Chapter Seven
When the Festivals came a month later, Morgaine asked Arthur's permission to go. She explained to him that she had her part to play and her Dark Father would be disappointed in her if she did not attend. He gave his permission, under the condition that she take a Knight with her. She smiled wickedly, already knowing which Knight she would ask to come with her.
Three nights before the Festivals were to begin, she snuck silently into the barracks where the Knights slept. Approaching Galahad's bed, she pressed a hand over his mouth. He jerked up, relaxing at the sight of Morgaine crouching at the side of his bed, her finger pressed to her lips for silence. He nodded once, before taking the time to examine her attire. Morgaine was already dressed as Heir, her sable hair pulled back in a high plait braided with lace and ribbons and she was dressed in gossamer veils that wrapped around her waist and chest, leaving her tattooed belly bare, with a belt of lightly jingling golden coins. Galahad stared at the sight of the piercing through her belly button, from which hung a gold coin.
"Nazneen?" he asked in Sarmatian, wondering what she was doing in the one place Arthur had expressly forbidden her. "What are you doing in here?"
"Come with me outside, Sarmatian, please?" she replied similarly, her voice barely above the sound of the quietest church-mouse.
He nodded, tossing back his blankets and padding after her. Only Gawain saw them leave, but said nothing, hunkering back down into his bed with a small smile. Outside the barracks, he grabbed her arm and turned her to face him. "What are you doing here?"
"I am going to the Festivals, Sarmatian. Arthur gave me his permission to go, provided I take a Knight with me. You will be gone a week."
"You want to take me!" he asked in surprise.
She blushed with a nod. "I like you, Sarmatian. You, Lancelot, Arthur and Gawain have always been kind to me, when everyone else goes out of their way to be rude and suspicious."
"I don't see you asking Lancelot, Arthur or Gawain to go to the Festivals," he pointed out sagely.
"I know. I want to take you. Please, Galahad," she begged, surprising him with her use of his name, "come with me to the Festivals."
He nodded once. "Stay here. I must pack."
She nodded and waited where she stood. Gawain looked over at Galahad as he began to pack his clothes, a bow, arrows and grabbed his sword from the wall over his bedroll. "Where are you going?"
"Arthur has given Nazneen permission to go to the Festivals. I am to accompany her."
"Have fun. Be careful. You'll be in Woad territory."
Galahad clasped hands with his friend and replied quietly, "I'll see you in a week," before leaving the barracks. Morgaine smiled at him, taking his hand and leading him to the two stabled horses in the stables. She swirled a thick green cloak about her shoulders to ward off the chill of the night and hide her immodestly clad form from Roman and Knighted eyes. Mounting silently, the two moved as one toward the Wall and left the safety of its gray stone.
The next morning, when the Knights woke, the immediate topic of conversation was the absence of Galahad. Later that morning after breakfast, Gareth looked up as Arthur and Lancelot came into the Chamber of the Round Table. "Arthur, where is Galahad?"
"Galahad has accompanied my sister on her trip back to the Woads."
All of the Knights but Gawain surged to their feet in outrage. "And you let him go! He'll get killed."
Gawain rolled his eyes at his fellow Knights' ignorance. "Morgaine will let nothing happen to him," he muttered in Sarmatian.
Kay was standing directly to Gawain and whirled on him. "She's a whore and traitor!"
Arthur moved to retaliate to that statement, but Gawain beat him to it. His mighty fist smashed into Kay's face, sending Kay sprawling to the floor. "Morgaine has been called many things, but the least likely of these accusations would be that of whore and less likely still would be title of traitor!" he roared at the man at his feet, before turning to face the rest of the Knights, leaning forward against the table with his fists balled tightly in fury. "She has chosen her side! She is here, with us, promising to help and protect us in anyway possible. She healed Galahad when she didn't have to, and bartered with Merlin to give you all safe passage from Woad territory. Merlin raised her, treated her as his own daughter, taught her everything he knows about herbs, their uses and about healing. She has no reason to remain loyal to Rome's cause. The Rome that we serve, willingly or not, murdered her mother and took her father away from her. She has no reason to respect Rome. But she respects us. She loves Merlin, yes! But she also loves Arthur and furthermore, she is in love with Galahad! And Galahad is in love with her."
His eyes widened at his inadvertent confession. "Blast. I wasn't supposed to say that, Arthur."
Arthur laughed lightly. "I had already known that my sister was in love with Galahad, although the news that Galahad is in love with her is new."
"You cannot tell him I told you, Arthur. He'd be horrified."
"None in this room shall tell Galahad we know. It will soon be about the time for her to be married anyway, and Galahad is of a suitable age." Arthur said with a nonchalant shrug, before turning to Lancelot, his most trusted Knight and friend.
"Sounds like a good plan to me. Galahad would make her a good husband." Lancelot affirmed, placing the two teenagers together in his head and nodding emphatically at what he saw. "They would suit well, I believe."
Gawain sat back, giving no evidence that he had just laid Kay out moments before. "He is determined to be worthy of her."
"Good, maybe I'll let him sweat about it for awhile. Although I imagine I should announce their betrothal within the next year."
Lancelot laughed lightly, moving to his chair and sprawling out in it, accepting a goblet from a servant. "Still, don't let him off that easily. Let him sweat about it for a year, at least. And then announce it without his knowledge. Let them deal with it. I doubt either would protest the idea very much."
Arthur nodded, sitting in his own chair. "I believe I shall do so."
The three laughed lightly, while the remaining eleven traded their attention between an unconscious Kay and the laughing triumvirate.
