The Secret Memory

Two

Uther took all the time in the world to take a drink from his goblet before looking up at the prince. 'You have asked for an audience with me?'

Arthur stood in front of his father's table, this time the two of them alone in the king's chamber, his hands clasped behind him. 'I have come to acknowledge the error of my ways. And to ask you for...a second chance.'

'A second chance at what? Ethan has already taken care of the criminal.'

'The criminal?'

'He has been hanged. Better yet –his wife came forward, claiming she too is a practitioner of magic. They have both served for their crime.'

Arthur's stomach clenched. He didn't think the girl was telling the truth. She couldn't bear to lose her husband.

His earlier show of mercy had done nothing –he got two people killed.

He clenched his teeth. It took some effort to look back to his father's eyes. 'Good,' he made himself say. 'Father, you must allow me to prove that I am fit to be reappointed. Tell me what you'd like me to do.' Whatever happened at Creston, he could not take another apologetic glance from a passing courtier who saw the eight-year-old boy instead of him.

Uther picked up a slice of venison with a two pronged fork. 'You are my heir. I do not expect these trivial errors of judgement from you.' He ate the piece of meat slowly, testing Arthur's patience. Finally he looked up. 'Find me another sorcerer.'

'A sorcerer?'

'In the archives, there are accounts of the use of possible sorcery. Many of these accounts change by the time the investigation gets under way. Either because the sorcerer in question has silenced the witness or it turned out to be gossip. The knights have enough to see to. They cannot investigate each account thoroughly, unless it was a case like Creston. Which means, occasionally, some genuine sorcerers slip through. But if you can bring simply one of them forward to me, I shall reconsider returning you to your position.'

Arthur gave a nod. 'You will not be disappointed, Father.' He walked out of the chamber and down the long corridor to his room.

His pride for someone's life, that was what his father had offered.

***

Merlin looked around the small room, at the shelves crammed with yellowed scrolls and thick books. He pulled out a book here or a statue there.

'Merlin,' called Arthur, eyes on a page of one of the books, 'are you actually helping or poking around?'

'I...am...' Merlin put his hand inside another nook in a shelf and produced a compass, 'helping. By poking around.'

Arthur ignored him and continued scanning the book on the table in front of him. When he looked up again Merlin stood in front of the table.

'Is this about Creston?' Merlin asked.

'What do you mean?'

'I mean, what are we doing here?'

'I thought my instruction was clear: find anything with the words Awaiting Evidence.'

'As in, why was your training session cancelled? Why aren't we going with the knights over at the border?'

'Sir Ethan is taking care of that.' Arthur kept his eyes on the paper.

Merlin could tell he was no longer reading. 'While you're stuck here, in this antechamber?'

The Prince raised his eyes to Merlin in a cold gaze. Before he could say anything they heard a voice getting closer.