Knight in Charred Armor

Part 7

Usually Leon didn't summon Morgause; she called to him. But today was different. This was important.

So Morgause postponed her trip to Cenred for a few hours and came to his chambers. He knew, in the back of his mind, that her doing that for him proved just how much she cared. Morgana was the only other person in the universe that Morgause would do that for, and Leon recognized it; he just couldn't find it in himself to be flattered right now.

"Leon, what is it?" The beautiful blonde stood near his door, scrutinizing his back. He was looking out of his window at the day, arms crossed, scowling.

"Did you hear that Morgana killed a guard?"

Morgause nodded, her brow creased with worry. "He discovered her."

"She killed him. He was innocent, Morgause. Your sister stabbed him, and then she poisoned him."

Morgause walked across the room, reaching for his arm. "Leon… I thought by now you'd understand."

He spun around before she reached him, startling her (though she'd never admit it). "Understand what, Morgause? What is there to understand?" he growled. "A good man died. He wasn't Uther; he didn't persecute magic, and he didn't hurt anyone you know. Tell me how you justify that. I dare you."

She gave him a small glare through her heavily made-up eyes. "You dare me?"

"Yes, I do. Does that shock you? It should; no one else would ever even think about it."

"Leon!" she hissed, her hand latching onto his arm in anger.

He pushed her away with a sneer. "I'm waiting for your answer, Morgause."

Her eyes flashed and her first instinct was to curse the opponent who stood against her until he couldn't so much as twitch. But this was Leon. She couldn't do that to him, not ever. Her second thought was to use the method she did on Cenred when he disagreed with her—kiss him until he couldn't remember his own name, much less his question. But he wasn't a squalid little king who thought he was better than he was. Leon was a knight for a reason. When he believed something, he believed it with his whole heart and would die defending it.

It made him a great ally and man, but it sure did make matters difficult when they disagreed.

So she'd have to tell him the truth. Not her usual approach, but it seemed to work with Leon.

"This is not just a little fight we have with a king," she told Leon, holding his arm again. "We aren't just trying to be a thorn in Uther's side. This is war. War, Leon; that's something you understand like you know your own name. During war, innocent people get hurt. You know that."

"That's why war should be the last resort," he reminded her, but she brushed the argument away.

"Sometimes," she continued, "to get what's best for everyone, bad things have to happen. To keep Uther from drowning five year olds and young teenage girls, to keep him from burning somebody's mother, somebody's son, we have to declare war and play by the rules of war."

"So a perfectly nice man has to be slaughtered?" he retorted, eyebrows raised.

"He agreed with Uther. It's—" she choked on the word 'unfortunate'; that was the word people used when they weren't sorry at all. "It's sad that we couldn't help him to realize the truth the way we did for you, Leon, and I'm sorry. But in order to bring about what's best for everyone—"

"The end justifies the means?" he guessed wearily, and she nodded, brushing aside her irritation at being interrupted.

"I don't like it," he told her, but less accusingly than the things he had said previously.

"You are a soldier; you of all people should understand."

He turned away, real anguish in his face. "Why must you sound so… right? It's… it's wrong, Morgause, I know you are wrong!"

"Leon, why would I lie to you?"

"I don't know!" he burst out, sounding defeated, and walked away from her, collapsing into a sitting position on his bed.

She followed him and sat too, holding onto him. "I know it's hard, Leon."

He wouldn't look at her. His voice was flat and monotone. "I trust you, even if I don't always think you're right. And I understand what you are saying. I am a soldier, after all."

She put her head on his shoulder, liking the feel of the muscles beneath his shirt.

"And so," he finally said, "I will do as you ask me until I can think of a good reason not to. But Morgause, don't try to hurt the innocent. Try to make sure the victims are the enemy."

"I promise." But Morgause promised a lot of things. Sometimes casualties were necessary. She would just have to talk him around when the time came; it couldn't be too difficult, as she'd managed it up until now.

"Thank you for coming, Morgause."

She chuckled. "I was hoping you were planning something more exciting than an argument."

"Oh, really?"

She felt the faintest of smirks pull at her lips as she lounged back on his bed. "You've already held me up here a while, you know, Leon. I can stay a while longer, I suppose."

"I'm busy now," he told her.

She ran her thin hand over the bedspread. It was soft. "You could stay a little longer if I can. It's comfortable in here, after all; what do you say…" She scooted closer to him, but to her chagrin, he stood up abruptly.

He eyed her with a smile. "Are you still going to see Cenred?" he asked; it was a challenge.

"You know I have to, Leon." She sighed.

"Then," he said, taking her hand and helping her up, "that means you have to go now. You don't have the time for me."

His eyes added the last word in there: Unfortunately.

A/N: Rejection! Heehee, her rejection made me happy. I like Leon. Is it just me, or is anyone else having a hard time coming up with an argument for what she said? I know she's wrong and I still find it hard!

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews last chapter. Give me some more? Tell me what you thought... Who thought that he was going to break up with her?