A/N: Alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright! Sorry, I was feeling an Outkast moment. So! Here's the next part! I hope you enjoy! Please leave a nice (and helpful, if you wish) review if you like :) I've got one more part for this episode before we enter the inevitable hiatus. Sorry 'bout those by the way. Hopefully it won't take me another two months to get the next episode done. So go forth and enjoy my children!


Valiant: Part 2

"Ah, Adrielle. Glad to see you're here on time and out of trouble I hope," Gaius drawled as she entered

"Yes, Gaius. It was just a quick pop down to Gwen's. We managed to evade getting ourselves into trouble for once. I think we can mark up two days without an incident," she replied sarcastically. "So what's on our agenda for today?"

"That my dear, depends on how the tournament goes today. For the most part we'll be able to sit and enjoy the competition. If anything happens to any of the knights and they need our attention we'll be there to attend to them. We'll have to assess the situation when we come to it and then we'll carry on from there," Gaius instructed.

"Fun," Adrielle mused. "Is there anything you need me to do right now?"

As she looked around the tent she noticed it looked much like the inside of their chambers. It was about half the size of their main chambers, of course. There was an examination bed set up near the middle of the tent. A few small tables were placed in the remaining spaces. On the tables were plants and instruments that were vaguely familiar to Adrielle.

"Not at the moment, no. I'm nearly finished setting up anyways. You may join your brother if you wish to watch the tournament. Just make sure if anything does happen you're ready to jump into action. If you see me hurrying out onto the field while another man lies flat on his bum that's your cue to follow me. As long as you're not too enchanted gawking over the knights we'll be in good shape," Gaius said. He made sure to try and mumble that last part under his breath. Adrielle's ears were just as quick as her reflexes; she caught every word he spoke.

"Gaius!" she said stupefied.

"I'm sorry, Adrielle. I just know how girls your age are. They see an attractive man like Arthur and they lose all their senses," he continued, keeping his back to her.

"I do not find Prince Arthur attractive or anything else of the sort. I am quite different from women my age in case you haven't noticed," she countered.

"Of course I've noticed. Anyone with half a brain could see that you and your brother are different."

"Let's just hope no one else sees exactly how different we are," Adrielle whispered.

"The tournament should be starting any minute now if you want to catch all of it," Gaius said while pointing to the tent's mouth. Adrielle eyed Gaius before she departed the tent. She spotted a line of knights all dressed up in their armour and family crests. She watched them pass her as they marched into the arena where the tournament was being held. She fell in line behind them and peeled off at the entrance to the grounds. She watched the knights file in and line up in two lines of twelve.

She cursed herself for being able to spot Prince Arthur almost immediately. Even from only being able to see the backs of their heads she could clearly spot him. He was in the back row, fifth one from the far side, nearly smack dab in the middle. Horns echoed sounding the king's entrance. She refocused her attention on him as Merlin came to stand beside her.

"Knights of the realm," Uther called. "It is a great honour to welcome you to the tournament at Camelot. Over the next four days, you will come to put your bravery to the test, you skills as warriors, and of course, to challenge the reigning champion, my son, Prince Arthur. Only one can have the honour of being crowned champion, and he will receive a prize of one thousand gold coins."

A servant, who was standing off to the side, opened up the box that he was holding. Inside was the prize money the king had mentioned. The crowd oohed and awed as the money was shown off.

"It is in combat that we learn a knight's true nature; whether he is indeed a warrior or a coward. The tournament begins!" With the king's final words he turned to exit the arena, his cloak billowing dramatically behind him. The crowd cheered as all the knights but two excited the arena; Prince Arthur and another knight whom Adrielle did not know. Two guards came to take the capes of the first two contestants. Prince Arthur and the other knight drew their swords. They took a starting stance and waited. Adrielle and Merlin were in a prime spot to watch the tournament as the two competitors began to fight.

Adrielle had only ever seen the prince fight once and even then it wasn't much of a fight. Prince Arthur had been the only one really fighting when he and Merlin had sparred the other day. Anyone could look like an expert if they attempted to properly fight against Merlin. All her time in Ealdor she had never seen men fight this way. She could see how the spectators ate up every second of the fight. Both Arthur and the other man were quite skilled. It was almost beautiful to watch, apart from the fact that someone usually died at the end of these fights. The movements that the two men took were swift, almost delicate. Prince Arthur knew exactly what move to make two moves before he needed to make it. His steps were precise and accurate. Even when he was forced to recoil back, nearly missing a slice to the stomach, it looked like that was exactly what he was supposed to do.

