Katherine opened her eyes to see the sun coming into her room. She rolled over to feel the bed beside her empty. She got out of bed and pulled on her clothes to go in search of her fiancé.
"He is in the woods." The mage said not looking at Katherine.
"Thank you." Kat nodded not questioning how she had known.
Katherine went out to the river and saw Arthur rinsing off in the stream.
"You're still having difficulties controlling it, aren't you?" Katherine asked just stepping into the water, but not getting any deeper.
"Yeah." Arthur sighed pushing the water over his hair.
"Pick it up. With both hands." Katherine said taking a step closer.
"I can't."
"Did you see everything you needed to see when you were in the Darklands? Or did you look away?"
Arthur didn't say anything he just continued to wash himself off.
"You can't use it until you face it."
"You face it!" Arthur yelled turning his back on Katherine.
Katherine reached out and placed a hand on Arthur's arm to let him know that she was not leaving him.
"We all look away, Arthur. When it is too painful. When we are scared of what we will see. But turning away and facing it is the difference between a man and a king. You my love, are a king." Katherine said and wrapped her arms around him, resting her face against his shoulder blade.
"Come." Arthur said stepping away from her and grabbing the sword with one hand to carry it back to the caves.
They walked back into the main area and found Maggie sitting at a table with Bedivere and Goosefat.
"Maggie?" Katherine said looking at her old friend.
"Katherine." She said rising and greeting her with a hug.
"I thought it was decided you would stay away from here."
"Vortigern is making a trip to Londinium to meet with all the barons."
"It looks as if your plan worked." Bedivere said looking at Arthur.
"You must be careful though. He grows more powerful." Maggie warned.
"We will. You must leave before someone discovers you've come here." Katherine said and hugged Maggie one more time before she left.
"We better get planning." Arthur said and walked away.
"Arthur,"
"You should sit this one out. Of all the places that I could lose you, it will not be there."
"You know this won't work. I told you how this will happen."
"I have to try. What if I can avoid a battle all together?"
"Arthur."
"Please, my love. If there is any chance that you and I can be together. Castle or cell. I will take it."
"Okay." Katherine said and watched as all the men left.
"Blue, you and I are going to George." Katherine said without looking at the boy beside her.
"Yes, m'lady."
"Come, grab your cloak." Katherine said and placed it around his shoulders.
"We need a horse." Katherine said to Geoffry at the stables.
"Bedivere told me not to let you leave." Geoffry said.
"Geoffry, give me a horse or I'll tell Bedivere about your pet mongoose."
"One horse, coming up." He said and brought out one of the horses.
"Thank you. Up you go, Blue." Katherine said and helped the boy up before Geoffry helped her up behind him.
They made it all the way to the bathhouse as the blacklegs began closing off streets.
"Blue, go hide in the bath house." Katherine said and Blue ran off.
"George." Katherine said walking up to her fiancé's teacher.
"Katherine."
"Arthur needs your help." Katherine said and then looked up as the warning arrows showed that Arthur and the others were close.
Arthur and the rest of them came through the doors.
"George, lock the doors." Arthur instructed and then caught his breath.
"Where is Rubio?" Katherine asked looking at them all.
"Kat, what are you doing here? I told you to stay in the caves." Arthur said grabbing her hand.
"Rubio?"
"He sacrificed himself so we could get away."
Katherine covered her mouth in shock, but regained her composure by sniffling and wiping her eyes.
"There will be time to mourn after this." Katherine nodded and then walked over to grab a sword from George.
"We need to get everyone out the back." Arthur told both George and Katherine.
"The men won't go. They hate the blacklegs and love a fight. They've spent their whole lives training for this."
"They're gonna die!" Arthur yelled at George just as one of the men was shot in the back.
"No time now." Katherine said and blocked one of the arrows coming her way.
Soon the blacklegs were being attacked by ravens controlled by the mage. Arthur opened the covering to the tunnel and looked at Katherine.
"Percival, Bill, take Katherine, follow the tunnel straight to the river." Arthur said to them.
"You first." Bill said gesturing to the hole.
"There's no time to argue."
"Some of us will make it and some won't."
"Better some than none! Katherine."
"Arthur, go first. I'm not going unless I know you're there with me." Katherine ssaid tightening her grip on her sword.
Arthur sighed and then looked around. Everyone else was prepared to fight.
"I will push you down that hole." Arthur said looking at Katherine.
"I'll climb right back out. And I'm the fast one, remember." Katherine said with a smile.
"You won't leave my side?"
"Never."
"Is this the fight you saw?" Arthur asked unsheathing Excalibur and holding it in one hand.
"No, my hair looked a lot better." Katherine joked, but all Arthur could do was give a short smirk.
There was shouting outside and the door was forced open. Men started flooding in and those in the bath house were prepared for the fight. George's men were better trained, but the black legs had numbers. Katherine rushed forward and started killing blacklegs on her own. Using her sword to block blows and then striking them with her own. But then dust was rushing towards Arthur. She looked over her shoulder to briefly see him holding Excalibur with both hands before he was hidden in the dust. Katherine protected her eyes and when the dust settled all the blacklegs were gone and Arthur stood unharmed.
"Arthur?" Katherine asked and hugged him.
"I'm okay." He said and nodded.
He walked over to the hole and grabbed his coat.
