"It is quite incredible how flowers can cure diseases," Eowyn marveled as she wrote down basic and major flower properties in a small leather notebook.
The moment she became Gaius's apprentice, she began a journal in which she wrote every little she learned, accompanied by detailed drawings of elements and their composition. She kept it in a pouch she always had with her, alongside herbs and a vial of water in case someone needed to be examined and treated. When she was not strolling in the streets of Camelot, she would spend her time reading in her room or at the castle's library.
When Gaius found out about the notebook, his shock regarding her intellect kept growing. He had rarely seen any drawing this detailed and notes so comprehensive. It was clear that Eowyn's mind was more advanced than anyone her age, or even over her age. It only strengthened his assumptions on her but more must be discovered before talking it out with her. Only a few people were gifted with such a mind.
"Plants are not only beautiful but are also very useful," Gaius said as he was making a potion. "What have you studied so far, Eowyn?"
"Everything I could find," she turned a page of her notebook and began writing a new chapter about mushrooms. "Anatomy, astronomy, arithmetic, geometry, medicine. But the books we had in Ealdor were only covering the surface of each field so I doubt we can call it 'studying'"
"You've never had any difficulties?"
"Well, at first I struggled to understand the point they were trying to make but once I put what I had learned into practice, it all became clearer,"
"People as bright as you at your age are quite rare, be proud of your gift,"
Eowyn finally looked up from her notebook, a gentle smile on her lips.
"I have always been curious about how our world works," she told him, her eyes covered with a slight veil of nostalgia. "I don't know why, I just want to know. But I also know that it's not normal to be so knowledgeable, especially for a girl,"
"Well, here, have no shame to be who you are. Ask as many questions as you wish, I will try to answer them the best way I can,"
The smile on Eowyn's eyes widened as she immediately stood up with her notebook.
"You don't have to tell me twice, there's this plant I struggle to differentiate from another-" She turned the pages of her notebook backward just as Merlin barged into the room in armor. He seemed lost and quite shaken. He had begun his first day as Arthur's manservant and his first task was to aid the prince in training for the upcoming knight tournament. And it seemed that Merlin had struggled quite a bit. As he walked further into the room, he dropped some part of his armor until he came to a stop.
"So, how was your first day as Arthur's servant?" Eowyn teased. As a response, Merlin tapped his head with a frown.
"Do you hear clanging?" he asked.
Gaius let out a chuckle and helped his protégé remove the last part of his armor. Merlin then sat on a chair as the old man began massaging his shoulder.
"Ah! It was horrible and I've still got to learn all about tournament etiquette by the morning," Merlin complained. "Onhríne achtung bregdan,"
The book that was on the other side of the table started to float and made its way toward him. Gaius slapped Merlin's head.
"What've I told you about using magic like this?"
"If I could actually feel my arms, I'd pick up the book myself,"
"Don't be so dramatic," Eowyn said, making Merlin scoff.
"We don't all possess inhuman memorization skills, Eowyn,"
"Never mind your arms. What do I do if you get caught?" Gaius said.
"What would you do?" Merlin asked back.
"Well, you just make sure it doesn't happen, for our sakes,"
"Ah! I save Arthur from being killed and I end up as a servant. How is that fair?"
"I'm not sure fairness comes into it. You never know, it might be fun," Gaius tried to cheer up but only Merlin scoffed.
"You think mucking out Arthur's horses is going to be fun? You should hear my list of duties,"
"We all have our duties. Even Arthur,"
"It must be so tough for him with all the girls and the glory,"
"And the daily mouth-watering food and the finest garments," Eowyn sarcastically added.
"He is a future king. People expect so much of him. He's under a lot of pressure," Gaius defended him.
"Ah! That makes two of us,"
The sun had passed the zenith when the preparations for the tournament began. Merlin had left for Gwen's house in the hope of fast learning about armor. As the blacksmith's daughter, she knew more than him and thus would teach him how to put on armor. It was the task of a servant to put the armor on the master's body and as Merlin had never done that in his life, it was a challenge. And Eowyn knew how disastrous it could be. So, in the knights' resting area near the arena, she stood a few feet away from the prince's tent. From where she was, she could see Merlin trying to put the armor on Arthur whose back was facing her. She did not need to see his face to figure out how irritated he must be. Merlin was taking too much time and struggling to find the right piece of armor.
