"I wish thee luck," Mer-El said.
"Thank thee," Lucis said. "Heaven knows I hath need of it."
Lady Lucia had to try and explain things to Lord Samuel without telling the whole truth, due to Tempus, and Lord Samuel wasn't known for patience.
"Samuel, may I talk with thee?" Lucia said.
Lord Samuel sat in an arm chair facing the fireplace. Mer-El waited outside the door.
"I do not wish to see thee nor speak to thee," Samuel said angrily.
Lady Lucia's lip trembled a little but she managed to say, "I suppose then thou hast heard the news?"
"Yea, wench. I heard thou art to marry Merlin on the morrow."
"I did try to tell thee before thou heard from another."
"I knew thou were to make thy decision today, but I told thee if thou said yea to me, we would be married on the morrow because that is the anniversary of mine parents. Instead, thou hast said nay to me and then mocked the date we were to wed…Merlin will be a good husband to thee."
A tear rolled down her cheek. Soon after H.G. Wells had left, Tempus had come back. He had managed to get a hold of a priest's garment and was wearing it. He told them he was marrying them tomorrow and the news had quickly spread. In these days, there was no getting a divorce. Of course, one could always run off together like Lancelot and Guinevere had. What hurt Lady Lucia most perhaps is that she knew his anger was to hide an even deeper pain.
"Would thou do me one last favor?" she asked.
There was a long pause and then, "Only one."
"Dost thou remember mine Aunt Mary, the nun? She hath taken ill and due to the wedding-"
"Thou must want me to nurse her."
"I know there be other nuns to care for her. I would just feel better-"
"If thou knew she was in good hands."
"So thou wilt go to the convent?"
"Yea."
She left the room, smiling.
As Mer-El and Lady Lucia walked down the hall, Mer-El asked, "Did thou get him to go to the convent without arousing suspicions?"
"I surely did. If I know Samuel, he will leave at once. We will join him at sunset with the truth and we will be married on the morrow, as he and I were supposed to."
"H.G. Wells hath quod this is important, if thou art to have the same children."
Tempus walked into the hallway and said, "I am pleased with the way things are going. I had a spy listen in on your conversation with Sammy. You did well."
"We thank thee, but the lady and I must be on our way," Mer-El said.
"I don't think so. It's not that I don't trust you. No, wait! It is because I don't trust you. Anyway, I'm going to stick to you like glue until after that ceremony."
"I do not know all thou hast said, but I gather thou art coming with us," Mer-El said.
"Ding, ding, ding! Give the man a prize."
"We art going on horseback," Mer-El said, hoping that would dissuade him.
"If a Kryptonian can ride on an Earth animal, so can I. Besides, I rather like the idea of controlling the reins and whipping the horse into submission."
As the 3 rode along, they ran into King Arthur's hunting party. Each member of the party had a bird to do the hunting. It was fascinating to watch if one had never seen it.
"Ah, Merlin, I had been meaning to speak with thee," Arthur said. "I heard the good news, but I am afraid the gift I had meant for thee hath not yet arrived."
"I know not how thy majesty could get a gift so quick."
"It be wine from France. I told mine merchants to trade for it a month ago. I thought thou might have need of it either way it went. It is a shame it hath not yet come. May hap the merchants might be back on the morrow."
"Hold mine horse," he said to one of the men in the king's hunting party.
Mer-El seemed to vanish suddenly and was back just as suddenly, reappearing with the fine wine.
"Merlin, I will never get over thy great sorcery," said the king.
"Thank thee, Arthur, for the kind words and the gift."
The parties went their separate ways.
Mer-El and Lady Lucia knew what they had to do. In case such an emergency arose, they had planned to go to a designated spot. It was where H.G. Wells had first appeared. They were much more experienced with horses than Tempus and easily outdistanced him. They got off at the edge of the wood and then went into it, leaving the horses behind. They were hoping to confuse and lose Tempus.
It was very cold after the sun went down and there was also the fear that Tempus could show up at any minute, so there was some shaking on their part. Mer-El gave Lady Lucia his cloak and held her for warmth. All they could do now was wait.
There was so many questions and so little answers. Would Tempus find them? Would H.G. Wells come back? What would their future descendents be like?
They stood there pondering these questions in the moonlight.