"i like rooting against merlin sometimes. that way, he always ends up surprising me."

[1.2 — Valiant]

Merlin's new position as Arthur's servant wasn't exactly ideal. Not many people wanted to be beaten up while the Prince practiced his sword-fighting skills on them. Merlin was awkwardly holding a shield and covered in ill-fitting armor.

"Ready?" Arthur asked him, swinging his sword around.

"Would it make any difference if I said no?" Merlin asked.

"Not really," Arthur admitted.

Arthur was not gentle in his attacks. He'd quickly declare where he'd hit Merlin before swiftly hitting him with the blunt sword — though it certainly still hurt despite being blunt.

"Come on, Merlin. You're not even trying," Arthur taunted before tagging him on the back.

"Ow! I am," Merlin insisted.

"Once more."

"Oh, no," he mumbled.

Once again, the attacks came, and Merlin was defenseless. "Come on, Merlin! I've got a tournament to win."

"Can we stop now, please?"

Instead of a response, Arthur raised his sword and continued on, much to Merlin's displeasure. It wasn't long before Arthur delivered a particularly harsh blow to Merlin's head, which sent him falling to the ground, his helmet falling off.

"Ow," he muttered, shutting his eyes.

"You're braver than you look. Most servants collapse after the first blow." It was hardly a compliment, but Merlin didn't expect anything nicer from the entitled Prince.

"Is it over?" Merlin pathetically asked.

"That was just the warm-up. How's your mace work coming along?" Arthur asked while swinging a mace over his head.

Merlin sighed and leaned his head back against the grass. "God, I'm having war flashbacks to growing up with Lia."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Arthur asked, his curiosity piqued at the mention of the physician's apprentice.

"When Lia and her father moved to our village, he began to teach her how to wield a sword," Merlin explained, groaning as he tried to get to his feet. "Unfortunately for me, I was her best friend, meaning I was also her training dummy. Except she didn't announce where she was about to hit me."

Arthur wanted to ask more questions. For whatever reason, he had assumed that Merlin and Lia were siblings — not based on how they looked but by how close they were. He was also surprised that she knew how to use a sword. But it would not be appropriate to ask his manservant about Lia, so he kept his queries to himself.

"That sounds like an excellent idea, Merlin," Arthur said, smirking. "It's probably better for the both of us if I don't warn you before a blow."

"What?" Merlin asked, frowning as he made things worse for himself.

Then, with no warning, Arthur sent his mace flying into Merlin's gut, sending him right back down to the ground.

| | |

Despite all her teasing, Lia did feel bad for Merlin when she saw him at the end of the day. He looked absolutely broken as he wandered into the physician chambers, dropping his armor on the floor.

"So, how was your first day as Arthur's servant?" Gaius asked, chuckling.

Merlin hit his head a few times, shutting his eyes. "Do you hear clanging?"

He took a seat at the table, and Lia, feeling sorry for him, started massaging his shoulders. It reminded her of when they were children and she would relentlessly torture him with her sword.

"Ah! It was horrible and I've still got to learn all about tournament etiquette by the morning," he complained. Then he eyed the book on the table about etiquette and muttered a spell. The book slid across the table to Merlin and opened up,

"Oi!" Gaius shouted, coming over to hit the back of Merlin's head. "What've I told you about using magic like this?"

"If I could actually feel my arms, I'd pick up the book myself," Merlin argued.

"Never mind your arms. What do I do if you get caught?" Gaius asked him.

"What would you do?"

Gaius gave him a thoughtful look. "Well, you just make sure it doesn't happen, for both our sakes."

Lia moved from Merlin's shoulder to his arms, pulling his right one back to stretch it.

"Ah! Illyria!" Merlin couldn't help but snap with her full name. He knew in the long run, the massage would help, but it certainly hurt. "Ah! I save Arthur from being killed and I end up as a servant. How is that fair?"

"I'm not sure fairness comes into it. You never know, it might be fun," Gaius suggested.

"You think mucking out Arthur's horses is going to be fun? You should hear my list of duties."

"We all have our duties. Even Arthur," Gaius said, defending the Prince.

"It must be so tough for him with all the girls and the glory," Merlin muttered bitterly.

"He is a future king. People expect so much of him. He's under a lot of pressure."

Lia pressed rather hard on one of the knots in Merlin's arm, making him gasp in pain. "Ah! That makes two of us."

| | |

Despite Merlin's complaints, Lia was excited about the tournament. They never had such things in Ealdor, so she hadn't seen one since she was a small child in her home kingdom. She did her best to quell the excitement as she helped Gaius set the medical tent, which would remain up for the next few days. It's where she and Gaius would be treating any wounds the competing knights received during the tournament. They had stocked it with plenty of bandages and all sorts of remedies for any injuries they might come across.

However, once Lia had brought the last bucket of water over that Gaius needed, he offered her the day off.

"But I can't take the first day off," she told him.

"The first day of tournaments like these are usually the least violent," he explained. "It is not until they are closer and closer to the prize that they lash out at each other. At most, I will probably only give out a few remedies for sore muscles. Go and enjoy the tournament."

