His Majesty and His Knights

The Knighting

Merlin opened his jacket pocket and pulled out the note that Gwaine gave him from his father.

Merlin,

I am so proud of you for being so strong through all these years. You are fulfilling your destiny by staying by Prince Arthur's side and protecting him. But that is not your only destiny. Soon, you will sit on the throne of our kingdom and bring peace back to our land. However, that time has not yet come, but it is soon. Gwaine and Lancelot have been squires for far too long. You must make them knights. I grant you the power to do so. You are the rightful heir to the throne, not the witch who sits upon it. She is called Morgause and will bring about Albion's destruction if she is to hold this position. We will see each other soon, my son. I believe in you. 

Father

Merlin folded up the note and put it in the back of the spell book he had received from Gaius. After all this time, his father was still alive. There was still hope. Merlin promised himself that he would never give up.

-

Two weeks passed by before he finally got word from Lancelot and Gwaine. Merlin and Gaius had just finished eating supper when they got a knock on the door. Merlin opened it to see Lancelot. "Ready?" Lancelot asked.

"Yeah," Merlin said. "I've got to go, Gaius."

"Where are you going?" Gaius asked. 

"The forest. Don't worry, I'll be with Lancelot and Gwaine."

"Alright, Merlin, but hurry back. Lancelot, watch out for him, will you?"

"Of course," Lancelot said.

The two of them ran out into the forest. "There's a cave just a few minutes away," Lancelot told him. By the time they got there, Gwaine had already made a fire. Lancelot handed Merlin a large sack. "You're father asked me to get these things for you. It wasn't easy, but I found it eventually."

"Yes, and I also helped a little," Gwaine added.

Merlin looked inside to see a circlet,  a sheathed ceremonial sword, a royal blue cape and a small book.

"You're supposed to wear them," Lancelot explained, "and the book will tell you how to do it."

Merlin opened the book and skimmed the pages. Then, he set it down and strapped the sword to his waist and put on the cape. Lastly, he reverently picked up the circlet and placed it on his head. He picked the book back up and turned to the script. Merlin held it with his left land while his right rested on the sword.

"Wow, you really look like a prince now, Merlin," Gwaine said.

"Yeah, I feel like a prince for the first time in a long time," Merlin said. "Are you guys ready?"

Both of his friends nodded. Merlin looked at the book and took a deep breath to steady his nerves.

"The crown calls Lancelot du Lac to come forth." Lancelot stepped forward and knelt down in front of Merlin. "Be it known to all men that I, Prince Merlin Ambrosius, am minded to raise Lancelot du Lac by virtue of his honor, loyalty, valor, and skill at arms, to the rank of knighthood. Lancelot du Lac, do you swear and acknowledge King Balinor Ambrosius to be your true and lawful liege?"

"I do so swear."

"Do you also swear fealty to King Balinor Ambrosius, to defend and obey him until he depart the throne, or death shall take you?"

"I do so swear."

"And I, for my part, do swear to defend and honor Lancelot du Lac as befits a true knight." Merlin unsheathed the diamond-crested sword and tapped Lancelot on each shoulder. "I dub thee Sir Lancelot du Lac. Arise, Sir Knight."

Lancelot did so and stepped back. Merlin repeated the ceremony with Gwaine. Once it was over, he grinned. "Congratulations, my friends!"

"Thank you, Merlin," Gwaine said. "We're knights!"

"Wait- what should I do with this stuff?" Merlin motioned to the cloak and crown he was wearing.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out, mate."

"They are yours, Merlin."

"Fine. I'm sure I'll find someplace to hide it. I better head back." Merlin packed all the  stuff back into the sack. He bid his friends goodbye and ran back to Camelot.

"You're back sooner than I expected," Gaius noted.

"How long did you think I would be gone?"

"A few days."

"You told me to hurry back!"

"Well, yes, but I figured you would probably get captured or something of the sort. You know how it usually goes."

"Your faith in me is incredible, Gaius. No, I just went to knight Lancelot and Gwaine."

"I see." Gaius raised an eyebrow. "And what is in that sack?"

"Circlet, cloak, sword, book."

"And where did they find those?"

"My kingdom. My father asked Lancelot to find them so that I can knight them. He's being held captive in the dungeons of his own palace."

"Interesting. You have a lot of explaining to do, but it can wait until tomorrow. You need your rest."

"Goodnight, Gaius."

"Goodnight."