It's been over a year since Morgause disappeared with Morgana. Father has not relented in his search for her, and as a result, many of Camelot's soldiers and knights have perished. Today was probably the worst waste of lives I have seen—we came upon a large number of our men, scattered across the top of a hill. And of course, as on all unpleasant outings, the weather was miserable. It had just finished raining and now a chill wind howled through and around us.
"Look for survivors," I told the group behind me and dismounted. I knelt on the ground to look around for clues. Not long into the search, I noticed a grouping of footprints and hoof prints. "It appears their attackers traveled north! Let's go!" I stood and turned to walk back to my horse.
"Do you really think we should be following them?" The ever-cheerful Merlin was hesitant. That demanded an appropriate reply.
"You are such a girl's petticoat." And I thought he'd understand after a year. Apparently not.
The trail we followed led us into the woods. Fortunately the sun had reappeared by now and we'd been mostly dried out. That didn't appear to be good enough for my servant.
"Ow," he complained.
It's been a while since we had a nice quarrel; I'll take that as bait. "Is something amiss with you?"
"I've been riding a horse all day." Yep, just like the rest of us. Ha.
"Is your tiny bottom aching?"
"Yes. It isn't as padded as yours." Oh this is going to be good.
"You know, you have a lot of courage—for a wimp."
"I might be a wimp, but at least I'm not a dollophead." Huh?
"That isn't a word." Even I knew that.
"It's idiomatic." Id-ee-oh huh? I know he's unusually literate for a servant, but huh?
"It's what?"
"You should be more connected to the people." Really.
"Define 'dollop head.'" This should be good.
"In two words?
"Yeah." Let's hear it.
"Er . . . Prince Arthur." As he said this, I looked up and noticed an abandoned camp in the middle distance. I held up a hand to signal everyone to a halt and complete silence. Everyone dismounted and we slowly crept forward to investigate.
I signaled for some of the group to circle left, and others right. Just as we reached the first shredded tent, we heard the sound of an arrow being loosed. The knight next to me fell, impaled in the back. There was a roar and bandits ran at us through the mist. Of course—what's a quest without a bandit attack?
"On me!" I shouted, and everyone was immediately engaged. I quickly lost track of all others as I fought bandit after bandit. They weren't particularly well-trained, but they had us in numbers.
Suddenly I heard a yell of pain and a thud behind me. I finished off the guy in front of me and turned to see a bandit impaled by a spear. I looked around and saw Merlin on the forest floor, lying low as usual. Just once I'd like to see him do something. "We aren't playing hide and seek, Merlin!" I yelled and walked away.
The battle seemed to be won. Then we heard a twig snap in the woods. I raised my sword again and walked slowly forward to investigate, cautioning the others to stay back. When I looked into the mist, I saw a figure stumbling towards us. A woman? She came closer and we saw her clearly. "Morgana," I said.
She lifted her eyes to meet mine then they flitted around to see all the others. When she tried to take another step, she wobbled. I ran over to catch her before she fell. "Arthur," she said, before her eyes rolled back into her head and she fainted. Sir Leon ran over to assist me while Merlin merely stared with the oddest look on his face. Relief and guilt? Whatever was that for?
I shook off all other thoughts besides getting Morgana home. "Get ready to return to Camelot," I yelled to the group at large and everyone hustled to comply. Merlin blinked like he'd just woken up and ran to hold my horse so we could get Morgana on it. I swung carefully up behind her as soon as the others were ready and we started on the two-day journey back to Camelot.
xxxXxxx
The morning after we arrived back, I received notice that Morgana was awake. Merlin hadn't shown up yet, but I was willing to be a little lenient due to the stress we'd been under. I sent the servant who'd woken me down to Gaius's chambers with a request that Merlin meet me in Morgana's chambers. I managed to dress myself- take that, Merlin –and hurried off to see her.
I knocked and entered her chambers. To my relief, she was sitting up in bed. When she saw me, she reached out her hands, asking for a hug. I moved forward to embrace her, then sat back a bit so we could talk. She hadn't said much of anything on the way home; she mostly slept. I couldn't imagine what she'd endured. "Are you—are you okay to talk about what happened to you?"