"Are you sure?" she asked, smiling softly.

"Go, child," he said, nodding to the exit of the tent.

Lia thanked him before scurrying out of the medical tent. She wasn't sure if she should try to find Merlin or just get a seat by herself in the stands. Though, after hearing how tense Arthur had been the past week, Lia decided to stay away for the time being. So, she settled for wandering through the crowds, searching for an empty seat.

"Lia!" She looked around, hearing her name called and saw Gwen and Morgana waving at her. They were just about to enter the stands but waited for her to come over.

"Good morning," Lia greeted, curtsying politely.

"Are you going to be in the physician's tent with Gaius?" Gwen asked.

"I'm supposed to, but Gaius is letting me have the first day off to enjoy my first tournament," she explained. "It's exciting. We never had such things in Ealdor."

"That's wonderful. Would you like to sit with us?" Morgana offered, smiling. "I'd love the company."

"Of course," she said, grinning. "Lead the way."

The three of them made their way to the stands, Morgana taking a seat in between Gwen and Lia. Soon, all of the knights filed into the stadium. Arthur was the only one that Lia had recognized — which made sense. It would be foolish for any of the Knights of Camelot to compete against their Prince. Lia took note that Arthur didn't look particularly happy to be there. It seemed Merlin hadn't exaggerated his bad mood.

A few moments later, Uther entered the stadium to address the competitors.

"Knights of the realm, it's a great honor to welcome you to a tournament at Camelot. Over the next three days, you will come to put your bravery to the test, your skills as warriors, and of course, to challenge the reigning champion, my son, Prince Arthur. Only one can have the honor of being crowned champion, and he will receive a prize of one thousand gold pieces."

A servant opened the top of a large chest, containing the golden coins. The crowd murmured with excitement, many of them never having seen so much gold in one place.

"It is in combat that we learn a knight's true nature, whether he is indeed a warrior or a coward. The tournament begins!"

The crowd cheered in excitement. All of the knights except for Arthur and his opponent that he would face. Uther stopped at his son's side to whisper something in his ear, which only made the Prince tense up even more.

"The knight in yellow was watching you," Morgana said, leaning down to whisper in Lia's ear.

She turned to Morgana with a surprised face. Lia hadn't taken the time to observe the other competitors, so she had no idea if Morgana was telling the truth or just messing with her.

"Well, I did not see him, unfortunately," she muttered bashfully.

"Perhaps he will speak to you after he wins his fights," Morgana suggested, raising an eyebrow.

"But we haven't even seen him fight," Lia reminded her, chuckling.

"He did look rather formidable," Gwen admitted. "Though I'm not sure if he could beat Arthur."

"That's a shame," Morgana muttered, drawing laughs from Gwen and Lia.

As Uther took his seat, it signaled that it was time for the fight to begin. Lia watched on the edge of her seat as Arthur battled the other knight. Everyone cheered, mainly for the Prince, and soon the fight came to an end. It didn't take Arthur long to win. Despite her constant complaints about him, Lia could tell that Morgana was happy that he won his first fight.

The tournament continued, with no one getting too seriously harmed, which eased Lia's concerns about leaving Gaius to tend to them alone. Morgana and Gwen made sure to point out the knight in yellow who had supposedly been watching Lia. Sir Valiant was his name, and he fought well, winning his round.

Once the final round had ended, Lia bid Morgana and Gwen goodbye, stating that she wanted to check on Merlin. No doubt Arthur would have him working tirelessly for the rest of the night, meaning she would not see him. She found the two boys outside the arena, Merlin almost finished with removing Arthur's armor.

"Lia!" Merlin greeted brightly upon seeing her.

"Hello, Merlin." Then she turned and curtsied to Arthur, as was expected. "Congratulations on all of your victories today, Sire. You fought well."

"I always do." Lia held back an eye roll, but Merlin did not. "Thank you, though."

Lia then turned back to Merlin. "Gaius wanted to know if you'd be eating dinner with us or if you'd be too busy with your fun new job. If you're going to get beat up again, I'd love a front-row seat this time."

"Ha, ha," he laughed sarcastically while setting down Arthur's armor that he had been holding. Arthur hid a snicker. "Get back to work, Lia. I know you have to run around and offer all the knights your and Gaius' service every night."

"Don't remind me. He's going to have me running around the castle all night," she said, sighing.

Before Lia could bid them goodbye, they were approached by Sir Valiant, who had just exited the arena. He walked with purpose over to Arthur, clearly having planned to talk with him.

"May I offer my congratulations on your victories today?" he said to Arthur.

After a moment, Arthur replied. "Likewise."

"I hope to see you at the reception this evening." Then he set his sights on Lia, who had been quietly standing by Merlin's side. "And could I be so bold as to ask the name of the beautiful lady?"

Lia could tell by looks on both Merlin and Arthur's faces that they didn't want her to talk to him — he was Arthur's direct competition after all. But she could not be rude to someone in a higher station, so Lia stepped forward and smiled at him.

"My name is Lia, Sir." She did not offer her hand, but he took it anyway, kissing her knuckles firmly. "I saw you competing."

