Emrys leaned against the side of her mother's hut, letting out a long sigh. She had no idea where Arthur had slipped away to, but she was glad he'd disappeared for a while. Matthew would not have survived without magic, and Emrys hated to think about whether she would've chosen to save him if Arthur had been there.

Soft footsteps sounded beside her. She didn't bother to open her eyes to see who it was. "Don't bother, Will. I'm not interested."

"You should be," he said. "Because, tomorrow, Kanen attacks."

"Yes, and whether you like it or not, we'll have to fight."

"Not if I'm not here."

She turned to look at him then, narrowing her eyes at the bag in his hand. "That's up to you, but the rest of us are staying."

Will stayed silent as he moved closer beside her, his shoulder brushing up against hers. She knew him well enough to know that this was as much of an apology that she was going to get from him.

Emrys folded her hands into her shirt. "Join us, Will. This isn't about Arthur. This is about your friends, your home."

He stiffened. "No, this is about you. You could end this, Emmy. If you used your magic, no one else would have to get hurt."

She swallowed. He was right, she knew he was. But…"You know I can't."

Will pushed away from the hut, slinging the bag over his shoulder. "Can't or won't?"

Emrys opened her mouth to say something but stopped as her mother cleared her throat. She kept her eyes downcast as Hunith said, "The others are gathering. I think Arthur has something to say."

Emrys nodded and walked after her mother. She didn't voice her surprise as Will followed them to the center of the village, where Arthur had already amassed a portion of the villagers. From the dais, Arthur stood with Reuben and Morgana behind him. His hands were clasped over the hilt of his sword, his eyes locked on something in the distance.

"He seems worried," Hunith whispered. She nudged Emrys with her elbow and jerked her head toward the prince. "You should go to him."

"Me?" Emrys asked, glancing sideways at Will, whose scowl seemed to deepen.

"Yes, you," she said. "He seems to care for you a great deal. I'm sure he'd feel better if you were there with him."

"Honestly, what good would that do, Mum?" She reached up and tugged a tangled strand of her hair. "My presence won't change how he feels."

Hunith let out an incredulous scoff. "Give him more credit than that. He's here for you. He likes you."

"That's because he doesn't know the real her. And if he did, she'd probably be dead by now," said Will as he skulked off.

Emrys' face settled into a frown. She could feel her mother's eyes on her even before Hunith asked, "You don't really believe that, do you?"

Emrys lifted her eyes to where Arthur stood and found that he was already looking at her, his face softening as he stared at her. He stepped to his left and nodded to the space he'd opened up beside him, an invitation.

Emrys gently shook her head. She didn't deserve to be up there with him, much as she wished to be. If he knew who she really was, he'd invite her to the pyre, not the rostrum.

He glanced in the direction that Will had gone before returning his eyes to hers. When he looked at her this time, she could see the familiar way his eyebrows furrowed together whenever he was trying to piece things together.

By now, the rest of the villagers had finished gathering. If he didn't start his speech soon, Will would probably take his chance to sow more doubt. She gave him a pinched smile, hoping it would be enough to reassure him.

He jumped off the dais, holding her gaze as he moved through the crowd to where she stood.

"What are you doing?" Emrys hissed, trying not to notice how quiet the rest of the village had become. "You need to be up there."

Arthur didn't seem to take notice of the others. "What's wrong?"

Something inside of Emrys flickered to life, longing whispering through her as she took a moment to appreciate his concern for her. The smile she gave him this time was only slightly tainted with sadness. "I'm fine, Arthur."

His eyes didn't waver from hers as he considered her response. She wondered if he knew she was lying. Emrys nodded back toward the stand, panicking as Reuben and Morgana started to follow Arthur over to her. "Arthur," she pleaded.

"How's Matthew?"

"He's doing well," she said, huffing. Could he not see that there were more important things? "He's resting now."

Arthur gave an approving nod, still staring at her.

Emrys crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you trying to keep us here all night?"

"If that's how long it takes for you to tell me what's really on your mind."

"They're waiting for a speech."

"Tell me your thoughts first."

She bit her lip.

"Fine." Turning his head slightly so the others could hear him better, Arthur said, "Tomorrow morning, the women and children should gather whatever belongings they can carry and go to the woods."

Fire roared inside of her. He knew exactly what would get a rise out of her. Stepping forward, she said, "We're not going anywhere."

"Oh?" he said, smiling. "Why not?"

Emrys paused for a moment, glancing at Hunith and Morgana, who smiled at her in encouragement. Arthur wanted her to speak in front of the village? Fine. "The women have as much right to fight for their lives as the men do."

"None of you know how to fight," said Arthur, his eyes still holding an impish glint.

"The more of us there are, the better chance we stand." She looked over her shoulder as she heard the shuffling feet of others. Some of the other women in the crowd had moved closer.

Arthur's eyes looked different when she looked at him this time. Was he…proud? "You're right," he said. "This is your home. If you want to fight to defend it, that's your choice. I'd be honored to stand alongside you."

