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corilannamContinued from Chapter 3
The rest of the week passed in the same manner. Merlin won his matches with ease before spending the rest of his days alone with Arthur, sharing long kisses and rambling conversations. His body still ached for passion, but his heart was wholly content.
Now they stood before the nearly-empty rankings board on the day of the semi-finals. Merlin's seal had moved steadily up until it was only one row from the top, still burning with magical fire. At the other end of the row, Niniane's placard hung with two others between them. If they both proved victorious today, they would face each other tomorrow for the championship.
"She'll be the one," Arthur commented beside him.
"Yeah," Merlin agreed. "I think so."
"In the meantime, better worry more about getting past Surya, or you won't have to worry about Niniane at all."
"I'm not worried," he said, though he was a little bit worried. Surya was a small, round woman with merry eyes and a booming laugh. That laugh had echoed through the tavern last night, right after she had chased her opponent clear out of Banncroft with a crocodile bigger than most of the buildings.
Arthur really liked her after that.
"Giant crocodile," he said now with relish, not for the first time. It was starting to vex.
"You don't think I could handle a giant crocodile?" he asked.
"I think it would chase you around while you screamed like a small girl," Arthur replied dreamily.
"If I can handle a dragon made out of fire, I think I can deal with a crocodile made out of...whatever the hell that goop was."
"Sure, but you have special dragon powers." Arthur poked Merlin triumphantly in the chest. "Unless you can come up with some crocodile lord in your family tree, I think there'd be some running and screaming."
"I wouldn't rule it out," Merlin conceded as his eyes traced the bright reds and purples of Surya's seal.
Arthur's sidelong glance made him wish he had not said anything. "Merlin, there's no reason to be nervous. You can beat her."
"I can, but that doesn't mean I will." Merlin kept looking at the board so he would not have to look at Arthur. "It's all been easy so far, but at some point, my luck's going to run out, right?"
"No, it's not." Arthur's hand squeezed his shoulder until it hurt. "I don't believe in luck."
The implication of what he did believe in made Merlin's face warm. "Except my bad luck the day I walked into Camelot?"
"Well, there's that." Arthur gave him an affectionate shake before holding up a finger. "Wait here, there's something I need to go get."
Merlin grabbed his arm before he had taken more than a step. "Hang on, didn't we talk about you going off on your own around here?"
"I don't know, but I know we've talked about you not telling me what to do." Arthur shook him off. "I know right where I'm going. I won't be long. Just wait right here."
Arguing never helped; Merlin sighed and watched Arthur jog off. He could not imagine what Arthur had forgotten to bring with him. Whatever it was, it could not be worth leaving Merlin alone with nothing to do but think about exceptionally large reptiles.
"Merlin. I want to talk to you."
He turned around and the breath went out of his body. His ears started to buzz. Niniane had never looked so beautiful, though she wore the same competition clothes he had seen her in a half dozen times now. They were the same clothes she had worn when they met, when they had almost--
"Merlin, are you listening to me?" Her voice sank down through his ears, cloying like honey in his throat and chest before pooling in his groin. "I wanted to apologize to you."
"For what?" he asked. He could not imagine what wrong she could have done.
"I wasn't very nice to you after the Lady Morgause told me who you really were." Her fingers closed around his, tugging him toward her. "Come have a drink with me. I have wine in my rest tent."
"I'd go anywhere with you," he heard himself saying. His words sounded distant to his own ears, but he had never meant anything more in his life. "I'd do anything you wanted."
"Oh, I know." She put her hand on his back to steer him towards her tent.
He ducked inside and stood in the middle of the small space, waiting for her. Niniane left him there while she stepped over to a small table where a single goblet of wine sat. She picked it up and brought it to him.
"Aren't you going to have some, too?" he asked, because nothing was more important to him than giving her everything she wanted.
"Of course I am," she purred. She pressed the goblet into his hands and then slid her own hands around his waist. "You don't mind sharing, do you?"
"No," he said as she lifted his tunic enough to make him shiver from the touch of her fingers on his bare skin. "I'd--"
"Share anything with me? Oh yes, I know. Don't worry, you're going to give me something very important."
"I am?" The idea delighted him; she might smile at him again and touch him some more.
He started to offer her the goblet first, but she pushed it back towards his lips. "Just have a drink, lover boy."
The first gulp burned down his throat and into his blood. The wine was potent and sweet, cloying like her voice. For a moment, the world wavered around him as though there were two of everything and they were no longer in alignment.
Something was wrong; some instinct screamed that this was not where he was supposed to be. He groaned with a sudden, intense arousal. His heart sped up until it seemed to be pumping blood directly between his legs.
"Niniane?" Her hands were still caressing him, but it felt wrong. He was not supposed to be feeling this, not here and not with her.
She stroked the hair back from his forehead. "Just relax. It's only a little something to get us back to where we were before, when we met in the forest. Don't you remember how much you wanted me? You were gagging for it."
The goblet fell out of his hand, spilling the tainted wine across the carpeted ground. He let out a pained groan. Without knowing what he was doing, he reached out for her, crushing her to his body.
"That's more like it." She gave a breathless laugh and wrapped her arms around his neck, avoiding his attempt to kiss her. "I knew you had it in you, prince's man."
Her words sent another note of discord through his haze of lust. Prince's man--he belonged to someone else. He was not meant to be here at all.
But her breasts pressed so sweetly between them; she unlaced the ties of her bodice to free them for his hands and mouth, large and warm. He nuzzled at her breasts, biting at the pendant that hung between them. He throbbed with the need to crawl into her, thrust into her, dominate her with his body until she sated him. His mind cleared: nothing else mattered except getting inside her.
His back hit the ground, knocking what breath he had left out of his chest. He had not noticed the pile of blankets in the corner of the tent until he landed on them. Not that he minded--Niniane was climbing onto him, straddling his thighs.
"Do you want me to suck you or ride you?" she asked. "Oh, you don't care, do you, as long as you get off?"
Merlin fought not to whimper his agreement. "Whatever the lady wants," he said, his attempt at gentility ruined with the involuntary thrust of his hips as another spasm of need shot through his loins.
"I want you to stay right there. Then I can take what I want." She laced her fingers through his and moved his hands up over his head. "You just have to stay where I put you. In fact, let's make sure of it, shall we?"
When the leather cuffs closed around his wrists, panic flickered through him. But a surge of lust consumed the flicker as the cuffs tightened and Niniane's hips rocked against him as she fastened his wrists to the tent pole behind him.
"Such a good boy," she said. "You're almost ready."
"I'm very ready." He choked on the last word when her hand covered his erection through his trousers.
"Not bad." She squeezed and rubbed until he ached from his hardness. "There, that's even better."
Then her hand clamped down on his cock so hard that he yelped with pain. "Oh, um, careful," he said with a high-pitched laugh. "You're going to want that soon."
"I doubt it.Ásæle werháde."
Magic surged through him. At first it was ecstasy, like she was pushing inside him. Then the full force of the spell hit him, and it was no longer her magic but his own. And then he screamed.
It shook through him like orgasm, but without pleasure. When it released him, he was more aroused than he had ever been in his life, trembling with the pain of it. "Niniane?"
Niniane sat back with a satisfied smile. She closed her hand around the pendant on her breast and pulled until the thread broke. "I have to admit, I didn't believe the old lady at first, but her goods were worth every penny."
She cast it aside, and the buzzing in Merlin's ears ceased. His vision cleared, and the reality of the situation crashed into him. He snarled and thrashed against the straps, then lashed out at Niniane with his magic.
But the straps did not budge--and neither did his power.
"Don't bother. I've got you tied up good and tight." Niniane smiled at him almost fondly as she pulled her bodice up over her breasts and began to retie it. "I didn't expect you to be that susceptible. Has it really been that long since you got laid? You've been so kissy-face with your prince all over the place."
Arthur. "Oh, fuck," Merlin moaned, not least because thinking of Arthur made his cock ache more.
"I'm sure you'll get it done eventually." Niniane stood and swung off him in a smooth motion. "You'll have to if you ever want to stand up again. But not until after you forfeit your match."
"That's what this is about?" Merlin gasped. He kicked out at her legs, but she stepped away easily.
"You're powerful, Emrys," she said, suddenly grave. "And it's important that I win this. I can deal with Surya, but I can't be sure of you."
"What did you do to my magic?"
"Just temporarily rerouted it through your prick." Niniane paused on her way to the tent entrance. "Which is how it usually goes for you boys, anyway. Good luck, prince's man."
"Niniane!" he shouted after her and struggled to free himself again. Neither physical nor magical means had any effect. Trying to cast a spell aroused him once again to the point of nausea, but accomplished nothing else. He pulled as hard as he could against his restraints, hoping to bring the tent crashing down, if nothing else, but the tent pole seemed magically stabilized.
He subsided, panting. Tears of frustration burned his eyes. His predicament seemed irresolvable: Niniane's spell ensured that he could not use magic until he came, but he could not get himself off without his hands, and he could not free his hands without magic.
Outside, he heard the rumble of the crowd as the start of the semifinals neared. He could not lose this tournament because he had been bewitched by a love charm and sex potion. Arthur would be disgusted if he could see Merlin now.
"Merlin? Someone said they saw you come in here with--bloody hell."
The voice from the front of the tent made Merlin cringe and wish he could crawl underneath his pallet of blankets. Grateful as he was that Arthur had found him, he was not looking forward to explaining this.
"Merlin, why are you tied to a tent pole? With what seems to be another tent pole in your trousers?" By the time Arthur came into view, he was scanning the interior for threats and thankfully not looking at Merlin.
"Never mind. Just untie me and give me a few minutes, would you?" Merlin looked away as Arthur came up beside him.
Arthur bent down and scooped up the goblet and the pendant from where Niniane had discarded them. "I don't suppose it has anything to do with these, does it?"
Reluctantly Merlin turned his head back to look at the charm dangling from Arthur's fingers. He already knew what it was, now that it had lost its power. "I told you she wasn't a charlatan," he muttered. "Don't taste that!"
"No, I suppose only one of us should be incapacitated by evil sorcerers at one time." Arthur sniffed at the dregs of the potion again, and then lowered the goblet from his face. "Let me take a wild guess: Niniane?"
"Trying to make sure I forfeit the match." Merlin pulled against the straps again, more out of frustration than any hope of them loosening. "Would you please just get me out of this?"
Arthur continued examining the goblet. "You're the magician. Get yourself out."
"I can't. I can't use magic right now."
That finally got Arthur's attention. "Why not? Is the tent going to blow up or something if you do? Did she booby trap it?"
"That's one way of putting it," Merlin said under his breath. "She cast a spell binding my magic to my...other vital energies."
"Oh." Arthur looked at him with color burning high in his cheeks. "So you can't--until you--"
"Right. Now if you could just get my hands free?" He looked up at his bound wrists in hopes of distracting Arthur from the real problem between his legs. All he really wanted was to beg Arthur to suck him off and solve all his problems at once, but it was already going to be difficult enough to live this down.
Arthur knelt down by Merlin's shoulder and reached for the buckles of the straps. His fingers brushed Merlin's wrists as he pulled at the leather, and Merlin could not bite back a moan. At the light touch, the painful arousal melted into pleasure, which only increased the urgency of his need.
"What the hell?" Arthur grunted and pulled harder at the restraints. "These aren't budging. Magic?"
"Probably." Merlin grimaced. "Which means it'll take magic to get them undone. Great."
Arthur sat back on his heels to look at Merlin. The loss of his touch left Merlin cold and aching again. "I could go find someone," he said hesitantly. "We're not exactly short of magic users around here."
"Yeah." Merlin swallowed and did not look at Arthur's face. "I'm sure someone would help."
"Oh, this is ridiculous." Arthur sighed and reached down to cup Merlin's face, drawing him to meet Arthur's eyes. "Just let me help you? It's nothing we didn't already want to do, is it?"
The heat of his hand made Merlin shiver. "Yeah, but not exactly something I can just ask."
Arthur gave a sharp laugh before shifting himself to straddle Merlin's thighs. The position thrust his hips forward so that Merlin could not miss the hard bulge of his cock. "I know, it's a big ask, making you come when you're all tied up and turned on," he said. "But twist my arm, and I'll see what I can do."
Relief flooded him in a warm wave that traveled down his body with his sigh. "Okay," he said and felt the urgency settle into his limbs, awaiting the promised release.
Arthur shifted again to lean over Merlin, resting his weight on one hand while the other stroked Merlin's cheek and brow. Merlin slowly relaxed into the tenderness of the caresses and the kiss that came next. He felt safe, almost adored. Arthur's lips pressed sweetly to his mouth, then his jaw, then his ear.
"And I know," Arthur breathed, "that I'm never going to hear a word about Sophia or Vivian ever again. Am I?"
Merlin burst into a snort of laughter against Arthur's neck. "Sorry, that’s not on the table."
Arthur gave an annoyed sigh, but he was smiling when he kissed Merlin again. Merlin arched up against him as the magic pulsed through his body, so strong surely even Arthur must feel it.
His cock felt too stiff even to throb by the time Arthur touched him there. Even through the fabric of his trousers, the stimulation was almost too much. Arthur rubbed him gently, and then set to work freeing him.
When he got Merlin's cock out, it stood up huge and red from the loosened fabric. Arthur's mouth hung slightly open as he sat back on Merlin's thighs and looked at him. He fumbled at his own trousers without breaking eye contact.
Arthur’s cock was already half hard when he pulled it out, and the sight of it made Merlin's trapped magic surge. Arthur wet his hand and wrapped his fist around it. His gaze travelled slowly up and down Merlin's body as he stroked himself fully stiff.
Merlin needed more than just Arthur's eyes on him. He needed pressure and heat and friction. His arms were immovable and his legs were pinned by Arthur's weight, but he could still buck and squirm until he got the message across: no more waiting.
Arthur's mouth quirked up, but he obeyed the demand. He rocked forward until his fingers captured Merlin's cock and squeezed it together with his. Merlin let out a strangled cry at the shock of sensation that flared in his groin and then spread throughout his body on the current of his magic.
"Arthur," he gasped as Arthur kept fisting them together. "Oh, fuck, Arthur."
