CHAPTER 9 : SUSPICIONS VINDICATED

Arthur was slowly improving; he could open his eyes and follow orders. He was sitting upright. He had yet to speak and every time there was a knock at the door, his eyes flashed to it, only to close again when the person he was expecting, did not walk into the chamber.

Thomas was doing the best he could, but even he knew he was not the one needed to speed the king's recovery. He kept the king's chambers warm, hot water on the ready for washing, as well as fresh clothes and extra blankets available. He even had snacks and ale available for any visitors. He had offered to move into the manservant's room off the royal antechamber so that someone would be with Arthur during the night. Gaius had gratefully accepted his offer.

The knights used to sit beside the patient bringing him up to date on what was happening. Sir Rupert as Senior Knight tried to keep him posted on Camelot which luckily was experiencing a period of calm.

However, it was Gawaine who had the most success with him. He was sure that Arthur was trying his hardest to communicate. His hands would clasp Gawaine's and his eyes never left his face.

"What is it Arthur? Try to tell me what you want...or is it someone?" Arthur became agitated and Gawaine knew that he had been right in surmising that it was a person and there was no doubt in his mind as to whom that person was.

Gaius had prompted Gawaine to keep Arthur's attention and just feed him names. "He trusts you and he will try his hardest. We both know who he wants and it isn't that rogue Reginald."

Finally, one day, Arthur seemed brighter. Gaius couldn't get anything out of him but Gawaine later in the afternoon was sitting with him in front of the fire and was surprised to hear Arthur say scratchily, "Merlin…?"

Gawaine leant over giving him a big hug and said, "Soon, Arthur, soon! But you will have to do better than that when he comes. Arthur, it's been ten days and all you do is hobble from your bed to your chair in the window or here to the fire. Today, we are going to take a little walk."

Before, Gawaine returned Arthur to his chair; he had hobbled twice around the room, leaning on Gawaine's arm for support. His muscles were stiff with his lack of movement and he was unsteady on his feet. He was exhausted but his eyes were the brightest Gawaine had seen in a long time.

When Gaius returned, Gawaine took leave of his king saying, "Soon, Arthur!"

Arthur raised his head and said hoarsely, "Promise?"

Gaius smiled putting his arm on Arthur's, "We both promise, Arthur!"

-0-0-

Merlin knew, it was going to be difficult to convince Arthur that Reginald, a liar and an opportunist had been playing on his own consummate need for information about his mother which his father had begrudged him. They needed to have all their facts straight and as well documented as possible. Little did he know that back in Camelot, Arthur had begun to have his own misgivings.

The first night after leaving Lord Solan's, as they had after leaving Hedthorpe, they stayed at an inn where they were able to get a large private room. They had their supper brought up to them and they were able to go over in detail all the information and put all the notes in order. They discussed the ins and outs of their findings and felt that the strongest proofs were in the information given them by Roger the manservant and the recollections of Lady Annabelle, the previous maidservant. They hoped that they had enough information to convince Geoffrey and Gaius.

Merlin said, "Arthur, will be the hardest to convince as he sees Reginald as that all important link with his mother."

"Do you think that he believes him without any doubt or does he realise that the information is just too good to be true? Does he not have the slightest suspicion?" asked Leon.

"We'll find that out when Geoffrey presents him with our findings." Merlin added, "Spenser, you thought that Reginald was telling the truth, didn't you?"

"That was only because I was seeing it from Arthur's point of view. He's always clung to any information about his mother and he seemed so happy. It wasn't until there was coolness between you two that I thought there might be something strange about a knight arriving out of the blue with all the information which Arthur over the years would have been thrilled to receive. He had me hoodwinked too, Merlin!"

"Coolness?" said Leon, "That's a nice way, to explain the dismissal of a trustworthy manservant and, may I add, a beloved friend."

Spenser grinned, "You know what I meant."

Merlin grinned at the two of them before saying, "Well, from the beginning, I got a strange feeling every time he said the word Ygraine. It was as if it were the hallowed key to something which he would one day claim."

Leon said, "You know how he presented himself as the son of Arthur's mother's sister, well technically, Merlin, if Arthur had wanted, he could have acknowledged him as his first cousin and closest blood relative."

