King Arthur and Her Knights: Enthroned #1, Enchanted #2, Embittered #3 (24 page)

“It is,” Merlin confirmed before he struggled to open the door. He entered it and kicked Cavall’s blanket aside as he stomped over to the vase of flowers. He took the old flowers out and struggled to arrange the flowers he carried into the vase.

“
You’re
the one who has been putting flowers in my room?” Britt asked. “I thought it was a maid.”

“Nonsense, do you think I let many people prance through your rooms? It would be dangerous indeed,” Merlin said, cutting a flower stem shorter with a belt knife.

“
Why
have you been bringing me flowers? I mean, I love them. They’re the only part of the whole room that I like besides my bed, but you didn’t strike me as the flower type,” Britt said.

“I am most assuredly
not
a flower man,” Merlin said. “But you said you love flowers.”

“What? When?”

“The night we spent on the castle walls. You said you and your sister visited a specific flower shop whenever she came into town, and you always wanted a house with a garden so you could grow your own flowers.”

“You actually paid attention?” Britt blinked.

Merlin paused in his flower arranging and turned to face Britt with a furrowed brow. “Do you really have such a nasty image of me? Of course I paid attention. You are important, Britt, and I would like for you to be comfortable, if not happy,” he said, reaching out to briefly rest his hand on Britt’s shoulder. He leaned close to study her face. “Are you alright?”

“I’m, I’m fine. I’m just, surprised,” Britt said, biting her tongue to keep from crying. She smiled ruefully. “You are forever catching me off guard.”

“Good,” Merlin said, turning back to the flowers with satisfaction. “As an enchanter it is my duty to push people off their guard,” he said, gathering up the old flowers.

Britt and Cavall followed Merlin back into the hallway. “What are you going to do now?” Britt asked as they started walking.

“Throw these and find Sir Ulfius to ask him about your blasted circular table. What will you do?”

“It’s the Round Table, and I’m not sure,” Brit said when they started down the stairs. “Any news from King Ban, King Bors, or Sir Bodwain?”

“The company has arrived in Leodegrance’s lands. King Ryence was starting to shift his troops, but nothing beyond that.”

“Perhaps he will leave now that extra soldiers have arrived.”

“It’s possible. He is a spineless mouse of a man,” Merlin said as they exited the staircase.

“He can’t be that spineless if he rallied against Leodegrance,” Britt said. She paused and took several steps backward. Gawain, Agravain, Gaheris, and Gareth were all seated on stone benches in front of a window.

“Not necessarily. Are you coming?” Merlin called from further down the hallway.

“No… I think I’ll go outside to check on Roen,” Britt said.

“Don’t ride off for a day again,” Merlin warned before he started walking away.

“I won’t,” Britt said before turning to face Morgause’s sons. “Aren’t you all a cheery bunch?”

The four boys looked up at Britt.

Gawain shrugged. “We do our best to stay out of the way,” he said.

“That must be dead boring. Come on.”

Gareth and Gaheris shot off the bench and attached themselves to Cavall. The mastiff sighed but let them hug his shoulders.

“Where are we going?” Gawain asked.

“To the practice fields. I need to do a bit of stretching, and Excalibur is hurting for a fight,” Britt said.

Agravain frowned. “You just told Merlin you were going to see your horse.”

“I lied,” Britt cheerfully said.

The four brothers grinned to each other as Britt led the way outside.

Chapter 4

The “Sable” Knight

Britt smiled as the sun warmed her face. She snuggled further into her couch—Merlin insisted it was a couch; as it was nothing but a large pile of rushes with a fancy blanket thrown over it Britt doubted this—and reveled in the silence and peace.

“We should make it back to Camelot by tomorrow afternoon,” Merlin said, walking past Britt’s napping couch.

“That’ll make Arthur sorely disappointed,” Sir Ector said, his voice hushed.

“Arthur is lucky he had a Morgause-free holiday at all. He’ll be fine,” Merlin briskly said.

