by KM Shea
“In the morning, King Arthur and an escort group will set out. A small remnant can remain behind to observe Duke Maleagant’s movements,” Sir Kay said, his voice as strong as iron.
Merlin nodded, “A wise thought, Sir Kay. I agree with you.”
“Someone will need to return the merchant’s horse and armor to him,” Britt said.
“Trivialities. Do not worry your head over such things,” Merlin said.
“Well, I’m starved. Who is up for a bit of hunting for our supper?” Ywain said.
“Ahh, hunting is such a great sport. I would be honored to join, should no one object,” Lancelot said.
“Please, by all means,” Britt said, eager to get the knight out of sight.
“Shall I help you remove your armor, My Lord?” Gawain asked.
“Yes, if you do not mind. You have my thanks, Gawain.”
“Of course, My Lord.”
It wasn’t yet dawn when Britt woke Sir Kay.
“Kay, you said you wanted me to tell you next time,” Britt whispered.
Sir Kay rubbed his face, and his voice was rough with sleep. “You just got out of that blasted castle. Are you so eager to return to it?”
Britt chuckled. “No. I don’t plan to leave the woods, but I want to see if Maleagant and his men are still camped at Camelgrance’s front door.”
Sir Kay shut his eyes for a moment before he stood and stretched. “Very well, let us go.”
“I’m surprised you are letting me leave the camp,” Britt said as the two left the encampment and plunged into the trees.
“I thought of tying you up or refusing, but if I do that, it is unlikely you will ever tell me your movements again,” Sir Kay said dryly.
Britt laughed and hopped over a fallen tree.
“Please explain to me, My Lord. If you are unsure of Leodegrance, why does Maleagant offend you so?” Sir Kay asked.
“It’s the people of Camelgrance I worry for, as well as Guinevere’s plight.”
“I did not know you liked her so.”
“I don’t,” Britt darkly said. “She’s a silly girl who is empty-headed and downright worthless.”
Sir Kay waited for further explanation in silence.
“But…even so, she doesn’t deserve to be married to a man like Maleagant. I knew that before I faced him in combat. Only a greedy jerk would demand from Leodegrance all his lands. Plus, he’s in King Ryence’s pocket, which isn’t a good sign,” Britt said, her speech lapsing as she spoke with Sir Kay—the only knight around whom she could relax.
Sir Kay held a branch back so Britt could pass by unhindered. “Camelgrance is not your responsibility, My Lord.”
“I know, but letting Ryence get his hands on more land and people doesn’t seem right.” She sighed. After a few moments of silence she asked, “Did Ywain give you any trouble while I was gone? I doubt he happily stayed behind with you.”
“Let me say that you probably enjoyed your time in Camelgrance more than I.”
“Ahh, but I had Sir Lancelot the brat with me,” Britt said.
“Even so,” Sir Kay said, frowning so deeply his mustache could not hide it. “I ask that you would try to keep your distance from him.”
“From Ywain?”
“No. Lancelot.”
“I have no issues with that suggestion,” Britt snorted. “But for the sake of my curiosity, why?”
“He is smarter than he acts.”
“Are you kidding? He’s a flirtatious twerp who needs a good smack.”
“I do not understand all of what you say,” Sir Kay said. “But he is crafty. Make no mistake, My Lord. You cannot let your guard down with him, even with your distaste.”
“What makes you wary of him?”
“He is too well spoken and too well liked. Although he is scant months older than Gawain, he has the presence of a full knight and is not easily cowed. If he was the idiot he appeared to be, he would not last a month adventuring in Britain.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“Think, Britt. Would Ywain or Griflet last long in the wild?” Sir Kay said.
“No,” Britt finally said.
“He chatters to cover his observations. Please, be careful, My Lord.”
“Alright. You have never steered me wrong. I will watch my step with the dull Sir Lancelot. Ah, here we go,” Britt said as the trees started to thin.
In the dusty, pink glow from the horizon, Britt could see tents were still pitched in front of Camelgrance.
“They are still there,” Britt said, not entirely surprised.
