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REVELATIONThey sat in the round table room and glared at their parents.
Emile had a cloak thrown around her shoulders and she was sitting in a chair next to Arthur.
She surveyed the disgruntled children who sat on the opposite side mostly angry but very confused.
"So you just did whatever this Kyrilla told you to do?" Arthur questioned.
Isolde looked like she wanted to say something along the lines of, 'why are you asking me questions when it is clearly us, in specific me, that should be asking?' But she didn't because Arthur was king and when he asked questions you answered.
"Yes," Garrett replied.
"I hate Kyrilla," Emile muttered. She turned her eyes skyward, "And I know you heard that."
There was a crack and Kyrilla stood in the middle of the room arms crossed. He looked at everybody who seemed to blame him for what had occurred and shrugged.
"Emile, Emile why are you so cruel to me?" he said.
"Just because I wouldn't do what you wanted!" She screeched. Tristan laid a hand on his wife's shoulder and the other went to his sword. He was not planning on drawing it on Kyrilla because it would be a futile exercise but it was something he touched for reassurances.
"You led them to 'that' kind of bar for your own vendetta, Kyrilla? They could have been killed," Kel joined in angrily.
"Very likely," Kyrilla scoffed, "Besides I knew their parents would be there to look after them." Kyrilla giggled like a five year old.
Emile tackled him. She leapt out of her seat and dove into him. Kyrilla was caught completely unawares and yipped as he fell to the ground. Emile straddled him and repeatedly punched him. Dagonet slid an arm around her waist and pulled her off with ease.
"You are insane!" Kyrilla snapped.
Emile bared her teeth and hissed but she had clamed down and was merely mocking Kyrilla now.
"I feel better!"
"Well I agree with Kel," Alera spoke softly. "You have been manipulating our children."
"Well if you didn't keep secrets!" Isolde finally snapped. Armand, Kaye and Baltimore, who hadn't quite grasped the seriousness, looked immensely happy.
"We did it to protect you," Tristan said. Isolde ignored her father. She looked all set to tackle her mother but Vanora, predicting her actions, pointed at the chair, "sit!"
Isolde swivelled her eyes to Vanora, calculated the chances of successfully charging her, thought better of it and sat down.
"I think you should explain," Galahad suggested. He had lowered himself into a chair and levered his feet onto the table. He suspected this could go on for a while and wanted to be comfortable.
"I'm the queen of Segour," Emile finally relented.
'What?" Korella questioned.
"Reverse it!" Kyrilla and Emile said in unison.
"Don't speak, Kyrilla!" Emile commanded. Kyrilla held up his hands and took a step back.
"Rouge," Garrett answered.
"The red court," Shazara said.
"You're the queen of thieves?" Isolde demanded incredulously.
Emile paused. "Well yes."
"I don't believe you!" Isolde snapped.
Emile blinked, unprepared from the reaction. "Well it's true. I have a crown and a tattoo. And people that do what I say."
"No I believe that you are queen of thieves but I cannot believe you kept that a secret from your own children," Isolde yelled.
"Neither can I," Kyrilla tutted.
"Be quiet," Shazara said.
"No problem," Kyrilla replied.
"He's one of the reason's we kept it a secret," Tristan interrupted. "We did not want your mothers career influence how you grew up."
"So you let me think she was just a dumb social woman?" Isolde stomped her foot.
"Isolde, it is your own silly prejudices that made you think that I was useless. At least now you know I'm not," Emile tried to smile.
"Oh no. I still think you are. Just a petty criminal in a higher standing." Isolde's words lashed out and she stormed out of the room. The knights shifted awkwardly.
"Is it wrong to beat your own children?" Emile asked calmly.
"I wouldn't judge you," Lyndaal offered.
"The rest of you go to bed," Arthur decreed. "There will be a follow up."
"I assume you mean punishment, Father," Garrett said. He was watching the door Isolde had walked out of.