She gave me a glare. "Arthur, I'm exhausted, not wounded nigh unto death."
I held up my hands in a gesture of surrender. "Okay okay. So what happened?"
She took a deep breath, then spoke in a shaky voice. She may not have been tortured, but it seemed it was still painful to talk about. "I was held in a cell for about a year. I felt like I'd go mad."
"How'd you get away?"
"They relocated me nearly a week ago. I don't understand why. It could have been the patrol from Camelot."
"The patrol discovered you?"
"I thought I would be freed." She paused for a moment. "But then I watched them die. All of them killed. But that evening, the bandits were diverted by their loot. I took a risk. I couldn't believe it when I spotted you." She reached over for another hug and I held her there, consolingly.
After a few moments, she pulled back and turned her head as if she'd seen something behind us. I followed her gaze and noticed Merlin standing there deferentially, but looking a little nervous?
I looked back at Morgana as she said, "I'm getting tired."
I held her arm and looked directly into her eyes so she'd have no doubts. "Everything will be all right. We'll keep you safe." I got up to leave, though she tried to hold onto me. I looked at Merlin when I passed him; he knew to follow me. Then I heard Morgana speak again.
"Merlin." Why would she want to talk to him? I didn't wait for him, but walked back to my chambers to await breakfast. After that I'd give him a nice long list of chores and see to some business left unattended in my absence.
xxxXxxx
It had gotten overly warm over the course of the morning, so I dropped by my chambers to leave my jacket and change my shirt. And to check on how the world's laziest servant was doing. I found him scrubbing the floor, but when he noticed me, he grinned like an idiot. Great.
"Why do you look so happy?" I asked, not knowing if I really wanted the answer.
"The sun is out, we found Morgana, and I just completed all my chores" he replied.
"Hmm," I offered, and made to go around him.
He stood and held me back. Huh? "Er, do you need to go in there right this minute?"
"Why?" I asked, skeptical of his motives.
"Er, I just cleaned the floor," he replied, surveying his work. Oh, I see.
I clapped him on the back. "Don't worry, I won't fall down." I walked past him, whipping off my shirt in the process.
"You truly haven't a clue, do you?"
"All you need to do is rub it."
"How could you know?"
"Excuse me, Merlin?"
"It's only; you haven't ever had to do it."
"Oh, I know how to handle a bucket and cloth." I tossed my shirt behind the screen.
"Oh, yeah." He bent down to pick up the cloth.
"It's simple. Here, allow me prove it." I took the cloth from him and bent down to pick up the bucket. "Hmm? Hmm." I dipped the cloth in the bucket, put it down and wiped his face with it. "Would you like me to demonstrate how to use the bucket?"
"No." Too late. I dumped the bucket of dirty water over his head then hit it before I walked away. Never let it be said that I don't know how to use cleaning supplies.
xxxXxxx
The next day I was able to go to training. It felt good to exercise physically and mentally. I'd decided to fight blindfolded for a bit, with different numbers of opponents and weapons. I worked up to two opponents with swords. After defeating them, I took a short break. "Let's switch weapons," I said to the guys, then walked over to where Merlin was working. "What'd you think?"
He handed me some water and said, "I've seen better." Psh, what?
"'Course. Well, you are the most skilled at fighting with your eyes shut."
"But you didn't notice what I pulled off when we saved Morgana." Yeahhhh.
"Because you disappeared behind a tree." As usual.
"No. I did not." Right. I turned to walk back into the field.
"I'm not wearing the blindfold; I'll simply fight like Merlin does." I affected a whimpering voice and cringing, said, '"I'm Merlin, don't hit me."' I turned around to throw him a cheesy grin. He didn't look happy, but what did he expect with an opening like that? "Ready?" I directed at the two men with maces. They came at me and I defended with my sword . . . until it somehow slipped out of my hand. I took a mace to the stomach, doubled over and fell face first into a patch of mud. Right before the feast; just great.
xxxXxxx
The feast was incredibly enjoyable. Morgana more than deserved it after all she'd been through. Finally Father stood up to say his piece. "As I stand here and see all these happy faces, it seems nearly like a dream. I can tell you this— I haven't felt this in quite a while."
