Merlynn's Secret

Chapter 11

A/N Woah it's been a  while since I posted. A big thank you to everyone reading, commenting, and sticking with me through my nonexistent upload schedule. I have been away for personal reasons but I'm so excited to get back into writing.

Everything has been getting back to relatively normal since defeating Morgana. Well, as normal as things can be in Camelot. After they won the battle, Merlynn took Mordred on as her apprentice. He graciously accepted and made amends to Arthur for not lending a helping hand sooner.

As for Morgana, she is sitting in a dungeon cell awaiting Arthur's decision of what is to be done with her. He intended to have her executed, however, that was before Merlynn made it so she can no longer access her magic. Although she is guilty of treason, countless murders, and much much more, still Arthur can no longer picture himself ordering her execution. Maybe now because she can't use her magic to hurt anyone anymore he doesn't have to.

Arthur was not pleased when he found out she had snuck off during the battle to face Morgana alone. "What the hell were you thinking Merlynn?! You could have been hurt or killed!" Arthur mostly yelled at her because she had gone off on her own without telling anyone.

Merlynn wasn't used to Gwaine yelling at her, so when he did she hung her head in shame. She knew he would worry, that they all would. That was the reason she didn't want them to follow her into the tunnels that day in battle. "Do you have any idea how worried I- we were when we couldn't find you Merlynn? You scared me- us nearly to death!" Gwaine was definitely the loudest.

Leon was mostly just annoyed that she hadn't allowed him to repay his debt, for she had saved his life it seems only fair he should do the same. Lancelot and Elyan didn't so much yell as they did lecture Merlynn on the benefits of trusting her friends, especially now that there are no secrets between them. "You don't have to do things that involve using magic alone anymore, Merlin. You can trust us to help in any way we can." Merlynn couldn't argue with that logic. Merlynn supposes she is just not used to everyone knowing her secret and used to doing things on her own.

Percival had been the only one not to say anything after the fact. Come to think of it, he has not said anything to Merlynn at all since she and Mordred teamed up and defeated Morgana. Merlynn's been trying but it seems the gentle giant is avoiding her as of late. On her way to the training fields, Merlynn hopes to get a glimpse of Percival and maybe corner him.

It is as she suspected, Percival and Elyan are together on the training grounds with the knights in training. They look to be finishing up for the day. This is the perfect time to make Percival talk to her. As the knights dutifully put the training gear and dummies away Merlynn makes her way over to Percival, only stopping briefly when she hears Elyan call her name.

"Merlynn," he says pleasantly surprised to see his friend. Truth be told, with her new duties as court sorceress and his of training the knights to be they had not seen much of each other as of late. "What brings you around?"

"Percival," she says as she watches the knight in question carrying not one, but two training dummies back to the armory. The weight of them doesn't phase him in the slightest. "I think he's still angry with me. He's refused to speak to me ever since I went after Morgana. Actually, he's been going out of his way to avoid me."

Elyan nods his head in understanding, "you gave us all a terrible scare that day, especially Gwaine and Arthur".

"I know, I'm sorry, Elyan."

"But if I had to guess, I'd say you scared Percival the most."

"What makes you think that?" Merlynn asks confused. 

"You should ask him."

"What if he won't speak to me?"

"Then use your magic and make him speak to you." Elyan gives Merlynn a sideways glance and they both start laughing.

"You do know I would never use my magic that way, don't you? You know I would never use it to manipulate a situation in my favor?" Merlynn asks, suddenly unsure of herself.

Elyan looks at his friend the sorceress in disbelief, "of course I know that, everyone knows that". Elyan smiles again, things in Camelot are finally almost normal again. Almost. Merlynn sighs in relief. "There, look they've finished putting everything away, now is your chance to talk to Percival."

Merlynn takes a deep breath and tries to appear confident as she approaches Percival. "Uh hello, Percy... I... I haven't really seen you around lately. How uh... How are you?" She hopes her voice doesn't betray her.

Percival doesn't answer her. He doesn't even look up to acknowledge her presence. "Oh come on Percy, I've already tried to apologize to you. I really am sorry, Percy. Please say something, anything, if you want to yell at me then do it. It's alright to yell at me, I deserve it." Nothing, Percival makes no indication that he even heard what Merlynn said. "Go on Percy, get angry and scream your head off like Arthur and Gwaine. Yell at me until you're blue in the face."

Percival finally moves his eyes from the ground up to meet Merlynn's. "You didn't keep your promise, Merlynn."

"I... What promise?"

"You promised me after you were shot by the crossbow, that you would be more careful from then on. You broke that promise when you went after Morgana alone.

"Oh Percy, I didn't... I wasn't thinking about-"

"I can't lose you too, not you Merlynn. I wouldn't survive it." To his credit, Percival didn't lose his temper. He remained calm and his voice steady.

"Oh, Perc-" Merlynn is swiftly cut off by Percival as he begins to tell her a story. One he could not bear to tell when they first met.

"I was there when Cenred's army invaded my village. I was out hunting when I heard the screams and the closer I got I could smell the burning. They took all the food and burned our crops. Then they killed everyone who tried to fight back. My father stood up to one of the men in charge and they burned down our home because of it. Then they made him watch as they killed my mother and my sister."

"Oh Percy," Merlynn's voice is barely above a whisper. She doesn't know what to say or do.

"I already lost my family once, Merlynn. When Lancelot received word from you about Morgana, Morgause, and Cenred, I thought I would have a chance to avenge them. Then Lance introduced me to you and you welcomed me into a new family, my brothers in arms. Now I have something to lose and that scares me to no end." Percival looks up at Merlynn as though he is about to cry. His eyes fill with unshed tears and his voice begins to quiver, "do you understand now?"

Merlynn nods her head not trusting her own voice just yet. They don't say anything for a while. They just stand there looking at each other contemplating what to do now. "What... What happened to your father?" Merlynn aks unsure of herself, uncertain if she has any right to ask such a question.

"The man he spoke out against, he pulled my father out in front of the entire village and killed him for all to see. Cenred's men wanted to make my father a martyr, a means to keep the rest of my village in line while they pillaged and destroyed everything."

"I'm so sorry, Percy. I'm sorry I broke my promise." Percival gave Merlynn a sad smile. At least he is speaking to her again.