"Wouldn't that have been bloody marvellous!" said Spenser.

Leon's statement had made Merlin shiver, he had considered it but to have someone else state it, was unsettling. Merlin said nothing else, knowing that could very well have happened during the time that Arthur and he were to put it mildly, estranged. He hoped that Gaius and Geoffrey were keeping an eye on the situation and nothing too drastic had taken place in his absence. He said to himself, 'May God see us safely home before anything awful happens!'

The three of them discussed how they would approach the folks in Chertsey. They decided to do so by directly asking anyone who would listen, about the late Lord Landon and Lady Elisabeth's family. They figured one and a half more days travelling would see them there.

-0-0-

Once Arthur had cleared the first hurdle, he made progress in leaps and bounds. Within the next seven days, he was talking with only the slightest hesitation. He had even resumed inviting his friends to join him for supper. Romney, Simon and Gawaine attended, missing were Leon, Spenser and the one person he wanted to see the most Merlin.

Although he asked continually, no one could give him any information about Merlin. Gaius and Gawaine played along saying only that he had gone away for a while. Arthur knew that Leon was visiting family with Spenser and a manservant but never did he put two and two together to realise that his beloved Merlin was said manservant.

Four weeks had already passed and no news had been received from the three travellers. Geoffrey and Gaius were beginning to feel a little uncomfortable. Had it been a wild goose chase or had something happened to the three of them?

Reginald was still a threat. He kept hinting to the other knights that he needed to visit Arthur. They kept telling him he'd have to check with Gaius who had great satisfaction in always being too busy to see him. Sir Rupert at Gaius's request placed guards on Arthur's chamber doors, requesting that admittance be only granted to a specified few.

This effectively blocked a certain knight who pleaded, "Gawaine, I can help him feel better; I can talk to him about his mother. It will help!"

Gawaine smiled sweetly saying, "Not without Sir Rupert's or Gaius's permission." However, he thought, 'No one but Merlin can make Arthur feel better!'

-0-0-

Once in Chertsey, they made their base at The Swinging Thief, a local inn and planned to stay for two nights depending upon what they learned from the locals. Merlin was fascinated by the inn's name; there must have been a story behind it. Before he left, he intended to find out why that strange name had been chosen for a village inn

The following morning, the three of them split up to make it easier to question more people. Hopefully, when they returned to the inn, it would be with confirmation of the facts which they had previously gathered.

Although both Lord and Lady Chertsey were dead, the village elders told Sir Leon that they remembered the family fondly. It had consisted of four little girls, all now well married and a son who was a profligate, always ready to take the easy way out of things, untrustworthy with money, a gambler. No one had anything good to say about the man, a wastrel who upon reaching his majority had convinced his adoptive father with more than a little force, to give him his inheritance for which in return, he accepted being disowned by his family. Leon thanked them and wandered on to talk to other people.

One woman had invited Spenser into her cottage to talk to her husband. He confided to Spenser, "The last we heard of Lord Landon's ward was that he was again penniless as he had squandered his inheritance on wine, women and song."

The wife had added, "He must be in his early forties now, a big rough looking auburn haired man."

Spenser had almost fallen off his seat when the old woman had described him. He wanted to race after Merlin but he waited, cherishing the information as the woman had described Reginald to a T.

Leon had met an elderly man who wanted to tear a strip off Reginald if he ever saw him again. He had taken advantage of one of his daughters and the resulting child was now eighteen. "He's cursed," confided the grandfather sadly, "Sam is the spitten image of his father. He's a good boy and my neighbours are kind but I know that they are well aware of who his father is."

Another man tending a fruit and vegetable stand told Merlin, "Upon the marriage of the last girl and the death of the Lord and Lady of Chertsey, the family manor went to rack and ruin. The farm was taken over by debtors and no one seemed to care that Sir Reginald Bartholomew of Woodhouse had not returned to their village. He was bad news, causing his adoptive family much heartbreak."

Merlin thanked him profusely and returned to the inn. He treated himself to a cider and sat near the door waiting for one of the knights to return.

Spenser walked in with a huge grin as he saw Merlin, "Guess what I found out? Let me get an ale and I'll tell you."

