Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.
Chapter 18 – The Bane of Arthur
Arthur and Gwen awoke the next morning to a pounding on the door.
"Your Majesties?" Sir Leon called out. "You'd better come, there's something you need to see." Knowing it could not be good the two hastened out of bed to get dressed, cursing the intricacies of medieval age clothing as they went. Though they supposed they should be glad that not only were their wardrobes just as they'd left them, but their clothes had been perfectly preserved like the rest of Camelot; it would have taken them that much longer if they had had to get back into the ceremonial clothes they had worn the other day. Arriving at the throne room the two found that everyone else was already there, sitting in their places at The Round Table, and staring at a glass ball in the centre.
"A crystal ball, Merlin, really?" Arthur announced their arrival. "Could you be any more stereotypical?" Arthur led Gwen to her seat before moving to take his; however, when he turned from his wife he was met by the old man Merlin had greeted them as the other day.
"Ah!" He jumped back startled, his Knights hiding their laughter.
"Is this stereotypical enough for you?" Merlin asked with a raised eyebrow, his voice having taken on the timbre of the old man he now was. "Is this not the stereotype of what the Merlin of Arthurian legend looks like? And old man with long white hair and beard and a magical staff?" He waved his staff in Arthur's face until The King grasped it and forcefully pushed it away.
"You've made your point, Merlin." He grumbled. The warlock let loose a cackle and returned to his seat next to Mithian, losing the old man disguise as he went.
"Please don't do that again." His wife asked with a look of mild nausea. "It's quite unsettling to see my husband like that."
"Especially given your nightly activities, no doubt." Lancelot said with a smirk.
"Oi!" Merlin turned his attention to the Knight. "There'll be none of that."
"Then I suggest you learn to be quieter, or place a silencing spell or something, I'm sure that's possible. It was hard getting to sleep with how loud you were being." He retorted.
"We're not that loud." Merlin muttered while Mithian looked anywhere but at the Knights. Such teasing, she knew, was quite common, but in the past such topics were deemed unsuitable for ladies years and so she was spared having to hear it. In this time, however, it appeared she would have to get used to it.
"Oh, I didn't mean you as in plural." Lancelot continued. "I meant you and in you Merlin." The Knights and Arthur could hold their laughter back no longer. How often had they joked about how loud their wives, or the woman they were currently spending time with, screamed their name? They found it quite funny for it to be one of them who screamed instead.
"Anyways." Merlin stressed, getting off the topic. "You were right, Arthur, about the news having picked up the story." He pointed to the crystal ball and they all looked on to see a video of what had happened yesterday at the game, before the scene changed to a reporter standing with Camelot in the background. "They can see the castle now, I forgot to replace the invisibility spell after I lifted it for you yesterday. We're still protected otherwise, they can't get nearer than that, but they can see it now."
"They've correctly speculated that the sudden appearance of this castle so soon after the apparent appearance of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table means that this is the fabled Camelot." Percival added. The scene changed once again to the video from the other day and Gwen could not help but groan.
"What is it?" Arthur asked, concerned.
"Did you not just see that it is clearly us in that video?" She asked. "Or rather our modern day selves who then turned into someone else?" Knowing both versions of Gwen as she did, Mithian groaned too, guessing what she was getting at.
"Our parents." She said. "They're probably going spare after seeing that and not being able to reach us." The others too now shared the girls' sentiments, thinking of their own parents.
"At minimum we need to speak with them." Gwen said. "But my cell was in my bag that disappeared when I changed into Guinevere…" She then turned to Merlin. "Change me back. I don't care how you do it, change me back to my present day self, Merlin."
"I am afraid that power does not lie with Emrys." A voice said not a moment before a light appeared off to the side of the room, dimming to reveal someone only three of them had seen before.
"Dear Lady," Arthur stood, offering a short bow to The Lady of the Lake. "You are most welcome here."
"I am happy to see you both again, Arthur and Guinevere Pendragon. The time of The Once and Future King and Queen is once more upon us."
"What are you doing here?" Merlin asked.
"Don't be rude, Merlin!" Gwen hissed; this was, after all, The Lady of The Lake. However, The Lady merely laughed, apparently quite used to Merlin's mannerisms.
