Arthur's Sons (Book 2)

Beauty and the Beast (Part 4)

The new queen of Camelot was resting comfortably in her chambers with Jonas attending her having just recovered from the injuries he'd received from Merlyn. "You look positively foul. Does the enchantment hold?" He asks and Catrina cackles wickedly.

"It works a treat. Uther is like a puppet on a string." She crows gleefully.

"What about the girl, Merlyn? She knows your secret." He reminded her and the troll grinned.

"Leave her to me." She laughs while Jonas smirks.

Soon Uther comes to her chambers for their wedding night, Jonas bows and leaves politely while Uther prowls towards his new bride. "Darling, we are alone at last. What's wrong?" He asks as he notices the tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry. It's not you. I want this more than anything. This has been the happiest day of my life." She whispers between hiccups.

"Then what is it?" He asks pulling her closer.

"When I was forced to flee my home, the one thing I was able to take with me was my family seal." She began, sobbing quietly.

Uther nodded. "Yes, you showed it to me when you first arrived."

"It's the only surviving link I have to my father, and now it's gone. Stolen from my chambers." She told him before bursting into tears.

Uther frowned while he comforted his distressed wife. "Who could've done such a thing?" He mused mostly to himself.

"Oh no, please, I don't want to cause any trouble. Not on a day that should be filled with such joy." She pleaded while Uther took her gently by the shoulders and asked her,

"Catrina, who took your seal?"

She sniffled for a moment before answering hesitantly. "It was Arthur's servant, Merlyn."

---

Of all the things Merlyn had expected to happen that day in Camelot, being grabbed by the guards while she was changing Arthur's sheets and dragged into the council chambers before the King and Queen for an unknown reason was not one of them. The guards threw her to her knees before them and stood guard at her back while Arthur watched with terror from beside his father.

"Do you know why you are here?" The King asked, his voice booming around the council chambers.

Merlyn levelled him with a bored stare. "No sire, though it obviously isn't for anything good." She snarked causing Arthur to stiffen and shake his head in panic.

Uther's eyes narrowed and his face set in a sneer. "You are accused of theft of an item belonging to a member of the royal family!" He barked, spit flying.

Merlyn sighed through her nose before raising her eyes to stare down the King. "I am innocent Sire, and if you want I give you full permission to search my chambers for whatever it is that I've supposedly stolen." Merlyn replied monotonously.

Arthur quickly stepped in. "I can send my best men to do so now." Arthur said cooly. Catrina looked livid before she lent over and placed a hand on Uther's arm pulling his attention to her.

"Surely my word that the girl stole it is enough My Lord?" She purred and the King's eyes glazed. "Why waste time searching when we can simply punish her now." Catrina grinned while Arthur and Merlyn turned pale.

"Yes... The girl must be punished." Uther replied in a daze before turning back to Merlyn, His face a cold mask. "For the crime of theft, you will receive thirty lashes." Uther announced and Merlyn gaped in shock.

"Father this is madness! Your sentencing her without any evidence!" He cried trying to defend his lover.

Uther stood and glared down at his son. "Are you doubting the word of my Queen against this servant?!" Uther snarled right in Arthur's face. Arthur glanced at Merlyn, shaking her head subtly trying to tell him to back down, but he refused. Arthur squared his shoulders a took a step forward meeting the intensity of his father's gaze with a fiery rage of his own.