A/N: Thank you to everyone reading, and to those who have put this story on their favorites or alert list! An extra thank you to ObsessedAnne for the review!
Chapter 22: Trouble at the Border
The next time Gorlois visited the castle, it was under much less pleasant circumstances. He came alone, not as Uther's best friend, but as the First Knight of Camelot. There had been rumblings of trouble on Camelot's border with Mercia for several weeks. At first, Uther had hoped it was nothing. He had increased patrols on that border, and hoped that the reminder of Camelot's strength would be all it took to quiet things back down. Then a patrol was attacked. Two men survived, making it back to Camelot to tell the king of the deaths of their comrades. It was apparent now that this was more than just a few overzealous Mercian border patrollers. The survivors of the battle spoke of a small army building up just beyond the border, clearly making plans to venture into Camelot and attack the relatively unprotected outlying land.
Uther knew that his response must be strong and swift. He had sent a messenger to Gorlois the moment the two knights had finished relaying their story. Sensing the urgency of the matter, Gorlois had ridden for Camelot on his own horse, knowing it would be faster than the carriage he might usually have traveled in. As soon as he arrived in Camelot, he was whisked into a meeting with Uther and the council.
The atmosphere in the meeting was tense. When Gorlois entered, the council was in the midst of an argument over the logistics of their response. How many men should be sent? Was their goal to simply defeat whatever troops were on the border, or to send a retaliatory strike into Mercia? Uther, sitting at the head of the table with Hunith by his side, pinched the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on.
The pause in the arguing when Gorlois entered was a welcome respite. Uther gestured for him to take his place beside him; even as Gorlois did so, the arguing started up again.
"Has anything been decided yet?" Gorlois leaned closer to Uther so he could be heard over the arguing.
Uther shook his head, "When have you ever known the council to make decisions quickly?" His friend smiled briefly, though he soon grew serious again.
"I would welcome your council," Uther added, "These men argue their theories, but half of them have never set foot on a battlefield, and most of those who have haven't done so in years. You have the experience."
Gorlois didn't answer right away. Instead, he sat back in his chair, seemingly listening to the argument going on around him, taking in the opposing viewpoints. At last, he stood up, and Uther knew he was ready to voice his own opinion. He called for silence, and soon enough, all eyes were on Gorlois. Though he didn't attend every meeting, the First Knight was well-respected by the council.
"I think that our response must be carefully measured," he began, "Of course, we must show Mercia that they cannot intrude on our lands without consequence. That Camelot is strong, and we will protect our borders vigorously."
Glancing around at the council, Uther saw heads nodding.
"However," Gorlois continued, "I think a retaliatory strike into Mercia would be a mistake at this point."
One of the lords frowned, leaning forward, "But you said yourself, we must show them Camelot is strong."
Gorlois nodded, "I did. But a retaliatory strike could lead to an all-out war."
"A war Camelot would win," the lord responded, "Surely you are not doubting the capabilities of your own troops, Sir Gorlois."
"I do not doubt our men, Lord Marek," Gorlois answered levelly, "But nor do I want to send many of them to their deaths. We may win a war, but not without many lives being lost." His eyes swept the council, "It is your own sons and grandsons whose lives we would be putting on the line. Any one of them would give their lives for Camelot if necessary, but we should not throw their lives away so easily."
An uncomfortable murmur ran through the council at his words.
"What do you suggest, Gorlois?" Uther asked. A part of him agreed with Lord Marek. Mercia had acted with aggression, and Camelot ought to respond in kind. But he trusted Gorlois' judgment above anyone else's, and ultimately, he did not want an all-out war with Mercia.
"We send troops to the border," Gorlois answered. We make a stand there and drive Mercia's armies back. Right now, they think they've got an easy target. If we show them that they're wrong, I believe they will retreat into their own lands. If they do not, if they keep threatening their borders, then we can revisit the matter of taking stronger measures."
Many of the council were nodding, but Lord Marek was still frowning. "I still believe we should take stronger measures, make Mercia pay for their arrogance," his gaze went to Hunith, "We need not lose lives needlessly in war, we have allies now who could join us. With Essetir's aid, we could crush Mercia and expand our own borders." There was a note of challenge in his voice, and Uther remembered that of all the council, Marek had protested most strongly against the choice of Hunith as his new queen.
