A/N: Here is the second part. I do not know just yet when I will post the next chapter, because I am having an argument with Leon. I want him to confess to Merlin, but he is arguing, that he can't because the law of Nobility, and there is the thing if Merlin does not feel the same way. So, the argument has but a little stop to my writing, I have started the next chapter, but it is taking it sweet time.
But read and enjoy.
And I hope that I have not written Leon do depressing, I little bit afraid that my mental state is affecting him.
Leon helped Arthur to drag king away to his chambers. They waited outside until Gaius came and brought king's calming potion.
Leon wondered if Uther had really gone mad, the knight was not even astonished, after what Uther had done and ordered, it would not be a surprise.
Leon remembered the Great Purge well; he had been five when it started and six when it had ended. He knew well that his parents tried to shield all of them from it, he had known that persons who he knew went missing, children with whom he had played with disappeared. Thanks to his mother he had never seen anything. Until he had come to Camelot with his parents, just before the end when he had seen how a girl, as old as Gwen at that time had been drowned to a bond. His parents had not known that it had been happening, if they had known, they would have kept him far away, but destiny had played her game. That event had him traumatised for years. His mother had sat up with him after every nightmare, he had sworn that he would never again want to be knight, if he had to kill a girl that young. Things had gone worse when he discovered that his father had been part of the purge. That he had acted on king's orders, he had not talked to Lionel for months and his mother had made him see sense. He was eight, at the right time to come into king's service.
"You forget that knights follow their orders, but they can advise their king, make their own recommendations. The times we have live through would never come back, we must have faith in that. I know that you are angry at your father, because he followed king Uther's orders, but if he had not, we all would have died, because he would have been accused consorting with the sorcerers." At that she had hugged him, Leon had not remembered when his mother's hug had been so strong, like she was afraid that she would lose him forever. Later in his years he had learned that his mother had helped to hide away many who had been accused of sorcery, help them escape. But at that time, he did not understand why Bryndis Leodegrance had been so afraid for her three sons.
"King Uther had been angry and grieving, he lost his beloved wife, one day you will learn what that kind of love means. I do not vindicate his actions, but grief changes men and women. We have only hope that everything will calm down." There had been tears in his mother's eyes, his mother had never cried, not in front of him.
"Believe me, my son times will change. You start serving king Uther, but you will be the knight for king Arthur. He would turn the wrong back to good if he had the right guidance. You will be one of the greatest knights who had ever served this land, I cannot believe otherwise."
That moment he had promised to himself to become the best knight he could, so he would make his mother proud, he would serve Arthur with all his belief, wisdom and strength.
"I need you take as many trusted knights has you can and go and check the rumours out."
"You know there are few left who I trust with my or your life." Everything that had happened turned Leon's mood sour.
"I know how many we have lost." Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose; a headache was forming behind his eyes. "I am trying to fix it, but we cannot empty the garrisons they are already too stretched too thin. And we have shortage of noblemen's sons."
"What about commoners." Leon did not know from where that thought had come?
"Commoners! Leon, you know the law." Arthur hissed. Leon held back a groan, he did not have the strength to argue with Arthur and tell him, that the law can be changed.
"I'll go, I will get back as soon as I can." Leon turned from the prince and collided with Merlin, he had not known he was standing behind him. There was something in her eyes, that Leon could not read, was that pride, why should she be proud of him. A knight who could not hold a promise to her mother. Best knight of them all, who was he fooling. He had done thing he regretted under Uther command, he had not gotten thru with his advice, the king had done has he pleased and now he could not even let Arthur see reason. Damn fool he was.
He went to his room, to prepare himself, the found a servant from the halls and send him inform the knights, five of them, who he knew that were in the citadel, who he trusted, to gather in the courtyard, for a patrol in an hour. He felt that he had failed in his job.
Hour later when he was checking Minerva over, he heard someone stop behind him, he turned and there stood Merlin.
