Estelle pt. 25
Hello, hope you are having a good day.
Over the next few weeks, Elyan started to heal. Freya would come home upset and frustrated from working. Estelle would come home upset and feeling worthless. Merlin knew why but wasn't sure what to do. He was walking in the lower town when he got to Isaac's house. He looked up and smiled slightly.
"Your will be done, God." Merlin said. He knocked on the door and Isaac opened it.
"Merlin, how are you today?" Isaac greeted.
"Good, but this is more about my family."
"You want to know what to do about how they are being treated?"
"Yes."
"Come in."
They went inside. They sat at the table.
"Estelle comes home in tears. When I try to talk to her, she says it's nothing. I know that it's because of how she is being treated. Freya has been coming home upset and angry. She says that she's just tired but I know it's the students and the parents. I fear that we may have to leave. I have a house by the lake where Arthur died but we have family and friends here." Merlin explained.
"Merlin, as head of the household, you have to make decisions to provide for your family and protect them. Those choices are never easy." Isaac sighed.
"I know."
"Have you prayed over it?"
"Only once. Maybe I should be fasting in prayer."
"Maybe you should. Fast for a few days and if you still feel like this, talk to them and pray over it together."
"Thank you, Isaac."
Merlin went home and prayed. Whenever he had time over the next few days, he prayed. One the third day, Freya came home and saw him at the table praying. She sat next to him. Merlin looked at her and smiled sadly. he found her hand and squeezed it.
"I know that you are struggling with work, Freya. I know that the kids and the parents are making life very hard for you. I know you want to know why I've spent the past three days in continuous prayer." Merlin said.
"Why? Why have you been praying like this?" Freya asked.
"I've been praying that God will guide me. That he'll guide us and help us make a desicion."
"About what?"
Then Estelle came in.
"I can come back later." Estelle mumbled.
"No, you need to hear this too." Merlin replied. Estelle closed the door and sat at the table. "For the past few weeks, both of you have struggled and you've tried to hide it from me. Well, God doesn't want that and I don't either. I know that the villagers have been very cruel to you, Estelle. I don't know what they've said but I know it's been hard. I know that the students and parents have been very cruel to you, Freya. I may not know how cruel but I do know that both of you been coming home with that angry and bitterness. It's time to let it go. The desicion we will be making cannot be made in anger and bitterness. We need to give our anxiouties to God."
Merlin squeezed Freya and Sefa's hands. Then the three little ones came out and went to them.
"Can we?" Samuel asked. Merlin smiled.
"Sure." Merlin answered. Samuel sat on Freya's lap, Jessica sat on Merlin's lap, and Jason sat on Estelle's. "Do you remember how we pray?" The three nodded, closed their eyes and bowed their heads. Freya, Estelle, and Merlin closed their eyes and bowed their heads. "God, I've prayed to you to guide me. To guide my family but I haven't confessed my sins to you. I haven't asked for forgiveness. God, please take my anger and turn it into love. I can't take bare the weight of it anymore. Take my sadness and shame and turn it joy and boldness. Take all of my worries, God. I can't bear it anymore. God, I pray that you will help us as we talk over what you have laid upon my heart. Amen."
"God, I'm sorry. I have been bitter and angry at my job and I have been a bad example on the kids that I am responsible for teaching. I have shown them to be angry and bitter instead of loving and caring. I'm sorry. Please take this anger and bitterness away from me and give me joy even when the kids are being rude and disrespectful. Give me peace when their parents moan and groan over how I'm teaching their children. Give me a heart to serve you, God. I pray for the students. That they will be respectful and kind. I pray the their parents will be understanding and compassionate. Amen." Freya prayed.
"God, all my life, I've struggled with love and kindness. Now, I'm being judged because of who my parents are and because of what I have done. God, I am sorry for falling away from you and listening to the lies of this world. Now,I am bitter and angry. I have been rebuking people for their bitterness and anger when it's my anger and bitterness that needs to be rebuked. God, take the lies that the villagers breathe and turn them into truths. Give me peace about who my parents are. Help me know that my past is the past and that I have changed. Give me strength to face them. Help me to be bold. God, you have saved me from my sins. If you can forgive me, then I should be able to forgive them. Give me a heart to forgive. Give me the wisdom needed to help these people. Amen." Estelle finished. Then Samuel shook Merlin. Merlin opened his eyes.
