The Dark Queen of White 1.15

15.

Gareth stood there among the survivors, looking at the new column of King Thaddeus rode in to the village. He was riding with a man in a dark cloak over his blue gown with some scripture over it. The other had on the looks of a wizard.

"It looks like we arrived in time." Sir Gilard smiled at the young warrior. He looked to his companion and introduced the other. "He's the one who insisted on coming."

"Merlin, at your service. I was visiting the King when Sir Gilard arrived. I detected the vibrations in the land, and decided to come along." The other one introduced himself, and bowed to the Princess.

"Princess Clarity, I had heard of your name and fame. You are well whispered among the chosen." Merlin replied. "But my task was to secure you to see King Thaddeus. He had come to like your proposal. A King sometimes can be lonely."

Princess Clarity smiled but Gareth was baffled. He heard the conversation, but would not question it then. Princess Clarity invited the wizard inside the tavern but expressly said she would be him alone.

"Princess..." Gareth protested but the Princess ignored him. She glared to the other and led the wizard in. Gareth stood there with the knight which had sent his guards to attend to the survivors.

Inside the tavern, Princess Clarity offered the wizard the seat by the long table. She had arranged some food and drinks, and all the servants of the tavern were asked to leave them alone.

"Princess..." Merlin spoke first, but the other cut in.

"Merlin, if I may. Please call me Clare. I am more familiar with that name among ...friends." Princess Clarity told him. Merlin nodded.

"You mentioned earlier that my name had been whispered by the chosen, and may I ask who the chosen are?"

Merlin looked at her and smiled.

"The chosen are a group of the learned level among us who monitored and record down the past events to map the future events; predictable events. Most times, they are accurate, but at times, they had been misled by the trails set." Merlin told her. He saw her inquisitive looks were seeking deeper answers.

"Your ...existence since your emergence in the last war intrigued them." Merlin frowned on that thought. "They are tracking your events to see if you are ..."

"Making myself another version of Morgana." Princess Clarity interposed on the words to be said.

"Yes, Morgana had truly made a name for herself. Her other namesake is my blood sister, Morgane had also a ....detailed life that the Chosen had forewarned me could be my nemesis. But that is another tale. Back to yours."

"Your grandmother, Morgana had been a ....witch not by learning, but by inheritance. She inherited from her family line of worshipers, and followers. She had used her craft to move herself up the influence." Merlin frowned again on the last word. He was of the opinion that the selected few among them should use their crafts to assist the people, and not manipulate them.

"What did the Chosen speak of me?" Princess Clarity changed the focus on her.

"You? Oh, there been some ...events that intrigued them. They are still monitoring, but your latest action baffled them." Merlin looked at her. "Are you sure that would work?"

"What? My proposal to wed the King to save the lands, or my choice of a man?" Princess Clarity asked back. She had been sharp and moved to the subject which got Merlin there.

"Merlin, I have not been blind in my own ways. I was taught some of the crafts by the Clan, and your presence in King Thaddeus Court alerted them who told me. It can't be a coincidence, I was proposing to wed the King and you arrived there. And you were not invited yet, or would be."

"Yes, the Chosen alerted me on that. You are moving the same direction as Morgana....."

"Morgana wedded the Lord and not a King. He was not a King and more to it, may have been a threat to King Egan, but was not that strong as King Thaddeus." Princess Clarity drew her opinion. "More to it, she wedded him for power, but soon after Bannion was born, she moved to take over the King."

"I am however choosing to wed the King, to safeguard my lands." Princess Clarity continued on. "I had no intention to remove her power, but to protect mine."

"By wedding?" Merlin shrugged his shoulders. "Don't you ladies know of any other methods?"

"We, ladies were subdued by Man as women to be seen and not heard most times, although we do make our voices heard, and considered to be a nag. When we made too much a scene, we are made to mother the children we carried and bear for them, or sent to the kitchen to cook or scrub the floors." Princess Clarity recalled her lessons with Gareth while in the forest.

"Yes, there were the finer moments with Man, but it was mere passing feelings. The love, the body caresses and the surges of pleasures, but they do not last like ...." Princess Clarity paused in her words.

