Page 11 of Kings and Monsters

His father studied him, the muted green of his eyes changing to glow emerald. "You always were the cleverest man I ever met. If I let my shields down, the queen will feel it and drop Hell on us."

"Every Unseelie and the land of your birth will also feel it. The very air will rush to greet you. I know you have no intention of reclaiming your throne, but until you can formally pass it on, you are still connected to everyone and everything in your kingdom. Let it feel the authority and give them hope."

"If I have no intention of staying, it's a false hope," Bleddyn pointed out.

"It's not false if it drives them to fight back. It need not be forever, just long enough to see the task done and the Queen dead." Merlin poked the fire with a stick. "I had to shed my Eldon skin to be who I really am. It's time you did the same and stopped pretending you aren't a king."

The next day,Rosa found herself in the easy company of Arthur Pendragon. He had slowly moved his way from the front of the group with Eirianwen in the morning to finally take up the rear with Rosa.

I must look surlier than I feel, she thought. In truth, she didn't mind so much. She had a million things that she wantedto ask Arthur about, including all the embarrassing stories about her infamous cousin.

"When this adventure is over, I expect you and Merlin to show me this new world I have woken up in," Arthur said.

"Travel has become a lot easier since your time. I intend to do some exploring myself if Eli will allow it. He's somewhat…protective."

"Aye, he's always been a little that way. If this business with the queen is taken care of, I'm sure he'll happily shove both you and Merlin out the door just to have some peace and quiet."

Rosa smiled as she looked ahead of them at the two Seren Du men, tall and dark and talking softly together. "I doubt it. Eli is far too happy to have him home again."

"Well, you'll just have to find a way to convince him, or I'll have to. Gwaed Lyn is too small to hold two Wylts at once."

Rosa laughed and fidgeted with the hilt ofGaeaf Storom."Can I ask how you are doing? I mean you woke up after the world has completely changed. Merlin had to use magic so we could understand each other because the language is different, clothes are different. Everyone you know is…gone. If I were you, I wouldn't be handling it so well."

Arthur seemed to consider her words carefully, his eyes turning to a stormy grey.

"There were only a handful of us still alive when I was wounded. Morgan had already killed my wife and child and many of my closest companions. In truth, the sleep was a blessing. My body wasn't the only thing that was broken. I had been fighting my entire life, and my heart, my spirit, just couldn't do it anymore. Grief and rage had destroyed me," he tried to explain. "In this new time, I can be something else other than a king. I'm not alone. Merlin, by some miracle, still lives, and my enemy is defeated." Arthur smiled at her then, and it was as if his whole being was illuminated by it.

Rosa couldn't help but smile back at him. "Was Merlin very different back then?"

Arthur laughed and said, "Not as much as you might think. Although he's more serious now. His soul has suffered, and it has deepened him. He can be a hard man to love some days, but he's loyal to a bloody fault."

"I've only known him a few months, and I know for a fact he's a dangerous, reckless pain in my ass."

"The most dangerous thing about Merlin is not his recklessness for his own life. It's the way he can convince you of a dream so strongly that it becomes your own. I'd follow him anywhere, and the prick knows it. He's keeping a good grip on his anger for the moment even if he's mad with worry."

"Are you sure? He seems way too calm to me."

"You've got to notice the signs. He's fixing to do something mighty dangerous. I can feel it in my bones."

"I'll make sure he doesn't try to make you do anything too stupid. If we live through this, I promise to take you traveling if you promise to tell me stories in return. He keeps telling me all the stories I know of you are lies he made up, but trying to get the truth of them out of Merlin is like drawing blood from a stone."

"I promise, my lady. They are stories worth telling." Arthur held out his wide, scarred hand, and Rosa shook it firmly. She was still holding it when she felt a strange pulse of magic.

Rosa drew her sword, the power in it humming up her arm, anticipating the fight. Seelie warriors appeared through the trees, dressed in leather and bronze, and charged the small group.

Rosa's smile was dark as she widened her stance. "Finally, I have something to kill."

"God, you're like Merlin," Arthur cursed.

Rosa met her attackers charge with the full force of her magic and training, her Unseelie blood singing asGaeaf Storomcut down two Seelie before confronting another. She felt the prickle of magic again as an archer sent a bolt of golden light streaming toward them. Rosa ran, knocking Arthur aside. The bolt narrowly missed his head.

"Stay down, Outlander!" Rosa commanded. She drew up a magical shield in front of them. Her shoulder burned as another bolt hit them. The Seelie was summoning a third when Rosa plunged her hand into the earth, her power taking control of the tree beside her attacker. The Seelie screamed as branches whipped out and tore him apart.

Rosa didn't wait to see the carnage before turning to find Merlin. Eli and Eirianwen had done quick work of the ten Seelies that had ambushed them. Eirianwen was a rage of silver hair and long blades as she cut through them.

Merlin, sword drawn and bloody, hurried back down to where Arthur still lay obediently on the ground.

"Can you feel any more magic users?" Rosa asked, scanning the tree line, her magic still shielding Arthur.

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