Lott listened to Morgan's words with a confused expression.
"Let's go," Morgan said, pulling him along. "I'll explain later. I've come all this way and I need a good rest."
She held his hand tightly, leading him toward the group that had just left. However, before they could get far, Scáthach blocked their path, standing in front of Morgan with a mischievous grin.
"My lovely sister, care to explain why you've referred to yourself as an 'old lady'?" Scáthach teased.
Morgan raised an eyebrow and asked, "How did you know?"
Scáthach's eyes narrowed in amusement as she pointed at Lott. "Lott here told me, of course."
Morgan immediately shook her head, denying it. "Impossible. Lott would never say something like that."
She trusted Lott completely, believing in him without hesitation. Scáthach couldn't help but laugh at her sister's quick defence.
"Hahaha!" she laughed heartily, causing Morgan and Lott to exchange looks, their expressions silently questioning her laughter.
"You two are so amusing," Scáthach finally said, wiping a tear from her eye. "But don't worry. I'm optimistic that your influence will only continue to grow, and the greater your success, the more it will prove my decision was right."
Morgan took Scáthach's comment seriously and replied, "Sister, you don't have to worry about that."
Still curious, Scáthach pressed, "So, what's your grand plan?"
Morgan simply smiled. "You'll see. Just watch."
Elsewhere, amidst the retreat of their defeated forces, Vortigern suddenly shouted, "No, something is wrong!"
Startled by his outburst, King Marko asked, "What's the matter?"
Vortigern, eyes narrowed, pointed toward the distant castle. "Our intelligence indicated that Camelot's main army was still concentrated in the Welsh mountains. There's no way they could have mobilized so quickly, nor could they have anticipated our movements. There's only one explanation—Morgan didn't bring many troops. We've been deceived by the appearance of strength."
King Marko's face lit up with realization. "You mean... we've been tricked?"
"Exactly," Vortigern confirmed. "It's almost certain."
Marko, now eager for revenge, asked, "Should we attack now?"
Glancing at the sky, Vortigern shook his head. "It's getting late. We'll launch another offensive tomorrow. We've got Morgan and Lott cornered, and if we capture this castle, they'll be finished."
King Marko clenched his fists in anticipation. "Then tomorrow, we'll take our revenge."
With that, the two leaders ordered their forces to make camp for the night, preparing for the next day's attack. But as night fell, both Vortigern and Marko noticed something strange.
From a distance, torches began to appear, moving toward the castle. The light from the flames revealed what seemed to be a new force marching in. From the number of torches, it looked like there were at least two thousand soldiers.
Vortigern and Marko exchanged uneasy glances. "Is this... enemy reinforcements?" Vortigern muttered, unable to believe his eyes.
Earlier, Vortigern was sure that Morgan didn't bring many troops. But now it seemed that another large force had joined them. His earlier assumptions crumbled.
Marko, scratching his head, suggested, "Maybe this is magic? After all, both Morgan and Merlin are skilled in sorcery. Could this be some kind of magical trick?"
Vortigern gave Marko an incredulous look. "Do you think magic can create thousands of torches and people?" he scoffed. "We'll know more in the daylight tomorrow."
Reluctantly, King Marko nodded in agreement.
By dawn, Vortigern and King Marko's worst fears were confirmed. Another army was indeed marching toward the castle. Reinforcements had arrived, and the defence around the castle was stronger than ever.
Meanwhile, inside the castle, Lott and Morgan stood watching as the troops entered. Lott smirked as he noticed the soldiers moving in formation, following Morgan's strategic instructions. "I didn't expect you to use one of the stories I told you," he said in admiration.
Morgan returned his smile, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "It worked, didn't it?"
The strategy was simple but effective. Lott had once told Morgan about a tactic from The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a tale he often read as a bedtime story to young Gawain. Morgan had listened carefully, adapting the plan for her battle. She had her troops enter the castle quietly under the cover of darkness and then had them re-enter with a grand display the next morning, creating the illusion of a much larger force.
As Lott looked at Morgan, still impressed by her quick thinking, she flashed a playful smile. "Surprised?"
Lott grinned and gently tapped her nose. "You're something else, Morgan," he said affectionately. "It makes me want to bite your cheek."
Morgan rolled her eyes, but there was a smile behind it. "Focus, Lott. We're in broad daylight here. Save that for later."
Back outside, Vortigern and King Marko stood watching the increasing number of troops.
"Did Morgan mobilize that many reinforcements from Wales?" Vortigern murmured, a sinking feeling settling in his gut.
More and more soldiers seemed to be arriving, strengthening the castle's defences. It was becoming clear that with such a fortified position, an attack would be far riskier than they'd anticipated.
Vortigern, frustrated by the lack of clear intelligence, had sent out spies to investigate. But none had returned, most likely captured or eliminated by Merlin's forces. It was now impossible to know the exact number of troops they were facing.
"What now?" King Marko asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
Vortigern thought for a moment before answering, "We don't know how many reinforcements have arrived. If we attack blindly, we could face disaster. We need more information before making our next move."
King Marko, unwilling to retreat but also unsure of the situation, hesitated. "What if... what if Morgan is just bluffing? Maybe she's deceiving us again."
Vortigern looked thoughtful. "It's possible. We'll find out tomorrow."
And so, Vortigern and Marko prepared for yet another day of battle, uncertain whether they were facing a full army or simply the clever tricks of Camelot's finest minds.