Hi after site restoration to normal use!
Thanks for revies from Gingeraffaelene and Taz.
Taz: I am not sure Anna as a seer can do more than recieve dreams. Arthur, however, born out of magic might have an unexpected life in front of him - apologies for not being able to tell you more now without posting spoilers for a coming chapter!
The fact that out of nowhere came the last chapter, insisting of being inserted, made the beginning of this already written chapter hard to adapt. Verb tenses are a bit wobbly, I know. Apologies for that, but chapoter eight opened for a great finale to the story, so I chose to saty with the inconvenient beginning of this one.
Published Nov 11, 2020,
9. Magic use
The Druids had marveled at being guests for lunch the day before. They had reciprocated by insisting on cooking dinner, and after another excellent meal they had all sat in front of the flames till long after bed time.
The Druids had shared from their lives, and all at the Round Table were eager to learn. All absorbed what they heard like sponges. And most receptive of all was the King himself.
After a good sleep and a nice breakfast, the Druids tied the snow shoes to their feet to return home, but not before promising to visit Camelot the coming spring, when snow had thawed and the roads could easily be traveled on horseback.
The night before Arthur and Merlin had met shortly with the two adult Druids. It was on Arthur's initiative, as he again wanted to express his gratitude.
-"We heard of your coronation, and your wedding, Sire, said Aisklepos."
-"And then Anna had a vision of a complicated child birth," said Ariadne. "So we wanted to give our contribution to the coming peaceful Albion."
The Druids had told the king that they had means to get a message to Camelot, so Arthur made one, a letter telling that all were safe and the Fire flower found, but the travellers being a bit delayed on the way back due to the cold weather. He and Merlin ended with greetings from both them and the knights to the Queen and all families awaiting them at home. To the letter Arthur attached the top secret dispatch he had prepared the night before.
Knowing Camelot would hear from them in just a few days, King and wizard slept as well as all the others that night, and paraded with them on the wall to wave the Druids off.
After the chores for the day, including running the horses in a circle out in the courtyard for them not to be bored, sun set and the company met for dinner in the Main Hall.
-"My friends," said Arthur, "highly esteemed nobles; knights and protectors of Camelot, tonight I would love to convene a formal meeting of the Round table." He then sighed and continued:
-"But as we are far from home and no circular table is available here . . . " He suddenly fell silent, blushed from realising his mistake, as a copy of the Round table appeared in front of one of the fire places in the main hall.
To the smiles of all present, Arthur pointed them to sit, only to again realising a mistake. But this time he could actually do something about it.
-"My trusted knights, is any one of you against giving our Friend, Protector and Wizard a seat at our Round table?"
Arthur's question was answered with a chorus of loud "No:s", so the King continued:
-"Please, Merlin, add your name to the table on my right side and conjure a chair for you to sit in!"
That being done, Arthur all but steered Merlin to his seat, to a loud applause from the knights.
When they all were seated, and Merlin had got a minute to adjust to all this, Arthur went on to open the formal meeting.
-"Welcome, to the Round table! Here we are all equals, no knight, no king, no warlock; only friends of Camelot and to each other, serving her people."
At this all present nodded, and Merlin relaxed visibly. Being a servant was something he knew how it was done!
-"I would like not to have a debate, but an open chat about how Camelot can benefit from magic. We have already experienced the disadvantages and risks coming with magic, so we just leave that out, and target what is good, possible and advantageous for the people we are to serve and protect. Who wants to begin?"
Lancelot was first, which was all very well, as he was the prime one to find Merlin's magic out. The wizard had enchanted a simple wooden spear to make it possible for Lancelot to kill a Griffin.
This triggered a long discussion of how weapons could be enhanced, shields made to protect more and better and chain mails fitted with cooling or warming spells depending on weather, as well as strengthening them to mitigate the risk of any wearer being dangerously wounded.
That led to fond memories of battle tactics, and they all mused on how much help in every fight magic could give, subtly or forcefully attacking a violent adversary.
It was for defenses however, that the meeting talks went live. Arthur remembered his dream and led them into defenses without specifics, and so it were that Merlin erected one different magic shield after the other around a delicate glass vase specially conjured for the purpose. The knights tried to break the vase with knuckle boxing, daggers or swords, but with very little effect on the shileds.
Together with each other they all enjoyed the appearance of slightly coloured shields, and a new rose in the same colour after every failed attempt to break that shield.
A beaker of wine was of course needed after this, and they all drank merrily, enjoying both the stay, the meeting and each other's presence and friendship.
After that break Arthur led the talks into magic defenses in a larger style. If a chain mail could be strengthened, could also a wall? A fortress? Maybe even a whole city?
-"Indeed, sire," smiled Merlin, "it is possible and very profitable to set up and keep wards on walls, moats and gates." He said this in such a way that all understood he had experiences doing it.
Arthur narrowed his eyes questioningly, as he realised something important:
-"You have already done that, Merlin, haven't you? You were never at the tavern, at all, no?"
At this Gwaine spluttered into his ale beaker a failed attempt to stop his laughter. Merlin only nodded, slightly pink faced.
-"And," continued Arthur, "how about information? The way you scan the environment for any one coming here, Merlin, can that be set up permanently to let us know if any one with malicious intent is approaching Camelot?"
Why was no one surprised when Merlin again answered in the affirmative?
Healing had they already experienced, so they said not so much of it, just noted it as another of all advantages of magic; both at war and in peace. Wounds and plagues could be battled by herbs and skilled physicians, but at some point magic would help where nothing other could.
Speaking about periods of peace, they recalled Merlin regularly blessing his neighbors, their crops, vegetables, fruits and live stock. That could also add to the lives of all the camelotians.
-"Just to think about the possibility lo lower taxes when the Royal estates yield so much more; and making people less poor with better growth on their own fields," said Elyan.
-"And more food also meaning more people can be fed. Camelot would host more people. But that means our King will have more to do!" At this all broke into a laughter, so hard that afterwards no one did remember who had said that.
-"What about justice?" asked Percival. Can truth be determined in complex cases to make correct judgments?"
That would be possible, said Merlin, adding that revealing lies and schemes and intrigues would be a little bit different, but not impossible.
As the night went on the assembled Round table had gathered a long list of all the benefits of magic.
They would have expected Merlin to be more excited with every new line of the parchment, but he soon seemed to slump deeper and deeper into his chair.
Arthur noted it early, and while the meeting went on and on he thought deeply about it.
-"Something is wrong, Merlin," he said. "And I think I know what. You are taking this personally. Like we all want to load everything we have said tonight only upon you. But that is not true! You are not alone . . ."
Before Merlin could interrupt and repeat that yes, he was alone, no one else was really born with magic like he was, Leon continued:
-"We all enjoyed the visit and company of the Druids earlier. "They have magic of different sorts, and every one might want to help, I am sure.
All assuring Merlin that finding out what magic could do and finding out who should actually perform it was two very different things. No one wanted an overly stressed wizard, so calming Merlin down ended the day in a pleasant manner for all of them.
They all sat by the fire with a last cup of ale or wine or tea, staring into the flames, thinking about a new future for Camelot; until one after another excused themselves and went to bed.