She could hear Merlin begin to cheer the prince on from beside her. She didn't have any favorites in this competition; the only knight she even knew competing was Prince Arthur. She supposed, however, if she were to cheer someone on it might as well be Arthur. The crowd's reactions were now her own as well. Adrielle, Merlin, and the crowd all gasped as Arthur ducked and avoided the sword that sliced right above his head.

The crowd fell under a hush as the two knights stepped back and repositioned themselves. Prince Arthur was the first to strike again. It appeared that he had the upper hand this time. With a few quick hits and blows the prince managed to knock the knight's helmet off and send him to the ground. The crowd began to cheer as their current victor had won his first match. Adrielle clapped along with the rest of the crowd as Arthur took off his helmet and exited the field.

The rest of the day the tournaments preceded much the same. Some knights were more skilled than others and quickly took down their opponents. Knight after knight fell to their competitor, but all remained well in good health. She watched as knights won their rounds and proceeded into the next round of finalists. Subconsciously Adrielle sized up the men who won in an attempt to create her own bracket of victors. She doubted that the men who were to face Prince Arthur would win. Despite how well they fought, she still didn't think that they were any tough match for the prince.

Her mind changed the slightest when she watched the final battle. The fight was Sir Rupert against Sir Valiant. Valiant was quite brutal in his technique. He fought with pure aggression. He would die rather than see his foe defeat him. Within a few moves Valiant had forcefully taken his opponent down. The crowd cheered on the fierce knight as the first day concluded.

Merlin left her side as the tournament ended. He went off to cater to the prince while Adrielle departed to find Gaius.

"Well, that was an easy first day," she commented while entering the tent.

"So it was. I fear most days will not be this easy," Gaius said while packing up his medicine back. He left a few vials on the counter. "I had some extra time during the tournament, so I prepared a few remedies. If you don't mind."

Adrielle sighed and snatched the vials from him. "I suppose this is my job. I'll see you in our chambers later."

Adrielle hurried out of the tent as she started on her way. She figured this would be what most days were like. Preparing potions for Gaius, delivering said remedies, collecting extra herbs, and of course examining patients. While the day to day scenarios might be different the overall routine would remain the same for the most part. There wouldn't always be exciting tournaments or extravagant feasts and parties. At some point her life would have to even out. People couldn't go around all day trying to kill Arthur. At least for her sake she hoped people wouldn't make an attempt on Arthur's life every day. It would make her and Merlin's job as Arthur's 'magical guardian angels' much more involved.

"Not trying to run away again, are we? You're not doing a very good job of it," Arthur's voice chuckled from outside his tent. Adrielle stopped and paused before she turned to him again. He was no longer wearing his armour; she supposed Merlin had already taken it off and hurried on his way. He still wore his red tunic with the Pendragon crest on it over his chainmail. His belt which usually sheathed his sword was still strapped around his waist. He wore his brown boots and matching trousers.

"Why do you seem so eager to get rid of me? People might think you don't want me here," Adrielle replied. She popped her hip out to gain a more comfortable, and albeit sassy, stance.

"Me? Never," he said, attempting to feign innocence. "Besides, it doesn't really matter what I want."

"Actually, it does. You have complete power over that. I hardly imagine you ever forget the fact that you are Prince Arthur of Camelot, but in case it has escaped your attention for once. You are Prince Arthur," Adrielle responded.

"Smart girl," Arthur replied simply. Adrielle found herself staring at Arthur. She was suddenly too entrapped by his brilliant light blue eyes to remember that it was her turn to respond and say something quirky.

"So, what have you done with my brother now then?" was all she could come up with.

"What my manservants always do. I've given him a list of chores he'll need to complete before tomorrow's round of matches," Arthur prattled.

"Congratulations on your victories today, by the way," she added.

"Thank you," he replied shortly.

"You're use to winning like this, aren't you?" she suddenly asked.

"Well, yes. Because of my skill, it has nothing to do with my title," he added hastily.

"Of course not," Adrielle mumbled.

"There are quite a lot of people who want my head on a platter. They wouldn't show me any special treatment in the ring."

"No. That would be ridiculous. Well, I wish you luck tomorrow. As long as you're not up against Sir Valiant, your winning streak should continue, my lord."

~xx~

"Thank you, Adrielle," Gaius said as she entered back into her chambers.

"It was no trouble, Gaius. It's nice to get a chance to explore. Meet some of the colourful people of Camelot."

