Alaia Skyhawk:
Disclaimer: I don't own Merlin.
Music: N/A
"Whom History Won't Remember" Episode: "Questions and Responsibility"
~(-)~
Chapter 26: Lancelot ~Part 2~
He peered around the door of the Hall of Records, thankful he had an excuse for being here. Gaius hadn't had any luck finding the creature in any of the books on animals he had in his chambers, and had asked him to fetch a particular tome from the hall. Just as well really, because it gave him the excuse to browse for something else to 'put' onto the rolled-up sheet of parchment tucked inside his jacket.
The Hall of Records was the domain of Sir Geoffrey of Monmouth, a retired knight and long-time ally of the king. The ageing man had lost none of his sharp wit or attention to detail though, and would eye any servant who entered here as one might eye a thief.
He guarded the books here with a passion, and an absolutely no-nonsense attitude. The way he stared at you could send a shiver down your spine while you browsed the shelves, and as a rule Merlin had made a point of never coming in here except for an errand.
He approached the desk where Geoffrey sat, getting straight to the point of him being here... Well, the official point.
"Gaius has asked me to get a book for him. The uh... Yenwald's Beastiary of um..."
The man at the table raised his eyebrows.
"The Yenwald's Beastiary of Theologic Hybrids... You'll find it in the fourth aisle of the western part of the library."
It took all of Merlin's effort not to grin. That aisle was in the section of the most-used part of records hall, a stone's throw from the shelf where the genealogy records were kept. Instead he nodded politely in thanks, heading in the direction and trying not to cringe as he was sure Geoffrey stared at his retreating back until the moment he was out of sight.
Once he was, Merlin headed quickly to where he'd been told the book was, finding it and perching it on an empty section of shelf before quickly moving one aisle closer to the old man and dragging the genealogy record from its resting place. He began to flip through the pages, looking for some lord far enough away from Camelot for him to get away with this, and eventually settling on Lord Eldred of Northumbria. He had four sons... Well now he was about to have five.
Merlin pulled the parchment from inside his jacket, laying it alongside the record of the seal for Eldred's fourth son, and held a hand out over the image he wanted to copy.
"Ic us bisen hraed tan hwanon."
He watched as the seal was copied to the parchment, smiling when he saw he'd gotten the name to change to 'Lancelot' and the 'fourth' became 'fifth'. He quickly put the book back, concealing the forged seal in his jacket before returning to the next aisle for the book he'd left there. He already expected Geoffrey to come wondering what was taking so long.
Sure enough he appeared at the end of the aisle, just as Merlin was about to come out from it. He frowned.
"Do you require any help finding that book?"
Merlin shook his head, smiling and holding up the beastiary.
"It's ok, I found it."
He left the Hall of Records, Geoffrey watching him go with a small shake of his head before he returned to his desk. Oblivious to the fact that Merlin now carried a rather illegal document... Illegal in more ways than one.
The warlock let out a sigh of relief once he was out of the Hall of Records, taking the direct route back to Gaius' chambers. He found Lancelot standing there in thoughtful silence, the man frowning a little when he saw Merlin's grin.
"And what would that smile be about?"
Merlin put the book down on one of the tables, pulling the forged seal out from his jacket and unfurling it to show him.
"This is your Seal of Nobility... Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Lancelot, fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria."
Lancelot stared for a moment, before starting to shake his head.
"No, Merlin, no."
"Oh, so you don't want to be a knight then."
He started to turn away, Lancelot flinching and taking a step towards him.
"Of course I do!"
Merlin stopped, exasperated.
"What? The rules won't allow it. Damn the rules, the rules are wrong!"
"But it's a lie. It's against everything the Knights stand for."
Merlin frowned, walking over to him.
"You have as much right to be a knight as any man. I know it."
Lancelot shook his head again, solemn.
"But the rules."
Merlin seriously wanted to kick him right now.
