The Masterplan (Elyan)

[thegwaine]

Gwaine hated nights off sometimes. He was currently lazing around in his chambers, trying to come up with something to amuse himself with. It would have been fine if the person who had brought him his dinner had been some young, pretty serving girl. But no, he had got a young, strong man instead. Sometimes luck was never on Gwaine’s side. He finished off the last bit of his dinner, and got up from his small table almost straight away. There had to be something he could amuse himself with surely? Gwaine ran a hand through his hair, and changed so that he was looking at his hair in the mirror. He was quite vain, and he knew that really, but he wasn’t ashamed of the fact.

An amused smile snuck onto his lips as his mind began to form a plan. He had thought all his other brothers were on patrol tonight, however he was very much mistaken. There was one knight who, like him, would probably be bored out of his wits, and in need of rescuing from that very sorry state of mind. Gwaine grabbed his cloak, and threw it on as he left his chambers to enact his plan with a grin firmly planted upon his lips. He was quite shocked that he hadn’t thought of this sooner really; it wasn’t like him to miss such an obvious opportunity for ale. For now he was just clad in his usual, everyday clothes. If he was going to end up in the tavern at some point tonight he didn’t want his status to come into his evening out. He liked conversing with those in the tavern on their level, not the level that he had been elevated to.

He had finally reached his destination, and with a grin he knocked on the door. Really this was just a perfect situation wasn’t it? “Elyan, are you in there? There are two ales down at the Rising Sun, and they have our names on them.” He chuckled to himself. Of course Elyan too wasn’t on duty tonight, and Gwaine hadn’t yet had the pleasure of drinking with this particular brother. Heck, Gwaine had even convinced Merlin to join him for a drink before now, so it was a crime that he hadn’t yet persuaded Elyan to come to the tavern with him. “Don’t make me drink them both myself.” He finished off with another knock, sure that this would work. After all, who could resist an evening out with him and an ale?

Tags: Elyan
Timeline: Sometime during series 4
Location: Starts off in the castle, and moves to the Rising Sun
Notes: Let me know if anything needs editing!

[cherryblossom131]

It was a very slow day. Elyan was sitting in his chambers at his desk, doing some paperwork. He had to sort out the inventory and money for the forge. With the quill in his hand, he tried to concentrate on the numbers and figures in front of him. He groaned, his head just wasn't in it tonight. He couldn't make himself concentrate on the subtracting and addition. He was getting nowhere, he stood up. There had to be something he could do to entertain himself, or at least take his mind off the boring work he wasn't bothered enough to do. But most of the knights were on patrol save Gwaine. But he was probably with a girl or in the tavern getting thoroughly intoxicated as per usual.

He looked at his bed. Maybe he'd get an early night tonight. Arthur had said training tomorrow would be at dawn. The logical side of Elyan's mind told him the sensible thing to do was to sleep so he would be fully awake for tomorrow's sure to be brutal training session. But the other side of his mind wanted to have some fun. He wanted to be spontaneous tonight like he always used to be. He missed it. Who cares if he gets in trouble tomorrow? Who cares if he gets in trouble tonight? He surely didn't, he never really did. Elyan rarely got to have nights off and he wasn't going to waste it sleeping. He hadn't done anything reckless in ages and by the god's Elyan was going to be reckless tonight. Now the only problem was figuring out what he was going to do in the city. He sat down in front of the table in the middle of his chambers.

“Elyan, are you in there? There are two ales down at the Rising Sun, and they have our names on them." Elyan looked up at the sound of Gwaine's voice. Speak of the devil! Elyan was sure Gwaine knew how to have a good time. He could really use a tankard of ale to soothe his mind from all the boring work he had seemingly abandoned. He stood up while Gwaine went on about drinking the ale by himself. Elyan had no doubt that he probably would. He opened the door with a wide grin on his face. "Gwaine, just the man I wanted to see." The grin hadn't subsided yet. "I'd love to go to the tavern, but you're buying." Elyan was very sure of one thing; tonight would be a night to remember or rather a story everyone would have to tell him when he wakes up tomorrow morning with a horrid headache. He didn't even care.

[thegwaine]

Gwaine began to fiddle with his shirt as he waited for Elyan to answer his knock on the door. It had been quite a boring day, after all, not much had been happening recently. Camelot was going through one of the rare periods in its history where no one was threatening war, and they weren’t under attack from some obscure magical creature that he didn’t really know the name of. He hadn’t really come across so many magical creatures before he had come to the one kingdom that they were banned in. Go figure really. Gwaine didn’t have a particular opinion on magic, mainly because he hadn’t been brought up in Camelot, but whenever they were under attack he of course did everything he could to protect Camelot and its inhabitants. That was what he had signed up for after all wasn’t it?