"I can feel it," Arthur said, letting go of their cocks so he could rub his hand over Merlin's stomach. "It's like your skin is buzzing."
He stretched out over Merlin and kissed him hard. Merlin moaned, mouth slackening against Arthur's as his cock finally got to rub up under Arthur's tunic against the softness of his belly. He braced one foot on the floor, the better to grind himself up against Arthur.
The magic surged stronger with every thrust, pressing to escape through his cock. Arthur kissed his neck and met his thrusts, grinding into him. When he groaned Merlin's name, Merlin gasped again and dissolved into orgasm.
As he came, the restraints tore themselves off his wrists, reduced to tattered shreds by the escape of his pent--up power. Body and magic celebrated their freedom by rolling Arthur until he was sprawled on his back with Merlin pinning him to the ground.
His cock was still throbbing its pleasure, still smearing come over Arthur's belly as Merlin gripped Arthur's hip. He pulled Arthur against him and urged him to thrust up even as he kept him pinned down with magical force.
Arthur thrashed against the invisible hold even as he ground himself wildly up into Merlin. His eyes squeezed shut. "Merlin," he groaned again and came.
Merlin collapsed on top of him, exhausted as the magic fled his body in a rush. Their chests heaved against each other as the pleasure faded and their bodies cooled. Arthur's arms came up to hold him; his hands rubbed a fitful pattern over Merlin's back.
The roar of the waiting crowd seemed very distant compared to Arthur's rough breathing. Then it rushed in on him, getting louder until he jerked his head up in a panic. "They're going to disqualify me."
Arthur lifted his head and listened. "Not quite yet. But we’d better hurry."
Merlin scrambled up and held out his hand to help Arthur to his feet. They stood with their hands loosely clasped for a moment; Merlin let his fingertips brush over Arthur's pulse.
"Are you all right to compete?" Arthur asked with a hopeful look.
"Oh, yeah." Merlin gave him a big, blissful grin. "I feel fantastic."
Arthur's face fell. "That's what I was afraid of."
His knees only wobbled a little as they ducked out of the tent and hurried to the field. Surya stood at the side, speaking with Nennius. Merlin left Arthur at the edge of the lists and ran to join them.
"Emrys," Nennius greeted him as he approached. "Kind of you to join us. Had you delayed much longer, I would have been force to award the match to Surya uncontested."
"And what a shame that would have been," Surya exclaimed, beaming at him and seizing his hand to shake it. "I've been looking forward to this so much."
"Yeah, sorry. I was, um, tied up." Merlin offered her a friendly smile before liberating his fingers. She seemed so nice. Maybe she would go easy on him.
"Oh, this is going to be such a treat for both of us." She clasped her hands together in happiness and chortled. "I was saving some of my best for the finals, but when I found out I'd be facing you today--well, you can't hold back when you have the chance to go head to head with the real Emrys, now can you?"
Merlin felt his smile go sickly. So much for being nice to him. "Great. Can't wait."
Nennius shooed them away. "Then don't wait. If we get behind schedule now, gods know when I'll get my dinner."
He trailed after Surya to the center of the lists as the crowd renewed their cheers now that it seemed there would be a competition after all. Merlin scanned the stands until he found Niniane staring at him. He took a moment to enjoy the look of shock and fury on her face before he turned away to find Arthur.
The moment he spotted him, his knees went wobbly again with the echoes of what he had felt in Arthur's arms. Arthur did not look as stalwart as usual himself; he met Merlin's gaze with worry overlaid with a hazy satisfaction.
He offered Arthur a bright smile to reassure him that Merlin's vital energies were all intact and geared up for the match. Arthur did not look particularly reassured.
Nennius raised his hand in a perfunctory lift before dropping it to signal the action to begin. Merlin forced his attention back to Surya just as she lifted her hands in a fluttering gesture. She was also not wasting any time, and Merlin braced himself for the attack.
Nothing happened. He glanced around on surreptitious watch for crocodiles or other outsized vicious creatures that were Surya's trademark. He saw nothing except her eager smile and heard nothing but the clamor of the crowd. The clamor grew louder, undoubtedly because they were waiting for him to do something.
He seemed to have the leisure to contemplate his offense, which was a nice change. His brain fuzzed out a bit when he tried to think. As he tried to force his mental wheels to turn, the crowd grew louder still.
Typically, Arthur outshouted them all. "Merlin, you imbecile, get out of there!"
Get out of where? Merlin looked back to Surya to see if she had done anything else, but she still stood in the same spot, watching him with that same anticipation. Their eyes met easily on a level across the field.
It occurred to Merlin that, moments ago, Surya had been considerably shorter than him. Moments ago, he had also had visible feet. She had turned the entire field around him into quicksand, and he was sinking steadily.
He had an abrupt flail of panic, which drove him deeper into the morass. It came up over his boots now and began soaking his trousers. He tried to take a step forward, but it only made him sink down past his knees.
A quick succession of spells--levitation, solidification, summoning a raft--yielded no results. Merlin started to get worried. If he sank much further, his legs would be immobilized and he would need assistance to get out, giving Surya the victory.
Merlin tried to concentrate the sand under his right foot until it was solid enough to step on. The little stepping stone sank and dissolved after a scant few seconds, but it had held his weight for a heartbeat. With a gesture he created a dozen more, staggered in an upward slope through the wet sand to the edge of dry ground.
He hopped from step to step as light and quick as the sand would let him, moving his weight to the next step just as the current one began to sink again. His heart grew lighter was well; another few steps and he would be free.
The tugging motion of the sand behind him warned him an instant before the gasp of the crowd. He twisted around as best he could with the quicksand still dragging at his ankles. A set of giant teeth formed out of ice snapped shut inches from his head; only his loss of balance had saved him.
It also drove him back down into the sandpit. He tried to stay still and scan the sand to see what manner of creature was attacking him. All he could see was a ripple in the sand, circling back around towards him.
A sharp fin broke the surface--or rather, the surface became the fin, made out of sand and no less menacing for it. But when the creature leaped from its primordial materials, Merlin was ready for it this time. A blast from his hand broke the creature's form. He had time to notice that it was shaped like no fish he had ever seen, before it scattered in a wet shower of sand.
Another giant toothy fish emerged while the component grains of its predecessor were still raining down. This one got close enough for Merlin to feel the cold from the frozen shards of its teeth before he blasted it into mud. Wet sand stuck to his face as he sent a wave of power through the sand to disrupt the formation of any new attackers long enough for him to get the hell out of there.
He stumbled out of the quicksand and fell to the solid ground almost at Surya's feet. "What is it with you and the animals?" he said, squinting up at her through the grit stuck in his eyes.
"Oh, I've always loved them. My family owns a petting zoo back home." She looked over his shoulder. "Oh dear, I think you'd better get up quickly."
Merlin snatched his leg back just as a set of icy teeth snapped shut an inch from his foot. The creature subsided back into the quicksand before he could blast it, but he could not afford to let it go unscathed. Now that he was out of the pit he could cover the whole area with a desiccation spell, drying the pit until it was only normal sand over dirt once more.
He got to his feet and backed away from her, aware that he was muddy and frazzled while she did not have a hair out of place. Exhaustion tugged at his limbs; much as he hated to admit it, Arthur had been right about the vital energy thing. His magic hummed in the back of his head, eager for nothing more than a nap.
If he could not finish her quickly, he might not finish her at all. She was already smiling and lifting her hands to bestow him with whatever treat she had lined up for him next.
Containment, he thought and flung his hand out to send the thought at her with power behind it. He had no time to give the containment an impressive form, or any form at all. For a moment he was not sure it had even worked; he flinched as Surya finished casting her spell.
Then she flinched as the spell rebounded with a brief flare and died in her hands. If Merlin squinted at the spot he had seen the flare, he could make out a faint bubble around her, nearly transparent. It looked too fragile for Merlin's comfort, though it held as she threw spell after spell at it, looking more curious than frustrated.
She was going to wear through it if she kept hammering at it; Merlin could feel it shivering. All the ideas he and Arthur had thought up for this match seemed unrealistic now, even if he could remember them. He just wanted her to go away.
He did not realize how forcefully he had wished it until he looked at her again--and had to look up this time. She hovered about a foot above the ground, and jumped a few inches higher than that when she noticed.
Surya turned in a circle in mid-air, examining her situation as the bubble carried her slowly higher. It was easier to see now that the bottom of it curved under her feet. Her laughing face grew serious as she hit it with as many disruption spells as she could.
But now that Merlin had the basics in place, he felt stronger. He held out his hand and reinforced the bubble; then with a dramatic flourish he sent Surya floating up and away.
She struggled to free herself for another minute, but when she floated out over the crowd of spectators, she plunked herself down at the bottom of the bubble and started to laugh. Her waist-length black hair and long tunic floated gently around her as she waved down to her fans. As she cleared the top of the stands, she saluted Merlin and cast a spell to make the bubble sparkle with bright colors in the sunlight.
He waved back with a grin. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Arthur jumping up and down and hollering with joy. The bubble finally disappeared over the town, leaving only the fading sound of Surya's laughter.
"Although that was one of the strangest conclusions to a match I have seen in this tournament," Nennius announced, "the clear winner of this contest is Emrys. He will compete in the final match for the championship."
As he spoke, the ranking board trembled. Surya's placard cracked in half; Merlin's rose to take one of the two open spots near the top. The fiery letters of his name seemed to burn hotter in victory.
He bowed to the screaming audience before making a beeline towards Arthur. People swarmed around him to congratulate him, but he did not slow down. Finally, a solid wall of Arthur fell into his arms and hugged the breath out of him.
"I thought she was going to have you for lunch," Arthur exclaimed into his ear. "But you did it. You're in the final. You're going to win this whole thing."
Merlin laughed as Arthur almost wrenched his spine out of alignment. "Glad you're finally having some faith."
"The pride of Camelot is resting on your shoulders. You can't blame me for being a little nervous." Arthur secured his arm around Merlin's neck and started to drag him free from the crowd of well wishers. "Excuse us, out of the way, please. The great sorcerer Emrys needs his rest."
"I'm fine," Merlin protested as they escaped the grounds and took refuge in the quiet area behind the stands. "Never felt better. Energies fully vital."
"Oh, that I don't doubt," Arthur replied with a snort. "Seems like I can't leave you alone for a minute without your vitals trying to run away with you."
"Which reminds me, where did you swan off to in my hour of need?" Merlin leaned back against a tree and folded his arms over his chest.
He did not expect Arthur to flush and look away. "I just wanted to get something from my pack. For you."
Merlin narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "I had lunch, and unlike some people, I don't need anything sharpened, washed, or polished. What was so important for me to have?"
"It's nothing really." Arthur was bright red now and shifting with discomfort. "It's just that it was an important match, and I thought you should have something to carry. From me."
With that he reached up around his collar and plucked out the cord around his neck. Merlin had not noticed he was wearing it again, but then he was so used to seeing it under normal circumstances. "Your necklace. You went back for it--for me?"
Arthur pulled it over his head and shoved it into Merlin's hand. "I know, it was a stupid idea. But there it is. No need to make a big deal out of it."
Merlin squeezed the familiar talon in his hand. It was still warm from Arthur's body. "So you're giving me your favor."
"A token."
"A favor like from a lady."
"No, not like from a lady." Arthur glared and tried to grab it back. "It's just something for good luck."
Merlin hastily pulled it over his head. "You don't believe in luck."
"I'm not your lady, Merlin."
"It's a real dragon claw." As Merlin rubbed his thumb over it, he could feel the lingering dragon magic. "Did it come from one of the ones your father killed?"
"No, it's much older than that." Arthur stretched out a forefinger to touch the claw, though he could not have felt the magic in it. "My ancestors were friends with the dragons. That's how we got our name."
"So maybe we're not such a strange match after all." Merlin kept his head bent, but glanced up at Arthur with a small smile. "A Pendragon and a dragonlord."
"Don't give yourself airs, Merlin," Arthur said as he gripped the cord and used it to drag Merlin's mouth to his.
***
"Are you nervous?"
Merlin walked faster in a vain attempt to get away from Arthur. "I'm not nervous."
"You're quite pale." Arthur jogged a few steps to catch up.
"I've always had a delicate complexion." They were almost to the lists, and Merlin's nerves could not stand to hear much more about themselves.
"I don't blame you. Last I heard, they still haven't managed to pull that guy out of the man-eating plant."
Merlin rounded on him. "Will you cut it out?"
Arthur grinned. "There you are. Keep that dander up."
"I can't believe your knights have never considered regicide, if that's your version of a motivational speech." Merlin turned and kept walking. He could see the field now. Niniane was already there, waiting for him.
"My knights win," Arthur insisted. "And so will my sorcerer."
Merlin let out a long breath and cast a sidelong smile at Arthur. He did feel better. "Just go up in the stands, and try not to refer to me as your sorcerer."
"I'll watch from the tents like usual," Arthur said.
After yesterday, Merlin was taking no chances. He wanted Arthur secure away from the line of fire, out of reach of anyone with a lingering grudge against Emrys or a debt to Niniane. Arthur being recognized was no longer chief among his worries.
"I'd have left you at the inn if I could," he said and ignored Arthur's hurt look. "Go on, up the stairs."
Arthur started to set his jaw in that stubborn look he favored, but Merlin was ready for him. "Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed as an invisible force corralled him toward the stands. He dug his heels in, digging grooves in the dirt as Merlin continued to push him. "This is a grievous abuse of your powers."
"I’m sorry. Really," Merlin muttered as Arthur finally consented to move under his own power up into the crowd.
Niniane waited by Nennius's seat next to the ranking board. Her name now sat next to his, one space away from the pinnacle. In a short time, one of those seals would crack and leave the other the sole victor.
She turned to face him as he approached with a calm smile. "So, just you and me at the end, eh, prince's man?"
"Despite your best efforts." He returned her smile with no effort at warmth.
Nennius looked from one to the other. "Well, this should be one for the histories," he said. "Take your places."
Merlin followed Niniane out onto the field. When he stood facing her, he had a clear view up into the stands. Arthur had found a perch at the top of the stands at the end of a row where Merlin could spot him easily.