“It was a good thing you did for Arthur, Merlin. Finagling lords and such so Arthur could leave Camelot for a bit. Well done,” Sir Ector said, smacking Merlin on the back.

It took all of Britt’s will to keep her eyes closed and breathe deeply as if she were still dosing.

Several days ago Merlin had announced that Britt had to leave Camelot to settle a dangerous dispute between two barons in the south. The barons were a two to three day ride away and they would be adopting a grueling pace to travel at so naturally Morgause could not come. They left Sir Kay in charge and traveled south with a band of knights, more at a care-free pace than grueling.

Britt
thought
it odd that the urgent dispute—a squabble over land rights—took only a day to right, and that they were taking their sweet time returning to Camelot.

“When you say it like that it sounds like I’m going soft. It was for purely selfish reasons that I arranged for our travels south,” Merlin insisted.

Sir Ector belly laughed. “Of course, Merlin. Whatever you say. Lo, what’s this?”

“I’m not sure, but he looks badly hurt,” Merlin said, marching off.

When Britt opened her eyes Merlin and Sir Ector were halfway across the meadow they were camped in. At the edge of the forest was a mounted knight and his squire. The knight was tipping in the saddle and blood dripped from a nasty wound on his leg.

Britt’s guards rushed to aid and apprehend the knight, and Merlin started questioning the squire.

Britt rolled off her couch and stood, brushing at her clothes and fixing her hair. She took a drink of water and ate a hunk of squashed bread before she judged enough time had passed that Merlin had very likely gotten most of the story out of the squire—no sense listening to the entire dramatic and traumatic tale when she could get the reader’s digest version—and started meandering towards them.

“Arthur, this young esquire has been telling me of his master, Sir Myles. He just came from fighting the Sable Knight. The Sable Knight speared him and took his shield before hanging it on the branches of an apple tree—which is covered with hanging shields—and rode away without inquiring to Sir Myles if he was in need of aid,” Merlin said.

Britt did not have to fake the sorrow and anger she felt. “That is horrible. It is dishonorable and black hearted to leave a fallen knight on the ground.”

“It is even more dishonorable to take away the shield of a fallen knight who fought well,” Merlin added, making the squire nod vigorously.

“You people have wonky priorities,” Britt grumbled. “Are we properly aiding the knight?” Britt asked, peering over the swarm of her men that moved around Sir Myles in an organized fashion.

“To the best of our abilities, yes. The problem is that he has lost a great deal of blood,” Merlin said.

“My Lord, if I may approach you?”

Young Griflet nervously rubbed his hands as he stood before Britt. Ywain stood some feet behind him, cheering his friend on.

“What is it, Griflet?” Britt asked.

Griflet squared his shoulders. “I ask that you would knight me, My Lord, so I may ride off and meet this Sable Knight and thrash him.”

“No,” Britt said before turning back to the squire.

“My Lord,” Griflet protested.

Merlin elbowed Britt and shook his head.

“You’ve got to be jok—jesting. Griflet, you are young and untried. Approaching a knight like this sable guy is no small matter. If his apple tree is heavily laden with shields it implies he is an excellent fighter. You haven’t even beaten Ywain yet. You are not ready,” Britt said to both Merlin and Griflet.

“If you have any affection for me at all you will grant me this boon,” Griflet said.

“Then it is certainly a good thing for you that at this moment I
don’t
have any affection for you. Ow!” Britt said when Merlin elbowed her again. “What is it?” she hissed to the enchanter.

“Have you forgotten that young Griflet is the cousin of your dear Sir Bedivere?” Merlin said, dragging Britt aside.

“Bother, everyone is related to everyone in Camelot! And that doesn’t change my decision.”

“Then why won’t you knight him?”

“Because he’s going to get himself killed.”

“First of all, that doesn’t matter. His death won’t be on your hands. He’s responsible for his own fool head. The greater issue here is that he is related to Sir Bedivere. If Sir Bedivere discovers you refused to knight his young cousin he will feel personally slighted.”

