Chapter 35 A/N I do not own Merlin. The valiant episode is still happening, maybe next chapter I'll get to it. This and the last chapter are the first two days of the tournament, which I believe lasted four days.
"Please, don't bow." Cassie whispered frantically looking around. She reached down and helped him up quickly before ushering him in the door.
"Pero Su Alteza, que hace acá?" the man said
"Es Adalberto, ¿no? ¿Cómo supo quién soy?"
"Si, así me llamo, Alteza. Tal vez no me recuerde, pero viví en Recópolis cuando usted apenas era una niña pequeña."
"Mire, nadie sabe quién soy. El único es Owaine, pero él no dirá nada. Necesito que usted tampoco diga." she pleaded.
"Descuide, soy una tumba. ¿Entonces es verdad? Todos han muerto?" he asked with teary eyes.
"Lamento decir que si, es verdad. Le doy mi más sentido pésame por su nieta, Adalberto."
"Que paso?"
"Unos hombres entraron de noche, cubiertos por la oscuridad de la luna nueva. Mataron a todos en su cama. Me había quedado dormida en la almena, y no me encontraron. Pero cuando amanecí y bajé, los vi a todos muertos. Hui sin pensar, llegue hasta Bretaña y tomé un barco hasta que llegue a tierra, luego llegue a Camelot y ahi me quede." Cassie said, explaining what happened and how she got to be there.
"Porque no dijo quién era, Alteza?"
"Hui de mi familia, y mis responsabilidades. No quería quedarme en ese lugar de pesadilla, me vine y dejé atrás mi título. Adalberto, entiéndame, yo no merezco ese título cuando abandone a mi gente. Ya no soy la Princesa Casiopea, y no volveré. Por favor, guarda mi secreto. ¡Te lo suplico!" she pleaded for him to keep her identity a secret.
"No le diré a nadie quien es, Princesa, pero usted siempre lo será. Su padre tanto como su abuelo fueron reyes muy justos. Si se hubiera quedado, me imagino también sería una gran Reina."
"No, Adalberto, si me quedaba, me obligaban a casarme con alguien que no conozco y él sería quien gobierna. No yo. Mis hermanos habían hecho un contrato con el Duque de Narbona que su hijo se convertiría en mi esposo, y cuando me enteré, me escondí. Al otro día, ya no tenía a ninguno para decirle que estaba lista para hacer lo que me tocaba. No tenía a quien decirle que no quería hacerlo, pero que lo haría por el bien de mi reino. Estaba sola y asustada, y corrí como cobarde." Cassie told the man her reasons for not wanting anyone to know about her.
"I won't say anything, but I do believe that you would have made a fine Queen, my Lady."
"Thank you, Adalberto. I have the potion recipe you requested, I just need to write it down." she said, holding her hand out for a quill and paper, the previous topic laid to rest.
"Yes, here you are." he said, handing her a piece of paper and quill.
What neither knew was that on the other side of the door was his son-in-law listening to every word. He was a sallow-looking man who moved away when he was but a boy. He left everything because a damned king did not like the way his father looked and took everything from him. When she stopped talking, presumably to write down the recipe, he turned and left. Reccared had sent his father off to war and got him killed, and then gave his lands away to one of his friends. He hated the man, and he was still in contact with his opposer, Witteric, and knew exactly how to get his revenge. He just needed to get the word out for them to take her back and kill her.
Hours later, he paced the fields he was supposed to be working, waiting for the lights in the manor to go out for him to use the little magic he possessed to send word to those in Hispania. He filled his scrying basin with water and spoke the words, eyes glowing gold.
"Gemænsumian mé eac þára beinnan þæt cyneham Reccopolis þone fristmearc wiðer þæt ealdhláfordcynn."
"Qué paso? Porque nos buscas a estas horas?" answered an irritated voice.
"La Princesa Casiopea está viva! Está aquí, en la aldea donde he vivido durante los últimos veinte años. Su padre me quitó la vida, le estoy devolviendo el favor." he said despicably.
"Ya mismo se lo comunicó al Rey. Witerico se alegrará al escuchar esto. Los plebeyos se niegan porque nunca hallaron el cuerpo de la Princesa. Quedate ahi." the voice said excitedly.
