Thanks for reading. Enjoy! Note: In my story, we have not met Gwaine yet.
A flood of music leaked out of the tavern from the door and Merlin could feel his heart beating rapidly with excitement. He couldn't wait to go inside to see what festivities were inside, and turned to Arthur who whispered to him.
"Come on! it looks like they've gotten the Havi Brothers to play their harps..." Arthur smiled pushing the door open.
A bulky sweaty arm passed Merlin and Arthur opening their vision to the chaos of the tavern, and their ears to the laughter of men and music inside. Butch men were wearing armor, slapping tables out of anger and excitement, sending a wave of energy to the floors. In the corner sat the Havi Brothers playing their harps and stringed lyre merrily, another friend of theirs playing the horn and another cheerfully playing the flute. It was a crowded place filled with men arm wrestling to chugging down their mead, to heartily laughing, to flirting with alewives bringing trays of mead around.
"Ay my love! Get me some o that special mead you gave me the other day!" teased out one bald butch tan man with a toothy grin; his buddies laughing along while watching an attractive alewife's reaction.
"Ye got it aeready, it comes frram ya other end!" shouted the lady, walking away with her nose up.
"Merlin, let's sit over there at the corner." Arthur suggested staring at the crowd. "Find out if they have the Firey Mead they had last year," Arthur said sitting down facing away from the crowd and then taking out his bag of coins to hand some coins to Merlin. "Just make sure no one sees me, I want observe these people a little. Some of them are probably tournament competitors."
Merlin nodded, took the coins and left. The two jugs of mead were placed on the table and Merlin sat down.
"They cost a lot… the guy there was giving me strange looks as to why I ordered it."
"Because you aren't a knight or nobleman…" Arthur explained taking a sip of the mead, and then shaking his head wildly in reaction. "Now this is Firey Mead… go on try." Arthur suggested with a smile, waiting for Merlin.
Merlin lifted the cup and took a sip, only to cough violently from the stinging pain running down his throat. As he wiped his mouth with a sleeve, he faced Arthur with a twisted face.
"That was terrible!"
Arthur laughed and looked around. "Better finish it up Merlin, it doesn't come cheap."
Merlin tipped the cup forward to get a better look at the contents and scowled at the little tiny red pieces floating on the top.
"So, are ready for tomorrow's tournament?" Merlin asked trying to change to subject and looking around. "Looks like these guys here are kind of tough."
Arthur continued to observe a man going up to another man enjoying his mead. The man seemed to be offering a challenge and the other shook his head.
"Looks can be deceiving Merlin. Some of the toughest guys here wouldn't last the tournament for a second. "Arthur said pausing and turning to look down. "Merlin, look away, some of the knights just entered."
Merlin lowered his head and peeked up to witness a few of Camelot's knights rolling in to everyone else's caution. Their strikingly polished looks and shiny armor reflected only scowls and men rolling their eyes, grumbling to themselves. Once the knights settled down in a corner, Merlin lifted his head and caught a glimpse of a man facing the alemans. He had tanned skin, a wrap on his head, leather straps diagonally strapped across their loose white coverings, observing everyone while eating bread.
"See that man, "Arthur coincidentally pointed out. "His name is Sayd. He travels the eastern seas and all the way into our lands every year. His come here for trade - you know to trade swords, metals, jewelry and all the sorts - but after observing the tournament for the many years, he went to my father 6 years ago and requested to compete. Usually my father doesn't allow those with no signs of nobility, but he's quite an exceptional fighter, and usually sparks the interest of my father and the people. He's improved over the years, with the exception of 3 years ago when he was hit with some sickness, and we all wonder how he will perform each time. It's been good for his business too, because we know him and usually want the weapons and armor he uses."
Merlin watched the man take another bite of the bread, calmly enjoying his loneliness.
"He seems kind of bored." Merlin commented, and then felt alarmed when making eye contact with Sayd. He faced Arthur instantly.
