Arthur's Sons (Book 1)

Lancelot (Part 3)

The twins made their way down to the dungeons with Merlyn in tow, once there it didn't take long to find the defeated form of Lancelot whos head perked up at their arrival. The boys stepped forward wrapping their hands around the bars watching him sorrowfully as he gave them a faint smile.

" We are so sorry Lancelot, I don't know how the king found out but this is our fault." Rowan watched as Lancelot shook his head sadly.

" No boys this isn't your fault, The choice was mine. My punishment is mine to bear, and mine to bear alone." Lancelot smiled sadly resolute to accept his fate.

" No. This isn't right. You deserve to be a knight, you're better than half the bloody knights in Camelot and more than worthy." Arty growled a single tear slipping from his eye. Lancelot was taken aback by this, he stood and walked to the cell door kneeling down to talk to the boys.

" You can stop blaming yourselves. I chose this, I am forever grateful for your help both in getting me a chance and helping me improve my craft. Perhaps someday I will be given the chance to prove I am worthy of such praise, but until that day I will live by the knight's code and improve upon myself until I am worthy." Lancelot took both their hands giving them a gentle squeeze and they both smiled before nodding and heading out of the dungeons. Merlyn took their place and gave Lancelot a pitying look.

" I wish there was something I could do." Merlyn muttered.

" You've done more than enough, you took me into your home, fed me, clothed me and introduced me to two of the most spectacular fighters I've ever come across. I am grateful for all that you and those boys have done for me, I will not forget it." Lancelot put his hand through the bar and Merlyn clasped it hand to the elbow before giving him a small smile and leaving after her children.

As Merlyn enters Gaius's chambers she sees the boys looking quite despondently at the scratches on the surface of the table, Gaius walks over to them hold a book and gives them a look.

" Whatever you do, don't say, "I told you so." Grumbled Arty who leaned back and closed his eyes, Merlyn huffs faintly and joins them at the table.

" I have no wish to gloat, boys. What's done is done. Here. Come and take a look at this. I realised my mistake. I've been looking for the creature in the wrong place, in the records of all known living things in the kingdom. And then I thought, but what about creatures only recorded in legend? In myth? Then I discovered this." He placed the book on the table to show a crudely drawn creature with the body of a lion and the wings of an eagle.

" That is it. That's the monster." Rowan cried pointing at the said beast. Before any more could be said the warning bells began tolling, all present looked at each other before scrambling. The twins grabbed their daggers and sprint from the room, Gaius goes to the window to look out and Merlyn chases the boys trying to call them back. She stumbles to a stop in the corridor surrounding the square to look out and see Arthur and his knight rallying to fight the winged beast that had landed and was mightily pissed off. The knights surround their Prince in an attack pattern and raise their spears.

" Charge! On me!" He roars as they move forward as one, Arthur strikes the beasts chest with the spear which shatters on impact, Arthur and the knights scramble back in surprise causing Arthur to unceremoniously fall on his ass. The creature rears up intending to disembowel said Prince when there is a shout from his left.

" Hey! Bird brain!" Arty yells catching the beast attention and that of the entire square. Rowan then throws the dagger his father had given him as a gift and it sinks into the creatures eye causing it to back away from Prince Arthur and screech in agony, Arty then runs forward with a flaming torch and waves it in its face causing it to back away in fear. The creature scratches at its eye one last time dislodging the dagger before flying off.