Chapter 57 A/N I don't own Merlin. I tried super hard with the whole translating spells thing, took me like an hour to get the tenses right and all, and the Latin I took really helped some, but to a real old english translator person it'll probably be nonsense, LOL. I need a life. Asser is a Welsch monk from the tenth century in Alfred's court, but I couldn't well use Gildas; he'll be someone else later on *pretty vague nudge into something bigger 😜;P
"So, Leon was telling me about this tradition at the knighting ceremony?" Cassie asked as she helped Owaine with his chainmail.
"Not at the knighting ceremony. After the festivities. Lull him into a false sense of security, then we pounce."
"So, no possibility anyone other than the knights will be caught in the crosshairs?"
"When Sir Gawant was knighted, his poor sister was stuck with blue hair for a week. No one could stand her for that week, she was insufferable."
"Yeah, I would be too, if someone dyed my hair for a whole week! AND it wasn't intended for me." Cassie said, reaching up to fasten the cloak around his shoulders.
"Yeah, except you would not only be insufferable, you'd be petty and get back at us." Owaine said, smiling teasingly down at her.
"And don't you forget it." Cassie replied, returning his teasing smile with a wicked one, her eyes gleaming in challenge as they walked to the door.
"Oh, this is going to be fun!" Owaine said happily, nodding to Leon who just looked at them as if they sprouted two heads as he walked past their chambers.
"So, What's the plan for tonight?" Cassie asked as they walked down to the Throne Room arm-in-arm.
"Tonight. The party's on. Tomorrow is another story. But we take turns, going by level of seniority."
"Ah, means I have a date with Sir Radnor. Discuss the details of this tradition. Give him some ideas for pranks."
"Seems you've lost your wife already, Owaine." Leon said jokingly, clapping him on the back in mock sympathy. "Think I have a shot?"
"Yeah, right!" Owaine cried in affront just as Cassie answered his question.
"In your dreams, Sir Knight." Cassie said affably.
"Eh, worth a try. Just letting you know, Sir Radnor is one of the better ones at pranking, might not need to give him any tips. Sir Gregory, now he's the one you need to talk to. His pranks are so dry and predictable. You would add a little color to them." Leon said with a shrug as they approached the doors to the Throne Room.
"Thank you, Leon. I think I just might." Cassie said, kissing Owaine chastely on the lips and giving Leon a brief kiss on the cheek. "I should go, gossip beckons." she said with a wide smile, ignoring how they both rolled their eyes and went to stand on either side of the aisle, waiting for Lancelot to arrive. When he finally did, clad in full chainmail and surcoat and looking the part, he walked down the aisle and knelt before the King, ceremonial sword held against his chest.
"Arise, Sir Lancelot, Knight of Camelot." King Uther said to the room, tapping the sword on either shoulder.
Lancelot stood proudly, trying not to smile too widely as the room clapped for him and he bagan walking down the aisle.
"Lancelot seems to have come out of nowhere. When Cass and I went to watch him train, he didn't look at all like a knight." Morgana said to Gwen as Cassie walked up to them, signaling both of them with a long, delicate finger as she spoke.
"I know. It's been a bit of a surprise to all of us." Gwen said, eyeing his interaction with the King.
"What do you think he and Uther are talking about?" Cassie asked them quietly, watching Uther walk up to him and put his arm around Lancelot's shoulder.
"Dunno, probably congratulations, you're my slave now, muah ha ha ha." Morgana said jokingly, making Cassie laugh loudly and cover her mouth, her cheeks going red as everyone looked at the three laughing women.
"I should go, before you get me in any more trouble, 'Gana. That was embarrassing!" Cassie said, giving them a kiss goodbye before starting to walk away, muttering under her breath a spell to overhear what they were saying and hiding her eyes as she did so-she was being paranoid about the seal she'd made.
"You do us a great honour, Sir Lancelot. The knighthood is the very foundation of Camelot."
"The honor is all mine, Sire." Lancelot said.
"Your father would be very proud." the King continued.
"Yes, Sire."
"I have not seen Lord Seisyll for many years. Not since my coronation. I was under the impression that he could no longer have any children; old battle wound." he said, eyeing the young man suspiciously as he spoke.
"Well...here I am." Lancelot said in a wavering voice, smiling nervously.
