Uther didn’t miss the sadness that permeated Merlin’s voice as he spoke. He stood next to the D.R.U.I.D and looked into his face. His blue eyes seemed surreal in the white face framed by the straight, white hair.
“You look as warn out as I feel,” he said in what he hoped sounded like a kind tone. “When we beat Vortigern, you may take a short leave and visit the circle with your people if it will make you feel better.”
“It’s not that I am physically tired.” Merlin shook his head. “This is not what was written and I am concerned about what will happen.”
Uther shook his head and shrugged. “What does that mean?”
To answer, Merlin walked to one of the suspended clear screens in the middle of the room and activated it with a single touch. He flipped through security and entered the war machine’s files. With a flick of his finger, he pulled up an image of Excalibur. He began to select upgrades from the hangar and apply them to the hologram mecha.
“I am outfitting your armor with shields and weapons you will need to defeat Vortigern.”
Sighing, Uther joined him by his side. He wasn’t sure why Merlin changed the subject, but he liked the new one. “I don’t know. Galois hates the idea of these things. Maybe he’s right.” His shoulders fell. “I’m a bad leader, Merlin. Constans would have known what to do.”
Merlin kept upgrading. “You know what to do.”
“But I don’t. Do I fight Vortigern, my father’s friend? Do I ignore Galois’s advice and use the mecha?”
“Yes.”
Uther looked up at the D.R.U.I.D, their faces mirrored in the glassy, glowing screen before them. “I know I need to defend my people, but there is no way Galois will let me use Excalibur.”
Merlin clicked a finishing button and the new weight of the mecha under armor appeared. It now weighed roughly twenty tons. “Is the son of Constantine to be ordered around by a foot soldier?”
“No, but Galois is my friend. I must listen to his words.”
The screen shut down and the lights dimmed back up. Merlin met Uther’s eyes. “You are like a king here, Uther. Act like one. Take command like one. Those who oppose you must be dealt with. Assert yourself, Your Majesty.”
Uther glanced at the glowing clock and saw that the twenty-fourth hour drew close. He was tired and wanted to sleep. He groaned and unbuttoned his uniform, flinging it across the room.
“But a good king listens to council, right? Takes advice.” He tossed his shirt off and fought his belt buckle, trying to unfasten it.
“A good king never gives advice.” Merlin hovered right behind him. Uther gasped quietly as he felt the cold android breath on his bare neck. He didn’t turn around. “I have seen many wars and many lords fall because of weaknesses like these. Betrayal is the death of the greatest of kings. Weakness for friendship blinds him. If he had done as I said, none of this would have happened.”
Now Uther listened. “What?” he breathed. “Who are you talking about?”
“Think of it this way.” Merlin moved to stand near the window again. Uther shuddered and went into his next room to finish dressing for the night. “Once Galois is out of the way, you may lead the people how you see fit. You may establish your base as you wish and deal with treason as you wish. You may even… take a bride once he is gone.”
Oblivious to Merlin’s low tone, Uther smiled. “Ah, a wife. I’d want a wife like Igrain though. She’s so smart, strong, beautiful, and loyal. She’d be perfect.”
Merlin nodded. “Yes, she would be.”
Far away from Uther’s plans, Galois stood in Tintagle. His own city far smaller than Uther’s and he had been cultivating the earth rather than focusing on the machines and the cities. But he knew that was because he had the leisure to do so; Uther’s job was what his father would have done. He had to lead the people. Galois got lucky and had a much easier task.
“I just thought there would be another way,” he said to Lot whose large face loomed on the screen behind him. “I’m glad you are far away on Lothian though. I don’t want Morgause mixed up in any of this.”
Lot had been arguing in favor of the mecha all night though. “I just don’t understand, Galois. What’s wrong with using these things? They seem pretty awesome to me.”
Galois hated to play the I-am-older-and-one-day-you’ll-understand card, but he couldn’t think of anything else to say.
“Uther wasn’t like this at the academy,” he said instead. He reclined in his chair and put his feet up on the desk, trying to relax. “That place was the school of dreams for him. I was the rough one.”
Interest came over Lot’s face at that. “I never went, of course, but you two are rather different. I always wondered how you came to know each other.”
“Well, we knew each other before that,” he replied. “We grew up together. Him, Constans, and Ambrosius too.”
“Who?”
Galois’s eyes were blank as they surveyed the past playing out before him. “The eldest of the three. I think,” he sighed, “I think Uther has forgotten him. He was always tormenting Uther. Telling him he was worthless and would never make it into the academy. But not Constans. No, Ambrosius loved strong, brave Constans. So did their father. Uther was rather forgotten amongst all the guts and glory of his elder brothers. And he was born defective.”
“What do you mean?” Lot prompted when Galois stalled.
“Premature. He was so weak and starved because his mother was a soldier and did not take the needed time off.” His voice dropped to a wretchedly bitter note here. “Like Igrain, in that sense I suppose.”
Lot’s eyes shot up. “No, Galois, Morgause is a great girl. Igrain didn’t do anything wrong.” It warmed Galois’ heart to hear his son-in-law
