Weeks of correspondence and preparation to arrange a meeting of the rulers of the Five Kingdoms had taken their toll and Gwen was immensely relieved to simply sit in the guest chambers with the first royal visitors. She listened with rapt attention to the white-haired, white-bearded monarch as he finished his tale.
"Is that truly how you met? And you eloped?" Gwen asked, enthralled with his story of romance and abduction. Given Gwynllyw's imposing build and the ominous scar visible beneath his beard, Gwen believed he had been every bit as fierce as he claimed.
"No." Gwladys gave her husband a stern look as she answered the younger queen, the elderly woman's hands moving deftly at her needlework. "Don't believe half of what he tells you. And Arthur could not possibly have assisted with any abduction, he was not even born yet."
King Gwynllyw gave his queen a sour look.
"As a matter of fact my parents were quite willing for us to marry, not that that says much for their judgement," Queen Gwladys said.
Rather than being insulted, the king gave his wife a good-humoured wink. "They might have approved of the match, but truth be told it was you who proposed it. What does that say about your judgement?"
His wife gave a sniff and bent her head. She pretended to focus on the needlework in her lap but Gwen saw a twinkle in her eyes under the wisps of thinning white hair that had escaped her crown of braids.
Although Gwynllyw had been in Camelot previously, it was the first time Gwen had met Daobeth's queen. Her company was a joy and Gwynllyw's stories contained a great deal of history despite the embellishments he inevitably added.
Both of Daobeth's monarchs accepted Gwen without a trace of condescension. Gwen had been nervous contemplating having to host four sets of royals, none of whom she had dealt with since her own coronation. Her beautiful gowns which had seemed so rich and fine only three years ago suddenly seemed insufficient to greet people who had been ruling kingdoms before her birth. Yet Gwladys's gowns were even simpler than Gwen's and the former maidservant's trained eye could see where worn patches had been expertly fixed and alterations had been made to update old-fashioned styles.
When the message came that King Arthur had requested she join him to receive their next guests, Gwen felt her relaxed, happy mood disintegrate. She doubted any of the other rulers would be as accepting of her as these two had been.
Her misgivings must have been apparent because when she took her leave of Daobeth's royalty she found Gwladys regarding her keenly.
"Remember," the white-haired queen said quietly, "This is your kingdom. Good luck, dear."
"Don't let any of those pompous windbags give you any less than the respect you deserve, my girl," the king added, his look stern under the bushy white beard.
"Thank you both," Gwen responded with a sincere smile, her spirits already lifting at their encouragement as she stood to leave. Gwynllyw gave her a wink and Gwladys returned the smile before bending to her needlework.
Arthur was waiting for Gwen in the corridor outside the Great Hall. As she took his arm for him to escort her to the citadel steps, she admired how calm and regal he looked even though he was worried about the outcome of these talks. Buoyed by the encouragement she had received from the elderly royalty, Gwen met her husband's glance with a confident smile and squeezed his arm. He gave her a tiny smile before fixing his gaze straight ahead, his features settling into a welcoming but aloof expression.
Camelot's king and queen took their place in the centre of the receiving party of knights in polished chain mail and red capes. Banners with the gold dragon on a red background decorated the courtyard, waving in the slight breeze and casting long, dancing shadows on the palace steps.
"Who has arrived?" Gwen whispered.
Arthur gave her a sidelong glance. "Both King Urien and King Alined are arriving together."
Gwen's eyebrows raised. "But they would be coming from opposite directions. How is it the two of them would have met on the road?"
"I don't know," Arthur replied under his breath, his eyes fixed on the two parties of knights riding into the citadel courtyard ahead of their monarchs. "But it seems odd. Even if one of them had been forced to detour, it's quite a coincidence such an event would have happened at the precise time of the other's arrival."
Alined had a pinched face which was not flattered by his sparse greying-black hair, his modest height made shorter next to Urien's bulk. Urien was tall and thickly built with a wealth of straw-coloured hair and a beard that covered half of his face and entirely hid his thick neck.
Once the king of Gwynedd and the king of Rheged had been properly greeted, Arthur offered his formal condolences to Urien on the recent loss of his queen and then turned an inquiring glance on Alined. "I am distressed that the lovely Queen Elyenora has not chosen to accept our hospitality as well."
"She sends her most ardent regrets," Gwynedd's king responded in his oily voice.
Arthur took Guinevere's hand to lead the visitors into the citadel.
Once her back was turned to them, Gwen gave a small sigh. The two kings had more or less ignored her, although Urien's gaze had lingered on her décolletage longer than was usually considered appropriate. Gwen was relieved that the lateness of the hour meant that the new arrivals would spend the evening washing off the dust of the roads and taking food in their quarters therefore sparing Camelot's queen from entertaining them.
Perhaps, Gwen thought, she could convince Gwynllyw and Gwladys to join her and Arthur for supper and she could hear more of the elderly man's stories. Then she could enjoy one more pleasant evening before the full burden of hosting so many royals consumed every waking moment.
King Olaf and Queen Ysmay arrived the next morning. After the pageantry of the formal greeting was complete and Dyfed's rulers had been escorted to their own quarters, Arthur prepared himself for the talks to begin in earnest. He took special care with his appearance as he dressed that afternoon.
The Five Kingdoms had co-existed more or less peaceably side-by-side since the time of Arthur's distant ancestor. His father had successfully brokered unprecedented peace talks among the monarchs only a few years previously and now Arthur had jeopardized that peace by overturning his kingdom's laws against magic in violation of the treaty they had signed. He had to convince these rulers, all of whom had worn their crowns longer than Arthur himself, they should accept his decision and even follow his lead.
At times like these Merlin normally said something uncharacteristically wise and boosted the king's confidence, but today the bumbling servant/sorcerer-in-disguise was more nervous than Arthur himself. As if to prove the point Merlin cinched the king's belt too tightly and Arthur winced.
"Sorry," Merlin said hastily, fumbling with the clasp.
"Let me do that, you can bring me my dress sword." Arthur felt a momentary relief at having successfully distracted his friend whose obvious anxiety was increasing Arthur's own apprehension. Then Merlin yelped with pain when he cut his hand on the dress sword.
Arthur felt a pang at how deep his friend's longing to make the kingdoms safe again for himself and those like him must have been all this time while Arthur had not even noticed. He tried to imagine how it felt to be constantly under threat of death for being who you were, to have to hide a part of yourself from everyone, even your closest friends. To be a criminal for simply existing.
Guinevere finished her own preparations and came forward to take the sword from Merlin. With a sympathetic look at the dark-haired young man she brought the final piece of Arthur's formal costume to him.
Arthur sheathed the decorative weapon and then held out an arm to Merlin. "We will make this happen,"
Merlin's eyes lifted to meet Arthur's gaze as he grasped the king's forearm. He stood a little straighter and gave Arthur a nod.
The king released his grip and turned to offer his arm to Guinevere. "Let's go."
