Page 76 of The Sword & the Stone

He swallowed hard. "It's-it's Uther. He's dead, Arthur. Murdered in the temple two days ago. Messengers arrived this morning, and Queen Tatiana’s called a council."

I stared at Merlin, my mind reeling. His words were like a blow to the chest, and I staggered back. My father—dead. My second father to die suddenly. I shook my head, trying to process what this meant. The king was gone. And I was…the heir.

"How?" I managed to choke out, my voice sounding distant and hollow in my ears.

"Stabbed through the heart. The guards found him in a pool of his own blood, but no sign of the assassin. Several dead guards were found outside the temple as well, so there was no one to question." Merlin ran his hand through his hair. “Come on, we need to find Gaius.”

I looked down at my sheer dressing gown and frowned. Merlin noticed too and waved his hand over the length of me. Golden light flared, and in the blink of an eye, I was clean, my hair braided, wearing a pair of black riding pants, a dark green tunic, and a black jerkin that were far nicer than anything I ever owned before.

I raised a brow at Merin. “I’ve been bathing in rivers for the past week, and you could have been doing this all along?”

Merlin shrugged. “You never asked.”

As I brushed past him towards the door, I made sure to grab Excalibur from the bedside table and tucked it back into its sheath. I couldn't fathom leaving without it, even though I felt relatively secure within the confines of the Seelie palace.

I paused, glancing back over my shoulder at Merlin. “If you can conjure so easily, then why were we thieving on the streets for years?” I’d given it some thought lately, and it didn’t make any sense. Just another thing Merlin had been keeping to himself.

"I'm not really conjuring anything. The items I use already exist. I just move them from one place to another. Someone in this palace is suddenly missing their clothes." He motioned to my outfit. "I've used it many times. You just didn't realize how easily I acquired things."

My lips thinned with a frown, and I chose to just shake my head, accepting that for now. There were bigger worries at the moment, but I’d be bringing this up again, and I knew that he knew it.

The news of my father's death should have devastated me. Instead, I was consumed by a sense of bewilderment. After all, Uther had never been there for me. He may have played a role in my creation, but he certainly didn't fulfill the duties of a father. He made no effort to find me or even acknowledge my existence.

According to Queen Tatiana, he believed I died with Morrigan that night. But if that were true, wouldn't he have needed to dispose of our bodies or give us, at the very least, a proper burial? What excuse could he possibly give for not having his own child's remains? The more I thought about it, the less sense it made.

As we stepped into the corridor, my other knights were waiting, their faces grim and tense. Urgency replaced Galahad's usual carefree demeanor. He wrapped me in his thick arms and hugged me to his chest.

“I’m so sorry, little faerie,” he whispered into my hair. I sank into his arms, letting out a long breath of relief. Just smelling him, feeling him, had my spirit settling.

Gawain's jaw was clenched tight as he scanned the corridors. Tristan's silver gaze was distant, as per usual, and I wondered if he’d had another vision. Percival walked towards us, shadows trailing behind him, his eyes dark and brow furrowed. Galahad released me and we moved as a unit down the corridor, passing staff who moved out of our way and bowed.

We reached a set of double doors, and two towering fae guards stood at attention, their armor gleaming like liquid starlight. They bowed deeply as we approached and pushed the doors open for us. I heard several of my knights murmuring something to the guards in a familiar way, reminding me how well they knew these people.

I still could not get used to anyone treating me like I was royalty. Only two weeks ago I’d been a street rat, and now fae knights bowed when I entered a room. It was insane.

We walked into a room that paled in comparison to the magnificent library where we had met the queen the day before. Instead of towering bookshelves filled with magic orbs and a mossy floor, this room seemed more practical and utilitarian.

In the center of the space stood a large rectangular table made of sturdy oak. The ground was solid stone, as were the walls, with no embellishments or decorations in sight. Resting atop the table was a detailed map of Avalon.

Queen Tatiana was seated at the head of the table, surrounded by a group of fae men and women whom I presumed to be members of her council and advisors. Beside her sat a stunning woman with long black hair, piercing blue eyes, and porcelain skin. I wondered if she was the queen's consort or maybe her mate, as she held Tatiana's hand delicately in her own.

As we approached the table, I noticed Gaius was there, his weathered face etched with worry, his gray hair and beard disheveled as if he too had just woken up. Beside him sat three of those hooded druids.

Queen Tatiana gestured for us to take our seats, her eyes following me. "Arthur, let me be the first to say how deeply sorry I am for your loss. Please, join us. We have much to discuss."

Giving her a short nod, I sank into an empty chair, my knights flanking me protectively. Merlin took the seat to myright, his hand finding my thigh beneath the table and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

The map on the table glowed faintly, its intricate details shifting and changing as if alive. Tiny pinpricks of light marked various locations across Avalon, some pulsing with urgency while others remained steady and calm.

Gaius cleared his throat, his lined face grave as he leaned forward, his weathered hands resting on the table. "We believe we know who is responsible for Uther's death. It pains me to say it, but all signs point to Mordred Pendragon. Our sources have reported several witnesses in the village who claim to have seen a woman with blood red hair near the palace in the days before Uther’s death."

Merlin's hand tightened on my leg, his brow furrowing in confusion. "That's impossible," he protested. "We saw Mordred fly through the portal after us. She's here in Avalon."

Gaius shook his head. "It's not as easy as that. Mordred wields dark magic, and she has become an expert at shapeshifting, allowing her to cover more distance in a day than any human or fae."

I leaned back in my seat, pinching the bridge of my nose. "She was a flock of crows," I muttered, catching everyone's attention as I looked up. "I dreamt about her days ago, but who's to say she wasn't actually in Camelot at the time?"

Gaius nodded. "Now that Uther is dead, Mordred intends to drink from the Grail and gain immortality, then return to Camelot as the high queen."

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