The Disappearance of Camelot, #.05, Stories from the Veil series

Chapter eight,

Chapter eight,

"Lancelot?" the audible gasp from Guinevere's lips made Arthur's study her, questions swirling in his eyes. She wanted to ask how he'd not thrown Lancelot in a dungeon if he knew he would eventually betray him. The knock on the door stopped her, while her heart race, was Lancelot standing right outside the door?

Arthur hesitated for a moment, still looking straight into her eyes, but in the end, he forced himself away, "Come in."

When Merlin walked into the room with two girls, Guinevere's mind was still racing. She couldn't really concentrate on what was happening, even though she could see the vials on the table and Merlin was talking.

The girls bowed before walking out of the room after the wizard thanked them and then silence descended among them for a few seconds. Once the heavy doors were closed Merlin muttered something and a powerful light shot out of his index finger before hitting the door, coating it like water against the wood.

He cleared his throat and pointed at the vials before looking at Guinevere and then Arthur, "I've made these for Berhat and her witches. There's also a protection spell in the last vial," he pointed at it before he turned his hand around and a white cloth appeared on it. It had a tight knot in the middle holding it together. "And this."

"What is that?" Guinevere asked looking at it.

"Don't you remember?" he asked his blue eyes fixing on hers. "This is what the Time Travelers brought to you— to me," he added while Arthur moved closer to Guinevere, then reached for the white cloth.

Merlin's fingers wrapped around it as he pulled his hand away.

"Is that how you know the world will end?" Arthur asked standing closer to Guinevere, his whole body looking tense. "What is it?"

"A few years ago, before the winter solstice, a portal made of snow and lightning appeared out of nowhere in front me. A dark-haired boy who heals, and a white-haired Time Bender girl stumbled out of it, and they were holding this box. This is a wooden box that I carved for Evie," Merlin explained. "I'd given it to her on her tenth birthday and she promised to cherish it forever. So you can imagine how surprised I was to see two strangers, holding on to it," Merlin looked up and met Arthur's guarded expression. "Inside the box, there was a tiny gold ring that I'd found in one of the battlefields. It was my intention to give it to Evie," he stopped for a moment before clearing his throat. "Eventually, when I went to see her and Ari, I gave it to her, after casting a protection charm on it. The time travelers knew about it, they also knew about your marriage, and the iron ring you gave her," he pointed at her finger, "That was in the box as well, they both are."

Arthur moved closer, snatching the box from Merlin's hands, before unwrapping the white cloth and looking at it. It was a tattered old thing, with holes and yellow patches that were left there by time. It also looked burned in parts, which was probably caused by going through the portal. His eyes traveled to Guinevere, who was rummaging through her belongings before she found the box and held it in her hands.

"It looks the same," she muttered moving closer before opening it and showing the ring Merlin had given her.

"Feels the same," Arthur nodded letting his fingers move across the carvings. He then opened and looked inside it, both rings were there. "What did they say?"

"They confirmed that the pocket world is the only way to save you, Guinevere, and our future. They brought this so we can convince Berhat to bring her witches into the new world. A place where Magic can live, and we can protect those non-magical who'll stay on this side of the Veil."