Arthur allowed the other kings to debate among themselves after he said his piece. With difficulty he held his tongue at Urien's continual insinuations Arthur was weak and lacked sufficient experience to hold the position of monarch. The deep voice of the barrel-chested king grated on Arthur's nerves and he was glad when King Olaf spoke up.
"Lord Bayard of Mercia and Lord Godwyn of Gawant have both indicated their support of Arthur," Olaf said. His thickly-muscled form was almost as tall as Urien but his nearly-bald head and hairless face made him less formidable.
Urien snorted. "Mercia and Gawant have been puppets of Camelot for years. Their opinion is of no consequence."
None of the other rulers seated around the council table saw fit to debate that assertion.
"We are here to decide where the Five Kingdoms stand on Camelot's unilateral adoption of this new policy with regard to sorcery." Urien laid one large hand on the table and leaned his bulk forward imposingly.
"Arthur has made a considered decision in the best interests of his kingdom and all of ours," Gwynllyw said. "Morgana grows stronger as we drive those with magic from our borders."
Urien turned a contemptuous look on the old king, compressing his thin lips until they disappeared under the bushy blonde beard. "Morgana alone is hardly a threat. She has no soldiers, no funds. No one here is likely to provide her with an army." He met the eyes of each of them in turn.
"You might feel differently if she used her power against you and your kingdom," Gwynllyw said.
"Spoken by the ruler who cannot even rid us of the city of Helva when it sits on your own shore," Urien sneered.
"The inhabitants do us no harm," the white-bearded monarch responded stiffly, his scar more prominent as his face reddened.
Urien looked meaningfully at the other monarchs. "Yes, we know where your sympathies lie. You never enforced the edicts we agreed on twenty-five years ago, although you have our compassionate understanding that you have little in the way of an army to do so."
Gwynllyw was about to give an angry retort when Gwladys spoke. "There is no sense sending soldiers to kill people who have committed no crime when their city is not even within our border."
"They practice magic, that is a crime," Urien growled.
"Only within those kingdoms which say it is," Gwladys said firmly.
"Which brings us back to the matter at hand." Alined's oily voice cut shrilly across the deep tones of his fellow rulers. "Camelot has taken a position that sorcery is not a crime, and such a stance is against the peace terms the Five Kingdoms agreed on."
Olaf narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his neighbouring ruler. "What do you propose we do about that?"
Alined gave a non-committal shrug and slid his eyes to Urien.
Rheged's monarch was quick to take up his role. "We know exactly what Uther's response would have been to any such action. He would have stamped it out immediately."
Arthur clenched the arms of his chair but he remained outwardly calm and did not speak. Under the table, Gwen surreptitiously laid her hand on her husband's knee.
"That was Uther's crusade," Olaf said. "I will not commit my people to war over such an insignificant matter."
"No, only over your daughter's questionable virtue," Urien jeered.
Arthur saw Ysmay squeeze her husband's arm as his face went livid.
"Vivian is respectably married to Prince Cadoc," Ysmay said calmly.
"Ah, yes." Urien turned his attention from Dyfed's king to its queen. "I have no doubt Gwynllyw's grandson is pleased to assume such a high place within a kingdom worth inheriting."
Gwynllyw bristled at the slight to Daobeth and this time Gwladys appeared to be every bit as incensed as her husband.
"I am proud to have him as a son-in-law and heir," Olaf growled.
"An heir," Alined said, just loud enough to be heard. "Something Camelot is currently lacking. And here its king has suddenly decided to accept sorcery. Perhaps planning to follow in his father's footsteps."
The insinuation that Arthur intended to use magic to conceive a son was more than he could tolerate. "I have no intention of repeating the mistakes of the past. My only concern is to bring peace."
"Wasn't that also your excuse for allowing Caerleon's queen to retreat instead of wiping out her feeble army when she dared to challenge Camelot's fabled might?" Urien said. "You let a woman make you appear weak."
"Arthur forestalled what would have been a bloody battle to no purpose."
Urien barely glanced at Guinevere for her spirited defense of her husband.
"Word is you also backed down when you had that dog, King Odin, at your mercy," he said.
"I chose the path I judged best for all the people of this land," Arthur said.
"Then you meekly handed Nemeth over to that aged fool. Why not keep those lands if you had truly defeated Odin?"
Arthur stared at Urien. There was no way to make the other king understand that he saw no honour in taking another ruler's lands simply because he could. "I'm not interested in seizing others' domains."
"No, just in having us all docilely follow your lead like mere vassals when by rights you should be deferring to those of us with more experience."
Arthur was about to protest Urien's accusation when he recalled Merlin's words about uniting kingdoms. Did that mean he would in time demand allegiance from the other kingdoms? Did he want that? His frustration came back in full force. If he truly had this supposed destiny to unite lands, then why did the words he needed not come when he needed them? What good was a destiny you could not fulfill?
"Arthur is not asking us to swear fealty, merely to continue to live peaceably together," Ysmay said.
"Peaceably? Or under his control?" Alined said. "What kind of peace will it be when he commands powerful sorcerers while we continue to keep such evil out of our own kingdoms?"
Arthur's heart skipped a beat before he realized that Alined was throwing out the accusation in an attempt to encourage dissent rather than from any specific knowledge of sorcerers within Camelot. Arthur felt Guinevere stiffen beside him and Gwynllyw cast a sharp look at them both.
"The matter is simple." Urien stood, meeting the eyes of each of the other kings in turn, his heavy-set form towering over them. "Arthur has broken the terms of our peace agreement with his new edicts. The question now is do you," he held Arthur's gaze steadily, "intend to reverse your recent decisions and ban sorcery and sorcerers from Camelot?"
Arthur was conscious of all eyes fixed on him. "No."
"Then our agreement is null and void."
"I propose a new peace treaty," Arthur continued without breaking eye contact.
Urien cast a skeptical glance around the table. "How will this new treaty guarantee the protection and security of all our kingdoms?"
"What kind of protection?" Olaf demanded.
"Protection for those of us who have banned the evils of magic within our borders from those with powerful sorcerers who will expand their territories at our expense."
"It is a simple matter to include such terms," Olaf said.
"But Camelot has already demonstrated its unwillingness to abide by these agreements. Is there any point in making another?"
"I assure you of my intention to honour any agreement we reach here together."
"Actions speak louder than words, boy." Urien was still standing. "If your actions prove the truth of what you say, we can meet again to discuss this matter in the spring. Meantime, I feel it would be best for the safety of my own kingdom to return there now."
The suddenness of his announcement took Arthur by surprise. Before he found the words to placate Rheged's king, the big man gave them all a nod and marched from the room followed by his retainers. For a moment there was silence in the chamber as the remaining monarchs exchanged uneasy glances, then Alined, too, rose to his feet.
"It seems our talks are done for the day. I bid you good evening." With a nod he followed in Urien's wake trailed by his own retainers.
Gwynllyw watched him go with narrowed eyes.
Beside her husband, Gwladys sighed deeply. "I fear that although we have passed mid-winter there are darker days ahead."
