So this is a shorter transitional chapter, which I'd hoped to post before the end of September due to the length, but life got in the way. Maybe I can pull off a double update in October instead…
There's also a reference to the events of 3x06 happening offscreen in Camelot while we've been following the OT3's adventures; I just didn't want to take time to write a whole arc about that episode since I figured there wouldn't be any substantial changes from canon, apart from Gaius doing any required magic since Merlin wasn't there.
"So what exactly are we hoping's gonna happen tonight?" Kenzi asked as she, Gwen, and Lancelot followed Arthur downstairs to the castle's main floor. It was unusually, almost eerily quiet due to the late hour, though there were still a few lit torches illuminating their path and throwing weirdly distorted shadows on the opposite wall. "And why do you have to be barefoot and wearing a dorky white dress?"
"It's a ceremonial robe," Arthur retorted with an air of weary indignation; on some level, he knew he should be offended by her irreverent, impudent remarks, but irreverent impudence was such a staple of her personality that he simply didn't have the energy to get outraged every time she made light of something that was supposed to be a solemn occasion – even one as important as this. "And I'm not sure why I have to wear it either, except that it's tradition. Tonight, I will attempt to open my mind, let my consciousness transcend my body so that my quest can be revealed-"
"I used to know a guy who sold mushrooms that could help with that."
"This is no laughing matter, Kenzi," Gwen chided her. "The quest Arthur chooses tonight will prove to the people whether he's worthy to be king one day. Not that there's any doubt about that," she added quickly, flashing him an encouraging smile.
"Thank you, Guinevere." Arthur was too nervous to smile back (he didn't allow his nerves to show, of course, though he suspected that she knew how he felt anyway), but he reached out to give her fingers a brief squeeze. Then he proceeded alone into the great hall, where he knelt in one of the shafts of moonlight that streamed in through the windows, casting an ethereal shimmer over his pristine white robe.
For a moment, there really was something transcendent about him, as if he had somehow become more than the lovable dipshit they knew so well… Then Lancelot closed the doors, and Kenzi promptly got bored. "We're not really gonna sit around all night long just staring at those doors, are we? He probably won't even know we're here if he's in there being all transcend-y…"
"This is one of the most important moments in a prince's life," Lancelot reminded her. "Surely, as his closest friends, we can give up one night's sleep to lend him our support."
"Hey, I've pulled plenty of all-nighters in my day. I've got no problem burning the proverbial midnight oil – or the four AM oil – it's just… Do we have to stay right here the whole time?" As far as Kenzi was concerned, the best part about staying up all night was that it gave her a chance to be with Lancelot at a time when most of the castle's occupants were asleep, which meant they could drop the roles of lady and manservant that had to be so carefully maintained when there were people watching, but they couldn't do what she wanted to right in front of Gwen – even Kenzi had a better grasp of propriety than that. Besides, if they got too noisy (which happened a lot when they had private time together), it might put a cramp in Arthur's transcendence.
Correctly guessing what was on her mind, Gwen helpfully directed her to the nearest cupboard where the castle staff stored various cleaning supplies, then watched with a bemused grin as Kenzi dragged Lancelot away. She was thrilled that her friends had finally put all their doubts and miscommunications behind them and found happiness together – and after observing them closely in the time that had passed since the goblin incident, Gwen had concluded that they were indeed very happy together – but it also seemed to her that Kenzi could sometimes be a bit…demanding.
###
When they found the supply closet, Kenzi pushed Lancelot inside (kicking over a mop and bucket in the process) and immediately got down to business, sealing their lips together with all the force of two days' worth of pent-up passion. "Do you," she demanded between hungry kisses, "have any idea…how frustrating it is…to see you all day…and have to act all proper…when all I wanna do is smooch you senseless?" Finally coming up for air, she said, "I'll admit there used to be some covert eye-rolling when Bo complained about not getting enough quality time with Merlin what with him working all the time and all this social ladder bullshit, but I totally get it now, and it sucks balls. An enormous sack of dragon-sized balls."
