CHAPTER THIRTEEN ,
episode ten, the moment of truth.
MERLIN's MOTHER, hunith, had come to camelot in tears in hope for help from someone. anyone. merlin helped her immediately and rushed to the kingdom so she could have an audience with the king, which arthur managed to get for her. isabella took notice of the bruise around her eye and shared a nervous look with morgana.
"the winters are harsh in ealdor and there are many children. some of them just won't be strong enough to survive. we barely have enough food as it is and if kanen takes our harvest...our children won't live to see another summer." she explained, her voice breaking as isabella frowned. "please, we need your help."
"ealdor is in cenred's kingdom. your safety is his responsibility." king uther replied as hunith sighed.
"we've appealed to our king, but he cares little for the outlying regions. you're our only hope."
the king sighed slightly and looked down in thought. "i have the deepest sympathy for you. and would have this barbarian wiped off the face of the earth." uther told her.
"you'll help us?" hunith asked in shock.
"i wish i could." uther replied.
"surely we can spare a few men?" arthur asked with a slight frown.
"resources are not the problem." the king responded.
"then what is?" morgana demanded with a raised brow.
"ealdor lies beyond the ridge of aesctir. for an army of camelot to enter, it would be an act of war."
hunith got down to her knees to beg, merlin stepped forward slightly. "i know you're a good king, a caring man. i'm begging you. help us, please." tears filled her eyes.
"the accord we've struck with cenred was years in the making. i cannot risk hundreds of lives for the sake of one village...i'm afraid camelot cannot help." he told her as hunith looked down as tears rolled down her cheeks.
isabella shook her head and stood up from her throne to help hunith up, morgana following behind her as they walked out of the throne room. "i'm sorry, hunith." isabella spoke up.
"you know that if it were up to arthur or me we would already be on our way." she told merlin's mother who nodded with a small smile.
she patted isabella's cheek, "you're a good person. and you will be a good queen one day...thank you to you both for trying." she told isabella and morgana who bowed their heads as a sign of respect.
the princess noticed arthur and merlin stood by the courtyard, looking over the kingdom and made her way over with a small smile. "i'm sorry merlin." the girl spoke.
"it's alright...you tried. i'm going back to ealdor." merlin told them both as isabella nodded and so did arthur.
"of course."
"it's been an honour serving you. and i thank you, isabella, for being a great friend." merlin spoke slowly, isabella knew he meant keeping his secret. her face dropped as he looked up at him.
"you'll be coming back." arthur spoke, but it was more of a question than a statement. merlin smiled lightly,
"well, she's my mother. i've got to look after her before anyone else. you do understand?" he asked them.
isabella's eyes glossed over. "better than anyone." she smiled lightly, and both boys knew what she meant as merlin smiled respectfully.
"i'd do exactly the same." arthur agreed.
isabella and merlin smiled up at the boy, hearing the pain in his voice. but arthur shook it off and looked at merlin. "well, you've been terrible. really, i mean it. the worst servant i've ever had." he said as both isabella and merlin laughed through teary eyes, the brunette boy nodding along in agreement.
"thank you, sire." merlin said as the three of them shared a smile.
"well, you best say goodbye to estella." isabella raised a brow as merlin chuckled and looked down with a sigh.
"i'll go and tell her now." merlin said as isabella nodded, deciding to give him a deep curtesy which shocked both of them.
"i..." he frowned which made her smile warmly.
"with how you have treated us, i believe you're fit for royalty, merlin." she grinned teasingly as he chuckled, looking down. "i think a curtesy is the least you deserve." she finished, smiling with a nod.
merlin smiled, giving her and arthur one last bow before he jogged away, but arthur called him back. "merlin?" he spoke as merlin stopped and turned to face them. "good luck."
merlin smiled gratefully and hurried off.
isabella smiled up at arthur, before her mood suddenly changed. "i can't believe you." she scoffed. arthur frowned, confused at her change of mood.
"i'm sorry?..."
"you're going to let him go? you're not going to go with him like me, morgana, gwen and estella are?" she raised a brow, tilting her head as if trying to catch him out.
"...what? what is going on with you?" he asked.
"but you just?" he trailed off, motioning to the teary eyed and final goodbye with merlin.
