Author's notes: I am totally amazed! It was truly marvellous to get so many reviews, and I hope I have managed to reply to you all. If I have missed anyone out, it really is by mistake. I will just say another huge thank you here to everyone who is reviewing and following this story. I am so grateful to you all.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Dissension
That afternoon, the grand hall was crowded again, though there seemed to be a certain air of resignation amongst the people gathered. Certainly, there were those who looked like they had something to say, and quite a few appeared to have an axe to grind, but amongst many nobles and commoners there was an acceptance they were there only as witnesses. Everyone, however, believed The King's promise that each would have a vote, and many believed they had heard enough of the arguments to cast that vote.
Yet, after the customary opening speech given by Geoffrey of Monmouth something unexpected happened. A young commoner came forward from the body of the hall and asked for permission to speak, which he was granted very swiftly by Lord Geoffrey in the hope of stalling another of Avebury's rants.
"My name is Bryce, the thatcher from the village of Longstead in the Feorre Mountains. I came here with Mary Howden to represent my village in the place of her husband, the village elder. I have already registered my documents with your scribes and they have been accepted." The young man spoke quietly, almost apologetically.
"Bryce has been licensed to vote in John Howden's stead, Sire," Lord Geoffrey pronounced.
"I'm glad that has been established," Arthur replied, genuinely happy to have another of his supporters stand and be counted. "You have something relevant to tell us, Bryce?"
"Yes, Sire," Bryce said more loudly, growing in confidence as King Arthur smiled on him. He had met King Arthur briefly once before, but he'd been ill and his memory of that time was fairly vague. "Sir King, as you might remember, some years ago our village was struck down by a strange sickness."
"I do indeed," Arthur encouraged the thatcher.
"You sent Merlin to aid us and he quickly realised the disease was not a normal one..."
"What's this?" Avebury cut in, unable to keep quiet and Arthur winced at his harsh tone. "Are we to believe that Merlin is also a physician?"
Trying to remain patient while inside he itched to silence Avebury for good, Arthur replied, "Merlin has studied medicine under Gaius for many years, and even before we knew he had magic, many of my knights were thankful for his skills with a needle. Now, Bryce of Longstead has the floor, and it's my judgement we should listen to what he has to say. Please go on, Bryce," Arthur instructed, before Avebury could object.
Lord Avebury seemed much in love with his own voice, but this time he recognised Arthur's barely hidden irritation and kept quiet.
"Thank you, Sire," Bryce said, standing taller. "As I was about to say, Merlin soon realised the victims had fallen prey to a powerful magic. I was one of those afflicted, and I'm told that a number of your knights were attacked by the lamia as well..."
"What's a lamia?" There was another interruption, but this time it came from Sir Kay.
Arthur swallowed, but, at least, he felt this intrusion was justified. "Gaius would you explain for the benefit of the council, please?"
"Of course, Sire. A lamia is a creature of magic created by the high priestesses of the Old Religion by taking the blood of a young girl and mingling it with a serpent. These monsters had been in existence for hundreds of years, though I'd believed, back then, that all had died out. Obviously, I was wrong. These creatures have the power to beguile men, before sucking the life force from their victims by a kiss and they are ravenous. This was the creature which had attacked Longstead and your knights."
Arthur nodded, watching as his people learned of yet another monster of magic. "Gaius, do you think it's possible that there are other lamias out there?"
"It's entirely possible, Sire. We cannot know for sure what is lurking in the known lands or beyond."
"Thank you, Gaius," Arthur said, allowing the murmuring in the hall to continue for some moments before addressing the man from Longstead. "I'm sorry for yet another interruption, Bryce, but I felt the people should understand what had invaded your village. Please continue with your story."
"There isn't much left to tell, Sire. As I was unconscious, I don't know much of what happened in between, but I heard that you, Sir King, killed the creature, and Gaius and Merlin found a cure for the sickness. Good magic destroyed the bad, and myself and the people of my village are very pleased that it did."
There was a general clamour of approval as Bryce finished, but not unexpectedly, Avebury was ready with his answer. "But you can't deny that dark magic had infected your village in the first place. It's clear to me..."
Arthur rose from his throne and found himself repeating his statement of yesterday. "Avebury, I think this council has already established that dark magic exists. It is evil and should and will not be tolerated. However, Bryce's experience shows that good magic can triumph over bad, and that on many occasions is the only method we have to counteract the evils of The Old Religion."
