I

                                    

                                          
Gaius let out a hearty laugh as Isabella nodded."It's true.I think I hurt his pride much more than I anticipated."she said as she tapped her fingers on the wooden bench.
                          
After her friendly challenge with Arthur-which now wouldn't be so friendly since she had bested him-she had came to inform Gaius that Merlin was fine or so she hoped.If his training consisted of what Isabella saw earlier then she was sure he would arrive in his bed in pieces and not a whole human.
                          
"Well I would suggest you don't take advantage on this or else he could have your head in moments."Gaius replied as he moved about his bench and worked on making potions or medicine.His old hands worked fast on his tools but very skillfully.She admired his patience.
                          
"Oh please he's nothing more than an arrogant show off that can't even take a defeat,you should see the look on his face."Isabella threw her hands in the air as she let out a small laugh."I'm also quite certain Merlin would take all his rage after I let him there alone."she continued as she leaned forward on the table and let out a sigh.
                          
"Arthur is a prince it's his duty to be a winner and make his father proud in almost everything."Gaius replied as he placed a colorful liquid on a small glass bottle and then closed it tightly."As for Merlin..."
                          
In cue the door opened and a disheveled Merlin walked inside.His face was covered in mud and his hair was sticking out from everywhere.His armor from before was a step before falling on the floor and so was him since he appeared sore from head to toe.
                          
Isabella and Gaius exchanged a look of confusion before they both looked back at the boy that could barely stand."So...how was your first day as Arthur's servant?"the older man chuckled while he circled the bottle he was holding around.
                          
Merlin then started to hit the side of his head a confused expression across his face."Do you hear clunging?"he asked in a voice slightly higher than usual.Poor him.She shouldn't have left him alone with Arthur.
                          
Isabella cleared her throat as she got up to help him out of his already ruined armor."And now my fears have been confirmed,Arthur can't deal being defeated."she muttered quietly under her breath.
                          
After a few minutes of them struggling to pull all the armor and clothes from him,Merlin pulled out a broken arrow from somewhere in his pants.She gave him and the arrow a confused look."I was his target as well."he said in a strained voice as he slammed against the wooden table,trying to find a comfortable position to sit.Gaius hands found Merlin's shoulders as he let out a few groans here and there.
                          
Isabella and Gaius shared a look once more.Apparently Arthur didn't deal well at ALL with being defeated.
                          
"It was horrible."Merlin exclaimed as Gaius massaged his shoulders and looked down at the boy with a raised eyebrow."And I still got to learn all this tournament etiquette by the morning."Isabella crossed her arms from her spot listening at him.The tournament wasn't too far away and he had to learn a lot of things about it.
                          
From her experience in fighting with a sword she hadn't really participated in one and she was most likely not even allowed to.Not on Camelot at least.It was strictly for men and praising their pride or something of some sorts.But no one said she couldn't go and watch.Maybe Arthur would be beaten again and she would enjoy the look on his face.But at the same time she feared of getting all his anger out on Merlin.The poor boy was only trying to help.
                          
His eyes turned to a book that was exactly in front of her.As a silent question she reached to grab it.A series of words she surprisingly understood-a spell for bringing objects closer to you-left his mouth,making the book slide against the wooden table and close to him.The book opened itself in front of him to a random page.