Arthur; The Legend and Myth Chapter 59

59.

Back to the land near Camelot, Lancelot prostrated before the cross in the secret chamber in his mansion. He held in his right hand the whip that was used to flay his back while his left hand held the sword of his to keep in balance. He sighed then when he lowered the whip before he continued his words to cleanse his sins.

“I did not …think then. I saw the two and told them to shoot at them. I did not for one moment thought that they were …. Lancelot swallowed his saliva then. He pushed his shoulders back to ease the ache there and then he spoke out with his face raised. “They were the enemies and in war, we kill the enemies.”

“Even in retreat they are still a threat.” Lancelot consoled himself and then he went on his self-pittance. “I am a Man and mortal to this life. I can be right or wrong at times. I was ….hasty in my action.”

“Please forgive me. Please forgive Master Gareth. Please forgive the ones I have killed one too many.” Lancelot fell onto his face then. He stayed there for some moments and then he stood up. He almost fell but the sword in his left hand balanced him up like a walking stick. He felt then the pain in his left side of the body where the hammer had landed hard on the hip. He clenched his teeth when he took the first step then. The lower body was numbed from the long prostration but he knew he had to move.

Elaine was due at his chamber.

“Hello, my love.” Lancelot was greeted by the alluring lady seated on the high back chair facing him. Elaine was seated in a seductive manner with one leg thrown across the high back side. Her gown had then climbed up her right leg to reveal a milky white thigh but there it stopped with the hem of the gown covering her lower body. It was not there that she was revealed but her top was unbuttoned to the waist.

“I got tired of waiting and decided to amuse myself.” Elaine continued on with a seductive tone with her right index finger trolling around her chest area below the breast. “Do we have time to talk or just continued on where we last left off?”

Lancelot then in his tunic with the wait belt and sword. He removed the waist belt and then moved to remove his tunic. He let off a sigh when the tunic was removed but he then moved to the large tub by the side of the chamber. He climbed in before lowering body in ever slowly.

“I take it that’s a no to the leftovers.” Elaine smiled and then moved her right leg to the front of her. “I guess I will close the dungeon door too.”

Lancelot sighed when the warm water seeped into his body pores. He felt comfortable then and then he heard her moaned. He looked over and saw her staring at him with the pout lips.

“I am sorry but the body needed to be cleansed.” Lancelot told her.

“Was it good? You could have told me. I will gladly do it.” Elaine’s words were taken with a sharp retort then by Lancelot.

“It is a penance for my sins. I’ts not a … pleasurable event. I need it to be with God.” Lancelot was then agitated. “Do not mock my penance again. Not ever again.”

Elaine then took offence and with that she stood up to go. Lancelot jumped out of the tub and grabbed her arm before he held her tight to his body then dripping water on the flooring. He held her tighter when she struggled until she gave up. She laid her head onto his right shoulder while he laid his kisses on her.

“I did not mean it. I just...” Elaine silenced the knight’s words with her ministration at his navel. “I killed …”

“I know, my love. Now kill my desire now.” With that Elaine pushed her lover off her arms before she pulled her gown off her shoulder.

“Yes, I will kill for you.” Lancelot replied. If Lancelot had looked out his wall opening there, he may had seen the killing there.

Merlin stood there in the twilight shade of the trees even the sunlight was blocked by the canopies of leaves. His eyes were on the clearing where the sunlight was nourishing the grass. He saw the hare emerged from the bush with its nose twitching for any signs of danger. It had taken in the scent of the rooted vegetation and was heading for it. It reached the vegetation and then it stopped. Something told the creature that it was not right but the desire to eat the vegetable was overwhelming its concern. It raised its body upright seated there on its hind legs with its nose twitching wildly. It lowered its body and move at the opposite direction for a hop or two before it stopped. It turned back and then hopped to the vegetation. It laid its nose at it and was to take a bite when it was lifted up. It was lifted up high by the strong claws and then beak came down to silence its protest.

“Did you expect a dragon?” Merlin turned to look at the one who had disrupted his mind.