Arthur smiled a little when he saw Merlin looking. He made a series of complicated gestures that he probably intended as a reminder of all the strategy he had concocted for this match. Merlin smiled back and chose to interpret them as a silent signal for, I have the utmost confidence in you, Merlin, and you will surely be victorious.
Nennius projected his voice across the field. "This is final match of the two hundredth Tournament of All Magicks. Emrys and Niniane will do battle until one is disabled, deceased, surrenders, or flees. The winner will be known as the greatest living mage in all of Albion. You are reminded of the oaths you have sworn."
Merlin turned his attention back to Niniane. They watched each other warily as Nennius raised his hand slowly for maximum drama. Merlin had time for one wistful thought to the day he thought he had finally made a friend of his own kind. He was beginning to realize that might never happen at all; his loyalties could not be divided.
Nennius dropped his hand. Merlin braced himself. Niniane always attacked fast.
A ball of blue fire hurtled towards him before he saw her throw it. He had control of it before it was halfway across the field. She threw herself aside just as it hit the ground where she had been standing.
Niniane rolled to her feet, already mouthing another spell. The same blue fire circled around his feet; he watched as streams of it arched up to form a cage around him. When it was done, he skimmed his hand over one of the fiery bars to test the strength.
Then he took a deep breath. As he exhaled, he pushed out around him with magic and stepped out of the cage. The bars flickered, but did not impede him.
The crowd cheered, and Niniane frowned. She did not look surprised--she could not have expected the cage to hold him for long--but she was staring at his mouth with a certain consternation.
Merlin smiled and looked up at Arthur, who was clenching his fists on his knees. Arthur had noticed the way Niniane watched the lips of her opponents, giving her precious seconds to counter their spells before the words were even spoken.
Unfortunately for her, Merlin had realized over the course of the tournament that in general, spoken spells only slowed him down. It was much easier to think about what he wanted to do and let the magic take care of the details.
When the blue fire swept back in a river across the field to engulf her, Merlin was still smiling.
She adapted quickly to the loss of her advantage. What felt like hours later, they had torn up the field and each other. Rocks and timber and the remnants of a half dozen tents littered the grounds. Niniane's left boot sat quietly dissolving in a shallow pool of radiant yellow sludge on the other side of the lists.
Niniane was breathing in labored heaves as they stared at each other across the field in a momentary lull. She dropped to one knee and toppled forward until her hands caught her, palms flat on the ground, trying to catch her breath.
Merlin staggered back a few steps, happy enough for the respite. The ground was softer here, still damp from Surya's quicksand, and a welcome relief to his knees.
He supposed he should finish Niniane off, but he had often watched Arthur step back to allow an opponent to pick up a dropped weapon or recover their wits after a hard blow. It was the noble way to do battle; Merlin wanted to show he could be as noble as any knight of Camelot.
He glanced up at the stands to find Arthur and the look of proud approval he knew he would see. Arthur was standing on his seat, making a stabbing motion in the air and shouting something. Finish her! he mouthed. For God's sake, Merlin!
Merlin directed a disappointed look up at Arthur. Arthur looked back in confusion; then he made hooks of two fingers and hesitantly made viper striking motions.
Shaking his head, Merlin sighed and turned back to Niniane. So much for nobility. Time to finish this.
He took a step toward her--or tried. His arms flung out and wavered to keep his balance as he discovered that his feet were rooted to the spot and no amount of tugging could shift them. He looked at Niniane, and she looked back, eyes glowing with power.
Something about that look struck a chord of fear through him. His feet still would not move. When he looked down again, he realized how literally he had become rooted into the ground.
Bark was growing around his feet, then up around his legs. He could feel the roots now, sinking deep into the earth; he sent a blast of power into them to kill Niniane's creation at the source. The tree only grew faster, as if his magic had been a cool drink of water.
It widened to engulf his torso, trapping his arms at his sides. He had only seconds before it would cover his head: not enough time for a spell if he could think of any, so he looked up at Arthur until the wood covered his face.
Inside the tree was dark, quiet, and peaceful. He could hear only the rustle of its leaves as they grew and the slow, slow throb of life within the trunk. Happily, though not easily, he could breathe.
Merlin tried to calm the pounding of his heart and the panic in his mind. Nothing had ever trapped him for long; this would be no exception once he figured out a strategy. He willed the wood to split open and let him out, but the tree absorbed his magic like water once again.
Each subsequent attempt made the inner wood throb gently around his legs. The tree was an oak, enormous and as ancient as it was newly created, and it urged him to calm and rest within its confining embrace. All he needed to do was close his eyes and--
"Sorry, not interested," Merlin said through gritted teeth. "I don't suppose you could just let me out, could you? I'm sure having me here isn't very comfortable for you, either."
The tree squeezed tighter around him, which he took as a no. At least he could still speak, if he could think of any spell that could cut through the magic of the tree.
The only thing he knew that could defeat any other magic was dragon fire. But he did not have a dragon here. The best he had was a claw from a dragon who had been dead much longer than Merlin had been alive.
When he thought of it, he felt a prickle against his chest where the pendant rested. His heart thumped with sudden hope, and he concentrated on the claw. Something stirred when he tried to focus his magic into it. He pushed harder, but it skittered away.
He needed a better focus. Merlin wiggled his fingers. His body was pressed tight against the inside of the tree, but he had no choice.
Slowly, he started working his fingers up through the almost non-existent gap between him and the tree. He hissed as the wood scraped the skin off his knuckles and his elbow, even through his shirt. Once he got his hand across his hip, he sucked in his stomach as much as he could until finally his forefinger brushed the tip of the claw.
The magic surged. "There you are," he breathed and ignored the pain until he had wiggled his hand up enough to rest completely over the pendant.
The dragon remnant clarified his vision and enhanced his power. He could see the magic flowing through the tree and under it into the earth. Casting a spell out or down would take a long time to have sufficient effect to free him.
But casting it upwards was a different story. Above him, the magic was thinner amongst the branches. Above him was the sky. The tree drew its energy from the earth and the air, but up in the heights of the sky, the dragons had ruled.
Merlin grinned. That was his magic.
"I'm really sorry about this," he said to the great oak. "But it's you or me, friend."
He called to the sky with all his power. He felt it leap from the hand that held the dragon claw. When the response came, he was dizzy with exhilaration.
Even inside the tree, he heard the crack and the rumble. Then the power slammed back into him the same instant the tree split in half.
As he stepped out of it, his body crackled with the stored lightning. Across the field, Niniane gaped at him and started to back away. Merlin looked down at himself and admired the silver-blue energy flickering up and down his arms.
Then he sent it arcing across the field to rain down on Niniane. She got her hands up to deflect some of the energy; the rest seized her and bent her nearly double backwards before dropping her like a rag doll to the ground.
Niniane struggled to get to her feet. Merlin admired her stubbornness, while at the same time, he really just wanted her to stay down.
So he called the lightning again. It struck in front of her, sending her reeling backwards. She turned the other way, but only made it a few steps before the lightning dug a crater in the ground. It hit the right side of her, and then the left before she could turn around.
Only a couple narrow strips of ground remained as an escape. The lightning scorched one of them, sending Niniane sprawling.
This time she made no move to get up. Merlin took a moment to look up at the storm clouds roiling overhead, then over to the stands. He ignored all the shrieking, babbling spectators; his eyes went straight to Arthur. Who was not there.
Merlin frowned and scanned the sidelines of the field in case Arthur had come running down during the tree incident. He saw nothing but Nennius wearing a shocked expression.
When he looked up at the stands again, Merlin finally spotted Arthur several yards from where he had sat before. His moment of relief cut short when he took in the full tableau: Arthur was flanked by two men, arguing with them. Merlin recognized the armed guards in Cenred's livery from the stone building in the town square.
Dread replaced the last of his relief when he saw who stood behind one of the guards, draped in a heavy green cloak: Morgause. She said something that made Arthur's eyes widen; then she waved her hand over his head until his head fell back and he started to crumple to the ground.
The guards caught him and dragged him away. Morgause started to follow, then paused and looked down at Merlin. She did not smile, but only gave him a small nod of acknowledgment before sweeping off after Arthur's abductors.
Merlin spared a single glance at Niniane, who was trying to push herself into a sitting position. One more strike would have trapped her, but the clouds were already dissipating, and Arthur was in danger. Ten minutes ago, he had cared about this victory more than anything.
Now he turned and ran.
Nennius shouted something after him. Merlin neither paused nor listened. He raced pell-mell out of the lists and into the streets. When he burst into the town square, he got a glimpse of Arthur's boots as they carried him into the stone building.
The wooden doors slammed shut behind them. When Merlin bounded up to them, they were locked and warded. He could have opened them, but he had no doubt that would alert Morgause. He would not add to the risk that she might harm Arthur before he could get to him.
Merlin circled around the back. The building had never been meant to be fortified, and it did not take long to spot an open window up on the first story. A large tree grew several yards from the wall, though none of the branches reached close enough for him to reach the window.
"Ask nicely," he muttered. Asking nicely had not gotten him anywhere with Niniane's tree, and he was not keen on getting too close to another one so soon. But a quick check revealed no better ways into the building.
He laid his hands on the rough bark and sent an inquiring tendril of magic into the tree. It responded with a dreamy curiosity. He told it what he needed, in what he hoped was a polite manner to a tree.
Leaves rustled overhead in what sounded like a giggle. Arboreal magic washed over him, taking his measure, and he tried not to shudder. A grown tree was quite a different thing from a strawberry seed. It had to want to help him.
The magic receded and the leaves rustled again. A low creaking followed as the tree stretched a strong branch over to the open window.
"Thank you," Merlin breathed and pressed his lips briefly to the trunk in gratitude before hoisting himself up into the branches.
He slithered through the window, for once glad that he was not quite as broad in the chest as Arthur, and fell into a crouch on a stone floor. Behind him, the tree rustled a farewell and withdrew.
Voices came from somewhere below him. Merlin was inside a rotunda, on the balcony that encircled the whole interior. He crept to the balustrade and peered through the carved stone railing down into the open space below.
"My lord, this is a clear act of aggression. King Cenred must be informed at once."
"An act of aggression?" That was Arthur's voice, alive and awake to Merlin's relief. "I came as a private spectator, like everyone else. You could hardly expect me to announce myself."
As Merlin's eyes adjusted to the dimmer light, he made out Arthur's figure, somehow towering above the other people in the room. It took him a moment to realize that Arthur was suspended in mid-air, held by nothing the eye could see. Arthur had his arms crossed over his chest, looking down at his captors with regal disdain.
Morgause stood below him with the two guards, who Merlin now realized must be knights of Cenred, and another grim-faced man Merlin had not seen before. At least a dozen shadowy figures stood ringed around them. Squinting from one to another, Merlin recognized each of them from the tournament. He kicked himself for not realizing earlier that whatever Morgause's current scheme to destroy Uther entailed, she would use this gathering to secure a small army of her own.
The grim-faced man was finely dressed and looked up at Arthur with the same arrogance of nobility. "King Uther's son is hardly a private spectator. Tell me why he sent you."
"He didn't. I came to see for myself what this was."
"And tell me, what did you find, Prince Arthur?" Morgause had pushed her hood down, her hair a pale nimbus around her. "Do you still share your father's views on magic? Or did you discover something that might give you some pity for all the innocents you've helped lead to the slaughter?"
Merlin could not see Arthur's face well enough to read his expression, but the sober tone of his voice was clear. "I no longer believe as my father does. But the word of the king is law, and I have little hope of changing his mind."
Her voice hardened with rage. "You are twice the hypocrite he is if you will suffer these atrocities to continue, rather than give Uther Pendragon the end he deserves."
She raised her hand and clenched her fist. Arthur choked back a scream as his body arched and twisted. Merlin bit back his own cry. He no longer trusted Morgause not to murder Arthur in cold blood if Arthur did not give her what she wanted.
When the magic subsided, Arthur hung limp in his invisible bonds. "I have done my duty to my king," he panted, forcing his head to stay high with obvious effort.
"You have shamed your mother," Morgause said coldly and raised her fist again.
This time Arthur did scream. Merlin fought to stay hidden. All he wanted was to leap up and leave a crater in the floor where Morgause used to be. But the other dozen sorcerers meant Arthur would be dead before the smoke cleared.
As Arthur went limp again, Merlin crept around the high balcony, looking for any angle that would let him stage a rescue without risking harm to Arthur. Nothing short of a massive strike of power would buy him any time, and that only a few seconds.
"Enough," the nobleman interjected. "Remember your place, Morgause. King Cenred is not interested in your grudge against Uther, only your ability to defeat him."
"His only heir as hostage seems a fine place to start," the second knight said.
"Perhaps, but I don't think you'll be allowed to take him," Morgause said--then looked up to where Merlin crouched behind the balustrade. "Isn't that right, Emrys?"
The balustrade exploded outward, and Merlin stumbled forward. He caught himself on the jagged edge of the balcony and dangled over the open air for a stomach-churning moment. The stone scraped bloody gashes in his hands and arms as he hauled himself back up to solid ground.
"This, gentlemen, is the sole magical protection of Camelot," Morgause announced as his legs flailed in the final effort to roll back onto the balcony.
"A scrawny boy?" the noble said, voice dubious.
"He's stronger than he looks, though he cannot stand alone against our forces." Morgause raised her hand toward Arthur. "He could not even stand against my protégé without running to save his prince."
She hit the wall before the blast of energy had formed in her hand; Merlin was taking no more chances. The nobleman raised his sword in unison with the knights, but the weapons went flying. So did the men, hitting the wall with grunts of pain.
"Merlin, look out," Arthur cried as the surrounding sorcerers turned as one and sent fire blazing up into the balcony.
Merlin threw himself to the side, deeper into the shadows. He had seconds to think; Arthur would be the next target if they could not find Merlin.
The fire spread around him. He gave it a dirty look and pushed his palm out towards it, commanding it to go back where it came from.
It roared up, and then poured itself over the balustrade in a cascade, hitting the floor and spreading out to surround the enemy sorcerers. Merlin ran to the railing. He met Arthur's frantic gaze for a moment before looking down into the fire.
