Nimueh saw Aura first as she stepped from the shadows. She squeaked, dropped her bread roll and covered her mouth with her fingers, her green eyes wide. Her family fell into a questioning silence, turning their heads to look at her with concern. All except Mordred who was seated on his mother's left hand side and knew exactly what she had seen. He reached across and gave Nimueh other hand a reassuring squeeze.
"Aura," Nimueh breathed in a voice little more than a whisper as Aura wrapped her arms around Morgana's shoulders. Fortunately for Morgana, her mother's warning made the experience a little less alarming than it might otherwise have been. The legs of Arthur's chair squeaked over the polished floor as the king rose to his feet, setting his napkin down on the table top beside his half-eaten soup.
"Oh," Morgana replied, wrenching herself from her surprise. She returned the hug a little awkwardly, "whatever it was, you're welcome."

Arthur knew. Morgana could see it in his eyes and she raised a demanding eyebrow at him for an explanation.
"Mallos," he mouthed, the corner of his mouth lifting in the smallest of smiles. Oh. When Aura finally released his sister and turned to face him, Arthur's small smile widened.
"Aura," he said with genuine warmth, "it's good to have you back." She pulled him into a hug, which he returned, giving her an affectionate squeeze. "You were missed," he told her, when she finally let him go. The king paused, making the most of the opportunity to take in her new guise. It suited her; ironically her new role made her seem more alive than he'd ever seen her.
"Thoth is..." he answered at last with good humour, "well...Thoth is Thoth, but yes, I think he's content enough. I hope he is happy."
"He has a secret lab," Tristan put-in helpfully from the other end of the table, "he likes his secret lab."

As all the faces around the table turned to look at him with varying expressions ranging from amusement to 'shut up', the Prince grinned and raised his hand in a wave of greeting.
"Hello," he greeted Aura brightly, lounging in his chair, "I won't say your name again, but it's nice to meet you at last." He leaned forwards, ripped a piece of bread off his roll and dunked it into what remained of his soup. "Do me a favour though," he laughed, when he'd finished it, "when you see him, don't say I saw you before he did." He glanced at Arthur. The king looked to be on the verge of face-palming.
"You remember my son, Aura," Arthur sighed, torn between amusement and exasperation.

Nimueh smothered a giggle.
"Would you like to join us, Aura?" she asked, "I can have another plate brought through for you? Or just a chair? I'm sure you and Arthur have a lot of catching up to do." Arthur nodded his agreement.
"Yes, yes, do sit." A guard materialised from the other side of the room with a slightly smaller chair and placed it on the king's right-hand.
"Which of your charges would you like to speak of first?"


Arthur
_{see heaven's got a plan for you}