"He doesn't," Dred replied."He merely owns the gateway.The pocket universe is out of his control.If he controlled that, the fight would have ended before it began.The magic promised us a second chance."
"At great cost," Lancelot whispered."We've yet to learn what that cost will be."
"One problem at a time, fish boy.Come on, I'm sick of looking at his ugly mug."
They moved on, ignoring the rest of the portraits in the room and carrying on to what proved to be an exhibit forEdge of Knight—including an enormous 3D interactive image of the very castle they planned to unlock the next time they were in the game, likely later that night.
"It looks just like Camelot," Lancelot said softly, a deep, twisting ache running through him.
"Albeit expanded and glammed."Dred reached out to touch a portion of the castle, causing the walls to turn transparent to display the inside.Morgan and Guinevere had their garden, Merlin his laboratory, Gawain his library, and Mordred their workshop.When they hadn't been fighting or spending time with Galahad, they had spent it there creating beautiful pieces of glass, from gleaming cups that had graced the great hall to ornate figurines gifted to his friends.
"I have a craft game with glassmaking as one of the options," Dred said."It was my dream as a kid, but no slum rat gets a career like that."
"Whatdoyou do?"Lancelot asked."Merlin only said you were on a ten-ten schedule."
Dred made a face."Hard labor.Just some things robots can't do, like foraging for all the mushrooms and shit that rich people apparently can't live without.That's what I do, collect mushrooms and berries and whatever else the guzzlers demand.I spend ten days hiking the woods east of the city, ten days off, then I go to the west.Back and forth unto death.Not going to miss that shit job, sleeping in the woods ten days at a time.Last time it stormed, and a tree right next to me got struck by lightning.No fucking thank you."
"Says the man with so much control over fire that he worked hot glass with his bare hands," Lancelot drawled.
"I didn't know that at the time!"
Lancelot grinned as Dred playfully shoved at his head."Come on, let's—" He stopped as Dred grabbed his upper arm, gripping tightly, looking at something behind him."What's wrong?"
"I need you to not react."
"What…" But even as he started to repeat his question, the answer came into view, towering over everyone, big and broad and beautiful, dressed in a suit that could feed a slum family for literal years.At least half the eyes in the room were on him, helplessly drawn to his presence, to his beauty and smile.Lancelot could not judge, he'd fallen for all the same and more that very first moment they'd met.He was speaking with a couple of men, gesturing expansively in that way of his, though what they were talking about Lancelot hadn't the slightest.
Pinned to the front was a badge that marked him an employee of Monmouth Games.Lancelot jerked forward, but was reeled back by the firm grip Dred still had on his arm.
"You can't," Dred said, voice filled with sympathy."I know you want to, if that was Galahad I'd be losing my fucking mind, but you can't."
"Get me out of here," Lancelot said hoarsely, unable to tear his eyes away from Gale, aching to go to him, the pain threatening to rip him apart.
Dred obediently dragged him away, weaving around and sometimes pushing right through the other people in the museum, glaring down attempted protests, until they were outside again.
Water.He desperately needed to be in water right now.Safe, in his element, far away from—
"He works for Maleagant," Lancelot bit out."He's not kept locked away in a room or something, heworksfor him."
"He runs this headquarters," Dred replied."I saw it in that room while you were staring at fuckhead's ugly face."
"That's why you wanted to leave that room so abruptly."He should have known.Dred was nothing if not thorough in everything they did, yet they'd cut out before they'd finished exploring the whole exhibit."Do…do you think he's doing all thiswillingly?But he had that collar around his neck…"
Dred gave him a look like he'd lost his mind."Galehaut?Serve Maleagant willingly?Are we discussing the same Galehaut?The man who surrendered his father's kingdom, guaranteeing his own exile, and likely demise, in an age where defying your father was practically a bigger crime than witchcraft?The Galehaut who wrote you love letters and was going to marry you after we won the battle of Camlann, even if that wasn't actually a thing we could do back then?"
"He waswhat."
"Oh, god, you didn't know," Dred said, eyes widening in horror."He meant it as a surprise, didn't he?Oh, god."
Lance's legs gave out, and he doubled over in agony, hot tears escaping to trail down his cheeks."He said he had a surprise for me.I thought— I thought—" He'd thought Galehaut had arranged a trip, something for just the two of them, to rest and recover after all the upheaval and pain of the past several months.Maybe to see his mother, finally get her formal blessing on their relationship, introduce Galehaut to his family.
Dred knelt in front of him, pulled him into a hug."We'll get him back, Lance.I promise.You would move heaven and earth to get Galahad back for me, and I would do the same for your stupid ox of a boyfriend.All right?"
"All— all right," Lancelot said roughly."Why?Why does heworkfor Maleagant?"
"Are you two okay?"a soft but strident voice asked, right as Lancelot registered the click of heels on stone.
Lancelot looked up, and his eyes snapped wide as he took in Morgan."Um.Fine.Sorry.I felt weak all of a sudden, kind of dizzy, but I'm feeling better now.Probably just need a snack."He let Dred help him to his feet, wiping hastily at his face as Morgan continued to regard them pensively."You're Morgan, right?Martin's stepbrother?"
