For those who have made this story a favorite I say "Thanks!" you know who you are and it is appreciated. For those who have reviewed thank you as well, I know I replied to you but I would like to acknowledge the review publicly.
If at any point anyone has a question, comment, etc. go ahead and PM or review and I will respond as promptly as possible as I will be checking my inbox and other such information regularly. I do live in the United States, and as I do not have Syfy and BBC has yet to release Merlin here I have not seen season four, and I know season five is supposed to be getting started so I am BEGGING you please no spoilers though I do know some of the things that have happened in season four I am trying to keep it as much of a suprise as possible. Thank you.
I will be trying to put up a new chapter every week, at least, I cannot make it a promise as I have started another year at the university I attend, but I will promise to try to the best of my ability to get the chapters up once a week. Now on to the important part.
Disclaimer: Once again I don't own Merlin, it is owned by BBC, SyFy and the creators of Merlin, I own Anne and Faston.
The basis of this part is from the First Season Epidose "Excalibur" so the story plot and the majority of dialogue comes from that episode, it is not mine but Merlin, BBC, SYfy, and the episode writer's words and plot.
By nightfall they still had not found anything and Uther was walking around the council chambers in his brown vest and red shirt, as relaxed as he could get with the situation at hand. When they heard the doors open they looked in the direction of them to see Gaius stride in. "Good evening, Sire." He looked over at Anne and smiled slightly, "Anne."
"Evening Gaius," she replied with a tight smile.
"Gaius," Uther muttered as he looked back at the floor as if it could give him answers.
"There is a matter of great urgency, which I must discuss with you."
"Then spit it out," the king replied slightly impatient as he looked up at his friend.
"Tristan's tomb is empty." Gaius said in a matter of fact voice. Anne looked at Uther puzzled, as he glanced over at Gaius sharply and then back at her, his brow furrowing further. "I believe he has been conjured from the dead. "
"How is this possible?" Uther whispered.
"I believe he is a wraith."
"A spirit?"
"He has come back to take vengeance for Ygraine's death."
Uther moved in Gaius's direction, ignoring Anne's questioning glance, "It was magic that killed her, not I."
"Nevertheless, it was you he blamed." Gaius walked toward Uther and stopped after a few feet, "You cannot allow Arthur to fight." Uther backed up in defeat. "No weapon forged by man can kill a wraith. It will stop at nothing until it has accomplished what it came for." Uther hid in the shadow of the column his face in pain and his body slumping against the pillar in need of support. "Arthur cannot win, he will die."
"He will not listen to me," Uther moaned.
"Then you must tell him who the knight is."
"No." Uther's voice rang with a tone that demanded Gaius to leave that subject alone.
"You cannot hide the truth forever." Gaius argued.
Uther glared at him, his voice tight with anger, "I am the King! You will not tell me what I can and cannot do!"
Gaius sighed in resignation, "That is your choice, Sire. You tell him, or let him go to his death."
"No one but you or I will ever know the secret of Arthur's birth," Uther whispered to Gaius, keeping this part of their conversation quiet from Anne, as he stalked in the older man's direction.
"The boy is of age, he should know."
"Never!" Uther hissed and Anne looked over at them from the book she had gone back to scanning in hope of an answer for their current problem, with the expectation that Uther would discuss the conversation with her later. He looked back at his friend, after giving her what he hoped was an encouraging smile, and growled, "You made an oath. I warn you not to break it."
Gaius pulled himself up rigidly, angered by Uther's threat, "Very well, Sire."
Uther moved back into the shadow of the pillar to once again get control over his emotions, "Leave me." Gaius bowed and strode out of the room.
"Uther what is going on? Who does Gaius believe that knight is?"
"Leave it be Anne," he whispered softly.
"No." Her sharp tone rang out, and he looked up surprised. "I will not leave it alone. Arthur maybe your son but he is my family as well and I won't stand by if I can help give him a better chance of making it out of there a live."
"He believes the knight to be Ygraine's brother, Tristan. When Ygraine died because of the magic that killed her at Arthur's birth, he blamed me for what happened to her. He came to the gates of Camelot and challenged me much as the knight is doing right now. We fought on the tournament field and I killed him. He gave me no other choice." Uther looked over at Anne, his eyes begging for understanding. Her eyes searched his face for a while before she walked toward him, taking his hands in hers, she looked up waiting for him to finish. "As he was dying Gaius told me he promised to come back and get his revenge on Camelot."
"He's been doing a pretty good job so far." Anne muttered bitterly, the faces of Owain and Pellinor flitting in front of her.
"Anne, he's here for me." Uther whispered, forcing her to look him in the eyes as he told her, her face paled and she yanked away running toward a basin. He looked over worriedly as he watched her body tense, realizing what was about to happen he sprinted across the room, and pulled her hair out of her way as she lost her dinner. He rubbed her back trying to soothe her stomach, while whispering to her, as tears continued to leak out of her eyes and she dry heaved.
When she finally straightened up, he poured her some water to rinse out her mouth, and walked back to the table to get something to help settle her stomach. When he turned she was lying in a fetal position on the floor shaking, he moved back toward her dropping next to her and pulling her up into his lap, her body fevered from what it had just been through. He slipped off his jacket, pulled off his shirt, then pulled the pitcher next to them off the table, and stuck his shirt in the water working on letting the damp cloth cool her down.
When she had finally stopped trembling and her body had cooled down, Uther swept her up into his arms and carried her to their room, with only his unbuttoned vest covering his torso. As they passed various servants and guards some raised their eyebrows at the sight but the king's glare at them caused all of them to bow and quickly get on with their duties leaving the royal couple alone.
When they got to their room, Uther helped Anne into her nightclothes and then tucked her in. The stress of the day and the last half hour helped Anne quickly fall asleep. Uther sat next to her on the bed, caressing her face and hair, singing softly to her. After a while he stood up and walked to look out at the courtyard where he knew the black knight would be, as he stared at the unmoving man, an idea came to his mind and he went to find Gaius.