Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter.

A/N: Sorry this is late! I never really liked the Valiant episode, which made writing it much more difficult.

The sun was barely up by the time Roslyn arrived at Morgana's chambers. The tray of breakfast in her hands made it difficult to knock, so she tapped the door with her elbow before entering.

As soon as she entered, she noticed her mistress fitfully tossing and turning, muttering under her breath. Placing the tray on a nearby table, Roslyn rushed towards the bed.

"Morgana. Morgana!" she called, gently shaking her shoulders. "Wake up."

Morgana gasped awake, her frantic eyes sweeping the room before they landed on Roslyn's.

"Are you alright?" Although Roslyn had not known Morgana for very long, in the few days they had known each other, Morgana had proven to be a kind, caring woman. In the future, they might even become friends.

"I-it was just a nightmare. I'm fine," Morgana reassured, though she was still shaking slightly.

Gaius had warned her that Morgana suffered from terrible nightmares. She decided to bring Morgana another sleeping draught tonight before she went to bed.

I didn't realize Morgana was so frightened of snakes.

The day passed normally enough. Well, as normal as Camelot could be. The upcoming tournament meant more people, mostly servants, rushing about, but at least no magical threats had been made.

At one point, she had managed to glimpse out Morgana's window and watch Arthur use her brother as a live training dummy, but, other than that, she had not seen Merlin all day.

Gwen joined Roslyn and Morgana soon after the breakfast tray had been taken back to the kitchens. The day was spent gossiping and idly tidying the chambers.

"I feel so sorry for Merlin. Could you imagine being ordered about by Arthur?" Morgana giggled, sifting through her dresses.

"Oh, I'm never going to hear the end of it," Roslyn jokingly groaned. She approached the vanity and began organizing Morgana's countless jewelry.

"It was very brave what he did. Wouldn't you agree, Morgana?" Gwen asked, a secretive smile directed at Roslyn. The plan had begun.

"Yes, yes it was. Although I can't say I agree with his reward," the Lady added, admiring a blue gown in her mirror.

"Being Arthur's manservant seems more of a punishment than a prize," remarked Roslyn, pausing to admire a gorgeous emerald necklace.

"Arthur hasn't been able to keep a manservant for more than a month. Merlin will quit soon," Gwen assured, placing her broom against the wall. She brushed down her dress and joined Roslyn at the vanity.

"You obviously do not know my brother. He's stubborn as a mule. Arthur will have to kill him to get rid of him."

"How was your day, Mer?" Roslyn teased that night as the siblings laid in their beds. She had noticed Merlin's mobility was limited, causing him to rely on magic to reach objects. Gaius had nearly had his head earlier when Roslyn walked in on Merlin summoning a book. After realizing that she was not a magic-hating resident of Camelot, Gaius had stern words with Merlin about using his magic for nonessential tasks.

"It's been hours and I still can't feel my fingers," he complained. "How is this considered a reward?"

"You should talk with that dragon of yours. Maybe he meant a different Arthur." As she suggested it, Roslyn knew that the chances of Merlin's destiny being another prince of Camelot named Arthur were nonexistent.

"That was my response, but no luck. I'm stuck protecting a prat," Merlin sighed. Roslyn could hear him shifting, attempting to find a comfortable position that would not harm his twice beaten back.

Deciding to change the conversation, she asked, "Are you looking forward to the tournament?"

"If it means I don't have to be Arthur's training dummy anymore, then yes," he laughed. "What about you, Ro?"

"Men jabbing a pointy metal stick at each other to prove their worth? Sounds like fun." She adjusted her pillow as she turned on her side, able to see her brother's amused face in the moonlight. Suddenly, his face contorted into an all too familiar expression. He had forgotten something very important.

"Do you happen to know anything about armor?"

"Does Merlin know everything there is to know about armor now?" Roslyn leaned forward to speak as she sat to the left of Morgana while Gwen sat to the right. They were sitting in the front row of the stands, directly to the right of the royal box.

