I'm not sure this ended up going entirely the way I intended, but most of what I wanted in it seems to be there... It's that 'beginning of the end' syndrome I seem to have.
All of them stared at the pair as they walked out. Merlin slowly rose to his feet intending to catch up with them, and he came nose to nose with Bayard as the king lunged forward, wrapping a hand around Merlin's neck. Merlin's body tensed but he didn't fight back.
"What trickery is this?!" Bayard hissed.
"I don't know," Merlin snapped back. "But if there was any trickery, as you call it, I think we need to look at yours first. What did Morgause have in mind?"
There was a very heavy silence in the royal box. Gwaine looked around, frowning at his father, a silent accusation lingering within his gaze.
"What ever occurred Bayard," Lot announced. "It appears to have been cancelled out. The whole point was to prevent any trickery from influencing the fight."
"I did nothing, neither did Arthur. That magic came from the sword itself," Merlin said getting enough leverage to free his neck from Bayard's grip, with a minimum amount of force. Gwaine had already started shuffling away from the rest of them. Lot turned to glare at him. Gwaine ignored him.
"Merlin what the hell is going on with that girl?" Gwaine asked.
"Arthur is in no danger from her," Merlin said. "But I think we ought to find out what is going on."
Before Gwaine could answer they heard the sound of a scream and loud crash that echoed into the arena. People gave hurried hushed whispers, while they still tried to process exactly what had happened. Merlin didn't have time to stop and think. Arthur might have saved the situation, but in doing so may have put himself in even more danger. Jumping down the small set of steps he ran out of the royal box to locate Arthur, aware of Gwaine on his heels. The kings glared around at each other, Bayard looking fit to explode.
"This cannot be left to stand."
"We have no choice Bayard," Lot snapped. "We accepted the terms of Arthur's offer, and set our own within it. To argue over the outcome because it's not the one we expected will reflect badly on us all. What you have done has caused enough of an issue over our integrity."
"You are going to allow that brat to rule Albion?"
"I don't believe the prophecy any more than you do. However, I think we have to accept that we have to allow him to take leadership of his own kingdom, such as it is," Lot said, looking around at the arena, that had been hurriedly restored, but still remained slightly tumbledown and the broken castle with the huge rowan tree still in full bloom.
"Camelot is no kingdom," Bayard snarled. All the others watched the exchange with fascination. None of them appeared to want to get involved. Lot sighed heavily.
"If that is the case Bayard, what are you so worried about?"
Bayard wasn't the only one that was worried about Arthur. But Gwaine's worry had a slightly different emphasis. Ever since Arthur had taken control of the sword he had been plagued with all sorts of things, although, despite that, he still seemed very much like himself. But Gwaine didn't like it, Arthur had spent his entire life manipulated by other people, now it seemed the forces doing so were gaining momentum.
He skidded to a halt behind Merlin as they came upon the scene of the confrontation. Morgause had recovered her senses, leaving Gaius and Lancelot dazed by the force of her reaction as she had lashed out. Having seen the conclusion of the fight Balinor had returned from his secluded spot and now gently cradled Gaius in his arms, checking the old man over, talking gently as he assessed him. Percival crouched over an unconscious Lancelot. Morgause stood in the middle, hatred radiating off her as she glared around. Arthur had stumbled to a halt, and Aaliah lingered behind him, peering around to calmly watch the confrontation, while Smudge relaxed in her arms. Gwaine's gaze swept across the ground and he glanced at everyone's shadow. Even as close as she was to Arthur, Aaliah's lack of shadow looked obvious. Now he had spotted it, it was something he could not ignore.
"Don't you dare Morgause," Merlin snapped. The blond woman's eyes narrowed.
"His father slaughtered hundreds of our kin."
"And what baring does that have on the future?" a light voice asked before Merlin could answer with something quiet similar.
