Ugh, finally, it's done. Would have finished this last week, but I had so much work and things to do for my studies I didn't find time. Guess I still managed to finish before the start of April, or in this case, right before April.
Warning for all those reading, it does get pretty dark at the end, so just be a bit wary.
Anyway, thank you for all your patience. Without further ado, I present to you all Chapter 30. Can't believe I got this far, but in any case I hope you all enjoy.
The trip sailing before they reached the mainland was one that could have gone smoother, all things considered. Morgan assumed that it was because of how cold it was and the increase in snow that had happened throughout the land. Along with it snowing, even at sea, the bodies of water the ship traveled across were either incredibly aggressive, icy, or both. While she did at times venture on top to the deck to assist in steadying the ship, or focusing on the right path using her powers, most of her time was spent in her room aboard the ship. In there, she spent most of her time in contemplation and in meditation, whether it be regarding her future, or her present. Mostly it was on the event that was to come. After all, her sister was finally getting married, ironically around the same age Morgan herself had been when she had been wed to Lot. Artoria, or rather 'Arthur,' was going to be wed to Princess Guinevere, the soon to be Queen of Camelot. Guinevere was older than Artoria by a few years, and it did make sense for King Leodegan to want her to marry while she still had youth. However, Morgan would be lying if she said she fully supported it.
Her own marriage had become essentially the antithesis to what the naïve girl she had been imagined it would be. Both Artoria and Guinevere were friends, so it would not suffer the strain that came from 2 people with no knowledge of one another being wed. However, 'Arthur' was just the moniker Artoria took up so she would be accepted as the King of Britain, it was not who she was inside, although her sister was the worthy ruler. It was childish really, a naïve wish compared to the sordid reality. However, Morgan supposed that her real gripe laid in the fact that, well, did they love each other? If one could not marry for love, then the marriage was already damaged from the start. Morgan had assumed she had loved her husband at first, but she had just been in love with the man she envisioned when that messenger had arrived at the nunnery, carrying her Father's wish for her to marry one of his closest allies. She had more than paid for that.
A truly romantic marriage was something that rarely did happen, but that did not mean it should not happen. After all, Artoria was a King, so why not a happy marriage? She did not believe that Guinevere would treat her wrong, or vice versa, but did they really want it? Morgan hoped that her children would be able to marry and live happy lives of their own, so why not her sister. A childish sentiment yet, but she did not see the fairness in the possibility that Artoria may be getting married out of necessity rather than actual desire. If her sister had been strapped with the burden of ruling, she at least deserved the comfort of a warm marriage to know that it had been worth it. She guessed her husband would laugh at such a statement.
Not she had really spoken to him since they had left. Ever since they had began sailing, Lot would only ever leave his room to check on their men navigating the boat. Sometimes a few minutes, other times hours. His usual taciturnity meant that he was never speaking to anyone longer than he deemed necessary. At times, he would just stand on the main deck of the ship while saying nothing, just gazing at the ocean ahead like a statue. It was not until about a day before they had arrived on mainland that something strange did happen.
Morgan herself had come to the main deck to help guide the ship, as the stormy weather, frigid wind, and rapid waves meant that it was hard for the navigators to accurately direct them to their destination. King Lot only ever requested her assistance when it was necessary, if the situation was one that their men could handle on their own, then there would not have been any need for her. As they needed to continue travelling South, and the whirling wind was almost incomprehensible for most of the men, not including those that had fallen ill, Morgan held her eyes closed as she concentrated on her energies, her marking quietly glowing as she felt herself connect with the air all around them. Twisting her wrist, the wind bombarded dissipated for a bit as she went towards the wheel and turning the ship until it properly faced South. Now they could truly continue their journey.
Sighing as she finished, she looked at her husband as she turned to go back to her room in the ship, "If that is all my liege needs of me, may I return to my solitude?" Lot did not reply at all. Instead, his head was strangely staring out at the side, eyes peering at the rumbling waves, whatever he was staring at was visible to only his eyes, no one else's. "My liege, is something the matter?" She asked him politely. After waiting for several moments for an answer, she finally lost patience and just decided to leave for her quarters. I her husband preferred the comfort of his own mind, let him have it, she was not going to bother right now.
At that moment however, the entire ship lurched painfully as a mighty wave slammed into it, almost falling onto its side as everyone clung to whatever they could for dear life. Driven in a moment of instinct, Morgan hastily pulled out her gold knife which she had kept hidden in her clothing and stabbed into the wood deck as the ship nearly over, catching one of the crew men with her free arm as the ship wavered violently in the waves. She watched in horror as half a dozen of their men fell off the ship and into the water, a few injuring themselves on the way down so much they drew blood. The rest of them all were about to follow. Even King Lot was barely maintaining his grip at the very edge of the rail of the ship.
