Alright! Second and last chapter, YAY! So excited!
As always, this is chapter 2 in A Kings Payment, you are now tuned into the Merlin channel of Magic!
Arthur held onto the small bundle in his arms. Robert, his Robert, now dead and wrapped in his father's cape was held firmly within his father's arms. Richard followed behind, his nine year old hand grasping firmly onto his father's tunic. Together, they climbed up the steps, and out the door. In total silence they marched towards Arthur's chambers, but were stopped when Leon came running.
"Sire! Sire! Come quick!" Leon left running towards the throne room. Arthur's pulse quickened, and he began to run after the knight, his fallen son still held firmly in his grip. Richard followed his father in silence, his breath coming fast as he tried to keep up. His eyes wandered, occasionally towards his brother, and guilt began to fill him as he thought of ways he could have maybe saved him in some manner. Richard felt something wet on his cheeks as he ran, and he quickly wiped away the moisture. He was a prince; his tears were worth no man.
They stopped in front of the large doors that led into the throne room. A familiar waft of death greeted them, but no one was paying attention to the stench; instead, Arthur could see as they were transfixed on what was inside. Each knight had tears in their eyes as they stepped into the room. They held back sobs as they stepped over the bodies of those whom they had seen regularly. Percival spotted George within the pile of bodies. He stared blindly at the ceiling, multiple arrows stuck out of various places, as they did for everyone that lay either on top or below him. Hand maids, servants, they found only the help in the throne room. Gwaine looked around, suddenly scared witless, and soon found what he dreaded.
"No!" Arthur looked towards the thrones, where Gwaine was urgently trying to get to a fallen servant. In his haste, he tripped over the arm of a pregnant handmaid. He scurried away in horror at the sight before he clawed his way to his feet. His steps slowed as he reached a body that lay facing up. Arthur couldn't quite make out the facial features, but he could clearly see the blue neckerchief now stained red, and the black mop of hair that clung to the head. Arthur felt as though the world had been set upside down. His entire life now lay broken as he walked forward, child still in hand as made his way towards his friend. His friend, who now lay motionless in front of the king's throne. Cooled blood surrounded him, staining Gwaine's trousers as he shook Merlin, pleading for the boy to return, begging for a different outcome to their arrival. It seemed like a sick joke as Arthur held his boy, and looked over Gwaine's shaking frame towards Merlin. The Merlin who would always crack jokes and smile like an idiot, but now, all that was gone. Gwaine held on to Merlin, bringing him up to his chest where his head lay awkwardly on the knight's bosom, his body stiff with death. The wound, for the first time, looked as if it were moving, and closer inspection revealed maggots. Small white creatures moved within the rotting wound as the early stages of decomposition began to rage through the body. Gwaine's shaking hand hovered over the wound in disgust as he slowly turned around, Merlin's body within his grasp.
"How long?" His attention focused on Richard as he spoke, pain lacing every word.
"I don't know. We were stuck in the dungeons and the days blurred together." Richard looked down at his feet, his own pain evident in his words. Arthur turned, and placed his fallen son on the floor, careful as to not move the body to much. He straightened and then kneeled beside his son.
"What day was it Richard, when Alchad had attacked?" Richard moved uneasily on his feet. He looked up to his right as he tried to recollect the day, finally, it came to him.
"It was Thursday; mother had told me that you would arrive in on the second Monday after your departure." Arthur smiled at his son.
"You did good Richard" Arthur leaned forward and placed a kiss on the top of his sons head, a rare action that showed Arthur's love for his single surviving son. With that, he turned back to Robert, and picked him up, the joints creaked like that of an old mans as the stiffness of death began to take its toll. Arthur merely clutched at the fabric around Roberts head, and ran his hand over the area where his hair hid under the bright red. He leaned forward once again, and placed a kiss on the fabric where his sons forehead was evident. He clutched the body, and stood there, mourning over the thousands that now lay strewn across the cobble stoned floors in the throne rooms, as well as those whose' skin now shown black in the unforgiving sun.