Gwaine ran a hand through his hair. Arthur had said something about training at dawn the next morning, and he knew it wouldn’t be wise to turn up to training with a hangover. However, when ale was involved, Gwaine was beyond logic. He had managed training sessions before with a hangover, and he was sure that he would manage it again. Finally the door swung open and Gwaine spun round to face his fellow brother. His reception was quite enthusiastic, and Gwaine couldn’t help but shrug. “Well who wouldn’t want to see this face on their doorstep?” He gave a short chuckle and raised his eye brows at Elyan’s next words. If the man really thought that Gwaine bought his own drinks at the tavern, then he really hadn’t ever been on a night out with him before. There was always the chance of free ale where there were pretty women involved in the tavern. He could usually charm a few ales out of the barmaids, and perhaps he would even share those with Elyan if he was lucky.

He stepped back out of the way of the doorway so that Elyan could step out after him. This would be an interesting night out if Gwaine had anything to do with it. Right now he wasn’t thinking about his training session in the morning, and the prospect of having seven bells knocked out of him by Leon or Lucan, no, right now all Gwaine could focus on was a drink with one of his fellow brothers. Oh well, at least if he did get a hangover then he wouldn’t be alone in his struggle in the morning. He could just pair with Elyan, and they’d get through it together somehow. “Come on, the tavern won’t wait forever.” He jested, and gestured for his friend to follow him as he set off down to the corridor.

[cherryblossom131]

“Come on, the tavern won’t wait forever.” Elyan chuckled at Gwaine's remark and grabbed his green cloak from the hook on his door. He didn't very much want a cold and a hangover tomorrow now did he? God know's the hangover on its own is going to kill him anyway, especially with training at the break of dawn. How he would find the will to wake up, he had no idea. Arthur had that look in his eye, when he told them what time the training was going to be earlier today. Which all the knights knew basically meant he was going to work them to the bone and beat them all to a pulp. He knew it was a horrible thing to think, but at least Gwaine would be there to suffer with him. Or they could just go to Gaius and drink that awful cure for hangovers he kept...which never really worked all that well. Tomorrow was going to be extremely brutal and Arthur never left any remorse. But now was not a time to think of such things, now was a time to live in the moment.

With a massive grin on his face, Elyan began to follow Gwaine through the corridors of the castle. "I was wondering Gwaine," he began. "With what everyone's told me about you and that tavern, how on Earth do they still allow you in there?" He teased. He's been told by some of the knights that Gwaine had been kicked out of the tavern more than a few times. Elyan would have expected that the owner would have had enough of Gwaine, and have just barred him. Just so he wouldn't have to deal with the trouble of kicking him out all the time. The fact that they were headed there now, meant Gwaine had much more charm than Elyan thought. "You'll have to teach me, because whenever I get into trouble I always seem to talk myself deeper into it."

He watched servants rush past him and passed a lot of the knights on guard duty. He gave most of them a small smile, which a few returned, mostly the servants and a couple of knights he knew. When they stepped outside, Elyan was hit with a wave of chills. The temperature difference between the outside of the castle and the inside was quite huge it seemed. He pulled his cloak tighter around him, and wished he'd worn something a bit thicker. It didn't matter though, right? He'd be in the much warmer tavern soon, with ale in his belly to warm right him up.

[thegwaine]

Gwaine folded his arms, and tapped his foot slightly impatiently as Elyan grabbed his cloak. He wasn't actually annoyed that his friend was dithering about before they went out drinking, no, he was just trying to tease him somewhat. They only had limited numbers of drinking hours left in the day, and Gwaine had wasted enough hours of today not drinking, so he needed to make up for lost time. That lost time was of course best spent with a friend, and anyway, it would help to have someone to support him back up to his room at the end of the night wouldn't it? Plus, they couldn't stop out too late, Arthur had them all down for training at the break of dawn, and Gwaine was determined not to have seven bells knocked out of him again. The knights often punished Gwaine when he had a hangover, but maybe they would pick on Elyan too if he had a hangover as well.

Gwaine lazily turned his head round to Elyan as he followed him down the corridor, Jesu, did he not know they were in a rush?! He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair, "Well, why would they want to get rid of their best customer?" He winked at Elyan as the tavern was always more interesting when Gwaine was about, well, that was his opinion anyway. "You just have to know when to say the right thing. The women at the tavern always loved being complimented." He knew enough of the women down at the tavern to know he would never be without female company if he wanted that.

It was a bit colder than Gwaine was expecting, but after a while he would have ale to warm the blood, so it didn't concern him too much. He shrugged and got on with it. When he'd been wandering he'd had some nights when he had been without a cloak for one reason or another, he could man up and do it again. "Not cold are you?" He teased and chuckled, continuing leading the way towards the tavern.

