Hello guys! It's been quite a while, but I found this story hidden in the depths of some files on my computer, and figured it was better to let them out in the world rather than keep them hidden.
Disclaimer: I do not own Arthur or Merlin or any part of BBC Merlin sadly, but I do own my OC's, including Alethea, Ingrid and a couple of others.
This is the final instalment of Alethea's story.
I hope you enjoy it, and please read and review.
Fey-of-the-forest
A thousand years or more had passed since Alethea Pendragon had first set foot on the Isle of Avalon, and she had grown bored of her life here. She was unable to leave the small island thanks to the prophecy that stated Arthur and his men would rise again when England most needed them, and though much had undoubtedly happened to the country, they had not been required so far. Being stuck here had never really been much of a problem before, for she had always been able to fill her time with something, but today was different. Even her daily walk around the Isle was not helping, and she was finding herself reminiscing about her time here and everything that had come before. As she turned onto the path that took her to the shore, she thought back to when she had first arrived.
Those first years on Avalon had seen her recovering from the disease which had brought her here, followed by exploring her new residence and introducing other members of Camelot to the Isle. It had always been a sad day when they arrived, for it meant that a piece of the legendary kingdom was gone, but Alethea ensured that it was a joyous occasion too, for they were free from suffering. They had always been more than happy to indulge her in news of the world and often taught her new skills. With every person that moved to Avalon, new tales would be shared and old ones would be embellished. However, as time went on, and with no new people joining them, there was only so much that could be done. She had recorded the tales for posterity, and written her own stories too, after having read all the books in the library here at least twice. Though it had taken some time, Ingrid had taught Alethea to draw, but the former queen had now drawn everything on the island at least ten times each already. Alethea was now an incredibly skilled swordswoman, and knew everything there was to know about every weapon and item of armour. She had also learned to weave and embroider, but her wardrobe was full of dresses that would last her for at least another hundred years or more. Whilst others seemed happy to occupy their time with things like reading or training or gossiping, Alethea found she was starting to become tired of it all.
She was growing weary of this life. Though she had been restored to her youthful figure, as everyone had done upon arrival here, she had lived for over two hundred lifetimes, and she had no idea how long she would be around. It had not really bothered her too much at first, but there was one day when Penny, her faithful black and gold dragon, had arrived on Avalon with sad news. Her son, Aeron, was dead. He had passed in his sleep, having succumbed to old age, and he was not meant for Avalon. He had no sons, only a daughter who had been married off, and so Camelot was left to fall to ruins. No one had been able to comfort her or Arthur for days afterwards. To have lost a child was painful enough, but to outlive them? It was horrendous. They had always assumed that Aeron would be allowed to join them, but apparently this was not the case. Though they begged and pleaded, it was too late. Their son was gone, and there was no way to bring him back. The only comfort was that Penny remained with them now, and as she was the last dragon, all had decided it best that she not leave.
Alethea sighed then as her feet hit the sandy banks. She was growing fed up even of her favourite thing. She loved walking around the Isle, for it was full of beauty. The great stone palace in the middle always shone brightly, with stained glass windows adding colour to the honey coloured stone. Surrounding it was forest, which was full of wildlife and the men enjoyed hunting in. The shore was Alethea's favourite part. It was always surrounded in mist, but during one of her early explorations she had stumbled across one patch where she could see the world beyond. Despite showing everyone else around the Isle, this was the one spot that was truly her own, and not even her husband knew of it. She had set up her own little camp here, complete with a shelter, blankets, and a food store, and she spent at least twenty minutes each day watching events unfold across the water. She had been sad to watch the village being raided by Vikings, and then by Normans, but the people had simply rebuilt their town on the same spot. As time went on a mighty abbey was constructed, and she found it fascinating to see how such a beautiful building was created by man. It had upset her then to see it destroyed at the orders of King Henry the Eighth, and then practically demolished in the English Civil War. Though she was amazed to be able to watch history unfold, she was torn as to whether she should keep returning. She knew that one day she would arrive at her secret place and find that the nearby town was entering the twenty-first century, and the pull to go home would become too much.
She had always felt guilty for not trying to return to her parents and her friends, and the lost dreams of her adolescence had plagued her. Though she did not regret marrying Artur, she wished that the cost had not been so high. She doubted that he knew just what he had been asking of her when he had proposed, and she wondered if she had truly known the price of saying yes. Of course, love meant making sacrifices for each other, but she wondered if he had given up quite as much as her. She truly loved him with all her heart, but occasionally her thoughts drifted to a life where she had returned to her home and completed her studies. Where would she have gone? What job would she have ended up with? And would she have found love? It was all idle thought of course. When she was allowed off Avalon, her husband would be with her. That is what the prophecy was. Arthur and his men would rise when England needed them most. He was the Once and Future King after all, and that made her the Once and Future Queen. At least, that is what the Lady of Avalon had told them.
The former queen and once college student wandered back to her spot on the shore and sat down on the chair she had managed to smuggle here one day, before watching the waves ripple against the bank. The sun was shining brightly and a cool breeze blew through the trees, but Alethea did not notice this. Instead her eyes fixed upon a group of men dressed in khaki uniforms, all being waved off by families. Her heart sank when she saw them, for she knew that very few, if any, would return alive. It seemed that the twentieth century had arrived overnight, and she wondered just what the time difference was between Avalon and the world outside. She knew that time must pass differently here, for she had noticed that buildings went up too quickly across the water, and yet she had never dared to ask the question as it would give her place up immediately. What this did mean though was that there was a strong chance that she would see the twenty-first century from afar, and she was not sure that she could do that. After all, how could she sit here and do nothing when she knew her parents would be a few hundred miles away, wondering what had happened to their only child?