"I came to see them for myself, Emrys. You know how I too have awaited their return." Merlin merely shrugged. After spending nearly two centuries in close quarters, seeing each other every day, there was not much that they did not know about the other. "I also came to meet your wife." The Lady's gaze turned in the direction of Mithian.
"Me?" She gasped.
"Indeed. I spent near on two hundred years listening to him speak of you. Occasionally it got to the point when I had to hide at the bottom of my lake to get away from it."
"Yes, well…" Merlin said with a blush. The Lady laughed once more and came forward to grasp Mithian's hand, looking deep into her eyes as if she could see past them into Mithian's soul, which would not be too surprising given who she was.
"You do him good, as he does you." The Lady said finally. "All you both hope for shall come to pass if you do not stray." Her cryptic message only confused Mithian, but she decided to merely thank The Lady and ask Merlin about it later. The Lady released Mithian's hand and returned to stand before them all, turning to face Gwen. "The answer to returning to your present self lies inside you, Your Grace. Simply allow Gina to take control once more and you will return to who you are in this time. The same for all of you." She addressed the others. "Though know that your past selves will never leave you. Whether you summon them forward or whether circumstances do it for you, you can, and will, return to being who you once were."
"Clothes and all?" Galahad asked. "Like if we were ever in need of our armour, we wouldn't have to trudge to wherever it is and spend all that time putting it on manually? We could simply bring the Knight we once were forward and instantly be ready for battle?" The others could see how useful that would be. They had no doubt that at some point they would be fighting once more and being able to be fully dressed and prepared for battle in the span of time it took for the flash of light to appear and die down like yesterday would certainly be handy.
"If that is how you wish it to be, then yes." The Lady responded. With a wave of her hand all save Merlin glowed golden for a moment. "Your instincts serve you well, Sir Galahad. Appearing as you do now is not nearly as impressive a sight as the Knights of the Round Table in full battle regalia, or The High King and Queen looking every inch the royalty they are, with the crowns of a united Britain atop their heads." No one could fight that assessment. If their past selves were needed it would no doubt either be to fight a battle or for the purpose of aiding Arthur and Gwen in their quest to bring about a new Golden Age; either way appearing as they did now would not exactly help their purpose. "There is one last thing before I go." The Lady turned to look directly at Arthur. "I fear your trials are just beginning, though especially yours, My King. I offer this warning that you are not alone in this time; others have been reborn as well. Your bane, Arthur, approaches."
"My bane? What do you mean?"
"I do not see all, Sire." The Lady said with a shake of her head. "But I urge you to be weary. Trust those here with you today. Allow them to protect you, as is their duty, and listen to their counsel, for with their help you may live to see your destiny fulfilled. Know too that I will help where I can. My allegiance has always been with The High King of Britain, and that has not changed. Until we meet again." She said in parting before the same light that had brought her here took her away.
"She's right about letting us protect you." Leon said, knowing how his King could be. "Until we know what is going on here there can be no running off, no arrogance that you will be fine on your own; you will let us protect you." His tone of voice brooked no argument. "We will work out a schedule so that you and The Queen are protected at all times. We would happily include Princess Mithian as well, though I get the feeling Merlin will not be leaving her side very often, and she will be quite safe with The Lord Mage at her side."
"He is not sleeping in our dorm!" Gwen quickly shot at her friend who grumbled unhappily.
"You are not sleeping in your dorm." Arthur countered. "I finally have you back, Guinevere, and I am not letting you go. I have my own room and you will stay with me. As for your protection, Sir Leon, given my room is located beside yours, across from Percival's and down the hall from the others here that should be good enough." Leon nodded his head. The only way it could be safer is if someone stayed in the room with them, which was most definitely not going to happen, or if they posted a guard outside the door, which he would speak with Percival about to see if they thought it necessary.
"And if Gwen's not staying in our dorm, then you can." Mithian said happily to her husband. "I won't be separated from you, Merlin." The warlock merely nodded, though happiness clearly shone in his eyes.
"Alright, now we've got that sorted, can we try and return to our other selves?" Gwen asked. The others quickly agreed and without knowing exactly what to do they closed their eyes and thought hard about their present day selves. It took a minute or two but eventually they felt what could only be described as a light prickling of the skin wash over them. When they opened their eyes they stood once again as uni students. Gina and Miranda immediately reached for their bags, taking out their cells and groaning once more at what they saw.
