Chapter 3

Alvina returned before the queen and set a basket of food down on Arthur's table. She set out six plates and cups and placed all the food around the table. By the time it was all set up Guinevere had returned. She beckoned for everyone to get some food before continuing with their left off conversation. Once everyone was situated with their food she began.

"We have much to discuss and not very long to do it. I have told the counsel that their king was feeling ill but not to worry, he should be well soon enough. It would not do for the people of Camelot to think their king unfit to lead. If the lords were to find out that you, Peter are not really Arthur then Camelot would fall into chaos. The lords would fight over who should rule until Arthur returns and they may not even believe he has returned when he does, as there will be no physical change when you return to your rightful bodies. Therefor I must ask you Peter, will you be able to pretend to be Arthur until we can figure this out and return you to your rightful bodies?"

"Art you sure that's wise, Your Grace. I mean no offense, but should you really keep from the people that I am not their king. If they find out we lied, will they not only be more suspicious of us?"

"Which is exactly why you must be able to pull off this performance, so can you?" Peter took a second to think.

"If you believe that this is the best course of action, then I can. I will need each of you to tell me how exactly he acts around his knights, people, and council along with anything else you think that I may need to know." Gwen smiled.

"I believe we can all help with that. Although the interaction with the knights will be a little difficult to express. We can say what we see on the outside but it's hard to say how he truly acts."

"My Queen, if I may I have an idea." Alvina said timidly.

"Speak your mind Vina." She said not unkindly.

"Well I know that you don't want the lords or people to know that King Peter is not King Arthur but I believe that we could allow one knight to know and he would be able to help Peter while still keeping the secret."

"I presume you have an idea on whom."

"I was thinking Mordred if you would, Your Highness. I believe he would keep this in the utmost security and he is very close to both Merlin and Arthur." Gwen thought it over a bit.

"Very well, you may go bring him here and we will explain the scenario, besides I don't think I'd want to keep a secret like this from my loved one either." She said with a slight smile. Alvina blushed.

"Thank you." Then proceeded to get the knight. Only moments later the handmaiden returned with the knight in tow. When he entered the room he bowed to the king and then the queen before speaking.

"Alvina said that you had urgent news for me, Your Grace." Guinevere smiled kindly at him.

"Yes, please have a seat first." He did as told and then she proceeded in telling him the situation. When she was done Mordred nodded.

"I see, so all in all His Highness and Merlin have switched bodies with these two kings and you would like my help to help them pretend to be Merlin and Arthur until we switch them back."

"Correct, and Mordred this is to be kept in the utmost secrecy."

"Of course, Your Highness."

"Good, now please tell Peter how he should behave." Mordred turned his focus to Peter.

"Arthur's, and now your, knights are called the Knights of the Round Table. You believe in equality no matter the position and so we sit at a round table so no one man is considered of more worth than another. You are friendly with all your knights and if you plan an almost certainly suicidal plan you never require your knights to go with you it is always volunteer only. Most follow you anyways and there are always six that are always at your side. These six are actually more like brothers to you and we all are very good friends. They include, myself and Gwaine, who's very roguish, you can often find him in the tavern or flirting with any breathing person. Then there's Percival, he's the largest knight, he always rips the arms off his sleeves, he's fairly quiet and you can usually find him around Lancelot. Lance is the most loyal knight and person you will ever meet, he's best friends with Merlin and one of our best swordsman. There's also Elyan, he's Queen Guinevere's brother and actually runs the local blacksmith as well. Finally there's Leon. He is your oldest knight and has been by your side since Arthur's father King Uther ruled, he has nearly died many times for you and if there is any knight more loyal than Lancelot it's Leon. Don't worry about recognizing them all, I will try to be by your side when you first meet them so I can casually slip in a name to match the face. We often go to the tavern after a hard days training or to celebrate a tough victory, or even to mourn a fallen comrade. However during training we never get any special treatment. Sometimes you even push us harder than most just to make sure we stay the best but you don't do that often. Sometimes you have Lance or Leon take over training if you are too busy with matters of state, not feeling well, or just want to see how well they will be when you eventually make one of them your Knight Commander. That's just about everything you need to know about your knights, if you have any other questions you can always pull me aside and privately ask me." Peter nodded at him carefully trying to remember it all. He looked to his brother and saw Edmund was concentrating just as hard and he knew that if he forgot anything Edmund would be there to help.

