Elizabeth's POV

I smile proudly as Arthur kneels before our father. "Do you solemnly swear to govern the people of this kingdom and its dominions according to the statutes, customs and laws laid down by your forebears?" father asks him.

"I do, sire" Arthur tells him.

"Do you promise to exercise mercy and justice in your deeds and judgments?" father asks him.

"I do, sire" Arthur promises.

"And do you swear allegiance to Camelot, now and for as long as you shall live?" father asks.

"I, Arthur Pendragon, do pledge life and limb to your service and to the protection of the kingdom and its peoples" Arthur states.

"Now being of age and heir apparent, from henceforth, you shall be Crown Prince of Camelot" father declares. We all clap as Arthur stands and faces the crowd. I go up to him and hug him from behind.

"I'm so proud of you" I tell him.

"In a few years, you'll be crown princess of Camelot" he states.

"Yeah, then father will start searching for a husband" I mutter.

"Don't worry, I won't let him marry you off to anyone" he assures me. I go to thank him when suddenly a black knight on a black horse bursts through the window. Arthur pushes me behind him, drawing his sword. Along with the knights.

"What in the devil's name?" father asks. The horse walks to Arthur and I. The Black Knight throws down a gauntlet in front of us. Arthur sheathes his sword to pick up the gauntlet, but another knight gets there first.

"I, Sir Owain, accept your challenge" he declares.

"Single combat. Noon tomorrow. Till the death." the black knight declares. Before riding out of the room. The celebration ends and I go to Morgana's room with Arthur. Who starts to rant.

"He shouldn't have picked up the gauntlet!" he snaps.

"So put an end to it" Morgana tells him.

"The challenge has been taken up. The fight cannot be stopped" he states.

"Then why not swap places with sir Owain?" I ask him.

"Owain picked up the gauntlet. Owain is the one who must fight. That's the Knight's Code. He knew that" he explains.

"But it's a fight to the death" Morgana and I state.

"I know" Arthur says sadly.

"Then we must pray and have faith in sir Owain" I tell them. They agree. Arthur and I leave for our rooms to go to bed. I prayed when woke up in the morning that the black knight had been a dream. He wasn't. Morgana and I each sent Gwen with a token of good luck for Sir Owain.

Morgana and I are in our usual seats as we wait for the fight to begin. "The fight shall be to the knight's rules! To the death!" Arthur declares. "Let the battle commence" he says and it does. Owain managed to stab the black knight in the gut, yet it continued to fight like he hadn't been injured at all. He kills Sir Owain and we all gasp in horror.

Morgana's favour flutters on the ground. Tristan faces the crowd and takes off his glove. "Who will take up my challenge?" he asks. Throwing his gauntlet onto the crowd. Arthur tries to bolt over the barrier of the stands, but father grabs him. Another knight jumps over the stands and takes up the gauntlet.

"I, Sir Pellinor, take up the challenge" he declares.

"So be it" the knight says and leaves the arena. Arthur leaves with Father. No doubt wanting answers for why father wouldn't let him accept the challenge.

The next day, Sir Pellinor fights the black knight in the arena. Sir Pellinor is doing well and the crowd cheers. As Sir Pellinor runs Tristan through. Tristan does not fall. "The sword went in, I'm sure of it" Gwen states.

"I saw too" Morgana states.

"Yesterday Owain stabbed him in the gut and he continued to fight" I tell them. The black knight kills Pellinor, crowd groans. He turns to the crowd. Arthur throws his gauntlet down, father tries to stop it.

"I, Arthur Pendragon, challenge you" Arthur tells the unkillable knight.

"So be it" the knight says.

"Single combat. Noon. Tomorrow" Arthur tells him and leaves. Father follows him looking annoyed. Well more then annoyed, he looks mad. I follow and eavesdrop outside the council chambers. Father tries to make Arthur take back his challenge. Forbidding him to fight.

"No, Arthur, this will be your death!" father snaps.

"I'm sorry you have so little faith in me, Father" Arthur states. I hide behind a pillar as he leaves. Ignoring father's call. That knight I decide to visit my old friend. I did not expect to see Merlin present holding a sword.

"Will you burnish it, to save Arthur?" Merlin asks offering the sword to the dragon.

"The dead do not return without reason. Who has he come for?" the dragon asks. I cover my mouth as I gasp. He can talk? That cheeky dragon, he's allowed me to believe he couldn't for years. Merlin tells him the black knight has come to kill my father.

"Then let him take his vengeance and the wraith will die without my aid" the dragon tells him.

"But it's Arthur who's going to fight him. You have to save him" Merlin tells him

"That is your destiny, young warlock, not mine" the dragon tells him. So he knows about Merlin's magic. But what destiny is he talking about?

"But if Arthur fights the wraith and dies, Camelot will have no heir. I will have no destiny" Merlin tells him.

"A weapon forged with my assistance will have great power" the dragon tells him.

"I know" Merlin states.

"You do not know. You can only guess. You have not seen what I have seen. If you had, perhaps you would not ask this of me" the dragon tells him.

"What do you mean?" Merlin asks him.

"In the wrong hands, this sword could do great evil. It must be wielded by Arthur and him alone" the dragon tells him. Merlin said he understands. "You must do more than understand. You must promise" he says. Merlin promises and I watch the dragon breath fire on the sword. "Heed my words. The sword was forged for Arthur, and him alone" he states and Merlin leaves with the sword. "Come out princess" he says.

"How long were you going to let me believe you could not talk?" I ask him.

"It was amusing" he states.

"Will you tell me about Nimueh?" I ask him.

"Not yet, you are not ready for that tale" he states.

"Will my brother be ok?" I ask him.

"You have some fight many times and with the sword Merlin had me forge. He'll defeat the wraith" he tells me.

"What is a wraith?" I ask him.

"The spirit of a dead man conjured from the grave" he states.

"So that means magic is involved, was it Nimueh again? She seems to have it in for my family" I state.

"Most likely" he says. "You should go rest, you look tired little princess" he states.

"I have not slept well since the knight's arrival" I tell him. "Next time I visit, do you promise to tell me about Nimueh?" I ask.

"We shall see" he says and takes off. I sigh and return to my chambers. Calling it a night. The next day instead of Artur facing the black knight with the sword Merlin had made. It's my father, something tells me the dragon will not be thrilled by this. But I can only pray it still works and will allow father to kill the wraith before he is killed.

"You can have what you came for. The father, not the son" father tells the knight. A guard removes Uther's cape. And the fight begins. Father knocks off the knight's helmet to reveal the mummified face. Father loses his sword. The knight has him on the ground, but his sword gets stuck in father's shield. Father kicks his shield at Tristan, grabs his sword and runs the knight through. Who explodes. Father gets up and removes his helm and the crowd cheers.

I race down to him and hug him tightly. Glad he's alright. "Where's Arthur?" I ask.

"Locked him in his chambers" he tells me.

"I'll go let him out, I'm so glad you both are ok" I tell him. He smiles and leaves. I race to the castle. "Arthur it's over, father defeated the black knight" I state as I let him out.

"He did?" he asks.

"Yes it was amazing, I had no idea father could still fight like that" I state.

"Where is our father?" he asks.

"With Gaius, please don't fight. He only tried to protect you" I tell him. He just kisses my forehead and leaves. I'm glad it's over. The kingdom is once again safe. I wonder if that day I become crowned princess of Camelot will be as exciting as Arthur's coronation as crowned prince of Camelot. Guess I'll find out.

A/N

Picture above of Excalibur being forged and pictures in chapter of Elizabeth, her dress, Arthur, Uther & the black knight.