Between Black and White
"Did they use magic?"
Leon knew too well that tone of voice – the king's opinions on magic and magic users were no secret. It spoke of danger and of betrayal, it underlined exactly what thought should be done with those who dared to dabble with such arts.
It was, also, a stupid question, one to which he was bound to know the answer. Leon was nothing if he wasn't loyal, and he knew how he should reply, yet, it seemed to him that there would be no honor in telling the king what he already knew.
"Well, I…"
How could he betray those people when they had helped him? He owned the druids his life, he had just said, and clearly they meant no harm. He was a knight of Camelot, he had raided druid camps and killed its people before, but now it felt wrong to repay their kindness by leading an army to them, for surely this was what was in Uther's mind.
"It is a simple enough question. Did they use magic, yes or no?"
It was a simple question, but the answer wasn't so simple. It meant betraying his king's trust, which he had sworn an oath never to do, or to drive people that had had mercy on him even knowing that he wouldn't have shown them mercy if the roles had been reversed – not because he enjoyed the idea of making them suffer, but because he was too dutiful to disobey an order. He had always been taught that those who used magic were evil and corrupted, but he now wondered if it was true for all of them – surely the druids weren't a treat and didn't wish them harm.
After a few seconds, he decided upon his answer, knowing it was the best he could do to protect them all.
"I know only I drank from some kind of cup."
(Little did he know how many fates such a simple sentence would seal).