Pretty important A/N at the bottom! Thanks for all your reviews thus far!

Chapter 3

"And the voyages go on the arms!" Merlin nodded furtively trying to store as much knowledge as he could. He was dressing the prince today, and he didn't want to make a fool out of himself. As much as he abhorred being a servant, the pay was good and he was given a sort of recognition amongst the other servants. Apparently, who your master was influenced how high you were on the slave popularity scale.

"And I suppose you know what to do with this?"

Merlin lifted his head at the playful tone and smiled at the helmet being presented to him. He took the helm and laughed.

"Yes, that part wasn't to difficult to figure out."

Gwen's eyes had warmed and Merlin felt warmed by them. She was a really nice girl.

"How come you're so much better at this?" He asked curiously, wondering how the servant of Morgana would know anything about how to put armor on.

"I'm the blacksmith's daughter. I know pretty much everything there is to know about armor." Gwen said, then she frowned. "Which I suppose is pretty sad."

"No!" Merlin coughed as Gwen stared at him. "I mean, it's not a sad thing at all." He said awkwardly. He shuffled his feet around cursing how strange he sounded.

"I think it's pretty brilliant." He offered.

Gwen smiled, and he felt that warmth again. "Thank you."

He blushed, and scratched the back of his head. "Anytime."

They stood their quietly, the mirth of the approaching tournament carried in waves out side of the room. Merlin shifted on his feet, before remembering where exactly he was supposed to be.

"Thanks, uh, Gwen, for everything." Merlin quickly took off the armor tying it back into the bundle he had arrived in. When he had everything together he walked toward the door, before stopping. Taking a deep breath the turned around.

"Um, Gwen." At her questioning look he continued. "Do you think we could hang out, um, after the tournament?"

Every fiber in him tensed as he waited for the answer. Gwen bit her lip.

"That should be fine, I'll just tell lady Morgana that I'm with you." She said giving a small smile.

Merlin, however, had to refrain from whooping loudly. Instead, he gave a blinding grin before nodding.

"Okay then, I'll see you at the tournament!" He waited until she nodded before running outside.

After a safe distance away, Merlin let out a whoop of excitement.

He found the prince waiting regally in the courtyard besides the Camelot tent. But he wasn't alone. The King was also by him, and by the looks of it, they were having a conversation. Merlin slowed his run to a light walk. There wasn't any particular hurry, and he wasn't really inclined to get between the serious conversation that was taking place in the royal family. In fact, it looked downright strained between the two Pendragons. Merlin bit his lip.

As he approached the tent, he saw Arthur give a tight nod to his father, who in turn clapped him on the back. He passed Merlin as though he wasn't there. Arthur didn't turn around, but instead looked stonily over the hill top.

"Sire?"

The prince snapped to attention.

"Where have you been, Merlin?" The prince barked out, and Merlin quickly untied the sack that held the prince's armor.

"And why do you have my armor in such a plain looking sack? You serve the Prince of Camelot. Do you live to embarrass me, Merlin?"

Merlin grit his teeth. "I suppose you and the King didn't talk about sunshine and roses then."

"It is none of your business." Arthur glared icily at him. Merlin rolled his eyes before starting to dress the prince, contenting himself in the knowledge that he had a date with Gwen after this silliness was over.

Merlin had never really found tournaments to be exciting, in fact he found them downright idiotic. It was just a bunch of frivolous knights playing dress up to earn honor for their families. None of them needed the prize money, and he bet that the money won would just go to the royal coffers and that none of the poorer class would see a sliver of it. Just the unfairness of it all made him sick.

"Are you nervous, sire?"

He asked absently not really giving a damn about it either way. But curiously enough, he felt Arthur's shoulder's stiffen under his fingers. The prince gazed ahead.

"I don't get nervous."

Merlin chuckled quietly at the bravado in the answer. He tied the prince's cape.

"I thought everyone gets nervous."

A tic.

"Will you shut up!"

Merlin smirked in answer as he turned back to get the prince's sword.