Arthur was uncomfortably reminded of Rodor's similar pronouncement.
The words seemed even more prophetic when Arthur was advised only a few hours later than both Urien and Alined had departed Camelot with their retinues.
"How could they possibly have made ready to depart in such a short space of time?" Guinevere questioned from her place at the table in the royal chambers, the meal in front of her momentarily forgotten.
"They never intended to stay," Arthur said. "They began preparations to leave while we were in council."
"What do you suppose that means?" Guinevere asked.
"I don't know," Arthur said. "But we will soon find out."
The next day the remaining royalty of the Five Kingdoms were gathered again in the council chamber when Leon interrupted with a message for King Arthur. With a sense of dread at news serious enough to warrant the intrusion, Arthur slowly stood and walked from the council table to where his knight waited inside the chamber door. The eyes of the other monarchs followed Camelot's king.
After hearing the report, Arthur turned from the grave-faced knight to meet Guinevere's eyes. From her stricken look, Arthur thought his expression must have betrayed more of his dismay than he intended. He returned to his place at the table before speaking. The other monarchs waited in silence, alerted by his sudden tenseness that whatever bad news had reached their host likely affected them all.
"Word has come that Rheged's army is assembled on our northern border."
Gwladys stiffened. Arthur spared a sympathetic glance her way knowing that put the hostile forces on Daobeth's border as well.
"That explains Urien's haste," Gwynllyw said. "He needed to reach his army before we learned of their position."
"Do you believe he means to attack," Guinevere questioned. "Or is this a defensive manoeuvre as he claims?"
Arthur shook his head resignedly. "He would not go to the expense of assembling his soldiers without planning to use them. He does not fear me, he is convinced he has the strength to forcibly take as much of my land as he desires."
"Arthur, you know you have my full support, such as it is," Gwynllyw said.
"Thank you, but you would do well to prepare to defend your own borders."
Of all the Five Kingdoms, Daobeth, once the strongest, was now the weakest in military power. Its once-mighty citadel had never been rebuilt after the dragons' assault and its territory had shrunk to a fifth its previous size.
"You are right," Gwynllyw acknowledged to Arthur although he was looking directly at Gwladys. "We will make ready to guard our kingdom, but we are also ready to assist you if necessary. Your defeat of Urien may be the best defense we have."
Before Arthur could express his gratitude, he was cut short by a second interruption. Leon's grim expression grew even more solemn at whatever was whispered in his ear, his eyes fixed on his king. Bracing himself, Arthur gestured for Leon to come to him this time.
Bending close, Leon said softly, "An army from Gwynedd is amassed on our southeastern border."
Ysmay gasped softly.
"But that means we cannot safely return to Dyfed," Olaf said angrily.
"That's why Urien and Alined both chose to attend these talks and then left early. To ensure you were all here and unable to effectively aid us while they planned to squeeze Camelot between them." Arthur berated himself for not having foreseen any of this although he knew it had been carefully planned and executed in a way that preserved utmost secrecy. "Gwynllyw, you and Gwladys should leave for Daobeth as soon as possible. Olaf, you and Ysmay are welcome to remain within the citadel here as long as necessary. For now, you must all excuse me. I need to meet with my own council."
The royals stood as one.
Leon left to assemble the Round Table.
Olaf faced Arthur. "I should like to take part in your defense planning. We have, after all, at least one common threat."
"Of course," Arthur said. "I will join you there momentarily."
Camelot's king gestured for a guard to escort Dyfed's royal party to the Round Table. Then he waited until the room had emptied except for Guinevere and the one person Arthur had studiously avoided looking at until now. As he met Merlin's eyes he was saddened but not surprised to see the devastated look on his friend's face.
"This is my fault," Merlin said. "More war and destruction. This can't be what was meant to happen."
"If so then it is my fault," Arthur said. "I should have been able to broker peace."
Guinevere huffed exasperatedly at them both. "Alined has been attempting to disrupt the peace for years and Urien has been looking for an excuse to expand his territory since Uther first fell ill. Rather than blaming ourselves we need to end this as soon as we can with as little bloodshed as possible."
Arthur gave her a small smile. "You are right." He took her arm and squared his shoulders before fixing Merlin with a stern look. "The Round Table is waiting on us to do just that."
"What of Caerleon?" Elyan asked.
"Queen Annis agreed to a truce and she allowed us safe passage through her kingdom, but she is under no obligation to supply troops to fight our wars," Leon said. "Besides, we have little time. We have to decide which threat to defend against first, or if we should split our forces in two. All our information suggests that Rheged has the larger force, it makes sense to send the bulk of our army to the north and only a smaller contingent southeast."
"That puts us at a disadvantage on both fronts. Also, if either or both of them advance they will be well into our territory before we meet them since they are already positioned on our borders," Percival said.
"Not if we move quickly." Arthur felt all eyes turn to him. "We'll send our army north to meet Urien. At the same time I'll take a party of knights only and ride south. Alined will not expect us to move so quickly with no men on foot."
Gwaine and Percival exchanged a glance but Leon's eyes remained fixed on the king.
"One knight is equivalent to ten foot soldiers," Arthur continued. "We can halt Alined in his tracks before Urien can mount his first assault against the bulk of our troops."
The others around the table looked at each other.
"Those who face Alined will be overmatched as well as tired from a hard ride," Gwaine said.
"But it does give us our best chance," Leon said.
"If you can halt Gwynedd's advance, then I can get through to Dyfed," Olaf said. "Once I'm there, Alined will be forced to turn back or risk us coming at him from behind."
"It won't be safe for you to accompany us," Arthur said. "Especially as you need to get Queen Ysmay back safely."
"If you make the arrangements we can pass through Nemeth while you engage Alined," the other king said.
"I'll send word to Rodor, then. It should reach him ahead of you and he can ensure your safe passage through to Dyfed."
A general plan of action decided, they bent over the maps spread across the table. in front of Arthur to pinpoint the best location to set up a defensive line in the north and plan a route for the bulk of the army.
No time was wasted in dispatching the appointed leaders to ready their forces to march. Messages were sent to Nemeth and Olaf left to organize his departure from Camelot.
Then Arthur, Leon, Gwaine, Percival, and Elyan gathered around the more detailed maps of the south.
"Riding hard, we should meet them about here." Leon indicated the spot.
"That means the best place to engage would be this area. The wide open space will work to our favour on horseback," Percival said.
"It will be of utmost importance to preserve the element of surprise for as long as possible. The less time they have to prepare for an assault the more advantage we keep," Leon said.
Arthur glanced at how far the candles had burned down. They had only a few hours of daylight left, but they could put several leagues behind them in that time. "We leave in an hour's time." He ignored the expressions of mild shock at the speed with which they were expected to assemble a party of knights for battle. "Be ready."
For the briefest moment after the knights had gone, Arthur allowed himself to dwell on the possibility this was not a good plan. Then the sound of someone clearing his throat made the king realize he was not alone in the chamber. "What is it, Merlin?"
