The Knights of Aragon

Chapter 24

Then

This was most definitely a bad idea. An extremely bad idea. The dark sky above veils me from any prying eyes wandering up the side of the castle. My hands are currently clutching two mildly loose slabs of stone, practically dangling. My black cloak flies through the air behind me as I adjust my covering securely over my nose. I should've just risked it and gone through the hidden passageways.

Mordred has decided to have a meeting with his most trusted advisers. It's been a few days since the coronation and now he's planning on moving Arthur's things to gods-knows-where. One of things might be the crown, although I doubt, he'd let it go so easily. Therefore, I must get in that room and hear all about his plans.

I grunt as I pull myself up to a ledge. Lucky for me, the window I cracked open earlier today was not closed by another servant. On my stomach, I cautiously push it open and crawl through. I roll onto the floor, immediately landing into a low crouch. This room is dimly lit by torches hanging on the wall. They provide enough shadows for me to sneak through.

This chamber remains unused. Most of the maids refuse to come in here and clean. The room is mainly storage, therefore, it's a huge waste of time to dust everything off only for it to return tenfold. I maneuver past all the old crates and the covered paintings, making my way to the door. As a new maid, I used to come in here all the time. I wasn't allowed to go through the crates, but I've seen the paintings. I haven't been in here since. Until today.

I slightly open the door, inspecting the hall for anyone around. My ears don't pick up any footsteps or voices coming from either side of the corridor. Satisfied with that, I step out and quietly walk towards my target: the Councilroom. The false king should already be there with his men. His filthy, disgusting men who he turned to Knights. Men who do not deserve the titles they have been given.

I round the corner and I halt. A guard is standing near the door I must go through. Gods. An image of me bashing my head against a wall comes to mind. Tempting, but I must deal with this first. The guard isn't facing my way, so I step with the balls of my feet, keeping my noise to a minimum as I near him. My eyes never leave the back of his head. Steady, Samsa. Steady. I am now right behind him. Lancelot would be proud of my stealth. Nostalgia hits me like a ton of bricks. Gods, how I miss him.

Quickly, I take out a small knife and attack. I prick the back of his knee, making him yelp out and fall to his knee. I wrap my arm around his neck and lock with my other arm. He struggles, trying to push me off him. He grunts and groans, so I muffle the noise with my palm. Slowly, he begins to lose consciousness. "Shh, there you go." I bend down and lay him gently on the floor. "Sleep dreams," I say, a bit apologetic.

I double check that he's still breathing. A bruise begins underneath my fingers as I check his pulse. He's fine. He'll have a massive headache later, but he'll be fine. I leave him on the floor as I swiftly walk to the door directly across us. I twist its doorknob and slowly step through. The carpet muffles my footfalls while I pull my hood over my eyes and once again secure my face covering. I am standing in a balcony overlooking the room below. I smile at myself. There he is. Mordred is sitting at the head of a table, his chair unsurprisingly greater than the rest.

The others are standing, clearly tense. "We cannot proceed, my king! Our sources are reliable and true." Mordred rubs his chin in thought. His hair is overgrown, and the beginning of a beard has started to grow. "If what you say is true, then it means that they've come for something that's here," Mordred says while leaning back. "Something important. And might I remind you, Northstrong, your sources have been wrong before. It is why we failed to obtain Excalibur, remember?"

The knight flinches at the mention of Excalibur and the massacre that occured. "So what?" Another speaks up. "They cannot sneak past our defenses. This is the reason why we created the Knights of Aragon, majesty," he walks towards Mordred, "To protect your rule from traitors like Sir Lancelot du Lac. Like Merlin and all the others who threaten your reign." My hands go cold at the mention of their names. Lance? Merlin? Are they truly here? In Aragon? For what purpose?