"Enough to please Arthur, I hope." Gwen's next words were interrupted by cheers as the competing knights marched onto the grounds.

No two knights were dressed the same. Some wore purple, some yellow, but only one wore the red of Camelot. Arthur stood before his people, his face a combination of annoyance, determination, and…nervousness?

Uther interrupted Roslyn's thoughts as he began the tournament. "Knights of the realm, it's a great honor to welcome you to a tournament at Camelot. Over the next three days, you will come to put your bravery to the test, your skills as warriors, and of course, to challenge the reigning champion, my son, Prince Arthur."

No pressure there.

"Only one can have the honor of being crowned champion, and he will receive a prize of one thousand gold pieces." At that revelation, the crowd ooh-ed and ahh-ed. Why an already well-off knight would need with that much money, Roslyn did not know. Uther continued, "It is in combat that we learn a knight's true nature, whether he is indeed a warrior or a coward. The tournament begins!"

The crowd cheered, thrilled to watch two men injure each other for the sake of honor. All of the knights but two exited the arena, leaving behind Arthur and his opponent. The fight soon began.

Though Roslyn was no fighting enthusiast, the excitement of the crowd and of her two friends was infectious and she soon found herself cheering Arthur on. In no time at all, Arthur had easily defeated his opponent, causing the crowd to cheer louder for their prince. Roslyn managed to spot her brother off to sides, looking for all the world as if he had just won the fight. It looked as if Merlin was softening up to Arthur after all.

"Arthur's pretty good, isn't he?" she commented, watching as two other knights fought. It seemed to be an equal battle until one gained the upper hand.

"Don't tell him that, or his head will grow even larger," Morgana warned before the three erupted into giggles. They stopped immediately once Uther glanced in their direction and returned their attention to the fight.

The knight in yellow was a very aggressive fighter and soon knocked his opponent down. The crowd erupted into cheers, though not as loud as the cheers for Arthur. Roslyn's attention was drawn to the knight's shield. It was the same yellow as his tunic with three forest green snakes. There was something niggling at the back of her mind, but for the life of her, she couldn't remember what.

Morgana had no need for two maids that night, so she sent Gwen home early as she spent so little time with her father as it was. The sweet maid would join them at the reception later, as Morgana dreaded the thought of spending the night surrounded by drunken knights who only saw her beauty. Until then, Roslyn was helping Morgana dress.

As her mistress stepped out from behind the changing screen, Roslyn smiled. "You look beautiful, Morgana, as always."

"You're too kind, Roslyn," Morgana blushed. For all her confidence, she had her moments of bashfulness.

Knowing that they – well, Morgana - was expected at the reception soon, the two left the chambers. Morgana, having rarely been alone with Roslyn before, took the opportunity to ask a question she had wondered about ever since meeting the siblings.

"Are you and Merlin twins?" she inquired, adding, "Because you look the same age."

With a laugh, Roslyn explained, "No, we're not twins. I'm one year older." At Morgana's glance, she added, "We've been asked countless times before whether we were twins."

"It must be because you're so close in age and appearance." They walked in silence for a moment before Morgana nonchalantly mentioned, "Your parents must miss you both. Why did you come to Camelot?"

"Merlin and I only have our mother. Our father left when I was a few months old." Roslyn grew quiet as she mentioned her father. She always wondered why he had left them. They were his family. She and Merlin knew better than to mention him around their mother, but they often spoke in whispers and fantasied about what he was like.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it," Morgana rushed to apologize, knowing too well the heartbreak that came with the loss of a father.

"You were not to know, my Lady."

They had arrived at the throne room, ending their sensitive conversation. The two guards opened the doors with a respective bow of the head for Morgana. All conversation halted as everyone's eyes drifted to the King's stunning Ward. With a small smile, Morgana gracefully walked the length of the room until she reached Uther, Roslyn trailing behind her, invisible to the members of the court.