Feeling like this could end in the prince's booming anger, Eowyn waved her hand high to catch Merlin's attention, which worked. She then pointed at her shoulder. It did not seem to help him as a deep frown appeared on his brow so he mimicked putting the voiders on. Merlin's eyes lit up and nodded before putting the voiders on Arthur's shoulder. And then took another piece and lifted it so she could. Eowyn gestured to her forearm and Merlin was about to put it on Arthur's forearm when having seen Merlin's strange behaviour, looked back. At once, Eowyn pretended to be searching for something in her pouch. The siblings let out a sigh of relief when Arthur uttered no comment. Merlin then put the red cape on and gave him his helmet. Looking past the prince, he frowned again when he saw his sister mimicking sword fighting. Arthur seemed to be telling him something and Merlin quickly gave him his sword, before the prince left with a heavy sigh while Merlin showed his appreciation for his sister's help with a thumb up. It went better than he expected.
Eowyn sighed and shook her head before leaving for the arena. Until the guests and watchers, Eowyn was not sitting in the bleachers. As Gaius's apprentices, they had to be ready to aid any knight who would be injured during fights. So they stood at the very edge of the arena. She did not exactly watch the tournament and had instead performed many back and forth between the arena to help carry the soldiers to Gaius's tent and stay with him as his assistant. Observing the court physician in action was the best way to learn about the profession. The old man would even let her examine the knight and ask her questions to test her skills and knowledge.
Most of the knights who had ended up in the infirmary were those who had fought Knight Valiant. From the brief moments she had seen, he was quite the aggressive time, opposite to Arthur who was more strategic.
Eowyn and Gaius left the tent to return to the arena. The last fight was still on and Knight Valiant was again fighting with strength. Eowyn flinched numerous times at the violence of the blows while the crowd cheered.
"I fail to see the appeal to this kind of celebration. What is it to cheer about men fighting each other in an arena? That's totally barbaric!"
"Not just a tournament, it's also a way to affirm the prince's strength," Gaius explained. "To show to the people how much he has improved his swordcraft, and to show that he is worthy of being a king,"
"Don't we judge who's worthy of being a king by his morals and virtues, and by the way he treats his people? Basing it on swordcraft is quite reductive,"
Gaius let out a chuckle. The more the days passed, the more Eowyn's personality became more apparent. She could be very childish, especially with her brother, but she also had strong opinions and skills.
"We judge the persona on a daily basis, and the fighting skills during a tournament,"
Eowyn did not add more. So far, Arthur had not made a very good impression and she did not know much about sword arts, she could not judge his skills. Perhaps she was wrong about him or perhaps not, only time will show her. But from the way he was treating Merlin, it did not look very good for him.
The fight eventually came to an end and as expected, Knight Valiant won and his opponent was injured. Guards brought the knocked-out knight to the medical tent where Gaius and Eowyn treated him. Fortunately, he was not gravely injured and a day's rest would be enough for him to recover.
Once they were done, Eowyn put on her pouch and gathered all the empty and used medicinal concoctions to bring them back to the chambers. However, on her way, she nearly collided with Knight Valiant whom she had met at an intersection. A bottle rolled out of the plate she was holding but he caught it. When his eyes landed on her, he paused a second as what seemed to be a flirtatious smirk appeared on his lips.
"Be careful. Such a pretty girl shouldn't be in such a place, you could hurt yourself,"
Eowyn blinked a few times at him, awkward, as he placed the bottle back on her plate. She was obviously not comfortable under his stare but the knight seemed to be unaware of that.
"Thank you for your concern, Lord Valiant, but as the Physician's apprentice, I believe I can handle myself here,"
She politely bowed and was about to step aside and leave when he blocked her way.
"Perhaps you need help?"
