Chapter 12

Uther asked Arthur and I enter together since we came up with the idea but I clapped for Arthur and he did for me too. I would have said something but I couldn't- I didn't know what to say; Gaius and Merlin came over to me and I greeted them. For the last couple days I hadn't really been around but in the library all day and most of the night. I was in after they went to bed and up long before them too- I was productive at about five hours every night but I slept a lot during the weekends and went to work whenever I felt like it. I took both nasty knights with me every time and someone always accompanied us upstairs.

The day before Christmas Eve I spoke with Uther. Arthur sat near by playing chess with Merlin; they were rarely seen apart now. I think Arthur really does trust him- something I've never asked aloud but thought of a lot. I knelt down and he greeted me, he was actually happy today so I hoped I wasn't going to ruin it.

"King Uther," I said naturally- the kind of natural where you're so nervous that you're shaking and not from the frozen winter weather. "I have something to ask."

"Alright?"

Reasonable? I love Christmas, I smiled. "Knight Garret and Knight Paul have spent over five months I think in the dungeon. It's freezing down there and with the holiday starting tomorrow, I wish to release them of their punishment. You did say it was up to me when they were released; Garret has a father, who's sick with the flu or something, Gaius has been working hard to help him and Paul's older brother returned just yesterday from the south."

"I understand Ms. Graceson but those two are also my responsibility- what if they try it again on someone else, perhaps they do something more and take her somewhere first. You want to let them go so they can return home just when the Holidays begin so they can go home to get drunk all over again."

"Your highness, I'm just thinking of their families. This is my first Christmas away from my own father; I don't want to do the same thing to them."

"Have you siblings?"

"No, no I don't."

He rubbed his chin and stood up, I was sitting beside his throne as he'd watched the boys play the chess game. He pondered my answers for a moment and then he turned to me. "Then you should return for the holidays. Those two men have siblings, you do not. Let your father see you again."

"Oh Uther sire, I wish I could go, but I really don't think it'd be a good idea, I'm needed here for Gaius's sake. Merlin is a handful," he chuckled and I smiled.

"I took your knight Merlin." Arthur laughed suddenly.

Merlin laughed too, "Now I take your queen." He smiled and took the queen pawn off the board.

Uther looked at me, "Are you frightened of traveling?"

"No, of course not, but by the time I get there, I'd have to come right back." I smiled nervously, "Sire I wish not to speak of this subject," I used my hands as I spoke. "But the first one: the releasing of Knights Garret and Paul from the dungeons so they can return home. Grant them a pardon," I suggested and Uther looked at me. Merlin and Arthur looked up at me, "A pardon, you know where you take away all the offenses against them and release them into society… never mind, King Uther- these two have worked really hard in the library with me for the last few months."

"Good their punishment is working, do they listen to you- do you need for materials?"

"I'm not working on it during the holidays sire," I reminded him and he nodded. "I don't want to see them sitting down there for Christmas when they could be happier at home. Paul will catch the flu or Garret will and pass to the one who doesn't have it."

"Are you sure?" I nodded once, "Very well. I will release them when I've had the chance to decide on it."

Not what I wanted but it was better then what I thought would happen- he didn't get really scary.

I nodded and sat down beside Merlin, "Good try." I told Merlin I wanted to let them from the dungeon before Christmas but my fear of Uther prevented me of such a thing. I mumbled my thanks, "He probably won't but at least you tried."

"Garret is already sick," I told him. "Or at least getting the symptoms of catching a cold- he's right next to Paul, he'll pass it along I'm sure."

Arthur looked up at me for a moment then looked back down, "They tried to hurt you- why do you care about them Leonette?"

I smiled, "It's what I do- someone has to care about them." I got up again and said good-bye to them both and returned home where I pulled on a thicker cloak and my boots and I sat before the fire where I fell asleep.

…………………

Garret and Paul were sitting with their back to each other eating the nearly cold soup they were now brought with bread and a small amount of water. As I approached them, they stood up and the guard unlocked their cells.

"I thought there wasn't going to be any library work anymore for a while."

I shrugged and told them to follow me. Instead we went to Gaius's where he was busy making Christmas dinner- I told the guard to return home to his family and he just stared at me. I unlocked their cuffs and they sat down. Merlin was serving Uther and Arthur tonight so it'd be just us four.

Gaius handed me the basket of warm buns and I took one and passed it to Garret, "What is this for?"

"Christmas dinner… obviously," Gaius muttered. They each took two and set it down.

I looked back at him, "Gaius agreed to do it and I got permission from Arthur instead of Uther because he frightens me. Just for an hour now and three at your homes, you'll be with your families and then you return to your separate cells below the castle. If you mess this up, I have assured Arthur that he may take any punishments towards you as he wishes and I think I saw him eye his sword." They just nodded and we had dinner together as a group of friends; Gaius did most of the talking as he talked about his books and discoveries. Garret and Paul I think actually were intrigued by what he had to say; Gaius and I cleaned up as the knights got ready to see their families and I took them down to the village.

Garret's mother screamed when she saw him opening the door and I took Paul to his cabin a half mile away. "Your brother returned a few days back."

"How do you know?"

I smiled and hugged him, "Merry Christmas Paul. I'll see you in three hours." He frowned and nodded. I heard someone yell his name and someone fell. I walked back home where I finished cleaning up; I just put everything away when Uther pushed the door open. "King Uther?"

