ตอน 20: The whole round table?

"So, I've never been to a crowning before, and Sir Lancelot and Lady Morgan both mentioned waiting for the lords to arrive. How many lords are there, exactly?" Merlin laughed at her question, grabbing Artie's arm as if he was escorting her. It felt more like a death grip, and Artie wasn't sure why he was behaving this way. She also felt she couldn't ask.

"All of them except the ones who are dead. So, I would hazard a guess of around 30-40 Lords showing up. There are some newly conquered ones that might skip out on the festivities. I would recommend that you should do a tour of the lands once you've settled in. Maybe find a Queen or two." He chuckled at that. "After all, unlike previous Queens, it isn't as if they can get pregnant. That falls onto the new King. More Queens in your bedchambers means higher chances of an heir." Artie could feel the tension of the knights in the air while she laughed off Merlin's words. He was clearly saying it to get a rise out of them.

"Merlin, and who would prevent the wars that the Queens would start to get my affections? The knights? You are asking to exhaust me so early." Artie found it easy to joke about since she knew Merlin would never be on her roster. He had no interest in that kind of thing. Merlin gave her a teasing look.

"My King, were you planning to lay with the Queens one at a time? That's very inefficient." Artie wanted to ask him how he knew that, but held her tongue. She could feel that the knights around her were even more tense. Artie knew that Merlin was saying intentionally wild things to bother not just her, but the others as well. She wanted to play along for once, and see how he responded.

"Inefficient? Why, how many Queens were you thinking of fitting into my chambers at once, Merlin? You do understand I would have to marry all of them, right?" Merlin waved his free hand, scoffing.

"Marry? You don't have to marry all of them. They're all big men, they could handle a lover or two." Sir Lancelot coughed, and Artie chuckled.

"No no, if I am going to have them lay in my bed, the least I could do is give them a title." Merlin seemed thoughtful for a moment, before he nodded.

"Unless they already had a title?" He suggested, and Artie really laughed. It felt like it was going in the same direction that Sir Percy's conversation had gone.

"Merlin, who do I know around us who already has a title? The members of the round table? Are you suggesting I make members of the round table my Queens?" Merlin shrugged.

"Well, we could stand to lose a few to a good cause. Your desires, I would dare say, are just a reason." Artie shook her head, laughing.

"A few, huh? We've been chatting as if they Queens are going to be possessive, but what if it's me?" Artie suggested and Merlin laughed.

"Oh, I would never doubt that. Should we just give you the whole round table then?" Artie's jaw dropped, shocked at his words while Merlin laughed, slapping her shoulder lightly. "What a dog you are, Sire! And insatiable, too. They will tell tales of your reign for years to come if you do that." Artie knew her cheeks had flushed, but she wasn't going to let him win.

"Well, maybe not the whole round table. But a few, maybe. I don't know. Ever since I've taken hold of the sword I've had the strong urge to plant my seed." Sir Lancelot choked, and Merlin's laughter echoed off the hallways. Lancelot shot Merlin a harsh look, and Merlin ducked behind Artie, hiding from the knight's wrath. It was clear who was provoking who, and Merlin didn't want to be punished.

"Merlin." Sir Lancelot warned, and he flinched.

"We were joking, Sir Lancelot. I would never." Sir Lancelot's sharp look didn't fade, even at Artie's words.

"You too, Sire. The walls have ears, and rumours spread easily. I know Merlin was hoping to start a rumour to help with your crowning, but you fed him too well." Artie's cheeks heated at the scolding.

"Forgive me Sir Lancelot, Sire. With Her Highness being unconscious for such a long time, I've had too much free time and my desire to tease others has gotten out of control. Forgive me?" He asked. Sir Lancelot's face didn't soften, but Artie let out a heavy sigh.

"Well, Merlin, since you're the one who patched me up, I guess I have to." Merlin took Artie's hand and placed his lips against the back of her skin there.

"A very kind and generous King we have." Artie rolled her eyes at him. Sir Gaheris behind them had his hand on his sword, casually smiling at Merlin's acts of impudence towards the new King.

"They all say that until the beheadings begin." Artie muttered, and Merlin released her completely, walking slightly behind her. Merlin's eyes were bright, the tension having mostly left his body, and apparently transferred to the knights. Artie shook her head. He was a troublemaker, that was for sure, and Sir Lancelot had been right. She had fed him a little too well.

"Oh, I did enjoy that! It was kind, for it was a quick death. Many wanted to draw it out, make the man suffer. Crimes against children aren't easily forgiven when the child is healthy." Artie understood what Merlin wasn't saying, and it broke her heart.

