Out of Time
AvalonReeseFanfics
A/N: Here we are. Chapter 19 and the last chapter for this episode. We're starting the next episode and I already know how it's going to go, it's going to get angsty up in here next couple of chapters.
Also, today is special. It's the 6th year anniversary of this story so you guys are going to get a special surprise today! Be sure to look out for it!
So! We cracked 100 reviews! GAH! I'm so proud of this story! The prize for the 100th review is a small character role in the story, and it went to Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, bonus points to anyone who can find their character! If you missed out on it don't worry, I'll be having another minor-character-role as a prize for the next milestone of 200 Reviews. I will obviously remind everyone once I get close to that one though. So thanks to everyone who reads, favourites, follows and reviews this Fanfiction! I hope to keep entertaining you and to keep hearing from you too.
Thanks to Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967 for being my 100th review! Thanks to Hadrianlopez1 for being my 130th Story Favourite! Thanks to crazyfanno1 for being my 190th follower!
Shoutouts: yellowroseofthenw, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967, Lorelai evans, Alice-Hatter, Nymphadora Jackson, Love your book (Guest), PrincessTwilight2351, MiaR, hadrianlopez1, DispeyDrummerBoy, random-name-4-random-person, crazyfanno1, Grover Girl 8, MoonlightWolf16, PeterPan2425, 4everDazzleDreams, and 17.
Chapter 19: Out of Honour
Addison's head hurt. It hurt a lot. And it wasn't just that stupid hangover she was nursing, the pulsing pull of something magical circling above the castle had been pinging both in her chest and in her head for days now. Today, with the added hangover that pulse was practically killing her. However, Lancelot had been put into the cells that morning and he was sighing in such a despondent way that the only way Addison could figure she could get some rest was if she broke into his cell and lay her head down on his lap.
She only got a few blissful moments of sleep before Arthur appeared. He had been bringing her a tonic from Gaius, which was awfully sweet of him, but in his anger he had dropped the tonic so now she was in pain and instead of letting her sleep off her pain in her own cell he had dragged her out on patrol with him.
The bright light of the morning was like torture to her and she wasn't certain she deserved this.
"I keep telling you that there was nothing intimate about the situation. I just wanted him to stop sighing so I could sleep," she snapped for the third time that morning. She didn't have to look at Arthur to know he had rolled his eyes at her.
"Yes, of course, there is nothing intimate about finding you with your head in the lap of another man. A man I'm starting to think you knew was an imposter," he growled.
"Of course I knew he wasn't a nobleman," Addison snapped at him. "You just had to look at him to realize it. He was too nice and humble to be a real nobleman, all you rich boys are all the same."
"I take offense to that!" Arthur said.
"Of course you do. You always do. Look, the fact of the matter is, I was sleeping, and I happen to fall asleep with my head in your lap all the time and there's no intimacy with that, now is there?" Addison shot back and Arthur suddenly found the ground super interesting. For really, how was he to tell someone who found this act so innocent that he did not see it as innocent at all? Would make him the strange one, and could even possibly lead to damaging that all too important pride of his.
"You should not have drunk so much. You should be letting yourself into other men's cells. Which—by the way—how do you keep doing that? And you should not be putting your head in other men's laps," Arthur repeated with grit teeth hoping that she wouldn't notice how upset this was making him.
Addison put her head in her hands, her fingertips massaging her temples. She came to a halt beside him and groaned as she did so. Had she looked up she would have seen the concern apparent on Arthur's face but she was too busy practically dying of pain to notice it.
"Yes, yes. I know. I've been naughty. But Arthur it won't stop. It just keeps circling the stupid city and the pinging, it's like having a very active group chat in your head that you can't fucking mute," she cried.
Arthur halted in his steps because she was using words he didn't understand, from her own world, and she was sounding quit frantic which was worrying him. He put his hands to Addison's wrists as he watched her fingers suddenly grip at the top of her head. For a second he thought she might trip to rip her hair out. His eyes caught those of the knights closest to him, he motioned them to go through the rest of the patrol without them. All of them nodded and marched off leaving Arthur there with her.
He pulled her into the shadows where he moved her hands away from her forehead and he replaced them with his own hands. He could feel the pounding she complained of through the thickness of his leather gloves and the guilt stabbed him immediately.
