The Royal Scandal *Book Two*

Arrival of the Five Kingdoms

Ok, so I am slightly changing this episode a bit to add a little more... drama. You might be able to guess what change I am doing, but you shall see...

Second A/N many months later - if you haven't already, read the A/N at the start of the last chapter to explain some changes I've made

A week had passed since Freya had died and Merlin had... well, Merlin had given me the space I needed. Over the past few days every time I saw him walking down the corridor, continuing his chores for Arthur—something I noticed had been increased by my darling brother as I presume a form of punishment—I would either turn around and walk back the way I had come from or I would turn off into one of the other corridors. Was I being slightly petty about it? Possibly. But the last thing I really wanted right now was to have to have the conversation with Merlin. No way was I ready for that, not yet anyway.

Luckily, I had something to distract me and push every thought about Merlin to the back of my mind. For the first time ever the rulers of the five kingdoms were going to be meeting in order to discuss some sort of peace treaty. This was possibly one of the most important things that would benefit Camelot greatly that my father would ever have to do as King, not that he had done anything else of great importance in his reign that can be defined as beneficial.

So as the rulers of the five kingdoms rode into Camelot, I joined Arthur's side on top of the battlements. It was obvious why, but even our father seemed tense about this meeting, something that was very clear to us all.

"Father, we're not going into battle," Arthur said, a tinge of humour in his voice, leaning up against the battlement. "You don't have to look so sombre."

"Never before have the rulers of the five kingdoms come together in this way. Never before have we all worked towards the same aim, towards peace," father countered. "If these talks are successful, Camelot will enter a new era of prosperity. If they fail, it will, almost certainly, mean war."

"So no pressure then," Arthur muttered to me, making me smile.

Yeah, no pressure at all. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?

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They had only been here a mere matter of seconds and I already felt a strong dislike for one of the leaders who I recognised to be King Alined. As Arthur and I walked just behind our father down the stairs to the main courtyard, I noticed Alined purposely chuck his cloak on the ground, whacking and kicking his manservant as he rushed to pick it up.

"Alined, you are most welcome on this momentous occasion," father said, walking forward and shaking Alined's hand firmly.

"Momentous? Let us hope so," Alined agreed, his eyes trailing over to me and Arthur.

"Ah, Alined. Let me introduce my son, Prince Arthur—" father began. "—and my daughter, the Lady Chelsea."

"Honour to meet you," Alined smiled, shaking Arthur's hand before he turned to me. "Pleasure to finally meet you, my lady." Alined kissed my hand.

"The honour is all ours," I replied, fixing on a smile.

"That it is," Arthur nodded.

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That was how the rest of our morning went. Greeting each and every ruler. The last to arrive was King Olaf who was accompanied by his son Prince Louis who must have been only a couple years older than Arthur and myself.

There was no denying it, he was a very good looking guy. His chocolate brown hair was short and had a slight wave to it that blew in the late morning breeze and even from here his jade eyes reflecting the morning's light right back at us, cheekbones so high that the waves of his hair seemed to conceal their true definition.