Britt was silent as she composed her thoughts—replying always took time for Britt as she had to not only think about her answer, but also come up with a flowery way to phrase it to suit her audience. “Perhaps,” Britt said as she turned to face Ban and Bors. “But I’m not certain I would call it a victory. We beat them off, but they did not surrender. As such, I would greatly appreciate the support your army and men symbolize for a little while longer. Surely your kingdoms can spare you a few weeks more?”
King Bors smiled. “Of course, friend,” he said, his voice booming in the stillness of the surrounding fields.
King Ban nodded. “We are your staunch allies. We shall stay as long as you need us.”
Britt gave the kings a benevolent smile. “Thank you. I hope some time in the future I will be able to repay your generosity.”
King Bors waved a meaty hand. “It is what allies do,” he said before turning to Ban. “We had best inform our men of the change in plans.”
King Ban nodded. “If you will excuse us, Arthur?”
Britt slightly inclined her head. “Of course,” she said, her hand still resting on Cavall.
The kings turned and walked back up the path, their tunics swishing as they moved.
As soon as they were out of eye sight Britt turned to face the castle wall and discreetly fixed the fitted double that smashed her chest down, giving her tunic the appearance of lying on a flat chest.
“I’m lucky summers are cool here, or this would really be the pits,” Britt muttered, hiking up her pantyhose. (Merlin still insisted they were called chausses. Britt knew better.)
“So that’s why Merlin said you were one of faerie blood. He had to explain your elegance and calmness.”
Britt whirled around, grimacing when her eyes landed on the Lady of the Lake. The black haired beauty had unwillingly allowed Britt to steal pull Excalibur from her magical lake after she had offered Britt a different sword. Britt suspected she only got away with Excalibur because the lady was dumbstruck over the revelation of Britt’s real gender. If the Lady of the Lake knew Britt’s entire story, she probably would have died from shock.
Britt had been yanked back through time to the era of King Arthur when she accidentally touched a sword—the famed Sword in the Stone—while vacationing in Britain with her friends. When she arrived Merlin informed her that the real Arthur had run off with a shepherdess, and all of his plans to unite Britain under one King were hinged on finding someone who could pull the Sword from the Stone.
After a brief period of believing it was an elaborate prank set up by her friends, Britt pulled the Sword from the Stone even though she was a girl, an American, and from the twenty first century.
Merlin grumbled a little over Britt’s unusual time traveling heritage, but he had no other option. Adapting and clever as ever, Merlin plowed forward with his plans—using Britt as his symbolic king.
Only a few knights of Camelot knew of Britt’s gender, and even fewer knew she came from the future. All of the knowledgeable knights were Merlin’s men, and all of them were in seats of power, working with Merlin—and supposedly Britt—to unite Britain under one king for the good of all peoples.
The Lady of the Lake was the only other being to know Britt’s real gender.
“What do you mean?” Britt asked.
The Lady of the Lake shrugged, sending ripples down her pretty, green dress. “No fifteen year old boy could hold himself with the stately poise you possess, nor could a boy be as wise and careful in their replies as you are. Those with faerie blood are known to possess not only incredible beauty, but wisdom and knowledge beyond their years. Why, Merlin is said to have some faerie blood in him.”
Britt carefully nodded as she turned around. She could see her guards yards away, alert and watchful. They did not seem overly worried about the magical lady standing with Britt.
Britt wished they would be. She hadn’t parted on good terms with the Lady of the Lake when she took Excalibur. “I see,” Britt said, sparing Cavall a glance. The large, wrinkly faced dog was still. “May I be so bold as to inquire what brings you to Camelot?”
“I see how it is. Now you’re all politeness and sweet words since you’ve got your sword. Shrew,” the lady said.
Britt shrugged, unapologetic. “That’s not a bad thing. Most people would act the reverse, Tinker Bell.”
The Lady of the Lake frowned. “Tinker Bell?”
“It has not escaped my attention that you have yet to explain what you’re doing here.”
The Lady of the Lake twitched her skirts aside. “I decided a visit was in order. Rumors of your victory against King Lot, King Urien, King Pellinore, King Ryence and the others have reached my lake. You have become quite the king,” she said, turning her nose up in the air.
Britt kept her stance relaxed. As far as she remembered the only legends about the Lady in the Lake involved Excalibur. It was unlikely she had a larger role to play, so there was no need to be defensive with her. “As I told King Ban and King Bors—which I am certain you overheard—it was not a true victory.”
“At least you don’t have an enlarged ego,” the Lady of the Lake said.