A/N - Back again. Sorry for the small delay, sick little one to take care of.

Additional Disclaimer - I know nothing about how oaths or royalty works, so any discrepancies are mine and were used because I thought they made a good story.

Thanks to all those who reviewed and added this story to their alerts.

Enjoy, hopefully I got this one right...

Chapter 18 A Price to Pay

"What are we going to do about them?" Uther asked Henry and Isobel.

"We all know this relationship can not continue," Isbobel said. Uther looked at her and wondered just what it had been that had caused his indiscretion so long ago. It wasn't that she was overly beautiful, and Tayla had been right. How could he have betrayed his good friend that way.

"We should have told them long ago, when they were younger. We knew this was a possibility, we saw the friendship building," said Henry sadly, worried about his daughter. It didn't matter that she wasn't a part of him, he loved her as if she was, and was devastated at the pain he saw in her eyes earlier.

"We tried to keep them apart," Uther said. Henry looked up at them both. He did not know that.

"Well that didn't work did it?" Isbobel snapped.

"So..." Uther was cut off as the doors to the throne room opened. All three of them looked up to see who it was.

"Let's do this," Arthur said to Tayla.

"Merlin," Tayla said. Merlin handed Tayla a potion he had been working on with Gaius, one to help keep her emotions calm and controlled. The last thing they needed was for her emotions to flare and Uther to see her eyes. Merlin smiled reassuringly at her.

"Thank you." Tayla looked at Tristan, and smiled to reassure him. He was worried. He didn't like the idea of her being anywhere near Uther Pendragon without him.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come in?" Tristan asked her.

"Yes, I am sure," she replied with a smile. Tayla wondered how lucky she was to have him care for her. "This is something Arthur and I need to do. Merlin will be monitoring me, so if a distraction is needed, he will let you know." Merlin and Tayla had found that they were able to speak mind to mind. Merlin discovered that when they did, he could sense how strong Tayla's power was. This little trick would allow Merlin to monitor things for Tayla and warn her if she was in danger of losing control should the potion not help.

"As you wish, my Lady," Tristan replied, wishing she would change her mind. Tristan looked at Arthur and felt comforted that Arthur wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Tayla and Arthur looked at one another, nodded and turned to the doors. Tristan took one and Merlin the other. At Arthur's nod, they opened them and the Pendragon siblings walked in.

As they entered they heard the conversation stop and their parents looked toward them. Arthur and Tayla looked at one another, smiled and reached a hand toward each other. Together, they looked backed and saw the look on the faces in front of them, scared, unsure, wary, though their parents quickly hid those again. Arthur and Tayla felt their confidence soar, as they saw a shudder go through the two kings and queen standing in front of them. Still they walked, cloaks billowing out behind. They knew they made a formidable looking pair, between the determination in their eyes and their dramatic and unexpected entrance. The Pendragon colours and DeBrae colours were the same, aside from the thread of blue that also ran through hers. In essence, Arthur and Tayla looked like they belonged together. United, that was the idea behind the formal court attire. They stopped in front of them, keeping their hands joined, partly to present a united front, partly to help Tayla keep her emotions in check. This didn't go unnoticed by their parents. Arthur saw his father swallow nervously. Tayla saw her father's sad eyes and her mother's cold ones. She had never noticed how cold they could be before.

"Arthur, what is the meaning of this?" asked Uther, in an attempt to gain some control of the situation.

"Simple Father, we have come to tell you something," Arthur said, authority in his voice that Uther never heard before when Arthur spoke to him.

"You are just children, you do not presume to tell your parents anything," said Queen Isobel.

"Why are you here?" Uther said, trying once again to regain control.

Arthur looked at Tayla, she nodded to him and turned to face the three people standing in front of them.

"You have lied to both of us for many years. Denied us the right to be brother and sister. You lied and deceived us and your people. There is a price to pay," Tayla said, confidently.

"And what? You are going to determine what price that is?" Uther asked, though Arthur noted the lack of power in his father's voice.

"Yes," Arthur and Tayla replied together. The three stood before them, in silence, completely unsure what was going to happen. They had never seen so much confidence in their children before.

"So Arthur, what is the price?" Uther asked.

"Very simple Father. All of you are going to step back from making any more decisions regarding our lives. We are adults, responsible ones at that. Given the behaviour of the three of you over the years, perhaps we are even more responsible than you," Arthur said looking at them all.

"You are not ready," said Uther, a note of fear coming into his voice.

"Yes we are," said Arthur firmly, looking his father in the eye and watching Uther take a step back.

"I will not be marrying either of the two princes who have asked for my hand," said Tayla, looking at Henry and Isobel as she spoke. Again, she saw the coldness in her mother's eyes and the pain in her father's and her heart softened slightly as she realised that her father was sorry, genuinely sorry.

"Of course you will," said Isobel, firmly. "Dover needs you to marry one of them, it is your duty." At her mother's words, Tayla grew angry. She looked at Arthur who smiled in reassurance at her. Tayla looked back at her mother and decided that she would not be like her. She wouldn't be cold and deceptive. She would choose differently and live her life guided by the truth, and as such, she made a choice.

