"Gaheris, you never fail to surprise me. How is Mr. Finn?"
"Oh once we purchased the controlling stake in the company and explained that the company would for all intents and purposes, would remain his, we are only a bank for the company to continue trading and expanding. The first cheque that I cut him for his half of the company was almost as much as he earned in the first ten years of the operation." Gaheris continued. "So he has gone back to his little laboratory and is exploring new and exciting advances, or so my spies tell me."
So how much money does the war fund hold?" Arthur asked.
"Arthur it is named that only for expediency, the accounts are all yours, and to answer your question we have around six billion pounds as of close of business Friday."
Arthur was left completely speechless and had his mouth agape until Percival reached over and whacked it shut. Everyone laughed as Arthur's teeth made an enormous click as they smacked together. Arthur couldn't help but laugh, he knew he must have looked quite simple for a moment there, but he had never even considered money in amounts like that. After that, the conversation became very bogged down in minutia and Arthur was bored within minutes.
"Gaheris, do you need me to know the ins and outs of everything, because it seems to me a smart man would just leave the day to day details in your hands and not get bogged down in it?"
"Yes you do have a point there Arthur, just be aware that you are the sole beneficiary of these accounts and they will be the start of our fight to remove that person from your Throne." After some small talk and a few more laughs, Gaheris left and Geraint Rolph walked in, he had been waiting for his turn with Arthur and Percival.
"Arthur, Percy, how are we today?" He asked brightly.
"A lot richer than I ever dreamed I was yesterday." Arthur replied still a little shocked at the amount of money held at his discretion.
"Ah, Gaheris finally told you about all of the accounts." He said with a chuckle. "Well I am here to give you the latest update on your supporters."
"I didn't know I had many, but it is a day of shocks."
"Well my Dear King in hiding, the latest count has your military wing growing by about ten thousand a week. Once the word was about that you had returned, well, everyone that had gone into hiding has come out, and those that are too old have set about recruiting the best they can find. Gaheris was able to arrange a very nice little property in Scotland that we can use as a staging ground."
"What else do I now own that I didn't a month ago?" Arthur was a little more than over-whelmed at the amazing things he owed and, now, commanded.
"Well, I think at last count we have forty thousand light infantry, twenty battalions of armour, three fleets and sixty-five squadrons of various aircraft." Geraint laid out for Arthur casually.
"Are you fucking kidding me? Where in the name of all that's holy, did all these people and other stuff come from? Where was all this hiding?"
Geraint took the tantrum for what it was, nerves and a lack of confidence. He simply allowed Arthur to vent and get it all out. Percival stood and walked over to the young man and spoke to him quietly, Geraint couldn't hear what Percival said, but he had known the man over thirty years and had a fair idea. Arthur argued for a few moments, but then nodded and gave the old man a quick hug and returned to his chair.
"My apologies Geraint, this is all so new to me and I am having a hard time making sense of it all in my head." He explained.
"Arthur, you are my liege and soon to be my King, there is nothing you can do that would make me want an apology from you. I understand that you have a lot to digest and the acclimating is going to be just as difficult. Just keep in mind one thing." He looked Arthur in the eye. "All of these people are committed to the cause, and once you are returned to the Throne, there will be an enormous celebration as the rightful Heir to the Throne of Britain and her colonies will be back where he belongs." Geraint paused for a moment and allowed Arthur to take in what he said before continuing. "Under the reign of horror of your Uncle, there has been a lot of hardship and more than a few families have lost loved ones to the draft and to the Royal Intelligence Service. We know that you are your father's son, we know that you are the light that will banish the darkness."
Arthur simply stood there and stared at Geraint, his words had reached into his soul and dragged him kicking and screaming into the light. He had the sudden realisation that he was the King, in all but name, and he would not let these wonderful, committed and loyal people down. No matter the cost to himself.
"Thank you Geraint, you have made a lot of things suddenly very clear in my mind. Let's start this meeting again." He said as he sat down, Percival could see the change in the Lad he loved and raised as his own. The King had finally come out, he sat at the table with a small smile on his face and listened to King Arthur as he spoke. It was at that moment he knew that they could not lose, not with this man at the head of the column.
Sitting in the park feeding the pigeons was one of the few little pleasures Merlin took out of this modern world. The birds never asked for anything and certainly didn't demand anything, they were just happy to be fed by the tall man on the park bench. He would often set a glamour so he looked like any other man in London, walked down to Hyde park and just sat there watching the fat little birds gorge themselves on the bread and crackers he lifted from the academy kitchens. He could have conjured just about anything he wanted, including a spell that would allow him to speak to his fat little friends, but the point was they couldn't talk and they couldn't complain, they just waddled around eating scraps. Sometimes he wondered if the birds were the smart ones, they had simple and uncomplicated lives, short though may be in comparison. But Merlin also knew that he loved the life he had built and he would be bored out of his mind if all there was to do was waddle around a park seeking breadcrumbs.
