oh hullo, what no shut up! it can't be! an update? tell me it isn't real,
sorry yes it is an update, yes it is real. this chapter the new steward of acetia and his advisor (hunith) head out towards their new roles, not sure it's emotional enough :( oh well, hope you like,
i did own merlin but then i wanted morganna to wear bright colours againa nd they told me that evil witches dont wear bright colours, so i dont own merlin, i do own my OC's and the plot of this story. read on!
a parting of sorts.
Arthur hugged Hunith with a warm smile and promises to send her children to visit her soon. She hugged him like he was her own child. "I worry for you sometimes you hold such a burden for one so young." She said quietly to him, he gave her a sad look. "it is my destiny and my fate, I don't stand alone, you need not worry for me Hunith" she laughed,
"well I already worry for one son It isn't to much hassle to worry for his blood brother while I'm at it." Arthur laughed with her. In the weeks she had been here he had started to truly see where Merlin and Bellanor got their gentle kindness and fierce loyalty from it seamed to be an intrinsic part of each vanguard's soul. "Well we have Bellanor here to do the sisterly thing and tease us and tell us when we do things wrong." he quipped earning a gentle slap on his arm from the mother. "come now, Bellanor would never do that she is to much my daughter to tell you when you mess up, she is far more likely to let you mess up and revel in the amusement caused by your tomfoolery." the king smiled
"We'll miss you Hunith Vanguard, lady ealdor." she curtseyed to him as he bowed to her.
"Mother" Bellanor said as she stepped forward on the steps and embraced her mother, The two clung onto each other. "I have failed you as a mother for too long my darling. I knew I could only keep one and ballinor had told me of a son who had a great destiny, so I left you in safe hands and prayed you would be ok." Bellanor struggled to hold in tears. "Mother it is ok I understand, I am just glad I have met you and have had a chance to know you now, I am proud to be your daughter, never doubt that." Hunith smiled at her daughter. "Your father would be so proud of the woman you have become, he was wrong not to know of your destiny, for I sense it is just as great as your brother's." the mother placed a gentle kiss on her daughters forehead before turning to her son.
Merlin shifted uncomfortably, once again he had been forced to wear his prince's clothes and crown. It would have annoyed him but at that moment every eye of those gathered in the courtyard to see the new steward of Acetia off was focussed on him and his mother. He knew everyone was talking about his mother, the woman who gave birth to Emrys, the wife of the last of the old dragon lords. He smiled at his mother. "Take care mother, I will send a wyvern to keep an eye on you, Kilgarrah says he has managed to tame a couple of them." Hunith sighed at her son smiling good naturedly at the young warlock. "For goodness sake Merlin, I don't need a guard dog. The cape will do fine. I'm sure there are villages hounded by bandits who could use a wyvern." Merlin chuckled. "Telling the prince of Camelot how to spread his resources now are you?" Hunith laughed at her son. "Forever and always, it's the mother's prerogative." She took a deep breath. "Promise me you will be careful my boy, I worry. You are too selfless and caring for your own good sometimes." He nodded, hugging her again, he leant back and looked her in the eyes. "I promise to be cautious and I promise to come and visit you. I won't say good bye, it sounds to final," she nodded. "You must go mother, Lord Malcolm will be here soon and the two of you will need to make haste if you are to make it to Acetia on schedule" they hugged again and Hunith moved towards her horse where Gwaine helped her up into her saddle.
Arthur was distracted form the sight of an abnormally sober Gwaine by the glazed over look that fell across most of to women in the courtyard, following their line of sight even he had to admit he couldn't blame them. He took hold of Gwen's hand as she started to stare. "Relax my love you are safe, it is just hard not to notice him." she said with a smile as Arthur went to answer Gwen whispered in his ear. "I didn't mind you staring at Bellanor when she first appeared in her formal dress." Arthur smiled at his betrothed, and relaxed safe in the knowledge that though they could and would appreciate the good looks of others both only had eyes for each other. "Good, so you won't mind me staring at him also." he joked earning a chuckle from Gwen.
Lord Malcolm was wearing the traditional leather clothes of an Acetia leader, the top he wore had woven leather sleeves which hugged his arms revealing them to be toned and taught with muscle, the front of the top was a selection of tough leather panels which moved with his body, the back was woven like the sleeves, his trousers were a mixture of woven leather for manoeuvrability and panels for strength and protection, where Jane had been kind to the knights modesty was that she had not made the trousers too constricting. She had used dark red leather similar to the colour of the tunics worn by the knights of Camelot and also made him a cape of deep blue, with a pendragon crest on one shoulder and his own on the other. He placed the cape on and turned to the king. "Sire it is a great honour you have bestowed upon me, I will not let you down." Arthur tilted his head a little smiling. "I know you won't it is why I chose you for the task. If you need any help don't let pride and stubbornness stop you from asking Camelot for it." Malcolm smiled at the king. "It is odd sire, I was about to say the same thing." The king laughed, knowing the knight had clearly been paying more attention to his progress than he had thought.
"Then I suppose we must both take my advice."
Malcolm turned to Gwenevire. "Goodbye lady Gwenevire, promise you will look out for them." he said and while he didn't say who he meant, Gwen knew he was talking about Jane. "You have my word lord Malcolm, they will be safe as long as I have breath in my body." he smiled at her and kissed her hand, he turned to Bellanor and Merlin.
"I promise to you prince Merlin, lady Bellanor. You're mother will come to no harm while in my service, I will cherish her council as Arthur cherishes yours Merlin, and I will care for her as Gwen cares for you Bellanor." The twins nodded. Merlin pulled the knight into a manly embrace "you will always find help from magic if you but ask." He said and Malcolm smiled, "I am glad to hear it Emrys, though if you could hold back on sending wyverns, I do believe it will be easier for the people to accept me if they are not being watched by fearsome beasts" Merlin chuckled and Bellanor leant forward interrupting her brothers next words. "I will make sure he doesn't send any, he forgets he is not the only one who can command them any more." she shot her brother a mocking glance as he sighed dejectedly no doubt having liked the idea of sending wyverns to watch over their mother and the lord. Malcolm chuckled. "If you'd like to send then as escorts I'm sure no one would object." he suggested and Merlin let out a happy yelp and clapped his hands.
Merlin and Bellanor's eyes went gold and they shouted something in the dragon tongue, suddenly two wyverns came and landed next to the dragon lord and lady. Merlin pointed at Malcolm and then his mother who was on her horse waiting. "escort, protect, then return." the wyverns bowed their heads and lifted off plummeting back down to hover near Hunith, one of them nudged her shoulder gently and she reached out and petted it's snout, laughing when it let out a happy purr and took off again. "They recognise her, as your mother and the wife of the previous dragonlord." Malcolm observed, as he watched the interaction. Merlin answered the new lords words, "They will recognise you as an ally and friend of the last dragon lord and first dragon lady."
The knight smiled at that. He made his final farewells and moved to his horse as he rode out he passed Jane, sending her one last smile he rode out of the citadel and out towards his new home his new kingdom.
well? oh and the cape hunith mentions, is the one merlin had jane make, it's enchanted to protect her, i can't remember if i mentioned that, oops.
also i've just introduced agrivane in the chapter i've written, what do you think i have done with him? you'll find out in a few chapters time!
reviews are lovely, seeing as its the day after my parents wedding anerversary you could leave a review as a belated gift to them, (yes i did just resort to emotional blackmail lol) sorry for any mistakes i have missed in the editing.
