Chapter 36 A/N I don't own Merlin. Or reccopolis, but that's really only history, not legend, and my imagination taking it through its own twists and turns( Although really not sure how many children Reccared had.) Merlin's POV is underlined, Arthur's is normal. Casssie, Owaine and Pellinore will be back at the end of the week, they're just chilling, getting to know each other, nothing really is happening there. Mr. No name son-in-law is just waiting the six months before he can truly get his revenge, for now, he steers clear of her, she doesn't even know he exists.
The audience with the King went horribly, everything that could have happened did, and to make matters worse, the damn knight humiliated him in front of the entire Court. Arthur felt like he was an inch tall. And his father's disapproving stare, had him reeling as he turned and left the throne room. He vaguely saw Morgana open her mouth to say something, but ignored it, it was probably just her making fun of him anyway, and kept walking.
'Uther really is a cold bastard. His only son is telling him the truth, and he takes the word of a knight he barely knows instead.' Merlin thought. He looked back from where he was standing between the guards and shook free, looking directly at the smug face of Knight Valiant. 'I got Arthur humiliated and the pompous bastard got away with everything!' He looked to Gaius to see… something, anything. But he just looked down at the floor. Dejected and angry, Merlin stalked away from the throne room, going to Arthur's rooms to see if he could talk him around. Maybe think up another plan to get Valiant arrested.
"I believed you, I trusted you, and you made me look a complete fool." Arthur said in an even tone, suppressing his hurt and disappointment-mainly at his father.
"I know it didn't go exactly to plan." Merlin stuttered out, pushing Arthur over the edge, making him lose control of his ire.
"'Didn't go to plan'?! My father and the entire royal court think I'm a coward! YOU HUMILIATED ME!" he yelled, letting his anger out on the manservant. Using him as a punching bag.
"We can still expose Valiant." he said, persisting. 'Does this idiot not understand!'
"I no longer require you service." Arthur stated, back to the even-toned voice, looking anywhere but at him.
"You're sacking me?" he asked disbelieving.
"I need a servant I can trust." Arthur replied coldly.
"You can trust me!" Merlin declared vehemently.
"And look where it got me this time. Get out of my sight!" Arthur dismissed, his anger bubbling over again. The moment Merlin stepped out the door, he let his wall fall and his hurt overpower him for just a moment. He refused to cry, men didn't cry, but he did feel the sting of those cold eyes looking at him as if they didn't know him. As if they didn't trust him.
Merlin stalked away, he walked out into the courtyard and stood there for a moment, deciding where he could go to. He turned around and went to the entrance to the dungeons, climbing down the stairs quietly and distracting the guards enough for him to grab a torch, light it and go down to see the dragon.
"Where are you?" Merlin said desperately "I just came to tell you: whatever you think my destiny, whatever it is you think I'm supposed to do, you've got the wrong person! That's it. Goodbye." Merlin said, leaving after waiting for a few heartbeats.
"If only it were so easy to escape one's destiny." he said stopping him in his tracks.
"How can it be my destiny to protect someone who hates me?" Merlin asked the dragon as it flew down.
"A half cannot truly hate that which makes it whole. Very soon you shall learn that." he answered, perching on the outcropping of rock in the middle of the cavern.
"Oh, great. Just what I needed, another riddle." Merlin said sarcastically.
"That your and Arthur's path lies together is but the truth." the dragon said, ignoring Merlin's jibe.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"You know, young warlock, this is not the end. It is the beginning." he said sagely, preparing to fly away with Merlin looking after him curiously.
"Just give me a straight answer!" Merlin yelled after him as he flew away, turning when the damned dragon ignored him once again. 'He seriously needs to work on not talking in riddles.' Merlin thought angrily as he walked back up the stairs. He got out into the courtyard with no problem and sat on the stairs depressed. He had failed, Arthur was humiliated and would do whatever to save his pride, even if it meant losing his life.
"Hello Merlin." Gwen said as she approached.
"All right?" Merlin greeted lowly looking at the floor as Gwen sat down next to him.
"Is it true what you said about Valiant using magic?" Gwen asked him, to which he nodded his head, refusing to look at her.
'He looks really upset about this.' Gwen thought with a sigh, worrying her lower lip and looking out at the courtyard.
"Well, what are you going to do?" Gwen asked him, sure he would come up with a say to help Arthur.
"Why does everyone seem to think it's down to me to do something about it?" Merlin asked her incredulously, still not meeting her eye.
"Because it is! Isn't it?" Gwen said quickly. 'He must seriously not feel very confident after the audience.' she thought "You have to show everyone that you were right and they were wrong." making Merlin smile at that.'I just love that smile.' she thought dreamily, keeping her face from showing how much she liked him.
