The Throne of Light (Merlin BBC fanfic)

Chapter 9

The small, almost inaudible growl that escaped Anwen's throat caught Arthur's attention as he was showing her around the castle later in the same afternoon after Kyna and she settled down in their new chambers. He followed her line of sight and saw his uncle walking down the distant corridor with his servant, chattering away the orders for whatever his uncle had in mind.

If his uncle Agravaine saw Anwen, he was not showing it in any way but he did seem tense. Arthur wanted to know what exactly happened that made them both so jumpy around one another. The question however would have to wait until late hours after supper when they would finally be alone.

"When are we having supper?" Anwen suddenly asked, stopping in her step.

"In two hours. Why?"

"I will go and see your father."

"I'm not sure he will be delighted to see you." Arthur warned.

"No…he won't. But I have a message for him."

"From who?"

"My mother. And it is for him alone." Anwen emphasized.

"Very well…But please…don't agitate him."

"I promise." She smiled softly and kissed his cheek in sisterly manner, making him groan a bit in annoyance. "I will see you at supper."

Arthur shook his head when he heard soft laughter echo the walls as Anwen walked away, she showed her sisterly love for him in public just to annoy him. Or according to her, she was teaching him how to show his more 'sensitive' side to his people. He still claimed she did that just to annoy him and to entertain Merlin who was always second away from laughing out loud at his master's inconvenience.

Gwen curtsied her when they met on the doorway of Uther's chambers and left uncle and niece alone to talk. Or in this case, it would be Anwen that would do the talking because Uther has barely spoken a word in these five months. Anwen noticed that his gaze was still dull but not as much as it was when she last saw him.

"Good day my lord." Anwen greeted quite respectfully when she approached his chair.

His figure stiffened a bit in the armchair he was sitting but looked up slightly nevertheless. She wasn't sure what slight shine in his eyes meant, maybe she reminded him of Ygraine or something; she was not certain.

"What are you doing here?" He asked in his hoarse voice, his hand shaking as he set down the goblet still half full of water.

"I promised Arthur to return and help him. With you…incapacitated, he needs help running this kingdom. And my grandfather agrees with me in opinion that Arthur and I should try to rebuild the relations between Camelot and Solascoill, the ones you destroyed over twenty years ago." Anwen replied calmly, leaning on the wall next to the window.

"You…"

"Do not fret, I already promised Arthur not to use magic. Unless of course I am forced to use it."

"Why are you here? With me?"

"I bring you a short message from my mother."

If she was not looking at him whilst she was talking, she would have missed the ghost of all smiles that crept on his lips at the mention of her mother

"She wants you to know that she does not hate you. She never has and that she has long ago forgiven you for what you did to her sister, whether it was intentional or not."

"Your mother was always kind person. A trait I see, she passed onto you."

"Yes, it was said many times that I am too kind for my own good."