The Royal Scandal *Book One*

Rat Stew S1 E11

After last night's adventure, I slept like a log. Literally, I'm pretty sure I didn't move once in my sleep. Anyway, when I was up and ready, I decided to go and pay my darling brother a visit and see if he had thought any more about what Anhora said.

When I walked into his room, Merlin was already there and making Arthur's bed for him. Arthur, on the other hand, was sitting at his table with his boot on his hand.

"You know, shoes were designed for your feet. That's why we have gloves for our hands," I teased.

"There's a rat. It's eating away at my shoes," Arthur replied annoyed.

"I guess the rat must be as hungry as the rest of us," Merlin smirked, while I bit my lip to stop myself from laughing.

"You two think this is funny?" Arthur asked.

"Moderately," Merlin smiled.

"Without a doubt," I added.

Arthur chucked his shoe at us, but luckily Merlin caught it before it hit either of us.

"Get it mended, and find that rat," Arthur ordered.

"Have you given any more thought to what Anhora said last night?" I asked Arthur, as I took the shoe from Merlin and threw it at Arthur.

"Ow!" Arthur exclaimed, as it hit him on the back of the head.

"You are getting pretty good at throwing," Merlin whispered.

"Why, thank you. Just make sure you don't get chucked in the stocks again, otherwise I might have to give you a little visit," I whispered back, causing Merlin to laugh.

"Ah well, he may have escaped last night, but at least we now know who we're looking for. I told Father I will find this Anhora and put an end to it," Arthur explained, chucking the boot back at me.

"What if he was telling the truth about the curse?" Merlin asked.

"You think I'm responsible for bringing suffering upon my own people?" Arthur questioned us, while he put on a different pair of shoes.

"No, not deliberately," Merlin answered honestly.

"Arthur, when you killed the unicorn, the thing that Merlin and I were looking at, that was Anhora. He was in the forest that day, watching us," I informed him.

"Well, why didn't either of you say something?" Arthur asked, looking at us as if we had just grown an extra head.

"It was just for a split second, and then he disappeared. I didn't--I thought I was seeing things. But clearly I wasn't cause Chelsea saw him and he was definitely there," Merlin rambled.

"That doesn't actually prove anything," Arthur argued.

"There is no way that this is all a coincidence. Doesn't it make you think that he might be telling the truth?" I asked him, throwing the boot again.

"Because he was skulking about in the forest? It makes me trust him even less," Arthur countered.

"Why would Anhora appear in Camelot and then lie to you?" Merlin asked.

"We had him cornered. He was trying to talk his way out of it by blaming me," Arthur explained.

"Arthur, he can disappear into thin air. He didn't have to talk his way out of anything," I reasoned.

"Our Father has warned us about sorcerers like him," Arthur began.

"Here we go again," I muttered.

"They will not rest until our Kingdom is destroyed," Arthur continued, ignoring my comment.

"I believe he's telling the truth," Merlin told him.