"Indeed you are. And I've kept you too long already. Enjoy the celebrations." Uther said, clapping him once on the shoulder before turning back to his throne.
"Sire." Lancelot said with a bow, smiling as his fellow knights grabbed his forearm in congratulations.
Cassie watched as Owaine winked at her momentarily before he joined the others and walked out of the Throne Room enthusiastically.
"Take this seal to Geoffrey of Monmouth, the Court Genealogist." Uther said to Lady Sophia as he opened it, looked it over and looked back up to watch Lancelot's retreating back as Arthur put his arm around Lancelot's shoulders. "I want his opinion by morning."
"Yes, my Lord." she said, curtsying and walking out of the Throne Room as Cassie let the spell fade and went back to where Morgana and Gwen were still talking.
"So, what are you planning to wear tonight?" Cassie asked with a gentle smile, not worried they wouldn't find a record of his birth.
"The plum dress with no sleeves. You?"
"I was torn between the lilac dress with silver fastenings and the pale yellow one with blue trimmings."
"The yellow dress, you never wear it! And yellow makes you look so pretty!"
"I think yellow makes me look washed out. Think Owaine will come around long enough to help me, or will he be too busy celebrating with the Knights?"
"If you can pry him away from the 'celebrations' it won't be to help you dress, Cassie." Morgana said salaciously as they walked through the castle to Cassie's chambers.
"In that case, mind if I get ready in your chambers?"
"Of course not! Besides, we need to make Gwen look like a goddess. She'll be the only thing Lancelot will look at tonight if I have a say in it." Morgana said with a smirk as Cassie opened her wardrobe and pulled out the dress and her blue heels.
"He'd look at her even if she were wearing a sack." Cassie replied with a pointed look.
"And whose eye are you hoping to catch, my Lady?" Gwen replied, her pale cheeks unusually rosy.
"Who said I had my eye on someone?"
"I don't think It's just your eye that's on someone, I remember finding a man's nightshirt in your chambers a few weeks ago next to that particular red nightdress you bought from Lady Gordon. So...who is it?"
"Well, let's continue this after we get ready. I don't think we'll be able to do so if we start to talk. You know me. Get me talking, and nothing can shut me up." Cassie said, nodding imperceptibly at Morgana's grateful look as they continued towards Morgana's chambers.
"That's not true, one thing can shut you up." Gwen said, sparing a knowing glance at Morgana before they said at the same time. "Owaine."
"Oh. Ha. Ha." Cassie said with a roll of her eyes, following Morgana into her chambers and sitting down on the settee as Gwen poured them each a cup of wine.
"You know, Cassie. One of these days I'll get you to tell me where Owaine gets these beautiful gowns. I've never seen this type of embroidery before." Morgana said, holding up the dress and looking at it carefully.
"Yes, but that day is not today." Cassie said, putting on her sapphire earrings and winking at her.
"So you will tell us?"
"Someday." Cassie said simply, gracefully getting up and going to the window to look out at the courtyard below.
"Looking forward to that day. Those dresses of yours really are exquisite." Morgana said, moving next to her and looking out as well.
"The view is spectacular, isn't it?" Cassie asked softly, taking a sip from her glass.
"Yeah, I suppose it is. It's just been painted red too many times for me to appreciate it."
"My brother was never big on public executions." Cassie said without thinking.
"I doubt anyone is, really. I know I'm certainly not." Morgana said darkly.
"How did they punish them?" Gwen asked as she moved around behind them.
"There were executions, but public ones were only left for high crimes. And the punishment fit the crime: Arson, for example, was punished by burning at the stake. Sodomy and sometimes adultery was punished by impaling; which was way worse than it sounds, I was never allowed to watch, but the screams were terrible." Cassie said, shuddering violently.
"Let's change topics, then." Gwen said slowly from where she was laying out Morgana's dress.
"Definitely. So, Gwen. Are you going to talk to him tonight?" Cassie said, turning around and smiling widely.
"Talk to whom?" Gwen asked, looking around nonchalantly.
"To the guy you like, of course!" Morgana replied, leaning against the wall as she sipped her wine.
"Let's get you ready. The laces won't tie themselves." Gwen said, ignoring them and proceeding to gently drape the first dress over the screen, looking at them expectantly.