Valiant smirked at her, and she didn't quite like the look of it. "I saw you watching."

Merlin held back a comment that, of course, she was watching. That was the whole point of a tournament after all. But he kept his mouth silent, used to overconfident men flirting with Lia.

"Will I be seeing your lovely face at the reception tonight as well?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not," she said glancing down at her hand which he was still holding. "I am an apprentice to the court physician, so I'll be quite busy over the next few days."

"Such a shame."

Lia, Merlin, and Arthur watched Valiant walk off with rather unimpressed looks.

"Creep," Merlin and Lia muttered in sync.

Arthur couldn't help but snort at the comment. Though he quickly realized that he had momentarily thought his new servant funny and stopped.

"Uh, for tomorrow you need to repair my shield, wash my tunic, clean my boots, sharpen my sword, and polish my chainmail," Arthur listed off, beginning to walk away. Though he glanced over his shoulder to see Lia wish Merlin good luck and kiss him on the cheek before running off.

Now he was even more curious about the relationship between the apprentice and his servant.

| | |

Just after the reception ended, Gaius had sent Lia all over the castle, visiting each knight and asking them if they needed anything from the physician. Merlin was too busy polishing Arthur's armor, so Lia went by herself. By the time she had visited most of the knights, she had a long list of requests for everything from sleeping draughts to muscle relaxers, which she would need to rush back to Gaius in order for them to prepare and then deliver.

Most of the knights had been incredibly kind and considerate — they were knights after all — though perhaps a bit flirty. She couldn't count the number of times she had corrected them on the fact that she was not a lady, so there was no need for a formal title. Then, of course, they followed with the usual, "but you're certainly pretty enough to be a lady." Lia was actually quite happy Merlin hadn't been with her, as she could already hear his jokes at the expense of her looks.

Though she quickly wished she hadn't been alone as she ran into Sir Valiant.

Lia reached his chambers just as he did, likely returning from the reception or perhaps the armory. She greeted the knight with a kind smile and a curtsy.

"Hello, Sir Valiant. I've been by all the knights' rooms to see if you need anything after a day of fighting. Perhaps a pain reliever or something to help you rest?" she offered.

"I am not in need of such remedies. I'm fighting fit," he boasted, standing taller as he smiled at her.

"Of course. Well, if that is all, Sir, then I should be going back. Have a good night," Lia told him, turning to leave. However, she was stopped by a firm grip on her wrist. She quickly spun back around to face Valiant with wide eyes. "Did you need something else?"

"Only the company of a beautiful woman," he stated, moving closer. Lia took a careful step back, but couldn't get far as he kept his tight grip on her arm.

"I'm afraid that I must get back to work," Lia said, trying to keep her voice even. "Again, have a good night, Sir."

But Valiant did not let her go. His smile twisted into a smirk that could only be described as sinister. Instead, he walked her backward until her back hit the wall. Lia quietly gasped and looked around the empty hallway, hoping to spot a guard or anyone that could help her.

"Sir Valiant, you're hurting me," she said as if that would deter him. If anything, she was sure he tightened his grip on her wrist.

"It won't hurt long," he said as if assuring her. Lia opened her mouth to scream for the guards, but Valiant slammed his other hand over her mouth before she could get out more than a shout. "I wouldn't do that."

Lia struggled in his grip, but he only held her tighter, so tight that it hurt. Tears pricked at her eyes as he then began dragging her towards his door. No one could hear her muffled screams, or at least that's what she had convinced herself.

"What's going on here? Unhand her!"

A cry of relief left Lia's lips when Valiant let her go, throwing her to the ground. He was gone before Sir Leon could even reach Lia's side, helping her up. Leon watched the corner he disappeared around with a hard glare.

"I must go and stop him—"

"Please don't leave me, Sir Leon," Lia asked.

He turned to her and saw tears falling down her face. Leon nodded, knowing that the situation could be dealt with later. Hesitantly, he reached out and pulled the shoulder of her dress up, which Valiant had moved down.

"Let's get you back to Gaius," he told her softly. She nodded and let Leon lead her down the hall, on hand on his sword and the other hovering protectively behind her back — he did not touch her, knowing she may not have wanted him to. "Then I will speak with King Uther."

"No," Lia said, immediately. "I - I don't want to cause any trouble."

Leon looked at her in disbelief. "Cause any trouble? Lia, he attacked you! I fear what would've happened had I not shown up."

"Valiant is a knight, Sir Leon. You know as well as I that the King will not take my word over his."

"But he would take mine!" he insisted.

"Sir Leon, I'd rather just forget about this. He will only be here a few more days. I can avoid him until then," she explained.

"You do not want to report a man that attacked you. You lied to keep the King from finding out Arthur harmed you. Why is it that you are so insistent on letting men get away with doing you harm?" he asked with a sad look on his face.

"Trust me, Sir Leon, it is far better for someone like me to blend in. I don't need the attention that comes with an accusation like that," she told him, frowning. "And you should not compare Arthur to Valiant. He may be a bit rude and spoiled, but I do not think he'd ever attack a woman in such a way."

