Arthur Book II Chapter 9

 

9.

 

Merlin was allowed to sit up after the spell of bindings was taken off by Vivianne. She looked at the older druid seated there like a kid caught stealing.

“I told you to let go of Excalibur.” Vivianne looked at Merlin. “The sword is meant for its purpose.”

“Your previous Lady handed over Arondight to King Bon, and then ….”

“King Bon was the deserving custodian then. He united his people under the kingdom. He had to fight off even demonic creatures. Arondight assisted him. Lady Madeline did well for that. And the sword was later handed to her son, Lancelot.” Vivianne justified the handling of the sword.

“Why pick Lancelot? Yet, you …”

“We took care of Lancelot soon after his guardian had told us. Lancelot was young and …. Virtuous. We brought him here to make him the better man than he was now. We protected him from his father’s enemies and trained him well. He was like …... a brother to us.”

“Why did you continue to give him the sword?” Merlin asked.

“Lancelot has his enemies and more to it, he was destined to fight for the people. You saw it yourself. He is…”

“Little Bear. He is not the Big Bear that was foretold in the volume. There were two of the Bears. That was why I read the volume many times. I finally understood the riddle.” Merlin reminded Vivianne of the volume that baffled him then at the sanctuary.

“No, it … Its lies that you spurn now as you did then.” Vivianne snapped back. “Merlin, you are …”

“Vivianne, I never lied that I liked you.” Merlin blurted out. It was an embarrassing moment for the lady as her four other sisters were there. Merlin turned to look at the other ladies.

“Yes, I did not like your sister. Morgause was a …. Tempting siren and I regretted it.” Merlin sighed. “If only you will ever forgive me.”

“Enough of your ramblings towards me, Merlin. I am telling you that Excalibur shall remain hidden. Since it’s discovered I will remove it elsewhere.” Vivianne glared at Merlin. “If I am to hand it over, it will never be to you.”

“Ladies, depart now.” Vivianne gave the order. The other ladies took to the stream and flowed with the current. Vivianne then faced the druid.

“You will not be welcomed in the forest or the lake anymore,” Vivianne told him.

“I begged your forgiveness, Vivianne. I never meant to …” Merlin looked at the lady. “When I said to me….”

“Words are nothing to me. My …. Feelings are void of you. It’s because of you; I had to banish Morgause …. And her other sister, Morgan Le Fay followed suit. They were close together. Closer than you and …”

“We could…. No, we may still be.” Merlin pleaded with her. “Since my return to his dimension, I have done nothing to betray you. I have spent my efforts to find the King. I had helped Lancelot but he is not the King. I have found the right King. Arthur is his name.”

“Enough of your prophecies of the future to come. I have heard enough of it. The King is not here yet. The sword will remain as it's. It will not …. Pierced or rammed another heart …” Vivianne got stuck at her words. She then turned to look at Merlin.

“I was thinking of casting aside my vows for you. I was willing to sacrifice myself to you and yet you took it onto another when it was mine you should be taking.”

“I did not …. I was vexed by her. I will make amends for you. I …”

“You cannot make amends to the memories in my visions. You are a …. cheat, Merlin.”  A word that Vivianne found disgust to utter. “I must go now.”

“Vivianne …” The lady was gone and leaving Merlin alone in the forest. Merlin was giving up. He took to the stream and moved upstream ever looking for the sword.

It was the same for Artorius when he arrived at Camelot. The castle was almost done on the cliff, with its three towers overlooking the land and the lake below. The walls were up but it was only the bare works of it. The walls have to be reinforced with more stones and the palisades build for the archers and sentries. He looked to the outer area where the foundation of the second wall had been laid. It was still an open land and the masons have set their camps there. Other settlers have moved in at the forest edge to trade their wares and some had erected homes. The forest edge had been moved further with the falling of the trees for logs.

Artorius rode into his new home and saw the place was visited by another.

“Lord Pendragon, I am ever surprised to see you here. Did you wait long?” Artorius dismounted from his horse and then greeted the Lord.

“I only arrived this morning.” That was a lie for Lord Pendragon had camped several nights in the forest “I had come to hear of the new castle.”

“New? No, it’s not. It was the …”

“Lord Gorlois, I know. It was a great castle then.” Lord Pendragon smiled. “And it will be greater with you as its master. Camelot was it not the name given?”

