A/N: This chapter is dedicated to faithful reader and reviewer, Micky-Moo, whose review sparked my creative energy for this chapter.
-C
Krysia felt her pulse racing against her throat, standing between the servants and the knights in the crowd. She had hoped to stand with Leon, but he was needed in the front, and this particular ceremony did not call for a servant at Uther's side. Instead, she stood beside Gwen, and Leon caught her eye as Arthur knelt before the king. Leon smiled at her, looking at her instead of the ceremony, and she found herself smiling back for reasons she couldn't explain.
"Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of this kingdom and its dominions according to the statutes, customs, and laws laid down by your forebears?" Uther asked.
"I do, Sire," Arthur said.
"Do you promise to exercise mercy and justice in your deeds and judgments?"
"I do, Sire."
"And do you swear allegiance to Camelot, now and for as long as you shall live?"
"I, Arthur Pendragon, do pledge life and limb to your service and to the protection of the kingdom and its peoples."
"Now being of age and heir apparent, from henceforth, you shall be Crown Prince of Camelot."
The court applauded heartily, including Krysia, who clapped so hard she could feel her palms stinging as Arthur rose and turned to face the crowd. Leon was still watching her, still smiling. They had been waiting for this day for as long as they could really recall, and all the years of teasing were over. Arthur had more power than ever before, and thus more responsibility.
"You must feel honored, Merlin," Krysia said around Gwen, grinning at him as he clapped. "Servant to the Crown Prince."
Merlin shook his head and said dryly, "Washing his royal socks will be even more of a privilege."
Gwen and Krysia exchanged knowing glances before Gwen said, "You're proud of him, really. Even though you complain about him constantly."
"I am not."
"Don't lie, Merlin," Krysia said, smiling. "You're exceedingly proud."
"Those socks are very clean!" he insisted. "Of course I'm proud of them."
Gwent laughed, and Krysia opened her mouth to say she doubted very much that the socks were truly very clean, but her words died in her throat. Before she could make a sound, A black knight on a tall horse suddenly burst through the stained-glass window. Arthur and the knights drew their swords, and Krysia saw Leon look at her for a moment before readying himself to duel.
Her heart pounded so violently she could feel it in her throat.
"What in the devil's name?" Uther said, staring up at the knight, stunned.
The horse walked straight to Arthur, and the black knight threw down a gauntlet. The whole room held its breath, but Krysia did not miss a sort of recognition in Uther's eyes at the sight of the crest on the knight's shield. She felt a strange stirring of memory at the sight of it, but it meant nothing to her, really.
To her horror, Arthur sheathed his sword, readying to pick up the gauntlet, but Sir Owain hurried forward. He picked up the gauntlet and Krysia felt her chest loosening, only just.
"I, Sir Owain, accept your challenge," he said.
"Single combat," the black knight said. "Noon tomorrow. Till the death."
Without another word, without waiting for confirmation, the knight rode away. Krysia crept behind Gaius as whispers broke out in the crowd, and Merlin asked, "Have you ever seen this black knight before?"
"I don't believe so," Gaius said, but Krysia was almost certain he was lying.
"Did his crest look familiar to you?" she asked.
"Crest?"
Oh, he was most certainly lying. The question was, why?
"Which house is it?" Merlin pressed.
"I'm not sure," Gaius said. "I didn't see it that clearly."
"I can't imagine he's the forgettable sort," Krysia said, glancing up to the knights, where Leon was the only one not paying attention to the gauntlet in Owain's hands. Instead, he was watching her thoughtfully, and she frowned back over Merlin's shoulder.
Something about all of this was very wrong.
"No," Gaius said, agreeing with her statement.
"So you don't think he's from around here?" Merlin asked.
"That would seem likely."
Krysia tilted her head up to look at the broken stain-glass window and said, "So why would he come here, do you think?"
Gaius sighed wearily and said, "The faith you two place in my all-seeing knowledge is both touching and wholly misplaced. Maybe if you've finished your work, you could go to bed and leave me to finish mine."
Krysia shook her head. She had work to do before the night was over.
"Okay, I'm going," Merlin said, smiling. "Gaius?"
"Merlin."
"Do you think Owain can beat him?"
Krysia's stomach turned, as she had been wondering the very same thing. She and Gaius exchanged nervous looks and she said, "I suppose we'll find out tomorrow."
/-/
She found Leon in the armory, polishing what she recognized as Owain's sword.
"A servant should be doing that," she said, sitting down beside him, holding out her hand for the sword and cloth, but he shook his head.
"I sent away the last servant," he said softly. "I have to do this. But...I wouldn't mind if you sat with me."
Krysia watched him polish the sword with slow, steady motions, and she wondered if his insides felt half as tumultuous as hers. She wondered if his mind was racing, if his heart was pounding the way hers hadn't slowed since the breaking of the window.
"Has he said why he picked it up?" she asked.
