ARTHUR could not believe his eyes. He stared at all of the women gathered around his round table, Isabel standing as she scratched out things upon a piece of parchment, then pointing at one and then another, and handing out what sounded very close to assignments for a battle plan.
"What goes on here?" he asked.
Isabel glanced up while most of the women, all those but Gwen, scrambled to their feet.
"Oh, sit down already," he said. "Isabel, what is this?"
"This is the round table," she said calmly, straightening. "We are planning strategy. Is that not what this table was created for?"
"For, for . . ." Oh, gods, 'twas a waste of time to argue with the woman. "Planning what strategy? First you have Mary force braids upon men's heads, and now you involve women in this fight? What will you not do, Isabel?"
"Allow any to win in their attempt to overtake Camelot. I might be mistaken, but I believe that's the goal for this day."
"And you feel it all right to involve the women?"
Isabel looked around the packed table. "Any of you who feel unwilling to join in, raise your hands. If you are at this table against your will, speak up now. You will not be punished, and you are free to go right now."
Not a single hand lifted, not even Gwen's.
"I will not allow - "
"You have no choice. Guinevere - last I heard, the Queen of Camelot - has decreed that we may help in this endeavor."
His outrage almost overruled his admiration. "This is war. This is a man's battle."
"This is a battle to preserve Camelot," Isabel said. "It is up to all of us to join in."
"You are of Dumont. You are not of Camelot. You have not authority to - "
One by one he watched as every woman at the table stood up again, this time including Gwen. And by the belligerent countenances, he was certainly aware it was not out of respect for their king. Truth be told, the allegiances had most assuredly switched to the woman from Dumont.
"I give her the authority, Arthur," Gwen said, even as she shook a little. "We are joining in, in our own ways. Every one of us at this table has a man who is heading into harm's way. We are doing our part, whether you agree or not. Isabel has plans. We are not going to do a single thing to interfere, only to, mayhap, intervene where we are able. Now go back to your plans, and leave us to ours."
And then, to his utter amazement, the women all began holding up hands, slapping them against one another and saying what he believed to be, "High five."
Too many things to take in. The most stunning was that this was the very first time Gwen had stood up and countermanded his wishes. She had, while he was not paying attention, grown a backbone. Then again, when she declared that all of the women had a dog in this fight, or a man, as it were, he knew for a certainty she was thinking of Lance, not of him. And he did not care a fig. He cared that the man Isabel was defiantly fighting for was he.
Second, that the women servants were truly and utterly defying him.
And worst of all, that Isabel not only joined in this fight to help save his lands, she had managed to form an army of females to follow her into battle for them.
He knew when he was out-womaned. "Fine," he said. "You do as you see fit. But, Isabel, if your plans involve bringing any woman into the battlefield - "
"They do not," she said. "I vow we are doing this in a way that women do best. We are smarter and sneakier than men. Not a woman will be harmed in this fight. I swear. And if we are successful, no men, either. Is that not the goal?"
"That is the goal. But, Isabel? Countess Isabel? A word?" he said, crooking his finger at her.
"I'm guessing I am going to hear more than one. And most of them will be of the swearing kind."
The women around the table laughed.
"You are right. But words we will have. Now, please."
"Shall I accompany you, Countess?" Mary said.
Oh, great, now she had people ready to attack him should he make any threatening moves or words against her. His own people. He had definitely lost control of this entire castle.
"No need, Mary," Isabel said. "Not even Excalibur at his side worries me. However, should my head roll back in here, no longer attached to the rest of my body, you may correctly assume I sadly overestimated my trust in your king."
"VERY funny," Arthur said as he dragged Isabel into his study.
"Have Mordred and his men returned yet?"
"They have."
"The mission successful?"
"He feels so. Although he could not wait to rip those braids from his head. And they were not happy about the dresses."
"It was only for added protection. Should any enemy sneak up upon them - "
"They would first believe they were dealing with helpless women, yes, I get it. You realize, of course, the irony of that ruse."
"What do you mean?"
"You are using men's beliefs of helpless females against them."
"Hey, if they're dumb enough, use whatever you have."
"We have ten men imprisoned. Those who Mordred and his men caught with that ruse."
"Cool! Now let's hope that many others are enticed to stop long enough to taste the pastries and mead."
"They are men galloping into battle."
"Well, even men galloping into battle get hungry and thirsty."
"Mordred is quite proud, Isabel. He, I am thinking, feels he has accomplished an amazing feat this day."
"He has. Good for him. Now, I have another thought."
He stared at her. "Why does this worry me?"
"Because you are so accustomed to traditional blood and guts warring that you don't get the fine art of trickery."
"And what trickery have you in mind, now?"
"Well, not trickery, perhaps, but a form of defense."
"And that would be?"
"Light a fire. A big one."
"I will not burn down Camelot, Isabel."
"No, no, I don't mean here. I mean far enough in the forest to cut off all trails leading to Camelot. Those not dumb enough to stop to take advantage of our lovely food and drink gifts will be stopped by a wall of fire. You gave me the idea when you warned Lance not to start a fire he could not contain. If you start a fire, a contained fire, blocking their way to the castle, you cut them off before they can even invade."
Arthur looked down at this woman, this utterly amazing woman. "And your plans?"
"Will not work should we leak them. Trust me, Arthur, no women will be harmed during the making of this battle."
"What?"
"Never mind, was just a joke."
"You are so strange, Isabel."
"But you love that about me."
"I am utterly perplexed by that about you."
"At least I'm not boring."
"That, Countess Isabel, is the truest of truths."
Again he kissed her, as fiercely as he had just hours ago. Then he took her hand, leading her back out of his study.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"To start a fire. And you are going back to continue planning. That room, that table, was first meant for something completely different. But now I see so clearly that it has value so deeper than that. And, by the by, you love me, in case you needed to be reminded."
"I do, and I didn't."
She began walking back to the round table room when she heard him call, "I love you!"
And then, "Oh, for crying out loud, Frederick. I meant her, not you."