"Besæge," he said, and the fire sank down into the floor.
One of the warlocks, the one Niniane had defeated in the semifinals, looked around and laughed. Then he smirked up at Merlin and raised his hand towards Arthur.
Merlin tensed--and then a witch on the other side of the circle started to scream. The stone was melting beneath her feet. Across the entire rotunda, the floor glowed bright red and started to bubble.
Chaos broke out below as the sorcerers made a desperate break for solid ground. One of them tripped and fell face-first into the liquefying stone. The smell of burning flesh wafted up as he sank into the floor.
Arthur thrashed in mid-air as the heat reddened his face and sent rivulets of sweat down his face. "Merlin, stop showing off and get me out of here!"
Merlin climbed up onto the balustrade railing. He was almost out of tricks, almost out of energy, and decidedly out of time. Across the rotunda, Morgause was struggling to her feet, already lifting her hands towards him, face twisted with rage.
He jumped.
Magic helped propel him to Arthur. Merlin slammed into him and seized onto whatever part of Arthur he could grab. They started to sink fast toward the boiling floor.
"What the hell?" Arthur grunted as fire streaked through the air above them. The first blast had missed them, but the second one would not.
"Just hang on." Merlin pushed his hand in the air and created a shockwave of power radiating out from his fist, out to Morgause and down to the floor.
It bought Merlin precious seconds to wrap his arms tight around Arthur and suffuse them both with power as he willed them elsewhere, anywhere safe--
They tumbled onto wooden floor slats amongst fresh rushes. Merlin blinked up into the peaceful sunbeam coming through the window of their room at the inn.
Arthur got to his feet and hauled Merlin up with him. "Come on, we'd better get out of here while we still can."
Merlin grabbed onto the bed post to steady his knees. He had never done translocation magic before; he suspected that had been an overly ambitious way to start. "I think you're starting to take me for granted again," he complained.
His spell book hit him in the chest, followed by his half-full knapsack. "I appreciate you in every possible way, Merlin. Now move," Arthur ordered as he stuffed his belongings into his own pack.
They left enough gold to pay for their room and a few hours of silence. As they hurried through the town, Merlin felt a wave of questing magic wash over them. He brushed it aside, grabbed Arthur's arm, and pulled him in a different direction.
Merlin breathed easier when they made it out of Banncroft with no further confrontation. Arthur did not relax until they had found Arthur's cached belongings and retrieved their horses from the outlying farm where they had stabled them.
"We'll have to ride hard back to Camelot," he said as he tightened the cinch of his saddle. "My father needs to know at once that Cenred is preparing for war."
Merlin stopped in the middle of securing his pack. "Do you really think he'll attack Camelot?"
"Why else would Cenred's war leader be there?" Arthur yanked harder at the strap and then stroked his mare's neck in apology when she startled. Merlin also startled; he had not realized who the nobleman was. "They wanted to draw us out and see what protection Camelot has to stand against Morgause."
"And all you have is me." Merlin suddenly felt rather small in the face of an entire army.
"At least you won the tournament," Arthur said. Merlin winced, drawing a sharp look. "You did win, didn't you?"
"I...don't think so, no."
Arthur's mouth dropped open. "What do you mean? You had her." He banged his fist down repeatedly on his palm. "With the lightning. It was incredible. There's no way you didn't have her."
"Yes, but then I ran away to save your arse, which will probably count against me in the final score." The loss would rankle when he had more time to think about it, but his choice had never been in question. "Morgause knew you were there for days. She only struck when things started going badly for Niniane."
"She had to be sure Niniane won," Arthur mused as he mounted. "So she could convince Cenred that he would have the strongest sorcerer on his side. Even if that's obviously not true."
Warmth pooled in his stomach at that, but Merlin still found himself reluctant to mount his horse and follow Arthur out of the stable. It had been easy to forget in his happiness that Arthur had never pronounced his final judgment.
Arthur clopped out into the barnyard. A few moments later he clopped back in with eyebrows raised. "Planning on joining me?"
"I don't know. Should I be?" He tried a hopeful smile. Something in him needed to hear the words before he turned his steps toward Camelot--to hear that he still had a home there.
"What are you--? Oh." Arthur frowned in discomfort. "Merlin, you're being ridiculous."
"Probably," Merlin agreed. "But you always say that you're the one who makes the decisions."
"Pick now to remember it," Arthur muttered and sighed before pulling himself up into full royal bearing. "Then I must make the only decision I can in accordance with my duty as crown prince of Camelot."
A small chill went through Merlin. He hoped he had not pushed Arthur too far.
"Clearly, I can't kill you."
"I would hope not," Merlin burst out, indignant.
"My personal feelings can't enter into this, Merlin, you know that." Arthur gave him a stern look. "But clearly that would not be practical as you are the most powerful sorcerer we have ever dealt with, and I would be endangering my own life in a futile attempt."
"I'll say."
"If I can't kill you, then duty demands I arrest you and take you back to Camelot for the king's justice."
Merlin rolled his eyes. "If you can't kill me, I don't think you stand much chance of capturing me."
"Precisely. And if I did manage to get you back to Camelot through some means, obviously you would use magic to escape from any prison or attempt at execution." Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Wouldn't you, Merlin?"
"Obviously," Merlin said. "That would be my duty as a nefarious sorcerer."
"So if I can't kill you or imprison you, I must banish you from Camelot and command you never to return."
That had been Merlin's true fear. His throat closed around the smart remark he would have made.
"However," Arthur continued hastily upon seeing Merlin's stricken look. "Since you came from Cenred's kingdom, I could never risk your returning there and using your powers against Camelot."
"I wouldn't," Merlin said under his breath, a quiet oath to himself and whatever destiny followed him.
"Therefore, I must take it upon myself to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't get up to any mischief." Arthur gave a decisive nod. "Which means, of course, that I'll have to keep you as close as possible at all times."
A slow smile broke over Merlin's face. "Yeah, I suppose that is the only possible decision. Very well reasoned, sire."
"Thank you," Arthur said. "Now get on your horse and let's go home. Never mind a war--we have to start training you for the next tournament."
***
They rode into Camelot late the next afternoon after riding hard with only brief respites. Gaius was crossing the courtyard to the castle steps, but hurried to meet Arthur as he and Merlin swung off their horses.
"Sire," he called. "I'm glad you're back. The king has been concerned about your whereabouts."
"Didn't he get my note?" Arthur said as he handed the reins to the stable boy that scurried up to him. "Servants these days."
"He did, but he was concerned that you might have encountered trouble," Gaius said, gaze shifting to Merlin with his own concern. "The situation along the borders is still quite tense."
"More than he even knows," Arthur replied. "I'll attend him at once. Merlin and I infiltrated the gathering of sorcerers, and I have a great deal of intelligence that he must hear immediately."
"Very good, sire," Gaius managed even as he turned pale and tried not to look at Merlin. "Sire, if you don't require him at the moment, I have been missing Merlin's assistance the last few days."
"Yes, that's fine." Arthur paused with his foot on the steps and turned back to level a heavy look at Merlin. "But Merlin, I expect you to attend me tonight. With your full attention."
"Of course I'll attend you, sire," Merlin answered, eyes locked with Arthur's until Arthur gave a little smile and turned away. He kept watching Arthur jog up the steps even as Gaius came to his side and took his arm with shaky hands.
"Merlin, did you really take Prince Arthur to the tournament?" he hissed and began pulling Merlin towards their chambers. "What were you thinking?"
"He followed me," Merlin protested as he stumbled alongside. "I couldn't exactly stop him from coming along once he figured out where I was going."
That made Gaius look distinctly ill. As soon as they were in the cool shelter of the corridor, Gaius looked around before bending his head close to Merlin's. "Does he--? Did he--?"
"It's all right, Gaius," Merlin interjected. "I was very discreet. See, not imprisoned."
Gaius did not look impressed as Merlin held up his hands to show off the lack of shackles. "Then you didn't compete in the tournament?"
Despite the frequency with which he did it, Merlin did not like lying to Gaius. But as they rode home, he and Arthur had worked out the details of the story they would tell. Reluctantly, Merlin had agreed that it would be easier and safer if he revealed the true identity of Emrys to no one, not even Gaius.
"No," he said. It was not difficult to conjure up a wistful look when he thought of his lost victory. "I couldn't possibly with Arthur right there, could I?"
Gaius swayed a little with relief. "Well, I wouldn't put it past you to try," he said and patted Merlin's arm. "But I'm glad you showed some sense for once. Come along, I was just about to have dinner."
"Great, I'm starving," Merlin said, happy to be off the hook and in range of the first food since a very scanty breakfast that morning.
The familiar workroom was warm and cozy when they entered. Merlin even hung up his jacket instead of tossing it over the nearest scientific instrument. He hoped he would be spending most of his nights with Arthur from now on, but this would forever be home.
Gaius ladled out bowls of stew while Merlin cleared the table of books, bottles, and arcane metal things no sorcerer would even recognize. Merlin sat down and picked up his spoon with relish--then dropped it as the table in front of him began to hiss and smoke.
"What on earth is that?" Gaius paused half out of his chair, staring in shock at the object materializing in the middle of the table.
The object looked like a large cup, almost a chalice. Merlin's heart leapt and sank at the same moment. He reached for it, but Gaius was still standing and had the better reach.
"How curious," he said as he examined it. "I think I've seen something like this before. And there seems to be a note inside."
Gaius put on his spectacles and unfurled the paper while Merlin sat and twitched. His eyebrows rose as he read, furrowed abruptly, and then rose again. Finally he looked up at Merlin and held the note out to him without comment.
Merlin took it, sensing his doom before he even started to read.
Emrys, or Merlin, whatever your name truly is--
They keep trying to give me this cup, but whatever you may think of my game play, I don't take what I haven't earned. We both know you were the victor. This time. Your seal never broke.
I'll see you again, prince’s man, very soon.
Niniane
Across the table, Gaius cleared his throat. "Is there something you forgot to tell me, Merlin?"
He looked up with wide eyes, but gave up on the innocent expression when he saw the implacable look coming from under those eyebrows.
"Well, actually," he said. "That's kind of a long story."
***
END
All comments and concrit welcome! I would love to hear anything you liked or didn't like about the story!
The rest of the week passed in the same manner. Merlin won his matches with ease before spending the rest of his days alone with Arthur, sharing long kisses and rambling conversations. His body still ached for passion, but his heart was wholly content.
Now they stood before the nearly-empty rankings board on the day of the semi-finals. Merlin's seal had moved steadily up until it was only one row from the top, still burning with magical fire. At the other end of the row, Niniane's placard hung with two others between them. If they both proved victorious today, they would face each other tomorrow for the championship.
"She'll be the one," Arthur commented beside him.
"Yeah," Merlin agreed. "I think so."
"In the meantime, better worry more about getting past Surya, or you won't have to worry about Niniane at all."
"I'm not worried," he said, though he was a little bit worried. Surya was a small, round woman with merry eyes and a booming laugh. That laugh had echoed through the tavern last night, right after she had chased her opponent clear out of Banncroft with a crocodile bigger than most of the buildings.
Arthur really liked her after that.
"Giant crocodile," he said now with relish, not for the first time. It was starting to vex.
"You don't think I could handle a giant crocodile?" he asked.
"I think it would chase you around while you screamed like a small girl," Arthur replied dreamily.
"If I can handle a dragon made out of fire, I think I can deal with a crocodile made out of...whatever the hell that goop was."
"Sure, but you have special dragon powers." Arthur poked Merlin triumphantly in the chest. "Unless you can come up with some crocodile lord in your family tree, I think there'd be some running and screaming."
"I wouldn't rule it out," Merlin conceded as his eyes traced the bright reds and purples of Surya's seal.
Arthur's sidelong glance made him wish he had not said anything. "Merlin, there's no reason to be nervous. You can beat her."
"I can, but that doesn't mean I will." Merlin kept looking at the board so he would not have to look at Arthur. "It's all been easy so far, but at some point, my luck's going to run out, right?"
"No, it's not." Arthur's hand squeezed his shoulder until it hurt. "I don't believe in luck."
The implication of what he did believe in made Merlin's face warm. "Except my bad luck the day I walked into Camelot?"
"Well, there's that." Arthur gave him an affectionate shake before holding up a finger. "Wait here, there's something I need to go get."
Merlin grabbed his arm before he had taken more than a step. "Hang on, didn't we talk about you going off on your own around here?"
"I don't know, but I know we've talked about you not telling me what to do." Arthur shook him off. "I know right where I'm going. I won't be long. Just wait right here."
Arguing never helped; Merlin sighed and watched Arthur jog off. He could not imagine what Arthur had forgotten to bring with him. Whatever it was, it could not be worth leaving Merlin alone with nothing to do but think about exceptionally large reptiles.
"Merlin. I want to talk to you."
He turned around and the breath went out of his body. His ears started to buzz. Niniane had never looked so beautiful, though she wore the same competition clothes he had seen her in a half dozen times now. They were the same clothes she had worn when they met, when they had almost--
"Merlin, are you listening to me?" Her voice sank down through his ears, cloying like honey in his throat and chest before pooling in his groin. "I wanted to apologize to you."
"For what?" he asked. He could not imagine what wrong she could have done.
"I wasn't very nice to you after the Lady Morgause told me who you really were." Her fingers closed around his, tugging him toward her. "Come have a drink with me. I have wine in my rest tent."
"I'd go anywhere with you," he heard himself saying. His words sounded distant to his own ears, but he had never meant anything more in his life. "I'd do anything you wanted."
"Oh, I know." She put her hand on his back to steer him towards her tent.
He ducked inside and stood in the middle of the small space, waiting for her. Niniane left him there while she stepped over to a small table where a single goblet of wine sat. She picked it up and brought it to him.
"Aren't you going to have some, too?" he asked, because nothing was more important to him than giving her everything she wanted.
"Of course I am," she purred. She pressed the goblet into his hands and then slid her own hands around his waist. "You don't mind sharing, do you?"
