"Excalibur!" "No!" " How long has Merlin been gone?" " Four nights since we last saw him." "Do you think he's coming back?" " I don't know." " He got you that sword." "He wouldn't just desert you after that." "Can't predict anything when it comes to Merlin." "Do you think he has a plan?" "Really knows what he's doing?" "Huh!" "I hope so." "Maybe we should stop." "Wait till it passes." "Come on." "Don't tell me the King's worried by a bit of rain." "Camelot's only a few hours' ride away." "We should keep going." "Come on, I'll race you." "Ya!" "Ya!" "Ya!" " Stop, stop, stop!" " Whoa, whoa, whoa!" "Are you all right?" "Help me!" "My father, he's going to kill him!" "Where?" "Show us." "Which way?" " That way." " Come on." "Ya!" "Ya!" "Ya!" "Ya!" "Come on!" "Over there!" "Come on!" "Ya!" "Ya!" "Ya!" "Take him up!" "Let him go!" "Father!" "Let him go!" "Your King demands it!" "All right, take him down!" "Take him down!" "Father!" " Help me get him inside." " Why?" "He's a murderer!" " You do as I say!" "He's murdered my brother!" "He should be hanging from this tree!" "We're just taking what's right here." "You'll take nothing without word from your King!" " What village is this?" " Exham, Sire." "Well, this needn't concern you." "We deal with our own problems." "We don't want to detain you." "I'm sorry, Father." "I'm sorry." " How did this start?" " We caught him over my brother's body with a rock in his hand and blood on his face." "We all saw it, didn't we, lads?" "He's a murderer, Sire." "We just want what's right." "Then we both agree on that." "What's your name?" "Katelyn." "Please." "Don't let them do this." " Who's the head man here?" " My brother, Wade, the man he killed, he was head man." "I suppose it falls to me now." "They call me Ewan." "Choose a few men to accompany you." " Accompany me?" "Where?" " Camelot." "You'll present your grievances against this man once he's fit to talk for himself." "I'm telling you, Sire, we can deal with this on our own." "And I'm telling you you don't need to!" "You can't dispense justice when your mind is clouded by revenge!" "Of course." "When you hear what happened, you'll come to the right decision." "Yeah, then choose your men." "We'll hear it all at Camelot tomorrow morning." "Are you sure about this?" "Camelot's shadow only stretches so far." "Then today it stretches a little further." "Come on." "Still finding it hard to control?" "You do not have the liberty to walk in on me whenever you please." "Charity doesn't extend that far." "Is that what it is?" "Charity?" "I don't need you for anything, Sybil." "Not anymore." "Oh, I think you do." "Look at you here, surrounded by strangers." "I'm the only one who truly understands you." "Why lgraine?" "Why her, I wonder?" "It's very clear." "So I can get into Camelot, get close to Arthur, and kill him." "But then what?" "And then I take the crown, which is rightfully mine." "And after that?" "As usual, you haven't thought far enough ahead." "I've done nothing but think." "No you haven't." "You need friends." " No I don't." " Allies." "I tried an alliance." "It failed." "Morgan, without allies and friends, the throne will be taken from you before you even sit in it." "You know nothing about politics." "Nobody knows you, Morgan." "They all know of Arthur, but not you." "They know I'm Uther's daughter." "Uther's daughter, Arthur's sister..." "You can't be defined by others." "People need to know you for yourself." "I won't form any more pacts with warlords." "Not warlords; merchants; village elders." "Merchants and village elders?" "These should be my allies?" "They are ordinary and they are influential." "I travelled here across the sea, and all that way, I listened to the talk." "Nobody talks of you." "Some talk of Arthur." "But most talk about their fear." "They don't recognize their country anymore, and it frightens them." "There is nothing more powerful than fear." "You remember what it's like to be frightened." "And when someone comes, takes that fear away, how you love them for it." "How you worship them." "So you will make new friends." "And then all the talk will be of the Lady Morgan." "How she understands the suffering of the people, how she is their friend, and how she has been robbed of her legitimate claim to the crown." "They won't see that I share their suffering;" "they'll see me as Arthur's lackey, sniffing out traitors." "You'll be welcoming and gracious, and the rest will take care of itself." "They'll be here soon." "What do you mean?" "I had invitations sent out last night." "You're giving quite a feast in their honour." "The Lady Morgan's hospitality is bountiful, like her charity." "You're giving far too many orders." "Indulge