“The portcullis of Camelgrance is down again, I think,” Kay said, squinting in what little light was available.
Britt sighed. “I didn’t think he would take his defeat well.”
“What do you mean to do?”
Britt glanced at her supposed foster brother. “What do you mean? I thought I was getting packed up and sent back to Camelot today whether I wanted to leave or not.”
“You are king, My Lord,” Sir Kay said.
Britt watched smoke rise from a campfire near the tents. “I would like to speak to Merlin and see what he advises. If Sir Bodwain and our reinforcements will not arrive for a while, I don’t like the idea of leaving just yet.”
“As you wish, My Lord.”
“Sir Kay, thank you,” Britt said. “I know I put you through a lot, but I am truly thankful for your support.”
“It is my honor, My Lord.”
“Is it really? I know the way Arthur, the real Arthur, abandoned his duties hurt you. I’m sure you would rather be going through this with him than with me,” Britt said. “He was your foster brother.”
“And you are my foster sister,” Sir Kay said. “Both of you are dear to me. I am truly happy to serve you, Britt.”
“Thank you, Kay.”
“I don’t like it,” Merlin declared from the back of his spindly-legged horse.
“What part of it?” Britt asked, patting Llamrei on the neck as Merlin wove his horse between the trees at the edge of the forest and peered out at Camelgrance.
“All of it,” Merlin said, waving his hands at the camp. It was mid-morning, and even from the forest, one could see Maleagant’s knights walking through their camp.
“Duke Maleagant is a dishonorable knave,” King Pellinore said. “There is not much one can do to correct such a character flaw so late in his life besides beating him soundly and muzzling him like a mongrel.”
“You have seen his kind before, have you?” Britt asked.
“They are unfortunately common,” King Pellinore said.
“What will you do, My Lord?” Sir Gawain asked.
Britt smiled at the quiet knight. “I’m not certain. What are your thoughts, Merlin?”
“Wash your hands of Leodegrance and be done with it,” Merlin said, driving his horse back into the woods. “You gave him an exit. He obviously did not push back against Maleagant hard enough, or that pig would have left last night.”
“You are so accepting that we will lose an ally and quite possibly see another war?” Britt asked, following Merlin as he made for their camp.
“King Leodegrance must live with the consequences of his inaction. He survived before you were crowned king, Arthur. Besides, you have other allies now,” Merlin said, his eyes briefly falling on King Pellinore and then Gawain.
Britt offered Gawain a tense smile when the prince looked to her.
They returned to camp in silence.
“Hail, My Lord. What have you decided?” Sir Bodwain asked.
Britt dismounted Llamrei as Merlin announced, “We are leaving. King Leodegrance has ruined himself. It is good that Sir Bodwain rallies the army, for we will need to protect our borders when Leodegrance caves and gives his daughter to Maleagant.”
Britt started packing with the rest of the knights, listening to Merlin speak.
“You think it will be war, then?” Sir Kay said.
“Perhaps. At the very least,
there will be a threat. You can bet as soon as Leodegrance is cowed, King Ryence will muster another army. If we are ready for them, it is likely they will not attack. Maleagant is a cheat, but King Ryence is just as cowardly as King Leodegrance.”
“I shall ride home and prepare an army of my own to back you,” King Pellinore said.
“This isn’t your fight, Pellinore. King Ryence was once your ally; I will not pit you against him,” Britt said.
Pellinore shook his head. “My Anglesey is closer to Camelot than Leodegrance’s Camelgrance. We are neighbors. If they try to march against you, they will march against me as well.”
“I will ride forth and alert my father and uncle to the threat,” Lancelot said. “They will aid you, My Lord.”
“I can send word to my father, too. I am certain he will send a company of knights,” Ywain said.
She placed a hand on Ywain’s shoulder. “I thank you, both of you,” Britt grudgingly said, acknowledging Lancelot’s offer. “But I hope the war is not so big we will require help from all my allies.”
