Muriel's words must have been the bringer of luck because the next day, just as Kay returned from the village, four knights of Camelot dismounted and strode into the tavern. Kay watched them enter, heads held high as their armours glinted in the sun and their bright red cloaks fluttered behind them. It looked like he didn't have to make that trip to Camelot after all. Or perhaps he would go with them.

Pushing open the tavern door in their wake, he walked in. There was a muttering of greetings from the tavern's usual patrons but Kay's attention were on the knights at the bar.

"Ah," boomed Muriel in her usual, cheerful manner. "And this is Kay. He was just about to ride off to Camelot tomorrow but now that you all are here, he doesn't have to. More's the pity."

Kay ignored her jibe, turning to greet the knights.

"The journey is a difficult one! Lucky him," said one knight, just as he turned back to look at Kay.

Then all four knights were staring at him in utter silence.

The dark skinned knight stepped forward, eyes narrowed, hand on his sword. "Your name is Kay?"

"Do you know me?" He straightened, his hand drifting to his sword.

The knight simply grunted, then walked around him, peering curiously. "Has anyone told you that you look a lot like our late King?"

Kay had expected to be told he was a knight or even a wanted bandit. He hadn't expected to be told that he looked like the late King.

Another knight spoke, a smile on his face. "Well, perhaps you're a wee bit uglier than he was." He slapped Kay on the back. "Don't look so shocked. You do look a lot like him. Maybe you're his missing brother." He turned to the rest of the knights. "Uther seemed to have lots of unacknowledged kids."

"It was just Morgana," said the dark skinned knight, clearly the leader of the group, disapproval in his tone. "I'm Rowan and these are my men, Jacob, Asher and Lief. They shouldn't be gossiping about the royals. Come," Rowan slung an arm around Kay's shoulder, "join us for a drink."

The knights joked and laughed as the drinks kept coming. It was a rare night of rest for them and Kay found himself reluctant to disrupt their merriment with news about the village. Tomorrow, before they set off, he would tell them.

Asher, swinging a half full tankard of mead around, leaned towards him. "Has no one ever told you you look like Arthur? Because you could have milked it for lots of things. Free food, free mead -"

"Asher, you are crook underneath all that armour!" Rowan snapped.

"I was just saying," slurred Asher. "I mean, all dressed up, I'd think he was Arthur himself. Of course Arthur was a lot more full of himself, cocky. You don't happen to have a magical sidekick do you?"

"Merlin will turn you into a frog if he hears you calling him a magical sidekick," muttered Lief. "He's a good man so I don't know why everyone is acting like he's suddenly evil because he has magic."

Rowan smiled wryly. "Then you're a more open-minded man than many. What do you think Kay? About magic."

"I don't know," he said hesitantly, which was the truth. He had no idea what he thought of magic. The people in this area seemed suspicious of it, uneasy that the Queen had, after years of being banned, allowed it to be used freely and while he understood their distrust, having heard stories of Morgana and her evil breathen, he couldn't help but wonder if magic was any different from a sword - that it wasn't inherently evil but at the mercy of the person who wielded it. "It's not something I've thought of much."

"I think," said Asher, "that magic corrupts. It's evil and when you use it, it slowly darkens your heart. Then you end up like Morgana."

"Then explain Merlin," retorted Lief. "I've heard Sir Leon refer to him as the most powerful warlock ever and he's not evil."

Asher was having none of that and the two knights started bickering, a rehash of an argument they've had more than once Kay suspected. Jacob, the silent knight, shook his head and downed another gulp of mead. It was then he noticed Rowan looking at his rings.

"Nice rings. They look valuable." His voice was light but Kay could see a hint of suspicion in Rowan's eyes.

Panic started to build in him. Were these rings stolen? As calmly as he could, he thanked Rowan, who still watched him carefully.

"So, what's your story?"

"My story?"

Rowan sat up, the smile on his face never reaching his eyes. "Have you always lived here?"

"No," Kay replied but offered nothing more.

"Where were you from?"

"Uh, not very far away actually. I was looking for something new. You know how it is - stay in one place for too long and it gets boring."

Rowan still looked suspicious. "This tavern is something new?"

"Yes."

"So what is it that -"

Asher slammed down his tankard. "Are you interviewing him for knighthood? Leave him alone. You're always such a pain Rowan."

Rowan scowled but took a huge swallow of his mead instead. Thankful, Kay smiled briefly at Asher who merely shrugged in response. Still uncomfortable with Rowan's scrutiny, Kay made some excuses and left the company of the knights.

Early the next morning, Kay found Rowan with the horses.

"Hey," Kay said as he walked into the stables. "I need to tell you something."

Rowan dropped the reins, leaned against the wall and gestured for Kay to continue.

"We'll go by the village today then send a report back to the Queen. She's likely to increase the number of patrols out here. Maybe establish an outpost."

"That would be good," he replied. "I thought I could go to Camelot with you."

"Getting bored with the taven already? If you care about the village, then I suggest you stay till the Queen arranges something. The dawn raiders might strike again and from what I hear, you are capable of seeing them off."

"It's a four day ride to Camelot. The dawn raiders won't return so soon."

Rowan raised an eyebrow. "And what if they do? You would leave these people to fend for themselves?"

