TSitS - The First Challenger
Title: The Sword in the Stone Series
Pairing: Pretty Gen. Kind of one-sided Merlin/Arthur, Gwen/Arthur, hinted Gwen/Lancelot. It’s about as gay as the series is, which is pretty gay.
Disclaimer: I do not own BBC’s Merlin. If I did, I’d be pretty happy because I’d know Colin and Bradley personally.
Summary: The legend of Excalibur is not as simple as everyone thinks. Arthur pulls a sword from a stone, beginning a chain of events that will lead him to his destiny and the sorcerer prophesied to stand beside him.
Chapter Summary: Pelleas of Mora comes to Camelot to challenge Arthur. If he loses, he'll serve Arthur until the end of his days. If he wins, he gets the Sword from the Stone and all that that entails. Also, Uther looks into the Merlin issue.
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Part II - The First Challenger
….
….
Arthur stood in his room, staring at the sword in his hands. It had taken four days to return to Camelot, to the castle. Arthur had been delayed by nobleman after nobleman wanting to talk to him. Now, in the quiet of his room, Arthur felt his worries returning.
The sword in his hands was beautiful. The balance was just a hair off perfect. Arthur had never seen its equal. Could he really wield such a weapon? Was it truly magical? Did this really mean he was destined to be the King of all Albion, or would he be King of all Albion simply because every noble saw him pull a sword from a stone that supposedly only the King of all Albion could pull?
The door to his bedroom opened suddenly and Arthur turned to glare at Merlin bringing him his breakfast. Merlin set the food down and situated it the way Arthur liked it with a smile on his face the whole time. Heck, he was practically humming.
"What has you so happy this morning?" he asked curiously, with a tinge of his usual annoyance to it.
Merlin shrugged. "You're on your way to becoming the greatest King in all of history," he said like it was nothing, turning to give Arthur a personal smile of his own. "You're going to do great things. I'm really proud of you, that's all." Then he returned to doing his morning chores.
And just like that, Merlin did exactly as he'd done a few days previous. He took all of Arthur fears and worries and blew them away like dust in the wind. It was like magic. Merlin's faith in Arthur was like indestructible armor keeping Arthur's bravery intact. It had always been that way, since the day after he defeated Valiant. For that, he owed Merlin more than he could say.
Arthur cleared his throat, looking away from Merlin and out his window. "Merlin," he began in a drawl. "Don't be such an idiot. You're a servant. There's no reason to be proud." He paused for a moment, his eyes searching the outside. "Go…muck out my stables."
Merlin grinned wryly. "Certainly, sire," he half-laughed. "Enjoy your breakfast."
Arthur frowned deeper as Merlin left the room. Dang. Merlin could see right through him these days. There was no way to hide his feelings from his servant anymore. They were friends, down to the core, and Arthur couldn't hide it any longer. At least, not from Merlin. The rest of the world was another story.
His father was in a category all his own. If he learned Arthur was friends with Merlin….Morgana, sure thing. She could be friends with every female servant until the city burned silver and dogs spoke English. Arthur….Arthur was expected to befriend only knights and nobles and no one lesser. Merlin was, position-ally speaking, lesser. And yet, Arthur considered Merlin his greatest and most loyal friend. He just hoped his father didn't find out.
...
…
Arthur was eating dinner with his father when Sir Leon walked in. They both watched him make his way over to the table, give a deep bow of apology, and then stand at attention. "I'm sorry to disturb you, my lords."
"What is it?" Uther asked calmly, wiping his mouth subtly on a napkin.
Sir Leon nodded his head. "A….uh….knight," he said, half in question, "has arrived this evening. He wishes to challenge Prince Arthur in a duel."
"A duel?" Arthur asked. "Well then, I acc-"
"The winner," Leon interrupted with a slight wince, "Gets your new sword, sire," he explained. "I think he wants to be King of all Albion."
"What?" Uther hissed. "It hasn't been a week since he pulled the sword out and already the other nobles are revolting against him!"
Arthur shook his head. "If he presents a valid challenge, then I am duty bound to accept." He looked into his father's outraged face with faked calmness. "What sort of ruler would I be if I didn't uphold the knight's code? If I was too cowardly to defend my title?" He stood up and bowed to his father before turning to the knight. "Take me to him."
"As…you wish, sire," the knight said, bowing to Arthur and Uther in turn before leading Arthur from the room.
…
…
The man standing in the courtyard before the main steps was dressed in chainmail, but other than that it was obvious he was no knight. He had no crest on his tunic, which was fraying and torn in places. His hair was messily combed and his face was badly shaven, with patches missed in places, but at least he'd tried. He was probably….four or five years Arthur's senior.
"What's this?" Arthur asked, almost letting out a laugh. "He isn't a knight," he said to the knight who had retrieved him.
"I may not be of noble blood," the man said, standing tall and strong, "but the seer never said the king had to be from a current noble family."
Interest captured, Arthur turned his full attention on the man before him. "This is true," he agreed with a little nod. "A king can be simply one of noble heart who comes into the correct circumstances. It would seem you think these are your circumstances?"
"I do not know, sire," the man said. "I simply wish to try."
"You want to dethrone me before I'm even King," Arthur half-joked.
The peasant shook his head. "Not at all. I want the right man on the throne, and I believe every man who wishes it should have a right to try for it."
"And how do you propose we give you a try? The Canyon of Balin is more than a day's ride away." Arthur already knew how.
"I propose we have a duel. If I win, I get the sword and all that that entails," the man said. "If I lose, I will serve you without fail until the end of time." He bowed his head and awaited Arthur's decision.
Arthur surveyed him with interest. Perhaps…. "I accept your challenge. What is your name?"
The man lifted his head, looking awestruck and joyful. "Pelleas, my lord. Pelleas of Mora."
Arthur grinned. "Mora?" He shrugged. "Alright then. Tomorrow our fight commences. I hope you're prepared."
Pelleas smiled and it looked like the sun.
…
…
"Merlin!"
Merlin looked up from his small dinner with Gaius just as Arthur walked into the room. He set his spoon down but didn't stand up. "Hm?"
Arthur came over and placed his hands on the table by Merlin. "I have a match tomorrow. I need you to polish my armor by the morning."
Merlin narrowed his eyes. "A match? You just got back," he protested like it was him who had to fight.
"It doesn't matter when I return to my city. If a challenge is presented, I can take it any time." He stood up straight.
"Who challenged you?" Gaius asked calmly.
Arthur gave a half shrug. "A man named Pelleas of Mora. He's a peasant." Gaius's jaw dropped.
"A peasant?" Merlin asked, surprised.
"He wants to challenge me for my position as Once and Future King," Arthur said matter-of-factly. "His challenge was valid, so I accepted." He shook his head once. "Just have my armor polished and ready by morning, Merlin, and be at my chambers on time." With that, he turned and left the room.
Once he was gone, Merlin turned to Gaius. "Should I be worried?"
Gaius shook his head and shrugged at the same time. "There are many who may not accept the idea of a single king ruling over all of Albion. Any one of them could potentially challenge Arthur for the throne. On the other hand, others could simply be testing him to see if he will make a good king." He looked away for a moment and then looked into Merlin's eyes. "There is reason to worry. We'll have to keep an eye out for any danger to Arthur's life."
"Right," Merlin nodded. "I'll go look up useful spells in the book." He stood from his chair.
"Ah," Gaius said and Merlin stopped. "Don't you think there's something else you need to do first?"