me just this once." "If it fails, turn me out." "Wear this one." "Not again." "Away." "More people." "Where are they supposed to sleep?" "Who's organizing this?" "Good question." "What do you reckon, goat?" "Your goat was in my chambers again." "That's the second time this week." " Sorry, My Lady." " Keep your goat under control." "Merlin?" "No!" "Not now." "Not a good time right now." "Leave me alone." "How are we going to judge this?" "Meet me in the hall with Gawain, Ulfius, Brastias, and Leontes." "I'll explain how it'll work." "I wish Merlin were here." "You're the marshal." "I'm the King." "We don't need him." "I know what we do." "Fetch the men." " Your Highness." " Guinevere." "You might have noticed there's a problem." "Every day more people come, which is good, but we're still living like it's temporary, which it isn't." "We're here to stay, right?" "Right." "So?" "Well, there's no order." "How do we feed people?" "Where do they sleep?" "Everybody here needs something, but they can also offer something." "I'm going to make everything more organized." "Unless you object." "I don't object." "You have my blessing." "Uther's murder robbed the country of its King." "The old certainties are gone." "A new beginning is being forged." "And while everything is changing, in such flux, it's... it's easy to feel... overlooked." "I don't want you to think that you're being forgotten." "I would like to prove myself a friend, and assure you that any fears or questions you may have can be safely shared with me." "Now, Lord, we need to speak the truth, now!" "We are all grateful to the King's sister for her grace and kindness." "But I speak for us all when I say we are truly content and rejoice in Arthur's rule." "As do I." "Tribunals for justice here at Camelot?" "We're at the center of the realm." "Our values have to spread out into every community." "These communities already have their own way of doing things." "We saw their way of doing things." "He'd have been dead before he had a chance to defend himself." "So why do you need us?" "Surely a King sits alone in matters of judgment." "And anyway, who are we to judge?" "We will kill plenty." "The purpose of the tribunal is to discover the cause." "Aristoles's seven causes." "chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire." "You said the killer was seen delivering the blow." "What does cause matter if that was the case?" "Cause is everything." "We don't know who attacked who, who acted in self-defence." "If we discover the cause of the fight, we'll reason the truth." "We'll discuss what we've heard and decide, innocent or guilty, together as one." "And what about punishment?" "To be decided by all of us?" "No, that burden shall be mine alone." "Surrender your blades." "All of you." "Your sword." " We don't want any trouble." " Then you won't need the dagger." "You stay silent in there." "Understand?" "Colfur, stand, please." "Katelyn, take a seat." "Sire, really, we don't want to waste your time like this." "We know how to deal with our own affairs." "We're embarrassed to have your eyes on us when there must be so much else you could be doing." "You don't need to be embarrassed." "This is what we're here to do." "The purpose of this hearing is to address the murder of Exham's head man, Wade, and decide upon a suitable punishment for the man who was seen to attack him, Colfur." "Today is our first hearing in Camelot." "I'm sure there'll be many more." "As you King, it is my intention to apply the justice throughout the realm that begins here today." "Ewan, you speak first." "Tell us about your village and your brother, Wade." "Well, I don't know where to begin." "My brother was a good man." "Our village is quiet." "We never had any trouble till the likes of him came along." "And why is that?" "Well, he's a naysayer, isn't he?" "Always complaining about something." "Trying to band people together, cause trouble." "What do you have to say to that?" "I don't guard my words." "Them that like it, like it." "Them that don't, don't." "Why did the fight start?" "All that matters is how it finished, and Wade got what was coming to him." "But if you're asking who landed the first blow, it was me." "Why did Wade come to see you in the first place?" "He rented land from my brother." "He owed him tithes." "Well, he hadn't seen hide nor hair of payment in months." "Is that why Wade was there?" "To collect his tithes?" "If he was, I wasn't of a mind to pay him." "You were on his land;" "you should pay him." "He can have the steam off my shite before I give him anything!" "You see?" "My brother could have thrown him off that land a year past." "He had a mind to." "He was too