"The power of being a Queen. You were one before. They called you the Queen, but your modesty said no. You claimed to be influenced by your dead mother, but there were times you were your own." Merlin searched her eyes for the truth. "You made some of those decisions, without her influence. Those orders you gave to those who do not agree with you."

"I ...." Princess Clarity tried to justify her past actions.

"Don't apologies, Princess. You are who you were supposed to be." Merlin told her. "Your actions are part of events that were mapped in your journey. You cannot deny it that you would do more. It’s in the events but I am here to observe and not interfered. I have my own tasks to dictate my own events, lest I concerned myself with yours."

"So why are you here?" Princess Clarity asked.

"The child in you. You cannot carry it to the Courts of King Thaddeus." Merlin indicated to her abdomen. "I knew King Thaddeus. His daughter matters to him more than anything. If you hold the child before him, he would not accept it. He loved his daughter too much."

"I would wed him before the child can be seen in me." Princess Clarity told him. "I would seduce him and then draw him to the child."

"A silly notion, Princess." Merlin laughed. "King Thaddeus had his potency removed by myself soon after his Queen died. He did not want to see another child cry on the death of her mother. He loved Snow too much to see her cry again."

Princess Clarity held up her hands to the lips. She had not expected to be with Gareth' child, but when told of the new threat, she decided to trade the child to wed the King and used the child to hold him on his loyalty. But with the new events, she found herself tracing her past back and how she lost her mother.

"Merlin, I thought....." Princess Clarity.

"You would do anything to hold to on your King's land. Even to the point of sacrificing your love for Gareth." Merlin gave her his assessment of her personality. "It’s obvious your living among the forest creatures had ingrained in you, survival of the fittest and not of love."

"Yes, among the creatures, they survived by strength and power." Princess Clarity looked to Merlin. "I had learned of the ways of Man for us. We are subservient to them. We may be Queen, but we are still the one seated behind. Never the one to decide on the pack."

"I would not be that Queen. I would be the Queen of my pack." Princess Clarity admitted herself. "I would do anything to be the Queen to protect my pack.....or my lands."

"You are as bad as your grandmother." Merlin told her off.

"No, I am not my grandmother. I am myself. I would only protect my own land. Not grabbed another."

"Mere words now, Princess. When you are back as the Queen, your words may change." Merlin told her directly. "Sometimes in our life, we cannot change the events that are dictated for us, and even if we tried, we would still plod on."

"What is bad for me for to think for my lands? Because I am a lady. Is it the fallacy that only man who would be King and allowed to rule the lands. And we are the Queen’s; best are seen by their side and followed them in the side. Or behind, or hidden behind some walls."

Merlin looked at her.

"Was there not one named Boudica before? Or had your Chosen ones ignored certain history where Man does not achieved fame?"

Merlin wanted to reply, but she cut in again.

"Was it because you are a Man?"

It was then Merlin got up to leave but the Princess stopped him.

"Merlin, I apologies. I was not in my right mind." Princess Clarity looked at him.

"I am in need of your help. Not mine, but for my people." Princess Clarity pleaded with the wizard. "I am not a witch, but I am in need of one with the crafts."

Merlin looked at her. He shook his head.

"A life is still a life, whether it’s born to the world. What lives in you is a life, with the heart and soon to develop the mind. I cannot take a life without a ....reason."

"You said so yourself. The child would be neglected by the King. I cannot bore such child. In the forest, such a ...child would be killed or devoured by the elders. It’s the rule of survival." Princess Clarity looked to the wizard. "I cannot do it. You could."

"You are heartless, for a woman and a ....Queen." Merlin told her. "I cannot do it. How could you look at them ....child, the King, the ...."

"The people on the lands would suffer more if Morgana invade us again. With her alliance with King Thaddeus, she would be more formidable. I am doing it ...for the mass. I am sacrificing myself for the lands. Above all, I would be their Queen."

"By the Lords, are you mad?" Merlin looked at her. "You have just asked me of heinous acts to be performed on an unborn child. Have you asked the ...father?"

"Merlin, I am in ....mind to save the lands. Does it or I would do it after it’s born." Princess Clarity looked grim in her expression. "I would do it and it would be on your conscience the child's life."

Merlin walked to the door. Then he turned to look at her.

"The potion would be sent over soon." Merlin paused there. Then he continued. "At your service, Queen Clarity."