Arthur II Book III Chapter 9

 

9.

 

Adriane took a big gulp from her goblet while her eyes were fixated on the older man seated across the table. The uncle of the man had then excused himself armed with a jug of the mead leaving the two alone. She leaned forward to pick at the fruit there on the plate.

“When have you remained silent for more than an hour?” Adriane asked of Percival. “Was it because I lied to you about being your sister?”

“Ever since I learned how to keep quiet while elders speak,” Percival said.

“It had been ages since we last met.” Adriane smiled. “You were a kid …”

Percival recalled the day when he was still young to see things that the adults could not. He was walking in the corridors of the castle as it was called then. He was hungry and had wandered with his eyes half-closed.

“Are you lost, child?” Percival as a child of that you could only nod. He saw with his eyes then saw nine ladies in different shades of dressing in front of him.

“Mummy…”

“Mummy is not here. She is asleep.” Adriane then told him. “You do not want to wake her.”

Young Percival shook his head. He then asked for food. The nine ladies brought him to the kitchen and they cooked him a meal. Well, it did not need much cooking, there was plenty of leftovers.

It was his first time with them, and from there for a time, he was with them a lot of times. As a child, he could see them when the adults could not. He got them as his friends.

“Adriane, Adrine, Adrian, Adrie, Aileen, Alice, Alicia, Aline, and Alina.” He knew all their names but he liked Adriane most. There were no differences in seniority or age; everything was on equal terms. Although they were nine, there was never a need to take votes. All decisions were collective and none made until it was agreed on.

Percival was the small brother and was fun to be with.

“If you were a girl, we will add you to our numbers.” Adriane had told Percival.

It was fun while it lasted.

Percival grew and he lost the innocence to see them.

Till then when he had returned to his ancestral home.

“Where are the others?” Percival asked.

“We…. Well, we had our differences.” Adriane replied.

“The Nine of you were …. Sisters? How could it happen?”

“We were fine here, even when you were away but the core of our relationship went sour. We were given a task.” Adriane sighed. “We were told of the Holy Grail. Do you know of it?’

The Grail is most commonly identified as the cup that Jesus drank from at the Last Supper and that Joseph of Arimathea used to collect Jesus’s blood when he was crucified.

“I recalled that Fisher King who was my father’s guest claimed to have it with him. He was my uncle from my mother’s side. He had it in a case where he placed it over the fireplace in his chamber.” Percival replied. He had remembered the case was always closed then.

“Fisher King does not have that. In the case was your mother’s head and then added it was your fathers.” Adriane looked at Percival.

“You are still innocent inside of you.” Adriane smiled. “You were shielded by us.”

“Shield? But why?” Percival asked.

“You were never to know. You left young...”

“Was it your doing?” Percival confronted her. “Did you…. All of you manipulated my mind?”

“No, we did not. You were upset with your father. And more to it. We can’t access you nor could you with us.”

“If I can accept that what about this on Fisher King? He was my mother’s uncle.”

“He was but he also loved your mother. He had her killed by mistake and regretted it. He had her head in the case for his remorse to share her with your father.”

“Fisher King killed my mother? It made no sense.” Percival looked at Adriane.

“Fisher King … He was … He was given a task. Your mother was a threat to us. She saw us and wanted to remove us. We cannot afford it and we had Fisher King kill her.”

“And did my father died?”

“That is another tale.”

Don’t we all have a tale to tell?

“I hardly remember much of Mount Badon?” Arthur laughed. He was drunk like the other two in the feast. “I like the mead here. It’s fresh.”

“It’s brewed near here. The folks here loved it.” Belvedere spoke up. “I will have some barrels sent to Camelot.”

“That won’t be necessary. I don’t want to have a war between Camelot and Gurnion.” They laughed and then Arthur looked to Kay.

“Tell me, Sir. Who are you and what made you come here?” Kay looked up from his mead and smile.

“Mead and … ladies,” Kay replied.

“Are you Irish? That is from the North.” Arthur looked at the huge man.

“No further than that. We are the people of our land and we have repelled the Anglo Saxons if that was your question.” Kay was direct with his words. “I have fought with the Ghost to fight the raiders.”

“You knew Lancelot…. I mean that he was Ghost then.”

“Ghostly, I will gamble on that. He is a great warrior. He may lack our strength,” Belvedere touched his goblet with Kay. “The Ghost is a skilled warrior with his fabled sword.”

“I know Lancelot and his fabled sword. Arondight was the name.” Arthur was not to be left out. “I hold Excalibur. Do you know of it?”

“Excalibur? I heard of the tales. It’s a mighty sword and was known that only a King could wield it.” Arthur had his left hand at the hilt of Excalibur.

“Aye, and we have our strengths.” Belvedere toasts the brawn that he and Kay shared.

“And our shield will hand us the added strength to stop the invaders.” 

“Aye, with the two of you and the shield, Gurnion is in safe hands.” Arthur laughed and joined the merriment. He then looked at Kay. “Do you have an army?”

“The armies I have are my arms. I can take on hundreds with them.” Kay mocked the King on his question. His words were on the feat of Arthur at Mount Badon.

“I am in the travel on the land. Would you join me?” Arthur turned to Belvedere. “And you too, Belvedere? We will have more feasts to enjoy.”

It was feasting on the return at Joyous with Lancelot as the host. He had held three days and nights of merriment with his people, and there was more food than they have ever seen since the defeat for the Anglo Saxons.

“Aye, Sir Lancelot. We are happy and rejoicing daily with our lives. We had not these days for years and now when we have it, we will rejoice into it.” A local had praised the knight while wandering minstrels and artisans performed their charms.

“Refill your cup, Sir.” Lancelot looked at the voice and saw it was Lady Elaine. She had leaned forward to fill his cup while his sight was filled with the ample bosom on display. He was already intoxicated from the mead drink had nodded.

“Yes…” Lancelot slurred in his reply. He handheld the goblet with the shaken left hand. He felt the weight of the mead when it was filling up the goblet. He almost lost his hold and was assisted by Elaine.

“Let me help you to your chamber. You need to rest.” Elaine took the goblet from the knight’s hand. Lancelot stood up and almost fell back but he was held by the lady.

“Thank you. Guinevere. We will move now.” Lancelot uttered the name of his love. Elaine looked at him but did not reply. She heard the name. They took the slow wobbly walk out of the Hall towards the stairs to the chamber at the next level.

“Aye, Lancelot. You will have a handful soon.” A passing guest commented and Lancelot mumbled a cursing reply. Soon, they were at his chamber and he was led to his bedding. He stood there while the lady removed his waist belt to place it at the table near the bedding. She hesitated at removing the tunic but he smelled bad with the mead and morsels of meat on it.

“I will be fine,” Lancelot uttered. “I will  ...”

Elaine left him standing there to fetch the cloth from the washbasin. She returned with it and found him standing there in the nude with his back towards her. She took the wet cloth to wipe his neck and down his neck. He stood there with the head downwards. He turned to face her with his face upturned. She avoided looking down and continues with her wipe on his chest. Her wipe trailed down and then it reached his pelvis.

“Hold me, my love.” Lancelot grabbed her hand towards his manhood which was hard on the feel of the lady’s ministration.

“I love you.” Lancelot gyrates his hips on her hand. “I …”

It was over soon, and the knight was soon asleep on the bedding with the cover over him. Elaine stepped away towards the basin. She looked at the smear on her hand. She dipped her hand into the cold water and shuddered from the icy feel. She stood there leaning with her hand and her thoughts were far. She then stepped away and one look at the knight.

“Good night, Sir.” Elaine took her to leave.