The Knight Behind the Pillar (31 page)

             
In my head I cursed, because I knew what I had to say out loud.

             
“No I didn’t.”  I answered back at once with so much purposeful innocent vindication that it was as clear as day that I had fallen to Arthur.  While completely untrue, I let my embarrassment of being a poor horseman serve me on this occasion, something that may have just cost me the battle in avoiding to admit my shame of having a foolish awkwardness with the beasts that were suppose to serve all good knights.

             
Clearly Arthur did not believe me as intended.

             
“Well good.” He settled and kept his smug grin in check. 

             
Still I could not stand to be the loser for long.  “Didn’t you just lie to your brother back there, wasn’t that against your vows?”  I baited. 

             
“No,” Arthur quickly denied defensively and drawing back, “I said I would never lie unless it was to protect the innocent and I was protecting you.”

             
Once again to my relief it was about him and not me and I could relax with my story established, except I suddenly felt a little bad at being regarded as innocent.  Abandoning duties to spy on a king was not innocent, but it was well intentioned and sadly I had found it to be worthwhile.

             
Now I could attempt to approach the matter I truly wanted to talk about and hope he would not now avoid the truth, unlike me.  “Your turn then,” I said casually, “Why did you forget the training and why did you disappear?  Was it some royal duty again, some meeting with another king or his daughter maybe?”

             
It was an invitation to tell me what I already knew and saw so I could talk to him about it.  I wanted, no needed, to know what Arthur thought he saw so I could work out what to do about it.  His face brightened at his recollection of his day and any suspicion of me was definitely gone.  It was in fact more of a dream like expression that passed over his face before he lifted the sword still in its scabbard to show me.

             
“I doubt you’re going to believe me.  I wouldn’t believe it myself if I hadn’t seen it, seen this.”  Arthur said beginning his tale, holding the sword before me for my inspection as we strolled and he was obviously pleased with it.  “Merlin and I, we went riding, he wanted to show me something and we travelled for a good distance northwards before we got to a lake.  Middle of nowhere and no one around either, only there was an old boat.  I was surprised it had no holes being just left to rot.  Merlin insisted we get in it.  Then he called forth a woman he called the lady of the lake, she was a spirit of the water or something like that.  And then the most amazement thing, she did arrive; her hand came out of the waters holding this sword…”

             
“A hand,” I interrupted, thinking it was likely to have been the moment where I would have interrupted if I were truly unaware of Arthur’s adventure, “With a body or was it just a floating hand somehow?”

             
“No!” Arthur pulled a face to say I was just being daft.  “Nothing like that.  I could just make out a woman just below the surface of the water when I took the sword.  Merlin said it was a gift and I should take it as the destined king and owner of it.”

             
He stopped and stared at me for a response, perhaps hope that I was as in awe as he was.  

             
“You’re telling me you found this sword in some lake and a woman handed it to you!” I stated bluntly.  “Why do you have a habit of finding swords in strange places, I mean, first a rock and now in some lake?”

             
Arthur’s shoulders dropped in disappointment at my obvious disbelief. 

             
“I didn’t think you would believe me.” Arthur simply put, crestfallen and looking to the floor.

             
“Look, it’s not that I don’t believe what you saw, but can you…..”  I started to say, but Arthur looked away. 

I also stopped because I was becoming very conscious this was not as easy as I thought it was going to be.  He had just lied for me to Kay and I had just lied to him now, while a minute before I was so pleased with myself for covering my tracks and was not as impressed with my wit now.  If I wanted to admit I knew exactly what happened today I realised I had just entrapped myself!  Yet again I just did not plan ahead.

              “Merlin said people would take time, guess I hoped you wouldn’t.”

             
Now I was feeling awkward as I was without an answer.  “I…” I began to stammer not sure where it might lead.  

             
“No don’t.” Arthur dismissed me shaking his head, saving me, and he then seem to rally back.  “Just listen that’s not all of it.  He asked me which I liked the better, the sword or the scabbard.”

             
“Strange question.” I commented, please to be guided to an easy reply for once without risk of something else being put in jeopardy.

             
It was safe to decide to just let him talk for now, I needed time to think and be cross with myself.  Thoughts of telling him everything, the whole truth, one second were mixed with doubt and I changed my mind the next.  Except I knew what I was like and wondered if I ever would make a decision!

             
“I know,” Arthur agreed, “but I answered the sword and he said I was unwise.  He told me that the sword while great and powerful, the scabbard was worth ten of the sword!  He also said that while I wear the scabbard, I shall never lose blood nor never be mortally wounded!”

             
I stared at him with meaningful disbelief.  I was astonished, shocked, stunned!  Not by the magical properties nonsense of the sword and scabbard, but by him.  Merlin had said Arthur would be a great king.  If he was this gullible, enough to believe not only in some water spirit and magic, but there was a sword that stopped death as well, he would not been know as a great king at all.  He would be the most foolish one in history!

             
“And you believe him!” I found myself saying, again very bluntly.  It was better than what I could have said.  So much control was needed just to hold myself back, but my feelings on the subject of magic and all was stated clearly.

             
I wanted to tell him the woman was just someone Merlin had found to help him; she just dived in the lake a moment before he came around the bend to see!  Did he not even suspect foul play for himself!