Morgan hissed, "I will not be kept away because of the fickleness of the sea." She closed her eyes and quietly muttered, "Iftre goi nire, efrroy vikab. Viyetun nire, elftry vikab! Nioisten, efrroy vikab!" As she finished her chant with a shout, her eyes glowed blue, as did the markings Merlin had endowed on her when she had finished her training. With that, the water underneath the ship coiled and pushed the tilted ship in the opposite direction. At the other side of the ship, the water swirled and rose to stop the ship once it had righted itself, not letting it tip too far in the opposite. Once the ship was righted, the sea water swirled around the ship and dispersed, pushing back against any other incoming wave, allowing the ship to flow peacefully for a short time.
Dazed and horrified at the near death, the crew men took several moments to regain their composure, some still gripping the places they were for fear of their lives. While the crew man who she saved thanked her, Queen Morgan pulled the knife out of the deck of the ship, the magical blade having cleanly punctured through the wood with such ease one would assume it had been done by a master knife wielder. As she checked her surrounding, her eyes stopped at the very edge of the ship…and widened with horror. The crew man turned his head and choked as he saw his liege fall off the ship side and plummet into the cold water. "Our King has fallen off the ship!"
He ran to the side in horror as the rest of the crew men on deck regained their bearings and followed him there and looked over the ship, "Quickly, we have to save our King!" One of them men called out as another went to grab the rope to bring to the side. However, the man shook his head, "That may take too long, and we don't know what when the waves will crush into us again." He then looked back towards Morgan Le Fay, who was simply staring with a shocked look on her face, "My Queen, will you please help us?!" He begged, Morgan taking a moment to process it, "Your magic can save our Lord's life!"
Bringing herself out of her stupor, Morgan stood up and went to the edge of the ship, muttering quietly as she did before, her eyes glowing blue as the water swirled once more, eventually shooting up like a geyser before splashing upon the deck, King Lot being carried with the water until he landed back on his ship with a thud. The crew men raced forward to their liege, turning him over to see if he was alive. His eyes were hazy, somewhere in and out of conscious. There was blood leaking from his forehead, perhaps he had smacked it into the side of the ship while he was falling. Morgan walked towards him and the crew men before speaking in a stoic voice, "Take him to his chambers, I will treat him there."
They did so, and Morgan found herself in her liege's room, her husband lying in bed with a quilt-like fabric over his body. Opening his jaw gently, she whispered once more and waved her hand, the sea water flowing back up his body and out of his mouth, Lot choking and coughing as he woke up with a painful groan. His body seemed to be gripped by something for a moment and he began to hack blood, his coughing painful to the ears, Morgan wincing as she heard it, "Are you alright my lord?" She said softly to the man she had tried to love.
He stopped eventually, his senses adjusting as he looked around in the chambers, his wife and 2 of their guards being the only ones with him. Wiping the blood off his mouth, he stared at his hand and muttered, "Still alive." He noted, before staring off ahead, "You saved my life." Morgan assumed that he was referring to them, but from the look in his eyes, she was not sure. She continued with her magic, mending the wound on his forehead as well as the other injuries he had received, the color returning to his face. "That is enough." He said succinctly to which Morgan obeyed silently, withdrawing her hands, "How much farther until we reach land?" Lot asked.
One of the guards spoke, "We should arrive in another day or so. However," the man continued, "Do you possess the strength to arrive their well my liege? Are you for certain you are in proper health to continue the journey their and back?"
It was a reasonable concern on the part of their guards, a noble and honorable concern really. Which made Morgan feel more guilty when her hands tightened at the thought of not being there for her sister's wedding. As his wife, her concerns should have been with King Lot, and placing his wellbeing, along with their children, first before other things. That had changed very much regarding her husband. By all accounts, King Lot's illness was growing stronger, and she very likely could cure him. However, Morgan could not say that she had the desire to, and Lot never pressed her on the subject. Was he testing her loyalty, or did he just not care? After what she had just witnessed, Morgan was truly beginning to wonder about that.
Lot scoffed at the question, "I did not leave my Kingdom if I believed myself so weak to die upon the path, especially for something as trivial as this." Well, that answered that question for them. He then continued, "Leave now, return to your quarters or positions. I will call to you if I am in need." The guards bowed with respect and left without saying a word, the only sound made was their footsteps along with the creek of the door opening and closing shut. King Lot stared at Morgan, who had remained where she was, "Did you not hear me? I told you to leave, I've no need for you now." Still, Morgan merely looked at him, quietly. "Just what is the matter with you?"
