Summary: Sequel to Princess of Darkness Wizard of Travesty. The son of two
brave heroes, one dead, one forgotten, is fighting now to discover the
truth of his origins. His parents failed to take their place as rulers of
Lothian. Now it is left to him, the last of good knights, and the last of
those trained by King Arthur under the Old Code.
Disclaimer: Let me just say, DO NOT read this unless you have seen the new King Arthur movie, and have read about Arien, Owen, and Artimus. Don't know who they are? Read Princess of Darkness Wizard of Travesty.
-------
Merreck stood silently, watching the others berate each other senselessly with their wooden staffs.
He was tall; his dark brown hair was curled loosely even though he tried to keep it short. His eyes were different from his fathers, they were not brown, but a vivid green. He wore no shirt, just his dark hide pants. He was strong; more built then the other Knights in his father's court.
He had no weapon, but a bow he kept strung across his chest and behind his back.
His eyes glittered with intrigue as he watched the older men preparing for battle in the weeks to come. His father had forbidden him from joining them on the battlefield, but he did have other things for him to do out side of Camelot. It made Merreck curious to wonder what was so secret he would not be told of it until necessary.
The sun shone brightly, the air humid, and heat threatened to overcome them. He was sweating, but no more then the others, so he stayed, beside his father, watching the others.
"Tonight you will leave here, guided by the stars, you will ride as fast as you can." Arthur said suddenly, not taking his eyes off the trainees.
Merreck raised his eyebrows, "Why are you so persistent I leave before this battle? The Romans have never won before, this time they choose a fool like Alecto to lead them? He is nothing but the nephew of the Emperor......I can help you." He pleaded, eager to earn his fathers praise.
Arthur seemed to ignore his pleas, instead he continued, "You will take Claire with you to Anglesey Island, I have friends there and they will care for you." He said quietly, an odd expression on his face now.
Merreck scowled, "Anglesey Island is the resting place of Alecto's castle, how daft a man would send his children into the heart of oppression and doom?" he asked seriously, considering the heat may be effecting his fathers judgment.
"Only a fool questions his father, no matter how daft he may seem at times." Arthur snapped.
"I am to travel, unprotected with my little sister Claire, into the stronghold of the Anti Christ him self......I do say father, some think you may be loosing your touch. Honestly I think it's just the strain of that heavy crown. I would love to relieve you of it, if only for a few hours." Merreck said slowly.
Arthur laughed, "Yes, then I really would be daft now wouldn't I?" he asked cheerfully. He put his arm around Merreck's shoulders, "Come, I have something to give you."
------
Arthur led him into the garden, where Guinevere was waiting for them, with something awkward looking, covered in a gray cloth, in her arms.
As they approached Arthur said something about destiny, but Merreck's was to distracted by the objects his mother had just revealed to him.
The cloth fell to the ground as Merreck pulled two heavy swords from sheets in Guinevere's arms and twirled them in his hands.
The two he held had a perfectly balanced body, the handles a sterling silver with red filled engravings, rubies imbedded in the base of the blade. They matched perfectly, obvious more expensive then anything else he had ever seen in the castle before.
He handed them to his father, who looked at them fondly and touched the blade of one like it might have been the Holy Grail.
The last two were just as perfect, there blades being carved with a language he did not recognize, Arthur told him it was Lothian, why was a question he would save for another time. The handles of these swords were just as intricate, green jewels mostly embedded in it.
"What have I done to deserve these?" he asked weakly, slipping the sheaths on his back and tightening the strap over his left shoulder and under his left arm.
Arthur placed the blades back into their places and looked at them, suddenly overcome with emotions he had not felt for some time.
Guinevere comforted him, but Merreck suspected something was amiss.
"Whom did these belong to before me?" he asked slowly, watching them with slanted eyes.
Arthur shook his head, "The past is of no concern to you as of yet, but when they question your integrity, hold them proudly. They have protected many heroes before you Merreck of Camelot."
Merreck nodded, feeling uneasy by his father's unusual words of wisdom and depth.
------
He mounted his horse quickly, his sleeveless chain mail rattling quietly as he looked down at his mother.
She handed him something, closing his fingers over it she kissed them and smiled up at him, "Remember, no matter what happens, we are here for you always." She said quietly.
Merreck nodded, opening his hand he looked confused, "These will not fit me." He said, somewhat surprised she had not known that. He held three large silver rings now, not sure what to do with them.
Guinevere took his left arm and slid them one by one onto this lower arm, each resting a centimeter below the first, which was just below the elbow. He flexed his arm, moving it slowly, testing to see if the rings would bother him.
"Perfect." Guinevere said quietly, looking at him proudly.
He smiled at her, just as Claire rode up beside him, "Do I not get a parting gift?" she asked innocently, but Merreck knew she was just being greedy. Arthur came up from behind them and presented her with two very beautiful looking Sai's, their handles were made completely of some sort of rich blue stone.
He briefly wondered if anyone fought with practical weapons, like a bow ripped right from a tree trunk. The thought left him suddenly as Claire accidentally stabbed him in the arm with one.
He watched, frowning slightly, as a small bit of blood ran down his right arm, getting caught in his matching dark red cloak. He pulled up his hood and tightened the ties keeping it close to his body, "How long must we hide?" he asked his father bitterly.
"You will return when you are ready." Arthur replied darkly.
Merreck nodded, then attempted to get off his horse, "Alright!" he snapped angrily in reply to his father shoving his back up. He readjusted him self in the saddle and looked at Claire, she smiled, "Just " He said slowly.
