Puissance: Chapter Fourteen
Title: Puissance: Chapter Fourteen
Author: ArthurMerlin
Artist: blood_songs90
Pairings/characters: Arthur/Merlin (minor: OC/OC, Gwen/Lancelot)
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 30,798
Warnings: None
Summary:The turbulent times of Prime Minister Arthur Pendragon, in which war looms, betrayal waits in the wings, and unexpected love blossoms.
Disclaimer: Neither ArthurMerlin nor blood_songs90 owns any aspect of Merlin. No copyright infringement is intended.
.............................................................................................................................................................................................
Chapter Fourteen
Arthur tapped his fingers on his desk nervously and eyed the clock. He hated the waiting before an appointment. He’d asked Merlin not to be present for this particular discussion, which had annoyed his secretary but he had disappeared anyway.
At last, there was a knock on the door and Arthur shouted for the person to come in.
The oak door opened and Lance walked inside.
“You wanted to see me, Prime Minister?” Lance asked, closing the door behind him. Lance stood around the same height as Arthur, but looked altogether very different. His hair was longer, jet black and slightly curly. His eyes were rich brown, as deep as Arthur’s blue ones and full of soul. His complexion was Mediterranean with sun-kissed olive skin. He was quite handsome, Arthur could see why Gwen was attracted to him on a physical level. But it was the personal attraction that was undoubtedly strongest; Lance typified the old-style gentleman; he was painfully polite, considerate, and very caring. He was also fiercely loyal, a trait which Arthur relied on heavily.
“Yes, sit down,” Arthur said, gesturing to the leather armchair in front of his desk. Lance sat down and folded his hands neatly on his lap. His eyes locked with Arthur’s. They weren’t challenging as such, but more defiant than Arthur was used to from his ministers (except Gwaine, of course).
“I’ve called you here because I will be making an official visit abroad tomorrow, as Deputy PM I’ll be leaving you in charge.”
Lance looked surprised, “Prime Minister, do you think this is the best time to be making visits abroad? I mean, with the…”
“Yes, Lance, it is,” Arthur interrupted, and Lance simply nodded his head.
“Where will you be going?”
“First, to an undisclosed location in the Atlantic. I’ll rendezvous there with HMS Ark Royal, where I’ll have a meeting with President Bennett of the USA. After that, I’ll be flying to Bavaria.”
“Bavaria?!” Lance’s eyes widened in shock, “they’re facing invasion, Arthur, you’ll be killed!”
“There are only a few people,” Arthur replied, “who can convince King Johan to return to Britain. The obvious choice has to remain here, but I might be able to win him over if I go.”
Lance nodded, so Arthur continued, “these meetings are top secret. After I’m gone you may fill the Cabinet in on the details. There is to be no media fuss; as far as the country is concerned I am still here, in this office, hard at work. When you take over PM’s questions in the house, explain that I’ve been detained by a vital military briefing.”
Lance still looked unsure of the idea, but he didn’t object.
The two of them sat in awkward silence for a moment, before Arthur decided to acknowledge the elephant in the room, “how’s Gwen?”
Lance shuddered slightly at the mention of her name, but he managed to keep his composure, “she’s fine… Arthur, I…”
“Please, Lance, not now,” Arthur said, putting his hand up to stop Lance talking.
“I do love her, Arthur. I’m sorry.”
The look of true sadness in Lance’s face made Arthur believe that he meant it, “I know, and it’s fine, really.”
“How can it be?” Lance questioned, “She’s your wife.”
“She won’t be when this war is over,” Arthur said, and leaned back in his chair with a sigh, “I don’t blame either of you, Lance. Love isn’t something that we choose; it’s given to us. The only choice we have is whether or not to accept it when it’s offered to us. Most of the time we’d be fools if we didn’t.”
“Still, she’s your wife, you took vows…”
“My conscience is clear. I kept to my vows until she broke hers,” Arthur said, with a slight hint of frustration.
Lance looked confused again, “until?”
