Arwen moved around the physician's chambers, gathering up some herbs she needed to prepare a potion for a young boy in the lower town who had come down with a fever. Luckily, it wasn't anything too serious, and Arwen knew it could easily be cured with proper care. Gaius was away at the moment, tending to other patients around the castle, and Merlin had been freed from his duties with Arthur to run some errands for Gaius in the woods. That left Arwen on her own in the chambers, but she did not mind. She enjoyed the rare moment of peace and quiet as she began stirring the ingredients of her potion in one of the pots while humming a soft tune.
Her serenity was soon shattered as the door of the chambers burst open and her eyes snapped to Merlin who rushed in with the body of an unfamiliar man draped over his shoulders. Due to her shock caused by the sudden interruption, Arwen had dropped the pot from her hands. But she disregarded the mess at that time as she hurried to Merlin's side after he had set the man down on the bed in the corner of the room.
"He got hurt in the woods, you have to help him." Merlin spoke in a worried tone, pushing aside the tunic which had by now been completely stained in blood to reveal a large gash on the man's torso. Arwen quickly nodded, instructing him to get her some water and a clean cloth so she could clean the wound and get a better picture of what she was working with.
Arwen moved to scour the shelves, hoping that Gaius still had some of the paste which would prevent the gash from getting infected. Having to brew a new batch would take much time and possibly give the man's state a chance to deteriorate further. Luckily she managed to find it just as Merlin set the other supplies she needed beside the bed on which the unconscious man lay. Arwen quickly got to work, gently cleaning all of the blood. She didn't want to cause him more pain than he was most likely already in.
"What happened? Who is he?" Arwen asked her brother as she worked, wondering how picking mushrooms in the woods ends with him bringing her a wounded unconscious stranger.
"I was in the woods when this thing appeared from the sky, I don't know what it was but it was big and it was attacking me. Lancelot must've been near because he came to help me. He managed to send it away, but got hurt in the process." Merlin gave her the short narration of what had brought them to this point.
"Remind me to thank him then." Arwen said with a small frown on her face. She was starting to think of whether coming to Camelot was truly a good idea. Someone seemed to be in danger all the time and she wasn't happy about that.
"The wound doesn't seem to be too serious. He should be alright." Arwen informed her brother once she had cleaned all the blood. Luckily it had stopped bleeding and she could see no signs of infection but she still applied the paste for good measure before wrapping it as best as she could in his position.
"Thank you." Merlin said as she stood up to put away all the things she had used to treat the man, Lancelot. His words made Arwen set down the bucket of water on the table so she could approach him and throwing her arms around his shoulders as she pulled him in for a simple hug.
"From now on, I'm going with you to pick mushrooms." She said with a smile, making Merlin chuckle at her protectiveness, however, he also wondered how serious she was being. She was continuously given more and more reasons to worry about him, and Merlin suspected that someday soon she would start following him around like a royal guard would follow the King. It seemed inevitable.
Lancelot slept through the night, and while his presence in the physician's chambers made it a bit cramped, they managed. Merlin had of course given up his own bed so Gaius would be as comfortable as possible while he himself slept in the same room as Lancelot, leaving Arwen's bed to herself despite her offers to let either her brother or Gaius take it.
And so the next morning, she was woken from her slumber by the sound of voices coming from beyond the door. She knew Gaius had already gotten up before her, having heard him shuffling around in the early morning hours.
"Ever since I was a child I've dreamed of coming here. It's my life's ambition to join the knights of Camelot. I know what you're thinking, I...I expect too much. After all, who am I? They have their pick of the best and bravest in the land." Arwen could hear an unfamiliar voice speak, and assumed it belonged to Lancelot.
Looking out the window from her bed, Arwen concluded it was already pretty late into the morning and about time for her to get up. Even though she wasn't aware of any tasks or jobs she had for the day, she has grown to realize that in Camelot, you never know what may come up out of the blue. A plague, a sorcerer wreaking havoc or just a random injury of a child who wanted to play knights with their friends. She moved around, getting ready for her day before she exited the room and made her way into the physician's chambers.
"You know Arthur?" She caught Lancelot asking and was able to see the surprised expression on his face as he watched after her brother's retreating form.
"Oh yes." Merlin said as he turned back and sent Lancelot a wide smile.
"Don't get too excited, Merlin is the Prince's manservant." Arwen spoke up, making her presence known to the two men, their eyes instantly jumping towards her. Lancelot's eyes fell on the woman he assumed to be the one Merlin had told him about, Arwen. He didn't think it was possible to do her beauty justice with mere words.
"It is still a great honour." Merlin said with a shake of his head, the statement making Arwen raise her eyebrow as she gave him a questioning look.
"Really? Because you keep referring to it as torture." She said with an amused smile on her face, one that Lancelot found himself unable to look away from. At least not until he realized that Merlin's next words were directed at him.
"Don't listen to her, she has no idea what she's talking up for the first hour after she wakes up." Merlin quickly dismissed her words.