"No," he said as she lifted his tunic enough to make him shiver from the touch of her fingers on his bare skin. "I'd--"
"Share anything with me? Oh yes, I know. Don't worry, you're going to give me something very important."
"I am?" The idea delighted him; she might smile at him again and touch him some more.
He started to offer her the goblet first, but she pushed it back towards his lips. "Just have a drink, lover boy."
The first gulp burned down his throat and into his blood. The wine was potent and sweet, cloying like her voice. For a moment, the world wavered around him as though there were two of everything and they were no longer in alignment.
Something was wrong; some instinct screamed that this was not where he was supposed to be. He groaned with a sudden, intense arousal. His heart sped up until it seemed to be pumping blood directly between his legs.
"Niniane?" Her hands were still caressing him, but it felt wrong. He was not supposed to be feeling this, not here and not with her.
She stroked the hair back from his forehead. "Just relax. It's only a little something to get us back to where we were before, when we met in the forest. Don't you remember how much you wanted me? You were gagging for it."
The goblet fell out of his hand, spilling the tainted wine across the carpeted ground. He let out a pained groan. Without knowing what he was doing, he reached out for her, crushing her to his body.
"That's more like it." She gave a breathless laugh and wrapped her arms around his neck, avoiding his attempt to kiss her. "I knew you had it in you, prince's man."
Her words sent another note of discord through his haze of lust. Prince's man--he belonged to someone else. He was not meant to be here at all.
But her breasts pressed so sweetly between them; she unlaced the ties of her bodice to free them for his hands and mouth, large and warm. He nuzzled at her breasts, biting at the pendant that hung between them. He throbbed with the need to crawl into her, thrust into her, dominate her with his body until she sated him. His mind cleared: nothing else mattered except getting inside her.
His back hit the ground, knocking what breath he had left out of his chest. He had not noticed the pile of blankets in the corner of the tent until he landed on them. Not that he minded--Niniane was climbing onto him, straddling his thighs.
"Do you want me to suck you or ride you?" she asked. "Oh, you don't care, do you, as long as you get off?"
Merlin fought not to whimper his agreement. "Whatever the lady wants," he said, his attempt at gentility ruined with the involuntary thrust of his hips as another spasm of need shot through his loins.
"I want you to stay right there. Then I can take what I want." She laced her fingers through his and moved his hands up over his head. "You just have to stay where I put you. In fact, let's make sure of it, shall we?"
When the leather cuffs closed around his wrists, panic flickered through him. But a surge of lust consumed the flicker as the cuffs tightened and Niniane's hips rocked against him as she fastened his wrists to the tent pole behind him.
"Such a good boy," she said. "You're almost ready."
"I'm very ready." He choked on the last word when her hand covered his erection through his trousers.
"Not bad." She squeezed and rubbed until he ached from his hardness. "There, that's even better."
Then her hand clamped down on his cock so hard that he yelped with pain. "Oh, um, careful," he said with a high-pitched laugh. "You're going to want that soon."
"I doubt it.Ásæle werháde."
Magic surged through him. At first it was ecstasy, like she was pushing inside him. Then the full force of the spell hit him, and it was no longer her magic but his own. And then he screamed.
It shook through him like orgasm, but without pleasure. When it released him, he was more aroused than he had ever been in his life, trembling with the pain of it. "Niniane?"
Niniane sat back with a satisfied smile. She closed her hand around the pendant on her breast and pulled until the thread broke. "I have to admit, I didn't believe the old lady at first, but her goods were worth every penny."
She cast it aside, and the buzzing in Merlin's ears ceased. His vision cleared, and the reality of the situation crashed into him. He snarled and thrashed against the straps, then lashed out at Niniane with his magic.
But the straps did not budge--and neither did his power.
"Don't bother. I've got you tied up good and tight." Niniane smiled at him almost fondly as she pulled her bodice up over her breasts and began to retie it. "I didn't expect you to be that susceptible. Has it really been that long since you got laid? You've been so kissy-face with your prince all over the place."
Arthur. "Oh, fuck," Merlin moaned, not least because thinking of Arthur made his cock ache more.
"I'm sure you'll get it done eventually." Niniane stood and swung off him in a smooth motion. "You'll have to if you ever want to stand up again. But not until after you forfeit your match."
"That's what this is about?" Merlin gasped. He kicked out at her legs, but she stepped away easily.
"You're powerful, Emrys," she said, suddenly grave. "And it's important that I win this. I can deal with Surya, but I can't be sure of you."
"What did you do to my magic?"
"Just temporarily rerouted it through your prick." Niniane paused on her way to the tent entrance. "Which is how it usually goes for you boys, anyway. Good luck, prince's man."
"Niniane!" he shouted after her and struggled to free himself again. Neither physical nor magical means had any effect. Trying to cast a spell aroused him once again to the point of nausea, but accomplished nothing else. He pulled as hard as he could against his restraints, hoping to bring the tent crashing down, if nothing else, but the tent pole seemed magically stabilized.
He subsided, panting. Tears of frustration burned his eyes. His predicament seemed irresolvable: Niniane's spell ensured that he could not use magic until he came, but he could not get himself off without his hands, and he could not free his hands without magic.
Outside, he heard the rumble of the crowd as the start of the semifinals neared. He could not lose this tournament because he had been bewitched by a love charm and sex potion. Arthur would be disgusted if he could see Merlin now.
"Merlin? Someone said they saw you come in here with--bloody hell."
The voice from the front of the tent made Merlin cringe and wish he could crawl underneath his pallet of blankets. Grateful as he was that Arthur had found him, he was not looking forward to explaining this.
"Merlin, why are you tied to a tent pole? With what seems to be another tent pole in your trousers?" By the time Arthur came into view, he was scanning the interior for threats and thankfully not looking at Merlin.
"Never mind. Just untie me and give me a few minutes, would you?" Merlin looked away as Arthur came up beside him.
Arthur bent down and scooped up the goblet and the pendant from where Niniane had discarded them. "I don't suppose it has anything to do with these, does it?"
Reluctantly Merlin turned his head back to look at the charm dangling from Arthur's fingers. He already knew what it was, now that it had lost its power. "I told you she wasn't a charlatan," he muttered. "Don't taste that!"
"No, I suppose only one of us should be incapacitated by evil sorcerers at one time." Arthur sniffed at the dregs of the potion again, and then lowered the goblet from his face. "Let me take a wild guess: Niniane?"
"Trying to make sure I forfeit the match." Merlin pulled against the straps again, more out of frustration than any hope of them loosening. "Would you please just get me out of this?"
Arthur continued examining the goblet. "You're the magician. Get yourself out."
"I can't. I can't use magic right now."
That finally got Arthur's attention. "Why not? Is the tent going to blow up or something if you do? Did she booby trap it?"
"That's one way of putting it," Merlin said under his breath. "She cast a spell binding my magic to my...other vital energies."
"Oh." Arthur looked at him with color burning high in his cheeks. "So you can't--until you--"
"Right. Now if you could just get my hands free?" He looked up at his bound wrists in hopes of distracting Arthur from the real problem between his legs. All he really wanted was to beg Arthur to suck him off and solve all his problems at once, but it was already going to be difficult enough to live this down.
Arthur knelt down by Merlin's shoulder and reached for the buckles of the straps. His fingers brushed Merlin's wrists as he pulled at the leather, and Merlin could not bite back a moan. At the light touch, the painful arousal melted into pleasure, which only increased the urgency of his need.
"What the hell?" Arthur grunted and pulled harder at the restraints. "These aren't budging. Magic?"
"Probably." Merlin grimaced. "Which means it'll take magic to get them undone. Great."
Arthur sat back on his heels to look at Merlin. The loss of his touch left Merlin cold and aching again. "I could go find someone," he said hesitantly. "We're not exactly short of magic users around here."
"Yeah." Merlin swallowed and did not look at Arthur's face. "I'm sure someone would help."
"Oh, this is ridiculous." Arthur sighed and reached down to cup Merlin's face, drawing him to meet Arthur's eyes. "Just let me help you? It's nothing we didn't already want to do, is it?"
The heat of his hand made Merlin shiver. "Yeah, but not exactly something I can just ask."
Arthur gave a sharp laugh before shifting himself to straddle Merlin's thighs. The position thrust his hips forward so that Merlin could not miss the hard bulge of his cock. "I know, it's a big ask, making you come when you're all tied up and turned on," he said. "But twist my arm, and I'll see what I can do."
Relief flooded him in a warm wave that traveled down his body with his sigh. "Okay," he said and felt the urgency settle into his limbs, awaiting the promised release.
Arthur shifted again to lean over Merlin, resting his weight on one hand while the other stroked Merlin's cheek and brow. Merlin slowly relaxed into the tenderness of the caresses and the kiss that came next. He felt safe, almost adored. Arthur's lips pressed sweetly to his mouth, then his jaw, then his ear.
"And I know," Arthur breathed, "that I'm never going to hear a word about Sophia or Vivian ever again. Am I?"
Merlin burst into a snort of laughter against Arthur's neck. "Sorry, that’s not on the table."
Arthur gave an annoyed sigh, but he was smiling when he kissed Merlin again. Merlin arched up against him as the magic pulsed through his body, so strong surely even Arthur must feel it.
His cock felt too stiff even to throb by the time Arthur touched him there. Even through the fabric of his trousers, the stimulation was almost too much. Arthur rubbed him gently, and then set to work freeing him.
When he got Merlin's cock out, it stood up huge and red from the loosened fabric. Arthur's mouth hung slightly open as he sat back on Merlin's thighs and looked at him. He fumbled at his own trousers without breaking eye contact.
Arthur’s cock was already half hard when he pulled it out, and the sight of it made Merlin's trapped magic surge. Arthur wet his hand and wrapped his fist around it. His gaze travelled slowly up and down Merlin's body as he stroked himself fully stiff.
Merlin needed more than just Arthur's eyes on him. He needed pressure and heat and friction. His arms were immovable and his legs were pinned by Arthur's weight, but he could still buck and squirm until he got the message across: no more waiting.
Arthur's mouth quirked up, but he obeyed the demand. He rocked forward until his fingers captured Merlin's cock and squeezed it together with his. Merlin let out a strangled cry at the shock of sensation that flared in his groin and then spread throughout his body on the current of his magic.
"Arthur," he gasped as Arthur kept fisting them together. "Oh, fuck, Arthur."
"I can feel it," Arthur said, letting go of their cocks so he could rub his hand over Merlin's stomach. "It's like your skin is buzzing."
He stretched out over Merlin and kissed him hard. Merlin moaned, mouth slackening against Arthur's as his cock finally got to rub up under Arthur's tunic against the softness of his belly. He braced one foot on the floor, the better to grind himself up against Arthur.
The magic surged stronger with every thrust, pressing to escape through his cock. Arthur kissed his neck and met his thrusts, grinding into him. When he groaned Merlin's name, Merlin gasped again and dissolved into orgasm.
As he came, the restraints tore themselves off his wrists, reduced to tattered shreds by the escape of his pent--up power. Body and magic celebrated their freedom by rolling Arthur until he was sprawled on his back with Merlin pinning him to the ground.
His cock was still throbbing its pleasure, still smearing come over Arthur's belly as Merlin gripped Arthur's hip. He pulled Arthur against him and urged him to thrust up even as he kept him pinned down with magical force.
Arthur thrashed against the invisible hold even as he ground himself wildly up into Merlin. His eyes squeezed shut. "Merlin," he groaned again and came.
Merlin collapsed on top of him, exhausted as the magic fled his body in a rush. Their chests heaved against each other as the pleasure faded and their bodies cooled. Arthur's arms came up to hold him; his hands rubbed a fitful pattern over Merlin's back.
The roar of the waiting crowd seemed very distant compared to Arthur's rough breathing. Then it rushed in on him, getting louder until he jerked his head up in a panic. "They're going to disqualify me."
Arthur lifted his head and listened. "Not quite yet. But we’d better hurry."
Merlin scrambled up and held out his hand to help Arthur to his feet. They stood with their hands loosely clasped for a moment; Merlin let his fingertips brush over Arthur's pulse.
"Are you all right to compete?" Arthur asked with a hopeful look.
"Oh, yeah." Merlin gave him a big, blissful grin. "I feel fantastic."
Arthur's face fell. "That's what I was afraid of."
His knees only wobbled a little as they ducked out of the tent and hurried to the field. Surya stood at the side, speaking with Nennius. Merlin left Arthur at the edge of the lists and ran to join them.
"Emrys," Nennius greeted him as he approached. "Kind of you to join us. Had you delayed much longer, I would have been force to award the match to Surya uncontested."
"And what a shame that would have been," Surya exclaimed, beaming at him and seizing his hand to shake it. "I've been looking forward to this so much."
"Yeah, sorry. I was, um, tied up." Merlin offered her a friendly smile before liberating his fingers. She seemed so nice. Maybe she would go easy on him.
"Oh, this is going to be such a treat for both of us." She clasped her hands together in happiness and chortled. "I was saving some of my best for the finals, but when I found out I'd be facing you today--well, you can't hold back when you have the chance to go head to head with the real Emrys, now can you?"
Merlin felt his smile go sickly. So much for being nice to him. "Great. Can't wait."
Nennius shooed them away. "Then don't wait. If we get behind schedule now, gods know when I'll get my dinner."
He trailed after Surya to the center of the lists as the crowd renewed their cheers now that it seemed there would be a competition after all. Merlin scanned the stands until he found Niniane staring at him. He took a moment to enjoy the look of shock and fury on her face before he turned away to find Arthur.
The moment he spotted him, his knees went wobbly again with the echoes of what he had felt in Arthur's arms. Arthur did not look as stalwart as usual himself; he met Merlin's gaze with worry overlaid with a hazy satisfaction.
He offered Arthur a bright smile to reassure him that Merlin's vital energies were all intact and geared up for the match. Arthur did not look particularly reassured.
Nennius raised his hand in a perfunctory lift before dropping it to signal the action to begin. Merlin forced his attention back to Surya just as she lifted her hands in a fluttering gesture. She was also not wasting any time, and Merlin braced himself for the attack.
