Arthur; The Legend and Myths Chapter 76

76.

Lancelot rushed to the chamber that he had visited once too often but he found the doorway locked from inside. He looked to the two guards there placed by him.

“Who is with the Queen?”

“It was the hand maiden of the Queen. She called the other maids to leave then.” The running steps of the healers and the midwives were heard then on the corridor but like Lancelot they found the doorway was then a barrier. Merlin and Morgan Le Fay was to join then.

“Cleared the doorway.” Merlin called out. “I need the passage cleared.”

Lancelot chased the healers and hand maidens before he drew on his sword Arondight. Merlin had then stood before the doorway to the chamber. He stood there with his hands held out as if he was calling for the God to intervene.

“Na doirse na underworld shattered roimh do theacht agus an legions taobh thiar dó teitheadh ​​ar do ainm” Merlin called out in the words of the Irish spell. (The doors of the underworld shattered before your arrival and the legions behind it flee on your name.)

It was then the flock of crows appeared and they battered the door and broke it down. Merlin, Morgan and Lancelot rushed in to the chamber to seek the Queen. They saw then the Queen was on the bedding with her rounded belly exposed. The hand maiden was standing there by the bedding. She was not seen as the hand maiden then but a lady covered in a shawl and the great cloak over the shoulders.

“Banshee!” Merlin shouted out and with his arms up, he pointed to her. The crows attacked the being called the banshee which had then retreated from the bedding. Merlin stepped up and then sprinkled the potion that he had made around the bedding.

“It will protect her.” Merlin then faced the being known as the banshee. The other was fighting the crows and then it screamed as if it was in pain.

Great pain and then the banshee disappeared and in place was the hand maiden.

It was then another person there screamed.

The person was the Queen.

“The baby is coming.”

At Somerset, the King rode off with a column of a hundred knights without the slower foot soldiers. The King rode then for Camelot. He rode hard for a while before he called for a rest. It was a good call then for the knights was tired and so were the mounts after having undergone a battle earlier.   Arthur dismounted and then sought the trunk of the tree to lean on. He was joined by the Black Knight who sat next to him.

“Arthur, you screamed and then rode hard. Its unlike you to do so after a battle won. May I…”

“I saw a vision of my Queen. She was in pain and there was this lady …. She was a witch standing over her and …”

“A lady with a shawl and cloak? I know who she is.” The Black Knight cut in. “She is a demon that they called the banshee. When she wails, a family member will die in that house.”

“A banshee? Oh God, I hoped that Merlin knows of this and protects her.” Arthur spoke out. “I must ride back to Camelot. My Queen needs me at her side.”

With that, Arthur pushed himself up and then remounted his horse. His knights saw him and did the same but the King himself was galloping away.

Meanwhile at Camelot, Sir Lancelot had waited patiently outside the chamber’s door which was made shift then with a curtain drawn over it. The maids were running to and fro from the chamber with buckets of hot water and towels while screams of pain was heard at the corridor. Lancelot was new to that experience and his mind was giving him grim images. He wanted to go in but the women folks outside forbid him from entering. He paced the corridors and it was then his own lover arrived.

“How is she?” Elaine asked of him.

“I would not know if they stopped me from going in.” Lancelot replied. “It’s agonizing not being able to help. Why do they allow Merlin there?”

“Merlin is a healer. He can help.” Elaine assured him. “We can’t and could only wait here.”

It was then the sound of the new born cries was heard. Lancelot heard the cry and then he went on his knees to utter a prayer. Elaine stood there and looked at the man who had shown so much for his Queen but to which Queen does he want. At that moment Elaine felt the coldness of the air in Camelot although she was with her lover. She had not come to seek the Queen’s health but to find her lover who was missing from her bed. Instead she found him more devoted to the Queen of the Kingdom than for her who was his Queen of Love.

“Lancelot”, Elaine called out his name in full. “I must go now.”

Back to Somerset during the roundup of the defeated, Lamorak was questioning the followers of Colgrin when he learned of more news.

“Cheldric of the Gauls had assisted the Anglo Saxons.” The prisoner told the knight. He then turned to Percival and the other replied.

“Round up the German knights. We cannot be sure that they can be trusted. And also the mercenaries. Place them in one place but hushed the operations. We do not want to spook them just yet.”

Percival then turned to Sir Kay.

“I want you to gather the ones that have your earned your trust. Keep them near the Germans’. If a battle was to start, you will be the point to quell it.”

The roundup of the German knights took place but there were commotions when some of them resisted.

“I will not be herded into that camp. I have my own and far from finish with my looting.” The German knight protested. The knight assigned by Lamorak was ever insistent and then swords were drawn, Others nearby soon drew their swords and took sides.

“Let no one escaped.” The one which Lamorak assigned called out. It was not seen nor heard but Kingsley was there on the side of Arthur. He leveled his pike and glared at the others. He disliked the continent knights for they came with their flair and finer armors on those mounts. Kingsley had grunted that they whom were the rightful owners of the land had to fight with these miscreants and possibly shared their loots including lands to them. He claimed it was unfair for that it was their land they were fighting for.

“Go back to your land, you pig sticker.” Kingsley cursed at the continent knights. One of them took offense and stepped forth to challenge Kingsley.

“Knave, come at me if you are a Man.” It was a challenge that Kingsley could not resist. He charged and was immediately cut down by the knight with a deep cut on the back. Kingsley still not beaten then reached for the dagger on his waist belt.

“I will slay you like the rabbits in the hole.” Kingsley attacked the knight but the long reach of the sword soon found its mark with a deep thrust into the chest. Kingsley stunned by the attack for he had survived the last battle and thought he was invincible then. He fell to his knees trying to hold the blood from spurting out and on his mind then was the smiling Sam walking with this share of coins. Those coins he gave to Sam will pay for the new plough and horse.

The thrust that killed Kingsley triggered a battle between the two groups but it was soon quashed by Sir Kay and his men.

“Let no one fight today or fight me on one to one.” Sir Kay reputation as the gladiator deterred anyone who dare to take the challenge. The battle was to set in then the first crack in Arthur’s army.

It was much later when the Germans were allowed to join the main army.