The Union of Avalon and Briton
Chapter 35
Part 2
The spells in the story are not all mine. Some I got off a story from another author here called Calliann. Some spells are from Earth, Air, Fire, and Water: More Techniques of Natural Magic by Scott Cunningham and Everyday Magic by Dorothy Morrison. Other spells I borrowed from the writer Patricia C. Wrede, and still others are from a videogame-I don't know the game's name, but I got it from some sort of game. Some rewritten spells are from Green Magic: The Sacred Connection to Nature by Ann Moura. A few ARE mine though! A part of a chant is from Lady Alexia V and her story Dark Red. Some of the Dark Gods are from a web page Beltane information comes from and, the main web page, a few words are from Harry Potter, and the web page Temple of the Sacred Spiral. Another spell, in this chapter actually, is from the book Spell casting: Practical Magick for Daily Life by Sister Moon. Guinevere's comments about the God Bran and the scripts under his head are from Druid Magic From the Age of Arthur: The Lost Books of Merlin by Douglas Monroe! The Rite of Magica Rejection "Oardagh a Pishagagh Jiooldaght" is of my own creation. Cry For Unity
Words & Music by Brendan O'Loughlin
(A ballad, but with dramatic music, depicting the
problems in Northern Ireland.)
As always, King Arthur is not mine and none of the characters belongs to me either. They are all apart of the Arthurian Legends. I am only using these characters, as fun activities in my spare time so please, don't sue me! The children are all mine though!!
The Knights listed are TRUE Knights of the Round
Table-I found the names of all the Knights listed on
different websites!
Meanwhile, as his friends escorted his sister and cousins to Morgana's chambers, Arthur followed the young pair of priestesses that Morgawse had summoned to lead them to their chambers while they stayed on the island.
Arthur, despite the time that had separated them, felt like he had to ask just where Ariel ended up after their shared Beltane night seven years ago, "Pardon me, Lady Priestesses, but could you tell me where Priestess Ariel is now?"
Ciannait and Esmerelda turned to each other and grimaced. Ciannait sighed, turned around to face him, and said softly like she had something really awful to tell him, but didn't know how to explain it to him, "Ah...Ariel is dead Lord Arthur...she died in childbirth. Her baby was born premature and died a few days later."
Arthur's eyes widened as he understood her unspoken words-his child had died. His son or daughter had died before they could really take hold of life and grow.
He held Orrin closer and asked painfully as the others looked at him in empathy-Vanora and Fulucina most of all, for they too had lost a child once before in their younger days, "Was is a boy or a girl?"
Esmerelda smiled softly at him in consideration and said, "It was a girl. Ariel never knew. Ariel died just minutes after naming the babe Ingrain in honor of your mother, Arthur. Ingrain was a month and a half early though and died three days later. Her lungs weren't fully formed you see, and her ear canals were so tiny that they collapsed on themselves as well."
Arthur nodded but Ciannait could see the tears in his eyes.
She placed her hand on his shoulder, careful not to awaken the sleeping Orrin, and said, "Her tomb is in the temple where all your family is placed upon their cremation. You can go see them both whenever you want."
Arthur nodded and swallowed the knot in his throat. When they arrived at the rooms, Arthur placed his nephew on the bed and said as Genevieve placed Roslyn beside him and said, "I think I will sometime in the future. But for now, we have more important things to do in the meantime."
Fulucina, in a move than surprised them all as she had been unusually quiet since they met her, placed a hand on his forearm and said strongly, "To lose a child is always hard, Arthur, but to get past the pain is a sign of a strong character. While you never knew about your daughter, nor her death, you can't just ignore it either."
Arthur opened his mouth to deny her words, when she placed her hand over his mouth and said even more strongly, "To deny your daughter's place in your heart is wrong as you are not the kind of man to deny anyone a place in your heart. Even I, a person who has only known you a short time, can see that your hold everyone closely to your heart. That's the type of person you are. I am the same. Don't mourn her passing, but don't deny her place in your heart either, Arthur...she was your daughter after all."
Arthur smiled thankfully at her and nodded.
As Fulucina stepped away from the ex-Roman commander, Dagonet placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and said in a soft rumbling voice as he stared into her black-blue eyes, "That was a very nice thing you did for Arthur, Fulucina, and you're right Arthur cares deeply for all he sees as family or friends. He needed to hear your words."
He paused and added in an uncertain voice, "I take it you experienced something similar..?"
Because of the attention he was giving her, Fulucina blushed and nodded. Lunete wrapped an arm around her shoulders and said seriously to them both, "We need to talk."
The two stared at each other, but nodded nevertheless.
Aithne was giggled softly under her breath as Galahad, in his bliss filled pleasure, dragged them deeper and deeper into the very heart of Avalon's Magic. Unfortunately for him Branwen's Soul-Healing Chambers weren't in this direction, but Morgawse, Isolde, and Elaine's personal chambers were in the heart of the temple.