Merlin narrowed his eyes in confusion and concentration for a few moments and then shook his head. "What?"
"Arthur's armor?" Gaius prodded.
Merlin shut his eyes and groaned. "Gaius, don't you think learning how to protect Arthur is a bit more important than armor?"
Gaius shrugged, collecting the bowls from dinner and moving to clean them. "I don't know, but if the armor isn't done then there could be trouble in your future."
Merlin groaned again, more aggravated than before, and headed for the front door instead of his bedroom door.
…
…
"Ok," Merlin was saying as he and Arthur walked toward the stadium. "He's bigger than you, but he's not stronger. His sword is bigger too, so it'll be harder to swig fast. You're slower on your left side, so watch it because he probably knows it too and he'll aim there, probably higher up near your shoulder. Also-"
"Merlin," Arthur whined. "I've been trained since birth to be the strongest fighter alive." He stopped just out of sight of the stadium stands and turned to face Merlin. "I think I can handle it. You, on the other hand, only recently learned how to properly hold a sword." He poked Merlin in the chest. "I don't think you need to be giving me advice."
Merlin looked indignant for a moment, and then smirked. "I still lasted more than a minute in free combat against the ultimate killing machine," he stated proudly.
Arthur raised an eyebrow, as if asking Merlin to explain himself, but he didn't. After a moment, he let out a harsh breath and gave Merlin a little shove, not hard, and then held himself tall and paraded out into the stadium to meet the challenger. Merlin grinned until Arthur was out of sight, then let it drop and hurried to the edge of the stands to peek out and keep watch.
"A week ago, Arthur Pendragon, my son, pulled a sword from a stone," Uther was saying. "Most nobles were there and had their chance to try and pull the sword out themselves. As you have stated, no peasants were allowed to give it a try. Not today. Pelleas of Mora, my son has accepted your challenge. This will be a private duel with, my ward," he motioned to Morgana, "four knights of Camelot," he motioned to the knights in the stands to his left, "three of my closest advisors," the men in the stands to his right, "and myself will be witnesses. You may begin at any time." He sat back in his chair.
Pelleas bowed deeply to the king and turned to Arthur. They bowed to each other and then got in the battle positions. Arthur struck first, right across the middle almost as if he were actually aiming for the shield Pelleas blocked him with and not Pelleas himself. Pelleas smiled at him over his shield before shoving the wood to the side and slashing forward himself, going straight for Arthur's gut. Arthur dodged backward in one great leap, shoved the sword to the right with his shield and then thrust forward with his sword. Pelleas threw his shield up and Arthur changed his attack, instead moving his sword sideways and wrenching the shield from Pelleas' hand and throwing it several feet to his left with the force behind his attack.
Pelleas gasped, watching his shield fly off. He looked at Arthur with shock on his face at how quickly he'd lost the protective circle. Arthur tossed his own shield away and took a hold of his sword with both hands, raising an eyebrow at Pelleas. Pelleas nodded his head to Arthur and took up his own position. He stabbed straight on, Arthur parrying easily and pushing him back two steps. Arthur waited, letting Pelleas gather himself for another attack. Pelleas let out a breath-like laugh and swung at Arthur from the left side. Arthur connected his sword with his opponent's, pushing back on it heavily and throwing the attack off and wide. Pelleas tried the same attack on Arthur's right side, his dominant side. Arthur smirked, catching Pelleas' sword with his own, flipping the opposing blade around his own a few times as he stepped closer, then wrenched the sword from Pelleas' hands in a similar fashion to how he'd taken the shield and left the point of his sword poised a fine tip away from Pelleas' neck.
For several seconds, both of them simply stood there breathing, and then Uther clapped his hands and the rest of the witnesses joined in. Compared to the applause of the multitude during a tournament, the ovation from only nine people was almost pathetic. Arthur lowered his sword and held it at his side. Pelleas bowed to Arthur before retrieving his sword and shield. He even brought Arthur's shield to him.
"Thank you," Arthur said with a short nod as he accepted his shield back.
Pelleas inclined his head. "If you wouldn't mind, sire," he began. Arthur waved Merlin over but kept most of his attention on Pelleas.
"What is it?" Arthur asked as Merlin arrived at his side with a cup of water each for them. Uther glared from the stands, suspiciously.
"Thank you," Pelleas said to Merlin, who nodded, before turning back to the Prince. "I was wondering, sire, if you wouldn't mind counting that last match as a practice duel….and letting me try again." Arthur nearly spit out his water. "I heard you replaced the sword in the stone and gave every man another go at pulling it out themselves at the canyon," Pelleas explained swiftly.
Arthur regarded him curiously, slowly handing his cup back to Merlin. Pelleas held Arthur's gaze. After a few moments Arthur nodded, also without breaking eye contact. "You know," he began conversationally, "only nobility is supposed to look a prince directly in the eyes." Pelleas's eyes widened. "I know of only two peasants besides yourself that have ever done that. One of them does it every day." His tone was chastening, but he was trying to hide his grin as he shot Merlin an amused look.
Merlin shrugged, accepting the cup back from Pelleas before hurrying out of the ring again. Pelleas watched him leave, his curiosity peaked now. The relationship between Prince Arthur and his servant was…interesting. Arthur turned to his father in the stands.
"I wish to renew Sir Pelleas' original challenge," he said loud enough for them all to hear. Every one of them leaned forward in their seats to hear him better, certain that they had heard wrong. What? "We will begin a new duel, immediately…and this will be the true duel to settle the issue." He nodded to the 'crowd' and then turned to Pelleas. "All ready?" he asked.
Pelleas nodded fervently before getting into position with his shield up to start with. "It's your start, sire."
Arthur grinned before beginning with a large, sweeping motion of his sword, the attack coming down on Pelleas' head. Pelleas threw his shield up higher, barely catching it before it could connect. He pushed backwards with more force than he'd shown the entire first duel, throwing Arthur back and almost off his feet. Arthur regained his balance and raised an eyebrow at Pelleas, who shrugged. Arthur took several steps forward, jabbing straight on at Pelleas's stomach. Pelleas threw his shield in the way, knocking Arthur's blade to the right, and then brought his sword up from below. Again Arthur barely managed to dodge backward. Pelleas didn't wait for him to gather himself, instead lunging straight into another attack, this time from the left side.
Arthur backed up and Pelleas followed, continuously launching attacks at Arthur left and right. Pelleas threw himself forward and glanced his sword off Arthur's shield. The blade caught in a break in the wood and ripped it from Arthur's hand. Arthur shook his hand, getting the tingling feeling to leave his fingers, before gripping his sword tight with both hands.
"I hope you don't mind, sire, but against the greatest warrior in all of Camelot…I'd like to keep my shield," Pelleas stated simply with a nod.
Arthur shrugged. "I don't begrudge you it."
Pelleas gave a small smile before attacking. He struck forward, again and again, aiming at Arthur's left hip almost every time. Arthur shoved him off but at the expense of being moved backward in a loop around the ring. Pelleas' movements slowed minutely as his arm grew tired from exertion and Arthur took the opportunity to dodge Pelleas' sword and ram his body into the older man's as hard as he could. Pelleas fell back, tripped over his own heels, and hit the dirt with the loud sound of scraping metal from his chainmail.
"Oof," he let out.
Arthur stood over him, sword at the ready. "Do you yield?" he asked.
Pelleas regarded Arthur, standing above him and wielding the sword he was fighting for, for a mere breath before shoving his shield into the sword and forcing it away from his chest. While Arthur was briefly distracted, Pelleas rolled away and jumped up into a defensive position while he tried to catch his breath.
