The Destiny of Love

Chapter 83 ~ Ealdor

I am woken up to the sound of Arthur scolding Merlin. "You better have a damn good explanation for this, Merlin."  I twist my head around to where Merlin is and see Arthur standing above him, looking pretty upset. He looks at me, "What the hell are you doing here?" Neither of us answered him. "Fine. I'll just carry on kicking him." He starts kicking Merlin. I roll my eyes and pull my blanket off and stand up. Merlin does the same in an attempt to avoid the kicking.
"Glad to see you're back," I say, walking over to them.
"What do you mean I'm back? You're talking nonsense." Arthur starts walking; Merlin stops him.
"Listen to me, please. Camelot is lost. You were injured in an attack. You passed out. Liv and I had to get you out of there." Merlin explains. Arthur's face drops. He looks shocked.
"Where are we now?" Arthur asks.
"We're heading north to a safe haven... To Ealdor." Merlin says. 
"Hopefully, the knights will meet us there," I add.
Arthur looks around, "Who are these people?"
Merlin and I look at each other. We both look back to Arthur. "They're, uh, smugglers," Merlin says.
"Smugglers!" Arthur exclaims.
"Shh." Merlin and I hiss; I look around, making sure no one woke up. 
"All right. Let's assume that you two know what you're doing for one moment. It doesn't explain why I look like a village idiot." Arthur says, lowering his voice.
"It's the perfect disguise." Merlin states. He lowers his voice. "No one would ever suspect you of being, you know, who you are."
"I'm sorry. Merlin. I am not going around looking like this." Arthur says.
"Stop being a baby. You have to keep in character." I say.
Arthur looks at me, "Character? What character?"
"You!" Merlin and I turn and see the man Tristan. Merlin leans to him, "We leave as soon as the horses are watered." He glances at Arthur. "Explain it to the simpleton, would you?" Merlin and I turn back to Arthur with innocent smiles on our faces. He is staring at us, not saying a word.

We start heading towards the cart, and Arthur snatches his sword back from Merlin.
"Simpleton," Tristan says.
"He's talking to you." Merlin whispers.
"I don't answer to that name," Arthur says, stopping next to us.
"You're in character, remember," I whisper. Tristan walks over to us.
He looks at the sword, "Impressive piece."
"Thankee, sir," Arthur says with a weird look on his face. I stifle a laugh. 
"May I?" Tristan asks. Arthur stares at him. Tristan pulls the sword from his hand. He begins examining it. "Magnificent. The only place you find workmanship of this quality... is the royal forge of Camelot." He holds the sword to Arthur. "Tell me. How did you come by it?"
"I won it in a card game," Merlin says quickly. "I gave it to him as a present.  He won't be parted from it. It makes him feel safe." Arthur nods along.
Tristan holds the sword so Arthur can take it back. "I hope for your sake that's true." Arthur grabs the sword and holds it to his chest. "I'd hate to think that I was riding with a knight of Camelot."
"Aye," Arthur says. Merlin and I stare at Arthur. He is being a little too idiot and not enough village.
The girl Isolde chuckles. "Knight of Camelot? Look at him."
"You're right. The knights may be stupid, but they're not that stupid." Tristan walks off with Isolde.
"Pack your things, Simpleton," Merlin says with a fake smile on their face.
Arthur grabs Merlin, "Call me that again, and I'll run you through."
"Don't worry, sire. We won't have to keep it up for too much longer." Merlin says.
"How long?" Arthur asks. An arrow comes flying past us and hits a man.
"That long," I say. We all spin around and see a lot of men running toward us. Arthur pushes Merlin to the side. He grabs me and pulls me out of the way of a flying arrow. 
"Thanks for that," I say, staring at the arrow that was where I was standing.
"Stay close!" Arthur exclaims. We run to the cart and take cover behind it where Tristan and Isolde already are. They look at us in confusion.
"Head for those trees. We'll cover you." Arthur says. He hands Merlin a crossbow. I pull my bow off my shoulder and start shooting at the enemies. Tristan and Isolde don't move.
Arthur looks back at them. "Do you want to live or not?" The two of them runoff.  We start shooting at them. We take cover to reload.
"Now what?" Merlin asks.
"Now... it's our turn." Arthur says.
"Who's going to cover us?" Merlin asks.
"Don't be a simpleton, Merlin." We all take our final shots then make a run for the trees.
"They haven't found the cargo," Isolde says.
"They will," Tristan replies. "Besides, they weren't after the cargo. They were after you. Who the hell are you."
"My name is Arthur Pendragon," Arthur says.
"The king of Camelot?" Tristan hisses.
"At least, I was," Arthur says.
"I've lost everything I've worked for, for some good-for-nothing king?" Tristan asks angrily.
Arthur looks back at Tristan, "That's quite something coming from a smuggler." Merlin and I roll our eyes at the two squabbling grown men.
"I wouldn't have to be a smuggler if it wasn't for your damn taxes, would I?" Tristan staps back at him.
"Those taxes help protect the people of this land," Arthur says back to him.
"My people are dead. You call that protection?" Tristan asks.
Merlin taps me on my shoulder, and I look to where he is. My eyes widen. 
Merlin looks at the squabbling boys. "Excuse me. Sorry to interrupt, but..." Merlin nods at soldiers running straight at us. Tristan, Isolde and Arthur jump up. I stand by Merlin and shoot some of the men running toward them. Everyone fights the soldiers. I look at Isolde and see her get hit in the head. I hand my bow to Merlin and draw my sword. I run straight to Isolde taking the blow from the soldier. He knocks me to the floor and kicks me in the ribs. My arm is throbbing with immense pain, and so is my ribs. The soldier lifts his sword. He fell to the ground as he was about to send the sword down. Arthur is standing behind him. Merlin runs over to me.
He kneels next to me, "Liv? Liv, are you alright?"
He helps me sit up, "Well, apart from the insane pain in my arm and the throbbing in my ribs, never better."
"You saved me," Isolde says, standing next to me in Tristan's arms.
"I couldn't let you get hurt," I say, wincing as I speak.
"Liv? What's wrong?" Arthur asks with concern laced in his voice. 
"I don't know. It hurts when I speak," I say. 
Arthur's face has a worried look. He and Merlin exchange glances.
"What is it?" I wince in pain again.
"We need to move. There'll be more coming soon." Arthur says, "Merlin help me with her."
Merlin and Arthur lift me up, and I wince again.
"I'm sorry, Liv, we need to move," Arthur says. I lean my weight onto him. 
"You guys go. I'm picky about the company we keep," Tristan says.
"She saved my life, Tristan," Isolde says. She looks at me, "Thank you."
"This was all their fault," Tristan says.
"Listen, Liv is hurt. Come or don't, but we have to get her to Ealdor," Arthur says. Isolde nods at Tristan.
"Very well." Tristan agrees. "But know this, Arthur Pendragon, I do this for her. You and your kind  bring nothing but misery to this land." 
Arthur moves me over to leaning on Merlin; we walk for a while. With each step, my ribs get sore. Arthur stops. We all stop next to him.
"This marks the border between Camelot and Lot's kingdom," Arthur says.
"Ealdor lies at the far side of that valley," Merlin says. "Maybe half a day on foot."
I stare at the huge valley, "It's so far." 
"We'll rest here for the night," Arthur says. "There's no way Agravaine could have tracked us through those mountains.  
"I'll make a fire," Merlin says. "Liv needs to stay warm." Merlin walks with me to a flat area. He helps me sit down and starts with the fire.

