Dismantle The Sun

Chapter 20

The group crept, silenter than the moon on a still night, hung peaceful in the sky over a serene mountain tarn. Ethereal and soundless as a voiceless mist. They moved together as a balletic one, to the looming figure of the large throne room doors. They were hewn from intricate wood, a vestige of a dying world and a call back to the regency of the long distant past. Into them were carved intricate and ornate images, horses reaving onto their hind legs in surprise at a snake, a constellation of planets hung above, like delicate cloths on a line in the diaphanous gossamer of space sky. Roses lined their diptych panels, along with other flowers: tiger lilies and milkweeds and orchids also. They emanated all the power of the universe.

Bent double together, like beggars under sacks, they hunched in a bunch in a large recessed alcove, away from the prying eyes of Agravaine's mordent guards. They whispered together in relief.

"Good thing we ran into you Gwen, Arthur here would have had no plan for getting us this far," Percival complimented honestly, placing a friendly hand on the captain's shoulder as he spoke. Arthur scowled but did not deny the trueness of the communications man's statement.

"You got the brains as well as the beauty, I see," slimed Gwaine, sliding closer to her with a salacious smile. It was Lancelot's turn to scowl, and he shifted in his feets anad moved inperceptably closer to her. Gwen simply rolled her eyes at the unnecessary display of raw masculinity.

"It's not fair on Elyan," Gwaine continued, unabashed. Gwen gave him a light shove to get him to stop.

"Well someone here has to have them. What's the plan once we get in?" She asked in ernets, directing her question towards Arthur. Arthur, floundered, like a fish out of water.

"There is plan, isn't there?" Gwen asked hopefully. Leon scoffed.

"Of course there's a plan! Go ahead and tell her, Captain," he said, broad smile assured while he looked over at the blonde man.

"Um, uh. Okay, so..." started the blonde man, uncharacteristically reticent.

"Princess, don't say we've come all this way to just pop in and ask for Merlin back nicely, oh and the throne to the entire universe too, while we're at it, Agravaine if it's not too much bother." Gwaine jokes sarcastically. There was a pause loaded with pregnancy. Arthur said nothing.

"Oh, goddess, Arthur, really?" asked Leon.

"Not, pop in- we'll storm. And we won't ask for Merlin back, we'll demand. But essentially yes." the captains said.

"And the throne?" Gwen asked, incredulously.

"Yes, and the throne too. I'm sure Agravaine will see reason once we're going mano y mano," Arthur said in an imperious tone suited to the king that he was.

"WELL HOW COULD HE ARGUE WITH ALL THAT GRAVITAS" Morgana's voice asked through their wrist pisces. Gwen snickered..

"I've had a lot to deal with! Stowaway Morganas, and finding out I'm king and, captaining, and Merlin being, um... Merlin being away. I don't have time to plan. I'm a man of action! Besides, none of you have a plan" Arthur insisted.

"We could...." Elyan started but trailed off with a mouse of confusion on his face.

"See?!" Arthur hissed in triumphant rightness.

"He's does have point there. And a bad plan's better than no plan at all." the weapons man conceeded amicably.

"He has no plan at all!" Gwen pointed out in a frustrated whisper.

"He has gotten us this far." Lancelot chirped in.

"No, that was me," Gwen pointed out again. Scowling slightly at Lance who threw her an apologetic shrug.