"Encontro a la princesa?!"
"Si, su Majestad. Está en Camelot."
"Voy a mandar un soldado confiado. Él me traerá la cabeza de esa perra!" he snarled through the basin. "Cuanto tiempo te demoraste en el viaje?" he asked after a moment's thought.
"Unos seis meses, Majestad." he responded.
"Esperalo. El se dirige hacia Camelot, tu lo tienes que encontrar y ayudarle. ¡Este es el momento! ¡Tomaré el reino del todo!" the king said manically, implying the conversation was over and leaving the room.
"Será recompensado por la información valiosa, te llegará con el soldado." the voice said before the basin went black and he emptied it of water.
While the exchange between the usurper king of Reccopolis and the manor's physician's son-in-law was occurring, Merlin found himself in Camelot spying on Knight Valiant through a gap in the door. He saw three snakes pop out of his shield confirming his suspicions of the man. He moved away, not nearly as silently as he should have, and scurried behind a pillar as Knight Valiant walked out of his rooms with his sword drawn to inspect. Valiant walked over to where Merlin was hiding behind the pillar and stopped, looking for whoever it was. Merlin had moved to the other side of the pillar so as not to be seen and took a breath of relief when Valiant walked away, giving up his pursuit of whoever was spying on him. He hurried to tell Gaius.
"I've just seen one of the snakes in Valiant's shield come alive. He's using magic." Merlin said panting.
"Are you sure?" Gaius asked his ward and nephew, hoping he wouldn't go and do something foolish.
"The snake ate a mouse - one swallow, straight down. Sir Ewan was fighting Valiant when he collapsed. It must've been one of the snakes from the shield. I have to tell Arthur." Merlin said, determined to keep Arthur from harm.
"Is there any chance you might be mistaken?" Gaius asked quickly, standing up.
"I know magic when I see it." Merlin said, not quite catching what Gaius was loath to say.
"Perhaps, but have you any proof?"
"Don't you believe me?" Merlin asked, hurt that his uncle would think he was imagining this.
"I fear you will land yourself in trouble. How will you explain why you were in Valiant's chambers?" Gaius asked, trying to convince Merlin from going to Arthur empty-handed.
"What does that matter? He's using magic to cheat in the tournament." Merlin rebuffed passionately.
"But you can't go accusing a knight of using magic without proof. The King would never accept the word of servant over the word of a knight." Gaius argued back, hoping Merlin wouldn't get his head chopped off.
"What? So what I say doesn't count for anything?" Merlin asked disbelieving.
"I'm afraid it counts for very little as far as the King is concerned. That's the way it is." Gaius said matter-of-factly.
Merlin relented, walking to his room not believing that Gaius would just do nothing to help the Knight laid out on the patient's cot and slamming the door.
The next morning found Merlin helping Arthur into his armor for a third day of the tournament. He saw a servant stepping onto a ladder to put his master's helmet on.
"You're telling me you have to fight that." Merlin said, securing the hauberk in place.
"Yes, and he's strong as a bear. But he's slow." Arthur replied.
"Ah. and you're fast." Merlin said, understanding why Arthur wasn't nervous about fighting the bear Knight. He finished helping Arthur with his armor and clapped him on the shoulder as Arthur went to fight.
Merlin walked through the knights' tents with a bag slung over his shoulder. He paused when he saw Valiant, regarding him with cold suspicion, as Gaius walked up to him.
"How're you getting on?"
"Fine. Just doing my own job, minding my own business." Merlin replied trenchantly before moving off to watch the fight between Arthur and the big knight. Arthur had the upper hand, moving in offensive strikes and parries. He managed to bring the knight to his knees before hitting him with the hilt of his sword and knocking him out, backing out as the crowd cheered for him and Morgana gave him a dazzling smile.
Knight Valiant won his next match as well, pairing him with Arthur in the final. The knight that had been knocked unconscious by Valiant was being carried to the physician's tent while Merlin and Gaius looked at the final brackets.
"Valiant's going to fight Arthur in the final. He'll use the shield to kill him." Merlin spoke to Gaius, hoping he understood that Merlin would try anything to stop it from happening and walking away.
