Arthur: The legend and Myth Chapter 99

99.

Galahad was seated by himself in the tavern at the dark corner. He held onto the goblet which he had drunk half its content. It had been weeks since the jousting bout and the words were out that the King sought his presence. He had remained out of the trails and his armour was with the friar in the deep forest. His rests were few with the deep sleeps evaded him, and dreams that showed him of great jounreys. He had then sought the solace of the drink to float his thoughts and remained hidden but his fame had left him an unseen trail.

“Sir Galahad if I may indeed to meet?” The figure stood before him. It was a nun from the nearby nunnery. “I am in need to have you follow me back to the nunnery. We have a message in laid for you.”

Galahad was surprised by the call and took her invitation. It was a simple nunnery with only a small group of nuns. There he was met by the Supreme Mother and led to the praying hall. He was told by the Supreme Mother that it was called upon that he was to rest there and later perform the task that was befall him. He was offered drinks and food which he had consumed and for once in many sleeps he had his uninterrupted sleep.

“Sir Galahad, you have a visitor.” Unknown to the knight, the search for him had been nearby and it was Sir Lancelot who was told of his whereabouts. The later was met by the Mother Supreme on the forest trail and told of the knight sought. Sir Lancelot was then brought to the nunnery.

“Sir Galahad, I presume.” Sir Lancelot approached the knight without his amour then. He could not recognize the other but he took his assumption on the nun’s invitation. “I am Sir Lancel…”

“I know who you are, Sir Lancelot but I am not the knight you seek. I am just a weary one that had taken refuge here.”

“Then I am truly mistaken for the knight I seek was wearing a white armour that look alike yours at the corner.” Sir Lancelot then bowed to Galahad. “I had thought the one I was seeking was you. My King had commanded us to seek the one who had bested the visiting knights. He left without receiving the King’s blessing.

“He is then not here but perhaps onto another quest to impress another King.” Galahad replied.

“Indeed he may be. I wonder what better quest that may be.” Lancelot voiced out in curiosity.

“There are many more of such quests.” Galahad smiled. “I can think of one that is before me now. The hall here shows it in its pure form.”

Galahad was seated below the drawn image of the Last Supper. Lancelot looked up and saw it too. The image appeared to him as if it was happening there. He was standing before the long table and watching the servings of the drinks. He saw then Galahad approaching the table as if he was the servant holding the pitcher of wine. He stood before the seated and poured the wine into the small plates that was on the table.

“Sir Knight, if I may request that you join me in the quest to reclaim the Holy Grail?” Lancelot found himself asking. “It’s a perilous journey and not all can reach it but the invited may do so.”

Galahad looked to the knight that he had once looked upon as the greatest knight. He was to reply when he saw the Mother Supreme stepping into the hall.

“Pardon my intrusion but I overhead the conversation.” The Mother Supreme spoke. “The Holy Grail cannot be found unless it wanted to be. And once it’s discovered, it must be return to the place it belonged. It’s not the gift of Kings and Knights to be treasured or given away.

“Mother Supreme, do you know where the Grail is located?” Galahad asked.

“If I do Sir Knight, it may not be me that will bring it to its place for I am not invited to do so. Like what Sir Lancelot had said, only the one invited to do it was allowed. It was just like during that supper when the Apostles of HIM was invited to seat with him. He knew their intentions and even the one that was to betray him but he did not dismiss it then. He invited all of it for it was his last meal with them. Hence it was remembered as the Last Supper.” The Mother Supreme told the two knights. “All that had sat here in this hall have their intentions be it pure or not but none will be turned away. There was a reason for them to be here as it was at the table. None will be turned away but only invited will know why they came.”

“Do you know why you were invited?” Mother Supreme asked Galahad. “You are pure in the heart, although you feel anger on the betrayal to yourself. Only the pure in the heart and mind can be invited.”

It was then Lancelot looked away to the walls, and he felt as if he was constrained within it. He took his leave then of Galahad. Later he was joined by the other on the ride to Camelot. Just when they reached the castle gates, Lancelot was met by the servants.

“The King asked for you.” Lancelot rushed to the hall where the knight of the round table were seated except for the two seats allotted one to Lancelot and the other for the one who was to find the Grail. On that day, it was engraved on the seat these words. “Siege Perilous”, those were the words engraved on the seat. Merlin had cautioned them that the seat was reserved for the one knight who could locate the Grail. He engraved those words soon after Arthur had beckoned the knights to search for the Grail. Merlin had approached the King then to share his concern. He was with some knights that had joined the round table.

“Arthur, none may be commanded to search the Grail except whom it invited to locate it. Even though then, the Grail may not be brought back unless it wants to be.”

“Am I not the King of the lands? Am I not the beholder of Excalibur? I held the legendary treasures of the land and why I not… suited for that Grail?” Arthur then agitated that he was denied the Grail had lament on his achievements.

“You are…may not be its holder.” Merlin replied in anger. “Your ….The Grail served a different purpose than yours. You are however able to appoint the knight that will locate it.”

“How do you know so much, druid? And yet you did not tell me of it before.” Arthur questioned the druid.

“When you spoke of the Grail, I did some request for the ….assistance of the wise. They had spoken to me in my vision that the Grail is not yours to behold. There are many things that we cannot kept by you for they are not ours to do so. The Grail belonged not to you but to its rightful owner. It was brought to our land and the time to return it was due. Your role was to appoint the knight to perform the task.”

“Blasphemy!” Arthur cried out. “Anyone can fetch the Grail.”

One of the new knights then took the challenge. He volunteered to fetch the Grail and gained his seat at the round table. Without asking for permission, the knight took to seat himself on the chair reserved for the one who will locate the Grail.

“There is nothing perilous to this seat.” The knight voiced out to the assembled. “I feel…”

The knight who spoke then found himself covered in rings of flame of reddish fire that rose from his feet to his face, forming a cocoon around his body. Once it reached above the face, the flame then burst inwards and the knight was reduced to ashes while the chair remained untouched by the fire. Merlin stepped forth to the seat and looked at the remains of the knight.

“Let no one take the seat unless he is invited.”