Truth, Dare or Ale

Disclaimer: I do not owe the rights to Merlin or any of the characters. This is for
entertainment purposes only, no profit is made from this tale.


      Merlin, Arthur and Gwaine sat around a small table in Arthur's room. A fire in
the fireplace cast dancing shadows on their faces. The bones of a chicken lay on a
platter in the middle of the table. Merlin stood to gather the three empty plates and
take them to the kitchen. He left the three cups, knowing they would be put to use
over the course of the long night.
   
     "Merlin," Gwaine said in his usual husky tones. "Bring back a few jugs of ale with
you, if its not too much trouble. Since the tavern is closed tonight, we'll have to make
do with what we have on hand."

     "You mean what I have on hand, don't you, Gwaine?" Arthur asked with a raised
eyebrow. "And the tavern is closed due to the fact that you started a fight there last
night. The costs of the repairs are going to come out of your wages. I'm not paying
for them this time. And a Knight of Camelot always pays his debts."

     "Arthur, do you wish that I bring back the ale?" Merlin queried as he gazed at
his two friends with a smile. Gwaine had leaned back his chair, placing his feet on
the table. He placed his hands behind his head and grinned at Arthur. Arthur looked
back at him with a frown. Gwaine just grinned wider and rocked his chair back and
forth on its two back legs.

     "Yes," he replied to Merlin. "With Gwaine here, you might as well bring back
three or four jugs. Thankfully, the others have not returned from their patrolling
for the bandits in the forest or the cellar would be empty before morning.If we run out,
Gwaine can make the next trip. And stop by Gwen's to tell her that I'll see her tomorrow.
She'll understand. Sometimes a man has to just be alone with the fellows."

     "I'll be right back," Merlin said. "Since you moved Gwen into the room next door, I
shouldn't be but a few minutes. Try not to miss me while I'm gone." He ducked the boot
that Arthur threw at him as he vanished through the door.

     "Now that fight wasn't my fault," Gwaine said as Arthur looked at his feet on the table.
"As a Knight of Camelot it was my duty to assist the young lady after the man assaulted her.
What else was I to do? I couldn't let him get away with insulting her."

     "She was a serving wench and had been flirting with him all night," Arthur retorted.
"It is part of her job, she should be used to it. A slap on the ass is not worth starting a
tavern brawl for. You forget that I was there and saw everything that happened."

     "In my eyes,every woman is a lady," Gwaine shot back. "Unless they prove to
be otherwise.And you didn't see when she rebuffed his advances. Or do you think she
deserved to be slapped and called a brazen hussy? Did she deserve it when he grabbed
her and ripped the front of her dress? What if that had been Gwen? Would you have let
him get away with it? Just because a girl flirts with a man it doesn't mean he can treat her
like a piece of meat. What he did was wrong and I merely corrected him. He threw the
first punch. I was willing to let that go and try to talk it out but then his buddy jumped me.
Leon stepped in to help me and the next thing I knew, the whole tavern was fighting."

     "I really should put you on night duty," Arthur said. "At least you would only be able
to visit the tavern on your nights off. I would but I don't think it would do any good. You
would still find a way to go there and start trouble."

     "You are right,"Gwaine smiled back. "It was the middle of the day when you met me.
No force on this earth can keep me from a tavern if it is open and I need a drink. That
is just who I am."

     The door crashed open and Merlin stumbled into the room carrying four jugs of ale.
Gwaine rose from his chair and took two of the jugs from his arms. Merlin smiled his
thanks as Arthur grabbed one jug and placed it on the table. He glared at Gwaine,clearly
not ready to let the argument drop. Merlin looked at two men who stood facing each
other across the table. The tension was heavy in the room and it threatened to ruin the
evening.He glanced at Gwaine, hoping he would back down. He knew Arthur would not.

     "I have a game we could pass the night with," Gwaine said as he unclenched his jaw.
"I learned it in Mercia. A lovely young lady taught it to me and we had alot of fun. It is
called Truth, Dare or Ale. You take turns and you have to choose each one at least once.
You can not pick Ale more than twice in a row. The Dares can not hurt anyone else and
you have to answer the Truths honestly. So do you want to play or are you scared?"

     "Sounds like fun to me," Merlin replied. "We can teach it to the others when they get
back. Do you think we have enough ale or do I need to get more? I would rather get it
now than trying to get up and down the stairs while I'm drunk."

     "I'm sure we have enough jugs," Arthur said testily. "If not I'll go get some more myself.
You fall enough on the stairs when you're sober. Let's get this little game started. Who's first?"

