King Arthur and Her Knights: Enthroned #1, Enchanted #2, Embittered #3 (38 page)

King Pellinore removed his helm and patted his horse on the neck. “It is a great creature that has the head and neck of a serpent, the body of a leopard, the haunches of a lion, and the feet of a stag. A great noise emits from its belly, sounding like thirty or so baying hounds.”

“Really,” Britt said.

“You don’t believe me?”

“No, it’s more that I suspect we have a miscommunication—like the fact that you wear black armor and call yourself the Sable Knight,” Britt said, placing her hands on her hips.

Pellinore frowned. “You are an odd boy.”

“Perhaps. How far have you chased this beast?”

“From my castle. I have sought it my entire life, although it often eludes me. It roams Britain like the winds. I lost its trails some days ago.”

“But?”

Pellinore laughed as he dismounted. “You are odd but just as sharp as Merlin. I lost its trail, but I am not much enthused by the prospect of returning home. To say my wife was not pleased at my departure would be a vast understatement.”

“I see.”

“What has dragged you from the paradise of Camelot, King Arthur?” Pellinore asked as he led his horse to the river’s edge, letting it drink.

“A small party of knights and I are on our way to Camelgrance.”

“King Leodegrance’s lands? I received word that Duke Maleagant is approaching his borders. You aim to help him?”

“Partially. We mean to spy on Maleagant’s forces so we know what army I must amass. King Leodegrance does not know of our party for we mean to keep things secret,” Britt hesitated. “Would you care to join us?” she asked on a whim.

“Come with you to Camelgrance you mean?”

“Yes.”

King Pellinore thought for a moment before a smile broke the stoic look on his noble face. “I would be delighted! Does Merlin ride with you?”

“Naturally,” Britt said. “Has your horse drunk its fill? I can lead the way to our camp.”

Pellinore looked at his mount, who stopped lipping the water and shook like a dog. “She is well. Lead on, Arthur!”

Britt led the way back to camp, calling when she grew close enough, “Merlin, Sir Kay? I have brought us another companion.”

Kay looked up from the logbook he was writing in, and Merlin almost choked on the carrot he was chewing. “King Pellinore, welcome to our camp,” Merlin said.

“It is my honor. King Arthur spoke of your mission to scout Maleagant’s forces,” King Pellinore said.

“If it pleases you, Sir Bodwain, Sir Bedivere, Sir Kay, and I would like to hear your thoughts on our plan,” Merlin said.

“It would be my pleasure,” King Pellinore said, joining Merlin at the nearly burned out campfire.

Britt watched with a fond smile before she took a squashed, stale piece of bread from Gawain to serve as her breakfast.

“I don’t understand, is King Pellinore not your enemy?”

Britt glanced at Lancelot, who joined her at the camp edge. She gave him a false smile. “He was when he joined King Lot and fought against me, but I have since made peace with him. He is noble and quite likeable—something I cannot say of all who are present.”

“You are kind to your enemies,” Lancelot said. “You include Prince Ywain and Prince Gawain in your company when they are the sons of men who sought to kill you.”

Britt tried to act serene instead of snapping at Lancelot that for King Arthur it was really his
best friend
and
wife
he had to worry about than the sons of his onetime enemies. “Both Sir Ywain and Sir Gawain have proven their loyalty to me. I have no reason to question them for I know
their
allegiance is boundless.”

Lancelot frowned. “My father was once forced to flee his kingdom by Claudas. I do not know if I could treat Claudas as you have treated King Pellinore.”

Britt fixed a smile as sweet as poison on her lips. “Perhaps that is why the Sword in the Stone chose me,” she suggested. “If you’ll excuse me, I must prepare for our day.”

“Of course, My Lord.”

Britt thought nothing more of the conversation, and it would have surprised her to learn that Lancelot, on the other hand, dwelled upon it for a long time.

A few more days of riding brought Britt and her knightly escort to King Leodegrance’s lands.

“This is where we part,” Merlin said, swinging his spindly legged horse to address Sir Bodwain. “You take the main company and scout Maleagant’s camp. Sir Kay, Sir Gawain, Sir Ywain, Sir Lancelot, King Pellinore, King Arthur, and I will move ahead to Camelgrance. We will meet at the mill south of here this evening.”

“As according to our plan,” Sir Bodwain nodded. His horse pranced a few steps until he stood directly in front of Britt. “Good luck, My Lord. God’s speed and safety,” he wished, bowing from the saddle.

“I look forward to your return, My Lord,” Sir Bedivere added. Behind him the remaining knights of Camelot bowed their heads in reverence.

“Thank you, I wish you luck with your part of the quest,” Britt said.

As Sir Bodwain and Sir Bedivere rode off, leading the larger party of knights east, Merlin turned to the remaining group. “Now then, we set out on a ridiculous quest to break into our ally’s castle to look upon a nasty table. We must go incognito, which means we shall have to leave behind some of our equipment,” Merlin said, staring at Britt and Llamrei.

Britt’s armor and clothes were liberally embroidered with the image of a red dragon. Even Llamrei had a red dragons with its wings thrown open embroidered on her saddle blanket and burned into her leather tack.“What?” Britt blinked.

“You couldn’t have chosen less obvious equipment?” Merlin scolded.

“You were the one who declared my symbol would be a red dragon and went crazy decorating all my things with it,” Britt said.

Merlin rolled his eyes. “Either way, we will have to part with any equipment that bears a personal symbol. Someone shall have to remain behind with horses and things to make sure they are not plundered by thieves,” he said, eyeing Ywain.

