-Four-
Trivia Night
It was with a heavy heart that Merlin returned to his room at the Avalon Inn. He sat on his bed, staring out the window that overlooked the sea without really seeing it.
She hadn't remembered. Ryll – no, Liz – didn't remember who she was. She didn't remember Camelot. She didn't remember her past life. And most painfully of all, she didn't remember Merlin.
He'd waited 900 years for this moment and never once in all the times he'd imagined the reunion had he considered that she might not remember anything of her past life. It was as if she had started with a clean slate. She really wasn't Ryll anymore. She was Liz, the small-town bartender who had a nose piercing and blue hair. Merlin buried his face in his hands. Today had not gone as planned. He'd at least succeeded in not scaring her away. She probably thought he was half crazy, but she hadn't kicked him out of the pub or called for reinforcements.
Which brought him to the bartender whom he had spoken to the night before. Byron. Somehow in his excitement to find Ryll, Merlin hadn't even recognized the druid boy. It seemed fitting that Ryll would end up with him of all the people in Camelot. Merlin wondered if there was anything between them in this life. He knew that there had been a spark between them from the start. He'd tried to ignore it, but it still bothered him even though he knew Ryll had never acted on that spark. The thought of her with him made him jealous. He sighed. She wasn't his Ryll anymore. She had a whole lifetime of experiences that didn't involve him. But did she?
According to the prophecy, the king and his savior would be reborn the day Pegasus's eye fell. What if Ryll only thought she was Liz? What if the memories she had were false? Did she really have a past before Ealdor or did she just have memories of a fake past? Maybe it was only a matter of making her remember. The real Ryll could still be in there somewhere. All that they had been through couldn't just be gone. Her last words to him couldn't have been for nothing. She would return for him. Ryll had to be in there somewhere and he wouldn't give up until he found her. She had told him that she had a habit of finding false facts and disproving theories. Maybe she needed to disprove her own past before she could remember the truth.
…
A lone figure stood across the street from the Avalon Inn. He'd witnessed the boy's arrival and watched the exchange between him and the girl. Merlin had returned, but it was clear from the girl's reactions that she had no idea who he was. If anything or anyone could have helped her remember, it would have been Merlin. If seeing him hadn't been enough to wake up her memories then nothing would be. And if there was no risk of that, then he didn't see why he should concern his master with this information.
Merlin wasn't doing any harm, and Liz had no idea who she really was. Of course they couldn't have Merlin planting ideas in her head. He'd have to keep a close eye on the warlock. And when the time was right, he would find the king's son. Arthur would return.
…
Trivia night was always fun even though Liz always knew all the answers. The problem was, she couldn't just go blabbing them out and looking like a complete know-it-all. That would ruin her reputation as a bartender. So for the last few years, every trivia night, she'd whisper the answers to Byron before the teams had a chance to answer. And she was always right. Well, almost always right.
Tonight she kept an eye on the door as the locals and the occasional tourist, looking as if he or she was lost, came through the door. She felt a jilt of excitement when Merlin walked through the door. He came over to her, a smile on his face.
"You made it," Liz said, trying not to give away her excitement. She wasn't really sure why she was excited. He wasn't really her type at all, but there was just something about him that made her want to learn more about him and the woman he had once loved – the woman she seemed to look like.
"Yeah, I did," he said.
"Can I get you something to drink? We'll be starting in a few minutes."
"Just water for now. I want to keep a clear head."
"Good idea." She poured him a water and watched as another group of tourists entered. "Hopefully none of them will mistake me for Guinevere tonight," she said, rolling her eyes. "Just because she looks like me in all the pictures. Well, maybe after a few drinks."
"She doesn't look at all like you. Not really," Merlin said. Then realizing he'd said something odd, he ducked his head. "I mean, not the pictures I've seen, but they could be entirely wrong, I have no idea."
"Well, I guess neither of us will ever know."
"By the way, I forgot to ask you earlier. You mentioned that I was the second person to have mistaken you for Ryll. Who was the first?" he asked.
"Oh, just some guy who came into the pub day before yesterday. He had dark hair and eyes. A bit older than you. He didn't say his name, but he thought I was her too. He made it sound like she was still alive though. He said something odd." She frowned, trying to remember. "He said that she was important, not just to him but to a lot of people. That's what he said. That doesn't make it sound like she's dead."
"No."
"Who was he? Do you know?"
Merlin shook his head. Before they had the chance to discuss it further, Byron's father took called for quiet and began to explain the rules of the game. "All right. This half of the bar is team A, the other half team B. You can talk amongst yourselves to come up with an answer. Keep it to your own group. First to answer correctly gets a point. Whichever team ends up with the most points wins. Drinks on me." A deafening cheer went up. "Tonight's theme is Camelot! Let's get started!" He fumbled with the notecards he kept the questions on.
"First question. Let's see. This one's an easy one." Liz looked around for Byron but he was at the other end of the bar. "Who was King Arthur's most trusted knight?"
"Lancelot," Merlin said without hesitation.
The patrons looked over at him in surprise. "Give us a chance!" they laughed.