Eowyn remained silent for a second, eyeing the man oddly. A few feet behind him, she could see Merlin and Arthur watching the scene curiously but warily. Merlin seemed two seconds away from stepping in and was just waiting for her signal. But Eowyn slightly shook her hand.
"You must be tired after so many fights, you should rest. But I appreciate your offer, my Lord," She bowed to Valiant again and this time left quickly enough for him not to have the time to retort anything. Only was it when she was back in the chambers that she let out a sigh of relief. Now she truly wished Arthur would win.
Quickly enough, the next day arrived and luckily, she had had no encounter with Knight Valiant. The whole royal city was focused on the tournament. Knights fought the whole day and, akin to the day prior, Arthur was undefeated. He even got Merlin to cheer for him. After Arthur's fight came Knight Valiant opposing Sir Ewan. Truth to his reputation, Knight Valiant was brutal, frontal, and left no opportunity for his opponent to strike. If Eowyn was not a fan of tournaments, she was even less a fan of Sir Valiant. Arthur might be arrogant, but when he fights, he never aims at a vital part of the body. After all, it was just a tournament and he did not need to kill anything. However, this was not the case for Knight Valiant. He did not care about his opponent, he cared only about victory. And the strange feeling she had about him only grew more and more. The wind was agitated when he was around as if warning her that something was wrong. And this only solidified when a hiss similar to a snake's reached her ears as Sir Vilant pinned Sir Ewan to the ground with his shield before hitting him. As he stood up under the cheers of crowd was cheering, while his opponent remained on the floor.
"Eowyn," Gaius stressed as he entered the arena.
"Yes," she quickly followed him.
They both kneeled down beside the knight and immediately checked his pulse. Fortunately, there was a heartbeat, but the fact he was still unconscious was not a good sign. Guards laid him on a litter and carried him to the physician's chambers.
Sir Ewan was placed on a bed and Gaius began the preliminary examination. He had already gotten a fever and was unable to move.
"What do you deduct?" Gaius tested his apprentice.
"He has all the symptoms of an empoisonment," she said. "However, he was fine at the beginning of the fight which means that he had begun the fight healthy. He has not been poisoned before the fight. But he couldn't have possibly gotten poisoned during the fight,"
"Indeed, something is not right,"
As if on cue, Sir Ewan groaned in pain as turned his head. A frown appeared on Eowyn's brow as she noticed two small wounds on the knight's neck. She moved closer to have a better look.
"Look, Gaius. Snake's bite,"
Gaius frowned when he noticed it too.
"But there were no snakes in the arena," he said, confused.
"I did hear one though,"
Gaius looked at her. "You heard a snake? How?"
"Unlike Merlin, I can only conjure and control the wind. And the wind... has a sort of consciousness. It warns me when something happens and it is always unstable around Sir Valiant. Also, the wind carries smells and sounds, and during Sir Valiant's fight, I heard a snake's hiss,"
Eowyn had always been very sensitive to the wind. She could hear what it carries, voices and noises from kilometers away if she listened closely. It was the same thing with scents, which had developed her smelling and hearing abilities. It was the reason she had been so affected by Lady Helen's songs. And also the reason the villagers of Eoldor distanced themselves from her. They believed her to be a mad girl that she could hear things others couldn't.
"Are you sure?" Gaius asked.
"The wind has never deceived me. But I have seen no snake in the arena. Nor in Camelot so it's rather odd,"
"How is he?" Merlin suddenly asked as he barged into the room, discarding the pieces of armor aside.
"It's most odd," Gaius said as he showed the unusual wound. "Look at this. See these two small wounds. Looks like a snake bite,"
"How could he have been bitten by a snake? He was injured in the sword fight," Merlin frowned.
"I know but the symptoms are consistent with poisoning: slow pulse, fever, paralysis," Eowyn explained.
"Can you heal him?"
"Well, if it is a snake bite, we'll have to extract venom from the snake that bit him to make an antidote,"
"What happens if he doesn't get the antidote?"
Eowyn looked at Sir Ewan, a sad expression on her face. If they don't get the antidote, there is no hope for the knight.
"Then I'm afraid there's nothing more we can do for him. He's going to die," Gaius answered for her.
