~ Chapter 20: Sir Merlin ~

- Merlin -

I could feel eyes boring into me; I could hear the gasps; I could sense the disbelief and incredulity around me. I waited for someone to say something; for someone to say anything, really. Anything would be better than the silence and stares. I needed them to have a reaction. I needed to know whether I was safe.

I didn't know how Arthur did it. I felt like I was going to turn to ash and crumble to the floor under their stares, yet Arthur did this every day. I'll admit, he'd never confessed he was a sorcerer to a room filled with men trained to kill sorcerers, but still. He constantly stared people down and made declarations that he knew would upset a multitude of people.

I waited and waited and waited. I was barely able to breath and I knew Arthur was just as anxious as I was. He would use his power as king to force them to pardon me if need be, but I knew he didn't want to. He wanted them to accept me as I was. It was what I wanted as well.

My wait was finally broken as one knight drew his sword. It was Alistar. Alistar wasn't a particularly verbal knight; he did as he was told and was mostly content on staying in the background. The knights parted willingly to let him forward. I didn't think anyone knew what to say or what to do. They were watching Alistar curiously. I was too. I didn't know what he was going to do. I didn't know Alistar well, aside from a word here or there. He mostly kept to himself.

I was terrified. Was he planning on killing me? Arthur stepped forward so he was standing by my side, just in case.

Alistar pointed his sword at me. "You have betrayed Camelot. You are a sorcerer, therefore you are a traitor. For that, you must pay," he warned.

Arthur's hand rested on the hilt of the sword. He was ready to use it if need be.

As it turned out, he didn't have to. Gwaine stepped forward, placing himself between Alistar and me. His sword was also drawn, but he wasn't facing me. He was facing Alistar.

"Merlin has not betrayed Camelot," he proclaimed loudly. "If he had, do you think the king would be standing at his side, ready to protect him?" He turned slightly so he was still between us, but was addressing all of the knights. "You know Merlin. Merlin wouldn't hurt Arthur or Camelot. I didn't know before today that Merlin had magic, but now it makes sense. Quests that were just too easy. Things that shouldn't have gone right that did. Merlin did that. He used his magic for good, not bad." He turned back to Alistar. "If you try to go through Merlin, you will have to go through me."

"So be it. Harboring a traitor shares the same punishment," Alistar said angrily. He hardly knew me. How could he hate me enough to try and kill one of his fellow knights?

He lifted up his sword, ready to strike. His blow was not blocked by Gwaine, but by Percival. "You will not hurt him," he said in a strong voice.

Slowly all of the knights joined Percival and Gwaine, forming a human shield between me and Alistar. I felt a burst of warmth. All of these people were willing to protect me.

Arthur stepped forward. "Merlin is not a traitor. He has saved my life more times than I can count. He has my full faith and I hope you will give him yours," Arthur told him.

"How could you of all people put your faith in him? You lost your father to a sorcerer. You're land and your people have been hurt by sorcery," Alistar said. "Merlin deserves to die."

"Because Merlin isn't like those sorcerer's," Arthur insisted. He drew his sword and stepped forward. "You will not kill him."

"Stop me," Alistar said in a nasty voice. Arthur stepping forward left an opening right to me and Alistar saw it. Unfortunately for him, he was used to the 'sorcerers' Uther persecuted. Most had about as much magic as Arthur. I was not like those sorcerers. I had powers. And I had no intention of dying.

Just as Alistar's sword was about to pierce me, I sent him flying backwards. I was careful not to kill him. I didn't want to lose what little faith the knights had in me.

Several knights froze as Alistar got to his feet. He may be a little winded, but he was not hurt. "Do you see what he did? He attacked me! Yet you stand by his side and protect him," Alistar yelled.

To my surprise, Arthur was not the next person to speak. It was Sir Leon. "Merlin was not the one to initiate the attack. What did you want him to do? Let you kill him? And if anything, Merlin just proved he deserves to live. He did not kill you. You are not injured at all. Your blow could have been fatal," Leon said.

Alistar picked up his sword, but I made him drop it. I made the sword glide across the floor until it was resting in front of the knights. He glared at me. "You will soon get the justice you deserve," he spat.

"And so will you," Arthur said. "Arrest him."

Two of the guards eagerly complied. "On what charges?" Alistar asked angrily.

"Attempted murder of a knight," Arthur told him.

I stared at Arthur. I was no knight. "He is not a knight," Alistar echoed the thought running through my head.

Arthur looked at me. "The sword, please Merlin," he requested. I stared at him shocked.

"Are you sure?" I asked him uncertainly.

Arthur nodded. I made the sword float into Arthur's waiting hand. "Kneel," he ordered me.

I kneeled before him. Time passed in a haze. I couldn't believe this. Arthur was knighting me. Before I knew what was happening, Arthur pressed the sword to both of my shoulders. "Rise, Sir Merlin, knight of Camelot," he proclaimed.

The knights whistled and cheered, well all except one. Alistar was seething. "He is not worthy of being a knight," he yelled.

"A knight of Camelot must be loyal, brave, and fierce. Merlin is all of those. He deserves this, more than yourself. Take him away," Arthur decreed.

Two guards escorted Alistar to the dungeons. There was a long, long silence. It was a bittersweet moment to have the support of most of his men shown only because of one man that despised me.

"Does anyone else have a problem with Merlin?" Arthur asked. No one spoke up. I couldn't help my grin. This was the first step. I was fulfilling my destiny. "Good. It's time to let the people of Camelot know."