Chapter Nine
Two very anxious young ladies accompanied me to the dining hall the next morning. Lynette sighed, deeply and often, while Lyonesse could not seem to stop fidgeting. Until we joined my friends and their father. Then, spines straightened, hands went to their sides, and smiles were affixed.
"Ah, just the ladies we were waiting for," Merlin grinned. "Gwaine might have perished if he had to wait any longer for your company."
"Though that's because we couldn't eat before the ladies arrived," Elyan added, mischief gleaming in his dark eyes.
"I may be hungry for food, but far more for the company of such beautiful ladies," Gwaine defended himself, bowing gallantly to us. Lynette and Lyonesse each blushed, but I simply laughed at my friend.
"I could hear your stomach from across the room. Do sit so we can all eat."
Gwaine feigned a hurt expression, but even he couldn't pretend for long. "You've caught me out, my lady. Now may I escort you to the table, so we can eat?"
The moment I sat, my friends crowded in around me, not letting Lord Ryence come anywhere near me. He looked a bit put out, but I didn't care. The man was far worse than I'd originally thought, if he was willing to all but sell his own daughter.
"Lord Ryence, I compliment you on your beautiful home, and especially your gracious daughters," Arthur began, holding his goblet out toward our host. "You've clearly raised them well, as evidenced by their offer last night."
"Yes, it was quite gracious of them to offer their chambers to Lady Anna," the slimy man grinned back.
"Yes, that was terribly kind of them, but that's not what we were meaning," Gwen corrected, slightly emphasizing the we. It showed that she and Arthur were of one accord in their reign. "We were speaking of their offer to become my ladies in waiting."
"They- what?" The normally charming, or attempting to be, man gaped at the queen as if she'd suggested he dance naked.
"They came and offered to serve the queen last night," Arthur said, a politely puzzled look on his face.
"They can't." Ryence seemed at last to regain his faculties. "Lynette is to marry Lord Cador. In fact, their wedding is to take place when you return. She is promised to him, Your Majesty."
"Did the lady know this?" Gwen asked, visibly angry now. And an angry Gwen was never a good sign.
"Uh, no, Your Majesty," he said, squirming under her fiery gaze. "But I have sworn with an oath to Cador."
"It is an honorable thing to keep your oath," Arthur began thoughtfully. Ryence clearly thought he'd won by the jubilant look he wore, but it was crushed with Arthur's next words. "But your daughters also have their own honor, their own oaths to consider. Would you have them relinquish their own honor to save yours? Would you have them disappoint my queen to save your pride?"
It became terribly hard to maintain a straight face as Ryence squirmed more in front of Their Majesties. In the end, there really was nothing he could do. "Of course not, Your Majesty. My girls will serve Her Majesty faithfully."
"Until death release me or you do, Your Majesty," Lynette said, standing to curtsey lowly in front of Gwen.
"With all my heart, Your Majesty," Lyonesse added, curtseying next to her sister.
Gwen smiled, dimpling adorably. "You girls will become my closest companions, along with Lady Anna. And we will make sure that they are protected at all times, my Lord. You've raised them well and brought honor to yourself by honoring their vows."
The man could say nothing, simply bowed to the queen.
We left shortly thereafter, with the promise that the girls would be ready to join us on our return trip. Both curtseyed to Arthur and Gwen, then hugged me. "Thank you," Lynette whispered to me.
"I'll see you soon," I assured, squeezing her hand.
The rest of the trip to Caerleon was far more uneventful than the beginning. By the time we arrived, I was nearly convinced that my backside would become permanently adhered to the saddle. Until Merlin slipped me a potion to help with the stiffness. "You couldn't have given me this earlier?" I whined, tossing back the contents of the tiny vial as we passed through the gates of the city.
"You never asked for it," he quipped back, a cheeky grin aimed my way. "But I thought you would like being a tad more graceful in front of a queen than you were last night."
"You utter cad! A gentleman would never mention something like that to a lady," I hissed, feigning offence at his mention of my near tumble as I had dismounted the night before.
"This one's never claimed to be a gentleman," Elyan butted in. "But hopefully you won't fall off your horse today, Anna."
"Ignore the brutes, Anna," Gwen told me. "We'll see who's laughing when we're in the nice comfortable carriage on the way home, and they're all stuck on horseback."
I laughed, but it was cut short when I saw the faces of the people around me. It was clear the townspeople were mourning the queen, and it felt wrong to have such a levity in front of them.
Gregor led us to the castle, where two men waited for us. "Thank you for coming, King Arthur," the shorter, younger of the two said. "We welcome you and your company to Caerleon. I am Simon, Queen Annis's chamberlain. This is Bors, her physician," he introduced the other man, who looked nearly as old as Gaius.