"You know, seeing as you two are wearing the same dresses we wore when Lady Helen came to sing, I kind of want to wear the same dress I wore then."
"Don't do that! You'll look truly beautiful in this dress." Gwen said, holding the dress up to her body and twirling around.
"Go on, Cassie, you'll be the envy of everyone tonight." Morgana said with a wide smile
"You'll even outshine Morgana." Gwen agreed, nodding along.
"But it doesn't twirl as pretty, and I hope there's dancing!"
"There will be plenty of dancing tonight, there always is at the knighting ceremonies. Come, let's get you ready!" Gwen said, taking her hand and dragging her behind the screen to undo the laces of her current dress and going back out to gather Morgana's dress.
"So, what color do you want for the eye makeup? Morgana asked from her vanity as she swept some blush over her cheekbones.
"Well, I wanted to wear that red lip paint you have, but I think red lips and strong eyes are too much."
"So, just the black liner?"
"Yes. You?"
"I think I'll do the same, but not the red lip, it's too much for the dress."
"Morgana, you could go with your hair disheveled and no makeup and every man's eye would still be on you in that dress." Gwen said.
"If anything, they'd be drooling even more, mussed up hair, imagining what exactly made it that way." Cassie said, her eyes glinting as she looked at Morgana.
"Well, they can keep on dreaming." Morgana said, slipping the dress on and dabbing a little perfume behind her ears. "Want some?"
"No, thank you, I took a rose petal and lavender bath this morning."
"Gwen?"
"Thank you, my Lady, but no." she said sweetly, stepping behind the screen to change into her lavender blue dress quickly.
"Suit yourself." Morgana said with a shrug, recapping the bottle and placing it on the dressing table.
"You want some make up Gwen?"
"Just kohl, thanks." she responded, lightly outlining her green eyes and gathering her hair back in a simple twist.
"Fair warning, stay away from the ale tonight. I have something up my sleeve." Cassie said mischievously, laughing at their worried looks.
"Why? What'd you do?" Gwen asked.
"Let's just say the yard of ale will feel more like a Saxon mile for all the men, tomorrow."
"You know, you don't need to get the whole castle drunk if you want one crazy night with your husband." Morgana quipped teasingly.
"Ha ha, it's my prank for the month. And since Lancelot so conveniently showed up, and became a knight with festivities and everything, I just really want to do it. Besides, it's only the first part of the prank, the rest will be so much funnier tomorrow after all the men are hungover."
"Hello, my beautiful Queen. Having fun yet?" Owaine asked as she entered the hall of ceremonies with Morgana and Gwen, breaking off from them and going to her husband.
"Not yet, no. Where's the music? And Merlin, I love seeing him make a fool of himself, and he's yet to disappoint for entertainment at one of Camelot's feasts." Cassie said with twinkling eyes, looking around the room and spotting Merlin speaking to Gaius. "Ah! There he is, I think I'll go pester him for a while. Besides, I want grapes. And he just happens to have a plateful of them."
"Well, as soon as the music starts, I expect your dances."
"Count on it, my love." she said weaving around the crowd delicately and stopping in front of Gaius and Merlin.
"I don't know what it said in your invitation, but on mine it said celebration."
"Point taken," Gaius said with a deep chuckle. "Don't come back too late. Have fun, my Lady."
"Thanks, Gaius!" Cassie said, turning to Merlin and taking a grape off his plate.
"Hey! That's my plate!" he said, moving his plate out of the way.
"Really? Last I checked, you were supposed to serve me." Cassie said in as regal a voice as she could, biting back her laugh.
"Yes, but tonight I am Lancelot's guest. Yard of ale and as much as I can eat."
"That's not how this works, Merlin. You're supposed to get affronted and trip or do something funny. You're no fun tonight." Cassie said, taking another few grapes and popping them in her mouth, eyeing the ale in his hand victoriously.
"You know what?" he asked as Gwen neared them and giggled at Cassie.
"You feel a big bout of clumsiness coming on?" Cassie guessed with a hopeful smile, to which he rolled his eyes and continued as if she'd said nothing.
"I think our Sir Lancelot might have eyes for you, Gwen."
"Don't be silly." she replied, looking down at the floor before looking back at where Arthur and Lancelot were seated, talking amiably.