I couldn't resist this opening. "What, drunk?"
He whacked my arm. "Drunk with happiness. I would have torn apart the whole world, the seas, the skies, the stars, for that smile. To have it taken away was like a knife to my heart. Morgana, I have no words. You mean more to me than you will ever understand. To Lady Morgana."
While the guests repeated, "To Lady Morgana," Father reached over to embrace Morgana when she stood. When they broke apart, he swayed a bit. Maybe he really was a little too drunk.
"I need a little air," he said and walked out of the room, presumably outside.
The next thing I knew, a guard rushed toward me. He bent down to whisper, "Sire, we found the king fallen on the floor outside; he's asking for you."
I got up to excuse myself; Morgana asked, "What's wrong?
"Father's outside. He may be hurt," I replied, then excused myself to the guests. Morgana followed me, as did Merlin. He helped me lift and carry Father to his chambers. Morgana ran ahead of us and pulled down the covers on the bed so we could lay him down. Gaius met us there.
"Gently," Morgana said. Turning to Gaius, she asked, "Will he be all right?"
"He should rest until morning," he replied. He and Merlin walked out into the corridor. I watched Morgana pull the covers over Father, pick up his hand and kiss it. Satisfied he was in good hands, I went out into the corridor to confer with Gaius.
"What could've done this to him?" I asked Gaius. Merlin looked back, but they didn't stop walking.
"I haven't any idea," he replied.
"Gaius." He finally stopped. "He was slouched on the floor, sobbing."
"Fatigue."
"Gaius." I walked over to him. I don't like using my command voice on him. "What are you keeping from me? What's the matter with him?" I stopped right in front of him. "Tell me."
"When I got to him, he was muttering. Much of it was jumbled, but . . ."
"What?"
"He kept bringing up your mother's name."
Puzzling. "He doesn't ever talk about her."
"He said that he saw her. In the well."
I leaned closer and dropped my voice. This is serious. "Did the guards witness him acting like this?"
He whispered back, "I think you're too worried,."
"If our people find out about this . . !" It would be disastrous, because they would talk. And that talk would spread to other kingdoms, friendly and hostile.
"We tell them he was unwell, but he's now improved."
I let him and Merlin leave. I really hoped his idea would work; I had no wish to fight a war.
xxxXxxx
Throughout the next day, patrols reported back from our border with Cenred's kingdom. They'd seen groups of armed men riding into his capitol. It looked as if Cenred may be planning to attack someone or something, like a potentially vulnerable kingdom. Like ours. Once I'd heard enough, I went to the council chamber to report to Father. Despite advice to the contrary, he wanted to hold court as if nothing was wrong.
"We've heard accounts of mercenaries flooding into Cenred's kingdom," I told him.
"Have we identified why?" He replied, but he seemed distant, like his mind was elsewhere.
"There's talk that Cenred is assembling an army. I feel we should dispatch a patrol to evaluate the situation." When I looked up, I noticed he was definitely looking past me—and he didn't reply. "Father?" I turned around to see what he was staring at; there was nothing there. The rest of the court followed my gaze, then looked back at Father, who still said nothing. Finally he took a couple of deep breaths and stood.
"Let me alone." I stared at him in shock. Who was he talking to? Me? Then he raised his arm to point at something beyond me, and ordered, "Leave this place."
Everyone looked at where he was pointing again and back at him. I walked up to him, holding out a hand. "Father, will you . . ." But he pushed past me.
He started yelling at whatever he was seeing, "I said go away! Leave! I'll have you executed!" I turned to restrain him; Leon jumped to his other side, and we dragged him out of the room. He was still yelling. "You executed! You . . ! You . . !" I sure hope Gaius followed us out, because we needed Father quiet, and fast, even though damage had already been done.