Claire looked surprised "Why? How far are we going? Will it take long? I do not like to ride hours on end!" she said quickly.
"Terrific." Merreck said bitterly, urging his horse forward, into the woods.
Disclaimer: Let me just say, DO NOT read this unless you have seen the new King Arthur movie, and have read about Arien, Owen, and Artimus. Don't know who they are? Read Princess of Darkness Wizard of Travesty.
-------
Merreck stood silently, watching the others berate each other senselessly with their wooden staffs.
He was tall; his dark brown hair was curled loosely even though he tried to keep it short. His eyes were different from his fathers, they were not brown, but a vivid green. He wore no shirt, just his dark hide pants. He was strong; more built then the other Knights in his father's court.
He had no weapon, but a bow he kept strung across his chest and behind his back.
His eyes glittered with intrigue as he watched the older men preparing for battle in the weeks to come. His father had forbidden him from joining them on the battlefield, but he did have other things for him to do out side of Camelot. It made Merreck curious to wonder what was so secret he would not be told of it until necessary.
The sun shone brightly, the air humid, and heat threatened to overcome them. He was sweating, but no more then the others, so he stayed, beside his father, watching the others.
"Tonight you will leave here, guided by the stars, you will ride as fast as you can." Arthur said suddenly, not taking his eyes off the trainees.
Merreck raised his eyebrows, "Why are you so persistent I leave before this battle? The Romans have never won before, this time they choose a fool like Alecto to lead them? He is nothing but the nephew of the Emperor......I can help you." He pleaded, eager to earn his fathers praise.
Arthur seemed to ignore his pleas, instead he continued, "You will take Claire with you to Anglesey Island, I have friends there and they will care for you." He said quietly, an odd expression on his face now.
Merreck scowled, "Anglesey Island is the resting place of Alecto's castle, how daft a man would send his children into the heart of oppression and doom?" he asked seriously, considering the heat may be effecting his fathers judgment.
"Only a fool questions his father, no matter how daft he may seem at times." Arthur snapped.
"I am to travel, unprotected with my little sister Claire, into the stronghold of the Anti Christ him self......I do say father, some think you may be loosing your touch. Honestly I think it's just the strain of that heavy crown. I would love to relieve you of it, if only for a few hours." Merreck said slowly.
Arthur laughed, "Yes, then I really would be daft now wouldn't I?" he asked cheerfully. He put his arm around Merreck's shoulders, "Come, I have something to give you."
------
Arthur led him into the garden, where Guinevere was waiting for them, with something awkward looking, covered in a gray cloth, in her arms.
As they approached Arthur said something about destiny, but Merreck's was to distracted by the objects his mother had just revealed to him.
The cloth fell to the ground as Merreck pulled two heavy swords from sheets in Guinevere's arms and twirled them in his hands.
The two he held had a perfectly balanced body, the handles a sterling silver with red filled engravings, rubies imbedded in the base of the blade. They matched perfectly, obvious more expensive then anything else he had ever seen in the castle before.
He handed them to his father, who looked at them fondly and touched the blade of one like it might have been the Holy Grail.
The last two were just as perfect, there blades being carved with a language he did not recognize, Arthur told him it was Lothian, why was a question he would save for another time. The handles of these swords were just as intricate, green jewels mostly embedded in it.
"What have I done to deserve these?" he asked weakly, slipping the sheaths on his back and tightening the strap over his left shoulder and under his left arm.
Arthur placed the blades back into their places and looked at them, suddenly overcome with emotions he had not felt for some time.
Guinevere comforted him, but Merreck suspected something was amiss.
"Whom did these belong to before me?" he asked slowly, watching them with slanted eyes.
Arthur shook his head, "The past is of no concern to you as of yet, but when they question your integrity, hold them proudly. They have protected many heroes before you Merreck of Camelot."
Merreck nodded, feeling uneasy by his father's unusual words of wisdom and depth.
------
He mounted his horse quickly, his sleeveless chain mail rattling quietly as he looked down at his mother.
She handed him something, closing his fingers over it she kissed them and smiled up at him, "Remember, no matter what happens, we are here for you always." She said quietly.
Merreck nodded, opening his hand he looked confused, "These will not fit me." He said, somewhat surprised she had not known that. He held three large silver rings now, not sure what to do with them.
Guinevere took his left arm and slid them one by one onto this lower arm, each resting a centimeter below the first, which was just below the elbow. He flexed his arm, moving it slowly, testing to see if the rings would bother him.
"Perfect." Guinevere said quietly, looking at him proudly.
He smiled at her, just as Claire rode up beside him, "Do I not get a parting gift?" she asked innocently, but Merreck knew she was just being greedy. Arthur came up from behind them and presented her with two very beautiful looking Sai's, their handles were made completely of some sort of rich blue stone.
He briefly wondered if anyone fought with practical weapons, like a bow ripped right from a tree trunk. The thought left him suddenly as Claire accidentally stabbed him in the arm with one.
He watched, frowning slightly, as a small bit of blood ran down his right arm, getting caught in his matching dark red cloak. He pulled up his hood and tightened the ties keeping it close to his body, "How long must we hide?" he asked his father bitterly.
"You will return when you are ready." Arthur replied darkly.
Merreck nodded, then attempted to get off his horse, "Alright!" he snapped angrily in reply to his father shoving his back up. He readjusted him self in the saddle and looked at Claire, she smiled, "Just " He said slowly.
Claire looked surprised "Why? How far are we going? Will it take long? I do not like to ride hours on end!" she said quickly.
"Terrific." Merreck said bitterly, urging his horse forward, into the woods.