"What? So what if he did? Would that really be so bad?" he said with a wide smile, his cup of ale empty in his hand.
"He's not really my type." she replied with a sigh and an exasperated look at no one in particular.
"Oh, well, there's a surprise. Sometime, Guinevere, I wonder if you'd know what your type was if he was standing right next to you." Merlin pointed out, tapping the empty tin cup in his closed fist.
"You're probably right." she conceded, batting her eyelashes at him and looking wistfully at him as he replaced his empty cup for another.
"So, come on. Just for the sake of argument. If you had to, Arthur or Lancelot." he said, pointing between the two as Cassie slapped him upside the head, not missing the look Gwen was giving him. "Ow!"
"But I don't have to and I never will." Gwen sang, twisting playfully as he rubbed the back of his head, completely oblivious to her flirting.
"Oh, you are no fun, Gwen." Merlin said, shaking his head at her and chuckling.
"So, Merlin. Just for the sake of argument. If you had to, Arthur or Lancelot?" Cassie asked teasingly, laughing as he thought about it.
"Hm, that's easy, I don't have to clean Lancelot's socks."
"Okay, how about a harder one. Uther or Gaius?"
"Gaius. Uther scares me."
"Gwen or Morgana?" Cassie asked quickly, hoping that wasn't his first cup of the night.
"I-" Merlin said, stuttering nervously.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Arthur said, standing up on the table he'd just pounded on, "please join me in a toast to our new recruit, our new knight of Camelot, Sir Lancelot." he said, raising his cup as everyone clapped and Merlin cheered.
"Oh! Music's on! Owaine owes me a dance or ten." Cassie said, handing Merlin her cup of wine and kissing him on the cheek with a wink.
"Your dance my love." Owaine said as she went up to him and he said goodbye to the other knights, leading her onto the dance floor beside the other party guests, dancing the night away and going back to their chambers with a few too many drinks. Laughing as they fell onto the bed and made love all night long.
"Lancelot's in trouble. Cassie, please tell me you had nothing to do with this." Owaine said seriously as he pulled her into an alcove before she could go on her rounds early the next morning.
"Okay, 'you had nothing to do with this.'" she replied with a cheeky grin.
"Cassie!" Owaine growled, tugging the tapestry back down and pulling her closer.
"Look, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. He did save my life. And Merlin would have given him an alias that was sure to be discovered. My forgery was flawless, and I went a step ahead and added a birth record for him."
"Cassie, the First Code of Camelot says-"
"Oh, don't you start with that! Lancelot's a brave man, and an incredible fighter who wants to protect Camelot. Why in the world would you not let him?"
"It's not up to me. Or you. King Uther's many things, and in this instance he'll see this as treason. Lancelot will die."
"I don't get it, the seal is flawless. How could he have found out?"
"Lord Seisyll's brother's granddaughter is at Court."
"Oh. That's even worse, especially since there's a record of his birth now. They'll accuse him of sorcery."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." Owaine said, rubbing his hand over his face.
"If it does, I can modify everyone's memories. I don't know how much magic it'll take, but I can do it."
"You'll use more magic to undo the consequences of the magic you've already done?"
"When's it meant to convene?"
"In less than an hour."
"All right, I can request a private audience with Geoffrey and Uther. It'll be tricky, but I'll manage."
"Cassie, that's incredibly dangerous. Not to mention absolutely foolish."
"I have to try, I won't let another man lose his head over my mistake."
"I'm coming with you."
"No, I won't be able to do it completely if you're next to me. The magic might affect you."
"Have you ever done this before?"
"There's a first time for everything. I'll be safe, I promise." she said solemnly, looking deep into his eyes and leaning up to kiss him. "I'll be safe, my Knight."
"I'll go with you, only to request the audience. I'll leave you in privacy after that. But unless you'd like to speak with Arthur about this, you have to let me." he said, not letting her interrupt him.
"Yes, my love." she said, stepping out from behind the tapestry quickly and letting him lead her to the royals' wing where Uther was preparing.
"My Lord." Owaine greeted with a knock on the door, letting her know to wait until she could enter with his eyes.
"Enter. Sir Owaine, is there a problem?"
"No, Sire. My wife, Lady Cassie, requests a private audience with Your Majesty."
"Very well, she can speak to me after the council."