If that wasn't bad enough, soon after we'd gotten Father to his chambers, the alarm bells started ringing. What now?! At least Father was asleep in locked and guarded chambers. I went back down to the council chambers—whoever was going to report to me would do it there.
Gaius was there. A pair of guards patrolling the outer wall came across a man- a sentry. It looked like he'd fallen over the parapets to the ground. "The sentry must've been assaulted sometime in the night," he told me.
"Who could've carried this out?" I asked. In reply he handed me a rather ornate dagger.
"That is a sigil of the Bloodguard." Who?
"The Bloodguard?"
"Warrior priests avowed to guard the high priestesses of the Old Religion."
"Weren't they destroyed in the Great Purge?" If some still exist, does that mean there's still a high priestess?
"Not all of them." Bad news.
"Do you think there's a traitor in Camelot?"
"It is likely, Sire. The sentry should be able to inform us shortly." I looked at him in shock. To survive such a wound and a fall . . .
"He's still alive?"
"Indeed."
And just like that, things were looking up again. I felt that way right up until the time Gaius returned unexpectedly. The sentry had died mysteriously.
xxxXxxx
Later that night, Gaius found me again in my chambers. All of Father's routine work had been dumped on my desk or into my lap. Saying I felt pressured was underestimating how I really felt.
"How are you, Sire?" He asked.
I couldn't spare him a glance. I knew multitasking didn't really work. "I'm not the ill one."
"It must be hard to see your father like this." He wasn't going to give up, so I stopped.
"No." I might as well get it out; he's known me all my life and won't let me hide. "He's always been so stalwart. He raised this kingdom from its knees, Gaius. To see him now . . ."
"I'm certain that, over time, he will recuperate. But until then, we must make arrangements, Arthur." He paused here; clearly he didn't want to say what he was going to say next. "We need you to take charge."
Yep, it was bad. "That's absurd." I looked away; I wasn't ready for this.
He persisted. "Camelot needs a leader. It's down to you. You must perform your role as regent. I'm not the only one talking. Others of the court have spoken."
I did not like where this was going and began to get angry. "So now you've started murmuring behind my back. What sort of treason is this?"
"Consider the welfare of the kingdom." There was already a king; he was just ill! And I'm not ready.
I walked away before I hit something. "I won't usurp my father."
"The castle is full of gossip. The people are agitated." He followed me, so I turned to face him again.
"I pledged allegiance to my King, and as long as he draws breath, it is my duty to maintain that." I stopped at the window; I needed time to think.
"Arthur, please."
"You are giving up on my father. I will never do that." He has to get better; I couldn't admit to Gaius the real reason for my strong words, though I suspect he could guess. It went beyond not feeling ready for the throne—it was what had to happen for me to get there. Father's death. I couldn't face it—surely he'd have many good years left after he recovered. Despite how much we appeared to not get along, we were still just father and son, and I didn't want him to leave me.
xxxXxxx
In the morning I was woken by my door opening and closing. I looked to the window and found it still obscured by its drapes. Breakfast sat on the table, but there was no cheerfully annoying servant accompanying it. Merlin's late again. Or maybe I should say, as usual. I didn't matter anyway; I couldn't eat much, so I dressed myself and went to Father's chambers.
Someone had set a chair at his bedside, so I sat in it and just looked at him. I wanted to hold his hand, but that seemed too girly. I settled for leaning my elbows on the bed and resting my head on my hands. After a while, Morgana came in and walked over to me. She put one arm around me and the other on my shoulder; I forgot that this affected her too. The guilt and grief made my eyes water.
"I need him to recover," I told her, though it was pretty obvious.
"I know," she replied softly.
I sniffed- how embarrassing –and turned to put my arm around her. "I'm grateful you're here."
"I'll make certain he's taken care of, don't worry." It was so good to have her back. She has just reminded me that I'm not alone in this, and even if I do have to run the kingdom, she'll be here to help. She'll look after Father; that alone will bring me great comfort.