"that there? me telling him to tell estella? that was a test. you should've seen the lovey look in his eye and went oh! i cant separate them! let's all go with! but, no. you let him go...you're a silly, silly man." she shook her head in disappointed.
"i'm sorry—where has all of this come from?" he asked, still extremely confused.
"me and the girls are going with merlin. he doesn't know it yet, but we are." she told him.
"but you can't. fathers rules... and...why would you?" arthur frowned as isabella rolled her eyes.
"if it was the other way around, merlin would help us all in a heartbeat. he's saved our life multiple times." she explained as he nodded slowly.
"we're leaving tomorrow morning. the offer is there." isabella told him, before walking away to find merlin and the others.
THE MORNING soon came, and arthur still hadn't shown up. isabella told the group to leave without him, because they couldn't wait any longer. she was disappointed, but shook it off as she knew there were more important things to worry about.
they set off on their horses, and only took a break when it was nighttime. isabella laid uncomfortably under a tree, pretending to be asleep as she heard hunith and merlin speaking.
"they shouldn't be here...especially princess isabella. isn't she the next queen of camelot?" hunith whispered as they looked back at the girls.
"she's tougher than she looks." merlin replied.
"her and morgana are the only people i know who aren't frightened of king uther." merlin continued as he moved his gaze onto estella.
hunith smiled warmly. "is she princess isabella's handmaiden?"
"uh," merlin looked back awkwardly, scratching his head with a nod as hunith chuckled.
"she's beautiful." his mother said as merlin nodded slowly.
"it won't make any difference to kanen that they're women." she spoke up after a few moments of silence.
"i know. but i couldn't talk them out of coming." he admitted.
hunith smiled. "i'm glad they have your back, merlin." she spoke as merlin nodded, looking at her bruised eye.
"i'm going to make him pay for what he did to you."
hunith shook her head as she looked at her son. "promise me you'll be careful." she asked. "no one can find out about you."
merlin's face fell slightly with guilt as hunith frowned. she sighed, "who else knows?"
"isabella." merlin admitted quietly.
hunith's eyes widened in horror. "the princess?! merlin, you're mad if you think she won't tell uther!"
"i would never." isabella spoke up as she sat up to face them.
hunith widened her eyes as she bowed, "i'm so sorry, your grace—" she began, isabella waved her off.
"it's alright. i understand why you think that."
"you really won't tell anyone?" hunith asked. isabella smiled and shook her head. something about isabella made hunith trust her.
"here, me and merlin will take watch. you get some sleep." isabella advised.
hunith smiled with a nod and left to go to sleep as isabella took a seat next to merlin. "thank you." he whispered as she smiled up at him and rested her head on his shoulder as merlin whispered an incantation to make the fire turn into a dragon.
hunith watched the two with a small smile, glad that merlin had a friend he could trust. she knew that merlin having a friend like her, would help him and his gifts massively.
the two soon went to sleep, but isabella was woken up by two people talking quietly in the distance. she got up with a frown, grabbing her sword and quickly walking over to the sound. she smiled in relief when she saw it was merlin and arthur.
"hi," isabella said awkwardly as merlin jumped and turned around, almost slicing isabella's head off if she hadn't ducked, letting out a yelp in a fright.
"merlin!" arthur exclaimed impatiently.
"i'm so sorry! are you okay? oh, my life. i've killed the princess." merlin panicked as isabella got up from her spot on the floor and put her hands on her hips.
"idiote!" she smacked his head.
"i'm sorry!" merlin replied again as arthur rolled his eyes.
"you've done that twice now, merlin!"
isabella shook her head and walked away as arthur and merlin hurried to chase her as they made it back to camp. "how much further is it?" arthur asked.
"maybe a few hours." merlin guessed.
"how many men does kanen have?" isabella asked curiously.
"i'm not sure...i think from what my mother said, maybe as many as forty." merlin admitted.
"we should get some rest." arthur told them both as they nodded in agreement. "it's going to be a long day tomorrow."
"thank you. i know you didn't have to come." merlin said to both of them, isabella smiled whilst arthur nodded once.
"get some sleep." he said as isabella waved goodbye to merlin and then went back to her spot under the tree.
