Hello, hello, hello! And hello again! Isn't it a beautiful day? Why so chipper, you may ask. Well, I'm not really- I'm just trying to put a brave face on it because today is the last day before... Lent! And I'm giving up... fanfiction! (Dun, dun, duuuuuun) However, because I know (hope) that y'all would miss me if I was gone for forty days, I'm just fasting from reading fanfiction, not writing it. So if I'm in the habit of reviewing one of your stories... ummm... It may be awhile... ;)

Anyway, here's what you really care about: Part 2 of the "Return of the Beaver" Saga (Hmmm... That name might need some work...)

Description: Uther has been accused of performing magic. Can he prove his innocence?

Disclaimer: Whatever I have disclaimed in the past, I continue to do so.

Extra AN: Remember- early season 3 (Oh, and I've decided that the first Beaver Saga took place near the beginning of season two, so it's been a few years since then.)

Don't Question It

Uther Pendragon had never been in a dungeon before, and he was just now beginning to realize how incredibly uncomfortable they were.

The hard stone walls were wet and slimy, and water dripped constantly from the ceiling. Rats skittered about in the shadows, along with several other creatures that made the king grateful for the darkness. And though he ached from standing in this prison for the better part of an hour, the hay strewn across the floor was too moldy for him to even consider sitting down.

All in all, not very pleasant.

"Maybe I should think twice before locking Arthur up in here again," Uther murmured to himself.

Amazingly– as if his words had somehow summoned the man– it was at that moment that Arthur descended into the dungeons.

The prince stopped in front of the first cell, staring at the man within and shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other. How on earth did he always end up in these situations?

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Er… Sire… Father… Whoever you are… Do you admit to practicing magic and enchantments here in Camelot?"

Uther gaped at him, shocked that his own son was believing this madness. "No!" he shouted angrily. "As I said before– I was framed! I am King Uther Pendragon– your father– and I demand to be released immediately!"

Arthur nodded slowly, still looking unsure. "You understand that you'll have to prove yourself…"

"Yes, yes, of course!" the king replied with a scowl. "Ask me anything."

"Very well. What was my mother's name?"

"Ygraine Pendragon, formerly de Bois."

"And her brother's name?" Arthur asked.

Uther frowned. "Are you referring to Tristan or Agravaine?"

"Agra– who?"

"Never mind," the king said, waving his hand dismissively. "He isn't important."

"Right…" Arthur racked his brain for something else to ask. "Er… What is your favorite color?"

"Red."

"Favorite pastime?"

"Watching a tournament."

"Favorite memory?"

"Certainly not this one," Uther grumbled. Arthur ignored him.

"Alright," he sighed. "One last question… What is the airspeed velocity of an un-laden swallow?"

"I… What?" Uther spluttered, his expression a bizarre mixture of confusion and outrage. "What kind of a ridiculous test is that? What does that prove?"

"Just answer the question."

"Well…" Uther bit his lip thoughtfully. "Is it an African swallow or European?"

Arthur blinked. He hadn't thought about that.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Eventually, everything was all sorted out, and Uther was released from the dungeons. His first act as a free man was to march into the Great Hall and order the guards to arrest the beaver that was still sitting on his throne. Arthur stood behind him, protesting the entire time.

"Father," he said, trying to sound reasonable. "I agree that there must be a sorcerer here somewhere, but do you honestly believe that this… this creature is an evil warlock bent on your destruction?"

Uther turned to glare furiously at his son. "Of course he is! He tried to kill you with that tree only two years ago! Don't you remember?"

"But Father…"

"Enough!" Uther growled. "You stopped me from killing him then– I will not make the same mistake twice!" Having said that, he faced the beaver once more.

"I hereby find you guilty of performing magic within the walls of Camelot and of conspiring to kill both myself and my son," he declared. "As such, my sentence can only be…"

He was interrupted as the doors to the room flew open and a tall, pale figure appeared in their place.

The Lady Morgana.

She took one look at the scene and shrieked– not from fear, as Uther had expected, but from… delight?

The woman raced forward and threw herself to the ground next to the beaver, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his soft fur. After several moments of stunned silence, she glanced up and met Uther's astonished gaze, her eyes wide and pleading.

"Can we keep him?"

Hmmm... I never really thought about it before, but I suppose that this whole series would probably fall under the heading of "crack." ;) Sooooo... What's up with Morgana? Does she have a soft-spot for small, fuzzy creatures? Or is there something more diabolical at work? Only time will tell...

Erm... Sorry if you were seriously confused about the whole "swallow" thing. I was planning on doing something different, but then that just sort of happened. For those of you who don't know- it's a Monty Python reference. If you recognized it, please tell me! I'm going to feel like an idiot if no one did... (Oh, and if you can answer the question, I will tell everyone in the next chapter, and we shall all revel in your awesomeness.) :D

Funny Story: When I typed "Agravaine" into my computer, the spell-check tried to change it to Aggravating! *smirk* So true...

Anything else? Hmmmm... Nope, don't think so! See you soon! :)