A/N: Leon started talking to me again. There are things that were bothering me in the episode The coming of Arthur, I hope I succeeded.
That had been a miracle that they had escaped, the rock fall had saved all their necks. Leon knew very well that those kinds of things did not happen by coincidence, and he was proven correct, when a man with black head looked over the edge of the cliff.
"Lancelot!" Gwen gasped.
Leon looked at the two men when they climbed out of the ravine, first in his life he met a man who he had to look up, he was taller than Leon and twice as wide, the man's blue eyes were hesitant when the approached. Second was shorter and well built, his brown eyes were smiling but the smiled did not reach his eyes. So, this was Lancelot, Leon did not know yet what he should think about the man.
"We need to hurry." Lancelot proclaimed.
"I take it that rock fall wasn't an accident." Arthur smirked clasping Lancelot's arm. Then he looked the other man.
"This is Percival. It was his strength that brought them down." Lancelot answered to his questioning gaze.
"Your Highness." there was little nod, if you had not looked, you would have not seen it.
"Arthur." Prince reached out his hand. Leon had seen only few times when Arthur had, in the first meeting, offered someone to use his first name.
"Arthur it is." There was genuine smile on Percival face.
"What were you doing here?" Arthur turned to Lancelot.
"Er...it was me. I sent for him." Merlin shot up from the position she had been next to Gaius to check him over. Leon felt something in his heart when he saw how Merlin looked at Lancelot, it was pain, a jealousy. He shook his head quickly; Merlin had never promised him anything only a conversation. He had now reason to be jealous, the girl's heart had never been his to keep, if she wanted Lancelot, so it must be
"Well, we owe you, our lives. Thank you." Arthur knew when he needed to be gracious.
When someone stumble on him, his focus left from Arthur and Leon turned, behind him stood Elyan. He had sheepish smile on his face.
"Elyan." the words were not said in anger, but they were quiet and full of disappointment.
Before he could say anything, Arthur's next words brought his attention back to the prince. "What I would really like to know, how someone could follow one of my best knights, my second in command?" Yes, Arthur knew well when to be gracious, but he knew well where to place blame when he felt it was needed.
He opened his mouth to answer but Gwen was quicker, "It is not Sir Leon's fault, it is mine," Arthur looked her with confusion, "he discovered that we were followed and did everything to get away from them. Nothing worked, they were still on our back and then Leon figured out why. Morgana discovered our escape plan and gave me a potion; I did not suspect anything. Thanks to that potion Morgause could follow us, when Leon figured it out, it was already too late, and we decided that it was safest to reach you."
"Gaius, to you know potion like that." Arthur turned to the eldest of them. Leon was not even surprised that Arthur was not going to apologise for his accusation.
"There are many," Gaius rose, "What did it look like, taste like, smelled like?"
"It tasted like cherries and wine and smelled sweet."
"When did you drank it?"
"I think it was two hours before midnight. At midnight we made our escape."
Leon looked at the sun, understanding where Gaius was heading with his questions. "It is hour after noon."
"It should have been worn off by now or soon." Gaius concluded.
"Good we must start moving." Arthur looked at them.
"Where, oh princess of ours? That witch of a sister can find us everywhere." Leon could see why Gwaine had annoyed Arthur when they first met.
"Castle of Ancient kings." Leon said quietly, "Morgana would not think looking us from there, she thinks it is infested by bandits, she was not on the council meeting were the king was informed that the knights had beaten the bandits from the castle, it was few days before..." he did not finish his sentence.
"Sir Leon is right." Arthur gave a little nod; it was only apology that Leon was going to get, "Castle of Ancient kings is the only place Morgana will not search for us. Between here and the castle there is a place we can rest. Leon, you will be the last to watch our backs."
Well Leon should have figured that Arthur was going to make him to prove that he was competent as he has seemed when he led Morgause to their hiding place.
But Leon did not have anything against it, back was perfect, no one usually did not come to the back, and he could be in his own thoughts.
Now when the adrenaline was disappearing, he felt how tired he was, days without sleep, dehydration and hunger were gaining up on him. When they had escaped, he did not have time to eat and when Gwen offered him some food when they had reached far enough, he could take only a little bite and some water and now it was getting its revenge on him.
He breathed in, he could let it affect him, he was not important, Camelot, Arthur and everyone else were important, he needed to help and protect them. He had given an oath.
He saw how Gwen, Gaius and Merlin sent worried looks at him. But he did not show that he had seen them. Even if everything was wrong, his body was yelling at him, his heart. But Leon was a stubborn man, he had a job to do.