“It’s and how fast words have traveled on this land.” Artorius laughed. Lord Pendragon smiled. He had known through his network of spies. He had heard the news of the return of his enemies and also of the issue of land grabbing. The successes of the Roman beyond the wall have prompted more land grabbing by the more powerful.

“I brought a gift. It’s a small to your coffers for bringing peace to the land.” Lord Pendragon signaled his aide to bring forth the case of coins for the Prime.

“I cannot accept such gifts, Lord Pendragon. It will unethical…”

“Not so if I will say it’s my contribution to your effort for the people.” Lord Pendragon had arranged an audience there with the settlers and peasants. “They have contributed too. It’s not a …. You can use it to build the castle and it will protect the people.”

“Camelot!” They gathered there called out the name of the place. It was received by the Prime and he invited the Lord to stay at the castle.

“It’s unkind of me not to offer you the comfort of …. Camelot. More to it when you held the company of the ladies in your entourage.” Artorius had seen the ladies at the group that was brought by the Lord. They stood apart from the settlers and peasants as they would with their finer dressing.

“I had forgotten my manners. The ladies are my group. May I present them to you in the Hall?” It was that the Prime opened the doors of Camelot to its first guests. Soon, at the hastily prepared banquet at the Hall, the Prime raised a toast to the guests.

“I welcome all of you to Camelot.” The toast was cheered and then Lord Pendragon made the formal introductions.

“Lady Igraine, my Lady. Lord Pendragon led the lady to meet Prime. Lady Igraine did the curtsy bow to the Prime. She was dressed in the wonderful sequined green dress with the ruffles on the skirt. Her hair was covered by the bonnet with the same shade. She then led the younger lady who was the guest of Lord Pendragon.

“My lady in waiting, Lady Guinevere.” The younger lady did the same towards the Prime.  Guinevere was dressed in the pale shade of yellow gown with the huge floral designs on the skirt and her hair swept back was pinned with the matching holders.

“Lady …. Guinevere” Lord Pendragon tried to recall the name. Then he saw the pendant on the lady’s neck. It looked familiar to him then. He looked at Lord Bors and Ban but they remained expressionless. The evening went well with the drinks and food with the pleasantries exchanged. The Prime offered the ladies most of the chambers for the castle were still under construction.

“My chamber will be adequate for both of you. I will take the yard myself.”

“I am used to hardship, Prime. I was …” Lady Igraine bit her tongue and then said, “I had ridden with the men into battle.”

“Truly, a lady of substance. Perhaps your lady in wait may not be.” Artorius smiled. He found the other lady younger was an amusing guest and attractive. He had never got himself engaged to any lady since his lover at Rome had died of illness. He had not moaned on her passing for many years.

“I will be fine…” Guinevere spoke but Prime was insistent.

“We will probably talk till dawn. Me and the Lord. I have been away far too long.” Artorius cut in. “I promised to keep the tone low as not to disturb your rest.”

With that Artorius took his leave of the ladies. Lady Igraine looked at the bare furnishings at the chamber. It did have the high bedpost bedding and the washbasin.

“Truly the place needed a lady’s touch.” Lady Igraine turned to Guinevere.

“I can get used to the place,” Guinevere replied, and then she blushed.

“Don’t be, Guinevere. Prime will be a good host to you.”

“He is …”

“Older. So was Lord Gorlois and yet…. I loved him.”

“You …”

“I was impetuous then. I was young like you. You will not do that I did.” Lady Igraine reminded the other. “More, the union of you and the Prime will protect you and from there, Lord Pendragon will be saved from his past enemies. And …his new ones.”

It was the puzzling thought then at the mind of Lord Pendragon. He had heard the name Guinevere before. He was sure but could not recall where. He turned to Lord Bors.

“She holds the pendant of the pair of geese. It was my gift to my …. The lover then, Lady Penelope. She has been dead for many years.”

“I recalled my Lord. It was a hard birth but you were told the child was cursed and you …”

“Yes, I left the child with the parents at Moor. I know not of its existence since then. Ride back there. Find out more about the lady named Guinevere.” Lord Pendragon told Lord Bors. “She must be …. Or cannot be...”

“We ride home now at dawn.” Lord Pendragon sighed. “We leave the ladies here.”

“My Lord, I have reported on the sightings of Lord of Sir Bernlak of Haus.” Lord Ban told the other. Lord Pendragon held the reins on his horse.

“The Green Knight? What is doing so far from his forest?”