Gaius found Merlin in his chambers, looking after Ewan in despair.
"Merlin, about what I said yesterday... Look, Uther wouldn't really listen to you or me, but you are right. We can't let Valiant get away with this." Gaius told the boy, taking his attention away from the dying knight.
"But we don't have any proof."
"Well, if we could cure Ewan,he could tell the King that Valiant was using magic. The King would believe another knight." Gaius said in one breath. "But how we get the antidote…Well that's another matter."
Merlin got up and walked out of the room, having had an idea when Gaius asked about the antidote.
"Merlin?" Gaius said as he walked out, but was ignored.
Merlin took the long way to Valiant's chamber's, making sure he was at the feast with the King and the other knights before rushing away.
"Aliese." Merlin whispered, opening the door and entering the knight's chamber quietly.
He took a sword from the rack and approached the shield with the sword outstretched; he touched the tip to one of the snakes and lowered the sword, bending down to inspect it when he heard a noise behind him. He turned around, wary of if it was Valiant and took a few steps forward. He waited with bated breath, but he noticed the shadow of a snake on the wall, its head poised to strike. He turned around quickly and swung the sword, cutting its head off. The other two snakes came out of the shield hissing at him, but Merlin dropped the sword, grabbed the dismembered head and ran out the room, leaving the door open.
Merlin sprinted past Valiant without knowing, and the knight paused to regard him curiously before continuing on his way. He ran all the way to Gaius' chambers and gave him the snake's head.
"I'll get started preparing the antidote." Gaius says, extracting the venom from the head, much to Merlin's disgust.
"I'm going to tell Arthur." Merlin said.
"You'll need this." Gaius said, handing him the severed head. "And Merlin, what you did was very brave." Merlin allowed himself to feel pride at his uncle's praise before returning to the task at hand and going to Arthur's chambers.
"You? You chopped its head off?" Arthur asked skeptically.
"Ewan was bitten by a snake from the shield when he was fighting Valiant. You can talk to Gaius, you can see the puncture wounds in Ewan's neck where the snake bit him. Ewan was beating him, he had to cheat." Merlin explained, trying not to be affronted by Arthur's skepticism.
"Valiant wouldn't dare use magic in Camelot." he said, rolling his eyes just a little(in that incredibly charming manner that made me fall for Arthur way before I fell for merlin. Although whenever merlin gives his cheeky grin I just melt;)
"Ewan was pinned under Valiant's shield. No one could see the snake bite him" Merlin said urgently.
"I don't like the guy, but that doesn't mean he's cheating." Arthur said, standing up and looking out the window.
"Gaius is preparing an antidote to the snake venom. When Ewan's conscious, he'll tell you what happened. If you fight Valiant in the final, he'll use the shield. It's the only way he can beat you. Look at it!" Merlin said, not caring about the complement given to Arthur, and handing him the snake's head.
"Have you ever seen any snakes like this in Camelot?" Arthur took it and inspected it closely, not finding it in any way familiar.
"I know I'm just a servant and my word doesn't count for anything." Arthur raised his head at this, not believing that he would think that. "I wouldn't lie to you." Merlin said, looking Arthur square in the eye.
"I want you to swear to me what you're telling me is true." Arthur said hesitatingly, looking back at Merlin.
"I swear, it's true." Merlin replied seriously, not looking away from him. Arthur nodded at this, convinced that the manservant was telling the truth.
"Then I believe you." he said, looking down at the snake's head after a while.
In the morning, Arthur called a Meeting of the Court to bring his accusation in front of the King. Merlin stood by him with the snake's head as they waited for Uther to arrive, looking at Valiant's smug face with disdain.
"Why have you summoned the court?" Uther asked, storming in with two guards trailing behind him.
"I believe knight Valiant is using a magic shield to cheat in the tournament." Arthur said bluntly, stepping up in front of the King.
"Valiant, what do you have to say to this?" Uther asked, looking at the accused.
"My Lord, this is ridiculous. I've never used magic. Does your son have any evidence to support this outrageous accusation?" defended himself predictably.
"Do you have evidence?" Uther asked his son.