"Thank you Mordred. Are you ready to talk about the people or do you need a few moments." Gwen asked.

"I believe I'm ready."

"Very well. Honestly Arthur has very little to do with the common people on an everyday notice. When he does interact with the people he does so with as much patience and care as he does with his friends. Every monday he allows people to make requests and share an audience with him from noon to sunset. And that's just about it."

"Alright that's fairly simple to remember, it shouldn't be too hard." Gwen smiled at him.

"That is good to hear. Now learning about the council and lords will be tricky. You must pay very careful attention-" At Peter's nod of understanding she continued. "-The council is tricky. It is made up of a lot of Uther's old followers and they take joy in cutting Arthur down. Many did not agree with him when he chose to marry a servant and they think he is too young and inexperienced to rule as well as his father. The two biggest you should watch out for are Lord Essex and Lord Bedvare. Both were on the council just after the Great Purge and do not like most of the changes Arthur has made in the Kingdom. Both shall be very easy for you to spot and I will point them out just in case. Now on to how you actually are during the council. You try to hold in your patience and treat everyone equally and you always hear out everyone's ideas, no matter the subject. There is only one time he ever let his temper get the better of him and that was when Lord Bedvare insulted me and insinuated that the only reason I was queen was because I was a whore who let Arthur bed me just so I could take the crown and he wouldn't completely ruin my virtue. Arthur was furious and threatened to put Bedvare in the stock if he ever insulted my honor again. You should have seen his face," Gwen smiled at the memory before composing herself. "Anyways that shouldn't be an issue and you should just remember to keep your cool no matter the situation. Aside from council meetings, whenever he plans attacks he is an excellent strategist and he usually takes the best advice from Leon but he'll listen to what everyone says. Do you think you can handle all of that?" The queen asked worriedly and Peter looked towards Edmund first before responding.

"Aye, but I will need my brother at my side. He has always been my most trusted advisor and he is definitely the better strategist."

"That is perfectly acceptable. Your brother happens to be in Merlin's body and Merlin is Arthur's manservant so the two are rarely seen apart. Merlin usually advises Arthur anyways but only in private." Guinevere quickly redirected her attention from Peter to Edmund at this point.

"I'm afraid though, King Edmund that you will have much lower accommodations than you are used to. Being a manservant you are expected to clean Arthur's chambers, polish his armor, carry his bags, bring him food, and anything else he asks of you. You also can't wear nice clothes I'm sure you're used to, what you're wearing right now is about the only thing Merlin ever wears. If you wish to we can let the people know that you aren't Merlin and you can step up in position if you are uncomfortable playing your brother's servant." Gwen said but Edmund just smiled graciously.

"I'm sure that would only cause complications we do not need. I can play the servant, my only question is how I should act?" Gwen smiled brightly.

"Wonderful! Merlin is a very caring man. He treats everyone the same whether they are peasant or nobility doesn't matter, except for those on the council. He usually avoids them but whenever he goes to the council meetings he is respectful to the nobility and Arthur makes sure that they are respectful back. Overall Merlin has a very open heart and he is generally friendly and helpful to everyone. His closest friends are myself, Arthur, Mordred, Lance, Gwaine, Elyan, Perce, and Leon. He is like a son to Gaius but since he knows you're not Merlin you won't need to act like that really. He is also in a relationship with Morgana but they aren't very public about it and she knows you're not him as well so you don't really need to worry about it."

"Very well, I believe I can do that."

"I have just one more question. Most of the work Merlin does as Arthur's manservant is done in the privacy of these chambers, are they not?" Peter asked and Gwen nodded in agreement.

"So then I could help Ed clean my chambers, polish my own armor, and all else and nobody would know the difference."

"Uh...yes that is correct." Gwen said astounded that not only was one king willing to be a servant but the other volunteered himself to help. For the first time since this whole meeting started Morgana spoke up.

"Not meaning any disrespect but what kind of kingdom do you rule?" The boys exchanged questioning glances before Edmund responded.

"Pardon us, what exactly do you mean?"

"I'm sorry it's just you act so different than any nobles we know. You are both brothers but instead of the oldest one ruling you share a joint rule. Neither of you mind doing ordinary servant work, and you are both taking this entire situation in stride." Edmund laughed lightly.