“I doubt they will come but maybe the lions may come. After all, they did roam these lands before.” Merlin replied. “Friar, you fed them before when you were younger.”

“Younger? I was a kid then. I fed one because it was a tame one. It was one of those fortunate creatures that found its home with us then.” Friar Tuck smiled when he recalled his younger life. “We took it as cub when we saw it rear right leg was deformed. It was always with us until its old age. I guess twenty years then.”

“How is our cub?” Merlin asked of the friar.

“He will grow to be a lion. He is well guided.” Friar Tuck replied. “He is not a dragon but a formidable lion.”

“Arthur may be a dragon.” Merlin added his belief but the friar refuted the claim.

“If there were, there will not be eagles here to take your dinner away.” Friar Tuck smiled. “I will settle for the lion. This is the land of the lions and the only dragons are only in the minds of the imagined.”

It was then the eerie howl was heard one more in the hills near Camelot. It was not the call of the wild but the call of the land to tell the people that the lions have returned.

“That my druid is the lion.”

At that moment of time, Guinevere stepped into the chamber of Lady Igraine. She stood at the doorway to wait for the approval to step into the chamber proper. Lady Igraine saw the figure standing there. The elder lady had then taken to stand up and did cutsy towards Guinevere. It surprised the younger lady and she rushed forth to hold the elderly lady in her arms.

“No, Lady Guinevere. You must learn from now. You will be Queen and all of us are yours to command.” Lady Igraine told Guinevere but the later had protested.

“I am not the Queen. I do not know the man at all. He left me here for weeks while he …”

“King Arthur protects you and all of us. It’s his task to do so. You must not grieve with him on this. As King, he has many responsibilities but to his Queen, he has only one. He will love you as you are his Queen.” Lady Igraine replied. “And you will love him.”

“I can’t love the man I hardly know.” Guinevere argued back. “I need to…”

“When you are his Queen, you will know him.” Lady Igraine voiced turn stern. “You will do as I am to instruct you from now. Until you are the Queen, I am your tutor from now. And when you are Queen, I will be your …. Queen mother.”

With that Guinevere will find her lifer then transformed into a new one of fears and sacrifices. Just as then Arthur himself saw by himself at the round table. Twelve empty high back chairs faced him. His mind stared at every seat and with it questions popped into his head.

Lancelot; can he be trusted he be trusted?

Percival; are you my friend or looking to be King?

Lamorak; where is your true loyalty/ Percival or mine?

Sir Kay; I don’t know you at all.

Gaheris, Gawain, and Galahad; brothers can be dangerous too.

Ban and Bors; another set of threat or allies

Tristam; Lady Igraine sent you and perhaps to spy on me.

And last the Black Knight.

“Whom can I place my fear with?” Arthur asked himself. Merlin told him that the twelve will serve him but he was not sure these twelve were the appointed ones. He last checked he had over a hundred trusted knights and yet only this twelve shared the table.

So does he sacrifice some there for the other hundred or the hundred for twelve.

Arthur was confused.

And then the news came to him.

Guinevere; the one who was to be his Queen.

He had not planned for that, and with the death of Lisanor he had not thought of having another lover. His felt his love for Lisanor was real though they only spend a short time together. Her sudden death in the war was not even mourned by him. He did his mourning in killing the invaders who killed her. Since then, he had not thought much of her then. On his mind since then was the thought of Camelot and his new role. He had seen the will of the people then at Badon.

Arthur knew then he was to be one.

He hated the thought of the Earl being at his side and was glad the Earl had left. The Earl was still an influence in those far lands and will need t be dealt with soon.

“Lohort…” Arthur remembered then his son. The son that he never held in his arms.

“No…I cannot.” Arthur cried out. “I cannot have that son.”

It will be like having an enemy in his castle. He cannot trust Lohort. What if he was to be the Earl’s spy? He must be forgotten like his mother.

“Yes, I will get my own son. From my own Queen.” Arthur cried out. “My own real son.”