Love, Faith and Family

Chapter 9

"Miriam?"

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Miriam asked Arthur as she gazed out towards the ocean, the girl seating at a small wooden table on the rocky beach, two goblets in front of her. She had no idea what this test would entail, no idea if they would even make it out alive, but at least if she had to die, she got to see this gorgeous view.

"Are you alright? Merlin was worried sick," Arthur said and the girl only smiled as the wind blew at her hair, Arthur only realising now that she was in a simple dress of blue linen, the same colour as the seas she gazed at.

"That brother of mine worries too much. I'm perfectly fine," she replied, and she was.

"Let her go. I'll take your test, but not till she's released," Arthur said to Anhora who stood behind Miriam.

"That is not possible. Miriam is part of the test. Please, sit," Anhora said, and Arthur hesitated. "If you refuse the test, you will have failed, and Camelot will be destroyed."

Arthur's sword clattered as he placed it onto the table and sat down.

"Are you not scared?" he asked, and Miriam finally turned to look at him.

"I made my peace with dying when Kanen came. And if I have the chance to have others live while I die, then I am more than fine with it."

Arthur was rather surprised with her outlook but supposed she had a point.

"Let's get on with it then," he said.

"There are two goblets before you. One of the goblets contains a deadly poison, the other goblet, a harmless liquid. All the liquid from both goblets must be drunk, but each of you may only drink from a single goblet," Anhora explained but Arthur only had a confused look on his face.

"What kind of ridiculous test is that? What does that prove?" he asked, and Miriam shook her head as she studied the goblets.

"What it proves is for you to decide. If you pass the test, the curse will be lifted."

"How are we going to do this then?" Miriam asked Arthur who also studied the identical goblets and liquids.

"It's perfectly simple, one of us has to die. We need to determine which goblet has the poison. Then I'll drink it," Arthur responded and Miriam rolled her eyes.

"You really are a buffoon."

"Excuse me?!"

"You're the prince! The future king of Camelot! You can't drink the poison. I'm no one, I'm hardly even your subject, I'll drink it."

"Miriam this is my fault. I'm drinking it. I can't imagine you getting over your hate of me enough to die for me."

She scoffed.

"I never said that I hated you. I don't," she said, and Arthur could hear the honesty in her words and see it in her expression. "I don't hate you; I just hate the callous way that you treat everyone."

"I'm here to save them! I'm here to save you!"

Miriam only sighed as she reached for the goblets.

"What are you doing?" Arthur asked as his gloved hand enclosed itself around her wrist.

"We got off-topic and I'm done arguing with you. So, I'm going to pour both liquids into one goblet so then we can be sure it's poisoned and I can drink it."

Arthur was impressed.

"That's rather clever," he complimented, his hand letting go of her as she poured the contents of one goblet into the other only for Arthur to grab her wrist again. "But I can't let you do that."