"Arthur, Alined use magic against you."
"I wouldn't put it past him," Arthur began before he looked into his friend's face. His gaze narrowed sharply. "What do you know?"
"Trickler is a sorcerer."
Arthur tried to recall who Trickler was.
"Alined's fool."
Arthur remembered the man who had entertained them at the peace talks his father had hosted. Vaguely he recalled breathing fire and conjuring butterflies and a love spell but his memory was hazy. "How do you know … never mind." He hesitated. "Just do whatever it is you usually do."
Merlin was exhausted. Despite having been unable to travel through the darkest hours of the night – and Arthur had chafed at how long the nights were this time of year – they had made good progress since leaving the previous day. The three score knights sat stiffly, none willing to show fatigue, but their usual teasing had ceased and their mounts were slowing. Even the spare horses were tired. Yet Arthur increased their pace further on the stretch of open meadow in front of them and Merlin pushed aside his weariness to keep up.
They were halfway across the grassy expanse when Merlin's horse shied. He calmed the animal while he scanned the ground to see what had caused the creature's fright. He saw a snake at the same time as he registered the sounds of frightened horses all around him. Gazing around in dismay, he saw the entire meadow was carpeted with snakes, all of them unnaturally alert and hissing. Most of the knights were working hard to control their mounts, but one or two had already been thrown and were hacking at the snakes with short swords to avoid being bitten.
Merlin's eyes flashed gold as he muttered the words of a counter-spell. As suddenly as the multitude of snakes had appeared, they slithered away again. Struggling to calm his mount, Merlin caught Arthur's sharp glance.
Amid the confusion, Merlin got close enough to speak to Arthur under his breath. "Why was there a spell here, did they know we would come this way?"
"We're likely following the same path Alined took from Camelot to meet up with his army. This trap was probably set up as they passed through, knowing that sooner or later we would follow."
"There could be more surprises along the way," Merlin said.
There was no more time for private discussion. Merlin hoped the others put the snake incident down to a temporary natural phenomenon. Thankfully only one horse had been bitten and both of the men who had been thrown had escaped without injury.
Far from slowing their progress in anticipation of further magical traps, Arthur quickened their advance. Biting back his exhaustion, the sorcerer hurried to keep pace.
An hour later Merlin caught himself nodding in the saddle. He snapped back to attention knowing what Arthur's solution would be if Merlin were foolish enough to fall asleep and end up on the ground. He did not fancy a dousing of cold water.
Then a sudden feeling of terror banished any thought of sleep. A conviction that Mithian was in danger gripped him so tightly he almost could not draw breath. He had halted before he consciously formed the thought that he must turn around and head for Nemeth as quickly as he could. Vaguely he realized Arthur had come to a stop beside him, but before Merlin could draw breath to explain what he was doing, Arthur spoke first.
"Guinevere," the king gasped and abruptly Merlin was struck by how pale Arthur had become. "Guinevere's in danger."
"Sire." Leon was ashen-faced. "We have to turn back, Camelot is under attack."
"I knew it," Arthur said. "I knew Guinevere's safety was threatened."
"It's Morgana," Gwaine said. "Morgana has attacked."
Aware that the king was about to order them to ride back to Camelot without delay, Merlin pushed aside the voice in his head screaming at him to rush to Nemeth. "Arthur." At first he was afraid the king would not listen. "Arthur," Merlin said more loudly. "It's a trick."
"Sire, we must hurry," Leon urged.
Arthur's eyes darted from Merlin to Leon but he hesitated to give the order to retreat.
"It's a trick," Merlin said and his sense of desperation began to ease as the truth of his own words sank in.
Arthur took several deep breaths before looking backward at the rank of knights. They had all come to a stop and a few had even begun to wheel their mounts around although no order had yet been given to return to Camelot.
"Stop." Arthur commanded.
Despite the tormented expressions on some of the knights' faces, they all stayed where they were.
"Sire," Elyan said urgently. "We have to turn back, it's Gwen, she's in trouble, I know it."
"How do you know?" Arthur demanded.
"I …" Elyan appeared confused.
"Leon, how do you know Camelot is threatened?"
Leon opened his mouth to answer but no words came out.
"It's a trick," Arthur commanded forcefully. He raised his voice so his men could hear. "Whatever peril you think you sense, it is nothing more than a clever spell. There is no danger behind us, only ahead of us."
"How can you be sure?" Elyan questioned. "If Gwen is in trouble …"
"Sir Caradoc," Arthur ordered. "Why do you feel we need to turn back?"
"It's my mother, Sire," the man answered with a tinge of embarrassment. "She's deathly ill."
"Was she fine when we left Camelot yesterday?"
"Yes, Sire, but now … I just know she's ill."
The king turned to a knight that Merlin thought looked especially close to breaking rank and riding back.
"Sir Andred, why are you thinking of deserting your duty?"
The man's eyes were anguished. "My son, Sire. He's been injured."
Arthur turned back to Leon and Merlin saw comprehension dawn in the knight's face. The king urged his mount resolutely forward. After only the briefest hesitation Elyan followed. Leon passed along the order to march, waiting to ensure that everyone obeyed before falling into line himself. Within minutes the last of Merlin's apprehension fade away. He looked at Arthur. The king was now more determined than ever to hasten them on their way.
The light was growing dim and Merlin hoped Arthur was satisfied with how close they must be to Alined's forces, enough that he would call a halt for the night. The long shadows of the trees made darker lines on the dark terrain and it was hard to see the sodden ground they were crossing. When Gwaine and Percival rode up to station themselves one on each side of him, Merlin concluded that the knights were aware of how fatigued he was and apparently intended to catch him before he could fall. He gave Gwaine a tired but grateful grin.
Something bright flashed beneath the king's horse's hooves an instant before a ball of flame appeared from nowhere to hurtle directly at Arthur. In a blink Merlin responded with a tiny wave of his hand which he hoped neither of his nearest companions noticed and the fireball winked out of existence even as Arthur ducked. Before any of them could react further, Merlin saw another flash on the ground beneath Leon who rode directly behind the king. Another ball of flame materialized to fly toward the knight. Merlin had just time to deflect it, ignoring the small explosion when it crashed into a nearby shrub, before locating the trigger in the damp ground under his horse's hooves. While everyone's attention was directed outward around them, searching for the source of the fireballs, Merlin focused on the bright object partially buried under soggy leaves and whispered an incantation. The object flared up at the release of magical energy causing his horse to rear. This time he was too tired to hold on and Merlin found himself dumped unceremoniously on the cold ground.
Percival took hold of the horse while Gwaine leaned over to stretch a hand down to his fallen friend and hoist him back onto his feet. Leon was scanning the area around them, alert for further magical assaults, but Arthur was staring directly at Merlin. He raised his eyebrows questioningly and Merlin responded with, "It's fine," hoping Arthur would understand that he meant more than just himself.
"Good. Then haul your backside back onto that horse. We can get another league further before full dark."
