In the East Library.
"What they say about you, is it true? That you, Lucas, are Lady Clarine's son and her eldest."
"It is, your Lordship."
Arthur furrowed his brow, perplexed.
"And you have the evidence to back it up?"
"I do, indeed. If you'll allow me..."
The man seated in the armchair bore no resemblance to Lady Clarine, at least from the portraits Arthur had seen of the late Queen. His hair was silvery-gray and his eyes were darker than night.
"Please. Be my guest." Arthur replied.
"My Lord, I will need you to come closer."
"What are you talking about?," Arthur asked.
"Well, you see, the thing is...the evidence that I have is -"
"Your highness," Sir Elyan interrupted him, and gave a warning glance to Guinevere who quickly wrapped her hands around her husband's arms.
"Arthur, there's something else you need to know. About Lucas."
He patted his wife's hands. "I don't think there's anything that could shock me now, what with everything that has happened in the past few days."
"Lucas has magic. He was born with it," said Guinevere.
Arthur said nothing for a while, then inhaled deeply.
"It seems I was wrong in that previous statement."
Sir Leon spoke up first. "The evidence he has to show involves magic. And the mind."
Arthur looked at Leon as if he had grown a second head.
"I know it sounds very odd my Lord, believe me. I was as flummoxed as you are right now when Elyan told me. But it's true. Everything he says is true."
"So you'll tell me your story?" Arthur turned to Lucas.
"No, my Lord. I will show it to you."
Lucas stood up and extended his right hand towards Arthur.
"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."
Arthur walked towards Lucas, and placed his right hand in Lucas' outstretched one.
Agor y meddwl, ryddhau'r meddwl, dweud wrth fy stori, muttered Lucas. Ryddhau eich meddwl! His eyes began to glow red. Gweld fy stori!
There was a blinding light. Arthur's eyes became the same scarlet color as Lucas' and a wind tunnel formed around the two men.
"What's happening?" yelled Guinevere over the sound of the wind. It was deafening. Books began to fly across the room.
"It's alright!," Leon called over the noise. He ran over to Guinevere.
"That's easy for you to say, Leon. You're immortal," she replied as he shielded her from an onslaught of parchment.
Unaware of what was occurring around him, Arthur entered Lucas' mind. It was surreal. His body felt weightless, floating in a dark abyss. Suddenly, images began to form in his own mind. Or was it outside his mind? At this point, he wasn't sure. Like a growing tapestry, they spread all around him. There was a little boy with dark hair, almost as black as Merlin's running around an open field. Two shadowed individuals watched over him from afar. There was a woman's voice. "Lucas, mummy is here. Do you need help?" "Come on Lucas, you can do it. Clarine, he must learn to fend for himself someday." "Come now, Gael, he's just a little boy. Lucas, have faith. We believe in you."
The male voice sounded faint, but Arthur could hear the love in his voice.
"Gael, are you sure of this?" "Trust me. Have I ever lied to you?" "No...you haven't."
The scene around Arthur changed, and now there was a forest, thick with trees and roots and green brush. A woman with fire-red hair and a ghost pale complexion was holding the hand of a dark-haired boy, a little older than the one he had seen previously. Arthur recognized her as Lady Clarine. That hair was unmistakable.
"Lucas, you know mummy loves you, right?"
The little boys' eyes filled with tears.
"Then why are you leaving me? Is it because I've been bad? I'm sorry mummy! I didn't mean to take Sir Tuneth's loaf of bread when he wasn't looking. I was just hungry, mummy. We haven't had any proper food for ages."
He began to sob uncontrollably. Clarine took her son in her arms.
"I'll be back soon, Lucas. Gael will take good care of you. He's gotten a better job now at the inn, and you won't be hungry again. Ever. Do you hear me, Lucas?"
She held him tighter, fighting off her own tears.
"You promise you'll be back?"
She let go of him, and lifted up his chin.
"Of course, I promise. I promise."
The scene changed once more. The "tapestry" showed a busy inn filled with people shouting, bartering, and bustling in and out the front doors. A young boy carrying more packages than he could handle entered through the doors and dumped them on the counter. The man behind the counter looked up from what he was doing and frowned.
"Lucas, what do you think you're doing?"
"Father, these came in today for Sir Ivan. I think they're for his wife. Her birthday is coming up soon, you know."
There was in impish grin on his face.
