A Warlocks' Disguise {ArthurxFem!Merlin}

Chapter 13 - Merilyn

Merilyn stood just outside Arthur's chambers, her heart pounding so loudly in her chest she thought it might echo through the hall. The snake's severed head felt heavy in her hand, its lifeless eyes staring blankly at nothing, but she knew it held the proof she needed. Arthur has to believe me. He just has to. She steadied herself, took a deep breath, and knocked.

Arthur's voice called out from within. "Come in."

Pushing open the door, Merilyn stepped inside. Arthur sat at the table, casually dining, his armor set aside for the moment as if the impending final duel didn't weigh on him at all. The calm before the storm, she thought. But she didn't have time to admire his unflappable composure. She needed to make him understand the danger he was in.

Arthur looked up, his expression shifting from mild curiosity to skepticism the moment he saw her. "You again?" he muttered, wiping his mouth with a cloth. "What is it this time?"

Merilyn swallowed her nerves, stepping closer. She placed the snake's head on the table between them with a thud, its presence stark and undeniable. "Arthur," she began, her voice steady despite the wild flutter of fear inside her. "You're in danger. Valiant is using magic—he's cheating. I saw it with my own eyes. That snake, from his shield, it's alive. It bit Sir Ewan during their match."

Arthur raised an eyebrow, his skepticism clear as he glanced between her and the decapitated snake head. "You? You chopped its head off?" His voice dripped with disbelief.

Merilyn met his gaze, her heart hammering against her ribs. She knew what it looked like—her, a servant, making such a wild claim—but she couldn't back down now. "Yes. He was beating Valiant—there was no other way for Valiant to win except by cheating."

Arthur sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Valiant wouldn't dare use magic in Camelot. It's suicide. The King would never tolerate it."

Merilyn shook her head, her frustration building. "Arthur, Ewan was pinned under Valiant's shield. No one could see the snake bite him—no one except me."

"I don't like the guy," Arthur muttered, crossing his arms, "but that doesn't mean he's cheating."

Merilyn's patience was wearing thin. She stepped closer, her voice firm but not pleading—this wasn't about begging Arthur to believe her, it was about keeping him alive. "Gaius is preparing an antidote for the snake venom. When Ewan wakes up, he'll tell you exactly what happened. If you fight Valiant in the final, he'll use that shield again. It's the only way he can beat you."

Arthur's eyes flickered with doubt, but it wasn't enough. Merilyn felt a surge of frustration rise within her. Why won't he just listen? Without thinking, she picked up the snake's head, thrusting it toward him. "Look at it! Have you ever seen snakes like this in Camelot?"

Arthur stared at the decapitated head, his gaze hardening slightly as he examined it more closely. The lifeless snake seemed to taunt him with its grotesque form, its unnatural existence undeniable now that it was right in front of him.

Merilyn's voice softened as she looked at him, desperate for him to understand. "I know I'm just a servant," she said, her words coming out quieter now, more vulnerable. "I know my word doesn't count for anything. But I wouldn't lie to you, Arthur. Not about this. I swear."

Arthur looked up from the snake's head, his blue eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that made her heart stutter. "I want you to swear to me," he said, his voice quieter now, more serious. "Swear that what you're telling me is true."

Merilyn's throat tightened, the weight of the moment settling in her chest. She could feel the walls of Camelot pressing in on her, the long shadow of its laws and hierarchies threatening to crush her beneath them. But here, standing before Arthur, none of that mattered. She had to protect him, no matter what. "I swear it's true," she said, her voice unwavering, though her heart was pounding.