soft." "Well, look where it got him." "Before you open your mouth, I'm not interested." "Past saving." "I'm not here to save you." "What do I call you?" "Tomal." "You?" "Am I right in thinking you're a mercenary?" "Yes." "Are you a good one?" "I'm still alive." "Who do you want killed?" "I don't want anyone killed." "What, then?" "The sort of attack that leaves marks and blood." " Easy." "But why?" " What, do you care?" "No." "Then we understand each other." "What's happening to this world?" "It's goin' to hell." "God will deliver us." "I doubt it." "But tell me who you want beaten." "Me." "Food." "What are you doing?" "I needed a room." "Didn't have a room." "Ahh." "Too much noise everywhere else." "Ohh!" "Noise and people." "Is this all you?" "Needed to think." "Haven't had time to think lately." "You're shaking." "Merlin, you're sweating." "That always happens afterwards." "After what?" "After what?" "How did you get those injuries?" "I asked for him." " Merlin, you're not making any sense." " Wizards don't need to." "Arthur's in the great hall, holding a trial." "Ohhh!" "What's he doing that for?" "This is what I mean." "Plan all you like, but people..." "Ha ha!" "Yes, they get in the way." "Come outside." "Oh, no." "No, no, no, no, no." "Too much to do." "Merlin, Arthur needs you!" "He needs you!" "Well, Sire, you've heard everything you need to hear." "Colfur admits he started the fight, and we all saw him kill Wade." "There's no dispute here." "We need to understand the reason to decide the punishment." "What's reason got to do with any of this?" "Respect the King and you'll get your justice." "Did the fight start because you refused to pay Wade his tithe?" " Answer the King!" " Why?" " I'm trying to understand." " He came to me, we fought," "I smashed his head in with a rock." "That's the fact of it." "Would you rather be executed than talk?" "You think talking will make a difference?" "You're just using me here to test your justice." "Are you going to stand guard when all this is over?" "No!" "So no point in talking!" "Sire, what difference does any of this make?" "My brother's dead, and he deserves the same fate!" "Silence!" "We need a break." "Go get some food." "It's murder." "An eye for an eye." "Gawain?" " He couldn't pay his tithe, so he killed the head man." "It's execution." "You know, Colfur didn't admit that." "He said IF Wade was there for that, he wouldn't have been of a mind to pay him." " Same thing." " It's not." "When you asked him again, he didn't respond." "What if Wade was there for something else?" "Arthur, this is becoming a distraction." "We have plenty we need to do." "Execute Colfur, and let's get back to work." "You'll still be seen as a strong leader." "Why did she run?" "When we first saw her?" "She was running for help." "No." "She was running away." "Her father was being attacked." "Why didn't she go to any of the other villages?" "When you asked Colfur why Wade was there, there was this look between Colfur and Katelyn." "It was like he wanted to be sure she wouldn't speak." " Morgan!" " Oh, my Lord!" "Sibyl." " She was found in the woods." " Get away from her." "Let's get her to her bed." "No, my chamber." "The holy mother beaten..." "None of us are safe." "Run, fetch water and cloths!" "They see that you suffer with them." "Now tell me I know nothing about politics." "Don't waste the moment, child." "Use it." "Go." "Go." "I need help." "You want a woman's touch?" "She ran instead of getting help." "It doesn't make sense." "I have to be sure." "I can't sentence a man to death unless I'm sure." "He killed another man." "Why does sentencing him bother you so much?" "Because I want our justice to be better than what's gone before." "And because I think that sometimes maybe people do the wrong thing for the right reasons." "It is beautiful." "I sometimes come here to think." "I've never seen the sea before." "Arthur's a good man." "He listens to the people." "He really cares." "He can't help me." "No one can." "It's my fault." " Why?" " I ran." "My father told me to." "We knew Wade was coming." "What was he coming for?" "The head man takes every girl as she becomes a woman." " No!" " It's the way." "Do people not try and stop this?" "You don't stand against Wade and Ewan's kin." "Igraine was right." "Yes, this is why." "Heh..." "She finds out, and now it's an endless stream of visitors just when I'm trying to think." " Who else has been here?" " Hmm?" "That's not the point." "Huh..." "You mean just me?" "An endless stream of me?" "Hm!" " What is it you want?" " You were here all alone." "I needed some time." "What is this?" "I wanted to lay it all out." "What does it all mean?" "Oh, that just shows the