"I'm going down the hole now." Arthur said looking at everyone.
"Blue, come on." Katherine said and Blue came out and ran to him.
"Blue?"
"I brought him with to keep me safe." Katherine smiled at Blue.
"Good boy, Blue." Arthur said and pat his head.
"Where's my dad?" Blue asked looking around and not seeing him.
"We got separated, but he knows what to do." Wet Stick said assuring Blue.
"Come on, into the hole." Katherine said and followed after Arthur.
Once out of the hole Blue started looking around.
"He's not here." Blue said.
"He'll be okay." Wet Stick said looking at him.
"I need to find him." Blue said and ran off.
"Blue!" Katherine yelled after him.
"Kat, let him go." Arthur said and Katherine struggled to follow him.
They went to their rendezvous and waited inside the house for Blue and Back Lack.
"We need to go. We can't stay here." Bill said to Arthur.
"We're waiting for Back Lack and Blue." Katherine said to Bill.
"It is not safe here. They could find us and kill us at any minute." Bill argued with her.
"Arthur." Katherine said looking to him to have her back.
"We'll wait until dark and then we leave." Arthur said with no emotion in his voice.
Katherine watched as the people from the window ran around town throwing things at the blacklegs and shouting "Down with Vortigan."
"Kat, get away from there." Arthur said and grabbed her arm gently to pull her away.
"They're rioting in the streets. Fighting back against the blacklegs."
"You're bleeding."
Katherine looked down and saw the stains on her arm.
"It seems so. I didn't even notice." Katherine said with a small smile.
"Come, I'll help you clean it." Arthur said and le her back to the bedroom where she could sit and he could rip her sleeve to see it clearly.
Katherine let out a small laugh as Arthur gently cleaned away the blood and neatly bandaged her arm.
"What?" Arthur asked as began wrapping her arm.
"When people look at you they see the warrior that cares for the women in the brothel. You come out looking bloody and bruised and tough. But they miss these parts of you. The parts that are so soft and gentle." Katherine said watching him work.
"I only show them to truly special people."
"I am one of those people?"
"You're the only one." Arthur said tying the knot and looking her in the eyes.
Arthur leaned in and kissed her. She used her good arm and cupped his face in her hand. Arthur leaned her back and continued to kiss her as he held himself over her.
"Arthur." Katherine said and Arthur stopped looking down at her in worry.
"I'm sorry. I can stop." Arthur rushed out.
"No, I was going to say I love you."
Arthur smiled at her and looked her in the eyes, "I love you."
Arthur leaned back down and began kissing her again.
They laid there in the bed beneath the sheet. Katherine tracing shapes into his chest as he played with her hair.
"You used the sword." Katherine said with a small smile.
"I wasn't controlling it though. It was controlling me. I don't remember what happened. I just remember seeing a blackleg coming up behind you and I knew I had to protect you. I was terrified that that was the moment where I was going to lose you."
"You didn't." Katherine said and looked up at him.
"I never will."
Katherine sat there quietly and listened to everything outside.
"Something is happening." Arthur said.
"They know you're real and they know the power you possess. They want their born king to rule."
"I didn't mean for it."
"They fight for you."
"I never wanted this."
"We never get to choose our destiny."
The door opened and Wet Stick came walking in before covering his eyes.
"Dear god!" Wet Stick said turning around.
"Wet Stick! Knock first!" Arthur yelled as Katherine made sure she was covered.
"Well, Blue and Back Lack are here. Just thought you'd want to know." Wet Stick said before walking out.
"Get the boat ready." Arthur yelled after him.
"I'll find something else to put on. You check on Back." Katherine said and got out of bed with the sheet.
"Okay." Artur said and got to his feet.
Katherine walked over to a wardrobe and found some men's clothes but no women's.
"Well, then." Katherine sighed and pulled on a pair of pants and a shirt. The pants were just right, but the shirt hung off of her quite awkwardly. Katherine sighed and looked in a mirror to make sure her hair was not everywhere before walking out of the bedroom.
"No dresses?" Arthur asked.
"No, but I can't reckon I look too bad," Katherine said with a small smirk.
"Never."
"How are you doing, Back?" Katherine asked crouching down and looking at Back's wound.
"Been better."
"We need to get Back on the boat. There's a good fog to cover our tracks." Wet Stick said running in.
"I need a breather. Load everyone else up, and then come back for me." Back said pushing Blue towards Katherine.
"I'll stay with you, Dad." Blue said stepping back over to him.
"No, you give Miss Katherine a hand. Be a good gentleman. I'll be alright. Just give me a minute." Back said to Blue.
"Come on, Blue. Let us go help Bedivere." Katherine said wrapping her arm around his shoulders and leading him away.
Katherine and Blue made their way down the stairs with Arthur right behind them.
"Get in." Katherine said to Blue.
"I can't leave my dad."
"Arthur will get him." Katherine said looking up at him
"I'm going right now."
"Not without me!" Blue said and ran back to the safe house.
"Stay here, hold onto this." Arthur said and handed Katherine the sword before going after him.
"I don't like this." Katherine said when it took longer than expected.
There was screaming from inside and Arthur came out carrying a screaming Blue. Arthur got them both into the boat and Blue curled into Katherine and cried.
"Shush, it's okay, Blue. It's okay." Katherine said stroking his head.