"Thirty-six missed calls." Gina reported. "All from mum and dad."
"Same. They're probably in the same room together calling."
"No doubt. We should really go see them."
"Can we stop by the field first so the boys and I can change and grab our stuff?" Aric asked, all nine of them still being dressed in their football uniforms.
"No need." Merlin said as he waved his hand, making their belongings appear before them.
"Right, we'll just go change then." The men had reached for their phones once their bags appeared, and groaned as well; they all had at least two-dozen calls from their parents too.
"Merlin?" Gavin asked before they left the room. "Any chance that we can bring our parents here? Only we're not going to separate, it's too risky, and as it's the same story, we might as well only tell it once, instead of eleven times."
"I can go get them, yes." He replied.
"Any chance of electricity, and cell service so we can call them and warn them before you just pop in?" Ben wanted to know.
"Oh, right! I'll set that up cell service as you lot change." Nodding in acceptance the men left to do just that, though Gina was not about to let him off so easily.
"Didn't you say yesterday that you couldn't give us electricity?"
"I said I'd work on it, and I did. Mithian…sorry, Miranda and I stopped off at the local library while we were out yesterday and I used the computer. Once I found out how electricity worked I discovered I can't do it." He admitted freely. "But cell service should be as simple as moving a cell tower closer to Camelot. Or a bunch of them. The cell companies build more towers if they want to expand service area, so that's what I'm going to do." He flashed himself away to who knows where leaving the girls to await his and the boys' return. Their first indication that Merlin had succeeded was when Miranda's phones rang. "Did it work?" Merlin asked not a moment later, having flashed back in.
"Yeah…" Miranda said, she and Gina looking nervously at each other Miranda answered her phone.
"Hello?" She asked, though they all knew exactly who it was.
"Oh thank god!" Was heard from the other end, the entire throne room having gone silent to try and hear what was said. "Where the bloody hell have you two been?!" Miranda's father assumed that the two were together, but given the two girls past of never leaving each other's side unless forced, it was a fair assumption.
"Dad calm down." Miranda tried, though that was apparently the wrong thing to say.
"CALM DOWN!?" He thundered. "My daughter and her best friend just up and disappear then we see that…whatever it was on the news and you are telling me to calm down?!"
"Dad, put mum on please." It was not often that her father yelled, certainly not like this, but when he did, and it was usually because of boys, you just couldn't talk to him until he was calm.
"No, I will not put-" A struggle was heard before Miranda's mother came on the phone, her voice much calmer, though just as stern.
"Miranda, are you and Gina alright?"
"We're fine, mum, really. In fact we've never been better." That last bit was said softly and given she was looking at Merlin when she said it was clearly directed to him.
"Alright…what happened? Can you come home?"
"We are home…in a sense. Er…but we'd like you to come here, and we'll explain everything."
"Alright…" Her mother said again, drawing the word out even more. "Where are you?"
"We're in Camelot." She said after a moment deciding on complete honesty.
"That is not funny, Miranda."
"It wasn't a joke, mum. We really are in Camelot. Look, I'm going to send Merlin for you, alright?"
"Merlin?" She deadpanned. "As in the ancient warlock of Arthurian legend, Merlin?"
"Yes, that one. I promise we'll explain everything, but it really should be in person." Miranda finally convinced her parents, and Gina's, that a warlock was really coming to get them before hanging up and flopping her head onto Gina's shoulder, already knackered and their parents hadn't even arrived yet. They waited while similar calls were made to the boys' parents before Merlin set out, flashing out of the room and returning about ten minutes later with all the parents. The children quickly found themselves engulfed in hugs while a million questions were fired their way.
"Silence!" Aric finally bellowed in an exact copy of the voice he had used when issuing the same command thousands of years ago. "Sit." The parents did as commanded, more out of shock than anything else, each taking a seat at The Round Table or in one of the chairs Merlin conjured when there weren't enough. When they sat they finally became aware of something other than their children, namely the table they sat at.
"The Round Table…" Alex, Aric's father, muttered, his mother Anna looking just as shocked beside him.