Galahad's blissful thoughts of training his sons in weapons and horse riding were interrupted by the gentle waves of Aithne's giggles. He skidded to a halt in front of a set of doors that looked vaguely familiar to him and turned to see his lover trying to hide her cheer behind her free hand.
He dropped her hand, placed both of his fists on his hips, and demanded with a curious tilt of his head, "What's so funny?"
Aithne swallowed her giggles and said, "You are!"
"Why?"
Aithne smirked and said, "Galahad, the last time you were here, you never saw the path to Branwen's Healing Chambers, so how do you know the way now?"
Galahad blinked and said as a blush infused his cheeks, "I guess I wasn't really thinking, but this way seems familiar to me."
Aithne nodded and said as she placed her hands on his cheeks, "This place seems familiar to you because you were once here seven years ago to see mother and Aunt Niniane off to their next life."
Galahad's eyes widened in understanding as he held her hand once more and said, "Then shall we be getting on to our son?"
Aithne smiled and pulled him down a side hallway that he had never seen before. Within a few more turns he found himself in front of a large pair of doors that had a golden circle on it with a rune of the soul emblazoned on it.
As they pushed the doors opened, they saw both Branwen and Ferrell sitting within a pure white circle that was glowing softly.
Ferrell was sitting on her lap with his eyes closed. He had a small smile full of faith across his lips as Branwen continued to sing a song of hope and cheer to help remove the taint of the Saxon army,
"The hills and the stones,
And the old bog roads,
Have haunted my memories.
The small town fairs,
In the village squares,
Has kept us all together.
The time is right now,
To show us how,
To live and love one another.
For all that I hear,
There's is nothing to fear,
We must keep our hopes up high.
A new day has come,
No need for the gun,
Let us let those old dogs lie.
We'll pray for the day,
When we'll hear some one say,
We're all as one, not divided.
The north and the south,
No reason to doubt,
Must forget those regretful days.
The time is right now,
To show us how,
To live and love one another..."
Branwen's eyes opened and her warm, loving smile grew brighter as she saw her cousin and her friend standing in front of her. She waved then in as the circle dimmed and vanished as if it was never there.
Before she could say anything though, Ferrell's eyes popped open and he exclaimed happily as he jumped into his father's arms, "Daddy! I feel more better now! Those meany Saxons don't scare me any more!"
Galahad's eyes closed in relief and said as he hugged his son close to his heart, "Thank the Goddess."
Aithne smiled thankfully at her younger cousin and said, "Thank you so very much Branny. I can't thank you enough for this."
The youngest daughter of Niniane smiled and said in a harmonious voice, "It's no problem Aithne. I'm glad I could help."
As she made to leave the room, she turned to them and said with an excited smile, "You can stay here and use the room if you want, but for me, I have a big brother or two to greet!"
Galahad and Aithne stared at once another passionately as they held their son close. When they sat down, Galahad looked at his lover and his child's mother and said seriously, "We need to talk of marriage Aithne. Arthur will kill me otherwise!"
Aithne smiled and said, "Well, I'd be willing to marry you if only you'd ask me properly."
Galahad shrugged sheepishly and said as he leaned in close and whispered huskily in her ear, "Aithne Cuid a Uisce will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife for this life and all the rest that follows into eternity and beyond?"
Aithne smiled ecstatically up at him and said happily, "YES!!"
Meanwhile, as all this was occurring, Lunete, Dagonet, and Fulucina with Alecto on her arm snuck out of Arthur's chambers and came to a stop near a large Rowan Tree surrounded with Rosemary bushes, and three marble benches carved into three equal curved pieces.
As Lunete turned around, she said, "Will you wait here for a short time? I need to retrieve my son and my daughters from Emogen. When I return, we shall have our talk."
Dagonet watched Fulucina's pale face bleach white as she nodded lost in thought.
He turned to Alecto and asked softly because he did not want to bother Fulucina, "Alecto, I think you'd best talk to your mother before we do. If I'm reading the situation right with Lunete, she wants the three of us to join in a union, and I think your mother might have some reservations because of her religion and what she thinks you will see her as."
Alecto nodded and said, "Yes, I think you're right Sir Dagonet. I shall speak to her now."
As he pulled his mother to her feet and towed her to the marble statue of Caillean, he said, "Mother, do you want to be with Sir Dagonet?"
She blinked at him and said softly, "I would not reject his affections should he bestow it upon me, my son, but I'm a simple Christian woman. A union of three partners is against the Bible. I won't be cast out as a sinner because my heart was daft enough to fall in love with not only a man but a woman as well."
