Misguided Intentions
Original Post
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Arthur/Gwen
Character/s: Merlin, Gaius, Gwaine
Summary: Teetotling isn't the answer for Camelot. Post-S5, everybody-lived, humor AU.
Word Count: 1024
Prompt: "There's no more ale in Camelot."
A/N: For ag_fics Team Fic Battle.
The castle shone, outside and in. Not a speck of dust was to be found in a single corner of the citadel, and visitors remarked that they were nearly blinded by the sunlight off the stones outside. Nor was the tidying purely in a sense of cleanliness: every single enemy facing Camelot had been quickly and soundly defeated. Not a hem needed mending, not a sword needed sharpening.. everything was in tip-top shape.
That went for behavior, as well; not a single tavern brawl or neighborly skirmish had occurred in months. Due to that and the fact that magic was now legal, the cells of Camelot's dungeons were empty (albeit sparkling and lined with fresh grasses on the floor). The golden age of Albion had come on quickly, it would seem.
At least... that had been the theory when a spell had been cast, turning all ale in the kingdom into water overnight. Not that anyone knew that; they had no idea who was behind the incident, or precisely why it had occurred. The one facet of the plan that was true was magic being re-introduced to Camelot, but that was a precursor to the enchantment instead of a result.
Everything else had gone completely wrong. Fistfights broke out regularly and often for no conceivable reason. Servants were shirking their duties; knights were distracted at training. It was true that a handful of people had been helped by the strange situation, but overall, the kingdom was unhappy. King Arthur was beginning to receive petitioners, asking him to reconsider his broad edict on the legalization of magic.
Word got round that the king wished to meet with experts regarding ways of restricting the use of magic without banning it entirely, and the culprit knew it was time to step forward.
Arthur curiously watched the young woman who approached the table in the council chambers, as did Gwen, Merlin, and Gaius, seated around him at the table. Most of the people who had come forward so far were from a time before magic had been outlawed, who could offer insights into life before and after the Great Purge. This woman was younger than even Merlin.
After curtsying, she said, "I have come to discuss the absence of ale in Camelot."
"May we first hear your name?" Gwen asked kindly.
"I would rather not say," the woman said as politely as possible.
Arthur waved this away. "Do you know anything about what's happened?"
She drew a breath. "Yes. I devised an enchantment to cause it."
They all stared at her, wondering both at her reasons for the spell as well as her willingness to confess. "Why?" Arthur finally asked. "Was it to weaken the kingdom?"
"On the contrary," she quickly said. "I intended to strengthen it."
"By removing all the ale...?" Gaius's eyebrow sauntered upward.
She nodded. "I used to work in a tavern in one of the outlying villages-- you'll please pardon me if I do not say which-- and there was a man who came in regularly. He was kind, funny, handsome... one of the only customers who ever treated me as a person. But, he had a penchant for getting involved in fights." She brushed a finger under her eye. "The last time I saw him, he had fallen unconscious after taking a knife to the leg."
Arthur and Merlin exchanged a glance.
"You sound awfully educated for someone who sought work in a tavern," Gaius remarked, not unkindly.
She gave him a knowing look. "There were not a lot of options for someone who'd been brought up in the ways of magic."
Waving that aside, as it could hardly be argued, Arthur inquired, "Was this man, perchance, called Gwaine?"
She paled. "How did you know that?"
He nearly laughed. "Let me clarify: you've taken ale away from Camelot... for Gwaine."
"In his honor, yes."
Arthur still managed to hold in his laughter, but not his grin. Gwaine had been the most vocally frustrated of anyone when discussing the massive lack of ale. "Did you not see him being carried out of the tavern?"
She shook her head. "Another tavern patron smuggled me out right after that happened, and we heard that you were in the area, my lord. I ran."
That citizens of Camelot had run merely on the word of his presence bothered Arthur, but those times were ended. So, he simply said, "I rescued Gwaine from that fight, and he is now one of my knights."
"Who rescued Gwaine?" Merlin murmured, for Arthur's ears only.
Arthur shot him a sideways glance and mumbled, "Shut up, Merlin."
She frowned. "He's a knight of Camelot?"
"He's thriving-- and, he misses having a pint at the tavern," Arthur said pointedly.
Biting her lip, the woman looked away. "I see."
"Is the enchantment reversable?" Gwen asked.
"Yes, my lady." The woman nodded emphatically. "Once I return home, I'll set it right."
Arthur said, "Then, be on your way."
She dipped her chin in agreement. "I was only trying to help," she said quietly.
"Next time you wish to help the entire kingdom, an audience with us would probably be in order," Arthur suggested wryly.
With a tentative smile, she said, "I'll remember that." Then, with another curtsey, she hurried away.
"Well, that's that settled," Merlin started to say, but was interrupted when Gwaine walked in the back doorway.
"Has there been any progress?" he asked.
"In fact, there has," Arthur replied, leaning back in his seat. "We have received word that the enchantment was due to a misunderstanding, and will shortly be reversed."
"Excellent!" Gwaine rubbed his hands together and smiled. "Who was behind it? I'd like to have a meeting with them, of my own."
"I'm afraid that's not possible." Merlin shrugged. "We only have that guarantee, no name or anything."
Gwen gave him an approving look.
Gwaine took that in stride. "Ah, well. The important thing is that ale's restored to Camelot." With a slight bow, he went off to spread the good news.
"That's the important thing to be restored," Gaius mused.
Gwen gave an amused shake of her head. "Apparently so."
