Chapter 17–The Knight's Code

Hey guys, another new chapter. I hope you enjoy it I'm going to make my A/N short tonight cause I want to go to bed right now . Anyway I don't own Merlin, but Elizabeth is my character. Please try and do the poll on my home page and enjoy…

It was a week later when I was sitting in the lower town with some of the children. Every once in a while I would take a trip down there bringing with me the leftover food from the kitchen and a new story to tell them. It reminded me of back home when I would sneak away from my father and go to visit the children to help them in any way I could.

"…And the Prince and Princess lived happily ever after," I finished my story looking up to see Arthur walking towards me.

"My lady," He greeted me.

"My lord. I wanted to speak to you actually," I said getting up and moving to walk away.

One of the little girls tugged gently on the bottom of my dress, "Is he your prince?" She asked innocently.

I smiled as I bent down, "That he is," I said touching her cheek before turning back around to Arthur. We walk a little way away from the children before I turned to Arthur, "I want to talk to you about Lancelot."

"What about him?" Arthur asked coolly.

"You have been making him clean the stable, sharpen swords and generally treating him like a servant for a week. You and I both know that it isn't fair. He could be a great knight if you gave him the chance," I argued.

Arthur looked down annoyed, "Are you suggesting this because you want him to be a knight, or because…"

"Arthur Pendragon you're not jealous are you?" I questioned laughing slightly. Arthur didn't bother replying, I stopped laughing when I realised he was serious, "Lancelot is brave and honourable, plus he saved my life. He reminds me of another knight I know, Arthur, you. I think Lancelot would make a brilliant knight, I don't need think anything else about him."

Arthur nodded his head before looking over to where Lancelot was sharpening swords, the same thing he had been doing for the whole of the time I had been telling my story to the children. Arthur approached him and picked up a broom, before tossing it towards Lancelot. He looked up suddenly and caught it, "Not bad," Arthur observed.

Lancelot stood up and bowed to Arthur, "Would you like me to sweep the guardhouse again, Sire?"

"It certainly needs sweeping. But first," Arthur said picking up a broom and removing the bristles from it, "I'd like you to kill me."

"Sire?" Lancelot asked looking confused.

"Come on," Arthur encouraged.

I walked over to Lancelot taking the broom off of him and removing the bristles from it, "Don't pretend you don't want to."

Lancelot took the broom back off of me, as I moved away from him leaving Arthur and Lancelot facing each other. Arthur swung his weapon around before moving into a fighting stance. Their moves were quick and affective with Lancelot attacking and Arthur defending with ease.

"Come on, Lancelot you're not beating a carpet," Arthur complained. Lancelot went for Arthur again their fight getting more and more impressive as I watched, both were very skilled with a sword. Arthur took his turn in attacking before hitting Lancelot in the gut, "Congratulations, Lancelot," Arthur said tossing the stick back to him, "You just made basic training."

Arthur held out his arm for me as he walked away I took it, "I told you he was skilled," I whispered softly trying not to sound too smug about it.

By the look Arthur gave me I was failing, "Don't let it go to your head."

The warning bells began to toll, Arthur and I looked at each other before taking off in a sprint back to the main courtyard where Merlin was helping an injured woman, "What happened?" I questioned.

"Their village was attacked by a winged monster," Gaius explained.

"The same one…" I began looking at Merlin.

"It would seem so," Gaius said, "The king will wish to see you My lady."

I nodded before running back into the castle, Arthur was waiting for me standing next to his father, "I'd hunt this thing down if I could, but I cannot track a creature through the air," Arthur stated.

"You don't have to track it. First Greenwood, then Willowdale. The creature's heading south, towards the mouth of the valley," I explained coming to stand next to Arthur on the other side.

"To Camelot," Arthur said in realisation.

"You must prepare your knights, Arthur," Uther said starting to walk down the corridor.

"Have faith, Father. We'll be ready," Arthur said confidently.

"You should call them together now," Uther stated before walking ahead.

"Lancelot?" I questioned.

"We're going to need to challenge him tomorrow," Arthur stated before walking down to the main square where all the knights had gathered waiting for orders. I stood by Arthur's side as he began his speak, "The beast is heading for Camelot. It's fast and agile, but big enough to hit and hit hard. Starting today your training routines will concentrate on an attack strategy. We don't have much time. Dismissed."

The knight spread out before Lancelot approached us and bowed, "Yes, Lancelot?" Arthur questioned.

"Is there anything I can do, Sire? It's just...I know that in the event of battle, only a knight may serve," Lancelot said.