"Sorry." He looked slightly abashed. The rest of his team moved their chairs closer to him.
"A point for us, we're not complaining," they said.
"All right. One point for team A. Next question. What was the name of the place where the great sorcerer Merlin saw the future?"
"The Crystal Cave," Merlin replied again. His team was awarded another point.
"I've got an idea, why don't you just answer for us?" one of the men on his team suggested. The others murmured in agreement.
Merlin shrugged. "Works for me." He grinned at Liz who was beginning to get interested in trivia night for the first time in a long time.
"Next question. Who was King Arthur's true love and queen?"
"Gwen or Guinevere," Merlin answered without pausing to take a breath.
His team cheered. They seemed perfectly content to let him answer all the questions. "Three points for team A!" Team B moaned.
"Pretty good," Liz said to Merlin. "I didn't realize you were so knowledgeable about Camelot."
"I'm kind of a history-buff," he said. "At least about Camelot." He turned his head apologetically. "I know you're not into that sort of thing."
Liz shrugged. "I don't believe in magic."
"All right, this one's a tough one. What relation was Morgan Le Fay to King Arthur?"
"Half-sister."
Team B groaned. Liz noticed Byron watching Merlin forlornly. He'd asked her about him as soon as he'd left the pub earlier that morning, but she'd just replied that he was an old friend she was trying to remember. She didn't see any harm in talking to him. He was clearly just missing his departed girlfriend who happened to look like her. Nothing too odd about that.
"For double points, what was the name of Arthur's legendary sword and how did he gain it?"
"Excalibur and he pulled it from a stone," Merlin said right on cue.
"He's quick," Byron said, coming up beside Liz. He wasn't smiling.
"He's knows about Camelot," Liz agreed. "But who doesn't in this town?"
"He's not from here though."
"So? He said he was a history buff."
"He said he was? Wouldn't you know that if you're old friends?"
"By old friends I mean we haven't seen each other for a really long time."
"You have no idea who he is, do you?" Byron asked. Liz glared at him. How did he always know when she was lying? "I don't like him talking to you."
"It's all right. He's harmless. I just remind him of someone he used to know."
"He knew your full name."
"Well, maybe I just have the same name as someone he knew."
"How many people do you know with that name?" Byron asked, lifting a brow.
"It's not unheard of," Liz retorted. "Just leave him alone, okay?"
"Fine. But if he does anything-"
"I said leave him alone," Liz snapped. "He hasn't done anything. Don't be such a bully." She didn't know why she was defending him so adamantly. She just knew he was someone she could trust. Somehow.
…
Trivia night went on with Merlin not missing a single question. Finally they got to the last question. Merlin glanced at Liz who was smiling at him. Here was a chance to try to convince her, spark a memory, anything. Merlin turned back to the man reading the questions. He pulled the final card out, and Merlin focused on it. His eyes glowed amber for a second and then faded back to his normal blue.
"Who was the first female to become a knight of the Round Table?" the man read aloud.
The patrons started murmuring to each other. Merlin paused. "I didn't know there was a female knight," someone said.
"What kind of question is that?" another asked. "There were no female knights."
"There was one," Merlin said, smiling faintly. "Amaryllis d' Andreli. She saved King Arthur's life many times. She died in battle."
His words hung in silence. Everyone was gaping at him. He didn't dare look at Ryll. Not yet.
"He's right," the man reading the questions says. "It says it right here." He scratched his head. "Amaryllis d' Andreli. The first woman knight of Camelot. Final score, Team A: twenty-five points, Team B: zero. Drinks for Team A!"
Team A roared its approval, patting Merlin on the back. Team B muttered, going back to their drinks. Merlin finally turned to look at Ryll. She was staring at him, her eyes narrowed in a questioning look.
"What are you playing at?" she said softly when the rest of Team A had moved away to get their free drinks.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said.
"Amaryllis d' Andreli? That's me. That's my full name."
"You could be related to her."
"I'm not related to a knight of Camelot."
"How do you know that?" he asked.
"I'm just not," Ryll said, but her voice lacked conviction. "Then I suppose you're related to the great Merlin?" she asked.
"Something like that."
"You asked if I believed in reincarnation," Ryll said after a pause. Merlin watched her hopefully. Was she remembering something?
"Yes, I did."
"Well if I was a reincarnation of a knight, then wouldn't I have battle scars or something?"
Merlin frowned. "Reincarnation is like being reborn. I don't think you'd have any marks. But Amaryllis did have one distinctive marking. On her left shoulder just below the shoulder blade. She had an ink mark like a cross with four triangles each representing each of the elements."
"I think I'd know if I had a tattoo," Liz said. She smiled. "I've considered getting one, but that wouldn't be my first choice."
"I think you're fine the way you are," Merlin told her.
"That's what Byron always says." She frowned. "Why is everyone so insistent that I'm already perfect the way I am?"
"Because you are," Merlin told her. She just stared at him, eyes searching his.
Finally she said, "Maybe I'm not the girl you think I am," and walked away.