“King Pellinore’s forces and ours should be enough to crush Maleagant’s dreams. Ryence already knows Arthur is strong, and Britain knows he’s only grown stronger since he was crowned over a year ago. Ryence will hold back his forces and let Maleagant take the brunt of it if he marches against us at all,” Merlin said.
“It is settled then. We prepare for war,” Sir Bedivere nodded.
Britt finished tying off her bedroll before attaching it to Llamrei’s saddle. She gathered her things and moved to lead Llamrei to the small pond they camped near when she saw her borrowed charger from the merchant.
The milk white horse bobbed his head, making his bridle jingle. Someone had already tacked him up and tied the unornamented armor to him.
“He will have to come with us, for we cannot return him,” Merlin said, shattering Britt’s thoughts.
“I know,” Britt said.
“Do not fear. My merchant friend will be well compensated,” Merlin said, patting Britt on the head.
“Will he survive the siege?”
“Of course, or he wouldn’t be a merchant,” Merlin snorted before he too led his horse to the pond.
Britt did not follow him. Instead, she stared at the horse and armor, thoughtfully entwining her hand in Llamrei’s mane.
It was just like one of the legends: a knight on a white charger fights to save the lady. Too bad it hadn’t worked.
Britt closed her eyes and was assaulted by her memory of battle. Everything reeked of blood and bile. The screams were the worst; the shouts of the injured and the dying ate away at Britt’s soul. It was horrible. It was a nightmare. And it was going to happen again.
Whom would she lose? Sir Ywain, Sir Kay? Last time, she almost lost Sir Ector.
Britt opened her eyes again and studied the white charger.
“No,” she said.
“I beg your pardon, what did you say?” Merlin called from the pond.
“I will not march to war. Nor will I abandon Camelgrance,” Britt said, pulling back her shoulders.
“Arthur, Leodegrance must encounter the consequences of his decisions. It will do neither you nor him any good to keep saving him,” Merlin said.
“Forget Leodegrance!” Britt shouted, making all of the knights in the camp freeze. “So perhaps I am not allies with him for his sake—I’m allies with him for the sake of his people. They did nothing to deserve such treatment. Nor will I stand to lose a single one of my knights in a war that does not need to occur.”
“What would you have us do? The contest against Maleagant failed,” Merlin said.
“We are in a world at war, Arthur. You cannot stop a man like Maleagant without force,” King Pellinore said, folding his arms across his chest.
“I find your desires refreshing, My Lord,” Lancelot piped in. “But saving castles and entire populations is something that requires an army, not a single knight. Doing a few good deeds is the most one man can do. As much as the minstrels sing of it, mankind does not value honor.”
“Then I will change that,” Britt said, locking her legs and tilting her head up. “I will fight until I cannot stand and talk until I run out of air, but I will see that every maiden I come across has someone willing to fight for her, and that every lesser subject knows that if all else fails, there is someone good in this world who would like to see them not only survive, but be happy! I will do everything I can. If I cannot reach all of Britain, so be it—but right now, there is a castle that cries out for a champion, and I will not forsake them.”
There was utter silence in the encampment.
The horses snorted and neighed in the sudden stillness, and then Gawain kneeled before Britt. “I will follow you, My Lord, and I will do as you do.”
“As will I!” Ywain declared, joining his cousin.
A faint smile was spread on Sir Bedivere’s lips. “I doubted you could leave Camelgrance the way it is, My Lord. But that is why I serve you, because you will not abandon anyone,” he said, holding Britt’s gaze for a few lengthy moments before he too bowed.
“I wish you wouldn’t care for chivalry. It makes guarding you a wretched experience, My Lord,” Sir Kay said, joining the others.
“You’re a good man, Arthur. I have never seen the likes of you as a King. As a ruler, I know what you say is hopeless…but I can’t help but think that you will make it happen,” King Pellinore said.
Other knights spoke up, speaking vows and assurances of their loyalty to Britt until the only ones left to speak out were Sir Lancelot and Merlin.
Merlin sighed. “You foolish boy. There you go changing more minds with your pretty speeches. Arthur, are you certain that you are not forcing yourself to follow a legend that hasn’t yet been made?”