"Just a question, sire." He said airily handing the prince his sword and helm. "There you are."

The prince gave him a withering stare before marching off towards the arena. Merlin rolled his eyes and followed after him.

A simple thank you would've sufficed.

Merlin watched from the opposite gate as the knights marched in unified in gait. There was many of them, and Merlin wondered if every knight had come to compete. They were dressed regally, each of them ready for battle. He saw Arthur standing next to his father, his eyes watching and assessing each contender as they marched through the gate.

The crowd's roars were deafening each of them cheering for their own knights. Merlin could pick out snippets of conversation each ranging from who exactly these knights were to placing bets on who would be eliminated first. The weather was nice that day, somewhat of a rarity in Camelot and the sky was cloudless and bright.

When all of the knights had entered, the King raised his hands signaling the crowd to quiet. He strode to where the knights were lined up, the smile of a benevolent king firm on his face.

"Nights of the realm, it's a great honor to welcome you to the tournament at Camelot. For the next three days, you will come to put your bravery to the test, your skills as warriors, and of course to challenge the reigning champion, my son, Prince Arthur." He paused. "Only one, can have the honor of being crowned champion, and he will receive a prize of one thousand gold pieces."

Merlin noticed a chest being opened by a servant girl. His eyes widened at the gleaming gold coins that were displayed. A pang of longing raced through him as he remembered the suffering he had left his mother and best friend to fend to. His eyes raced among the knights faces and noticed darkly the looks of indifference. Rage flashed up his spine.

"It is in combat that we learn a knight's true nature: whether he is indeed a warrior or a coward." The king paused looking each combatant in the eye, before turning his face to the crowds.

"The tournament begins!"

The preliminaries ended late that afternoon, and Merlin wasn't too surprised to see the prince's shield still up on the board. Despite Arthur's proclivities of practicing with inexperienced menservants, it was apparent that he deserved the title of reigning champion. He had fought ruthlessly and brilliantly. However, it was the other knight he was curious about. Sir Valiant.

Merlin had heard the soldiers whispering about the strange knight, about how they had never heard of the knight before. From the looks of it, this family had never submitted a knight into a Camelot tournament which was extremely rare. However, new to the game or not, the man knew how to fight.

Merlin met Arthur as he was coming out of the gates and they headed to the Camelot tent together.

"That was brilliant fighting, sire." Merlin said, attempting a civil conversation with his employer.

"Thank you, Merlin." The prince said, and Merlin suspected that Arthur was just too tired to be rude. He handed Arthur a canteen of water and took his helmet. As he finding a space to set the helm down, a voice spoke behind him.

"May I offer my congratulations on your victories today."

Merlin turned. It was Sir Valiant, the man was sweaty himself and looked to be in his late twenties. Merlin shuddered. Something was off about this man.

"Likewise." The prince offered stiffly.

"Hope to see you at the reception this evening." Smiling slightly, the man walked off, his own servant following close behind. Merlin's neck tingled unpleasantly as his gaze fell upon the man's shield.

"Creep." He muttered.

Arthur snorted softly and Merlin chuckled with him. Arthur smirked a bit before shaking his head adopting an arrogant tone once more.

"Uh, for tomorrow you need to repair my shield, wash my tunic, clean my boots, sharpen my sword, and polish my chain mail." He said walking in the direction of the castle. Merlin watched him leave before rolling his eyes.

Prickly bastard.

Content that he started each and every chore Arthur had assigned him, magically of course, Merlin reclined on the bed and took a deep breath. He exhaled quietly concentrating on his magic. He had learned this form of meditation when he was younger after a particularly hard day from hunting. It cleared his mind and stretched his magic. He had been feeling quite a few withdrawal symptoms lately and it had been grating his nerves.

Back in his own village, Merlin would use his magic for nearly everything. Cleaning the house, keeping it warmed, starting a fire, hunting, cooking...everything. Now, it felt like his magic had been building on his will like a dam, trying to break loose. He was grateful for learning this meditation technique, the itching of his magic was starting to get insistent.