"And how do I do that?" he asked, finally looking at her
"I don't know." she admitted, not wanting to look away from his beautiful blue eyes. He stared right back into her green ones before looking away. He spotted the statue of a guard dog and an idea suddenly popped into his head.
"That's it." he said, standing up and going over to inspect the statue. He tried to lift it, unsuccessfully.
"Where are you going?" Gwen asked, brow furrowed in confusion.
"Do you have a wheelbarrow?" he asked her, confusing her even more.
By the time he lugged the heavy stone statue all the way up to the Physician's room he was exhausted. When he wheeled the statue into the main chamber, Gaius looked at him in confusion and asked: "What are you doing with that?"
"I'm going to let everyone see the snakes for themselves." he said, set on doing absolutely everything possible to animate it. When he turned the wheelbarrow around to drag it up the few steps into his room, he smiled at Gaius who just shook his head as if saying 'I'm not even going to bother asking more.'
He closed the door to his room and pried up the loose floorboard to take out his magic book. He sat down on his bed and looked the spell up, then began trying the spell over and over again. He tried relentlessly to perform the spell successfully; standing, sitting, kneeling, whispering, yelling. Everything, and nothing happened. He took a break, not seeing how he could possibly get it right on time and went to Arthur's chambers, hoping to convince him against fighting the next day.
'Does the fool not understand me?!' Arthur thought as he stared at the flames roaring in the fireplace, having seen the young man enter though his periphery.
"I thought I told you to get out of my sight." Arthur said harshly, looking away from the flames for just a moment.
"Don't fight Valiant in the tournament tomorrow. He'll use the shield against you." Merlin pleaded. 'Gee thanks for stating the obvious idiot' Arthur thought dryly.
"I know." he said, clenching his jaw and not looking at Merlin.
"Then withdraw. You have to withdraw." Merlin said, getting under Arthur's skin.
"Don't you understand? I can't withdraw. The people expect their prince to fight. How can I lead men into battle if they think I'm a coward?" he said, looking right at Merlin.
"Valiant will kill you. If you fight, you die." Merlin argued back.
"Then I die." Arthur declared, refusing to back down, refusing to be a coward.
"How can you go out there and fight like that?" Merlin asked him slowly.
"Because I have to. It's my duty." he answered softly, looking down at the ground, knowing it may very well be his last night. 'My duty will always be to serve my people in the most honorable way I can. I cannot back down now; if I do, then I'm no better than the coward who refuses to fight unaided.' he thought miserably to himself.
Merlin waited just a moment longer, looking at his former servant and prince, a steely determination entering his mind to perfect the spell. He turned and exited the room, leaving Arthur standing and staring at the flames once more. He returned to his room and stayed up the rest of the night, repeating the spell over and over again.
Arthur woke early the next morning, trepidation over what was to come that day. He had his breakfast, then got one of the servants to help him into his armor. The servant was almost finished securing the gorget in place when Morgana walked into the room. He quickly bowed and left the two royals in privacy as Morgana reached up and fixed the strap, keeping Arthur from turning with her hands on his back.
"Let me." she said, walking around to face him and tightening the vambrace. "I used to help my father with his armor." she said softly, looking him in the eyes.
She reached around him to collect the helmet left on the table and handed it to him wordlessly, trying hard not to burst into tears as she remembered the nightmare she had had the previous night.
"Thanks." he told her, finally admitting to himself that Cassie was right, she was like a sister to him, and turning to leave after a pause.
"Arthur, " Morgana called after him before she could stop herself, "Be careful." she said, giving him a melancholy smile.
"See you at the feast." he said, nodding in understanding.
He walked proudly into the arena to the crowd's cheers, hiding any nervousness about the match that was yet to come and the inevitable magic Valiant would be using. He walked to the middle and turned to face Valiant, glancing at his father for a moment. 'I really hope that wasn't the last time I look at my father.' he thought as he put his helmet on and held his sword out in the traditional way to begin a fight. Valiant knocked his sword away and the two got into their positions.
Arthur made the first move as he yelled and the fight began. Parries and blocks, a quick dance in a circle, neither advancing much before the other stopped him.
"Bebiede þe arisan cwicum" Merlin murmured with his eyes closed, putting all his concentration into channeling the magic for the spell. "Bebiede þe arisan cwicum" he whispered once again, not realizing that he had already animated the statue.
"Woof!" he opened his eyes and laughed heartily in celebration. "I did it!"
"Woof, woof!" made him stand up quickly and walk out the door, shutting it carefully.
He started on his way out the door when Gaius walked in and said; "Arthur's fighting Valiant!"
