Summary: Sequel to Princess of Darkness Wizard of Travesty. The son of two
brave heroes, one dead, one forgotten, is fighting now to discover the
truth of his origins. His parents failed to take their place as rulers of
Lothian. Now it is left to him, the last of good knights, and the last of
those trained by King Arthur under the Old Code.
Disclaimer: Let me just say, DO NOT read this unless you have seen the new King Arthur movie, and have read about Arien, Owen, and Artimus. Don't know who they are? Read Princess of Darkness Wizard of Travesty.
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Arthur paced around the common room with an eerie sense of foreboding. He had not been in this wing of the castle for some time. Not since that night his friends died and his heart broke.
Forever he is condemned to dream of that night, see the bleeding, and murdering over and over in his minds eye until he dares rip his own from his skull.
He stopped and ran a finger across the now very dusty top of the Round Table. Once it had been a symbol of bravery and courage, his men fought bravely beside him, then they would toast each other here after their victory.
Now it sat, cold, and ignored. He dared not bring more men before its blood stained wood. Each man that had sat before it, drinking and laughing with him, had died.
There was his loyal friend Tristan of course, but since that night he had secluded him self in a monastery, living his years a mute, working as a scribe.
Arthur kicked one of the dried wood chairs in a small fit of rage, undeniably angry he was forced back into this room once more.
Guinevere stood in the doorway, her long hair being tugged on by the small boy she held in her arms. "She is here Arthur......but she does not wish to stay."
Arthur laughed coldly, "Why would she wife? She has betrayed us!" Arthur yelled, picking up another chair and throwing it across the room, watching it smash against a wall and shatter to splinters.
"She deals with her remorse differently then the rest of us!" Guinevere hissed, walking towards him.
Arthur shook his head, "She lives, when he died to protect her.........she has shown no gratitude."
Guinevere lowered her child to the ground and he gladly sat on the cool stones, clapping his hands and cooing.
She grabbed his collar and pulled him down so there faces were level, her eyes burning into them, her anger showing vividly. "You have shown no gratitude! Lancelot gave his life for all of us! Instead of continuing your duty as a protector of the meek you burry your past, just like she has!"
Arthur swallowed hard, not daring to infuriate her any more then he already had.
"You will listen to what she has to say, this is important, or else she would not have risked her life to return." Guinevere snapped rudely as she scooped the child back up into her arms and marched from the room.
Arthur sighed and sat down in one of the wobbly chairs, looking towards the door.
When he saw it, she was wearing a golden gown, her hair was long now, draping over her shoulders. Her eyes were no longer curious, but hard and watchful. She did not smile at him, bow, or seem in any way happy to see him.
"Arien." Arthur said dryly, not really wanting to offend her, but at the same time still angry at her actions.
"Arthur, I have come to ask you a favor." She said quietly.
Arthur stood up immediately and slammed his fist on the table, sending dust everywhere. "I owe you nothing!" he hissed, afraid his wife may be listening.
Arien raised her eyebrows, a look he found him self-missing over the years when all he got from Guinevere were glares. "This is not a favor I ask lightly, nor is it for my benefit." She snapped.
Arthur slumped back into the chair and looked up at her, only modestly curious now.
She walked up to him and sat down at his feet, something that made him think she was not yet accustomed to her fancy wardrobe.
"Two years ago we were part of the greatest tragedy of our time. I know all of you are still confused.........as am I, but there is a new factor now." She said quietly.
Arthur tried to hold it in, not wanting to be involved any longer, but he could not control himself. "What might that be?" he asked.
Arien paused for a moment, like she was searching for words. "I had a child." She said, suddenly looking very shifty.
Arthur raised his eyebrows, "Truly? It is?" he asked quietly, not daring to jinx him self.
Arien nodded slowly, then snapped her fingers.
Into the room waddled a little boy, his dark brown curls tossing all around his face as he smiled at them. He ran into Arien's arms and she placed him in Arthur's lap.
