To Break a Curse

Chapter 5

A/N     Hi everyone! Here is chapter 5 for you to (hopefully!) enjoy :) 

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Will, Oliver, Tom and Rose stared. They had been taken to a large throne room paved with big slabs of stone. The walls were covered in richly embroidered tapestries and the pillars were also finely engraved. Around the sides of the room stood staring courtiers and guards. At the far end of the room, opposite the doors, sat the king and queen of Camelot on thrones draped with red and purple cloth.

It was made clear to Will, Oliver, Tom and Rose by the guard to walk up to where the king and queen sat. This they did, their echoing footsteps on the stone floor the only sound in the room.

Tom couldn't stop staring at everything in wonder, but his attention was soon drawn to King Arthur and Queen Guinevere. King Arthur was wearing a golden crown on his head, royal blue robes and a knight's cloak. He looked in his mid-thirties with a stern face that had been browned by all his time outside facing the elements. Tom guessed his eyes had once been kind but they were now narrowed with suspicion and anger. Queen Guinevere was in a similar blue coloured dress that went down to the floor; she too was wearing a crown. Tom expected her expression to be like her husband's, but there was something else in her face that he couldn't read.

Once they stood in front of the king and queen, the guard slammed them to their knees. There was silence.

Rose glanced at the others: Oliver had his jaw clenched in apprehension - she could see him searching for signs in the faces of the king and queen that the four of them might be forgiven for not knowing about the stone circle; Will's eyes were darting everywhere, trying to work out what was about to happen to them and Tom's eyes were nearly popping out of his head in amazement at everything.

'You are charged with trespassing,' rapped out King Arthur. 'What do you have to say?'

Rose took a deep breath and, sounding apologetic but firm, she said clearly, 'your Majesties, we weren't aware of the laws regarding access to the stone circle. Had we known, we would never have gone there. We ask your forgiveness and clemency for our ignorance.'

The king and queen looked taken aback by this eloquent speech. They were not the only ones: Oliver was staring at Rose in shock – he had never heard her talk that well before. Will supressed a laugh; Rose did know how to put on a show when it was needed. Rose bit her lip; she wasn't sure about the actual meaning of the word 'clemency', but it had sounded good in her head so she had gone for it.

'The law about the stone circle is known throughout the land,' said Queen Guinevere coldly. 'It is impossible for you not to know about it.'

Without giving any of them a chance to answer, the king said, 'the punishment for trespassing is death-'

Will's heart skipped a beat, Rose went white, Oliver's eyebrows drew together in alarm and Tom gulped.

'But you are young,' the king continued. 'Therefore you shall be put to work in the castle instead.'

The sigh of relief among the four was audible.

Something made Rose glance at the queen whilst the others were looking at the king. This meant she was the only one to witness an expression that she would have, if she didn't know better, described as relief.

'What are your names?' demanded the king.

Rose couldn't help watching the queen closely as they introduced themselves. Maybe she was imagining it, but she thought she saw the queen go pale as Tom said his name. No one else seemed to see anything out of the ordinary though, so she dismissed it and gave it no more thought.

Now that the threat of an execution was no longer hanging over them, Tom's spirits bobbed back up to their usual level. Otherwise, he would not have felt brave enough to volunteer his ideas when the king and queen were discussing how long they should work or free for:

'A week or two?' Tom suggested. He caught the king's eye and backed away a little, 'two months?' He paused, 'three months and that's my final offer.'

'Tom!' Rose hissed, 'not helping!'

Oliver tried not to laugh.

'Right, sorry.' Tom bowed his head; then looked up quickly again: 'three and a half months?'

He winked at Will. Will rolled his eyes.

'You will work for five years,' the queen proclaimed, narrowing her eyes at Tom. Another odd expression was present in her face again, but it was gone before Rose could work out was it was.

Queen Guinevere carried on before they could digest this. Eyeing them up, she said, 'some suitable attire must be found for you as well. There is no possibility that you can work here so,' she paused and settled on; 'unusually dressed.'

Oliver realised for the first time that they were all still in their 21st century clothes: that must be why all of the guards and courtiers were giving them odd stares. Rose felt colour rise in her cheeks as she saw all of the women were wearing beautiful dresses and she was in jodhpurs and a jumper, her hair even wilder than it usually was.

'I understand the kitchens and stables could always do with more help,' said the queen. She gestured to Will and Rose, 'you two can work in the stables, whilst you two,' she nodded at Tom and Oliver, 'can work in the kitchens. You will start tomorrow.'

The queen snapped her fingers in the direction of a group of courtiers at the side of the room, 'Gaius will see that you are given rooms and clothing. Leave us now.' 

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A/N   I know this is a short chapter, so if you let me know in the comments, I'll be happy to put up another one over the weekend to make up for it!