Breathing deeply, Merlin thought back to the competition, more specifically, the chest filled with gold coins. No matter how hard he tried- and oh he had tried- his magic was just unable to turn things into gold. And so his mother had suffered the winters were there was scarcely any food despite Merlin's best efforts of hunting, and even the merchants he had robbed had stopped coming through their routes thoroughly convinced that the strange happenings that kept taking all of their food were a sign. A sign that convinced them to stop trading with the village all together.

It was never his idea to come to Camelot. His mother insisted with those eyes that he could never resist. She told him to 'make a better life for himself,' a life that she herself couldn't provide. His heart longed for his mother, and his best friend William. He wanted to make sure that they were alright. It was spring now, a time of harvest, but how would they survive the harsh summer of Ealdor's heat?

The answer was obvious to him...they wouldn't.

His mother wouldn't tell him, but he saw her shudder and sweat in her sleep. His mother was not well, and needed quality medicine and food. And William. He loved William like a brother, but William had never been a hunter by nature. They were the one's who needed money, not those spoiled, arrogant, knights out there!

His door slammed open. Merlin froze, his heart stopping in his chest. Faintly he registered the magicked items falling to the floor. An incensed, white-haired head made it's presence known.

"Are you using magic again!"

Merlin peered up at the man, then down at the items strewn about the floor.

"Erm, no?"

Gaius sighed, shaking his head. "I just came to tell you that supper is ready."

Merlin sagged in relief. That was just too close.

I really need to come up with a lock for that door.

Merlin woke bright and early the next morning to gather the rest of the armor that he had left in the royal armory. He smiled brightly as he realized that the tournament would be coming to an end today, and he would finally have some time to spend with the lovely Guinevere. He giggled in excitement.

He reached the armory, happy to see all of Arthur's belongings untouched and still gleaming as he had left them. As he looked to do a final count, he heard something curious. It was a rattle, something akin to a snake's rattle.

The manservant turned around. "Hello?"

Seeing nothing, he turned around to gather the armor when he heard it again, louder this time. He was sure of it.

HISSSSSSS

It seemed to be coming from where the shields were stored. Cautiously he keeled closer to them. Then he saw it, a yellowish shield adorned with three twisting snakes.

No way...

A red eye flashed from one of the serpents. Mystified, Merlin reached out a hand...

Before finding a blade poised at his throat.

Merlin threw his hands up in a non-threatening manner, and was made to stand up by the blade pressing upwards. It was Sir Valiant. The man's cruel brown eyes locked on Merlin's suspiciously.

"May I help you with something, boy?"

Merlin was petrified with terror. He was prodded with the sword.

"Uh, no, no sir. I-I'm good." Said Merlin shakily. Moving to the table that held Arthur's armor. "I-I was just, just, uh...um...gathering my master's armor."

He stared at the knight in front of him fearfully, eying the blade perilously close to his heart. The knight smiled coldly.

"Then you best be on your way."

Releasing a breath, Merlin shuddered and nodded. He scrambled to get all of Arthur's armor before running out of the armory.

"You did all this on your own?" Came the flabbergasted voice of the prince.

Merlin smiled. "Yes, sire."

The prince inspected each and every piece of his attire that Merlin had laid out on the table before him. He cast a glance back at the amused Merlin and frowned slightly.

"Well, let's see if you can put it on correctly."

Merlin tried to smother a chuckle at the annoyed tone. He dressed the prince without delay and even tied the cape in a knot that he thought looked especially regal. Smiling at the look of shock on the prince's face, he bowed.

"Well," the prince said. "I suppose you couldn't have gotten any worse."

"I'm a fast learner, sire."

Arthur pursed his lips. "I hope for your sake that's true."

Merlin entered into the pharmacy and dropped the armor on the table. He walked over to Gaius who was kneeling next to the fallen knight.

"Is he going to be okay?" Merlin asked concerned. This knight was felled by Sir Valiant, a man that Merlin was starting to despise.

Gaius looked up at him gravely. "Come here, and look at this."

