Lancelot and the Wolf (17 page)

“
I am the Queen’s fool,” I retorted just as Arthur walked in holding Else firmly by the elbow.

Else wrenched herself from Arthur’s grasp and ran to me. I helped to cross the distance and pulled her into my body. The magic flared and the pain eased instantly. I held her in my arms, my hands buried in her hair. I sighed heavily unaware of Arthur or his wife.

Arthur however, once he’d checked on us was not unaware of his wife, “My Lady, it is late for you to be roaming the keep.” His voice might have cut steel.

Guinevere went white. Even her lips drained of colour. “My Lord,” she inclined her head formally.

I stared at husband and wife and realised their marriage lay shattered on the floor around us, sparking light into the air to burn and blind the unwary. The hate writhed between them, its tentacles reaching out to yank in the innocent. I pulled Else around me slightly, protecting her from the possible backlash.

“
You have no business in my chambers, Madame,” Arthur said.

“
I wished to see to the comfort of my Champion,” the Queen announced. Now, as subtle moves go that one resembled a war hammer.

Arthur’s eyes narrowed. I opened my mouth to intervene. Else pressed her finger to my lips and shook her head. Arthur moved around Guinevere, clearly avoiding an adder in the grass.

“
My friend,” he said with his back to his Queen, “I have a question for you.”

I glanced at Guinevere and then focused on Arthur.

“
Sire,” I said warily.

“
You have been thrown from Camelot. You are currently a knight without a master, am I right?” Arthur asked. His eyes were cold, a winter’s day before the snow.

“
My Lord, I have always been yours to obey,” I said. Else melted from my arms and moved away from me. I stood straight before my King, my heart pounding. Would he return to me that which I most valued?

“
Then,” Arthur said turning to Guinevere. “I reinstate your title, Lancelot du Lac and as such, name you as a new knight. All previous ties have been broken so I decree you shall become the King’s Champion. Do you accept this title, Knight of the Court of Camelot?”

I dropped instantly to my left knee and offered out both my hands, pressed together palms upward as though holding a cup of water, “I will accept this gift, my Lord and I will protect your honour as though it were my own. I promise on my faith that I will be faithful, never cause you harm and will observe my homage to you completely. I will preserve you against all persons in good faith and without deceit.” My head remained bowed. I felt Arthur lace his fingers into the tangled mass of my hair.

I did not hesitate. I did not think through the consequences. I obeyed my King. I heard Guinevere hiss in response to losing me for good.

“
This isn’t over, Sire,” she said with more derision than I thought possible. “You may have your knight back but your love for him is a foul thing which turns you both into monsters. You are unhealthy and that has made me barren. You disgust me, Arthur.”

Arthur’s hand trembled. I did not move one muscle. Whatever had been said between them I didn’t want to know or consider. “I accept your fealty, Lancelot, Knight of Camelot.” His words were all the benediction I needed. A wash of peace flooded through me and I didn’t give a damn what anyone thought of us or our friendship. No one knew the truth of our love for each other. Together, Arthur and I would defeat all his enemies and Guinevere could just seethe from the sidelines.

I heard the door slam and Arthur’s hand moved from my head. “God, what have I done,” he whispered.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

I relaxed my hands and raised my head from the traditional position of the vassal to his lord. “You’ve claimed me for your own, so Guinevere can’t use me as a weapon against you any longer. It was the only thing you could do.”

Arthur seemed to collapse in on himself. He sank into a chair and drank my wine in a gulp. His hands shook so badly he carried the glass to his lips with both, clutching it like a drowning man. I didn’t know what to say or do. I looked beseechingly at Else.

She sighed, rolled her eyes to indicate the idiocy of men and knelt before Arthur as Guinevere knelt before me. Raising her hand she stroked his face, I watched him turn into her palm and kiss it gently.

“
What do I do now?” Arthur asked aloud of us both.

Else replied, “We leave Camelot, Arthur. This place is draining you. You need to regain your strength. I cannot protect you here and neither can Lancelot. Leave others to gather an army because there will be war before this is over, but they don’t need you. We need you to help us find my father.”

