CHECKMATE [ARTHUR PENDRAGON]

Chapter 3: Valiant II

Disclaimer: I do not own BBC's Merlin, their characters nor their plot. I do however own the Princess Arwyn and Sir Geralt. Their character and story arcs remain my intellectual property.  

A gentle frown creased her brow as she stood next to Morgana in the council chambers, with her knight directly behind her in his usual protective stance. She had barely awoken when Sir Geralt had barged into her chambers alerting her to the fact that Arthur had summoned the court and so she had quickly slipped into a light lilac dress, pulled a hairbrush through her long curls and dumped her circlet on top of her head in the most unladylike manner – much to Meredith's dismay as she arrived to fix the royal disaster.

Just as the young princess' mind began to wander, the king stormed into the court – his mood apparent in his expression and the heaviness of his footing.

"Why have you summoned the court?"

Arwyn had to admit that she was impressed as Arthur maintained his resolve under the intense glare of his father as he responded, simply: "I believe Knight Valiant is using a magic shield to cheat in the tournament."

At the young man's statement, many members of the royal court frowned in disbelief and muttered to one another until the King raised his hand to silence them and turned to the man in question: "Valiant, what do you have to say to this?"

"My Lord, this is ridiculous. I've never used magic." The knight responded defensively. "Does your son have any evidence to support this outrageous accusation?"

The court watched as the prince summoned his servant. A gentle frown narrowed Arwyn's eyes as she watched the boy present the head of a snake to King Uther; she had never seen a snake in Camelot and that fact, alongside her kinship with Merlin, led her to considered the accusation.

"Let me see this shield." The king ordered, holding a hand out in anticipation.

As Merlin whispered something inaudible to the prince, the blonde drew his sword and warned his father to take caution. The room remained eerily silent as each individual awaited the king's verdict whilst he ran a hand over the inanimate snakes. Whilst more whispers were passed between Arthur and his manservant, Knight Valiant spoke up:

"As you can see, My Lord, it's just an ordinary shield."

"He's not going to let everyone see the snakes come alive!" Arthur scoffed in an accusatory tone mixed with defensiveness.

"Then how am I to know that what you say is true?" The grey-haired man asked his son, handing the shield back to the knight with an expression that convinced the young princess that he viewed the summoned court as an inconvenience.

Arwyn's eyebrows rose slightly as Arthur informed the small group that Knight Ewain had been bitten by a snake. She easily recalled the fight in which the purple cladded knight had fallen to the ground, before falling into an unconsciousness that many believed had been due to the force of his opponent's strikes. She listened as the prince alerted his father to the fact that the knight had seen the snakes and although he was gravely ill, he had received an antidote and was willing to testify that Valiant was using magic to cheat in the tournament. As the King asked where the witness was, the princess began to believe the tale that was being spun. She was no stranger to sorcery as the laws in her father's kingdom were much more relaxed; the court physician and her father's advisor both studied and practised magic.

"I'm waiting!" Uther bellowed causing the young women to jump slightly as Arthur, Merlin and Gaius whispered in the corner.

As the blonde royal turned to face his father again, his expression was solemn and sliver of fear was evident to the keenest of spectators: "I am afraid the witness is dead."