"You're right. I've known Arthur for a long time. In fact, he might've killed Valiant on the spot had he been the one to interrupt," Leon admitted. Then he sighed. "Lia, please let me help you."

As they neared the physician chambers, Lia gently squeezed his hand. "You already have, and I can never thank you enough."

"Are you sure you're alright, My Lady?" he asked as they stopped outside the door.

"I am now. I suppose I just need to be more careful in the coming days."

Leon didn't voice it, but he would be making sure that Lia was not in a position where she was alone that Valiant could take advantage of her once more. Whether she wanted it or not, he had become her unofficial bodyguard of sorts.

"Oh, and Sir Leon, I know you don't make a habit of talking to him, but don't mention this to Merlin. He worries far too much."

"He worries for good reason," he pointed out. "If Valiant even looks at you tomorrow, I'll run him through with my favorite sword."

Lia couldn't help but smile. "You have a favorite sword?"

"Every knight does," he said, grinning. "Her name is Muriel."

"Oh, now you're just jesting with me," she said, giggling.

"Maybe so, but it did cheer you up. I could not let you go to bed with such a despondent look on such a beautiful face."

"You're much too kind to me, Sir Leon."

"Just Leon."

Lia's cheeks heated up the faintest bit but held her composure. "Very well, just Leon. I bid you goodnight."

"Goodnight, Lia."

| | |

Perhaps it was because the knights now knew they would get to escort Lady Morgana to the feast at the end of the tournament, but as Gaius had said, the fights seemed to be much more violent. Lia had been so busy in the physician's tent with treating wounds that she had almost forgotten about Valiant's attack from the night before.

Of course, she knew Leon was hovering near her with a protective gaze. Lia did not ask him to leave though, as it actually brought her some comfort — even if it was unlikely for Valiant to do anything in broad daylight during the tournament.

After applying some bandages to a knight's arm, Lia heard her name called. Gaius had shouted for her to quickly come outside. After quickly grabbing her bag of supplies, she ran out with Gaius to the arena.

It had been Valiant's fight, which Lia did her best to ignore. She crouched down by the wounded knight's side, ignoring the crowd that cheered for Valiant. The knight, whose name was Sir Ewan, wasn't moving or responding to either Lia or Gaius.

"He's barely breathing," Lia mumbled while checking Sir Ewan's weak pulse.

"We need more than the tent. I'll have him moved to the castle," Gaius said, moving to speak to some guards to help lift him.

As Gaius stepped away, Lia could feel Valiant leering down at her. However, she did not dignify his presence with a response, instead focusing on her job. Moments later, two large guards arrived and they picked up Sir Ewan. Gaius and Lia followed swiftly, getting to work.

"He shouldn't be so unresponsive," Gaius muttered, confused.

"Well, what happened? I wasn't watching the fight," Lia told him. She pressed a wet cloth to Sir Ewan's forehead in an attempt to cool him down. "And he's burning up. Why would he have a fever from a simple battle wound?"

"Lia, come to this side," Gaius said, waving her to his side. He knelt over and peered at Ewan's neck. Once she was next to him, he showed her just what he was looking at. "What do those look like to you?"

"Is that... a snake bite?" she asked hesitantly.

Gaius sighed. "Let's monitor his other symptoms. We should not make any hasty conclusions."

And that is what they did. Slowly but surely, Lia and Gaius grew more and more convinced that Sir Ewan was suffering from the effects of snake venom. This, of course, had them stumped. Soon, Merlin entered the room, seemingly finished with his duties for the time being.

"How is he?" he immediately asked, setting down Arthur's armor.

"It's most odd. Look at this. See these two small wounds. Looks like a snake bite," Gaius explained to him.

"How could he've been bitten by a snake?" Merlin asked. "He was injured in the sword fight."

"Yes, but the symptoms match those of poisoning. His pulse is slow, he had a fever, and he's paralyzed," Lia told him.

"Can you heal him?"

"Well, if it is a snake bite, I'll have to extract venom from the snake that bit him to make an antidote," Gaius explained.

"What happens if he doesn't get the antidote?" Merlin asked.

Lia sighed and looked down at Sir Ewan, frowning at the sight. "He'll die. There's nothing else we can do for him."

"He was fighting Knight Valiant."

"What's that?" Gaius asked. Though Lia heard him clearly.

"Nothing," Merlin said, turning to leave hastily. Lia quickly caught him before he went out the door, grabbing his arm lightly. "What is it?"

"Just... please be careful," she said, biting her lip. "He could be dangerous."

"I can take care of myself, Lia. Promise."

"That's debatable," she mumbled as he ran off.

| | |

Merlin was not gone for long, and Lia was thankful that he returned unarmed. He ran in, sounding out of breath as if he had run all the way back. He glanced at Sir Ewan, who hadn't moved.

"I've just seen one of the snakes in Valiant's shield come alive. He's using magic," Merlin claimed.

"Are you sure?" Gaius asked, surprised.

"The snake ate a mouse - one swallow, straight down." Lia made a disgusted face, doing her best to not picture it. "Sir Ewan was fighting Valiant when he collapsed. It must've been one of the snakes from the shield. I have to tell Arthur."