[cherryblossom131]

Elyan chuckled when Gwaine called himself their best customer. It was almost understandable...except for one crucial point. "As far as I've heard, you're notoriously known for not paying for your drinks." Elyan smirked. He'd heard that on many occasions, Gwaine hardly ever paid for his own drinks. He was well aware that he'd probably be paying for their drinks tonight. But he didn't have a huge problem, as long as they didn't drink too much...Who was he kidding? They were both probably going to drink themselves silly and to be honest Elyan couldn't care less. He really loved that feeling.

At Gwaine's next words he outright laughed. "I expect you know the women in the tavern quite well," he teased. He wasn't really the type to chat up women in taverns, but Gwaine it seemed was a ladies man. "Let's just say I'm not particularly good at knowing when to say the right thing." He chuckled inwardly at a few memories, where he'd most certainly said the wrong thing, and had gotten himself into heaps of trouble. "Maybe you could show me a technique or two?" He winked back at Gwaine. Elyan could always do good to learn, even from Gwaine. He definitely knew he needed it.

"Not cold are you?" He watched Gwaine walk without a cloak. "How could I not be?" He pulled his cloak even tighter around him. "It's freezing out here." How Gwaine wasn't shaking like a leaf from the cold, was beyond him. Despite them being brothers at heart, Gwaine would forever be a mystery to Elyan. He expected Gwaine had probably gotten used to walking to the tavern in the freezing cold. Elyan could see a small sign in the distance he could make out the words 'The Rising Sun' despite the darkness. Finally! They were almost there. He could already hear the increasing sound of talking and laughter from inside the tavern and he could hardly wait to step inside.

[thegwaine]

Now, it wasn’t that Gwaine never paid for his drinks. It was just that he got so many drinks for free, it might appear that he was building up a tab on the bar. He and the owners of the Rising Sun had a sort of agreement, or at least that was what he assumed. After all, he only spoke to them when he was half cut already, so they could hate him for all he knew. He presumed they didn’t, as he was still allowed in the tavern, so everything was fine and dandy so long as he got his ale at the end of the day. “Well they still let me back.” He said with a shrug, “Must be my good looks swinging things in my favour eh?” He winked at his fellow brother and let a chuckle purse his lips. He enjoyed the tavern, after all, the atmosphere was always electric, and there was always a story to be told, or a story to be heard. It all sounded rather cultural, but it was quite the opposite, and most of the stories were forgotten in a drunken haze of ale. It was how Gwaine liked it, that ideology hadn’t ever failed him in the past, so he doubted it would fail him in Camelot.

Ah, Gwaine had another challenge at his fingertips. Gwaine had once tried to teach Percival how to charm women, and well, that had gone rather oddly. Perhaps he would have more luck with Elyan. After all, Elyan did have the fortunate advantage of being the brother of the woman everyone now expected to become Queen. If Gwaine knew women, and Jesu he knew plenty of women, that would only bode well for Elyan. Perhaps Elyan didn’t know how to handle female attention as well as Gwaine did (well, who did?) but he would have to get used to it soon, because he was quickly becoming the most eligible bachelor in all of Camelot. “You may have to get used to the female company.” Gwaine mused with a chuckle. “But don’t worry.” He clapped his friend on the shoulder, “Because I am a walking dictionary of charm, if you have any women problems come straight to me.” Gwaine didn’t know anyone quite as versed as himself in the art of charming women, and he wanted to keep it that way. He would advise of course, but he could never allow one of his fellow brothers to become better at the game than himself. That would never do.

Gwaine just chuckled as Elyan pulled his cloak further around his shoulders. It was quite a cold night out, but years of wandering had meant Gwaine didn’t feel the cold as much as he used to. He shrugged at his friend, “Soon you’ll have ale to warm your blood, it’ll be fine.”

[cherryblossom131]

Elyan laughed at Gwaine's comment of his 'good looks' being in his favour. "Of course, that must be it," sarcasm clear in his tone. He had no doubt he used them with the barmaids in the tavern. By the looks of it and judging by the fact that they were headed straight to the tavern now, his 'good looks' seemed to work. The thought amused Elyan greatly. He guessed they most probably constantly let Gwaine back into the tavern because he probably considerably livened the place up. He looked like the kind of man who knew how to have a good time. Despite his infuriating ability to talk uncontrollably at any given moment, he was fun to be around. That was part of the reason Elyan was headed to the tavern with him now.