Muttering under his breath, Merlin took the reins of his horse from Percival and dragged himself up.
Gwaine gave him an amused grin before turning to take a good look at the spot where the shrub was smouldering, bright in the twilit gloom. "That was close."
Gwaine crouched beside Percival by the fire outside Arthur's camp tent and held his hands to the warmth. Elyan emerged, face lit by the flickering torchlight from within before the tent flap closed behind him. Leon strode up purposefully.
Elyan stopped him before he could enter Arthur's tent. "He wants to speak with Merlin before he hears our reports." His breath fogged the air and he rubbed his hands together.
Leon frowned. "I thought he would want to know immediately what our scouts found."
"He said he'll call us in after he's talked to Merlin," Elyan advised Leon before joining the other two knights at the campfire.
Gwaine saw impatience as well as puzzlement in the senior knight's expression. "Maybe the lovers want a few moments of privacy," the dark-haired knight drawled.
Elyan gave his comrade a disgusted look. "Be careful about repeating that rumour, you know what Arthur did to the last person he caught saying it."
Gwaine grinned unapologetically in response. Leon moved a few steps closer to the fire but did not crouch down with the others.
"They could be discussing the enchantments we had to pass through on our way here," Percival said. "In Gaius' absence I would think Merlin would be the best source of information about that."
"Is that what you think it was?" Leon's frown deepened further.
"What else could it have been?" Gwaine said. "Flaming balls of fire that appear out of nowhere, the spell that almost sent us all racing in the opposite direction, and there is no way those snakes were behaving naturally."
Leon looked around at each them. "Is no one else bothered that the king who claims to be fighting against us to rid this land of sorcery is using it himself?"
"Is that surprising?" Gwaine asked.
"Not as surprising as seeing magic used to defend us," Elyan said.
"What do you mean by that?" Leon snapped at the dark-skinned knight who looked up, startled at the sharp tone.
"I mean how we got through each of those traps," Elyan replied. "It had to be sorcery on our side but I didn't know Arthur had formed an allegiance with any magic-user to travel with us."
The First Knight scowled. "Arthur knows we need to fight Morgana on her own terms and we cannot afford to drive potential allies into her camp. Those are his reasons for lifting the ban on sorcery," Leon said. "It does not mean the king has put his trust in some sorcerer or has brought one with us."
"It could be someone in our ranks who's merely protecting himself," Gwaine said.
"Arthur might have obtained a shield of some kind that repels magical attacks," Elyan said.
"It was Merlin," Percival said, unconcerned when the others stared at him in shock.
Elyan looked blank. Gwaine had no quick retort; he simply gazed at the big knight thoughtfully.
"That is not true." Leon snarled angrily and the others looked at him in surprise at the uncharacteristic outburst. "I have known Merlin longer than any of you." Leon's challenging gaze traveled around the group crouched by the fire. "There is not a shred of evil in him. He's loyal to Arthur and to Camelot and I would trust him with my life." Leon's gaze came to rest on Gwaine as if expecting him to be the one to defend his friend before Leon glared back at Percival. "How dare you accuse Merlin of being a sorcerer!"
At that moment the tent flap opened and Arthur stepped out, trailed by the subject of the knights' discussion.
Arthur raised a brow at Leon's irate stance and followed the direction of his glare.
Percival shrugged in answer to Arthur's inquiring look. "I only pointed out that Merlin is the sorcerer who protected us from those enchantments today."
Gwaine watched Merlin closely, his eyes narrowing as every drop of colour drained from his friend's face. Then Merlin met his stare and a flush turned his face a fiery red.
"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Gwaine felt Leon's angry gaze turn towards him but he did not spare him a glance.
"I … I …," Merlin stuttered.
The young man looked truly frightened until finally Gwaine took pity on him and relaxed his stern expression. At Gwaine's grin, relief flooded Merlin's face.
"Gwen knew," Elyan said abruptly and everyone turned to look at him. "She told me to keep an open mind if anything surprising happened. I had no idea what she meant, but she said I would understand."
Shock and horror were growing in Leon's expression at their words. He turned to Arthur who met his gaze without speaking. The king's silence and Merlin's lack of denial told Leon Percival had been right.
Arthur regarded Leon's stony expression before he turned to look at Merlin. Before the king could open his mouth, Merlin nodded and made his way into the dark beyond the firelight.
"Our scouts have returned with the location of Alined's forces?" Arthur asked as if nothing untoward had just occurred.
"Yes, Sire," Leon said stiffly.
Arthur gestured the four of them into the royal tent. "Then we have much to discuss."
Throughout the next hour Gwaine divided his attention between Leon's clipped tones and Arthur's calm but subtly impatient comments. The two of them typically did most of the strategizing, anyway, with Percival and Elyan contributing their insights. No one remarked on Gwaine's uncharacteristic quiet although Arthur gave him an occasional searching glance.
"Alined's army is half a league due south of us. If we move out at first light we can be upon them while they break camp," Leon was saying. "Such defences as they have set up for the night will be down and they'll be unprepared to defend against our attack."
"How many?" the king questioned.
"We outnumber their knights, but only just."
"Foot soldiers?"
"Estimate about four score."
Once they had finalized their plans for the morning's battle plan, there was a momentary silence. Then Leon stood stiffly, bid them an unusually formal farewell, and left the tent. Gwaine saw the First Knight pause at the exit, his eyes fixed on something – or someone – outside before he let the flap fall back in place and he marched away.
Gwaine glanced at the others and then moved outside himself to join Merlin. He sat alone by the fire nearest the royal tent, his pale face thrown into sharp relief by the flames. Percival and Elyan joined the two of them followed shortly by Arthur himself. Merlin glanced at each of them but did not speak, using a stick to poke at the fire. None of the others spoke either as they crouched around the campfire in a rough circle, their breath fogging the air along with the smoke.
"Not going to turn the sparks into a roaring dragon or the smoke into a dancing horse?" Gwaine grinned at Merlin's uncertainty as to whether the knight was encouraging such actions or disparaging them.
Then Merlin grinned back. "Only if you want me to."
"No, thanks," Arthur said, prompting a mischievous glint in Merlin's eye.
"Did you actually stop those flaming fireballs?" Elyan asked.
The grin faded from Merlin's face and he nodded warily.
"And got the snakes to leave?"
Again the nod.
"Were you planning to enlighten us?" Gwaine asked drily.
"I was going to tell you eventually," Merlin said, his expression pleading for understanding.
Gwaine realized suddenly why Lancelot and Merlin had been so close, what secret they had shared. "Lancelot knew, didn't he?"
"Yes," Merlin said.
"Why did you tell him and not me?" the dark-haired knight asked, offended.
"I never told him, he found out when we killed the griffin."
"You killed the griffin?" Arthur exclaimed in disbelief.
Merlin gave him an impatient look. "Gaius told you it was a creature of magic, it could only be killed by magic. Which wasn't easy seeing as I had barely learned how to incant actual spells instead of just moving things with my mind." Merlin ignored the dumbfounded looks directed his way. "But Lancelot saw me and heard me that night."
