Excalibur's Seven - Chapter 36: Chapter 36

"IT WON'T WORK," SAID Lord Herwerde, eyes fixed on the metal sitting in the blazing fire. Something about it was potent, like vinegar that attacked his senses and made his throat burn. No metal did that. It had to be the magic.
Prince Connor's eyes were bloodshot and sunken into his brow. He'd hardly slept, but he was still there, working away in the blacksmith's shop. Kristofer wasn't the first brother with an obsession of pleasing the King, the difference was that one of them cared more about the fate of the kingdom than being in Wylan's good graces.
His stomach felt sick when the prince pulled the sword from the fire and placed it onto the anvil once more, smacking away at the smoldering metal.
"It's a sword, Herwerde. It won't be Excalibur, but it'll make a damn good weapon when I'm done with it," Connor said. "It might not make me win every battle I fight, but it'll get me close."
"You don't have all the pieces. How do you know it'll even stay together?"
"It's working well for me," he said. "I doubt it'll break, Lord. And even if does, what's the worst that will happen? We've got an army. Excalibur is a bonus."
Herwerde knew he wouldn't be changing anyone's mind on this. They would attempt to remake Excalibur no matter how much he attempted to advise them otherwise. The Lady of the Lake was the only one who could truly make the sword again, but she was gone with Camelot.
This could be a detrimental decision, but Connor and Wylan would not listen. It was unwise to meddle with magic, but even their mediocre mage couldn't convince them not to do it.
"There she is," Connor breathed after several long minutes of loud smacking, holding up the freshly forged blade. It needed to be polished, of course, but the worst of it was done. Excalibur had made its return, but not in the right hands.
Kit hadn't ever seen this many faeries in his life. The fields were flooded with them, covered in leather armor engraved with details and embellished with protective metal decor. In some ways, it looked impractical, but faeries were known to be quick, and the armor he was used to would prohibit such movements.
"I'd be asking them to betray their supreme Queen," Giselle murmured, leaning against the rails which overlooked the fields where the army trained. "Some may find that easier than others, but their primary loyalty is to my mother."
"And would they be betraying your mother by doing this?"
Giselle took a deep, thoughtful breath. "God, I hope not. My mother is... difficult. She's nearly as ancient as Titania, and I know little of her and her loyalties. She hardly leaves her room and seldom pays attention to the army. We haven't needed it for centuries, not for something as big as this."
"Do we know how many can help us?"
"I don't know, but however many it is, it won't be enough. We need an army that won't be tied to the Seelie Queen," she told him, a grim look on her face. "Which means..."
"Unseelie," he concluded. He felt his chest constrict. The Seelie were no kinder than the Unseelie, but they were far less unhinged. They valued order, fairness, happiness, and protecting their magic. The Unseelie, however, valued knowledge and freedom and weren't bothered by the chaos that came with using their magic liberally.
"I can get in touch with the Autumn Queen, but the Winter Court will be more difficult to get ahold of, as will the Grand Unseelie Army." The princess brushed nonexistent dust from her skirts. "My only connection to the Winter Court is Morgana, but I don't know how much sway he has. At the very least, we'll need him to make the journey."
"Can you talk some sense into him?" Kit asked, eyes searching beyond the horizon before them. The most he'd seen of the Unseelie court was Morgana's village and the woods they visited, but he was sure it was nothing compared to the Winter Kingdom. Morgana lived in the Autumn Kingdom despite his lineage, and he could only wonder why that really was.
"I can try," she replied, but the look on her face was doubtful. "I fear he's too set in his ways to change his mind."
"Did he ever tell you why he turned?" Kit knew the answer to that, but he asked it anyways.
Giselle frowned. "Not in detail. Did he tell you?"
"He said he wanted to spare you of the pain, that he isn't nearly as afraid to hurt me." He looked down with a bitter chuckle. "If I'm honest, he's probably partly right. But if being right means letting the King continue to do what he's doing, I don't want to be right."
"Will you visit him with me?" Giselle turned her gaze to Kit. "He tries to spare me a lot. I may be fragile, but so is he. It's not a kindness not to talk to me at this point. He's a compulsive sugarcoater with me, he needs some accountability. I think you can give him that."
That was the last thing Kit expected to hear. Of every reason she could've given him for her request, the idea that he was capable of holding Morgana accountable was the last he would've thought of.
"Sure," he agreed, turning to the path that would eventually take them to the dungeon.
The walk was silent, but Giselle spoke again as they descended the stairwell. "Be prepared to make a deal with him. He won't agree to take us to the Unseelie kingdom if we don't give him something he wants. It won't be an easy bargain."
He shared her a look. "I understand. I'm starting to figure out how to get around him now."
She grinned, and then the two stepped through the threshold and into the dungeon.
"If you've come to wallow to me again, Kit, I don't want to hear it. I've had enough of your self pity for the day."
"Is this how you speak to the only man keeping you company in this lonely, miserable cell?" Giselle scolded, taking the Unseelie by surprise. He shot to his feet and fixed the princess with wide eyes.
