Arthur: The Legend and Myth Chapter 121

121.

Percival sat there on the King’s throne at Sarras looked hard at the assembled in the hall. He was once again plagued by the endless call for justice on their disputes. That day was on the intrusion of some servants into the land of another Lord.

“My King, I would like to …” The defending Lord was trying to raise a point to Percival when the other stood over to interrupt but it was Percival who stopped them both.

“Silence! I will decide.” Percival stared at the two rivalry Lords. “He will pay you five goats and five cows. That will settle the missing herd of yours.”

The defending Lord moaned out his reasons why he should not be penalized but Percival silenced him.

“One more word and I will double the cows.” Percival released a weak smile. It was not his way of closing the settlement but he was covering for the pain on his chest. It happened with more intensity after Galahad’s death but he ignored it.

“The Court of Discussion ends now.” Percival raised his arms to signal the end of the session. He then stood up and made his way back to his chamber. He ignored the servants who were offering him refreshments. He closed the door and made his way to the bedding.  He laid down there and a set of hands reached for his tunic. He let the hands removed it and then the kneading of the muscles followed. It helped him in countering the pain on the chest. He let the hands soothed his chest and then the voice spoke to him.

“You must prevail, my King, Sarras needs you.” Percival could only nod his understanding but there were things that even he can’t manage.

It was the same with Lancelot.

“We need to attack now. They are in position.” Lancelot whispered to Tristam. The later nodded and the signal went out. The Saracens were in a three rider column with their scouts ahead. Normally the scouts will ride wide on the sides but in the dark forest, there was little avenue of doing that without a thick scrub or some ditch that was in their way. The leaders have instructed them to ride ahead of the column.

The first waves of the attacks were the archers. Lancelot had learned the bowmen from the island with their longer bows were far reaching in distance. They was a detachment of two hundred archers congregated in the numbers released their arrows at the riders in the middle. The arrows descended like a dark swarm of locusts on the riders. It was effective with more than two dozen riders hit by that wave. The second wave scattered the riders but with the dense shrubs there, they have little trails for them to manoeuvre on.

“Scatter and ride on!” Mahmud called out to the riders. He turned to look at the Chieftain who was hit by an arrow in the neck. He was dying and Mahmud was in command. He saw the riders rode ahead but some were taking their bow to counter the unseen enemies. The Saracen bow was shorter in the frame and was designed for the riders on horses. They released their arrows at the dark trees but the next surprise was the unseen enemy became alive.

Lancelot’s knights rode in like screaming banshee with their heavy spears and swords. They charged into the riders who were riding to safety. They clashed and the knights were heaving in with more kills given most of them had fought in these forests. The knights were winning then but Mahmud was organizing the riders.

“We need to ride back to safe our brothers.’ Mahmud galloped back to the centre of the battle. He swung his scimitar at the knight before him. The blade was deflected but the knight was set on by another Saracen with the scimitar on the exposed left side. Mahmud had mobilized some of the riders and rode hard.

“Hit them!” Mahmud shouted out. He saw the enemies were fewer but they knew the terrain. He was turning the battle events but luck was not on him. There was a new force fighting them from the flank.

“Have at them!’ It was the column from Sarras led by Sir Lecroix. It was a smaller column but it was making headway into the Saracen.

Headway it was then with Guinevere. She was seated in her chamber with her mind on her escape from death by fire. She was prepared to die then but when Mordred made that offer, she accepted it.

“You will be Queen while I am King but it will only for the show to the people. You are still my prisoner here.” Mordred told her. “You are a living prisoner as long as you convince Lancelot to leave Camelot. I am not ready to fight him for I want him to be with Arthur when I kill them both.”

Mordred let off then a loud laugh.

“You wanted Arthur dead but I hold the same for Lancelot.” The huge figure stared at Guinevere. “You may grief for two instead of one.”

Guinevere cried into her hands then but she was not aware of the new arrival to her chamber. It was Lady Elaine.

“You saw Lance…Lancelot.” Lady Elaine asked. “Did he say…”

“No, he did not ask for you. He was told to leave. I was staying on.” Guinevere replied. “I was to remain as Queen.”

“Bitch! We have a …an understanding. We were to destroy Arthur. Now you are changing the …”

“I changed no rules. I am merely protecting …mine. I will not be discarded upon Arthur’s dead. I will be still Queen.”

“It’s true the bitch played us all to the final victory.” It was Morgan that appeared then. “My son will not listen to me and it may his downfall. Maybe for all of us including Arthur …. And Camelot.”

“How did …. Never mind, I had heard of your sudden entrances and exits. So tell me, witch half-sister do we all die then?” Elaine asked Morgan. “I am beginning to miss my quiet life without all of you.”

“We are all pawns in the game. The real winner is our mother. Lady Igraine had it all planned.” Morgan smiled. “Let me tell you what she had planned. I spoke to her soul that remains here in Camelot.”

“It was all went back to Pendragon and his only son. She felt the betrayal by the father who told her to abandon the child. She was only the Queen and like Guinevere, she preserved her rank. However she did not bargain on losing her son then. She thought when she lost him, she could produce more but she have were only daughters. She hated Pendragon for it. She searched her son and found him raised as a Roman citizen but by fate, he was back at her side. She had not planned for it but she knew he needed a Queen. She can’t wed her daughter to him but of one whom she had known. She saw it in you, Guinevere.”

“The desire and control over men like what she was. She drew Arthur to Guinevere like the moth to the fire and maintained her control on the lands. It would had worked but she soon found out that Pendragon had another son. The bastard fathered Lancelot and discarded him like she did with Arthur. She needed the other in her influence but the poor bastard had to love Elaine. She consented to it knowing that he was her step son.”

It was then Elaine cried out.

“Lady Igraine was not stopping there. She knew there was one other that she needed to control. She influenced me to learn magic and then joined with the druid. She knew I was to learn and hopefully be his equal but I fathered his son.”

“A son that which the bitch wanted so badly I was to have one then. I guess we are all to have one in every generation. Only the one that could be King.”

“I have a son…” Guinevere voiced out.

“Your son died like Arthur at birth but he was not coming back in adulthood.”  Morgan smiled. “Mine may if he lived long enough. We are all bitches along with our mother the Queen. She could not have the son to do it so she used us.”