"Ah," Percival said knowingly. "That was it."
Merlin glanced sideways at Arthur's tight expression. "It wasn't him," Merlin said.
Arthur looked back at him, startled.
"It wasn't Lancelot," Merlin said more forcefully, meeting each of their gazes in turn before looking Arthur in the eye. "It was a shade conjured by Morgana. Lancelot would never betray you."
"I knew something was wrong when he came back from the dead," Gwaine said.
"You did not," Elyan contradicted. He looked at Merlin. "Why didn't you stop him from …." Elyan paused before he could complete his question and his eyes slid to Arthur.
Merlin sighed. "By the time I figured out Morgana's plan and tried to prevent the meeting I was too late. I'm sorry."
"It doesn't matter anyway," Arthur said with finality as if hoping to end the conversation.
"Morgana was violently opposed to your marrying Gwen," Merlin said softly. "She may have done something to Gwen as well, enchanted her."
A spark of hope flashed in Arthur's eyes before he said calmly, "It's all right. It's in the past."
Merlin went back to poking his stick into the fire. The others watched in silence, each lost in his own thoughts. Then Merlin raised the glowing end of the stick into the air and blew gently, his eyes flashing as the sparks coalesced into the image of a doe. Everyone stared transfixed as the fiery deer lifted her head before the image melted away into embers.
Arthur stood. "We have a battle to face tomorrow. As interesting as today has been, you would all be wise to sleep while you can."
The sun had cleared the horizon but was hidden behind the treetops, the western sky still a deep blue, as Arthur and his troops, all mounted, made their way through the woods. Merlin was fairly certain they were heading downhill, albeit a gradual slope, and he thought the trees around them were thinning.
Leon received a nod from the scout who was leading the way and signalled a halt. Arthur drew up beside him.
"They're just over this rise of ground, Sire," Leon said. "The woods end here. We'll be in the open as soon as we clear the hill."
Arthur opened his mouth to reply when the whooshing sound of an arrow cut across their conversation. Time slowed and Merlin's eyes flashed before anyone could react. The bolt which had been aimed at Arthur bounced harmlessly aside to land on the ground. In the next instant the strong bough the archer had chosen as his perch snapped without warning, causing man and weapon to fall from the tree. Gwaine was quick to dispatch the fallen sentry.
Arthur glanced sideways at Merlin. "You've done that before."
The sorcerer gave him a tiny shrug in return, his grin fading immediately at Leon's revolted expression.
King Arthur drew his sword and held it high in the air, waiting until his three score warriors focused all their attention on him, poised to engage in battle. As always, Merlin was slightly in awe of how every one of the men following Arthur, himself included, took confidence from the king's calm assurance and at the same time focused entirely on winning the battle for their leader.
"For the love of Camelot!" Arthur cried as he spurred his horse forward. As one, his troops followed at his heels, the early morning light at their backs. The moment they topped the rise they saw the enemy camp spread out below them, partially dismantled, no one yet mounted although their horses had been readied. Shouts came from the soldiers below at the sound of a large group of riders thundering towards them. A hundred pairs of eyes squinted at the oncoming knights before men scrambled to arm themselves.
Merlin scanned the men below, looking for Trickler near King Alined. He spotted a figure who was making no effort to obtain a weapon. While the soldiers around him jostled each other in their efforts to prepare a defense, the sorcerer calmly stood his ground wearing a hooded green cloak and no armour. He tossed his head back and raised his arms. As the wide sleeves fell back to reveal slender arms and the hood dropped away from a face framed by long, auburn hair threaded with grey, Merlin realized the sorcerer was a woman.
A wall of fire sprang up directly in front of King Arthur's horse causing the well-trained war animal to shy and the entire charging column of red-cloaked knights to check up. Then the flames disappeared as suddenly as they had appeared. Despite how quickly Merlin had doused the blaze, it had the intended effect of disrupting Arthur's headlong rush, albeit only momentarily. Already the king had his startled horse back under control and was hurtling forward again. The delay had given Alined's forces a few precious moments to organize and Merlin saw several warriors mount to meet the charging enemy.
The sorceress looked up in surprise when her wall of fire was doused but she wasted no time before her eyes flashed again. A strong wind hurtled toward the advancing Camelot knights. As if they had run into a solid barrier, Arthur and his troops could not continue their forward charge and found themselves driven backward by the gale, coughing and blinking. The enemy forces mounted and were now riding hard toward the Camelot knights across the ground which had been swept clean in the unnatural wind.
Controlling his horse enough to concentrate, Merlin spoke his own incantation. The wall of wind split as though a wedge had been driven into it before it rushed off to either side, whipping past the oncoming soldiers and pelting them with leaves and dust as it blew away.
Arthur met the line of defenders, plunging through the mounted knights into the ranks of men on foot, sword swinging. His knights behind him likewise cut through the enemy soldiers.
When Merlin turned his attention back to the sorceress, she had joined hands with a man and the two of them were chanting in unison. Merlin realized it was Trickler and Camelot now faced not one magic-user but two combined.
The pair finished their chant, still holding hands, staring up at the sky with arms uplifted. Merlin followed the direction of their gaze to see a huge ball of flame, ten times the size of the ones that had been planted in yesterday's trap, dropping towards Arthur's troops. A cry came from one of the Camelot knights who had looked up to see the flaming orb descending on them.
Merlin reached up a hand, knowing instinctively he would not be able to extinguish this one as easily as the smaller ones. He felt the suspended weight of the fireball bearing down on them as if he had caught it in his hand, and pushed back with all his power as he forced it to slow and then change course. With a final heave he threw it back. The eyes of both sorcerers grew wide as they let go of each other to dive to the ground in opposite directions. They sheltered themselves as best they could from the resultant explosion when the ball of flame crashed to the ground in their midst and sent a spray of sparks into the air.
The Camelot knights were fully enveloped with enemy soldiers. Merlin was swept into the fray, doing his best to stay on his horse while he made his way through the fighting to where the two sorcerers had been. His eyes searched through the combatants, trying to locate the woman in the green cloak and Trickler.
Before he caught sight of them, a force dragged him from his mount and threw him to the ground. A horse reared, he was not sure whether it was his own, and Merlin rolled desperately aside to avoid the hooves. Before he could gain his feet, a dagger hurtled at him. He barely had time to deflect it before his eyes fell on the cloaked sorceress, her hand outstretched toward him.
Wisps of grey-streaked auburn hair had come loose from her thick braid and her left side was streaked with dirt where she had landed on the ground when she dived out of the path of the fireball. Her expression was thunderous and Merlin had no doubt she would not hesitate to kill him. Before she sent another weapon flying at him, he sent a blast of magic at her that lifted her bodily and threw her backward several paces.
The fighters around them fell back, giving the sorcerers a wide circle clear of the loud clashing of swords and screams of pain which filled the rest of the camp. Merlin climbed to his feet only to feel eyes boring into his back. He turned slowly to see Trickler leering at him with the man's habitual smirk.