As the topic shifted to 'ladies' Elyan could only chuckle at Gwaine's confidence or should he say arrogance. "I'm sure you are very...educated in charming women." Educated; that was one way of putting it. "But let's just forget the whole 'showing me techniques' I'm not really sure I'm quite up to it anymore." He'd probably just embarrass himself beyond belief, although he wasn't completely ridiculous with women. He had of course charmed a few in the past. It's just he had gotten himself in a few troubling situations in the past where it was never really his fault. He would harmlessly flirt with someone and then their husbands would attempt to pummel him. God knows he's had a few encounters which he wasn't particularly proud of. "Let's leave the charming for another time, eh?" He had a bad feeling this night would end up with him being beaten by some ape of a man anyway. That would simply be the cherry on top for training tomorrow.

He grinned like a child at Gwaine's remark. They had finally arrived after that short walk. Right in front of Elyan was the door to the tavern with a small sign above with the blessed words 'The Rising Sun.' His grin only grew wider. Standing behind Gwaine, he waited for him to finally open the doors to where they were going to be drinking themselves silly.

[thegwaine]

Well, Gwaine was more of an expert in charming women than most men in Camelot, at least he liked to think he was. He was always fashioning himself as the rugged night of Camelot, and took great pride in taking care of that reputation. He flashed a grin at Elyan, “Are you sure? I could teach you a thing or two about how to make women practically fall at your feet.” It was true, and it probably wouldn’t take that long, after all Elyan wasn’t bad looking, he wasn’t as good looking as Gwaine, but still he couldn’t see why women wouldn’t be attracted to him. Well, they would be attracted to Elyan as long as Gwaine wasn’t in the picture.

Gwaine was disappointed in a sense that Elyan wasn’t up for a round of charm. When he had taken Percival to the tavern a couple of months ago, their charming had hilarious consequences. The man had ended up losing his shirt to a pretty young barmaid in an odd set of circumstances. Gwaine hadn’t been able to look at the lady in question in the same way again, though he kept tight hold of his shirt whenever she was around. There were some things he sacrificed to women, and other things he didn’t. His warmth was one of the things he didn’t. He had no problems with a woman removing his shirt behind closed doors, but that was altogether another matter. “We can just gamble the night away if you prefer? I always have the winning hand anyway.” He tapped the side of his nose and grinned. He had a knack for this type of thing and he could usually do it perfectly and take home the gold.

As they had reached the tavern, Gwaine opened the door like a gentleman and flashed a grin to Elyan. This night certainly would be eventful one way or the other, especially because he was involved. Really, Elyan didn’t know what he was letting himself in for. He wouldn’t forget this night for a long time, well, if he wasn’t drunk enough to forget it that was. “After you handsome.” He winked jokingly, and gestured for Elyan to enter the tavern before him, as Gwaine was holding the door wide open. He could already feel the heat from the tavern escaping into the cold night air, and the murmer of people within told Gwaine this would be a lively night at the Rising Sun.

[cherryblossom131]

Elyan wouldn't call himself an expert at charming women. At least not quite like Gwaine. “Are you sure? I could teach you a thing or two about how to make women practically fall at your feet.” Elyan grinned and rolled his eyes. "I have absolutely no doubt that you could," he chuckled. "It's just me I'm worried about." He wasn't exactly a natural at this type of thing; he'd surely just make a fool out of himself. Quite frankly, he was also kind of afraid of what Gwaine wanted him to do, although he did have an idea. Elyan wasn't really known for being a ladies man, and he had been busy with the forge and training as a knight to really concentrate on that. He had the odd flirt with a few pretty girls but that was about it. He was sure Gwaine was very different.

Today Elyan just wanted a good old drink of ale. He wondered where the whole 'tonight is going to be a night to remember' mood had gone. Maybe the prospect of flirting with the barmaids had scared it away. The thought amused him. When Gwaine proposed gambling and playing cards as an alternative, he nodded to himself. That would be much safer for Elyan although safe, wasn't a word he liked to use. He chuckled at Gwaine's last words. "We'll see about that, my friend. I have quite the luck in gambling, if I may say so myself." He smiled fondly when he remembered the times when he gambled with random strangers on his travels. He'd almost gotten beaten up once. He had to thank everything holy that he had fast legs, because the man he had upset had been inhumanly huge. He dreaded to think what a beating from him would've been like.

As Gwaine opened the door of the tavern, Elyan couldn't help but grin like a child. He instantly felt the warmth, so much that a shiver went down his back at the drastic temperature change. Much like when he had stepped out of the castle, except this was a good kind of shiver. He could hear the bursting of laughter and chatter all around the tavern. It was certainly noisy in here, but then what did he expect at a time like this, a time where everybody flocked to the tavern for a good old drink after a day's work. He could smell the strong familiar stench of alcohol; the same alcohol that he would soon swallow. “After you handsome.” He continued to grin at Gwaine's jest and couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Don't mind if I do." He walked in front of Gwaine and stepped into the tavern, waiting for Gwaine to walk in. He began looking around searching for a decent space to sit. Finally.