"Look we're not breaking the rules... We're bending them, that's all. You get your foot in the door, but after that..." He started to smile. "You'll be judged on your merit alone. And if you succeed, if they make you a knight, it'll be because you have earned it, noble or not."
Lancelot's expression had changed, he now looked like he was becoming open to idea.
"Do you really think it will work?"
Merlin regarded him, certain.
"I can't change the way things are done around here... but you can. If you let me help you."
Both of them remained silent, unmoving, until finally Lancelot took the seal from Merlin's grasp in order to look at it closer, noting how perfect a forgery it was. He then glanced at him speculatively.
"Did you make this using..."
Merlin immediately became flustered, clearing his throat and looking anywhere but at the swordsman.
"Well I am an expert in bending the rules, but I do try do it for the right reasons."
Lancelot started to smile, nodding and rolling up the seal. He then faced Merlin fully, tilting his head and shrugging.
"So, what now? What comes next in this plan of yours?"
Merlin grinned.
"I can get the chainmail and sword easily enough, but as for the outfit to go with them... I have a friend we can ask about that."
~(-)~
It was a slightly flustered Lancelot who found himself in the lower town a short while later, in the house of a very pretty maidservant and seamstress who also happened to be a friend of Merlin's. The warlock was sat watching him with an amused smile, while said maid proceeded to take the measurements from the swordsman that she needed.
Lancelot cleared his throat a little, glancing down to where she was taking the measurements of his leg.
"This is very kind of you... um."
She smiled up at him, standing up to start measuring his arms and chest.
"Gwen. It's short for Guinevere."
He remained awkward.
"Ah um, thank you, Guinevere."
She continued to smile.
"Don't thank me, thank Merlin. Merlin would do anything for anyone, wouldn't you, Merlin?" The warlock just grinned, shrugging cheerfully as she continued. "I think it's great that Merlin's got you this chance. We need men like you."
Lancelot glanced at her.
"You do?"
Their eyes met for a moment, before she realised how those words could be taken.
"Well, not me personally, but you know... Camelot. Camelot needs knights, Not just Arthur and his kind, but ordinary people like you and me."
Lancelot sighed.
"Well I'm not a knight yet, My Lady."
She smiled in humour.
"And I'm not a lady."
"Sorry, I..."
There was another awkward moment, Merlin watching them resisting the urge to chuckle. Where they honestly almost flirting with each other?
Gwen lowered her eyes.
"Ok, we're done. I should have these ready in no time." She held out a hand. "It's nice to meet you, Lancelot."
The swordsman placed a kiss on that hand as one would if he weregreeting a lady, before following Merlin out of the house with one last glance back at her... And Merlin knew Lancelot wasn't going to be one for talking tonight, not if the smitten expression on his face was any indication.
They headed back to the castle, making their way to Gaius' chambers by the more scenic route than the direct stairway from the ground floor. It was a deliberate choice on Merlin's part, he wanted to see how long it would be before Lancelot said something related to Gwen.
He lasted until they were in the hallway close to the physician's chambers, finally glancing at the warlock beside him.
"She seems lovely... Guinevere."
Merlin kept a straight face. Yes, Lancelot was smitten.
"Oh, yeah, she is. And the best seamstress in Camelot. She makes most of Lady Morgana's dresses, and she'd do more if she had the time. She could earn a fortune making clothing for the court ladies, but it would mean quitting as Morgana's maid, and the two of them are best friends so she'd never do that. Friendship is more important than money."
Lancelot cleared his throat.
"You sound as if you know her very well. Are you two... You know."
Merlin caught the implication, shaking his head and starting to smile.
"Ah no. We're just friends."
They reached Gaius' chambers, the physician out on his rounds. Lancelot took that as licence to ask that as yet he knew mustn't be mentioned in public.
"So does she know about your magic?"
Merlin choked at that, spluttering for a moment before vehemently shaking his head.
