Resurrection, Resolution and Reconciliation[DANTE]

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur stood lonely at the back of a small crowd who had gathered for today's hanging. He was wearing his hood up not to hide his identity, but to show his remorse for the man who was to be executed on this warm summers morning.

He hated hangings and he often told his father so, although as usual it had little to no bearing on the king, but today it was even worse than normal. The man was only seventeen.

Arthur often worried about the inevitable day when he would become king. It had kept him awake at night- sometimes to the point that he would beg Gaius for one of the draughts he made for Morgana- and he truly believed that he would never make a worthy monarch. But at times like this, when he saw such travesty or when he visited the slums, he was reminded that there were things he would change for the better and that one day he would.

As he stood behind the weeping mother, the stone-faced father and the distraught fiance Arthur was reminded of Dante, the man he had killed for nothing but personal gain and whose death had left Evie and her unborn child all alone in the world.

He turned away, red-faced, as the floor dropped, too embarrassed and disgusted to watch such a man have the life ripped from his young body.

[Dante Grixis]

The sun shone on Dante's face for the first time since he had perished in a pool of his own blood in the arena. It felt good to be able to feel the warmth of it again. As he passed the gallows he noticed a group of people standing around, waiting for the young boy with the rope around his neck to drop.

One of the guards standing atop the platform spoke, his voice booming over the crowd, "This man has been accused and found guilty by our royal highness of the crime of larceny. He has been condemned to hang from the neck until dead."

Dante shook his head. Before he knew he had even opened his lips, Dante said in a loud voice, "What did he steal?" The guard's gaze snapped to Dante and a murmur floated through the crowd. Damn. Dante thought as the guard replied, "He stole four loaves of bread, and twenty gold pieces."

"And I suppose the King has never considered that if he didn't tax the poor so much, they wouldn't have to steal to survive?" Dante replied with disgust. The guard's eyes widened, "You'll be next up here if you don't keep your mouth shut." Dante looked apologetically to the confused looking boy on the platform, "I'd like to see you try."

With that he turned and found his way out of the crowd, he couldn't stand to watch anymore. As he walked away he heard the sound of a rope quickly tightening, then a sickening pop as the criminals' neck was shattered by the force of the noose. Dante was weaponless, he was dressed only in commoners clothes, not his usual armor and cloak. A pity, if he had his blades it is likely he would have killed the guards.

He walked into the shade of a nearby tree and stood next to the wide trunk when he felt the presence of another person, a very familiar one. He chuckled a bit to himself. "Hello Arthur, surprised to see me?" He asked as he turned to face the Pendragon.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Jaw dropping, knees weakening, Arthur Pendragon turned to find himseld face to face with the very man he had "killed" not so many months ago. The very man whose death he had just been regretting and he was rather startled, to say the least.

The last time the two had spoken had been a horrifying experience for Arthur. He had been a wreck after the battle in which Dante had died, and when his dead nemesis had showed up (if the ethereal form could really have been said to do that) he had fallen apart. And yet somehow, here he was talking to him once again.

"You're still here?" Arthur said, dumbfounded. He had understood that Dante was going to leave the mortal world just as soon as he had cleared up all of his "loose ends". Did this mean that their business still wasnt finished? Or was he here for other reasons?
"I thought you were due to leave for "a better place"? Has something happened? Is Evie ok?"

[Dante Grixis]

Dante laughed, "We both know that after I move on there is no better place for me."

He clasped Arthur's shoulder for a moment and smiled at the dumbfounded prince. "This time I am no mere specter, but flesh and blood. Walk with me, we have much to discuss." Dante started walking through the groves of trees on the open green, the gallows becoming a small blemish on the beautiful scenery.

"But as for Evie, I could ask you the same thing. I have only been back among the living for a short time, but it would seem to me that she no longer resides in the kingdom of Camelot. Perhaps she was afraid of being hung for being poor and leaving an orphaned child behind." Dante said. "But, how have you been holding up since we last spoke?"

