Arthur; The Legend and Myth Chapter 42

42.

Soon after leaving the couple, Arthur had dismissed the knights from the main hall. From there he took the long walk towards the steps leading to the main towers. He chose the left tower and mounted it. When at the top, he stood at the wall opening overlooking the cliff. He was looking at the open sea. He recalled that he came here to save a village and from there he ended up building his castle and then protecting the land. And from there, his ascent was fast and then he was the King.

“Ironic…” Arthur mumbled to himself. He then let out the laughter from his face. It was not the laughter of joy but of snide. He was laughing of how during the last year his new phase of life from a serene life of farming to that of leading as though he never left the Legion. His left hand gripped the hilt of the sword and its familiarity to him. He had been holding one since young and with it he had killed many. Lives were lost to the sword that was raised on the command of others. He was the one who took those commands like how he was trained to be, and then he felt that he was still commanded then. Instead of men of flesh, he was to be commanded by the legacy of the throne as the King.

“It’s all about you.” Arthur gripped the hilt harder. “Will it be with you I will end my life?”

“I don’t think so.” Arthur heard the voice. He turned to look and saw Lancelot standing there. “I am back to serve you. It’s my pledge to Elaine that I served her King. And my King.”

Arthur wanted to say something then but he kept his mouth closed. He nodded to the knight and then asked that Lancelot to join him. He had the servants recalled the others to the round table.

In the other section of the castle at the chambers for the guests, Lady Elaine raised herself from the luxurious warm water in the tub. She felt refreshed when the warm water eased her aches from the previous encounter with Lancelot. Her hands held the linen that rubbed her body of the water that clung there. She rubbed herself on her legs and then up to her chest before she saw her reflection on the mirror by the tub. It showed a beautiful woman figure with the right proportions in the flesh and curves that enhanced the frame to a desirable level. She dropped the linen before she lowered her hands to view her body that had grown much in the last two years. Her bosom once like the budding bulbs of the flower had grown full and her navel once rounded with fats have slimmer down. She felt then ashamed of her own admiration and used her hands to cover her navel and breast but the contact of the hands there jolted her memory to the encounter with Lancelot. He was gentle and yet he was insistence to feel her everywhere. His lips had kissed her on the face from the eyes to the drop of the chin, but it was his hands that she could not resist when it nudged and probed where the nodes of pleasure drew out gasps from her mouth.

Elaine was shocked out of her pleasant thoughts when she felt the hands on her back.

“What the…” Elaine held her hands out more tightly to cover her naked ness then before she turned to look. “Morgause? What are you doing here?”

Elaine did not wait for the reply and bend down to collect the linen to lent her some decency. Morgause stepped back and apologies for the intrusion.

“I did knock and there was no reply.” Morgause smiled before she posed at the mirror. “I am still ..not grown. I mean fully grown.”

Elaine ignored the other and went for her clothes that were draped over the nearby seat. She grabbed the soft silk to drape it over her nude body. With that on, she felt less vulnerable and it was then she glared at Morgause. The later was dressed in her riding attire; the tunic and leggings with the jacket and boots.

“Why are you here?” Elaine asked her sister. Morgause was not an easy child to be with and worse than the sister Morgan.  Morgause was untenable most times; she was her own maverick in the events. It was all done behind her mother’s back and so Morgause appeared the dutiful daughter like Elaine.

“I just rode in to see Arthur.” Morgause replied while watching her sister dressed. She then continued on. “He is family now.”

Elaine stopped her dressing and glared at the sister. She had heard that Morgause had developed a crush for Arthur and with the new revelation, she had wished her sister would not think of it.

“You do know…” Elaine tried to form the words but Morgause had beaten it to her.

“He is family, I know. “ Morgause snapped out. “I am not going to give my maidenhood.”

“Your what?” Elaine was appalled that Morgause was direct. “Morgan probably done hers’ with the stable boys. And yours? Was it Lancelot?”

Elaine refused to reply then. She knew that hers’ was intact. Lancelot was impressive but she was hesitant to lose her one true offering on the grass land. She was an idealist in there to have the proper ceremony and then the final acceptance of her love for her lover.  She wanted to tell Morgause but kept mum. She completed her dressing and then took on her sewing like a lady despite Morgause insistence to talk on the man she was not keen on. Her patience finally snapped then.

“I am not keen to talk on Arthur or Lancelot. I am here to serve my King. So let it rest and leave the chamber.” Elaine told the other sister. Morgause got up from her seat at the bedding and stormed off.

In the main hall, the knights seated at the round table took their call to end their discussion. Arthur saw everyone stepped out and was do so, when he saw Morgause had arrived. He was surprised to see her there and with his new role, he had expected many to come but Morgause was a surprise. Arthur was to speak when Morgause started off.

“I need to stay here for a while. I am not in talking terms with my mother.” Morgause snapped off in her words without pausing. “If I am not allowed then I will move on but I am not moving back with my mother.”

Arthur was taken aback by her action and his experiences with legionnaires were not prepared for it. He nodded and then turned to walk when Morgause voiced out again.

“Mother is sending over a cousin of ours. Her name is Guinevere. She was to be your lover.” Arthur was surprised at that. He was wondering what else have these ladies have in mind. It was unbelievable that he was made King and now a Queen was to be handed to him.

“Who…” Arthur could only stammer then but Morgause had stormed away. He was left standing there with his left hand gripping the hilt once more. He wanted to pull the sword out and kill someone with it. He then heard his name called. It was King Ban. The huge figure without his usual armor was dressed in the long tunic that reached his knees but the waist belt displayed his other self with the sword there.

“King Arthur, if I may be direct to tell you this. Bors and myself are looking to leave. We are not …wanted….” King Ban was not a figure of many words. He had always preferred to wrestle with his hands or kill with the sword. “I can leave the hundred knights with you as yours.”

Arthur found himself once walled up by the actions of others. He forced himself to halt the other who was seen then leaving.

“Stop, Sir…Ban of Benoic. You and your brother are invited to my….the round table of knights. On the round table, without any corners we are seated as equal. There is no King or Lords or even Sirs there. We are all servants of the land and we will do what we can to protect the land. Every words we speak there, every move we planned there will be in total agreement of all. No one stands above the others.”

“Sir Ban, you are one of us.” Arthur stressed on that towards the other. “I cannot be without you. The round table….”

“It’s table, Arthur. Grow up.” King Ban looked to the one he had addressed by name. “It’s not the high seat of the throne which you are to sit when you addressed your subjects.”

“I have my throne and I have my table. From my throne, I can command all on my land but for me to be wise and above all, be right in my action, I have the table. It was from there I can share my responsibility with those who knew my responsibility. I cannot rule alone. I need the right friends to assist me. Those friends are the ones seated with me on the table.”

“And it’s not any table. It’s our round table.” Arthur stressed on that. “It’s Camelot Round Table. Only the twelve selected knights of Camelot can sit there.”

Arthur paused in his words.

“We are only short by two.” Arthur glared at Ban. “Can we now retire for the day and be ready for tomorrow?”

With that Arthur took his leave but his anxiety was still on the hand holding the hilt. He needed time alone.