"No, no no no, she's doesn't. There are only four people in existence who know about me... Well five, but I don't think he counts. Two of those are my mother and my friend back in Ealdor, the other two are you and Gaius."
Lancelot sat, a little surprised.
"Gaius knows?"
"How could he not? I live with him."
Merlin sat down opposite him, the swordsman nodding to that statement.
"Point taken."
Merlin sighed.
"Well it's not like I can really tell anyone, even if I trust them. It would mean putting them in danger, and that just wouldn't be fair on them. It's best if the only person in Camelot who knows, is Gaius."
Noting the warlock's sudden solemn turn, Lancelot reached out and put a hand on his shoulder.
"Well if I can help change the rules about becoming a knight, then maybe one day you can help change the laws against magic."
Merlin smiled at that, Lancelot really had no idea... No idea that he'd already been told it was his destiny to do that.
~(-)~
Just what was it about Merlin that he could make friends in the strangest of places.
Arthur sat in his chambers, head propped on one hand as he pondered it. Sure enough, as requested, Merlin had brought his 'friend' to the training field yesterday morning. That friend turned out to indeed be a noble, as evidenced by his Seal of Nobility. Since then he, Arthur, had assigned a number of demeaning tasks to that would-be knight, Lancelot, to see just how far he could push him before he reacted to the insult of it. But unlike most nobles who would demand due respect after barely three or four hours, some as few as twenty minutes... Lancelot had endured for more than an entire day and was still maintaining his composure about it.
It was a level of dignity and patience he hadn't seen in a prospective knight for a long time.
Arthur got to his feet and headed out of the castle, those thoughts in his mind. If treating Lancelot like a servant wasn't going to make him react, then maybe a more direct approach would work.
He headed for the workshops near the stables, to whereas per his last instruction, Lancelot was sat sharpening a large stack of swords. Approaching him, Arthur picked up a nearby broom and then tossed it in the other man's direction.
Lancelot caught it with ease, despite having been focused on the swords, Arthur nodding in slight approval.
"Not bad."
Lancelot stood up, holding the broom and bowing his head respectfully.
"Would you like me to sweep the guard house again sire?"
And there it was again, that dignity. Every other noble he'd ever known would have been screaming murder by now. Arthur picked up another broom, pulling the brush off it so he was left with a sturdy pole.
"It certainly needs sweeping... First, I'd like you to kill me."
Lancelot hesitated in disbelief.
"Sire?"
Arthur started to taunt him. Time to see if the direct approach would work.
"Come on. Don't pretend you don't want to. Hell if I were you I'd want to... Come on."
Lancelot started to frown a little, pulling the brush from the shaft of the broom he'd caught and holding the pole like a sword. He and Arthur stared at each other, half crouched ready to strike, before the swordsman surged into motion and the fight between them began.
After the initial few strikes, Arthur smiled to himself even as he continued to taunt. Yes, the direct approach did work.
"Come on, Lancelot. You're not beating a carpet."
Several more blows, a moment when Lancelot fell against a hay-wagon and was forced to dodge a brutal downward swing, followed by them ceasing to use the poles like swords and instead treating them like staves, culminating in Lancelot getting the wind knocked out of him by a harsh blow to the gut... And to give him credit he didn't double over or drop his 'weapon'. Right, he'd seen enough.
He tossed his stave to Lancelot, before starting to walk away.
"Congratulations, Lancelot... You just made basic training."
Any reply from the prospective knight didn't happen, the sound of the city alarm bells bringing and end to the spar. Arthur stiffened at the sound, rushing away towards the castle gates with a number of nearby guards following behind him. Lancelot also followed, arriving at the gates to see a long line of wounded civilians being led into the courtyard.
Merlin led one woman to sit down on a crate, reassuring her.
"It's all right, you're safe now. I promise." He moved to Gaius' side, where the physician was treating a head wound on another woman. "How is she?"
Gaius glanced at his ward, aware that this was Merlin's first time witnessing this many badly wounded people.