"But did you not slay this lamia? Without using magic? Surely that proves Uther was right and sorcerers should be executed." Avebury folded his arms across his expansive chest, confident he had made his point.
Arthur closed his eyes, wondering how many times they needed to hash over this same argument, yet he couldn't allow Avebury's views to go unchallenged.
"I did kill the lamia, but I could not have cured my men. It took magic to do that." Actually, he didn't know if that was true, but as Gaius and Merlin had treated the victims, he was fairly certain magic was used in some manner. Arthur sighed deeply and continued.
"For over twenty years, my father waged war against sorcery and yet this incident occurred after his death. Even with his relentless pursuit, dark magic survived. It is clear to me that his quest to remove magic from Camelot failed." The King paled as he said those words. He couldn't deny that his father was flawed, was actually deranged in his stand against magic, yet, for all that, he was averse to decrying his father in public... again. "Black magic can only be defeated by its opposite pole, which is what Merlin, myself and my supporters propose. It would be foolish of us, indeed, if we thought that all malevolence - magic or not - could be wiped totally from this kingdom." Arthur turned his attention to the hall in general. "This Grand Council has been called to debate the proposal that we arm ourselves with good magic against those who wish us ill. Is this not so, Merlin?"
Merlin rose quickly to stand with Arthur. "It is, Sire. No matter how much you, or anyone try, it is impossible to erase magic from the world. Magic is in the very fabric of the earth we live in; it is part of the very air we breath."
Merlin clasped his hands before him, the long blue sleeves of his robe draped over them, hiding the fact that they were trembling a little. He attempted not to dwell on the fact that the result of this council would determine whether he would be allowed to stay with his friends in the place which he had come to believe was his home. "Magic just is. It is neither good nor evil. I cannot deny that in the wrong hands, sorcery can be a curse upon the land, but I promise you this, while I have breath in my body, I will fight against that evil."
"As do I and my followers!" Iseldir came to stand by the foot of the stairs.
"And if you have use for an old woman, my wife, Lady Amena, has promised to support you." Lord Walton moved to stand alongside Iseldir.
"Arthur, you and Merlin have always been in my care and will be till the day I die," Gaius stated, taking a step forward, believing it time to come into the light at last.
There was a bustle from the doors at the rear of the hall as a slender man pushed his way forward, throwing off his hood. "My lord king, you might not remember me, but I told Merlin that one day our paths might cross again. It's my opinion that time is now." Arthur watched the prepossessing figure come closer, yet as Merlin showed no sign of worry, he was content to let this stranger approach. "My name is Gilli... and I have magic, and I place it at your disposal."
Another hubbub spread throughout the gathering. The newcomer looked vaguely familiar, though only a few people actually remembered where they had seen him before. Arthur was one of them, and the memory was slightly disturbing. His eyes narrowed.
"I know you!" he said. "You were a contestant in the all-comers tournament a number of years ago. In fact, you fought in the final against my father... who beat you." The King confronted Gilli at the bottom of the steps. "If you had magic, why didn't you use it to defeat him?"
"My lord, I cannot say I wasn't tempted." Gilli squared his shoulders; he would not act ashamed. "After all, if Uther had known I had magic, he would have killed me without a thought. But my father had taught me that magic should never be used for gain... and while I might have been on the verge of forgetting his example, someone else reminded me." Gilli's pointed gaze slid passed The King to Merlin. "Someone who foretold that one day you would recognise the goodness in magic and strive to return it to this land, which is why I am here."
"Yet sorcery is still against the law in Camelot," Avebury reminded the audience yet again, while pointing at the slight, self-confessed sorcerer. "This man should be arrested!"
Round the perimeter of the hall, the guards came erect and looked towards their king, causing Arthur to raise his hand. "Only I will give that command, Lord Avebury. I have promised an amnesty for anyone of magic who attends this Grand Council, and I will not go back on my word. This man has done nothing wrong. In fact, it appears to me that he has shown a great deal of restraint in the past, and if no one here knows of any crime with which he could be charged, he is welcome in Camelot."
An uncomfortable silence settled over the assembly, while people surreptitiously checked their neighbours to see if this sorcerer, or any other, would be denounced, but no one spoke up.