"Morgana," the King greeted. "You look absolutely lovely."

Morgana thanked him and moved to stand to his right. Roslyn stood to her right, slightly behind her. Just as the knights began lining up to greet the King and his Ward, Gwen appeared. The two maids smiled at each other as the first knight approached the royals.

It seemed each knight was following a strict pattern. "Knight So-and-so of This-or-That." "You fight very well. I wish you luck in the tournament." "Thank you, My Lord. It is an honor to be here." Then they would move on to Morgana. "My Lady. You are more beautiful than they say." "Thank you. You are a very skilled fighter, Knight So-and-so. Good luck tomorrow." "My Lady." And repeat.

It was not until the aggressive fighter with the shield of snakes approached that the pattern was broken. Roslyn did not pay much attention to what he said to Uther, distracted by Gwen pointing out the rather garish dress one of the ladies of the court was wearing. He approached Morgana, a flirtatious expression on his face.

"My Lady." He bowed to kiss Morgana's outstretched hand, only, this time, she didn't seem to mind it.

Back to the pattern.

"I saw you competing today."

Or not.

"I saw you watching," the man leered. "I understand the tournament champion has the honor of escorting My Lady to the feast."

With a genuine smile, Morgana replied, "That's correct."

"Then I will give everything to win the tournament," he promised, nodding to her before moving towards the other knights. His sly smirk sounded warning bells in Roslyn's mind, but she could not pinpoint why.

What a creep.

The next day, the three friends sat in the same seats, eager to watch the tournament. They cheered as the winners proudly raised their swords and gasped as some were injured. The crowd hushed as Arthur entered the arena. When he addressed the crowd, a confident smile on his face, Roslyn feared she would lose her hearing – or her voice. When Arthur quickly defeated his opponent, the crowd cheered louder, if that were possible.

After Arthur's fight, the creepy snake knight arrived.

"Oh, Valiant's next," Morgana excitedly announced.

So that was his name. Ironic. He didn't seem the courageous type.

The two knights seemed evenly matched until Valiant managed to knock his rival down. The fight didn't end there, though. Even though his rival's head was now defenseless, Valiant felt the need to pin him down with his shield. After a few moments, Valiant gave his opponent one last hit before facing the crowd, relishing the attention. His opponent, however, lay still on the ground.

"What's wrong with Ewan?" Morgana asked, worry entering her voice.

Roslyn felt herself fill with worry once her uncle arrived with his medical bag and had Ewan carried back to his chambers on a stretcher. She suspiciously eyed the all too happy Valiant who showed no sign of concern for the injured knight.

Something was not right.

Morgana dismissed Roslyn for the rest of the day, stating that Gaius would need her help tending to Ewan. As she made her way to his chambers, she noticed Merlin speed right past her, heading towards the palace. He seemed to not have noticed her, meaning that his attention was elsewhere.

"Hello, Uncle," she greeted as she entered the chambers. She immediately spotted Ewan, sweating away on a cot. She took a seat next to him and wiped his hot forehead with a wet rag.

"Hmm? Oh, hello, Roslyn." Her uncle rummaged through his books, intent on finding something. A cure, perhaps?

"Have you figured out what happened to Ewan?" she asked, placing the rag back in the bucket of water once she realized a wet rag was not going to cure the knight.

"That is what's strange. It appears as though Ewan was bitten by some sort of snake, though how he suffered such an injury in a swordfight, I don't know." Her uncle's words caused her to freeze.

Snake bite. Sword fight. Valiant. Merlin.

"Where was Merlin going?" Roslyn tried to keep the panic out of her voice. She and her brother had similar thought processes, which could only mean that Merlin had reached the same conclusion she just had. Which meant that Merlin was with Valiant. The same Valiant who possessed a magic shield which he had used to injure his opponent.

"He didn't say." Gaius looked up and saw the alarm on her face. Before he could ask what was troubling her, Merlin stumbled into the chambers.