She watched Leon frowning down at the sword, felt an urge to brush his hair back from his face as he worked, but she knew it would not stay so there was no point.
"No, but Arthur is not pleased. He believes it should have been left for him, as the leader of the knights."
He had a point, and she knew it, but her stomach turned slightly.
"Would you have picked it up if Owain hadn't gotten there first?"
His hand paused in its strokes and gave her all the answer she needed. He would have done so, he would have laid down his life. Because she knew without either of them saying that Owain was probably going to die.
"I am a knight of Camelot. It is my duty to take on such responsibilities from time to time."
"Dying?" she asked, horrified. He looked up at her, frowning.
"Would you truly say that it would be acceptable for Arthur to die?"
"Of course not," she argued, "but-"
"Better his life than mine."
"No!" she said, standing abruptly, pulling the sword from his hands, watching his expression shift to something she couldn't think of a word for. "No, neither of you are allowed to die, Leon."
"Not allowed," he repeated, a smile twitching at the corners of his lips, and she felt fury running through her veins. How could he find this amusing? "Krysia, as a knight, it would be an honor to lay down my life to protect Camelot. To protect you…." He hesitated. "All of the citizens of Camelot."
Of course, she knew that he was right, but all she could think was how on earth she would manage to go on without Leon. Krysia didn't realize she was crying until Leon stood, taking the sword from her hands and setting it on the table. She felt like she should protest, but he wrapped his arms around her in a tight, warm hug, pressing his hand gently on the back of her neck, encouraging her to bury her face in his shoulder. She did, watching a few tears fall onto the wool of his cloak.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said gently, his ungloved fingers rubbing her neck. His fingers were rough, but his touch was smooth and soothing, almost like a caress. "I will never leave you, Krysia. I promise."
The combination of his promise and the rhythm of the motion of his fingers on her neck calmed her. She hadn't realized how tired she was from such a long, full day until she realized she was starting to fall asleep standing up with her head on his shoulder. She pulled out of the hug with a great deal of effort, and his eyes searched her face with quite a bit of concern.
"I have some work to do before I sleep," she said, realizing for the first time that the arm around her back had slipped down just below her waist. He must not have noticed, she decided, but it felt less uncomfortable and inappropriate than she would have expected. "But...I will see you tomorrow."
"Every day," he said, smiling.
He watched her go until she reached the door, and she looked back to see him sitting down again, picking up Owain's sword once more. She felt an inexplicable urge to forget about Gaius and stay. But stay and do what? He needed no help with the sword, wanted no help with the sword. All she would do would be to distract him.
She left the armoury, going exactly where she expected Gaius to go: the Hall of Records. She could see the glow of firelight flickering under the door and she pressed her ear to the door, relieved to hear Gaius's voice, although she could not make out what he said.
"The Black Knight," Geoffrey said, and he sounded more afraid than Krysia expected. Whoever this knight was, he was bad news.
"So it is he?" Gaius pressed.
"You saw his crest?"
"Have you confirmed it?"
Krysia frowned. Gaius was desperate for some reason to believe this was not who they thought he was, although she could not fathom why. She licked her lips and leaned closer to the door.
"It is the crest of Tristan Dubois."
She turned the name over in her mind. It had the sound of something she should have known, but she could not think why. The name held no special significance to her.
"And he is the only knight ever to have carried such a crest?"
Krysia dug her nails into her palms, growing more anxious with every plea Gaius made that this could be someone other than this Tristan.
"Yes," Geoffrey said sadly, "according to the records."
Krysia could not understand what they were discussing, but whatever it was made her uneasy. The tone of Gaius's voice, the way everything was turning out…. Everything was wrong.
When she stood with Merlin and Arthur helping Owain as he prepared for the fight with the Black Knight, her stomach turned uncomfortably.
"How do you feel?" she asked, handing Owain a cloth to wipe his brow with and forcing a smile.
He just nodded, smiling back at her.
"You've never fought in mortal combat before," Arthur said softly. "It's different. It's not like the training I've been giving you."
"Yeah, I know," Owain said.
"Listen to me. The problem is, we've never seen him fight. You have to quickly get the measure of him."
"But I have the same advantage," Owain argued. "He's never seen me fight."
"True," Arthur said, but Krysia knew that Owain wasn't taking this seriously enough. This Black Knight was clearly the sort who should be taken very carefully.
"You've watched me," Owain said, obviously wanting to assure Arthur.
"Yes."
"And?"
Arthur and Krysia exchanged a look, and she knew that he was at a loss this time. Morgana had mentioned that Arthur was upset that Owain had taken the gauntlet that was clearly intended for Arthur, but Krysia couldn't tell if she felt relieved or sick with nerves.
"You are incredibly brave," she said, adjusting his belt for him. "A single, well-timed blow is all it takes. Look for that opening."
Owain nodded as the door opened. Gwen entered, curtsying, mostly to Owain, who smiled at her.
"The Lady Morgana asked me to give you this token," she said nervously. "She wishes you to wear it for luck."