Satisfied that Gilli posed no danger, Arthur offered the man his hand. "I accept your offer of aid, for the present, though I must remind you that the council might vote to retain the laws against magic. However, you have my word that for the duration of the council you are safe and, if against my wishes the current law stands, you will be given time to leave my kingdom."
"Thank you, Sire." Gilli clasped The King's hand, proud and amazed that he could be part of the process of returning magic to the land. "I accept those terms gladly."
"Good! I'm pleased!" Arthur remounted the steps, saying in an aside to Merlin. "Can you find Gilli somewhere to stay?" At Merlin's nod, Arthur faced his people, all those who had answered his summons to the council.
"Members of the Grand Council of Camelot, over the last few days, I believe you have heard all you need to know about the good and evil of magic. More discussions would simply be a repetition of some members' polarised ideas. I'm closing today's meeting, and I would ask you all to go away and consider very carefully all you have heard in this hall. Talk to others, but do not let your minds be swayed by more powerful personalities. Be true to your own heart, and should anyone seek to intimidate you, do not be afraid to report such behaviour to myself, my advisers or my knights. Coercion will not be tolerated by members on either side of the debate. Be warned, I will throw any bully in the cells and they will lose their right to vote."
"You are closing the session? But what if we haven't finalized our arguments?" Avebury shouted, unable to hide his anger. "We were told we would all get a chance to speak."
"Lord Avebury, it's my belief you've made your opinions very clear to everyone attending this council." Arthur ground out, barely quelling his dislike of the noble. "Do you have any new information which is relevant to the issue, or do you need more time to rep... express, I mean express your opinion?"
"Perhaps his majesty is not yet fit enough for the... cut and thrust of debate?" Avebury asked snidely.
"Perhaps some of us are not so enamoured of my lord's voice as he seems to be himself."
Arthur almost burst into laughter as he heard Merlin's voice in his head.
"I couldn't have said it better myself, but I need to get out of here before I throw my gauntlet down at his feet. I think there are many here who are sick of listening to his... spew. What do I do, Merlin?"
"Nothing, leave it with me!"
"You are correct, Lord Avebury. Our king decided to train this morning, so he could resume his role as the commander of Camelot's army as soon as possible," Merlin said, speaking in his most conciliatory voice. "However, since his injury was extremely serious, and King Arthur is a most conscientious monarch who desires only to serve the people of this kingdom, he over reached himself." Merlin regarded the crowd before him and was pleased to see many nodding their heads in sympathy and agreement. "As his physician, I recommended that this afternoon's session be kept short and I'm sure all his dutiful subjects understand his need to rest. Do you find that unreasonable, Lord Avebury?"
Fleetingly, Avebury's eyes narrowed dangerously at Merlin before he bowed with exaggerated reverence. "Of course not. I misunderstood King Arthur's intentions. I assumed he was calling an end to the council."
"Not yet, Avebury," Arthur informed his opponent. "Anyone who wishes to continue these discussions, please feel free to remain in the hall to do so. Sir Geoffrey of Monmouth will take the chair, assisted by Sir Leon and Percival. But remember, I expect a civilised debate and my knights have my authority to expel anyone who does not heed my warnings."
There was a general hum of conversation throughout the hall which was brought to a halt when Arthur raised his hands once more.
"I still believe that many of you will have already made your choice, but I understand the gravity of the decision you are being asked to make. There will be no formal meeting tomorrow morning, but those who still feel they need time, or more information before casting their vote are welcome to use the hall for discussions. Anyone wanting to formally address the council should give their names to the scribes and they may do so tomorrow afternoon before the reckoning. We will meet back here in forty eight hours to cast our votes!"
Not waiting to witness the reaction to his unexpected announcement, Arthur strode from the hall followed quickly by Merlin and leaving the rest of his retinue in some confusion behind.
"What do you think you are doing," Merlin demanded, catching hold of his king's arm.
With another huge sigh, Arthur halted, looking disdainfully at Merlin's hand which rested on his sleeve. "What do you think?" His voice was equally derisive.
Merlin, however, wouldn't allow himself to be sidetracked by one of Arthur's sullen moods. "Did you really just try to close the council?" And when The King refused to answer, he persevered, sounding just as outraged as Arthur. "Why did you set a date for the vote!"
For some seconds there appeared to be a stand-off, until Arthur finally yielded. "To tell the truth, I have no idea." The fight went out of Arthur as he continued plaintively. "I only know I can't listen to another homily from Avebury. It's the same every time, Merlin. Someone speaks up for magic and Avebury repeats his objections with the same amount of bile as always. I'm sick of it Merlin, and I think many of the people in that room are too," he said, pointing back the way he had come.