"Very good," Arthur complimented before attacking for once.
He made a few feint attacks to the left and right as he stepped closer to the peasant, and then jabbed forward before changing and swinging in from the left. Pelleas spun away four steps to avoid it but Arthur was right there with him, prepared to strike as soon as the other man stopped spinning. Metal met metal as soon as he was stationary again. Pelleas pressed back against Arthur's sword forcefully, but neither man was moving an inch. Pelleas managed to pushed Arthur back a step and then swung hard and fast at Arthur's upper left shoulder.
Merlin held his breath from the side, unsure if he should interfere or not. Arthur threw his sword up just in time, catching the attack just as it touched the mail on his arm. "You know what?" he grunted out.
"What?" Pelleas answered in the same tone. Most of their energy was going into simply holding each other in that position.
"You may have a shield," Arthur managed. "But that means you only have one hand on your sword." He pressed back harder with his whole body and Pelleas was forced to back off.
He laughed under his breath. "This is true," he agreed, wiping sweat from his face. "But is it better to have both hands on the sword, or one hand on the sword and the other on better protection?" he said like it was some ancient proverb.
"Whichever way gets the desired result," Arthur concluded before attacking again.
He swung out and Pelleas parried it with his own sword. This happened three more times in three completely different positions and then Arthur knocked the sword from Pelleas' hand. Now all he had was a shield. Pelleas stared at his shield for a moment but had to use it a breath later to block Arthur's next sword swing. He took a deep breath and then ran forward with his shield blocking his head and upper chest, shoving Arthur backwards. He pushed Arthur right up against the wall and then backed off. Arthur fell to his side, feeling like all the air had been ejected from his lungs by a rampaging beast.
"Do you yield?" Pelleas asked. Uther grimaced as if thinking 'how dare he suggest such a thing.' Merlin frowned from his retaken position at the edge of the stands.
Arthur looked next to him and saw his shield within arm's reach. He took a deep breath from his position on his side on the ground. "Never," he said, just loud enough to be heard.
Before Pelleas could retaliate, Arthur snatched up his shield and threw it at the other man. It knocked Pelleas right off his feet and onto the ground. Meanwhile, Arthur scurried to his own feet and over to his opponent, pointing his sword at Pelleas's lowered head.
"Do you yield?" he asked.
Pelleas just sat there on the ground for several long moments, and then he nodded his head and dropped his shield. Arthur knelt down and handed the shield back to its owner before helping Pelleas to stand.
"That was truly impressive, highness," Pelleas complimented.
"You were quite the shining warrior yourself, Pelleas of Mora," Arthur commented in return.
"I would love to duel you again," Pelleas said with a grin.
Arthur frowned in confusion. "Now? Is serving me that great a challenge that you have to fight me again?"
Pelleas blinked once before beginning to laugh outright. He shook his head as the laughter died down. "No, no. That's not what I meant at all. I meant that I would love to duel you again sometime in the future. It was a rush," he explained, a huge smile covering his face.
Arthur gave a little smile of his own and clapped his right hand on Pelleas' left shoulder. "I look forward to it." He turned to his father and the others in the stands. He bowed, and Pelleas did the same to his right. "I'd love to have you as a knight," Arthur admitted. Sadly, his father would likely never allow it.
A terrifying roar sounded throughout the arena followed by the screams of the townspeople. Arthur glanced at Pelleas for a brief moment before taking off out of the ring and toward the source of the commotion. Everyone but Morgana and the three advisors followed soon after, Merlin and Pelleas included. What they saw upon arriving in the lower town was…something.
It was as tall as Arthur's largest horse. Its head looked to be from a grotestque looking old goat with three inch long fangs and jagged teeth besides with blazing red eyes, its horns protruding menacingly about six feet into the air. The white goat fur continued back only far enough to barely meet its forelegs, which were the kind Arthur had only ever seen on large birds of prey; with razor sharp talons and feet as large as Arthur's head. Its back legs were those of a large ox, darker than the rest of the body and covered in long, thick black hair. The body itself was sleek and muscled like a lion's, made of dark golden fur. The tail was possibly the longest and largest part of the beast and was moving of its own accord. It was a great green and black snake with a head as large as the goat head at the front of the beast, its fangs dripping with both saliva and venom. It reared up on its back legs and Arthur caught sight of a third head positioned just where the front head ended: a feral lion's head. It also had blazing red eyes, perfectly sharpened fangs, and looked to have mange. Of all of the beast, the lion looked the most livid.
"What is it?" Pelleas asked, coming to a stop next to Arthur on his left side. Merlin stopped on Arthur's right.
"I'm not sure," Arthur let out, looking around the area at the damage the beast had already caused. Houses and market stalls were in shambles and already three bleeding bodies were on the ground before the beast. In his sweep, he caught sight of Merlin to his side and glared. "What are you doing, Merlin? Get back!" He threw out his arm, pushing Merlin further from the beast. "You don't even have a weapon, idiot!"
"But-" Merlin tried, but Arthur just gave him a stern look and Merlin shut his mouth and hurried away. He didn't go far though, simply hiding just out of sight and ready to protect Arthur should the need arise.
The knights of Camelot gathered around Arthur and Pelleas in a defensive manner. Arthur led them forward toward the beast, then sent four men to the left, four to the right, and three around the back, while keeping two for himself and Pelleas. He advanced further on the beast, catching its attention. It roared angrily, a strange sound to hear coming from a goat's mouth, and charged forward.
Sir Leon threw a spear at it and the beast stopped short in surprise when the spear glanced off its left shoulder. It looked at the wound there with its snake head. The snake hissed and the goat glared. Then the goat head opened its mouth and breathed fire out at the four men in front of it.
"Move!" Arthur yelled. Sir Leon, Pelleas, and the other knight all scattered while Arthur backed up and to the left to avoid the flames. The flames hit the stone wall of the inner keep just next to where Merlin was hiding and he jumped in fright.
The only real good thing about the situation was that the townspeople had all fled the area, so there was no worry about them anymore unless every knight died and the creature continued on into the city. Arthur couldn't let that happen. He motion with his free hand for the knights to move in, and once Leon, Pelleas, and the other knight were back with him in front of the beast, Arthur shouted and all four platoons charged forward at once. They would kill it quick, before it could do any more damage.
The beast made a noise of indignation. It kicked out the back troops with its hind legs while the snake head whipped to the right side, grabbing one of the knights and flinging him around, taking out the knights on either side with another knight's body. The goat head spewed fire again but this time Arthur simply raised his shield to it and kept charging. His shield was on fire now, so he tossed it aside a foot in front of the beast and came face to face with the goat.
Arthur stabbed it between where the lion and goat heads met and the beast cried out in pain, rearing up on its hind legs again. The lion head seemed to detach from the rest of the creature and snapped its jaws at Arthur. It missed but came so close that Arthur had felt its breath on his face. Upon landing on all fours again, the goat head swiveled around and its horns slammed into Arthur hard enough to knock him off his feet. He landed with a 'guh' and stayed down, unable to catch his breath.
Merlin winced and looked around for some way he could help. There were several barrels piled up near a house but that was about it. He shook his head and stared the barrels down, his eyes flashing gold with a spell just before the pile crumbled and all six barrels of who knows what went rolling toward the beast at record barrel rolling speeds. The barrel's hit the beast's legs and sent it cascading to the ground. By the time it had righted itself, every knight in Camelot along with Arthur and Pelleas was surrounding it again, with swords held high. It whipped its goat and snake heads around as if searching and both heads stopped momentarily to stare at Merlin behind a cart near the inner wall. A few seconds later it let out that strange roar again, turned around, and ran from the city.
