I stood on the barracks overlooking the training ground alone until Morgana joined me.
"You've been very quiet these last few weeks."
"Have I?" I asked her watching Arthur walk through the grounds with Merlin beside him.
"Liz? Are you alright?" she asked me worriedly. "Ever since you came out of Morgause spell..."
"I'm fine," I tried assuring her. "I promise." Suddenly, a crack appeared in the stone under my hands and I quickly moved them to my side.
"Liz? Was that magic?" she asked me stunned. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I haven't told anyone," I told her. "I can't. I'm afraid, Morgana. What if something happens when I'm holding my children or I'm around Uther. He'll kill me."
"Elizabeth..." I didn't hear what she said before storming back into the castle.
I sat in a chair overlooking Igraine's crib, my hands firmly in my lap.
"Lizzy?" I turned to see Arthur out of the corner of my eye. He looked worried about something as I turned back to look at one of my infants. "I spoke with Morgana. She was worried about you."
"She shouldn't be. I'm fine." He moved a chair next to me and placed his hand on my leg. I stared at his hand before looking into this blue eyes.
"What's troubling you?" he asked me softly. The one person I wanted to tell this too, more than anything, was one of the people I couldn't tell or I'd be risking my life. I didn't think Arthur would kill me, but one could never know who was listening.
"I'm just worried," I didn't lie. I wasn't a fan of this tournament and its one rule of no rules and I was worried about the future. My mother sealed my magic and Morgause undid her spell. Would I have to do the same to my children?
"I know you don't like the tournament rule.."
"The one saying there were no rules. Am I supposed to be happy that not even the knight's code is followed and my husband could be killed?" I asked him.
"I won't be killed," he assured me. "Or do you have no faith in my abilities?"
"You know I do," I told him.
"Then have faith." He took one of my hands and kissed the back of it. "Besides, how can I lose when I have the most beautiful woman cheering me on?"
"You are quite the charmer today," I said trying to hide the smile he was hunting for.
"I can't have you looking at all the other charmers, can I?" I laughed at his question earning me a smile. "I am worried about you, Lizzy."
"You don't need to be." I placed my hand on his cheek and smiled softly.
"Morgause went after you. Out of all of us, she chose you to attack." He shook his head. "What if she stricks you again?"
"She accomplished what she wanted to," I told him. "She won't come after me."
"How can you be so sure?" he asked me. I thought back to the cracks on the stone wall.
"You'll just have to trust me on this one." He pulled me in for a gentle kiss before standing again.
"Where's that brother of yours?" He asked me and I shrugged.
"I assume preparing your armor and weapons for tomorrow."
"Merlin!" Arthur called out and I laughed before rising.
"Shall we prepare for dinner?" I asked him.
"Why do you think I'm summoning Merlin?" he asked me and I laughed again. "Merlin?!"
"You realize you have to give him a few moments to run to where your voice is from where he is?" I asked him.
"Then he should run faster. "MERLIN!"
I sat next to Arthur at dinner who sat across Morgana and Uther sat at the head of the table with Merlin serving us.
"Remind me how many times you've won this tournament, Uther," Morgana told Uther smiling at him.
"Three."
"That's a lot to live up to, Arthur," Morgana pointed out.
"Indeed."
"I've no doubt he will," I encouraged.
"I remember your last victory. You were a master in the arena," Morgana said.
"It's a shame I won't be able to see that," I commented.
"Who says you won't?" Uther asked me.
"I thought you said you were too old to take the field?" Morgana asked him.
"Not age that stops me. I'll still prove a match for any man," Uther assured her.
"Well, we won't be finding out," Arthur told all of us and Uther turned to him seeming offended by his son's words.
"Why ever not?" Uther asked him.
"Because I don't want you getting hurt." Uther laughed at his son's worry.
"Do you think you could still win the crown?" Morgana asked him curiously.
"The kingdom needs him to rule, not to fight," Arthur told her and I could already see Uther entering the arena tomorrow.
"Do you think I can't do both?" Uther asked him.
"Well, you're not as young as you used to be," Morgana reminded him.
"Besides, Morgana and I need someone to keep us company in the stands," I told him.