     "It is my game so I will go first," Gwaine said as he turned to Merlin. "Merlin; Truth, Dare
Or Ale?"

     "Truth,I guess," Merlin replied after a short pause to think about his choices. "The answers
stay in this room, right? This is just between the three of us. We don't tell anybody else?"

     "Of course," Gwaine said. "But remember that you have to tell the truth. How old were
you when you had your first drink? And don't say you can't remember because that is cheating."

     "I guess I was eight or nine," Merlin answered. "I had been helping our village blacksmith
and he let me have a small glass of ale. I remember not liking it very much. Is it my turn now?"
Gwaine nodded and Merlin turned to Arthur.

     "Truth, Dare or Ale?" he asked Arthur with a grin. "Dare," Arthur replied. "Ok," Merlin
smirked. "I dare you to sneak into Gwen's room and, without waking her, steal one of her
dresses from the wardrobe."

     "That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Arthur loudly replied. "What am I going to
tell her I am doing if I get caught? That I wanted to see what her measurements were so I
could buy her a new one? I'm not doing it."

     "Then you are out of the game," Gwaine replied happily. "You have to do whatever he
says to do or you forfeit the game. Merlin and I can continue without you."

     "I'll do it," Arthur sulked. "A Pendragon never backs down from a challenge. I'll be back
and you better hope Gwen doesn't catch me."

     Merlin and Gwaine burst into laughter as the door closed behind him. After a few minutes,
he came back through the door. A pale purple dress was in his arms. His face was bright red.

     "My turn," he spat out. "Gwaine; Truth, Dare or Ale?" He prayed that it would be Dare
so he could pay Gwaine back for the embarrassment he felt when Gwen had caught him going
through her wardrobe. He had muttered something about how he had noticed the gown had a
rip in it and he was going see that it was fixed. Gwen asked no questions as he fled from the
room with the gown in his hands.

     "I think I'll take Truth," he replied. "I know you thought I'd take Ale but the night is still
young and there is no way I'm taking a Dare from you right now.You look like you could
spit nails. So, go ahead and ask your question. I am an open book."

     Sure you are," Arthur replied sarcastically. "Have you ever truly been in love with a woman?
And I don't mean smitten or attracted to. I mean head-over-heels, lay down your life and
give up everything for this woman. Your day doesn't start until you see her and she is the
last thing you think about at night. That is the kind of love I am speaking of."

     "Pretty little speech," Gwaine said. "You may not believe it but I have felt that way. I was
sixteen and she was also. We had grown up together. She was my best friend when we were
children. Her family moved away when she was ten. I cried for days after she left but time
heals all wounds and I found a new best friend. Her family moved back when I was fourteen.
I couldn't believe my eyes. She had always been cute but she had grown into the most
beautiful woman I had ever seen. Long,sandy blond hair flowed to her shoulders. You should
have seen her eyes, as blue as lake and they sparkled with laughter. Her eyes made me feel as
if she was looking into my heart and soul. I lost my heart to her the second I saw her again.
I was lucky that she loved me in return. Her name was Grace and it suited her. She may not
have been noble-born, but she carried herself like the finest ladies I have known."

     "What happened?" Merlin asked softly. "She's not with you now so something must have
happened. Did you quarrel? Did her parents not approve of you? Did her parents move again?"

     "Nothing like that,"Gwaine replied. "We were to be married in the spring. I had never been
happier. All I could think of was our life together. Then winter came. It was a harsh one and it
brought sickness with it. She helped to nurse the sick and never left them. Lack of sleep and
food weakened her and she caught the illness. Her poor body couldn't fight it and she died in my
arms. I buried her and started off on my travels shortly after. I've been wandering ever since."

     Arthur place his hand on Gwaine's shoulder. Merlin came and placed his hand on Gwaine's
other shoulder. The three friends stood like that for a short time, remembering the loved ones
they had lost. Then Gwaine shook his head and smiled through the tears in his eyes.

     "Come on," he said shakily. "This is supposed to be fun. Let's all have a drink and think
of happier things. I believe it is my turn and I am going to choose Arthur."

     The game continued into the early morning hours. All four jugs of ale were drunk and Gwaine
had to go get more. On the way, he completed Merlin's dare to kiss the head cook. Dares
were made, Truths were told and alot of ale was consumed. As they struggled to their beds,
none of the three could recall having spent a happier night. They drifted off to sleep with smiles
on their faces, each eager to teach the other Knights a wonderful new game.