Before Merlin could recklessly run off, Gaius stopped him. "Is there any chance you might be mistaken?"

"I know magic when I see it," Merlin insisted.

"Merlin, do you have any proof, though?"

Merlin looked crushed at the idea that Lia might have doubted him. "Don't you believe me?"

"Of course I believe you," she assured him, taking his hand. "I just want to make sure you aren't being reckless."

"I fear you'll land yourself in trouble. How will you explain why you were in Valiant's chambers?" Gaius asked him.

"What does that matter? He's using magic to cheat in the tournament!"

"But you can't go accusing a knight of using magic without proof," Gaius said, trying to reason with him. "The King would never accept the word of a servant over the word of a knight."

Merlin scoffed. "What? So what I say doesn't count for anything?"

"I'm afraid it counts for very little as far as the King is concerned. That's the way it is."

Instead of running off to Arthur, Merlin went to their chambers, clearly upset. Lia followed after him. He immediately sat on his bed and held his head in his hands.

"I'm more than just a servant," he mumbled, sounding frustrated.

"You're so much more than that," Lia agreed. She took a seat next to Merlin, who leaned against her. She sighed heavily. "But to the King — to Arthur — we are very little, I'm afraid."

"Yeah, well, you could be more if you wanted to be," Merlin muttered. "You could flash your seal and a few documents and never have to worry about anything ever again."

"Ah, but then I wouldn't get to see you every day, and you are my favorite person," she said, smiling as she hugged Merlin. "One day, you will earn Arthur's trust. I know it. But until then, at least we know that Valiant is cheating. I have faith that you will protect Arthur, but you must tread lightly. Be careful, for me."

"I suppose I can do that," he mumbled, smiling softly. "This'll be twice now that I've saved his life."

"Shall I start keeping score for you? That way one day you can rub it in his face?"

"What a glorious day that will be."

| | |

Lia was incredibly nervous the following day. Every time Valiant was near, she would watch him suspiciously. Her shadow — also known as Leon — had noticed as well, but chalked it up to her still being scared from the other night. But no, she was nervous because Valiant had won all his other fights. Even though he did not use the shield, he bested everyone else. Now, both Merlin and Lia were convinced that he would use his shield to kill Arthur in their final battle tomorrow.

They both sat across from Sir Ewan, who was slowly dying, feeling rather hopeless. They had no real idea of what to do now, knowing that no one would believe them if they claimed that magic snakes were responsible for Sir Ewan's injuries.

Soon, they were joined by Gaius. "Merlin, about what I said yesterday — look, Uther wouldn't really listen to you or me, but... you are right. We can't let Valiant get away with this."

"How?" Lia asked dejectedly.

"We don't have any proof," Merlin added.

"Well, if we could cure Ewan, he could tell the King that Valiant was using magic. The King would believe another knight. But how we get the antidote...Well, that's another matter."

Merlin stood suddenly and left the room, leaving behind a confused Gaius and Lia.

"Where's he going?" she asked, though Gaius didn't have an answer.

Though they soon got an answer. Merlin wasn't gone for a full ten minutes before he ran back in and slammed the head of a snake down on the table. Lia sat back, startled by the sight of the chopped-up animal.

"I'll get started preparing the antidote," Gaius said. He immediately got to work, fixing a jar to extract the venom. Lia watched the process carefully, never having dealt with snake venom before.

"I'm going to tell Arthur," Merlin declared.

"You'll need this," Gaius said, holding out the snake's head. "And Merlin, what you did was very brave."

Merlin smiled appreciatively before running off to find Arthur. Lia could only hope that he believed him. While Merlin tried to save the day, Gaius and Lia saved the knight. It took some time to concoct the antidote, but eventually, they managed to help Sir Ewan. It was early in the morning by the time they managed to wake him.

"Welcome back," Lia said, gently wiping the sweat from his face. His fever had only just broken.

"There was a snake on his shield. It came alive." Ewan tried to sit up, but Gauis kept him laying down.

"You're weak. The snake's venom is still in your system," he told him.

"I must warn Arthur," Ewan insisted.

"Arthur already knows. He's requested an audience with the King. Now, they'll want to talk to you. Rest. You'll need your strength. I need to fetch more herbs. I'll be right back."

Gaius left the room, but Lia remained by the knight's side. "Do not worry, Sir Ewan. You'll be back in fighting shape in no time," she said, smiling sweetly at him. "You must be very strong to have survived such an attack."

"Thank you, My Lady," he said, before coughing.

"I'll get you some water," she offered. Lia got up and turned her back to Ewan, grabbing an empty cup and filling it with some fresh water.

"My Lady!"

Lia turned when she heard Ewan's frightened shout and saw one of the snakes attacking him. She screamed and searched for some kind of weapon. The snake faced her and slithered near her until she was backed into a wall. Quickly, she reached for the knife that was usually used for cutting up different herbs and held it out towards the snake.

Upon seeing the weapon, the snake seemed to decide that attacking her wasn't worth it — or perhaps Valiant had only instructed the snake to kill one person. The snake slithered from the room faster than Lia thought possible, but who was she to question the speed of magic snakes. She did not bother to chase after it and instead ran to Ewan's side.

