The One Where All The Knights Love Fem!Merlin

Percival

Percival knew exactly why he should not fall in love with Merlin, but for some reason, his heart refused to listen to his brain.

When Percival first met Lancelot, the wan was wandering aimlessly. Lancelot was so clearly depressed and heartbroken that Percival could not help but buy him a drink at the next town. They became quick friends. Eventually, Lancelot revealed the reason for his wanderings.

He had met a beautiful servant girl with long, silky black hair and stunning blue eyes with flecks of gold. She was lean and graceful, yet adorably clumsy. The girl was kind and thoughtful, and also very brave. Her name was Merlin, and she was perfect.

"I don't see the problem," Percival had said. 

The problem was that Lancelot was not the only one who had fallen for Merlin. When Merlin was kidnapped, Lancelot happened to find her and planned to rescue her. He failed. Luckily, they were rescued by Prince Arthur himself. That was when Lancelot had realized that Arthur was also in love with Merlin. "I could not bring myself to come in between them," Lancelot had told him. "Especially if she loved him back. My love for her runs far too deep to force her to choose."

"Does she love him back?" Percival asked.

"I don't know." 

That was why Percival knew he should not fall in love with Merlin. Lancelot loved her. Prince Arthur loved her. That would only create tension and chaos.

And yet, Percival  could not help himself. Everything that Lancelot had told him was true. She was beautiful, inside and out.

-

After being knighted and assisting in the reclaiming of Camelot from the hands of Morgause, Percival found himself apart of Prince Arthur's most trusted group of knights. "The Knights of the Round Table," was what they called themselves. The only thing was that they were strangers who had just happened to come together for a cause. This is why Arthur decided, likely through some persuasion, was that a hunting trip was in order.

Of course, since when do hunting trips ever end well?

They had just set up camp for the evening when a large group of bandits attacked them. Now, normally this would not be a problem, but the knights were tired from a long day's hunt. No one could blame them for being a little off their game. Plus, they were outnumbered three to one. 

"Merlin! Hide!" Arthur ordered the maidservant.

Merlin did as he said and took refuge behind a tree off to the side and the fight began.

In his peripheral vision, Percival saw a blur of blue. He glanced to the side to see Merlin weaving through the bandits and trees. She would throw a bandit off balance with a determined look on her face and then hide behind a tree before anyone could catch her. The occasional rock would be thrown straight at a bandit's head. As soon as things cleared up, Percival noticed that Merlin had returned to the original tree that she hid behind. "Is it over?" Merlin asked, as if she had no been involved at all.

"Yes, it's over," Arthur sighed. "You can come out now."

Later that night, Percival pulled Merlin off to the side. "That was really brave, what you did back there."

"I'm not sure I know what you mean," Merlin replied.

"Helping out with the attack, throwing rocks at the bandits, kicking them off balance."

"That couldn't have been me," Merlin insisted. "I was behind the tree that whole time."

Percival gave Merlin an unimpressed look.

Merlin huffed. "Fine. But let's keep this between you and me, 'kay?"

"But why? You're incredibly brave and you deserve recognition for helping."

"You could say I'm a.... secret protector. But it wouldn't be much of a secret if everyone knows now would it?"

"Alright Merlin, as you say. Does anyone else know?"

"No. And I'd like to keep it that way."

-

That was not the last time Percival saw Merlin assisting them during attacks. He kept his word to her and did not tell, although he did not quite understand why she was so keen on keeping it a secret. Perhaps there was a story behind it...

Anyways.

Percival, much like Leon, decided the best course of action was to not pursue a relation with Merlin. He knew for a fact that he did not love her as much as Lancelot, and he could never hurt his friend that way. The best thing to do was watch from afar.

This is just a filler chapter...

Have you noticed... that each man knows a secret about Merlin, but none of them are the same?