first wave is ostensibly complete." "But we've fallen behind." "There's so much more to do." "The library." "What do you mean, "first wave"?" "Well, getting you here... occupying Camelot, recruiting people." "How's your trial?" "Will you come?" " No." " Why?" " You had the big idea." "See it through." " I will." " Good." "I'll be fine soon." "I just needed this." "I'll be watching." "Yet another ambush." "This is a serious travel about without protection." "Tell the women..." "Lady Morgan." " I must apologize." " No, no, no." "No, no, no." "Not at all." "How is she?" "She's being attended." "You'll have to forgive me." "She's been a mother to me since I was a little girl." "How can this happen?" "Please." "Drink." "Thank you." "Her horse was carrying the Pendragon symbol." "She was wearing our colours?" "But... but this is our protection." "I fly this banner along my trading routes." "It's still attacked." "The banner is flown over my village, and yet our grain stores are robbed, our young women are taken." "There's no control." "None at all." "We are all loyal subjects." "Well, this... this this is not protection." "We understand he is your brother." "But the land moves further into chaos every day." "And that is the real truth." "I will not let this happen." "I will not!" "Are there others who feel betrayed?" "Yes." "Ay." " Yes, there are others." "I will send a messenger to my brother to represent all of us." "When he knows of this, he will act." "I know he will want to make redress." "Have faith in him." "In the meantime, send word to others who feel this way." "Tell them to come to Castle Pendragon tonight." "Tell them the King will come to his sister's call." "Shall I send for the messenger?" "Don't bother." "So what are we waiting for?" "He should be dead and buried by now." "Go wait with your people." "How does this help?" "I got a rock, I smashed it on his head." "I deserve what I get." "The people have to know." "I can spare you; there was justification." "But the people have to know why." " No." "I've told you no." " If you don't speak about this, it will keep on happening." " That's not my responsibility." " Then how does anything ever change?" "!" " It's not that simple." " Why?" "Go out, Katelyn." "No." "I said go out." "Please." "Wade's family owns all the land the village is on." "They get the first realm of every crop." "They plough the first furrow of every farm come autumn." "The night before my wedding," "Wade and Ewan's father claimed his tithe." "I was an outsider." "I..." "I hadn't heard." "Head man was always the first for every woman." "Katelyn's mother... told me two days after we were married." "She died giving birth to Katelyn." "Katelyn, Wade, and Ewan are kin." "Wade and Ewan don't care." "Those brothers come for every girl." " Then why didn't you leave?" " I did nothing wrong!" "You have to speak." "This has to stop!" "I can't!" "Katelyn doesn't know she's not mine." "If she knew, she..." "I'll have lost her!" "Oh, look at me, a grown man, crying like a baby." "It's not blood that ties you together;" "it's the memories you share." "Everything you taught her, everything you gave up for her..." "That's your love; that's what flows through her." "Tell her and you'll see how much she loves you." "I know." "You think the girls in the village don't talk about this?" "I've always known." "And I never loved you any the less." "You... are my father." "Wade had come for her." "And I told her to run." "I told her to forget me and get away... as far away as she could." "I told him I'd kill him before I'd let him near my girl." "That's how the fight started." "Have you anything to say?" "We knew all this." "That's the way we live." "The customs of your village are no longer acceptable." "The head man works harder than anyone." "He's entitled to first fruit, and no Christian boy King is ever gonna change that." "It changes today." "Oh, good luck." "Now give your verdict." "Colfur is hereby banished from the village of Exham." "You may return to collect your belongings." "Then leave the village permanently." " Thank you." " Banishment!" "For murder?" "Banishment for murder whilst trying to protect his daughter's honour." "The hearing is finished." " Well, that's a shame." " Why?" "'Cause if that's Camelot justice you'll be a short time on the throne." "He didn't need me." "Thank you for checking on him." "There was a girl and she died." "And it was my fault." "I thought I could control what I was trying to do." "You keep yourself too alone." "Why does it bother you?" "Because sometimes I see glimpses of the man you might be." "You did all this for me?" "There is nothing I wouldn't do for you." "You must blaze