Dismantle The Sun

Chapter 22

"I accept" Arthur stoned those two words. His tone of voice was as hard as a slab of uncarved granite and committed to actions just as permenent as stone would be, unweathered in the vastness of space.

A ripple of shock and doubt danced about the crew and Gwen, a butterfly flitting between flowers on a summer's evening, keen to find the last dregs of nectar to sip in the dying of the day, the inevitable darkness closing in.

"Arthur, no." Leon muttered, walking up to his friend and clasping him warmly by the arm.

"Leon," Arthur reassured him. Leon was not reassured.

"Let me fight him for you, you're the rightful king. Don't do this." he insisted as a dignified mutter of common sense.

"Leon, I can handle a little duel," the blonde man responded regally, his chin high and his eyes avoiding anyone else's as they bored into Agravaine's skull. The man in question grinned sharkishly. He had many teeth and they were sharp and baying for blood.

"Mans de Queensberry rules, you're familiar, I take it," asked the antogontist. His face was a blank mockery of cordiality, an eyebrow twitching with the weight of his well worn passive aggression. Arthur didn't let the smidgen of doubt he felt show on his fine face.

"Of course I am. But maybe you should explain for the benefit of the crowd. Merlin's never seen a duel before" he answered, his tone firm and confident to cover up the fact that he was not confident and had no idea what he had just agreed to. Agravaine smiled, convinced, Arthur was sure.

"Why of course, it'll work like this. We take turns parrying each other. I have proposed the duel, so I lead, I get one move you aren't allowed to defend and then you get one that I'm not allowed to defend and so on until there is a victor." He explained, gesturing his hand in a looping circled to enunciate his words.

"Captain, I'm not sure that's right," said Lancelot gently and sensibly.

"Yeah, Arthur, I think he might have just made that up" Gwaine joined in conspiratorially.

"Made it up? He's a noble, he wouldn't make up a thing like that, it would besmerch his honour: a fate far worse than the certain death he faces at my rapier." Arthur responded, the esprit noblesse had captured him since he walked into the throne room and settled about his shoulders like a coat found in the back of a wardrobe, unworn and forgotten but once taken out resplendent and form fitting as a glove.

"Arthur, think about it. The rules he just described make no sense." Gwen pled, her sweet eyes full of concern, Lancelot placed his gentle hand in the small of her back and they gave him identical puppy dog eyes, their eyes liquid darkness.

"HE'S GOING TO STAB YOU AND THEN YOU'LL BE DEAD." poitned out Morgana's disembodied voice, not unkindly, but with an uncurrent of amused smugness.

"She right," included Eylan, he looked sad to be speaking against his friend and captain.

"Silence! If I am to be your king, you all need to show more faith in me. I know what I'm doing. It's settled Agravaine and I shall duel!" Arthur snapped, trying to muster confidence he could not feel. A deep gnawing fear that his good friends were right had lodged in his stomach, taking home there in the most unsettling way.

There was a silence. Agravaine watched, demonically.

"I believe in you Arthur." Merlin said. They were the first words the star had spoken to the king since his rescue and they were the only words Arthur have ever needed to hear in his entire life. He would have been happy to spend the rest of his days deaf if he could live enshrobed in their sweet memory. He turned to look at the other man and their blue eyes met and then Merlin glowed, his skin illumanited, blinding the world with his faith in the blonde pirate captain. His blue eyes glowed, but not with light, with love and it stole the very breath from Arthur's lungs and in that moment he knew he could face down entire armies alone and never doubt or waiver for an instant because he had Merlin's ancient heart.