Hello everyone! Guess what, I'm back on continuing the story YAYYY! I'm sorry I've been gone for so long, I've just started to loose focus on this one for a while. I've been receiving recent notifications on followers and favorites on this story which helped me to get back into it. I'll do the best I can to keep posting. So without further adieu, onward forward!
Light penetrated through the window. Making Arthur flicking open an eyelid. Rolling over to the sound of the door opening, Merlin and Will came in carrying trays of breakfast. Noise from already drunken men downstairs flooded the room.
"Don't those people have jobs?" Will asked annoyed.
"Apparently not. What's for breakfast?" Arthur threw off the thin covers as the trays were put down on the middle bed. "Sausages and eggs."
"By the way Arthur, you should be more aware of your surroundings" Will said holding up a brown pouch that made a jingle sound.
Arthur stared wide eyed at the bag. Patting down his tunic and breaches. "How did you get that?!"
Will let the bag go as Arthur snatched it back. "You're a heavy sleeper." Will answered. "Besides how else were we supposed to pay for breakfast?"
"Did you know about this Merlin?" Arthur asked turning to the unusually silent young man.
Merlin was staring at the floor almost lost in thought. "Sorry what?" Snapping his head back up once he realized he was spoken to.
"Haven't you been paying attention to this whole conversation?"
"More like an accusation really" Will stated.
"It's not an accusation if it's the truth!"
"Guys!?" Merlin almost shouted. Both turned to look at him. "Shouldn't we be going over the plan?"
Arthur gave one more glare at Will. Merlin just rolled his eyes at the two of them.
Arthur headed out of the inn about an hour later. They couldn't really do anything until the feast tonight where all the nobility would be there. Arthur went over all of the possible routes to take, and where to avoid the guards. Also where to meet up should they become separated. Arthur didn't think it would happen, but he pointed out it's good to be prepared for anything.
Merlin and Will decided to do some exploring around the city and would meet up with Arthur later at the appointed time and place. Keeping his head down, Arthur walked through the streets of Camelot. He knew it might be a risk, but there was a reason to his destination. Knocking on a wooden door to one of the houses in the lower town, Arthur waited for someone to answer. In a few moments, the door revealed to a blond haired women wearing a worn out apron. The women gasped out loud as soon as she saw who it was. Placing a hand over her mouth, eyes wide in surprise.
"Mrs. Connors?"
"Arth- Arthur. Is, is that you?"
Arthur smiled at the use of his name instead of sire. "Yes, Mrs. Connors, it's me. May I come in?"
"Of course." Mrs. Connors opened the door wider for him to step through. "Please, sit down Arthur, and do call me Mary, none of that Mrs. Connors." Arthur sat while Mary bustled about in the small kitchen. "Would you like a cup of tea?"
"No, no thank you. Is Mr. Connors here?"
"Jacob is at work I'm afraid. Is there something I can do?"
Arthur took a deep breath, "I wanted to talk to you about Lana."
As soon as he said those words, a cup slipped from her hands, shattering onto the floor. "Good heavens, how clumsy of me." Mary knelt on the ground, hands shaking as she reached to pick up the pieces. Before she could, Arthur reached out and grabbed her hands. When their eyes met, Arthur's heart almost broke. What he saw there was sorrow so deep, there was no natural spark of life. Arthur hated his father even more at that moment. Reaching an arm around the woman next to him, Mary just wept. Falling into his chest, Arthur held her as tears of his own flowed down his cheeks. They stayed like that for a while. Both seeking comfort from the other. When Arthur's legs started growing numb, Mary pulled back, whipping her eyes. "I'm sorry for breaking down like that Arthur. You shouldn't have had to see that."
"Never be sorry for what you're feeling."
"Jacob doesn't like to talk about it" she said giving a sniff.
"It must be hard."
Mary only nodded. "It would be much more comfortable if we sat at the table."
"Yes it would." Arthur said with a small smile. Helping her stand up, the two of them went to the table ignoring the broken cup.
"Now, what about Lana would you like to talk about?"