[thegwaine]

Gwaine was rather confident in his abilities to turn Elyan into the smoothest person in the tavern. Well, he would always be less smooth and wise with the women than Gwaine was, but he was only human after all so it was to be expected. “Why are you worried?” He asked, rather amused at his friend’s response. Women weren’t something to be feared, they were supposed to be held, loved and charmed of course. They were certainly more than a temptation, but they weren’t something to worry that much over. Gwaine couldn’t ever remember getting worried or that bothered about a woman. If they didn’t want him then he just moved onto the next offer. It was the way he worked, however crude it sounded. If Arthur did marry Gwen then Elyan would have to get used to the female attention, but of course if he didn’t want it then Gwaine would be there to console the women, like a good friend should. Well, that didn’t exactly work in Elyan’s favour, but still. It sort of worked. Gwaine had lost his train of thought somewhat, thinking about all the eligible young noblewomen at court that would be in need of a comforting arm.

Well at least Elyan was more enthusiastic about gambling. They could have a fun night in the tavern without lurching after every woman that took their fancy. Well, Gwaine would be doing that, he wasn’t sure about Elyan. Anyway where were they? Oh right yes, gambling, “That sounds to me like a challenge…” He mused with an amused grin and looked over his friend, wondering if he was right in wondering about Elyan’s proposal. It would be quite fun to engage in tavern games with his friend, as he was pretty sure that Elyan wouldn’t beat him up if things didn’t go his way.

The tavern was as warm and welcoming as it always was. Gwaine breathed in slightly, taking in the atmosphere, this certainly was better than sitting alone in his room wondering which pretty maid would come and try to clean his room next. Sometimes time in the castle bored him stiffless, he wasn’t used to being so familiar with one place, he was still getting used to the feeling really. As Elyan went to find somewhere to sit, Gwaine grinned at the barmaid who was a pretty young blonde thing, but unfortunately she knew his tricks too well and demanded coin for the two drinks he was buying. “Hardly playing fair are we?” He asked her but she just rolled her eyes at him and gave him the drinks once she had her money. Gwaine made his way back over to Elyan and handed him his ale, “I think we’re better off gambling, I think I’ve already annoyed too many of the women in here anyway.”

[cherryblossom131]

“Why are you worried?” Elyan could tell by the tone of Gwaine's voice that he was finding the situation amusing. But Elyan refused to get embarrassed, and instead just answered Gwaine with a voice as casual as he could muster. "Well you know, I'm not exactly much of a ladies man," he began. "I'd probably just end up, sort of...humiliating myself in front of the poor woman." That hadn't come out quite how Elyan had hoped but nevertheless it was the truth. "Plus I'm rather afraid of what ridiculous scheme you'll make up, to get me to charm a woman." He dreaded to think of the countless 'not so good' experiences Elyan had previously encountered with the opposite sex. 'Getting into trouble' was an understatement to describe the situations Elyan would accidently get himself into which he had to admit might have on occasion involved girls. He chuckled softly, remembering his own youthful foolishness, although he hadn't changed too much.

Now gambling he could handle...sort of. Yes, sometimes he might exaggerate his skills; however he knew he was a pretty good at calling bluffs most of the time. He fondly remembered how Gwen would all but kill him when they were young and he'd go gambling with the boys. She'd call him reckless and he had to admit, she had been kind of right. He hadn't always been such a good player and he'd lost his fair share of games. “That sounds to me like a challenge…” Elyan chuckled. "And if it is?" He held a challenge in his tone. "Do you wish to rise up to it?" He paused for just a moment before adding, "Sir Gwaine?" He mocked, and wondered how the knight would take his teasing, before continuing to chuckle.

Elyan found a seat not too deep into the tavern and quite near the bar...just in case. He sat down and looked back at Gwaine, finding him grinning at a barmaid. Typical, they'd only just arrived and he was already flirting with them. He rolled his eyes at Gwaine's obvious subtlety and he couldn't help but chuckle into his sleeve as he saw the barmaids obvious rejection. He took his ale and laughed slightly at the knight's words. "Oh giving up so soon, I'm disappointed," he said with mock disbelief, before laughing again. "Although I must say gambling does sound great to me." He took a good long sip from his ale and couldn't help but let out a breath afterwards. How he loved the sweet taste and slight burn of ale. He relished in it and he didn't make an effort to hide it.