"I've just seen one of the snakes in Valiant's shield come alive! He's using magic!" His last few words became muffled as Roslyn threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Confused, Merlin hugged his sister back. He looked to Gaius for an explanation, but his uncle only shrugged.

Roslyn's mood quickly shifted as she pulled out of the hug and repeatedly slapped Merlin's arm. "What were you thinking?! You could have been killed!"

"But I wasn't," he pointed out, trying to move out of his angry sister's reach.

"Wait. Merlin, did you say that Valiant was using magic?" Gaius asked in disbelief. Merlin sighed as his sister was effectively distracted.

"Yes. The snakes on his shield came alive and one of them ate a mouse – one swallow, straight down. Ewan was fighting Valiant when he collapsed. It must've been one of the snakes from the shield," he explained what Roslyn had already suspected. "I have to tell Arthur." Merlin turned to leave, but Gaius next words stopped him.

"Is there any chance you might be mistaken?"

She could see Merlin become agitated, so she clarified, "What Uncle meant to ask was whether you had any proof. We believe you Merlin, but your word alone is not enough."

"You can't go accusing a knight of using magic without proof. The King would never accept the word of a servant over the word of a knight," Gaius explained further. It was the sad truth, but true it was.

If they wanted Valiant to get what he deserved, they needed solid proof.

The tournament was nearing its end. Tomorrow was the final. That meant that Merlin, Roslyn, and Gaius had very little time to cure Ewan and stop Valiant. For now, though, Roslyn decided to concentrate on enjoying herself. There was very little she could do from her place in the stands, so she focused on the tournament.

Arthur and a knight almost twice his size with muscles bigger than his head entered the arena. How Arthur would manage to defeat his opponent this time, she didn't know.

She sensed movement at her side and turned her head to find Morgana stroking Gwen's red cloak like a child would their blanket. "My Lady, are you worried for the prince?" She couldn't blame her. She was a little worried herself.

Morgana seemed to realize what she was doing and placed her hands primly in her lap. "No, of course not," she unconvincingly responded.

The fight began before Roslyn or Gwen could tease their mistress. The large knight seemed to have strength on his side, but his size made him slow. Arthur whipped around, quickly defeating his opponent.

As before, the crowd erupted into cheers, beyond excited for their prince, who was now moving on to the final. Valiant and his opponent entered next. As they fought, Roslyn kept an eye on his shield. She was so focused that she failed to notice when the fight ended.

"Valiant's won!" Morgana cheered, keeping true to her word that she wished Valiant would win the tournament and not Arthur.

Arthur. He has to fight Valiant tomorrow. Valiant's going to kill him!

That night, Morgana granted Roslyn's request for the night off as she claimed she had to help Gaius with an antidote for Ewan. She reached his chambers at the same Merlin did, something concealed in his hands. The two entered and Merlin handed a snake's head to Gaius.

"Don't ask me how. Now we have proof and you can save Ewan." Merlin was breathless. He must have run all the way back.

Gaius drained some venom from the snake into a bottle, promising, "I'll get started preparing the antidote."

"I'm going to tell Arthur." Merlin grabbed the snake head and ran out of the chambers.

Gaius spent a few moments mixing the venom with other ingredients before he administered it to Ewan. Roslyn sat by Ewan's side and wiped his sweaty forehead with a wet rag.

Minutes passed before Ewan stirred awake. He groaned in pain as he opened his eyes.

"Welcome back," Gaius smiled, happy that his patient was on the road to recovery.

Ewan's eyes widened and he tried to sit up. Hurriedly, he said, "There was a snake on his shield. It came alive."

Roslyn gently pushed him back down. "You're still weak," she told him, "There's still snake venom in your body."

"I must warn Arthur." Ewan struggled to sit back up, determined to protect the prince.

"Arthur already knows," Gaius informed him, constructing another concoction. "He's requested an audience with the King and they'll want to speak with you. Rest. You'll need your strength." His words seemed to calm Ewan's emotions. He laid back and seemed to relax. Gaius's next words were directed towards Roslyn. "Could you retrieve some more water, dear? I need to fetch more herbs."

