The Fate of a Nation

Chapter 2: A Meeting

"Stop fidgeting." Merlin instructed sharply. For a moment, Arthur looked thoroughly put-out at being addressed so by a servant but as his common sense caught up with him, he nodded sharply. Taking a deep breath, the Prince tried to calm his racing nerves, and with an effort of will stopped his hands from twisting the fingers of the gloves he held in his hands.

"It's all very well for you to tell me to be calm." His whispered harshly, "but have you registered the fact that I am about to meet the woman I could very well end up marrying. Don't you think I have even the slightest reason to be nervous?" There was a pause wherein the Prince realise his mistake before hastily adding, "Not that I am nervous – but you know, if I was going to be – I'd have a reason."

Nodding sagely, Merlin refrained from pointing out that the best knight in the realm was clearly terrified – let alone nervous – and instead settled on asking. "So you've already decided upon marrying her, then?" He was curious as to what Arthur's response would be. The young man feigned a level of arrogance he did not truly possess but his sense of honour and duty were greater than Merlin had ever known.

"Not if we despise each other – of if she despises me. I won't trap the poor girl in a marriage where she would be unhappy. But an alliance would confirm the trade for Camelot – it would help the people – so even if we only barely like each other, I'd be willing to marry her." The was an undercurrent of something unidentifiable in Arthur's voice, but for the most part the words had resonated with such a sense of duty and love for the people of Camelot that Merlin couldn't help but be impressed. He knew he could never marry a stranger – but that was the different between a warlock and a prince he supposed.

The clatter of footsteps on stone heralded the arrival of the King and Merlin obediently moved to take his place with the other servants on the lower sweeps. The entire court was gathered on the steps of the castle to welcome the delegation from Daimyo. The courtyard itself had been decked in red and gold – the proud crest of the Pendragons flying from the battlements and adorning the great doors of the castle. Beside him Gwen hastily smoothed her skirts and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. The poor girl had been run off her feet the past month, her regular duties have been added to due to her skill as a seamstress. The entire court had been scrambling to prepare for the negotiations and every lady had been clamouring to have new dresses sewn. It was a sharp contrast to the last negotiations held at Camelot where the focus had been on weaponry not finery. When Merlin had asked about this, Arthur had – with great patience and condescension – explained that this was because there had been no war with Daimyo in centuries. Well, that and the fact that the wealth of the Daimyo nation was so vastly greater than their own – none of the ladies wanted to appear inferior to those of the Daimyo delegation.

Glancing up the steps of the keep, Merlin saw Uther murmuring quietly to Arthur, the Prince nodding to whatever his father was saying. Beside him, Morgana was standing head held high, mouth tight and fists clenched tightly by her sides.

The clatter of hooves and a fanfare loud enough to rouse all the citizens of Camelot echoed off the stone walls. Merlin looked down in time to see the Daimyo standard bearer gallop through the portcullis, his horse rearing as he brought the ice-white beast to an abrupt halt before Uther and his court. Behind him, two ebony stallions galloped into view, dancing on the spot as their rider's reigned them in, the rest of the delegation filing in behind. The standard bearer wheeled his mount to the back of the column, leaving the way clear for the two riders positioned behind him.

The first – a man – dismounted with ease before offering his hand to his female companion. The woman slid to the ground in a ripple of skirts and cloak that spoke to an almost feline grace. Though the woman's head was covered by the hood of her cloak, the man's was clear for all to see. His skin was pale, the colour of milk tinted with a drop of gold – a contrast to the golden complexions of his entourage and to the wind-swept raven hair cresting his brow. He was tall as well, Merlin noted - nearly a foot taller than the woman at his side – and the thin gold circlet on his head proclaimed him a member of the royal family.

"The Crown Prince." Gwen whispered beside him. At Merlin's raised eyebrow she continued. "See the colours he's wearing – the turquoise and white? – those are the colours of the House of Ouchi – the ruling house of Daimyo. Only those who are members of the royal family are permitted to wear them." Eyes sweeping over the assembled party, Gwen seemed to shake her head in wonder. Their fashions were distinctly foreign, but every inch of cloth and stitching attested to the wealth and bounty of the land.

"So the woman is the Princess then?" Merlin surmised, watching the woman now walking towards Uther with renewed interest.

"Presumably," Gwen agreed, "Though she might be the Prince's wife."

The pair had now reached the steps before Uther and fallen into a bow and a curtsey, the woman lowering her hood as she did so. As she rose, a gasp was heard around the courtyard and Merlin saw Arthur's eyes widen.

The woman was beautiful – even more beautiful than Morgana. Her hair cascaded down her back in a wave of black silk. Her skin was as pale as that of the man beside her, her mouth looked to have been carved from a ruby. Her features seemed to be carved from perfection itself.

"The Princess." Gwen breathed, and it was as though her words broke the spell that had settled upon Merlin. Sound and light seemed to rush back into being, and he could hear the Prince introducing his sister to the court as he explained that he would act as his father's representative in the negotiations.

The Princess raised her hand, and surprisingly it was Uther who moved first to kiss it, before allowing his son to do the same. Those assembled seemed shocked at Uther's show of gallantry, though Arthur's came as no surprise. The woman then curtsied to Morgana before offering a hand to shake – a public acknowledgement of their status as equals.

The royal siblings stood aside as the rest of the delegation was introduced, and Merlin noticed with interest that the young woman's facial expression did not once change from that of polite interest. It was as though she wore a mask her face was so immobile – even when she spoke, neither eyes nor mouth gave any indication of her emotions.

Leaning closer to Gwen, Merlin whispered. "Where is Daimyo in relation to this Kingdom?"

"Far to the east." She replied, lips barely moving as they watched the delegation. "Where the sun meets the sea – beyond the Elendarn Mountains." Merlin made a mental note to ask Gaius for more information later. He had never even heard of such a place until the envoy had arrived last month. Looking on the beauty of the Daimyo court that was before him, he resolved to learn as much as he could.

With a wave of his hand, the Prince signalled his attendants and as one they began to move forward with gifts for the court at Camelot. Spools of silk, ornate boxes carved from precious woods, spices of a kind Merlin had never even dreamt of, and jewellery of lace gold were given to the lady Morgana, whilst weapons, coats of mail and helms washed with red-gold were presented to Uther and his son.

Arthur watched the parade with an unusual level of calculation. The gifts were ostentatious and no doubt in keeping with the customs of the Daimyo lands, but they also served to remind his father just how valuable an alliance with this nation could be. This was but a fraction of the wealth Daimyo had to offer. A voice in the back of his mind whispered that were he to marry the Princess then the Kingdom would have even greater access to the wealth of Daimyo.

He watched with only mild interest as the formal proceedings drew to a close and the Crown Prince Katsurou offered, once again, his hopes for an alliance. Uther nodded with regal dignity, before offering to have servants escort the delegation to their rooms.

The Prince smiled his thanks and murmured the proper words to express his thanks at Uther's generosity. Arthur for his part moved forward and offered his arm to the Princess. "Would you do me the honour of allowing me to escort you to your rooms your highness?" He asked, bowing politely. He fancied he could hear Morgana snort almost imperceptibly but he knew she was to well raised, to behave in such a way.

The Princess's lips quirked in a ghost of a smile before she curtsied in return and accepted his arm. "You do me great honour, my lord." She said softly. Her voice was musical and bore only the faintest accent of her native tongue. "You must call me Miyuki."

"Then I am Arthur." He replied gallantly, as she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow. Again he was met with an almost-smile. Behind him, Morgana turned and swept into the castle.


A/N: Please let me know what you think. The plot should thicken in the next chapter hopefully.