Arthur's people were dead and Guinevere... Dear God, where was Guinevere? He had no idea where his queen was, and at the moment, he dared not ask for fear of the answer. Richard held onto Arthur's tunic, his grip tightening as he looked at Merlin. Now he was to pale, and a sword injury clearly marked his death. Richard had seen death; sure, when he went hunting with his father at times, but this was different, this was Merlin, his Uncle Merlin. The same man that had eased his worries of becoming the future prince. The same man that would sneak him an extra dessert after tucking him into bed. This was the same man that sacrificed himself in order to give him, and his twin brother-who now lay dead as well- a chance to live, Tears sprung into his eyes as he remembered the last moments he spoke to him. Lord, he tried to hold in the tears, but they won as a single watery warrior penetrated through his forces, and was soon followed by an onslaught of countless others. Death, death surrounded him and he had no escape. His brother, his uncle, his friends and their families, everyone and everything has died. The atmosphere was thick with a sort of remorse that could only come with a grievous loss. Richards vision swam, his eyes picking up a distorted vision of a deceased Merlin, and in his peripheral vision, he could see the limp figure of his brother, whom he had failed to protect. A rage began to fill his bosom, a rage that could kill an immortal army. Tears still ran down his cheeks as he looked on and saw nothing except rouge which tainted his vision.
Arthur turned and grabbed his sons shaking shoulder. "Richard? Richard, we need to leave, come. You must tell me what happened." Reluctantly, Richard allowed his father to lead him out of the throne room. He looked back once, once in order to see Merlin, the single man that saved him, and his brother. He wiped away the rogue tears and pulled back his pout. He needed to stay strong, solid, no emotion, he was a prince. A prince does not cry, he does not show emotion over anyone. And so he went, trailing his father who still held his dead brother. The dead brother he had failed ot protect. Secretly, Richard vowed; he vowed on the souls of the fallen, and on the innocent who had perished, that he, as future king, would bring peace, prosperity, and most importantly, protection, for all those that lived within Camelots walls. They would not have to worry about outside force creating another situation such as the one that terrorized the kingdom mere days before. So, as he walked over a dead handmaids body, he vowed unto his soul, that he would make Camelot safe.
Arthur could not take much more. His son, stiff and still, lay in his arms. Richard stood by his side, and said nothing, his face set in stone. It worried Arthur, he did not want his son to become cold and heartless, as he did years ago. But there it was, a hatred that could be seen by the naked eye. Arthur watched as his son followed him silently, he watched as he said nothing but his hands were balled into fists. His eyes darted back and forth, an uneasiness began to grow inside him as he watched his son and heard the heavy breathing. What scared him most was the fact that he wasn't crying. He remembered distinctively that Richard had wept earlier but the boy had ceased his cries of woe when he had seen Merlin; the fallen manservant. Immediately upon laying his eyes on the rotting corpse of the deceased friend, his eyes had sparked and flickered with the rage that could only come from hell, the deepest bowels of hell in which no man dared tread. The tears had dried as he led the boy away, and the wrinkle of the chin disappeared as they neared Arthur's chambers. Arthur was worried as he set down Robert, and as he watched Richard grab hold of the stiff hand that peeked out of the red cape hat enveloped his brother. They sat there, quiet, not knowing what to say, finally, as the weight of the atmosphere seemed to suffocate them, Arthur began.
"We'll... we'll... have to bury them, and ask for assistance from a neighboring kingdom..." Richard only nodded and continued to stroke Roberts pale hand.
"You know he asked for you." Arthur turned to his eldest son.
"come again?"
"He asked for you, and you never came." Arthur stayed silent and allowed guilt washed over him in a tidal wave. "He died hoping you would come and save us, like you did before. Do you know what he asked me before i lost him?" Richards face showed no emotion as he continued to stroke the boys hand. Arthur backed away, deterred by his sons eerie behavior. "He asked me if he would see Evelyn again. He barely remembers her, but who could forget a little sister?" Arthur stared at him numbly, and terrified. A feeling of utter dread filled his bosom and penetrated his soul as he walked toward his son, slowly, carefully, as if he were approaching a rabid animal.
"Son, what exactly happened after Robert was injured?" A shaky hand came to rest on Richards shoulder, but pulled back suddenly as Richard came back and hugged his father around the waist. Arthur, clearly shocked, slowly brought down his hand onto his sons head, before holding him. He held his son as Richard sobbed, screamed, and cried his woes of the past events.