He had sworn to protect and serve Camelot, keeping Arthur safe. Because it seemed like he did not have any other purpose, Merlin was in love with another, and he knew he was like his mother he could only love like that one person in his lifetime. And then there was Elyan.
He took a deep breath, now was not the time or place to let it all take over him. When they somehow will get out of this mess – helped by Merlin's magic, Leon was quite sure – he will deal with it all.
In two hours, they were on a clearing, Leon new it well he and the other knights had spent many times there resting.
"We will rest here," Arthur proclaimed, "we will find something to eat and drink."
They started to make a campsite when Elyan stepped to Leon.
"Leon." The knight sighed, seemed the younger man did not want to postpone the conversation. Leon mood was so bad that he could not hold himself back.
"You are fucking son of a bastard." The words, not yelled or angry, but said in calm and disappointment, caught everyone's attention. Gwen had heard that Leon could use that kind of language, Gaius and Merlin had once been present when Leon had sworn like that, Arthur knew very well his second in commands colourful language, but his eyebrow rose. Lancelot, Gwaine and Percival were startled, they had heard storied of Sir Leon Leodegrance, Gwaine had met him once, but no one of them were ready to hear those words from leaving the knights mouth, the man who they thought prim and proper.
"You promised to me, when I was sent to the north, that you look after her, protect her and be there for her. Three months after I left, I got a letter from her, that you left her on her own to fend for herself. You left without a word or a letter. Yes, your father stayed, but she needed her brother."
That moment Elyan interrupted him, "You were like a brother to her and to me."
"Yes, but I was away, and I did not know when I return or if I ever would. You abandoned her, to the future unknown," Leon took a breath, "she forgave you, but I cannot. Not yet, maybe in time." Saying that he turned to Arthur, "I will go and check the perimeter," and left. Merlin made a move to follow him but stopped.
Everyone looked after him. "What thorn is in his?" Arthur asked.
"His thorn?" Arthur turned to Gwen who had spoken quietly, "Oh, Arthur. I understand his anger at Elyan, even if I wish he would forgive to my brother, but I know it will take some time." Everyone's attention was on her now and she continued. "Then he feels ashamed for his capture, he fought with two immortal knights, the third one hit him over the head, he lost his conscious and gained it back after a day, it is a long while to be unconscious" she looked at Gaius who nodded. "He woke up to the proclamation: "Long live queen Morgana!" he had failed, to protect the kingdom and her people. As soon he had waken came Moraguse who demanded he serve Morgana. He and the other knights who survived turned it down. Their punishment was week without food and only little water, because of that he could not sleep, no one can sleep with a hungry stomach.
"Week later Morgana ordered him to be dragged into the throne room, asking again to serve her, he refused her. To convince him, they dragged him and all the other knight who were captured – only nine, all the others were slaughtered or went into hiding - to the courtyard. There crossbows were pointed at them, Leon's last words would have been: "Long live the king!" but the arrows did not come. For their punishment Morgana let his guards to shoot the innocent bystanders, that is still on his conscious, he blames himself, they were his people, his to protect and they died because of him.
"I have ever seen him so broken when I went to discuss escape plans." Gwen was not ready to tell them, that Leon had known someone was listening them, "He asked me to warn his mother, telling her that if he was not in contact with her in the next two week, she would know what to do. Knowing Bryndis Leodegrance I can only imagine what she is capable of.
"I offered him food when we escaped and he only could eat only a little, his stomach could not hold more. He is hungry, dehydrated and sleep deprived. And your first words after your joyful greeting was a question, how could anyone follow him? Then there is a personal matter on his mind," Gwen did everything not to look at Merlin, so the other girl would not understand that Gwen you, what was going on between her and Leon. "To you really need to ask what the thorn in is his side."
There was look of shame on Arthur's face, but it disappeared quickly. "Let's us do something about it. Merlin make a fire. Who of you can catch a fish?" Gwaine and Elyan shot their hands up, "Good, you both go and catch some fish, there is a stream down that slope."
"Come Elyan, I will show you some fish catching methods I picked up on my travels." Gwaine smiled joyfully
On Elyan's face one could read out how he would gladly gone alone, but he did not want to argue against an order.
When Leon returned, fire was going, and logs were placed around it. "Everything seems quiet Sire."
"Good, come and have a rest, you look like you have not slept for days." Arthur stepped to Leon and placed a hand on his shoulder. Leon shot a look at Gwen who quirked a brow at him. He should have known that Gwen would tell them everything.
"Yes, Sire." He let himself to be led to one of the logs, he did not have any energy to argue with Arthur.
"We wake you when, the food is done." Leon nodded and laid himself down. Last he heard was Arthur saying that he would be next to check the perimeter