Merlin looked at Aaliah, who still regarded the scene with no fear. Although as she tried to move around Arthur, Arthur's hand reached out to stop her, putting a hand on her shoulder to keep her from going any further. Arthur's eyes stayed on the scene in front of him trying to work out what to do next. His eyes went to meet Merlin's who tried to keep his face calm and he gave a slight, curt nod to indicate to Arthur to stay where he was. He also noticed Aaliah, looking down at Arthur's gloved hand, blocking her from moving and then up at him smiling slightly as she stared at his face.
"Arthur, move away from her," Gwaine ordered.
Arthur's kept his gaze fixed on Morgause, assuming that was whom Gwaine referred to. She had her gaze locked on him, and something in her face told him that moving too much might just provoke her.
"Nothing I would like more, Gwaine, but I think we are stuck here for a moment."
"I mean the little girl, away from her."
Arthur looked away from Morgause to glare at Gwaine.
"What? I am not going to let her get hurt!"
"Arthur, she is not casting a shadow."
"So?" Arthur demanded, his outrage and confusion not connecting with the facts in his mind. His hand tensed on Aaliah's shoulder and he eased her back a step. Smudge lifted her head and looked up as Arthur looked down. The cat stared up with wide eyes and Aaliah smiled at Arthur.
"Everything casts a shadow Arthur, or at least it should do!" Gwaine warned.
"Unless it doesn't exist," Morgana concluded, her voice low, subdued by the sudden confrontation. Arthur looked up again, he looked around and then he looked down, staring at his own shadow and the space of open ground where Aaliah's should have laid. Aaliah smiled up at him with no fear on her face.
"It's all right Arthur."
"And you said there was no trickery!" Bayard snapped, the kings reaching the scene.
"There is none," Aaliah said calmly tilting her head to rest her cheek on Smudge's broad, flat skull. The kitten squinted her eyes up and purred loudly. "Arthur trusts openly in what he sees, there is no deceit to be found. I am merely here."
"What is this Merlin?" Lot asked.
"I don't know," Merlin said stepping forward as Arthur backed up, moving Aaliah behind him again as Morgause stepped forward. Aaliah spoke, still looking innocent as her tone changed and she addressed Morgause flatly.
"You should tread wisely, Priestess. You have no action, you only try to counteract what is destined to be achieved."
Morgause looked furious. Arthur scrabbled to get his hand onto Excalibur's hilt and hold Aaliah back as she suddenly evaded him to step forward mirroring his action in protecting her. Now she stood between him and Morgause. Merlin blinked in confusion, and all of them stared at the little girl fascinated. She made no threatening moves, she stepped in front of Arthur but stayed close to him. He stopped trying to work out how to get hold of the sword and keep Aaliah close. Instead he took her shoulders and pulled her back, again easing the little girl behind him.
"Don't do that!"
"Arthur be careful!" Gwaine warned.
"If she intended to hurt me don't you think she might have done it by now?" Arthur snapped, he glared at Merlin, who shrugged.
"I can't argue with that reasoning, but I do wonder what her purpose is."
"I have no purpose Emrys. Fate and Destiny are your guides," Aaliah informed him. "Your purpose is your own. Whatever you turn it to."
"What the hell is going on?" Lot demanded. Merlin turned, raising his hand slightly to indicate that they should stay out of the situation. Arthur watched the interaction looking confused.
"What happens now? I mean, I won, didn't I? I don't have to kill Maleagant do I?"
Arthur didn't look, or feel, entirely enthusiastic about that idea. Lot looked at him carefully. His face looked flushed from exertion, but there were dark circles under his eyes and his sweat damp hair stuck to his forehead. Lot felt a momentary flicker of sympathy; and it had to be said, he admired the boy for standing up for himself. However the quandary of him becoming the mythical Once And Future king came about, Arthur had certainly done his best to make sure no one suffered for it, except himself. Lot wondered if Arthur would crumple under the pressure, but considering the pressure he had been under all his life Lot had to concede that such a reaction was unlikely.
One of them had to answer Arthur's query. Before Bayard could say anything Lot eased his way forward, ignoring Merlin's gesture to stay back.