"Why did you do that?" Morgan asked quietly to which Lot did not respond, an uneasy silence between them both. She needed to know, why did she do that. No one else saw it, otherwise, there would have been concerns spoken. Only she had seen it, but why would he do that?
Lot looked for a moment like he was going to say something, but said nothing, turning his head to stare at the wall at the far side of the room, his eyes once again impenetrable. "Go now." That was all he said. Morgan stayed there for a moment before finally standing up and making her way to the door. As she turned the handle, she waited for him to say something, anything really, but nothing…
It was pointless, it had never worked in the past, so why did she bother now, after all that had happened, there was no use in trying, nor a reason for her to keep making the effort. The door creaked open, and she walked out, closing it behind her. She was done really, there was little reason to continue the pretense, or to act on it. The next time he chose to toss himself off the ship and into the sea to drown, perhaps she should let him.
After all, its not like she would be the one tossing him over the edge, like he did to their eldest child…
Chapter 30: Departures and Arrivals
With the rising sun cast overhead, its light visible despite the rippling sky, the time had finally come for them to return to Camelot. The former advisors of Guiomar had managed to galvanize the people into following them all. Peasants were only able to take little of what they had, as could the nobles, for anything unnecessary was simple fat that needed to be trimmed off. With Artoria at the front, the gates of Lahia opened, and slowly, the large mass exited the Kingdom, hundreds of people slowly managing to make their way through the walls, while those in charge of the gates held firm until everyone was accounted for. After that, they made their, climbing down the walls with the help of their comrades, to join the rest.
Once outside, there were about half a dozen heavily wounded Chimera, along with several injured Gryphon, lying upon the ground to greet them, all of whom had been defeated trying to break through the walls to enter the Kingdom to feast on the citizens. The barrier created by Morgan Le Fay had done its job, the monsters had been beaten just by contact. All that had been left was to simply strike down the creatures while they were weakened. However, it was at the behest of the adopted child of the ruler of the faeries that the beasts were not slaughtered, and as The King of Knights and the Knight of the Lake approached where he, Gareth, and a few other knights were by the side of one of these creatures, it was time to see if his proposal would bear fruit.
Clad in her armor and helmet, with Excalibur and Arondight sheathed and at her side, Artoria made her way next to him, "So, young prince of the faeries, have you been successful?" She asked, noticing the mix of black and purple dust that he held in one hand which he then gently patted upon the wounded paw of a Chimera. The wound slowly mended, and Artoria could see something flow up through the arm of the creature until it reached the head. "What is that?"
Walbert grinned, "Magic dust the faeries possess. Mother taught me how to use them. One will heal these creatures of their wounds, the other makes them more obedient and agreeable." He looked across at the rest of the beasts, "I brought them with me since I knew we'd be coming back with a great deal of people, so I figured there needed to be some easier way for us to travel. The pacifying dust will be more effective with the healing dust nursing their injuries." He smiled as some of the beasts slowly rose, a tamed look on their faces, before taking out a small sack, "Now to finish this." Closing his eyes, he muttered something quietly, Artoria noticing that it was in the same language that the faeries spoke when chanting magic or when they spoke to one another at times. With that he undid the knot on the top of the brown sack, letting it open to reveal more dust, which he then blew gently. The air carried the particles of dust carefully, powdering them all over the wounded creatures. Slowly, they all started to rise, a Gryphon flapping its wings, finding it could use them, and one or two Chimeras rising, their goat heads braying softly while their lion and snake heads stared around curiously. The citizens were amazed as the creatures stared down on at the King of Knights, and bowed with respect, not a sliver of aggression to be seen.
Artoria looked at the creatures before turning to Walbert and nodded, "Well done, this will do us a great favor in escorting the people." She turned towards the large crowd of people as she shouted, "With these creatures now pacified, we will be able to transport as many as we can to reach Camelot atop of them! The rest shall be guarded by us as we make our way by foot, or horseback! Horses have already been gathered for travel, and every knight here has been accounted for! We shall travel to the villages to gather whoever we may as well as find Sir Galehaut, who stayed behind to protect one of the villages!" She then looked at her soldiers, "Now, my knights! You shall protect them with your lives, form a barrier around the defenseless with armor, weapon, and shield! While we have more options for defense and counterattack for any threat we may face, there is no way to account for every possibility! I ask you, stand beside me, and dedicate your very hearts until the end!" When her knights howled in declaration, she nodded, "Then let us begin." As all got busy, she turned to one of her most trusted, "Lancelot," unclipping Arondight from her side, she handed it to him, "Toss aside whatever reservations you may have, for I need you to wield this blade greater than you have ever done before."
