Love, Faith and Family

Chapter 74

Merlin stood with the king in his tent, strapping on his armour as the king was to go off to fight in single combat. He struck an accord with the queen of Carleon, Annis, saying that if he won the fight in single combat, her army would retreat from Camelot's lands completely. But if she won, half of all Camelot was hers. And while he'd selected himself as champion, Annis had selected a large brute of a man named Derian.

"Not too tight, Merlin. You don't want to kill me before I've even started," Arthur groaned before Merlin loosened the strap and chuckled.

"Sorry."

"Merlin, can I ask you something?" Arthur asked as he turned to face his servant.

"Of course, sire."

"If I were to ask your sister to marry me, would I have your blessing?"

Merlin was slightly gobsmacked. It wasn't every day that a king asked for his servant's blessing or permission on something.

"Merlin?" Arthur prompted, anxiously awaiting his answer.

"Sorry! Yes! You have my blessing."

Arthur held his hand out for Merlin to shake which he did.

"Thank you, old friend. For everything," he said, making Merlin smile before he pulled off his glove and slid the silver ring from his index finger. "If this day should prove to be my last, please give this to Mira. And tell her that as usual, she was right and I'm sorry," he asked as he held out the ring to Merlin who held up a finger.

"Hold that thought," he said as he raced to the tent opening and Arthur furrowed his brow as Merlin let out a loud whistle and then came the sound of someone swearing like a pagan.

"Put me down you thick-headed bastards! I take it back! I don't care if you survive! Put me down!" Miriam yelled as Gwaine, Leon, Percival and Elyan carried her into the tent, each holding a limb tightly before they set her down and pulled her hood off. "Traitors," she spat, regretting her decision to be friends with them and trust them with the fact that she was sneaking off to join them because they sold her out to her big brother.

"We shall leave you two to chat," Merlin said with a smirk as they walked from the tent, Gwaine giving his best friend a saucy wink.

"Are you going to say something or are we going to continue to stand here in an awkward silence?" she asked as Arthur slid the ring back onto his finger, startled from his shock.

"How-how are you here? When did you get here? I watched you stand in the courtyard as we left," Arthur asked and Miriam flipped her braid over her shoulder, her armour glinting under the velvet of her cloak.

"I left soon after you. Gwaine left my armour and Percival readied my horse. They snuck me into the camp, only to learn that you agreed to sacrifice yourself in a trial by combat!"

"It's not a sacrifice! I could win, you know? Remember when you had faith in that?"

If Derian didn't kill him, he was quite sure that Miriam's gaze of a thousand daggers would.

"You have no right, absolutely no right, to say that to me after what you did."

Arthur softened.

"You're right, I don't. I also didn't want you here to fight with you."

"Then why am I here?" she asked with her hands crossed over her chest.

"So I could apologise," he admitted and Miriam's arms fell. "You were right."

"About what?"

Arthur sighed.

"About everything. Killing Carleon and marching out to fight this war, I knew it wasn't right, I felt that it wasn't right, and yet I did nothing. And that's not the kind of king I want to be. And though I might die today, I'll die knowing in my heart that I made the right choice."