"Yes, that is The Round Table of legend." Aric confirmed. "And you are inside Camelot."
"So the legends are true then?" Penelope, Pierce's mother, had to ask.
"Yeah, mum. They are."
"For the most part." Logan added, thinking about Guinevere and Lancelot's famous affair, wondering if Chrétien de Troyes had somehow discovered their supposed affair, or if he just made it up, choosing Lancelot over the other knights only randomly. "Certainly not all of it is true."
"Right, well why don't you start explaining what is true." His dad Liam suggested.
"And more importantly what you have to do with it." His other dad Luke added. As one the Knights turned to their King for him to explain.
"Really guys?" Aric asked. "You're really going to force me to be the one to explain?"
"Oh yes." Dominic answered for them, all of them quite happy that they weren't The King and leader in this instance.
"Don't worry." Gina said, taking Aric's hand. "I'll be right here with you." She looked at him with pure love that did not go unnoticed by her parents.
"What the bloody hell is going on here?" Her father, Gareth, demanded. "Get your hands off my daughter. She knows she's not to date until she's thirty…or I'm dead…" Gina snorted.
"Oh don't worry dad," She said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "We're not dating." She waited until he had breathed a sigh of relief. "We're married." Gareth froze in place and it took his wife, Gabriella, to get him to sit down again.
"Let's try not to break your father." Aric advised, though Gina only shrugged.
"It's his own fault." She muttered back.
"And that's as good a place as any to start, I suppose." Aric took a deep breath, preparing himself for the long tale ahead. "What we have to do with all of this, and what you saw on the video the news got hold of, was us awakening after two thousand years." The entire room was silent, the parents already hanging on his every word and he'd barely started. "In this life we are your children; however, we have lived before. Given you are sitting at The Round Table inside Camelot I am certain you can guess where I am going with this. Two thousand years ago I was known as Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot and High King of a united Britain." Eyes widening and mouths dropping open was the only response he got to that news. "Gina wasn't entirely lying when she said we were married." He then directed to Gareth. "In our past life, Gina was my wife, Guinevere, The Queen of Camelot and High Queen of Britain. My friends, and fellow footballers in this time, were once The Knights of the Round Table. Sir Leon and Sir Percival were the First Knights of Britain." Leo and Pierce nodded as their names were called and they began to identify who was who. "Then there was Sir Lancelot, Sir Bors, Sir Tristan, Sir Galahad, Sir Dagonet and Sit Gwaine." They too identified themselves to their parents. "The one who brought you here is indeed the warlock Merlin. Also known as Emrys and The Immortal Mage. That would be why he doesn't have a present day counterpart. And-"
"I have a bit more obscure history." Miranda cut in. "My name was Mithian, I was the Princess of Nemeth, a neighbouring kingdom to Camelot, and was one day to be Queen. That is, until The High King united the land. I was actually glad when that happened," She looked to Merlin and took his hand much as Gina had Aric's. "For it allowed me to marry the man I love."
"You too?" Her father, Mark, ground out, while her mother Mary placed a restraining hand on his shoulder.
"Yes. Merlin and I were married."
"As was I." Leo spoke up. "I had married Princess Elena, the daughter of King Godwyn of Gawant. We had a young daughter, Sara…" The thought of his wife and daughter's loss was not a pleasant one. While not a pleasant thought for any of them, they all knew that their parents cared more about their lives than history and so spoke up as Leo had.
"I had a wife and two sons." Said Taylor.
"As did I." Dominic added.
"Wife, and a few kids." Ben muttered, hoping Dominic would let him get off, but he wasn't that lucky.
"A few kids? I'm pretty sure it was nine at last count." Bernard and Bianca, Ben's parents, turned to look at him with wide eyes.
"Hey, it was the medieval era, and we were older than we are now." He defended. "I was thirty-three when Camelot fell. And let me tell you, being ten years younger isn't all it's cracked up to be." The next two to gain the parents' attention were Gina and Aric who both smiled sadly.
"We had two children." Gina said.
"Well, two and a half." Aric corrected. "The Queen was with child."
"William, was our first," Gina continued as if Aric hadn't spoken. "Then we had Eleanor."