"Was I still the same as I was when I was a mere boy then I would be absolutely murderous at the thought of having to play Peter's servant, but as I've grown I've come to appreciate the work. Verily, I know Pete would do the same were our positions reversed."

"What most are unaware of is that Edmund, myself, and our sisters are not originally of noble blood. We were but peasants who managed to defeat a witch that had taken over the kingdom and when that was finished our people elected us as queens and kings. So you see, we have not always lived the life of nobility and we would not have the way our kingdom is ruled any other way."

"As for taking the situation in stride, we have been in far more awkward situations than this." Edmund said. The people of Camelot in the room took all of it in in patient silence before Gwen stood up.

"Well we have all had an eventful afternoon. Morgana, Alvina, and I have a date with the ladies of the court, Mordred should get back to the rest of the knights, and Gaius can help you two start researching this problem. It's not unusual for both Gaius and Merlin to stay in these chambers with Arthur when he's feeling ill so you shouldn't draw any attention." Everyone nodded and then went their separate ways.

Ariela waited to start the meeting until the Queens returned with Mrs. Beaver. Once everyone was seated Queen Susan turned to Ariela.

"Ariela, what is this emergency you have called us here for?" She asked, not unkindly.

"I'm truly sorry for ruining our picnic but some disturbing news was revealed to me this morning and I thought it wise to inform this council as soon as possible. It appears that our Kings are not in the right state of mind." Immediately following the statement the entire council started talking at once asking for different explanations. The voices were instantly silenced as Queen Lucy the Valiant stood up.

"Quiet. I'm sure if we all give Lady Ariela the chance, she will explain."

"Many thanks, my Queen. I do not know everything myself but I will explain what I can. I found the Kings this morning while on a walk. Oreius and Mr. Beaver told me that when our beloved Kings awoke this morning, both were claiming to be other men. King Peter believes he is a King called Arthur, and Edmund believes he is this Arthur's servant called Merlin. I questioned both men on the way down here and neither mean harm to our country and they verily believe they are these other men. Therefore I believe that someone accidentally dipped into magic that was yonder their reach and this was the result." Ariela finished talking and waited for someone to either agree with her or offer their own idea. The council contemplated everything they heard and quick glances towards the "Kings" nervously fidgeting by one of the pillars erased any doubts anyone might've had over the Lady's words. Lucy was the first to express her opinion.

"You're theory is a plausible one but there are other possibilities. Perchance someone from their land accidentally did this or that one of the stars are trying to teach a lesson by exchanging our Kings." Suddenly a wispy frightening laugh filled the room. Every head turned to the far corner of the room and watched as the body of one they thought long dead solidified.

"Jadis!" Ariela yelled, voice filled with anger and fright at the sight of the woman who had been her mistress before Edmund had come. The White Witch cast her eyes over the council room coolly before landing on Ariela.

"My dear Ariela, the life of betrayal seems to suit you."

"I was never loyal to you therefore I never betrayed you. I just had to wait till Aslan returned to help the Pevensies take their rightful land."

"It doesn't matter." Jadis said dismissively but her eyes flashed dangerously. "Thanks to my friend Morgause I will have this kingdom back in no time and you will share the fate of your beloved kings and queens along with anyone else loyal to them. She hath brought me back to life in return for letting her kill Arthur and Merlin in the attack here and to give her troops to take over Camelot once I have retaken my rightful place as Queen of Narnia. So of course with our combined power there is no way either kingdom will survive. My people still wait for me to return, your Kings are lost in another land, and your precious Aslan won't be there like he was last time. None of you will stop me from taking my land back." She threatened. In one fluid motion Lucy jumped up, slid out her dagger, and threw it with perfect aim at Jadis. Just before it hit her, Jadis disappeared. All that remained was an echo of her laughter and Lucy's dagger hitting the stone floor. A tense pause enveloped the room quickly followed by an explosion of outrage, curiosity, and concern. While the council shouted over each other the two Queens quietly discussed the best course of action with this new information. Once they had come to an agreement they returned to the table and Ariela was the first to notice them.

"Quiet! Queen Susan has something to say." The council quickly turned their full attention to their monarch.

