Camelot, Saturday

[bitchprince]

The guards of Camelot were up well and early tonight. This, as became immediately apparent to the villagers, would not be one of the peaceful days.

"Search the stables!" Arthur bellowed, stomping across the roads within the city walls as if he owned the place, which technically, it did. "You, check the kitchens. And you, go see about the guards above the South Gate!"

Homes were rifled through, shops were poked at, people were questioned. And all barely after the first rooster had crowed, at that. Whatever was happening, it was obviously big.

[[ the below contains spoilers for Merlin episodes 2x05 and 2x06 ]]

Comments

Re: Audience Chambers, Later That Morning

[bitchprince]

"Outwitting your army in the process," said Catrina, every word emphasised just to attack Arthur's competence. He cautioned himself not to bristle and give the game away.

"It appears so," he said. Lightly.

Catrina's lips pursed, and she leaned over towards Uther. "I thought your men aspired to the same high standards that my father instilled in you," she said.

"When I led the army," Uther said, thoughtfully, "They did."

And wasn't that a kick in the pants.

Arthur considered the floor. "There's no saying he's even still in Camelot. He could be anywhere."

"And that," Catrina replied, tilting her head up fiercely, "Is a good enough reason to give up?"

He did bristle, this time.

"I'm not. It's just that I believe that our resources--"

"I've heard enough of your excuses," Uther snapped. "We both have. I want the boy found!"

And anything he said would just make this end... very badly. Arthur bowed his head. "Sire," he said, and then muttered, mostly under his breath, "Milady," before he spun around, and began to stalk out of the audience chambers, past Katchoo and Francine.

Re: Audience Chambers, Later That Morning

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

It took everything Katchoo had to keep herself from grabbing his arm and hauling him back right that moment -- not her 'place,' not in her servant's role. It was much less her 'place' to keep from peeling Catrina's face like a banana, as tempting as that had been for days now.

She'd already known the situation was dire before they'd arrived; she'd nearly been run over by a pair of guards while struggling with armfuls of wet laundry and it hadn't been hard to deduce they were looking for Merlin when they'd been yelling about it so much.

She counted to five -- slowly, gritting her teeth, glancing toward Francine several times in a hopefully meaningful way -- and muttered a few hasty excuses before backing toward the door after Arthur.

Re: Audience Chambers, Later That Morning

[thatsamilkshake]

A hopefully meaningful way that meant Follow me so you can make sure I don't come back and peel the Queen's face like a banana? Because Francine was totally on board the follow Arthur train already.

"The hell?" she whispered to Katchoo when they were just (or maybe almost) out of earshot of the royals and struggling to catch up with Arthur.

Re: Audience Chambers, Later That Morning

[bitchprince]

Arthur's footsteps might have slowed... slightly, for their sake if nothing else. He wasn't really in a for their sake kind of mood, though, so it wasn't much slower.

He was also headed for a quieter part of the castle. Possibly to talk to them. Possibly to tear his hair out in clumps.

Re: Audience Chambers, Later That Morning

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

Yes. Yes, it had been that sort of meaningful . . . meaning.

"The hell if I know," she hissed back through her teeth. Thank God Arthur wasn't taller, or this catching-up thing would be a much taller (pun intended) order.

At least he was still in visual range; Katchoo'd been trying to memorize the layout of the castle as much as possible but that was a long way from a done deal.

Re: Audience Chambers, Later That Morning

[thatsamilkshake]

"Why is everyone looking for Merlin?" Far enough away from the audience chamber, that question was thrown at anyone who would listen, though mostly towards Arthur's back. She didn't voice aloud her immediate and most obvious fear as to why; not where anyone who wasn't them could hear.

Re: Audience Chambers, Later That Morning

[bitchprince]

Arthur's step faltered for a moment. "The Lady Catrina claims he has stolen her Seal," he said, delicately. "So my father has ordered his arrest. He seems to be in a mood for an execution, rather than just cutting his hands off."

Re: Audience Chambers, Later That Morning

[thatsamilkshake]

"Why would Merlin steal a seal? And why did she have a seal in the castle anyway? They need to live in the ocean!"

Re: Audience Chambers, Later That Morning

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

The rather colorful and anachronistic oath that came out of Katchoo's mouth was partly muffled by the resounding echo when she slapped her hand against her forehead loudly.

It wasn't just Francine's question that prompted that, by the way.

"And," she said, the look on her face implying something the complete opposite of the scandalized tone she was affecting, "he's just disappeared?"

Re: Audience Chambers, Later That Morning

[bitchprince]

"Nowhere to be found," Arthur agreed, very, very lightly. "Such a pity. He must be halfway to the borders of the kingdom by now."

Hopefully.

Then he added, "Not that kind of Seal, for God's sakes, Francine."

Re: Audience Chambers, Later That Morning

[thatsamilkshake]

"Well, it's not likes it would make any more sense for him to steal any other kind of seal." Said not at all grumpily. Or worriedly. At all.

Re: Audience Chambers, Later That Morning

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"Think of it like stealing her driver's license, Francie," Katchoo suggested. Which wasn't entirely accurate, but close enough, right?

Re: Audience Chambers, Later That Morning

[bitchprince]

"Yes, exactly like that, except a thousand times more expensive," Arthur said.

He'd gone for dry, but... Francine-mocking was a little ingrained by now.

Re: Audience Chambers, Later That Morning

[thismaskiwear.livejournal.com]

"And not replaceable by standing in line for ten hours at the DMV."

Excruciating as that was.