Chronicles of the Brittany Kings Chapter 38

 38

 

“You are wise for your ..age.” Vortigern had invited Merlin to his tent after he had dismissed the building of the castle. He had told the masons, the dragon can have their lair, while he seek another. The King was roasting the meat over the open fire.

“It smelled nice with the generous herbs,: Vortigern voiced. “Have you tried it in your lifetime?”

“Lifetime is like age, my King, just words to the ones who fear death.” Merlin smiled. “I am of what age does not matter but my pursue in the journey.”

“I am sure I had seen you before, druid. His name eludes my tongue.” Vortigern smiled. “I had met my list of druids and even monks. I detest one named Gildas who will never leave my castle. He has sat there since King Constantine to Constan and mine, though I had him banished to the stables. He still meets up with the stench of the horse’s dung. The last time he wanted to see me, I had him dunked in the water trough and washed away the stench.”

“Gildas? I heard of the name but he is unimportant in my journey.” Merlin smiled.

“A gnat he was to me…..” Vortigern recalled his last meeting with the monk. It was before the gathering that his Lords were all killed. Gildas had come to him to avoid the gathering.

“Does the lion roam without his fangs? I plea of you, Vortigern. I am disliked by you but you are still the King.” Gildas wet from his bath had approached the King.

“Bah, you need not a bath but a total changeover of the skin.” Vortigern had ignored the mink of his plea. “How could I back down from an invite when the Lords are in attendance?”

“No more than a lioness may retreat to hunt another day.” Gildas looked to the King.

“I am not a lioness but a lion. I do not hunt when my assigned Lord does that for me.” Vortrigern dismiseed the monk. He then told his lover to give a barrel of the scenting water to the monk.

Vortigern had regretted the decision that day,

“I smelled no better today.” Vortigern muittred to himself.

“Pardon me, my King. Did you ask me a question?” Merlin asked when he heard part of Vortigern’s words.,

“Nay, Yes, I do. As you are good at your tales, what other skills do you possess?”

“I can foresee the future but at times it can be elusive, I like to foresee the coming of the King to the land,” Merlin replied.

“I am the King. You have seen me.” Vortigern laughed.

“You are a King but not the King I was looking for. I am looking for the King of the Kings.:” Merlin explained. "There have been Kings on the land but not one that could unite the entire isle. Even the Roman Empire is not united.”

“Bah, do not compare us with the Romans. They are no longer here.” Vortigern snapped out. “They ..”

“They are gone. And gone will be us one day. All hold a beginning and then an end. Nothing last forever.” Merlin sighed. He could have been reflecting on the journey he had taken.

“Tell me, druid. How will I die?” Vortigern posed rthe question. “I am mortal but had survived many battles, and wounds that had healed on my body, or reminded me when the season changed.”

“Why do you ask about your mortality?” Merlin asked. “Are you dying?”

“I am not. I am still fine. It’s just the mention of …. Mortality had me about mine. When I was much younger, I had the vision that death will be a killing blow. Now at this age, I asked if I were to die in the same manner or on the bedding perhaps soon to be suffocated by the soft covers to end my breathing.”

“Do you fear death, my King?” Merlin asked.

“No. I welcome when I am …ready.” Vortigern replied to the druid. “I had seen King Constantine, dying on the bedding while his son was beheaded. I had done similar acts on others… the barbarian’s chiefs. All of …Well, most welcomed their death by it. I want to know mine. You are a druid. Can you foretell mine?”

Merlin sat there in silence and studied the expression on the other’s face. He then spoke out.

“Death is a welcome act of the end to the journey. How we die but I may be as seen the end of misery in the journey taken. Our death may be seen by others or none at all.” Merlin sighed. “Some are not in sadness.”

“Tell me of mine.” Vortigern pressed on.

“I need to ….see.... to remain focussed….. ” Merlin went quiet while the King waited.

“You will die…The King will die when the one named the dragons returns… the  dragons will rally the people to the cause and the rightful King will be crowned.”  Merlin spoke those words seen by his vision. “The kingdom will be reinstated while the white dragons flee once more. I saw the great white dragon covered with blood. Death may be there, but I was not sure. From the red dragons, a King will emerge.” 

“Did I die?” Vortigern was curious. “No, how will I die?”

“The death of yours cannot be foretold but the death of the King was.” Merlin then opened his eyes. “If the King dies, another will take the crown.”

“How will I die?” Vortigern was getting irate.

“As a King would…” Merlin stopped at that.

“As I …” Vortigern stopped. He was to say he took over the crown when Constan died. If he dies, then there will be another King, and himself without an heir, it would be someone else or the young princes of the old King once more. Constan died with his head rremoved, Constantine and Vortimer by illness.

“Will I die like one?” Vortigern asked. “By the sword or by deceit.” Vortigern was pressing on.

“Only the event will be told when it happens. I can’t say.” Merlin added. “I have seen Kings that die but they may be by the sword or age. I can’t tell at all.”

“Are you whom I believe to be?” Vortigern stared at Merlin. “I am sure you reminded me of a druid I once met at the castle. He was elusive and yet intimidating.”

“Are you him? It can’t be. He was older.” Vortigern shook his head as if the rattling of it will improve his memory.

“I am whom you asked of your fate. I only can tell you what I had seen.” Merlin replied. “I am no sorcerer as claimed by others. I do however know from the words of the people, the red dragons have landed at Totnes.‘Your days are numbered, King Vortigern.” Merlin spoke out plainly.

“Your day may not last till dusk, druid.” Vortigern cautioned the other.

“It’s past dusk now. My King. We are near the coming dawn and I will see the next dusk. If you behead me, I will die but you will die as seen in my vision.” Merlin looked at the King. “We can’t change what is fated in our journey.”

Vortigern sat there without a word to the druid. It was Merlin who spoke again.

“I would have welcomed death that eludes me many times, but my journey cannot end till the King is crowned.” Merlin looked at the palm of his hands. “If only I knew who it will be.”

“Be gone, druid. I will spare your life for today.” Vortigern dismissed the druid. He then called on his guards and advisers to return to the castle.

“We returned to …Caer Guorthegirn.” It was his fortress taken by him to be away from the Anglo-Saxons. He sought refuge there to avoid Rowena,