Star-Crossed Lovers
Chapter 5
Romulo never got Morgana's message. Now he is anxiously pacing the hallway outside Geoffrey of Monmouth's chambers. He is certain that he's not late, but there's been no sign of Morgana. He had spent the past few hours sitting on a bench watching the knights and squires training. He would have welcomed the opportunity to spar with Prince Arthur, to test his skills against that of the fabled warrior prince. Such a chance was not offered, however, so he sat solely as a spectator, quiet and unobserved. Now, he is waiting for his betrothed so they can be hand fasted.
He is startled by the sound of heavy footsteps coming around the corner from the adjacent corridor. These are not the quick light steps he anticipated from Morgana, but the tread of several pairs of boots.
"Seize him!" he hears as strong arms grab him roughly and propel him down the corridor.
"Wait! What is this?"
"By order of the King, you are under arrest," one of the knights holding him declares. "We are to bring you to him."
"Wait a minute. Why? I've done nothing."
"That's for the King to decide."
xXx
The knights bring Romulo into the throne room to stand before Uther. The room is empty of courtiers. Uther is seated in his throne, with Arthur seated to his right. Prince Urien and Geoffrey of Monmouth are standing near the dais.
"Who are you?" Uther demands.
"I am Prince Romulo of Montague," Romulo answers clearly and with pride. "I came in peace with my friend and now seek only the hand of your ward in marriage."
"Your friend is dead," Uther snarls. "And you will never marry Morgana."
"No! That can't be."
"Your friend was a sorcerer and was justly killed by one of our squires. How do I know you are not a sorcerer? How do I know you haven't used an enchantment on my ward?"
"But I haven't, Your Majesty," Romulo stammers. "I am no sorcerer. We simply met and fell in love."
"In love," Uther says mockingly. "At first sight? I don't believe that. You must be after something. What is it?" Uther stands and walks over to Romulo.
"Nothing. Only Morgana. She is all."
"You shall not have her. She is pledged to another."
"No! She has given her pledge to me," Romulo pleads.
"You must have bewitched her. I should have you executed for that!" Uther shouts at him.
Arthur steps forward. "Father," he starts. "We don't know that he's a sorcerer. He's a prince and deserves at least some measure of respect and protection while within our borders. Perhaps we should simply banish him from the kingdom. If we execute him, there will surely be a war with Montague."
"Guards, take him to the cells," Uther commands. "He will stay there until I decide his fate."
Romulo is taken from the room. "I am fortune's fool!" he thinks.
xXx
Morgana is a prisoner in her own rooms. She paces its length, anxious for any news about Romulo. She had sent Gwen to the tavern to see if Romulo received her message, and now waits for her return. She has hidden the small bottle with the death-sleep potion in her dressing table. Gwen doesn't know about it.
At the knock on the door, she calls out, "enter." The guard posted outside her door opens it and a servant walks in bearing a tray with food.
"Your supper, milady," the servant says, crossing the room to place the tray on the table. She bobs a curtsy and makes a swift exit.
"Thank you," Morgana says distractedly to the retreating back. She sits at the table and stares at the food, utterly without appetite to eat. She jumps to her feet at the sound of the commotion at the door. "Please let me in," Gwen's voice rings out. "Morgana!"
Morgana crosses the room to open the door. "Let my maidservant in, please. I need her to attend me."
The guards look at each other, but allow Gwen to enter. Gwen rushes in to grasp Morgana. "He's been taken to the cells!" she cries.
Morgana moans, "Noooo!"
Gwen talks soothingly to her. "Uther captured him at Geoffrey of Monmouth's chambers."
"What happened?"
"He never got your message. The innkeeper never saw him."
Gwen comforts a sobbing Morgana, stroking her hair. "What is Uther going to do with him?"
"I heard from a guard that he may execute him for using enchantments," Gwen says. At that moment, Uther sweeps into the room, with Urien of Rheged and Geoffrey of Monmouth a few steps behind. Arthur follows them into the room.
