THE TRUTH
Just as the sun began to rise behind the hills behind which lay New Hampshire, Arthur, Lady Rosalie and Merlin were already on there way. No one had really gotten a lot of sleep that night, especially not Lady Rosalie. She may have sounded confident when she said she would not hesitate to use her powers if she had to, but she was anything but confident. If and when she revealed her true nature, she would not only cause Arthur to become furious, but she feared that she'd also force Arthur to hate her for what she was. That every thought troubled her more than anything.
Arthur led the way, riding up front, Rosalie riding right in between Merlin and him, as Merlin rode behind her. The melodic chirping of birds in the forest was quite misleading. It would make you think that all was well within these lands, when it was everything but: it was pure chaos.
The silence that hung between the three was eerie. Who really knew anything to say anyway? Lady Rosalie was trying her hardest to bottle up all that she had to say, Merlin too trying to prevent himself from blurting out anything he wasn't supposed to and Arthur was afraid, afraid of what they would find once they reached the walls of Longford Castle. If the kingdom was in ruins, how would Lady Rosalie react? That is what he feared the most.
Powerful roars of men in battle reached their ears and Arthur halted, his hand flying up in the air to signal a full stop.
"Leave the horses. We venture on by foot." Arthur commanded, lowering down from his horse, quickly pacing over towards Lady Rosalie to assist her.
Tactfully they managed to manoeuvre a way through the trees, reaching the walls of Longford Castle. Lady Rosalie gasped in uttermost horror, seeing her home being destroyed, brick by brick.
"The only way this will work is if we pick them off one by one. They have the numbers but we have the element of surprise." Arthur instructed, glancing back over his shoulder at Merlin and Lady Rosalie. He tossed a sword over to Merlin, who surprisingly enough caught it. "Now, Rosalie stay close to me. I will not let any harm come to you." Arthur said his eyes urgent as he looked her in the eyes, as if it could be the very last time he could bathe in her mystifying gaze.
Lady Rosalie nodded quietly, looking over at Merlin who was gripping his hand tightly around the hilt of his sword.
"Alright, follow me." Arthur whispered, as he moved out of the bushes, treading cautiously amongst Longford's enemies. He drew out his sword, tunnelling it right through the spine of one of the soldiers which stood astray from the rest. This was his strategy.
Whilst he went one, like he had planned, picking them off one by one he threw a glance over his shoulder to see if Merlin and Rosalie were still trailing behind him. Merlin was, Lady Rosalie wasn't.
"Where's the Lady Rosalie?" Arthur hissed in panic as he got distracted, his eyes searching for any sight of Lady Rosalie.
"Enemies sighted!" A man suddenly shouted across the battlefield, and in that very moment Arthur and Merlin both realized they were sitting ducks. The only way that they could survive this was if Merlin used his magic.
Merlin watched the men starting to sprint over to them, their swords drawn and their faces vicious and aggressive.
"Merlin, run. Save yourself!" Arthur roared, his sword pointing towards the enemies, as he tried to cover Merlin.
"No, I'm not leaving you!" Merlin called back, dropping his sword to the ground as he outstretched his arms, lifting his face up to the sky: Please, let him understand why I could not tell him, he prayed in his mind, ready to cast a spell over the enemies.
However, before he could utter even one word a tidal wave suddenly started to form out of thin air – it was sorcery, but not Merlin's. Arthur and Merlin both backed away, seeing the soldiers' fear arise as they noticed the tidal wave moving right towards them. Filled with they bewilderment, they were nailed to the ground. Perhaps they realized outrunning it wasn't going to get them anywhere, perhaps they'd simply never seen anything like it.
"Rosalie.." Merlin whispered to himself, realising it must be her. She was the one who cast the magic, to save her people. She had said that she would not hold back, and this was her fighting back.
"What in the name of-." Arthur murmured in amazement, seeing how the enemies got swept away by the tidal wave, drowned from inside out by the overpowering water that collapsed against their bodies.
Arthur turned around towards Merlin. "Merlin, we must find Lady Rosalie." But Merlin seemed distracted.
"No need. I know where she is." He said, gazing upwards.
Arthur traced his eyes' focus, suddenly seeing her. There she stood, up on the top of a hill. Her posture confident, with her arms crossed whilst her eyes almost seemed to glow in the light of the rising sun. The crown prince didn't even realize it was absolutely stupid of her to stand there, out in the open but right there, she seemed fearless. As if she knew no harm could come to her if she had her way.
"Rosalie!" Arthur called, racing over to her at a fast pace. When he reached her, he enveloped her in his arms. "I almost thought they'd gotten you." He whispered, his face digging into her neck.
"Don't be silly, Arthur." Rosalie replied calmly, as she awkwardly adjusted to their sudden intimacy, her body slowly melting with his. "I know another way into the castle. Follow me."
She led them to an abandoned wind mill, not too far from the castle gates. With an old key she unlocked the door, leading Merlin and Arthur into the windmill.
Cynically Arthur arched an eyebrow. "How is this exactly a way into the castle?" He asked, looking upon the stacks of hay that took up all of the space inside the windmill.