Lancelot looked at the blade for a moment, uncertainty in his eyes. Then he breathed deeply, took the blade from her grip, and unsheathed it before her. Holding it before himself with grit and will, he stated, "As you command, my liege."
…
…
Groaning as she woke up, the woman rose from the bed and stretched for a moment. She had not realized just how sore she had become from riding on a horse for so long, not to mention sleeping on the cold hard ground. Queen Julia figured she needed a bath as well, something to arrange later. Sighing she looked around the room that had been provided, then turned to look at her still sleeping boy. John had been asleep all through their arrival at Cameliard, not even awakening for a moment when she had tucked him in bed, simply turning to his side in his sleep. Smiling for a bit, she gently shook him and whispered, "Time to wake up John, our day begins again."
Upon shaking the little one a tad more vigorously, John eventually yawned and sat up, his hair dirty and messy. Blinking for a few moments, Prince John looked around at their surroundings with confusion and wonder, "Where are we Mama?" He asked, looking up to his mother.
Queen Julia smiled, "We are at your uncle's. It's taken some time, but here we are." She said while he smiled in excitement, quickly getting out of the bed and racing for the door. "Hold on there! That does not mean you may just roam around freely young one!" The Queen of Lahia shouted as she chased after him. She swore the little ones always had so much energy, it was almost impossible to keep them in check. Leaving the bedroom to go after him, Queen Julia cringed when she heard someone cry out, followed by the sound of people knocking into each other, "Oh dear." She sighed with defeat, following the noise.
Following to the source, Queen Julia groaned with exasperation at the sight. Prince John was rubbing his head in pain while the maid was clearly terrified, checking on the boy before looking up to see the child's mother, "Milady, I am so sorry!" The clearly panicked maid said as she bowed towards Julia, "I was turning to visit your room and didn't notice him running, and he bumped right into my knee, and -" She was cut off by Julia, who simply placed her hand on the maid's shoulder and nodded.
"It is alright, I often tell this little one to watch he goes, but he never listens." She then turned to look at John, "Isn't that right?" When John nodded, she smiled, "Yes, now let me see your forehead." Julia said gently, helping Malphas move his hands so she could inspect the injury, "Just a small bump, nothing so terrible. That is good." She turned to the maid, "Could you bring a cold wet rag to our room, as well as some water for myself."
After waiting in their room for a bit of time, the maid returned with the promised items, "Thank you." Queen Julia said as she placed the wet rag on John's head before taking a sip of water. "How do you feel my son, any better?"
"Yeah!" Prince John nodded as he enjoyed the nice feeling of the cold rag on his head, before reaching up to get some water as well, which Queen Julia handed to him. Chugging some of it down, he smiled, "Feels nice!"
"I am glad to hear that." Both mother and child turned to see someone else at the door, the maid bowing in the presence of her ruler, "It would be a dishonor on my part to not properly accommodate my own family." King Sadoine said, smiling at his young nephew.
John's eyes lit up, "Papa!" The boy raced over and hugged his uncle, "You finally came back!" Looking up, John eyed his uncle curiously, "But what did you do to your hair?"
"My boy, that is your uncle, the now King Sadoine." Queen Julia commented, not able to stop herself from chuckling at her son's words, even King Sadoine grinning. It was true though; the brothers had always looked identical in the past. However, whereas Guiomar would wear his hair somewhat long and unkempt, Sadoine preferred keeping his hair short and clean so that he would never have to worry about fixing it. It was another small difference about them, Queen Julia assumed. "We have arrived at Cameliard, remember?" She said teasingly.
Prince John looked up at his uncle as understanding dawned upon him, "Oh." He said, before smiling, "Hi!" The little one cheered as Sadoine ruffled his hair affectionately. Turning around, he looked at his mother with a wide-eyed expression, "So when will Mally come back to see us Mama?!"
Queen Julia gave a pained smile, "Whenever he and Lady Morgan arrive. It depends on how successful they are." She looked up to see Sadoine's eyes widen upon hearing what she said, "I believe that there is much we need to speak about, dear Brother."
