Camelot

XXI

I woke up multiple times during the night to Allister crying, I instantly changed him and worked to get him quieted down before anything happened. I rarely slept so there wasn't much waking up, I was too worried about the constant movement of people above my head. I had no idea when they would leave and absolutely no way to know when the sun was up, so my only way to know when morning came would be if someone came to fetch me. Though with so many things happening up there they may forget about me hiding with the baby. Holding Allister close and cradling him I was finally able to fall asleep into a deep slumber.

Once again I was woken to Allister's crying, but it was different from all of the others. "Look who finally woke up." A knight said holding my son.

"Let him go!" I shouted and lunged at him. A sword was drawn and pushed me back into my chair.

"How fitting that one traitor would lead us to another. And the child we were so desperate to find." He held Allister up.

"I said let him go!" I ordered.

"You don't give the orders around here girly. You're not my queen." He pressed the sword into my neck causing a few trickles of blood to cascade down my throat.

"No but she is mine!" Percival appeared behind him. He ran his sword through the man's chest and quickly grabbed Allister before anything would happen to him. "Like I said, you'll always be my Queen, and you need someone on the inside to protect you guys."

"Thank you Percival." I smiled as I took Allister back into my arms.

"Let me look at your cut."

"No time, where is Lancelot?" I needed to know.

"I don't know, I've been kept down here since we discovered the tunnels. I need to get you to safety as I have promised, now come I'm bringing you to one of the boats and Merlin will be waiting for you once you return to land."

"I am not leaving here without Lancelot!" I shouted.

"Keep quiet, do remember there's still a dead man on the floor and I particularly don't want anyone to get the right idea and blow my cover." Percival hushed. "Now I don't have a choice here, if you don't get to the boat my cover will easily be seen through. Once we get to the beach than you will be the one who has to knock me out with your powers, I can't fake it some of these guys are tooo well trained and they'll notice."

"I still can't leave him."

"He will be joining us with your family shortly after you arrive. Avalon has barriers so only those of magic can enter. If anyone else tries to enter they will go through immense pain so that if anyone tries to enter to hurt anyone of Avalon they will be too hurt and weak to harm anyone."

"What about you if you have to find a way in to warn us about something?"

"That's why it won't kill a non magical person, so I can enter. I will go through pain yes but I can deal with it to get to the castle. Also if I attempt to return to Camelot I'll be harmed so no one will doubt I'm a spy."

"If you promise me that Lancelot and my family will safely rejoin me after I leave than I shall go without another word, only if you can guarantee it."

Percival hesitated answering, "I can't promise you in case I am revealed. If I am revealed a traitor then they don't have a chance and everyone here will most likely die which is why we need you and Allister to go so that doesn't happen."

"And if you're not found out then they'll all arrive safely?"

"You're family will, but you know Lancelot's heart and honor, he'd die for anyone, especially you."

Hearing that I truly feared for his life and wished he dn't have left e alone in this pit. Percival took my hand and led me out of the bunker and into the tunnels, he was very careful as to check everywhere to make sure we wouldn't run into anyone and that we weren't being followed. Following blindly through the tunnels I could hear the ocean as we neared the light. "Shield ALlister's eyes, this is going to be bright." Percival warned as we stepped outside.

"Everything appears to be clear."

"Thank you Percival."

"So this is why we couldn't find the other traitor!" A knight jumped out of the boat. "We have our own traitor in our mitts." The knight pointed his sword to Percival's heart.

With a wave of my hnd Percival was sent barreling into the cliff side instantly knocked unconscious. "You know I'm rather gifted with mind control, I could make you look like a traitor and be easily executed."

"Percival ..."

"He was the only knight who didn't stand up to Arthur, of course I choose to use him, isn't it obvious? Try to accuse him of treason and see how far you'll live." I threatened.

His sword swung over my head as I barely ducked out of the way, but a pin prick sliced part of Allister's face. "Do not touch my son!" Lancelot jumped out of nowhere and slit the man's throat.

"More and more knights started showing up as Lancelot hid me behind him. "Get in the boat and get out of here now!" He ordered.

"I'm not leaving you!" I pleaded.

"There's too many please get yourself to safety, I'll meet up with you soon."

"Pity that won't be true." A knight called from behind me with bow and arrow in hand. Releasing the arrow it was going straight for my head, but Lancelot jumped in the way and it sunk deep into his shoulder. "I have an arrow limit so you may want to get on the boat before I reach it."

Tearing up from his bleeding shoulder I crawled into the boat and laid Allister in the bottom. Grabbing a bow and arrow of my own we started drifting away as I watched Lancelot fighting, me sending arrows whizzing through the air to help hi. One arrow ripped through the air and hit the boat, were the whole bottom was full of dry kindly and smelt of something terrible.

The boat was going to burn and we were going to die with it. I grabbed Allister as the arrow's fire slowly crept towards the kindling, I knew once it did the whole boat would erupt with fire and I had to get out of here, but they can't see me jump or we'll never get away alive. Just as the fire reached the kindling everything exploded as I jumped backwards as if I had fallen into the boat. Splashing hard into the water I could see the boat covered in enormous flames from under the waves. I gasped for air as I resurfaced behind the boat and out of view, small Allister coughed up water with me, but I knew he was going to be alright.

"Guinevere!" I heard Lancelot's blood curdling cry from the beach. He hadn't noticed what I had done, and I can't make myself known without putting Allister back in danger. "Guinevere! Allister! No!" His cried hurt me. I held back a choking sob as I listened to his painful screams.

"Two traitors are dead, let's bring the other one to see the King, I'm sure he won't be as merciful as the fire." I could hear someone barking orders.

I floated behind the burning boat as it drifted farther ad farther away from the island, but before I was completely out of view a conscious Percival finally arrived and just barely saw me. With a simple wave he went running back to the village. Allister and I may as well be the only survivors once Arthur has had his revenge.

I swam away from the island for so long my arms had become tired. Sinking below the waves I could still hear Lancelot's wails as I fought just to keep Allister above the surface. My lungs burned as I gasped between the waves pushing me under the water. I was exhausted ad tired, and about to give up. I didn't see a shore in any direction, or a boat. We were fully stranded with nothing in the middle of the ocean. For all I know I could have been swimming in the wrong direction and lost farther than any map had ever been charted.

When all hope was fleeting my necklace started to shine brightly in the darkness of the dimming sun. I glanced every which way searching for something, and saw a long stick of light from a distance, with a chip out of the tip. Excalibur, it was trying to find it's missing piece, it was trying to find me. "Guinevere!" I could hear Merlin call out to me. For a moment my heart fluttered as I realized I could finally take a breath without the fear of Allister dying, I can save my love and I will bring our family back together, somehow. But for now it was nice just to get out of the water and be wrapped up in a warm blanket with people I could trust surrounding me.