Part 2 The Warning
(Authors Note: Ok this takes place about a week after the events of 'The Wicked Day'. If you'll recall the spell on Vivian was never broken but the peace treaty was made. I am not a politician but I'm assuming Uther's death does not break it. I still own nothing.)
~Three days earlier~
Arthur looked slightly depressed to me. I was polishing his armor on the floor of his room. The silence was practically claustrophobic. Arthur was pouring over the same piece of paper he had been reading for almost two hours now. I knew things were tense right now but I couldn't stand the quiet. Neither, however, did I really want to break it.
It had only been a week since Uther had died and Arthur had been crowned king. I knew he hadn't had a moment's peace since. I hadn't had one either, but that was mostly because of the crippling guilt. Apparently Arthur had had enough of the silence as well, for he sighed rubbing his forehead.
"I have read the same line sixteen times now. I hate reading reports." I laughed slightly, setting down his hauberk and picking up a voider I began to polish it.
"Yes, well it is thinking and we all know you never were very good at that." He rolled his eyes at me, but I didn't miss the smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.
"I could have you in the stocks for that." I grinned at this familiar threat.
"You could, but then who would you yell at?" I joked. I had missed our banter, which had been noticeably absent lately. Arthur was smiling for real now.
"Idiot." I grinned. I was about to reply with either 'prat' or 'dollop head' but there was a knock at the door.
"Enter." Arthur called. A page, I thought his name was Bran or Brahm, entered and bowed low to Arthur.
"I have a message, my lord."
"Very good Brand." I hadn't been that far off. "What is it?" Brand handed him a scroll and bowed lower. Arthur unrolled it and his eyes widened.
"Thank you Brand, you are dismissed." Bowing low again Brand left. When the door clicked shut Arthur swore, colorfully.
"What's wrong?" I asked already on my feet and halfway to him. He shoved the scroll in my general direction. Taking this as an invitation I picked it up and read it aloud.
" 'Dear King Arthur of Camelot,
I was so sorry to hear of your father's untimely demise. I send you my deepest regrets and sympathies. As a show of our continued peaceful relations and of my trust in you, I have sent my daughter, the Lady Vivian, to pay her respects to both you and your late father. I hope she will be safe in your care. Be watchful, King Alined has been testing his borders since your father's death.
Yours most respectfully,
King Olaf.' "
"Well…" I couldn't think of a word that was appropriate for this situation and was thus left hanging.
"Exactly! She's smitten with me. Olaf knows that! Why send her here?" I honestly had no idea.
"Well I guess it's a good thing Gwen's visiting her aunt then." I said setting the scroll back down. Arthur glared up at me.
"What! She got very jealous when you and Lady Vivian were falling all over each other." Arthur smiled reminiscently at that not, I knew, because of Vivian, but because of the kiss he and Gwen had shared toward the end of that particular fiasco. Then he sighed.
"What am I supposed to do?" I honestly had no idea how to answer him.