"I'm glad to see you think so. Merlin's up in your room working on Arthur's armour. You can go up and tell him dinner's ready if you like," Gaius said while motioning with his ladle. Adrielle hurried across the room and up the steps to their shared bedroom. She opened the door and saw Merlin lying on his bed, book open in his hands. He looked up suddenly and brought the book to a close on his chest. She almost didn't notice a few items floating in midair until they suddenly dropped to the ground noisily.

"What on Earth is this?!" she exclaimed suddenly.

"Nothing," Merlin shrugged.

"Oh yeah? Cause all this really looks like nothing. Were you doing magic again?"

"No," he denied.

"Mmmhmm. You're a terrible liar. You can't lie to me. Maybe if you spent as much time reading up on being a manservant as you do magic, you'd be Prince Arthur's best friend by now!"

"I don't think there's anything I could do to become that friendly with Arthur. Is there a reason you came up here? You interrupted me-"

"Doing nothing?" Adrielle finished. She pursed her lips and crossed her arms. "I just came up here to tell your supper is ready, but if you'd rather do your chores by magic and read that magic book then fine. I'll just eat your supper too."

Adrielle turned on her heel and sauntered back down towards her meal.

~xx~

The following morning when Gaius and Adrielle arrived at the grounds they were only a few yards behind Merlin and Arthur. The crowd cheered as he entered the field and acknowledge the crowd. He held his helmet up for his people, causing them only to cheer him on louder.

"Is it my imagination or are you beginning to enjoy yourself?" Gaius asked Merlin as they settled next to him.

"It…it isn't horrible all the time," Merlin sighed. Gaius nodded and the group turned their attention back to the match that was about to start.

Prince Arthur and his current opponent, knight Laurent, prepared to square off against each other. Arthur struck and the first match of the day began. The crowd cheered as Arthur gained the upper hand once again. Knight Laurent staggered back and regained his stance. He struck forward and pushed Arthur back a few paces.

"Come on," Adrielle heard Merlin whisper next to her. Arthur lifted his shield and took a few blows before he struck. He came back with a renewed force. Blow after blow Arthur struck offensively and broke down his opponent. After another second, Arthur delivered his final blow and sent Laurent to the ground, defeated.

"Whoo!" Adrielle and Merlin cheered in unison. The crowd went wild for their prince, who showed himself victorious again. Arthur helped Laurent to his feet as the two exited the field. They were quickly replaced with the next round of competitors. This round, Valiant was up against Sir Ewan.

Valiant began to fight as aggressively as he had yesterday. This only seemed to draw the affection of even more of the ladies. Adrielle had heard gossip yesterday while she was running about. Sir Valiant, they all cooed. So strong, so mysterious, so handsome! Adrielle wasn't one to refuse gossiping and crushing on men, but only when it was for a man who was genuinely good looking. Adrielle didn't really find Valiant all that attractive. In fact she thought his fighting style was a little too aggressive. There was a fine line between being manly aggressive and being scary intimidating. In her opinion, Valiant was definitely on the scarier side.

Sir Ewan certainly was a fair match for Valiant. The two matched each other blow after blow. One would strike and then the other would. They seemed to evenly matched to the other. Suddenly Valiant gained the upper hand and knocked Sir Ewan to the ground. Valiant pushed himself against Ewan's form, using his body weight to pin him to the ground. In all of the commotion Sir Ewan's helmet had rolled off of his head. Valiant kept him pinned down for a moment or two before standing. He aimed a forceful hit to Ewan's shield before standing up. The crowd cheered as Valiant declared himself the winner.

While the crowd cheered, Sir Ewan remained motionless on the dirt. A sudden tightness crept up into the pit of Adrielle's stomach. She hadn't been able to see everything that had transpired on the field, but she had a feeling Valiant had somehow greatly injured Sir Ewan.

"Here's our cue," Gaius whispered into Adrielle's ear, tapping on her shoulder as he did. She nodded and followed behind him as they made their way to the middle of the field. As she neared Sir Ewan it became even more evident that he was not well. A normal human being shouldn't be that still under normal circumstances. Adrielle felt her heart rate pick up as Gaius began to examine Sir Ewan's still body.

"How do you assess this situation, Gaius?" Adrielle asked as she kneeled down next to him.

"I'll need him to be taken back to our chambers to examine and treat him fully," Gaius said, looking over Ewan's body quickly. He motioned for two guards to come and directed them just as he had Adrielle. The guards returned quickly with a stretcher, two planks of wood with a strong piece of fabric strung between the two posts. Sir Ewan was placed on the stretcher and taken out of the ring.