She stood up, concerned. "Should we leave alone, Uncle? What if his condition worsens?"

Gaius gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll only be a moment."

Hesitantly, Roslyn grabbed a bucket and made her way to the water pump. Something doesn't feel right, she thought as she filled the bucket with water. She picked it up and hurried as fast as she could back to Gaius's chambers, worry filling her for some unknown reason.

When she entered, she spotted her uncle mixing together some herbs. Wordlessly, she handed him the water and approached Ewan, who seemed to be sleeping.

"I'm afraid this potion tastes like toad water – "

Roslyn interrupted her uncle, gasping, "I think he's dead!"

Gaius rushed forwards, checking the knight's pulse. With a miserable look on his face, he confirmed it. "Ewan is dead."

This was Valiant. It had to have been.

Gaius and Roslyn rushed to the Council Chambers, hoping beyond hope that Arthur hadn't dug himself into a deep hole. As they entered, they realized that they were too late. Uther was inspecting the shield in question and Arthur had drawn his sword, intent on protecting his father.

"Merlin," Gaius whispered, trying to gain his nephew's attention.

Arthur muttered something to Merlin, causing him to turn and fast-walk towards them.

"Where's Ewan?" he asked. "Uther's not going to believe us without him."

Roslyn sighed and placed a hand on his arm. "Mer, Ewan's dead."

"What? How?"

"It seems he was bitten by another snake," Gaius revealed, knowing that there would be severe consequences for all involved now that their witness was dead.

Arthur turned towards the trio and asked, "Where's Ewan?" There was an underlying layer of worry on his face. Without proof, he would be seen as a coward.

Merlin steeled himself before he disclosed, "Ewan's dead."

Roslyn silently watched as everything went to hell in a handbasket. Merlin was nearly arrested – again – and Valiant came out looking like the perfect knight. As the court dispersed, she noticed an angry expression on Arthur's face and knew that Merlin was in trouble.

Roslyn had just unbraided her hair when the door to their room slammed open and Merlin lifted a wheelbarrow into the room. She jumped and was about to reprimand her brother when she noticed the stone dog sitting in the wheelbarrow.

"What – "

Merlin interrupted his sister's incredulous question with a rushed explanation. "If I can find a spell that will turn this statue into a real dog, then I can let everyone see the snakes for themselves tomorrow!"

"Don't you have chores from Arthur you should do first?" Roslyn sat down on her bed, looking at the statue warily.

"Oh. Arthur sacked me," Merlin absentmindedly said, flipping through his magic book. Before she could respond, Merlin began chanting. He chanted for close to an hour before he seemed to give up. "I'm going to go see if I can convince Arthur to back out of the fight tomorrow," he tiredly mumbled.

"Oh, no. You are going to get some sleep. If you want to get this spell to work, you need to be well rested," she ordered, guiding her brother to his bed.

"I have to try," he slurred.

"I'll talk to him. You sleep." She smiled as she placed the blanket around her brother.

She had a prince who needed some sense talked into him.

Roslyn noticed the door to Arthur's chambers was ajar, so she didn't bother knocking as she walked in.

Assuming she was Merlin, Arthur sighed, "I thought I told you to get out of my sight."

"No, you told my brother that." Roslyn almost laughed as he jumped and turned around, but she kept a straight face.

"Roslyn! What are you doing here?" he asked, surprised to see her.

"Don't fight tomorrow. My brother was telling the truth. Valiant will kill you!" she pleaded. She knew Merlin considered Arthur a friend, and she would hate for him to lose him.

"I know," Arthur sighed, turning towards the window.

"If you knew, why would you sack him?" Roslyn approached, livid. How dare he? He knew Merlin wasn't lying to him and he sacked him anyway?