He knew she was unwell but he had dragged her out here anyway, and why? Because he was jealous of Lancelot? He was angry that she found comfort in his lap? Arthur drew her into his arms, holding her softly to his armour, afraid to crush her against it. His hands stroked her hair, he knew now he'd have to take her to Gaius.
"Come," he whispered into her hair. "I'll take you to Gaius and see what he can prescribe."
Addison sniffed as if she were to burst into tears but she straightened and wiped his armour clean of any residue she could have possibly left on it. She didn't want to be the reason why Merlin would undoubtedly spend yet another night buffing Arthur's armour.
He had his hand on her upper arm, they were crossing the great courtyard when Addison suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. She bent over, doubling in pain her hands digging into her head to try and stop the terrible pounding. Arthur paused momentarily to stare at her until something she had said came back to him… like a sudden strike of lightning in his brain.
"Wait… did you say circling the city?" he asked breathlessly just as an inhuman screech echoed through the morning air.
Arthur turned in time to see a giant winged beast descend from the sky, it circled around them. He could clearly see that it was just one creature but a mishmash of many. The head and wings of an eagle, the body of a lion, and a set of wicked looking claws from any sort of monster worth it's salt. It took a swipe at Arthur who dove to the side, taking Addison down with him.
"ON ME! ON ME!" he bellowed and his men came running, spike and shields in hand. They all surrounded Addison, shielding her from the danger without an order to do so from Arthur. All knew well to guard Prince Arthur's ward who was now lying curled up in a heap trying to block the painful thrumming that was now in both her chest in her head.
The shield went up and the men ducked down under them just as the creature swooped down and swiped at them, the power of the blow knocking some of them over. It knocked Arthur completely onto Addison, so luckily she wasn't injured. It slowly landed across the court yard from them. Citizens were running for cover, Arthur desperate wanted to get Addison to safety.
"One stay back and stay with her," Arthur ordered. "Everyone else… CHARGE!"
And with one might roar they all charged the agitated creature. They jabbed it with their swords and their lances, only to have them glance off the creature causing it no harm. Arthur managed to get a particularly heavy lance and he threw it with all his might up against the beast's chest, with any luck he would strike hard enough to impale through the rib cage and into it's beating heart, only to have the lance snap in two upon contact and cause absolutely no damage to the creature what so ever.
Up until that point the creature had been confused. Why was it being swarmed by tiny decorated bits of lumpy prey? But once it got over it's confusion, it practically knocked Arthur over trying to get him to stay still long enough for it to take a bite out of him. In that moment Arthur heard his name. Firstly, called out by one of his knights, who tossed him a lit torch to try and ward the creature away. Secondly from Addison who sounded way to close to be fleeing the scene.
Arthur half turned to find Addison right behind him, hands outstretch, and he could have sworn her eyes flashed a glowing liquid silver as she shouted: "GO AWAY!"
The torch in Arthur's hand vibrated, fanning out larger than it ever could have been on it's own, creating a wall between he and the creature that was practically on top of him. It screeched in horror before taking off fleeing to the sky and leaving the men to count their blessings.
Addison collapsed to her knees behind Arthur a drained and blank look on her face. Arthur could only stare at her in horror. He should have been grateful she had just saved his life, but she had also just used magic inside the main courtyard. For everyone to see.
Arthur stood and pulled her up to him. He threw her into the arms of the closest knight. "You take her to the cells, and you do not let her back out. Do you understand? No one tells my father what just happened. Spread the word, bribe if you have to. No one tells the king," he ordered.
He wanted nothing more than to go with Addison, to make sure that she was properly tended to, that head ache of hers was obviously linked to the creature, she could sense it before it came. Gaius could maybe give her a potion to numb the sensation. Maybe he could give her something that would drain the magic that she was obviously absorbing from somewhere. But right now he had bigger fish to fry. He had to find out how much of that his father had seen.
Arthur was going to ride out against the griffin. A creature with which only magic could harm. And Arthur was going to face it with only a man made sword in his hand. Gaius had tried to tell Uther this was a bad idea, even Arthur had told him this would a bad idea but Uther would not see reason. So Arthur was off preparing himself to die in a battle against a magic half bird half lion and Gaius and Merlin went back to their quarters to try and figure out a way to save Arthur's life that didn't involve Merlin clubbing Arthur over the head and keeping him hostage until he found a way to kill the creature himself.
Gaius and Merlin threw open the door and found Addison sitting at their table. She was sitting, legs spread very unladylike, with her leg twitching. She jumped up quickly and advanced on the two men.