"That's correct, Lancelot. And you are not yet a knight. Which is why I'm bringing your test forward. You'll face me in the morning," Arthur said dismissively.

It was late the next day when I went to the training ground to watch Lancelot final challenge. All the rest of the challenges bored me, but this one was always the best, a fight between the chosen noble and Arthur. I walked over to the training ground and Lancelot and Arthur were dressed in full armour.

"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..." Arthur began nodding at the timekeeper, "Your time starts now."

Arthur and Lancelot put on their helmets and the fight began. They seemed equally matched all the way through. I walked over to Gwen and Merlin, watching as Arthur punched Lancelot knocking him out. I frowned as Arthur took his head off and put down his sword before removing Lancelot's flag, "Never leave yourself unguarded," I muttered under my breath, Merlin looked at me in confusion, before watching as Lancelot got up and knocked Arthur off his feet and put his sword against Arthur's chest.

"Do you submit, sire?" Lancelot asked before the guards moved to restrain him. Arthur got up angry and grabbed his sword.

"On your knees!" Arthur ordered. The guards forced Lancelot to his knees as Arthur placed his sword to Lancelot's chests. I pushed my way over to Arthur placing my hand on his shoulder.

"Arthur…" I whispered softly. Arthur dropped his sword and began to walk away, "You are dismissed," I ordered before following after Arthur pausing at the edge of the training field, "Lancelot you need to stay here," I reached Arthur standing not to fair away, "You know you shouldn't have reacted so bad."

"He broke the rules of the challenge," Arthur argued back bitterly.

I shook my head disagreeing, "He used his brain, which is more than can be said for some of your other knights."

"You think I should let him pass," Arthur stated.

"It doesn't matter what I think. It matters what you believe, do you think that in a battle you want a night who will keep fighting no matter how many times he got knocked down? Or do you want someone who will just accept defeat?" I questioned, knowing that all I could say on the matter. I turned and walked back to Lancelot and Merlin who were standing awkwardly at the side of the training area, "Give him time," I said softly.

"I shouldn't have done that," Lancelot muttered unhappily.

I shook my head in disagreement, "That is exactly what you should have done. Arthur needed to see you at your best," I noticed Arthur walking up behind Lancelot and bowed my head, "My Lord."

"My Lady," Arthur acknowledged, "Lancelot come," Lancelot walked slowly over to Arthur, "You have passed," Was all he said before walking away.

"What did you say to him?" Merlin asked me.

"Just something like what you would have done," I smiled at him.

It was less than half a day later when Lancelot was knighted, "Who is this man? He seems to have come out of nowhere," Morgana had observed.

"You do us a great honour, Sir Lancelot. The knighthood is the very foundation of Camelot," Uther said clapping Lancelot on the shoulder.

"The honour is all mine, sire," Lancelot responded immediately.

"Your father would be very proud," Uther observed.

"Yes sire," Lancelot agreed.

"I have not seen Lord Eldred for many years. Longer than I'd imagined, it seems. Last time I saw him, he only had four sons," Uther said.

"Well...here I am," Lancelot lied back.

"Indeed you are. And I've kept you too long already. Enjoy the celebrations," Uther said slapping Lancelot once again on the shoulder before leaving.

Lancelot bowed before the knights approached him shaking his hand. I waited for my go, "My congratulations Sir Lancelot. I'm sure you will do the kingdom well," I said bowing my head slightly in respect.

Lancelot just smiled back at me and bowed before Arthur came over, "We are going to celebrate, come and join us?" He asked me.

I nodded before taking his hand, as we walked out Arthur had one arm around Lancelot's shoulder and the other hand tightly grasping mine. Arthur and Lancelot when over to sit at a table with their drinks, while Merlin, Gaius and I stood a bit away, "The creature do we know what it is yet?"

"I believe it's a griffin my lady," Gaius answered.

"And can it be killed?" I asked turning away from watching Arthur and Lancelot bonding.

"Not without magic," Gaius said softly making sure we were not heard.

Just then Arthur pounded on the table drawing our attention to him, "Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in a toast to our new recruit, our new knight of Camelot, Sir Lancelot," Everyone applauded and Lancelot and Arthur toasted.

The rest of the night seemed to pass in a blur of drink and dancing, I woke up to a knocking on the door and groaned into the pillow, before slowly making my way to the door. I answered it to see Merlin standing there, "I need your help?"

"What is it?" I asked as I walked over to the cupboard and got out some of the potions that Laudine made for whenever I had a hangover.

