Power of the Storm

Chapter Five

05. Death Walks Into A Knight

"Knights of the realm, it's a great honor to welcome you to a tournament at Camelot. Over the next three days, you will come to put your bravery to the test, your skills as warriors, and of course, to challenge the reigning champion, my son, Prince Arthur. Only one can have the honor of being crowned champion, and he will receive a prize of 1,000 gold pieces." the Kings speech was long and boring but Magdelena expected nothing less. 

She could feel the greed roll off of every one of the knights except two, the Prince was feeling anxious he wanted to win as to not disappoint his father and a knight in yellow with a shield of three green snakes which were wrapped around one another, he craved death of someone and the shield held magic, she could feel it coming off his sick nauseating waves, "That knight in the yellow is rather handsome," Lady Morgana points out staring at him with a flirtatious smile. 

"He wants death, he craves it. He wishes only to win, he cares not who he hurts or kills on the path to his winning," Magdelena says staring at him, from her lashes, but her hair acted as a shield and kept him from seeing it should he look over, "He is a witless goat with a clay brain." 

Guinevere holds in a lip my clamping her lips together while Lady Morgana let her smile shine, drawing the attention of many of the men in the crowd and the knights, "You must teach me some of your insults." Nothing more is said as the first fight with the Prince and some knight whose name she wasn't aware of. As she would have guessed the Prince won and moved on to the next round. They watched knight after knight win, and Valiant won as she guessed he would, he had such aggression, she could feel the sickening waves as they came off him.

She excused herself and went to find her brother, which she found trying to take off the Prince's armor, she smiled at her brother in his failing attempt. He had never had to deal with armor before and never thought he would have to. She walked forward she grabbed the sword and looked it over, "Careful love, that may be a bit duller from battle but can still kill a man." 

She turned to see the face of the yellow knight who seemed obsessed with winning, "Kill a man you say?" she swings it with almost expert grace, stopping just short of his neck, the man didn't flinch but she could feel his hate for being in such a vulnerable position. She pulls the sword back and looks it over before sending him a shy smile, "I shall be careful, shall I?" she was too busy trying to block his waves of emotions and hate to hear what he said to the Prince but was glad when he walked away.

"Creep," Merlin says the Prince snorts and then Merlin snorts, the Prince acts strangely as he realizes what just happened and begins to list off chores for Merlin to do, Merlin groans at the list as it was pretty long. 

Merlin left to go start his chores, Magdelena didn't realize she was lost in thought and still standing there until a hand was placed on her shoulder, she jumped back and flinched at the touch, "Sorry, you just looked a little lost," the Prince says, he sends her worried glance, she looks at the floor, her hair cover her face, "I don't believe I got your name." 

She says nothing instead walks away quickly not looking up at him or anywhere, she walked with her head down and away. He watched her curiously, as she walked away, she easily dodged people as she walked all the way into the courtyard and was swallowed into the crowd where he only could see her hair until he could no longer see that as well. 

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Once again Magdelena was dragged along with Lady Morgana and Gwen to the meet and greet with all the knights. Lady Morgana was to the right of the King with Gwen on her left, then to the right of Gwen but a little behind was Magdelena. She watched as the Knight in yellow whose name she didn't know stepped further up in line, closer and closer until he reached the front of the lin in front of the King, "Knight Valiant of the Western Isles, My Lord."

"I saw you fighting today. You have a very aggressive style," the King said he wore a small tight smile - if you could even call it that - she found he was often more impressed of other knights than his own son.

"Well, as My Lord said, 'To lose is to be disgraced'," Sir Valiant says she could see the power of his muscles, feel his want of glory and fame, she still felt sick in his presence. 

They shake hands and while doing so, the King turns him towards where the Lady Morgana, Gwen, and Magdelena stood, "I couldn't agree more. Knight Valiant, may I present the Lady Morgana, my ward."

Sir Valiant took the Lady Morgana's hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles, greeting her like any well-trained gentleman would, "I saw you competing today," she says with a smile that if you looked closely enough could see the small flirtatiousness in her eyes.

"I saw you watching," Sir Valiant said making her smile become just a little wider, "I understand the tournament champion has the honor of escorting My Lady to the feast," he spoke just like any knight or noble would, Magdelena was sure that he was really a knight but wanted to win the money, glory, women, or whatever he wanted. Lady Morgana confirms he already confirmed suspicions, "Then I will give everything to win the tournament." 

Morgana smiles and nods her head, which he returns, his turns to walk to other knights, but turns and stares into ember eyes, such eyes like he has never seen before. They were watching him curiously, he turned away once he arrived at the other knights who greeted him, but he could still feel the amber eyes on him. She was so busy staring at Sir Valiant she didn't notice the Prince arriving and speaking it Lady Morgana.

"I don't see there's anything to be jealous of," the smile on Lady Morgana's face was gone as she watched Arthur walk away from them. Magdelena felt the not jealousy but the hurt of seeing Lady Morgana seemingly cheer for someone else to win when she knows what the King would say to the Prince should he lose. 

"Could Arthur be any more annoying? I so hope Knight Valiant wins the tournament." Lady Morgana whispers to Gwen more so but Magdelena heard her words, she was sure the King was too busy greeting knights to hear the conversation.

"You don't really mean that," Gwen says staring at the Lady Morgana Magdalena couldn't tell if she was trying to convince herself or Lady Morgana, she assumed it was the latter more so than the former.

"Yes, I do," the Lady says she steps closer and looks to Magdelena who had been silent the entire time not saying a word simply staring and studying the knights, "What do you think Maggie?"

"About what exactly, the Prince being annoying or Sir Valiant winning?" Lady Morgana made a motion and Magdelena assumed she met both, "They both have the same answer. The Prince saw you playing nice with Sir Valiant, who might be the only person here who could beat him, and you - someone he has known and counted on for years - is cheering this knight on. The Prince is being annoying as you so kindly put it because he is defensive. He doesn't want you to see you have hurt him by cheering on this other knight, but he knows you know how the King will react should someone other than the Prince win this tournament and he thinks that you don't care."

Gwen stared at the girl in shock, not only was that the most words that girl had spoken to anyone in the last two years, that was the most she had said to either of the girls. Lady Morgana had a thoughtful look on her face as she mulled over the words of Magdelena, "How do you know all this? I have known Arthur for years, you saw him, hear him say words and then you have a full speech as to why he acted the way he did." 

"I watch. Everything, and anything," Magdalena said, more knights greeted Lady Morgana, and the rest of the time Magdelena kept silent, the Lady and Gwen would whisper to each other about certain knights, how they acted, what they said, how they were dressed and other things that always made the two smile.