“
I miss Merlin,” Arthur whispered. “I’ve missed him almost as much as I’ve missed you,” he finally looked up at me. “I take it you didn’t invite my wife into my chambers?” His blue eyes turned from calm cool lakes to stormy seas in seconds.

“
No, Arthur. I did not.”

“
What did she want?”

“
Nothing important.”

“
Tell me, Lancelot,” I heard the threat and the order.

I obeyed, “She wanted me to rescue her from your clutches. She claims you are beating her. I told her she was a liar.”

Arthur nodded sadly, “I have never hurt her, no matter what she has done to me. I have never hurt her.”

“
Taking Lancelot has hurt her and she will have her revenge,” Else said quietly looking at me.

“
She will never come between us,” I said and meant it. I wouldn’t give her the opportunity to reach my heart again, not now I had Arthur to care for.

I heard him choke back a sob. Else moved into his arms and held him close. A strange feeling raced through me as I watched her care for Arthur. I felt jealous of them both, but I also wanted them to be close. To need each other as I needed them. A dangerous game having already lost one woman to Arthur. Would I lose my hind to the hart?

Unable to cope with any more grief I left them alone and went to Arthur’s private washroom. The water had almost frozen in the large bowl but I took a clean linen cloth and washed myself, stripping off the foul smelling clothes I’d been in for hours. I dunked my hair into the remains of a bucket of clean water and ran my fingers through it, trying to take out the knots. It needed a good brush but Else didn’t like me using the horses' brushes. Knowing Arthur as I did I found some old clothes and changed into them. They were finer than my best doublet and hose. I looked longingly at his soft bed and wondered if they would notice my absence. I ached to lie still for a few moments.

I heard voices and realised Arthur had summoned Kay and Geraint. I walked into the main room and a wall of muscle almost knocked me off my feet. Geraint hugged me to the point I began to feel my ribs bend. “I thought you were lost to us this time,” he said with joy.

I laughed, “I will be if you don’t let me go, you great bear.” I smacked him on the back. He relaxed his arms. I relearned how to breathe.

“
I’m sorry I had to take Else away from you,” he said coming straight to the point.

I glanced at Arthur. He looked away, uncomfortable with his recent behaviour. “I think we all need to take a moment for forgiveness today. We have all done what we thought was necessary.” I held Geraint’s upper arm as I spoke but I gazed at Arthur. It was not lost on my friend. Geraint nodded and turned to Arthur.

I looked at Kay properly for the first time. Kay is about five years older than I am, I’m a year older than Arthur and Geraint is three years younger. Kay and I should be close, but he found me impossible to understand. If he hadn’t been born the son of a great noble, he would have made a wonderful bean counter. He stood shorter by a good hand than Arthur and his body already ran soft. A slight belly poked over his hose, separating them from his doublet and his hair had thinned dramatically, he appeared to have aged ten years in one, finally looking the age that suited his personality. His hair had once been the colour of river sand and his eyes a washed out blue. He owned a strong straight nose, which sat in a face made too small for its fine structure. Kay married when he’d been a young man, a sensible girl who’d become a good wife. But Kay wasn’t here because of what he looked like, Kay was here because he made a fine politician and his loyalty to Arthur had never been questioned. If I was Arthur’s blade, Kay was Arthur’s pen.

Kay smiled at me, “It is good to see you home, Lancelot.”

I blinked, surprised, “I am glad to be home.”

“
Thank you for saving him,” Kay said as he shook my hand. “You might have tried doing it in a less dramatic fashion, but thank you.”

I grinned, or tried too, the bruises were making my face stiff, “If I’d done that you might have suspected I’d grown up. Then who would you disapprove of?”

He shook his head, “Lancelot, you will never grow up and use your head rather than your sword.”

“
And I thank, God, for it,” I told him.

“
All very nice,” Geraint said lounging in a chair by the fire, “but why am I here at this ungodly hour?”