"Lancelot has been arrested," Merlin spoke quickly.

I took off towards the council chambers glad in a way that I had been too drunk to remember to change out of my clothes from last night, I pushed into the chambers just as Lancelot was being pushed out, "What is going on?"

"Lancelot has broken the first code of Camelot," Uther explained.

"He is also the person who saved my life when I was attacked by the Griffin, or is my saviour to be punished?" I questioned, trying to keep calm when all I wanted to do was yell.

"His deception was inexcusable. But he meant no harm, Sire, I'm sure of it. He only wished to serve," Arthur said joining in my side of the argument.

"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?" Uther pointed out. I pushed my way back to the door, "Where are you going?" Uther questioned me.

"I am going to see Lancelot," I answered not even bothering to lie this time.

Uther didn't try and stop me as I walked out the doors and down to the dungeon I felt someone presents behind me and turned to see Merlin standing there. I just nodded my head and continued to walk down there, "Lancelot," I said softly seeing him looking upset as he sat in a cage was heart breaking.

"I don't know what to say to you, Lancelot," Merlin said quietly next to me.

"You're not to blame," Lancelot said kindly.

"Yes, I am. I pushed you. I made you lie," Merlin argued back.

"The choice was mine. My punishment is mine to bear, and mine to bear alone," Lancelot argued back.

"I will find a way of getting you out of here I promise," I vowed.

"There is no need my Lady," Lancelot said to me before turning to Merlin, "You can stop blaming yourself."

Just in that second the warning bell sounded again for the second time in days. I didn't bother talking to Merlin or Lancelot I just took off towards the square arriving in time to see people running around wildly, the griffin as I now knew it to be called swoop down overhead, moving at an alarming speed.

It was then I noticed Arthur standing there in the middle of the chaos, "On me! On me!" He yelled as the knights surrounded him in a defence pattern, before the creature paused up in the sky noticing the red knights for the first time, "Defend!"

The knights crouch down as the griffin once again moved in and attacked. The knights got up moving into an attack pattern I had seen them practice many times before. The griffin landed in the square right in front of Arthur, "Charge! On me!" Arthur seemed to strike the beast in the chest but the spear snapped into two, in shock Arthur fell backwards.

I did the only thing I could think of and grabbed a torch off the wall, I quickly whispered a spell and watched as flames roared into life before sprinting over to where Arthur had landed waving the torch at the creature. It took off making a large hissing sound as I went. I collapsed back down next to Arthur, "That was too close," I said softly.

Arthur grabbed my hand causing me to drop the flame before pulling me towards the council chambers, the guards followed behind us, "You said your knights were the best in the land. You proved that today," Uther observed as we walked into the chambers.

"All I know is it's still out there," Arthur explained.

"Let's not wait for it. The kingdom has been menaced by this creature for too long. We finish this now," Uther ordered.

"Sire, how can they possible do that?" I questioned.

"If I may," Gaius spoke before Uther could answer my question.

"Gaius?" Uther questioned.

Gaius stepped forward, "I've been researching this creature, Sire. I believe it to be a griffin."

"A griffin? What's in a name?" Uther asked.

"The griffin is a creature of magic," I explained.

Uther expression grew cold, "I don't have time for this."

"It is born of magic, Sire, and it can only be killed by magic," Gaius continued.

Uther shook his head, "You are mistaken. It's a creature of flesh and blood like any other. Arthur proved that today."

"I'm not so sure, Father. I think there may be some truth in what he says," Arthur spoke up.

"What truth?" Uther snapped.

"The griffin was unharmed, Sire. Our weapons seemed useless against it," Arthur explained.

"Useless? I think not. No, it's tasted our steel once, the next time will be its last. When will your knights be ready to ride again?" Uther said arrogantly.

"An hour. Maybe two," Arthur explained.

"Good. We finish this tonight," Uther ordered before walking out of the door.

"You know that Gaius is right," I said quietly to Arthur as I stood next to him.

Arthur shrugged, "It makes no different once my father hears the word magic it is like all hope is lost."

"I will ride out with you," I offered.

"No," Arthur snapped back immediately, I took a step back at his tone, "I'm sorry Elizabeth, but I don't want to see you hurt."

I nodded kissing his cheek, "You should go and prepare My Lord."

I knew that I would be out there fighting with him even if he did not know it himself.

Okay another chapter done, bear in mind it is stupid PM at the moment here in London and I am tired so if there is any spelling or grammar mistakes please excuse them. The next chapter should be out soon,

Until next time

Artistic-Blue-Eyes

xxx