"Sir Leon." She handed him a bag.
"What is it?" Taking it from her.
"Something for your journey." She curtsied and was gone. Leon opened the back and almost laughed aloud. Apples, at least ten. Merlin figured out what he had been doing.
He cursed, only thing to do had been to flee, he and other five knights would have not been match to an entire army; it would have been a suicide. If Uther were going to send him dungeon for that he would not fight. He urged Minerva on, they were day and half away from Camelot, if they made good time and only rested if their horses needed it, they would make it back in a day. The army needed more rest, so it meant it would take them at least three days to reach to Camelot. Only that thought made him urge others on.
When Arthur started to prepare the citadel for the sieges, Leon stood in the armoury, five knights, the ones who he trusted and six guards with Kayan stood before him. "Ride out to the outlying villages that will stay on the way of the army, evacuate all." He pointed at the guards and two knights who hurried away.
"There are three garrison that are half a day's ride away, Berengolt, Severin and Nalguth, ride out and see how many men they can afford to send to the citadel, but do not ask to many, we do not want any other kings think that we are too weak and try to come and conquer us."
"Yes, Sir Leon." And gone they were. Thankfully Leodegrance was on the other side of the citadel, his mother and brother were safe, he could not imagine what it would be like, if he had to worry about them as well. But he had to send a letter, to warn them, so they would be prepared.
For peace and rest he had asked, but he did not get it. He needed to sit, just for few moments, and then he would go to check preparing of the army. Why he did even dream of simple life. When the siege was over, he had a project to see thru, he did not care what Uther or Arthur said, he finds a way to help the people to build their homes again.
He already saw that his wish for the time off was a dream. Like everything else in his life seemed to be. All right he had to say, that dreams of Merlin were his own fault, he could tell her how he was feeling, but he would not put her into that position. He sighed, gathered himself, now was not the time, he had a job to do, castle to protect.
Eleven thousand refuges came to the city, he could imagine what they lost; how much was needed to build back up. He would do anything to help them.
He informed Arthur of the number. "Good, at least we have saved as much as we could." The prince was looking over the wood that had been gathered for the barricades, for the front gate of lower town. "I will be commanding in the front; I need you to be at the back giving commands."
"In the back, Arthur, shouldn't it be otherwise. I in the front and you at the back? You are the crown prince, a regent right now, I am not that important." Leon tried to reason.
"If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it." Arthur snapped, Leon felt like had been punched into the gut.
Leon looked at the prince, there was the Uther's son, not prince Arthur or his childhoods friend. Leon forgave Arthur overlooking his concerns at the war council, that had been prince Arthur. But this time disappointment washed over him. He had hoped so much more from his friend. "As you say sire." He turned to leave and figured if Arthur was snapping heads off, he did not care. "If this siege is over sire, I like to have a week off."
"What? Sir Leon?" Arthur yelled, at Leon's back.
"I have much more important things to do right now, my liege, then stand here and argue with you."
"Sir Leon!" But Leon, did not give a damn at that time, if Arthur wanted to punish him for insubordination afterward, then let him do it.
He went to the wall and looked over the balustrade, his back went cold when he saw the army at the gate of Camelot. Two to one, Gaius had been right, it would be a miracle if they survived the night. "Hold the wall. When ladders come push them down, no one come over it. For the love of Camelot, we will survive the night."
"Yes, Sir Leon."
He was heading to the door when he heard Kayan. "Sir Leon!"
"Yes?"
"If we survive, what do you think of Gertrud's apple-pie? And evening with us?"
"Yes, I like that, I have not seen her long time." He nodded at the guard and headed to the armoury.
Leon took a breath, those damn bastards were trying to get over the barricades, damn it to afterlife he wanted to fight, be in front. But he had to order from the back like a coward. "Hold the line." He yelled, then he saw someone run pass him, it could not be - King Uther.
