C H A P T E R   IV

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UPON MERLIN'S ARRIVAL in Camelot, Semelé wasn't initially sure what to make of the boy. On first inspection, he was just a fairly agreeable, good-natured, sweet-tempered kid. He was also something of a kindred spirit to Semele, given that he was also a newcomer to Camelot, and she had been more than happy to give him a tour of the castle grounds.

But Semelé's fondness for Merlin sharpened into a much more palpable admiration, once she had heard of his dispute with Arthur. She had clearly underestimated the boy's valour, as it came as a great surprise that he had dared to challenge the brash Prince of Camelot. Merlin had returned to Gauis' quarters, sodden head to toe with rotten vegetables, looking as if he had bathed in a fruit salad. The mere sight of this had Semelé clutching her belly in laughter, as she begged him to tell the riveting tale of how he had gotten himself in such a state.

"It's a long story." Merlin came over to Gauis' small wooden table, his shoes squelching with tomato pulp as he took a seat.

"Then you can tell me it over dinner." returned Semelé, ladelling out a generous portion of stew and handing it over to him, "Here."

A few appreciative hums from Merlin suggested he was enjoying dinner. Infact, he almost forgot about telling his story at all in favour of devouring that stew, until he was prompted by a rather eager Semelé. Tearing himself away from his bowl, Merlin cleared his throat discreetly and prepared to tell the tale.

"I just spent the last three hours in the stocks." He finally said, in an exasperated tone.

"I gathered." Semelé gestured vaguely at his fruit-drenched attire, "But why?"

"I challenged the King's son."

"Arthur?"

"Yep."

Semelé choked out a breathy laugh of surprise. Lurching forward to look at Merlin square in the eyes, she deduced that he was entirely serious. Before then, she had been utterly convinced the boy was incapable of anything disobedient or troublesome, and having this proved wrong came as a welcome surprise. Descending into a hopeless spiral of laughter, Semelé beamed with a newfound respect for young Merlin.

"Merlin, you are incorrigible!" She cried joyfully, "Not that I blame you, of course. Arthur can be rather incorrigible himself."

Merlin cracked a smile. "Tell me about it."

"How's the stew?" Semelé asked, once her breathing had steadied and she regained her ability to speak without intermittent giggling.

"Good, thank you." came the soft reply, in perfect etiquette.

Perhaps there is more to this boy than meets the eye, Semelé pondered amusedly, blissfully unaware of the enigma of Merlin and the consequential destiny inscribed on his very soul.

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IN A PECULIAR (and amusing) turn of events, Merlin was reluctantly employed as Arthur's manservant, just a few weeks shy of the Tournament of Camelot. The Tournament was an annual occurrence, and Arthur had been shaping up to fiercely defend his title of reigning champion. The citizens of Camelot huddled together in the arena, white-knuckled with anticipation, anxious for the duels to commence.

However, all did not proceed accordingly. Arthur's squandered accusation of a competitor using magic was soon revealed as the truth, despite the disdainful glares it had conjured up from Uther. It had certainly not been a day for the faint-of-heart.

Never-the-less, the day concluded with all matters resolved. Arthur emerged victorious from the arena, defeating Knight Valiant with a fierce strike and the unflinching battle prowess that earned him the place of champion. The court attended the celebratory feast that evening in high spirits, even Arthur and Morgana were uncharacteristically tolerant of each other's company. But it only lasted a moment, before the usual bickering sparked between them and ignited into wildfire, breaking the pair apart immediately. Like repelling magnets, the two strayed as far apart from one another as was physically possible for the remainder of the feast, neither one willing to overcome their mountainous pride and puerile resentment of the other.

Semelé watched amusedly from a distance, relishing the sweet taste of sparkling cider, a lavish variety seldom found far from the grasp of royalty. Catching her eye, Arthur approached Semelé with measured, leisurely steps (the nonchalance was clearly a consequence of his inflated ego). He was pleasantly surprised to see her bowing her head, courteously.

"Congratulations, 'Champion'." She lifted her gaze once more, a smile now gracing her features.

"I'm surprised you're even acknowledging my victory." Arthur scoffed, "I thought you'd mock me."

"Why would I do that?" Semelé returned, looking archly up at him. "In all seriousness, I would only mock an undeserving champion. So, unfortunately for me, there is nothing here to mock." She drew a frank conclusion, not a shadow of falseness in her tone.

Though he would never stoop so low as to admit it, Arthur was caught off-guard by this. The sentiment warmed the cockles of his heart. The day had been a twisted lesson in betrayal, humiliation, deceit and sorcery. But all was now resolved, and Arthur was truly, sincerely content. He had triumphed over the enemy, now wearing the title of 'reigning champion' with as much pride as he wore the emblem of his beloved Camelot. With the people's faith in him restored, so was his own.

But the memory of Uther's scornful glare forged a deep wound in Arthur's soul. That icy look of disdain that his father had given him when he accused the crafty Knight Valiant of sorcery had caused Arthur more pain than he had ever endured in the arena. He tried to bury the thought deep down, under the glorious music and celebrations around him, but he feared it would return to haunt him for many restless nights after.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

i have an unhealthy love for merlin and semelé's frienship 🥺🥺

sorry this chapter was so short 😖 i tried not to just sit there and explain the episode to you, since i know you've already seen it. i don't wanna patronise my readers.

i will be dipping in and out of the merlin cannon, so there will be some chapters that correlate directly to specific episodes (like this one) but for now the focus will be primarily on my own original storyline. does that make sense? 😖 please feel free to just ask if you're unsure of timelines!