Part I: Out of Darkness
Guinevere entered the throne room slowly, her steps echoing against the stone walls. She never much cared for the sound of her own footsteps; they made the castle she once loved sound big and empty. With a habitual sigh she took her place in the ornate chair at the head of the room. As she sat she was careful to adjust her dress so it would lay just right, and the imported silk would not wrinkle. The needless steaming of her gowns, in her opinion, was a chore with which she would rather not burden her servants. She tossed a smile at the one on her left – a young girl, fair almost to the point of ghostliness, who received the gesture with some trepidation. Though the queen was kind to her serving girls, they never seemed keen to accept the idea of her friendship. She was, after all, the queen, and they but lowly servants.
The large wooden doors at the far end of the hall opened ceremoniously, letting out a prestigious groan as the old hinges struggled with their weighty task. Sir Leon strode in, the mud-encrusted bottom of his burgundy cape dragging against the stone floor. He walked quickly, but despite this, Guinevere had to resist the urge to charge toward him and beg for the news which he brought. That, of course, would be ungraceful and unqueenly.
"My lady," Leon said. He took a knee before the throne and bowed his head. At the top of his scalp, a few wiry silver hairs were tangling with his blonde mane, silently reminding Guinevere just how old they both had gotten.
"Sir Leon," she said, "What news?"
A few other knights trailed into the throne room, looking a bit haggard from their journey. Leon stood, and his hand came to rest, as it almost always did, on the hilt of his sword.
"We found his dwelling, my lady. It was as Gaius said, in the caves beyond Ealdor."
"And what did he say?"
Leon's eyes alighted on the ground, and he shifted his weight, causing his cape to sway just the slightest. "He would not speak to us."
"Not a word?" Guinevere asked. She arched forward in her seat.
"No," Leon said. "But I saw him, and he saw us. We approached the cave calling his name, but were thrown back with a great force – you know the way, my lady. We landed gently on the ground, however, and no men were hurt but for a few bruises."
"No injuries?"
"None, my lady. Perhaps," Leon paused here, glancing behind him at the half dozen young knights who stood in the corridor, "there was some wounded pride, but no physical harm."
"I am glad," Guinevere said.
"As were we. We got to our feet, some drew their swords for fear, and then I saw him. He walked slowly over the rocks and stopped in the open. He met my eyes for a moment, and I saw there was no welcome in his cold gaze. A wall of fire sprung up between us, frightening many of the men, and so we left."
"Were you scared, Sir Leon?"
Leon met the queen's eyes, and his mouth slipped halfway open. This was not a question he had expected to encounter. "No," he said after a long moment.
"Oh please," muttered a young knight, "You were quaking just as much as the rest of us." The knight's arms were folded across his chest, and he arched backward in an overstated attempt to look taller. Leon ignored his accusation with a composure developed over years of working with young, brash men who had not yet learned manners.
The man nearest the knight, an even younger boy with a shock of bright red curls, elbowed him in the ribs. "Shut it, Galahad," he said, and the knight bit is tongue.
"Leon," Guinevere said, "would you say he is dangerous?"
"His powers are great, but…" Leon sucked in a great breath of air and took a few measured steps closer to the queen. "You know him as well as I, he would never harm a man who didn't deserve it."
Gwen nodded, and said, "Perfect. Ready some supplies. We shall ride at dawn tomorrow." She rose as if to make her exit, and the two attentive servant girls on either side of her turned quickly on their heels to follow.
"My lady?" Leon said.
Gwen stopped. "Yes, Sir Leon?"
"You mean to ride to Ealdor?"
"Perhaps he will speak to me."
"You are his queen," Leon said.
"I am his friend. Hopefully that will be enough."
Leon gave a great smile and took a knee again, bidding the queen to retire. She had only begun to turn away when a voice called from the back of the room, "My Queen, are you sure such a journey is safe?"
Gwen straightened up, and gave her most queenly gaze. "Sir Galahad, you have a knack for speaking out of turn."
"I am sorry, but I worry for you. This man's powers are a terrible sight to behold—"
"Sir Leon has already told me he is not dangerous."
"With all respect, my lady—"
"Will all respect, Sir Galahad, you were not here when he walked Camelot's streets. You do not know him."
"Are you certain you do?"
Guinevere strode toward the knight. He was a dark man, both in complexion and in humor, and he seemed to shrink away as the queen drew near to him. Gwen studied his face, which was thin and handsome and adorned with two dark eyes. There was something about those eyes that gave Gwen hope for this man, despite his squirrely behavior and unfavorable attitude. "I will be riding to Ealdor tomorrow at dawn, Sir Galahad. On my word no harm shall come to me or the knights who accompany me, but if you are frightened, you are welcome to remain in Camelot."
She smiled, and there was fire in the gesture. Without any more formality, she left the room, listening once again to the sound of her own footsteps in the echoing halls.
"You should not have done that," Leon said. "You need to learn respect, Galahad. She is your queen."
"And the queen should not be personally going in search of a dangerous sorcerer!"
"Galahad!" Leon said, "One more word and you will be on night patrol for the next fortnight."
Galahad opened his mouth, then reconsidered and shut it. The young ginger beside him withheld a bout of laughter as Leon marched out of the room. "I told you so," he said once his superior was clear of the wooden doors. Galahad put on a particularly malicious scowl, and strode away in a different direction, regretting volunteering to go in search of the sorcerer in the first place.