"He was fighting Knight Valiant...,"
"What's that?" Gaius asked, whipping the forehead of the poisoned knight.
"Nothing," Merlin said as he walked away.
But as the terrible liar he was, it was easy to see through him. So Eowyn stood up, told Gaius she would be back soon, and followed her brother.
"Where are going?" she asked, startling Merlin.
"I, uh, nowhere, I-"
"Don't even try lying to me. I know you. Do you have a theory? Do you know what injured Sir Ewan?"
"I think Valiant is the one who poisoned Sir Ewan," he muttered so no one but Eowyn would hear.
"Are you sure?" she asked and Merlin nodded. She was not exactly surprised her brother had come up with this assumption. After all, all clues were pointing at Valiant at the moment. "But how? He can't be carrying snakes with him, can he?"
"You would be surprised. Come on,"
Merlin led Ewan to Sir Valiant's chamber. Spying on him would be the best way to find out how Valiant had poisoned Ewan. So the two siblings silently headed to the knight's room. The doors were slightly opened, allowing them to peek inside. Sir Valiant was holding a mouse and walking to his shield. Eyes wide, the siblings watched in shock how the snakes painted on his shield came to life. Never in her life had she ever seen such a spell. She was used to Merlin's basic incantations. It was advanced magic. Sharing a worried look with Merlin, they both agreed to leave and report what they had seen to Gaius. But as they were going to leave, Merlin tripped onto something. The noise attracted Sir Valiant's attention and the siblings quickly ran. They hid behind a pillar as Valiant walked passed them, sword in hand. When he saw no one, he returned to his room. If he had would have seen them, she didn't know how it could have ended. She did have an idea but did not want to think about it. Both Eowyn and Merlin shared a relief look before going back to the Physician's chambers.
"We've just seen one of the snakes in Valiant's shield come alive. He's using magic," Eowyn stressed, entering the room followed by Merlin.
Gaius blinked at the siblings a few times before asking:
"Are you sure?" He knew they would never come up with such ideas.
"The snakes ate a mouse - one swallow, straight down. Sir Ewan was fighting Valiant when he collapsed. It must've been one of the snakes from the shield. I have to tell Arthur," Merlin said, ready to inform his master.
"Is there any chance you might be mistaken?"
"I know magic when I see it," Eowyn answered, sure of herself.
"Perhaps, but have you any proof?"
"Don't you believe us?" Merlin asked surprised.
"I fear you'll land yourself in trouble. How will you explain why you were in Valiant's chambers?" The physician explained.
"What does that matter? He's using magic to cheat in the tournament!"
"But Gaius' right, brother," Eowyn quietly said, which did surprise Merlin. "We know Sir Valiant is using magic but without proof, it is a serious accusation. Think about it, servant against knight? We already know who the King will choose to believe,"
"What? So what I say doesn't count for anything?"
"I'm afraid it counts for very little as far as the King is concerned. That's the way it is," Gaius said.
If their words weighed nothing in Uther's eyes, they had to get someone who had credibility to the King. They couldn't possibly let Arthur fight or he could die. The kingdom would then lose an heir and be doomed. Letting Valiant use this shield was not a possibility. So the only solution to defeat Valiant was to make Sir Ewan the only witness. If they could get him to testify against Valiant, as he was a knight, the King would consider his words.
But for that, they needed an antidote. And to make this antidote, they needed to extract the venom which meant getting into Valiant's room. Merlin took care of this mission while Eowyn and Gaius would tend to Sir Ewan. They were running out of time. The tournament was hours ahead and if the antidote was not made in time, Ewan would perish.
But Merlin was a truth-worthy fellow and he returned not only with the venom, but with one of the snakes' heads. Rapidly, Eowyn stood up and grabbed the head with a cloth away for Gaius to extract the venom and get working on the antidote. Now, Ewan could be saved and Sir Valiant would be exposed. As Eowyn assisted Gaius in the making of the antidote, Merlin recovered the snake head and left to alert Arthur.
After a long moment, Sir Ewan began to stir from his sleep. Eowyn that wasn't far away, stood up and came closer to him, sitting on the chair next to his bed. Gaius was already sitting on a chair next to him. She smiled when Sir Ewan finally awoke.