"After it!" Arthur shouted. "We can't let it escape!"
Merlin ran after them at a safe distance.
Uther watched the fight leave the city but couldn't calm his mind. He watched as Merlin ran after the knights and all he could think was 'A sorcerer. He must have conjured that creature to destroy us.' In a flurry of angry steps. Uther made his way to where Gaius was: in the town tending to the people.
"Gaius," he said sternly and the older man looked up from where he was bandaging a girl's arm.
"Sire," he greeted before turning back to his work.
"Did you know?" Uther asked in a dangerous voice. "About the boy? The boy in your care, in my kingdom?" he demanded as quietly as he could manage.
Gaius stopped moving. It wasn't quite a freeze, but it was more than a pause. After a moment, he finished bandaging the little girl before him. "You'll be alright, just don't strain it for at least a week."
"Thanks," the girl said with a wavering smile before hurrying off to find her parents.
Gaius stood and turned to Uther. "Perhaps we should discuss this in my chambers where there are less people?" He said it like a question but anyone could tell there was no other option. They walked back to the castle and up to Gaius' chambers. Gaius shut the door behind Uther and then folded his hands in front of him. "You were saying, sire?"
Uther looked around the room, his eyes lingering on Merlin's bedroom door. How much of the artifacts in this room were for science…and how many were for magic? "I want you to answer me truthfully, Gaius," he began, his eyes coming to a standstill on Gaius's face. "How long have you known that….Merlin….is a sorcerer?"
Gaius expression hardened. "I don't know what you're talking about." He moved over to his work table. "Merlin's just a boy."
"Do you actually dare to lie to my face, Gaius?" Uther practically hissed out. "I heard what that witch said in the canyon as clear as you did. The one who gave me that sword, the one I used against Tristan de Bois when he was raised from the dead…that was Merlin. You saw what was engraved on that sword. You translated it for me. Merlin handed me a magical sword that day. Merlin is a sorcerer and I want to know how long you've known about it!" he ended in a furious shout.
Gaius closed a book slowly, no action belaying how fast his heart was beating or how much he was panicking. Uther knew. The King knew and there was no way to avoid this.
He lifted his eyes from the table and stared back at Uther's glare evenly. "I have known Merlin was special….since the day he arrived in Camelot."
Uther's eyes widened and then narrowed dangerously. "You've been hiding a sorcerer right under my very nose for almost five years…You have been hiding your true nature from me Gaius."
Gaius interrupted him. "My true nature? Excuse me, sire, but I have tried to be as honest with you as I possibly could be, but there are certain facts about Merlin that would not let me give him up to you."
"Facts?" Uther stressed. "What fact do I need to know besides the one that states that he is a sorcerer, committing treason right in my own castle? Who knows what evil he's been doing in the dark of the night to my people….to my son!"
Gaius' glare was almost scarier than Uther's. "He would never," he stated quickly, definitively. "Merlin is a kind soul. He cares for the people of your kingdom as much as his own, perhaps more. He practices magic, no matter the danger to his own life, so that he can save your son when mortal means prove fruitless. That boy is more loyal to Arthur than you are."
Uther drew in a sharp breath. "Do not dare to presume such a thing," he hissed out. "No sorcerer will stay so close to my own son. His evil-"
"Merlin is not evil!" Gaius again interrupted. Uther looked just as angry at being interrupted as he was at Merlin for being magical. "Magic runs in his very bones, through the deepest part of his soul. He can't get rid of it so he uses it for the good of the kingdom. Camelot would have fallen a dozen times over if that boy were normal. He is special. He is talented. And if you dare to lay one finger on him, you will learn to regret it very quickly."
"Are you threatening me?" Uther demanded hotly.
Gaius shook his head. "Not just me, sire. Merlin has a great destiny to fulfill, as Arthur's right hand in ruling all of Albion. If you try to break that destiny….All the power that lies within the Old Religion may very well fall down upon you."
Uther and Gaius shared in an angry staring contest for a long time after that statement. Finally, Uther looked away. "I will not trust a sorcerer," he stated, about half the anger gone from his voice. "As soon as he returns…I will have him executed for sorcery."
"Sire," Gaius said warningly.
Uther turned a glare on Gaius. "And you, and all of the Old Religion with you, can burn with him if you try to stop me!" he shouted angrily before stomping from the room.
Gaius clenched his hands and shut his mouth, merely watching Uther's retreat, so he wouldn't accidently say a spell he didn't fully remember. "Be careful, Merlin," he murmured, looking out the far window at the sky.
…
…
It wasn't until two hours later that a ragged looking group of knights, and a pitiful looking Merlin, came back to the castle in Camelot. They gathered before the throne, where Uther sat, and hung their heads.
"I'm sorry, father," Arthur began. "We weren't able to kill it. It escaped."
Uther moved his glare off Merlin to regard his son. "Then it is no longer our problem," he said as if that were the most obvious thing in the world.
Arthur narrowed his eyes. "No, father," he disagreed. Everyone lifted their heads a bit in shock. "I believe we should pursue it. I can't just let a beast such as that loose on the other kingdoms…or our own outer villages."
Uther considered him for a moment. He really didn't think he could handle his son speaking out against him while he was attempting to deal with the very real threat of a sorcerer in his midst. "Of course. You are right. See to it."
Arthur inclined his head to Uther and then flipped to Merlin. "Ready the horses, gather the supplies, get whatever weapons you can find, and meet us at the front steps in two hours." He turned to the knights and Pelleas behind him. "We will leave immediately. The beast is fast. It could have reached another village already. Be prepared for anything."
The knights bowed and exited, and Pelleas approached Arthur quickly. "Sire. Your highness. I wish to come too."
Arthur looked him over once and then nodded. "Very well. I'd be honored to have you fight by my side."
Pelleas looked thrilled at the statement, bowed, and hurriedly retreated from the room. Uther stood from his throne just as Arthur grabbed Merlin by the upper arm and began dragging him from the room.
"And you," he was saying. "I told you to stay out of the fight and yet somehow you were out in the woods with us during the fight," he chastised.
Merlin pouted, pulling his arm free. Uther tensed, ready for some spell. "If I hadn't been there, you'd've been trampled."
Arthur glared, but not exactly angrily. "Like I said before my duel: I've been trained since birth for this sort of thing." They were out the door then and Uther made his way forward so he could keep an eye on Merlin. "You are a peasant who couldn't even hold a sword a year ago. I don't need your help."
Merlin grinned. "Oh, you just think so," he teased.
Arthur blinked at Merlin, a little grin fighting to creep onto his face. He squelched the expression and frowned instead. "Merlin," he began, "go get the horses."
Merlin grinned bigger. "Of course, sire," he said easily before running off down the hallway.
Uther shook his head. There was no time for a public burning. He'd have to wait until the beast was dead to have Merlin executed. Uther remembered the time when he thanked Merlin for being a true ally in the fight against magic. It seemed so foolish now. Sorcerers were evil, only caring about themselves, and that was the end of it. Period.
Merlin would die.
…
…
Next Time: Unfinished Business
Arthur and his knights face off against the Chimera again and Pelleas proves his worth as a knight despite his heritage. Once the battle is over, Arthur makes a decision that contradicts the very Code of Camelot and Uther is given a choice. When the dust settles, will Merlin burn at the stake?