"Sire, you have to go back." He said grabbing his king by the chainmail, but the older man did not listen, did not stop. "Sire." but the king pushed him a sided and barged pass of the other knights, Leon could not reach him anymore. "Fuck." He muttered, at least Arthur was there and could look after his father.
He backed off, to prepare for retreat, it was only sensible thing to do, but first they had to everything that the retreat would be possible, they had to hand over the lower town. The enemy catapulted another flying ball to the gate of lower town it flew over the barricades right at Leon, he started to run, but he got distracted Merlin was stepping right in front of the ball. He dived and pushed her out of its way. They landed so that Merlin was under Leon, the knight somehow positioned himself in the air so that he was not crushing her with his weight.
"Is it you dream to get yourself killed?" He asked resignedly.
"I was looking for Arthur." Came a bit confused answer. She was crazy and he was crazy for falling in love with her. He rose and offered her his hand. "Arthur is in front, please try not to get killed, I cannot come to save you everywhere."
The girl nodded and ran towards the barricade. Leon shook his head, and started giving out commands, few moment later, as he had predicted he heard Arthur's command. "Retreat."
"Retreat!" He repeated the command, they all started running, but Leon did not move, he was going to stay at the spot as long, as every one of his knights were out of the barricades and on the way to the citadel gate. He saw Merlin, Arthur and Uther pass him, at least that was one worry less for him. He started backing off, when his sight fell onto one boy running alone from the enemy, he looked tired, and his adversaries were gaining on him, the boy was Erec. "Fuck." it was becoming occurring word for him. They were too far away for him to go try to save him with a melee fight. Then he saw a crossbow with arrows lying next to him, it had not been there before, but who was he to complain. He took it and with few moments he got at least five enemy's soldiers down and thanks to that the distant between the boy and them grew. He took few was steps, grabbed the boy under the shoulder. "Move, run faster or we will be dead meat."
The boy quickened his step, Leon smirked, after the siege the boy would get his knighthood, he was at the right ages. He figured, there should be at least twenty new knights coming out of this fight.
They stopped at the first gate of the citadel; he handed the boy over. "Let him catch his breath." Then he turned, and readied himself, the enemy was closing, but they would not get pass him, no foreigner soldier would walk on the halls of Camelot until he was alive. When the enemy was upon them, his instincts took over. His muscles did everything they had been trained to do since, he was a young boy. He parried, slashed, he used everything he had learned, and added moves that were not counted as chivalrous. He did not know how many he had killed, but he hoped it was enough, his muscles were tiring, he needed to rest and let fresher knights take the front.
When he made his way in front of the second gate, he took a breath and turned to give orders and froze. Were they kidding him, from where those bastards got skeletons? Two walked towards him from the courtyard, how had they gotten there?
When he rose his sword, he felt like death had just passed by, cold shivers ran down from his spine, now they really needed a miracle named Merlin to survive the night. It would be a difficult knight, firstly they could not fight in two fronts and secondly, the skeletons were definitely immortal. If he had to die so, be it. "To me!" he did not have to time check if anyone heard. "To me!" He heard rushing beside him and could imagine shock on the knights faces. The skeleton was on his melee and he attacked, he almost got his head taken off, he got few hits into the defends of the skeleton, but those had no effect on them. He got hit at his arm just above his elbow, he felt the steel cutting his skin, thankfully it was only a flesh wound, but it showed how tired he really was. Then something happened, he tried to decapitate the opponent, and it crumbled to the ground, like piece of bones it was.
A miracle, Merlin had bulled a miracle. If she could to that in this mess, so could he. He turned and cried out.
"For love off Camelot!" And ran in front of the gate. Somehow all the knights got a new fighting spirit in them, at his call. They pushed the enemy out from the citadel and in halfway of the lower town Cenred's army started do retreating. They had won, in some strange miracle they had won.
