Love, Faith and Family

Chapter 53

Miriam was slowly forming a list in her head.

A list of all people that would make exceptional knights once Arthur was king and Gwen's brother Elyan had just made that list.

After breaking out of their cell and rescuing Gwen and Elyan, they'd split up, Miriam, Merlin and Arthur going after Morgana who wasn't in any of the cells and the blacksmith's children riding for Camelot.

Arthur had encountered Morgause while Cenred held a sword to Morgana's next, and the sorceress had sent a pillar of flames after Miriam and Arthur. They would've died had Merlin not been hiding when he used his magic to make it explode, unintentionally sending everyone in the room crashing into the walls as stone from the ceiling fell.

And when they escaped to the woods to find Gwen and Elyan who'd stayed put, Elyan hadn't hesitated to jump in front of Miriam and easily disarm and knock out the knight of Cenred's that came after her.

But in their true fashion after returning to Camelot, their lives were threatened again.

Namely Arthur's.

He had to decide upon a quest to complete, a quest he had to complete alone and unaided in order to prove himself worthy of the throne.

And Arthur had chosen to enter the realm of the Fisher King and retrieve his golden trident. The realm of the Fisher King was a place that people went to and didn't return as the name of his realm was called the Perilous Lands. And some suspected that the Fisher King, who was a sorcerer hundreds of years ago, was still alive, kept alive by his magic.

"You're a stupid prat, you know that?" Miriam blurted as Arthur finally emerged from his chambers in his armour, ready to set out for his quest.

"It's funny that whenever you are worried for me you show your concern by calling me a prat," Arthur remarked as he smiled at her, Miriam fidgeting with the sleeves of her red dress.

"Yes well, I can't help it when you make stupid decisions like venturing to the Perilous Lands by yourself."

Arthur lifted her chin up with his finger.

"Do you have faith in me?" he asked, and Miriam rolled her eyes.

"You know I do."

"Then have faith that I will complete this quest and return to you," Arthur said as he cupped her cheek before turning to leave.

"Arthur, wait!" Miriam called and the prince turned as Miriam followed after him, untying her hair and presenting him with the blue scrap of fabric that kept it up. "It's not much but, you seem like you need all the luck you can get with this particular quest."

Arthur's smile was genuine as he took the fabric from her before making her gasp as he kissed her, just in case it was the last time he had the opportunity to do so.

And Miriam desperately hoped and prayed that it wasn't.

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And it may very well have been the last kiss Arthur gave her.

Because when she returned to Gaius' chambers, Merlin had revealed that Morgana had given Arthur a bracelet to wear for luck, a bracelet with a large orange stone. And a gift from Morgana could only mean that Arthur's life was in danger.

So, for the next few hours, Miriam, Merlin and Gaius scanned book after book and scroll after scroll in an attempt to find the jewel, but so far had had no luck.

That was until there was a sort of pull in Miriam's heart and she found her hands wrapped around a small book that she opened to a page with a bright orange stone.