Beside him, on its own artfully arranged pile of kelp, was a gleaming skull.The inhabitants of the lake had cleaned it quickly, or he'd been unconscious for a long time.
Just like that, everything came rushing back, bright and sharp and painful.
Galehaut.
Every moment of the bitter fight, and its heartbreaking end, came back to him then.Galehaut was dead.Drowned by Lancelot.His greatest fear, the one way he had never wanted to die, and Lancelot had done it to him.If Galehaut was alive, he'd never forgive Lancelot for that.
Lancelot wished he'd died so they could at least be togethersomewhere.But he was alive, and the waters were happy to have him back, and so it would seem he would have to continue living.
He sighed softly, then shoved away all the pain and heartbreak to face later.People were waiting for him.He could not linger down here in the dark indefinitely.The world didn't stop, and so neither could he, whatever he wished otherwise.
Mustering a smile, because he was happy to see all the creatures who'd kept him company and lent his sleeping form comfort, he reached out to hold and pet each of them, thanking every single critter for their help and devotion.After they'd drifted away some time later, satisfied he was well, he closed his eyes and reached out until he found the presence he sought."Thank you, Mother.For everything."
Of course, my heart.Live in peace now.There will be skirmishes, minor fights to face, but nothing like this again for a very long time.Rest easy, see to yourself and your family.I love you, always and forever.
"I love you too, always and forever."
As his mother's presence faded off, Lancelot opened his eyes and rose from his throne.He knelt beside Kay, shaking him gently by the shoulder.
Kay opened his eyes slowly, brow furrowing—then stared, wide-eyed and disbelieving, and then with radiant joy."You're awake!"He threw himself at Lancelot, holding him tightly."Thank the waters, we've been so worried.You seemed to be improving, but also not at the same time.We were starting to fear the worst."
"Really?Because I seem to be making a habit of passing out dramatically and sleeping for hours," Lancelot said dryly."Have you been down here this whole time?"
"Of course, I'm your squire.Where else would I be?"Before Lancelot could reply to that, he barreled on."It was really bad this time," Kay said."Your heart stopped a couple of times.We got it started the second time then threw you into the lake.I've been watching you ever since and sending reports.Every fifteen minutes for the first six hours, then every half hour, then every hour, and it was only a couple of hours ago that Arthur said every three hours would suffice.
"I think everyone would have camped by the lake and taken turns swimming down here if Guinevere hadn't finally made them see reason—plus, more and more people keep showing up, and they required attention."
Lancelot blew out a breath, bubbles filling the space around them."I'm sorry to distress everyone so much.Thank you for standing guard, Kay.Speaking of you, how did you know to hide when Maleagant appeared?"While he was outside the castle falling for the oldest trick in the book.That would stay with him for a very long fucking time.
"I didn't.I was going to stay and fight with the others, but His Majesty ordered me to run.I think he figured out what was going to happen, or at least some measure of it.He said to hide no matter what happened to everyone else because my absence was all that would save us now."
That made Lancelot smile faintly, sincerely."He was right.I can't believe we fell for the oldest tricks in the world."
Kay shrugged."If they weren't devious and evil and capable of preying on our weaknesses, they wouldn't be villains.Thanks to you, we won.Though I still kind of feel like the rando who showed up out of nowhere and doesn't understand what's going on but is claiming some of the glory anyway.I've done nothing but benefit from this whole mess, really."
Lancelot hugged him tightly."There's no denying you and I were drawn to each other from the moment we met.We were just too caught up in the stupid tournament to stop and appreciate that.I especially should have.Merlin says you belong.You wear the ring of my mother's court, and it was she who made certain we'd find one another.You are one of us, new though you might be.Arthur is right—the fact you ran and hid, an incredibly difficult thing to do when everyone was fighting and falling around you—was what turned the tide.Without that, we'd have lost.I might have done all the dramatic fighting, but you were the one who made all the difference, Kay.Never forget that."
Kay scoffed, but there was no missing that he also looked pleased.Happy."Speaking of tides, I heard you call yourself the Prince of Tides.Is that really your title?Pretty badass."
Lancelot laughed."Prince of Tides is the title given to the crown heir of the Queen of the Waters, yes.I rarely use it.There's no point.It has no meaning or significance on land.That doesn't mean I'm rendered powerless, though, something which Maleagant always failed to appreciate.Come on, we'd better surface, as I'm sure by now the others know I'm awake and want to see me."
He made to push off, but Kay grabbed his wrist and hauled him back.His eyes were sharp and far too knowing as he met Lancelot's gaze."You haven't asked about him."
Pain tore through Lancelot, so great he thought he might die again.He definitely wanted to, but his friends had fought hard to see to it he lived, so live he would."What's to ask?"he replied bitterly."Water saved Camelot but drowned my beloved.Idrowned my beloved, because nobody was able to save him."Even though they'd promised they would.But he couldn't be bitter about that, because it would only fester and poison everything, and he knew his friends had tried their best.Maleagant had gotten in one last, nasty little dig, that was all.
"Lancelot—"
He tore away and swam for the surface.He wanted to see his friends, no matter how fraught his emotions were, and he wanted to see Gale's body and get it over with.Staying down here putting it off would not help him.
It was night, which he hadn't realized because he was so overwhelmed, distracted, and frankly still exhausted.A full moon shone down on Camelot, and the lights of the castle were bright and golden.The Pendragon flag flew high, and there were banners at every tower and along the curtain.No sign of the destruction he'd wrought remained, as though it had never even happened.
He could hear music, distant voices raised high in celebration.The castle was in full revelry, as they should be after waiting so long for this victory, but the thought of joining them turned his stomach.
He had thought his friends would come to greet him, as they would have known he was awake or at least Kay would have told them, but instead the edge of the lake was barren.Not even Merlin was here.That wasn't like his friends at all, so what in the world was going on that they would not be waiting for him?Or did they simply think he'd come find them at the keep?No, that didn't seem right, they would know he'd prefer quiet for now.
Why would his friends not be here?
Even Kay wasn't around, either still in the water or already at the keep.