He nodded, "Indeed there is." Upon hearing the soft growl of a stomach, King Sadoine looked down at his nephew, "But perhaps some food is in order." John smiled, though Queen Julia was a tad bit reluctant. When Sadoine saw his sister-in-law point at the dirt that stained her clothing and hair, he waved it off, "You may clean later. After the tumultuous months that I have had since arriving here to fill in my uncle's shoes, I would be a hypocrite to judge."
And so, after everything was arranged, as well as beyond a week or more feeding off whatever they could find on land, Queen Julia and Prince John finally found themselves eating breakfast at a dinner table. Not one they were used to, but a rather nice one, nonetheless. While the little boy happily bit down on the loaves of bread, Queen Julia ate more slowly, her eyes examining the room they were in as well as the table. It was far more spacious and grander compared to Lahia, but then again, Cameliard had always far exceeded them in terms of wealth and land. She assumed that King Leodegan had more to add and spend compared to her father, who had to be more minimalistic to compensate for his love of the arts. Cups and Chalices were of a finer gold than in their Kingdom, and the dining room itself had plenty of sources of light, both in openings to allow the sun and moon to shine through, as well as plenty of torches. Tapestries were also hung on one wall, decorating the area.
However, that did not account for why several tapestries had been torn and ripped, she could tell her cup had been chipped, and the table itself had been damaged in certain areas and edges. "I suppose that the fighting came to the very castle itself. Or am I mistaken?" She asked quietly.
King Sadoine sighed, "Indeed, the fighting had started even before I had arrived. The most I could do was end any more of the senseless conflict and try to discover what had happened." He chuckled bitterly, "I know who killed my uncle, though I have no chance of killing him, and with the plague and beasts roaming about, he is not an immediate worry."
Did he really know who it was? That was what Julia wanted to ask, but she held that question back for now. She was not fully sure if he would believe her, not fully certain if Morgan Le Fay had been telling the truth. Julia had placed faith in Morgan, but with her husband supposedly dead, betrayed by their ally King Arthur, the man Sadoine had served before Leodegan's death, anything could be possible now. And with Malphas with her, who knows what was possible. Clearing her thoughts, she decided to prod more gently, "I know of beasts, but sort of plague do you speak of?"
Sadoine cringed and gulped, before looking at Prince John, "One not suitable for the ears of a young child." Prince John looked at him expectantly and Sadoine shook his head before turning to Queen Julia, "I will speak to you once we are done. Until then, please enjoy." Queen Julia nodded as she bit into some fruit that a maid provided, before downing another glass of water.
When it came time for breakfast to finally end, the young John slumped back on the chair with contentment, "Mmm, that was good." The boy said with a goofy smile.
"Is that right. Well, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, because you got food on your clothes and face as well, as if you were not dirty already." Julia turned to Sadoine. "Do you mind if my son was taken to a bath so he may wash up, as well as receive some fresh robes to wear?"
Sadoine nodded, "And what of yourself, milady?" He asked politely, knowing she had not washed up much recently either.
"I will bathe myself after I am done speaking to you. But for now, there is much you do not know, and much I do not know. And I believe it is imperative that we find even ground going forward, for what we do now may bear greater consequences than either of us may be aware of." Queen Julia replied.
Accepting her words, "Sadoine motioned for one of his guards that stood by the doorway, "Grenus, escort my nephew to the bath and inform the maids there that the boy is to be cleaned well, and provided a fresh set of clothes." Wordlessly, the guard obeyed, helping Prince John get out of his chair and escorting him out of the dining room, the doors closing behind them while John waved at both his mother and uncle. "You need not be worried," Sadoine told Julia, "Grenus came with me from Camelot, and the maids here loyally served my uncle. I trust them with my life."
"I am glad to hear that. To be perfectly honest, I did not expect you to be so calm. I had been worried you may be paranoid or anxious given how strenuous ending the warring amongst the nobles trying to assign blame here must have been." Queen Julia stated, noticing the weathered and exhausted look that was clear as day on Sadoine's face.
Her brother-in-law shrugged, "Trust me when I say I have been very fearful these past few months, especially as things compounded and grew only worse with each passing day." He stared at her numbly, "To answer your question about the plague in these lands, lumps are being found on people at their necks and groin. Their skin swollen, grows bumps and black. Struggle for breath, soreness, and overall hell follows. We could not figure a way to heal them. Regrettably, our only option has been to burn those with the disease to prevent it from spreading." Sadoine shook his head, far from happy with the arrangement as he saw Julia's troubled face, "To be honest, I've just come to expect that I'll not be living for much longer. Death will be arriving for me in one way or another. All I can do is complete my duty until the end, and I have made peace with that."
