“If the sword finds you worthy so do I. It will be an honor to serve under you,” Sir Ector said before bending his considerable girth into a bow.
“And this is your foster brother, the churlish Sir Kay. Kay is twenty, and a proper knight in his own right. Because of his great love for you—or because he wanted cheap labor—he made you his squire,” Merlin said.
Although the wizard’s words were mean, Merlin cast a mischievous look at Kay.
The young knight bore it well and ignored the wizard. He was taller than his father and built like an American football player—wide but muscled. Unlike his father he sported a mustache, and—Britt noted with vexation—his hair was only a few inches shorter than Britt’s.
“My King,” Sir Kay stiffly said, kneeling once more.
“The introductions have been made, so let us move out. Arthur needs to meet the knights who will serve him before the tournament on Christmas Day when he pulls the sword,” Merlin started.
“Christmas? No wonder it’s freezing. I was visiting England in the middle of July,” Britt muttered.
“We have two days, men. We must use them wisely,” Merlin continued, speaking to the knights more as if they were his troops than his companions.
The father and son nodded—Sir Ector cast a smile at Britt—and left the church.
Britt moved to follow them, but Merlin caught her by the shoulder. “A moment of your time please, Britt,” Merlin said, adding her name when Britt raised an eyebrow at him.
Merlin waited until Sir Ector and Sir Kay were out of hearing distance before speaking. “You are going to be overwhelmed in the coming days, but it is important that you grasp this. Lean on these two men. Kay was raised to be the King’s helper, and I handpicked Sir Ector out of all the knights in the realm as the one most suitable to advise and raise the future King. They are willing to serve you…and they are hurting. Arthur abandoning his responsibilities cut both of them deeply. They miss him terribly, and they regret much. It would be a kindness to them if you did choose to trust them.”
Britt turned to watch the father and son disappear from view when they exited the graveyard. “I’ll think about it.”
Chapter 2
Enemies of the Crown
The morning of the tournament Britt sat on a wooden bench, watching the jousts. The many knights and lords Merlin had collected for his monarchy vision over the years were scattered through the field. Britt saw one or two of them every few minutes as they attempted to blend in and act normal. The ringleaders of the movement, though, were holed up in Sir Kay’s tent.
Two knights—one dressed in green the other in red—ran at each other from opposite ends of the field, their horses snorting and prancing. They lowered their lances as they drew closer. Crack! The green knight was knocked from his horse.
The red knight raised his lance in victory and the crowd roared.
Britt sighed, disgusted with the lack of realism in her dream.
A shadow fell over her. “Having second thoughts, Arthur?”
Britt bolted from the rough bench, only to plop back on it when she realized it was Merlin. “No. I just find this idea unrealistic at best. This is clearly a patriarchal society. Women have no rights. I find it excessively hard to believe that your knights would rally behind a woman.”
Merlin collected his robes around him before sitting next to Britt. “You are correct. Women do not rule here. But to be truthful, it’s not like you will be ruling much.”
Britt nodded, picking three of Merlin’s knights out of the crowd. “I thought as much. You have all my officials, advisors, even my top warriors picked out for me. Will I do anything but sit on the throne and give a face to your monarchy?”
“You judge too harshly. I did not mean to say you will have no power, Arthur. It takes more than a single man to change the course of history. That is why I gathered so many men. We aim to forge a new Britain. A better one. You won’t rule much at first, but as you win over the men I think you’ll be surprised at the power you will find you have,” Merlin said, fixing his eyes on her before kindly smiling.
Britt shivered. “These men follow you. You are the only reason they accept me as their King, woman or not. Why are you willing to give me a kingdom?”
Merlin looked back to the tournament. The red knight was facing off against a knight dressed in crimson. “I was taught magic by the fae. Some of the most powerful magic users are women, so I do not doubt your capabilities.”
“And?”
“And… perhaps I see more than you think I do, Britt Arthurs,” Merlin said, his smile was so slight it was barely a curl at the corners of his lips. “I forged the Sword in the Stone, and I made the spell that keeps it there. I know what is required to pull it free, and anyone who is able to do that deserves respect,” Merlin said as the crimson knight went crashing off his horse. He abruptly stood. “Come now. It’s almost time. You had best go speak with Sir Ector and Sir Kay before you run off.”