SGE-4

How Not to Throw a Coronation W31
Lady Gremlaine pursed her lips.
“When Merlin gets here, give him your seat, as he’ll be my
real advisor once I’m king,” Tedros piled on.
“Merlin won’t breach the gates of Camelot. After he
deserted your father, Arthur had him banned from the kingdom,”
said Lady Gremlaine.
Tedros gave her a bewildered look. Neither Merlin nor his
father had ever told him that.
“Well, Arthur also put a death warrant on my mother’s
head and she’s very much alive,” Tedros said brusquely. “I don’t
follow an ex-king’s edict and neither does Merlin, even if it was
my father’s.”
“Then why isn’t Merlin here?” Lady Gremlaine challenged.
Tedros bristled, wondering the same thing. “He’ll be here.
You’ll see.”
He has to be, the prince thought. The idea of ruling Camelot
without Merlin was unfathomable.
“I wouldn’t bet on it. Defying banishment is punished by
death,” said Lady Gremlaine crisply.
Tedros snorted. “If you think you can execute Merlin while
I’m king you’re as clueless as those monkeys.”
A sequined hat hit him in the face and he swiveled to see
the chimps in a violent brawl, pummeling each other as the
crowd tittered.
“Is this really the best we can do?” Tedros moaned. “Who
planned this idiocy?”
“I did,” said Lady Gremlaine.
“Well, let’s hope you’re not planning the wedding.”