Bandits in Camelot

Chapter 1- Captive

Swish, the wine-red curtains pulled back from the narrow stone windows, a strong stream of light piercing the dark room, and directly hitting the sleeping king right in the face. his golden hair gleaming.

Arthur looked at Merlin with incredulity, blinking his eyes open groggily in the morning light,
"You've woken me up,...because of a bandit?"

Merlin resisted the urge to roll his eyes, as he ripped the heavily brocaded quilt from the young King's bed and continued.

"Yes, the council has called you to judge him, he's just been captured by the night patrol, in the Darkling woods- Leon said you'd want to see him?"
He yawned, exasperated, "Now get your royal arse out of bed, majesty."

Arthur promptly threw a pillow at his head.

Merlin, expecting it, had already ducked.

~

"Your Majesty."
The knights assembled in the throne room bowed, along with the council as Arthur strode through the main doors, fully dressed now in his gleaming armour, seating himself on the carved wooden throne.

"Right, what's this then," he turned his gaze to the shackled man kneeled before him, Leon stood behind him, one hand on his sword.

"This my Lord, is the bandit the knights-watch found last night, attempting to enter Camelot."
Arthur frowned, "And how exactly, do we know he's a bandit? Was he stealing? He looks innocent enough to me." He frowned though as he said it.

The man was dressed in commoners clothes, however that barely seemed to fit him, for even seated he loomed up at them, a great hulk of a man (similarly sized to Percival) with a curly mane of black hair, and tanned skin. As though he spent every minute of the day outside. He didn't look like a normal peasant, far too muscled for that.

As he spoke the words the corner of the man's lip twitched, as though he struggled to contain a grin, but was smart enough to.

"My Lord, he carried no weapons,"

Merlin scoffed to himself, the man looked like a walking giant sledgehammer.
"but he did have this.."
Leon leant forward warily, grasping the green sleeve of the man's tunic, pulling it back to his elbow.

That caught Arthur's interest, as he sat up in his seat, to examine the simple bird tattoo on the man's forearm. He met the man's eyes carefully, "You've either made a foolish choice in tattoo, or you're one of Robin Hood's men."

The giant didn't say anything, only meeting his eyes with a glint of humour dancing in his own deep brown pair.

"Robin Hood, my Lord?"
Sir Elyan questioned, confusion evident on his face.

"Don't tell me you've never heard of him, Elyan." Gwaine chuckled excitedly, "the famed outlaw, who can defeat any man, with bow or sword."

Silence fell, as the knights looked at Gwaine in exasperation, at his childish excitement and big grin, which quickly dropped, "What?"
Percival snorted.

"The famous, criminal, Gwaine." Arthur reminded, shaking his head in amusement before his smile fell as looked back upon the silent man in front of him.

"Notoriously difficult to catch, my Father never managed it during his rule, not even one of his group of bandits..." he mused.

"Merry Men." Came a calm, quiet voice.

"What?" Arthur asked, irritation flickering upon his golden brow.

"He said Merry Men." Merlin added in helpfully, receiving a scathing look from the king.
"I know what he said." He replied with gritted teeth.
"Oh just thought you might have misunderstood." Merlin muttered under his breath.

"No I've heard of them sire, it's what they call themselves, they believe they're doing good, saving the people." Leon scoffed, "Robbing our noblemen more like."

The giant grunted but uttered no response, seemingly utterly calm, almost unbothered by the proceedings.

"You do realise this a trial deciding your fate, do you not?"

He did not reply.

"Because, if you are a part of this group of outlaws, it would be treason, and punishable by death." He let the serious words linger in the air of the airy stone council room. They seemed to have no effect.

"The King, is speaking to you." Leon growled in a dark tone, but Arthur waved his hand shaking his head, "it's alright Sir Leon,  not exactly a chatty fellow is he."

"Robin does the talking." Was all the man grunted, as a the sword digging into his back uncomfortably, dropped at his response.

Some small part of Arthur paused, at this casual mention of, though he hated to admit it, a legendary figure who he'd known of for years, but never caught a glimpse of. The realisation, that this man before him knew him, and knew him well, stopped him in his thoughts.

"So you admit it then, you're his accomplice?"

Back to silence, the bandit looked towards the window, completely unphased by his guilty admission, more interested in the faint sound of the birds outside.

"My Lord, this man seems more a simpleton than part of a treasonous band of warriors." One of his courtiers cut in. Arthur didn't seem to agree, the bulk of the man's muscle , in contrast with his quiet demeanour, suddenly seemed very threatening.

"Put him in a cell, I'll decide his fate another time."
This dismissed the council, but the knights remained    as Arthur called them to him.

"We're going out on patrol," he announced, "I want you to take me to where you found this man."

"Of course." Leon agreed, as Elyan questioned, "Can I ask why?"

"Because Elyan," Arthur stood up with purpose,

"Robin Hood doesn't sound like the kind of man who  leaves one of his men behind."

"Merlin! Ready the horses."

***
Let me know if there's any interest in this x