[thegwaine]

Gwaine couldn’t really see the problem in Elyan humiliating himself for his friend’s amusement. Elyan probably wouldn’t agree, but seeing him trying to charm women in the tavern would probably be the best source of amusement, for Gwaine at least. Gwaine chuckled to himself, sure his friend completely disagreed with him, he had no reason to find amusement in his own downfalls after all. Gwaine had the pleasure of being an incredibly charming man, and women appreciated that completely. Elyan had so much to learn, Gwaine probably wouldn’t even know where to start really. He chuckled as Elyan voiced concern over his friends scheming, “Me, scheming? Never.” He winked at his friend, his tone was of a mock hurt and annoyance. Elyan had ever reason to be worried about his friend’s exploits and Gwaine knew that. “Anyway, it could be fun. You’ll never know until you’ve tried.” He pointed out rather reasonably.

Of course Gwaine was going to rise to the challenge, he was incredibly competitive with most aspects of life, if not all oft hem. So of course Gwaine would be taking Elyan up on this little wager of his. Gambling wasn’t something which he was proud of taking part in all the time, but it was fun, and if it passed the time in a tavern then what was the harm in it? “I daresay I cannot refuse you, Sir Elyan.” He winked, enjoying the jest between him and his friend for a few moments. This could be quite interesting, perhaps if Elyan had a good time gambling then he would eventually be persuaded to charm some women on the side. They had the whole night ahead of them, anything could happen.

Gwaine was quite taken aback by Elyan’s tone about the women. Taking a swig of his ale, giving himself a few moments to enjoy the sweet nectar before continuing, “Well, I could always arrange something if you’re that disappointed.” He pointed out with a wink. He wasn’t quite sure what he could muster yet, but he could defiantly think of something if he had to. Gambling, right, they would need to find someone who had cards then, “Are you up for a game of cards then Elyan? Unless you would prefer to charm women instead.”

[cherryblossom131]

At Gwaine's wink Elyan couldn't help but roll his eyes. “Anyway, it could be fun. You’ll never know until you’ve tried.” His eyebrows rose. "Fun?" He chuckled lightly. "I don't think fun's the word I would use." More like potentially humiliating. Gwaine's last words made him think however. Maybe he was right? He'd never say that out loud of course but Elyan wasn't the type to turn down trying new things. Not that charming women was necessarily a new thing, but in this tavern with Gwaine ever present to surely mock him the next day...yes it might as well be a new thing. He decided he wouldn't voice his thoughts. Maybe he could just bide his time and naturally talk to a barmaid or two eventually, after he'd settled in to the tavern a bit.

“I daresay I cannot refuse you, Sir Elyan.” Elyan chuckled at the use of a title that Gwaine also used. "Then the challenge is on." He said with sarcastic conviction. This would certainly be rather embarrassing if he ended up losing while gambling with the other knight. Well then he'd just better not lose. "Good luck in advance." He said with a smirk on his lips. A smirk he knew Gwaine couldn't see because Elyan was behind him, but the point still stood. He knew he probably shouldn't taunt Gwaine but the opportunity was too tempting. He'd regret it later if he did indeed end up losing...but that was later, this is now. There was no point dwelling on the possible large amount of mockery he could endure.

At Gwaine's words Elyan looked back down at his drink, deciding not to reply, and took a swig, drinking a little more than he probably should have in one gulp. “Are you up for a game of cards then Elyan? Unless you would prefer to charm women instead.” He caught Gwaine's tone of voice and narrowed his eyes at him. "Cards," he emphasised the word, "would be perfectly alright." He was pretty good at card games at least. "So Gwaine, how much are you willing to bet in this game of ours?" Granted they didn't have any cards yet, but someone around here was bound to have some and they'd get to that formality later. "Or we could play without money, if that's what you'd prefer." He took another swig from his ale and raised his eyebrow in challenge. It seemed this drink might just be getting to his head.

[thegwaine]

Well it could be incredibly fun for Gwaine, but not for Elyan if the man started going up and charming random women, of course he wouldn’t have a chance at being as good as Gwaine. Anyway, he wouldn’t have any luck with women as long as Gwaine was in the room, of that he was sure. No offence to his friend, but women knew what they wanted and if he was in the room then who was he to stop them getting what they wanted? Gwaine sighed softly and looked over his friend, there was possibly no helping him really. “You’re going to be the most eligible bachelor in Camelot, you have to start somewhere.” He pointed out reasonably with a look on his face which almost pitied Elyan. He chuckled and clapped his friend on the back, stepping towards the heat of the tavern.

He wouldn’t need luck to beat Elyan in tavern games, of that Gwaine was sure. He grinned at his friend, it was pitiful that Elyan thought that he had a chance in beating him in anything. Perhaps they were better off at sparring in the training field, but this was just one more way in which Gwaine could prove his readiness and diligence. He was sure Elyan would soon be eating his words, Gwaine had his ways and he would certainly be proving a point before the night was out. “Well I’m sure we could settle any disputes we have tomorrow on the field that aren’t sorted tonight.” He winked at his fellow brother, his words full of jest. Elyan and he were matched on the field, and well he knew it.