"What is this favor?" Arthur asked suddenly, watching the boy as he poked his shiny armor.
"Where would Lancelot want this child raised? Surrounded by books, told he would be the future Emperor of Rome, oppressing villagers for sport." She paused, "Or by his most trusted friend......a knight that can teach him to be just and noble......"
"You could do those things! Run from Alecto and his prying eyes, raise him in secret!" Arthur said, realizing what she was asking of him.
Arien shook her head, "As we speak I am months from my second child. I dare not raised that of a saint and that of a demon in the same house. Instead I ask you to take him, raise him as your own! When he is ready he will seek the truth!" she said, sounding desperate.
Arthur smiled down at the boy, "He looks just like his father."
Arien nodded, "I will not fight anymore Arthur, and while you think you are destined for the same fate.........you are meant to save this earth........."
"Why do you not fight? You were raised to take lives of men standing in the way of your destiny." Arthur replied, empathizing his last few words very strangely.
"Even the greatest warrior will tire of senseless bloodshed." Arien said, so quiet he could have sworn it was a whisper.
So that was it, while Arthur had forbidden him self to train more knights to fight with him, Arien had forbidden her self from taking another life.
"That was not your fault." Arthur said suddenly, standing up with the boy in his arms.
"I could have made him stay......in the Inn he convinced me to let him go Arthur......I could have turned from him easily enough." She said, smiling at the boy as he giggled.
Arthur shook his head, "But you did not......I will grant you this wish, for Lancelot."
Arien grinned at him, "Thank you Arthur. We will meet again soon." With that she kissed the boy on his forehead then turned from them, leaving the room.
Arthur looked down at the boy, "What is his name?" he asked curiously.
Arien turned to look at him, "Merreck of Camelot." She said fondly.
Arthur nodded and she left their presence. He looked down at the table and grabbed his cape, doing his best to wipe the dist from it.
"Guinevere!" Arthur shouted. She appeared almost instantly, he had not been wrong about her listening, "Let us light these torches......the Knights of the Round Table are reborn this day!"
Guinevere ran out of the room and Arthur looked down at Merreck, "You shall be my right hand young Knight......like your Father before you."
Disclaimer: Let me just say, DO NOT read this unless you have seen the new King Arthur movie, and have read about Arien, Owen, and Artimus. Don't know who they are? Read Princess of Darkness Wizard of Travesty.
-------
Arthur paced around the common room with an eerie sense of foreboding. He had not been in this wing of the castle for some time. Not since that night his friends died and his heart broke.
Forever he is condemned to dream of that night, see the bleeding, and murdering over and over in his minds eye until he dares rip his own from his skull.
He stopped and ran a finger across the now very dusty top of the Round Table. Once it had been a symbol of bravery and courage, his men fought bravely beside him, then they would toast each other here after their victory.
Now it sat, cold, and ignored. He dared not bring more men before its blood stained wood. Each man that had sat before it, drinking and laughing with him, had died.
There was his loyal friend Tristan of course, but since that night he had secluded him self in a monastery, living his years a mute, working as a scribe.
Arthur kicked one of the dried wood chairs in a small fit of rage, undeniably angry he was forced back into this room once more.
Guinevere stood in the doorway, her long hair being tugged on by the small boy she held in her arms. "She is here Arthur......but she does not wish to stay."
Arthur laughed coldly, "Why would she wife? She has betrayed us!" Arthur yelled, picking up another chair and throwing it across the room, watching it smash against a wall and shatter to splinters.
"She deals with her remorse differently then the rest of us!" Guinevere hissed, walking towards him.
Arthur shook his head, "She lives, when he died to protect her.........she has shown no gratitude."
Guinevere lowered her child to the ground and he gladly sat on the cool stones, clapping his hands and cooing.
She grabbed his collar and pulled him down so there faces were level, her eyes burning into them, her anger showing vividly. "You have shown no gratitude! Lancelot gave his life for all of us! Instead of continuing your duty as a protector of the meek you burry your past, just like she has!"