"I agree. Not with your very colorful metaphor," Lancelot quickly amended, causing Kenzi to stick out her tongue at him, though it was too dark inside the cupboard for him to see, "but it's hard for me as well, having to keep my distance when I want nothing more than to be with you."
"Well, there's no room for distance in here." With that observation, she pulled him close once more.
Now that the initial thrill of being alone at last had passed, their kisses were slower this time, less desperate, though still filled with intense feeling. The intensity only grew when Lancelot lifted her onto a barrel, the higher perch compensating for their difference in height and allowing him access to her neck without having to bend down so far. Kenzi arched her back and moaned as his lips moved down her jawline and below her ear to the sensitive skin of her throat, and without stopping to think about what she was doing, she reached for one of the large, strong hands that were gripping her lower back, holding her securely against him, and guided it upward to the dip in her neckline…
Then all the wonderful sensations suddenly stopped as Lancelot froze, his grasp loosening and his mouth abruptly leaving her throat, which felt cold and bereft without his warm touch.
"What's wrong?" Kenzi gasped, her voice rapidly turning petulant as she got her breath back. "Why'd you stop?"
"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have… It was wrong of me to touch you like that."
"What are you talking about? I was into it, in case you couldn't tell by me putting your hand there. It wasn't exactly planned, but we've been together almost two months now, and… I don't know, I kinda thought we'd be past the kissing stage by now."
"But kissing is all that's appropriate at this stage of our courtship. I won't compromise your honor," Lancelot said in a voice filled with that noble conviction that Kenzi usually admired in him, though right now she was more perplexed and frustrated than impressed.
"Compromise my honor?" she repeated in disbelief. "Uh, Lance, I hate to break it to you, but that ship sailed years ago. I'm not what you'd call pure as the driven snow here."
"Yes, I'm aware that the era you come from held different standards on such matters," he acknowledged with much squirming (which she found adorable). "Still, just because your previous suitors didn't treat you with the respect you deserve, it doesn't mean I want to sink to their level."
"They didn't disrespect me," Kenzi argued. "Look, I know this is hard for you to wrap your chivalry-saturated mind around, but where I come from, it's perfectly okay for people who're into each other to get down and dirty as long as everyone says yes. And I don't think you're really as uptight about the whole thing as you're acting now; you didn't have a problem with Bo getting it on with Merlin and Morgana, did you?"
"Bo is a succubus whose survival depends on such acts," Lancelot pointed out. "You are not, and my understanding of our friends' unique circumstances doesn't mean I want to engage in premarital relations myself. I know this is hard for you to understand, Kenzi, but I was raised to believe that it's wrong."
"So what, you're saying you never want to go further than making out on the DL unless… Unless what, we get hitched or something? Even if I were remotely ready to think about that – which I'm not saying I am, because as much as I love my birthday necklace, it's a big step from heart-shaped pendant to diamond ring – what are the odds of it ever being allowed to happen?"
Lancelot had to admit that she had a valid point, but although a part of him was flattered that she still wanted that level of intimacy with him in spite of his inability to give her all the things that were meant to go along with it, it wasn't so easy for him to cast aside the strict moral code that had been ingrained in him since childhood…even if he had never been so sorely tempted to do so as he was at this moment.
"Well…perhaps not 'never'. You're right – it's very unlikely that we'll ever be able to marry, though I hope you know I would ask for your hand in a heartbeat if I were permitted to. Still, I need more time. I… This isn't easy for me. It goes against everything I was ever taught about honor and decency and-"
"Whoa, hey, no need for a meltdown here," Kenzi interrupted, wondering how a late-night romantic interlude with some spontaneous feeling-up action had veered into a serious discussion about their future that had actually touched on the scary topic of the 'big M', marriage. Guess I forgot what era I'm in. Welcome to dating in the Dark Ages, where everybody automatically assumes the big M is endgame and keeping things casual is a foreign concept.