Nothing happened. He glanced around on surreptitious watch for crocodiles or other outsized vicious creatures that were Surya's trademark. He saw nothing except her eager smile and heard nothing but the clamor of the crowd. The clamor grew louder, undoubtedly because they were waiting for him to do something.
He seemed to have the leisure to contemplate his offense, which was a nice change. His brain fuzzed out a bit when he tried to think. As he tried to force his mental wheels to turn, the crowd grew louder still.
Typically, Arthur outshouted them all. "Merlin, you imbecile, get out of there!"
Get out of where? Merlin looked back to Surya to see if she had done anything else, but she still stood in the same spot, watching him with that same anticipation. Their eyes met easily on a level across the field.
It occurred to Merlin that, moments ago, Surya had been considerably shorter than him. Moments ago, he had also had visible feet. She had turned the entire field around him into quicksand, and he was sinking steadily.
He had an abrupt flail of panic, which drove him deeper into the morass. It came up over his boots now and began soaking his trousers. He tried to take a step forward, but it only made him sink down past his knees.
A quick succession of spells--levitation, solidification, summoning a raft--yielded no results. Merlin started to get worried. If he sank much further, his legs would be immobilized and he would need assistance to get out, giving Surya the victory.
Merlin tried to concentrate the sand under his right foot until it was solid enough to step on. The little stepping stone sank and dissolved after a scant few seconds, but it had held his weight for a heartbeat. With a gesture he created a dozen more, staggered in an upward slope through the wet sand to the edge of dry ground.
He hopped from step to step as light and quick as the sand would let him, moving his weight to the next step just as the current one began to sink again. His heart grew lighter was well; another few steps and he would be free.
The tugging motion of the sand behind him warned him an instant before the gasp of the crowd. He twisted around as best he could with the quicksand still dragging at his ankles. A set of giant teeth formed out of ice snapped shut inches from his head; only his loss of balance had saved him.
It also drove him back down into the sandpit. He tried to stay still and scan the sand to see what manner of creature was attacking him. All he could see was a ripple in the sand, circling back around towards him.
A sharp fin broke the surface--or rather, the surface became the fin, made out of sand and no less menacing for it. But when the creature leaped from its primordial materials, Merlin was ready for it this time. A blast from his hand broke the creature's form. He had time to notice that it was shaped like no fish he had ever seen, before it scattered in a wet shower of sand.
Another giant toothy fish emerged while the component grains of its predecessor were still raining down. This one got close enough for Merlin to feel the cold from the frozen shards of its teeth before he blasted it into mud. Wet sand stuck to his face as he sent a wave of power through the sand to disrupt the formation of any new attackers long enough for him to get the hell out of there.
He stumbled out of the quicksand and fell to the solid ground almost at Surya's feet. "What is it with you and the animals?" he said, squinting up at her through the grit stuck in his eyes.
"Oh, I've always loved them. My family owns a petting zoo back home." She looked over his shoulder. "Oh dear, I think you'd better get up quickly."
Merlin snatched his leg back just as a set of icy teeth snapped shut an inch from his foot. The creature subsided back into the quicksand before he could blast it, but he could not afford to let it go unscathed. Now that he was out of the pit he could cover the whole area with a desiccation spell, drying the pit until it was only normal sand over dirt once more.
He got to his feet and backed away from her, aware that he was muddy and frazzled while she did not have a hair out of place. Exhaustion tugged at his limbs; much as he hated to admit it, Arthur had been right about the vital energy thing. His magic hummed in the back of his head, eager for nothing more than a nap.
If he could not finish her quickly, he might not finish her at all. She was already smiling and lifting her hands to bestow him with whatever treat she had lined up for him next.
Containment, he thought and flung his hand out to send the thought at her with power behind it. He had no time to give the containment an impressive form, or any form at all. For a moment he was not sure it had even worked; he flinched as Surya finished casting her spell.
Then she flinched as the spell rebounded with a brief flare and died in her hands. If Merlin squinted at the spot he had seen the flare, he could make out a faint bubble around her, nearly transparent. It looked too fragile for Merlin's comfort, though it held as she threw spell after spell at it, looking more curious than frustrated.
She was going to wear through it if she kept hammering at it; Merlin could feel it shivering. All the ideas he and Arthur had thought up for this match seemed unrealistic now, even if he could remember them. He just wanted her to go away.
He did not realize how forcefully he had wished it until he looked at her again--and had to look up this time. She hovered about a foot above the ground, and jumped a few inches higher than that when she noticed.
Surya turned in a circle in mid-air, examining her situation as the bubble carried her slowly higher. It was easier to see now that the bottom of it curved under her feet. Her laughing face grew serious as she hit it with as many disruption spells as she could.
But now that Merlin had the basics in place, he felt stronger. He held out his hand and reinforced the bubble; then with a dramatic flourish he sent Surya floating up and away.
She struggled to free herself for another minute, but when she floated out over the crowd of spectators, she plunked herself down at the bottom of the bubble and started to laugh. Her waist-length black hair and long tunic floated gently around her as she waved down to her fans. As she cleared the top of the stands, she saluted Merlin and cast a spell to make the bubble sparkle with bright colors in the sunlight.
He waved back with a grin. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Arthur jumping up and down and hollering with joy. The bubble finally disappeared over the town, leaving only the fading sound of Surya's laughter.
"Although that was one of the strangest conclusions to a match I have seen in this tournament," Nennius announced, "the clear winner of this contest is Emrys. He will compete in the final match for the championship."
As he spoke, the ranking board trembled. Surya's placard cracked in half; Merlin's rose to take one of the two open spots near the top. The fiery letters of his name seemed to burn hotter in victory.
He bowed to the screaming audience before making a beeline towards Arthur. People swarmed around him to congratulate him, but he did not slow down. Finally, a solid wall of Arthur fell into his arms and hugged the breath out of him.
"I thought she was going to have you for lunch," Arthur exclaimed into his ear. "But you did it. You're in the final. You're going to win this whole thing."
Merlin laughed as Arthur almost wrenched his spine out of alignment. "Glad you're finally having some faith."
"The pride of Camelot is resting on your shoulders. You can't blame me for being a little nervous." Arthur secured his arm around Merlin's neck and started to drag him free from the crowd of well wishers. "Excuse us, out of the way, please. The great sorcerer Emrys needs his rest."
"I'm fine," Merlin protested as they escaped the grounds and took refuge in the quiet area behind the stands. "Never felt better. Energies fully vital."
"Oh, that I don't doubt," Arthur replied with a snort. "Seems like I can't leave you alone for a minute without your vitals trying to run away with you."
"Which reminds me, where did you swan off to in my hour of need?" Merlin leaned back against a tree and folded his arms over his chest.
He did not expect Arthur to flush and look away. "I just wanted to get something from my pack. For you."
Merlin narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "I had lunch, and unlike some people, I don't need anything sharpened, washed, or polished. What was so important for me to have?"
"It's nothing really." Arthur was bright red now and shifting with discomfort. "It's just that it was an important match, and I thought you should have something to carry. From me."
With that he reached up around his collar and plucked out the cord around his neck. Merlin had not noticed he was wearing it again, but then he was so used to seeing it under normal circumstances. "Your necklace. You went back for it--for me?"
Arthur pulled it over his head and shoved it into Merlin's hand. "I know, it was a stupid idea. But there it is. No need to make a big deal out of it."
Merlin squeezed the familiar talon in his hand. It was still warm from Arthur's body. "So you're giving me your favor."
"A token."
"A favor like from a lady."
"No, not like from a lady." Arthur glared and tried to grab it back. "It's just something for good luck."
Merlin hastily pulled it over his head. "You don't believe in luck."
"I'm not your lady, Merlin."
"It's a real dragon claw." As Merlin rubbed his thumb over it, he could feel the lingering dragon magic. "Did it come from one of the ones your father killed?"
"No, it's much older than that." Arthur stretched out a forefinger to touch the claw, though he could not have felt the magic in it. "My ancestors were friends with the dragons. That's how we got our name."
"So maybe we're not such a strange match after all." Merlin kept his head bent, but glanced up at Arthur with a small smile. "A Pendragon and a dragonlord."
"Don't give yourself airs, Merlin," Arthur said as he gripped the cord and used it to drag Merlin's mouth to his.
***
"Are you nervous?"
Merlin walked faster in a vain attempt to get away from Arthur. "I'm not nervous."
"You're quite pale." Arthur jogged a few steps to catch up.
"I've always had a delicate complexion." They were almost to the lists, and Merlin's nerves could not stand to hear much more about themselves.
"I don't blame you. Last I heard, they still haven't managed to pull that guy out of the man-eating plant."
Merlin rounded on him. "Will you cut it out?"
Arthur grinned. "There you are. Keep that dander up."
"I can't believe your knights have never considered regicide, if that's your version of a motivational speech." Merlin turned and kept walking. He could see the field now. Niniane was already there, waiting for him.
"My knights win," Arthur insisted. "And so will my sorcerer."
Merlin let out a long breath and cast a sidelong smile at Arthur. He did feel better. "Just go up in the stands, and try not to refer to me as your sorcerer."
"I'll watch from the tents like usual," Arthur said.
After yesterday, Merlin was taking no chances. He wanted Arthur secure away from the line of fire, out of reach of anyone with a lingering grudge against Emrys or a debt to Niniane. Arthur being recognized was no longer chief among his worries.
"I'd have left you at the inn if I could," he said and ignored Arthur's hurt look. "Go on, up the stairs."
Arthur started to set his jaw in that stubborn look he favored, but Merlin was ready for him. "Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed as an invisible force corralled him toward the stands. He dug his heels in, digging grooves in the dirt as Merlin continued to push him. "This is a grievous abuse of your powers."
"I’m sorry. Really," Merlin muttered as Arthur finally consented to move under his own power up into the crowd.
Niniane waited by Nennius's seat next to the ranking board. Her name now sat next to his, one space away from the pinnacle. In a short time, one of those seals would crack and leave the other the sole victor.
She turned to face him as he approached with a calm smile. "So, just you and me at the end, eh, prince's man?"
"Despite your best efforts." He returned her smile with no effort at warmth.
Nennius looked from one to the other. "Well, this should be one for the histories," he said. "Take your places."
Merlin followed Niniane out onto the field. When he stood facing her, he had a clear view up into the stands. Arthur had found a perch at the top of the stands at the end of a row where Merlin could spot him easily.
Arthur smiled a little when he saw Merlin looking. He made a series of complicated gestures that he probably intended as a reminder of all the strategy he had concocted for this match. Merlin smiled back and chose to interpret them as a silent signal for, I have the utmost confidence in you, Merlin, and you will surely be victorious.
Nennius projected his voice across the field. "This is final match of the two hundredth Tournament of All Magicks. Emrys and Niniane will do battle until one is disabled, deceased, surrenders, or flees. The winner will be known as the greatest living mage in all of Albion. You are reminded of the oaths you have sworn."
Merlin turned his attention back to Niniane. They watched each other warily as Nennius raised his hand slowly for maximum drama. Merlin had time for one wistful thought to the day he thought he had finally made a friend of his own kind. He was beginning to realize that might never happen at all; his loyalties could not be divided.
Nennius dropped his hand. Merlin braced himself. Niniane always attacked fast.
A ball of blue fire hurtled towards him before he saw her throw it. He had control of it before it was halfway across the field. She threw herself aside just as it hit the ground where she had been standing.
Niniane rolled to her feet, already mouthing another spell. The same blue fire circled around his feet; he watched as streams of it arched up to form a cage around him. When it was done, he skimmed his hand over one of the fiery bars to test the strength.
Then he took a deep breath. As he exhaled, he pushed out around him with magic and stepped out of the cage. The bars flickered, but did not impede him.
The crowd cheered, and Niniane frowned. She did not look surprised--she could not have expected the cage to hold him for long--but she was staring at his mouth with a certain consternation.
Merlin smiled and looked up at Arthur, who was clenching his fists on his knees. Arthur had noticed the way Niniane watched the lips of her opponents, giving her precious seconds to counter their spells before the words were even spoken.
Unfortunately for her, Merlin had realized over the course of the tournament that in general, spoken spells only slowed him down. It was much easier to think about what he wanted to do and let the magic take care of the details.
When the blue fire swept back in a river across the field to engulf her, Merlin was still smiling.
She adapted quickly to the loss of her advantage. What felt like hours later, they had torn up the field and each other. Rocks and timber and the remnants of a half dozen tents littered the grounds. Niniane's left boot sat quietly dissolving in a shallow pool of radiant yellow sludge on the other side of the lists.
Niniane was breathing in labored heaves as they stared at each other across the field in a momentary lull. She dropped to one knee and toppled forward until her hands caught her, palms flat on the ground, trying to catch her breath.
Merlin staggered back a few steps, happy enough for the respite. The ground was softer here, still damp from Surya's quicksand, and a welcome relief to his knees.
He supposed he should finish Niniane off, but he had often watched Arthur step back to allow an opponent to pick up a dropped weapon or recover their wits after a hard blow. It was the noble way to do battle; Merlin wanted to show he could be as noble as any knight of Camelot.
He glanced up at the stands to find Arthur and the look of proud approval he knew he would see. Arthur was standing on his seat, making a stabbing motion in the air and shouting something. Finish her! he mouthed. For God's sake, Merlin!
Merlin directed a disappointed look up at Arthur. Arthur looked back in confusion; then he made hooks of two fingers and hesitantly made viper striking motions.
Shaking his head, Merlin sighed and turned back to Niniane. So much for nobility. Time to finish this.
He took a step toward her--or tried. His arms flung out and wavered to keep his balance as he discovered that his feet were rooted to the spot and no amount of tugging could shift them. He looked at Niniane, and she looked back, eyes glowing with power.
Something about that look struck a chord of fear through him. His feet still would not move. When he looked down again, he realized how literally he had become rooted into the ground.
Bark was growing around his feet, then up around his legs. He could feel the roots now, sinking deep into the earth; he sent a blast of power into them to kill Niniane's creation at the source. The tree only grew faster, as if his magic had been a cool drink of water.
It widened to engulf his torso, trapping his arms at his sides. He had only seconds before it would cover his head: not enough time for a spell if he could think of any, so he looked up at Arthur until the wood covered his face.