"Well, the tavern is useless for him. Something about him not drinking mead and all. But he does like to be in the presence of others, though it's a struggle talking to him. I've tried holding a conversation with him, and although he understands me, I cannot understand him."
Suddenly a tune began to sound and cause Merlin to look up. A crowd of men were singing merrily; the man who was singing was rosy in the face, extremely cheerful, and possibly drunk.
"A lad of honor is one that who, is a man who fights away till he's blue. He dreamed of an enemy, an enemy that would attack, and he prepares his day, fighting with a rat."
A crowd of laughed appreciatively, raising their glasses to the song, as the man turned to his friend to continue.
"What's going on?" Merlin asked nervously, clutching his mug near as his eyes flashed towards the singer.
"It's a bard, Merlin!" Arthur explained looking up in delight watching another man take cue. "One man starts it and the man next to him continues and the man next to him continues and so on!"
"A pathetic man he is, as claimed by his wife. She tells him to get lost, and bring her something nice. This lad then travels the lands so far, the thorns of roses pricking his arm. His arm bleeds, it bleeds in pain, and when he looks at the rose, it teases him tame. It makes the man cry, it makes him not try, it makes his wife, laugh in his eyes!"
A larger crowd of men cheered and lifted their glasses, including the alewives.
"What?" Merlin paniced, his head coming closer to Arthur. "Arthur, I'm a few men away! I don't know how to sing a bard!"
The next man continued.
"The lad who cried, he becomes mad at his wife. He tells her why oh why, is my pain something ya like? She scowls at the lad, and insists on something nice, something nice he should bring, something nice for his wife."
The alewives cheered! They turned to a man with black and wavy shoulder length hair.
"Well, Merlin, you always seem to get out of sticky situations. Figure it out," Arthur smiled to Merlins dismay.
"She sent the lad off, to a challenge so far, and he travels the land, following the stars. He seeks for this gift, and feels the hot sweltering sun, the sweat then pours, straight to his bum!"
The crowd roared in laughter, and he turned over to find another man, and then made eye contact with panic struck Merlin. Merlin's heart beat wildly.
"Heh…So then he reaches a land, and... he ... and he …"
A couple groans and tones of discontent sounded. Suddenly the man with the black raven shoulder length hair decided to interject.
"And he finds a man, and says to him, hey old man, got a bottle of gin? The man says yes, and he pours him a cup, and the two begin to talk, about their lack of luck. The lad ponders on, worrying about heading back. He realizes he dreaded meeting his wife, and feared of this enemy's attack!"
The crowd cheered and laughed on with grins on their faces and toasted each other before taking a swig of mead, while the alewives rolled their eyes and walked away.
Merlin turned back to Arthur after all the applause stopped. The man who ended the singing was deemed as some sort of hero because he prevented Merlin from destroying it.
"Good job Merlin." Arthur said mockingly.
"It's my first time here! How was I supposed to know?"
"It's a good thing that man helped you out… no one likes someone who ruins a bard."
Merlin looked over at the man who was receiving pats on his back. Even Sayd was smiling and looking entertained.
"What's ya name!" the others asked the black haired man.
"Ah... my name is Gwaine… nice to meet you all, thank you very much. I've had lots of practice… thank you... thank you..." he said shaking everyone's hands.
"Maybe you should shake his hand too Merlin." Arthur said, tilting his head towards Gwaine.
Merlin shook his head slightly annoyed at this Gwaine.
"You just have to get in the mood… the stories come rolling off the tongue." Arthur assured to Merlin.
"So Gwaine! Tell me." said one of the bulkier looking men. "Haven't seen ya in Camelot befare. Ya are competing in the tournament tomorrow?"
"No...Ah thank you." Gwaine said smiling at the alewife that shoved him some mead. "I just go wherever the wind takes me… the wind decided on Camelot. Actually, the people whom I snagged a ride on decided on Camelot. They're here to sell sheepskin. I hopped on the back of the cart and promised I'd wash the skins in exchange for a ride. Looks like the tournament a pretty big deal here."
