Reclaiming England. (Nano Novel 2016)

Chapter Ten: Bad News

       

  Arthur sat in his tent, listening without hearing to his knights talking around him. Ideas of how to defeatLancelot once and for all circled the air around him, but he just felt tired.He had come all this way – mostly at the urging of Gwaine – to hunt and possible kill one of his closest friends. He was tired, and wanted nothing more than to go home.

  He couldn't fault Gwaine of course. His knight had a right to want revenge for the murder of his brothers. But he wished that history had taken another choice, that Lancelot and Guinevere hadn't betrayed him, that they hadn't met – even that he had listened to Merlin's advice and never married Guinevere.

  But no, he loved his wife. And while she had betrayed him for Lancelot, he still couldn't find it in his heart to be angry with her.

   Gwaine's voice broke him out of his thoughts, and he looked up.

  "Sire?" the knight asked.

  "Sorry. What was that?"

  "I said we should attack soon, now that I am recovered from their last attack."

"If we really wish to defeat him," Arthur said heavily. "We should attack in the morning. You are stronger then."

   Gwaine nodded, tapping his finger on the table before them.

"Perhaps," he said.

   But as Arthur opened his mouth to speak again, a man rushed into the room, obviously frantic.

   "Sire! I bring news!" he called, bowing before Arthur.

  "Rise," Arthur said, and the young man stood. "What is it that you bring?" Fear filled his heart – had someone happened to Guinevere?

  "It's Sir Mordred, Sire," the messenger said. "He – he's claimed the throne in Camelot and taken the Queen for his wife!"

"What!" Arthur bellowed, erupting to his feet. "He has done what?" He clenched his fists, anger obvious in his every form.

   "He's taken the throne, Sire," the messenger whispered, afraid of his king's anger. "I came to tell you as quickly as I could. But he claimed you were killed."

   Arthur ran a hand through his beard and let out a breath. Turning to those around him, he began giving orders.

  "Sir Kay, tell the men we leave for England as soon as we can. The rest of you, begin perspirations to leave." Gwaine opened his mouth to protest, but Arthur raised a hand to silence him. "No, nephew," he said quietly. "We can hunt Lancelot another day."

  Nodding slowly, Gwaine left with the other knights to begin perpetration to leave, while Arthur sank back into his chair, burying his head in his hands.

   It was early when Maria woke. She lay in bed, listening to the steady breathing of her friends. But the more she listened, the more restless she felt. She knew that the sounds of someone else sleeping in the same room was calming to people, but it reminded her of the day she spent in the one room apartment with her mother and brother, waiting for the war to end and her father to come back.

  Breathing deeply, she rolled over, staring at the wall beside her. As always when she thought of her family, she felt a pang of guilt. But she pushed it back just as quickly. She didn't want to ever return to her mother.

  But Sebastian was alone now. She had promised she would return, and it had nearly been three years since she had left. She wondered what he was like now – he would be almost fifteen.