Arthur realised what he had said, and tried to find a way to retract it; he didn’t want other people knowing about he and Merlin, not after Percival’s warning. But it was too late,
“Merlin?” Lance asked gently.
Arthur nodded his response and looked down at his hands.
“Gwen knew.”
That statement made Arthur look straight up at Lance, “What?”
“Gwen knew that you had feelings for him. She could tell, she could always tell.”
Arthur worked out in his own mind what Lance was implying but had left unsaid; Gwen felt she could act on her feelings for Lance, as she knew Arthur had feelings for somebody else as well.
“I’m glad you don’t blame her, Arthur, she’s a good person. You’re right that love is a gift, and I’m glad you’ve accepted that gift with Merlin, so that I can accept it with Gwen. I’m happy, Arthur. We’re happy.”
“See that it stays that way,” Arthur warned.
Understanding each other at last, the two men drew their conversation to a close and Lance left. Arthur called Merlin back into the room, and greeted him with an affectionate embrace.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“As I’ll ever be,” Merlin replied, and Arthur called for the Prime Ministerial car to take them to the RAF base where they’d be departing for Ark Royal.
…
“Where’s the PM?” Mithian asked as the Cabinet took their places around the famous table.
“As you’ve probably worked out, I’ll be chairing the Cabinet meeting today. Before we get to the agenda, just to say that the Prime Minister left the UK this morning for a private meeting with President Bennett, hence why I’m standing in.”
“Why weren’t we informed?” Percival asked, “Surely he should give us warning during wartime? What if we had to brief him urgently?”
Other Cabinet members started to voice their support for those questions, murmuring and mumbling to themselves, as others shouted out other questions. Lance raised his hand in an effort to quiet them, “please! Please! If you need to brief the PM, brief me; until he returns I’m responsible for his office.”
“Alright,” Gwaine piped up, “start from the beginning, what’s going on?”
“Arthur flew this morning to somewhere in the north Atlantic, he rendezvoused with HMS Ark Royal there. Later today President Bennett will be informed of the location and he will join Arthur there for private talks. When those talks are over, Arthur will be flying to Bavaria to bolster support. That is all I know,” Lance said, punctuating each point by counting them off his fingers.
Agravaine stayed quiet, saying nothing but scanning the room with his beady eyes.
…
“I hope this is important,” Morgana said, taking a sip of her oriental green tea and brushing a stray lock of her long black hair out of her face.
Agravaine shifted in his seat and grinned at the Leader of the Opposition, “believe me, it is.”
The two of them were sat in a hotel room in East London, away from prying eyes. The room Morgana had rented, under a pseudonym, for their meeting had whitewashed walls which had been stained yellow over time by cigarette smoke. They had Radio One playing quietly in the background to hopefully prevent anybody hearing their conversation.
“Arthur left Britain today, he’s meeting with President Bennett,” Agravaine said, a twinkle in his eye.
“Really,” Morgana said, sounding impressed, “he’s a crafty one. Go on.”
“They’re meeting on Ark Royal…”
“Even better!” Morgana said, clapping her hands together, “Sink the ship and we kill two birds with one stone!”
“Sink the ship? Morgana, that’s an aircraft carrier, they aren’t exactly easy to sink.”
Morgana narrowed her eyes and leaned forward, “don’t underestimate Mordred. That ancient bath-tub will sink if he wills it.”
Her look and tone silenced Agravaine, who sat stock still and watched her expression change to one of amusement.
“And Arthur has no idea that his own Chancellor is working for us! If only he knew, can you imagine how betrayed he would look?! Cheated on by his wife, and now betrayed by his uncle! Whatever would Uther say?”
“Don’t forget your promises to me, Morgana, when Mordred becomes King.”
“King?” Morgana said, “Oh, he has ambitions much higher than being merely a King. He will be an Emperor, over the entire earth. You’ve made the right choice siding with him, Agravaine. When he makes me his Lieutenant over these islands, you will be richly rewarded.”
...
Chapter Fifteen