The Immortal Secrets of a Sorceress

 

“I have heard reports of such a creature,” Uther muttered unhappily.

 

“There’s more. When the man I was with swung his sword against the creature, the sword shattered into pieces,” Merlin finished up her report.

 

The King frowned, “A magical creature then. I cannot announce that. It will cause too much panic and terror amongst the people. You must find out what it is, find a way to destroy it, and have Arthur look like he did.”

 

“Fine.”

 

The King suddenly narrowed his eyes, “So the man you were with…you seem a little attached.”

 

Merlin was confused, but still answered. “I suppose…”

 

“You will let him court you then?”

 

“What?!”

 

“Arthur would be most upset.”

 

“Sire, I’m Arthur’s manservant. You’re obviously not thinking right.”

 

“He seems most taken with you. I am sure Arthur would be unhappy that you’ve allowed a stranger to court you,” Uther smirked.

 

“Are you actually teasing me?!”

 

Uther’s smirk widened.

 

“Uther, your son is the Crown Prince. And I told you I didn’t enchant him.”

 

“Who said anything about enchantments?” Uther asked innocently.

 

“Why is it that you Pendragons seem to be insufferable? I thought it was just Arthur, but clearly it’s obvious where he gets it from,” she sighed exasperatedly.

 

“I will talk to Arthur about the creature,” Uther turned serious and probably did it on purpose to confound her. “Go on and do your duties for my son…and see to that new man of yours.”

 

She resisted the urge to scream aloud, but that didn’t mean she didn’t stomp out.

 

When she’d gone back to Arthur, he was adjusting the cuffs of his shirt.

 

“There you are. I was wondering where you were,” the blond smirked.

 

“I was checking up on Lancelot,” she said, having done just that after her meeting with Uther. She headed to his bed and started to fix it up.

 

She missed the dark look that passed over Arthur’s face, and missed him suddenly appearing behind her. She only noticed him once he’d wrapped his arms loosely around her waist and had rested his chin nonchalantly on her shoulder.

 

“So you like him then?”

 

“Arthur, I’m a boy.”

 

“Then Lancelot likes little boys,” Arthur lightly growled, moving his head so that his lips were talking against her neck.

 

She swallowed nervously and knew he’d felt that.

 

She was definitely sure that there wasn’t any jealousy in his voice. Really.

 

“Should I be worried for any competition?” his voice turned slightly husky.

 

“I’m your manservant, Sire. Quit teasing,” and she slipped easily out of his hold and calmly escaped to the other side of the bed to finish up. “Your father wishes to talk to you…Go on, prat. You have duties to attend to.”

 

He gave her an unreadable look, before turning on his heel sharply and striding out of his room.

 

She let out the breath she hadn’t known she was holding.

 

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After mucking out the stables, Merlin had washed herself and then gone to her room to change. However, she’d forgotten that she had a new roommate by the name of Lancelot…

 

“Merlin, you would never believe who I just saw!” he burst into her room.

 

5…4…3…2…1…

 

“Oh,” was all Lancelot said before fainting dead away.

 

She huffed, very much peeved, but dressed herself quickly. The nerve of some people…

 

When Lancelot awoke, he turned completely red and started stammering out apologies. She glared at him and he shut up, but his red face, ears, and neck turned even darker –if that was even possible.

 

“So, uh, you’re a woman.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“A woman.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“A –”

 

“Yes, a woman!”

 

He coughed embarrassedly. “I apologize. I was just so excited…”

 

“Look, it doesn’t matter. Just tell me who you saw,” she interrupted impatiently.

 

“Prince Arthur!”

 

“…And?”

 

Lancelot gaped at her. “But…I saw the Prince…”

 

“Lancelot, I’m the Prince’s manservant. I see him all the time and he’s really not all that great.”

 

Lancelot continued. “You…know the Prince?”

 

She sighed but smiled fondly at him, “Yes, Lancelot. I know the Prince. I told you. I’m his manservant.”

 

“M-manservant? Is that why you…you know?”

 

“Why I dress like a guy?” she grinned.

 

“Um, yes.”

 

“Mostly. It’s a long story.”

 

“I hope you’ll tell it to me sometime?” he shyly grinned back.

 

“Maybe,” she teased.

 

“It’s just…I thought seeing Prince Arthur was a sign. I really want to be a knight.”