"Thank you Ariela. This news is disturbing. The witch's return was something we did not see coming and we now know that while Merlin and Arthur may not be threats themselves, the purpose for them being here is. Jadis has made her plans of attack very clear. The black dwarves and minotaurs have been causing more trouble than usual in the outlands and it is very likely that they will quickly jump to Jadis's side as soon as they find out she's alive. Therefore we must prepare for war. My brothers may be gone but we still have Lucy and our generals. They shall start preparing our troops while we send scouts out to find out where Jadis is gathering her army. Meanwhile Ariela, we would like you to travel to this Camelot, find our brothers, and find a way to break the spell."

"As you will, only I have one suggestion. Mayhap we should question the two men from Camelot so we know a little more about their land and see if they know who this Morgause is." Susan smiled graciously at her idea and beckoned to the men who had been cautiously watching everyone since Jadis's sudden appearance and sequential disappearance. Susan's gentle manner put Arthur at ease enough for him to step forward with Merlin watching his back.

"Before I give away anything about Camelot I must have your promise that you will not harm Camelot."

"Why would we harm your country when it is obvious that this is an attack on both our countries?" Lucy asked confused and slightly agitated.

"There is much magic at work in this kingdom." Arthur replied cautiously.

"Pray tell, what does magic have to do with anything?"

"Magic is testy. Used in the wrong hands it can be a dangerous weapon with untold power of destruction. With so many creatures practicing magic here it is doubtful that there is no danger to my kingdom." With the final sentence, many throughout the room grew tense, and anger clouded some of their features. Susan, being the Gentle Queen, spoke calmly above all.

"You are correct in claiming that not all magic is to be trusted. Indeed some Narnians do use black magic but not those that will be going with Ariela. Jadis used magic darker than black magic and her followers used black magic as well; once she was overthrown her followers had to turn their back on black magic or were banished with all of her loyal people. The creatures of this court only use white magic or are simply creatures of magic themselves. The magic that fuels this land and allows our people to be as sentient and intelligent as humans comes from Aslan himself and is the purest magic you will ever see. All we wish is for your help in getting to Camelot and understanding your city and people so that Ariela will be able to find my brothers and bring them hither."

"Good now, I will help you. I have already told you that magic is forbidden in Camelot so if your Lady is planning on bringing any troops with her they should be only human. While I trust my sister, Merlin, my wife, and my closest knights, the rest of the council is full of scheming politicians so it is most likely that the Queen has kept the switch from the council and only a select few people will know. You should make up a story of why you want to see the king when you get there so that you won't reveal Guinevere's lie. After you have found him you must speak with our physician Gaius, he knows the most about spells and how to break them so he may have some insight as to how to give us our own bodies back. The last thing you should know is about Morgause. Morgause is surely one of Camelot's oldest and strongest enemy. A long time ago she tricked me into almost killing my own father and she tried to turn Morgana against us but Merlin was able to get her to see that Morgause was evil. She's highly inventive and surely powerful if she was able to bring your witch back to life. She's summoned many armies against my father, however since I became king, stopped hunting down those with magic, and even repealed some of the harsher laws, the number of people willing to join her army against mine have dwindled to barely anything. This is clearly a last ditch effort to gather an army against us. If you have a map I can also pinpoint where Camelot should be compared to here… Ah, ok this mountain range to the west of Narnia that is just 2 leagues southeast of Camelot, if you're taking horses it will take you less than two hours to get there from the mountains and there is a pass right here that will be easy for your men to use to get through the range."

"Many thanks, Your Highness. This is quite useful." Ariela said to him before redirecting her attention to her Queens. "Methinks that I am as prepared as I am going to be. By your leave, I will gather a troop of 20 of our finest human warriors and we shouldst depart in an hours time."

"Good. Also talk to the horses. Tell them the situation and the urgency of the mission. If they are willing to let you ride them then take them and try to reach Camelot within the week. We don't know how long Jadis will give us before she attacks but I doubt it will be very long." Susan said and with a nod Ariela departed.

Within the hour Ariela had done as she said she would and her small contingent of Narnians were gathered with the horses willing to carry them across most of the land, understanding the urgency of getting their kings back before the White Witch's attack. Ariela raised her hand in farewell to the Queens watching from the courtyard steps before signalling for her men and women to move out.