"Look, we obviously have polar opposite perspectives on this whole thing, so maybe we should just table the future talk for a while, because it's not like we have to make any major decisions right away. I mean, we definitely can't tie the knot tonight even if we wanted to, and even I'm not so totally lacking in romantic sensibility that I want our first time to happen in a janitor's closet while I'm sitting on a barrel getting splinters in my ass."
"You're right, this is hardly an ideal situation," Lancelot agreed, and although Kenzi couldn't see his face clearly, the flash of white teeth in the darkness seemed to indicate an amused grin. Of course, being Lancelot, he soon turned serious again. "We can't delay it forever, though. At some point, we will have to discuss our future – because, though I may not be certain of how it will come about, the one thing I do know beyond a shadow of a doubt is that I want a life with you."
Hearing this did funny things to her insides, making her feel warm and tingly and giddy all at once even as the idea of making a lifelong commitment brought on a rush of panic that threatened to choke off her breath. "I want you in my life too," she said through the overwhelming surge of emotions that were swamping her. That was the one thing she was certain of, so she could at least give him that much. "I'm not ready to make any big plans yet, but what we have… I'm happy, and I don't want it to end. Can't that be enough for now?"
"I suppose it has to be."
Neither of them was entirely satisfied with this compromise – Lancelot wished the woman he loved was more invested in their future together, and while Kenzi hadn't been hell-bent on taking their relationship to the next level tonight, it was still frustrating to know that they were firmly stuck on first base for the foreseeable future – but when they both pushed their lingering doubts aside, determined not to let those issues come between them, and resumed the tender, languid kissing they'd been enjoying before, their complicated situation suddenly seemed much less important, the obstacles facing them mere annoyances that could, and would, be dealt with later. At the moment, this was more than enough.
###
The next morning, Arthur announced that he had chosen his quest: he would journey to the realm of the Fisher King and retrieve the king's golden trident. Kenzi got very excited at the mention of a trident, thinking it was a Little Mermaid reference, and was sorely disappointed when Gaius told her that, despite the name, the Fisher King's kingdom was completely devoid of mermaids. In fact, he said, the whole kingdom had turned into a dry, desolate wasteland when its ruler, a powerful sorcerer who shared a symbiotic connection with his domain, fell ill from an infected battle wound and somehow poisoned the land itself with his sickness.
In the centuries that had passed since then, the kingdom had become known as the Perilous Lands, which Gaius explained was the reason Uther got even frownier than usual when Arthur revealed his intention to go there, though none of them had any idea of just how perilous the prince's quest would be.
Hundreds of miles from the capital of Camelot, Morgause was watching the court's activities in her scrying pool. She had been using it a lot lately, first to track her sister's journey across Albion – she had even intervened a few times, driving away bandits and dangerous magical creatures that could have posed a threat to Morgana and her companions, and each time she'd been sorely tempted to make herself known to her sister, to offer her assistance, but she had strongly suspected that offer would be unwelcome, so she kept her distance – though once Morgana crossed into the Blood King's realm, the powerful protective spells shrouding his palace made it nearly impossible to catch so much as a glimpse of what was happening inside.
Unable to watch over Morgana any longer, she had turned her attention to spying on Camelot instead; in the days of Cornelius Sigan, the stronghold of Camelot's rulers had been protected by similar enchantments, but Uther Pendragon, in his arrogance and foolishness, had 'cleansed' the castle of those ancient shield spells, and in so doing had left his home completely vulnerable to remote magical surveillance.
In that time, she had witnessed a number of interesting events that had unfolded in the heart of Uther's kingdom, right under her hated enemy's nose, mostly without his knowledge – including the most recent incident, in which he had very nearly married off his son to a changeling, a neighboring princess possessed by a sidhe. Morgause had found the whole affair highly amusing, even if Uther's wily old physician had figured out the reason behind Princess Elena's clumsiness and lack of social graces and, with help from the man who had replaced Morgana's paramour as Arthur's manservant, the human pet of Morgana's other lover, and the maid Arthur was in love with (another thing to which Uther was hilariously oblivious), exorcised the sidhe from the princess before the nuptials could take place. Then Arthur and Elena called off their wedding by mutual agreement, and the princess and her father went home, apparently without any bad blood on either side.