He found a quiet corridor where no one would find him and lowered himself onto the ground in an alcove. Leon had no energy do go to his rooms, he was wounded, he knew he could be checked over by Gaius, but the wound was not that bad and there were people in a worst situation than him, he had made sure that every one of his men had been looked after now he rested here for a time and then he find Gaius or Merlin.
Footsteps brought him out from his sleep, he did not know how long he had been there, he did not care.
"Are you sure he is here?" Arthur's voice carried to him.
"Yes, one of the servants told her that they had seen him to come here." There could be no other than Merlin with the prince.
"Why in the hell, he came here?"
"You have to ask him that not me."
"I can't ask him that, I do not know where he is." Arthur grumbled.
"I think, it's his leg that sticks out from the alcove."
He looked down and the girl was right, he had stretched his leg out at some point.
"Is he dead?" Arthur's voice was full of concern. When they rushed to him.
"Even dead cannot sleep when you two are near." Leon muttered.
"Leon why are you here? We were worried about you." Arthur almost yelled, then thought a little and spoke. "Well, Gaius and Merlin were."
Merlin rolled her eyes behind Arthur's back. "Yes, We," She emphasize the pronoun, "worried about you. You were missing for six hours."
"Six hours?" Had he really slept that long.
"Why, are you hear, and not in your chambers?" irritation and concern coloured Arthur's voice.
"I did not have the energy. This alcove was the quietest place I could think."
"You are a fool."
"A fool, under your command." Leon smirked, "What then it says about you?"
Arthur spluttered, but seeing Leon teasing smile, he laughed. "I am a fool. It would be the first and last time when you hear me say it. But I have to say, I own you apologize, for snapping at you. I should have not done it. You were stating your opinion, that is your job, I should have not acted like my father."
Leon and Merlin exchanged confused looks. Arthur apologizing, what had world become. "I have to admit, I was disappointed figuring, that my opinion meant more, I am over it, too tired even to deal with something petty, but I accept you apologize, even if apologize is not needed."
Arthur wanted to say something, but Merlin spoke first. "Sir Leon, you are wounded."
Leon had forgotten it, he looked at his arm. "Yes, I am I forgot about it; it is a flesh wound."
"It might be only a flesh wound, but if we consider everything, I heard that you did, I do not think, the wound is only thing you have. Merlin help Leon, into his chamber, I will find Gaius." Arthur rose from his crouch and hold out his hand. Leon grabbed it. When he was up, he looked at Arthur. "By the way, two weeks."
"What two weeks?" It was Arthurs turn to look confused.
"I want two weeks off."
"What are you going to do with two weeks off?" This time Arthur looked a Merlin, hoping for some kind of help. Merlin only shrugged.
"I am going to lock myself into Leodegrance's wine cellar." Leon answered like it was the most oblivious thing.
"What? Why?" His two companions were flabbergasted.
"I needed a drink before everything started. After this I need lot more." Arthur looked like his friend had gone insane. The shook his head and turned to leave. "You get you two weeks, but you are going to your room and I am going to get Gaius."
Merlin was looking after him and then turned to Leon. "How did you do that?" She stepped under Leon good shoulder to support him. "How did you get two weeks off?"
For a moment Leon was distracted by the smell of her, she smelled like an herb garden, in the summer morning in Leodegrance, but there was something else, a smell he could not place maybe it was sent of magic. How he wanted to bury his nose to her hair. He took a breath to collect himself.
"You are more important to him, than I am. He could let me out of his sight for a that duration of time, you he cannot."
"I am not that important."
"You do not really know your worth, do you?" The girl looked at him but did not find an answer to the question. So silently they headed to Leon chambers. Leon kept wondering, if the girl did not see, how smart beautiful and special she was.
They continued their journey, then suddenly Merlin spoke. "I need to thank you."
"For what?"
"For saving my life in the lower town." She looked up at him. He would do anything for those eyes.
"There is no need to thank me, I will always protect you, if I can." He smiled down at her. She smiled right back at him; oh, she was really going to be death of him.