Arthur quickly introduced us all as he assisted Gwen down from her horse. "Might we see Annis now?" he asked hastily.
Simon smiled, as if that was what he had hoped for. "She is waiting for you and your queen. Bors will take you, and I will take your friends to a sitting room."
Gregor accompanied us to what Simon referred to as the Rose Sitting Room, close to the Queen's bedchamber. "Why don't you go to see her?" I asked him quietly. "Clearly you wish to see her after your travels."
"She wishes to speak to Their Majesties in private," he corrected. "I will see her later, if she wishes."
A pretty maid brought us refreshments, but all the boys were simply too tired to even notice. Even for these seasoned knights, it had been a demanding journey, and we all sat quietly, enjoying a soft seat and some chilled wine.
I had settled into a hazy sort of half-sleep by the time Arthur and Gwen joined us an hour later.
"Arthur, what's wrong?" Merlin cried, jumping to his feet. Gwen's arm was around her husband, seeming to support him somewhat, and both looked horribly rattled.
"Annis, she wants- she wants me to be King," Arthur said, looking pale and uncertain. "Of Caerleon."
"You are a brilliant King," I stated, feeling that my friend could use a bit of encouragement.
"Of Camelot, maybe, but of Caerleon? I'm not sure I can manage that, too," he replied.
"Queen Annis believes you can," Gregor said quietly. "And there is simply no one else, Sire. Her Majesty never had children, and King Caerleon had no siblings. There is no one left in the royal family. None of the grand noble families could sustain the throne; there would be too much infighting. But we've all seen the changes you've made in Camelot. We all know you're a great king, a noble king. We will rally behind your strength, Sire. We will serve you as we have our beloved Queen."
Gregor bowed lowly and excused himself, presumably to visit with his queen. "I can't say it any better than he just did, but I agree with him, Princess," Gwaine said. "You're a bloody good king, and you'll be good for the people of Caerleon, just as you have been for Camelot."
…
Two days later, Her Majesty, Queen Annis crowned Arthur King of Caerleon herself, in front of any and all of her subjects who chose to witness. "With this crown, you take upon yourself all the responsibilities and duties of King," she told him. "You must learn to love my people as you do your own."
"I will," Arthur pledged, eyes flashing gold for a moment. That seemed to please her, and she smiled as she lifted the crown onto the kneeling King before her. "Rise, Arthur, King of Camelot and Caerleon, and may you never forget your duty."
The people cheered for their new king, but there was a solemnity to it. It seemed that at least most were pleased to have a young, healthy king, but they already mourned their beloved queen, who had served them so faithfully for so many years.
"My people," she said to them, straining for them to hear. "My dear, most loved people, you have a new king now. Look to him, for guidance, for protection, and for an example. He will not lead you astray, for his wife will not allow it," she added, a tiny smile gracing her mouth. "But most importantly, love him and serve him as you did my husband, as you have me for so long."
"Aye," Gregor said, kneeling before Arthur. The rest of the court, and then those beyond, followed suit, kneeling before their new king.
…
The crowning ceremony used up what little strength Annis had left. She passed that night, peacefully in her sleep, while those who loved her most kept watch. Gregor announced it to us soon after, as we were gathered together in the Rose Sitting Room once more.
"My Lady Annis has passed," he said quietly, after a long moment to gather himself. "She has rejoined those she loved in Avalon."
Annis was laid in all her splendor in the front hall of the castle. Merlin used his magic to preserve her, and for the next week, her people flocked to pay their last respects to their much-loved queen.
On the seventh day after her passing, Arthur gathered everyone together on the shore of the sea. Nearly the entire kingdom came, to respect the old queen and to see what the new king would do.
"My people," he began, then shook his head. "You are not my people. Not yet. I have not proven myself to you, not proven myself worthy of your trust, therefore I cannot call you my people yet. You are Annis's people, and you have come to honor her. She was a wise leader, and I hope to one day earn the trust that she placed in me where you are concerned. But for now, let us remember her, and honor her memory."
He handed the bow to Gregor, who shook his head. "Sire, you should be the one to do it. You're her successor."
"But you are the son she never had," Arthur replied, still holding the bow out to the other man.
Gregor finally took it, then nodded to the men standing beside the queen's pier. They shoved off, releasing her to the water. Once she was a fair distance, Gregor lit the arrow, took aim, and released. His aim was true, and soon the magnificent pier was aflame, a fitting ending for such a fierce and loyal queen.
AN: I'm so sorry, you guys! I finished this forever ago but forgot to post it! I'm so sorry! But here you go, the end of Annis and the beginning of a united Albion. I hope you enjoy, even if it is a somber chapter, and I hope you forgive me for forgetting for so long! Thanks for reading and following, and a big thanks to KayJane16 for your review!