Back in their chambers Gaius was able to examine Sir Ewan at his leisure.

"What is it, Gaius? What do you think is the matter with him?" Adrielle questioned as she took a seat next to Gaius.

"I can't be sure. Were you able to see what happened while Valiant had him pinned to the ground?"

"Er, no. I couldn't see anything that happened. Why?" she asked again.

"Well, it's just that all of his symptoms are synonymous with poisoning," Gaius explained.

"Poisoning? What sort of symptoms are those?" Adrielle asked.

"Slow pulse, fever, paralysis. Here give me your hand," Gaius took her outstretched hand and molded her fingers so her first two fingers were still pointing out. He moved her hand so her fingers came to rest on the inside of Ewan's wrist. "Now concentrate. You're looking for a faint pulse under your fingers. It's usually much more obvious, the pulse, but since he is dying-"

"He's dying?" Adrielle repeated quickly.

"I'm afraid so."

Adrielle concentrated her senses into her fingers straining to feel the presence of life, no matter how sparse it was, coursing through Ewan's veins. The first time his pulse beat she wasn't sure she felt it. She was sure she was missing it completely, but as she concentrated further she recognized a faint pulse nearly unnoticeable.

Merlin suddenly came barreling through the doors. His arms were full of Arthur's armour, but it didn't seem to faze him. His face was mired with concern and worry for the dying knight on the cot.

"How is he?" Merlin asked as he dumped the armour onto the ground.

"It's most odd. See these two small wounds here?" Gaius said while pointing to a spot on the right side of the knight's neck. Adrielle hadn't noticed those before. They looked fairly nasty and somehow familiar. She had seen wounds similar to this earlier.

"They look like the wounds Daniel received the other day," Adrielle said suddenly.

"The man who was bit by a spider. Good," Gaius praised.

"So you're saying he was bitten by a spider?" Merlin questioned.

"No. His symptoms are not consistent with any spider bite I know of. His wounds look almost like snake bites," Gaius corrected.

"How could he have been bitten by a snake? He was injured in a sword fight!" Merlin was at a loss for words just as Gaius was for an explanation.

"As I told Adrielle the symptoms are consistent with poisoning. Especially snake poison."

"Is there any cure? Any way we can save him?" Adrielle nearly begged.

"I'd have to extract the venom from the snake that bit him in order to make a remedy," he explained.

"What if we can't find the snake that bit him? Is there any way of saving him without the venom?" Adrielle pressed.

"I'm afraid there's nothing else we can do. He will die," Gaius sighed, feeling defeated. Adrielle shrunk back into her seat. Just the other day she had encountered a fairly nasty spider bite, but her and Gaius were able to save the man in question. Now she had to sit by and watch a man die of a similar cause. She had absolutely no idea how he could have been bitten by a snake. At least not while in the middle of a sword fight. She looked over at her brother, wondering if he had any better ideas. As Adrielle looked at him, she could see him trying to work out the same details. Merlin looked to be deep in thought, trying to rack his brain quickly for a solution.

"He was fighting Knight Valiant," he said quietly.

"What?" Adrielle asked. She had heard him clearly, but she didn't understand what he meant by that. Merlin seemed to know exactly what he meant and how that piece of knowledge was special to the situation.

"I'll be back," Merlin said suddenly. He jumped out of his chair so fast he almost caused it to tumble to the ground. Before Gaius could ask where he was going, Merlin was out the door and on his way.

~xx~

When Merlin returned to his chambers he looked like he had seen a ghost. Adrielle was tending to Sir Ewan's fever by patting a wet cloth on his forehead.

"He's using magic," Merlin breathed quickly.

"Come again?" Gaius asked confused.

"Valiant. He's using magic to cheat in the tournament," Merlin repeated.

"Just because we have magic doesn't mean every other magical being in the universe is suddenly going to come to us and threaten Camelot," Adrielle tried to reason.

"Are you sure?" Gaius interjected.

"The snake that bit Sir Ewan, it was from Valiant's shield. I've seen them. He's using magic to make them come to life. I saw one of them blink earlier today. I thought I was going mad but I'm not. I went to Valiant's chambers and saw them. They came to life- they came out of the shield and ate a mouse, straight down. One bite. Ewan was fighting Valiant when he collapsed. It must have been one of the snakes from the shield," Merlin reported quickly.

