Arthur II Book III Chapter 14

 

14.

 

The return of Arthur was hailed by many although Camelot was under no siege then nor was its land invaded by any. He had ridden in hard and ignored the garlands of welcome by his people to go past the huge gates of Camelot. There he dismounted and rushed to the Hall.

“Where are my knights?” Arthur roared out. “Where is Lamorak? Lancelot? Percival?”

“They are neither here, Arthur except for Lamorak. He does his regular patrols on the castle and around Camelot.” It was Merlin the druid who replies to him while the other servants cowered in fear. Lamorak rushed in with hurried paces to see Arthur. He had feared that the King was wounded or was being pursued.

“I am here, Arthur. What ails you?”

“How did Camelot fare in my absence?” Arthur asked. He then looked at his servants. “Where is my drink now that I am back?”

A goblet was offered and then his armor was removed. Lamorak waited for the other to speak then but he did not. He only quenched his thirst. He then stormed off to his chamber.

“What had happened?” Lamorak said. He felt annoyed for he was responsible for Camelot.

“All I did was stepped to the lake.”

“Calm yourself, Lamorak.” Merlin offered his voice to ease the tension. “Arthur is not the same as before. He will tell us soon enough.”

“Bah! For an adviser that holds the King’s ears, you sounded more like the jester or minstrel with old songs long overdue to change.”

“Be calm, my dear…” Merlin was cut off.

“I am calm and above all, I am not your friend. You took my Prime Pilus to this King notion, and by the Gods, I will see that you pay for it with your life should he die for it.” With that Lamorak walked off from the Hall.

Arthur made his way to the chamber where he shared with Guinevere. He found it latched and knocked hard on it. He roared his name to her.

“My King, I did…” Guinevere had unlatched the door to let the King in. He walked in and searched the chamber of any hiding spaces.

“What is the concern, my King? I was asleep just now.” Guinevere was in her sleeping gown and her hair was disheveled from the sleep. Arthur found no one and then turned to Guinevere.

“Is there anyone with you?” Arthur stepped towards her.

“What? I am asleep. Why would…” Guinevere got annoyed. “You thought I latched the door because I was with someone.”

“Gracious me, my King. I had to take my bath and was naked.” Guinevere glared at him. “Or you will prefer that I leave the door open and walked like this.”

Guinevere pulled at her sleeping gown and walked around the chamber. Arthur rushed to close the door and faced her.

“Perhaps you want to shoot the crows too. They have been flying close to the opening there.” Guinevere pointed to the wall opening. “Who knows what they saw and tell?”

“I am sorry. It was a long ride.” Arthur sounded apologetic. “How are you?”

Guinevere retrieved the sleeping gown to cover herself. He felt silly and at the same time, wanting his Queen. He had seen her in her glory and his thoughts went back to the earlier rendezvous with the other two ladies.

“I am back and I …” Arthur felt silly with all the thoughts that went through his head. He was the one to be guilty and yet he looked at it from her.

“You needed a bath, My King.” That came out with a cold stare from Guinevere. “I will send the servants.”

Guinevere then retrieved her gown and left. Arthur was once more enraged not at her but himself. He stepped to the wall opening and looked to the lake.

“Why won’t you teach me to handle ladies too?”

Those were the same thoughts on Lancelot while he sat by the creek looking at the water. He has a guest uninvited by him and has told the servants that she was sent by the Queen to visit him.

“Queen? Guinevere?” Lancelot sighed. The lady won’t leave his mind ever since he returned her to Arthur

“How could I love her?” Lancelot felt the pain in his heart.

“Whom may I ask?’ Lancelot heard the voice and turned to face her.

“Pardon me if I was intruding. I like to come here too.” Elaine Augustus stood next to him. “May I sit?”

“Yes, please do. I do apologize for lack of mannerism.” Lancelot moved to give her space.

“You don’t have to move. The space is adequate for both of us.” Elaine smiled. “Are you fine?”