"Welcome back," she smiled. Sir Ewan took a second to realize where he was and what happened.
"There was a snake on his shield. It came alive," the knight tried to stand up but Gaius stopped him.
"You're weak. The snake's venom is still in your system,"
"I must warn Arthur,"
"The Prince already knows," Eowyn reassured. "He had requested an audience with the King. Now, they'll want to talk to you. Rest. You'll need your strength,"
While they were waiting for the knight to wake, Merlin returned to inform them that Arthur believed him and had gone to his father for a meeting. Sir Valiant was to be summoned.
"I need to fetch more herbs. We'll be right back," Gaius told the knight as he stood up.
"Do you need me to come with you?" Eowyn asked.
"No, no, stay with Sir Ewan,"
She nodded and Gaius left. Eowyn advised Ewan to rest as she stood up to clean the table that was full of used bowls and tools. The meeting must have already begun and it was now a matter of time before Valiant would be arrested for sorcery. If she would have felt saddened in other circumstances, Valiant used magic for ill intentions and thus, deserved the fate that awaited him.
Putting away the now cleaned bowls, Eowyn froze as a cold chill ran down her spine and the wind carried a hissing sound. At once, the girl grabbed a scalpel and scanned the room. Carefully, she marched toward a resting Sir Ewan, still hearing a sound. Hearing the balance move, she looked behind her just in time to see a snake bouncing at her. At once, her eyes glowed white and a gust of wind swipped him away. She then ran to Sir Ewan and woke him up.
"Sir, we need to go!"
"What's happening?" He asked, confused and a little shaken from his weak state. But before Eowyn could answer, he noticed a snake slithering toward them. Seeing the man's eyes going wide, Eowyn grabbed a book that was lying nearby and hit the snake away as she turned around. Her scalpel still in hand, she tried to stab the creature but it moved out of the way and launched its body at her, biting her neck. Eowyn gasped and fell back on the floor, holding her neck. The poison acted rapidly and her strength left her body as she could already feel the fever coming. Weakened, she tried to stand up and kill the snake, but all she could do was watch it kill Sir Ewan who was too weak to defend himself.
"No... no... Sir Ewan...,"
Eowyn pushed herself up in an attempt to check on the knight but fell back on the floor as the snake left the room by the window. Breathing heavily, all she could do was lie on the floor as the poison was slowly but meticulously killing her from the inside.
She should have been more careful. She should have expected that Valiant would have tried to kill the only witness to save himself. She should protect Sir Ewan better. She shouldn't have let her guard down. And now their only chance to save Arthur and expose Valiant was gone. Ewan was dead.
And perhaps Eowyn would perish too. Her body felt heavier, she could not move and she felt as if he physique had been set on fire. She had no idea how long she remained on the floor, paralyzed. Was it seconds? Was it minutes? Was it hours? She was not sure but eventually, Gaius returned. The moment he stepped into the room, he sensed that something was wrong. Eowyn was nowhere to be seen and walking in further, his eyes winding in both shock and worry when he spotted his pupil on the floor.
"Eowyn! Eowyn, are you alright?!"
He kneeled beside her and laid her on her back. Eowyn was asleep but clearly in pain. Her brow was sweating and her breathing was heavy. The two small holes on her neck were enough for Gaius to guess what had happened. Despite his old age, he managed to lie on another bed. He rapidly checked on Sir Ewan only to find out what he assumed to be right, he was dead. And Eowyn would too soon if he didn't make another antidote. The problem was that he needed more venom and the head was with Arthur who was in the middle of a meeting.
Gaius glanced at his pupil, worry in his eyes before rushing to the council room. He could hear voices debating so, carefully and silently, the physician opened the doors and made his to Merlin.
"Merlin," he quietly called which attracted both Merlin and Arthur's attention. After receiving some words from the prince, Merlin walked to his guardian.
"What happened?" He asked.
"Sir Ewan is dead,"
Merlin's eyes went wide.
"What?! He's our only witness! What are we gonna go without him?"