She held out a ribbon, which Owain took in his gloved hand.
"You can thank her," he said, handing it to Krysia to tie on, "and tell her I shall wear it with pride. But I won't need luck."
Krysia smiled weakly, excusing herself to the stands to take her place. She stood behind the knights, just behind Leon, who slipped his hand behind his back and found her hands, holding them easily in just one of his gloved hands. Krysia took deep, steady breaths as Merlin and Gaius stood behind her. The Black Knight stood still in the arena, waiting for his challenger to arrive.
She licked her lips anxiously as Owain entered after Arthur, looking confident as he had while accepting the favor.
"The fight shall be to the death!" Arthur announced. "To the death!"
Leon squeezed her hands gentle and Krysia hissed, "He's too confident."
He squeezed again to show that he heard her as Arthur moved to the stands.
"Let the battle commence!" he called.
She held her breath as Tristan and Owain began to battle.
"Come on, Owain!" Gwen called, along with other members of the audience. Krysia was beginning to feel faint from holding her breath.
"One well-aimed blow!" Arthur called out, echoing Krysia's earlier advice.
Perhaps he had heard, or perhaps the timing was good, but Owain did land a blow right to the Black Knight's gut.
"Yes!" Krysia cried out with the crowd, certain it was over. There was pain in her chest from releasing the breath she'd held so long.
To her shock and horror, though, the Black Knight continued fighting, catching Owain rightfully off his guard, turning the flow of the battle firmly in his favor. The crowd had barely realized what was happening when Owain was slain and the whole crowd gasped in stunned disgust. The ribbon fluttered through the air onto the dusty ground.
The Black Knight turned away from the dead body of Owain, toward the knights in the stands, and he took off his glove once more, throwing it down.
"Who will take up my challenge?" he demanded.
Arthur moved to accept it, but his father grabbed him, stopping him. Instead, Pellinor jumped the stands and hurried to take up the gauntlet.
I, Sir Pellinor, take up the challenge," he said strongly.
Krysia did not know Pellinor well, but he was almost as young as Owain, practically still a boy. Leon squeezed her hand once more.
"So be it," the Black Knight said, and without a word he exited the arena, leaving the crowd in stunned silence.
"Should we tend to his wounds?" Merlin asked Gaius. "He took a hit."
"Owain didn't land a blow," Gaius said, and Krysia frowned.
That was a lie, and Gaius hardly ever lied. She stiffened, and she knew Leon could feel the change in her posture.
"No, I saw it," Merlin insisted. "The sword definitely pierced him."
She turned her head slightly and said, "Are you quite certain, Merlin? I don't believe I saw such a thing."
She met Gaius's eyes, and he knew that she knew of his lie, but his eyes offered no answers.
"My eyes must be quicker than yours," Merlin said, frowning. "He should be dead."
Krysia's neck stiffened.
"Perhaps he already is," Gaius said, sending a chill through her. What sort of monster was this that they were facing?
She and Merlin followed Gaius, as ordered, into the crypt, and Krysia wished they'd left Merlin behind.
"Are you sure we should be doing this?" he said as they crept along.
"What's the matter, Merlin?" she asked, trying to hide her own discomfort. "Afraid of some bodies?"
"No, I love old crypts," Merlin said in the near-darkness. "I wouldn't be seen dead anywhere else."
The door behind them slammed, and Merlin jumped like he was trying to leap out of his skin. Krysia raised her eyebrows at him, but he seemed unabashed.
"Must've been a gust of wind," Gaius said.
"We should've brought a torch."
Krysia rolled her eyes. She found a torch sitting in the wall of the corridor, and raised her hand. "Leohtbora," she said, lighting it.
"Huh," Gaius said, frowning at the torch. "Handy!"
"Yes," Merlin said, and Krysia got a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, wondering why it had been there.
But the less time they spent in the crypts the better. They walked forward, letting Gaius lead the way.
"What are we looking for?" Merlin asked.
"Bring your torch over here," Gaius said to Krysia, ignoring the question.
She complied, following his voice, and Krysia's feeling in the pit of her stomach grew worse.
"Are we breaking into a tomb?" she said softly.
But the tomb he was pointing to was open, and she could see no body inside. It was old, perhaps older than her time with Gaius, but not too long before.
"We're too late," Gaius said softly, true fear in his face. "I think someone's already broken out."
They stood in the darkness of the burial vaults and Krysia felt a shiver run down her spine so violently that she nearly dropped the torch in her hands. What did he mean, someone had broken out?
The things Gaius was saying were horrific and strange, and Krysia couldn't help but think, as Gaius said they should head back to their chambers, that something terrible was about to happen to Arthur.
Again.
And from the look Merlin gave her just before she extinguished and replaced the torch told her that he had exactly the same feeling about it.
A/N: New Feature! Review Prompt: Since Nimue knows there are two sorcerers, do you think her plans will change, or will she simply treat Krysia differently?
-C