But it was too late.

He was dead.

It was a few minutes later that Gaius returned with the herbs that were no longer needed. He found Lia sitting on the floor next to Ewan, wiping tears from her eyes with one hand and tightly clutching a knife with the other.

"He's dead," she said, not looking away from the body. "One of the snakes — it - it came and I didn't see it in time to stop it."

Gaius sighed before helping Lia stand. He gently pulled the knife from her grasp as sat it down. "We have to tell Merlin."

Lia ran to the Throne Room, able to get there much quicker than Gaius. She entered just as King Uther was examining Valiant's shield, Arthur standing nearby with his sword ready. She slipped past Leon, who had been watching with some of the other knights.

"Merlin," she whispered softly.

Both Merlin and Arthur glanced back at her before Merlin quickly came over.

"What is it?" Merlin asked quietly as Arthur spoke against Valiant, claiming to have a witness.

"Sir Ewan is dead," she told him.

"What?" Merlin asked, trying to keep his voice down.

"One of the snakes came back to finish him off. Arthur has no witness."

"Where is this witness?" Uther asked loudly. Lia cringed, knowing the timing was horrible — though that was just what Valiant wanted.

Arthur turned to Merlin and Lia, before joining their side. "Where's Ewan?"

"He's dead," Lia regretfully informed him. She didn't want Merlin to have to bear the bad news.

"I'm waiting!" Uther shouted, tired of the whole situation.

"I'm sorry," Lia murmured to Arthur. There was no telling how angry Uther would be at him without a witness.

Arthur sighed and looked around the room. Everyone was looking at him expectantly, wanting an answer that he could no longer give. He glanced nervously at Valiant before accepting what had happened and stepping towards his father.

"I'm afraid the witness is dead."

"So you have no proof to support these allegations. Have you seen Valiant using magic?"

"No." Then Arthur glanced back at Merlin. "But my servant fought one of the snakes from—"

"Your servant? You made these outrageous accusations against a knight on the word of your servant?" Uther asked angrily.

"I believe he's telling the truth!" Arthur declared. Lia and Merlin shared a surprised look as Arthur defended him so publicly.

"My Lord, am I really to be judged on some hearsay from a boy?" Valiant interrupted.

Lia tried to grab Merlin before he ran forward, but she couldn't stop him. "I've seen those snakes come alive!"

"How dare you interrupt? Guards!" Uther called.

Lia gasped as two guards grabbed Merlin and dragged him off. She tried to protest, but Leon had suddenly held her back, knowing she would only be taken away too. He shook his head and she relaxed in his hold, knowing there wasn't anything she could do.

"My Lord," Valiant suddenly spoke.

"Wait!" Uther called to the guards. They stopped but kept their hold on Merlin.

"I'm sure he was merely mistaken. I wouldn't want him punished on my account," Valiant said.

"You see? This is how a true knight behaves - with gallantry and honor."

Leon could not help but scoff as Uther complimented Valiant, something that was only heard by Lia and Arthur.

"My Lord, if your son made these accusations because he's afraid to fight me, then I will graciously accept his withdrawal," Valiant stated, giving Arthur a pointed look.

"Is this true?" Uther asked, looking to Arthur with an even more disappointed look on his face. "Do you wish to withdraw from the tournament?"

"No!" Arthur insisted.

"Then what am I to make of these allegations?"

Arthur didn't know what to say and was mentally cursing Merlin in his mind. Now he stood in front of the whole court, looking like a complete fool. "Obviously there has been a misunderstanding. I withdraw the allegation against Knight Valiant. Please accept my apology."

"Accepted."

Then Arthur stormed out of the room, Merlin following as soon as the guards released him. For such a small moment, it felt like everything had fallen into place, only for everything to come crashing down around them.

| | |

That night, Arthur had trouble sleeping. He was nervous about the fight and he feared the shield being used on him. Despite his refusal to withdraw, he did believe Merlin's claims. So, he found himself on the training grounds, trying to relieve some of his anger on training.

He thought he was alone until he heard someone clearing their throat. Arthur spun around quickly and pointed his sword at the visitor. Though, when he saw Lia's unthreatening figure, he lowered the weapon. He rolled his eyes and stared down at his sword.

"What, are you here to yell at me for firing Merlin or try and convince me to withdraw?"

"Neither, actually," she said, surprising him. Arthur glanced up at her, raising an eyebrow. "He lasted longer than I thought as your manservant. Morgana owes me a gold coin."

He couldn't help but chuckle and walk over to her. "You made a wager about how quickly I'd fire him?"

"Yeah. Morgana had much more faith in him than I," she admitted.

Arthur studied her. "One would think you'd be rooting for him, not against."

"I like rooting against Merlin sometimes," she said, grinning. "That way, he always ends up surprising me." There was a moment of silence before Lia grew more serious. "But he wasn't lying, Arthur. I was there when the snake came back to kill Sir Ewan."

"Were you hurt?" Arthur immediately asked, worried for her safety.