"Can I pray?" Samuel asked. Merlin smiled.
"Yes." Merlin whispered. They closed their eyes.
"I'm sorry for lying to Jason today, God. Please forgive me. Amen."
"I sor'y 'or hit'ing 'ason. Ple'se, fo'gi've 'e. A'en." Jessica stammered.
"I'm sorry." Jason mumbled.
Estelle whispered in his ear."For what?"
"For pushing Samuel."
"Ask God to forgive you."
"'lease forgive me."
"Say Amen."
"Amen."
They all opened their eyes and smiled at the younger ones.
"All three of you did a very good job praying. We're proud of you." Merlin said.
"Now, what do you say to each other?" Estelle asked.
"Sorry." The three mumbled.
"Ok. Now, you can go play."
The three left.
"Watching the two of you suffer made me realize that God may not want us here anymore. I'm suppose to be court warlock but I don't have magic anymore. All I can do is guide people. I've done all I can here. I've been struggling with what to do. I'm wondering if we should go back to the lake. I was wondering about it the other day and God the next thing I know, I'm in front of Isaac's house. He told me to fast in prayed for a few days and if I still feel like this, I should talk to the two of you and together we pray about it." Merlin explained.
"I want to stay here but if I listen to my bitterness, then I would say let's go right now." Estelle replied.
"I'm with Estelle but part me wonders how long God wants us to stay here." Freya answered.
"Then we should pray about it. I'll tell mother, Gwen, and the others about this and hopefully, they'll help us." Merlin sighed. Together they prayed over it. Over the next week they prayed over what to do and they still felt torn. They invited everyone they loved over for dinner.
"So, MErlin, why have you invited us here?" Gwaine asked.
"The three of us having been praying about this and thing about this. Isaac knows about the problem and I'm sure has been praying about it to." Merlin sighed.
"Every day." Isaac answered.
"Well, Estelle and Freya have been struggling with people being cruel to them and it's been hard on us. I told them how I felt and we confess our sins. For the past week we've prayed over where God may be leading us. I'm court warlock but I no longer have magic. My purpose here in Camelot is coming to an end but I have a duty to protect Arthur even if he is dead. Estelle and Freya still have work to be done here and we are torn as to weather we stay here or leave."
"Leave?" Leon wondered.
"We'd still visit when we can but we'd go back to where Arthur died. I have a home built there. We asked you here so that all of you would know what we are struggling with. We hope that you will help us." Merlin explained. Then someone knocked on the door. Leon opened it.
"Sir, the lower town is on fire and Lot's men are killing everyone. Camelot is under attack." The knight said. They looked out the window.
"What do we do?" Leon asked.
"We'll have no choice but to leave. Have all of the survivors follow us." Gwen answered. Leon nodded and left.
"Looks like God answered our question." Merlin mumbled.
"Let's pack what we can."
They went to their chambers and got what was close to their heart. Then they met under the castle. When they got there, most of the survivors were waiting.
"Let's go. We have to be very careful." Gwen said. They walked out of the castles and walked all night. In the morning, they were on a hill that over looked Camelot. They all stopped and grieved over the people that had died. Merlin squeezed Freya's hand. Freya looked and saw the tears running down his face.
"Where will we go?" Leon asked.
"Merlin, take us home." Gwen whispered tearfully as she hugged Elyan. Merlin nodded tearfully.
"First, let's pray for healing." Isaac said. They all bowed their heads. "Our Father in Heaven. We pray that you will bring peace to our hearts as we have had to leave loved ones and homes. Give us peace as we start the next part of our journey. Guide us and direct us. Protect us from the hands of evil and show mercy to those that have died because of hatred. Amen."
They all walked to their new home. That night, they all stopped in a clearing and tried to rest. Merlin was sleeping next to Freya. Samuel laid next to them sleeping. She could sat up and saw the survivors of Camelot. She looked at the sky and saw a star that shone very brightly. She smiled slightly. She knew that God was giving her peace. She laid down and went to sleep. The next day, she woke up and saw that Merlin was awake. She saw that he was depressed.
"Merlin, this isn't your fault." Freya said.
"I know." Merlin sighed.
TBC