Merlynn's Secret

Chapter 7

A/N Wow I can't believe how many reads this has gotten. I welcome any and all comments but please be kind.

Arthur and Gwen witness Gwaine and Merlynn walking through the castle grounds together. Gwaine appears to be very pleased with something and Merlynn just looks like her happy self. 

"Arthur, relax. Merlynn is fine. She's with Sir Gwaine after all. You know as well as I do that he will never let any harm come to her if he can help it. Come to think of it, he's become quite smitten with her." Gwen tries and fails to comfort her husband.

"That, Guinevere, is precisely what worries me." With a roll of her eyes, the queen ushers her husband to bed.  

"Arthur, I know you think of Merlynn as a sister but this is ridiculous. What are you going to do when she is one day betrothed?"

"I will not have to do anything because that will NEVER happen." Arthur's tone is serious and the look in his eyes is hard as his wife blows out the candle. One last sigh is heard from Gwen and then silence.

...

On this night Elyan is on guard duty with a knight in training. It is his duty to teach the young recruit by form of example. So he spends the night standing straight and tall remaining ever watchful of their surroundings.

"You must be alert at all times. Listen to your surroundings and tell me what you hear." Elyan instructs the trainee.

"Crickets. I hear crickets chirping." 

"Good what else do you hear?" Elyan saw Gwaine and Merlynn a ways back in the distance already. He wants to know if his knight in training is able to locate them as well.

"Nothing. Wait, I hear footsteps and whispering. It is coming up from the west side."

"Very good. You are improving."

"Should we sound the alarm? Or perhaps we ought to question the intruders ourselves?" The young knight asks as he looks around for the owners of the footsteps and light whispers.

"That will not be necessary tonight. I know exactly who it is, Sir Gwaine and Lady Merlynn. Now I want you to tell me what you see."

After several moments the youth spots the two in question. He sees a rugged man holding a torch in his right hand. He uses his left arm to escort a beautiful woman through the grounds. Even when their laughter dies down, the knight holds a warm smile upon his face. Gwaine does not take his eyes off Merlynn. His face is illuminated by the light of the flame.

"Well," prompts Elyan. "What do you see?"

"I see a man hopelessly in love."

"Indeed," says a smiling Elyan.

...

Gwaine leads Merlynn off the castle grounds when he realizes he's got nothing planned. He mentally face palms and thinks himself a complete fool. "I have missed coming out here at night," Merlynn says as she looks up at the night sky.

"You have?" Gwaine looks to his best friend whom he's come to love with a questioning glance. "For what reasons would you have to sneak out of the castle at night?"

"Gwaine, I can honestly say it is a very long and magical story." Merlynn's dark blue irises bore into Gwaine's brown ones as if peeking at his very soul. "Say, Gwaine, there is someone I have been wanting to introduce you to. Do you trust me?" Without hesitation, Gwaine nods his head and follows Merlynn further into the forest.

The pair trekked deeper into the forest then Gwaine expected to go. Unsurprisingly, he didn't mind. When Merlynn decided they were far enough in she began speaking loudly in an unfamiliar language. A strange language. Mere moments later Gwaine hears the sound of flapping. He knows he's heard it before somewhere.

When Gwaine sees the silhouette form of a dragon in the distance he remembers immediately. Placing Merlynn safely behind him, Gwaine pulls his sword from its scabbard and points it at the dragon. "Gwaine, it's alright. This is who I wanted to introduce you too."

"Its a dragon," is all Gwaine can manage to say.

"His name is Kilgharrah."

"Its a dragon," he says again. Gwaine stares at the dragon with a dumbstruck expression on his face and his sword still aimed at Kilgharrah. The dragon lands on the ground in front of Gwaine and Merlynn.

"He's an old friend of mine."

"Merlynn, why is the dragon looking at me like he's going to eat me? Is he going to eat me!?"

"No! Gwaine he won't hurt you, or anyone for that matter, I promise."

"You humans never cease to amuse me," the great dragon mumbled. "Worry not Sir Knight, I do not eat junk food."  

"Well, that's a relief. Wait, was that an insult!?" Gwaine shouts at the seemingly less intimidating dragon.

"Not hardly, Sir Knight." The great dragon sees the way Gwaine looks at Merlynn. He sees the way the knight puts himself between Merlynn and himself; airing on the safe side. Kilgharrah decides it is his duty to intervene.

With a bit of magic, the great dragons gravelly voice cracks like thunder in Gwaine's head. "Listen closely Sir Gwaine," Gwaine looks to the great dragon bewildered. "My eyes are old but still they see the way you feel about the last of my kin. Merlynn is more important to me than even she knows. The last of my kind have died and Merlynn is all I've left in this cruel world we live in. Should I find you are in any way responsible for any harm that befalls my kin, I'll sit on you."

As fast as Kilgharrah had entered Gwaine's mind, he was gone. After the threat of the great dragon, Gwaine takes to hiding behind Merlynn and Kilgharrah can't help but look rather pleased with himself.

...

Gwaine escorts Merlynn back to her bedchambers after his first encounter with Merlynn's dragon friend. " I am truly in awe of you Merlynn. You're friends with a bloody dragon! No one at the tavern will believe this."

Merlynn laughs at Gwaine's excitement. "He seemed to like you. Before you ask, yes, Kilgharrah has always been very cryptic."

"Oh no, I received his message loud and clear," Gwaine mumbled out. He silently wonders how the dragon was able to catch on so quickly. He had only said three words at the time, its a dragon. "Well, I am honored to have been the first person you introduce to your secret pet dragon." 

"Actually Lancelot was," Merlynn says as she moves to stand in front of her door.

"Lancelot was what?" Gwaine asks distracted by the way Merlynn's dress hugs her backside just right as she moves to open her door.    

"Lancelot wasthe first person I introduced to Kilgharrah. He had saved myself and Lancelotfrom the Dorocha." Unbeknown to Merlynn, Gwaine saw red.