Looking out toward the crowd, he said, "Kanen attacks tomorrow. Kanen's brutal. He fights only to kill, which is why he will never defeat us."

Arthur stepped forward until he was next to Emrys. "Look around," he said, and she wasn't sure if he was talking to her again or the crowd. "In this circle, we're all equals. You're not fighting because someone's ordering you to. You're fighting for so much more than that. You fight for your homes. You fight for your family. You fight for your friends. You fight for the right to grow crops in peace."

Emrys couldn't tear her gaze away from Arthur. Her breath tightened in her chest as he said, "And if you fall, you fall fighting for the noblest of causes—fighting for your very right to survive. And when you're old and grey, you'll look back on this day and you'll know you earned the right to live every day in between."

Arthur raised his sword high above his head. "So you fight for your family, for your friends, for Ealdor."

Emrys pumped her fist into the air, joining the others as they shouted, "For Ealdor! Ealdor. Ealdor. Ealdor. Ealdor. Ealdor."

She turned and locked eyes with Will, unable to help the large smile that she knew was on her face. But he didn't smile back at her. He only shifted his arm through the other loop in his bag and weaved his way through the crowd.

Emrys clenched her jaw as she watched Will walk away. A part of her wished he would turn around and give her a proper goodbye. But as he disappeared around the corner, she knew that she would not see her friend again. Before anyone could ask her what was wrong, Emrys left, walking back toward her mother's hut.

Her eyes stung with the tears she refused to shed for him. Stalking behind the hut, Emrys grabbed a sword and a sharpening block, immediately settling into a rhythm as she sat down. She barely noticed her mother's presence until Hunith said, "I think that one's done."

"Oh, is it?"

Hunith nodded and handed her another sword. "This one, however, could probably use some more work."

Emrys gave her mother a soft smile as she took the new sword and resumed her work. The silence that fell between them sat like a weight on Emrys' shoulders. "What's wrong?"

"I should never have come to Camelot," Hunith admitted. "I've ruined everything for you, made things worse."

Emrys set down the sword and grabbed her mother's hands. "You haven't done anything like that. Why would you say such a thing?"

Hunith held Emrys' gaze as she said, "I heard you and William talking—I know what you're planning to do."

Emrys wondered what had given her away. "If it comes to a choice between saving people's lives and revealing who I really am," she said, "there is no choice."

"And the prince? What will Arthur choose to do?"

Emrys let out a shaky breath. The tears she hadn't shed before threatened to brim over once more. "If Arthur cannot accept me for who I really am, then…he's not the man I'd hoped he was."

She leaned down to pick up the sword again but stopped, suddenly feeling like the aching of her heart was making it difficult to breathe. She felt her mother's hands on her back and tried to reassure Hunith with a smile. "It's okay, Mum, really. Maybe it was always meant to be this way."

Hunith pulled her daughter into a tight hug and pressed a kiss into the center of Emrys' head. "I do love you, my girl."

Emrys' response came out in a sob.

The next day came just as the others, and Emrys found that she trudged her way through most of it. She didn't know if the weighted feeling in the air was her magic, which was stirring like crazy inside of her in anticipation for its use later, or if it was just the heaviness from the village's suspense. Either way, she swallowed against it.

"Nervous?" Arthur asked as he came back into the hut. He was already dressed in his armor, but he held another shirt of chainmail in his arms.

"My throat's dry," she admitted.

He moved closer to her. "Mine too. Emrys—"

"Where's Reuben?"

"He's with the others. I told him to put his own armor on today."

She smiled, ashamed that a part of her was relieved that she wouldn't have to talk to her brother. It'd been hard enough facing her mother this morning. She didn't want to argue about her decision with Reuben too. Realizing she'd been quiet for too long, Emrys pointed toward Arthur's hands. "Explains why you forgot a piece, then. Not used to dressing yourself?"

His laugh came out in a scoff. "Believe it or not, I can dress myself. This is for you."

"Me?" She floundered for a moment before pulling the chainmail over her head. It was much larger than her—not quite large enough to be someone like Percival's, thankfully. She lifted her eyes to meet Arthur's, realizing that he was about the size of the shirt. Emrys swallowed again. "Thank you."

He stepped forward and reached for her arms, sliding a brace over each of them. As if it were a natural thing for him, he moved to tighten the laces. "Thank you for speaking up last night. You were right. I should've listened to you and Morgana from the start." He glanced out the window. "We're going to need all the help we can get."

"We'll be fine," she said.

Her heart fluttered as he turned back to look at her, his eyes glancing between her own and her lips. Quietly, he asked, "How can you be so sure?"

"Because I have faith in you."

He dropped her wrist, but not her gaze. "Thank you."

Someone cleared their throat behind them and Emrys' face flushed with heat as she noticed Morgana in the doorway. Quickly, she pulled away from Arthur and grabbed her sword from the back of the hut.

"Ready?" Morgana asked, smiling at her.

