Chapter Sixteen, The Mele
Later that night after Gwen had left, Merlyn, Gwaine and Gaius were trying to brainstorm what they could do to help Arthur and stop those thugs.
"I don't know what we can do. Uther won't listen that they're trying to kill Arthur. Even if you say so Gwaine, look how reluctant he was to admit he was wrong and you're a Nobleman." Merlyn exclaimed, when Gwaine opened his mouth, as she was pacing up and down, only for Gwaine to take her into a brotherly hug hoping to calm her.
"I could try and persuade Arthur to withdraw from the contest." Gaius suggested.
"He won't. I know Arthur, he's too stubborn.
If we tell him that someone is trying to kill him, and he has to withdraw it'll just make him more eager to compete, like all the other times." Merlyn sighed, running a hand down her face. "I'll have to somehow...use my powers to defend him." Merlyn said uncertainty.
"No, absolutely not!" Gwaine argued.
"With the King and half of Camelot watching?" Gaius asked, appalled.
"What choice do we have?" Merlyn asked them. Neither Gwaine nor Gaius could answer her and neither of them liked it. Gwaine pulled Merlyn further into his arms as he thought of a plan, he would not allow Merlyn, his sister to be killed. Even if he was killed in her place, then so be it.
***
The day of the Melee dawned and Merlyn was a nervous wreck. She couldn't even bear to stomach anything as her stomach was so queasy, which made Gaius worry for her, but to make matters worse she hadn't seen Gwaine this morning and neither had Gaius. Merlyn had a gut feeling on where he'd gone, and she hoped it was wrong, just this once.
"I'm sure Gwaine is fine, Merlyn." Gaius tried to reassure his anxious niece.
"What if he's joined the Melee, Gaius, you know they have those swords and will be aiming for Arthur. If they find out Gwaine is there too - I'll have two to watch out for." Merlyn ranted, as she paced up and down.
"Merlyn, calm down. There's no use worrying about it now. We best head down there before you're late." Gaius said, grasping her arms and leading her from their chambers and towards Arthur's chambers before he left for the Tourney Field.
***
As Merlyn was laying the chain mail on the table the door opened revealing Uther who had a wrapped sword under his arm. Both Merlyn and Arthur had to refrain from glaring as the King came further into the chamber.
"Ah." Uther exclaimed with a wide beaming smile on his face.
'You're only happy when Arthur is risking his neck for your pride and vanity.' Merlyn thought snidely as she turned her back on the King.
"I trust you're ready for the challenge?" Uther demanded of Arthur.
"Yes father." Arthur answered coldly, he would not forgive his father for what he'd done and Uther knew it too.
"I came to bring you this." Uther continued, holding out the wrapped sword and not noticing or rather ignoring Arthur's cold tone.
"I won my first melee with this blade. The edge has been dulled, it's perfectly safe." He said, as he handed the sword to Arthur. "All of Camelot is eager for a victory today, Arthur. I know you won't let me down." He finished, clapping his hand on Arthur's shoulder and staring him in the eye, almost like he was daring Arthur to not go against his wishes. "Oh, and Merlyn," Uther said, before he left the chambers. "Tell Gwaine that he will be Knighted tonight, it'll be a double celebration." He ordered before he left.
Merlyn looked rather troubled, and with none of her usual talk got Arthur into his armour, her talk hadn't gone how'd she wanted it too, but then it never does, even if he dies knowing about magic now doesn't mean it stops him. Arthur looked on at her in concern but said nothing. Promising he'd talk to her afterwards as they were running late thanks to his father.
"Come on Merlyn, everything's going to be fine." Arthur coaxed, Merlyn smiled weakly at him.
"I hope you're right." She said softly, turning to leave but Arthur stopped her and pulled her into his arms for a passionate kiss that lasted several minutes and left them both breathless.
Arriving quickly Merlyn joined Gaius in the sidelines as they watched all the Knights line up on either side of the Tourney Field, their weapons held aloft. Merlyn shared a concerned look with her uncle when she spotted Oswald and Ethan opposite Arthur with dark looks on their faces. As Uther was raising his hand everyone put down the visor on their helmets, the horses whining and raising up a little. When he lowered his hand they all charged at each other, their swords clanging against each other leaving those closest with slightly ringing ears. It was a mesh of silver, only the browns, blacks and whites of the horses broke it up a little, the only way to tell the Knights apart was from the coloured ribbons they had tied to their arms. It was ferocious even if people thought all the weapons were dulled as some Knights were flung from their horses or dragged across the field by the stirrups on the saddle being cut.
Merlyn was getting more anxious as the battle commenced especially as it was obvious the Knights were getting injured by someone's sword. Merlyn was preparing to use her magic when she saw Sir Ethan swipe Arthur across the back with his sword injuring him, angering the young Mage as her magic bubbled beneath her skin.
"He's heading straight for Arthur." Merlyn said worriedly, clutching Gaius's arm. When she saw Sir Oswald heading towards Arthur's back who was now busy fighting another Knight, only for Arthur to turn and duck just in time, however, the force of his swing unseated Oswald and sent him tumbling to the floor. Sir Ethan who had been fighting another Knight noticed Sir Oswald on the ground and hit the Knight in the face with the but end of his sword sending him tumbling to the ground where he stayed.
Sir Oswald and Sir Ethan now set their sights on Arthur who was fighting a Knight, one of the only ones to remain on horseback.