"There is only one man I wish to marry. I love Tristan and, if he will have me, I will marry him. Even if it doesn't benefit Dover in any way." She felt Arthur squeeze her hand again, and she breathed a small sigh of relief that she had managed to say those words with strength and conviction, especially considering they had been unplanned.

"No you will not, young lady," Queen Isobel spoke up. "You will marry someone who will benefit Dover or you will be disowned. No one of worth will marry you then," Isobel spoke with firmness, expecting her daughter's confidence to crumble under her words.

Tayla felt the anger build again. She closed her eyes, took a breath. She could feel the power growing, but, perhaps it was Arthur's presence or perhaps it was the love she felt for Tristan, probably both, she felt she was in control.

"Merlin?" she whispered to him in her mind, best to check though.

"You are fine my Lady," Merlin replied, reassuring her. Tayla opened her eyes and looked directly at her mother.

"Disown me if you must Mother, I do not care. But if you do, Bryce and Kalen will find out and you know what that will mean." For, although her brothers were the heirs to Dover's crown, if they were not Henry's children then technically, there were no heirs, and that would be painful for Dover.

"You wouldn't!" her mother cried. "That is blackmail." It was just an empty threat, but her mother didn't need to know that. Tayla knew she wouldn't do it to her father, not now she had seen the pain and sorrow in his eyes.

"Why not, Mother? It is no less than you have done, and I am, after all, your daughter." Her mother went silent.

"I have a solution," Arthur spoke up. Tayla looked at him, curious. He smiled and nodded at her. She'd surprised him when she spoke up about marrying Tristan, it was his turn now.

"Tristan will be a great addition to the knights of Camelot. King Henry, you release Tristan from his oath to you. He becomes a knight of Camelot and then he is be free to marry Tayla, forming an official bond between Camelot and Dover. It is a win for all of us," Arthur finished.

"Arthur?" Tayla said, breathless. He saw the hope in her eyes.

"It just came to me," Arthur said smiling at her.

"It is not something that is done. Knights are bound by their oath for life." Uther said, with Isobel nodding in agreement.

"It is not done," Isobel added firmly. Henry had also seen the look of hope in Tayla's eyes at Arthur's words and he realised that she did indeed love Tristan.

"Enough!" said Henry firmly, as Isobel looked like she was about to continue.

"I will do it." said Henry.

"But Henry," spluttered Isobel, clearly shocked at her husband disagreeing with her.

"No Isobel, the children ... I am sorry, Tayla and Arthur, are right. We behaved appallingly and if this is the price that I pay for my part then I will pay it willingly. Because my dear daughter, I do love you and I do want you to be happy," Henry said, looking at Tayla. She smiled at her father, silently thanking him for standing up for her. Her heart swelled with pride at the strength she saw in him, a strength she hadn't believed he had until now.

Both Tayla and Arthur breathed a small sigh of relief, one down one to go.

Tayla looked at Arthur, "Your turn," she said by way of encouragement. Arthur nodded and looked back at Uther.

"As for me Father, the only woman I intend on marrying is Guinevere," Arthur said.

"What? Morgana's maid? But she is a mere servant," Uther replied in disbelief.

"Her name is Guinevere, and she is so much more," Tayla said, offering her support to Arthur, whilst she hoped she could come up with a solution for him as he had for her.

"I forbid it," Uther said, though not with as much force as he had that morning.

"Not that again, Father," Arthur said with a roll of his eyes and exasperation in his voice.

"Over my dead body!" Uther almost shouted.

"If that is what it takes Father then I am willing to wait. I can only hope she is as well," Arthur replied calmly.

Uther was fuming, "Leave! Everyone out!"

Tayla and Arthur turned and left first, leaving in a similar manner to their entrance, united, whilst Arthur whispered to her, "Let me tell Tristan. I'd like to have a ... brotherly word to him."

"Arthur, you will behave right?" Tayla asked, whilst mentally asking Merlin to open the doors.

"Always Princess." She rolled her eyes and smiled at him as they walked out and, joined by Tristan and Merlin started walking by their side, they continued to their chambers.

"So it was a success then," said Merlin, more a statement than a question, smiling in particular at the Princess.

"More than we could have imagined Merlin. Thank you for your help." Though even though she spoke to Merlin, she couldn't keep her eyes off Tristan. Her heart light that there was now a chance.

"So," said Merlin, "I don't know about the rest of you but I am starving. Anybody want some food?"

"Merlin, do you think of anything but your stomach?" asked Arthur, in mock sternness.

"Of course my Lord, everyday I think about what you are going to do to torture, sorry my Lord, entertain me." Both Tayla and Tristan burst out laughing at that.

"Merlin?" Arthur said, with mock exasperation.

"Yes my Lord?"

"Go get us some food please."

"Of course my Lord. Hungry are you?" Merlin replied, his cheekiness inspired by the fact that the Princess still had hold of Arthur's hand, and that Arthur couldn't reach him to retaliate.

"Merlin!" Arthur said, this time seriously.

"Going!" Merlin said with a bow and departed in the direction of the kitchens, leaving all three smiling as they headed back to their chambers.

A/N - any good?