Arthur II Book III Chapter 23

 

23.

 

Lancelot opened the door to his chamber and saw Elaine holding up the dark Black Knight chest armor, retrieved from the dead knight soon after the death of Utter Pendragon.

“Un-hold your hands on that. It does not belong to you.” Lancelot shouted at Elaine. He grabbed it from her and then pulled the bag with the other parts.

“I am sorry, my Lord. I did not know but I found it in the cupboard when I was looking for my things.”

“When have your things been in mine?” Lancelot packed the armor back.

“And what is it that ails your anger upon me? I am you wedded lover, and not a tavern wench looking to empty your coins.” Elaine glared at him. Lancelot singed by the words that she used, had dropped the bag and approached her with the right hand raised.

“Strike me if it's pain you liked.” Elaine turned her face to him.

“No…” Lancelot lowered his hand. “I did not mean that. I …”

“We are wedded and there should not be anything that needs to be hidden between us.” Elaine looked at Lancelot. “Tell me your woes and I will be your shoulder to share the burden.”

Lancelot turned and stepped away. He took the bag and restored it inside the cupboard.

“I am sorry. I am just …” Lancelot stopped at his words. “There are things of my past that I will prefer not to reveal.”

“And you shall not have to lest it pains you too much to share. I …. Harbor none.” Elaine replied with careful words. “I wedded you for your love. And care. And protection.”

“And you shall it …. All.” Lancelot replied. He then turned to look at the lady.

“Have you gotten yourself new gowns and clothes? Are those of the … Queen returned?”

“I have and Guinevere’s gowns are sent back. I do have one missing. The one I wore at our wedding. It’s not there.” Elaine said.

“Oh, that one. I had the servants sent it. It was cleaned and I told them to return it. I should have told you.” Lancelot lied then. He had the gown hidden in a secluded hut outside of Joyous where he goes there to pray for his sins.

“That was kind of you. I will have the others return to Guinevere. She may not need it all but they are her’.” Elaine replied. “Pray to tell me what was it that you were to see me.”

“Your household sent words. Auric is dying.” Lancelot told Elaine. “He asked for you.”

Elaine rushed out leaving the knight with his secrets.

“Where is my father?” Elaine had ridden hard and fast to her previous home. She rushed to the chamber but he was not there.

“Master is in the library.” Elaine was told by the servant. She went there and saw her father on the couch with a scroll in his hands with the healers. He looked frail and had not recovered from his ailment. Auric saw his daughter and dismissed the healers.

“Master, your healing is not complete.” The healer held onto the right arm where he had placed the blood-sucking creatures there. “They are…”

“Be away, healer. I will speak to my daughter in private.” Auric dropped the scroll and reached for the leech. He pulled it off his arm with a scream of pain.

“The task on my arm will not lengthen my life, but dry me of my blood.” Auric hurled the leech to the flooring. “It’s the work of the witches here.”

“Master…” The healer wanted to protest when Auric withdrew the dagger hidden at the side of the couch.

“Begone, healer or it will be your blood that the creature sucked on” The healer got up and walked away with his bag of tools. He stepped on the leech to crush it before he approached Elaine.

“Your father is possessed too deep. He may slip away any time or days from now. There is little I can do.” The healer left the library.

“Father, I got word and came. You can’t leave me now. I …” Elaine sat by the couch to hold her father’s hand.

“You will not be alone anymore, Elaine. You have a wedded lover that will protect …”

“I know not if all of that is true, Father. I will confess that I am in mixed feelings on him towards me.” Elaine sobbed into her father’s chest.

“I had mixed feelings with your mother when we were wedded. The early time was all on lust and then I asked myself. Was she whom I could love? I did not have much time to think for she was with you. During then I had to admit I developed my feelings towards her but she was to leave us upon your birth.”

“Say no more, Father. I know you will love Mother till today.” Elaine looked at the dying man. “I will get Merlin to heal you. He knows…”

“Do not intrude on the druid. My ailment is not …. It’s the work of the witch.”

“Who?” 

“Antonio Marcellus’ mother.”

“Then they will suffer as you did,” Elaine said.

“The scroll? Give me that.” Elaine passed the scroll to her father.

“This is the deed to the land and the villa. Protect it. And don’t trust also the Meleagant. They are all…”

The life of Auric Augustus was snuffed then.

It was said that vengeance was best served cold but the healing Morgause still covered in bandages, was seething with anger. She wanted to die that day than to be bed prone there. She heard the Elf had returned with her meal of broth.

“Ronin, can you contact my sister, Morgan?” The Elf stirred the broth with the wooden spoon looked at her.

“I would but Lady Morgan had barred anyone to go where she is. She had the spells to block it. Even we are not aware of which dimension she is. Or where in that dimension she could hide..”

Morgause knew that there were seven dimensions known to them but within the seven dimensions, there were others inside each one, and the layers of it were seven folded or forty-nine levels more, none had dared ventured that deep. Some claimed to have seen others ventured in but never to return.

Morgause sighed why her sister will go there. Was she strong to return or live in perpetuity?

“Take your broth, my Lady We are here to ….. take care of you.”

“Why, Elf? Why the concern for me? Who am I?”

“You are you. I happened to be there, fishing by the lake. You do get tiresome of the forest food, and a fresh fish would be a change and then you appeared. I had to see for myself and when I saw you, I did what was needed. I have a small amount of spell to levitate you away before they find you. It was not easy with my limited spells but I got help. They assisted me and brought you here.”

“They? Who?”

“It’s them and for now you need not know. Just rest.” Ronin assured her. Soon after feeding her, the Elf took leave of her to the far side of the chamber. He was met by the other who was in wait for him.

“What did you tell her?”

“Nothing that matters. She will need time to recover, druid.”

Merlin nodded. He had whisked her off with Ronin to the hidden part of the forest. He had the help of another who stood by him.

“She must not know.” The lady there spoke.

“No, she won’t. That I promise, Vivian.” The one with the learning on the forest spells to call on the creatures and the living beings there including the nymphs and the elves.

“I need her recovered to know the pain of what I felt when she betrayed us all. She will die by my doing then.” Vivian clenched her fists.

The scorn of the lady was felt by one other who looked at the return of the gowns. Guinevere searched through it and could not find the one gown that she wanted to hold.

“The bitch did not return it.” Guinevere was upset. It was one gown that she has worn for days before she loaned it to Elaine for the wedding.

She had wanted Elaine to wear it that night.

She had wanted Lancelot to remove it from Elaine.

Lancelot’s hands unveil the gown as if it was her beneath it.

It was her with Lancelot when he made love.

But she could not feel it anymore.

It was not returned to her.

“I will have you for real, Lancelot. Not once but many more times.” Guinevere muttered to herself.