"No, you don't have to kill anyone. You won and by your terms the citizens of the citadel are safe." He couldn't bring himself to say the word Camelot. Arthur didn't have a kingdom, he had the ramshackle remains and people who had nowhere else to go.
Arthur relaxed, exhaling heavily, realising that he had at least done that. Then he looked around, pulling back as several people tried to inch towards him. He glowered at Gwaine and looked around.
"What is going on?" Arthur hoped he would get an answer.
"Look, Arthur, she's not casting a shadow. She's not there. Just move away now," Gwaine said. Morgause shifted again. Aaliah glanced around.
"It is untrue to say I am not here. I am always here. Intangible but here."
"What?" Arthur asked at the strange word, looking down at her. Aaliah smiled at him again. Morgause hissed.
"In that form, you have no power!"
"On the contrary in this form I have immense power," Aaliah told her, moving again to stand forward of Arthur, but a step or so close to him.
"I am the potential. What could be; what is going to be; what can be made; and wrought by those around them. Children learn by example, they also teach. There was guidance needed, but I found even the smallest suggestions effective."
"You sent the cat up the tree, you nearly killed him!" Gwaine suddenly yelped.
"Smudge goes where she wills, the Priestess dictated that scenario," Aaliah said. "I merely guided it to a satisfactory conclusion. Arthur proved his worth and his chivalry. As he did today."
"This proves nothing!" Morgause snarled. "It will not be accepted."
Aaliah stayed unmoved by her outburst. "Seeds are small, yet the life they bring grow to immense proportions. If they are nurtured properly."
"And that is what you are meant to do?" Merlin asked. Aaliah turned to look at him, smiling as she regarded him. Arthur watched Merlin smile back, his eyes softening and his lips quirking upwards, and he remembered the moment that Merlin had come across them that day in the camp, with Aaliah helping him sew and Merlin's thoughtful expression before he had smiled brightly at the girl. As if he had known something about her. Arthur had assumed it was simply because Aaliah had been helping him, but now Arthur wondered if it wasn't something else entirely. While he processed that Aaliah replied to Merlin calmly.
"I am merely what can be, what you make of it is your own doing, child."
Arthur's eyes widened he reached out, intending to grab Aaliah as he realised she was glowing. As his hand touched her shoulder it passed through, although she didn't vanish, she had just removed herself from Arthur's reach. Instead she calmly walked past Morgause, who remained clenched with anger, and Aaliah stopped a short distance away from Balinor. The dragonlord stared at her with wide eyes until Aaliah tilted her head, resting her cheek on the broad expanse between Smudge's ears and asked.
"I've never seen him. Can we go and see the dragon?"
At the same time Morgana reached out and grabbed her sister's wrist.
"Enough, what is done is done. To fight further is pointless."
Arthur watched the reactions with a cold lack of reality. He stared at Aaliah with Balinor, who blinked and then slowly nodded. Arthur watched something indefinable flicker across Balinor's face and Arthur moved forwards skirting Morgause, who tried to wrestle her hand from Morgana's grip, but without directly confronting her sister. Crouching down on Gaius's other side Arthur stabbed Excalibur's blade down into the soft soil by his side before reaching for the old man.
"I'll take him, you go."
Balinor blinked, again his expression couldn't be described, but he rose up and walked away with Aaliah taking the little girl's hand. Arthur carefully supported Gaius, not entirely certain of what he was doing.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm unhurt, apart from my dignity," Gaius huffed. "Morgause took us by surprise. So did you my boy!"
Arthur smiled, as he helped Gaius gently to his feet. Merlin moved into the space his father had occupied, taking Gauis' other arm.
"I'm not that feeble!"
"Oh, shut up. I don't know why we bother sometimes," Merlin said, a smile still on his face. He looked up at Arthur and Arthur's grin widened.
"What the hell just happened?!" Gwaine demanded. Arthur turned to look at him, blinking as if to shake himself out of a daze. He didn't think he could explain it.
He had a suspicion he had just met Merlin's unborn, but not forgotten, sister. He had, also, become King Of Camelot.
Arthur didn't know which was the most shocking.