"How dare you!" Morgana shrieks at him, leaping to her feet and confronting him. She lunges forward and raises her fists to hit him. He easily captures her hands and holds her firmly. She struggles with him.
"Morgana!" Uther shouts. "Control yourself and listen to me."
"No! You are a tyrant!"
Holding her firmly by her wrists, Uther says through clenched teeth, "you will marry Urien tomorrow, or your lover will be executed the day after. Your choice will decide his fate."
"No! If I cannot marry Romulo, I will marry no one. I will never marry!" she sobs.
"You foolish child." Uther shoves her hands away and she stumbles backward, sobbing. She flings herself onto her bed. Gwen rushes over to comfort her, glaring back at Uther.
"Tomorrow morning, you will be wed." He and the others leave her chambers. Arthur hesitates on the doorway, but giving a last glance back at Morgana, he makes his exit as well.
xXx
"Thank you, Sire," Merlin says to Arthur as he lays a tray with Arthur's supper on the table.
He had hurried into the citadel after his release from the stocks in order to fetch Arthur's meal, not taking the time to wash or change his tunic. He stares down at the table, not looking at Arthur across the room. His throat feels tight. "The King would have had me executed."
Arthur sighs and rises from his desk to walk to the table for his supper. He pauses near where Merlin is fussing with the plates and cutlery on the table, reaching out a hand to still Merlin's nervous movements. Merlin looks at him in response to the touch. "What were you doing, Merlin?" Arthur asks. "Who was that man?" Arthur removes his hand, waiting for Merlin's reply.
"He was a friend of Prince Romulo's."
"Was he a sorcerer?"
"Who, Prince Romulo?" Merlin asks with wide-eyed innocence.
"No, you idiot. The other man. The one you were seen talking to at the tavern."
Merlin thinks for a moment before answering. "Can Arthur be trusted with the truth?" He searches Arthur's face for a clue to his thoughts. His mouth is dry as he says, looking down at the table again, "yes, I think so."
Arthur sighs again, heavily. "Well, then. It's a good thing he's dead then, isn't it?"
"Yes, Sire." Merlin swallows hard and feels he can breathe again. "Why was your father so angry and upset?"
"Apparently Morgana has refused to marry King Urien, says she has fallen in love with this Prince Romulo and will marry only him."
"When did this all happen?"
"Love at first sight. At the feast, I think."
"I saw them," Merlin says, wonderingly. "She spoke with him in the shadows, and he kissed her hand."
"And now he's in the cells. He was captured outside of Geoffrey on Monmouth's chambers waiting to meet Morgana to be hand fasted." Arthur shakes his head and sits down at the table. Merlin pours him a goblet of wine.
xXx
Later that night, Gwen is preparing Morgana for bed, helping her out of her day gown. "What are you going to do?" she asks.
"I cannot marry Urien." Morgana ducks her head into her nightdress and pulls it down, sitting on her bed. "Gwen," Morgana says, "leave me to myself tonight." She rests her head on the bedpost.
"Are you sure, my Lady?"
"Yes. Let me now be left alone."
"Goodnight, my Lady," Gwen says as she leaves Morgana's rooms reluctantly.
Morgana looks at the door as it closes behind her maidservant. "Farewell. Gods know when we shall meet again," she whispers. "My dismal scene I needs must act alone."
Morgana jumps off the bed and walks across the room to her dressing table to retrieve the vial of sleeping potion that the apothecary had given her. She lifts it to the light and sees how the color reflects it. "Come, vial." She lifts it to her lips, then pauses as she lowers it again, "what if this mixture doesn't work? Am I to be married tomorrow morning?" She takes a step to the window, and looks out onto the courtyard, as if willing her sight to reach into the cells to see Romulo. She leans her head against the pane of glass, tears filling her eyes. She lifts the bottle again, shaking it. "No, no, this shall forbid it."
She drains the flask. "Romulo, Romulo! Here's drink. I drink to you!" She collapses to the floor underneath the window, clutching the empty vial in her hand.