"You guys need to start teaching me how to use magic properly and you have to start now," she said.
Gaius and Merlin exchanged glances. "What are you talking about?"
"I created a wall of freaking fire today in front of everyone. And not because I wanted to, okay? Okay, actually, no, I did want to protect Arthur, but that's not the point! Magic fire was not supposed to happen and it happened 'cause I have no control. You guys have to start teaching me some control!" Addison cried.
"Look, right now we have bigger problems," Merlin snapped. "That creature…"
"The griffin? What about it?" Addison asked, her hands on her hips.
"You knew what that thing was?" Gaius asked.
"Yeah," Addison answered with a sharp nod of her head, not quite understanding why this was important.
"Why did you tell us?" Merlin thundered.
"You didn't ask. You've been too busy pushing me down hills and getting Lancelot arrested to really care about the griffin. Why are you so worried about it now?" Addison cried throwing her hands up in frustration.
"Because Arthur is going to ride out against it tonight, on his own, without magic. Which is the only thing that can kill a griffin," Merlin snarled.
Addison collapsed to her previously abandoned chair. "Oh… that is bad," she whispered. She then turned to Merlin. "So what are you going to do?"
"Why me?" Merlin cried.
"It is your destiny, Merlin. The true purpose of your magic," Gaius said. Addison pointed at Gaius and nodded in agreement which only made Merlin's eyebrows draw together in confusion and great concern.
"You saw it, Gaius. I can't go up against that thing," Merlin complained.
"But if you do not, then Arthur will surely perish," Gaius argued.
"Surely perish, Merlin. SURELY!" Addison cried. Gaius put a hand out to hush her and she just rolled her eyes and huffed at him.
"No, no, this is madness. I don't have magic that powerful! There must be another way," he snapped starting to pace.
"You're Freaking Merlin," Addison cried. "You're the most powerful wizard in all the land… in all the world basically."
"Besides, this is the only way," Gaius nodded.
"Come on!" Addison cried, getting up to stand beside Gaius. "You can do it! We all believe in you. You have to at least try!"
Merlin took a step back. "Do you even care what happens to me?" he asked them. "Just do this Merlin, do that, Merlin. Go and kill the griffin, Merlin. I'll just sit here and warm my feet by the fire or braid my hair or whatever Addison does."
Both Addison and Gaius were taken aback by this. "Well I never!" Addison cried as Gaius snapped: "Merlin!" to get him to stop.
"You are the only thing I care about in all this world. I would give my life for you without a thought," Gaius said, taking a step closer to the boy. Behind him Addison chimed in with a long "aww!" with her hands clasped to her chest as if the moment were warming up her heart.
"But for what?" Gaius continued. "I cannot save Arthur. It is not my destiny. You know."
Addison stepped up and playfully punched his arm. "And you have to know that you're my main bestie," she said to him. "Who else am I going to get up to shenanigans with? 'Specially magical shenanigans!"
Merlin hung his head to hide his smile. "I'm sorry," he said to them both. "You guys are right. We have two hours to find a way to kill that thing."
"Yes and while we do that Addison is going to read up on her magic," Gaius agreed and Addison jumped in excitement screaming: "YES!"
And then everyone went to work.
Arthur made his way down to the dungeons. Completely certain of what he was going to do when he got there. He stopped first at Lancelot's cell, being sure to have the door opened for him. He was in full battle armour, this was just a stop on his way out to battle, on his way out to see Addison for his good luck.
He glared daggers at Lancelot, who had stood to greet him with fearfully lowered eyes. "I should have known. How could I be so stupid?" he thundered. "You don't sound like a knight. You don't even look like a knight!"
Lancelot respectfully lowered his eyes again. "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too," Arthur snapped at him. He looked Lancelot up and down and said: "Because, Lancelot, you fight like a knight. And I need-"
Arthur stopped. No, no that wasn't the right thing to say. He shouldn't make this personal. Though really how much more personal could it get? His ward and his man servant swore by Lancelot's honor, had introduced him to Arthur, and cheered for Lancelot's knighting. He had found that if they had faith in this boy that needed just a bit of polishing before he became a knight as skilled as Arthur, then he could have faith in him too. But then he had been let down, so publicly, so embarrassingly, that it had just made him angry. He'd expect this from Merlin, his word was dodgy at best, but not from Addison. So that meant that, while not really being of noble blood, Addison thought this boy to be deserving of such a high honor. And that alone would have to be enough for Arthur.
