I do not own any BBC Merlin characters!
Chapter Ten
Under no circumstances whatsoever, was Queen Annis pacing back and forth across her chambers. She was in fact simply taking a little light exercise, and since the weather had taken such a foul turn outside she had chosen to stroll around her chamber instead of either catching her death of cold or having to face the crowded corridors of the citadel.
"You'll wear the floors out doing that." One of Arthur's knights chuckled. Queen Annis scowled at him; it was the one who always seemed to be just back from, or just on his way to the tavern. She couldn't remember his name but Arthur had apparently sent him to make sure that she didn't wander off until he had spoken to her about the situation with her grandson.
"You're very loose with your tongue for a knight." She snapped, conceding to stop her repetitive movements and dropping into one of the chairs next to the fire. The flames roared and jumped in the huge grate, throwing out heat into the room but the Queen still felt as if her bones were frozen. Its worry, she told herself. The same horrible fear that had wrapped itself around her heart when she found Hunith was gone and there was no trace of her daughter or where she'd fled to.
"Merlin's stronger than you give him credit for." Gwaine said, leaning back against the doors and folding his arms across his chest. "He'll pull through, he always does."
"If he doesn't keep trying to get himself killed." She muttered, more to herself than the knight.
"Well it doesn't help with you trying to drag him away from his home."Gwaine shot in, his gaze hardening as he glared at the Queen. "He was perfectly happy before you stormed in and started turning everything upside down."
"And who are you to tell me what I should and should not do?" she asked, scorn lacing her words as she ran her gaze across the knight's clothing. "You would rather spend your times among peasants and drunks, then take any responsibility for your own duties."
Gwaine let out a harsh bark of laughter. "My father fought for Caerleon! He died for it and you lot on your thrones of pedestals left my mother to starve in the streets!"
The Queen felt her jaw snap shut and any retort she'd been planning try on her tongue.
"You have my condolences." She said unsteadily, unnerved with the bitterness that had taken over the knight who never seemed to have a care in the world. "There are more casualties in war than the soldiers who die; we cannot care for them all."
"You have never even tried." He hissed.
An uncomfortable silence fell between them, broken only by the fire which crackled and spat nosily. Both occupants jumped when a bold knock resounded from the other side of the door.
"Come in!" Queen Annis commanded, relieved to have someone else in the room apart from the surely knight. "Arthur!" she cried, her heart sinking when she saw the gaunt look on his face. "Is he-"
"My son is alive." Someone else replied, interrupting Queen Annis and causing the woman's eyes to bulge as she saw the person standing just behind the King of Camelot.
"Eleanor." She whispered, staring at the travel stained figure.
Arthur watched as neither woman made any sort of attempt to go to each other. He was still struggling to comprehend what exactly was going on. The servant had badgered him all the way to Gaius' chambers, blabbering on about a Lady Eleanor waiting in the throne room to speak with him.
Of course Arthur's attention had been much more firmly fixed on the unconscious Merlin that had been draped across his shoulder this point and the matter had been put to one side, at least until Gauis had cautiously said that Merlin should make it through the night. His recovered would be heavily delayed but death was hopefully off the cards.
She has been sat on the lower steps of the dais when Arthur walked in. Her cloak ripped in places and splashed with mud but the hood pulled down off her face and waves of raven hair spilling down her back. He could see Merlin in her the moment she turned to face him, latching onto his gaze with eyes that we so much like Merlin's that Arthur wasn't sure quite how to react.
"Welcome to Camelot." He'd said, rather stupidly he had to admit.
Eleanor had offered him a small smile in return and rose to her feet. "I believe that you have my son somewhere within these walls." She told him, closing the distance between himself and her. "You remind me so much of your mother." She told him, reaching out as if to touch his cheek before pulling her hand back quickly. "Igraine was a good friend to me when I need one." She said.
"You're Merlin's mother?" Arthur asked, fighting with himself to focus on the current situation and not question her about his own mother. "How did you get here?"