Emrys turned the sword over in her hands. Before she could stop and think about them, words suddenly began tumbling out of her mouth: "Whatever happens out there today, please don't think any differently of me."

"I won't," Arthur promised.

Morgana stepped forward. "It's alright to be scared, Emrys."

"That's not what I meant," Emrys said.

"What is it?"

Emrys looked at each of them, feeling suddenly as if all of her courage had left her. She took a deep breath to steady herself.

"Arthur," cried Reuben as he rushed into the hut. "They've crossed the river."

Arthur glanced around the room and gave them all a grim nod before exiting. Emrys took Morgana's hand and squeezed it tight as they followed him. She wished she'd been brave enough to tell them earlier, that it hadn't had to come to this. But telling them now, she realized, would ruin their focus and make things worse.

She would just have to rely on the faith she had in them.

Emrys looked back at Arthur one last time before she and Morgana split away from him and Reuben. When they got to Morgana's post, Emrys realized she still hadn't let go of Morgana's hand.

"Sorry," she mumbled as she released it. She looked up at Morgana. "Are you nervous?"

Morgana gave her a large smile. "Not in the slightest. Stay safe, Emrys."

"You too." And with that, Emrys hurried over to her position, crouching low in the grass.

After what seemed like only a few moments, Emrys heard the deafening sound of horses and yells from Kanen and his men. For a brief second, Emrys worried that they would be able to see her. But she swallowed back her fear, knowing that Arthur had considered all of that.

Emrys waited until all of Kanen's men had come into the village before she grabbed the rope beside her and pulled on it. She couldn't see the fence that it lifted up, but she knew from the shouts on the other side of the hut that it had done its job in corralling the men. In a moment, Morgana would light the flint and there would be more yelling.

A minute passed and still Emrys didn't hear anything. Something had gone wrong. It would only be a matter of time before those of Kanen's men who had dismounted would find her and the others scattered about the town. And if they were found like that, if Kanen was able to attack them before they could launch their own offense, Ealdor would surely lose.

From the center of the village, Emrys heard Kanen sing, "Come out, come out, wherever you are."

Emrys clenched her fists and ran back toward Morgana's position. She prayed her feet wouldn't falter as some of the men shouted their surprise as they saw her. Something whistled past her ear. An arrow.

Emrys ran harder, narrowly avoiding another arrow. She risked a glance over her shoulder and reveled in the distance between her and the closest of Kanen's men. They wouldn't catch her before she reached Morgana, but they were still much too close for her to consider easing up.

Turning back around, Emrys caught sight of the princess, still furiously bent over with the flints in hand. She dropped her sword in the grass, yelling, "Give me the flints."

"Found you," a man said behind her, making Emrys spin around. He twirled his sword around his wrist and followed Emrys' gaze to her discarded sword. His lips curled upward into a smile.

"Morgana," Emrys said. Calmly, deliberately. "Run."

She knew what Morgana's response was going to be even before the princess said, "I'm not leaving you, Emrys."

The man raised his sword over his head. "Neither of you are going to be leaving. Let's make this quick, girls."

"Yes," said Morgana, throwing one of the flints at the man's head, "let's." When he dodged the first, she chucked the second. He howled in rage as it struck him between the eyes.

She pulled a shocked Emrys behind her, dragging her toward the open area. "We have to go."

"But the fire," Emrys protested as Morgana led her further away. "The trap."

"We'll have to make do without it." Morgana turned to look at Emrys over her shoulder and stumbled.

Emrys wiggled free and immediately began running back, ignoring Morgana's cries for her return. In the distance, she could see the other men closing in. But none of that mattered. If she could just get to the pile…

She reached the position as the bandit staggered to his feet. He squinted at her through the blood that seeped from his wound as she dropped to her knees. "Why you little—"

"Watch what you say to a lady, mate," said Will as he came up behind him, thrusting his sword into the man.

Emrys couldn't help but gape at him. "Will."

He pulled his sword out of the dead bandit and motioned toward the pile. "The trap, Emmy, the trap!"

"Bærne," Emrys said, holding her hand over the dry sticks. Fire fluttered to life and spread quickly over the dry leaves, snaking its way towards Kanen and his men, who immediately began screaming as the fire caged them in the center of the village.

Will helped her to her feet. She was distracted for a moment by the realization that he was in his father's old armor, only being shaken away from the thought when held the sword out to her. "I think you dropped this."

She smiled as she grabbed it from him, saying, "I didn't think you would come."

"Neither did I."

"Emrys," Morgana yelled, coming around the corner. She took in Will's presence with a raised eyebrow. "How'd you get the fire started without the flint?"

"We managed," said Will quickly.

Her eyebrows furrowed together. "And the man?"

"Dead."

"But how? And so fast?"

"There's no time for that," said Will as a sound of attack erupted. "You girls need to find Arthur."

Emrys gave Will a firm nod, the heavy feeling in her chest tightening with each breath. The battle for Ealdor had begun.

A/N: Guys, this is the second-to-last chapter of Book One! I'm already halfway done with the last chapter—can't wait to post it soon!