The young knight violently shook his head. “Not I, I’m staying with My Lord,” he informed the wizard.

Merlin narrowed his eyes. “Would you like to bet on that?”

“I will remain behind,” King Pellinore said. “King Leodegrance and I are not on excellent terms. It would be better for the party if I remained away from Camelgrance.”

“Are you certain, King Pellinore?” Britt asked. “I did not ask you to come with us so you could serve as a hostler.”

King Pellinore dismounted. “Of that I am sure. Do not concern yourself with me, Arthur. I do not desire to see Camelgrance, but I would not mind routing any thieves or recreant knights in the area,” he said with a fiendish grin.

“Excellent, we thank you for your cooperation, King Pellinore,” Merlin said before he too dismounted. “We shall enter Camelgrance on foot in the plainest clothes we have.”

“What?” Sir Ywain squawked. He wore a suit of fancy armor, intricately designed and completed with a large, red plume on his helm.

“Yes, Ywain, you shall have to change out of your odious armor,” Merlin said.

“You wish to avoid detection,” Gawain guessed.

“A handful of foreign knights would at the very least raise interest, if not suspicion,” Lancelot added.

“Exactly,” Merlin said.

“That sounds ideal. We’ll be able to slip into the castle keep easier if we are dressed as servants or merchants than if we pranced in as knights,” Britt said, sliding off Llamrei.

“Sir Ulfius did not know where the Round Table is kept. We will have to inquire further when we enter Camelgrance,” Merlin said.

“Is it wise to go as one group? Six strange men wandering in the inner courts of Camelgrance might raise suspicion, regardless of the station we will dress in,” Sir Kay said, stroking his mustache.

“I am astounded, Kay. For once I find myself agreeing with you,” Merlin said.

“Do not take it to heart. I am certain before the hour is over you shall change your mind,” Sir Kay said.

“Perhaps you should enter in pairs,” King Pellinore suggested, slipping his horse a shriveled carrot.

“Yes, but the question is who travels with whom?” Merlin asked, narrowing his eyes as he studied the party.

Britt was filled with a sense of dread. “Kay and I should enter together. We can truthfully say we are brothers,” Britt said, hoping to cut the wizard off.

Merlin snorted. “Such a statement would be like saying the finest destrier and a pack mule are siblings. No, Sir Kay will go with young Ywain as he is able to keep the lad on a short lead.”

“I beg your pardon,” Ywain sputtered.

Britt’s stomach plunged. “Merlin, no,” she said.

Merlin smiled sweetly. “It would be the polite thing to do.”

“
No
.”

Chapter 3

Scouting Fun

Britt sourly stared directly in front of her as she slumped against a stone wall. Her eyes were narrowed and her mouth was an unbecoming and deeply unpleased slant.

“It is my honor to be paired with you, My Lord. I have heard a great deal about you. I am flattered to be selected as your guard during this expedition,” Lancelot said.

Britt slowly turned her neck to stare at Lancelot, her unpleasant expression still in place.

The talkative knight did not notice. “I imagine Merlin selected me as your companion because I am the most experienced knight—having gone on many quests and adventures in my youth.”

“He placed me with you because he wants me to suffer,” Britt said through gritted teeth.

“I do not understand what you mean, My Lord.”

Britt’s features morphed into an insincere smile. “No, I imagine you don’t.”

“In any case, as we have safely arrived in the inner sanctum of Camelgrance, we should inquire after this table you are in search of.”

“Of course,” Britt said, pushing off the keep wall. Her eyes combed through the bustling castle innards. She did not see Merlin and Gawain, nor Kay and Ywain. They were likely in a different part of the castle, suffering less than her and having a great deal more fun.

Lancelot, dressed like Britt in a tunic of muted colors, waited for a few moments before he sauntered in the direction of a female servant who was struggling to carry a sack of flour.

“If I might take a moment of your time, My Lady?” Lancelot asked with an appealing smile.

“What? Oh, h-hello,” the servant said, her eyes widening when she got a good look at the handsome knight.

“Greetings, fair lady. It is great fortune that has brought you, maiden with eyes of morning dew, across my path,” Lancelot said.

The young woman grappled with her sack of flour and stared wide-eyed at Lancelot. “Thank you,” she said.

Behind Lancelot, Britt rolled her eyes. “I apologize for my companion’s lack of decorum. It is entirely rude of us to speak with you while you carry such a burden. Please, allow me,” she said, taking the sack from the maid. She slung it over her shoulder and offered the maid a full smile.

The young woman’s arms went slack as she stared at Britt, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

“Where shall I carry it to?” Britt asked.

“This way,” the maid said, tottering off to a side door of the castle keep.

Britt and Lancelot followed in her wake, slipping into the bustling kitchens. The maid led them to a pantry, where Britt placed the flour on a shelf.

“Thank you,” she said.

“I am pleased to have been able to help you,” Britt said. “I ask that you forgive our ignorance, but my
friend
and I are looking for a storage room. We’ve been told to fetch a spare table for some outdoor business, but as we are servants for our visiting master we are not versed with the castle Camelgrance,” Britt said.

“I think the storage rooms are on the second floor. I’m a kitchen girl, so I don’t properly know. Sorry,” the young woman said.

“There is no need to apologize. You have sent us down the right path. Thank you,” Britt said, offering the girl another smile before she bent forward in a slight but stately bow.