"But that's a good thing, Sire."
Merlin felt it diplomatic to give Arthur his due title for the present. Arthur might have changed a lot in the past years, and even more in the last weeks, but there were still times when he took refuge in his rank; as now, when he was tired, worried and worn down by events.
"Don't you see, Arthur? The more Avebury fumes the more level-headed people he upsets and they'll look more favourably on our cause."
"Then let him do it without the presence of his king!" Arthur sent Merlin an apologetic smile, little more than the twitching of his lips. "I know you're right, Merlin, but I feel my time would be better spent exposing Avebury's true intentions and I can't do that from inside that chamber."
Once more, Arthur thumbed back at the doors behind him, which were opening as a steady trickle of councillors followed the King's example of escaping the heated arguments which were continuing unabated. The few escapees filed past their king and his advisor with appreciative smiles, bowing and hurrying on their way, though one older courtier did stop to speak.
"Thank you, your highness," said Sir Newlyn, his wrinkled hands stroking through his grizzled beard somewhat nervously. "It was brave of you to speak up so, but then no one could ever doubt your courage. Avebury will try to take full advantage of your absence, but I do agree with you. Most of the people in that room have already made up their minds. I know I have, and your leaving gave me permission to follow. These old bones of mine don't enjoy standing about for long periods of a time."
"I'm happy I could look after your bones, Sir Newlyn," Arthur replied, conversationally, wondering if he should ask this old man which side of the debate he had chosen to support, but since Newlyn had been part of Uther's court, he was probably against returning magic to the realm. But just as Arthur was about to take his leave, the noble continued.
"Like you, Sire, I'm sick of listening to Brennan Avebury. That upstart has barely spent any time in Camelot yet he thinks he can speak for all his peers. Well, let me tell you, Sire, he's much mistaken. I might be old and set in my ways, but even I can recognise when change is welcome. And there is not a person in Camelot who can doubt the devotion you have for your kingdom, nor Lord Merlin's loyalty to yourself. Clearly, you both believe in your proposal and I'm inclined to trust your judgement... and there are many nobles who share my thoughts." Sir Newlyn bowed again. "I just thought you would like to know that, Sire."
While one of Camelot's longest serving councillors limped away, Arthur whispered to Merlin, a glimmer of hope dawning in his eyes. "Do you think he's right, Merlin? I wish I knew."
"Perhaps there is a way of finding out the general opinion. We could have Kay and Leon sound out the knights and the nobles, while William and Bryce could talk to the commoners. I'm pretty sure Iseldir already knows how the majority of the Druids will vote."
"Is that fair... or legal, Merlin?" Arthur was afraid someone could overturn a favourable vote by suggesting the campaign was illegal.
"I don't see why not. We are not telling people what to vote!" Merlin said reassuringly. "From what I hear, most of the members of the council are talking about nothing else, so what's wrong with them speaking to our friends?"
"And Avebury doesn't have any scruples about telling the other lords what to vote! You're right, Merlin. You go speak to your friend Gilli. I don't think he has a franchise, but find out if he has any other ideas which can help us. Meanwhile, I'm going to talk to Mary. Ask her if she knew this man Daman. Perhaps then we can work out where Avebury's loyalties really lie. I might not have your magic, but I have a gut feeling Camelot is in danger, and while I have breath in my body, I will not see her fall again." Arthur's eyes blazed with determination before he turned on his heel to head for his apartments.
"Arthur, wait!" Merlin called. "Maybe I should come with you."
"No time, Merlin. Now the ballot day has been set, we have to make sure all our supporters are with us! I'll see you back at my chambers later."
Watching Arthur hurrying away, Merlin's eyebrows rose and a smile hovered on his lips. His friend was in for a bigger surprise than he realised. He was about to learn he had more than just Camelot to fight for, but Merlin was fairly sure the king would cope!
In this chapter I have borrowed Gaius' explanation of a lamia from the show, and that reminded me that I have not mentioned for some time that I do not own Merlin. I simply borrow these characters to write for fun and, I hope, your pleasure.
I hope you enjoyed this week's offering and I'm sorry to keep you waiting for a particular conversation which some of you might be looking forward to. It will happen, believe me.