"I'm pretty sure that's what he means, Garrett. Now all of you get out of here." Lancelot spoke for the first time.
Kaye, Armand and Baltimore stared at Lancelot than Emile before standing.
"Nice to know you can be a bastard and still give orders," Kaye spat out and walked from the room. The other children followed. Baltimore made eye contact with Emile and smiled. He then caught Tristan's gaze and ran.
"Well I think that went well," Kyrilla piped up.
"Leave please, Kyrilla," Tristan said. Kyrilla did as he was asked for the first time.
Guinevere let out a breath she had been holding. "That went very badly."
"Yes," Lyndaal concurred.
"Well at least it is out in the open," Galahad offered.
Gawain nodded, "It was going to come out eventually, Emile."
"Except she hates me more now, if that was possible."
"Apparently it is," Bors mumbled.
Vanora hit him as Emile said, "Thanks Bors, That helped."
"Well sitting around pondering this late at night won't solve anything," Arthur decided standing up. "I think a good nights sleep then address it in the morning."
"Good idea, Arthur!" Bors said with a yawn.
"Bors, we've talked about pretending to care," Dagonet said as the other filed out.
"I'll be there in a second," Emile said to Tristan.
"I'll make sure the other three are asleep in bed." Tristan kissed her on the cheek and left.
Fulicina was left with Emile at the end.
"You were rather quite during all that," Emile observed.
"I had nothing to contribute," Fulicina replied honestly.
"Being a mother is terrible," Emile muttered.
"Sometimes," Fulicina smiled. "But you aren't doing such a bad job. Isolde is a difficult child."
Emile snorted. "That statement would be like telling me money is good."
"It does seem obvious. Do not worry. I think she will come around!"
"I hope so!" Emile was thankful for her kind words. Fulicina more or less filled a mother role in her life.
"I better get to bed. Thank you. Tell dad I said goodnight," Emile said.
"Of course. Sleep well."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Tristan had not gone back to check the children were asleep. He knew they were. Shadow and Dowanna slept like the dead and Larx had shown the same habit. Occasionally Dowanna would get the occasional nightmare and come crawling into bed with her parents and Tristan would stroke her hair till she fell asleep.
Emile would wake up and cluck sympathetically but she was never that coherent after waking so it would fall to Tristan to soothe their child's fear. He was better at it anyway.
Tristan cornered Lancelot. His dark eyes met the darker eyes of Lancelot.
"Why are you doing this?' Tristan muttered.
"Doing what?" Lancelot demanded.
"Right now treating me like an idiot. But in the grander scheme of things I'm talking about committing treason."
"You know." Lancelot's shoulder slumped defeated.
"Yes and so does Emile, Kaye, Armand and Baltimore. Well they are the only ones I know of but I would guess more! Probably Dagonet, Bors and their wives know too. How long did you think to keep it a secret?"
"I have no idea how to stop it, Tristan." Lancelot couldn't look his fellow knight in the eye.
"Lance it needs to stop," Tristan gripped the other man's shoulder.
"I love Arthur and Alera but I just…" He trailed off.
"What about Shazara?" Tristan prompted. "She's your daughter. And Garrett. Don't you care how it is affecting them?"
"But they don't know." Lancelot looked worried now.
"Maybe not but they can see your marriage disintegrating."
"You aren't going to tell anybody are you?" Lancelot pleaded.
"Lancelot, you are one of my best friends and so is Arthur. You have my word that it remains a secret but take my advice and fix it!" Tristan stalked off then.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Emile was in the bed when Tristan got back.
'How did it go?"
"What are you talking about?" Tristan got into the bed beside her.
"Lancelot. The discussion you had with him?"
Tristan answered with a sigh. "I'm not sure what is going to happen but it will end badly."
"I want to slap them both." Emile said.
"You're just feeling violent tonight," Tristan observed.
Emile smiled. "That's true."
"How can I help?"
"Remember this morning when you said you had a present for me?" Emile smirked.
"Good gods woman you are demanding!"
MD666