"Wipe that smile off your face lad and deliver them to him immediately. And don't open those packages, you silly boy, if you know what's good for you!"
"Don't worry father," yelled Lucas as we went up the stairs. "I don't need to open them to know what's inside. I didn't know Sir Ivan had it in him. He always seemed so proper and uptight."
Lucas howled with laughter at the top of the stairs, as his father smiled and whispered to himself.
"How can one be proper with a wife that looks like that?"
Father, I heard that.
"Lucas, get out of my head at once!"
Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at Gael.
"Humph! Well, what are you lot staring at? Can't a man have a good yell once in a while? Stop loafing about and get back to whatever it was you were doing!"
The hustling and bustling resumed.
Gael bent down to retrieve an item from one of the cabinets. He pulled and pulled on the handle, but it was stuck fast. Making sure no one could hear him, he whispered, Tospringe!, and the cabinet door sprung open.
The scene around Arthur changed again. This time, he was in a castle and there was a ceremony going on. Green, yellow, and brown decorations filled every hallway and the coronation room was filled to the brim people. A man, whom Arthur recognized as King Baeth, stood at the pulpit and waited, his eyes fixated on the room doors. The harpists began to play and the entire congregation stood up as the room doors slowly opened. Lady Clarine stepped in, dressed in white, and walked towards the pulpit. She kneeled infront of Baeth as he placed a crown on her head.
"Long Live The Queen! Long Live The Queen! Long Live The Queen!..."
Suddenly, the wind stopped. Arthur stumbled onto the floor, as Elyan and Leon rushed to help him up.
The library was an absolute mess with books and paper littering the floor.
Lucas was still standing, looking to Arthur for instruction.
"That was quite the journey," said Arthur, nonchalantly.
"My Lord," began Elyan, "are you alright?"
"Quite fine, Elyan. Thank you. Erm, Lucas...I'm not sure how you did it, but those images...there is no doubt in my mind. I believe you. It feels as if my very soul has been touched. Very few sorcerers are capable of that sort of magic."
"Except for Merlin," Lucas said quietly.
If Arthur was surprised, he didn't show it.
"Except for Merlin. Have you met him before?"
"Never. But his essence nearly knocked me off my feet when I stepped into Camelot. Some sorcerer's are capable of sensing the magic that other's posses."
"Interesting. Well, it seems that you are who you say you are. And if you agree to help us, you'll get what you came for."
Lucas smiled. "If it is the entail you speak of, I don't want it."
Now Arthur was surprised.
"The West Village is worth more than my own kingdom in gold and silver. Any man would give his right arm and leg for half that fortune. And you're willing to give all that away?"
"Wealth and power mean absolutely nothing to me, my Lord. My father had magic, as you have seen, but he was a simple man. We always lived below our means and we were content. After my mother left us, I cried nearly every night and didn't speak to anyone for a year. My father was patient, compassionate, and took care of me until the day he died. His last wish before he passed away was that I lived his life like he did: simply. No greed or excess wants. And I have kept that wish. I knew Sir Elyan was looking for me when he stepped into Uryleth, and although I didn't know exactly why, I sensed that it involved magic and that it was serious business. I have lived alone for a long time, no companions, no friends. That is the way I prefer to live. But when I heard Sir Elyan's story - Anna's story - I knew I had to help in anyway that I possibly could."
"So that's why you didn't claim the throne? You knew that as the eldest, you were entitled to it as per the laws of the West Village, yet you gave it all up - to Halcyin."
"I broke all ties to my mother after she left. I didn't want to know where she was or how she was doing. I thought that she had left us because we had been so wretched and poor and she wanted better for herself because of selfishness and greed. She had hurt me so much, and the pain took ages to get over. My father respected my wishes and never spoke of her while I was around, but I knew he still loved her."
"But that wasn't the reason why she left, was it?" said Arthur, rather morbidly.
"What a tragic story, Lucas. I'm so sorry," said Guinevere, before Lucas could answer.
Arthur had been so engrossed in Lucas' story that he hadn't noticed Guinevere beside him.
"Thank you, my Lady. But the past is in the past. And while I cannot change it, I can perhaps make the future a better one. My King, will you accept my help?," urged Lucas.
"Of course."
Arthur and Lucas shook hands.
"And the entail..."
"I will inherit it temporarily, as per the laws, but after that, I will pass it on to Anna and she can do with it as she pleases."
The next chapter is on it's way. Happy festivities and thank you for your comments.