"It is! Everyone comes here to fight each other and win! It's really amazing!' A big man said in a slow voice. "I'll be fighting myself. It's my 2nd time…last time I lost the first round, but it was against the prince himself, so it's hard to win against him. He's pretty strong."
Merlin looked at Arthur who seemed to be telling him nonverbally to listen.
"The prince fights too, does he?" Gwaine said in surprise, observing his cup. "Doesn't seem very fair to me..."
"Oh it is… the prince is really fair. Yeah, he's really strong and it's hard to beat him."
"How many times has he won?"
There was a long pause, making even Merlin feel very awkward for Arthur.
"He's the reigning champion for the past 6 years." Chimed in someone else.
Merlin watched Arthur looking slightly uncomfortable.
"Hmm... looks like the prince is a challenge." Gwaine said taking a gulp of mead. Something in his tone sounded a bit mocking."So what's it take to compete in this tournament?"
"It's a battle of strength. You have to be able to knock down a tree if you had to, crush your enemies with your bare hands, chew people's heads off!" the man with the slow voice explained animatedly. Gwaine watched in fear.
"Actually," Arthur started, raising himself up to everyone's surprise. A few gasps let out and everyone's faces turned to him. Merlin mentally rolled his eyes and clutched onto his cup. "The tournament is a battle of strength, courage, and lastly, wisdom. If you don't have all three, then you are only as strong as a tree trunk, only as courageous as rat facing a lion, and only as wise as a dead scholar. It takes all three to be a true man of worth."
Gwaine faced him looking nonchalant as ever, not making any connections that this was the prince. "Eh... I don't have any of that." Gwaine said simply. He turned to the other men facing Arthur is fear and respect, and stared at them confused.
"Prince Arthur, we are so happy to have you here!" voiced one of the men. All the men grunted and nodded away, as Gwaine watched curiously.
"Thank you... well, I don't want to disrupt this occasion, please carry on."
Merlin sat on the edge of his seat hoping Arthur would make some sort of reference to him, but was deflated when Arthur sat back down.
"So... what's the whole point of this tournament?" Gwaine called out to to everyone's surprise as gasps sounded and people stared on nervously. Arthur turned to Gwaine curiously, and got up.
"The tournament is about unveiling a man's true spirit and heart. Does he have the ability to defend his home, his land, and his people? Is he clever in the way he fights, is he fair, and will he face the situation with heart, despite it being something of fear." Arthur said staring at Gwaine, watching for his reaction.
"And you take home a chest of golden coins!" spat out one of the men. All the men laughed away, and Gwaine seemed to be taken aback.
"Suddenly I feel stronger, more courageous and smarter than ever before." Gwaine said seriously, looking up from the floor to Arthur. Arthur didn't seem pleased.
"Well, I'm sorry, but all the slots are full. Maybe next year." Arthur said with a forced smile, turning away.
"Actually sire!" called on of the men, causing Arthur to turn back. "Richard has to pull out of tournament since he's got some weird purple stuff all over his skin... he's been in bed all day."
Arthur stared at the man in mild irritation.
"Right... "He said turning to an anxious Gwaine, who seemed to be awaiting Arthur's decision."Well, we need proof of your nobility…"
"Look at his hair, that man is as noble as it gets!" called out one man, in reference to Gwaine's shiny wavy hair.
"I thought all that was needed was strength, courage and wisdom." Gwaine questioned.
Merlin chocked on his mead and coughed out of amusement.
"Yes... that's very true when being a fighter. However, for this tournament, we need proof of your nobility. "Arthur replied, not appreciating Gwaine's wit.
"Alrighty- fine. I'll provide you it…"
"Good. See you tomorrow then." Arthur said nodding. As everyone turned to their drinks, Arthur sat back in his seat and met Merlins grin.
"I'm beginning to like Gwaine." smiled Merlin. Arthur gave Merlin the death stare and shook his head when all of a sudden, a flood of knights came over to join them.