             
“I saw it, I did for myself Tor, I’m telling you this is real.”  Arthur said defensively, his eagerness to embrace this gift was clear.  “I know you doubt him, you perhaps don’t believe in such things, but it was amazing I wish you had seen it.”

             
I looked down to look at the sword, I needed to retreat and think of a better way to tell him the truth rather than crush his ill conceived belief.  Then just for a moment I attempted as ridiculous as it might sound to consider he was right.  After all he deserved that respect, he was king and supposed to be right all the time.

             
Shaking my head still shocked by Arthur the fool I asked, “Does it work?”  

             
“I don’t know, I’ll not been in a fight yet or tried it.  I only got back a little while ago, but I think the sword feels different, to say magical sounds daft, but it has a presence.  I guess it’ll not be long before I get to show everyone and you’ll see it, see it working.  Kay was just a bit too keen to prove it works earlier and suggested he would have a go at stabbing me before father stopped him, just before you arrived, but we’ll see tomorrow.  By then I guess you and everyone else will have to believe.”

             
“You’re showing the sword to everyone tomorrow?” I said in alarm, wondering what he had planned.

             
“Of course,” Arthur nodded, “Why not, it’s the first real piece of, well magic since who knows when.”

             
“Since a sword was drawn from a stone!” I said sarcastically.

             
Arthur pulled a face.  “You’re right, in the woods the other day you were right, people can doubt that.” He answered, clearly irritated by my lack of faith. “But it’ll be a bit harder to doubt this, not when everyone will see.”

             
I just stared at him for a moment, interrupted when we turned another corner in our slow walk.  He was so convinced of it all.  I did not want this to cause a fight between us, I did not want for him to feel I was not on his side and that he had no support.  So I let him win for now.   

             
“I believe what your saw.” I said as assuring and as believably as I could.

             
In a way it was true, but I also believed what he did not see and I did not believe what he believed.  Here was the new king, bold, all conquering, who will be both invincible and untouchable in his own mind, yet in his first fight he will get himself killed as the truth is revealed!  I was not going to see a sword working some magic power tomorrow, I was likely to simply witness his death as he just stands and confidently takes some killing blow.  It will be the shortest reign in history!

             
There was no point trying to convince Arthur that it is all fake.  Underneath that straw blonde hair and the clever thinking Arthur was a seriously stubborn person.  Blood or Ector’s influence I was no sure which, but doubt needed time to work against his set idea of magic, if he had any doubts at all.  Instead I had decided I should try again first thing tomorrow before anything could happen.  Then if I had to tell him that I was there and saw the woman I would.  If I had to tell him the world was lying to him once again, then I would.

             
If I had to.

             
If…

             
However, Arthur was not entirely convinced of my words “But you still don’t believe Merlin.” He observed astutely.

             
“Alright, yes I’m naturally suspicious of everyone, of him, but I don’t know him.” I said and attempted to be light hearted now while still trying to hint that Arthur did not know Merlin that well either by adding, “There’s still a lot we don’t know about him.”

             
Arthur looked to have accepted my point for a moment by raising his eye brows in thought, but suddenly our walk had ended and we were standing outside his room.  One of Aries’ guards who stood next to the door straightened himself on our arrival and dropped his head.  It was acknowledgment of King Arthur and I was suddenly mindful about just how privileged I was to be speaking with Art as I had been in the last few minutes as if he was still my equal.  Worried as I was for my friend, I had forgotten again who he now was.  Certainly I had growing conflicts over who I was, but that was seemingly normally of late.

             
Just like at the celebration of Arthur’s coronation, I was suddenly aware of the formality I needed to accord to again in the presence of others.  Joking for example about the fact he now had his own guard outside his room was no longer acceptable and I resisted the idea at once.

             
“Well maybe we will find out more about him at the meeting in the morning.” Continued Arthur, but also clearly aware of the guard’s presence as well as his tone changed to be more, well, I would say commanding. 

             
“Meeting my lord?” I questioned confused.

             
Arthur raised his eye brows at my address and flashed a mischievous smile of amusement only I could see.

             
“Father’s calls it a war council.  King Lot continues to gain support and they want another meeting with everyone again.  I’m sure Merlin will be there tomorrow.”

             
“It’s getting serious then.” I noted with genuine concern.

             
“Very.  And it’s a chance for everyone to see the sword.  I know Alain and others have been told about it and keen to see what it can do.” He replied and just in time to beat the yawn he was trying to hold back.

             
This was it, my last chance to say something!  Say the truth!

             
Except I was aware of the guard was standing there, not looking like he was listening.  Only I knew different.  I had the same skills of disappearing into the background and if I was the guard I would be listening to every word intently.

             
I nodded slowly.  “I will see you perhaps tomorrow, my lord.” I said, redundantly drawing the conversation to a close and I lowered my head.

             
“You know it should be your highness.” He whispered a smirk on his face. 

             
“Glad you are enjoying it.” I said quietly under gritted teeth looking up from my bowing head.

             
He skipped back across to his door and with a last nod was inside.  I sighed in disappointment, namely with myself and my deserted bravery, but during discovered spinelessness I had found a plan and I quickly left the guard alone in the hallway.  As soon as I was around the first corner my steps lengthened and were more determined.  Once Arthur had closed the door, I had decided at once that this was not going to wait.  There was no time.