THE NEXT morning they continued their journey, now following prince arthur and merlin with isabella and morgana behind him, and then gwen, hunith and estella.
they arrived at ealdor when kanen and his men were there, terrorising the streets, kanen was about to kill one of the villagers as arthur threw his knife at him, the knife landing right next to his hand.
"kill them!" kanen ordered as the fight began, it was a struggle, but isabella managed to keep up with the man she was fighting. her mother and father had always taught her how to fight from a very young age, along with fighting with arthur when she visited, incase she ever was in trouble. so now, she was quite skilled in combat.
she managed to kill the man she was fighting, and turned around to see arthur fighting one of the men, and then seeing someone about to stab him in the back. before arthur could turn around to defend himself, she was there, fighting the man off and very obviously beating him, as the man fell to the ground.
she turned around to see arthur's raised brow as she grinned, "aw, does that bring back memories from when we were seven and i used to beat you?" she grinned.
"that never happened." arthur defended.
"you'll pay for this with your lives, all of you!" kanen yelled as he rode off away to his kingdom with the few men he had left.
"merlin! gather the villagers. i need to talk to them." arthur told the boy who was talking to someone.
"yeah in a minute. i'm just talking—" he began.
"now, merlin." arthur replied in annoyance. "there isn't much time." he said as isabella laughed at merlin's facial expression.
"yes, sire." he sighed.
"you're the princess?" the boy who was talking to merlin spoke up from behind her.
she turned around and nodded slowly. "i am. my names isabella...and you are?" she asked, lifting her hand up for him to shake.
he looked at her hand, but ignored it. "i'm will." he said before walking away as she raised a brow but joined the villagers. the people bowed at her, and she felt a small tug on her sleeve.
isabella turned to see a very young child, no older than six, holding a flower which looked like it had been picked from the grass, and was holding it up. isabella smiled and crouched down, "that's beautiful." she said.
the little girl smiled. "i'm izzie, what's your name?" she asked.
"lily." the small girl answered. instead of shaking her head, lily flung her arms around isabella who chuckled, but hugged back
"that's a beautiful name." she complimented.
"are you here to help us, bella?" lily asked in frightened tone.
"yes, we're going to try." isabella answered as she picked the young girl up.
morgana walked over and smiled. "who's this?"
"lily." isabella told her, "lily, meet ana." she introduced as morgana smiled at the nickname and shook the young girls hand.
"are you a princess too?" lily asked.
morgana chuckled, "not quite."
they turned to see arthur about to make a speech, so they stayed quiet to hear him. "i know kanen's kind." arthur began as everyone turned to listen to him. "he'll be back. and when he is, we must be ready for him. first of all, we have to prepare—"
"am i the only one wondering who the hell this is?" will asked in annoyance as arthur turned to him.
"i'm prince arthur of camelot." he introduced.
will scoffed, "yeah, and in prince william of ealdor." he replied as arthur raised a brow.
"keep quiet! he's here to help us." hunith snapped.
"he's made things worse! kanen will be back and when he's back, he'll be looking for revenge. even more so because he and the princess are here!" will argued as isabella rolled her eyes.
"you've just signed out death warrant." he continued.
"he saved mathews life!" hunith argued, arthur stopped her.
"it's alright, hunith. this is his village. what would you have us do?" arthur asked will who stuttered.
"we can't fight against kanen. he has too many men." will said as isabella rolled her eyes again.
that was the whole reason why they were there! "so what's the alternative?" arthur asked him.
"...we give him what he wants." he admitted as the crowd mumbled complaints.
"and then what? those of you who don't starve to death will face him again next harvest, and the harvest after that." arthur disagreed.
"we'll manage! we'll survive." will argued. "how?" all the villagers asked in defeat.
"the only way he can be stopped is if you stand up to him." arthur told him, will shook his head.
"no! you just want the honour and glory of battle! that's what drives men like you. if you want to fight, then go home and risk the lives of your own people, not ours!" he walked off.
"will." merlin sighed as he jogged after him.
"i'll follow you." hunith spoke up. "if i'm to die, then i want to go out fighting." she finished as isabella smiled proudly.
"that goes for me, too." mathew spoke up with a nod.
"count me in!"