"Giselle," he breathed. "What are you doing here? Kit, did you make her come down here?"
"I had the idea, actually," Giselle assured him. "We have something to request of you, and we're prepared to make a deal."
Morgana looked annoyed, like he couldn't get away with things anymore with Giselle here. Kit knew if she was alone, though, he'd try to lie to her to protect her, even though she deserved the truth.
"What do you want?" Morgana asked.
"We need you to take us somewhere," she began, nervously fidgeting with her fingers. "You're the only one of us with any real ties to the Winter Kingdom, and... we need to see the Unseelie Queens."
Morgana swallowed. "Even Mab?"
"Especially Mab."
Kit shifted on his feet. "I'm sorry, who's Mab? Why do you two look so nervous?"
He knew the answer to the question before either of them had to say it.
"Right. Unseelie Queen. Makes sense."
"No one has seen her true face in years, they don't dare to. The Winter Queen is scary enough, but however scary she might be, Mab is worse," Giselle told him. "Even Titania fears her."
Kit shivered, and turned to look at Morgana.
"No, absolutely not," Morgana insisted. "I'm not taking you to see her, no one just sees the Unseelie Queen."
"Come on, now, Morgana," Giselle whispers. "We'll make you a deal."
"I'm not making any kind of deal with you, Giselle, you know I don't make deals with Seelies." His gaze shifted back to Kit. "I'll make a deal with you, though."
Kit swallowed. He knew Morgana only said this because he was easier to manipulate. Giselle was just as faerie as Morgana, but Kit could miss things the princess wouldn't.
"Leave while I make the deal, Giselle, I don't need you giving him any help."
"You're going to mess with him," Giselle said. "You're going to take advantage of this because you're cheap."
"Giselle, do you want me to take you or not?"
The Seelie grumbled but escorted herself out of the dungeon, leaving the two alone.
They stood in silent tension for several minutes.
"What do you want?" Morgana asked finally.
"We need you to take us to the Winter Kingdom and get us an audience with Mab and the Winter Queen," he asked. "I doubt they'll see us if there's not an Unseelie among us."
"You're a bloody moron for this," he murmured. "You just need me to be there, is that it?"
"Yes."
Morgana gave a bitter scoff. "Fine."
"Your turn."
"Pardon?"
"What do you want? What's my end of the deal?"
Morgana grinned, but it wasn't a happy one. It unsettled Kit, shaking his core and crawling up his spine. "You've already given me everything I want. No need to give me anything more."
He didn't like the sound of that.
"So, when do we leave?" the Unseelie asked, chipper as ever.
Kit did not share the attitude. "We leave once we're all rested again. So I suggest you sleep, and actually eat your next meal that comes."
"Can I make a request?"
"For what?"
"My next meal. Can I get something I actually want this time?"
Kit rolled his eyes. "Fine, what do you want?"
"I want meat."
He paused. "I thought you didn't like killing animals."
"I don't mean animals, Kit."
The smile that broke out on his face made the prince take a step back. He kept stepping back, until he was out of the dungeon and back at Giselle's side. He took her arm, pulling her up the stairs.
"What are you--he still owes me an explanation!"
"He's gone mad, Giselle," he whispered. "I'll tell you myself."
"He's not much a fan of being locked up, perhaps it's getting to his head," she said. "Unseelies need their freedom."
"Well he's given up his right to freedom, hasn't he?"
"What did he even say to you?" Giselle asked once they were back to a normal pace.
"He said I've already given him everything he wants," he murmured. "Whatever the hell that means."
"That doesn't sound like he's gone mad to me," she said, voice tentative. "No more mad than he already is, at least."
"He also said he wants to eat a person, I presume that's not something he normally says."
"No, I don't think it is." Her face was etched with concern now.
"Did you notice his eyes?"
"They were foggy," said Giselle. "That happens sometimes, when he lets himself go. He was sick as a child, that's where the cracks on his face come from, but it got to his head as well. Sometimes he... he gets weird. I don't know what sets it off but I don't like to be around him when it happens."
They were back in the medical wing now, on their way to Chalice's room once again.
"What did he tell you, then?" she asked, pausing before the door. "Before, I mean. Why did he turn?"
Kit swallowed. "King Arthur. He, um, well, in Camelot, he used faeries to give his kingdom power. He stripped them of their magic and killed them, apparently. But if it's me that rules, I won't let that happen. I can't just let my own people die because he's afraid I'll make the same mistakes as Arthur."
Giselle looked down in contemplation. "I believe you."
"What?"
"I believe you. That you won't hurt our people," she said.
His heart quickened. "So... you'll stay?"
"Of course I will, Kit. You're right. Keeping Camelot locked away will hurt your people, and it will hurt mine if I have to live with the thought that I could've done something but I didn't." She put a hand on his cheek. "I'm with you, Kit. I promise."
"Thank you, Giselle," he said. "I promise I'll do my best to keep both our people safe."
"I know you will, Your Highness."