He cleared his throat and continued, hoping Lancelot didn't notice the slip up or the pause. "Camelot needs…" he rephrased, but he couldn't find it in himself to finish that sentence. A woman walked past carrying a plate, Addison's dinner. Arthur let the thought of feeding Addison a few morsels before he left, letting his fingertips brush against her lips, distract him momentarily.
"The creature?" Lancelot asked gaining back Arthur's attention.
"We could not kill it," he answered trying to hide his fear. "I have never faced its like."
"I faced it myself, sire, some days past. I struck it full-square. I wondered how it endured," he said with a shake of his head. Those glorious brown locks falling into place just right. No wonder Addison liked playing with his hair so much.
"There are those that believe this creature, this griffin, is a creature of magic, that only magic can destroy it," Arthur replied.
Lancelot took a step forward. "Do you believe this?" he asked.
Arthur took a step back and turned away. "It doesn't matter what I believe. The use of magic is not permitted. The knights must prevail with steel and sinew alone."
If Addison were here she's snort and tell him he was being stupid. That he should use magic and just not tell Uther what happened, what Uther didn't know wouldn't kill him she always said.
Lancelot nodded and said something encouraging, but Arthur knew what he had to do now. To give Addison one last thing before he left since he could not offer her much else.
"There is a horse waiting outside," he said brusquely.
"Thank you. Thank you sire," Lancelot said with a big grin.
"Lancelot, take it and never return to this place," he ordered. Okay, so maybe banishment was a bit much, but it was better then staying locked up in the dungeons forever. And honestly he still wanted to get this floppy haired, very skilled and handsome would be knight away from Addison.
Lancelot's face fell. He shook his head, not believing what was being said. "No, no please. It's not my freedom I seek. I only wish to serve with honor."
Arthur nodded. "Yes, I know. "
"Then let me ride with you, sire," Lancelot pleaded.
"I cannot," Arthur answered quickly and sternly as if trying to not crumble to Addison's bright blue eyes blinking wildly at him when she wanted something he did not wish her to do or have. He locked eyes with Lancelot so he'd know just how serious this all was. "My father knows nothing of this. I release you myself. But I can do no more. Now go before I change my mind."
He walked away from the door and towards the wall, turning his back on Lancelot so he would not have to see him leave. So he could say, if he were questioned about it, that he didn't notice Lancelot as he slipped out of the cell. He waited until he heard Lancelot's footsteps fade away before turning back to the door.
As he did he saw the server again, he was never good at the Server's names, but the long waist length dark brown hair was pretty distinctive. She wore a simple white servants gown with a red apron signifying she worked in the kitchens. Arthur stopped her.
"Wait, miss," he said. She turned to him, surprise in her dark eyes. "Was she not hungry?"
Her eyes darted to the food in surprise and suddenly she was fidgeting. Her free hand went to her shoulder to pick at a fraying collar. "I… I…"
Arthur's eyebrows drew together in confusion. "I asked you a question. Was she not hungry? Is she too unwell to eat?"
The girl shook her head. "She wasn't there," she said with a wavering but clear voice.
Arthur turned away form her, stormed down the hallway to Addison's cell to find that it was in fact emptied. He sighed. He didn't have time to go look for her which meant he would have to ride into battle without her luck to lighten his worry.
He came back to the serving girl who was shifting from foot to foot in her nervousness. "I presume you were on your way to find her," he said quickly, noting that her eyes widened in surprise at his comment. "That you probably know where she had gone, and I won't make you tell me her secrets. But could please tell her that I did at least look for her before I left?"
The girl bobbed in a quick curtsey. "Yes of course sire," she said before turning away and scampering off. This left Arthur alone in the dungeons, wishing for nothing more than to have Addison in his arms, seeing as it might be the last time he ever got a chance to do it.
While Lancelot was at Gwen's getting armour, and Arthur was off riding to his death, and Merlin was practising his magic attacks and Addison was attempting to figure out the logistics around channelling the magic that she was absorbing, probably from her close proximity to Merlin, a lone girl was sprinting towards Gaius's chambers.