Queen Julia looked down, "In that case, I doubt you would like to know what I have to tell you, and there are fears I have you may end up confirming, about Morgan Le Fay, about the state Britain is in right now." She stared at him grimly, "I suppose I should start, and tell you why I came all the way here from Lahia." With King Sadoine's full attention granted, their conversation began.
…
…
As many had grown accustomed to, the streets of Camelot were dense with so many citizens and refugees, all condensed in this one place. Some chose to stay inside rather than swept away in the crowd, others far less lucky could do little but sleep on the dirt, their homes either destroyed, or they were forced to abandon everything for the sake of survival. Groups of knights surveyed the streets, directing the people towards their destinations and seeing if they were alright. Whether it was the warm and chivalrous Bedivere, or the cold and disconnected Bors, every knight was active in keeping the peace, or else they were outside the walls managing the borders while the faeries watched from above. King Oberon and Queen Titania continued their magical enchantments on the stump of the tree, the lance Rhongomyniad still glowing and piercing through the sky, which fluctuated and rippled as far as the eye could see.
All that left a certain knight who had chosen to remain by himself, weapon in hand as he chose to train out of sight from anyone. With the air almost searing as it ripped through the air, the basilisk fang tipped appear danced at the behest of its wielder. Spin, strike, flourish, and stab, the knight and weapon moved as one, the latter an extension of the former, or possibly the other way around. As the knight continued this cycle, the crack of a branch alerted him that someone was walking towards him from behind. "Odd, I don't know why I expected myself to find you here." A tired voice stated, one the knight was familiar with, "Though I am glad I did." With a stick in one hand to help himself walk, King Angusel approached his nephew, "So Gaheris, a fine day to train I suppose. Though logic would dictate you would focus more on checking the streets of Camelot and not in the small woods right outside the main castle."
Stopping his spear mid spin, Gaheris did not turn as he spoke to his uncle, "Not much left to do. Was there on the streets for most of the day. While stuffed as a chicken about to be killed and gutted, there was little to act upon. In the meanwhile, I need a place to sharpen my skills in a rather tranquil place with little distractions, and the trees calm me. Outside the walls, and my spear in hand, I am well at peace."
Angusel chuckled, "My dear brother was like that as well. Could hardly stand being around people when he was off the battlefield." He looked around the place, his eyes remembering the past, "Skilled as he would become in kingship, in our youth, he'd find a place with no one to bother him, and practice with his sword until he gave out or one of us would find him." Biting his lip for a moment, he continued, "Such a simple thing really. Drove us crazy, trying to find him to discuss things, while he'd be off on his own."
Gaheris tossed his spear lightly into the air before catching it with his other hand. As he continued this small process, he pondered, "It is a tragedy that King Urien has passed before he could have been saved. I cannot say I liked him very much, and I doubt he liked me, but I never wished death upon him, despite what happened in our past."
There was a pained look in Angusel's face as he replied, "You know that was not who I was speaking about, my nephew." While Gaheris ignored him, he sighed, "Odd how Agravain may resemble him so well, it is you who is truly his flesh and blood in spirit." That made Gaheris stop, not bothering to catch the spear, the weapon landing on the ground tip first, penetrating the soil, "I can imagine you would not like hearing that, but it is true."
Gaheris didn't say something for several moments, before he burst out soulless laughter, his uncle grimacing at the wild look on the usually controlled youth, "So what does that mean?! That I am destined to cause nothing but harm to the people who need me and ruin the lives of my family?!" He stopped laughing as he picked up his spear, "If that is the case, then I made the right choice in letting Lynette go. Poor girl went through enough in her life, the last thing she needed was someone like him, or in that case, me."
His uncle looked at him sincerely as he spoke, "I give no excuse for what he became, and for what he did." Shaking his head, he continued, "I have no delusions, I saw him lose his heart in front of my eyes. Even so, he was my eldest brother, the one who protected Urien and I when we were almost assassinated by our own father. I still miss him to this day, just as I know you miss your mother, Morgan Le Fay."
"Odd thing for you to say uncle, since from what I recall it was you who set a bounty for her head after his death. You and King Urien did a fair part in her becoming, 'evil.'" Gaheris replied bitterly, twirling his spear in one hand as he turned away.