"Who had a secondary father in Percival." Gavin said, nudging Pierce with his elbow. "Princess Eleanor had him wrapped around her little finger."
"She did not." He muttered unconvincingly.
"Please." Leo scoffed. "You'd have dressed as a fairy and had a tea party if only The Princess had asked."
"Like you wouldn't for Sara." He retorted. The two glared at each other and the subject was wisely changed, or rather focused onto other people.
"And you?" Mark asked his daughter who shook her head sadly.
"No. Merlin and I were not blessed with children."
"Perhaps in this life, darling." Merlin said. Regardless of whether or not her parents were there, his wife was hurting, as she always did when she thought about their lack of children. "Remember that The Lady said all we hoped for would come to pass in this life." Miranda smiled and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek.
"The Lady?" Tiffany, Taylor's mother, asked.
"Do you mean The Lady of the Lake?" Her husband Ted added.
"Yes, that is exactly who he means." Aric said and took up the tale once more. They talked for hours, the parents listening to everything their children said as well as asking questions quite often. Deciding to be completely truthful with their parents they started at the beginning with Lady Guinevere's arrival at Camelot. The parents were naturally disturbed to hear that they had been married as children, though were glad to hear nothing had happened till they were grown when they glossed over that part; there were just some things you didn't talk to your parents about. They smiled upon hearing that Arthur had lifted the ban on magic, allowing Merlin to no longer hide, gasped when the existence of dragons was brought up and growled upon hearing of Morgana's betrayal. They displaced all the right reactions at the appropriate times, not once doubting their children's story. It took several hours to get everything out into the open, Merlin had popped away more than once for food, though the final time he did so he brought back news.
"We have a bit of a problem." He said as the Chinese take away containers were handed out.
"What is it, Merlin?" Aric asked.
"There's now several thousand people camped just outside the wards that protect Camelot."
"Oh."
"Yeah, oh."
"They're naturally curious." Gina reasoned. "It is not every day that legends literally come to life. And Arthurian legend is one that has been a part of British and European culture for centuries before spreading to the rest of the world."
"What are you going to do?" Gemma, Glen's mother, asked.
"He'll give a speech, probably." Glen answered. "It's what kings do in such situations."
"The question is do we allow them access to Camelot, or do we go to them?" Taylor asked as he and the other Knights began strategizing.
"It'll be easier to contain if they're inside Camelot." Pierce reasoned. "It's not like the Saxons bearing down upon us with no warning where the castle limited our movements. They have no weapons and we have prior warning."
"I can temporarily lift the wards." Merlin said. "And should things get out of hand it will be easy to eject them. Camelot is the safest place right now."
"We have no answers for them though." Said Aric. "We still don't know why we were reborn now, why The Once and Future King and Queen are needed."
"So we tell them that." Miranda imputed. "You know we can't just do nothing. If we confirm that yes this is Camelot and yes we are the reincarnations of King Arthur and his court it will be enough for now. Like it or not those are your people, Sire. You must tend to them." Her royal upbringing shone through as she spoke, knowing what needed to be done.
"They are not my people, they're Queen Elizabeth's people." He countered.
"You are The Once and Future King, Sire." Said Leo. "You were destined to rise again and lead your kingdom and your people into a new Golden Age. Princess Mithian is right, they are your people." As they fell further and further into this line of thinking, their past selves come forward.
"Alright, I'll make a speech then."
"Throne room or balcony?" Ben asked as they began to mobilize.
"Balcony, definitely." He replied. "We'll let them into the courtyard but not inside the castle. Besides we're to convince them we're here to help, or whatever it is we are here for. They do not need the image of Guinevere and I on our thrones, it will only serve to convince them we're trying to reign over them."
"Won't your crowns do that anyways?" Gavin had to ask.
"Possibly. But we can't help that one, let's just not make it worse, alright?" They agreed and the parents then got to see just how this group worked together. But first they got to see first hand what the video on the news had shown. Light shimmered over them and within moments their children were gone and before them stood the ancient royals, and The Knights of the Round Table.
