“You’re trying to convince yourself that he can’t be My Liege, but none of that proves anything.”
“I know.”
We both walked through the realm gate into the Mill, where we were greeted by Rebecca Dean. “Arthur has just finished eating,” she told us.
“He’s definitely alone?” Galahad asked.
“Yes, my lord. I sent people to check the surrounding area, and we’ve verified that he’s alone.”
“Is the meeting taking place here?” I asked.
Rebecca nodded. “My office, to be exact. We’ll be able to keep people from interrupting you, but if you need us—”
“We won’t,” Galahad said. “He’s not here to fight. He’d have brought an army if that was the case.”
“Either way,” Rebecca said. “We’ll be close by.”
Rebecca took us to her office—a large room that contained a pale-blue sofa, a desk, and three chairs, a large TV on the wall, and various pieces of electronics that allowed Rebecca to do her job running both the guardians and the establishment she’d created for herself. Arthur sat on the sofa, reading the paper, which he put down beside him as we walked in.
“Nice black suit,” Galahad said. “You going to a funeral?”
“Nice armor,” Arthur replied, standing. “You going to war?”
This wasn’t getting off to the best start, and judging from the expression on Rebecca’s face, there was a moment when I was sure she thought about asking for a guard to stand in the corner, before both men smiled and embraced.
“It’s been a long time,” Arthur said with a warm smile.
“It has, old friend,” Galahad replied. “You’ll have to excuse the armor. I didn’t have time to change. I didn’t want to leave you here all day waiting for me.”
“That’s okay, I had a nap. I have barely slept since I became king, so that was a nice change of pace. And Rebecca here made me some ribs.” He turned to Rebecca. “You are a goddess of cooking.”
Rebecca nodded her head as a thank-you and left the room.
“I make everyone nervous,” Arthur said. “That wasn’t my intention. It’s why I came alone. Several on the council wanted me to bring an army, and they don’t see the idea of invading Maine as an act of war.”
“Thank you for not making things worse,” Galahad said, and motioned for Arthur to sit.
They both sat on the sofa, turning so they could see one another, while I took a chair.
“Are you the mediator?” Arthur asked me.
“I’m the rational one . . . apparently,” I said.
“That’s a terrifying thought if nothing else,” Galahad said with a laugh.
“Yes, I remember you being the rational one back in Camelot when someone tried to stab Mac with a knife for . . . inappropriate behavior toward the daughter of a visiting lord.”
Galahad looked at me. “Mac did something he shouldn’t have done? I am surprised.”
I smiled. “Yeah, well, I had to step in. Otherwise the lord would have been soundly beaten. He was human and had no idea what Mac was. Apparently the lord believed that Mac and his daughter should be wed, despite neither of them being all that keen on the idea, but we’re not here to reminisce.”
“Indeed not,” Arthur said. “I need to know if anyone in Shadow Falls could be involved in what’s happening with this Hellequin and his murder spree.”
“No,” Galahad said. “My realm and its people are not involved.”
“You can account for them all?” Arthur asked.
“Can you account for all of Avalon?”
“A fair point,” Arthur said. “But Avalon isn’t openly being accused of killing humans by the tens of thousands and allowing humanity to know of our existence. Shadow Falls is.”
“I am, you mean.”
“I’m not accusing you of anything, Galahad. I don’t genuinely believe you would ever be involved in such an act, but these are dangerous times, and not everything can be solved with a simple no and a little bit of trust.”
“How can I prove it to you so that your council will be happy?”
“Allow a small group of them to visit Shadow Falls. To look around, ask a few questions, and see for themselves that you are not a realm full of murderous despots.”
“No,” Galahad said. “I will not have my authority undermined by Avalon.”
“I’m not trying to undermine your authority. I’m trying to stop people from throwing your name around in the same sentence as a murderer.”
“You know that people on the council have wanted Avalon to annex Shadow Falls for centuries.”
“Something you will allow to happen because you’re too stubborn to let them see for themselves.”
“I’m not about to let people who would betray my people into my realm just so they can be happy. Or as is more likely, so they can find evidence of a crime that no one committed.”
“Be careful what you say, Galahad,” Arthur warned.
“We both know that the council of Avalon is corrupt. We both know that if they came to Shadow Falls, they’d find evidence. Evidence they brought with them.”
Arthur stood and walked over to the window at the far end of the room. “Galahad, whether or not there are councilors who undermine my authority, who are, as you say, corrupt, would it not be better for everyone if Shadow Falls and Avalon showed them a unified vision of what we could achieve? When they find nothing, we can move forward, together. We can strengthen ourselves and root out those who would seek to cause us harm.”
“Those who seek to cause us harm are the same ones who want to find evidence of wrongdoing in my realm.”
Arthur looked at me. “Talk some sense into him.”
“I agree with him,” I said. “We both know that whoever is throwing around these accusations is somewhat suspicious considering it wasn’t long after that this Hellequin starting saying they were working with Shadow Falls.”
“You’re saying that the rumors were spread by councilors so that when Hellequin started killing people, those same councilors could say, I told you so?”
I nodded. “Abaddon, Baldr, Hera, all of her clan of assholes, and countless unknowns are working for this My Liege bag of dicks. I find it hard to believe that these rumors were a coincidence before Hellequin started spouting off about Shadow Falls.”
“Agreed,” Arthur said. “But the council wants to go to war, and I’m not sure I can stop them.”
“You’re the king,” Galahad said.
Arthur sat on a chair next to the desk. “For now. Merlin has vanished, as has Elaine.”
I was about to say that we were looking into the latter, but something stopped me. I didn’t want Avalon to know everything I knew, because I wasn’t sure who I could trust, and while I trusted Arthur, I didn’t know who he would tell.
“You sacked Olivia,” I said.
“She refused to return to Camelot. She forced my hand. Fiona, too.”
“And put a fifteen-million-dollar bounty on my head,” I continued. “Signed by Lucie.”
“Not a chance,” Arthur said. “Lucie did no such thing.”
“I know. But Lucie has gone missing, too, and someone has taken her place.”
Arthur looked shocked. “I spoke to her only a day ago. I can’t believe that she’d vanish. She’s under a lot of pressure.”