Arthur swallowed hard, not daring to infuriate her any more then he already had.
"You will listen to what she has to say, this is important, or else she would not have risked her life to return." Guinevere snapped rudely as she scooped the child back up into her arms and marched from the room.
Arthur sighed and sat down in one of the wobbly chairs, looking towards the door.
When he saw it, she was wearing a golden gown, her hair was long now, draping over her shoulders. Her eyes were no longer curious, but hard and watchful. She did not smile at him, bow, or seem in any way happy to see him.
"Arien." Arthur said dryly, not really wanting to offend her, but at the same time still angry at her actions.
"Arthur, I have come to ask you a favor." She said quietly.
Arthur stood up immediately and slammed his fist on the table, sending dust everywhere. "I owe you nothing!" he hissed, afraid his wife may be listening.
Arien raised her eyebrows, a look he found him self-missing over the years when all he got from Guinevere were glares. "This is not a favor I ask lightly, nor is it for my benefit." She snapped.
Arthur slumped back into the chair and looked up at her, only modestly curious now.
She walked up to him and sat down at his feet, something that made him think she was not yet accustomed to her fancy wardrobe.
"Two years ago we were part of the greatest tragedy of our time. I know all of you are still confused.........as am I, but there is a new factor now." She said quietly.
Arthur tried to hold it in, not wanting to be involved any longer, but he could not control himself. "What might that be?" he asked.
Arien paused for a moment, like she was searching for words. "I had a child." She said, suddenly looking very shifty.
Arthur raised his eyebrows, "Truly? It is?" he asked quietly, not daring to jinx him self.
Arien nodded slowly, then snapped her fingers.
Into the room waddled a little boy, his dark brown curls tossing all around his face as he smiled at them. He ran into Arien's arms and she placed him in Arthur's lap.
"What is this favor?" Arthur asked suddenly, watching the boy as he poked his shiny armor.
"Where would Lancelot want this child raised? Surrounded by books, told he would be the future Emperor of Rome, oppressing villagers for sport." She paused, "Or by his most trusted friend......a knight that can teach him to be just and noble......"
"You could do those things! Run from Alecto and his prying eyes, raise him in secret!" Arthur said, realizing what she was asking of him.
Arien shook her head, "As we speak I am months from my second child. I dare not raised that of a saint and that of a demon in the same house. Instead I ask you to take him, raise him as your own! When he is ready he will seek the truth!" she said, sounding desperate.
Arthur smiled down at the boy, "He looks just like his father."
Arien nodded, "I will not fight anymore Arthur, and while you think you are destined for the same fate.........you are meant to save this earth........."
"Why do you not fight? You were raised to take lives of men standing in the way of your destiny." Arthur replied, empathizing his last few words very strangely.
"Even the greatest warrior will tire of senseless bloodshed." Arien said, so quiet he could have sworn it was a whisper.
So that was it, while Arthur had forbidden him self to train more knights to fight with him, Arien had forbidden her self from taking another life.
"That was not your fault." Arthur said suddenly, standing up with the boy in his arms.
"I could have made him stay......in the Inn he convinced me to let him go Arthur......I could have turned from him easily enough." She said, smiling at the boy as he giggled.
Arthur shook his head, "But you did not......I will grant you this wish, for Lancelot."
Arien grinned at him, "Thank you Arthur. We will meet again soon." With that she kissed the boy on his forehead then turned from them, leaving the room.
Arthur looked down at the boy, "What is his name?" he asked curiously.
Arien turned to look at him, "Merreck of Camelot." She said fondly.
Arthur nodded and she left their presence. He looked down at the table and grabbed his cape, doing his best to wipe the dist from it.
"Guinevere!" Arthur shouted. She appeared almost instantly, he had not been wrong about her listening, "Let us light these torches......the Knights of the Round Table are reborn this day!"
Guinevere ran out of the room and Arthur looked down at Merreck, "You shall be my right hand young Knight......like your Father before you."