"Yes, I am alright," she assured him. "I just don't want to see you harmed tomorrow."

Arthur sighed and shook his head. "I've already told you that I will not withdraw."

"I know and I am not asking you to. You have a duty to Camelot and you cannot ignore it. But Camelot also needs its King."

"I'm not the King," he said, rolling his eyes.

"No, but you will be," Lia said as if he needed reminding. "Camelot needs its King alive. I do not care about the honor and code of knights or proper tournament etiquette. You need to do whatever you can to beat him and those snakes. I know that a magic shield sounds scary, but if Merlin can kill one of the snakes, then surely you can kill two."

Arthur appreciated her words greatly, and she had even managed to ease some of his nerves. But his pride seemed to get in the way, not allowing him to voice the sentiment.

"Was that supposed to be a pep talk?" he asked, trying not to smile but Lia caught it.

"That depends on if it worked."

"You should go back to your chambers, Lia. It's late," he said. In his own odd way, it was Arthur's way of caring about her wellbeing.

"Goodnight, Sire, and good luck," she said, nodding her head before leaving for the castle.

Arthur watched her go until he could not see her anymore. Lia puzzled him. He had been nothing but an ass to her in their past interactions, yet there she was, asking him to stay safe. Once Lia and her calming presence were gone, he swung his sword around in frustration.

However, he wasn't alone for long, as it seemed the Prince was very popular that night. His training was once again interrupted by Sir Leon entering the training grounds. He looked around for a few moments before walking up to Arthur.

"Have you seen Lia?" he asked, once again searching the grounds with his eyes.

"Um, yeah," Arthur said, frowning. "She's just headed back to the castle. Probably to her chambers. Why?"

Leon sighed heavily. "I've been... watching her."

Arthur scoffed. "Leon, I know you find her pretty, but I dare say stalking the girl isn't the way to win her heart."

"I'm not trying to win her heart," Leon said, rolling his eyes. Surprisingly, he meant it. Sure, he liked to flirt with the beautiful woman, but he cared more for her safety than anything. "I've been keeping an eye on her the last few days, but now I'm worried that with the accusations against Valiant that—"

"What's Valiant got to do with Lia?" Arthur asked, growing confused. "It's not like she's the one that accused him."

Leon looked towards the floor, wanting to avoid the Prince's gaze. They had been friends for a long time, meaning Arthur was fairly good at reading him.

"Oh, come out with whatever it is you're hiding," Arthur said, rolling his eyes.

"The first night of the tournament, I came across them outside Valiant's chambers. He attacked her, Sire. And had I not arrived, he would've..." Leon trailed off, not wanting to think of it.

Arthur's fist tightened around the hilt of his sword and anger filled his eyes. "And just why isn't he in chains? My father should've been told the moment it happened."

Leon sighed once more. "She did not want to sire."

"Why on earth not?" he asked, appalled at the idea of letting a monster like that go after what he did.

"Well, My Lord," Leon hesitated for just a moment, "it was probably because of exactly what happened in the throne room earlier."

He saw Arthur's jaw tighten, knowing exactly what he had meant. King Uther hadn't believed his own son's accusations towards Valiant. Why would he believe Lia, someone who was no better than a servant in his eyes? The fact was, even with Leon finding them, Valiant easily could've claimed that despite how rough it appeared, anything that happened between him and Lia was consensual. Not only that, but he could've made her a target with his shield.

"I have to kill him," Arthur said suddenly after a few moments of tense silence.

"Of course, Sire. If he is truly using magic then—"

"Not for the magic," Arthur said in a firm tone. "I will not let him get away with treating a lady so vilely."

He would not let him get away with treating Lia so vilely.

| | |

Lia could not find it in herself to cheer from her seat next to Morgana as Arthur entered the arena. He stood across from Valiant, and they glared at each other before putting on their helmets. They both drew their weapons before Valiant shouted, charging at Arthur.

The fight was the worst one of the whole tournament, and it grew more violent by the second. It was more than a fight to win. Lia, Leon, Morgana, Gwen, and those that believed Arthur knew it was a fight to the death. They could only hope that the future king of Camelot came out alive.

Halfway into the fight, Merlin ran up to the entrance to the arena. Lia spotted him and hoped he somehow knew how to fix the situation. With each blow that Arthur took, Lia worried more and more for his safety.

Arthur managed to get in some good hits of his own, though. He even managed to knock Valiant's helmet off. However, Lia was appalled when he removed his own helmet to even the odds. She would call him a dumbass to his face if he managed to survive.

Valiant grinned evilly at the now vulnerable Prince. By removing his helmet, he had provided a clear target for his snakes to attack when the time came. Valiant changed once more and hit Arthur's face with his shield, knocking him to the ground. The crowd gasped as Valient stood over Arthur, stepping on his own shield to keep him on the ground. Arthur quickly let it go and rolled away just before Valiant managed to strike him with a fatal blow. But without his shield, it was all too easy for Valiant to knock Arthur's sword from his hand.

Arthur managed to hold off Valiant's attacks with his strength alone, but he wouldn't last long. Merlin finally began to chant his spell. Moments later, the two snakes came out of Valiant's shield. The crowd stopped their cheering and everyone stood up in surprise.

