First Official Visit

By Montez

Disclaimer: see chapter one

Chapter 14

The reunited family entered Hunith's small home, they had eaten dinner a while ago, but she still had enough that she heated up for Cador. "Please you didn't have to." He graciously accepted the steaming bowl.

"I know, but you look hungry." Hunith sat across from the older man who kept looking at the boys he had just been reunited with as if they would disappear.

Arthur had fallen asleep almost as soon as they reentered the house, all the excitement and fear overwhelming his still healing body. Merlin had taken to laying at the other end of the pallet, Hunith could not begin to understand the connection the two boys seemed to have developed. Leon had sat against the wall, next to the spot Arthur had been sleeping and healing. He had spoken quietly with his father as Hunith fixed the older man something to eat, but also quickly surrendered to the exhaustion he was feeling, laying as he had done every night with one hand on Arthur's arm.

"He was so scared when I found them, well Merlin found them, along the river." Hunith smiled as the boys slept. "They're not really brothers, are they?" she asked quietly. She could see the trepidation in the man's face across from her. "I'm not sure exactly who you all are, but I do recognize nobility when I see it. They are safe here, no one else knows. Anyone who asked I just told them they were family friends."

"Thank you for that, and no Leon and Arthur are not brothers, but are becoming nearly as close. This experience may have solidified that bond." Glancing at the sleeping boys he looked back at the woman who had sheltered and cared for them, "Arthur is the son of my best friend. They had been traveling together when their party was attacked, Arthur's father was gravely injured, but is recovering. He knew his son had been hurt in the attack, Leon got him away and in the chaos their trail was lost. We did not know," Cador trailed off.

"You didn't know if they were alive." Hunith said quietly, Cador only nodding. "When I found them, Arthur had been unconscious for about a day according to Leon. I have a little knowledge in healing, a dear friend of mine is the Court Physician in Camelot."

"Gaius?" Cador looked up, Hunith's eyes widening some.

"You know Gaius?" Her heart started racing, just who were these boys she had been taking care of that Leon's father would know Gaius.

Cador could read the fear on the young woman's face, unsure of why exactly, "I do."

Trying to ease the tension that had quickly settled he refocused on Arthur, "What exactly were Arthur's injuries. We were only able to piece together what we believed his injuries were, but no one had seen the whole incident"

Looking back at the boys she'd cared for, remembering how he looked when they had first arrived, "He took a terrible blow to his face, the bruising was horrible fortunately there were no facial fractures. I worried that he hadn't waken in so long, but he reacted as I treated him so I hoped he would wake soon, (her mind recalling what her son had told her about Arthur 'drifting away', she decided the man before her did not need to know how close it could have been) though he'd be in considerable pain." Hunith looked down at the cup she held tightly in her hands, "he also had a cut along the back of his neck." Cador's head jerked up at that, he remembered Uther mentioning that one of the attackers had spilt some of the Prince's blood, "it wasn't deep, but it did extend all the way across his neck, I didn't dare think about what could have happened if it had been any deeper. While treating that I noticed a discoloration on his neck just under his shirt. Leon helped me remove it and the child's entire upper right arm and shoulder were nearly black from the bruising. I'm not sure how that happened but the angle lined up with the cut on his neck."

The Knight could only imagine what his Prince had suffered and what his King had witnessed as he had been the only one to know of the blow from a blade his son had taken. For the type of bruising Hunith was describing, the blow had to have come from behind, the blade first hitting to boy's upper arm and sliding over the shoulder of the chainmail shirt he wore, but the blade must have been deflected just enough for it to not have caused a mortal wound. Looking down at the sleeping boy, a chill going down his spine realizing exactly how close they had come to truly losing their Prince.

Silence settled between the two adults, Hunith stood taking the empty bowl and washing it, "You may have my bed for the night, I'll sleep over here with my son."

"No, I cannot, I am used to sleeping on the ground, please I cannot in good conscience take the bed of the woman who cared for our boys." The father moved over and sled down the wall just behind his son, still not believing they had been found alive and relatively well.

The young woman gave him the thin quilt from the foot of her bed. "Can you answer me one more question?" Cador nodded, looking at her knowing he would answer whatever she asked, she had earned that much trust. "exactly who are you all?"

Looking at the sleeping boys, his son again looking so much younger than his twenty years. Finally looking into the pale blue eyes of the young mother before him, "My son and myself are both Knights of Camelot and Arthur," Cador reached a gentle hand toward the blond brushing a stray piece of hair from his forehead, much like Hunith had done when she first saw him, "Arthur is our Prince, the son of King Uther."

A strange look crossed her slight face, the Knight saw a moment of fear, but then a gentleness as she gazed at the boy who had been sleeping on her floor for the past many nights, suspecting he was nobility but hardly dreaming he as royalty. "Thank you for telling me the truth. Leon never let it slip who they really were. I knew he was keeping something close, and I understand why he did it. He was within a hostile kingdom to his own and he needed to protect his brother, no sorry, his Prince. I just want you to know Sir Cador," she gave a slight bow to him, knowing who he now was, "It will never be from my lips that anyone will ever know you all were ever here."

"Thank you." He replied softly as he watched one of the most noble of peasants, who would easily put true nobility to shame, move away and slip into the tiny bed, in her small home, within an unassuming village, inside a kingdom that knew very little of nobility.

Silence settled all around them, Cador knew tomorrow would bring an exuberant return of their lost Knight and Prince to the men within his party. They were still a few days ride from the Citadel, a few more days in which their King would still be terrified of the possible loss of his beloved son. However, Sir Cador knew once they were close enough, he would send a rider ahead to deliver the news that their Prince lived.

The next morning dawned, a morning mist sat over the clearing between the house and the trail leading to the river. Sir Cador and Leon stepped outside when they heard the approach of Sir Richard. He had an extra horse with him. "Sir Evan insisted I bring his horse for the Prince and Leon to ride." The young Knight replied to the unspoken question he saw on his Commander's and his friend's face.

"Remind me I owe him one once we are back home" Leon replied as he took the reins from his friend and led the animal to the small fence around Hunith's garden.

"I think they are all just happy you both are alive, and we will be heading home soon." Richard responded as the three men made their way back inside.

Merlin and Arthur were sitting at the table talking about hunting of all things, the dark-haired boy giving disapproving looks to his blond friend. "Seriously I had never hunted before, it was great." Arthur smiled when he saw Sir Richard enter.

"It doesn't make any sense to kill something that never hurt you." Merlin responded. Arthur looked at his new friend like this was an argument they had several times already. The dark-haired boy gave him another one of his wide grins, "and that is why you are a prat" Merlin responded as both boys burst out laughing.

"Boys that's enough," Hunith was in full mother mode, "That goes for you three too." She smiled at Leon, his father and the young man from last night. After a moment they all laughed as she placed steaming bowls in front of them before taking her seat next to her son.