"Oh shut up you dollop head." Arwen scolded him with a small flick on his forehead making her brother yelp in surprise as he rubbed the sore spot. Lancelot let out a chuckle as he observed the siblings interact.
"I was going to ask you whether you'd want to join us, but now I think it would be a risk to my livelihood." Merlin grumbled at his sister making her send him a pointed glare.
"And where is it that you two are going?" Arwen asked curiously, looking between the two men as she waited for either one to answer.
"To the training grounds so I can talk to Arthur, and Lancelot can watch training. Or do you have an objection?" Merlin asked with a smile, doubting Arwen would protest.
"That depends." She said as she looked at Lancelot with a questioning look. "How are you feeling?" She asked. If there was any pain or discomfort concerning his wound she would rather check it and have him rest some more than gallivant around Camelot with her over energetic brother.
"I am perfectly fine. I understand I have you to thank for that." Lancelot spoke with gratitude in his voice, but Arwen dismissed his thanks before he could continue.
"There is no need to thank me Lancelot, it is my job after all." She said with a reassuring smile on her face. Arwen couldn't deny that now she was able to see him without the task of checking or cleaning his wounds, the man was handsome, there was no dispute about it. His warm eyes continued to hold her gaze, and Arwen had to do her best not to get lost in them.
"So are we going or not?" Merlin asked with an oblivious expression on his face, the sound of his voice startling both Lancelot and Arwen out of their daze.
"Yes, yes, of course. Lead the way Merlin." Lancelot was the first to speak, quickly jumping down from the chair he had been standing on and looking out into the streets of Camelot. Merlin turned back to the door with a happy smile as he opened it and moved to walk out into the halls. Lancelot held it open, preventing it from closing after Merlin's exit.
"After you my lady." He said with a kind smile, standing to the side as he allowed Arwen to pass through the door before him.
"I am not a lady Lancelot." She pointed out with a small smile on her face as she walked, her head turned back so she could look at him as he too exited the physician's chambers.
"With a beauty such as yours it is easy to forget that." Lancelot spoke softly as he moved to walk beside her. Arwen was sure her fact must've turned as red as her hair as a shy smile came upon her after hearing his comment. But she had no time to recover or thank him for his kind words.
"Were you two born as snails?" Merlin asked curiously as he stood a little ways away from them giving both Lancelot and his sister a questioning look from his position down the hall. As soon as Lancelot and Arwen reached his position, Merlin continued walking, telling Lancelot all about the knights and what he had seen of their bravery so far.
"Maybe this was all a mistake. Maybe I'm not meant to be a knight." Lancelot muttered as he and Arwen sat on one of the benches beside the training grounds. By now the knights had dispersed from their training, and Merlin had run after Arthur as soon as it was over; wanting to talk to the Prince about his new friend as soon as possible.
"What? Where's this coming from? Just this morning you were excited and confident." Arwen asked in surprise, sending him a questioning look from where she sat beside him. Realizing his eyes focused on the place where Arthur had just taken down a possible knight within seconds made her understand what must be going through Lancelot's mind.
"Okay, come on." She exclaimed as she got to her feet, the sudden movement making Lancelot's eyes snap towards her in surprise. He took a look at the hand she extended towards him, wondering what she was planning as he accepted it.
Arwen pulled on his hand, leading him towards the training grounds and the rack of extra swords standing by its edge. She grabbed the hilt of one, throwing it to Lancelot who caught it with ease despite the surprise which was clearly written out on his handsome features.
"What is this for?" He asked her in confusion. Lancelot wasn't sure whether he should be catching on to what she had in mind on his own, but he seemed to be unable to connect the dots.
"With any luck, your test to be a knight will be soon, you should get some training in." Arwen said with a mischievous smile on her face as she ran her hand over the hilts of the other swords before finally picking out one that she deemed wouldn't be too large for her.
"I couldn't possibly-"Lancelot tried to protest, but the sharp look Arwen gave him as soon as he spoke up made him quiet down once more.
"Lancelot, if you make any comment about me being a woman, I promise, I will run you through with this sword." Arwen threatened in a joking manner making him give out a small chuckle.
"Are you certain? I wouldn't want to-"Lancelot tried to say he feared hurting her, but was cut off as Arwen moved with the speed of light, giving him only a moment to defend from her skilled attack. The surprise brought a smile to his face.
"I haven't spared in a while, indulge me." Arwen said with a challenging smile as their swords remained together while they looked into each other's eyes. And so he did. At first, Lancelot's blows were hesitant and gentle, but soon he realized that Arwen truly was a good opponent as she continued to gain the upper hand.
"You are making this much too easy." Arwen taunted jokingly, wanting him to actually start putting an effort into it. For most of her life, the only sparring partner she had was Merlin, and that wasn't really a challenge.
Lancelot noticed the happy gleam in her eyes as she took a step back and twirled her sword in her hands, making it clear that she wasn't going to be the one to attack this time. And so he gave into her taunts. Finally he started fighting like she had heard he was able to.
