The Last Knights of Cambria Book 4: Secrets of the Mountain

Chapter 12: We are once agian attempting to trust King Henry

Gideon
I admit we could have waited to do this in the morning. But in the morning Henry would be well rested, and dressed properly, and enjoying himself. My life has been interrupted enough with his various schemes, that I feel perfectly fine disrupting his evening.
Apparently Prince Harry had some snacks sent up. I'm tired so I curl up on the bed to eat those while Oisin tries to figure out how to summon his father. He hasn't done it in a while apparently so it takes a few tries which means he starts out pacing the room trying to do it and winds up eating and mumbling spells while sitting with his legs over my legs in order for us both to properly reach the food.
And anyway, that's the general scene when Fionn winds up appearing.
"You had one job," is all he says, looking at his son.
"Don't look at me like that. We both know I'm not better than this," Oisin says, without missing a beat.
"It's not his fault! It's been complicated we're trying to help. And King Henry lied and acted like he wasn't the threat when he was and it was his plan all along and—oh you've been listening. Oh, so you know all about it that's probably why you're mad, got it," I nod.
"Yes," Fionn says, nodding.
"One more time, I have never claimed to be better than this," Oisin says.
"Just tell me where he is," Fionn says, so tired of us.
"Wait—you can't tell him what you know we know from spying I don't want to get in trouble with them, again," I sigh, scrambling up and disentangling my legs from Oisin's.
"I can handle it," Fionn says, glaring at his son who is brushing food crumbs off of me.
"Okay, fine, just, like, don't argue with him though cause it makes him happy," I sigh.
"I will handle it," Fionn says.
We go to the door and knock for the guards to let us out. It turns out "this is the ghost of a dead Irish warrior" is a really great way to get an audience with King Henry at midnight. Which is hilarious. It means at some point he told all his castle guards and the like "Hey if anything really freaky and bizarre is happening I truly need to be part of that absolutely come and wake me up. I live for that sort of thing, intruders, ghosts, you name it, I want to personally fight with them freaking love fighting". Or the Middle Ages equivalent of that, because that is the exact reaction. Tudor isn't involved initially. No. He passes us in the hallway and just nods has zero reaction to the obvious ghost with us. He figures that's none of his business.  I have to have a grudging respect for that guy. 
Then of course the others make him come along.
"Tudor! This is a ghost we're—escorting to the king."
Zero reaction, rerouting from his current side quest, "Okay."
He leads the rest of the way down to Henry's private rooms where he and Courtenay are apparently just expected to be drinking.
"Your Majesty, the Welsh wizard, now has a ghost, to see you," Tudor says, like he's said that sentence before in normal contexts.
Fionn doesn't fully wait for that to finish before strolling in. Oisin and I follow. Basically, sort of like when your parent comes to pick you up from detention and winds up yelling at the principal for being mean to you? That's the vibe. No parent ever backed me up to school faculty, but I've read about that sort of thing.
"Well, well," Henry, not overly concerned, putting down his glass of wine.
"You should know who I am," Fionn says, glaring daggers at the much taller English King and his whatever, lurking behind him being beautiful.
"Fionn MacCumhail, I have your son to thank for terrorizing my court and my family," Henry says, voice venomous.
"He was pursuing a threat to our country. A threat which has mysteriously vanished since he came to England," Fionn says.
"As Lord of Ireland I was deeply concerned to hear of any threat to our favorite island," Henry says like he's not the King of an island nation, "I am fully prepared to defend it."
"You're not Lord of all Ireland," Fionn snarls.
"Not yet," Henry says as I wince and so does Courtenay because we know how much that's going to involve us when he does it.
"The Fianna will be waiting to defend our country. From anything. Be it magic, or warlords," Fionn says, with obvious disgust.
"But now you are powerless, as there's no threat," Henry says, smoothly, "As I recall you have to be summoned. In a time of Ireland's true need."
"Aye, and we'll come. We've never lost a fight, not to men or demons," he looks directly at Courtenay for the demons.
"Fascinating," Henry says, like he's burning to take up that challenge, "But we have no more business with each other. Ireland is safe in my hands. And we have no need of you."
"Your wizard carries forbidden magic," Fionn points at me.
"What?" I and Oisin say. Oisin also snarls an expletive at his father.
"That isn't my wizard," Henry says, looking at me quickly like he's trying to remember who I am and doesn't know damn well who I am when he completely does, "He's a Welsh boy."
"Yet he fought for you in France, so he is your wizard, and you do command him," Fionn says, "I have all the world's knowledge, even if it means learning everything about a man like you, I will still use it."
"The Welsh often serve me, and...?" Henry asks, idly, again like I'm not affiliated with him.
"Make him get rid of his amulet, he used it to escape the confines of my mountain and broke ancient code," Fionn says, "As a sign of trust between us."
"Fine," Henry says. He doesn't even know what it does. Damn it. Fionn is banking on him knowing, of course, since it's tied to his son.
"I need to confer with the Archbishop, he taught me to make it," I say,  smoothly as I can.
Courtenay, blessedly, plays along and nods. Oisin looks at me nervously. I smile a little. Courtenay tips his head and we both step out of the room.
"What do we do?" I hiss, closing the door firmly.
"That's what's tied to Prince Henry isn't it?" Courtenay asks.
"Yes," I sigh, holding out my hand, "It's—useful I really don't want to get rid of it. And I'm assuming that he'll ask me not to make another one."
"You truly think he may have need of you?" He asks.
I look at him pointedly.
"Good point. Damn it—ah, we have to do it. We have to get rid of this Irish ghost we can't say no—," Courtenay sighs, clearly thinking.
"There has to be a loophole to the spell somehow, like—destroy it but not?" I ask, hopefully, "I haven't read much about this stuff. Someone burned down my library and took all my books and kidnapped me and killed me."
"Wow, really, right now?"
"It was literally you!"
"Okay, okay, um—ah," he sighs, rubbing his face, "Okay, there is one thing we can do. It's not actually cheating, technically, but it's a real dick move. And it takes a great amount of energy and I don't know if it would work, we can only try."
"You had me at dick move," I say.
"We, you and I right now, and the energy of your Irish friend in there and anyone else we can trust—burn up the spell, we set it to run at triple time so anytime the ring is used happens right now, in rapid succession," Courtenay says.
"So I'd jump into the future?" I ask.
"Yes, to each and every use, so you could wind up spending however long, theoretically days, weeks, jumping to each instance he uses it back to back," Courtenay says, "Then when it's done, you're back here exhausted we walk back in and hand over the amulet."
"Okay, lets go," I say, almost smiling. I'm about to speed run the War of the Roses.
"Are you sure?" Courtenay asks.
"Sounds like an adventure," I say.
"I can do the incantation, Just feed me magic, and take my hands," He wraps his hand around mine, thumb pressed against the amulet.
We hold hands, and I feel the ring grow hot my finger. His eyes glow red and mine blue, we both float off the ground with the force of the magic, blue from me, red from him, the light wrapping around our hands till it grows purple, seething through my skin.
And then I'm gone.

The End