Chapter 10

Lancelot and the knights were gathered for a meeting the very next morning and Uther watched Lancelot so carefully I felt bad for him. Arthur and the others didn't know what was going on anymore then I did or Merlin or Gaius. The royal librarian was there with a book and Merlin looked nervous when he saw it.

Uther pointed at Lancelot, "You are not a nobleman! There was not fifth son, only four- somehow you faked your shield and because of your lies you broke the first part of the code."

"Father, this is outrageous!" Arthur jumped up to go to Lancelot's aid, "Father-."

"Arthur, stand down!" Uther shouted and he did, reluctantly. "Do you deny the accusations?"

Lancelot stepped forward, "I do not." He said and everyone began talking, "King Uther, I lied about my status as a nobleman but I am a noble man and loyal. I'm a good fighter," he said. "With this beast on the loose, Prince Arthur will need all the help he can get."

Uther's eyes widened to nearly twice their usual size, "How dare you say such a thing. I take away one knight will not make a difference!" He snarled, "Guard, place him in the dungeon."

Arthur opened his mouth but Morgana motioned for him to stay silent and he did. Merlin ran his hands over his hair and I went to him. "What now? That beast is going to be here anyway and we won't stand a chance?" Gwen said as I approached him, "Merlin, do something?"

He made a face and shook his head, "I- can't- I can't do everything Gwen!" he ran off and Gaius turned to follow him- I stopped Gwen however.

"I didn't mean to make him upset."

"I know Guinevere- I'll speak to him in a few minutes." Morgana came over, "Morgana, Lady Morgana- did you know about this?"

She shook her head, "No, I swear and I wish I had." She sounded so troubled I asked her if she wanted to go lay down before she fell or something, but Gwen offered to take her back to her room and they left. I ran out to go find Aubrey but Arthur stopped me. "Prince Arthur?" I bowed and he motioned for me to follow him. "Is something wrong?"

"Lancelot belongs on my side, convince my father of it and you'll have a life time supply of leather and everything you need to fix the books four times over."

I smiled lamely, "Arthur, please don't ask me to do this. Uther won't speak to me unless if he calls me to him." I told him and he frowned and looked back at Uther. "I'll try tomorrow; he needs to calm down first."

He nodded and took my hands and kissed them, "Thank you." He said and looked up then looked back at me, "Thank you for everything Madam Graceson." He kissed my cheek next and when he stepped back, he had a smirk on his face.

I frowned and turned to look after him and I turned to see Aubrey in the doorway, "Aubrey?" He shook his head and began to leave; I pushed Arthur out of my way. "Arthur, how could you!" I snapped and ran after Aubrey. "Aubrey!" I yelled and held the door to up me turn sharper but he was gone, I fell to my knees and began crying. "Come back to me," I cried and I held my arm around my front. Gwen and Morgana came running out to me and I fell into Gwen as she reached down to me to lift me up. "It was all my fault he left," I cried on Gwen's shoulder.

"It'll be alright, it was a misunderstanding. We saw him do that- why would he?"

I shook my head and looked Gwen, "It doesn't matter. He's gone and he won't come back, he told me he would. He'll leave someday and never return, he abandoned King Uther when we had this thing coming here." I should have said he abandoned Prince Arthur, but I was too angry at him. "I can't, not here-." I pushed myself away from Gwen and Morgana and ran home. Merlin and Gaius weren't there so I went to my room and buried my face into my pillow and sobbed for nearly an hour before I stopped and went to the hidden floorboard under my bed and pulled out the magic book I magically copied from Merlin's room. I only ever would use it to study and never actually use it for anything; I opened it up and flipped through some pages until I found a spell to open a portal back to my time- well anytime. I wrote the spell down and put it back where I hid it; then I left and dodged my way through the city and out of it. I stopped at the lake, nearly falling in I grabbed the tree branch above me.

I said the incantation three times before it opened. The swirling green and blue became bigger and then it became so bright I had to block my eyes and I lowered my arm slowly. "Jonah!" I screamed, he turned around.

He laughed, "Leo- oh my god I- we thought you were dead."

I shook my head, "Jonah. I want to come home, I swear I do-."

"Then come home," he said. He reached out slowly but something zapped him and he jumped back, "Maybe it only works for the one who conjured it. Come here, reach for my hand sweetheart," he inched closer and held out his hand. I went forward but I heard something loud screaming behind me but it was in front of me…. "What was that?"

I held up my hand, "Oh my god it's a griffin!"

"A real one?"

I nodded, "Jonah-."

"Run! Come home when you get the chance to-." I crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it at him.

"Use it and come to me Jonah-."

I screamed and turned to run, I ran back to the castle and it followed me, I yelled for people to get inside and they scrambled once they saw why I was telling them to run away. "Merlin!" I screamed, "Uther!" I also yelled. I saw Arthur look outside but I felt it right behind me, I cried out when it grabbed my arms, "Arthur!" It flew me above the castle, it released one of my arms and I dangled. I grabbed onto its left ankle as we went higher. The griffin's skin was rough like sandpaper and the feathers were actually very soft. The beak was huge and the eyes were almost yellow; the scream of the griffin made me want to cover my ears. I began to pull myself up and I bit its leg, I was released and I lifted myself up onto its back.

"Leo!" I heard Merlin and Gwen yell, the griffin dove down.

"Look out!" Arthur yelled and pushed Gwen out of the way, I was yards away and I saw their eyes connect. But then I saw Arthur push himself up and run away.

"Fire!" I yelled to Merlin, "Use fire to kill it!" I screamed when it suddenly dove down and destroyed a fruit stand, fruit went everywhere; I wince and crawled up to grab the griffin around the neck as hard as I could but it screamed and hissed back at me. I hit it as hard as I could and I fell but I grabbed its tail- it screeched loudly. "Oh my god!" It could whip me into something, like a castle wall, and I'd die on impact. I tried to pull myself up but the lion's tail was slippery and he whipped it around like a rope so much I nearly fell off. I never thought they were so huge.

Then I saw Arthur and Lancelot, "Arthur!" I yelled it whipped its tail again. I wanted Aubrey every time I yelled for Arthur, but he was gone. I needed Aubrey to save me and tell me he was wrong to leave, "Aubrey!" I cried and I saw Merlin in the shadows, his arm raised as Lancelot rode down a path towards the griffin and it charged him as well. Suddenly the staff, the lance, he held started on fire a blue flame. When Lancelot's lance hit the griffin and it screamed even louder.

"Let go!" I heard someone shouting over and over again, but I was too afraid. Suddenly it whipped its tail once more as it fell to the ground and I flew into a large pile of hay and straw. I felt the breath leave my lungs and I looked up as the griffin fell completely and crash-landed on the cobbler square. I pushed myself up and went to Merlin, "Merlin. Thank you-." I whispered and Gwen and Arthur came over to me.

"Are you alright?"

"Forgive me Arthur," I said and he frowned as I punched him. "Ow, ow, ow," I shook my hand and Merlin stared at me. "Aubrey left me because he saw something that Arthur did and misunderstood." Uther came out a while later and looked at me and followed Arthur and Lancelot to look at the beast. Gwen screamed when the creature suddenly got up and Lancelot pulled Arthur from the attack path and plunged his sword into its chest. The crowd cheered and Uther tried to call to order but the crowd already lifted Lancelot up and he just shrugged and asked to be set down again. Uther looked at Arthur who stared back at him. Uther left, so angry, he didn't know what to say.