*
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Arthur/Gwen
Character/s: Merlin, Gaius, Gwaine
Summary: Teetotling isn't the answer for Camelot. Post-S5, everybody-lived, humor AU.
Word Count: 1024
Prompt: "There's no more ale in Camelot."
A/N: For ag_fics Team Fic Battle.
The castle shone, outside and in. Not a speck of dust was to be found in a single corner of the citadel, and visitors remarked that they were nearly blinded by the sunlight off the stones outside. Nor was the tidying purely in a sense of cleanliness: every single enemy facing Camelot had been quickly and soundly defeated. Not a hem needed mending, not a sword needed sharpening.. everything was in tip-top shape.
That went for behavior, as well; not a single tavern brawl or neighborly skirmish had occurred in months. Due to that and the fact that magic was now legal, the cells of Camelot's dungeons were empty (albeit sparkling and lined with fresh grasses on the floor). The golden age of Albion had come on quickly, it would seem.
At least... that had been the theory when a spell had been cast, turning all ale in the kingdom into water overnight. Not that anyone knew that; they had no idea who was behind the incident, or precisely why it had occurred. The one facet of the plan that was true was magic being re-introduced to Camelot, but that was a precursor to the enchantment instead of a result.
Everything else had gone completely wrong. Fistfights broke out regularly and often for no conceivable reason. Servants were shirking their duties; knights were distracted at training. It was true that a handful of people had been helped by the strange situation, but overall, the kingdom was unhappy. King Arthur was beginning to receive petitioners, asking him to reconsider his broad edict on the legalization of magic.
Word got round that the king wished to meet with experts regarding ways of restricting the use of magic without banning it entirely, and the culprit knew it was time to step forward.
Arthur curiously watched the young woman who approached the table in the council chambers, as did Gwen, Merlin, and Gaius, seated around him at the table. Most of the people who had come forward so far were from a time before magic had been outlawed, who could offer insights into life before and after the Great Purge. This woman was younger than even Merlin.
After curtsying, she said, "I have come to discuss the absence of ale in Camelot."
"May we first hear your name?" Gwen asked kindly.
"I would rather not say," the woman said as politely as possible.
Arthur waved this away. "Do you know anything about what's happened?"
She drew a breath. "Yes. I devised an enchantment to cause it."
They all stared at her, wondering both at her reasons for the spell as well as her willingness to confess. "Why?" Arthur finally asked. "Was it to weaken the kingdom?"
"On the contrary," she quickly said. "I intended to strengthen it."
"By removing all the ale...?" Gaius's eyebrow sauntered upward.
She nodded. "I used to work in a tavern in one of the outlying villages-- you'll please pardon me if I do not say which-- and there was a man who came in regularly. He was kind, funny, handsome... one of the only customers who ever treated me as a person. But, he had a penchant for getting involved in fights." She brushed a finger under her eye. "The last time I saw him, he had fallen unconscious after taking a knife to the leg."
Arthur and Merlin exchanged a glance.
"You sound awfully educated for someone who sought work in a tavern," Gaius remarked, not unkindly.
She gave him a knowing look. "There were not a lot of options for someone who'd been brought up in the ways of magic."
Waving that aside, as it could hardly be argued, Arthur inquired, "Was this man, perchance, called Gwaine?"
She paled. "How did you know that?"
He nearly laughed. "Let me clarify: you've taken ale away from Camelot... for Gwaine."
"In his honor, yes."
Arthur still managed to hold in his laughter, but not his grin. Gwaine had been the most vocally frustrated of anyone when discussing the massive lack of ale. "Did you not see him being carried out of the tavern?"
She shook her head. "Another tavern patron smuggled me out right after that happened, and we heard that you were in the area, my lord. I ran."
That citizens of Camelot had run merely on the word of his presence bothered Arthur, but those times were ended. So, he simply said, "I rescued Gwaine from that fight, and he is now one of my knights."
"Who rescued Gwaine?" Merlin murmured, for Arthur's ears only.
Arthur shot him a sideways glance and mumbled, "Shut up, Merlin."
She frowned. "He's a knight of Camelot?"
"He's thriving-- and, he misses having a pint at the tavern," Arthur said pointedly.
Biting her lip, the woman looked away. "I see."
"Is the enchantment reversable?" Gwen asked.
"Yes, my lady." The woman nodded emphatically. "Once I return home, I'll set it right."
Arthur said, "Then, be on your way."
She dipped her chin in agreement. "I was only trying to help," she said quietly.
"Next time you wish to help the entire kingdom, an audience with us would probably be in order," Arthur suggested wryly.
With a tentative smile, she said, "I'll remember that." Then, with another curtsey, she hurried away.
"Well, that's that settled," Merlin started to say, but was interrupted when Gwaine walked in the back doorway.
"Has there been any progress?" he asked.
"In fact, there has," Arthur replied, leaning back in his seat. "We have received word that the enchantment was due to a misunderstanding, and will shortly be reversed."
"Excellent!" Gwaine rubbed his hands together and smiled. "Who was behind it? I'd like to have a meeting with them, of my own."
"I'm afraid that's not possible." Merlin shrugged. "We only have that guarantee, no name or anything."
Gwen gave him an approving look.
Gwaine took that in stride. "Ah, well. The important thing is that ale's restored to Camelot." With a slight bow, he went off to spread the good news.
"That's the important thing to be restored," Gaius mused.
Gwen gave an amused shake of her head. "Apparently so."
*