Queen of Camelot ~~~ON HIATUS~~~

Chapter Seven (II)

Merlin walked...more like stormed into Artura's room completely dismissing the need to knock. She paid him no mind though as she filled out papers. Her father didn't want her to fill out the real paper into she had proven she was ready so he got her cookies to see what she would do then ignore her work and do whatever he wanted.

A loud thump came from right in front of her before the most disgusting thing rolled onto her papers. It was a head of a snake. She quickly scooted back her squeal dying in her throat.

Her eyes snapped to Merlin. "What is the meaning of this?"

Merlin scratched the back of his neck. "Well you see I...." Merlin then told her the most bizarre story she had heard in a long time.

She had stood up by the end of the story walking around her desk leaning against it with the head in her hands. "You? You chopped its head off?" She asked skeptically.

Merlin nodded quickly continuing his ridiculous actuation. "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."

"I've seen the wound but that doesn't mean Valiant had anything to do with it." Artura said wanting Merlin to give her a convincing agreement. She already believed Valiant was behind it somehow.

"The bite didn't come before and there were no snakes on the ground. He was using magic." Merlin countered.

She suppressed a smile. She was on his side but there was a part of her that had to argue that had to find all the answers. And for one Valiant didn't seem like an idiot like Merlin was. "Valiant wouldn't dare use magic in Camelot."

Merlin paused for a second searching for a way to fight for what he thought to be true. "Ewan was pinned under Valiant's shield. No one could see the snake bite him." He said finding an answer.

It wasn't good enough some one should've seen it. This is why she hasn't said anything easier now if someone had seen it this would be a different story but no one had. "I don't like the guy, but that doesn't mean he's cheating." she said begrudgingly.

She could see how desperate he was, it was honestly annoying. She could take care of herself just fine. Merlin want for he had more proof. "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 takes the head shoving it towards her face. She tries to back up, he didn't see her discomfort bring it in closer. "Have you ever seen any snakes like this in Camelot?"

Artura snatches the snake pulling it away from her face. She wasn't a snake expert, but she had more than enough experience with all the poisonous snakes around Camelot. Merlin takes a deep breath catching Artura's attention. "I know I'm just a servant and my word doesn't count for anything. I wouldn't lie to you." He seemed so sure of himself.

Artura sighed examining the snake once again. She hasn't seen a snake like that in Camelot before and it oddly did look similar to the snakes on Valiant's shield. "I want you to swear to me what you're telling me is true." She was taking a huge risk here. If he was lying to her that was it she was dead and he was without a job.

Merlin looked at the snake thinking. "I swear it's true."

She waved the snake at him threateningly, but her words protested something different. "Then I believe you." Just this once words did speak louder than her actions.
                  ~~~~~~~~~~
Nervous; was a feeling all humans have felt at one point. Whether its giving an important talk, speaking the that one person whole lights up your day, fighting to win, going through a new experience, taking some sort of test, etc.. If Artura knew a word that would amplify that word by a thousand that would be the word she would use to describe what she was feeling right about now.