Alexandria burst into that small room. Her braid was loose, the black tendrils poking out of their confinements, she was out of breath and only mildly concerned that she was looking at a scrawny black haired weirdo holding a knife and finishing off a really random set of words she didn't quite catch. She looked Merlin up and down, as if trying to figure out when he was holding a dagger out, while on bended knee in front of her as if he were proposing with the blade, before shaking her head and looking to Addison.
"My lady!" she started only to have Addison stop her.
"Oh hey Alex!" she cried. Addison never used her God-given name, much to Alexandria's chagrin. "I told you to call me Addison."
"There is no time to quibble over names," Alexandria said with a scowl.
"Quibble, good choice of words," Addison said with her trademark smile clearly not grasping the seriousness of the situation.
"My lady! Arthur was in the dungeons looking for you…"
"Oh shoot! Now I'm going to have to think of a good excuse to tell him for why I wasn't there," Addison said with a snap of her fingers. She shut the book that wasn't really helping her anyway and got to her feet. "I'll just sneak up to his room, see what he wanted."
"He's not there," Alexandria near shouted, trying to get Addison to listen to her. Addison finally paused and shut her mouth.
"What? Then where is he?" Addison asked.
"He's left. He's off to slay the beast!" Alexandria explained. "I only worry for the way he acted. As if he never expected to see you again. He told me to tell you that he did try to look for you…"
Addison's eyes had gone glassy. "He's left?" she echoed. "He didn't get his luck."
And then she was heading for the door. She said nothing to Merlin as she passed and nothing more to Alexandria as she disappeared into the hallway. Merlin and Alexandria's eyes met.
"Uh… how much did you see?" he asked.
Alexandria cocked an eyebrow at him. "It is not my place to discuss what strange men do with their rather rusty daggers," she said before nodding to Gaius and taking her leave of the place.
After that Merlin didn't really feel much like practising. He was having problems with this spell after all. He hadn't gotten it to work at all and he had been working at it for hours. He was just not strong enough to he sunk to his chair with a defeated sigh avoiding Gaius's eyes.
"Don't worry, Merlin, I know you're trying," he said, as if to soothe the boy's fears.
"And I'm failing. And if Arthur dies because I'm not good enough…."
"Merlin!" Gaius interrupted, not letting the boy go down that road.
Just then the door was thrown open again and both of them turned as Gwen came rushing in shouting Merlin's name. Gosh Gaius' chambers were busy today.
"Lancelot's riding out to kill the Griffin!" she cried.
"He's what?" Merlin asked breathlessly and then, regardless of the fact that he had not mastered this spell he too ran out of Gauis's chambers to find the man who saved his life so Merlin could save his too.
Lancelot had tried to argue Merlin out of coming, but he came anyway. The two of them followed the bone chilling screams to the battlefield. They found the ground littered with glittering corpses and together he and Lancelot searched for where Arthur had fallen with his men.
When they found him, they found Addison, crouched beside him crying.
"Addison, but how?" Merlin asked.
"It doesn't matter how!" she cried. "I came to save him but I can't create fire from nothing, I still have no control."
Lancelot came to stand beside them. "Is he alright?" he asked. If he heard and understood what Addison was saying, he made no note of it to them.
"He's living for now, but not if we don't kill that creature!" Addison said, whipping her tears away. "And I'm not strong enough to pull him away from here, not without it catching me."
In the distance came that terrible screeching and Addison practically flung herself over Arthur as the two boys stood up as if they were greeting a guest who had come into their homes. There were a few more of the griffin's piercing cries before it came to view as this giant shadow swooping in on them against the night sky. It landed across the forest path from them. Twenty yards down.
Addison knew why it wasn't yet coming near them, because she had fought it off with magic once and it was worried she would try it again but this time succeed. Lancelot went, immediately to his horse, gathering his lance and getting the horse in position to charge the griffin. It roared at him, the horse rearing and neighing in a way only a war horse could before Lancelot kicked it into a canter.
Merlin and Addison were left beside Arthur as Lancelot rode off to his death.
"Come on, Merlin, it's now or never," he said to himself. "Bregdan aneilluweld gefelluec!"
He chanted it once more with no effect being done. Addison suddenly launched to her feet, her hand intertwined with Merlin's. "Try again," she ordered.
"Bregdan aneilluweld gefelluec!" he cried but it did not work.
Addison let go of his hand to step forward, she pointed a single finger out to Lancelot who was getting increasingly closer to colliding with a creature that was resistant to his weapons. Together she and Merlin chanted the line and if they had been looking at one of another Addison would have seen Merlin's eyes flash liquid gold, and Merlin would have seen hers flash a liquid silver.