“Sir Bedivere is sitting in Morgause’s pocket right now. He’s not going to react at all.”

“Not now, but when Morgause leaves—because she
will
leave—he will hear about it.”

Britt pinched the bridge of her nose. “Why is it a bigger deal if someone feels slighted or offended than if they
die
?”

“Griflet won’t die. You are right, he’s too green and inexperienced to be knighted if it weren’t for his family relations. However, this sable chap won’t kill him. He’s only interested in collecting shields. Disarming Griflet will be child’s play for him, he won’t even have to hurt him,” Merlin said.

“I’m still against this,” Britt said.

“I know, but I’m not giving you a choice.”

Britt turned back to Griflet. “Very well. I shall knight you, but know that in my heart I still have misgivings and I think you are ill equipped for this adventure,” Britt said, wagging a finger at Griflet.

“Thank you, My Lord,” Griflet said, throwing himself at Britt’s feet.

The young man kept vigil all night in a tiny chapel they found in the woods before receiving the Sacrament from the priest that kept the chapel. He was then reluctantly knighted by Britt.

Just as Griflet mounted his charge and rode off, singing like a loon and completely oblivious of the danger of combat, Sir Myles died.

The royal party stayed in the meadow—with Merlin’s permission of course—instead of making the journey home.

Britt nervously paced as Merlin plotted for the future with a less-jolly-than-usual Sir Ector. Ywain lurked in Britt’s shadow, watching her with wide eyes.

They didn’t hear from Griflet until it was late in the evening and the sky was dusty pink.

Griflet rode into the meadow, slumping across his horse to keep himself seated. His shield was gone, his new armor was dusty and dented, and based on the red smears on some of his armor Britt had a sinking suspicion he was wounded.

“Get him off that horse and start seeing to his wounds,” Britt shouted before glowering at Merlin. “I believe your words were ‘he won’t even have to hurt Griflet.’ If he dies I will never listen to your advice pertaining to my knights again,” Britt spat. Her anger was so fierce it seemed to crackle in the air, and everyone kept a wide berth from her as she paced in the meadow.

In the middle of the knight Sir Ector came and put a hand on Britt’s shoulders. “He’ll live. He wasn’t badly wounded—although I’m not certain his pride will ever recover. He wishes to speak to you, but he’s sleeping now so it would be best if you didn’t approach him until morning.”

Britt nodded.

“Try to get some sleep, boy,” Sir Ector advised before he waddled away.

When the sun first cast its morning light in the sky, Britt was at Griflet’s bedside. The young knight had woken early, grimacing with pain.

After swallowing a mouthful of water Griflet waved away a soldier who was trying to change his bandages. “I should have listened to you, My Lord. I will not doubt your judgment again.”

Britt, who had been looking very stormy and flint faced, softened and spared Griflet a sliver of a smile. “I am glad the battle did not cost you your life. What happened?” Britt asked as Merlin joined her at Griflet’s bedside.

“I found the three beautiful damsels Sir Myles’ squire described,” Griflet started. “With great reluctance they told me in what direction I should ride in to find the Sable Knight. I found the apple tree filled with shields and I smote the hanging shield that did indeed read “whoso smiteth this shield doth so at his peril.” When I hit it the Sable Knight came riding out of a nearby castle. We charged each other with spears. Mine shattered, but the Sable Knight’s hit true and swung me from my charger. After the Sable Knight took my shield and hung it on the apple tree I managed to ride back here.”

Britt frowned—she didn’t recall any mention of three ladies or a shield-sign, but as she had only heard the summary of the story it wasn’t surprising—before she looked to Merlin.

The enchanter lifted his eyebrows and said to Britt, “The spear is not your weapon.”

“It doesn’t matter. Roen will keep me out of harm’s reach until I can hit him with my sword. Roen did that in the battle against Lot and his allies, he will do it again. Besides, I would like to speak with this knight.”