him—her.”
“Ywain, Griflet. Both of you; get out,” Merlin said.
“No, I demand to know why you did this,” Sir Ywain said.
“I did it because Britt Arthurs is the best monarch in all of history that we could hope for. Now get out,” Merlin said.
“Come, Ywain,” Sir Griflet sighed.
Sir Ywain glowered at Merlin and then Sir Kay before he strode from the room, the muscles of his shoulders tight with anger. Griflet followed him out, closing the door behind them.
“Now, what did Morgan have to say about Arthur?” Merlin asked, turning every ounce of his attention to Sir Gawain.
“She saw to her shoulder wound. She said it wasn’t too bad—as long as My Lord keeps it bandaged and doesn’t involve herself in any fights it should heal fine. King Arthur charged my aunt with passing a message on to you,” Gawain said.
Merlin eyed the younger knight. “And you are playing messenger boy?”
“My aunt is traveling today to see the Lady of the Lake,” Gawain said.
Some of Merlin’s tension eased. Morgan and Nymue were Britt’s staunch allies. If Morgan was seeking out Nymue, it was likely for help. “What is the message?”
“King Arthur is traveling to London. She said she knew several knights who are allied with you. She plans to seek them out and wait for instructions there,” Gawain said.
“That is all?” Merlin asked.
Sir Gawain nodded.
Merlin threw himself into a chair. “Thank you for the information, Sir Gawain.”
Sensing the dismissal, Sir Gawain bowed and left Merlin’s study.
“She’s been seen to,” Sir Kay said, leaning against one of Merlin’s workbenches in his relief.
“It doesn’t mean she hasn’t come to additional harm,” Merlin said, earning a dark look from Sir Kay. “But I think it is unlikely she will be attacked. If she is riding to London she will be in the Forest of Arroy for a long time. Her knights have cleaned it up so well, I wonder if there are more than eight or nine recreant knights in the whole place.”
Before Sir Kay could reply, the door swung open to admit Sir Bodwain and Sir Ector into Merlin’s study.
“You’ve heard, I take it?” Sir Bodwain asked after looking from Merlin to Sir Kay.
“We’ve heard that Britt was wounded and discovered—though Morgan le Fay later treated her wounds and set her on the path to London,” Merlin said.
“That is the whole of it,” Sir Ector wearily sighed. “I’m worried about her, Merlin.”
“She’s wise beyond her years. She will make it to London,” Merlin said.
“What do we do about the knights? They’ve been in an uproar since Sir Lancelot, Sir Ywain, Sir Griflet, and Sir Bedivere returned. It’s a miracle they haven’t spread the news through the whole castle—although everyone knows they are unhappy with Arthur,” Sir Bodwain said.
Merlin closed his eyes and thought. Or he tried to think. Instead his mind was filled with images of Britt, scared and hurt by her knight’s anger.
This is what affection for another person does , Merlin grimly thought. It ruins your ability to reason and think clearly . Merlin was not pleased with this realization, but he also recognized he was incapable of dealing with the consequence at this moment. He needed to concentrate. England needed him to concentrate.
“We do nothing,” Merlin finally said.
Sir Bodwain stared at him. “I beg your pardon, what did you just say?”
“We do nothing,” Merlin repeated.
“ Nothing ? But—can’t you use magic? Or talk to the knights? They still trust you—I am certain of it. King Pellinore got them to hold off judgment until you arrived. And you will do nothing ?” Sir Bodwain gaped.
“I cannot alter the memories of so many men—not to mention all of Camelot. My magic is not that plentiful,” Merlin said.
“Couldn’t you at least talk to them? Make them see it’s not all bad?” Sir Ector said.
“I could, but I won’t,” Merlin said.
“Why not?” Sir Kay asked.
Merlin drummed his
“Ywain, Griflet. Both of you; get out,” Merlin said.
“No, I demand to know why you did this,” Sir Ywain said.
“I did it because Britt Arthurs is the best monarch in all of history that we could hope for. Now get out,” Merlin said.
“Come, Ywain,” Sir Griflet sighed.
Sir Ywain glowered at Merlin and then Sir Kay before he strode from the room, the muscles of his shoulders tight with anger. Griflet followed him out, closing the door behind them.
“Now, what did Morgan have to say about Arthur?” Merlin asked, turning every ounce of his attention to Sir Gawain.
“She saw to her shoulder wound. She said it wasn’t too bad—as long as My Lord keeps it bandaged and doesn’t involve herself in any fights it should heal fine. King Arthur charged my aunt with passing a message on to you,” Gawain said.
Merlin eyed the younger knight. “And you are playing messenger boy?”
“My aunt is traveling today to see the Lady of the Lake,” Gawain said.
Some of Merlin’s tension eased. Morgan and Nymue were Britt’s staunch allies. If Morgan was seeking out Nymue, it was likely for help. “What is the message?”
“King Arthur is traveling to London. She said she knew several knights who are allied with you. She plans to seek them out and wait for instructions there,” Gawain said.
“That is all?” Merlin asked.
Sir Gawain nodded.
Merlin threw himself into a chair. “Thank you for the information, Sir Gawain.”
Sensing the dismissal, Sir Gawain bowed and left Merlin’s study.
“She’s been seen to,” Sir Kay said, leaning against one of Merlin’s workbenches in his relief.
“It doesn’t mean she hasn’t come to additional harm,” Merlin said, earning a dark look from Sir Kay. “But I think it is unlikely she will be attacked. If she is riding to London she will be in the Forest of Arroy for a long time. Her knights have cleaned it up so well, I wonder if there are more than eight or nine recreant knights in the whole place.”
Before Sir Kay could reply, the door swung open to admit Sir Bodwain and Sir Ector into Merlin’s study.
“You’ve heard, I take it?” Sir Bodwain asked after looking from Merlin to Sir Kay.
“We’ve heard that Britt was wounded and discovered—though Morgan le Fay later treated her wounds and set her on the path to London,” Merlin said.
“That is the whole of it,” Sir Ector wearily sighed. “I’m worried about her, Merlin.”
“She’s wise beyond her years. She will make it to London,” Merlin said.
“What do we do about the knights? They’ve been in an uproar since Sir Lancelot, Sir Ywain, Sir Griflet, and Sir Bedivere returned. It’s a miracle they haven’t spread the news through the whole castle—although everyone knows they are unhappy with Arthur,” Sir Bodwain said.
Merlin closed his eyes and thought. Or he tried to think. Instead his mind was filled with images of Britt, scared and hurt by her knight’s anger.
This is what affection for another person does , Merlin grimly thought. It ruins your ability to reason and think clearly . Merlin was not pleased with this realization, but he also recognized he was incapable of dealing with the consequence at this moment. He needed to concentrate. England needed him to concentrate.
“We do nothing,” Merlin finally said.
Sir Bodwain stared at him. “I beg your pardon, what did you just say?”
“We do nothing,” Merlin repeated.
“ Nothing ? But—can’t you use magic? Or talk to the knights? They still trust you—I am certain of it. King Pellinore got them to hold off judgment until you arrived. And you will do nothing ?” Sir Bodwain gaped.
“I cannot alter the memories of so many men—not to mention all of Camelot. My magic is not that plentiful,” Merlin said.
“Couldn’t you at least talk to them? Make them see it’s not all bad?” Sir Ector said.
“I could, but I won’t,” Merlin said.
“Why not?” Sir Kay asked.
Merlin drummed his
Similar Books