"I do." Arthur says as he motions for Merlin to give the King the snake head.
"Let me see this shield." Uther demands.
"Don't let him get too close," Merlin whispered to Arthur.
"Be careful, my Lord." Arthur says, unsheathing his sword as his father looks at the shield.
"Merlin." Gaius whispers.
"We need Ewan. Find out what's happening." Arthur whispers to Merlin, looking back to Gaius.
"As you can see, My Lord, it's just an ordinary shield." Valiant said, looking smugly back at Merlin and Gaius having a whispered conversation in the corner.
"He's not going to let everyone see the snakes come alive."He said, opening his arms at the obviousness. 'Sometimes, my father is so blinded by his hatred of magic and his rigid social standing beliefs that he just won't see the obvious' Arthur thought, but then quickly squashed the treasonous thought.
"Then how am I to know that what you say is true?" Uther said. 'Honestly, can't he just believe me for once!' Arthur thought.
"I have a witness. Knight Ewan was bitten by one of the snakes from the shield. Its venom made him grievously ill, however, he has received an antidote. He will confirm that Knight Valiant is using magic." was what he actually said, looking Valiant square in the eyes as he did so.
"Where is this witness?" Uther asked.
"He should be here…" Arthur said slowly, turning to look at Merlin and Gaius.
"Where's Ewan?" he asked them, turning from the King to talk to the two.
"He's dead." Merlin told him quietly.
"I'm waiting!" Uther said impatiently.
"I'm afraid the witness is dead." Arthur admitted after looking around the throne room and walking back to where he was with a somber expression.
"So you have no proof to support these allegations. Have you seen Valiant using magic?" Uther said in cold detachment, not caring to think the fool in front of him was his son.
"No." Arthur admitted, then added knowing he had lost his case in front of the King, "But my servant fought one of the snakes from…"
"Your servant?" Uther interrupted harshly. "You made these outrageous accusations against a knight on the word of your servant?" he finished, Valiant relishing every moment before an idea struck him.
"I believe he's telling the truth!"
"My Lord, am I really to be judged on some hearsay from a boy?" Valiant asked, feigning innocence which everyone sans Merlin and Gaius fell for.
"I've seen those snakes come alive!" Merlin defended himself and Arthur.
"How dare you interrupt?! Guards!" Uther said, furious that a lowly servant would address him in such a manner. Arthur could do nothing about the guards dragging his manservant away.
"My Lord?" Valiant said.
"Wait!" Uther called out, and the guards stopped with Merlin.
"I'm sure he was merely mistaken. I wouldn't want him punished on my account." Valiant said, hoping the King would make Arthur look even more a fool.
"You see? This is how a true knight behaves - with gallantry and honour." Uther regarded him disillusioned.
"My Lord, if your son made these accusations because he's afraid to fight me, then I will graciously accept his withdrawal." Valiant said, pounding the final nail into the coffin.
"Is this true? Do you wish to withdraw from the tournament?" he asked, stepping closer to his son, very disappointed.
"No!" Arthur cried at once, looking his father right in the eye.
"Then what am I to make of these allegations?" he asked him softly, making Arthur feel like a six year old being chastised.
"Obviously there has been a misunderstanding. I withdraw the allegation against Knight Valiant. Please accept my apology." he said in a detached voice to knight Valiant after a pause, sheathing his sword in his apology eyes downcast.
"Accepted." The coffin is now interred.
Post chapter A/N: The spell reads; "Communicate me with those in the royal residence of Reccopolis that are against the old royal family" now I know that Witteric want aryanism(no not the Nazi race) back, but let's just say that he doesn't care if someone has magic, so long as they use it for him and his gains. Adalberto's son-in-law is around thirty-ish let's say and I haven't thought up his name yet. I figured I'd stop it here, because I'm not really sure what I'll do next chapter. Any ideas on names? I'd be glad to hear them! I'm literally running out of historical people to name (that are close to that time at least, Adalberto was originally a german name for the royalty, but in spanish form, which probably didn't come until much later after the moors were beaten back to Africa.) And, besides, I don't really want it to be like Gonzalo or Ramiro or something, it's just so bleh.