Betting without money was like dinking without ale to Gwaine. It made no sense utterly to him to bet without any money. That was a pastime for boys, not men, and Gwaine just let out a small ‘heh’ sound, “You are joking right?” He asked Elyan and let out a wide smile, “What’s the point in betting when there’s nothing to bet with?” He was probably getting a little too much into this but he didn’t care. He’d never betted without having a just cause too, plus he wasn’t planning on robbing Elyan blind so that didn’t matter. He pulled Elyan towards a table where men were already playing at cards; his ale in his hands, “Deal out two more hands my man.” He said rather confidently, clapping the man on the back. “Ready to put your money where your mouth is?”

[cherryblossom131]

“You’re going to be the most eligible bachelor in Camelot, you have to start somewhere.” Elyan chuckled. He'd rejoice on the day Gwen finally married Arthur but all of this 'most eligible bachelor' stuff might put a damper on things. What Gwaine was saying was true, Elyan wasn't stupid enough to deny it, but at least he could enjoy the surely limited amount of time before women who normally wouldn't look at him twice, come flocking at his door. He could practice his charming skills then. He was still a man though and he did like to flirt with a few women now and then, obviously not quite like Gwaine. For now he'd just sit with his friend and enjoy a nice cold tankard of ale. He just wasn't very sure Gwaine would totally agree with that. He was slyer than he looked and to be totally honest he already looked pretty sly indeed. Quite frankly that unnerved Elyan slightly, so he'd keep an eye out.

“Well I’m sure we could settle any disputes we have tomorrow on the field that aren’t sorted tonight.” He laughed at Gwaine's words. Elyan knew how skilled Gwaine was on the training field, but he had been a blacksmith's son and now an actual blacksmith so he had been around weapons all his life. So, basically he was pretty skilled too. "Oh we'll see about that, my friend." He said in a challenging tone. He was feeling very challenging tonight. If he lost after everything he'd have to hope that Gwaine will get drunk enough to forget all that was said. Normally there would be a small chance of anyone getting that drunk, but with Gwaine it was a whole different story.

At Gwaine's questions Elyan just grinned. This would be good. Elyan grabbed his ale as Gwaine began pulling him towards a table where a man was already dealing cards. Well there's the cards problem solved then. Elyan probably looked a lot more confident than he felt, and he was planning to keep it that way. He sat down next to Gwaine who was also looking pretty confident, whether he was bluffing or not, Elyan had no clue. “Ready to put your money where your mouth is?” He smiled confidently at Gwaine. "I was born ready," he said arrogantly. "Are you?" Elyan smirked. The man began dealing cards and Elyan hoped to all the gods that he'd have a good hand.

[thegwaine]

Gwaine wished that woman would flow as easily to his door as they soon would to Elyan’s. He couldn’t think of a better situation than having women practically lining up to be in your favour. Of course Gwen was yet to marry Arthur, but everyone was expecting the wedding to be sooner rather than later. After all, Arthur was king now and one of his kingly duties, along with protecting the realm, was to produce an heir. Gwaine knew which one of those things he would prefer doing. Heh, he wouldn’t voice that to Elyan in case he took it the wrong way, Gwaine didn’t see Gwen in that light at all, she would be his Queen soon enough, and he would respect her as such. Though he would still obviously jest with her when he could. He was sure she wouldn’t expect anything else. Gwaine wasn’t about to change his ways because of the prospect of Gwen’s elevated title.

Gwaine was sure that he would win this, because he was Gwaine, and he ego was probably as big as it could be. Maybe he could just get Elyan so drunk that he would just declare himself the winner of everything they partook in tonight, because Elyan wouldn’t remember either way, and Gwaine wouldn’t have lost anything. That sounded like a plan to him, but it would involve getting Elyan to down ale after ale, and would mean that Gwaine couldn’t let himself get too drunk or else it wouldn’t work in the slightest. “I have my methods.” Gwaine winked and promised faithfully with a soft chuckle. He took a swig of his ale, enjoying the sensation as it stuck the back of his throat. This was going to be fun either way.

He was quite taken aback by how confident Elyan was, though he knew his friend was confident on the battlefield (and justifiably so) this was the first time he had encountered that confidence in such a drunken setting. This was going to be interesting one way or another. “What a silly question.” Gwaine chimed back to his friend as he took his hand. The cards were average, though his face didn’t give away anything as he placed a coin or two in the middle of the table confidently, looking across at his friend. There were other players in this game of course, but Gwaine was only interested in Elyan’s game.