At that moment both Lancelot's lance and Addison's profile lit up as a blue flame ignited upon them engulfing them in the magic flame. The blue flame did nothing to damage Addison except to make her look like a will-o-the-wisp.
Lancelot hit the griffin straight into the chest, his flaming lance splitting and shattering upon impact the creature sent crashing to the earth screaming in pain in one terrible last breath. Merlin cheered as the flame died out around Addison, who, seemingly tired out by all this activity, collapsed to the ground.
Lancelot turned his horse around to face Merlin who was still jumping up and down and cheering and tore of his helmet so he could see better. To the side Arthur groaned and before anyone could say anything Merlin ran off. He wanted Lancelot to have this victory, not him. He motioned for Addison to follow him but she shook her head and he took it as her non-verbal way of saying that Arthur had seen her there and she couldn't just up and leave without any explanation. He'd think the creature carried her off, no doubt, and would spend the rest of the night search for her.
Arthur wearily pulled himself to his feet. He searched around, saw the body of the creature smoking and still on the path and in front of him a knight on a white horse. Odd, he could have sworn all his knights went down around him after he pulled them out of formation to save…
But it wasn't one of his knights. Squinting his eyes he realized that the knight across from him was none other then Lancelot. The one that lied to him, but was still a better knight then any of the others.
"Lancelot! You did it!" he cried, mostly because he was really surprised that someone other than him had taken the creature down. Maybe it was because he didn't get his luck that day…
OH GOD ADDISON!
Suddenly Arthur was spinning around, it took him one wild glance to his left to find Addison collapsed to her knees in the path. Arthur rushed to her.
"Oh, you stupid, stupid girl!" he snarled. He gripped her by the arms and pulled her up to her feet. "Why did you come here?"
Addison turned her blank eyes to him. "You didn't get your luck," she whispered and then promptly went limp in his arms. Arthur, despite having Lancelot across from him immediately crushed Addison's unconscious form to his chest, trying not to think of how she had almost been killed. Again.
Upon returning to the city the different parties did different things. Merlin had taken his horse and got back first, going straight to Gaius's chambers to give him the good news and to get a well needed hug from his mentor. Arthur handed Addison off to a trusted guard, with strict instructions to send her straight to Gaius's for follow up care. He then escorted Lancelot to the Great Hall where he told his father just how brave Lancelot had been, only to have Uther banish Lancelot from the room. As the door shut behind him Lancelot could hear the beginning of the argument between father and son.
He was outside for only two minutes when Merlin appeared behind him. He looked to the closed door and then back to Lancelot who had hung his head in worry. "What are they doing?" he asked.
Lancelot turned, surprised that Merlin had shown up but was grateful for the show of support. He shrugged and tried to seem calm about the whole situation. "Deciding my fate," he answered.
"They'll restore your knighthood. Of course they will. You killed the Griffin," Merlin said, he was pacing back and forth, ranting a bit. He was talking mostly to calm himself though he told himself he was doing it for Lancelot.
Lancelot turned to him. "But I didn't kill the Griffin," Lancelot said softly. "You and Addison did."
Merlin, who had come to stand beside him, stared at Lancelot perplexed. He couldn't possibly know about him and honestly how had he forgotten all about Addison again? He hadn't asked once where she was or whether or not she was okay.
Merlin tried to laugh off his surprise. "That's ridiculous," he said.
"Bregdan aneilluweld," he repeated. "I heard you, I saw Addison on fire, blue fire, like my lance."
Merlin felt his heart drop out of his chest, straight through his stomach and down to his shoes. What the hell was going to happen now? Lancelot shot him a sly grin. "Don't worry, and don't worry poor Addison either. Both of your secrets are safe with me. But I will not take the credit for something I did not do. There will be no more lies, no more deceit."
Personally, Merlin thought that to be a terrible idea. And if Addison were here with him he was certain she would agree with him. "What are you going to do then?" Merlin wondered.
Lancelot answered him by stalking past Merlin and throwing the doors of the great hall and storming in. This was regardless of the fact that Arthur and Uther were still arguing over his fate.
They both turned to him surprised. "What is this?" Uther thundered.
"Let me speak!" Lancelot urged as the two guardsmen swarmed him, grabbing each of his arms to keep him from moving forward.
"Wait," Uther snapped. "I'll hear him."
