"I don't think that's a sentence I thought to hear today," Mordred said from the other side of the table with an amused smile, "figuring out how to fix death." Arthur couldn't help but agree and found himself nodding. There were few things in life he had assumed pretty much took care of themselves, but death had most certainly been one of them. His hand closed subconsciously around the crucifix handing from his neck, feeling the stirrings of thoughts that had surfaced upon Aura's appearance and had subsequently been locked away for further consideration at a later time. How exactly did one go about reconciling Aura the Guide with the Almighty?
"Are you alright, Aura?" Nimueh asked, reaching out to close a kind hand over the goddess', "you must have had the most...unusual time." Morgana looked across at them with a steady gaze, considering Aura. She had spoken with the dead, and it had always been a very mixed experience. Many ghosts came to her in distress, feeling bereft of something they couldn't name. If Aura was now able to help them, she was glad of it. Her gaze strayed to the staff on the table. Something about it made her skin crawl. Mordred, perhaps sensing her discomfort, took her hand under the table and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

The mention of Mallos changed the atmosphere in the room. Tristan fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat and glanced to his father. Morgana released her brother's hand with a sniff, folding her arms across her chest, and Nimueh, eager to diffuse the tension in some way, climbed to her feet and began to refill everyone's goblet with a healthy measure of wine.
"I'm afraid you've stumbled into a rather touchy subject," Arthur replied ruefully, thanking his mother with a smile and taking a long steadying swig from his cup. "Honestly, mostly he's been...shall we say, the very best version of himself." He smiled, setting the goblet back down on the table. "A couple of hiccups as you might expect, but his heart's been firmly in the right place." Arthur paused, sensing Morgana's eyes on him and sighed. "I'm not sure how much you know about what's happening at present," he began, "but this business with his daughter..." The king hesitated, glancing at his sister again, "his new daughter. It's been a bit of a strain."
"He's been an idiot," Morgana put-in, glowering at no-one in particular. Arthur smiled apologetically at Aura.
"Its caused some difficulties," he confessed, "and everything's a little up in the air right now."




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