Chapter Twenty Eight

66 3 17

by Smint100

by Smint100

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

Gwyar turned to Seren and gave her the signal. Seren removed the necklace complete with its twelve beads and started to invoke the incantation. The twelve knights responded by entering the room, their swords held ready. Except they didn’t go in support of Arthur, but stood behind Gwyar and Seren in direct challenge to him.

Arthur took a step backwards in shock. There was a pause as he realised what was happening, the strained silence broken only by Gwaine arriving in the room.

‘My lord!’ he began . . . but then stopped. Seren could see the confusion on his face as he saw his two brothers and fellow knights lined up against the king, and her heart began to break. But she had to do this. No longer could her kind be treated in this way, but Arthur was not prepared to change.

‘My lord,’ he began again, speaking very slowly as he observed the other knights, trying to work out what had happened to them. ‘A spell has been cast over the castle. Everyone . . . everyone else has been frozen, they cannot move. And as for . . .’ He warily approached the twelve knights who gripped their swords more tightly. ‘Gaheris? Gareth? Percival? Percival! What . . . what are you doing?’ But Percival was in the grip of the old magic and did not respond, not even when Gwaine waved his hand directly in front of his face. ‘Sire, they too are bewitched,’ he said, turning towards Arthur. He tried again, but none of them reacted.

Arthur turned angrily on Gwyar. ‘You see! This is not what I want for Camelot! This is not their choice!’

‘I did not make this decision lightly, Arthur, but if you refuse to accept that magic is an important part of Camelot, then you leave me no choice.’

‘I will not accept this.’

‘You have no choice,’ and she raised her arm, holding the orb aloft. The knights uniformly raised their swords.

Gwaine joined Arthur and Merlin on the other side of the room, preparing to battle against his own brothers and closest friends despite the odds being so stacked against them.

‘Merlin?’ Gwyar asked. ‘You have hidden your magic from Arthur obviously far too well. It is time for you to live the life you were born to. Will you join us?’

All eyes, apart from the knights who were blindly looking straight ahead, were on Merlin.

He started to shake his head. ‘This was not what I wanted. This is not how it should be.’

‘How it should be is that Arthur accepts magic in his kingdom, not persecutes it. So join us.’

‘No. It would be a betrayal of everything I have done for Arthur so far.’

Arthur looked surprised, obviously trying to think what Merlin had done, but then Gwyar turned her attention to Gwaine.

‘You stand alongside Arthur when all the other knights are against him?’

‘They are bewitched.’

‘They will kill you. They will kill anyone on my orders, even another knight.’

‘I am not just another knight, I am King of Lothian. I will fight this magic.’

‘You will still die. But if you joined me, I would let you rule in your rightful place in Lothian while I ruled Camelot. If you would embrace magic.’

‘I am no enemy of magic,’ he began and Arthur reeled again. ‘But I would rather die defending Camelot’s king than see any regime force its rule like this,’ and he raised his sword to his shoulder in readiness for battle.

‘There are people outside the castle who want magic to be free, Arthur.’

Gwaine glanced over to Arthur, still balancing himself ready to strike. ‘It’s true my lord. That messenger was correct although did not know who they were and they appeared to pose no threat.’

Seren saw Arthur swallow hard. Gwyar had everything under control. Merlin was her main adversary, but with herself and Seren and the twelve enchanted knights, she foresaw no great resistance.

Gwyar raised the orb again ready to begin the attack, but Seren was distraught. This was not what she had thought would happen. This was not what she had wanted. Gwyar was meant to persuade Arthur to accept magic for good, not this coup. As Gwyar turned to signal the attack, Seren took a step forward. ‘Stop!’