"You!" he pointed at me, he looked around. "Where are they?"

"Who?"

"Those knights I told you not to release."

"At home with their families, I was going to return them in a couple hours and stay there myself." I told him.

"You had no right!" he shouted, "Take her down to the dungeon."

I held up my hands, "Wait! Your highness, your son, Arthur looks up to you, doesn't he?"

"Of course he does," he snarled slowly.

I nodded, "Then placing two men who've served their time, in prison on Christmas… it's such a horrible thing to do."

"This is my kingdom Leonette, not yours!"

"Fine then can I at least leave a note for Gaius and Merlin so they don't worry?"

I went into my room and I hide the magic books, notebook, and my pens under the floorboard and I closed it and grabbed the fur cloak and pulled it on. I scribbled a note for Gaius and Merlin and left it on my bed. I was taken down to the dungeon, the same one I'd been in before. I used magic to create a fire and I sat against the wall as I watched the flames; a few minutes later after I arrived, Garret and Paul arrived and we were placed together. I looked up at them and they just stared at me and the fire I had going. When they asked I told them that I used rocks to start it and when they burst out laughing, I showed them. They stopped laughing. We sat in a triangle around the flames and I kept feeding it the hay. I used magic to make wood appear.

"Hey did you know this was here?" I asked and they shook their heads, I shrugged and brought a few logs over, for the first time that winter, I wasn't cold. We actually laughed and when we did the guard came to check on us, he didn't object to the fire thankfully. I found a piece of paper in my cloak pocket and I made a paper football and I taught them how to play and we played that almost all night. They were on a team together and they beat my by two pointed by the time we fell asleep around the homemade magic campfire.

We woke around noon the following day, I woke first and got the fire going again and kept them warm, I kept my hood on over my head and I shivered a couple times. Snow leaked in from the barred window; my breath was nearly white and my skin itched because it was so dry. My eyes leaked because it hurt so badly.

"I remember each flash as time began to blur like a startling sign that fate had finally found me… so give me reason to prove me wrong to wash memory clean let the floods cross in your eyes, give me reason to fill this hole connect the space between…. across this new divide… the ashes fell like snow, and the ground gave in between where we were standing and your voice was all I heard and I get what I deserve…. Across this new divide… in every loss in every lie in every truth that you deny….. Your voice was all I heard, that I get what I deserve, so give me reason to prove me wrong to wash this memory clean, let the floods cross the distance in your eyes. Give me reason to fill this hole, connect the space between…." I sang and I stood up- I wondered what the new Transformer's movie was like….

I turned around to see Garret and Paul up and stroking the fire. With sticks they found laying beside them, the ones they'd found last night. They looked u at me, "Good afternoon. It's almost twelve ten," I said and they nodded and I yawned.

Garret smiled at me, "Thanks for last night Leo- it meant a lot to us, even if it wasn't for very long."

"You're welcome," I answered and sat down. I pulled my cloak tighter around me, "Gaius told me the winters were cold, I didn't know he really meant frozen. The lake would be nice to go skating on," I smiled.

We were released by Arthur himself and I hugged him, "You rescued us."

"Yeah, dad told me what happened. I'm sorry Leo."

"Oh don't be, it's alright. It actually wasn't that bad. I taught them paper football," Garret held up the triangle and Arthur stared at him. "Thank you Arthur."

"Yeah, thanks Prince Arthur," Garret said.

"You're free to leave, don't come back." Garret and Paul looked at each other and jumped up, they each kissed me on the cheek and left. I turned to him and I kissed him on the cheek as well.

"You'll make a good king Arthur." I told him and he shrugged, "Don't do that. I mean it," as we turned away the fire disappeared and the wood was gone. "Don't downsize yourself Arthur," I said and linked his arm with mine. "What kind of king will you be if you hate yourself?"

"I don't," he argued. "But father expects so much from and I don't know if I'll be so great of a king, compare him to me."

I smiled, "Gladly: people like you and they pretend to like him. You're charming when you wish to be and I've been here for half a year and saw Uther happy once. Arthur you're so much better then you think, you must realize that before you forget who you are and where you come from."

"Why should I?" he asked me and ran his hand over his face, "My father expects so much from me and I- I don't know very much about being a king."

I released his arms and grabbed them both and turned him to me, "Listen to me very carefully. Shall I speak slow? You, Arthur Pendragon are Uther's son, his heir and a prince of Camelot. Your destiny is so great; I can't even begin to describe it to you. Now, I am not a seer but I know this… I see the things you'll do in the future and I'm so proud to call you my friend. As far as I'm concerned," I told him. "You'll be far greater then your father, then the king before him. Your heir," I said this painfully because I knew that Arthur wouldn't have heirs. "Will try to outdo you, but I think he will not be as great as his father, your grandchildren." I added and he looked away from me, I grabbed his face gently and turned it to face me. "Arthur, trust me on this one. Books and legends come from what you do. I am so damn proud to call you my friend," I said again and I released him. "Now, I have to help Gaius clear away the snow." I stepped back from him and he watched me, "Have a good day future King Arthur." I said and even curtsied before I left him and went to find Merlin and Gaius.

However, when I returned home I snuck inside and went to my room. I opened the door and looked up, "Merlin. What are you doing in here?"