"Sshhhh, it will be alright Richard, I promise you that I will never let this happen again. I will keep you safe, to my last breath." They remained in that position until the sound of rapid footsteps drew them from the grasp of woes. Richard stood, and was soon followed by Arthur-who placed himself in front of Richard. They became quiet, and squelched any noise in order to figure out whom the footsteps belonged to.
"Arthur?!" Guinevere's voice rang throughout the castle walls. Her desperate cries pierced Arthur's very soul as he thought of the tears to be shed soon enough. Richard, upon hearing his mothers voice, immediately revealed himself and ran towards the source. Arthur followed suite and ran with his son. They ran through the halls until finally, as they turned the corner and leaped over a fallen knight, they were faced with the Queen-her eyes wild with grief. No words were exchanged as they rushed towards each other. Gwen captured her son in a tight embrace. She kissed his face and cried tears of joy as she saw her boy healthy and safe. She looked up to see her husband. Their eyes met, and soon they were in each others arms, each shedding their own tears of joy. She kissed him, and held his face, as if she were afraid he was merely an apparition come to taunt her in the night. He placed a hand on her cheek, and all was well...until she as the question.
"Where is Robert?" Arthur's smile fell from his face, as did Richards.
"Guinevere..." He didn't get any farther, she had already seen the grief in his eyes, and understood the situation. Tears welled in her eyes, and soon, she was holding Richard. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and did not complain as she tightened her grip. Arthur came up behind her, and enveloped her in his arms. None spoke as the Queen grieved over the loss of another child.
Arthur led her to their chambers, and brought her up to their fallen son. At the moment she saw the boys frame in the red clothe, her knees gave way, and she fell to the floor. Her dress cushioned her knees as they cracked slightly on the stone floor. Her sobs filled the hearts of her husband and son as Arthur placed one knee to the floor and held one of Gwen's hands tightly. She turned and buried her head into his shoulder, her heart broken, as she sobbed the sorrows of the day into her husbands tunic. Richard placed his hand in his mothers as he looked up towards the sky's, his own tears sliding down his cheeks , and pitter patting onto the floor beneath him.
The knights stayed in the throne room, their eyes glistening as they began to move the bodies of the deceased into the courtyard. Merlin was the last to be retrieved, and Gwaine was the one to bring out his body. He would not let anyone else touch him as he strode past, and placed the deceased boy in the pile of cold, rotting meat that was to be buried. They continued this silent labor until Arthur appeared from the shadows of the castle. He walked down the stairs with confidence, and red eyes. It was clear that the mighty king of Camelot had shed some tears, as had the knights that remained. He walked past them, and stood before the bodies of his people. Arthur quickly ran a hand through his golden locks before taking in a deep breath, then letting it go, and turning to face his knights.
"All of you stay and assist me with... the bodies... besides Elyan and Percival. Elyan, go forth towards Cendred's Kingdom. Explain the situation, and report back with any news of their assistance. Are we clear?" Elyan nodded and and walked away, he made his way down the streets and towards his horse. Arthur watched him go before turning to Percival.
"Percival, go to the neighboring villages and search for any survivors. Those found will be informed of their ability to return within one months time. Understood?"
"Yes Sire." With that, Percival made his way towards his horse as well, and rode off into the forest.
Arthur turned to his remaining knights. "For the rest of you, our goal at the moment is to clear out all buildings of the deceased. They will be placed in the middle of the courtyard, or street. All supplied found will be brought to the castle. Woman and children will be the first to be buried. Each will have their own individual grave and marker. If the name of that person is remembered, it will be marked, if not, they will be numbered... fear not, we will come back from this stronger than ever. Nothing has phased the Kingdom of Camelot, and we will not begin today. This will not be the last attack on our mighty kingdom, but I assure you, we will prosper from this, and no other shall crack the walls of Camelot. Long live Albion!" Arthur stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at his knights. The remaining knights unsheathed their swords and thrust them into the air, their faces set with determination, and words filled with passion.
"LONG LIVE ALBION!"
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And so, as the entirety of Camelot shows itself, the walls crumbling slightly and the land itself sagging in a depression, we leave the King, Queen, and surviving son, to bury their dead, and rebuild themselves from the ashes of the innocent.
So, watcha think? Comments, constructive criticism and concerns can be typed BELOW. Feel free to PM me with any questions you have, I will answer them.