Uther looked at Hunith too; up until now, she had sat quietly at his side, not involving herself in the argument or giving her opinion. Now, however, she leaned forward and met Lord Marek's eyes.
"Essetir will send troops to aid Camelot if it is necessary," she answered, her voice calm and sure, ""As was agreed upon when the king and I were wed. But Mercia has allies of its own to call upon. How many kingdoms would be pulled into this war? Where would it end? And what would we have to show for it in the end?"
The council devolved into arguing once more. Though most of them seemed to have been convinced by Gorlois' plan, and perhaps too by Hunith's words, others seemed to have been swayed by Lord Marek's vision of taking Mercia's land for themselves.
At last, Uther rose to his feet, and the council quickly fell silent.
"We will send our troops to the border in the manner Sir Gorlois has laid out," he announced, "We will protect our land, and show Mercia we are not to be trifled with. But we do not need to add Mercia's land to our own. Camelot is strong and rich," he glanced to his side, briefly meeting Hunith's gaze, " We will not draw our allies into an unneeded war, nor risk the lives of our own men any more than the situation requires."
Though he knew some of the council would be displeased with the decision, no one spoke. They knew better than to keep arguing when the king had made up his mind (For the most part, anyway, their insistence that he take a bride had been an exception.)
Uther turned to Gorlois, "You will lead the troops? I need your bravery and foresight at the front."
Gorlois nodded his assent, "Of course, I will begin the preparations immediately."
"Good," Uther turned his attention to the rest of the council once more, "I am confident that our men will deal with this matter swiftly, and our enemies will see that Camelot is as strong as it has ever been."
He dismissed the council. The men began to file out. Now that a plan was in place, the tension had eased, and the conversation as they left was almost cheerful.
When no one but Uther, Hunith, and Gorlois remained in the room, Gorlois leaned in to speak to Uther quietly, "The preparations will take a few days, and most of it will not require my direct supervision. After I get things started, I'd like to go home and say goodbye to Morgana before the troops ride out. I don't know how long I will be away, and I didn't have a chance to explain things to her before; I rode straight here as soon as I got your message."
"Of course," Uther answered, "You have my leave. Take what time you need." He trusted that Gorlois would be back well in time for the army to march out. He knew the patterns of these things, how long it took for troops to prepare.
"Thank you, Uther," Gorlois bowed his head briefly, and then he too left the room, leaving Uther and Hunith alone.
"I think you made a wise choice," Hunith murmured, "War should only ever be a last resort."
As the two of them left the council chambers together, Uther was confident that the matter with Mercia would be settled quickly and decisively, with minimal losses.
Three days later, Uther and Hunith stood on the balcony, looking down at the troops assembled in the courtyard. Gorlois stood at the head of the army, slightly apart from the rest of the sea of red cloaks, his warhorse saddled and dressed by his side, ready for him to mount.
Uther remembered the conversation he had had with his friend when Gorlois returned from his trip home. Gorlois had seemed worried, and a little upset. He had confided to Uther that when he had spoken to Morgana and told her that he had to go, she had become inconsolable, sobbing and begging him to stay.
"I've never seen her like that before," he had told Uther heavily, "It's as if she was convinced she would never see me again. And nothing I said seemed to comfort her."
"She'll be all right," Uther had done his best to reassure Gorlois, "She's a strong girl. And you'll be back home with her soon enough."
Gorlois had nodded, and murmured that Uther was right, but his smile had been tight, and his eyes still shadowed with worry.
Now, standing at the head of his men in the courtyard, he was the picture of confidence. There was no trace of the worries he had confided to Uther in private. To his men, he was confident and sure. They looked to his strength and his courage and found their own.
Looking down over his knights, Uther felt his own sense of pride and confidence swell. He addressed them briefly, commending their bravery and their loyalty. The men cheered. Gorlois raised an arm in salute to his king, and the rest of the troops followed suit. Then he swung himself onto his horse and turned to face the troops. They parted to make a path for their commander. Gorlois gave a shout of command, and the army was moving, the men marching almost as one.
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