"She's ok."
Lancelot ran in through the gate, spotting the two of them and hurrying over.
"What happened to these people?"
Gaius remained solemn, passing the woman over to a guard before answering him.
"Their village was attacked... By a winged monster."
Merlin and Lancelot both looked at each other, knowing what that meant. The creature that had attacked them had struck again.
~(-)~
"I'd hunt this thing down if I could, but I can't track a creature through the air."
Arthur's tone was calm, but it held an edge of frustration, he and his father standing at a window overlooking the courtyard below. The casualties from the other villages had been harsh, but this was worse, almost as if the beast grew more vicious with every passing day.
Uther was grim, turning to his son and starting to walk.
"You don't have to track it. First Greenswood, now Willowdale, the creature is heading south towards the mouth of the valley."
Arthur followed him, also grim.
"To Camelot."
Uther nodded.
"You must prepare your knights, Arthur."
"Have faith, Father. We'll be ready."
"I'm counting on you.
He headed out to the training field, a word to a few guards sending them to summon the knights. He could waste no time on this, drilling them once they arrived to ensure they would be coordinated to deal with an attack from the air. Once the initial session was over, he dismissed them only for Lancelot to approach him.
He nodded to the man when he bowed.
"Yes, Lancelot?"
The two of them started to walk, Lancelot expressing his desire to help.
"Is there anything I can do, Sire? It's just... I know that in the event of battle, only a knight may serve."
"That's correct, Lancelot. You are not yet a knight." Arthur sighed. "That's why I'm moving your test forward. You'll face me in the morning."
Lancelot stopped in his tracks, at once both elated and concerned. Elated at the thought of tomorrow being made a knight, and concerned that the monster may attack before then...
~(-)~
"Well, here we are. Your final challenge. Succeed, and you join the elite. Fail, and your journey ends here. Lancelot, fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria... Your time starts now."
Merlin and Gwen watched from the sidelines, watched as helms were donned and swords drawn. This was the moment Lancelot had strived for, a chance to prove himself worthy as a knight. None of them had expected it this soon, but the monster attacking the villages had meant the prince needed more knights right now. Necessity always speeded things up.
Both servants winced as blows were traded, Lancelot doing a far better job than the last rather pathetic applicant had done. The time was ticking by, Merlin glancing to the sand-timer and noting more than half the sand had fallen. Lancelot only needed to hold out for a few seconds longer.
And then it happened, he left a gap in his guard and Arthur took it, slamming his arm into the front of Lancelot's helmet and sending him to the ground. The helmet rolled away, knocked free by the blow, and for all the world it looked as though Lancelot was unconscious.
Arthur looked honestly disappointed, shaking his head as he reached down to take the cloth tags from Lancelot's belt... And then Lancelot opened his eyes, grabbed that extended arm, and kicked the prince's feet from under him.
He lurched to his feet, grabbing his sword and pointing it to Arthur's throat.
"Do you submit, Sire?"
Several guards came forward, grabbing Lancelot and pulling him away from the prince. As for Arthur, he looked furious as he regained his feet and came to stand before him.
"On your knees!" The guards forced Lancelot down, keeping him there when Arthur pressed the tip of his sword to his chest, but Lancelot did not waver. He showed no fear, only looking the prince in the eye in determined silence. A silence that dragged on until Arthur lowered his weapon and spoke quietly. "You pass..."
"YES!"
All eyes turned to where Merlin let out a whoop of victory, Arthur starting to shake his head and roll his eyes.
"That idiot..." He gestured for the guards to release Lancelot, and pulled the man to his feet. "I suggest you come with me. We have a knighthood to bestow."
He led the way into the castle, the knights gathering around Lancelot like an honour guard while word was sent ahead to the king. By the time they reached the Great Hall, Uther was already there. Morgana and Gwen had also come down to watch, as the knights formed two lines between which Arthur led Lancelot and presented him to his father by handing over Lancelot's seal.