"So, it's you, is it?" Confidently, but without taking his eyes from Merlin, Trickler walked over to where the green-cloaked sorceress lay groaning and offered to assist her.
With a disdainful look she ignored his outstretched hand and got painfully to her feet while shooting murderous glances in Merlin's direction.
Guardedly, Merlin watched both of them closely. Despite her previous attacks on him, the sorceress now appeared to be waiting on Trickler's command.
"Uther had magic at his disposal all along, did he? I suspected as much," Trickler said.
"No, he never knew," Merlin said.
"But Arthur does, hmmm? Of course, the two of you are so close."
Merlin chose not to rise to the bait.
"No denial? Not that it matters. My master would prefer you were both dead, anyway. All that effort to get here so quickly, all this fighting, for nothing. Once you're dead it will be a simple matter to remove King Arthur in a permanent sort of way. Camelot without its leader will fall quickly."
"Why are you doing this? Arthur has made the land safe again for you and I and others with magic," Merlin said.
"Why would I care?" Trickler asked in genuine surprise. "I have no interest in fools who could not find themselves a place where they could use their talents and profit from them."
"Your only concern is for yourself?" Merlin said in disgust.
"Of course, just like you or your king or anyone."
"Or your King Alined?"
Trickler merely smirked. "War will tear apart the kingdoms and in the process my master will become rich."
"What makes you think he'll share his wealth with you?"
"He always has. You will not stop us." Taking his companion's hand again, the two of them began to chant an incantation.
A glow formed in the air between the magical combatants and obscured Merlin's view of the other sorcerers' faces. He raised his hands defensively, feeling the cold detachment that accompanied the rise of his strongest power.
Hands joined, Trickler and the green-cloaked woman stretched out their arms as if to push the glowing column forward at Merlin. He braced himself and pushed back with both of his hands, halting the forward progress of the pillar of energy. Disbelief flickered in Trickler's eyes and fury in the woman's before both redoubled their efforts. The bright glow moved slightly closer to Merlin before it stopped again, then inched back towards the other two. A tinge of panic touched their faces but try as they might to change its course, the glowing column got closer and closer to them. Then Merlin spoke a word and the brightness exploded outward, knocking him off his feet.
Arthur battled his way to where Alined's royal tent stood partially erect, having been in the process of dismantling at the time of Arthur's attack. Leon and Percival were engaged in relentless combat on either side of him, but Arthur had a moment to scan the fighting in search of the other king. He spotted the man and plunged through the crowd of warriors toward him only to have Alined face him calmly, weapon sheathed.
"All that effort wasted," the older king said. "Once my sorcerers kill yours nothing will stop them from wiping out your famed knights one by one, after they remove you, of course."
The fighting around Arthur had ceased as everyone appeared to be transfixed by whatever it was Alined was watching. Arthur was at the edge of a crowd ringing an open space which glowed more brightly than fire. With one eye on the other king and a bloody sword clenched tightly in his hand, Arthur turned to look into the brightness only to feel the colour drain from his face. Merlin was facing not one but two sorcerers. Then the glow exploded and Arthur, like everyone around him, was thrown to the ground with spots exploding behind his closed eyelids.
Blinking, he was the first to regain his feet to see Merlin slowly rising as well. Breathing a sigh of relief, Arthur spun to locate the other two sorcerers but he could see nothing except scorched ground where they had been.
He gaped in astonishment before he became aware of the silence around him as everyone stared in shock. Several of Alined's soldiers fled in terror the moment they gained their feet and even the Camelot knights fell back. Arthur met Merlin's eyes where he stood alone, his hands dropping back to his sides as everyone around him gazed in awe. Then Arthur turned to Alined and levelled his sword at the other king.
"Do you surrender?"
Alined's unpleasant face was ashen. His eyes darted left and right but none of his own soldiers had remained nearby to defend their king. Knowing that he would stand no chance against Arthur in combat, Alined bowed his head in defeat. "Yes."
As much as Arthur wished to give his men time to rest after their hard ride followed by an intense battle, there was another army facing his soldiers a good three days' journey north. He ordered Alined to accompany him, allowing the other king only one escort, intending to deliver the monarch into safekeeping at Camelot while Arthur continued north to meet Urien's forces.
Only a dozen Camelot knights had been killed in the fighting, but Arthur was forced to leave another half dozen to travel more slowly with the wounded. Fewer than two score knights followed him as they pushed their mounts as hard on the return trip as they had heading south.
During the entire journey only Gwaine, Percival, and Elyan spoke directly to Merlin or even approached him. Several knights gave him a wide berth, though they had all been tolerantly amused if not overtly friendly with the king's manservant in the past. Arthur had felt a twinge of misgiving himself seeing how thoroughly his friend had obliterated not one but two other sorcerers seemingly effortlessly. Of course, Merlin had seemed tired as they reorganized after the battle, but he made no complaints when they immediately headed back to Camelot.
Merlin himself did not give any outward sign he was bothered by the uneasy looks he was getting, but Arthur watched his friend lapse into lengthier silences than usual and he only smiled genuinely when Gwaine made some amusing remark. Arthur resolved they would have to have a talk – he winced at the thought – when there was time. Or maybe he could just give his friend a punch in the arm, that usually cheered someone up.
The second nightfall after Alined's defeat, Arthur refused to stop despite the darkness. The moon was full enough to make night travel less dangerous and he was determined to spend at least part of one night in Guinevere's arms before leaving again.
The city guards were stunned when the king and two score bone-weary knights rode through the gates in the dark of night with a royal prisoner in tow. Arthur wasted no time in ensuring appropriate accommodation for their imperial guest before he sprinted for his own chamber. Guinevere was waiting, having received word the king was back.
"Arthur!" She threw her arms around him in complete disregard of the layers of mud and remaining traces of gore.
He returned her hug wholeheartedly before capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. They broke apart after an interminable embrace. Arthur spied buckets of water already warmed and waiting for him.
"Give me a moment to wash and …"
When he stepped away from her she grabbed his hand and drew him toward the bed. "Arthur, I don't even care."
The sun had already risen when Arthur opened his eyes the next morning, its rays angled across the length of the chamber. Guinevere stirred beside him as he rose to use the wash water he had forgone the previous night. Cold as it was, he was fully awake within moments of dunking his head in the bucket.
"Arthur, be careful."
He turned to see Guinevere sitting up in the bed and moved to sit beside her. "We'll be back soon, and we'll be victorious, don't worry."
She gave him a look that said clearly how foolish it was to advise her not to worry. He leaned over to kiss her soundly before dressing as quickly as he could in the clothes he had strewn across the chamber the night before.
Arthur strode into the courtyard, pleased to find his knights mounted and ready to move out and his horse packed and waiting for him. Then he glanced around and his brow furrowed.
"Where's Merlin?"
