King Henry

Chapter 52 - A New King is Crowned

***** Eleanor's Point of View *****

As Eleanor sat there across from Merlin in Father Lawrence's office in the Royal Cathedral, she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling she had in the pit of her stomach.

She handed Merlin a cup of cold water and he sipped from it as Father Lawrence finished stitching up the wound on his shoulder. He winced as he pulled the needle and string through a few times before tying it in a knot.

"There you go. Good as new," Father Lawrence smiled as he cut the end of the string off with his pocket knife.

"Thank you Father. That already feels much better."

Eleanor looked at Merlin and said, "I don't feel right about this. I have a gut feeling that Henry needs us. We need to go."

Merlin looked at her thinking.

"But I promised him I would stay here and recover, and keep you safe."

Eleanor looked him right in his eyes and said, "You can stay here if you want, but I'm going."

"Hmmm. I can't talk you out of this can I?"

She shook her head and said, "No, nothing and no one will stop me, magical wizard or not."

Merlin laughed, shaking his head. A smile crept across his face and he said, "Why do I get the feeling you would pummel me if I tried to make you stay?"

She gave him an amused smile and said, "Probably because I would. Now are you coming with me or not?"

He thought it over and said, "Yes. I'm coming with you."

Merlin stood up and slowly pulled his shirt back on.

"I don't know if this is such a good idea," Father Lawrence told them, looking worried.

"Good idea or not, I'm going," she told him firmly, before looking around the room. "Do you have any weapons? I'll need something to protect myself."

"I'm sorry. This is a church, not an armory," Father Lawrence said, shrugging his shoulders.

Merlin reached inside his jacket and pulled out a short, skinny dagger.

"I have this," he told her, reaching out and laying it into her hands. "It may not look like much, but it's enchanted. Believe me, it packs a fearsome punch."

"Thank you," she told him, tucking the dagger inside her waistband. "Are you ready then?"

He nodded. "Let's go."

As soon as they got outside the cathedral she noticed the streets were empty except for the Royal guards and it was eerily quiet.

"Where is everyone?" she asked.

"Preparing for war," Merlin told her, grabbing her arm and rushing her towards the entrance of the castle.

The gates were locked and there were guards in front of it. "We need to get through. It's an emergency!" Merlin told him.

The guard shook his head. "We have direct orders from the King that no one goes in or out."