At the time, Morgause had merely been disappointed that her entertainment had come to an end, but now it gave her an idea. If it wasn't for Arthur, she was convinced that Morgana would have joined forces with her; her sister certainly had no love for Uther, and while her paramours might still have been a problem, Morgause believed she could have won them over. After all, there was no reason for a fae to support Uther's reign, and the boy would most likely have fallen in line if not for his position as Arthur's manservant. Instead, both he and Morgana were inexplicably loyal to the prince, and their irrational attitudes had swayed the succubus as well. Ever since her disastrous confrontation with Morgana in Camelot's throne room, when her sister had ordered her away and made it clear she wanted nothing to do with her, Morgause had stewed over the baffling situation in helpless fury, unable to see any way of fixing the mess she'd somehow found herself in, but now…
Arthur Pendragon would pay for stealing Morgana's allegiance from her.
###
When Arthur was finally ready to set out on his quest, the entire court gathered to see him off – and, in Gaius' case, to impart some final words of advice and warning. As he attempted to summarize his extensive research on the Perilous Lands, which he had poured himself into as soon as Arthur named the obscure region as his destination, in less than one minute, the physician found himself distracted by a metal band around Arthur's wrist, or more specifically the unnaturally bright jewel set in the band. It resembled topaz, but Gaius had never seen a gem that glowed as if it held its own inner fire, and even though he was badly out of practice when it came to magic – he'd made some efforts to brush up his old skills after Merlin left, just in case, yet was still nowhere near the levels of power he'd once had – his sorcerous senses were still sharp enough to recognize an enchanted object when he saw one.
"If I may, sire, that's a very unique accessory."
"It is, isn't it?" Arthur agreed with a glance down at the bejeweled band. "It just arrived yesterday – a gift from Lord Godwin and Princess Elena to show that there are no hard feelings over our broken betrothal, and that the alliance between Camelot and Gawant is as strong as ever."
"How generous of them."
Gaius said nothing more in case he was wrong, but as soon as Arthur rode away and the crowd of well-wishers dispersed, he hurried back to his workshop and began frantically searching every text he possessed concerning magical artifacts. Several hours later, when he'd identified the mysterious object, he summoned Gwen, Lancelot, and Kenzi to hear his findings.
"The gem in Arthur's wristband isn't a stone at all; it's an eye of the phoenix."
"A phoenix like Fawkes? They're real? Awesome!" Kenzi said enthusiastically, though her exuberance wilted when she was met with nothing but blank looks from the others. "Or it would be if you guys had read Harry Potter," she grumbled. "And you're saying Arthur's wearing a magical bird's eyeball? That takes the gross-out factor to a whole new level."
"I agree. More importantly, though, the eye of the phoenix is extremely dangerous. It's said to burn with a fire that will consume the life force of anyone it touches."
"Consume their life force?" Kenzi repeated, suddenly looking much more serious. "Like Bo if she doesn't put the brakes on her feeding in time?"
"But that will kill Arthur, won't it?" Gwen demanded, her eyes going wide with fear.
"If he wears it too long, yes," Gaius confirmed.
"Why would Princess Elena and her father send Arthur a gift designed to kill him, though?" Lancelot wondered aloud. "I truly didn't think either of them bore him any ill will for refusing to marry the princess – in fact, she agreed with his decision to call off the wedding – and now that she's been freed from the sidhe that was inhabiting her, she's just an ordinary girl, isn't she? And I'm sure her father is no sorcerer either. How would they even come to possess such an item?"
"I don't believe it was sent by Lord Godwin or Princess Elena. You're right, Lancelot; I've known Godwin for many years, and he's never dabbled in the dark arts. However, Arthur does have enemies who are very well-versed in sorcery and could no doubt obtain rare magical artifacts with little effort. Morgause was never found after the Knights of Medhir were defeated, remember," Gaius said grimly.
