Page 51 of To Charm a Dark Prince

“No. He bested us all. And one by one, we fell to his blade.” Lancelot’s expression turned taut and strained. As if remembering something horrible. “He did not stop until he had slain us all.”

As if remembering that time when he had died.

“You’re…you’re kidding me.” She couldn’t believe it. “You died? But—”

“How am I still here?” He laughed dryly. “Ah, therein is the other part of Mordred’ssecret.He was cursed long before he came here.”

“I don’t understand…”

“Arthur had a sister by the name of Morgana.Half-sister, to be clear. The product of a mortal woman and a fae.”

“Like Galahad.”

“Indeed. Morgana was a powerful enchantress and fae in her own right—that blood runs strong and oft outweighs the mortal half. And it was that curse that she passed on to her son, Mordred.”

“Who was Mordred’s father?”

Lancelot sneered. “If you are to believe some? Arthur himself.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Ew.”

“In short, no one knows for certain. I doubt Mordred even knows.” He shrugged. “But, Morgana was power-hungry and ruthless. I would not put it past her to disguise herself with a glamor to seduce her own half-brother if it meant her own offspring would become King of the Britons. How proud she must be, watching us from her grave, thebitch.”

They rode by an embankment next to a large field that stretched out to another wooded glade. Gwen could see the mountain at the center of Avalon off in the distance, the peak reaching up to the clouds and disappearing amongst them. Even faded and gray, it was beautiful here. “So, Mordred used fairy magic to bring you back?”

“In combination with his new gifts as elemental, yes.” He undid the tie of his cloak and unlaced the neck of his shirt. He pulled the hem to the side, revealing a strange, opalescent crystal embedded in his chest. The veins around it pulsed with the beat of his heart. “We are kept as we are—forced to serve him. We are not much more than his slaves.”

She shivered at the idea. She understood why Mordred would be angry that they had turned on him…but this? Sixteen hundred years of slavery? She furrowed her brow. “But why? Why keep you like this?”

“To punish us, I expect. And that is why it is so important that you have come here, my lady. I hate to burden you with all our troubles, but youmustunderstand how crucial you are to us.” He laced his shirt back up.

She shook her head. “But why? Why can’t you just try to sneak up on him again?”

“I cannot act against Mordred. He has removed that freedom of choice from hismost loyalknights.” He grimaced in rage. He might not be able to raise his hand against Mordred, but damn if it wasn’t obvious that he wanted to. “We cannot stand against him. But you…you can.”

“Is that why you wanted to take me out here? To ask me to betray Mordred?” She gestured at the field as they kept riding, following the road back into the woods.

“And to enjoy the countryside with a beautiful young woman, yes.” His expression softened. He ran a hand back over his dark hair. “Am I not allowed to have two motives?”

“I don’t know if you’re going to be successful with either of them.” She shook her head. “I can’t fight Mordred. Look at me. I’m just some idiot from backwater Kansas. I’m his prisoner. You honestly think I could stand up to him?”

“I’m not suggesting you pick up a broadsword.” He chuckled. “You have another avenue of attack. You can get close to him. He has ventured out of his chambers more in these past few days than he has in years. He seeks you out. He is clearly smitten with you.”

“Okay, look. I really don’t like the fact that you people keep asking me to sleep with him just to put a knife in his back.” She made a face. “It’s sexist and it’s wrong.”

“People? Who else has suggested this?” Lancelot swiveled in his saddle to face her. “Who else wishes to see him brought down?”

“The thing that brought me here. I don’t know his name.” She wondered if she hadn’t just made a terrible mistake. But wasn’t she supposed to be on Lancelot and Merlin’s side? Wasn’t she supposed to want to bring down the evil tyrant?

Problem was, Mordred didn’tseemevil. Wrong, maybe. But not evil. She looked away. But how could she condone what he had done to Lancelot and the others? Did they really deserve it? She…honestly didn’t know. But she needed to figure it out. Letting out a breath, she shook her head. “The thing that brought me here wants me to do the same thing you’re asking me to do.”

“Then, that is what you should do. I understand that it might feel underhanded to use your—”

“If you say ‘feminine wiles’, I swear tofuckI’m going to scream.”

Lancelot stammered. “Well. Um.” He paused. “The fact remains.”

“I’ll think about it. Is that good enough?”

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