 

“I’ll speak to Arthur about you trying out for knighthood,” Merlin smiled gently.

 

Lancelot smiled back gratefully, “Thank you.”

 

They started eating together, and that was how Gaius found them later, talking animatedly about anything they could think of –barring magic.

 

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“Lancelot,” Arthur frowned.

 

Merlin blinked, “Yes. Lancelot.”
 

“This…Lancelot. He wants to be a knight.”

 

Arthur turned his back to her as he talked. “Only those of noble blood can become a knight. Is he a noble?”

 

She hesitated and smiled nervously, “Y-yes. He is.”

 

“Then bring him tomorrow morning,” Arthur ordered curtly. “And tell him to bring his seal of nobility.”

 

The entire day, Arthur acted like he was pissed off and Merlin had no idea why. She only knew he was taking it out on her.

 

Now, Merlin had been able to tell Lancelot about the nobility problem. He wasn’t nobility. And after hearing why he wanted to be a knight so badly, she did the unthinkable. She forged a seal with magic and presented it to him. She even endured Gaius’ rants about how she shouldn’t have and how she’d just broken the First Code of Camelot.

 

She wasn’t really. She was just bending them. A little.

 

Gwen even helped forged chain mail for him, and he seemed to show interest in her. Which was good, because then certain people would stop thinking she and Lancelot were some sort of couple. Or couple to be.

 

After the first disastrous meeting, Lancelot was repeatedly dogged by Arthur, first by making him do chores and then by challenging Lancelot to a mock sword fight with a stick. At least, Lancelot was moved to basic training after that.

 

By then, she and Gaius had found out the creature was a Gryphon and could only be defeated by magic. Uther hadn’t been happy with that news, but he’d pressured Arthur into getting ready to fight it while simultaneously pushing her to hurry up and find a way to defeat it.

 

The only good news was that Lancelot’s trial was pushed up and he’d succeeded. And at the feast that night, she was actually celebrating.

 

“This is horrible.”

 

“I don’t know about you, but my invitation said this was a celebration,” Merlin pouted at Gaius.

 

Catching sight of Gwen, Merlin hurried off and caught up to her.

 

“Merlin!”

 

“Hey, Gwen.” Merlin waited a moment and then… “You know what? I think our Sir Lancelot might have eyes for you, Gwen.”

“Don't be silly.”

“So what if he did? Would it really be so bad?” Merlin teased.

 

“He's not really my type.”

 

“Oh, there's a surprise. Sometimes, Guinevere, I wonder if you'd know what your type was if it was standing right next to you.” For some reason, Gwen gave her an amused look at that.

 

“You're probably right.”

“So, come on, just for the sake of argument. If you had to: Arthur or Lancelot?”

“But I don't have to and I never will.”

“You're no fun, Gwen,” she pouted.

 

“Arthur looks like he’s grilling Lancelot. They’re glancing over here for some reason. Oh, Arthur looks relieved now,” Gwen pointed out, and Merlin’s attention was diverted to that.

 

“I am definitely thinking something’s going on. We should sneak over –”

 

“Oh no we won’t.”

 

And that was mostly how the night went. Surprising herself with how much mead she’d drunk, she and Lancelot woke up in the morning disoriented and with accompanying headaches.

 

Gaius was already ready with his hangover cure, and they took it gratefully. That is, only to run into another headache. Lancelot was being arrested for breaking the First Code of Camelot. Unfortunately, Merlin was kept out of the proceedings so she didn’t know what had happened until Gaius returned and retold the events. Her blood ran cold when Gaius told her Uther wanted to see her.

 

“Uther.”

 

“Merlin,” he repeated her short tone, but he strangely seemed amused.

 

“Going to throw me into the dungeon? Or maybe you’d rather have me executed finally?” She didn’t let herself reveal anything on her face.

 

“You helped break the First Code.”

 

She winced, but nodded.

 

“I am entirely angry about that. However, I find myself more amused. You seem to be intent on completely undermining my authority. And especially now, for this Lancelot…”

 

“Before you start on that,” she started exasperatedly, “He only has eyes for Gwen.”

 

“Morgana’s servant girl?”

 

“Yes, Sire.”

 

“Well, at least Arthur doesn’t have to worry anymore.”