"We can't do much. Arthur will have to fight him"
Merlin let out a heavy sigh, stressed, and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Also... Merlin-"
"Where's Ewan?" Arthur asked, suddenly appearing beside Merlin.
Merlin looked at Gaius and, defeated, told Arthur:
"He's dead,"
Arthur stared for a few seconds at Merlin while the news slowly sunk into his brain.
"Sire, I will need the snake head,"
Both Arthur and Merlin looked at Gaius quite confused as the snake was not exactly the main problem here.
"Why? Without a witness, the snakehead is useless," he said.
"I need to make another antidote. Eowyn has been poisoned by another snake,"
"What?!"
"I'm waiting!" Uther suddenly started to lose patience.
Arthur looked at him, slightly stressed by the sudden news of Eowyn being poisoned, then gazed back at Gaius before walking back to his father. The situation was worse than be could imagined. With no witness, the consequences fell on the Prince himself. He had reunited the council, told them Valiant was using magic, and then, had no solid proof and no witness. Now it only looks as if Arthur had made up all of this to eliminate Valiant out of cowardice. It was humiliating. And on top of that, someone else was ill as well.
"I'm afraid the witness is dead," Arthur confessed.
"So you have no proof to support these allegations. Have you seen Valiant using magic?" Uther asked.
"No. But my servant fought one of the snakes from-"
"Your servant? You made these outrageous accusations against a knight on the word of your servant?"
"I believe he's telling the truth!"
"My Lord, am I really to be judged on some hearsay from a boy?" Valiant added more oil to the fire.
"I've seen those snakes come alive!" Merlin defended.
"How dare you interrupt?! Guards!" Uther called.
"My Lord," Valiant called.
"Wait!" Uther demanded, stopping the guards from leading Merlin to the dungeons.
"I'm sure he was merely mistaken. I wouldn't want him punished on my account,"
"You see?" Uther told Arthur. "This is how a true knight behaves - with gallantry and honor,"
"My Lord, if your son made these accusations because he's afraid to fight me, then I will graciously accept his withdrawal,"
"Is this true? Do you wish to withdraw from the tournament?"
"No!" The Prince exclaimed.
"Then what am I to make of these allegations?"
"Obviously there has been a misunderstanding," Arthur said, looking down. "I withdraw the allegation against Knight Valiant. Please accept my apology,"
"Accepted," Valiant said.
It cost Arthur his pride to face such a situation. The embarrassment and anger were clear in his eyes so he left the room but did not forget to grab the snake head and give it to Gaius.
Both he and Merlin rushed back to the physician's chambers and immediately got working on the antidote. Merlin went straight to his sister's side, looking with great concern at her state.
"Will she be alright?" He stressed.
"She will, no worries. The antidote is soon done," Gaius reassured. He mixed the venom with a few liquids and flowers and stirred it for a while before rushing to Eowyn. "Pinch her nose,"
Merlin held Eowyn's nose while Gaius poured the antidote into her mouth. Now they had to wait.
"If she has been bitten, it means that Valiant has sent one of his snakes to kill Ewan," Merlin quietly said.
"Upon being summoned, he must have wished to eliminate the only witness and make the prince lose credibility,"
"Do you think he will send another one for Eowyn?" Merlin stressed.
"No, to him, Eowyn bears no threat. Whether she dies or not will not affect him. Ewan, on the other hand, would have brought his downfall as he is a knight,"
"At least, Winnie is safe now,"
It was the only good news out of this whole fiasco.
Eowyn had slept until dawn the next day. The pain she had felt because of the poison had now vanished. She felt lighter and a lot better, though still quite tired. Being poisoned had never been on her list of things to experience in Camelot, not that she had a list in the first place but still. Stretching her limbs, she stood up from her bed and grabbed a bucket of water. Her clothes were full of sweat and she needed to shower.
Once done, she noticed the absence of Sir Ewan. Now that she could really process it, she felt responsible for his death. He was under her watch but she failed to protect him. She did not even want to find out how the meeting had ended up. She had an idea and Merlin must have been the one getting most of the anger on. Thinking about her brother, a frown appeared on her brow when she heard dog barking sounds coming from their room. Her eyes widened when she opened the door. Her brother was sleeping on the floor with the magic book on his lap and a dog in the corner of the room. She is unavailable for one day and he gets a dog.