"Because he embarrassed me in front of the entire court, in front of my father!" Arthur seemed to care more about being embarrassed in front of his father than anything else.

"I understand that you can't withdraw without looking like a coward in front of your people, but if you fight, you will die," she warned. Arthur was undoubtedly a better fighter than Valiant, meaning that Valiant would have no choice but to use the shield if he wished to win.

"Then I'll die," Arthur solemnly responded.

Roslyn shook her head. She knew a lost case when she saw when. "Good luck tomorrow. Please don't die," she whispered as she left.

Merlin has to get the spell right.

When Roslyn awoke the next day, she quietly dressed and tiptoed out their room, careful to not wake Merlin. She hurriedly ate her breakfast, bid her uncle goodbye, and walked to Morgana's chambers.

Gwen had arrived early with Morgana's breakfast and the two were prepared to leave for the tournament. Roslyn quickly apologized for her lateness.

"It's alright, Roslyn. Where's your cloak? It's freezing outside," Morgana remarked, noticing her short sleeves.

Roslyn blushed slightly. "I don't have a cloak. They weren't abundant in Ealdor," she revealed.

Morgana nodded and went to her wardrobe. She pulled out an emerald green cloak and handed it to her.

"Oh, my Lady, I couldn't," Roslyn protested, refusing the cloak.

"I insist. I can't have my maid freezing to death! Besides, the cloak has become too short for me, but it's perfect for you." Morgana wrapped it around Roslyn's neck and tied it. "See?"

"Thank you, Morgana," she smiled.

"It brings out your eyes," Gwen commented, coming to stand next to her.

Roslyn thanked her and decided to change the conversation. "Shouldn't we be heading to the tournament?"

"You two go ahead. I have something I have to do first." Morgana waved them ahead, promising to meet them at the arena.

When Morgana sat down in between them, she had a concerned look on her face. When asked whether something was wrong, she waved the question away, stating that she was fine. Arthur and Valiant entered the arena before Roslyn and Gwen could pry.

The two knights nodded to each other before the fight began. It was obvious that Arthur was the stronger fighter. He managed to knock Valiant's helmet off. Being the noble person he was, Arthur took off his helmet as well, causing the crowd to cheer louder. Valiant knocked Arthur to the ground, stepping on his shield. This forced Arthur to let go. Valiant used this to his advantage and disarmed Arthur. Before Valiant could strike him, however, Arthur caught him. Valiant pinned Arthur against a wall, probably about to use his shield, but Arthur managed to push him away.

Merlin must have arrived because the snakes from Valiant's shield came to life, causing the crowd to stand up in shock.

Valiant was in shock as well. He shouted, "What are you doing? I didn't summon you!"

Uther took that as a confession as he realized, "He is using magic."

Took you long enough.

The snakes slithered out of the shield onto the ground as Valiant commanded, "Kill him!"

Arthur backed up, approaching the stands where Morgana, Gwen, and Roslyn sat. Morgana pointed at the sword of the knight standing next to Roslyn and then pointed towards Arthur. Understanding, Roslyn grabbed his sword and threw it towards Arthur with a shout of his name.

Arthur turned, catching the sword and swinging it towards Valiant and the snakes. He managed to behead the two snakes in one swipe before focusing on their master. He disarmed Valiant and ran him through, killing him. As Valiant hit the ground, the crowd cheered, relieved that their prince had survived another attack on his life.

Roslyn turned towards the entrance and smiled as she saw her brother celebrating.

Merlin seems to be embracing his destiny.

Gwen and Roslyn stood together at the feast that night, watching as Arthur escorted Morgana. Quickly, the two seemed to get into an argument before Morgana stormed off towards them.

"Can you believe Arthur?" she complained. "He refuses to believe that Roslyn saved him."

"It's Arthur. What more do you expect?" Roslyn asked. The three burst into giggles at that. For now, all was well.

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has followed, favorited, reviewed, and read this story! A special thanks to those who have given constructive criticism! Next up, Mark of Nimueh!