Several knights shifted uncomfortably, exchanging uneasy glances that made Gwaine give them a disgusted look. Turning on his heel, Arthur went directly to the physician's quarters and threw open the door.
Gaius jumped. "Sire?"
"Is Merlin still here?"
"I didn't know he was back," the old man said in surprise.
"We got in late last night," Arthur crossed the crowded workroom and pushed on the door to the tiny chamber at the top of a few steps. The door would not open fully and Arthur gave it a shove only to hear a groan from inside the room. He looked down to see Merlin sprawled on the floor in the clothes he had traveled in, his body blocking the door from opening all the way. He mumbled but did not move.
Arthur glanced back into the workroom, smiling when he located what he was looking for. Calmly he picked up the bucket of Gaius' used wash water. Ignoring the physician's bemused stare, Arthur marched back to the tiny bedchamber, forced the door open, and dumped the bucket on Merlin's head. Sputtering, the dark-haired head, now soaking wet, lifted from the floor and Merlin's eyes fluttered open.
"Time to go," Arthur said. "Rise and shine."
Merlin glared at him blearily but bit back whatever he was going to say when Arthur raised the not-quite-empty bucket threateningly.
Gwaine guffawed loudly when the king returned with a dripping and heavy-lidded sorcerer in tow. The other knights only stared in amazement.
Arthur barely gave his friend time to drag himself onto the horse that had been prepared for him before giving the order to ride out.
After only one night on the road, as the sun began its downward descent on the second day, Arthur came in sight of Camelot's army. By the time he reached the camp's edge, soldiers were waiting to take him to the knight commander.
"What's the situation here?" the king questioned, trying to keep the curtness out of his tone despite his own weariness.
"We reached this spot yesterday to find Urien's army dug in a league to the north. We set up camp here including what fortifications I thought prudent."
"Good."
The bushy-haired commander stood a little straighter at the king's praise. "Do we attack in the morning?"
Arthur considered for a moment. "No. Send word Alined has surrendered and is currently in custody in Camelot and ask Urien to meet with me tomorrow," Arthur said. "I will have four attendants with me and he is allowed the same."
"Yes, Sire." The knight bowed and left to carry out his orders.
Arthur spent the next few hours touring the camp, making certain that every soldier knew he was present with them, before he allowed himself to seek refuge in his own private tent for sleep. He found everything ready for him except his bed was only half made and Merlin was stretched out on the rough ground beside it, eyes closed, snoring softly.
For a long moment Arthur stared down at the sleeping man, trying to reconcile the clumsy, usually cheerful, talkative friend he had come to trust absolutely with what he knew about him now and what he had seen at that last battle. Arthur had assumed, when he thought about it, that Merlin's powers must be average for a sorcerer, not that Arthur had any clear idea what that meant. Yet he had seen his friend face two others of his kind and emerge victorious without blinking, which meant that either both of them were weak in magic or there was much about Merlin the king had yet to learn.
Arthur yawned. Shedding his armour but without bothering to further undress, Arthur fell onto his bed, pulling up the half-made bedclothes. His last thought before sleep claimed him was that allowing Merlin to slumber on the floor of his tent was only going to encourage those ridiculous rumours.
Arthur awoke to find he was being shaken. He blinked and tried to focus on the face above him wearing a lopsided grin beneath an untidy mop of dark hair.
"Rise and shine," Merlin said. "Unless you want me to fetch the bucket?"
"I'm the king, Merlin, you wouldn't dare."
"Half right," his friend responded. Then he grew more serious. "Your meeting with Urien is in two hours."
"Fine," Arthur mumbled, kicking back the bedclothes. "I'll need clean clothes."
In short order the king was washed and dressed. He took time to receive an update from Leon on the size and location of Urien's forces as well as the state of readiness of Camelot's army.
"Thank you, Leon. Gwaine, Percival, Elyan, and Merlin will accompany me to meet with King Urien, you are in charge here."
The First Knight nodded but Arthur detected a trace of unease in his face at Merlin's name.
"We're ready to ride when you are, Sire," Percival said.
"Then, let's go."
Arthur was gratified to see that Urien was waiting at the appointed time and place, midway between their armies, and had kept to the terms of four attendants only. The other king's thin lips twitched nervously under his bushy blond beard as his eyes darted to Merlin. News travels fast.
The kings nodded respectfully to each other before dismounting. Each handed his sword to his nearest attendant before they approached close enough to stand face to face, Urien's bulk towering over Arthur.
Arthur spoke first. "You have confirmed the report I sent you yesterday?"
"Yes," Urien said with another flash of apprehension as he crossed his beefy arms. "Alined's forces were routed despite his assurances to me of his ability to hold his own defensive position and he is currently a prisoner in Camelot."
Arthur refrained from ridiculing the use of the term "defensive" for what was clearly an armed invasion. "Alined is merely my guest until we finalize the terms of our treaty which will include abstaining from taking up arms against Camelot."
"Of course, that fool Olaf will be at your beck and call to enforce the terms of your peace." Urien put just enough emphasis on the final word to make it sound anything but peaceful.
Arthur ignored the attempt to raise his ire. "If you agree to return immediately to Rheged and make no effort to assemble any armed force near Camelot's border, we can end this now."
"And if I do not," Urien said, "will you turn your pet sorcerer on me?"
Arthur leaned closer and lowered his voice. "If I do, I assure you that you would regret it."
Urien stiffened. "I'm merely protecting my kingdom and my people. Far be it from me to condemn this land to unnecessary bloodshed. On your word that you and your men will return to your own city and make no plans to attack Rheged I will do the same."
"You have my word that once you and your troops are back within your own borders I will march my army back to Camelot."
"Then we are agreed." Urien held out his heavily-muscled arm.
Arthur assumed the man intended the grimace on his rough bearded face to be a smile. "Agreed." He gripped the other king's arm to seal the truce until a formal treaty could be drawn up.
They both stepped back away from each other, standing momentarily face to face, before Urien turned away to mount his horse.
As soon as the other king mounted Arthur did the same, then he waited patiently for the other monarch to bid his formal farewell.
Holding Arthur's eyes, Urien gave a regal nod, a slight smile curling his thin lip. Arthur returned the salutation. Urien wheeled his mount and led his small party away.
"Will he keep his word?" Elyan asked quietly.
"Yes, at least for now," Arthur sighed. "Make arrangements to monitor their withdrawal. We'll remain camped where we are until he has left Camelot and there is no sign he intends to regroup his forces against either us or Daobeth."
"Yes, Sire."
When Camelot came in sight, Arthur was more than a little relieved as well as bone-weary. This time it was daylight and their pace was sedate despite the king's anxiousness to be home. Guinevere was waiting as Arthur strode into the citadel and he lost no time in sweeping her up.
"You did it, Arthur. You ended this with as little bloodshed as possible and we can enjoy a time of peace now." She hugged him back eagerly.
"Yes." He looked down into her shining eyes and could not hold back a smile at her enthusiastic welcome. "And I know how to spend that time." Taking her hand, he started up the stairs to the royal chambers.