"Arthur's in trouble." Merlyn gasped again, just before Sir Oswald launched himself at Arthur and dragged him from his horse. Uther stood up aghast as Oswald held his sword above Arthur ready to kill him, but the King did nothing. As the sword came down with a yell from Oswald, Arthur who had gotten his breath back after the fall had winded him, rolled away and just in time too. As the sword was now buried in the ground where he had previously laid. The crowd cheered as Arthur staggered to his feet, the horses and the injured Knights being carried away on stretchers by some other servants to have less risk of injury to any of them, leaving only a few left on the ground and leaving only Arthur, Sir Oswald and Sir Ethan, who was still on his horse, left on the field.
A ferocious battle ensued between Arthur and Oswald much like that day on the Training Field, only this time Oswald was determined to kill Arthur. Sir Ethan seeing Arthur was fighting Oswald rode around the edge of the field with his sword in the air preparing to attack Arthur from behind.
"I know I was against this and I still am." Gaius started, his eyes fixed on the battle in front of him as he spoke hurriedly to his niece. "But you'll have to do something, otherwise Arthur will die." Instead of answering Merlyn stared intently at Sir Ethan, her eyes flashing gold as the stirrups on the saddle snapped sending him to the floor, hard. A satisfied grin spread across her face before she schooled her features before anyone noticed and turned her attention back to Arthur. However, it strayed to Gwaine. She prayed Gwaine was not one of the injured Knights or better yet anywhere near the field.
The battle between Arthur and Oswald raged on as the latter tried to gain the upper hand but Arthur was a better swordsman than him and was holding his own perfectly. However, Oswald was getting more aggressive with his attacks and Merlyn was concerned for her love as she could see he was tiring under the onslaught.
"It's two against one." Merlyn exclaimed, when Sir Ethan staggered to his feet. She had really hoped for the fall and rendered him unconscious, but when did she ever get any luck when trying to save Arthur? Arthur was starting to become overwhelmed, and Merlyn couldn't risk using her magic now as the King was so engrossed in the fight she'd be spotted, when the Knight, Sir Ethan and punched to the floor staggered to his feet one hand placed over his shoulder as he made his way towards the trio and stood back to back with Arthur.
"Who is that? Helping Arthur?" Merlyn wondered, but she had a gut feeling on who it was.
"I don't know, but I think we should be thankful he is." Gaius replied, as the four Knights fought.
"There's only one person I know who can do that." Merlyn said, feeling half worried and half proud, as she watched the Knight she now knew to be Gwaine disarm Sir Ethan with a twirl of his sword sending Ethan's sword up into the air before Gwaine caught it. Gwaine ran Sir Ethan threw to the shock of the crowd. Seeing the distraction Sir Oswald knocked Arthur on his back and was about to run him through when Gwaine slid beneath him blocking his attack with his sword before running him through with Ethan's.
The crowd applauded Gwaine for saving Arthur as the two stood facing each other, Gwaine pointing both swords at him.
"They'll expect us to fight to the end now." Arthur panted as he took off his helmet. "You fought bravely, the field is yours." He said in between deep breaths not recognising Gwaine. Gwaine threw down the swords, turning to look for Merlyn. When he spotted her with Gaius in the crowds, safe, he lifted the visor on his helmet revealing himself. Arthur laughed and shook his head.
"I should've known." He laughed, as Gwaine fully took off his helmet. "Nobody fights like you do. And we trained together." Arthur laughed.
"I told you, you couldn't fight until I Knighted you!" Uther thundered. "Guards seize him!"
Merlyn sent a fierce glare towards Uther feeling helpless once again as the guards took Gwaine away.
In the medical tent Gaius was kneeling beside the prone figures of Sir Oswald and Sir Ethan when Uther and Arthur, who was holding his arm, came in.
"You might want to wait before you pass judgement on Gwaine, who might I remind you Sire, saved Arthur's life again despite disobeying you." Gaius said quickly after telling him they had passed. Once he had their attention and Uther wasn't going to interrupt Gaius continued. "I fear that Sir Ethan." He said as he pulled off the crystal necklace. "And Sir Oswald-" Gaius pulled off the second crystal necklace. "Are not all that they seem." Gaius explained grimly holding up the crystals to Uther who only mouthed like a fish, before pulling off the two helmets and showing the true faces of the thugs. Thugs that Arthur recognised.
"Sorcery." Uther muttered looking like he needed to sit down.
"And once again I owe Gwaine my life." Arthur told his father. "These are the men who I told you about, father, they obviously wanted revenge and killed the real Sir Ethan and Sir Oswald before they arrived. You are to release Gwaine, father, and you are to apologise to him and to Merlyn. As these...thugs are who attacked her, though it shouldn't have mattered if they were a Knight or not. And you are to Knight Gwaine immediately and compensate them. No father, you are in the wrong and they deserve justice, especially Merlyn. You have wrongfully imprisoned Gwaine twice now and you have denied Merlyn the justice she deserved, at least Gwaine has now given her that. She can sleep easily now." Arthur said firmly, a hand pointing to the bodies as he glared at his father daring him to ignore him. All the whole feeling thankful that his love had someone else watching her back.
***
As soon as Merlyn had finished cleaning and wrapping Gwaine's shoulder she threw her arms around him not caring he was bare chested as a startled laugh escaped Gwaine as he wrapped his arms around Merlyn's waist.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again." Merlyn said sternly, but it was muffled by Gwaine's hair.
"I promise, my dear, sweet sister, that I'll never scare you like that again." Gwaine promised as pulled her in for another hug. "Although, I shall have to give Arthur the big brother talk." He whispered, making Merlyn burst out laughing.