"me too." all the villagers began to call out as isabella and arthur shared a nod.
night soon fell, and everyone shared hunith's house as gwen, estella, morgana and isabella slept next to each other, talking quietly for a few minutes about ealdor before drifting off to sleep.
THE NEXT morning, they ate hunith's breakfast, which was quite disgusting, and then got ready. isabella and morgana wore matching armour, and so did estella and gwen. isabella laughed when she saw merlin putting on arthur's jacket.
"you still not learned how to dress yourself?" morgana raised a brow as arthur rolled his eyes.
"you don't have a dog and fetch the stick yourself. no offence merlin." he replied as merlin shrugged.
"none taken."
"prince arthur, you didn't finish your breakfast." hunith handed him the bowl.
"didn't i?" he smiled awkwardly and grimaced once she turned away. he pretended to eat the food and enjoy it before handing it to gwen who looked slightly annoyed and hurt.
"arthur." isabella snapped, he mumbled a forced apology and rushed out with merlin.
"i won't be able to teach you everything there is to know about fighting with a sword, but you can learn the basics. the stance, how to dodge a blow, how to land your own. on my count! one," he began as the men smacked their sticks together. "two," he continued, "three."
"why can't we get involved?" isabella asked in annoyance, watching the men do all the fighting.
"because, we're women, izzie." morgana answered bitterly.
"that stereotype has got to change." isabella said, looking off to the distance as the girls looked at her curiously.
"men aren't the only ones who can fight." gwen agreed as they shared a smirk.
after the training session, morgana and isabella walked over to arthur. "looks like the battle's already fought and lost."
morgana spoke.
they'll toughen up." arthur said, looking at the people who were resting.
"they need to." isabella admitted.
"how are we doing for weapons?" arthur asked them.
"there isn't much, but we should be able to scrape together what you need." morgana replied as arthur nodded.
"it's not the weapons that worry us, arthur." isabella told him.
he faced them slowly. "it's having enough people to use them." gwen said as she walked over with estella.
"we all think the women should be allowed to fight." estella said confidently as the three girls nodded at each other. arthur sighed at her words. "you haven't enough men. if they were trained soilders, maybe you'd stand a chance, but they're not. and believe me, we can fight."
"it's too dangerous." arthur simply said.
"you're the princess, and you're the king's ward." he finished.
isabella scoffed. "and you're the prince! surely the king would be more upset if something happened to you, his heir, then us?" she crossed her arms with a raised brow.
arthur sighed and walked away to the men as the four girls shared a look. "arthur's too stubborn to realise we don't stand a chance." estella admitted.
ISABELLA VALOUR watched as arthur paced around the room for a few moments the next morning. he turned to face the villagers and sighed. "we are not going to be able to defend ealdor with sword alone. we need a plan."
"we need to find some way of limiting their mobility and drawing them into a trap. if we fight then in their terms, then—" he began, but was cut off when they heard a woman's scream from outside.
"NO!"
without waiting, they all ran outside to see what was going on. isabella's eyes widened in horror as a horse came riding towards them with a male body on top of it with an arrow in his back. "get him down from there!"
it was revealed to be mathew. everyone looked heartbroken as they laid him down. "there's a note." isabella said quietly, ripping it off the arrow to read it. " 'make the most of this day. it will be your last'..." she looked up at them with a nervous expression.
"mathew! no!" his wife screamed as she ran towards him, sobbing into his neck.
"you did this! look what you've done. you've killed him!" will yelled at him, tears in his eyes.
"it wasn't his fault." merlin defended as will scoffed.
"if he hadn't been strutting around treating this like his own personal army, it'd never happened." he yelled, pointing at the prince.
"these men are brave enough to fight for what they believe in even if you aren't." arthur exclaimed, shaking his head as will scoffed.
"you're sending them to their graves! you've killed one man. how many more need to do before you realise this is a arrow that cannot be won? it is all your fault for coming here in the first place!" will yelled loudly.
