Queen of Camelot ~~~ON HIATUS~~~

Chapter Twenty (V)

Many emotions swirl inside Artura; frustration, disappointment, and hurt to name a few. Frustrated that Lancelot wasn't a knight anymore. Disappointed that he had to lie to become a knight when he was more that worthy of the role. And hurt, hurt that Lancelot had lied to her, and that she gave him her full trust only to be betrayed. The most frustrating part was that she had already forgiven him and wanted to go fight with her father to let Lancelot come back, and that was why she was visiting the cells.

"I should've known. How could I have been so stupid?! You don't sound like a knight, you don't even look like a knight!" She ranted to him feeling like a complete fool. She was lying constantly surely she should've been able to spot someone else mile away.

Lancelot hanged his head. "I'm sorry." Artura could hear the guilt in his words. 

Artura leaned against the cage glaring down at him. "I'm sorry, too. Because, Lancelot, you fight like a knight. And I need...Camelot needs..." She had almost slipped, her personal feeling were not to come in with such business. He was the best knight she had, and he has more potential then most of her group combined. 

Lancelot only nodded at her words not catching onto the double meaning of the words. He didn't want to think about what could've been if he had been born differently. "The creature?"

Artura sighed, "We could not kill it. I've never faced its like."

"I faced it myself, Sire. Some days past. I struck it full square. I wondered how it endured."

Artura hesitated to share the following information, but getting the insight of another soul who had faced the beast head on. "There are those that believe this creature, this...griffin, is a creature of magic, that only magic can destroy it."

There a list of words people didn't think they would hear from the prince and even the suggestion coming from him was bizarre. Lancelot pondered on the words thinking back to how his own battle had gone down. Curious he asked the pounding question, "Do you believe this?"

That was a great question, did she believe it. She didn't want to involve magic she hadn't heard anything good about it. Her father despised magic and was often blinded by that hatred, but her heart could never fully echo the same hatred. "It doesn't matter what I believe. The use of magic is not permitted. The knights must prevail with steel and sinew alone." Artura pulled out some keys changing the topic quickly.

"Sire." Lancelot said unsure. 

Artura pushed the key into the key hole twisting and opening the door. "There's a horse waiting outside." Lancelot was on his feet, eyes shining with gratitude. 

He came over taking her hands in his. Her heart leapt at the action but her face showed no embarrassment. "Thank you. Thank you, Sire."

Artura pulled her hands away stricken with sadness. "Lancelot, take it and never return to this place."

His soul sunken at the words, he didn't want to leave or escape he want to fight by her side and be a loyal guard till the day he died. "No. No, please, I...It's not my freedom I seek. I only wish to serve with honour."

"I know."

"Then let me ride with you, Sire." Lancelot offered.

She shook her head. "I cannot. My father knows nothing of this. I release you myself, but I can do no more. Now go before I change my mind." Artura took a step away making room for the valiant boy. He walked out knowing what this meant and took it with gratitude. 

--

Gaius chambers are a complete mess covered in opened book. Merlin sat at one desk quickly skimming through one of the books, Gaius doing the same at his work area. Gaius stops on a page reading over the page. "There. You must do this for Arthur." Merlin races over reading the spell. He nods nervously this was the riskiest magic he had done so far, and Arthur wasn't an idiot.