"Then there's not a moment to lose. I must go after Arthur and warn him – and tell him to remove that wristband at once."
"Slow your roll a minute," Kenzi ordered, grabbing Lancelot's arm as he jumped to his feet and started to stride purposefully out of the room. "I think you meant we have to go after Arthur. You're not just gonna sit here twiddling your thumbs while your man gets life-drained by evil jewelry, are you, Gwen?"
"No," Gwen said resolutely, standing up as well. "I'm not."
Turning back to Lancelot with a slightly ominous expression, Kenzi continued, "And I know you're not about to spout some macho medieval crap about how this rescue mission is too risky for the womenfolk, because you know that if you do you can forget about these gorgeous lips puckering up for you for at least a month – right, babe?"
"Of course. I wouldn't dream of trying to forbid you from coming along, if that's what you want," Lancelot said meekly.
Kenzi rewarded him with a quick hug and kiss on the cheek, then took Gwen's arm and hustled her off to begin preparing for their adventure. As they left, Gaius and Lancelot heard Kenzi telling Gwen, "See, Gwen, this is why laying down the law early on is a vital step in any new relationship…"
The two men looked at each other, and then Gaius sighed and patted Lancelot on the shoulder. "Good luck, lad."
"With saving Arthur, or with keeping Kenzi out of trouble as we traverse the Perilous Lands?"
"Both, I think."
###
"I'm not certain how long ago this happened," Morgana said as she finished relating her vision to Bo and Merlin, "but I have a sense that Arthur is nearing the Perilous Lands now. If only I knew where it is…"
"The name sounds familiar," Merlin mused. "Hold on…" Scooting over to the bed's edge, he snatched up one of the books he'd left on the nightstand, an atlas, and hurriedly flipped through it. "Here it is! The Perilous Lands are just on the other side of the barrier mountains enclosing Trick's southeastern border."
"Great, then it shouldn't take us too long to get there," Bo observed.
As soon as she spoke, the electric atmosphere of urgency that had filled the room at Morgana's warning of Arthur's precarious situation seemed to fall into suspension, hers and Merlin's agitated movements halting as they both turned to stare at Bo like she'd said something unreasonable.
"Us? But you can't go to the Perilous Lands, Bo. You have a task to perform for your Dawning, remember?" Morgana pointed out.
"And less than a week to do it," Merlin added.
"Then we better get moving so we can save Arthur and still get back in time for me to find the missing pieces of the magical jigsaw doohickey." When neither of them moved, Bo said impatiently, "Come on, you don't honestly think I'm letting you go to a place with 'perilous' in its name without me, do you? Besides, Morgana, you said Arthur's in mortal danger. That means he could die, right?"
"That is generally the meaning of 'mortal danger', yes," the seer said dryly.
"Then this is a whole-team effort," Bo said simply. "We don't want Arthur to die, do we?"
"Of course not," Merlin retorted. "But you can't afford to just brush off your Dawning, Bo. We don't want to lose you either."
"I know you don't," Bo replied, her brisk attitude softening slightly in the face of his obvious concern. "Don't worry, I'll get it done before the deadline…somehow. And I have an idea for how we can get to the Perilous Lands and back faster…"
###
Since receiving Trick's permission to stay in his kingdom, Kilgharrah had taken up residence in the mountains overlooking the palace, where he enjoyed the panoramic views, refreshingly cool mountain lakes, and especially being so close to the sky that he could spread his wings and take off whenever he wanted. Even more than all of these advantages, however, he relished the peace and quiet of not having dozens of humans trampling overhead, their trivial ant-like thoughts constantly intruding on his psychic senses. After enduring that for more than twenty years, the solitude of the mountaintops was just what he needed. Naturally, he should have known it was too good to last.