"Is there any chance you might be mistaken?" Gaius questioned.

"I know magic when I see it. I have to tell Arthur."

"Perhaps, but do you have any proof?" Gaius pushed again.

"What, don't you believe me? Adrielle?" Merlin asked in disbelief.

"I…I don't know Merlin. I don't know what you saw," Adrielle admitted.

"What?! I told you what I saw! Snakes coming to life magically at Valiant's command!"

"I fear you'll land yourself in trouble," Gaius spoke up. "How will you explain why you were in Valiant's chambers?"

Merlin faltered for a second. He hadn't actually thought about that part. "What does that matter? 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 a servant over that of a knight's. You should know this," Gaius lectured.

"What? So what I say doesn't count for anything?" Merlin uttered in disbelief.

"I'm afraid it counts for very little as far as the King is concerned."

Merlin glared at Gaius for a moment before sighing unhappily. He turned to retreat to his room as Adrielle spoke up.

"Look, Merlin. Gaius is right. The King probably wouldn't believe anyone if their only evidence was eyewitness. Maybe if you had some proof that proved that he was using magic without any hint of reasonable doubt," she offered. Adrielle could guess fairly easily how Merlin was feeling. She had no idea what he had seen, that was true, but he was stubborn. Whatever he saw, whether it was magical snakes on a shield or not, it was something he had never seen before. Something that was frightening and dangerous. Back home in Ealdor people would have at least taken his word into account. You say you saw bandits out in the forest? We'll send some of our toughest men to investigate!

But Merlin could say anything he wanted to the King, whether it be true or false, and he wouldn't believe him. No one would. Adrielle could feel the injustice nagging at her but she had to push it aside. Gaius had lived in Camelot his entire life. He had been exposed to the things that separated the classes of nobility and commoner. Gaius had learned his place and knew it well. Merlin and Adrielle, on the other hand, and only been in Camelot a week. Merlin had only been Arthur's servant for a few days. Adrielle didn't necessarily like it, how low she and her brother seemed to be on the totem pole of life in Camelot, but that's how it was. She feared it would take Merlin his entire lifetime to learn and accept this was his place as well.

The following morning Gaius had offered to stay back and tend to Sir Ewan. Adrielle was to go to the tournament and keep an eye on things, Valiant included. If another incident were to occur, whether it be by magic or not, she was instructed to have the man in question brought to his chambers so he could examine them further.

She hadn't gotten much else out of her brother. Merlin had given her a bit of the cold shoulder for the rest of the night. He barely spoke to her, only out of necessity. When she had awoken in the morning she found his bed empty again. He had gathered Arthur's armour up almost silently and left without a word to either Gaius or Adrielle.

By the time she arrived to the pitch the next round of matches for the day had already begun. Prince Arthur was suited up in his armour and was making his way to the field. Waiting for him was his opponent who was nearly twice his size. Not round wise, but vertically. The knight Arthur was about to face was practically the size of a bear. Adrielle wasn't sure what the outcome of this match would be, but she secretly hoped that Arthur would pull out victorious has he had henceforth.

Adrielle spotted her brother a ways ahead of her. He was looking at something, or someone, on the other side of one of the tents. She started making her way towards him when he looked up and spotted her. He stepped back to his starting position and tried to look interested in the strap of his bag.

"Morning, Merlin," she said trying to sound diplomatic. He glanced her way, eyes still focused on the strap.

"Morning," he mumbled.

"How are you getting on?" Adrielle continued.

"Oh just fine. Just keeping my head down, doing my job, minding my own business. Don't worry; I'm not going to meddle in anybody's business today. Even if it could save their life." Merlin kept his eyes down as he walked passed Adrielle. She sighed and decided to let him be for now. Adrielle walked up and stopped at the entrance to the pitch; the spot she had stood in for several days now. She watched as Arthur ducked and weaved around his opponent's blows. The man he was dueling, the one the size of a bear, was much slower than Arthur. Arthur was at an advantage and was able to quickly and skillfully take down his opponent. The crowd cheered as their prince secured himself a spot in the finals.

The last fight of the day of Valiant's. With his brute force and strength he seemed to beat his foe in no time. Adrielle tensed as Valiant used his shield to push the other knight to the ground. Possibly there was a small part of her that believed what Merlin was saying. Under normal circumstances she would have thought that he was going mental, but Adrielle no longer seemed to find herself in 'normal' circumstances. She had seen a dragon beneath the city, had it speak to her foretelling of her great destiny she and her brother shared. She had seen a witch change her appearance to gain entry into the feast celebrating the Great Purge. Adrielle had even seen that same witch lull everyone to sleep with her magic and attempt to assassinate the prince, and that had all been within her first couple of days in Camelot! Perhaps her brother was telling the truth.

