Author's Note: I am so sorry it's taken me so long to update. Blame midterms and a bad case of writer's block. Thank you all for your patience, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. There will be probably one or two more (and hopefully without such a delay!) Again, thanks for waiting, and please review!
Chapter 6
Promotion
Gaius handed the king a small vial. "Take this with supper, sire," he said. "It should help with the headaches."
Arthur took the vial and tucked it into his pocket. "Thank you, Gaius." The physician turned to leave, but Arthur stopped him. "Before you go, I wanted to discuss something with you. You too, Merlin."
Merlin poked his head out from behind the wardrobe door. "Sorry?"
The king sighed. "Honestly, Merlin, how long does it take to put a basket of clothes away?"
His manservant set down the rest of the clothes and approached him. "If you didn't go through so much clothing in a week, it wouldn't take so long," he grumbled.
Arthur just rolled his eyes. "I wanted to talk to you both about adding another position to the Round Table," he said. "Now that magic is legal, its management is going to be much more important for the kingdom. Most of my knights are too young to remember a time when magic was accepted. We will need someone with experience to help provide good judgment. I'd like to add a Court Sorcerer to the table."
Gaius glanced at his ward, his brow furrowed. "I think that's a very wise idea, sire," he answered. "But, forgive me, but why are you consulting us?"
"Because I'd like Merlin to fill the position," the king said.
Merlin gaped at him. "Me?"
"No, the other Merlin," Arthur said dryly. "Yes, you. Naturally, that will give you several more duties to complete. Gaius, I felt it only fair to ask your permission as well, as it will take some of Merlin's time away from you as well as from me."
The physician shook his head. "Don't worry about that," he said kindly. "I have been thinking lately that I ought to start looking for a proper apprentice anyway. Nothing against you, Merlin, but you are not destined to be a physician. And someone is going to need to take over when I'm gone."
Arthur nodded and turned to the warlock. "Merlin?"
Merlin shrugged. "All right, why not?"
And so when Merlin followed Arthur into the hall the next day, he found himself not at his usual post in the corner, but seated beside the king at the Round Table. The rest of the knights filed in and took their places. Merlin could feel their eyes on him as the gathered around. He fidgeted slightly with discomfort.
Arthur put a hand on Merlin's knee. "Stop tapping." Merlin stopped. "It's going to be fine."
His servant nodded and looked around at the many red capes which surrounded the table. Merlin was not usually one to let issues of class bother him—after all, he had no problem telling the king himself when he was being ridiculous—but still, he couldn't remember ever being in seated in a room with this many nobles before. Flattered as he was by his new position, a large part of him longed to disappear into the corner where he belonged.
When all of the knights were finally seated, Arthur sat up straighter and folded his hands. "Knights of the Round Table," he began. "First and most importantly; congratulations. It is good to sit among you once again knowing that a great enemy has been destroyed, and I want to thank you once again for the part you have played in bringing about her defeat. Each and every one of you fought bravely and made Camelot proud. Now, we must turn our attention to other tasks."
Merlin felt several knights glance at him.
"As all of you know," Arthur continued, ignoring them, "as of yesterday, magic is no longer banned in this kingdom. While I hope this will be a reason for further prosperity, it would be foolish to believe it will not raise issues we have not faced before. For this reason, I have appointed Merlin our new Court Sorcerer, to advise us and help us come to decisions on magical matters."
The room was silent for a moment. Finally, Sir Byron spoke.
"Forgive me, my lord," he began, "But are you certain this is wise?"
Arthur pushed back a surge of annoyance. He'd never liked Sir Byron much. The man was self-important and unkind to his inferiors. But there was no denying that he was a skilled warrior, and he had been unfailingly loyal to Uther.
"I know you are fond of the boy," Byron continued. "But would it not be better to choose someone more suited to the position?"
"What do you mean, someone more suited?"
Merlin shifted uncomfortably. Was Arthur going to make Sir Byron come out and say it? The king couldn't really be so dense as not to know what his knight was talking about. Most of the nobility did not take kindly to being asked to listen to commoners. Merlin had certainly suffered enough of Byron's cuffs across the head to know how he felt about servants rising above their station.
"My lord, do you really think a servant has a place advising this council?"
Arthur's expression darkened. "Sir Byron, Merlin has my complete confidence," he said. "As a servant, he is much better equipped to understand the needs and desires of the common people of Camelot. Furthermore, he has had to closely examine the morality of magic in order to use it to protect a kingdom which would have beheaded him for it. He has remained unfailingly loyal, and we owe a large part of this kingdom's success to him. This council would be foolish not to take his advice."
Byron's jaw tightened as he nodded.
"And, Sir Byron, I will ignore the slight to Queen Guinevere, who also came to this table from service," Arthur continued. His tone was still light, but his voice had a dangerous edge. "I am sure the implications of your suggestion simply slipped your mind."
The knight bowed his head, his face stony. "I beg your pardon, my lord. My lady. I meant no such insult."
The king nodded. "I'm sure you didn't. Now, perhaps we could return to the business at hand."
