But thankfully, I wouldn’t need to say anything because Arthur’s voice boomed across the clearing.
“Sir Bedivere,” he called, his voice clipped and irritated.
Bedivere’s head swung around to where Arthur was gesturing for him to join him where he was talking with some of his other men and the older alpha shot us one last look before turning his horse and trotting off.
“Scary,” I muttered under my breath with a shake of my head.
I couldn’t understand how I was ever supposed to follow Merlin’s portent and create a pack with these men when two of the four seemed to hate me.
So many of the legends of King Arthur had featured an almost romantic edge to them as they spoke of the four alphas coming together to protect their queen and in turn she’d fallen in love with them easily.
Which is totally weird when you’re the said queen and you’re living through it all like it’s some kind of fucked up episode ofOutlander.
Except at least Jamie was a hot Scottish alpha who was obsessed with Claire from the jump—and it didn’t hurt that I had a weakness for a man in a kilt.
Even now I could feel Lancelot’s cold stare from where he was standing with Arthur and when I turned my head to make eye contact those dark eyes were suddenly looking anywhere but at me.
No, definitely no hot Scottish men in kilts were going to come and sweep me off of my feet with their thick brogues and propensity to throw logs to show their strength. Sigh.
“Do not be frightened by him, Guinevere,” Gawain hurried to reassure me as he gently tugged on the reins and started heading towards the group in question. “Bedivere is just making certain that I am not acting out of turn, your majesty.”
“Gwen,” I reminded him absentmindedly as someone sounded a horn and the company of Arthur’s men started to move out.
I hadn’t realized it at the time, but now as I saw the entire entourage that Arthur had brought with him I could see that the king traveled with what amounted to a small army.
Which made sense seeing as there was no telling when the king may run into raiders, robbers, or the stray group of Saxons trying to move in on the tribal king’s territories.
This was a land at war, I realized with a jolt, and it was so different from the relatively peaceful hamlets surrounding the bustling city of London in the future.
London didn’t even exist yet.
I had been safely ensconced in Leodegrance’s castle for the last week, a place that looked like the very stereotypical castle that princesses lived in while dragons soared overhead. I hadn’t been afraid of anything.
But now as we rode down the winding path and the dense, green forest started to surround us, a sense of unease and foreboding filled me.
Do not worry,a voice whispered in my mind. It wasn’t the strange one that had echoed my mother’s words a week ago, but instead they were filled with a soft timber that could only belong to one person.No harm will come to you on this journey.
Wheeling around in the saddle and ignoring Gawain’s protests, I searched for the man suddenly talking in my head.
Merlin had continually made himself scarce to me—not giving me a chance to grill him about everything that he knew—and now he was whispering in my mind as if none of that had occurred.
The crowd of soldiers was thick and I was having trouble finding the wizard amongst all of the hustle and bustle.
Irritated, I replied back to him.Why were you avoiding me?
There was silence on the other end, and for a brief moment I was scared that I was just talking to myself, but then his sheepish voice filled my head again.The gods were not ready for me to speak with you.
His explanation was simple and yet it explained everything and nothing at all.
And do you listen to everything the gods say?I shot back, crossing my arms stubbornly over my chest, trusting instinctually that Gawain wouldn’t let me fall.
Merlin’s next pause seemed to create a distance between our minds, his words growing ever softer when he finally replied.Yes, why wouldn’t I?
I huffed an exasperated breath at that.Because you are a person with your own autonomy?
Wasn’t human free will the crux of most of the legends about the relationships between gods and their creation no matter the religion?
A soft chuckle rippled through my brain, sending an odd shiver down my spine.I am not human, Guinevere, have you not learned that by now?