"If you'll excuse me, I need to prepare for the tournament. Merlin?" Arthur stood up and offered me his hand. I accepted it and we left the dining chambers with Merlin following us out.
The next morning Arthur was already on the field when I was to meet Morgana and Uther to go to the arena. When I didn't see Uther I looked at Morgana confused.
"Where's Uther?"
"He decided to join the rest of the contenders." I joined her in laughing before we went to the stands. Uther had told Morgana that I was to take his place until either he or Arthur lost the fights since I was to be the people's next queen.
"Shall we?" I asked her and she motioned for me to go first. I went to our seats first and saw Arthur looking at me confused. To my right, Morgana sat down and to my left was a chest with gold in it for the champion.
"It is my pleasure to welcome you all to Camelot," I said looking at the small group of contenders. "This is a contest like no other. It is open to all comers. Including our reigning champion, the King." The people cheered loudly for their king and Arthur gave me a look. I shrugged my shoulders discreetly at him before continuing. "There are no rules, no weapons are banned. The last man standing takes the prize. Let the tournament begin."
The first fight was between a man with a mace and Uther. The man swung his mace around his head as Uther circled him before putting on his helm. The man swung his mace at the king twice, hitting his armor with the second swing. He swung his mace a few more times and Uther ducked under its swing. The man's mace swung and hit his shield a couple more times before Uther elbowed him in the face. The man fell on his back and Uther held his sword to the man's neck. The people's cheers grew louder as Uther removed his helm and held his sword up in victory.
Arthur's opponent swung two blades around next to his head as he approached Arthur only to be taken out by a single punch to the face. The people cheered for their prince and I smiled down at him.
The next fight was between a knight from another land and a man in leathers and an ax. The man with the ax hit the knights shield before the knight threw his az to the ground. The knight hit him in the neck with the hilt of his sword and the man in leathers fell making the crowd cheer for his victory, but the fight wasn't over. The man in leathers grabbed a dagger on him and cut the knight behind the knee. The knight fell and the man in leathers grabbed his ax and decapitated his opponent.
The last fight of the day was between a young boy and a brutish man in a fur vest. The boy kept his small shield up as the man in furs pounded on it, managing to knock him down and cut his shoulder. The man raised his sword once more and brought it down on the boy who rolled out of the way just in time. The man swung at him again once again pounding on the boy's shield before he swung it down on the wooden barrier between him and the people behind the boy. The sword dug deep into the wood and the boy hit the man with the flat end of his sword, knocking him to his knees before hitting him with the hilt of his blade.
"Did you see that?" Margana asked stunned.
"Yes, but I still can't believe it," I told her as the people cheered for him.
"How do you think he managed it?" she asked me.
"Luck."
That night, I sat next to Arthur as his dinner grew cold in front of him.
"Arthur," he looked to me as though I hit him from his thoughts. "What troubles you?"
"Why didn't he tell me he was participating in the tournament?" he asked and I offered him a small smile.
"He probably knew you'd try and talk him out of it. You worry too much, Arthur. Uther is a great warrior and he will no doubt be facing you in the finals."
"Is that such a good thing?" he asked me.
"What do you mean?"
"If I face him and the people see him lose then he will lose the people's faith. But if he defeats me then I'll have to hear the bragging for the remainder of my life." Arthur leaned back in his chair and I thought about his words.
"What will you do?" I asked him.
"Hope it doesn't come to that."
The next morning I met with Morgana before we walked to the stands.
"Morgana." I grabbed her arm to stop her from going to where others could overhear us. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior the other day and for not telling you I had magic."
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked. "You know my secret, did you not trust me with yours?"
"I was afraid that if I told someone it would be true," I told her. "Part of me didn't want it to be true."
"You were afraid I'd turn you in?" she asked me and I saw a dark look entering her eyes.
"Of course not, Morgana. I was afraid that if I started practicing I'd travel down a dark path. I was afraid of becoming what we have protected each other from these last few years."
"Elizabeth, you are one of the most hopeful people I know. You see a light in most where others would condemn them. In me."
"Morgana..."
"When I was struggling you helped me see the light and come back to my home. To the family, I didn't even know I had. Thank you." She smiled brightly at me and I smiled at her. "Shall we go to the tournament?" I nodded and we walked to the stands, arm in arm.