Pairing: Pretty Gen. Kind of one-sided Merlin/Arthur, Gwen/Arthur, hinted Gwen/Lancelot. It’s about as gay as the series is, which is pretty gay.
Disclaimer: I do not own BBC’s Merlin. If I did, I’d be pretty happy because I’d know Colin and Bradley personally.
Summary: The legend of Excalibur is not as simple as everyone thinks. Arthur pulls a sword from a stone, beginning a chain of events that will lead him to his destiny and the sorcerer prophesied to stand beside him.
Chapter Summary: Pelleas of Mora comes to Camelot to challenge Arthur. If he loses, he'll serve Arthur until the end of his days. If he wins, he gets the Sword from the Stone and all that that entails. Also, Uther looks into the Merlin issue.
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Part II - The First Challenger
….
….
Arthur stood in his room, staring at the sword in his hands. It had taken four days to return to Camelot, to the castle. Arthur had been delayed by nobleman after nobleman wanting to talk to him. Now, in the quiet of his room, Arthur felt his worries returning.
The sword in his hands was beautiful. The balance was just a hair off perfect. Arthur had never seen its equal. Could he really wield such a weapon? Was it truly magical? Did this really mean he was destined to be the King of all Albion, or would he be King of all Albion simply because every noble saw him pull a sword from a stone that supposedly only the King of all Albion could pull?
The door to his bedroom opened suddenly and Arthur turned to glare at Merlin bringing him his breakfast. Merlin set the food down and situated it the way Arthur liked it with a smile on his face the whole time. Heck, he was practically humming.
"What has you so happy this morning?" he asked curiously, with a tinge of his usual annoyance to it.
Merlin shrugged. "You're on your way to becoming the greatest King in all of history," he said like it was nothing, turning to give Arthur a personal smile of his own. "You're going to do great things. I'm really proud of you, that's all." Then he returned to doing his morning chores.
And just like that, Merlin did exactly as he'd done a few days previous. He took all of Arthur fears and worries and blew them away like dust in the wind. It was like magic. Merlin's faith in Arthur was like indestructible armor keeping Arthur's bravery intact. It had always been that way, since the day after he defeated Valiant. For that, he owed Merlin more than he could say.
Arthur cleared his throat, looking away from Merlin and out his window. "Merlin," he began in a drawl. "Don't be such an idiot. You're a servant. There's no reason to be proud." He paused for a moment, his eyes searching the outside. "Go…muck out my stables."
Merlin grinned wryly. "Certainly, sire," he half-laughed. "Enjoy your breakfast."
Arthur frowned deeper as Merlin left the room. Dang. Merlin could see right through him these days. There was no way to hide his feelings from his servant anymore. They were friends, down to the core, and Arthur couldn't hide it any longer. At least, not from Merlin. The rest of the world was another story.
His father was in a category all his own. If he learned Arthur was friends with Merlin….Morgana, sure thing. She could be friends with every female servant until the city burned silver and dogs spoke English. Arthur….Arthur was expected to befriend only knights and nobles and no one lesser. Merlin was, position-ally speaking, lesser. And yet, Arthur considered Merlin his greatest and most loyal friend. He just hoped his father didn't find out.
...
…
Arthur was eating dinner with his father when Sir Leon walked in. They both watched him make his way over to the table, give a deep bow of apology, and then stand at attention. "I'm sorry to disturb you, my lords."
"What is it?" Uther asked calmly, wiping his mouth subtly on a napkin.
Sir Leon nodded his head. "A….uh….knight," he said, half in question, "has arrived this evening. He wishes to challenge Prince Arthur in a duel."
"A duel?" Arthur asked. "Well then, I acc-"
"The winner," Leon interrupted with a slight wince, "Gets your new sword, sire," he explained. "I think he wants to be King of all Albion."
"What?" Uther hissed. "It hasn't been a week since he pulled the sword out and already the other nobles are revolting against him!"
Arthur shook his head. "If he presents a valid challenge, then I am duty bound to accept." He looked into his father's outraged face with faked calmness. "What sort of ruler would I be if I didn't uphold the knight's code? If I was too cowardly to defend my title?" He stood up and bowed to his father before turning to the knight. "Take me to him."
"As…you wish, sire," the knight said, bowing to Arthur and Uther in turn before leading Arthur from the room.
…
…
The man standing in the courtyard before the main steps was dressed in chainmail, but other than that it was obvious he was no knight. He had no crest on his tunic, which was fraying and torn in places. His hair was messily combed and his face was badly shaven, with patches missed in places, but at least he'd tried. He was probably….four or five years Arthur's senior.
"What's this?" Arthur asked, almost letting out a laugh. "He isn't a knight," he said to the knight who had retrieved him.
"I may not be of noble blood," the man said, standing tall and strong, "but the seer never said the king had to be from a current noble family."
Interest captured, Arthur turned his full attention on the man before him. "This is true," he agreed with a little nod. "A king can be simply one of noble heart who comes into the correct circumstances. It would seem you think these are your circumstances?"
"I do not know, sire," the man said. "I simply wish to try."
"You want to dethrone me before I'm even King," Arthur half-joked.
The peasant shook his head. "Not at all. I want the right man on the throne, and I believe every man who wishes it should have a right to try for it."
"And how do you propose we give you a try? The Canyon of Balin is more than a day's ride away." Arthur already knew how.
"I propose we have a duel. If I win, I get the sword and all that that entails," the man said. "If I lose, I will serve you without fail until the end of time." He bowed his head and awaited Arthur's decision.
Arthur surveyed him with interest. Perhaps…. "I accept your challenge. What is your name?"
The man lifted his head, looking awestruck and joyful. "Pelleas, my lord. Pelleas of Mora."
Arthur grinned. "Mora?" He shrugged. "Alright then. Tomorrow our fight commences. I hope you're prepared."
Pelleas smiled and it looked like the sun.
…
…
"Merlin!"
Merlin looked up from his small dinner with Gaius just as Arthur walked into the room. He set his spoon down but didn't stand up. "Hm?"
Arthur came over and placed his hands on the table by Merlin. "I have a match tomorrow. I need you to polish my armor by the morning."
Merlin narrowed his eyes. "A match? You just got back," he protested like it was him who had to fight.
"It doesn't matter when I return to my city. If a challenge is presented, I can take it any time." He stood up straight.
"Who challenged you?" Gaius asked calmly.
Arthur gave a half shrug. "A man named Pelleas of Mora. He's a peasant." Gaius's jaw dropped.
"A peasant?" Merlin asked, surprised.
"He wants to challenge me for my position as Once and Future King," Arthur said matter-of-factly. "His challenge was valid, so I accepted." He shook his head once. "Just have my armor polished and ready by morning, Merlin, and be at my chambers on time." With that, he turned and left the room.
Once he was gone, Merlin turned to Gaius. "Should I be worried?"
Gaius shook his head and shrugged at the same time. "There are many who may not accept the idea of a single king ruling over all of Albion. Any one of them could potentially challenge Arthur for the throne. On the other hand, others could simply be testing him to see if he will make a good king." He looked away for a moment and then looked into Merlin's eyes. "There is reason to worry. We'll have to keep an eye out for any danger to Arthur's life."
"Right," Merlin nodded. "I'll go look up useful spells in the book." He stood from his chair.
"Ah," Gaius said and Merlin stopped. "Don't you think there's something else you need to do first?"
Merlin narrowed his eyes in confusion and concentration for a few moments and then shook his head. "What?"