It was getting dark when she finally returned to the palace. It seemed she had been gone for hours, and so she was not surprised to bump into Arthur on her way back. He was stalking along the main path with a torch, and he smiled as he saw his wife.
"Where have you been?" He asked as he carefully set the torch down and wrapped his arms around her. Alethea savoured the hug, feeling some of her concerns melt away, and wished that she could tell him what was worrying her. However, she had a good idea that he would not understand why she wished to leave, and even she was unsure of whether she would be able to return if she could go. If it came down to the choice between seeing her parents once more or spending eternity with Arthur, just what would she choose?
"I went for a walk." She shrugged as he let her go and they began to walk back to the palace, hand in hand.
"You rarely go for evening walks."
"There's always a first time for everything." She pointed out. Though she was glad that she had not spent too many years of her life on Avalon without him, it had been a sad day when he had arrived. Even now the memory was clear in her mind, as if it had happened only yesterday. She had cried when she had seen the state of him, and had refused to leave his side until he had recovered. For weeks afterwards they had been inseparable, and even now they tried to spend as much time together as they could.
"Something is bothering you." He stated, knowing her far too well.
"I'm bored." She told him without having to think twice. Arthur scoffed, then regretted it as Alethea glared at him. "I really mean it."
"You never get bored."
"I rarely do, but I have attempted everything and my heart simply is not in it." She corrected as she tucked a stray curl behind her ear.
"You could join us in training tomorrow." He offered, and she smiled slightly. It had taken him some persuading at first, but he had eventually given in to her relentless pestering to let her be trained on how to use a sword well.
"You know I'll only defeat you again." She teased, and he shook his head.
"Honestly, it was only the once…."
"That's all it takes." Alethea pointed out before sighing again. "I'm sure this feeling will pass. I guess I am simply growing restless."
"Well, if there is anything I can do…"
"I will let you know."
Alethea barely slept that night, for her dreams were plagued with images of home. Though they were fuzzy, and felt more like something she had made up than actual memories, she could not shake the fact that the chance to see her parents was presenting itself. All she had to do was find a way off Avalon and ensure that she could return after she had seen her family and friends once more.
"It cannot be done." The Lady of Avalon stated when Alethea arrived in the library a little before dawn. The former queen had not even asked the question yet, but her heart sank. "You cannot leave Avalon until Albion needs Arthur."
"So I am forced to watch from afar the world I grew up in, unable to see my family for even a moment?"
"No one is forcing you to do anything." The Lady stated softly. She was older than anyone here, but she was beautiful. She wore a pale blue silk gown, and her long brown hair cascaded down her shoulders. "Even I cannot change your destiny."
"I am fed up with destiny!" Alethea snapped. "I just want to see my parents…"
"There is nothing to be done." The Lady said before leaving. Alethea could only stand there and let her tears fall.
Arthur found her later that morning. He had woken to discover that there had been a bit of a disagreement between his wife and the Lady of Avalon, and he wanted to make sure that Alethea was alright. So he had followed the trail through the woods and was a little confused when he found the small shelter. He had believed that he knew every inch of this Isle, but it seemed that Alethea had been hiding something from him.
"So this is where you disappear to." He said as he stepped forwards. Alethea barely looked up from where she was sitting, her knees hunched to her chest as she rested her chin on her hands. She truly looked forlorn, and he wondered just what was upsetting her so much. "What is it that you were discussing with the High Priestess this morning?"
"It doesn't matter." She gave a heart felt sigh.
"It does." Arthur pressed onwards as he sat beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "You can tell me Alethea. I promise I will do what I can to help." She was silent for a moment as she weighed up her options, and then she met his eyes.
"Promise me you won't get angry or upset."
"I promise." He said, though he was a little confused.
"I asked if I could leave." Arthur's heart dropped and then he felt anger start to rise in his blood. "Only for a few days." She carried on. "It's not that I wish to leave you, but…" Alethea sighed once more and then turned her gaze across the water. Arthur followed her line of sight, and then frowned as he spotted a very strange looking assortment of buildings.
"What is that?"
"The later part of the twentieth century." She explained. "Somewhere out there, I am in a crib with my parents."
"This is why you have been so restless?" he guessed and she nodded. "You can't go." He stated, and Alethea clenched her fists in frustration.
"Why not? Why can I not go and reassure my parents that I am not dead? That I did not simply disappear forever?" She asked him as he removed his arm from her shoulder. "Do you have any idea what they will have gone through looking for me? Is it so wrong to want to tell them that I am okay?"
"You belong here, with me." He said. Alethea got to her feet and so did he.
"I belong with my family, in the twenty-first century!" She shouted, feeling her temper boil. She rarely got this angry, and she despised arguing with her husband, but she had no choice. He was being a complete idiot.
"I am your family!" He yelled, desperately trying to stop her from doing something foolish. He had no wish to lose her again, and she was the only thing that made this life on Avalon worth living.
"You are only my husband, not my blood." She seethed. "My parents are out there. Do you not see why I wish to go?"
"No Alethea." He demanded. "You are not leaving."
"Are you honestly telling me that if you were given the chance to see your parents again you would not take it?" he was silent. "Arthur, is it such a terrible crime to want to go home?" She softened then, her voice cracking slightly.
"It does not matter, because are not leaving." He stated.
"I belong there! I had a life! Dreams! Ambitions! Friends! And I gave them all up for you."
"I never asked you to." He said softly, though he knew deep down that she spoke the truth.
"You did! The day you proposed!" She pointed out, and he sighed. There was no winning this one.
"Then I am sorry I asked you to be my wife!" He said snidely, and Alethea looked stunned for a moment. Her eyes brimmed with tears, but Arthur would not back down or apologise for something he believed in, and he remained silent. Not wishing to stay there any longer, Alethea took to her heels and wanted nothing more than to be alone, with a way off this forsaken island.