Lady Knight Missione (Merlin fanfic)

Chapter Four

We walk in silence for a few minutes as I try to get up my courage and ask him if he is alright. It is harder than I thought. I don't have much courage so this is extremely difficult and I am a nervous wreck. I can't stop biting my lip, and my hands won't stop trying to straighten my shirt that is not at all wrinkled. I do this all the time, getting worked up over a simple question when I remember something from a few years ago.

"You're leaving?" I ask sadly as my older brother carries all of his bags to his car. I am sitting outside on the grass soaking up the last moments of summer as fall is soon approaching and I will soon have to return back to school.

"Yeah." He answers not looking at me and walking back inside to grab one last bag. He places it in the trunk of his minivan and turns towards me as if waiting for me to ask the question that we both know is burning on my lips.

"W" – Is all I get out before stopping abruptly afraid to ask and getting all nervous again.

My brother sighs and says, "This is your problem Lex, you have no courage. That's why you let me, dad, and everyone else walk all over you."

He turns from me and without looking back, walks into his car. I stand there, staring down the road as he drives away, from me, from everything. I feel ashamed to be myself, to be the person I am and right in that moment is the first time where I truly wanted to disappear, to exist no longer.

My brother was right all those years ago but not anymore, I have changed, no I will change and I will show him. I'll ask Elie and I'll help him because he is my friend. I care about him. I won't let everyone walk all over me.

"Elie..." I say hesitantly after a few more minutes.

"Yes?" He asks politely as usual.

I look at him, taking in his appearance once again. He is a few inches or so taller than my five foot five height and unlike me his frame is strong with muscles clearly bulging. His short cropped black hair is messy, in all directions and it seems as if it should be combed down. His hair doesn't match his eyes at all that are a light milk chocolate brown that I can get lost in. He has, unlike most guys, a small nose that matches his medium sized peachy lips and his oval sized head. He walks with a grace that only have I ever seen in richer people or even royalty. All in all he is handsome and charming.

"Are, are you all right? Did – did something hap – happen?" I ask nervously while fidgeting with the last button on my jacket.

"A lot of things but you don't need to worry about it."

I didn't need to worry about it? I already am.

"It's alright if you don't want to tell me, but just know that you can, Eliot."

He stiffens at his full name and it feels as if he has put invisible walls up all around him but then suddenly it is as if they all come crumbling down.

"I was eight years old when something terrible happened and it was my fault." He starts. "Let me start at the beginning. I was born into the household of Orwin, one of the five kingdoms of Albion. I was the first son and heir to the throne. I lived a privileged life and learned many things but when I was eight I – I saw something that I will never forget. My father in the embrace of another woman."

I stare intently at him but he never looks my way as he continues his tale, "I got so angry that I threw a burning candle their way and fortunately it missed them but not until catching the drapes a flame. My father swore at me and everyone who was near, in turn I saw how angry he could be. I was so scared of him that I ran stupidly to the fire and tried to put it out. I was successful but my own body suffered and I passed out.

"I woke up in the cottage of Al's screaming and thrashing in pain. He healed my burns through a course of months. It was two years when I was finally fully healed but I didn't want to go back home and Al never pushed. I stayed and did chores, earning my keep. I did a lot of thinking and I decided that I want to be a better ruler then my father, a better person so I asked Al to teach me when I was thirteen. He accepted and that is why I am here.

"When I finish I plan on going to the legendary and powerful city of Camelot and hopefully find allies there before moving on to my kingdom, my home. But I never will forget that day for it changed my life forever and it left me these."

He turns to me, both of us stopping as he pulls his shirt down slightly to reveal only what I can assume is a small portion of his scars. His shirt went back up just as quickly and before he can move on walking I do something I haven't done in a very long time.

I hug him. It is stiff but he relaxes into it and we stand there for a few minutes before turning away from another and keep walking.

"I'm not much of a hugger." I say to him thinking of one of the only times I've really ever hugged anyone, which was when I had a friend, a best friend. But they are gone. Now I have Elie, Al, and even Alex. I smile slightly thinking of them and say to Elie, "So don't expect that always."

He smiles a little in a humorous way and we walk on in a comfortable silence.

When we get there I find it to be a small house with another building not too far away. The doors are open and a middle aged man is there tending to something over a fire. We walk up there and the middle aged man looks up. He and Elie start to discuss something but I am not listening. I am too distracted by what I see.

There are swords hanging up all around. There are so many different shapes and sizes, it is wonderful. I am in awe. I immediately single one out among the rest and walk up towards it. It is around the right size but maybe a little bigger then I need but I am alright with that. I carefully take it off of its hanger and examine it. I then pull it out of the scabath and hold it up. It feels like good balance, maybe a little heavier then what I need, but I'll grow into it. It is perfect.

I don't realise they are staring at me until I turn around. I only shrug it off as best as I can and say to them, "I'll take this one."

"That is the last sword my grandfather ever made. He said that it would be sitting there for the right person. No one's ever touched it after he put it there." Says the black smith with sadness in his voice.

"I'm sorry I'll get a different one." I say sincerely.

"No keep it, I think you're the right person."

I am a little surprised but after we trade he asks us to stay for dinner and we accept. After some stew we go back but get there late. Elie explains why and all is forgotten. The sword though, my sword is something special, I can tell. And with my sword hanging by my side I feel, for once in my life, pure happiness.

I smile widely.