"Arthur's armor?" Gaius prodded.
Merlin shut his eyes and groaned. "Gaius, don't you think learning how to protect Arthur is a bit more important than armor?"
Gaius shrugged, collecting the bowls from dinner and moving to clean them. "I don't know, but if the armor isn't done then there could be trouble in your future."
Merlin groaned again, more aggravated than before, and headed for the front door instead of his bedroom door.
…
…
"Ok," Merlin was saying as he and Arthur walked toward the stadium. "He's bigger than you, but he's not stronger. His sword is bigger too, so it'll be harder to swig fast. You're slower on your left side, so watch it because he probably knows it too and he'll aim there, probably higher up near your shoulder. Also-"
"Merlin," Arthur whined. "I've been trained since birth to be the strongest fighter alive." He stopped just out of sight of the stadium stands and turned to face Merlin. "I think I can handle it. You, on the other hand, only recently learned how to properly hold a sword." He poked Merlin in the chest. "I don't think you need to be giving me advice."
Merlin looked indignant for a moment, and then smirked. "I still lasted more than a minute in free combat against the ultimate killing machine," he stated proudly.
Arthur raised an eyebrow, as if asking Merlin to explain himself, but he didn't. After a moment, he let out a harsh breath and gave Merlin a little shove, not hard, and then held himself tall and paraded out into the stadium to meet the challenger. Merlin grinned until Arthur was out of sight, then let it drop and hurried to the edge of the stands to peek out and keep watch.
"A week ago, Arthur Pendragon, my son, pulled a sword from a stone," Uther was saying. "Most nobles were there and had their chance to try and pull the sword out themselves. As you have stated, no peasants were allowed to give it a try. Not today. Pelleas of Mora, my son has accepted your challenge. This will be a private duel with, my ward," he motioned to Morgana, "four knights of Camelot," he motioned to the knights in the stands to his left, "three of my closest advisors," the men in the stands to his right, "and myself will be witnesses. You may begin at any time." He sat back in his chair.
Pelleas bowed deeply to the king and turned to Arthur. They bowed to each other and then got in the battle positions. Arthur struck first, right across the middle almost as if he were actually aiming for the shield Pelleas blocked him with and not Pelleas himself. Pelleas smiled at him over his shield before shoving the wood to the side and slashing forward himself, going straight for Arthur's gut. Arthur dodged backward in one great leap, shoved the sword to the right with his shield and then thrust forward with his sword. Pelleas threw his shield up and Arthur changed his attack, instead moving his sword sideways and wrenching the shield from Pelleas' hand and throwing it several feet to his left with the force behind his attack.
Pelleas gasped, watching his shield fly off. He looked at Arthur with shock on his face at how quickly he'd lost the protective circle. Arthur tossed his own shield away and took a hold of his sword with both hands, raising an eyebrow at Pelleas. Pelleas nodded his head to Arthur and took up his own position. He stabbed straight on, Arthur parrying easily and pushing him back two steps. Arthur waited, letting Pelleas gather himself for another attack. Pelleas let out a breath-like laugh and swung at Arthur from the left side. Arthur connected his sword with his opponent's, pushing back on it heavily and throwing the attack off and wide. Pelleas tried the same attack on Arthur's right side, his dominant side. Arthur smirked, catching Pelleas' sword with his own, flipping the opposing blade around his own a few times as he stepped closer, then wrenched the sword from Pelleas' hands in a similar fashion to how he'd taken the shield and left the point of his sword poised a fine tip away from Pelleas' neck.
For several seconds, both of them simply stood there breathing, and then Uther clapped his hands and the rest of the witnesses joined in. Compared to the applause of the multitude during a tournament, the ovation from only nine people was almost pathetic. Arthur lowered his sword and held it at his side. Pelleas bowed to Arthur before retrieving his sword and shield. He even brought Arthur's shield to him.
"Thank you," Arthur said with a short nod as he accepted his shield back.
Pelleas inclined his head. "If you wouldn't mind, sire," he began. Arthur waved Merlin over but kept most of his attention on Pelleas.
"What is it?" Arthur asked as Merlin arrived at his side with a cup of water each for them. Uther glared from the stands, suspiciously.
"Thank you," Pelleas said to Merlin, who nodded, before turning back to the Prince. "I was wondering, sire, if you wouldn't mind counting that last match as a practice duel….and letting me try again." Arthur nearly spit out his water. "I heard you replaced the sword in the stone and gave every man another go at pulling it out themselves at the canyon," Pelleas explained swiftly.
Arthur regarded him curiously, slowly handing his cup back to Merlin. Pelleas held Arthur's gaze. After a few moments Arthur nodded, also without breaking eye contact. "You know," he began conversationally, "only nobility is supposed to look a prince directly in the eyes." Pelleas's eyes widened. "I know of only two peasants besides yourself that have ever done that. One of them does it every day." His tone was chastening, but he was trying to hide his grin as he shot Merlin an amused look.
Merlin shrugged, accepting the cup back from Pelleas before hurrying out of the ring again. Pelleas watched him leave, his curiosity peaked now. The relationship between Prince Arthur and his servant was…interesting. Arthur turned to his father in the stands.
"I wish to renew Sir Pelleas' original challenge," he said loud enough for them all to hear. Every one of them leaned forward in their seats to hear him better, certain that they had heard wrong. What? "We will begin a new duel, immediately…and this will be the true duel to settle the issue." He nodded to the 'crowd' and then turned to Pelleas. "All ready?" he asked.
Pelleas nodded fervently before getting into position with his shield up to start with. "It's your start, sire."
Arthur grinned before beginning with a large, sweeping motion of his sword, the attack coming down on Pelleas' head. Pelleas threw his shield up higher, barely catching it before it could connect. He pushed backwards with more force than he'd shown the entire first duel, throwing Arthur back and almost off his feet. Arthur regained his balance and raised an eyebrow at Pelleas, who shrugged. Arthur took several steps forward, jabbing straight on at Pelleas's stomach. Pelleas threw his shield in the way, knocking Arthur's blade to the right, and then brought his sword up from below. Again Arthur barely managed to dodge backward. Pelleas didn't wait for him to gather himself, instead lunging straight into another attack, this time from the left side.
Arthur backed up and Pelleas followed, continuously launching attacks at Arthur left and right. Pelleas threw himself forward and glanced his sword off Arthur's shield. The blade caught in a break in the wood and ripped it from Arthur's hand. Arthur shook his hand, getting the tingling feeling to leave his fingers, before gripping his sword tight with both hands.
"I hope you don't mind, sire, but against the greatest warrior in all of Camelot…I'd like to keep my shield," Pelleas stated simply with a nod.
Arthur shrugged. "I don't begrudge you it."
Pelleas gave a small smile before attacking. He struck forward, again and again, aiming at Arthur's left hip almost every time. Arthur shoved him off but at the expense of being moved backward in a loop around the ring. Pelleas' movements slowed minutely as his arm grew tired from exertion and Arthur took the opportunity to dodge Pelleas' sword and ram his body into the older man's as hard as he could. Pelleas fell back, tripped over his own heels, and hit the dirt with the loud sound of scraping metal from his chainmail.
"Oof," he let out.
Arthur stood over him, sword at the ready. "Do you yield?" he asked.
Pelleas regarded Arthur, standing above him and wielding the sword he was fighting for, for a mere breath before shoving his shield into the sword and forcing it away from his chest. While Arthur was briefly distracted, Pelleas rolled away and jumped up into a defensive position while he tried to catch his breath.