Arthur folded his hands in front of him "Mrs. Conner's, er, Mary. I want you to know that Lana was my best friend. She had opened a whole new world for me. I had no other friends that her, the knights were more mentors, and people I had to perform in front of. Lana helped me change for the better. I want to prove to her I can be the man she saw in me. So I am going to fight for her, for all of those who have magic. In order to do that, I have left my rights to the throne; at least for now.
Mary's eyes grew wide. "Arthur, are you certain that leaving is the best solution? I'm sure Lana wouldn't want you to give up everything you have."
"I wouldn't be able to bare living there any longer. Not with having to face the man that killed my best friend."
"But Arthur, even when you take the throne, the people still won't trust magic. Forcing the law back to what it once was will be just the same as taking it away."
"Then I will help prove that magic is not all evil. I promise you, that I will make Camelot a better place." Arthur reached into his tunic, pulling out a brown sack. "Here," he said pressing it into the women's hands. "I want you to have this. It's all the gold I was able to bring with me. It's not much, but it may just be enough to help you get your family some extra food."
"I can't accept this Arthur" she said sliding the coins back. "This is yours."
"Please. This will be much more useful here. I have no need of it."
Mary gave a real smile for the first time since Lana's death. "Thank you, Arthur. Thank you for everything."
"So Merlin, wanna tell me what happened back there?" Will asked as they were walking down the streets of Camelot. Briefly staring at the different items peddlers were selling.
"Tell you what?"
"What happened back at the room, while me and Arthur were having that little dispute" Will replied.
"You really should try and get along with him better Will. He's not that bad. Except for the snoring."
"Don't try to change the subject Merlin. I know you all too well. It was like, you were in another world or something."
"Alright, fine. Last night, after the two of you were asleep. I may have heard a voice." Merlin said uneasy.
"A voice?"
"Yeah. In my head."
Will stepped in front of Merlin. "You mean, like with 'youknowwhat?' Will asked knowing not to say the word magic in a place where you could get killed for even mentioning it.
Merlin nodded.
"Well, what did they say?"
Merlin shrugged. "Just my name."
"That's it? Nothing else?"
"No."
"And you have no idea who it might have been? Perhaps one of the druids?" Will sounded concerned.
"No," Merlin said again. "It didn't sound like any of them. The voice, It sounded old, ancient even. I've never heard anything like it before."
"Merlin, when we get back to the druids, I want you to tell them about this. Maybe they could help."
Merlin just sniggered. "And I'm supposed to listen to you because?"
"Because Merlin, I know how you don't use self-preservation. Just think of me as an older brother." Will smirked throwing an arm around him.
"Oh boy, just what I've always wanted." Merlin said sarcastically.
Will just smiled and left it at that. The two friends continued throughout Camelot. Passing the time till the banquet. Will was looking at an item a peddler was selling when something caught his eye. A woman with dark skin was picking up spilled laundry from the dirty street into a woven basket. Placing the item down on the shelf, Will made his way over to her. "May I be of some assistance?" he said in his most charming voice. The women looked up at him and smiled. "Why such a gentlemen, we don't see much of those anymore."
"I am a dying breed, may I?" he gestured towards the pile.
"It would be most appreciated, thank you."
Will knelt down, and helped her place the last of the clothing into the basket. Once that was done, both of them stood up.
"Thank you again, you didn't have to do that."
"Well what kind of a gentlemen would I be if I didn't help a women in need?" Will answered with a smile. "May I be so bold as to ask you your name?" Will asked.
The women giggled and blushed. "Guinevere , but you can call me Gwen."
"Gwen. A lovely name for a beautiful young lady."
"So you're a charmer as well?"
Will smiled. "I'm one of a kind. Well Gwen, I don't want to hold you up from where you were going. I'll let you get back to it."
"Wait, since you know my name, it would be only fair if I asked you yours."
"William, but most people call me Will."
"Well Will, it was nice to meet you."
"Like wise."
Will watched her go into the crowed. Once she disappeared, Will went back to the vender he left. Only to find Merlin missing.