"When she killed him, I lost the last chance I may have ever had of getting through to him." Angusel replied, the grief thick in his voice, "Regardless of whether or not it would have succeeded, the brother that I had all but lost in the war was truly gone, and all I was left with was wondering how it ended up like that. How could I have let things fall so out of control?!" He wiped a tear from his face as he went on, "Any chance of finding him, and bringing him out of the darkness he locked himself into for so many years, and it was all gone. I was angry Gaheris, beyond angry. I hated him, I hated her, and I hated myself, for not doing what I could have done to avoid it, for not doing better." He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment, "And I know you feel the same way about her, all the questions in you, the worry and fear left unresolved. I know exactly how it feels, my youngest nephew."
They stood there for almost a minute, neither of them speaking properly, before Gaheris looked up at the castle and muttered, "Then what would you have me do, uncle?" The knight honestly had no clue.
"That it is okay, Gaheris. That you need not feel guilty for that." Angusel sighed, "It is okay to still love your mother, and all the fond memories you have. Treasure them, hold them in your soul. Do not let those feelings blind you, as mine did, but hold on to them. Love her as she was back then, but I implore you not to make the same mistakes I made, less your errors cause this plight we are in to escalate any further." He closed his eyes, "Take the memories you have with you, and never forget their warmth. They should remind you of better times, but they are not to be sullied by anger or regret."
"I wish she would just tell me what was wrong." Gaheris eyes looked beyond the castle to less fond memories, "She had grown prone to hiding the truth from us for our own sake ever since that day…I cannot know if that still is the case right now."
Angusel shook his head, "I cannot say that I know what is running through her head nephew. If any of us did, I imagine things would be quite easier. Either way, I still feel she needs to be stopped, and I know you know that as well."
Gaheris looked down, "I did, if I did not, I would not have stabbed her as I did when Bedivere and I found her. Odd then how the agony I saw in her did not seem to come from the wound I dealt to her, or how she did not defend herself as she could have. I may be a skilled knight, but had she truly chosen to fight me, I would have suffered a swift defeat. And now this little fiasco with the Queen has not made things any easier." He sighed, "In my eyes, it is the wizard who is the true threat, not her, she is merely his accomplice. King Oberon and Titania may have been content keeping him bound and caged, but we should have done more to question him. We finally have him in our grasp." Of course, he had not bothered to truly break into Merlin when he had him, he just chose to vent is pent up rage, likely not his wisest decision.
'Lot never trusted that wizard either.' Angusel noted mentally as he tried for a smile, "Well, there's no point in beating ourselves down on that right now." He beckoned for Gaheris to follow him, "Come with me back to the castle boy, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about, and from the sound of you, it may be what you need."
As the two walked out of the forest, Gaheris looked up at the sky, "So what exactly is it?"
Angusel sighed, "I've been discussing things with Sir Mordred about a request made by Sir Bors since we have arrived. Apparently, there are people in Scotland that Queen Titania neglected to look for when she led us here, and he wishes to go back and find them."
"Ah yes, I remember him muttering about that. The beloved 'Holy Woman' Thametes, founder of Glasglow, as well as the legendary Saint Serf. Yes, Sir Bors mentioned more than once how abhorrent it was that Queen Titania chose not to save such devout practitioners of God, to the point he was tempted to strike her. I'd have been more amused if he actually had the nerve to do it." Gaheris chuckled sarcastically.
"You and he don't seem to get along, do you?" Angusel questioned, to which Gaheris shook his head, "I figured as much, is it a personal matter or-"
"The man is so obsessed with his sanctimonious views that it is difficult to truly speak to him without being judged on how devoted you are. Lord forgive if you end up doing something he sees as evil, or even have a moderate disagreement with him." Gaheris replied, "I stopped believing years ago, belief never got me anything. He told me that I was doomed to follow a path of evil and that death and repentance would be better for me. I told him blatantly that his words meant as much to me as a dead animal on the ground, and you can imagine how things have been since."
Angusel sighed, "Well, there is a problem. Queen Titania mentioned a way to transport him and a group of knights to find them. I thought that perhaps a mission like that could take your mind off things for the time being, but maybe not."
"No, it is alright." Gaheris replied, "I'll go with him if that is what you worry about. I will not leave others to possibly die just because I chose not to travel with a man I did not like. When do we leave?"
"First, we must discuss things with the King and Queen of the Faeries, and we will see from there. How to make sure you all leave prepared and how you will all come back, because I do not think another long trek like what was done before will work again, and Mordred is right in not wanting to lose any knights needlessly." Angusel grunted for a moment and staggered, Gaheris helping him remain standing as he dug his can into the ground. "I tell you; these bones have seen better days."
