Arthur; The Legend and Myth Chapter 100

100.

Galahad took his approach to the round table that he was once its patron. He looked at the seated with his eyes roving over each knight. It was years then when he last seen them and he to them. It was Arthur who broke the silence then.

“Galahad, welcome back.” Arthur greeted the knight then.

“My apologies, my King. I have not been here before. I am told that I resembled what was one knight named Galahad but I am not him. I am with his name but I came from …. afar. I am Galahad by name and was a ….woodsman before I joined in the battle as a knight. Perhaps I should leave here.”

“No, Sir Galahad. You may not leave.” It was Gawain who intercepted the retreating knight. “I know my own brother. He left us ten years ago for reasons known to hi. You are not the brother I lost then.”

“Welcome to join us, Sir Galahad.” Gawain words sent roars of delight among the knights. Arthur then approached the knight known as Galahad.

“Please be seated.” Arthur offered the knight but Galahad looked at the one seat with the wordings ‘Siege Perilous’.

“Is that the seat for the knight that will seek the Grail?” Galahad asked.

“According to the ancients wisdom, the Grail will find its own way back to its rightful place after four hundred and fifty years after the resurrection of Jesus.” It was Friar Tuck who appeared at the Hall. He looked towards the latest knight that accepted his guidance.

“Sir Galahad, I am glad that you have finally found your call to God. Please be seated where its yours.”

Without waiting for further invitation, the knight approached the chair. The assembled knights held their breath watching the knight placed his right hand on the chair. Galahad then took a bow before the chair and uttered a word of prayers. He then pulled the chair from the table and sat on it. Everyone gasped in their breath expecting to see the flames but there was none.

“I hereby announced the quest for the Grail has begun.” Friar Tuck then took his leave from the hall. All that was assembled there was silent until Galahad voiced out.

“Now may we speak of the Grail?” Galahad asked.

It was a miracle.

Guinevere then was in her chamber having seen the two knights rode in. She marvelled at the knight known to her as Lancelot. He was still charming and with his straight back on the saddle, he looked as great when he was younger. She then sighed at the thought. They were all younger once before but time was always moving ahead. It will be miracle if they can go back then.

“Are we complete now?” Guinevere turned to face her half-sisters; Elaine, Morgause and the indomitable Morgan Le Fay. All older but none the wiser, that was in Guinevere thoughts. 

“Morgan Le Fay, your son may have turned the tables upon our plans.” Guinevere glared at the youngest. “He was to observe and learned their numbers. He was not to challenge them.”

“He is young, Guinevere.” Morgan Le Fay replied. “He is like his own father in many ways.”

Guinevere ignored the explanation and looked to Morgause.

“How fare your King?” Guinevere asked. It was known that King Lot was dying. It was the works of Morgan Le Fay who had poisoned the King with the potions that made him feeble and left many of his works to the Queen and her knight at her side; Mordred.

“He is dying and will soon be dead. I am without an heir and my next of kin, Mordred will be King.” Morgause replied. “He will bring back the House of Pendragon the rightful House to rule the lands.”

“And how fared you, Lady Elaine? Your silence irate me for I sensed misgiving on my role.”

“Guinevere, I am still the eldest although you are taken by us as the leader.” Elaine hissed back. “I am not unpleased for among us, you hold the most to fight Arthur.”

Guinevere looked to the three half-sisters who were not of her blood but by upbringing made her theirs. Elaine was right that she held the most reasons to remove Arthur.

Arthur wedded her and he treats her like no other. She deserved his love and care but he does it more for his lands than her.

Arthur had their child killed defying her caution not to take him hunting. He died because of Arthur misgivings of the role of a child who was to be a man. The child won’t be one anymore..

Arthur was the wedge to her true love. Lancelot was her choice and yet she was denied. She looked to Elaine, and smiled inside hr. Lancelot had never loved Elaine. He was using her to get closer to Guinevere.

Mealegant the only one who loved her but she denied him that. She would have wedded him but he was not a real King. He was never the King but a follower of the King. Lancelot killed him to show his love for her.

Merlin the druid; he who was the one who brought Arthur to the role of the King. He deserved to die first.

“I asked how did you fare with Lancelot?” Guinevere asked again.