"Merlin go find a way to inform them that they will be allowed inside the castle gates to the main courtyard in exactly thirty minutes from now." Arthur took command. "Percival, you, Bors, Dagonet and Galahad go and seal the castle, I don't want anyone to be able to go anywhere we don't want them. Leon, you and the others take our parents to the galley across from the balcony and open the windows, ensure they're comfortable. They'll be able to hear and see everything but will be safe should things get out of hand." He then turned to the parents. "Our parents or not, in this situation you are to follow our orders, do you understand?" Seeing only The High King of legend before them, the parents nodded their heads. "Do not leave the galley no matter what. If things get out of hand we will take care of it. Stay there until we come for you." Again they nodded and Arthur sent them off. Not long after Merlin returned saying that he had informed people and even adjusted the wards such that those entering the castle gates could only follow a certain path, allowing none to stray where they did not want them to go. Percival and Leon as well as the other Knights returned from their tasks as well, reporting that the castle was secure and their parents were all set in the galley. At the appointed time those still in the throne room heard a dull roar as a large crowd approached; no one had any doubt that the crowd clambering into the courtyard would be just as large as the one that had come to see Arthur and Gwen crowned as High King and Queen, meaning no space would be left empty.
"It is time, Sire." Tristan said from his spot by the window, having been keeping watch until the courtyard was full. Arthur sighed but stood nonetheless, offering Gwen his arm as he began the trek to the balcony that had seen many a public appearance or speech be made from.
"Keep a close eye out for trouble." He instructed. "We do not know who is in the courtyard and there may be someone, or some people, who wish us harm. Keep close to The Queen and Princess Mithian, they are your priority."
"Yes, Sire." The Knights mumbled. Merlin too nodded his head, but it went without saying that he would protect his wife and Gwen too. As the doors leading to the balcony opened a hush fell over the crowd, the silence of anticipation turning to one of shock when the group took their places. Arthur looked over the crowd once before speaking, noting the hundreds of cameras aimed in their direction, but seeing no threat.
"People of Britain," He began clearly. His words broke the crowd out of their reverie and the snap of those hundreds of cameras could be heard. "In the last twenty-four hours you have seen a video of supposedly impossible circumstances. So much so that it could easily be mistaken for a film with special effects. On top of that, this very castle, which yesterday appeared to not exist, suddenly materialized. However, for all its fantastical elements, you are here today because you believe the video you have seen to be true, and to be connected to this castle. You would be correct." The crowd broke out into chatter and Arthur gave them a moment before holding up his hand for silence. "You currently stand in the courtyard of Camelot Castle, the ancient seat of House Pendragaon, the former capital of Britain, and yes, it is the Camelot of legend. I am Arthur Pendragon, King of Camelot, and High King of a united Britain." Again he paused to allow time for the crowd to quiet. "Or at least I was, two thousand years ago. Beside me is my wife and Queen, Guinevere Pendragon, The Queen of Camelot and High Queen of Britain. With us are The Knights of the Round Table, my Lord Mage, Merlin and his wife, Princess Mithian of Nemeth. What that video showed was our awakening. You see, Guinevere and I are also The Once and Future King and Queen. It was prophesized in times even more ancient than ours that when our kingdom was in need once more, we would rise again and lead our kingdom into another Golden Age. For two thousand years," Arthur shouted above the crowd, for his words proved too much for them. "For two thousand years we slumbered, awaiting the time we would be needed and our destinies would be fulfilled. Yesterday we awoke to a world that while certainly not turmoil free, is not on the brink of another dark age as we were led to believe would be the case when we awakened. We cannot tell you why we have awoken now, nor what is to happen from here, simply because we do not have those answers ourselves. However, I wish to assure you that regardless of my title of The Once and Future King, regardless of the ancient prophecies proclaiming I would one day reign again, that is not my intention. I lay no claim to Britain of the 21st century. For now we wish to carry on as normally as possible, and we ask for your discretion in this matter. We are not celebrities to be hounded by the press, so please respect-"
"Arthur look out!" Gwen shouted suddenly, pushing him aside. While Arthur had been looking to the crowd below, Gwen had allowed her gaze to wander and so saw the arrow that came from off to the left. Everything happened quickly after Gwen's shout. The Knights drew their swords and surrounded their King and Queen, pausing only long enough for Merlin to push Mithian into their protective circle as well, before the mage turned in the direction the arrow had come from and unleashed his magic. A cry was heard and a man fell off the ledge he had climbed on to.
