Fic: Triumph and Despair 3/6
Part Three
The following day, the Great Hall was prepared for trial. Uther, as the chief judge, sat on his throne set up on a raised dais. Arthur was seated on his father’s left, while Master Geoffrey and two scribes were seated to the king’s right. Facing them, the Council and the nobility stood and observed.
The prisoners were brought up from the dungeons, bound, dirty and disheveled. Morgana and Morgause stood together, and Merlin, Gaius and Gwen formed a second group. Only King Cenred stood alone. Master Geoffrey called for silence then explained that these examinations were to determine the guilt or innocence of each prisoner. The guilty parties would be sentenced afterward. And so began the trial. King Cenred was presented first for there was little doubt about his guilt.
“King Cenred, you stand accused of attempted murder in actively seeking the deaths of myself and Crown Prince Arthur of Camelot,” Uther announced. “Do you have anything to say in your defense?”
Cenred chuckled. “What can I say? I’m guilty. I am a king and no coward to beg pitifully for my life.”
“You are further accused of treason and conspiracy in plotting and seeking with the witch Morgause, the overthrow of this kingdom. What say you on that?”
“I should never have trusted that witch,” Cenred said bitterly. “If I am guilty then Morgause is more so. It was she who came to me with the plan.”
“And just was the plan?” Arthur asked.
“You mean besides conquer Camelot?” Cenred quipped. “You and your father were to be executed; Morgause was to see to that. Then I was to sit on the throne of Camelot with the king’s ward as my queen.”
“Why did you want this kingdom?” Arthur questioned. “You had your own.”
“Why does any king go on conquest? I had a kingdom that had poor soil for crops, insufficient water for irrigation, and barely enough grazing land,” Cenred replied. “My people were poor and hungry. We needed new land and Camelot was wealthy and fruitful.”
“You could have come to us for aid,” the prince pointed out.
“And shown you how weak we were?” Cenred responded. “I think not.” For a moment, Arthur thought Cenred sounded just like his father.
“I find you guilty of all charges, King Cenred,” Uther said. “You will be punished as befits a sovereign.” The fallen king was dragged aside.
Gwenhwyfar was next and came forward with a brave face and a straight back. Arthur fought the urge to take her into his arms and reassure her, calm her fears.
“Gwenhwyfar, daughter of Tom the Blacksmith, you stand accused of treason and conspiracy in that you had knowledge of Merlin’s use of magic, and failed to report such knowledge to your king as the law demands,” said Uther. “How say you?”
“Not guilty, sire,” Gwen replied in a clear voice. “I knew nothing about Merlin’s gifts.”
“You were his good friend,” Uther questioned. “How could you not know?”
“Sire, Merlin never performed any type of magic in my presence,” Gwen answered calmly. “Not once did he reveal himself to be anything other than the prince’s personal manservant. I was no more aware of Merlin’s abilities than Prince Arthur was.”
That hit home. If she was guilty then so was the crown prince of Camelot. The king found Gwen innocent and she was released from custody forthwith. Uther wasn’t particularly happy with Gwen’s acquittal, after all she’d been accused of witchcraft before and her late father had consorted with a sorcerer, but she had made a valid point.
Gaius was next and he was brought forward to the dais. “Master Gaius, physician of Camelot, you stand accused of treason and conspiracy in that you had knowledge of Merlin’s use of magic, and failed to report it to your king as the law demands,” said Uther. “How say you?”
“Guilty,” Gaius said without fear.
Treachery. Betrayal. It will all be punished, each in his own turn, Uther thought.
“Physician, I am grievously disappointed in you,” said Uther. “You have had my confidence and my good will since I came to the throne. I have forgiven you your past occupation, I even made you a freeman. Why have you betrayed me?”
“I have not betrayed you, sire,” Gaius said. “I have always had the good of this realm in the upper most of my thoughts and actions, and I have never waivered from that. Merlin is no threat to Camelot, he never has been.”
“When did you realize Merlin had magic?” Arthur asked.
“The first day he arrived, when he first walked into my chambers, my lord. I was on my balcony and fell through the railing when his entrance startled me. His magic saved my life,” Gaius related.
“That does not sound like an evil person,” Arthur commented.
“Four years?” Uther said in amazement. “As long as that and you said nothing? I wonder how many other sorcerers you have allowed to escape our notice?”