“
I’m leaving Camelot,” Arthur stated.

Geraint raised his eyebrows and Kay said instantly, “Sire, you cannot leave Camelot. The Court is seething with unrest. If you leave it will cause a vacuum of power we cannot control.”

“
I have to find Merlin,” Arthur told him. Kay’s face closed down, he hated Merlin and the influence the strange man brought with him. Merlin offered no logic, just riddles and predictions.

“
You can send Lancelot to find Merlin,” Kay told him.

“
No, I can’t. Lancelot will be going with me, but I am the only one who might find my friend.”

“
So, you are leaving us in charge of the Court,” Geraint said shrewdly.

“
Yes, and you are to gather my army,” Arthur said.

Kay blinked, “Army?”

“
There will be war with Stephen de Clare before this is over,” Arthur said having decided to believe everything Else told him.

“
Civil war?” Kay said, “That is madness, Arthur, he wouldn’t dare.”

“
Are you certain of that?” Geraint said sitting up. “You know as well as I that the man covets Arthur’s throne. The whole Court thinks Arthur has finally lost his mind since Lancelot’s banishment,” Geraint stopped and blushed, realising too late what he’d said.

“
Don’t hold back there,” Arthur muttered coming to stand beside me.

Geraint grinned, “Well, that’s the first time I’ve spoken the truth in the last year and you’ve not threatened to throw me in prison.”

“
Don’t push it, I can still arrange for that to happen,” Arthur said crossing his arms over his chest.

Geraint laughed, “I don’t think you could do that now you have Lancelot back. Anyway, Stephen thinks he can use Arthur’s instability to take his throne.”

“
Stephen’s not the only one to watch,” Arthur said. He sat, Else walked to him and I don’t know how it happened but now he held her hand. Geraint frowned at me. I chose to stay blank. “My wife will move against me, doubtless using Stephen in the process.”

“
All you need to do is forgive Guinevere,” Kay said gently.

Arthur looked up at him and I saw the anger. Else brushed her free hand through his hair and Arthur calmed instantly. Geraint opened his mouth. I shook my head slightly. Arthur said, “I cannot forgive her and do not presume to know what I need to forgive her for. Just watch her and control her movements. Do not give her easy access to Stephen when he arrives later today. We will be leaving before dawn, I do not want anyone to know where or why we have left. You will tell them I have gone on pilgrimage. Taking Eleanor and Lancelot with me.”

“
That makes no sense, Arthur,” Kay said.

“
It doesn’t have to make sense. I’m mad remember,” he smiled at Kay.

“
I don’t think you should leave alone,” Geraint said. “I know you and Lancelot can look after yourselves but do you actually know where Merlin is?”

I began to tune out the talk. I walked to the corner of the room and sank into a chair. It was a long time after midnight and the night sucked at my bones. We’d be leaving in a few hours and I had to switch off. My eyes closed and my brain slipped away.

“
Lancelot, wake up,” Arthur’s voice dragged me from sleep reluctantly.

“
Time to leave?” I asked.

He smiled, “No, time for you to sleep.” I realised Geraint and Kay still sat in the room. Arthur helped me stand, “I’ve been hard on you today, my friend. Go next door and sleep.”

I looked for Else, but she’d vanished. “Where?”

“
She’s gone to pack your things and prepare your horses. Apparently, she wants to make certain you are a long way from Camelot before her brother arrives.” Arthur poked me next door and started to untie the doublet and shirt I’d borrowed. I felt his hands against my skin, my heart raced. He pulled off the shirt, “Get into bed, Lancelot and sleep. I’ll wake you when we leave.”

His hand sat on my chest and pushed slightly. I stepped back to the bed and sat. Arthur knelt and began unlacing my boots.

“
My King, you don’t need,” I began.

“
Shut up, Lancelot, and hold still. I just want to help,” Arthur sounded strange but my exhausted brain couldn’t work it out. I think he’d been planning to say something else and changed his mind. His hand brushed up my leg and stopped on my thigh, the muscle twitched.