The two guardsmen backed away and Lancelot nodded. "Forgive me, sire. But I have come to bid you farewell. "
Arthur shook his head. "What is this, Lancelot?" he asked.
"I lied to you both, and now there is conflict between you. I cannot bear that burden, as you should not bear mine. I must start again, far from here. Then maybe one day fate shall grant me another chance to prove myself a worthy knight of Camelot," he explained.
Arthur, with a cocky grin on his face, stepped forward. "But, Lancelot, you've already proved that to us."
"But I must prove it to myself," Lancelot replied, hoping that Arthur would just understand what he was doing and let it go. He bowed to both of them before backing slowly out of the room. Arthur could only watch him go.
In the morning, three people were watching Lancelot ride out of the Camelot on a horse given to him by Arthur with his red cape fluttering out behind him. Gwen watched from the window of Morgana's chambers, trying really hard to quell the aching pain in her chest as she watched such a fine man ride away from her. Merlin and Gaius stood on the ramparts and watched, discussing whether or not Merlin should have ever gotten involved in Lancelot's affairs.
But Arthur, instead of going out on patrol, walked steadily to the dungeons, quietly seething. As he approached Addison's cell he heard her singing, softly as per Uther's request, but a song of her time. He didn't know or understand the words but it seemed to be a song of farewell and if he had to guess she was singing it to Lancelot though he wasn't there, but riding out of the city instead.
Arthur opened up her cell and waved the guards away. She turned to him, the light spilling in through her barred window highlighting her frame with an ethereal glow. She looked so beautiful siting there that if Arthur wasn't mad at her he would have slammed her up against a wall and kissed her until she begged him for it all.
Instead he glared at her, desperate to keep himself on track. "Do you have any idea how stupid you were last night?" he hissed.
Addison's smile faded and her eyebrows furrowed together with concern. "I know it wasn't my brightest idea but you always got your luck and this was magical…."
Arthur stormed towards her and pulled her up to her feet, his fingers digging into her shoulders. He glared down at her desperate for her to just realize just how bad it was that she had followed him out to a battlefield. "How could you be that stupid! Do you have any idea what you did? They died to save you, to keep you from being carried off by that thing," he thundered.
"But you went out… you were going to die too. I just wanted to help…." Addison started.
"No! Don't you ever, EVER, do this to me again!" Arthur suddenly yelled shaking her rather violently to drill it into her head. "I don't know what's gotten in to you but you have to stop, you have to Addison. I can't keep doing this, I can't keep rescuing you, do you understand?"
Addison slapped him so he'd let her go and only then did she stumble back, collapsing back to her cot. She glared up at him with tears in her eyes.
"No! You don't understand!" she shouts back. "I'm stuck in a world I'm not used to, and you're the only thing about this world I like. The only thing that makes being here bearable. Loosing you would hurt me the same way you claim losing me would hurt you. So yes, was it dumb of me to chase you into a battlefield? Yes! But whether or not you want to admit it I am changing and I could sense that thing and maybe, and I thought I might try to stop it!"
"But you can't, you can't do that!" Arthur complained. "Addison! If my father were to find out!"
"You still don't get it. I am not doing this on purpose but I'm absorbing magic somehow and if I don't expel it, Arthur, I'll die. It will slowly poison me or explode out of me," Addison said. "I can try to control it, but I need to practice, if I don't learn to keep my power under control, I'll lose it at the worst possible time probably in front of your father if my luck continues on the way it has."
Arthur sighed and threw himself down to the cot beside her. "I'm not going to lie I have noticed that you've been more… magically inclined. I was hoping that if I just got you to see how dangerous this is that maybe you'd just stop. It never really occurred to me that you had no control of what was happening, at least no conscious control."
Addison wiped her tears away and put her hand on his knee. "So what do we do?" she asked him. Those big blue eyes staring up at him.
"I shouldn't be even suggesting this, but obviously there is only one way to deal with this," he said with a sigh. "I'm going to have to start taking you out on excursions so we can start getting some of that excess magic out of your system."
Addison squealed loudly and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She kissed his cheek over and over. "I swear you won't regret it. I promise."
Arthur buried his nose into her neck and took in her scent. He held her to him knowing that this was going against everything that he stood for, everything his father believed in, but he knew that for her, he would forsake it all. To see her smile, to keep her safe, and to keep her with him Arthur would forsake it all.