Merlin grinned back, he felt as if he had waited for years to gather this information even though he knew it was only four months since Reginald had arrived in Camelot for the tournament. The longest four months that he had ever lived, he decided.

Spenser had no sooner settled down and had a large mouthful of ale when Leon came in. Merlin smiled at him, the chap was grinning from ear to ear. He thought, 'This is great, once we get everything written down, we can have supper, a good night's sleep and I can then go home to Arthur.'

Leon nudged Spenser saying, "Our friend is already on the way back home. Look at him, he's grinning like the Cheshire cat."

Spenser said, "The what?"

Merlin grinned not only had he picked up news of Reginald while buying an apple but he had learned that the inn had been built on the site of the former gallows, hence the name…

Spenser copied down, the various news which Merlin, Leon and he had brought back with them. He added the notes to those already in his saddlebag. It would be up to Geoffrey to sort out everything when they got home.

He said, "Geoffrey will be wanting to quiz us to make sure that we got everything right."

"That will be child's play, we have plenty of information included the signed affidavits both Roger and Lady Annabella gave us. Sir Mordecai was right suggesting them; Geoffrey for one will be impressed."

"And Arthur when he hears about it will know that we didn't just fart around the country for five weeks," said Spenser.

"Your language, Spenser!" said Merlin smiling.

"You remind me of Simon, gosh, I miss him…" Spenser looked out the window.

Merlin to alleviate any embarrassment said, "Who knows, by the time we get home, we might find out that Reginald has unfortunately fallen from the highest turret in Camelot."

"Or pushed more likely if Gawaine is involved," said Leon

"You know, I even once thought of getting rid of him," confessed Merlin, "I couldn't decide what to do with the body and although, Gaius has lots of poisons…I finally chickened out."

"Merlin, you shock me, you with the innocent eyes and the open face. Leon, we have a budding murderer in our midst. Won't be able to sleep tonight, in case he comes crawling to my bed with a candlestick in his hand." Spenser added with a smile, "Wait till I tell Arthur when all of this has blown over. He'll be impressed that you consider him so highly that you had contemplated murdering his 'first cousin'!"

"I wasn't really going to do it! insisted Merlin, "I was just weighing the options."

Spenser and Leon burst out laughing. Then Leon rose to get more ale and Merlin turned to Spenser saying, "Five or maybe four and a half days of solid riding should get us back home. I'm ready for my own bed. Not that the accommodations have been awful, I just want to be home. I need to see Arthur with my own eyes. "

-0-0-

And ride they did, through forests and glens, hills and valleys, always getting closer to home, through villages of a dozen dwellings to real towns, slowly making their way to the kingdom of Camelot and home. It took them four days to reach the boundaries of their kingdom. They had never been challenged and had stayed at an assortment of inns when they weren't sleeping rough. The weather had been favourable and the horses were in great form. Merlin enjoyed Burton, he reminded him of Gidun but without the emotional ties. He was a good horse and if he were still alive when Treva had grown big enough to ride him, the boy would learn a lot from him.

Already they were beginning to pick out landmarks which they recognised. "Let's push on, we'll sleep rough tonight. We can then be home by mid-afternoon day after tomorrow." ...and that is what they did, holing up in a cave they'd used before.

"Not a patch on the Cheddar caves," Spenser complained. "We should plan that trip again."

"Minus the tornado please," said Leon, "…and this place smells too much of foxes for my liking."

"Don't worry, we don't smell that great either. Oh, for a bath, even if I have to share it." Merlin realised what he'd said and blushed.

Spenser and Leon grinned, Leon hoping that he could get Merlin safely home to Arthur. He chuckled thinking, 'Even if he has to share a bath!'

-0-0-

Arthur was up and dying to venture beyond the royal floor. Gawaine who had assumed the position among the knights, of King's Minder, was trying to avoid having Arthur meet up with Reginald about whom during his confinement to his chambers, he had never once asked.

Gawaine had seen Reginald and his manservant leave the castle after breakfast. He'd checked the knight's chambers and he saw the squire Sid wandering around. They'd be back but it might give him time to get Arthur out.

Arthur meanwhile had asked Thomas to get him Gawaine. "Tell him, I intend to walk outside today and he can accompany me."