The crowd cheered as their new favorite competitor, aside from Arthur, exited the field, concluding today's matches. Adrielle started to leave with departing crowd when she saw Merlin standing off by Arthur's now empty tent.

"Valiant's going to fight Arthur in the final. He'll use the shield to kill him," Merlin said seriously.

"We can't let that happen," Adrielle replied.

"What about needing proof?"

"We'll just have to find some. Some incredibly damn good proof."

"And how do you suggest that?" Merlin questioned.

"I haven't quite got that bit figured out yet," Adrielle admitted.

The two siblings quickly made their way back to their chambers and to the knight who lie dying on their cot. Adrielle couldn't believe it, but somehow Sir Ewan looked like he was even more still than he had been last time she saw him. She wasn't sure how a man who was suffering from paralysis could appear to be even more paralyzed than before, but Sir Ewan fit the bill. His face seemed to be paler and his body seemed to move less and less with each of his living breaths. She could practically see the life escaping from his body.

"How is he?" Adrielle asked almost as soon as they entered the room.

"Not well. Without an antidote he should be dead within the night," Gaius said, taking off his classes dejectedly. "Merlin, about what I said yesterday…Uther really wouldn't believe you or me for that fact, but we can't let Valiant get away with this."

"He's set to fight Arthur in the final match tomorrow," Adrielle addressed.

"Then it seems we must stop Valiant," Gaius confirmed.

"Guys you're forgetting one thing. We still don't have any proof that he's using magic," Merlin reminded the two of them bitterly. Adrielle folded her bottom lip in and bit on it subconsciously. There must be some way for them to obtain some proof; some real, inexcusable, proof that Valiant was using magic.

"What if we could cure Ewan? He could tell the King that Valiant was using magic. He had firsthand experience. If titles matter so much then the King would surely believe the word of a knight, right?" Adrielle hypothesized.

"The problems still remains, my dear. How do we get the antidote? We still need venom from the snake that bit him. A snake that rests on the shield of Valiant," Gaius said matter of factly. Adrielle sat herself on a bench at took a moment to think. At this point she really wasn't sure what to do. Somehow, they'd have to get one of the snakes from Valiant's shield off of the shield in order to extract the venom, but she was at a loss for how even someone like her was meant to accomplish that. She looked over at Merlin and could see the gears in his head starting to work.

"I'll be right back," he said suddenly.

"Whatever you've got planned up your sleeve I'm coming to help," Adrielle said determinedly. She stood up, prepared to not take no for an answer, but was met with Merlin's appreciative smile. The two twins headed off quickly, Gaius bidding them farewell with, "Just be careful, you two."

The two young siblings made their way quickly and quietly through the castle, trying not to stir up any suspicion. If they landed themselves in the dungeons for the night they would never be able to get the antidote, expose Valiant, or save Ewan and Arthur.

"Which way is Valiant's bedchambers?" Adrielle asked in a hushed voice.

"They're on the second floor, but we have to make sure he's not anywhere near there first," Merlin explained, his voice just as soft as hers.

"And how do we go about doing that, exactly?"

"Make sure he's preoccupied, of course. Arthur mentioned something about dining in the council chambers. The finalists would be joining the dinner with his father. Arthur's there of course-"

"And Valiant," Adrielle finished. Merlin looked at her and nodded. The two were able to sneak into the council chambers through the back door, which was used by the servants to come and go as needed. They were able to hide discreetly behind a pillar as the men dined.

"So Valiant," King Uther spoke. Even in casual situations the King's voice was still loud and commanding. "Do you think you stand a chance of defeating my son?"

"He is a great warrior, my lord. I do hope to be a worthy opponent," he said smoothly.

Adrielle scoffed internally. True knights don't win by using magic and cheating. They most certainly are not a worthy opponent if they have to kill just to win.

"You should stay in Camelot after the tournament. I could do with more knights like you," Uther said before taking a sip from his chalice.

"I would be honored, my lord," Valiant said humbly.

"Ha. You won't be thinking the same of our dear Knight Valiant when he's attempted to kill your son," Adrielle barely breathed under her breath. Thankfully Merlin was the only one who was able to hear her. He tapped on her shoulder lightly and nodded to the exit. Valiant would be indisposed with his meal for awhile. It surely lent them enough time to extract venom from his beloved snake.