"It's a matter of great urgency, my Lord. She has information on the creature that attacked the villages."
"I will speak to her now, then." he said, dismissing his servants with a nod and sitting down at the head of the table, his eyes following as Owaine walked back out the room with surety and closed the doors.
"Your Majesty." Cassie said with a slight curtsy, waiting for him to tell her to speak before doing so.
"You may speak. What do you know of the creature?"
"It's got the body of a lion and the wings of an eagle."
"Yes, yes. I know this already."
"Fire keeps it at bay. It doesn't kill it, I don't know what does. But fire keeps it away, at least that's what I believe from what I've read, my Lord."
"This changes things indeed." Uther muttered, standing up and going to look out the window, his back to her as she softly muttered and let her magic fill the space around his head, glowing softly for only her eyes. "Onlúcan þín ferhþsefa, beclȳsde þín éagmist, ic i betǣċe hwæt ðearf to witenne. Forhwierfe þære ingemynde anbewearp of mín sylfre ġecorennesse, ond næfre eft gescéadnesse Lancelot. (Open your mind, close your eyes, show me what I wish to know. Change the memory into that of my own choosing, and never remember Lancelot's record.)"
"Majestad?" Cassie asked innocently, letting the spell end once she felt the memory mould itself into what she wanted it to be.
"Yes, yes. I shall send riders out to the villages, tell them to keep fires blazing through the day and night. Confer with Gaius. See if you can't both figure out how to kill the beast." he said, showing no signs of the magic she had used on him.
"Yes, Sire. I shall have to speak with Geoffrey, to take the book out of the library and show it to Gaius. I'm sure he is busy with whatever the council meeting is about today." Cassie probed lightly.
"The new man, Lancelot. He forged the seal and broke the First Code, there's no record of his birth anywhere and Lord Seisyll's grandniece doesn't know of him."
"My Lord, if I may?"
"Speak your mind." he said with a nod.
"In Hispania, there were different levels to the guard. The Royal Guard is akin to your Knights, and those who didn't make the Royal Guard were still in the army. Yes, he did break the law, but he's a good fighter. Perhaps you could take that into consideration."
"The First Code was implemented to prevent those who would see me dethroned. He broke the code, he lied and forged a seal, impersonated a nobleman. This is treason, my Lady, and you would do well to remember that you are no longer in Hispania. This is my Kingdom."
"Yes, Your Majesty. I meant no offense." Cassie apologised quickly, curtsying deeply and walking out the room at the clear dismissal.
"So?" Owaine asked quietly as she walked out and closed the door behind her, letting out a relieved breath at her slight nod, taking her hand and walking away quickly.
"All that's left is Geoffrey. Stay in the hall, he'll become suspicious if it's both of us. Since you're never in the library." She said, leading him down to the library and knocking politely before she entered, leaving Owaine in the hall once more.
"My Lady, I'm afraid the library's closed today. King's orders."
"I was just speaking with him, I think the beast may be afraid of fire, or at least that fire keeps it away, and I was wondering if I could take the book up to Gaius. It's the Bestiary of Asser."
"Ah, yes, I just put that away earlier…" he said, trailing off and going to the stacks to find the book while Cassie let her magic flow freely once more and muttered: "Onlúcan þín ferhþsefa, beclȳsde þín éagmist, ic i betǣċe hwæt ðearf to witenne. Forhwierfe þære ingemynde anbewearp of mín sylfre ġecorennesse, ond næfre eft gescéadnesse Lancelot.'' She spotted the registry she'd copied his birth in after releasing the spell and with a quick glance towards the stacks, quickly ripped the page out and crumpled it in her hands.
"Did you find it, Geoffrey?" she called out kindly.
"Not yet, ah! Here it is!" he called back through the library, walking out from between the stacks to where she was standing.
"Thanks, Geoffrey. Do you need some help with those?" she asked pointing to the books laid out on his table.
"Ah, all but these. That man, Lancelot, forged his seal. There's no record of him anywhere. King Uther requires them in the council meeting." he answered gruffly.
"Of course, Geoffrey. I'll put them back in no time. You go ahead to the Council chambers, can't have the King waiting." Cassie told him with a smile, gathering the books and looking at their spines to know where to put them.
"Of course not, my Lady."