Gawaine duly arrived; listening to Arthur's plans he said, "You'll have to pass that by Gaius. He said only little outings to begin with."

Arthur got a stubborn look on his face but capitulated by agreeing to go downstairs to see Gaius and ask his permission. "You know, I'm not a child, not even just any man…I'm the king so, I made the decisions around here…"

"Yes, Sire!" said Gawaine giving a half hearted salute before adding. "Do you need help on the stairs?" This was the most assertive and obnoxious that he had seen Arthur in days, obviously he was getting better.

Gaius was pleased to see Arthur. He certainly looked well, maybe just a little stiff but that would improve with exercise. "Sit down, tell me how you feel."

"Can I go riding? I thing Mulgan could do with a good gallop after his enforced rest."

Gawaine raised his eyes to heaven and shook his head at Gaius who then said, "Not today, maybe tomorrow but no tearing around like a mad man. If you feel up to it you could take an easy walk or trot to Castle Farm and back. Trust your body, Arthur, if you think you can trot go ahead but remember you're only just back on your feet."

"Why did it take me so long to get over a fall?"

"I think you must have cracked your head…"

"Not to worry, Arthur, as the few brains which you have were just given a good old shaking and are just now settling back in their proper place."

Gaius burst out laughing, wondering if what Gawaine had said was closer to the truth than they realised.

"Gawaine, ever been in the stocks? Merlin says that…I mean...I think that the villagers might enjoy taunting you for a day. By the way, Gaius, have you received any news yet from Merlin?"

"Not yet Arthur, he'll probably arrive out of the blue, burst through the door saying, 'Hello, Gaius! Good to be home!' and then head up his stairs and fling himself on the bed and sleep.

"But I need to see him first…" Arthur then realised he'd said that out loud. Gawaine was preoccupied with looking into the fire but Arthur felt sure that he had not only heard him but was ignoring him so as not to embarrass him.

Gaius stood up and put his arm on his shoulder. "I know you do, my boy, but don't rush him when he gets back. Let him make the first move."

Glancing over to see that Gawaine was not listened he said quietly to Gaius, "I don't think that I can promise that…actually I'm sure that I can't promise that. It's been so long and I was an utter fool. Why couldn't I have seen what was happening? I don't know. I have so much tell him and being sorry is the first thing that I want to say."

Gawaine took that moment to stand, glancing first at Gaius, he said to Arthur, "Are we going to walk around outside or not? The rate you're going it will be dark before we even cross the courtyard!" He held open the door and Arthur walked into the corridor.

Gaius called Gawaine back, saying quietly, "Make sure that Mulgan has been exercised before Arthur takes him out. We don't need any more problems."

"I'd thought of that but I think that Romney has been riding him. I'll check…"

Gawaine rejoined Arthur further along the corridor, who asked, "What was that all about?"

"Oh, you know Gaius, he's like an old woman where you are concerned. I mustn't let you run down the stairs and you are not going over to the training grounds."

Arthur laughed but he remembered how good it felt, having someone worry about him when he was growing up. "It's not all bad when someone cares…" he said, "I owe Gaius for many things over the years."

Gawaine smiled and he slipped his arm across Arthur's shoulders and said quietly, "He will return, you know, Arthur, you can count on that and it should be any day now." Unknown to Arthur, Gawaine had his fingers crossed.

Arthur made his way into the courtyard stopping and talking to knights who greeted him. He felt great. The sun was warm and the wind gently tugged at his red clock. He heard horses coming through the portcullis and he looked up expectantly but it was only Sirs Rook and Gavin returning. They stopped and talked with him. Arthur remembering to ask Rook how he felt as he'd heard that he had also taken a nasty fall the same day.

Returning to his room, he announced that tonight he wanted to eat downstairs with his knights and the members of his court. Thomas looked at Gawaine who said, "Arthur, take it easy this afternoon. Sit by the window or lie on the bed and rest. Simon will come so you can go downstairs together; however I'll clear it with Gaius first."

"Gawaine, no need, I'm going whether Gaius agrees of not. I feel well. I won't stay around drinking but I think the people need to see their king. Thomas, what are we eating tonight?"