Uther seemed to be evenly matched with his opponent, but he did eventually cut him down and win his match, earning his cheers from the people. He was moving to the semi-finals. Arthur's opponent was a skilled swordsman who threw him back into the wooden barrier. Arthur removed his helm and tossed it to one of the bystanders before he attacked his opponent again. The blocked each others blows before Arthur tried to elbow him in his face. The man blocked it and kicked Arthur in the gut. The man attacked with his sword again and Arthur blocked him only to elbow the man in the face before cutting his chest. The man held his hand up in defeat and Arthur held up his sword in victory.
After their fights, Uther and Arthur retired to the Pendragon tent with Morgana and I close behind them.
"Have you seen who you are to face in the semi-final tomorrow?" Arthur just stared at his father as Morgana poured the king a glass of water. "Ha. Might need to put in some practice."
"Well, the crowds are really looking forward to it. So am I," Morgana told them. I placed my hand on Arthur's arm, but he just shook it off before going back outside. "It should be quite a match."
The next fight was the young boy vs the man in leathers. The people cheered for the contestants and the boy saluted the crowd with a smile on his face. The man in leathers ran to attack him, but the boy kept his shield up. The man kept pounding on the boy's shield until a man in the stands grabbed him from behind and held him. I watched as the man flew back from the boy before he escaped the man's hold with a headbutt. The boy didn't touch the man, so how did he...? The boy moved to the man in leather and stabbed him in the back, killing him.
Arthur was sulking at the table in our chambers as Merlin sharpened his sword and I wrote in my journal.
"What do I do, Lizzy, Merlin?" Arthur asked us. "If I fight my father tomorrow the way I can, I'll show him up. I'll humiliate him in front of his people. Or worse, I could wound him, even kill him."
"You and Uther are cut from the same cloth, Arthur. He's determined to prove himself and he's too stubborn to back down," I told him.
"You have to let him win."
"You don't have to put up with the gloating," Arthur sighed. "Do you have any idea what it's like to live with a man who constantly thinks he's the best?" Merlin gave him a look and I smiled at them.
"Mmm. Must be irritating."
"Terribly so."
The next morning, Arthur was spinning his sword as he waited for Uther's arrival which was announced by trumpets.
"Who do you think will win?" Morgana asked me.
"Honestly, it's a toss-up. One the one hand you have Uther who trained Arthur. On the other, you have Arthur who's younger and has more stamina than his father,"
"So you believe Arthur will win?"
"I believe he has a very strong chance too." We watched the men put on their helmets.
"What do you think that will do?"
"It could show the people that Arthur's ready to be king." Uther swung his sword at Arthur who parried a little too late.
"Isn't that a good thing?" she asked me confused.
"Well, yes and no. If the people see Arthur win, then they'll believe he's ready for the throne and Uther isn't able to protect them anymore."
"They could rise up and demand Arthur on the throne."
"Exactly. That's not the way Arthur should take the throne. He should take the throne when Uther passes it to him. But at the same time, if Uther wins it could mean that Arthur doesn't have the strength to protect everyone and he isn't ready to rule." I looked back at the men in time to see Arthur push his father to the ground and stare down at him. "Arthur has a hard choice to make." We watched Uther swing frantically at Arthur as he got up. Uther turned and staggered while shaking off his shield and helmet. I watched Arthur pause before removing his helm. Arthur looked around at the crowd as they cheered for their prince and king. Arthur looked at me and I smiled at him. Arthur looked back at Uther in time to duck a swing before his father attacked him again. Arthur allowed Uther to disarm him and he fell to the ground. Uther held his sword at Arthur's chest before offering his hand to him. Arthur takes it and stands with his father. The crowd cheered as Uther raised his sword in a salute to them. I watched Arthur leave the arena and talk to Merlin before storming away. "I'll be right back." I rose from my seat and went to Arthur. I looked for him in the tent and when I didn't find him there I went to our chambers.
"Arthur," I called to him. I didn't hear anything, but I continued into the room and saw him staring out the window. I sat on the bed and waited for him to talk.
"Shouldn't you be watching the tournament?"
"I won't be missed," I told him. He moved from the window and started to pace.
"You will be. They will notice if you're gone."