"Well, you won't have to struggle for long uncle. Take the time to rest, you deserve after all that's happened." As the two continued their trek to the castle, Gaheris muttered, "And uncle," Angusel turned his head to look at his youngest nephew, "Thank you." Angusel looked forward with a smile as they continued forward. His brothers, wife, kingdom, and two of his sons gone, but not all was lost, and for that he was grateful.
…
…
It was about evening when she made her way through the halls until she reached the chamber she had been looking for. The sound of water could be heard from within it, as well as heat, almost steam now. A maid stood by the chamber large, folded woolen cloth and clothes. She bowed to the Queen of her ruler's brother, "Your bath is ready, milady. Do you require any assistance?"
"No, that will not be necessary. Leave those inside for me, I will handle the rest by myself." Queen Julia replied as she went inside the chamber, the maid following her to leave the clothing by the side of the bath which had been drawn, before finally departing, leaving the lady by herself.
Stripping off her dirty clothes that she had traveled in, she set herself in to the warm water that had taken hours to do properly. Silking her hair through the water, she used her finger to comb out the dirt and grime from her hair before letting herself immerse herself in the bath. Wrapping her arms around herself, she imagined being in her husband's arms as she had been for almost a decade, and quietly began to tear up.
Elsewhere in the castle, King Sadoine sat in his throne, his eyes red as his face was filled with rage and frustration. He heard a knock on the doors, "Enter." He spoke.
As his attendant entered, he looked to his King with worry, "My lord, are you alright? You seem to be in a great deal of pain."
Sadoine merely sighed as he clenched a fist, "Just have some pour me a gallon of wine and bring it here." He shook his head with agitation, "I swear, could things grow any worse?"
…
…
As the army of demonic creatures, mages, and men halted for the night, the tent of the Emperor was indecent with the sound of moans, growls, and whimpers. The woman lying right on top of the bed was in a state of bliss as her chocolatey hair fanned around the bed. Right on top her was a woman with blonde hair and pointed ears, her arms snared by those of the beauty with brown hair as her body was pressed tightly against her by that of the man on top of them both. An animalistic snarl ripped from his throat as he pressed deeper into the blonde one. As he did so, his hands pressed into and rubbed her back, inevitably scratching the 2 long vertical scars that marred the otherwise perfect skin she had.
She winced and shuddered, and with whatever little will she had left, whimpered, "Please… don't touch those."
The brown-haired woman frowned after listening to the tearful little cry, "My dear eminence, would you mind going just a tad bit gently on this delight, she's so fragile."
"You are the one who asked me to cut her wings off because you found it too hard to have her otherwise. Do not blame me if she keeps crying because of it." As the process continued for several more minutes, the sound of footsteps alerted the red-haired Emperor, who turned his head to see one of the legionnaires enter. "What is it?" He said, rather annoyed at the interruption.
"Our scouts have discovered a small band of people coming our way, led by someone of magic. They claim to wish to speak to you, your excellency." The soldier replied, gaze focused and serious even in the middle of the obscenity.
Rosa groaned, "Oh, can this not be something to wait for day?" She groaned even harder when he got up and put his armor, "You are going, for all we know, it may be a hex?"
"Or a sign. Best to treat it with the due concern, since they knew that it was I they were calling for." He turned to give the 2 woman a sad look, "Enjoy yourselves without me for the time being."
The blonde one shuddered as she could finally move a bit more freely, her mind now swirling in fear, anxiety, and just a sliver of hope. Was it for her, was someone coming for her? She doubted she had been forgotten…but the torment had felt like eternity, she could not know.
As Rosa traced her hand along the blonde's side, memories returned of her fallen comrades, breaking her out of the haze she had been forced into. Their corpses ran through her mind as the once proud general of the King and Queen of the Faeries shuddered in the embrace of the one who had stripped her of her pride, wings, and men. She did not even have the magical energy to fight back as the older woman reversed their position, pressing herself upon the faerie in angry lust.
"So many things that prevent a truly perfect night. But never fear my dear." Rosa said as she cupped the face of her prize, "I will bathe you in carnal delight." She whispered with a predatory grin.
Struggling to keep herself from crying, all that Telaria could hope for was that whoever did come, they would have the strength to save her.
So yeah, that happened. Now you know what happened to Telaria, if it wasn't obvious enough really. This is where I'd say we're almost halfway through what you could say is nearing part 2. Or I guess I should say we're due to hit the middle of this story in about 5-7 chapters, I think. I may likely be wrong, to be honest.
Either way, thank you everyone for reading so far, hope to get the next chapter out as soon as possible. Be sure to leave a review so I know what you all think of it, and until next time, this has been the Venomous Blade, and I'll see you all later :)