"I wanted him dead, and it wasn't like he had any more knowledge for us. I doubt he would have buried the bodies by himself. Sir Bedivere did a good job handling it." Merlin gave Artie's shoulder a pat.

"You should reward him once this mess is finished. I have a list of things I think he would like." He was trying to play it casually, but Artie could sense something was up. She gave him a suspicious look.

"And what would it cost to look at that list? And why do you have it in the first place?" Merlin's laughter filled the hallways once more.

"Why, you are less trusting than even Sir Arthur was!" He paused as they passed some normal guards, the first they had seen. Artie had a feeling it had to do with the fact that most of the areas they had been to were high traffic areas. They had passed quite a few common people as they had walked. "It wouldn't cost you much. Maybe a memory or two." Artie could tell Sir Lancelot was pissed. She didn't want to anger him, but she knew she didn't want to upset Merlin either. She tilted her head to the side, humming and hawing for a moment.

"Too risky, methinks. You'll have to find someone else to swindle, Merlin." The man pouted.

"Not a single bit of fun shall be had in your court Sire, I can see the future." Artie nodded gravely, playing into his worries.

"I ran a very no nonsense office, so it would make sense that my court would be the same. We didn't even take breaks. No parties, no wenches, no fun. I was a party pooper." Merlin frowned.

"You pooped at parties?" He asked and it was Artie's turn to laugh.

"It's a saying from my time. It means that whenever that one person is around, no one is able to have fun. They bring the energy in the room down, and no one likes them because of it. Therefore, a party pooper." Merlin, who clearly enjoyed learning things, smiled and nodded.

"I take it back. These weird phrases and words are enough payment for any info you want. I enjoy learning about them." Merlin was grinning from ear to ear, pleased with himself and Artie took a moment to take everything in.

She knew they were near the round table now, since the presence of guards and people had increased. They had also been walking in the large stone hallways for a while now. They had passed more people in the last few minutes then the rest of the time she had been walking around with the others. Some had swords at their hips, while others were just regular workers. All of them had clearly wanted to bow to her, once they realised who she was, but Sir Lancelot had kept them moving. Artie was traveling with a protection detail, and she found it amusing.

Once her wound was healed, she wondered how well they would take it when she told them she wouldn't need one. She hadn't exactly proven that she was able to defend herself, given how she had arrived, and that she needed assistance to walk up and down stairs right now. She had a feeling that the knights, and even Merlin would probably protest to it, so she would have to find a way to prove to them that she was actually able to protect herself. Not with a sword, of course, she'd probably need training for that, but she was able to do some forms of protection. She knew they would know nothing of the martial arts she was taught in the academy, and by her adoptive father, so they probably thought she was weak. She'd have to show them the power of taekwondo and jiu jitsu that she had learned. She'd been in taekwondo since before her parents past, at the recommendation of her, at the time, soon to be adoptive father, so she'd gotten quite good at it. She was a first level black belt, and had been for a while. She could have gone higher, but she wasn't in a rush. She just enjoyed it.

She'd gotten into jiu jitsu at the recommendation of a friend from the academy. There, she was only a brown belt. She simply hadn't been practising it for as long as some of the others, and while it was also useful in her work, it wasn't a day to day thing since she had worked mostly behind the scenes. It did make others underestimate her sometimes, when they thought she had been slacking in her training and planned to spar with her. You know, just to see. The smug look on her face was something that couldn't be easily wiped away when she wiped the floor with them.

She wondered if any of the knights here would prove to be good sparring partners or if she'd have to train someone from the ground up. She wouldn't mind doing it, at least for Taekwondo. Her adoptive father had been a teacher at her Dojang, and while she had known him he had gotten his last belt, his 7th dan black belt. It had been a big deal then, and it still felt like a big deal now. The ranks really only went up to 9th dan, with 10th dan existing, but rarely rewarded, like most martial arts. Anyone who got above 4th dan was a big deal, and Artie had planned to follow in his footsteps eventually, but she was taking her time. She had thought she had a lot of it, but now she was upset she hadn't challenged her 2nd dan when she'd had the chance. Everyone had agreed it was time for her to challenge, she'd mastered her first dan, but she had held off. It was probably out of fear, and she'd been busy with work.

Artie scoffed at herself. She always said that. Busy with work. Busy with Ginnie. She'd never had time for the things that she cared about. She wondered if it was going to be any different now that she was here. She doubted it. She'd never run a castle before, let alone what was basically a country. She'd never liked politics, and now she was going to be neck deep in a system she had very little understanding of. Of course, she had her morals, but they might not fit for the time. They executed Lord Byron after all. Well, on her orders, but they considered beheading an easy death. They had no idea how easy death could be in the modern days.