[cherryblossom131]

“I have my methods.” Elyan wasn't very sure what to make of that, but decided to let it go. He didn't think he really wanted to know of these methods anyway. If they both got drunk enough they'd probably forget this whole thing with a banging headache to match anyway, and also forget about all this banter and challenging. Of course Elyan didn't plan on getting too drunk, otherwise he knew he'd get into trouble. Seeing how susceptible he had been to trouble in the past while he was sober, well he didn't even want to think about all he'd done while drunk as well. He'd been told quite a few times what a truly horrible drunk he was, and he wasn't planning on showing that side of him to Gwaine tonight. At least to avoid the large amount of embarrassment that always came to him after his drunken nights out. He always regretted them, but that didn't stop him from coming to the tavern tonight, with the huge risk at hand.

Gwaine seemed confidant and Elyan watched him put a couple of coins down in the middle of the table. Elyan looked down at his cards and carefully tried not to show any sort of emotion that could indicate anything about his cards. They were horrible, truly pointless cards and he knew he'd be an idiot if he didn't fold now. He watched as a couple of the other men around the table put their respective coins down, no too many though, he noticed. Nobody folded, and they all seemed pretty confidant. Elyan didn't want to be the last to make a move though, otherwise that would show uncertainty. He put a couple of coins in the middle of the table, and gave a Gwaine a look which he truly hoped came across as confidant. He knew it was a stupid idea to put the coins down as soon as he did, but he didn't want to appear weak, like he couldn't handle it. He just hoped beyond hope that Gwaine was bluffing and wouldn't call him on his bluff. There was no backing out now.

[thegwaine]

Gwaine had may many methods for different situations, and the beauty of being such an expert in these situations he could pick which method would work best in the situation. Gwaine already suspected he wasn’t going to be charming many women tonight, which was incredibly disappointing. He supposed Elyan was too shy to try his hand at the bar maids in here yet. Percival had been a little bolder, despite being a man of little words. He would have to teach Elyan a few tricks of the trade, maybe not tonight but the man would need them eventually. Like he’d already pointed out, as soon as Gwen did marry Arthur, like it or not Elyan would be put into the limelight and become the most eligible bachelor in Camelot. That was annoying in a way, because it meant that the other knights took a back seat, but maybe Elyan would settle on a bride before long, and Gwaine could be there to comfort all the heartbroken young women. That was one thing he was exceptionally talented at. “Well, I’m sure you’ll learn all my methods, or at least most of them eventually.” He chuckled at his friend, who almost looked worried for a few moments. He clapped Elyan on the back before continuing onto the cards game. Right, now he had to concentrate.

Hmm. No one was folding, that was annoying. He kept his smug grin firmly on his face though, but perhaps his poker face was too well known. He did have a good hand, but it was nothing to scream about, luckily he hadn’t put too much money into the middle, so if he lost it he wouldn’t be too gutted. After all, it wasn’t like he had to pay for drinks was it? He could get a drink or two (or many) out of the barmaids, or out of his friend if he won. That was always a thought. He took a swig of his ale before setting the cards on the table. The other men round the table followed suit, and Gwaine found his grin increasing as all the other men had lesser hands than he had. There was just Elyan to play his hand, so Gwaine’s eyes rested on his friend, waiting for him to show his hand and end the round.

[cherryblossom131]

He attempted to concentrate on his cards, which was growing increasingly difficult every time he looked at them. It was as if someone somewhere was mocking him. No matter how much he stared at them though, they weren't exactly going to change. That would be like magic, a thought he'd never dare to say aloud and shouldn't dare to even think. He kept sneaking glances at Gwaine, scanning his face to see if there were any tells that his cards were as bad as Elyan's. He saw nothing, Gwaine seemed perfectly calm with that smug grin of his; something Elyan certainly wasn't. He still attempted to keep some sort of poker face which was slowly falling. At least he didn't bet too much money. That would have been a disaster. So, there's one thing to be a little bit happy about.

His eyes were on Gwaine again when he drank some of his ale and laid down his cards. His eyes darted towards them and he couldn't help but let out a sigh. They were better than his, much better. He looked around the table as the other men began putting down their cards. His face fell as each set cards were if not slightly better than his. He was sure the look on his face was comical, though he had nothing to laugh about. All eyes on him, he sighed out loud. "Great," he grumbled. There was no point putting off the inevitable. He took a larger than necessary swig of ale and reluctantly put his card down on the table. He officially had the worst hand on the table and he wasn't proud of it. Watching the reactions of the people around the table he kept an almost calm looking face with a hint of annoyance. He looked over at Gwaine although he didn't really want to. He didn't want to watch him take the money with that smugness plastered all over his face. He drank a little more ale, thinking this is only round one.