and pulled his covers up till his chin, pausing,
"Was there something you wanted to tell me, Merlin? You kept mumbling when you were unconscious... something about 'needing to tell me something' and 'preventing it from happening again'?"
The warlock frowned and thought for a minute before saying,
"No. Nothing that I can remember. Must've been a dream."
The physician kept looking at Merlin, eyebrows furrowed in concerned thought.
"Yes... of course, a dream."
Notes:
I hope you liked this chapter and I will try to post the next chapter soon- maybe not in a few days but I promise not to take 2 months to update this time.
Also, A very very Happy New year! ❤❤
A belated Merry Christmas! 🎄
And Happy belated Hanukkah!
Thank you for reading.
Much love,
LKD