"I'm checking on my husband," I said as he paced in front of me. "Morgana can cover for me." I finally stood from my seat and grabbed his arm to stop him from pacing. "Arthur, talk to me. Please?"
"I can't believe I let him win," he sighed.
"Do you wish you'd won?" I asked him and he just stared down at me.
"They'll know he's still strong." I smiled up at him.
"And we'll know you're a good man and an even better son." He held me tightly to his chest and kissed the top of my head.
The next day at noon, Arthur, Morgana and I were in the stands to watch the final fight between Uther and the boy. We watched Uther waiting in the arena until the boy walked in. I held Arthur's left hand in my right as he watched the arena with a worried look on his face.
"Calm down, Arthur," I whispered to him. "He'll be okay."
"This boy made it to the finals and killed two people already," Arthur reminded me. "How can I be calm." We watched Uther and the boy salute each other. The boy ran at Uther, but Uther got the first attack in on the boy's shield before knocking his sword to the ground. The boy goes for his sword as the king started to swing his sword down on the boy. Uther's sword got stuck in the ground. The boy started his attack on Uther and Arthur's hand tightened in mine when the boy's shield suddenly flew off his arm. I looked at it confused when I saw him look at the crowd. I followed his gaze to see Merlin shake his head slightly. Did the boy have magic? Why didn't he tell me sooner? Why hadn't I told him I had magic? I was pulled back to the fight by Arthur's hand squeezing mine again and I looked to see the boy attacking Uther. Uther pulled his sword from the ground and blocked his attack and attacked the boy. The boy managed to block his attacks when he suddenly threw Uther's sword out of his hand. The boy attacked Uther who kept blocking with his shield before knocking on his back. Arthur rose from his seat in fear for his father's life. I shared a worried look with Morgana when the boy thrust his sword into Uther's shield. The sword pierced the shield and nearly hit Uther when it got stuck. I grabbed Uther's hand and pulled him back to his seat. The boy looked back at Merlin. Uther threw the boy off him and he fell on his back. He got up and rushed to his shield, but stared at Merlin for a moment. Uther managed to grab his sword and rushed the boy who blocked again with his shield. Uther pounded on the shield before the boy fell to the ground in front of us. Uther looked like he was about to kill the boy when he backed away from him and raised his sword in victory. I smiled relieved before applauding with everyone else.
I stood in Gaius' chambers when he and Merlin walked in.
"Liz? What are you doing here?" Merlin asked me worried.
"The boy who fought against Uther had magic didn't he?" I asked them and they both shared a look.
"How did you know?" Merlin asked me and I gave him a look.
"Why else would you be so reckless as to use magic so close to Uther," I said before sighing. "There's something I haven't told you yet, and I should have when I first found out." I held my hand out and looked at one of the many bottles of herbs. My eyes glowed gold and the bottle flew to my hand. "I have magic."
That night, I sat next to Arthur as the servants set the table for us and Uther entered with Morgana on his arm.
"I thought the boy was going to kill me," Uther said.
"So did I," Morgana confessed. "I was so worried about you."
"I'm fine," Uther assured her patting her hand gently. During the fight, I suddenly felt the old fighting spirit kick in. I dug deep, found my strength, and the whole thing just began to flow. I felt at one with the sword." He groaned as he sat down at the head of the table. "My feet moved instinctively."
"And now you're champion once again. And maybe you can give Arthur some lessons," Morgana threw Arthur a teasing look and he rolled his eyes. I patted his hand and offered him a smile.
"It is I who learned a great deal from our fight," Uther revealed.
"I can't see what."
"He's a far better warrior than you think. It is Arthur who should've claimed the prize."
"But sadly he wasn't good enough." I just gave her a look. How no one could tell they were siblings is beyond me.
"Because he through the fight." Arthur choked on his wine and spit it back in his cup. "That I might save face."
"You knew?" Arthur asked him shocked.
"I have followed your progress with a sword since you were a boy. I know your abilities better than anyone. I am eternally grateful," Uther told him smiling. "I hope that when you are King your son will afford you the same honor. Indeed, the most satisfying outcome of the tournament was that Arthur's actions have shown me that he is now truly ready to be King." Arthur was shocked but shared a smile with his father. Uther raised his glass and the four of us toasted. "To the future."