Merlin had not sat on the bench for a few years now, so all of the birds he fed were new to his eye, not quite as fat or as easy with him as the old ones were. But that was alright, everything living died sooner or later, and when his time came he would know he did everything he had set out to do. The cool breeze that meandered across the park sent a small chill up Merlin's arms, he looked at his time piece and saw that he had been sitting there for over an hour. Was he putting the inevitable off? Or was he just tired and in need of a break? How long had it been since he had a holiday, just a little bit of time where he was away from all the rubbish that seemed to fill his days now? Too long for him to remember it seemed, and that was a bad thing he supposed. But until the Pretender was ejected from the Palace and Uther's son was set in his place, he would go no-where.
He rose from the bench and walked off in the direction of Percival's town home, he had missed his old sparring partner these fifteen years. It would be pleasant to see the stubborn old bastard again. It was only a short walk to Percival's front door, so he decided that actual walking would be the best form of travel. As his leather shoes clicked on the sidewalk, he watched the people he passed by. There were mostly household staff running important errands, or at least important to their masters. A gaggle of nannies and their charges passed him by, all giggling and talking at once, how the hell did they knew who was talking and what they were talking about? It was one of those mysteries he wasn't meant to find out, he supposed.
His walking stick tapped out a short cadence as he approached his destination, the solid Platinum eagle head handle seemed to be watching everything as he passed. The ruby eyes almost appeared to follow any passers-by. Merlin ran a finger down the back of the eagles head as if to calm the savage beast. A smile broke out for a moment at the thought of the people he was passing and their reactions if they knew who he was and that the Eagle was in fact following the movements of everyone and everything that Merlin passed. The people that noticed him found that they couldn't remember a thing about the man after he passed from their sight. One or two people thought about it for a moment, but dismissed the strange feeling as soon as they felt it. The man arrived at out front of his destination and smiled, he was quite excited to meet the young man whom so much depended upon. He ascended the stairs and raised his Cain, the door opened silently and he entered, the door closing behind him. The entry hall was deathly silent and the shadows from the curtains gave the room a funereal feeling, one he found almost comforting, silence was a treasured thing to the man.
He looked around for a moment and smiled.
"Your skills are improving, Benson." He said with a small amount of humour.
"Thank you, Master Merlin. I have been practicing and this seemed like perfect opportunity to test them."
"The painting was a good choice, I actually missed you initially." Merlin congratulated Benson. On the stairs the wall seemed to warp and move as Benson moved away from his hiding place. The painting stretched and shimmered as he stepped away, the painting snapping back into place with a pop. The tall man walked slowly down the stairs, almost seeming to float. Merlin approached the man and shook his hand.
"I see that knocking on a man's door is still a skill you have yet to master, you old Robber." Percival asked not expecting an answer.
"I see that all these years has not improved your sense of humour." Merlin retorted.
"It is awfully good to see you again old Friend." Percival said shaking Merlin's hand enthusiastically.
"It has been a long road, Old Boy. But I feel everything is coming together."
"He is an amazing young man, Merlin. He was initially unsure of the expectations, but he has found the strength he needs and has stepped up manfully." Percival explained.
"Excellent."
"Shall I ask Master Arthur to join you in the study, Sir?"
"Yes thank you Benson." With that the two men moved into the study and sat on the couches to await Arthur.
"Everything went as you foresaw?" Percival asked.
"Yes, I had some vain hope that something would happen that would derail events. But everything fell as they did."
The sound of the door opening drew their attention, Arthur walked in looking every inch the Royal Prince.
"Ah, the prodigal son returns, it is good to see you boy." Merlin said from his seated position.
"I'm sure it is, and you are?" He asked with no humour at all.
"Arthur you know not to whom you speak," Percival snapped.
"Correct, Sir Percival, I do not know who this man is, but I do know that I would at least show enough courtesy to stand and introduce myself properly in someone-else's home." Arthur replied with more regal influence and decorum than Percival thought him capable.
"Quite right, allow me to apologise and introduce myself. My name is Emrys Myrddin, but most call me Merlin." The Mage said bowing with a major flourish.
"Thank you, Master Mage, it is an honour to meet you." Arthur replied with style. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the service you gave my father, and myself in my enforced absence. The preparations I have come back to have been in no small part due to the influence you wield." Arthur bowed and took a step back. A most highly honourable manner to speak to a Master Mage of the Council.
"Your thanks and honourable words are what I would have expected from the son of Uther Pendragon. A man and a King of the highest order, and someone I would have followed into death had he needed me to do so. The King and his Queen were so very important to me, and their handsome son my future liege and Master." Merlin returned the bow, the introductions had been completed and Arthur moved across and shook the Mages hand firmly.
"Please have a seat Master Merlin."