His Majesty and His Knights

Gwaine

It had been just over a year since Merlin last saw Lancelot. He was seventeen now.

Merlin and Arthur rode out of the forest,  just above a village. "You know what you need after a hard day's hunt?" Arthur asked.

"Sleep," Merlin said.

"A nice, cold tankard of mead."

"Mead? You know I'm not old enough to drink!"

"Yes, well I am."

Merlin groaned, but somehow found himself in front of a tavern. 

"No better place to measure the mood of your people than the local tavern," Arthur told him.

"This is one of those moments where I tell you something isn't a good idea and you ignore me, isn't it."

"You're learning, Merlin! Slowly, but you're learning. Now, remember, in here, you're not my servant. I'm just a simple peasant like everyone else."

Merlin rolled his eyes and followed Arthur into the tavern. It was very loud and Merlin was immediately uncomfortable. They sat at a small table and a woman with curly brown hair came over and wiped the table. "Afternoon. What'll it be?"

Arthur looked around. "Uh-"

"Mm. You're a handsome fellow," the woman interrupted.

"Well," said Arthur with a cocky grin, "you wouldn't be the first to say it."

"No, sorry," the woman said. "I was talking about your friend here."

"Him."

"Thank you," Merlin said with a smug smile. Anything to deflate His Royal Pratiness' overly sized head.

"One tankard of mead, please," Arthur said.

The woman nodded and left. Merlin looked at Arthur who was hiding a grimace. "I was wrong. Coming here was a great idea."

"You're seventeen. You shouldn't even be here."

"You're the one who made me come here, and I don't even get anything to drink!"

"Yes, well-"

A man opened the door with a bang, causing everyone there to turn towards him. "Afternoon, Mary. Business looks good," said the man.

The woman from earlier, now dubbed "Mary," said, "we have our better days."

"I don't s'ppose you'd begrudge me my share, then."

Mary handed him a few gold coins.

"And the rest," he said.

"That's all we got."

"I'll not ask again!" He yelled.

Arthur stood up and walked to the man. "Take your hands off her."

The man turned around with a sneer and swung his weapon at Arthur. Arthur dodged it and pushed him to the wall. The man stood up. "I'm gonna make you pay for that."

"I'd like to see you try," laughed Merlin, still sitting at the small table. The man glared at Merlin and he looked away, pretending he didn't say anything.

The man whistled and a bunch of men, probably fellow  bandits, came into the tavern looking pretty tough and menacing. Merlin jumped up and pressed his back against a wall, getting ready to run or fight.

"You had to open your big mouth, didn't you Merlin?" Arthur said. This caught the attention of a young man who had been sitting at the bar. 

"You two have got yourselves in a bit of a pickle, haven't you?" He said.