Between the Storms

Chapter Twenty-Nine

29. Memory Lane 

Magdelena was able to get through the first two weeks back without any problems, but as soon as Uther thought she was fine and had her enter a council meeting the thoughts of killing everyone were strong. Gaius could see her uncomfortably shift from one foot to another, her head reeled with ideas to kill every single person in the room. Someone motioned her forward to refill their glass with whatever she was carrying in her pitcher.

She walked forward and tilted the metal pitcher over the glass and let it fill, "kIll thEm." a voice which reminded her of how Travis had spoken caused her to knock the glass over spilling the red substance over the man's pants. She was knocked backward falling on to her back, the pitcher spilling what was in the pitcher all over her.

"You stupid servant!" the member snapped and in a movement that Magdelena couldn't have stopped, she had grabbed the sword hanging on his belt and pointed at his neck.

"gO AhEAd kIll hIm!" the voice she hadn't heard before she dropped the sword as the chambers had gone quiet, her heart sped up as she back away from the people, Gaius was watching her sadly, the Prince was rather concerned and Uther seemed to be enraged. She didn't spare a word before she took off running toward the wooden doors opening them before running away as they slammed shut.

"Gaius, what is wrong with my servant?" Uther asked annoyed by the event that had just happened.

Gaius looked away from the doors to the other side of the room where Uther sat, "I can't say for sure Sire," he says, "Perhaps I best go check on her if you would allow me to excuse myself."

"You are still needed for the rest of the meeting Gaius," Gaius looks at the table shaking his head at the words of the King.

"Would you allow me to go check on her for Gaius? Help put his mind at ease," Gaius looked at the Prince wondering if he too was worried about the girl, knowing how he felt about her did make the thought cross his mind.

"You don't have to Sire," Gaius says staring at the Prince almost as if he could see the King that he was going to be one day.

"Please, you have helped me time and time again. Besides I am not needed for the rest of the meeting an I father?" Arthur asks turning to his father who shakes his head but had a skeptical look on his face as thought raced through his mind.

"No. You may be excused Arthur," the Prince stands bowing to his father slightly and bidding farewell to the council members before taking his leave heading first the chambers of Gaius, Merlin, and Magdelena, not expecting to find her there.

But it was exactly where she was, curled into a ball on her bed wrapped in a familiar red cloak with her dog Baxton curled by her legs, his head resting on her knees, "I am glad to see that cloak is being put to good use," she jumped from her position pushing the cloak back so it was just laying on her back.

"Is the meeting finished already?" she asks looking at him curiously, last she checked the meeting was only halfway through. The only reason she had come back to the chambers, Merlin was doing chores and Gaius was in the meeting.

"No, I excused myself so that I could come find you. Gaius was very concerned," he says walking forward through the tables as he spoke, "I was too. Are you alright? I have never seen you act out like that."

"Just not over my trip," she says carefully, "I was alone for most of the trip, I am still trying to get used to the packed rooms and hallways of Camelot is all."

"I find that hard to believe," he says staring at her as if he could see straight through the lies she was telling him, "Would you like to try again?"

"Please, you majesty, why would I lie to you?" she asks Baxton had rolled onto his stomach to sleep on his back. 

"You have plenty of reason to lie to me Mags," he says standing so his feet were only an inch or two away from hers, "You just went on a mission that no one seems to know about, except maybe Merlin and Gaius. You were whipped and Gwaine said you sent him off when he tried to join you due to danger."

"I can't tell you," she says looking down at where their feet were, "I would, I am sure you would be helpful but with the circumstances-"

"You mean the reason you were whipped but refuse to tell me? Or the obvious stab wound on your back," her eyes widen slightly as she looks up at him, "I am a knight Mags, I know stab wounds when I see them. I see two options here you can either tell me how you got the wounds on your back, or you can tell me why you act out like that in the meeting, I know you know."

"What if I refuse to tell you anything?" she says raising an eyebrow at the Prince before her making him cross his arms across his chest as he looked down at her.

"I force Merlin to tell me if he refused I give him chores for different servants and give them the time off," he wore a smug look as her lips pursed together and her eyebrows furrowed, "He may not break then but I know you would never do that to your brother."

"Curse you, Pendragon," she hisses at him running a hand through her hair as she delves into the tale, of being kidnapped and losing Gilthunder, in a wagon for two weeks. Then the man who wanted her as his fourteenth wife, she told him about sharing the chamber and bed with him. She could see the Prince growing angry by the minute even more so as she explains why she was whipped, and then the killing of him after she found Lancelot, "And that is what happened. Are you pleased?"

"Please how could I have satisfaction in you telling me that?" he cries outraged, "I mean you had to share a bed with him! He is lucky I wasn't there, I would have-"

"We talked about you getting vengeance for me," she says stopping him from finishing his sentence, "Now you best go before Gaius, or Merlin comes back."

"I am not leaving until I know you okay after what happened in the council chambers," he says bending down to be eye level with her, his hands resting on her knees to keep him balanced and to give her a small amount of comfort he could. 

"I will be fine, your Highness," she says, "You should go tend to more Princely things."

"Tending to my Queen is Princely," their eyes locked as Magdelena shot up his hands flying from her knees as she stands on her bed pressed against the stone walls away from him as she looks at him in almost horror but also slightly angry, "Mags."

"I have told you. People have told you time and time again Sire," she says staring down at him seriousness in her face and tone, "I. Am. Not. A. Queen. I. Will. Never. Be. Queen. I am not fit to be Queen."

"You are the only person who says that," he tells her smiling, "Even the future tells us you will be. You are the only one who doubts yourself."

"Your father would never allow us to wed," she says more relaxed as she just leans against the wall instead of pushing herself into it.

"When I am King he will be able to do nothing," he says smiling at her as her head flashed to the moment not that long ago but some time ago. She watched it happened from outside herself as if she wasn't there when it happened.

"I love you," he says she was shocked but shook her head slightly, his cupped her cheek as eyes keep her frozen in place.

"Arthur, please she is a servant!" Arthur sword raises to his father once again turning to glare at him, "Arthur? Magdelena?"

"You have hurt her, and me," Arthur says, "I am going to marry her, and you will give us your blessing after everything you have done, to her kind, to me and to my mother."

Magdelena spoke at that moment bring the attention to her, "Do I not have a say in this?" The two Pendragons turn to look at her as she moves Arthur's hand, "I can't marry you."

"What do you mean? He will do nothing to stop us," Arthur says the words that forced her into this memory Magdelena took a few steps away, "Mags, what is wrong?" Magdelena turns to run down the halls. The Prince from behind her calling her name as she runs to the stables.

"I hope should what I am about to do come to light, you realize that I did it for you and for Camelot," she says jumping on her horse and looking down at him. Arthur grabs her hand bringing her down into a soft but quick kiss, "Forgive me Arthur."