The Red Knight - Merlin BBC [2]

Chapter 25: Had I Known Before...

The wooden doors close behind me, a haunting silence taking the hall. I take deep, calculated breaths as I stand awkwardly by the door. Ronon's back is to me, the wolf seeming lost in thought as he stands before his throne.

"You asked for me, my lord, " I state, flexing my hands, trying to get rid of their tenseness.

Ronon doesn't respond; his head hangs lower. I glance around him, finding his eyes sealed shut tight in a pained contemplative expression. My eyes scan the room, my lip between my teeth in awkwardness. Nothing seems out of place. The hall is normal.

My heels click against the floor, echoing in the hollow cavern as I take calculated steps toward Ronon. "My lord?" I call, now by his side.

My presence seems to shake Ronon from his thoughts, his eyes opening. They almost seem to clear a haze. His golden eyes search the room for a moment, disorientated, before they fall on me. "Oh, Edythe. Forgive me. I was spirit walking," Ronon offers, rubbing his eyes.

Astral projection. So few sorcerors can do it without getting lost in the ghostly realm, and I never tried it for fear of not being able to return to my body. It is complicated magic that requires years of training and preparation. Perhaps in another time, I would have loved to learn the skill.

I nod, offering a smile of forgiveness. "May I ask why?"

Ronon's eyes fall on me again, a thought flashing across them. Our eyes remain locked for a moment, a thickness in the air between us. It is suffocating, laced with deadly venom. The look sends my stomach plummeting. My swelling of emotions in the corridor with Kohl is long gone, replaced with anxious fear. Has Ronon heard something? Does he now doubt me?

"I needed to see something for myself," Ronon offers, brushing past me. He strolls toward the ledge overseeing the arena. "And needed to clear my mind."

The casual dismissal raises my breathing. Ronon knows something. My teeth clench as I follow behind the wolf with a crippling stiffness. "Is there anything I can help with?" I offer, trying to keep my voice steady. It comes out as a wisp of air.

"No, Edythe. You have done quite enough already," Ronon dismisses, looking over the arena below.

I swallow back the bile in my throat. "May I ask why you summoned me, sire?"

Ronon hums in thought. "Yes, of course. I summoned you because I have a proposition to run by you."

"A proposition?"

"You know that I think of you like family, Edythe", Ronon begins, arms crossing his chest. My lip twitches. Although words such as this should be full of meaning, Ronon somehow manages to make them neutral and unnerving. "That I believe you, my closest ally."

"I think the same of you, my lord", I whisper, trying not to sound small under his authoritative stance, but failing. I have been too confident these passing weeks, and perhaps my deception has gotten me into trouble.

Ronon turns to me, his golden eyes glowing in the darkness. "It is because of that bond that I make you this offer. Join me. Become a true family member once more – take the pledge...And I will release the knights."

My heart ceases to beat, the very earth beneath my feet shifting. Lips parting in shock, I stare back at the wolf with confusion. "W-what?"

"I know that you care for them, Edythe. You always have," Ronon observes. "As long as I have them, you will never fully submit to the family. To being my second. So...I offer their freedom in exchange for your undying loyalty."

My limbs become ice, my entire being a distant blur. I promised myself I would never do such a thing. I only played into his good graces to help my friends and the rebels, but it has worked against me now. I know if the rebels win, accepting Ronon's offer won't matter, but if they don't...I would be stuck here forever. Or die alongside the rebels.