"What are you doing?" Valiant shouted at the snakes. "I didn't summon you!"

"He is using magic," Uther realized.

"And now they see you for what you really are," Arthur stated.

Valiant chuckled before his eyes landed on Arthur, who was still defenseless. The snakes fell completely from the shield and landed on the ground. "Kill him!"

Arthur backed into the wall of the arena, not sure of a way out of the situation. However, Morgana quickly grabbed the sword off a nearby knight.

"Arthur!" she shouted before tossing him the weapon.

Arthur caught the sword and then quickly killed both of the snakes. Then he took on Valiant. It was not long before he managed to disarm him and run him through with the blade. He held Valiant's body up to whisper in his ear, which no one else could hear over the cheering, his eyes landing on a relieved Lia.

"You will never touch her again."

| | |

Lia stood next to Merlin at the feast, wearing a simple blue dress. She was incredibly proud of Merlin and how he had saved Arthur, something she made sure he knew. If no one else was going to thank him, then she'd do so any chance she got.

"My honourable guests, I give you Prince Arthur, your champion," Uther announced to the guests.

Everyone applauded as Arthur entered, offering his arm to Morgana. She smiled happily up at him as he escorted her towards their table.

"See," Merlin whispered to Lia and Gaius. "I told you he gets all the girls and the glory."

"And he owes it all to you," Gaius stated before wandering off.

"You are a hero, once again," Lia said, linking her arm with Merlin and leaning into his side. "This truly is your destiny."

"Yes, once more I have saved the life of your future husband."

Lia couldn't help but snort. "Don't call him that."

"Well, it's the truth according to the Great Dragon," Merlin said, smirking down at her. "You can't believe in my destiny but not your own."

"I'll believe what I choose to believe. Besides, I believe that he could very easily end up marrying Lady Morgana."

Merlin observed how Morgana and Arthur had begun bickering quietly like siblings. "Something tells me they won't."

Then Morgana had stalked away from Arthur with an annoyed look on her face. Arthur stomped over to Merlin's side, clearly annoyed at the Ward.

"Can you believe Morgana? She says she saved me. Like I needed any help," he muttered angrily.

Lia couldn't hold back a snicker, so she hid her grin in Merlin's shoulder. Arthur noticed her amusement but did not comment on it. Instead, he focused on her servant — or rather, his ex-servant.

"I wanted to say I made a mistake. It was unfair to sack you." He spoke quietly as if he didn't want anyone to overhear.

Merlin bit back a smile. "No, don't worry about it. Buy me a drink and call it even."

Arthur scoffed. "Uh, I can't be seen to be buying drinks for my servant."

"Your servant? You sacked me," Merlin reminded him.

"Now I'm rehiring you," Arthur simply stated. Merlin snorted, but his amusement quickly disappeared as Arthur began listing duties. "My chambers are a complete mess. My clothes need washing. My, uh, armor needs repairing. My boots need cleaning. My dogs need exercising. My fireplace needs sweeping. My bed needs changing. And someone needs to muck out my stables."

Lia giggled, not trying to hide her amusement anymore. "Well, I have to give that gold coin back to Morgana. Shame."

"You've been placing bets on me?" Merlin asked though he didn't sound too surprised.

"What?" she asked innocently. "Maybe I was gonna buy you a present with my winnings — what with you not having a job and all."

"Ah yes, but I've gotten the job back."

"Well, then I bet you need to get to work. You've got stables to muck out and dogs to walk," Lia said, before shooting an amused smile at Arthur. "Right, My Lord?"

He grinned before nodding at Merlin. "She's right. Get to work, Merlin."

Lia laughed, but before Merlin went off, he knelt down to whisper in her ear. "Have fun with your future husband — ow!"

She had quickly smacked him on the back of the head, sending him off. Arthur gave her a questionable look, but there was no way Lia was going to give him an honest answer.

"I suppose I must offer my congratulations, My Lord," Lia said, smiling softly. "I will not lie. You had me worried there for a moment."

"You know, I thought I saw something akin to relief on your face at the end," Arthur said in a teasing tone. "And here I thought you hated me."

Lia playfully rolled her eyes. "I do not hate you—"

"You should," he said suddenly. Lia was surprised by the sincere amount of guilt that she could see in his eyes. "I don't think I ever actually apologized for the way I treated you when I first arrived."

"Well, I also didn't really give you an opportunity to," she said. "I told you to get lost any time you even tried to."

"Still," he said, shaking his head. "I am sincerely sorry for being so rude, as well as mistreating you, and taking your ribbon."

"Don't forget the part where you almost beheaded me." The grin on Lia's face told Arthur that she wasn't mad about the incident anymore.

"Right," he said, wincing. "I was horrible, and despite my unforgivable actions, I ask that you do forgive me."

Guilty blue eyes met kind brown ones. "You're already forgiven, My Lord."

The pair shared a small, but meaningful look. But then as Uther called his son over, and Lia joined Gaius' side at the feast table, the moment passed. However, neither of them would forget it.