A Forgotten Destiny (Merlin)

Chapter Twenty-One: Troubled Minds

When Arthur entered the throne room to the feast, through the the big double doors, every face turned to him, as recognition of the king hit them everyone got to their feet.

The blonde nodded to his and the Malkos men and made his way to his seat at the opposite side of the room next to Gwen and James. He could see the odd looks he got from his wife and knights, they had probably been worrying about him and his tardiness.

Without a word Arthur took his seat and gave a small wave of his hand so the rest of the room would sit back down. Conversation and chatter ensued as soon as people sat but Arthur looked lost as he stared at the doors in which he had just entered.

James noticed this but knew he was in no way in the position to be friendly towards Arthur, especially not in front of all of his knights who hated the man's guts.

It was Gwen who moved closer to her husband and whispered to him,
"Arthur, is everything okay?" Her voice was laced in concern.

The blonde turned to face his wife and nodded, the Queen looked unconvinced so Arthur placed a reassuring hand on hers, "I'll tell you later."

Satisfied with her husband's response, Gwen gave him a smile.

Arthur's eyes locked on her face and then slowly he scanned the room, looking to Gaius, Hunith, Gwaine, Elyan, Leon and Percival. He imagined that this was most definitely a scene Merlin would have sketched in his book.

The rest of the night was neither eventful nor uneventful, it was a regular feast, both king's made speeches about the possibility of a treaty but neither promising anything. The royal blue sat to one side and the crimson red on the other, Arthur and James were the only red and blue even remotely close. The two kings spoke for most of the night, Arthur had asked James to tell him about Malkos, his wife, and his brother, whilst James was skeptical about talking of  Prince Cedric he eventually did so. To the unknowing eye, one would think the two men were old friends in the way they talked, at one point during a story told by James the two kings began laughing, the entire room looked to them in shock perhaps even slight horror, especially on the Malkos side.

James found himself sometimes having to remind himself of who he was with and the fact that he was in enemy's land.

As the night drew on Arthur looked at all the Malkos knights in turn, searching for a certain blue-eyed man. He recognised Max as the knight who told him of the blue eyed knight's name. The blonde leaned over to James,
"who is that?" He queried whilst gesturing to the curly haired knight.

"Sir Maximus." The Malkos King informed, "But we just call him Max."

Arthur straightened up in his seat in thought before talking.
"Sir Max?" The blonde didn't shout but his voice carried over the chattering so that he could get the attention of the curly haired man.

Max looked up to the Camelot King, a little taken aback that he knew his name and was talking to him.
"Yes milord?"

"You were part of the party that helped me and my men at the traders route." Arthur stated rather than questioned.
All the Camelot knights looked up at this conversation which was unfolding, all eyes were on the King and Knight.

"Yes sire."

The blonde's eyes glanced around the knight, double checking he couldn't find the blue-eyed man.
"Where's your friend? Sir Caden was it? I never got to thank him for saving my life."