The Cup of Life

"There is more to our visit than to tell you about the druids disappearing."

Merlin sighed as he slumped back in his seat. Morgana had told him what happened between her and Mordred and he had told her what happened when they last met. It would have just been simpler if Mordred wasn't so easily lead.

Iseldir carried on. "They are scared. We are all scared for our lives. But my camp is more scared that an artefact will fall into the wrong hands as it already has once before."

He sat up a bit straighter. "What artefact?"

"The Cup of Life."

"I have seen it used before."

"Not the same way that I believe your enemies want to. It is a powerful weapon. It has the power of life and death but there are stories about armies becoming immortal because of its power."

"My enemies? Morgause?"

"She would definitely know and be aware of its power. What her plans are, I have no idea. I wished to bring it with me to give to you for safe keeping but as we have said, we don't want it getting into the wrong hands."

"She would be unstoppable with it." Merlin thought of all the chaos that would be caused by an immortal army. What was it with Morgause and immortals? "I need to talk to some people but I would gladly join you in returning to your camp and retrieving it. It would be safer here. Just wondering, how did it come into your care?"

"We were restocking." He explained. "I felt the magic coming off it on a traders stall. I do not accept stealing but when he was being unreasonable, I did allow a few of the youngsters to take it off his hands."

"Better you did than someone else. Anyone could have brought it from that stall."

"Thank you Emrys."

Even with the serious of the situation, Merlin couldn't help but smile. They had got two tables made in the end. One of the round tables stood proud one of the council chambers at the top. He couldn't just have who ever he want around that table for the moment. The other one was in one of the chambers underneath the castle and this one only had the people that Merlin trusted.

Morgana was sat on his left with Lancelot and Gaius, while Arthur was on his right with Gwen and his mother. Iseldir was sat opposite him. Merlin had offered him a place and he had gladly accepted.

"Thank you for all making your way down. And I would like to take the time just to announce that this is the first Round Table meeting. I know we have had some at the other table topside. But this is the table were the people I want are around it.

"I called you down here because … there have been developments. Druids are disappearing and we haven't noticed. Obviously this is going to reflect badly on us as we have relaxed the rules on magic. But then again we look bad because magic is still illegal when magic is on the throne.

"But getting to the point, Iseldir has a magical artefact that he wishes was under our protection. The artefact is the Cup of Life. It has the power over life and death if it is drunk from but it can also be used to make people immortal. With the druids going missing, Iseldir is scared, as the whole of his camp is, that it might fall into the wrong hands."

"Morgause?" Morgana questioned.

He turned to her. "She would know about its power. Iseldir was going to bring it with him but was persuaded by the camp to keep it with them. We need to go and collect it and bring it back to Camelot safely."

"We should leave at first light." Arthur suggested. "Who do you wish to take?"

"It would be an honour to join you." Lancelot said.

Merlin felt awkward. "Then will it disappoint you if I asked you to stay? If we get there and the camp has been ransacked and the Cup of Life is gone, then I want someone that I know I can trust to get my mother, Morgana, Gwen and Gaius out of the castle and know that they will be able to do it. I hoped that you would be the man for the job."

The look on Lancelot's face made Merlin feel guilty. But he was the only knight that he trusted wholly to do the job. He knew that Arthur wouldn't stay put. He trusted Leon but he would know that he would like to try and hold the castle. In his mind, he wanted Lancelot to do the job.

"It will be my duty and honour."

Merlin wanted to grimace at his words.

"I feel really bad."

"I know you do."

"He really wanted to come and I have made him stay put."

Morgana gave a short laugh before walking over and taking her husband's hands in her own. "He is the man that you want to do that job. There will be plenty more adventures for you to go and on and he can join you on every single one. You took him to go and get the dragon egg."

"But that was only because Arthur was acting like a prat."

She pulled on his hands and walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge of it when they got there. "What is on your mind?"

He took his hands out of hers and dragged them through his hair. "I have learnt to much but done too little. I … I want to be the King of Camelot. I know that the law against magic is just waiting to become abolished and I want to be the person who does that. I have all these dreams and plans about what I want to do. And I want me to do them. I have a lot more confidence in this role. I don't want it to end now."

Morgana smiled at him. "I told you everything would be alright in the end."

"We are far from the end. This is really only the beginning."

"Well once we have dealt with Morgause, you can do whatever you want. Magic can become legal and we can be free."

"Aren't we already free?" He joked.

She pushed him slightly. "You know what I mean."

"I do. I just cannot wait for us to get to that point."