Merlin stood there beside the prince and watched with pride as Lancelot was knighted, applauding him far more vigorously than any others present. After the ceremony itself, it was Uther who clapped Lancelot on the shoulder and took him aside to congratulate him, the king apparently pleased.
"You do us a great honour, Lancelot."
"The honour is all mine, Sire."
Uther regarded him for a moment, nodding once.
"Your father would be very proud... I've not seen Lord Eldred in many years, longer than I'd imagined, it seems. The last time I saw him he only had four sons."
Lancelot hesitated at that.
"Well... Here I am, Sire."
"Indeed you are. And I've kept you too long already. Enjoy the celebrations."
"Sire."
Uther walked away, leaving Lancelot to be crowded round by several knights, but the pleased appearance of his expression faded into a slight frown as he approached one of his manservants and handed over Lancelot's Seal of Nobility.
"Take this seal to Geoffrey of Monmouth, the court Genealogist. I want his opinion by morning."
~(-)~
"Two yards of ale? Two miles more like it."
Lancelot grimaced in pain, Merlin in a similar state, both of them having drunk far more than they should have at last night's feast. Merlin had actually been a guest for once, invited by the now 'Sir' Lancelot, so instead of being stuck on the sidelines he'd actually been able to join in... And share in the hangover the next morning.
Gaius was already waiting for them, holding two cups which he held out towards them.
"Good morning, gentlemen. Don't look at it, don't smell it, just down it in one."
Both of them accepted a cup, glancing at each other before downing the contents in unison. They both then winced in unison at the vile taste of it, Merlin looking at his mentor.
"What was in that?"
Gaius just smiled.
"Feeling better? Good." He turned his attention to Lancelot. "Can't have you nodding off first day on the job, Lancelot."
Merlin raised a finger.
"That's Sir Lancelot. If you don't mind."
The following laughter was cut off, by two guards bursting into the room and heading straight for Lancelot. They ignored Merlin's protests, grabbing the new knight and leading him away. They took him to the council chambers, where the king and Arthur waited, and forced him to kneel before them.
Uther regarded him coldly, before indicating to Geoffrey who stood beside him.
"Tell him what you told me."
Geoffrey looked to Lancelot, equally stern.
"These credentials are faked. The seal itself is faultless, forgery of the highest possible standard, but a forgery it must be. There is no record of a fifth son of Lord Eldred of Northumbria. Therefore he..."
"Lied." Uther started to frown, walking towards Lancelot. "Do you deny it?"
He shook his head. He had agreed to follow this path and the risks it entailed, and he would accept the consequences.
"No, Sire."
At the back of the room, Arthur watched the proceedings with mixed emotions. He was furious at having being lied to, disappointed, but beneath it all he could not deny that Lancelot had earned his place, noble or not... His strength and dignity had been no lie.
Lancelot was led out to be taken to the dungeons, and in that moment Arthur found it in himself to speak.
"Sire."
"Do you contest my judgement?"
Arthur wanted to hesitate in the face of his father's tone, but did not.
"His deception was inexcusable... But he meant no harm, Sire. I'm sure of it. He only wished to serve."
Uther remained silent for a moment, before turning and facing his son.
"The First Code is a sacred bond of trust. It is what binds the Knights together. How can you trust a man who's lied to you?"
There was nothing Arthur could say to that, and so instead he walked from the chamber with another intent. He would speak to Lancelot himself.
~(-)~
Alaia Skyhawk: Hehe, filled a plot hole. Surely Geoffrey would have mentioned he'd seen Merlin looking at the genealogy record. I added the beastiary to give a plausible excuse for Merlin to go in there XD
Oh, and the sheer number of freaking scene changes during this middle part of this episode was a pain in the ASS. You can probably tell I cut quite a few of the little scenes out, or summarised them, simply because linking them together was turning into a joke and taking far too long (sighs). At least part three is more straight forward.