Enemies Within - Merlyn [3]

Chapter Nineteen - Gwaine Drinks ... A Lot

Happy New Year's Eve

***

It was fair to say that Merlyn was not happy upon entering the tavern that night. With Gwen having arrived with news of Gwaine and his drunken escapade, Merlyn had to go storming to the tavern only to find a barkeeper holding Gwaine up whilst the innkeeper was blood red furious with a parchment in his hand which had been shoved into her hands upon her moment of entry. Merlyn couldn't believe what she was looking at:

· 14 quarts of mead

· 3 flagons of wine

· 5 quarts of cider

· 4 dozen pickled eggs

Merlyn lifted her gaze to Gwaine and glared at the man.

"You drank all this?" she shouted at him, hitting the paper to emphasis her point. How the hell had he drank this much in a day was beyond Merlyn. Gwaine however just kept smiling at Merlyn unaware of her annoyance at him.

"With some help from my new friends!" he announced as he lifted his hand and waved at the group of citizens who were all as drunk as Gwaine in the corner, raising their tankards and cheering at the man. They had all taken advantage of another buying the tankards clearly.

"He says that he hasn't got any money" the innkeeper said while Merlyn returned her attention to him. Merlyn's eyes widened as suddenly the man reached forward and grabbed her lapels of her jacket and pulled her in so that her face was mere centimetres from hers. "So, it looks like you'll have to pay."

"I can't afford this" Merlyn said back waving the paper around. No one could afford this. "Why on earth did you let him rack up a bill like this?! No one could afford this!" Merlyn turned her frustration onto the innkeeper who thought it was appropriate to blame her. The innkeeper's face dropped and his face fell into shock as Merlyn poked her finger into his chest. The shock was quickly dropped as the innkeeper retightened his grip, his need for money over running his shock.

"You better find someone who can." Suddenly, his threat was ended by the sound of a body hitting the floor. The laugh that followed told Merlyn it was Gwaine who had fallen. Everyone in the tavern fell silent at the noise whilst Merlyn pushed the innkeeper off her with a grunt. She was only dealing with one at a time that was for sure. With a gesture towards Gwen, the pair moved over to the drunk handsome man and together they lifted the man up, taking an arm each.

"Come on Handsome" Merlyn muttered as they began making their way out of the tavern, they passed the innkeeper who was still angrily snapping at them. "I'll find someone to pay your damn bill." The only person who could heft such a bill.

~8~

It did not take long for the two maidservants to drag the young man back to Merlyn's chambers where they quickly deposited the man on the bed. Knowing Gwen had to get back to Morgana, Merlyn quickly sent her off before turning to deal with the man whose blood was more alcohol than anything else.

"You're the best friend I've ever had" Gwaine said as he flopped onto the single bed that had become his for the time being.

"You seem to have quite a few" Merlyn quipped as she watched the man fall into laughter, his drunken state making Merlyn smile despite herself.

"Oh, I'd love to see Arthur's face when he gets that bill" Gwaine laughed as he slipped his hands under his head. His words caught Merlyn's attention causing the girl to narrow her eyes plonk herself down on the bottom of the bed.

"Right, what is it with you and nobles?" she demanded to know.

"Oh nothing" Gwaine shrugged off but after taking one look at an unimpressed Merlyn he realised an answer was very much needed. "My father was a knight in Caerleon's army." It was safe to say Merlyn hadn't expected that though it brought the question as to why a family of a knight would hate royalty, what had Caerleon done? "He died in battle, leaving my mother penniless. And when she went to the king for help, he turned her away." Merlyn's face fell at the news why were all kings such bastards?