They reached Valiant's guest chambers quickly. They made sure to check and double check around every corner that no one was going to be able to catch them. When they reached the door Adrielle looked at it slowly.

"It's locked," she realized quickly. "Now what are we going to do?"

Merlin stepped in and focused on the lock. He stretched out his hand and quietly whispered, "Aliese."

The door handle suddenly slid until it was unlocked. Merlin looked back at his sister, proud that he was able to achieve that with his magic. He might have just unlocked a door, but it was a barrier they were able to overcome in the larger picture of saving Arthur's life.

"Okay, you're going to have to give up that magic book at some point so I can practice. That's wicked."

"Thanks. Now, you stay here and keep guard. Make sure neither Valiant nor anybody else comes in here, okay?"

"Yes alright I'll be the lookout just hurry up and get the venom," Adrielle whispered hastily, pushing her brother into the empty room.

Merlin crept quietly into the knight's empty room. The shield was left on a chair facing the door. It was almost as if it was on placed on a pedestal to be admired and glorified. Merlin picked up a sword and kept it pointed towards the dormant shield as he edged closer to it cautiously. The only times he had seen the snakes come to life themselves was when Valiant was in command. How Merlin was supposed to get the snakes to come to life by himself, he wasn't sure.

He touched the tip of his sword to the shield, running it down the length of the shield and over the three snakes that sat there, but nothing happened. The snakes remained simple pictures painted on. Inanimate. Out in the hallway Adrielle could hear the faint sound of footsteps getting louder. She crept towards the corner of the corridor where she thought the sounds would be coming from. Sure enough, rounding the corner at the far end of the corridor was the snake Valiant himself. Adrielle gasped and quickly ran back to the guest chambers Valiant would soon be entering.

"I told you to keep watch!" Merlin hissed when Adrielle came flying into the room, shutting the door tightly behind her.

"He's on his way! Valiant!" Adrielle hissed hastily.

"What?! Are you sure?"

"Yes! Now hurry up and get the dang snake head!" As Adrielle spoke, she watched as one of the snakes uncoiled itself from its painted position on the shield, ready to strike. Her eyes widened in horror, alerting Merlin that something behind him was out of place. He turned around just in time to see the snake stretching closer to him. Merlin swung the sword quickly, successfully chopping the head of the snake off. The disembodied snake slunk back into its eternal home. Merlin dropped the sword suddenly and snatched the snake head up. The twins ran out of the room and were out of sight before Valiant rounded the corner closest to his chambers.

~xx~

Gaius accepted the disturbing snake head when Adrielle and Merlin returned back to their chambers.

"I'll start preparing an antidote," Gaius said. He picked jar and begun to extract the venom from the snake. It poured steadily from the fangs into the jar.

"I'm going to tell Arthur," Merlin announced.

"Here, you'll want this," Adrielle said while picking the snake head up . She tossed it to him carefully, mindful of the still deadly fangs.

"Merlin," Gaius said before Merlin left. "What you did was very brave." Merlin smiled faintly before scurrying out of the room.

Gaius began to hurriedly and carefully prepare the life saving antidote for Sir Ewan. Adrielle hung back in the side lines mindful to keep out of the way. She was sure Gaius would someday teach her this preparation, but perhaps not when time was of the essence. She watched quietly as Gaius ran around the room, collecting these ingredients and those items.

Adrielle couldn't tell how much time had passed while Gaius worked. Every now and then he would ask her to fetch something for him or help him another way. She, of course, agreed obediently. At some point Sir Leon came in and alerted Gaius to the fact that Arthur had requested the King's presence in the council chambers. Gaius waved him off and sent him on his way.

"Looks like Merlin was able to get through to Arthur," Adrielle noted as Gaius finished up the potion.

"Yes. Now we just have to have to hope that the King will believe Sir Ewan's story." Gaius picked up a small cup that contained the anti-venom antidote. He hurried over to Sir Ewan's side, Adrielle closely on his heels. Gaius stuck a thick swab into the liquid and carefully dabbed it onto Ewan's lips. Adrielle waited for the potion to work, her breath held in nervous anticipation. Slowly Ewan's eyes fluttered open and his breathing became stronger. Adrielle let out a sigh of relief and smiled happily.

"Welcome back," Gaius said. Ewan, still lethargic and sick, turned his attention to Gaius.

