Page 34 of The Sword & the Stone

His fingers lingered on my jaw, tilting my face up towards his. We were so close now, the warmth of his breath ghosted across my lips. It would be so easy to just let go, to fall into his arms and let him chase away the cold, creeping dread that had taken root in my bones.

As much as my body screamed for his touch, my mind still hesitated. "I don't want to take advantage," I breathed, searchinghis eyes for any hint of reluctance or uncertainty. "Of you, or any of the others. This isn't part of your duty to me."

Galahad's lips quirked into a half-smile. "Bold of you to assume I'm not the one taking advantage here," he teased gently, his thumb tracing the curve of my bottom lip. "A beautiful, brilliant queen with a smart mouth. What man could resist such temptation?"

Despite everything, a surprised laugh bubbled up my throat. "Careful, Sir Knight. Keep talking like that and I might start to think you actually want me."

His expression sobered, the playful glint in his eyes replaced by a smoldering intensity that stole my breath. "Idowant you. More than I've ever wanted anyone or anything, and trust me, I’m as surprised as you look right now."

Galahad's other hand slid around my waist, pulling me flush against the hard planes of his body. I let out a soft gasp, desire sparking through my veins like a wildfire.

“But I’m willing to wait until you’re sure you want me back.”

I blinked into his eyes, nearly at a loss for words. “Even though Gawain?—”

“Even then,” he said, cutting me off. “Even with your sorcerer panting after you like a dog in heat. I’m a man who has no problem sharing.”

At the mention of Merlin, ice crept over my heart, and my entire body went stiff. I looked away, biting the inside of my cheek. Galahad noted the change and took my hands in his large palms, rubbing them to warm them up.

“Did he betray you?” he asked, his voice low. I met his eyes, and they were hard, no longer jovial. “With the witch. Did he betray you by being with her?”

Taking in a long breath, I let my shoulders drop slightly. “Not in the way you think. This thing between Merlin and me is new. The first time we ever kissed was the day we left Camelot. Whathurts is that after all these years, he never bothered to tell me about her. It feels purposeful, and we never kept secrets. And there’s the matter of Uther. He suspected I was a Pendragon for years.”

Galahad's gaze softened, and he lifted one hand to cup my cheek. "I'm sorry he hurt you.” His thumb brushed over my skin. "Secrets can be a heavy burden, especially when they're kept by those we trust most."

I leaned into his touch, eyes fluttering closed for a moment. "I just don't know how to move past this. Merlin has been by my side for as long as I can remember. He's my best friend, my confidant. And now..."

My voice cracked, and Galahad pulled me into a tight embrace. I buried my face against his massive chest, breathing in the comforting scent of leather and campfire smoke. His strong arms wrapped around me, one hand stroking soothingly down my back.

"Give it time. Wounds like these don't heal overnight. But I have faith that you and Merlin will find your way back to each other."

I pulled back just enough to look up at him, a faint smile tugging at my lips. “So you’re taking Merlin’s side then?”

He scoffed, and his whole chest moved. “Your side is the only side, Arthur. But a part of me feels for the lad.”

“Lad?” I asked dubiously. “He’s not a boy.”

“I've been alive for over nine hundred years. Humans are like children to me.”

“And me? Do you see me as a child?”

His eyes scanned my face, filling with warmth and a flicker of that same desire I’d seen before. “You’re not human, though, are you? Long after every human in Camelot’s bones have turned to dust, you will still look the way you do now. Young, fierce, and perfect.”

A strange sensation washed over me; a prickling at the base of my skull, like the brush of phantom fingers. I stiffened, pulling back from his embrace as my hand instinctively went to the hilt of my sword.

"Arthur? What is it?" Galahad asked, his brow furrowing in concern.

"I—I'm not sure," I murmured, scanning the trees around us. The feeling intensified, a low hum vibrating through my bones. It was almost as if the very air was charged with energy, the kind of ancient, primal power that set my teeth on edge.

Slowly, I turned in a circle, my senses straining for any hint of danger. But the forest was quiet, the only sound the gentle babbling of the stream and the distant trilling of birdsong.

As I stood there, every nerve in my body tingling with that strange, ethereal energy, a flicker of movement caught my eye. Slowly, as if pulled by an unseen force, I turned towards the stream, my gaze drawn to the shimmering water.

The world around me seemed to fade away, the voices of the knights growing muffled and distant. All that existed was the gentle burbling of the stream, the way the sunlight danced across its surface like scattered diamonds. Without conscious thought, I found myself moving towards it, my feet carrying me forward as if of their own volition.

I followed the winding path of the stream, barely aware of the twigs snapping beneath my boots or the brush of leaves against my skin. The energy thrumming through me grew stronger with every step, a siren song I was powerless to resist.

Distantly, I heard the others calling my name, their voices laced with concern and confusion. But I couldn't respond, couldn't tear myself away from the magnetic pull that drew me onwards. It was as if I was in a trance, my mind disconnected from my body as I moved deeper into the forest.

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