Love, Faith and Family

Chapter 45

With the king still asleep, Arthur was regent of the kingdom, and he had a choice to make as he was given the news that Cenred's army was marching on Camelot.

He'd chosen to prepare the city for siege, sealing the people inside while the army prepared for war.

But in Merlin's company, he found himself asking his servant what his sister would advise doing, the girl having avoided Arthur like the plague since that night in Uther's chambers.

Merlin had told him that she'd have made the same decision because his decision protected the people better than any other.

Arthur felt better about his choice after that because even though he was mad at her, he still valued her council and her heart.

But though Camelot was a formidable army, it couldn't fight two battles at once.

Morgana had raised an army of dead skeletons to attack Camelot from within. And while Merlin went off to stop her, Arthur was left fighting the skeletons unaided.

And he would've been bested had someone not jumped in behind him and knocked away the sword that had been about to pierce his back.

"I thought you were mad at me?" Arthur said as he fought.

"Just because I'm mad at you doesn't mean I want you to die!" Miriam shouted back as she lunged, her face and arms already covered in blood as she'd come from the front lines against Cenred's army, Sir Leon urging her to find their prince.

"Mira?!" Arthur called as they fought back-to-back, the skeletons forcing them further and further up the stairs of the castle.

"What?!"

"You know that thing we do in life and death situations?!"

"You have some nerve, you prat, you know that?" Miriam spat. "Whoa!" she exclaimed as she ducked a slash from the skeleton's sword at the same time Arthur did, both spinning as they swapped skeletons.

"Look, I'm sorry, alright? It's my sister you are asking me to believe is evil! But-" he was cut off he jumped backwards which forced Miriam forwards and onto a skeleton.

"Get your hands off me!" she growled as she kicked the animated bones.

"I'm not touching you!"

"Oh god - not you!" she shouted at Arthur before twisting out of its grip and resuming their fight.

"Mira, I hate not talking to you alright?! Can we please just put it behind us?!"

The second Arthur said those words, however, the skeletons collapsed.

And Miriam pulled Arthur's lips to hers by his belt.

"I'm sorry for springing that on you. Even though it's true and you don't believe me yet, there were better ways to tell you that."

"I love you," Arthur replied as he leaned in for another kiss but was met with Miriam's hand that was sticky with sweat, blood and grime.

"We still have a war to win," she said with a wink before running off towards the front gates of the citadel.

Arthur shook his head as he smiled before running after her.

He would wait a thousand years if it meant she'd be his queen.

******************************************************************

"Honestly! I'm gone half a day and this kingdom's already gone to hell," Miriam muttered to herself as she walked the corridors to Arthur's rooms, still in her riding clothes. After emerging victorious against Cenred, Merlin succeeding in his task, but Morgana receiving the credit. She'd just returned from her journey to an outlying village where fever had broken out, but she'd returned to find Merlin a wanted fugitive, again, and that apparently Gaius was possessed by a goblin that her brother was responsible for setting free. Seems that even though their kingdom was at peace after winning the war with Cenred, that peace was never going to last. Right now, however, she only had the power to change the first problem as she kicked open Arthur's doors.

"Right, I have a bone to pick with you Pendrag-" she began only to cut herself off as the prince was nowhere in sight. "Arthur?"

There was no reply except for what sounded like a donkey braying.

"Arthur? Is that you?" she asked as she walked towards his bed to find him slumped against the side on the floor, donkey ears on his head that made Miriam's eyes widen.

"Oh my god," she said slowly, a smile spreading on her lips as Arthur pouted before lifting a finger at her and braying loudly as if to say, 'not one word.'

But Miriam laughed anyway.

"Gaius is a goblin. Merlin told you so," she said, and Arthur brayed again, Miriam guessing his meaning each time. "How many times is it going to take before you learn that we're right when we tell you these kinds of things?"

The noise Arthur made this time was more like a neigh as he waved her off before Miriam knelt next to him and reached a hand to scratch behind his ear.

A look of pleasure crossed over Arthur's face as his eyes closed before he brayed loudly and Miriam withdrew her arm.

"Look, we're working on a plan but for now, stay here," she advised and Arthur brayed as if to say, 'well, duh.'

And Miriam ran from the room as she tried to contain her laugh.

Oh, how she wished Merlin could see this.