"You should get one of your knights to stay. Isn't that your duty? To protect the lands of Camelot?"

Rowan's lips tightened and his eyes grew hard. "I don't think you are in a position to tell us what to do. But you're welcome to ride with us if you wish." Then he picked up the reins again, a signal that the conversation was over.

Asher sauntered into the stables. "You're coming with us? Brilliant. We could have so much fun pretending you're the ghost of the king."

"Stop talking nonsense Ash," snapped Rowan.

Raising his arms, Asher backed off, moving to his horse to saddle her up.

Kay glanced out of the stables and watched as Amber walked into the chicken coop to feed the chickens. Beside her stood Muriel going on about something. In the distance, smoke from the village blacksmith could be seen. He closed his eyes.

"It's alright. Perhaps I'll visit Camelot another time."

Kay saw the knights off, Amber clinging to his hand by his side, watching as they deftly readied their horses. Lief, Ascher and Jacob shook his hand, bidding him farewell. Then Rowan approached him, hand out, which Arthur took. Rowan's grip was firm and he didn't let go. Leaning closer, Rowan said quietly, "you are the splitting image of the King and the band you wear looks a lot like the wedding band Queen Guinevere wears."

"How interesting," he replied as nonchalantly as possible, hoping fervently that he hadn't somehow robbed the King of Camelot.

"Hmmm, very interesting indeed." Before Rowan could say anything else, Lief yelled at him to hurry up. WIthin minutes, the knights were little more than clouds of dust.

Amber nudged him. "Now you don't have to go to Camelot."

Kay nodded absently, his mind still mulling over Rowan's words. Once the knights from Camelot arrived to look after the village, he would have to make a trip there himself.

"I need detailed reports of all the kingdoms in Albion. Everything you can possibly give me about them." Gwen rubbed her stomach absently, willing it not to reject the biscuits she just ate. It had been a week since she'd learnt that she was carrying Arthur's child and even though she was experiencing the usual signs of those who were pregnant, it sometimes still seemed like a dream.

"Yes," agreed Merlin as he handed Percival a sheet of paper. "And not just the usual things like the strength of their army or the supplies in their granaries. Find out what food they are dependent on, who's their biggest trading partner -" Before Merlin could finish, someone knocked.

"My lady." Sir Brom cracked open the door slightly. "Sir Rowan would like an audience with you. He says it's important."

"Of course." One of the more promising knights, Sir Rowan rarely asked to speak with her. She hoped he didn't have news of more conflict brewing.

"My lady." Sir Rowan stopped in front of her and bowed. "My apologies for not bringing this up during the council but it's a delicate matter." His eyes drifted to Percival and Merlin.

"They stay," she said firmly. "There's nothing you can't say in front of them."

"As you wish, my lady."

She shifted in her seat, trying to settle her stomach. "What is it you want to discuss Sir Rowan?"

"Last week, we were on patrol in the north east lands -"

"I know. You requested help for a small village plagued by bandits there. I agreed to an outpost."

"Yes. While we were there, we spent a night at a tavern -"

Gwen frowned, remembering Gwaine's boisterous recounts of the knights' tavern visits much to the consternation of Elyan. "Do I really want to know this?"

"My lady, there was a man there who looks exactly like King Arthur."

From the corner of her eye, she could see Percy straighten. Her own heart started to speed up, but she tried to speak as calmly as she could. "Probably just a lookalike. My father used to say that everyone had a double somewhere on earth."

"That was my first thought. But I noticed he carries a sword that looks like Excalibur and his rings - he wears a ring that matches yours, my lady."

Her heart thumped. "What are you saying?"

"He calls himself Kay but he's very evasive about his life. Says he moves around a lot."

"You must be mistaken." Her voice was calm but her hands trembled. Suddenly, the emotions she usually kept tightly under wraps threatened to overwhelm her. Why did Rowan have to tell her this? Arthur was dead and there could be a million lookalikes wandering the earth for all she cared. Her eyes met Percival's. "You must be."

Sir Percival stepped forward. "You need to leave, Rowan." With a bow, Rowan left the room. "Gwen, are you alright?"

"It's not Arthur," she said, more for her own benefit than anything.

"I'm sure it's just someone who happens to look like him," Percival agreed. "Look, it's been a long day and Gaius -"

"What if it is him?" She looked at Merlin whose face had gone pale. "What if you thought he was dead but he wasn't?" Her heart pounded in her ears and her breaths came in short bursts.

Anxiety mixed with hope swirled in her stomach. If Arthur was still alive, why hadn't he returned?

"He was dead," Merlin finally said. "He was dead and I laid him to rest. Percival is right. It must be a lookalike."

"But what if you were wrong? What if he's alive? What if - what if he didn't want to come back?" That thought crushed her and she gripped the table, thankful that she was seated. Her emotions were unravelling at the news and she was helpless to stop them.

Merlin took her hands, slowly uncurling her clenched fists. "Arthur promised you he'd never leave you and he would never have broken that promise if he could. You know that in your heart."

Swallowing, Gwen nodded. "I know. I know."

"It's just a coincidence." Percival grunted in agreement.

"But I need to know for sure," she whispered as Percival and Merlin looked worriedly at each other.

AN: Thank you for sharing your thoughts and feedback. :)