The night was silent. For the most part, everybody, including the guards, was asleep. The ones who were awake tried batting their friends, but to no avail. It was so peaceful in the palace—it was suspicious.
Unfortunately, the peace was interrupted when, from out of nowhere, King Arthur broke down the door to his chambers. No, not King Arthur, but the Death Lion. He appeared in the doorway fully dressed in his armor. A voice in his head was telling him to follow it, and he intended to do just that.
A few guards, who were woken by all the racket, appeared at the end of the hallway.
"Sire, what's wrong?" they asked.
Arthur said not a word. Instead, he glared at the guards. His eyes glowed red.
The Death Lion, who was also known to have psychic powers, picked up the guards and chucked them into the wall. It knocked them out. Arthur was definitely not in his right mind now. The spell was too powerful.
He stepped over the guards' motionless bodies and sauntered on down to the castle's stables. He picked out a giant, brown horse and tacked him up.
Arthur soon appeared in the castle's courtyard. Eyes still glowing, he kicked his horse's sides. The king took off at a full gallop.
Behind him, Lord Agravaine peeked out from a pillar he was hiding behind. At the sight of Arthur galloping into the moonlight, he cracked an evil smile. This was just what he and Morgana wanted. For once, one of their plans had succeeded. King Arthur was as good as dead now.
***
"So, they don't remember anything?" asked Merlin the next morning.
Gaius was treating the injured guards in his chambers. They managed to wake up, but only briefly. The Death Lion really smacked them.
"Gwen found them barely conscious just outside Arthur's chambers," Gaius explained. "All they told her was 'Evil.' Not only that, but she also said that somebody broke Arthur's door down overnight."
"Somebody or something," Merlin said.
"And now the king is missing," finished Gaius. "Gwen seems to think that somebody's kidnapped him."
"Come on, Gaius, you really don't really believe this nonsense, right?" asked Merlin. "Nobody's kidnapped him. The Death Lion has escaped. It's luring Arthur into a trap." He turned on his heel and rushed out of Gaius's chambers.
Gaius would have followed him, but he had to treat his patients.
***
Merlin hurried to Arthur's room, where he found Gwen sobbing next to his bed.
"I just don't understand," she choked out. "Who would kidnap Arthur?"
Merlin considered telling her about the Death Lion, but he wasn't able to because Sir Leon, Sir Percival, Sir Gwaine, and Sir Elyan rushed into the room.
Gwaine was the only knight still wearing his night clothes: a white shirt and some brown pants. He was also barefoot. Sword drawn, he asked, "I heard the king's been kidnapped! Where's the kidnapper?" He held the tip of his sword under Merlin's nose.
"How am I supposed to know?" Merlin asked. "He's a kidnapper, not a partygoer! He didn't celebrate kidnapping the king in the tavern."
"We can't waste any time," Sir Elyan said. "Knights, mount up!"
Sir Percival grabbed Merlin and pulled him close. "You're coming with us."
"I was planning to anyway," Merlin stated.
"I want to go, too!" said Gwen.
Sir Percival burst out laughing. "You're kidding, right? It's too dangerous for—!" However, he cut off.
"For what?" asked Gwen. "For a girl? Arthur is my friend, too!"
The knights together glanced at Merlin for backup.
He shrugged. "It's true."
Now, the knights glanced at Guinevere. They couldn't convince her not to come. Therefore, they ended up letting her. This was to Gwen's excitement.
Lord Agravaine paid the knights, Merlin, and Gwen a visit while they were getting their horses ready. "Let me come, too," he begged. "I have a feeling I know where the kidnapper took the king. To the Perilous Lands."
"How can you be so sure, Agravaine?" Merlin asked.
"A feeling," was all Agravaine said.
Even though Merlin was a bit hesitant about letting Agravaine join the search party, Sir Elyan told him, "We need all the help we can get, Merlin. This is the king we're talking about."
"Fine," Merlin said in between clenched teeth. He let Agravaine tag along.
It wasn't long until all the horses were tacked up and ready to go. One by one, the knights, Guinevere, Merlin, and Lord Agravaine, mounted. Merlin's horse was a black stallion who had four white socks and a white mark on his forehead. His name was Dynard.
While Merlin was adjusting his stirrups, Gaius came out of the castle and bid him farewell. "Merlin," he whispered, "Remember what I told you yesterday. You can't beat the Death Lion with wits alone. Also, keep an eye on Lord Agravaine. I don't trust him."
"Believe me. Nor do I," Merlin whispered back.
"The Death Lion is powerful," Gaius added. "Look out for your magic."
"I will," Merlin said with a nod. "Thank you, Gaius."
Gaius smiled. Grabbing hold of Merlin's hand, he gave it a gentle shake. "Be careful. Make sure you bring Arthur back safe and sound."
"I will. I promise," Merlin said. He noticed that Gwen, the knights, and Lord Agravaine were already starting to trot out of the courtyard.
"Off you go," Gaius told his apprentice. He let Merlin's hand go so he could grab the right rein.
The young sorcerer kicked Dynard's sides, yelling, "Hyah!"
Dynard whinnied. He jumped into a trot, and Merlin posted with each beat.
He waved goodbye to Gaius.
Gaius waved back.
Then, Merlin joined the others, unaware that Arthur had gone in the complete opposite direction of the Perilous Lands.
***
Arthur, who had been riding all night, was already way ahead of the search party. He made it to a deep, dark forest that had mountains in the distance. At the foot of the mountains, surrounded by forest, was a large, clear lake. It was one of the most beautiful lakes Arthur had ever seen in his life. Just looking at it, he was drawn toward its sparkly, blue water.
Arthur urged his horse down the hill they were standing on. Getting to the lake was quite a trek. They had to push through overgrown trees, vines, and bushes. Multiple times, Arthur had to draw his sword and cut away vines that were blocking the path. His horse, Sola, kept getting caught in them. Eventually, though, they arrived at the lake. It was even more beautiful up close than it was on the hill. Arthur never realized how clear it was. He dismounted Sola and tied him up to a tree, which was next to a rock.
The young king followed the voice in his head. It told him to approach the lake's side. Arthur did. He hopped over a few stepping stones that were resting on a small stream and followed them to the main lake. Wow. This was such a beautiful place. The sight of the mountains in the background and the rays of the sun shining on the lake's surface made it even more breathtaking.
Just when Arthur thought things couldn't get any better, he heard a woman singing. She had the voice of an angel. Arthur was mesmerized by it.
Curious, he searched the lake. It sounded like the singing was coming from a line of rocks further from shore, but in front of a cove. Arthur headed over to the cove. It was just as beautiful as the rest of the lake. Green trees and breathtaking flowers swayed in the breeze. The singing grew louder and louder until finally, Arthur saw her—a mermaid.
She was literally the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his entire life. She was sitting on a rock, brushing out her long, golden-blonde hair. It went all the way down to her backside. She sported a flower behind her right ear, but no top. Her tail was grayish-orange. A few fins grew out from her hips and from the back of the tail itself. While she sang, she batted it on the water.
Arthur did not feel like an enemy around her, but a friend. The Death Lion escaped from his mind. All he could think about now was this beautiful mermaid.
The mermaid sensed he was behind her. Therefore, she stopped her song but continued to brush her hair.
Arthur stumbled toward her, still under her spell. He sighed dreamily. It looked like he was half asleep.
The mermaid pretended to be nervous around him. She stopped brushing her hair and just started to twist it around her fingers. When she opened her mouth to speak, this was what she said:
"Welcome to the Lake of Peace."