King Henry

Chapter 42 - The Rescue Begins

Merlin used his spell to make the carriage go faster until they had reached the outskirts of London and then he stopped it so no one would get suspicious that they were using magic. The last thing they wanted to do was cause a scene and attract attention. By the time they arrived, the sun had already set and the fires were burning in the street lamps.

As they got closer to the castle, Eleanor noticed there were Royal soldiers lining the streets, holding burning torches, even more than there usually were. It was obvious they were preparing for something.

Merlin pulled the carriage up in front of the Royal Cathedral and they made their way inside dressed as monks with their hoods pulled down over their faces.

Eleanor led them inside to Father Lawrence's office and he looked relieved to see them, standing up and walking over.

"There you are. I was getting worried. Who is this?" he asked, looking at Merlin with scrunched brows.

"It's me, Merlin. I'm in disguise," he said.

Father Lawrence's eyebrows raised and his eyes widened. "Merlin!" he shouted, giving him a tight hug and patting his back hard with a huge smile. "It's so good to see you old friend, even though you don't look like yourself."

"It's good to see you too," Merlin smiled back. "I just wish it was under better circumstances," he said, letting out an exhale and shaking his head.

Father Lawrence nodded, looking worried. "The circumstances are very dire indeed. Word around the castle is that the Queen is planning to have Henry publicly hanged in the courtyard at noon tomorrow."

Hearing that made Eleanor's insides tighten into a knot and her eyes burned with tears as her bottom lip started to tremble. Joan reached out and pulled her into a hug, noticing how upset she was.

"Don't worry. We won't let that happen Eleanor. Henry will be a free man long before tomorrow. Mark my words," Merlin told her, looking determined and confident. She really hoped he was right.

"They also plan to have Guinevere crowned as Queen tomorrow as well. The Prince from Spain arrived earlier and he accepted the marriage arrangement. The Queen announced their engagement about an hour ago. She's not wasting any time," Father Lawrence said.

"And neither should we," Merlin told them. "Now where is this secret passageway under the cathedral that leads to the dungeons?"

"Right this way," Father Lawrence said, making his way out of the room with everyone following behind.

Father Lawrence opened the secret door behind the Virgin Mary statue before handing Richard a burning torch to light their way.

"Godspeed," Father Lawrence told them.

Eleanor gave him a nod of her head before disappearing into the tunnel behind Merlin and Joan, seeing the heavy door close and lock behind them. The tunnel was cold and damp with the sound of dripping water in the distance as they all walked in silence. It was obvious they were all nervous for Henry. She felt a pang in her stomach just thinking about him and she had to fight back her tears.

As they reached the end of the tunnel, Merlin turned around to face them, the features of his face lit up by the orange flickering glow from the torch.

"I want to lead the way since I don't have to worry about being recognized. Walk in a straight line behind me and if anyone approaches us or asks a question, I'll do all the talking. Just keep your heads down or they'll surely recognize your faces right away. Understand?"

They all nodded.

"Thank you Merlin," Eleanor told him, "For coming here and risking your life to help us save Henry's. You're a brave and noble man."