“Yes, I am,” Lancelot said. “It’s just … my past.”

“Our past is the past. We looked to the future.” Elaine said. “Who is she? The one you loved.”

That question posed to Lancelot was too abrupt for him to reciprocate immediately.

“Who?”

“The lady you loved?” Elaine pressed on.

“It does not matter. I need to leave now.” Lancelot stood up and then bowed to the lady before he left. Elaine watched the knight mount his horse and then rode off. She sat there looking at the water in the past. She had come to Camelot to seek her champion and found none. She was then sent to Joyous and all she did see was more disappointment. She stood up and was to walk to her horse when she saw the lady standing there by her horse.

“Who are you?”

“I am Morgause. I am …. Or was rather for we had not been together for so long.” Morgause said.

“Are you his lover?” Elaine had her defenses up.

“Lover? No, my dear. I was his caretaker. I saw him grow up. We used to chat and play together. You could say he was like a child to me.” Morgause word of the child tinged with sadness. She had just seen her sister stepped into the other dimension leaving her alone there. She could have followed but who will satiate her desire for vengeance.

“You …” Elaine tried to match the two and Morgause laughed.

“Too young? I am older than you… No, then your mother but I guess I was born to stay young.” Morgause smiled. “Do you love Lancelot?”

“I think…”

“Lady, be steadfast with your feelings of love. There is so much to lose in love. More if you are a woman.”

“Yes, I do,” Elaine called out.

“Good, then I will help you. Now be gone, my dear. At the night at the stroke of the hour, leave your chamber and to his. His door will be unlatched.” Morgause smiled. “And drop that gown. You need more finesse on how to dress.”

Gawain looked at the green armor after the exorcism ritual. He was relieved it was over but also felt silly that he had volunteered himself then.

“Yes, Sir Knight. You have the aura of innocence on you. You can be the anchor to his soul while we remove the demons.” The friar had told him. Next, he was to hold the other man by the ears seated behind the head.

“Hold tight and close your eyes. Whatever you may feel, do not look with your eyes. You may do so with the mind but resist the voice that will call upon you. Hear nothing and see nowhere, but feel the man’s soul. The two of us will be linked from then on.” The friar told him and before Gawain could protest, the ritual had begun.

Gawain closed his eyes and then heard the voices calling him. He heard his mother and then his brother, Gaheris. He ignored them all and finally he heard the voice of Elaine. She was calling him to her.

“Hear me, Gawain. I love you.”

Gawain wanted to reply but a part of him told otherwise. He left Camelot because of her. He fought with his brother because of her. He would have killed anyone if she had asked.

“Elaine is bad.” That was he eat thoughts. “She tormented me in my life. All I ever wanted was her love.” Gawain shook his head. He then saw Jaseth with Morgan. It was like peeking at them from where he stood. He saw the act and felt the urge but it was not Elaine.

“I shall not be seeing this. It’s wrong.” Gawain searched in his mind for the salvation of those lewd scenes but his mind made him see more. He saw Elaine then on top of him.

“No… It did not happen. I was not that …”

His rejection of the image then made him see another. That time it was Molly with Lamorak. Gawain felt the tense grip of his fingers but he told himself that Molly was genuine towards Galahad.

“She is brother’s …”

“Sire, you have done well. You may let go now.” The voice of the Friar assured the knight. “Thanks to you, the man will live. He was released of his demons.”

“Who is he?” Gawain had asked but they don’t know. He had then seen the green armor and leaned down to touch it. He felt the vibes on the armor. He then saw the halberd. Its blade had chipped off the edge and it was heavy to be held.

“Sire, there were tales of the knight they called the Green Knight. Maybe he is the one, but even with his power, he was overcome by demons.”

“Aye, we lived in uncertain times now. We are faced with demons and man foes and to which would we succumbed will never be known until it happened.” Gawain then took leave of the monastery to continue his ride. He has his demons to cleanse inside him.

Gawain headed on the road south.