"There was a snake on his shield. It came alive. It…it bit me," Sir Ewan said slowly.

"You're weak. The snake venom is still in your body."

"I must warn Arthur," Ewan said determinedly. He made to get up but Gaius pushed him gently back onto the cot.

"Arthur already knows. He's requested an audience with the King. They'll want to talk to you. Now rest. You'll need your strength. I need to go collect some more herbs. Adrielle, if you could look after Ewan while I'm gone." Adrielle nodded as Gaius stood to leave the room.

"How am I still alive?" Sir Ewan asked, closing his eyes and trying to recollect his strength.

"Gaius was able to prepare an antidote from the snake's venom. My brother and I were able to cut the head off one of the snakes," she explained plainly. The knight began to smack his lips, his mouth dry and parched. "Oh, you must be thirsty. I can only imagine lying in bed without water. I'll go fetch you glass of water. I'll be right back."

Adrielle grabbed a cup and hurried out of the room. She scampered down the hall and around a corner before the found the closest source of fresh water. She dipped the cup into the cold fresh water before she hurried back. When she arrived back into the room she saw one of the snakes from Valiant's shield attacking Sir Ewan's neck.

"No!" Adrielle shrieked. She dropped the cup in shock and sent it to the ground with a loud clatter and splash. She looked around the room quickly for something, anything, to attack the snake with. This was the only way to expose Valiant and save Arthur; she couldn't let Sir Ewan die now. She slipped on the pile of water she had just dropped and landed hard on her knees. She cursed ; under normal circumstances she knew she would have to hold her tongue of obscenities in the presence of someone higher up than her, but his life was on the line. She stood up shakily and grabbed a small cutting knife from the table. She ran over to Sir Ewan's side and knocked the snake away with her blade. The snake landed on the floor with little damage to itself. It bared it's fangs at Adrielle and hissed menacingly; Adrielle hissed at it in return. She swung her knife again at the snake before it slithered past her quickly and out the door back to its master's shield.

Adrielle started to move to follow the snake out when she remembered Arthur's last hope was more than likely dying on the cot. She dropped the knife back down on the table and switched it out for the remainder of the antidote. Adrielle ran to Sir Ewan's side and began to dab the potion onto his lip frantically.

"Come on, come on, come on!" she whispered desperately. She watched and waited for him to open his eyes, breathe in deeply, something to tell her that he was waking up again. She recalled what Gaius had said about checking for a pulse. Adrielle fumbled with her fingers as she went to feel for Sir Ewan's pulse. She closed her eyes and waited.

Come on, please live.

She willed all of her concentration and senses into trying to feel his pulse just like she had the other day. Adrielle waited and waited for even the faintest signs of life. But she felt nothing. No heartbeat, no breathing, nothing. His heart had stopped beating right before her eyes.

She sat back in her chair utterly dumbstruck for a second. She couldn't believe that Gaius had cured Sir Ewan and then in the twenty seconds Adrielle was gone he had been attacked and now laid dead in front of her. This was all her fault. It was her fault that Sir Ewan had died, their only absolute evidence to condemn Valiant. To save Arthur. Gaius had told her to look after Ewan while he was out and in that short amount of time she had managed to let him die.

"I'm afraid this potion tastes like toad water, but it'll get you back on your feet," Gaius said as he entered into the room.

"Gaius!" Adrielle said quickly. She jumped up out of her seat and raced over to his side.

"What is it, Adrielle? What's happened?"

"It-it's Ewan. He's…he's dead," Adrielle whispered.

"What? How did that happen?"

"I'm so sorry it's all my fault!" Adrielle started quickly. "I thought he might like some water so I went to fetch him some and when I came back he was dead! One of the snakes from Valiant's shield must have followed us here and bit him again. I tried to kill it but it just ran off instead. I tried to give Ewan more antidote but it didn't work!"

"Sh, it's alright my child," Gaius said while embracing the girl. He could clearly see how shaken up she was. "It's not your fault. It's just lucky the snake wasn't able to bite you. You and your brother are precious."

"What are we going to do about Arthur though? He's already called council with his father."

"Perhaps there's a chance the King will still believe him. He his is son after all," Gaius pulled back and looked at Adrielle, his hands still on her shoulders. "You must go and see what happens. Let Merlin know that Sir Ewan is, regrettably, dead. I'll stay here and…well…take care of this."

Adrielle nodded and pulled herself back together. She wiped her face of the few tears that had found their way onto her face and hurried off to the council chambers.