“We are not of man and wife if that was your question. He is well but can be swayed. His loyalty is being questioned and more knights; younger one have taken over many of his tasks. He felt the betrayal by his knights and his King….that is Arthur.”

“Are then we ready, my sisters?” The last words came out bitterly but they each know that being alone will not topple the King. Only their might and influence as the Pendragon could they subdue the Lion.

The mythical creature of the Lions still intrigued Merlin then. In the underground chamber he tossed the bones in his many attempts to seek to the Lioness.

It came then once more.

“I thought we have had our last words some time back. Your King reign well and why the urgency to call upon me.” The Lioness roared out. “I was to..”

“Your reign may be contested by the Dragons. Did you not see the signs?” Merlin showed the Lioness the bones. “The Dragons are challenging you.”

“The Dragons have never been our equal. We have been to war with them but in the end we always win.” The Lioness replied with scorn on the foe that it had fought for eons. The apparition that resembled the lion looked at the bones. “Mere conjectures of the past do not amuse me. I will leave now and you are forbidden to call upon me.”

“Hear me out, Lioness. Arthur is your legacy. He needs the blessing of the Lions to rule in peace.” Merlin pleaded. The Lioness looked at the druid.

“His reign will not be protected by myself or by you. How many times have you done it, Merlin? The ones you resurrected in your time. If it was not the lions, then it was the cats or the wolves. You have summoned them well and they ruled with those blessings.”

Merlin memories faded back to the days when he was in the dry sands with the sharp peaks of the pyramids. He had helped the rise of Kings then and then saw their downfall to the flying dragons. He had moved to the south and secured the assistance of the huge cats. He saw them build the high peak but again the dragons came. Each time he established a King, the dragons came. It was only here he relented and appeased the dragons by working with them and placed the foundation for Arthur but the later was not with the dragons. Arthur needed to be protected to be King. He knew then the Lion’s spirits were with the new King and he had Camelot build over its lair. That was encouraging to him. It was all fine then until he saw the signs on the bones. The Dragons knew that they were betrayed and they were coming back. The Lioness was warned of the coming war. If she sides him, he might win over the dragons.

“Merlin, Arthur is his own King. He will battle his own war without me.” The Lioness continued on. “I am no more the more powerful being over the others. They have grown stronger than me, and we are fading. We may come back another time but not for Arthur.”

The Lioness then faded from the sight of the druid.

“Surely my previous love, your fascination with the bones may soon your downfall.” The voice belonged to Ninianne who appeared over a goblet of wine. She stood no higher than the length of the arm but her voice was clear to the druid.

“I had seen that the Lioness have left you with another sad ending to your dreams. Arthur is a deserving King and the gift of Excalibur hold him in esteem but he is on the wrong side. The Lions that you bargained on may not be your winning side. You should had stayed with the Dragons whom you have placed Vortigen to Pendragon but they were too slow to outreach the borders while the Lions were more aggressive.”

“Merlin, you were always too aggressive to your dreams. It reflected in your status as the Minions. You could not wait to be the Fallen Ones before your time.” Ninianne smiled. “That is your downfall when you pushed your dreams too hard. Among the Fallen Ones, the dragons ranked higher than any of them. You are a fool to defy them.”

“Am I wrong to dream to be with them? They came here as the Fallen Ones with us as their minions. We served and toiled for them and yet they left us behind. We have only our wits and knowledge to preserve us. We were many then, and by the numbers we were slaughtered in the war. Those of us who survived were left here but we use our means and influence to make us mighty.”

“Just as you used me and Viviane The Lions are in the line like us too.” Ninianne snapped at the druid. “In the end, as the minion you were, you will come back to us for assistance. Mark my words, druid. In the outcome of your dreams the Queen will toppled the King.”

“And I will defy that outcome. I will no longer be the minion of the Fallen Ones. I will be the Fallen Lord.” Merlin annoyed and glared at Ninianne. “The King I placed on the lands will make me that Lord.”

“Perhaps you will be but marked my words. You will be the minion of the Fallen Lord for all that followed you will fall.” Ninianne glared at the druid. “I won’t be so kind when we meet again. We are no more on friendly terms.”

“We will be at war.” The nymph declared out.