Thank you all for your massages of support and sorry it has taken me so long to update. Hopefully I am now back writing and updating.
/
As Arthur looked at his husband he saw Merlin had the most evil expression, something he hadn't seen before. "If I can get mother to help we should be able help me keep Sophia out of the picture for a while. At the same time as get back at her"
"What are you up to?" Arthur asked his husband surprised at the expression on his normally gentle husbands face.
"You get rid of Valliant and leave Sophia to me and Mum" Merlin insisted refusing to say more.
Arthur had already learnt that if Merlin clammed up he wouldn't be persuaded to talk so gave up and did as he was asked. Merlin asked for his mother to visit him. "Mother do you think you could do me a favour? Could you ask the King if Lady Sophia could act as your Lady in Waiting while you are here? Only I want to spend time with Mordred and the Lady has been left in charge of the boy. I hate to ask you as the woman is a poisonous bitch but it will allow Arthur and myself to spend time unsupervised with him" Merlin looked at his mother with what Arthur called his puppy dog eyes.
Hunith laughed "Of course I will. How could a mother leave a child with such a woman? I can do better than that in fact." She paused "Your father is going to request that I stay here overwinter to be near you. I want to be here while you are pregnant and with the winter setting in soon Travel will be difficult if you need me."
Merlin looked at his mother and threw his arms round her "But poor father how will he cope without you?"
"Your father will be glad of the peace I should think." Hunith smiled. She leaned forward and hugged her son. "He will be happier knowing you have me near. Leave Lady Sophia to me"
Arthur found getting rid of Valliant was easy enough. A patrol was to be sent out to go and check on the progress of the new Lord Ethan, to make sure his father Lord Anstey was not controlling his son or allowing the same practices Kendrick had been practicing. Sir Altor was the patrol leader and Arthur asked him to request Valliant. "I know he is a pain but he is a good fighter and tough. I will owe you a favour"
"It will be a pleasure Sire. Let's face it once there I can make sure he leads some of the smaller patrols. As you say he is a good man if arrogant. I will make his second in command, which after all will be an honour for him"
Meanwhile King Balinor requested permission to leave his wife as company for Merlin "She is worried about her child, who is after all young. I cannot stay here with her unfortunately and with winter coming it would be difficult for the Queen to travel if she were needed."
Uther looked at his counterpart. He was keen for his son's wife to give birth to a healthy child and could see no reason to refuse but at the same time he didn't want to feed half of Gangani through the winter. So he asked "How many will you leave with the Queen?"
Balinor hid the smile he felt forming. He found Uther an easy man to read so he had known that his wife's plan would work. "I will leave her maidservant and a extra Knight as the Pure one already has two knights and I am sure she will be safe here. I would request a Lady in waiting from one of your noble families to keep her company when Merlin is resting. I understand you have a patrol leaving soon, perhaps one of the wives left behind. That way they will both benefit from company"
"That can be arranged I think I know just the person, please leave it with me." Uther said feeling he had got off lightly.
So Sir Altor requested Valliant as second in command and the King approved. Altor was a mature Knight and sending a younger man with him would help prepare Valliant for when he led long patrols. The patrol would stay out over winter and use the castle as a base. Valiant protested to Uther saying he didn't wish to leave his wife for so long. But he got little sympathy from the King
"You are a knight first and foremost and you are due to go on patrol, it is an important one at that. I need good men" he was told and not wanting to alienate the King Valliant had no choice. "I have been asked to provide a Lady in Waiting to Queen Hunith who will be staying here to be with her daughter. I think you wife would be a good choice and it would be an honour for her"
Although Uther wasn't going to change his plan as the King had requested Lady Sophia Valliant could see the merits of his wife getting close to Merlin's mother. "She would be honoured Sire"
Valliant went to see Sophia and told her he was leaving on an extended patrol "I have no choice but it will be good for my advancement. What's more I heard that Queen Hunith was staying for the winter so I requested that you be her Lady in Waiting. That will give you an ideal opportunity to keep an eye on the Princess, after all the Queen is sure to spend most of her time with her." Valliant took the opportunity to appear more influential than he was and by claiming it was he who had suggested his wife to the King.
"But I want you to stay here!" Sophia protested with a whine.
"Well I can't, use this to your advantage and the Princess Morgana will reward us" Valliant hissed. "Don't mess this up, we need to get in a strong position. Thus is ideal we can keep both sides happy. The Princess will be happy we can spy for her and if her plans don't work out the Prince will be happy if his mother in law finds favour with you. This way whoever wins we will have our positions."
Put like that Sophia could see the benefits and the Gangani Queen seemed gentle and kind. Being in her company would be better than having to act as a child minder to Mordred. Sophia had never been fond of children. Also she may be able to get her old rooms back, as they were larger and warmer than her resent ones. Being Lady in Waiting to a Queen would give her a position of power in the castle.