Inside the tree was dark, quiet, and peaceful. He could hear only the rustle of its leaves as they grew and the slow, slow throb of life within the trunk. Happily, though not easily, he could breathe.
Merlin tried to calm the pounding of his heart and the panic in his mind. Nothing had ever trapped him for long; this would be no exception once he figured out a strategy. He willed the wood to split open and let him out, but the tree absorbed his magic like water once again.
Each subsequent attempt made the inner wood throb gently around his legs. The tree was an oak, enormous and as ancient as it was newly created, and it urged him to calm and rest within its confining embrace. All he needed to do was close his eyes and--
"Sorry, not interested," Merlin said through gritted teeth. "I don't suppose you could just let me out, could you? I'm sure having me here isn't very comfortable for you, either."
The tree squeezed tighter around him, which he took as a no. At least he could still speak, if he could think of any spell that could cut through the magic of the tree.
The only thing he knew that could defeat any other magic was dragon fire. But he did not have a dragon here. The best he had was a claw from a dragon who had been dead much longer than Merlin had been alive.
When he thought of it, he felt a prickle against his chest where the pendant rested. His heart thumped with sudden hope, and he concentrated on the claw. Something stirred when he tried to focus his magic into it. He pushed harder, but it skittered away.
He needed a better focus. Merlin wiggled his fingers. His body was pressed tight against the inside of the tree, but he had no choice.
Slowly, he started working his fingers up through the almost non-existent gap between him and the tree. He hissed as the wood scraped the skin off his knuckles and his elbow, even through his shirt. Once he got his hand across his hip, he sucked in his stomach as much as he could until finally his forefinger brushed the tip of the claw.
The magic surged. "There you are," he breathed and ignored the pain until he had wiggled his hand up enough to rest completely over the pendant.
The dragon remnant clarified his vision and enhanced his power. He could see the magic flowing through the tree and under it into the earth. Casting a spell out or down would take a long time to have sufficient effect to free him.
But casting it upwards was a different story. Above him, the magic was thinner amongst the branches. Above him was the sky. The tree drew its energy from the earth and the air, but up in the heights of the sky, the dragons had ruled.
Merlin grinned. That was his magic.
"I'm really sorry about this," he said to the great oak. "But it's you or me, friend."
He called to the sky with all his power. He felt it leap from the hand that held the dragon claw. When the response came, he was dizzy with exhilaration.
Even inside the tree, he heard the crack and the rumble. Then the power slammed back into him the same instant the tree split in half.
As he stepped out of it, his body crackled with the stored lightning. Across the field, Niniane gaped at him and started to back away. Merlin looked down at himself and admired the silver-blue energy flickering up and down his arms.
Then he sent it arcing across the field to rain down on Niniane. She got her hands up to deflect some of the energy; the rest seized her and bent her nearly double backwards before dropping her like a rag doll to the ground.
Niniane struggled to get to her feet. Merlin admired her stubbornness, while at the same time, he really just wanted her to stay down.
So he called the lightning again. It struck in front of her, sending her reeling backwards. She turned the other way, but only made it a few steps before the lightning dug a crater in the ground. It hit the right side of her, and then the left before she could turn around.
Only a couple narrow strips of ground remained as an escape. The lightning scorched one of them, sending Niniane sprawling.
This time she made no move to get up. Merlin took a moment to look up at the storm clouds roiling overhead, then over to the stands. He ignored all the shrieking, babbling spectators; his eyes went straight to Arthur. Who was not there.
Merlin frowned and scanned the sidelines of the field in case Arthur had come running down during the tree incident. He saw nothing but Nennius wearing a shocked expression.
When he looked up at the stands again, Merlin finally spotted Arthur several yards from where he had sat before. His moment of relief cut short when he took in the full tableau: Arthur was flanked by two men, arguing with them. Merlin recognized the armed guards in Cenred's livery from the stone building in the town square.
Dread replaced the last of his relief when he saw who stood behind one of the guards, draped in a heavy green cloak: Morgause. She said something that made Arthur's eyes widen; then she waved her hand over his head until his head fell back and he started to crumple to the ground.
The guards caught him and dragged him away. Morgause started to follow, then paused and looked down at Merlin. She did not smile, but only gave him a small nod of acknowledgment before sweeping off after Arthur's abductors.
Merlin spared a single glance at Niniane, who was trying to push herself into a sitting position. One more strike would have trapped her, but the clouds were already dissipating, and Arthur was in danger. Ten minutes ago, he had cared about this victory more than anything.
Now he turned and ran.
Nennius shouted something after him. Merlin neither paused nor listened. He raced pell-mell out of the lists and into the streets. When he burst into the town square, he got a glimpse of Arthur's boots as they carried him into the stone building.
The wooden doors slammed shut behind them. When Merlin bounded up to them, they were locked and warded. He could have opened them, but he had no doubt that would alert Morgause. He would not add to the risk that she might harm Arthur before he could get to him.
Merlin circled around the back. The building had never been meant to be fortified, and it did not take long to spot an open window up on the first story. A large tree grew several yards from the wall, though none of the branches reached close enough for him to reach the window.
"Ask nicely," he muttered. Asking nicely had not gotten him anywhere with Niniane's tree, and he was not keen on getting too close to another one so soon. But a quick check revealed no better ways into the building.
He laid his hands on the rough bark and sent an inquiring tendril of magic into the tree. It responded with a dreamy curiosity. He told it what he needed, in what he hoped was a polite manner to a tree.
Leaves rustled overhead in what sounded like a giggle. Arboreal magic washed over him, taking his measure, and he tried not to shudder. A grown tree was quite a different thing from a strawberry seed. It had to want to help him.
The magic receded and the leaves rustled again. A low creaking followed as the tree stretched a strong branch over to the open window.
"Thank you," Merlin breathed and pressed his lips briefly to the trunk in gratitude before hoisting himself up into the branches.
He slithered through the window, for once glad that he was not quite as broad in the chest as Arthur, and fell into a crouch on a stone floor. Behind him, the tree rustled a farewell and withdrew.
Voices came from somewhere below him. Merlin was inside a rotunda, on the balcony that encircled the whole interior. He crept to the balustrade and peered through the carved stone railing down into the open space below.
"My lord, this is a clear act of aggression. King Cenred must be informed at once."
"An act of aggression?" That was Arthur's voice, alive and awake to Merlin's relief. "I came as a private spectator, like everyone else. You could hardly expect me to announce myself."
As Merlin's eyes adjusted to the dimmer light, he made out Arthur's figure, somehow towering above the other people in the room. It took him a moment to realize that Arthur was suspended in mid-air, held by nothing the eye could see. Arthur had his arms crossed over his chest, looking down at his captors with regal disdain.
Morgause stood below him with the two guards, who Merlin now realized must be knights of Cenred, and another grim-faced man Merlin had not seen before. At least a dozen shadowy figures stood ringed around them. Squinting from one to another, Merlin recognized each of them from the tournament. He kicked himself for not realizing earlier that whatever Morgause's current scheme to destroy Uther entailed, she would use this gathering to secure a small army of her own.
The grim-faced man was finely dressed and looked up at Arthur with the same arrogance of nobility. "King Uther's son is hardly a private spectator. Tell me why he sent you."
"He didn't. I came to see for myself what this was."
"And tell me, what did you find, Prince Arthur?" Morgause had pushed her hood down, her hair a pale nimbus around her. "Do you still share your father's views on magic? Or did you discover something that might give you some pity for all the innocents you've helped lead to the slaughter?"
Merlin could not see Arthur's face well enough to read his expression, but the sober tone of his voice was clear. "I no longer believe as my father does. But the word of the king is law, and I have little hope of changing his mind."
Her voice hardened with rage. "You are twice the hypocrite he is if you will suffer these atrocities to continue, rather than give Uther Pendragon the end he deserves."
She raised her hand and clenched her fist. Arthur choked back a scream as his body arched and twisted. Merlin bit back his own cry. He no longer trusted Morgause not to murder Arthur in cold blood if Arthur did not give her what she wanted.
When the magic subsided, Arthur hung limp in his invisible bonds. "I have done my duty to my king," he panted, forcing his head to stay high with obvious effort.
"You have shamed your mother," Morgause said coldly and raised her fist again.
This time Arthur did scream. Merlin fought to stay hidden. All he wanted was to leap up and leave a crater in the floor where Morgause used to be. But the other dozen sorcerers meant Arthur would be dead before the smoke cleared.
As Arthur went limp again, Merlin crept around the high balcony, looking for any angle that would let him stage a rescue without risking harm to Arthur. Nothing short of a massive strike of power would buy him any time, and that only a few seconds.
"Enough," the nobleman interjected. "Remember your place, Morgause. King Cenred is not interested in your grudge against Uther, only your ability to defeat him."
"His only heir as hostage seems a fine place to start," the second knight said.
"Perhaps, but I don't think you'll be allowed to take him," Morgause said--then looked up to where Merlin crouched behind the balustrade. "Isn't that right, Emrys?"
The balustrade exploded outward, and Merlin stumbled forward. He caught himself on the jagged edge of the balcony and dangled over the open air for a stomach-churning moment. The stone scraped bloody gashes in his hands and arms as he hauled himself back up to solid ground.
"This, gentlemen, is the sole magical protection of Camelot," Morgause announced as his legs flailed in the final effort to roll back onto the balcony.
"A scrawny boy?" the noble said, voice dubious.
"He's stronger than he looks, though he cannot stand alone against our forces." Morgause raised her hand toward Arthur. "He could not even stand against my protégé without running to save his prince."
She hit the wall before the blast of energy had formed in her hand; Merlin was taking no more chances. The nobleman raised his sword in unison with the knights, but the weapons went flying. So did the men, hitting the wall with grunts of pain.
"Merlin, look out," Arthur cried as the surrounding sorcerers turned as one and sent fire blazing up into the balcony.
Merlin threw himself to the side, deeper into the shadows. He had seconds to think; Arthur would be the next target if they could not find Merlin.
The fire spread around him. He gave it a dirty look and pushed his palm out towards it, commanding it to go back where it came from.
It roared up, and then poured itself over the balustrade in a cascade, hitting the floor and spreading out to surround the enemy sorcerers. Merlin ran to the railing. He met Arthur's frantic gaze for a moment before looking down into the fire.
"Besæge," he said, and the fire sank down into the floor.
One of the warlocks, the one Niniane had defeated in the semifinals, looked around and laughed. Then he smirked up at Merlin and raised his hand towards Arthur.
Merlin tensed--and then a witch on the other side of the circle started to scream. The stone was melting beneath her feet. Across the entire rotunda, the floor glowed bright red and started to bubble.
Chaos broke out below as the sorcerers made a desperate break for solid ground. One of them tripped and fell face-first into the liquefying stone. The smell of burning flesh wafted up as he sank into the floor.
Arthur thrashed in mid-air as the heat reddened his face and sent rivulets of sweat down his face. "Merlin, stop showing off and get me out of here!"
Merlin climbed up onto the balustrade railing. He was almost out of tricks, almost out of energy, and decidedly out of time. Across the rotunda, Morgause was struggling to her feet, already lifting her hands towards him, face twisted with rage.
He jumped.
Magic helped propel him to Arthur. Merlin slammed into him and seized onto whatever part of Arthur he could grab. They started to sink fast toward the boiling floor.
"What the hell?" Arthur grunted as fire streaked through the air above them. The first blast had missed them, but the second one would not.
"Just hang on." Merlin pushed his hand in the air and created a shockwave of power radiating out from his fist, out to Morgause and down to the floor.
It bought Merlin precious seconds to wrap his arms tight around Arthur and suffuse them both with power as he willed them elsewhere, anywhere safe--
They tumbled onto wooden floor slats amongst fresh rushes. Merlin blinked up into the peaceful sunbeam coming through the window of their room at the inn.
Arthur got to his feet and hauled Merlin up with him. "Come on, we'd better get out of here while we still can."
Merlin grabbed onto the bed post to steady his knees. He had never done translocation magic before; he suspected that had been an overly ambitious way to start. "I think you're starting to take me for granted again," he complained.
His spell book hit him in the chest, followed by his half-full knapsack. "I appreciate you in every possible way, Merlin. Now move," Arthur ordered as he stuffed his belongings into his own pack.
They left enough gold to pay for their room and a few hours of silence. As they hurried through the town, Merlin felt a wave of questing magic wash over them. He brushed it aside, grabbed Arthur's arm, and pulled him in a different direction.
Merlin breathed easier when they made it out of Banncroft with no further confrontation. Arthur did not relax until they had found Arthur's cached belongings and retrieved their horses from the outlying farm where they had stabled them.
"We'll have to ride hard back to Camelot," he said as he tightened the cinch of his saddle. "My father needs to know at once that Cenred is preparing for war."
Merlin stopped in the middle of securing his pack. "Do you really think he'll attack Camelot?"
"Why else would Cenred's war leader be there?" Arthur yanked harder at the strap and then stroked his mare's neck in apology when she startled. Merlin also startled; he had not realized who the nobleman was. "They wanted to draw us out and see what protection Camelot has to stand against Morgause."
"And all you have is me." Merlin suddenly felt rather small in the face of an entire army.
"At least you won the tournament," Arthur said. Merlin winced, drawing a sharp look. "You did win, didn't you?"
"I...don't think so, no."
Arthur's mouth dropped open. "What do you mean? You had her." He banged his fist down repeatedly on his palm. "With the lightning. It was incredible. There's no way you didn't have her."
"Yes, but then I ran away to save your arse, which will probably count against me in the final score." The loss would rankle when he had more time to think about it, but his choice had never been in question. "Morgause knew you were there for days. She only struck when things started going badly for Niniane."
"She had to be sure Niniane won," Arthur mused as he mounted. "So she could convince Cenred that he would have the strongest sorcerer on his side. Even if that's obviously not true."
Warmth pooled in his stomach at that, but Merlin still found himself reluctant to mount his horse and follow Arthur out of the stable. It had been easy to forget in his happiness that Arthur had never pronounced his final judgment.