Although the knights around Britt looked confused, Britt understood what Merlin meant. “I am positive. This is what I want, Merlin.”
“It would be easier to run you if you were a dunce,” Merlin grumbled, glancing at Lancelot. “What say you, only son of King Ban?”
Lancelot stared at Britt for several long moments. Britt thought she saw something stir in his eyes, but it disappeared when Lancelot pumped his fist in the air. “I stand with Arthur. Honor and chivalry to all!”
“Then we will stay, and we will drive off Maleagant with just us, a small band,” Merlin said, grimacing.
“I will face Maleagant again. Beating him is not the issue; driving him off is another matter,” Britt said.
“Of this I am aware,” Merlin said. “Thankfully, Maleagant’s army might be raised, but it is not too close to Camelgrance. If we can frighten Maleagant enough to make him flee to his army, I don’t think he would dare return, not if we convince him that he cannot defeat us.”
“And how do you propose to do that?” Sir Kay asked.
Merlin grinned wickedly. “Through trickery.”
“I still don’t see why I couldn’t ride Llamrei,” Britt complained as she rode her borrowed charger across the open span between Camelgrance and the surrounding forest.
“Llamrei is not a charger. She is trained to flee at the first sign of danger and bring her rider to safety,” Sir Kay said.
“So that’s why you prefer I ride her when we’re around Camelot. She won’t attack like Roen; she’ll just carry me off,” Britt said, looking down at Sir Kay, who was walking shoulder to shoulder with her horse.
Sir Kay grunted and did not respond.
“I’m impressed you managed to bully Merlin into letting you come instead of him,” Britt said.
“He is needed to make the second part of the plan work, and he would raise Maleagant’s suspicions, as he reeks of magic,” Sir Kay said.
“I’m not saying I disagree with you, just that I was surprised it worked,” Britt said.
“Merlin knows he would not be as much help to you as I in this case. He knows little of armor and even less of fighting. He would not make a proper squire.”
“K
ay you are not here to act as my squire; you are here to speak so I don’t have to,” Britt protested.
Sir Kay shrugged. “If that is what you think, My Lord. Prepare yourself, for we draw close.”
Britt checked to make sure her helm was in place as she and Sir Kay stopped between Camelgrance and Maleagant’s camp.
A knight from Maleagant’s forces stood at the edge of the camp while men madly scrambled behind him. “Who goes there?” he called.
“‘Tis the White Knight, the champion of Camelgrance. He wishes to know why you have not departed,” Sir Kay said.
Britt twisted in the saddle to look at Camelgrance. Based on the amount of noise radiating from the castle, the soldiers standing guard had sent word to Leodegrance.
“Where is he?” a raspy voice roared.
Maleagant stormed out of his camp, wearing his armor but not a helm. “You!” Maleagant snapped, thrusting a finger in Britt’s direction.
“The White Knight wishes to say that he was told you promised to leave should a champion beat you, Duke Maleagant,” Sir Kay said, his voice steady and reflecting no emotion. “As he trounced you soundly, he desires to know why you are still here.”
“I was not beaten,” Maleagant said, his nostrils flaring.
“Being that the White Knight knocked you to the ground and held you helpless, he wishes to know what your definition of beaten is, as it does not match common expectations,” Sir Kay said.
From behind the veil of her helm, Britt stared at Sir Kay. “Kay, what are you doing?” she hissed.
The ground rumbled as Camelgrance’s portcullis was raised. King Leodegrance and a squad of his soldiers left the castle.
“Champion!” King Leodegrance called, his face pinched in the gleefulness of his expression. “Thank Heaven you have returned.”
“When I gave my ultimatum, I meant that I must be defeated in a joust, not a mere swordfight.”
Britt’s blood turned cold. What?
“The White Knight wishes to know if knocking you off your horse will actually count this time, or if he needs to strip all weapons from your person and tie you up in order for you to admit defeat,” Sir Kay said.
“Kay!” Britt hissed, barely audible over Maleagant’s roar. Maybe she would have been better off if Merlin had come instead of Sir Kay after all.