Lancelot could not deny that he was impressed by her skill with a sword. She matched every parry and every blow, defending and attacking with precision and strength he didn't think someone of her size could have. Their swords continued to clash against one another, the cacophony of metal echoing throughout the training grounds and it was hard to take a guess on who would come out on top. However, after some time, Lancelot finally found an opening and managed to trip Arwen.
Before she could stumble back or fall, his arm reached around her waist, holding her up as he brought her closer to him while his arm lowered and his sword was now pointed at the ground. He held her close, their heavy breaths mixing together as they held each other's gaze.
"I think you are going to make a great knight Lancelot." Arwen broke the silence as she spoke gently, her hand settling down on his chest as she slowly pulled herself out of his arms and sent him a smile.
"Thank you Arwen, it mean a great deal to hear you say that." Lancelot spoke as they put the swords back in their places, sending her a look of gratitude, but there was something else in his eyes. Something Arwen could not clearly decipher.
Arwen and Lancelot had made their way back to the physician's chambers after their sparring match, knowing that Merlin would most likely take a while to get back to them considering his duties as the Prince's manservant. And Arwen too wanted to check whether Gaius had come back and needed her help with anything. And while the elderly man was back in the chambers, he only proved to her more that it was a slow day since he was working on replenishing their supplies, which weren't too depleted in the first place.
She quickly got to work helping him with the preparations of all the healing potions, ointments, and similar things. Lancelot had offered his aid as well, however once he almost broke one of Gaius' pots he was quickly instructed to sit, observe and learn. As a knight it would be useful to have knowledge of healing when serving. Some time ago, Gaius often ventured with the King on his hunting trips or quests as a safety measure should something happen, but as his old age caught up with him, he could no longer do such things. Arwen suspected that sooner or later that task would fall under her list of duties.
Their work was interrupted by the sound of the door opening as Merlin returned from his day of working for the Prince. Lancelot was the first to stand as he eagerly approached the manservant.
"Well? Did you speak to him?" He asked, his excitement and nerves making him want to know whether there was any chance of him being a knight as soon as possible. Along with him, Arwen and Gaius too gave Merlin curious expressions.
"Yeah, I spoke to him." Merlin said calmly, his face not showing any signs of how his conversation with Arthur may have gone.
"And?" Lancelot urged him on, hating the suspense which had fallen upon the room.
"Come on Merlin, stop being dramatic and just tell us." Arwen scolded.
"And..." Merlin began his sentence with a slight shake of his head and his face turning disappointed as if he didn't know how to tell Lancelot what the Prince had told him, as if it were bad news.
"No." The dark haired man mumbled, his shoulders sinking as his hope evaporated. He shook his head, as if scolding himself for believing there was a chance.
"He said he would like to meet you." Merlin quickly added on, the disappointed look on his face quickly shifting into a happy smile as he watched Lancelot's eyes widen in surprise.
"Yes!" The man exclaimed happily, his eyes turning back to Arwen for a moment who watched his joy with a smile on her face. "Thank you! Thank you!" Lancelot said as he turned back to Merlin, his excitement and gratitude overpowering his voice.
"Hey, really, it was no problem, really. It's nothing." Merlin replied humbly, looking away from Lancelot for a moment as he cleared his throat. "You're not a nobleman, by any chance, are you?" He questioned curiously.
"A nobleman? No." Lancelot said with a chuckle. "Good lord, no. Why do you ask?" Lancelot questioned, wondering what his birth right had to do with anything. But Arwen realized why, she remembered reading about it in one of the books Merlin had to study about knights, armour and such things. A knight can only be a member of one of the noble families sworn to King Uther.
"The First Code of Camelot states that only those of noble blood can serve as a knight. Uther created the knights to protect this kingdom from those who wished to destroy it. He knew he would have to trust each of his knights with his life. So he chose them from the families that had sworn allegiance to him." Gaius was the first one to speak up as he explained the code to Lancelot. As he spoke, both the elderly physician and Arwen set down their work to join Merlin and Lancelot where they stood in the middle of the room.
"The nobility." Merlin added on as an explanation to the last part of Gaius' explanation.
"And thus the First Code of Camelot was born, and ever since that day, only the sons of noble families have served as knights." Gaius stated with a regretful tone. Arwen hated the sight of Lancelot's face falling in disappointment once more as he sat down on the bench behind him. She moved to sit next to him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"But that is not fair." Merlin, as usual, protested against the injustice of the law, and this time his sister couldn't help but agree with him.
"Arthur himself has said they are in need of more knights. It would be foolish to turn away a skilled fighter capable of being one just because he's not noble." She shook her head at the thoughtless way Uther chose those who serve him. If he opened the ranks to all men who wish to fight Camelot would have an army nobody would dare cross.
"Fair or unfair, that's the way it is. I'm sorry, Lancelot. Truly, I am." Gaius said. He agreed with his wards, but he knew there was nothing that could be done in this case. Uther would surely not bend the rules for one man.
"I'm so sorry." Arwen said gently, her hand remaining on Lancelot's shoulder as he placed his head in his hands. She wished there was something that they could do.