"Very good," Arthur complimented before attacking for once.
He made a few feint attacks to the left and right as he stepped closer to the peasant, and then jabbed forward before changing and swinging in from the left. Pelleas spun away four steps to avoid it but Arthur was right there with him, prepared to strike as soon as the other man stopped spinning. Metal met metal as soon as he was stationary again. Pelleas pressed back against Arthur's sword forcefully, but neither man was moving an inch. Pelleas managed to pushed Arthur back a step and then swung hard and fast at Arthur's upper left shoulder.
Merlin held his breath from the side, unsure if he should interfere or not. Arthur threw his sword up just in time, catching the attack just as it touched the mail on his arm. "You know what?" he grunted out.
"What?" Pelleas answered in the same tone. Most of their energy was going into simply holding each other in that position.
"You may have a shield," Arthur managed. "But that means you only have one hand on your sword." He pressed back harder with his whole body and Pelleas was forced to back off.
He laughed under his breath. "This is true," he agreed, wiping sweat from his face. "But is it better to have both hands on the sword, or one hand on the sword and the other on better protection?" he said like it was some ancient proverb.
"Whichever way gets the desired result," Arthur concluded before attacking again.
He swung out and Pelleas parried it with his own sword. This happened three more times in three completely different positions and then Arthur knocked the sword from Pelleas' hand. Now all he had was a shield. Pelleas stared at his shield for a moment but had to use it a breath later to block Arthur's next sword swing. He took a deep breath and then ran forward with his shield blocking his head and upper chest, shoving Arthur backwards. He pushed Arthur right up against the wall and then backed off. Arthur fell to his side, feeling like all the air had been ejected from his lungs by a rampaging beast.
"Do you yield?" Pelleas asked. Uther grimaced as if thinking 'how dare he suggest such a thing.' Merlin frowned from his retaken position at the edge of the stands.
Arthur looked next to him and saw his shield within arm's reach. He took a deep breath from his position on his side on the ground. "Never," he said, just loud enough to be heard.
Before Pelleas could retaliate, Arthur snatched up his shield and threw it at the other man. It knocked Pelleas right off his feet and onto the ground. Meanwhile, Arthur scurried to his own feet and over to his opponent, pointing his sword at Pelleas's lowered head.
"Do you yield?" he asked.
Pelleas just sat there on the ground for several long moments, and then he nodded his head and dropped his shield. Arthur knelt down and handed the shield back to its owner before helping Pelleas to stand.
"That was truly impressive, highness," Pelleas complimented.
"You were quite the shining warrior yourself, Pelleas of Mora," Arthur commented in return.
"I would love to duel you again," Pelleas said with a grin.
Arthur frowned in confusion. "Now? Is serving me that great a challenge that you have to fight me again?"
Pelleas blinked once before beginning to laugh outright. He shook his head as the laughter died down. "No, no. That's not what I meant at all. I meant that I would love to duel you again sometime in the future. It was a rush," he explained, a huge smile covering his face.
Arthur gave a little smile of his own and clapped his right hand on Pelleas' left shoulder. "I look forward to it." He turned to his father and the others in the stands. He bowed, and Pelleas did the same to his right. "I'd love to have you as a knight," Arthur admitted. Sadly, his father would likely never allow it.
A terrifying roar sounded throughout the arena followed by the screams of the townspeople. Arthur glanced at Pelleas for a brief moment before taking off out of the ring and toward the source of the commotion. Everyone but Morgana and the three advisors followed soon after, Merlin and Pelleas included. What they saw upon arriving in the lower town was…something.
It was as tall as Arthur's largest horse. Its head looked to be from a grotestque looking old goat with three inch long fangs and jagged teeth besides with blazing red eyes, its horns protruding menacingly about six feet into the air. The white goat fur continued back only far enough to barely meet its forelegs, which were the kind Arthur had only ever seen on large birds of prey; with razor sharp talons and feet as large as Arthur's head. Its back legs were those of a large ox, darker than the rest of the body and covered in long, thick black hair. The body itself was sleek and muscled like a lion's, made of dark golden fur. The tail was possibly the longest and largest part of the beast and was moving of its own accord. It was a great green and black snake with a head as large as the goat head at the front of the beast, its fangs dripping with both saliva and venom. It reared up on its back legs and Arthur caught sight of a third head positioned just where the front head ended: a feral lion's head. It also had blazing red eyes, perfectly sharpened fangs, and looked to have mange. Of all of the beast, the lion looked the most livid.
"What is it?" Pelleas asked, coming to a stop next to Arthur on his left side. Merlin stopped on Arthur's right.
"I'm not sure," Arthur let out, looking around the area at the damage the beast had already caused. Houses and market stalls were in shambles and already three bleeding bodies were on the ground before the beast. In his sweep, he caught sight of Merlin to his side and glared. "What are you doing, Merlin? Get back!" He threw out his arm, pushing Merlin further from the beast. "You don't even have a weapon, idiot!"
"But-" Merlin tried, but Arthur just gave him a stern look and Merlin shut his mouth and hurried away. He didn't go far though, simply hiding just out of sight and ready to protect Arthur should the need arise.
The knights of Camelot gathered around Arthur and Pelleas in a defensive manner. Arthur led them forward toward the beast, then sent four men to the left, four to the right, and three around the back, while keeping two for himself and Pelleas. He advanced further on the beast, catching its attention. It roared angrily, a strange sound to hear coming from a goat's mouth, and charged forward.
Sir Leon threw a spear at it and the beast stopped short in surprise when the spear glanced off its left shoulder. It looked at the wound there with its snake head. The snake hissed and the goat glared. Then the goat head opened its mouth and breathed fire out at the four men in front of it.
"Move!" Arthur yelled. Sir Leon, Pelleas, and the other knight all scattered while Arthur backed up and to the left to avoid the flames. The flames hit the stone wall of the inner keep just next to where Merlin was hiding and he jumped in fright.
The only real good thing about the situation was that the townspeople had all fled the area, so there was no worry about them anymore unless every knight died and the creature continued on into the city. Arthur couldn't let that happen. He motion with his free hand for the knights to move in, and once Leon, Pelleas, and the other knight were back with him in front of the beast, Arthur shouted and all four platoons charged forward at once. They would kill it quick, before it could do any more damage.
The beast made a noise of indignation. It kicked out the back troops with its hind legs while the snake head whipped to the right side, grabbing one of the knights and flinging him around, taking out the knights on either side with another knight's body. The goat head spewed fire again but this time Arthur simply raised his shield to it and kept charging. His shield was on fire now, so he tossed it aside a foot in front of the beast and came face to face with the goat.
Arthur stabbed it between where the lion and goat heads met and the beast cried out in pain, rearing up on its hind legs again. The lion head seemed to detach from the rest of the creature and snapped its jaws at Arthur. It missed but came so close that Arthur had felt its breath on his face. Upon landing on all fours again, the goat head swiveled around and its horns slammed into Arthur hard enough to knock him off his feet. He landed with a 'guh' and stayed down, unable to catch his breath.
Merlin winced and looked around for some way he could help. There were several barrels piled up near a house but that was about it. He shook his head and stared the barrels down, his eyes flashing gold with a spell just before the pile crumbled and all six barrels of who knows what went rolling toward the beast at record barrel rolling speeds. The barrel's hit the beast's legs and sent it cascading to the ground. By the time it had righted itself, every knight in Camelot along with Arthur and Pelleas was surrounding it again, with swords held high. It whipped its goat and snake heads around as if searching and both heads stopped momentarily to stare at Merlin behind a cart near the inner wall. A few seconds later it let out that strange roar again, turned around, and ran from the city.