"I know. I'm on my way." Merlin said, continuing out before turning back and warning Gaius: "Oh, whatever you do, don't go into my room. We'll deal with it later"
Arthur was blocking Valiants attacks when Merlin arrived. He looked around judging when would be the best time and crouching by the wall. Valiant knocked Arthur back with his shield and the two walked in a circle once more, Arthur maneuvering the sword to loosen up his arm some before swinging it at Valiant. The swing was blocked and parried, shield hitting shield once more. Swing, block, parry until Arthur managed to knock Valiant's helmet off. He took his own helmet off and swung his sword around gracefully before Valiant swung at him forcefully. Arthur blocked, but Valiant stepped on his foot, swung his shield up, hitting Arthur's head back and making him fall. He ran forward with a cry and stepped on Arthur's shield, swinging the sword down. Arthur abandoned his shield and rolled out of the way just as the sword pierced the ground where his heart would have been. Arthur stood up and looked at the maniacal face of the challenging knight raising his sword in defense as Valiant took another swing. He blocked twice before his sword was kicked away from him and backed up into the wall. Valiant pinned Arthur under the shield and Arthur pushed him away, knowing exactly what would happen were he to remain under the shield. Merlin took this opportunity to cast the spell that animated the snakes.
"Bebiede þe arisan cwicum" he said with his hand raised and pointing at the shield. Two snakes popped out as Arthur and Valiant stood facing each other.
"What are you doing? I didn't summon you!" Valiant says in surprise that they appeared.
"He is using magic." Uther uttered with fear, Morgana looking at him in pity.
"And now they see you for what you really are." Arthur said loudly, Valiant just chuckled in response and let the snakes fall to the ground, hissing dangerously at Arthur.
"Kill him!" he shouts, making Arthur back up into the stands in front of the royals. Morgana reached over and grabbed the sword from the guard next to her.
"Arthur!" she says as she throws the sword at him. Arthur catches the sword and turns quickly, swinging in the process and making Valiant jump back before he swings the sword at the snakes' heads, decapitating them.
He quickly twirls the sword in his hand, and resumes the fighting position. Valiant swings at him twice more before losing his sword. Arthur plunged the sword into his abdomen, running him through.
"It looks like I'll be going to the feast after all. " he says into the dying knights ear before letting him fall to the ground and looking at where his father and Morgana were. He stands as the crowds cheer for him, thinking 'this is what a prince does, protect his people at all costs' proudly. He walked around once in exhausted victory before turning to leave the arena. He passed Merlin on the way out and clapped his shoulder
"My honorable guests, I present you Prince Arthur, your champion." Uther said smiling proudly and clapping along with the guests.
"My Lady." Arthur greeted, circlet gleaming in the candlelight, offering Morgana his arm.
"My champion." Morgana curtsied in reply, hair flowing down her back.
"Has your father apologized yet for not believing you?" she asked as they walked forward arm in arm.
"He'll never apologize."
"I hope, uh, you're not disappointed Valiant's not escorting you." he said conversationally.
"Turns out he wasn't really champion material." Morgana replied lightly, reaching the end of the aisle and letting go of his arm.
"That was some tournament final." Arthur said, looking at her.
"Tell me about it. It's not every day a girl gets to save her prince." Morgana said, smiling up at the blonde who paused before replying.
"Uh, I wouldn't say I needed exactly saving. I'm sure I would've thought of something."
"So you're too proud to admit you were saved by a girl." she said snarkily.
"Because I wasn't." he replied looking as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"You know what? I wish Valiant was escorting me." she said annoyed.
"Me too. Then I wouldn't have to listen to you." Arthur said annoyed as well.
"Fine!" Morgana said, turning to walk towards Gwen
"Fine." Arthur said as he turned towards Merlin.
"Can you believe Morgana?" Arthur asks incredulously. "She says she saved me. Like I needed any help." 'As if you needed help!Stayed up all night helping!' Merlin thought.
"I wanted to say I made a mistake. It was unfair to sack you." Arthur apologized to Merlin.
"No, don't worry about it. Buy me a drink and call it even." Merlin said, taken aback. 'The Prat is actually admitting he was wrong! He just might be changing, as the dragon said.'
"Uh, I can't be seen to be buying drinks for my servant." Arthur said pseudo patronizingly.
"Your servant? You sacked me." Merlin said, smiling slyly.
"Now I'm rehiring you." Arthur said, making Merlin genuinely smile.
"My chambers are a complete mess. My clothes need washing. My, uh, armour needs repairing. My boots need cleaning. My dogs need exercising. My fireplace needs sweeping. My bed needs changing. And someone needs to muck out my stables." Arthur began enumerating all the chores that needed doing.
Post chapter A/N Next is a small time jump forward a week for Cassie, Pellinore, and Owaine to get back to Camelot. You've already read, all that's left is review. Tell me what you liked and disliked, and what I can do to get better! :)