"hey!" isabella suddenly snapped as they all turned to listen to her. "arthur isn't in the wrong here. none of us are. you need to remember who the real enemy is! it's not us, it's them! we do truly understand that you're angry and scared. because we are too! but taking it out on arthur won't save you. it won't save any of you!" she exclaimed, pointing to the arrow as she spoke in anger. "this is a terrible loss for ealdor, and i am sorry. but arguing is not going to help prevent it from happening again to any more of you."
everyone went silent at her sudden outburst as she stared awkwardly. she huffed, pushing her hair out of her face and nodding with a small shrug.
"thank you, isabella." arthur said as he looked down at her as she nodded with a small smile.
THAT EVENING, arthur was about to give a speech to the villagers to tell them what was going to happen. "tomorrow morning, the women and children should gather what belongings they can carry and go to the woods." he began, as almost immediately, isabella, morgana gwen and estella looked angry.
"we're not going anywhere." gwen spoke up, walking forward. arthur turned to her with a small smile.
"i know you want to help, but the women can't stay here. it's too dangerous."
"then why are you fighting if it's too dangerous?" isabella spoke up with a raised brow. arthur paused, trying to think of a response.
"the women has as much right to fight for their lives as the men do." estella agreed as morgana watched with wide eyes.
"none of you know how to fight." arthur replied as isabella laughed mockingly.
"did you not see us yesterday? i'm pretty sure we were the ones actually fighting off the men. no offence to you boys, but we are far more skilled in fighting than you." she motioned to the men of ealdor who looked slightly offended.
"the more of us there are, the better chance we stand." morgana spoke up as isabella smiled noticing all the women step forward with nods of agreement.
"this is your home. if you want to fight to defend it, that is your choice. i'd be honoured to stand alongside you. all of you." arthur spoke up, his eyes landing on isabella who couldn't help but smile proudly at him. "thank you." she mouthed.
"kanen attacks tomorrow. kanen is brutal. he fights only to kill, which is why he will never defeat us. look around. in this circle we are all equals. you're not fighting because someone's ordering you to. you're fighting for so much more than that. you fight for your homes. you fight for your family. you fight for your friends. you fight for the right to grow crops in peace! and if you fall, you fall fighting for the noblest of causes, fighting for your very right to survive."
as arthur spoke, isabella's smile grew. she couldn't help it. he still had a lot to learn, but he was growing each day and learning more and more. she knew that he would be a great king one day. and she also knew that she would be honoured to rule alongside him. together.
"when you're old and grey, you'll look back on this day and you'll know you earned the right to live every day in between! so you fight! for your family, for your friends, for ealdor!" he exclaimed as everyone began to clap, and chant together, "for ealdor!"
bright blue eyes met chocolate brown, and isabella smiled, which arthur couldn't help but return it as he stared at her through the people, but in his eyes, she was the only person in the world in that moment.
THE NEXT morning, arthur had left early and had gone into the woods. hunith made breakfast, and told isabella to give his to arthur when she saw him. so, she set off towards the woods with the bowl and spoon in hand as she found him sat on a log.
"arthur, hunith made you breakfast. your favourite." she teased as he chuckled, but took it.
"thank you... you were right to speak up. i should've listened to you, morgana gwen and estella." he replied as she smiled lightly.
"we're going to need all the help we can get." he mumbled as she shook her head.
"we'll be fine, arthur." the girl reassured as he looked down at her.
"how can you be so sure?"
"because i have faith in you. you know that." she said. 'faith' was probably her most said word these past few months. but arthur would never get tired of it.
"i do...are you sure that isn't just hope?" he asked unsurely as she laughed slightly.
"faith beats hope, arthur. that's another thing you should know by now." she said, before turning around to go back to the village as he watched her.
everyone got ready for the battle, isabella and her friends changed into their armour, along with merlin and arthur, and the people of ealdor put on their best clothes that would be fit for fighting. "they've crossed the river." morgana called out as everyone rushed outside of the house.
arthur patted everyone on the back, reassuring them as isabella pulled out her sword. she followed gwen to their hiding spot as they heard the loud yells from kanen's men, but they were waiting for the right moment.