tonight, child." "It's all yours to take." "So blaze." "Take both of them round to the back!" "What they do to the women..." "Do you think it happens in other villages?" "I don't know." "Maybe." "Wherever it is we have to stop it." "We will." "Thank you." "For what you did with Katelyn." "You're welcome." " Ouch!" "Ah!" " Does it hurt?" " I'll be fine." "Liar." "What on earth did you use on it before?" " Nothing." " Well, I hope that sword is worth it." "After the amount of injuries you've got, it had better become legendary." "Ah, it's a great sword, but it'll only be legendary if he does something legendary with it." "Merlin..." "Who are you?" "How am I supposed to answer that?" "All right, all right." "Who were you before Arthur?" "Before Uther?" "The same." " Where were you born?" " Does it matter?" "It doesn't matter, but I'm interested." "You hide." "Even when you're not here, you hide." " I don't mean to." " Yes, you do." "What about you?" "You know everything about me." "Cornwall." "Uther." "Here." "But before Cornwall..." "Who were you then?" "I was strong." "Opinionated." "Naîve and full of hope." "Living comfortably in a family with means." "What did you dream of?" "I dreamt of a husband who'd treat me as an equal." "Did you ever find him?" "No." "I'm sorry for that." "So am I." " No!" " What's the matter?" "People who get close to me get burned." "How did you become such a man?" "!" " Be generous with the drink." " Yes, Holy Mother." "Make sure everyone is well fed." "It's you." "You live here with the King's sister?" "No, I don't." "I came for the food." "You were giving orders to the servants." "You live here." "Why does Morgan's nun pay me to beat the pulp out of her?" "I... needed a roof over my head." "And this... persuaded them." "Please." "Don't judge me." "Is this everything?" "Yes, sir." "Thank you." "You've got a lot of ground to cover." "Don't make the mistake of taking me on." "You see, we have our own justice." "So do I. My mother knew what it was to be raped." "So I keep a special place in my heart for people like you." "Your King doesn't rule around here;" "I do." "You the more you talk, the more trouble you're in." "So, Colfur, is this who you are?" "Hiding behind a boy King and his warriors?" "Eh, Colfur!" "This man has been banished!" "And I'm carrying out his sentence." "Please don't get in my way." "We have a problem." " ...killed my brother." " This is your last warning!" "Go back to your dwellings." "What the matter, big man?" "Are you afraid to fight?" "Ah, you'll get your rightful punishment." "And your girl will get her due." "Him." "This is not a problem." "My people." "I welcome you tonight to Castle Pendragon." "Where's the King?" "Has he come?" "I'm sorry to say that he was too busy to talk to me." "What?" "He sent my messenger back with word that he was too busy to address our concerns." " Too... too busy?" " I share your frustration." "I cannot pretend otherwise." "It seems to me now that we stand on the very brink." "Everything that was once so secure under my father's reign is now under threat." "All of us are in danger." "I am loyal to my brother, but I fear the future." "I fear it." "And I ask myself, what do we mean to the King if he's too busy for us?" "Finally!" "Well, don't just stand there!" "Help me!" "You were told Colfur was to be banished!" "You think your words mean anything here, in the real world?" "You've done nothing here." "Look around you." "This is no longer your village." "I am not too busy for you." "I hear your woes and they grieve me." "But know that tonight," "I make an oath, a pledge to you all that I will protect you with my life's blood." "Britain needs a strong leader." "Yes." "Let me prove myself to you." "You." "Come here." "Is this the man?" "Yes." "That is the man who beat me." "No!" "Yes!" "I can go anywhere." "I can start again." "You can't stop me." "Move, and we'll find you." "Run, and we'll hunt you." "Wherever you are, Camelot will be your shadow." "You deserver to die ten times over for every woman you've harmed." "That's enough, Gawain." "You're not worth the cloth and oil to clean the blades." "From today, every woman in this village is protected by my men, by my flag." "If harm falls to any woman, to anybody, they will know." "Exham is now part of Camelot." "This man is every man who stole from you." "Every man who terrorized you." "Who violated your women and girls, and brutalized your sons." "This man is every man who made you feel worthless, despised, and weak!" "This man is every man who robbed you of your dignity and made you ashamed to belong to this once great nation!" "I, Morgan, daughter of Uther give him to you." "Now take your justice!"