Alecto shook his head, gripped her hands tightly within his own, stared deeply into her eyes and said seriously, "Mother, all your life you have acted in the way a proper Roman Lady-wife should. You have obeyed the laws of your father, then your older brother, father, and the bible itself. You have been the perfect model of high-society and Roman hierarchy..."
Fulucina's eyebrow rose as she said with a wave of her hand in his direction, "And I hear a but in there somewhere."
Alecto tilted his head down in a light-hearted humor, and answered as he met her eyes with his own blue-black orbs that he inherited from her, "...but all that this model behavior has caused you was nothing but pain of heart and pain of the body. Grandfather hit you, Uncle Remus beat you, father raped you, and the bible and the priest told you that as a woman you had to accept all those ills because of Eve's single sin. If joining Dagonet and Lunete in love will bring you the happiness you deserve, I want you to do it. Don't bother with what others say about you and the other two."
He scratched his head sheepishly and said, "Personally, I would be honored to have Dagonet as a father and Lunete as a aunt. Plus, having three other siblings would be neat. I always wanted a brother or a sister, but I would never wish father upon any woman-ever!"
Fulucina pulled back from him and asked hopefully, "Really?"
Alecto smiled and nodded as he said, "Really mum."
Fulucina smiled, hugged him, and said, "Thank you!"
She spun around and practically threw herself into Dagonet's arms. As he held the Roman woman close to his heart, Dagonet looked at Alecto gratefully. Alecto returned the nod with one of his own and left them alone to talk.
A minute later, Lunete called out cheerfully, "Dagonet! Fulucina! I want to introduce you to my children: Lorna, Ronan, and Shela!"
The two pulled away from each other and Fulucina knelt down and said gently, "Hello little one, my name is Fulucina. What's yours?"
Lunete's youngest daughter, Shela, smiled a smile the revealed her two missing front teeth, and said with a light wisp, "Hif, my nameth iss Sshela! Can I call you Auntie Sina?!"
Fulucina smiled brightly, pulled her in for a short but loving hug, and said as she stared straight into Lunete's eyes wishing for once that she possessed the powers of the other women in her company, "Yes, dearest, you may call me that."
Lunete smiled grandly, for she had caught Fulucina's message loud and clear, and said, "Children, why don't you go and meet Uncle Bors and Aunt Vanora in Uncle Arthur's chambers. We still have some very serious business to deal with before we can have any fun."
Twelve-year-old Lorna nodded and said as she took seven year old Shela's hand, "Okay, mum, we'll see you later, okay Sir Dagonet, Lady Fulucina?"
The two nodded, as Lunete said, "Okay, as much as I would love to continue this to its passionate conclusion, we are here to protect Elaine and Arthur. Also, we need to be getting to the Altar Room. Morgawse shall be casting the protective spells in a few short minutes."
With two agreeing nods, the three rushed back into the temple and were met by Elaine and Lancelot who were standing by the doors waiting for the others to join them.
Dagonet's eyebrow rose up as far as it would go as he saw Lancelot holding Elaine to his chest with his hands resting protectively over her womb.
Fulucina smiled and said cheerfully, "Congratulations! When is the babe due?"
Lancelot smirked happily at her and said knowingly, "Well she's not due to arrive for another eight months at least! So, will you be joining us for the protective ritual?"
Fulucina blushed lightly and nodded as she said, "I'm actually very fascinated by all the magic. I hope I won't be causing any problems with the spell casting?"
Elaine shook her head and said as the other's joined them, "No, even your feelings of good will and hope will help with the spell's power and potency."
Just then the others arrived in one solid group. Her gaze locked on Arthur and she frowned. Her brother didn't look very happy. In fact, he looked like he had just lost his best friend or sister.
She glanced at Genevieve and asked telepathically, "What's wrong with Arthur?!"
Genevieve answered back sadly, "He found out about Ariel and Ingrain."
Elaine's good cheer vanished like the morning mists go with the sun. It looked like she and Lancelot would be healing his heart tonight instead of making love tonight.
Lancelot noticed his friend's depression and realized that something big had occurred while they were with Morgana. Whatever it was though, it was bad. He had only seen Arthur this depressed once in his life, and that was when they sent Ingrain Cuid a Uisce da Cornwhwynn de Castus to the next life. He sighed and thought at the same time as Elaine did looks like it'll be the three of us tonight...
The doors swung open and Morgawse dressed up in a pure white toga-styled dress, with her blond hair pulled up into a loose bun, and a softly glowing silver Athame in her right hand, said as the full moon shined down gently upon the runic floor slowly making its way to the white marble slab that held a crystal clear mortar upon it, "Arthur, Elaine, it's time..."
Sorry!! This one is getting to long!! But the next chapter will have the protections and a bit more between Arthur, Elaine, and Lancelot as they try to help him get over the loss of two people he didn't even know he had. And More between Arthur and Genevieve also!!