What If? {Merlin}

The Once and Future Queen

Arthur POV

I was talking too Merlin when Leon had come in, "Sire, Lady Kylynn and Lady Morgana want to speak with you," he said. I nodded and sent Merlin off to do some things and walked with Leon back to one of the chambers belonging to the girls. I walked in and saw a serious looking Kylynn and Morgana and I knew they saw something. "You need to go into hiding, you can still participate in the tournament but hide. I cannot tell you more than that but it would give you time to have some attention off of you," Kylynn said. We sat and discussed plans and then Leon and I walked off to start off the plans.

When I was training with some other knights, I made myself be blinded by the flash of light, leaving me vulnerable and Leon pulls out instead of attacking. "Why did you pull out, I was wide open? You could have unhorsed me," I argued.

"I was fearful that I might injure you, Sire," Leon said.

"You had the advantage. You can't afford to hesitate."

"I wouldn't have done if I were facing a different opponent. You are the future king, My Lord," Leon's mouth twitched which I tried to ignore, he wouldn't have cared if I was next in line for the throne, we would have gone and done it anyway knowing that I hate people using that against me as a reason as to why they won't try and fight me.

"You jousted against me in the tournament last year. Are you saying you let me win?"

"No, My Lord," I know he told the truth, he had the bruises to prove it last year.

"It doesn't matter who I am! I do not expect any special treatment from you, from any of you! Is that understood?" All the knights eventually nodded. I really just wanted another person to not care if I was the Prince or not and would just fight me. Lancelot and Ewan were two of them, so was William, but there all in Kylynn's kingdom because two won't come here if my father was still ruling and the other got banished, well, at least until I take over.

After ranting to Merlin, and finding him all of a sudden telling me what I want to hear, "You're Prince Arthur. You can't change who you are."

"Yes I can," I said as if I had just come up with the idea.

At dinner, I managed to convince my father about a beast being spotted near a far away border and that I would miss the tournament. I don't know if Merlin picked up on my interest like Morgana and Kylynn did, but next thing I knew I was staying in Mauve's house while I was hiding. "My Lord," she said quietly.

"Mauve. It's good of you to let me stay in your home," I said.

"I'm happy to help," she had a slight bit of worry in her eyes, I think she knew why I was supposed to be hiding.

"Food," Merlin whispered to her. "Right, I'll prepare some food," she leaves not before whispering to Merlin. We were both keeping up the act that we didn't want to other staying there.

"How are the preparations coming along? Have we found someone to play our knight in the tournament?"

"Absolutely. He's a farmer form one of the outlying villages, and no one will recognize him," well clearly neither did Merlin. It was actually William from Ealdor that was "dead", he was wearing a disguise, while Kylynn did not have anyone that specialized in illusions, she was able to make one with Morgana's help, and she wouldn't let Mauve help for some reason. "But does he look the part?" I knew he would do well; he had no interest in magic, only if he needed to defend himself without his weapon so he knows some basic stuff, but according to Lancelot, Ewan, and Kylynn, he could match me in battle.

"Great," I said as I looked over William with Merlin, Gwen, and Mauve. He was washed and dressed and given a seal of nobility. "From now on, you're Sir William of Daira. Imagine you're really...arrogant. Knights like to think they're so much better than everyone else," Merlin said. William does a rather silly walk to match what Merlin said. Mauve and Gwen were behind us, watching in amusement.

"It's not arrogance. Ignore him, he's an idiot. A knight must behave with honor and nobility," I said and William starts to walk with a strut and by now the girls were quietly laughing while I was trying not to. "That's better...better. You must convince everyone that you were born into a nobility family," I said.

William turned to Merlin," Polish my armor, boy," he said with a superior tone.

"Now you're gettin' the hang of it," I praised. William laughed and I added, "That's a good point, you do need to polish our armor."

"Yeah," William added. As we walked away with the girls, "You've always wanted to say something like that to him, haven't you?" I asked him.

"Oh yeah," he replied and the girls finally laughed out loud. I head back to Mauve's place with her, "So what is the sleeping situation?"

She smirked, "Depends on if you want the bed to yourself or not?" I smirked back. I didn't have to say anything as we both lay down on the bed and go to sleep (not any other stuff).

"Now, remember the plan. I'm competing in the tournament, but no one will know that it's me. All you have to do is acknowledge the crowd at the end of the match. Act like you belong there and people will believe that you do," I explained to William. Merlin and I watched my father give his speech to the crowd and then got ready.

"From what I hear, the ladies of the court are quite impressed with Sir William. They think he's very handsome," Mauve teased.

"Well he's done rather good for not training long, I'll give him that," I said.

"So how is it not being recognized?"

"A bit refreshing, I don't get any special treatments from anybody," I told her, "Do you have a bathtub?"

"No I just use a spell," she said. She used it on me and I felt coldness all over me that I knew was her magic, "That felt weird," I noticed. She smiles and nodded, "It does at first."

My next tournament match up was with Leon, I had beat him this time and properly. I had decided to surprise Mauve and cook something for her for dinner. Thankfully Kylynn knew how to and we would sneak into the kitchens and she would teach me along with Morgana. I had managed to make a chicken dinner before she had arrived. I pulled out the chair for her and we sat down having a decent conversation. "I guess Kylynn's lessons paid off," was all she said after I asked about the dinner.

Towards the end of dinner, Merlin came running in, "Arthur, there's an assassin in Camelot. He's here to kill you." I looked at Mauve who had a look on her face which told me this is what Kylynn and Morgana had seen. After mentioning the name Odin, I immediately thought of the boy who wouldn't withdrawal, the times I hate knight's honor, he looked so scared. I told Merlin and Mauve that and they understood. I continued to stay with Mauve for the time being. "He will be killed, you just needed to be hiding, nobody other than that guy would have gotten hurt," Mauve explained.

The next morning, I had been preparing to leave for the last match I would have. "Good luck," Mauve says. Deciding to be bold, "Oh, I know what will definitely give me good luck," I said. I put my hands on her face so she would face me and kissed her. The kiss lasted for a bit before I pulled away, "I must go," I said. She had a bright red face after I left.

Somehow, in the last match, the assassin had gotten past the guards and used a deadly lance to pierce my armor. Mauve helped me back into the tent and looked at the wound as Leon, who had seen what happened, discreetly kept watch for somebody coming in as Mauve's eyes glowed and she partly healed the wound, enough for me to go back out. I had seen a strap on his horse randomly come undone, allowing me to knock him over from his horse. I told William to go out and get the recognition while I stayed back. I showed up later in front of my father with my bloody armor and bandages, claiming that I got attacked on the way back and managed to convince to not attack Odin back. I greeted Mauve with a smile from where she stood with two widely grinning Camelot wards.