The first sign that his blessedly tranquil morning was about to be disrupted was the sound of booted feet climbing a mountain pass, followed shortly by the appearance of a certain young warlock, who was accompanied as always by the impertinent succubus and the witch.
"Well, young warlock, what is it you wish of me now?" he rumbled as they approached. "I am certain you would not be here if you did not need something."
"Now why would you think that?" Morgana asked sarcastically. "After all, it's been quite a while since we've had the pleasure of your charming company."
Kilgharrah snorted hard enough to blow puffs of smoke from his nostrils and started to say that it hadn't been long enough, but before he could speak, Merlin piped up. "Since you mentioned it, though, we could use your help. We need to get to the Perilous Lands."
"The Perilous Lands?" Kilgharrah echoed, the ridges above his eyes where a human's eyebrows would be rising before his enormous head swiveled toward Bo. "Unless I'm much mistaken, the area where you were told to search for the missing pieces of the object you must assemble lies in the opposite direction. There may be a greater distance between us than before," he said with apparent satisfaction at her surprised expression, "but I still hear things, especially things of great import. Your Dawning is such an event."
"Good to know your scaly nose is still firmly stuck in my business," Bo said dryly. "And thanks for the geography lesson, but I already knew that; Merlin just showed us on a map."
"And you realize that if you fail to complete your task within the allotted time, you will doom yourself to an agonizing and humiliating decline into a primitive, feral state in which little or nothing of the person you are now will remain?"
His warning seemed to have an effect on Merlin and Morgana, who both glanced uneasily at Bo and looked as if they might like to try again to convince her to abandon the rescue mission in favor of finishing her task, but her gaze never even flickered toward either of them as she continued staring the dragon down. "Yeah, that's what everyone keeps telling me, but I'm not going to let Arthur die to save myself. If you really want to help, why don't you quit wasting time trying to scare me and get me there and back in time to find the damn thing?"
Kilgharrah watched her intently for a moment, his large golden eyes seeming to weigh her resolve, before bowing his head in acquiescence. "Very well, if that is truly your desire. I suppose you'll want me to carry those two others as well?"
"What…?" Following Kilgharrah's gaze, the trio spun around to see Dyson and Vex emerging from behind a cluster of boulders.
"What are you guys doing here? Did you follow us?" Bo demanded.
"Well, we'd be a sorry excuse for personal guards if we let you slip off without us, wouldn't we?" Vex replied with that flippant air she remembered so well, though somehow his manner didn't seem quite as obnoxious as it was in her recollections.
"He's right, Bo," Dyson agreed in a much more serious tone. "If you're about to do something dangerous, we want to help however we can."
Touched by their loyalty and dedication, which she felt definitely went above and beyond the call of duty, Bo felt a sudden impulse to hug them both (even Vex, much to her own astonishment), but she fought it off. Time was very much of the essence…and she just wasn't ready to hug Vex yet, no matter how much more likable the current version was turning out to be. "Thanks, guys," she said instead, her voice only slightly roughened by emotion. "It means a lot to me. Well, let's get going; we're on a strict timetable here."
Kilgharrah grumbled a little about being asked to carry five people where before it had only been four, though he conceded that it wouldn't be too much of a burden since they weren't bringing along provisions for a weeks-long journey this time. At last, he lowered himself to the ground to allow them to climb aboard, and soon they were soaring over the barrier mountains toward the Perilous Lands. Bo just hoped, desperately, that they would get there in time to save Arthur.
Although she had refused to let Kilgharrah see so much as a hint of doubt or fear in her, the truth was that she knew exactly how great a risk she was taking by choosing to put something else ahead of her task, and what it might end up costing her. She didn't mind – she had never shied away from putting herself in jeopardy to help a friend, and she wasn't about to start now – but she didn't want her potential sacrifice to be for nothing.
Yes, folks, Morgause is back – you didn't really think she'd give up after one stern lecture from Morgana (and getting a room blown up around her), did you? Anyone else might've taken a hint from having that happen to them, but sometimes Morgause is just too determined for her own good.