Lady Rosalie started ploughing through a stack of hay until she'd reached the surface of the floor. It was a wooden door, with a metal handle on it. She pulled it open, revealing an underground tunnel.
"This tunnel leads right into the castle dungeons. Now come on, we must hurry!" Lady Rosalie said as she climbed down through the tunnel.
Arthur and Merlin both followed, and found out that the Lady Rosalie was right when they finally reached a door, which indeed led into the castle's dungeons.
"Quite handy." Merlin commented as he dusted off his clothes.
Lady Rosalie managed a chuckle. "It was. As a child I often used it to sneak away when my father wouldn't let me."
They went up a spiralling flight of stairs and reached the first floor of Castle Longford. It seemed the Castle itself had stood strong and had not yet been penetrated by the enemy. Lady Rosalie's little magic act may have saved the castle for now, but tomorrow the enemy would surely be upon them once again.
"I must find my father." Lady Rosalie said, as she quickened her pace, almost running.
"Hold it right there!" A deep man's voice snarled from behind them and all three of them stiffened. "How in the devil's name did you filthy lot get in here?" He muttered, drawing out his sword.
Rosalie suddenly recognized the voice and turned around. "Ser Rowan!" She exclaimed in relief, revealing her face to him.
Ser Rowan had to take a moment before he could actually believe his eyes. "Lady Rosalie, it is you. You must forgive me for my insolence. I did not mean to disgrace you, my Lady. I thought you were the enemy that had managed to sneak their way into the castle." He apologized solemnly, bowing his head.
"It is quite alright, Ser Rowan. I am only gladdened to see you are still alive!" Lady Rosalie said happily, as she beamed a bright smile.
"As am I to see you are as well." He replied, his strong arms folding around her as he crushed her into a warm embrace.
Arthur who observantly stood in the shadows felt a twist in his stomach, envy.
"I must see father immediately. Please tell me that he is alright." Lady Rosalie pleaded, pulling away from the embrace as her eyes grew urgent.
"Your father and Prince Fergus are fairing quite well, my Lady. They have remained unharmed."
Lady Rosalie let out a sigh of relief. "Thank heavens. Could you take us to them?" She asked, gesturing towards Arthur and Merlin.
"You must be Prince Arthur." Ser Rowan noted attentively, bowing his head toward him. "It is an honour."
"I suppose I must be." Arthur murmured, shrugging apathetically.
The doors of the audience hall burst open as Ser Rowan led the way in. The hall was filled with knights, discussing different strategies to take on their enemy. At the head of the table sat King Edmund, with Prince Fergus at his side. His face wore wrinkles of worry and he looked exhausted. He must've endured many sleepless nights.
"Your highness, I present to you: Lady Rosalie and Prince Arthur Pendragon." Ser Rowan announced, stepping aside and revealing the appearance of Lady Rosalie and Arthur.
King Edmund's face lit up at the sight of his daughter, as he jolted out his chair, rushing over towards Rosalie. As soon as he reached her, he too, like Ser Rowan, crushed her in a warm hug.
"My dearest daughter, I was so afraid I would never see you again." He whispered, softly stroking her delicate hair.
"Father, I have missed you dearly." She mumbled back, treasuring this moment as if it were her last.
"I know you were the one who made the tidal wave appear." He said, only loud enough for Lady Rosalie to hear. "Thank you."
The reunion between the Hawthorne's was heartfelt and emotional. They were at war and tragic losses had been endured. Arthur and Merlin were both given a room to stay for as long as they liked.
Whilst Arthur made himself comfortable, trying to regain his strength for the next day, Merlin dawdled around in his rather spacious room. He was not used to this kind of luxury, so it was all kind of odd to him.
When he heard a knock on the door, he slowly inched closer and then opened it, seeing Lady Rosalie in the doorway.
"Oh, hello." He greeted a little surprised. "Eh, Lady Rosalie." He quickly added with a nervous smile. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
Lady Rosalie chuckled quietly. "Please, Merlin. You are my guest. I serve you now." She said jokingly, walking into the room. Merlin laughed along humbly, not really knowing what to say.
"You were the one who made the tidal wave appear, weren't you?" Merlin then asked without hesitation.
Lady Rosalie met his eyes. "Yes." She affirmed. "Does Arthur know?"
Merlin shook his head. "No. He hasn't even questioned it yet, but I am sure he's trying to figure it out."
A deep sigh escaped Lady Rosalie's lips. "My father asked to go back to Camelot with you as soon as possible." She stated, sinking down into a chair in front of the fireplace.
"Oh?"
"Yes." She mumbled. "But I cannot go with you, unless I tell Arthur the truth."
Merlin's eyes widened with shock. "You want to tell Arthur that you're a sorcerer? The thing that his father loathes the most? The thing that could get you killed?" Merlin questioned, wanting to be sure that Lady Rosalie was not doing this without thinking it over.
"I've thought about it Merlin, but I cannot keep lying to him. Whatever we have, it is all a lie. I am what his father loathes the most, what I am may very well get me killed yes. But I cannot change that. And I refuse to lie to Arthur any longer. I shall tell him tonight."