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

"Back amongst the living?" Arthur asked open mouthed as Dante walked away to the trees. It had been difficult to accept that Dante had come back to earth as a spirit when he had last showed up, but now he was reincarnated- or was it resurrected?- things seemed even harder to swallow.

He ran to catch up with the wanderer who had passed into the only patch of trees which grew on Hagmoore Green. It was beautiful up here, especially when the sun shone as it did today and Arthur felt happy. Perhaps it was because the two men had finally reached some sort of understanding, or perhaps it was simply relief that Dante wasn't trying to kill him! Either way he found himself smiling as he caught up.

"It is strangely...acceptable to have you back." Arthur laughed. "Its been weird having no clear enemies, although i suppose it wouldnt have been too long before someone had tried to fill your shoes!"

As they walked they continued talking and Arthur was truly worried when Dante admitted to having had no contact with Evie since his return. Arthur had always felt a little responsible for the confident girl from the slums and since Dantes "death" had tried to look out for her. Obviously his attempts had been less than satisfactory if she had fled Camelot and he hadnt even noticed.
"Are you not looking for her?" Arthur asked, "because you were once so close I..." He stopped before he said too much. Always having thought that 'unborn child was also Dante's unborn child, he suddenly wondered if he was wrong, or maybe that Dante didn't know. But then perhaps he just wanted nothing to do with the pair and Arthur has just put his great big foot in it. Again.

[Dante Grixis]

"Well of course I'm looking for her, she is one of the few people, aside from you and Henry, that I need to seek out now that I'm back. She is my love, and the mother of my child." He replied in a tone that suggested sorrow for not being with her.

Immediately after finishing his statement, Dante continued in a business-like tone, "I came to see you for a few reasons, and one of them was to ask you if you had any idea where she might have gone. I need some leads before I set out to find her."

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Ah. So Dante was the father, and he did know... Arthur was relieved that he wouldn't have to continue being cagey about the details any longer, he liked Evie and wanted to help her and Dante as much as he could. He owed them that much at least.

"I'm afraid that I havent seen Evie in a little while." Arthur admitted with shame. His promise to Dante had been to look after the young woman, and letting him down felt like a betrayal. In his defence Evie had been gone for some time, or so it seemed. Since Dante's "death" she had spent virtually no time in the barracks, blaming Arthur entirely- and quite rightly so! No one in the slums had wanted to talk to him either, and over time Evie had become less and less prominent in his mind. Eventually he figured he was on the trail of a lost cause.

"I guess she might be in the slums still?" Arthur added hesitantly, "I tried...but you know better than anyone how I'm viewed by most there..." He managed a weak smile.

[Dante Grixis]

Dante smiled, "Someday their opinion of you may change." He offered in response. "But alas, she is gone, I've searched this Kingdom to no avail. I suppose that I will have to check Mercia and Gore next. I will go to the end of the world to find her if I must."

"So, I'd imagine that your father will not be pleased to hear of my return." Dante said with a mischievous look at Arthur. He imagined that if the Prince was surprised at his resurrection, the King would be just as shocked, and furious.

[Prince Arthur Pendragon]

Arthur smiled. It was strange to hear his one arch-nemesis, offer such kind words.
"Thank you." He replied, "But I fear I will always be viewed as my fathers son. There has been too much bad-blood between my people and yours, for them ever to see me as a friend."
He spoke the truth. Uther was not a cruel king, but he had always viewed the poorer people with a slight distain and Arthur had been brought up to think the same. Perhaps one day though, he could prove to the Lows that he was not his father.


"If you need anything on your quest to find Evie, just let me know." The way Dante continued to talk about Evie pulled on Arthur''s heart strings. It was rare to hear such words, spoken with love and care and Arther was compelled to offer his help. He felt it was his duty as prince, and perhaps this was the first step to proving he cared about all of his people equally. For had a noble girl gone missing, Uther himself would have sent Arthur after her.

"No i imagine my father is going to be quite surprised to see you again. Needless to say, I hadn't mentioned our...meeting during your 'departure', and although Uther is no longer adverse to magic, I think your resurrection might be the thing to tip him over the edge!" He laughed, before continuing, "I think it best to lay low for now..."