Arthur clopped out into the barnyard. A few moments later he clopped back in with eyebrows raised. "Planning on joining me?"
"I don't know. Should I be?" He tried a hopeful smile. Something in him needed to hear the words before he turned his steps toward Camelot--to hear that he still had a home there.
"What are you--? Oh." Arthur frowned in discomfort. "Merlin, you're being ridiculous."
"Probably," Merlin agreed. "But you always say that you're the one who makes the decisions."
"Pick now to remember it," Arthur muttered and sighed before pulling himself up into full royal bearing. "Then I must make the only decision I can in accordance with my duty as crown prince of Camelot."
A small chill went through Merlin. He hoped he had not pushed Arthur too far.
"Clearly, I can't kill you."
"I would hope not," Merlin burst out, indignant.
"My personal feelings can't enter into this, Merlin, you know that." Arthur gave him a stern look. "But clearly that would not be practical as you are the most powerful sorcerer we have ever dealt with, and I would be endangering my own life in a futile attempt."
"I'll say."
"If I can't kill you, then duty demands I arrest you and take you back to Camelot for the king's justice."
Merlin rolled his eyes. "If you can't kill me, I don't think you stand much chance of capturing me."
"Precisely. And if I did manage to get you back to Camelot through some means, obviously you would use magic to escape from any prison or attempt at execution." Arthur narrowed his eyes. "Wouldn't you, Merlin?"
"Obviously," Merlin said. "That would be my duty as a nefarious sorcerer."
"So if I can't kill you or imprison you, I must banish you from Camelot and command you never to return."
That had been Merlin's true fear. His throat closed around the smart remark he would have made.
"However," Arthur continued hastily upon seeing Merlin's stricken look. "Since you came from Cenred's kingdom, I could never risk your returning there and using your powers against Camelot."
"I wouldn't," Merlin said under his breath, a quiet oath to himself and whatever destiny followed him.
"Therefore, I must take it upon myself to keep an eye on you and make sure you don't get up to any mischief." Arthur gave a decisive nod. "Which means, of course, that I'll have to keep you as close as possible at all times."
A slow smile broke over Merlin's face. "Yeah, I suppose that is the only possible decision. Very well reasoned, sire."
"Thank you," Arthur said. "Now get on your horse and let's go home. Never mind a war--we have to start training you for the next tournament."
***
They rode into Camelot late the next afternoon after riding hard with only brief respites. Gaius was crossing the courtyard to the castle steps, but hurried to meet Arthur as he and Merlin swung off their horses.
"Sire," he called. "I'm glad you're back. The king has been concerned about your whereabouts."
"Didn't he get my note?" Arthur said as he handed the reins to the stable boy that scurried up to him. "Servants these days."
"He did, but he was concerned that you might have encountered trouble," Gaius said, gaze shifting to Merlin with his own concern. "The situation along the borders is still quite tense."
"More than he even knows," Arthur replied. "I'll attend him at once. Merlin and I infiltrated the gathering of sorcerers, and I have a great deal of intelligence that he must hear immediately."
"Very good, sire," Gaius managed even as he turned pale and tried not to look at Merlin. "Sire, if you don't require him at the moment, I have been missing Merlin's assistance the last few days."
"Yes, that's fine." Arthur paused with his foot on the steps and turned back to level a heavy look at Merlin. "But Merlin, I expect you to attend me tonight. With your full attention."
"Of course I'll attend you, sire," Merlin answered, eyes locked with Arthur's until Arthur gave a little smile and turned away. He kept watching Arthur jog up the steps even as Gaius came to his side and took his arm with shaky hands.
"Merlin, did you really take Prince Arthur to the tournament?" he hissed and began pulling Merlin towards their chambers. "What were you thinking?"
"He followed me," Merlin protested as he stumbled alongside. "I couldn't exactly stop him from coming along once he figured out where I was going."
That made Gaius look distinctly ill. As soon as they were in the cool shelter of the corridor, Gaius looked around before bending his head close to Merlin's. "Does he--? Did he--?"
"It's all right, Gaius," Merlin interjected. "I was very discreet. See, not imprisoned."
Gaius did not look impressed as Merlin held up his hands to show off the lack of shackles. "Then you didn't compete in the tournament?"
Despite the frequency with which he did it, Merlin did not like lying to Gaius. But as they rode home, he and Arthur had worked out the details of the story they would tell. Reluctantly, Merlin had agreed that it would be easier and safer if he revealed the true identity of Emrys to no one, not even Gaius.
"No," he said. It was not difficult to conjure up a wistful look when he thought of his lost victory. "I couldn't possibly with Arthur right there, could I?"
Gaius swayed a little with relief. "Well, I wouldn't put it past you to try," he said and patted Merlin's arm. "But I'm glad you showed some sense for once. Come along, I was just about to have dinner."
"Great, I'm starving," Merlin said, happy to be off the hook and in range of the first food since a very scanty breakfast that morning.
The familiar workroom was warm and cozy when they entered. Merlin even hung up his jacket instead of tossing it over the nearest scientific instrument. He hoped he would be spending most of his nights with Arthur from now on, but this would forever be home.
Gaius ladled out bowls of stew while Merlin cleared the table of books, bottles, and arcane metal things no sorcerer would even recognize. Merlin sat down and picked up his spoon with relish--then dropped it as the table in front of him began to hiss and smoke.
"What on earth is that?" Gaius paused half out of his chair, staring in shock at the object materializing in the middle of the table.
The object looked like a large cup, almost a chalice. Merlin's heart leapt and sank at the same moment. He reached for it, but Gaius was still standing and had the better reach.
"How curious," he said as he examined it. "I think I've seen something like this before. And there seems to be a note inside."
Gaius put on his spectacles and unfurled the paper while Merlin sat and twitched. His eyebrows rose as he read, furrowed abruptly, and then rose again. Finally he looked up at Merlin and held the note out to him without comment.
Merlin took it, sensing his doom before he even started to read.
Emrys, or Merlin, whatever your name truly is--
They keep trying to give me this cup, but whatever you may think of my game play, I don't take what I haven't earned. We both know you were the victor. This time. Your seal never broke.
I'll see you again, prince’s man, very soon.
Niniane
Across the table, Gaius cleared his throat. "Is there something you forgot to tell me, Merlin?"
He looked up with wide eyes, but gave up on the innocent expression when he saw the implacable look coming from under those eyebrows.
"Well, actually," he said. "That's kind of a long story."
***
END
All comments and concrit welcome! I would love to hear anything you liked or didn't like about the story!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2010-08-31 06:48 pm (UTC)My favorite bit: Arthur giving pointers on how to use strategy in a medium he's wholly unfamiliar with. Ohhh that boy and his beautiful, wonderful brain!
♥
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Date: 2010-09-01 02:08 am (UTC)So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for the lovely feedback!
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Date: 2010-08-31 06:53 pm (UTC)Niniane was also a great OC.
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Date: 2010-09-01 02:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-31 06:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-01 11:46 pm (UTC)Thanks so much! :-D
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Date: 2010-08-31 08:32 pm (UTC)Wash behind your ears--God knows what's growing back there.
Oh, Arthur. Oh, Merlin's ears. @_@
I loved everything.
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Date: 2010-09-02 01:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-31 08:47 pm (UTC)Merlin had the absolute best lines! One of my faves (and there were many) was his line about that Emrys guy being pretty amazing. HEE.
I adored seeing Merlin be the one to take part in a tournament, and once Arthur knew, it was so cool to see him strategize. <3
This is definitely a fic I'll be re-reading. Thank you! ♥
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Date: 2010-09-02 01:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-31 09:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-02 01:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-31 10:04 pm (UTC)I loved Merlin being wistful about competing, the hubris of calling himself Emrys, and then showing everyone how powerful he was. And the matches were really interesting. (I wonder if I'm missing references? Because it was really fun when Niniane trapped Merlin in the tree, but opponents like Surya? With the crocodiles and floating away?)
Oh, and Arthur and Merlin! Merlin's devotion was so well-done, and Arthur really does have great reasoning skills :D
The ending--I was feeling bad for Merlin because once again he seemed to have terrible luck making friends with magic users, so it was very nice when the chalice appeared with the note inside. Niniane was a great OC.
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Date: 2010-09-02 01:27 am (UTC)Thank you so much for the wonderful comments! :-D
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Date: 2010-08-31 10:30 pm (UTC)I think the idea of a sorcery tournament is brilliant, and I love how Arthur reacts when he finds out. And the ending? Simply wonderful. Thank you for this story! :)
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Date: 2010-09-02 01:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-31 10:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-02 01:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-08-31 11:20 pm (UTC)Really great, loved it =D
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Date: 2010-09-02 01:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-01 12:22 am (UTC)I can't even express my love for this. For all of it. Arthur, Merlin, the original characters, the way you fit it into canon of the show...
Brava!
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Date: 2010-09-02 01:51 am (UTC)I'm so happy you liked it now that you can finally read it! :-D
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Date: 2010-09-01 02:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-02 02:02 am (UTC)Thanks so much for reading and for the lovely comments! :-D
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Date: 2010-09-01 02:24 am (UTC)By far, the best part about this was the pacing. It's so artfully paced and wonderfully crafted. Seriously. I just love your Merlin, he's so witty and self deprecating and just perfect> Arthur's reaction and the confessions that followed were beautiful and beyond magnificent. Guh. They were perfect. The dialogue was spot on, as was the steady understanding between their roles. It was so nice to see the both of them sort of embracing and feeling out their new relationship. I loved the magical scenes. They were so vivid.
This is so lovely, thank you so much for sharing.
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Date: 2010-09-02 04:39 am (UTC)Thank you so much for the wonderful comments! :-D
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Date: 2010-09-01 02:38 am (UTC)I just finished reading this glorious story, and I'm still reeling from the details and emotions infused in all the characters, particularly Merlin. God, it's a dream come true to see him lay bare his desires and wants, mainly sharing every part of himself with Arthur, the enthusiasm he has for his magic and the utter love, adoration, and loyalty he has for Arthur. The equation balances itself out because right on the other side, Arthur is there, loving and trusting Merlin, the respect and genuine concern, combined with his adulation for Merlin shines through. Their friendship was tangible, and I really, really enjoyed how you gently had Merlin reveal his entire history to Arthur, including every magical moment laced with emotions. More than that, I LOVED how well Arthur knows Merlin, being able to catch his lies just by looking at his face. This is the type of bond I love to see in the characters, sheer perfection.
I can't even begin to tell you how much I adored the entire magical tournament, it's gorgeously set up, and I loved every single match. I can't help but to marvel at your original characters who seemed like they are part of Merlin's world. Geez, what I'd PAY to see these sorcerers out in the open being a community all on their own. Each battle was more exciting than the last, and I can't imagine how much time and energy you've spent on layering the matches so they build upon one another. AND THIS IS WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MERLIN AND ARTHUR HERE. Merlin may have the magic, but he's utterly sad when it comes to strategy and technique, which is why ARTHUR IS ALWAYS NECESSARY, the other half of his coin <333333
I was ecstatic when I saw them working together, and I was carrying the goofiest grin whenever Merlin tried to impress Arthur and share his moments with him, because that's totally what Merlin would do - to him, the victory and glory means nothing if Arthur isn't there to share it with him. Sorry, my heart, it's bursting with love. Can't stop rambling.
Morgause was so surprising and I did not expect you to weave in your interpretation of the Morgause/Cenred alliance. I love how you didn't make them 'evil', they're just on different sides, and the war is going to happen because their ideologies clash. More than once, I find myself nodding along with Merlin's conviction - he serves and loves Arthur, it's to him he owes his life and dedication. It's not about Uther, it's Arthur, and that's what their destiny should be (to me), and it's made me deliriously happy seeing it in fic form, so beautifully laid out.
I'm sure I'm forgetting some other parts of the story I want to comment on, but I should stop spazzing at this point. :P
Thank you so much for sharing this lovely, lovely, amazingly wonderful piece, and I will be revisiting it very soon. ♥ ♥
ETA: ack, lots of missing words and incoherent thoughts, apologies
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Date: 2010-09-03 02:35 am (UTC)I was particularly happy to read everything you mentioned about Arthur and Merlin's relationship. I was really in love with the idea of seeing them with Arthur in the support role on Merlin's turf, with Merlin showing off for Arthur and Arthur being totally into everything Merlin's doing. All through S2 I found it so heartbreaking the way Merlin just wanted Arthur to know who he was and everything he could do and had done for Arthur. I so want to see them interact as equals and I channeled all that into the story.
Thank you again for the amazing feedback! I will be grinning for days and days over it. Please feel free to spazz any time! :-D:-D
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Date: 2010-09-01 03:34 am (UTC)I also love how the ending leaves room for a sequel (hopes) while also being complete in and of itself.
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Date: 2010-09-03 02:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-01 03:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-03 02:59 am (UTC)Thanks so much for reading and for the lovely comments! :-D
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Date: 2010-09-01 05:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-03 03:03 am (UTC)Thank you so much!!
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Date: 2010-09-03 03:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-01 12:59 pm (UTC)Loved Merlin's power and Arthur's thrill of competition. Loved the reveal and how it was all handled. Loved Niniane and all her sexy moments with Merlin. Loved the preservations of vital energies. LOLOLOL.
Really lovely. All of it.
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Date: 2010-09-03 04:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-01 01:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-03 04:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-01 05:19 pm (UTC)So many parts I loved I just wouldn't know where to start! Suffice to say I'm bookmarking this on Delicious for pimping and printing out to add to my folder collection of favourite stories =)
One question, because otherwise it will just bug me; what did this bit mean? And by that, I mean what did Arthur mean?
"Pick now to remember it," Arthur muttered and sighed before pulling himself up into full royal bearing.
Thanks once again for participating, and for writing such a wonderful and entertaining story ♥
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Date: 2010-09-03 04:29 am (UTC)Arthur's line just refers to all the times that Merlin has inappropriately taken it upon himself to tell Arthur what to do, or ignore his orders. In this case, Arthur would really rather not have to talk about it at all, which of course is the one time Merlin picks to get deferential!
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Date: 2010-09-01 06:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-03 04:39 am (UTC)