 

She was about to retort and comment about his strange behavior, when a horrible screech echoed through the room and from the outside. She started to race out, Uther on her heels, and they both saw Arthur’s weapon shatter as it hit the Gryphon.

 

“Hurry and find a way to defeat that thing already,” Uther’s voice turned cold. “I will be sending Arthur out tonight to kill it. Shadow him and get rid of that beast.”

 

He grasped her shoulder and squeezed tightly in warning, before turning sharply and leaving in a familiar fashion. She grumbled and left herself, already hurrying to Gaius. There, she determinedly searched through the books until Gaius returned and helped her. Together, they found a powerful incantation to enhance weapons magically. Memorizing it quickly, a little disgruntled that she might not have it in her to perform it and even more annoyed that she’d actually have to incant the spell.

 

She immediately slammed the book shut and swiped it off the table when Gwen burst in unexpectedly, shouting about how Lancelot was going after Arthur. Gaius discreetly hid the book under his table with his foot.

 

“Wait? What? Arthur’s already left?! And Lancelot’s going after him?! Wasn’t he in prison?” Merlin groaned and shot up from her seat, running out the door.

 

After catching up with Lancelot, grumbling under her breath about the difficult men in her life, they rode out and chased after Arthur’s trail. When they found the group, Merlin immediately searched out Arthur, and panicked when she saw him lying against a boulder. She sighed in relief when he was only knocked out cold.

 

The Gryphon came back and screeched. Lancelot started to prepare for a charge and she growled in irritation. When he urged his horse into a run, she began chanting the spell and hoped to hell she would be able to do it.

 

“Brechdan an weal!”

 

She grinned when the lance started glowing intensely and then finally struck the Gryphon and killed it.

 

“Oh, I am so good,” she said smugly.

 

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She wanted to kick Uther in the head. Seriously. They’d only come back and already Uther was on a warpath. Arthur had released Lancelot before going after Gryphon, first thing pissing off Uther, then Lancelot was back, second thing pissing him off, Lancelot was the one who’d defeated the Gryphon, third thing pissing the King off, and now Arthur was arguing on his behalf –the final thing pissing him off.

 

Well, at least she wasn’t one of the points pissing Uther off. She hoped.

 

“They'll restore your knighthood, of course they will. You killed the griffin,” Merlin hid her nervousness by trying to reassure Lancelot.
 

“But I didn't kill the griffin. You did.” She grew cold at that.
 

“That's ridiculous,” she laughed it off.
 

“‘Brechdan an weal.’ I heard you. I saw you. Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me, but I cannot take the credit for what I did not do. There'll be no more lies, no more deceit,” Lancelot said determinedly.
 

“What are you going to do?” She was getting a bad feeling…
 

“The only thing I can do.”

Lancelot tried to enter the chamber, but the guards stopped him. Frustrated, he looked to Uther and tried to push forward.
 

“What is this?” Uther frowned.

“Let me speak,” he growled at the guards.
 

“Wait. I will hear him,” Uther surprisingly said, a quick glance at Merlin saying everything. He was doing this as a favor to her.
 

“Forgive me, Sire. I have come to bid you farewell.”
 

“What is this, Lancelot?” Arthur asked incredulously. Merlin did too, and she tried hard not to gape.
 

“I lied to you both and now there is conflict between you. I cannot bear that burden, as you should not bear mine. I must start again, far from here, and maybe one day fate will grant me another chance to prove myself a worthy knight of Camelot,” Lancelot admirably spoke.
 

“But, Lancelot, you've already proved that to us,” Arthur argued.
 

“Well, I must prove it to myself.” Lancelot bowed to the King. “Your Highness.” He bowed again to Arthur. “Prince Arthur.”
 

Lancelot left them behind in the chamber.

 

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“Perhaps your friend Lancelot truly has proven himself,” Uther started off the conversation, still tucking into his dinner.

 

“He’s loyal to Camelot and only wishes to serve,” Merlin frowned at him.

 

“Arthur was adamant I restore his knighthood. I was actually contemplating it and was almost convinced when your friend burst into the room.”

 

She was stunned and tried to say something or anything.

 

“Both you and Arthur stubbornly vouched and believed in this man, so I wondered. But he’s gone now. Maybe another time.”

 

Merlin shook her head. “Sometimes, I really don’t understand you, Uther Pendragon.”

 

Uther ignored her and kept eating.

 

She resisted the urge to spell his food into rats.