“Only two,” Gaius confessed. At this point, the old man felt it was useless to lie or hold back information. If he was going to die, was going to let the whole court know the truth. “Sir Gorlois’ eldest daughter and Balinor, the dragonlord.”
There was a gasp from the onlookers; even Arthur was taken aback by the revelation. From the sidelines, Morgause smiled at the king and he glowered back at her.
“Gorlois’ first child died,” Master Geoffrey corrected.
“No, she did not,” Gaius said. “I smuggled Morgause out of Camelot as a baby when I realized she had magic and took her to the high priestess of the Blessed Isle. I promised to keep her existence secret which is why I told everyone the child had died of a bad cold. But, Morgause is without a doubt the legitimate daughter of Sir Gorlois and his lady wife.”
“And you did this for ‘the good of this realm’?” Uther asked. “You as good as contributed to the near destruction of this kingdom.”
“Who can know what a child will grow to be?” retorted Gaius.
“In this case it was painfully obvious, Gaius,” the king snarled. “Why did you assist Balinor in escaping?” he asked.
“He was not guilty of anything, sire,” replied Gaius. “None of the dragonlords were, yet after they helped you capture or kill the dragons, you had them all hunted down and executed. You thought a dragonlord’s power was too close to that of a sorcerer’s.”
There was a lot of murmuring in the court at this bit of information. A dragonlord could have vanquished the Great Dragon easily and not have cost the lives of eleven good knights. But then, the dragon went away, and was summoned back to aid them.
Uther was sorely tempted to convict his long-time friend out of anger and hurt feelings, then Arthur spoke.
“Sire, I ask for clemency. Gaius had rendered long and competent service to Camelot and its people, and many times he has saved your life and mine. This should not be overlooked,” Arthur reasoned.
Uther brooded on his throne for several minutes, as the court silently watched and waited. Then the king looked at the physician and spoke.
“Gaius, I find you guilty of the charges, but I will take your years of service into consideration,” the king pronounced, and with a wave of his hand, Gaius was taken aside and the trials continued.
Morgause was next and despite her dirty hair and clothes, and her hands still bound, she stood with dignity and pride.
“Morgause, you stand accused of treason in that you did seek to overthrow our lawful reign with the help of King Cenred,” said Uther.
Morgause said nothing and glared hatefully at the king.
“King Cenred, are you willing to give testimony against this woman?” Uther asked him.
“Yes, I am,” he replied and Morgause turned her glare from Uther to him. “As I have said, Morgause was not only part to it, she organized it,” Cenred said. “Morgause came to me two months ago with a plan to take over Camelot. I would marry the Lady Morgana and we would rule.”
Uther turned his attention back to the woman. “What say you to this?”
For the first time, Morgause spoke. “Cenred is only one witness and a bitter, defeated one at that.”
“Morgause, you are found guilty of treason and, in deference to your noble parents, you will be punished as a noble woman according the law,” King Uther pronounced.
The court was adjourned until the following day. It had not escape Arthur’s notice that his father was delaying Morgana’s examination for as long as possible In his heart, Arthur knew the trial of Morgana was going to be especially devastating for his father.
In King Uther’s chambers, he and his son breakfasted together the next morning. Uther was still singed by Gaius’ betrayal, but he accepted that too.
He was more pleased with King Cenred’s and Morgause’s convictions. “They should be executed immediately,” Uther said. “That much is evident, what I can’t understand is why you suggested it be delayed.”
“I believe that to execute all guilty parties at the same time would have more impact that way,” Arthur replied, and Uther nodded in agreement.
“I’m having second thoughts about Morgana,” Uther said. “I believe there is a reasonable explanation for Morgana’s actions. I believe Morgause has her under an enchantment. We must make sure it is removed and Morgana is returned to her natural self.”
Arthur was not all that surprised at his father’s hesitation to try Morgana. No matter how badly she defied him, Uther always had a soft spot in his heart for her. But it never occurred to him that Morgana may be under a spell. “Of course, Father, that must be the reason,” the prince agreed.
“Yes,” the king replied. “There is no way Morgana can be a witch.”
“It certainly looked like Morgana used magic on the gates to me,” Arthur said.
“You were obviously mistaken,” Uther said.