A shadow crossed Eleanor's face, clouding her eyes with fear for a moment. "I'm not sure." She admitted. "I remember being left in my chambers and…" she fell silent. "I was scared." She admitted, "I had this horrible feeling of terror, as if something was being ripped away from me and I had no power to stop it."
"So you travelled to Camelot?"
"I must have." Eleanor mused, glancing around the room as if she was just seeing it for the first time. "I just don't know how."
Queen Annis continued to stare at her daughter, her own body at war with itself as half of her wanted to rush up and hold what she had lost for so long while the other half feared that it was merely an apparition that would vanish upon touch.
"I'm not a ghost mother." Eleanor said sharply, holding all the grace of a Queen in her own right.
"Lady Eleanor just arrived." Arthur said quietly, "I thought that she should know that her mother was also in the castle and she asked if she could see you."
"I thought you hated me." Queen Annis choked, finally rising from her seat and moving hesitantly towards Eleanor. "I thought you were lost to me forever."
"Father is not with you then?" Eleanor asked, freezing her mother in her tracks.
"I- You- You don't know." Her mother stalled, trying to find the words to explain. "Your father is dead Eleanor."
Arthur and Gwaine both shrank back slightly, the awkwardness of the situation hanging heavily in the room.
"Oh." Eleanor said, sinking into the seat beside her mothers and switching her gaze to the flames. "How?"
Arthur coughed into his hand, attracting the attention of both noble women. "I must take responsibility for that. Your father was found within Camelot's boundaries and a great error of judgment on my part led to his death."
Queen Annis flinched and her hand closed around the back of her daughter's chair, her knuckles straining white as she controlled her anger. Eleanor simply nodded, her eyes gleaming slightly.
Using her sleeve she wiped away the few tears that spilled down her cheeks. "I don't know why I'm crying." She laughed slightly hysterically. "My father was not an easy man to get along with."
"He was still your father." Queen Annis said quietly, resting a hand on Eleanor's shoulder in the hope of offering some sort of comfort. "You are allowed to grieve."
"May I see my son now?" Eleanor asked her voice breaking slightly as she tried to regain her composure.
Arthur opened his mouth to answer but Queen Annis beat him to it, crouching down beside her daughter and taking bother of the woman's hands in her own older ones.
"I think it would be best to wait for morning." She said kindly. "Everyone one is tired and Merlin will be asleep. We shall both see him tomorrow."
Eleanor accepted the offer with a small nod and the Queen turned her attention back towards Arthur and his knight.
"Could you please ask for one of the servants to prepare a bath for my daughter?" she said, "And I doubt that we have need of your little guard-dog anymore."
"Of course." Arthur replied, grabbing hold of Gwaine's arm and almost yanking him out of the room. "I'll send a servant to attend to you immediately."
Closing the door behind him Arthur finally released Gwaine when they were halfway down the third corridor, catching sight one of the army of servants and relaying Queen Annis' wishes before carrying on towards the royal chambers.
"So…" Gwaine said "Merlin seems to have a fair amount of family."
There was a muffled grunt as Arthur stopped suddenly and Gwaine crashed into him. "Princess! What the hell?"
"Why now?" Arthur demanded, rounding to face Gwaine. "Why would they all turn up right now?"
Gwaine shrugged, confused by the question.
"Merlin had no clue about his family before this." Arthur said quietly, keeping his voice down so no one would overhear. "But now he has relatives popping up all over the place, and ones in significant positions of power."
"And…" Gwaine prompted. "I'm failing to see your point."
"This sort of thing doesn't just happen." Arthur growled, his temper spiking. "Someone is playing games with him."
"Oh!" Gwaine murmured. "And let me guess; only you are allowed to play games when it comes to Merlin."
"Exactly. No one messes around with Merlin's life except me!"
"You're such a good friend you know that Princess."
"I thought sarcasm was the lowest form of wit." Arthur shot back.
"You would know." Gwaine chuckled. "Yow! Hey, don't punch a guy in the head!"
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