“No,” the older knight said. “I don’t want your play puppet answering. I want her honest opinion. Britt, what do you think?”
Britt swallowed as the knights stared at her. “I think Morgause can be trusted,” she admitted. “And I think Merlin is right. Based on what Morgause has told me, Lot won’t give up trying to off me—regardless of whether I have his sons or not—unless we publically humiliate him and break his political hold on northern Britain.”
Sir Ulfius nodded, satisfied.
“Then we make plans for a guard,” Sir Kay said, switching gears.
“We need to be careful not to plant too many, or we’ll scare off the Lot’s men,” Sir Ulfius said.
“Perhaps we could have extra guards dressed as servants. No one looks twice at servants, even servants carrying weapons.” Sir Ector suggested.
Britt stretched when she stood. “I’m going out for a breath of fresh air,” she said.
“Very well, have fun. Merlin, do you have maps of the surrounding forest areas?” Sir Ector asked as he dragged his girth over to a bookshelf of maps and globes.
“Take guards with you, My Lord,” Sir Kay ordered as he opened his logbook.
“Good evening, My Lord,” Sir Ulfius said, sparing her a smile before he turned his attention to Kay. “Do we have any spies of our own that we could place in the trees?”
“None trained for combat, no,” Sir Kay said as Britt slipped out the door. She started up the hallway, heading for her room.
“Going to get that blasted dog of yours?” Merlin asked.
Britt jumped, she hadn’t heard the enchanter sneak out after her. “Yes, I left him there when I went to have Ywain and Griflet heft me into this armor. I doubt he’s happy with being left behind.”
“Do you need help getting out of that?”
“The armor? It would be appreciated,” Britt said, stopping a few paces down the hallway to open the door to her room.
Cavall sat just beyond the door, his massive tail thumping on the ground as he gave Britt a look of mild chastisement.
“I’m sorry, boy, I had to leave you,” Britt said, holding her arms out. The mastiff got up and padded to her, briefly snuffling her before taking up his customary post at her side.
“You won’t need to wear full armor all the time, you know,” Merlin said, shutting the door before he got to work unbuckling buckles and sliding pieces of armor off.
Britt slipped her hands from her gauntlets. “Really? You’ve been nagging me about it for weeks. I didn’t know if you would let me take it off to sleep.”
“Well, you did need a set of full armor—although I was thinking white or gold might be a better color for you,” Merlin admitted. “But what I specifically wanted you to wear was a cuirass reinforced with a plackart, faulds, and maybe a gorget.”
“I have no idea what any of those things are,” Britt said as Merlin finished taking armor off her right arm.
“A cuirass is the chestplate. It covers your chest—the plackart reinforces it around your belly—and yours would most certainly cover your back as well. Faulds are bands—or flaps really—that rest on the front of your thighs. They wouldn’t be necessary, but they—like a gorget which covers your throat—would help disguise your lack of male muscle development. I suppose you could always wear a hauberk—you’ll love it as it is all chainmail,” Merlin sourly said as he removed the shoulder pieces of the armor.
“They would be decorated in your emblem, your symbol, of course. But we still have yet to decide what your symbol should be,” Merlin continued.
Britt rubbed her wrists before stepping out of the chest piece Merlin pulled off her. “I’m sorry, I should have told you about the armor. But I wanted to confront Morgause on my own.”
“I understand your personality well enough to know why you did it,” Merlin dryly said as he heaped the armor in the corner. “And while I wish you had told me, I must admit you did well.”
Britt’s eyebrows rose. “Are you giving me a sincere compliment?”
“I’ve done it before from time to time.”
“Yes, but it still is rare.”
“If you want compliments more often you should try behaving yourself,” Merlin said, dusting off his robe.
Britt laughed and bent over to pet Cavall. When she looked up Merlin was giving her the oddest look.
“What?” Britt asked, standing up.
Merlin was quiet for a moment before he approached Britt and placed both of his hands on her shoulders. “Be careful with this hunting party. Don’t take any chances. As badly as I would love to beard Lot and silence him forever you are more important. Do you understand?”
Britt uncomfortably shifted. Merlin’s hands on her shoulders felt hot. “Yes.”