"now, pull!" gwen whisper yelled as her and isabella pulled up the drawbridge as the horses neighed, now they waited for morgana to make fire. but it wasn't coming.
all of a sudden, the fire started as it spread towards kanen's men. "now!" they heard arthur yell as isabella ran towards whoever was nearest to begin the sword fight. she managed to defeat three, one after the other, and then came to a man who was significantly bigger than her.
she let out a breath and ran towards him, slamming her sword down as his met hers and they clashed together, she did her best to keep up with him, surprising herself that she hadn't been knocked down yet, and all of a sudden, he fell to the floor. estella appeared behind him as isabella grinned and they stood back to back, fighting each man or woman off.
she even managed to defeat a man in a horse, before rushing off to help hunith who had been cornered. she helped the woman kill all four of kanen's men as hunith thanked her, as isabella smiled.
isabella noticed will saving merlin as she raised a brow, shocked to see him there. she rushed over to the both of them and greeted will with a respectful smile, which he returned. "there's too many of them." will spoke.
"not for me, there isn't." merlin said as they both looked up at him with a small smile.
isabella noticed a man about to fight will behind his back, and made sure to step infront of will, and kill him before he killed will. the boy looked at her with wide eyes as blood splattered across her face. "gross." she mumbled.
"thank you." he said in shock as she smiled.
"don't mention it."
merlin muttered an incantation as strong wind appeared in front of them, which managed to blow away many of kanen's men. men were being dragged along by their feet on horses, crashing into spikes or houses as isabella noticed arthur watch in confusion.
"arthur knows." she simply spoke. merlin looked down at her with a nervous look in his eye as will looked at them, and then at arthur. he knew what he had to do.
the fight continued, and ealdor was winning, as kanen's men were running away, but the women were running after them, managing to fight them off, landing blows and kicks which made isabella smile as she rushed to her friends.
ealdor broke into cheers and claps as isabella, morgana, estella and gwen grinned and hugged each other in excitement.
"pendragon!"
everyone turned around to see kanen walking towards arthur, taking off his helmet and picking up his axe as he began to fight arthur as everyone watched with wide eyes. they both managed to keep up with each other, but kanen looked like he was just about winning. however, he turned for a moment as arthur found the opportunity to stab him, as kanen fell to the floor.
arthur walked away and over to merlin and will with an angry look on his face. "who did that?" he demanded as isabella's heart dropped.
"what?" merlin asked.
"wind like that doesn't just appear from nowhere. i know magic when i see it. one of you made it happen." he said as merlin stepped forward. isabella widened her eyes when she saw kanen sit up and aim his crossbow at arthur.
"arthur!" she yelled in shock as kanen shot it, but she gasped in horror when will shoved arthur out of the way and took the arrow to the chest.
"will!" merlin exclaimed, running over to him as arthur caught him from falling.
"you saved my life."
"yeah, i don't know what i was thinking." will said, trying to smile.
"come on, get him inside!" arthur yelled as everyone rushed to help pick him up and lift him to one of the houses.
"that's twice i've saved you." will said with a small smile as isabella, arthur and merlin gathered around him.
"twice?" arthur asked as isabella slowly looked up at merlin knowingly.
will nodded, clearly in pain as he struggled to breathe. "it was me. i'm the one that used the magic." will said between heavy breaths.
"will, don't." merlin said firmly.
"it is alright, merlin. i won't be alive long enough for anyone to do anything to me." will said sadly, looking back at arthur. "i did it. i saw how desperate things were becoming. i had to do something."
"you're a sorcerer?" arthur asked in disbelief.
will smiled, a single tear rolling down his cheek as isabella's eyes filled with tears as she watched him struggle to breathe. "yeah." will coughed. "what are you going to do, kill me?"
"no, of course not." arthur replied quietly. "do what you can for him." he said gently to merlin who nodded. arthur placed his hand on will's shoulder before turning to leave, holding his hand out for isabella to take.
she took his hand and turned back to will. "you're a brave man, will. you should be so proud of yourself." she said with a kind smile as he nodded painfully, tears streaming down his face as he coughed.
"goodbye, princess."
she walked away with arthur, making sure that gwen, estella, hunith and morgana were following them as she let out a breath.
"i can't believe he saved me." arthur said in shock.
isabella looked up at him sadly. if only he knew.
this episode makes me sob every single time.
WHY WAS WILLS DEATH SO SAD OH MY LIFE. his character development was so good too 💔💔💔
next chapter is 😁😁😁😁😁
something i've been planning for a while