Merlin frowned in confusion before coming to where Gaius had beckoned him. The elder moved the fringe of hair to reveal two small incisors almost as though the man was bitten by

"A snake?" Merlin asked. He had seen, and gotten them first hand, many snake bites back in his own village. Vipers and boas ran amok in the many bogs that were scattered in the forests around Ealdor, Merlin had gotten bit quite a few times hunting in the summer.

"Curious isn't it?" Gaius said frowning. "It should be impossible, but he displays the symptoms of poisoning to a T: slow pulse, fever, paralysis."

Merlin stood frowning. "Can you heal him?"

"Well," Gaius said inspecting the wounds further. "If it is a snake bite, then I'll have to extract the venom from the snake that bit him to make an antidote."

Merlin bit his lip looking over at the still knight. "What happens if he doesn't get the antidote."

Gaius sighed. "Then there is nothing I can do for him. He will die."

Merlin thought silently watching Gaius put a cool towel on the knight. A snake. How could a snake bite him when he was fighting Sir Valiant...

"He was fighting Sir Valiant." Merlin murmured an idea twisting darkly in his head.

Gaius turned to him, "what?"

Merlin shook his head and tore out of the pharmacy. The streets were just as busy at night as they were during the day. Lanterns lit the walkways and conversation of the earlier matches buzzed alive in the air. Merlin strode through the marketplace possibilities whirring in his mind.

Sir Valiant had snakes on his shield, and they were hissing at him. Did that mean the snakes were real? Did he magick them on some how? Merlin hummed; that made since. After all why would Valiant hold him at sword point for staring at his shield otherwise? Valiant was hiding something, and if it had anything to do with the knight bedridden, then it was a deadly secret.

Entering the castle was surprisingly easy at night. His magic made convenient distractions for the guards at the entrances. Merlin grinned at the pleasurable sparks his magic sent up his spine, eager to be used again. He remembered a spell that was in Gaius' spell book. Merlin hissed the ancient words and smiled as his magic tugged him down an adjacent corridor. It was a locator spell, and if done correctly it should lead him straight to Valiant's shield.

As he crossed the hallway, he saw Sir Valiant turn the corner into a room. Smirking at his success, he canceled the spell and peered into the slightly ajar door. The knight had propped the shield on a chair, almost like a person. Merlin frowned. What is he...

Valiant came back with a wriggling mouse, and Merlin's eyes widened. He got even closer to the door and gasped in horror. The knight called to the shield, and Merlin watched as the snakes peeled from their flattened form.

"Dinner time." Valiant crooned to the hissing beasts, and with a flick of his wrist, tossed the mouse to its death.

Merlin slipped a bit, pushing the door against the lock with a clang. And as though the hounds of hell were on his heel, he tore out of the castle and didn't look back.

An update on Christmas, just as promised. Thank you guys for the many reviews and I will now go on ahead and address some concerns:

Romance- Most of you seem to think that I need to put a romance in, and taking into account everything else I've written, that is a perfectly valid concern. I tend to notice that the main concern regarding slash, het, or otherwise was that it would overshadow the rest of the story. Taking that into account, I will take special care to make sure that doesn't happen. Some of my hard core slash fans are have cringed at this chapter, and I don't blame them (I laughed maniacally while I wrote it however) And in some chapters in the future, some of my hard core het fans are going to cringe (chuckles evily) But hey, that's life. Am I saying that Merlin will end up with a guy? Meh. Am I saying he'll end up with a woman? Meh. Stick around for the ride, and you'll find out. Who knows? He might die old and alone. (No cats though...I don't like cats.)

Otherwise! That's the third chapter for you, and I hope you guys enjoyed it. Now, since we're on the topic of romance, if any of you can guess who Merlin's first kiss will be, leave a review and whoever guesses it correctly first, I'll personally write you a story with a pairing of your choice and (I shudder at the future possibilities) the rating of your chosen fic.

Now! Take a couple seconds to leave a review, and expect the next chapter on Monday!

-Lemony