Rising in the Dance of Flames [Editing]

Valiant

Merlin walks into the room stiffly, dropping the equipment down onto the ground. Gaius laughed, stirring a vile of medicine.

"So, how was your first day as Arthur's servant?" Gaius asked. 

Merlin patted his head. "Do you hear clanging?"

"Come. Take off the armor and sit down." Gaius instructed him. Merlin nodded, immediately taking the armor off and sitting on the chair Gaius gestured to. Gaius grabbed his shoulders and began to massage them.

"It was horrible. And I've still got to learn all about tournament etiquette by the morning." Merlin told him. He recited an incantation that brought the book over across the table, opening its pages. 

"Oi! What have I told you about using magic like this?" Gaius said, smacking Merlin in the back of the head. Merlin places his hand at the spot, turning his head to look at him.

"If I could feel my arms, I'd pick up the book myself." Merlin countered.

"Never mind your arms. What do I do if you get caught?"

"What would you do?"

"You just make sure it doesn't happen, for both our sakes."

"Ow." Merlin groaned as Gaius started pulling his arm, stretching out his shoulder, popping his bones. "I save Arthur from being killed, and I end up as his servant. How is that fair?"

"I'm not sure fairness comes into it. You never know. It might be fun." Gaius said, popping his knuckles. 

"You think mucking out Arthur's horses is going to be fun? You should hear my list of duties."

"We all have our duties, even Arthur."

"I must be so tough for him, with all the girls and the glory," Merlin said.

"He is a future king. People expect so much of him. He's under a lot of pressure." Gaius reminded him, pressing down on his shoulder, making a popping noise.

"Agh. That makes two of us." Merlin said, looking up at Gaius.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. It opened, and a certain red-haired girl peeked her head in and waved.

"Hello, Gaius, Merlin."

"Hello, Lora. What can I do for you today." Gaius asked, letting go of Merlin.

"I am to see if I can get that medicine that you give Morgana. I've been having terrible nightmares lately, and I don't want to be slow when I am working," Lora explained to him. Merlin furrowed, his eyebrows concerned as he stared at her while she played with her fingers.

Gaius nodded, "Of course, I'll prepare you one right now. It's going to be busy this week with the tournament. I'll take a little bit so wait for a moment, okay?" Lora nodded as Gaius went to the cabinets grabbing the required herbs. Lora glances at Merlin, grimacing whenever he moves his body. 

"Rough first day?" She asked him.

He groans, "Yeah. The first day on the job, and it's already hell. You should see my list of chores." Lora approached him. The book of tournament etiquette captured her eyes.

"How's your studying going?" Lora asked, running her finger on the book, analyzing the page.

"I didn't get to it, and I need to know it by tomorrow. Can you help me?" Merlin asked. He could use all the help he could get.

Lora looked up from the page and faced him with a frown, "S-s-sorry, Merlin. I w-w-w-would if I knew myself." Merlin sighed, smacking his head on the table. Lora wanted to help, but she did not know at all. Lora didn't understand weaponry, war strategies, and armory. She couldn't even read or write. All she could do was clean and other things that didn't require education.