Later that night, I'm lying with my head on Merlin's chest. I'm trying to fall asleep, but it's hard to with the pain in my ribs. Merlin's rubbing my arm. It's very soothing. My eyes are closed.
"You knew?  You knew Agravaine was betraying me?" Arthur asks.
"We couldn't be sure. But, um, we did have our suspicions."  Merlin says.
"I feel like such a fool. I put such trust in him. All this time, I was blind to his treachery as I was to Morgana's." Arthur says. I feel so bad for him. He's been betrayed by so many people.
"You were deceived, Arthur. It could happen to anyone." Merlin states.
"Yet it keeps happening to me," Arthur says. I don't have to see his face to know how hurt he is. "I cared about these people. I... I don't understand. What have I done wrong? Why do they hate me?"
"They don't hate you. They just crave your power for themselves." Merlin says. He stops rubbing my arm.
"Perhaps.  But would they still want that power if I was the king my people deserve? Maybe Tristan is right." Arthur says.
"Tristan was angry... and... afraid. He needed to blame someone. But it's not you that's to blame." Merlin replies.
"You seem very sure about all this," Arthur says.
"All I know is that, for your many faults, you are honest and brave and true-hearted. And one day, you will be the greatest king this land has ever known." Merlin says. I couldn't have said it better myself.
"Well, good to know I have the support of my servant, at least," Arthur says with a tinge of gratefulness in his voice.
"I'm not alone. Believe me. Olivia will agree." Merlin says. With that, I drift off to sleep.

The next day we arrive at Ealdor. Our mom sees us walking toward her.
She drops the basket and runs to us. "Merlin Olivia." She hugs us tightly. I wince at the sudden pressure.
"Welcome home." She smiles. Her eyes drift to the bruises on my face, the cut on my arm and me holding my ribs. "What happened to you, Olivia?"
"We ran into some trouble," I reply.
"Come on." mom says; we walk off to a house where Merlin can tend to my wounds. Merlin begins cleaning my wounds. He touches my ribs. I wince in pain. 
"You have a broken rib," Merlin says.
"Great, well, I can add that to my list of injuries now," I say. "Can't you, like heal me up?" Merlin's eyes glow gold. 
"Way ahead of you," Merlin says. The pain in my ribs disappear.  "Better?"
"Much better," I say. "Thank you."
Mom walks into the room and sits down next to us. "It's good to have you home."
"Sorry it's under such circumstances and that it's been so long," I say.
"I understand how it is, your life in Camelot.  I worry about you two sometimes. The dangers you must face." Our mother says.
"Mother, we don't want you to worry," Merlin says.
"I can't help it. It's what mothers do." Our mother says. "Seems I was right too." She says, nodding at me. 
"Well, we are safe here, all of us." Merlin states. As he says that, people begin screaming. We all run outside. There are torches surrounding the entire Ealdor.
"What were you saying about being safe?" I ask. "How did Agravaine find us?" We all run to the house where everyone else is. Arthur hands me my bow, quiver and sword. I smile at him and turn to glance out the door. Agravaine is barking orders for the men to search the houses.
"Any suggestions?" Tristan asks.
"Out the back," Merlin whispers. Everyone turns and heads to the back, and I stay back with Merlin.
Merlin makes a cart start rolling, "Bael onbryne" The cart sets on fire and rolls straight to Agravaine, and we quickly follow the rest out. 
"There! Get them!" Arthur shouts. We run out into the forest. My ribs were giving me no pain whatsoever. We continue running through the forest with Agravaine's men right behind us.