"Bors, Lancelot, Gwaine, with me!" Leon shouted as he jumped off the balcony, thankful that Merlin's magic allowed for a soft landing. All four Knights ran to the fallen man while the other four stood ready in case he was not the only threat.
"Guinevere, sweetheart, please be alright." Arthur begged as he gathered her in his arms. "Merlin!" He cried when he spotted the blood.
"I'm alright, really, it's just a scratch." Gwen said, holding to hand to the wound on her arm, the arrow having only scratched her. With such a superficial wound Merlin was quick to heal it, allowing for their attention to turn to the man who had tried to kill Arthur. The King's gaze was hard and his eyes thunderous as he stood with Gwen tucked into his side and stared at the man his Knights dragged forward. If it was possible, Arthur's expression darkened further when he saw who it was.
"Mordred." He snarled.
"Hello Arthur." The Saxon King replied with an arrogant smirk. "It seems my plan failed. But your luck will run out, just as it did before." Arthur undid his cloak, letting it fall to the ground before taking his crown off and handing it to Gwen. With a quick look that promised he would return this time, Arthur too jumped off the balcony and slowly stalked forward, the crowd parting for him as he went.
"My luck?" He said through gritted teeth. "Don't you mean your lack of honour? I seem to remember no formal declaration of war, no warning at all in fact, as you used Morgana's magic to hide you and your army like thieves in the night until you were upon us in numbers we could not match. I remember the cries of my people as they were slaughtered in their homes. The cries of women and children as grown men took innocent lives. I only learned after awakening that some of those cries were my own wife and children. You had your men slit my children's throats, shove a dagger in my pregnant wife's belly, killing both her and our unborn child!" His voice had risen as he spoke until he was yelling, though he forced himself to regain his composure. "My luck as you call it, is made up of years of training, years of defeating you Saxons, many hard won battles, and my honour, none of which you would know a thing about. You always took the easy way out, Mordred, always thought everything was your right and that it should be given to you without you given anything in return. It's what made you such easy prey for Morgana. Release him." He directed to his Knights, they did so hesitantly, keeping their hands on their swords, knowing Mordred would not play fair. "We will see how lucky I am in a fair fight. Draw your sword, Mordred, and face me man to man, without your goons at my back."
"But with yours at my back." Mordred returned.
"None of you are to interfere." He told his Knights.
"But Sire-" Leon protested.
"No. I command you, Sir Leon, to not interfere."
"As you command, My King." The First Knight grumbled.
"Draw your sword, Mordred." Arthur said again. The Saxon neither said anything nor made a move. "This is your last chance to face me in fair combat, as that thing called honour demands I give you." Again he made no move. "Very well. Then you will die a coward. Bring him." Arthur said before turning to leave. The moment his back was turned Mordred sprung into action, drawing his sword and going on the attack. Knowing of Mordred's cowardice, Arthur had been expecting this and so was ready when he heard movement behind him. Swinging back around, Arthur drew his sword in one fluid motion, Excalibur appearing in a bright flash of light, as he blocked the attack. "I thought you'd try to attack me with my back turned." He said as the two began their fight. It was no contest, Arthur was the more skilled swordsman without any doubt; add in Excalibur's power and Mordred had no chance of victory. The Saxon King went down to a well-placed blow to his side, his arm moving instinctively to cover the wound, allowing Arthur time to disarm him. Arthur threw Mordred's sword to Leon who caught it deftly before holding Excalibur at his enemy's neck. "I should show you the same mercy you showed my wife and children." He snarled. "But first you are going to tell me how you're here."
"Isn't it obvious?" Mordred spat. The wound he currently had would kill him, it was too deep not to; Mordred knew his time was up. "A mutual friend resurrected me. Say hello to her for me, Arthur. If she lets you live that long." The man then collapsed in a dead faint and it wasn't long before his life left him.
"Merlin." Arthur said without raising his voice and the warlock was by his side in a moment. He raised his staff and waved it over Mordred's body, making it, and any sign that he had been there, disappear. "You heard what he said."
"Yes."
"Now we know why we awakened in this time, Sire." Said Bors. The King nodded.
"Morgana."