"After it!" Arthur shouted. "We can't let it escape!"
Merlin ran after them at a safe distance.
Uther watched the fight leave the city but couldn't calm his mind. He watched as Merlin ran after the knights and all he could think was 'A sorcerer. He must have conjured that creature to destroy us.' In a flurry of angry steps. Uther made his way to where Gaius was: in the town tending to the people.
"Gaius," he said sternly and the older man looked up from where he was bandaging a girl's arm.
"Sire," he greeted before turning back to his work.
"Did you know?" Uther asked in a dangerous voice. "About the boy? The boy in your care, in my kingdom?" he demanded as quietly as he could manage.
Gaius stopped moving. It wasn't quite a freeze, but it was more than a pause. After a moment, he finished bandaging the little girl before him. "You'll be alright, just don't strain it for at least a week."
"Thanks," the girl said with a wavering smile before hurrying off to find her parents.
Gaius stood and turned to Uther. "Perhaps we should discuss this in my chambers where there are less people?" He said it like a question but anyone could tell there was no other option. They walked back to the castle and up to Gaius' chambers. Gaius shut the door behind Uther and then folded his hands in front of him. "You were saying, sire?"
Uther looked around the room, his eyes lingering on Merlin's bedroom door. How much of the artifacts in this room were for science…and how many were for magic? "I want you to answer me truthfully, Gaius," he began, his eyes coming to a standstill on Gaius's face. "How long have you known that….Merlin….is a sorcerer?"
Gaius expression hardened. "I don't know what you're talking about." He moved over to his work table. "Merlin's just a boy."
"Do you actually dare to lie to my face, Gaius?" Uther practically hissed out. "I heard what that witch said in the canyon as clear as you did. The one who gave me that sword, the one I used against Tristan de Bois when he was raised from the dead…that was Merlin. You saw what was engraved on that sword. You translated it for me. Merlin handed me a magical sword that day. Merlin is a sorcerer and I want to know how long you've known about it!" he ended in a furious shout.
Gaius closed a book slowly, no action belaying how fast his heart was beating or how much he was panicking. Uther knew. The King knew and there was no way to avoid this.
He lifted his eyes from the table and stared back at Uther's glare evenly. "I have known Merlin was special….since the day he arrived in Camelot."
Uther's eyes widened and then narrowed dangerously. "You've been hiding a sorcerer right under my very nose for almost five years…You have been hiding your true nature from me Gaius."
Gaius interrupted him. "My true nature? Excuse me, sire, but I have tried to be as honest with you as I possibly could be, but there are certain facts about Merlin that would not let me give him up to you."
"Facts?" Uther stressed. "What fact do I need to know besides the one that states that he is a sorcerer, committing treason right in my own castle? Who knows what evil he's been doing in the dark of the night to my people….to my son!"
Gaius' glare was almost scarier than Uther's. "He would never," he stated quickly, definitively. "Merlin is a kind soul. He cares for the people of your kingdom as much as his own, perhaps more. He practices magic, no matter the danger to his own life, so that he can save your son when mortal means prove fruitless. That boy is more loyal to Arthur than you are."
Uther drew in a sharp breath. "Do not dare to presume such a thing," he hissed out. "No sorcerer will stay so close to my own son. His evil-"
"Merlin is not evil!" Gaius again interrupted. Uther looked just as angry at being interrupted as he was at Merlin for being magical. "Magic runs in his very bones, through the deepest part of his soul. He can't get rid of it so he uses it for the good of the kingdom. Camelot would have fallen a dozen times over if that boy were normal. He is special. He is talented. And if you dare to lay one finger on him, you will learn to regret it very quickly."
"Are you threatening me?" Uther demanded hotly.
Gaius shook his head. "Not just me, sire. Merlin has a great destiny to fulfill, as Arthur's right hand in ruling all of Albion. If you try to break that destiny….All the power that lies within the Old Religion may very well fall down upon you."
Uther and Gaius shared in an angry staring contest for a long time after that statement. Finally, Uther looked away. "I will not trust a sorcerer," he stated, about half the anger gone from his voice. "As soon as he returns…I will have him executed for sorcery."
"Sire," Gaius said warningly.
Uther turned a glare on Gaius. "And you, and all of the Old Religion with you, can burn with him if you try to stop me!" he shouted angrily before stomping from the room.
Gaius clenched his hands and shut his mouth, merely watching Uther's retreat, so he wouldn't accidently say a spell he didn't fully remember. "Be careful, Merlin," he murmured, looking out the far window at the sky.
…
…
It wasn't until two hours later that a ragged looking group of knights, and a pitiful looking Merlin, came back to the castle in Camelot. They gathered before the throne, where Uther sat, and hung their heads.
"I'm sorry, father," Arthur began. "We weren't able to kill it. It escaped."
Uther moved his glare off Merlin to regard his son. "Then it is no longer our problem," he said as if that were the most obvious thing in the world.
Arthur narrowed his eyes. "No, father," he disagreed. Everyone lifted their heads a bit in shock. "I believe we should pursue it. I can't just let a beast such as that loose on the other kingdoms…or our own outer villages."
Uther considered him for a moment. He really didn't think he could handle his son speaking out against him while he was attempting to deal with the very real threat of a sorcerer in his midst. "Of course. You are right. See to it."
Arthur inclined his head to Uther and then flipped to Merlin. "Ready the horses, gather the supplies, get whatever weapons you can find, and meet us at the front steps in two hours." He turned to the knights and Pelleas behind him. "We will leave immediately. The beast is fast. It could have reached another village already. Be prepared for anything."
The knights bowed and exited, and Pelleas approached Arthur quickly. "Sire. Your highness. I wish to come too."
Arthur looked him over once and then nodded. "Very well. I'd be honored to have you fight by my side."
Pelleas looked thrilled at the statement, bowed, and hurriedly retreated from the room. Uther stood from his throne just as Arthur grabbed Merlin by the upper arm and began dragging him from the room.
"And you," he was saying. "I told you to stay out of the fight and yet somehow you were out in the woods with us during the fight," he chastised.
Merlin pouted, pulling his arm free. Uther tensed, ready for some spell. "If I hadn't been there, you'd've been trampled."
Arthur glared, but not exactly angrily. "Like I said before my duel: I've been trained since birth for this sort of thing." They were out the door then and Uther made his way forward so he could keep an eye on Merlin. "You are a peasant who couldn't even hold a sword a year ago. I don't need your help."
Merlin grinned. "Oh, you just think so," he teased.
Arthur blinked at Merlin, a little grin fighting to creep onto his face. He squelched the expression and frowned instead. "Merlin," he began, "go get the horses."
Merlin grinned bigger. "Of course, sire," he said easily before running off down the hallway.
Uther shook his head. There was no time for a public burning. He'd have to wait until the beast was dead to have Merlin executed. Uther remembered the time when he thanked Merlin for being a true ally in the fight against magic. It seemed so foolish now. Sorcerers were evil, only caring about themselves, and that was the end of it. Period.
Merlin would die.
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Next Time: Unfinished Business
Arthur and his knights face off against the Chimera again and Pelleas proves his worth as a knight despite his heritage. Once the battle is over, Arthur makes a decision that contradicts the very Code of Camelot and Uther is given a choice. When the dust settles, will Merlin burn at the stake?