"Are you going to explain to me why there's a dog in our room?" She asked after kicking his feet which startled him awake. His eyes went wide in happiness seeing his sister.
"You're alright!" He cheered as he bolted up on his feet. But before he could speak further, the dog barked and his eyes sparkled even more. "I did it! I did it!"
But the dog barked again and began rushing to him so he and Eowyn rapidly left the room and closed the door.
"Could you tell me what on earth is going on?! Why is there a dog in our room?! And what are we going to do with Valiant?!"
"I'm going to summon the snake so everyone can see for themselves! We mustn't lose time, let's go!"
Merlin ran down the stairs and Eowyn had no choice but the follow him. At the same time, Gaius returned to inform him that the fight had begun. And before he could even cheer up seeing that Eowyn was up and awake, the siblings rapidly left for the arena. When they finally arrived, Arthur and Valiant were in the middle of a combat. Everyone was holding their breath when Valiant had the advantage or cheering for the prince when he was having the upper hand. Arthur knocked Valiant's helmet off with his sword and removed his - making everyone applaud his move - so it would be a fair fight.
It resumed and Valiant hit Arthur on the chin with his shield as the Prince fell to the ground. Valiant stepped on his shield. The knight in yellow attacked Arthur but the prince dodged and stood up again. Valiant pinned Arthur against a wall, but the prince shoved him off. Merlin took the opportunity to expose Valiant. He chanted a spell and the snakes came out of the shield. The crowd stood up and gasped in surprise. Now exposed, Valiant demanded the snakes to kill the prince. Having lost his sword, Arthur backed up near the stands and Morgana seized the sword of a nearby knight and gave it to Arthur. He then killed the snakes and pierced Valiant with it, winning the fight as the crowd cheered for their prince. They may have lost the trials, but they still won the fight.
The celebrations for the champion had Arthur at the center of the attention. Lady Morgana accompanied him to the feast and he would get complimented by courtmen and courtwomen. It felt quite strange for Eowyn to attend a celebration after days of stress and attempts at exposing a cheater and magical snakes. The switch was quite brutal but it seemed to be the thing, here in Camelot. Was it Arthur's daily life to be the target of assassination attempts? Was it what Giaus meant when he told the siblings his life was tough as well?
"See, I told you he gets all the girls and the glory," Merlin muttered to Gaius and Eowyn.
"And he owes it all to you," Eowyn said, smiling.
Arthur continued to walk to the table as he talked to Morgana. But as they reached the end of the guard of honor, Morgana stormed off and joined Gwen while the Prince went to Merlin.
"Can you believe Morgana? She says she saved me. Like I needed any help," the Prince said.
A slight frown appeared on Eowyn's brow. Morgana did save Arthur. If it was not for her, he would have been dead. She gave him the sword he needed to slay the snakes and kill Valiant.
"I wanted to say, I made a mistake," Arthur then admitted to Merlin. "It was unfair to sack you,"
"You've been sacked?!" Eowyn's eyes widened as she looked at her brother.
"Yeah... I'll explain it to you later,"
"Umm...," Hearing Arthur's voice, Eowyn looked at him. She then felt quite embarrassed to be under the gaze of his blue eyes. She had never exchanged any words with the prince, and though she did not have the best first impression of him, she could admit that he was quite a handsome man. "I heard you were poisoned by Valiant's snakes,"
"Oh, yes, I'm feeling a lot better now. Gaius made the antidote in time,"
"Well, good to hear then,"
"Anyways, just buy me a drink and we'll call it even," Merlin told the Prince who slightly scoffed.
"I can't really be seen buying drinks to my servant,"
"Your servant? You sacked me,"
"Now, I'm rehiring you," he said which made Merlin chuckle. "My chambers are a complete mess, my clothes need washing, my armor needs repairing, my boots need cleaning, my dogs need exercising," And the list goes on and on and on.