Chapter Two
Authors Note: Well here is the second chapter to my story. Thank you to the person who told me the correct way to spell Gwenhwyfar's name, I really wouldn't have expected to spell it that way. I intended to already have the fertility festival done with but when I started to write this chapter, I just completely changed my mind. I intend to actually have Arthur and his coronation in the next chapter, so if you are going through Arthur withdrawal, don't worry he is coming soon. Please send me reviews I really do like getting them, they encourage me to write more.
Chapter Two
Goddess of the Earth and Sky We honor you through all the days. Keep us now in your sight And always watch us sing your praise.
This chant had become such a staple and fundamental part of Gwenhwyfar's life that she couldn't imagine her former life without the traditions she had come to love. Her day now consisted of the Morning Prayer, and her continuous study to become a priestess of Avalon. She had been studying for about a year under Vivian and Morgaine's tutelage and had come to regard both of them as family. It was this fact that made Gwenhwyfar worry when she learned that Morgaine was chosen to be the virgin priestess of the annual fertility rites. She had come to know Morgaine very well in the time she was in Avalon and could see how nervous Morgaine was getting as it got closer to the night of the ritual. Vivian also knew of the emotions that were being tossed about inside of Morgaine, and the day before Morgaine was to leave sat down with the two young women to sooth their doubts.
"Gwenhwyfar, Morgaine I know you are both worried about the ritual that is coming up, but I assure you there is nothing for you to worry about. Nothing will happen to Morgaine that has not been done in many rituals for many years." Vivian said as she sat talking to the two young women. "Don't you two trust me?"
"Of course we trust you Vivian." Morgaine assured her. "But couldn't you tell me what is going to happen. It may help me be not as nervous if I know what I am supposed to do."
"I do not know if it will help you, but I suppose you have the right to know what is going to happen. The day of the festival you will be washed clean and then covered in the ancient symbols all over your body. You will be painted with these symbols from your head all the way down to your toes, and then given the ceremonial robe to wear. You then will be taken out of Avalon by the guards to the place where the ceremony will be taking place. There you will be blessed once more before being taken into a sacred cave where you will wait for the hunter. He will hunt down a stag, and then bring it to you as a gift. Then there in the cave you will lay with him, and consummate your union." Vivian finished with a flat voice, waiting to judge the reaction she would see in Morgaine's face.
"I have to lay with the man." Morgaine asked with a timid voice. "What will happen after the night is over."
"You will come back to Avalon, and never see the man again. You are meant to only know him for one night, and then you are to come back and help me officiate over a celebration." Vivian said in reply to Morgaine's question.
"What kind of celebration?"
"A celebration of marriage among the priestesses." Vivian said with a trace of a smile across her face.
"Marriage!" Gwenhwyfar gasped. "I thought you said that the priestesses of Avalon never marry -------
"Except in unique circumstances." Vivian inturupted. "Now Gwenhwyfar do you admit that you have certain feelings for my son?"
"Well my lady I guess I do admire him greatly and enjoy his company." Gwenhwyfar said suddenly embarrassed and afraid of where the conversation was going. "Is there a specific reason why you need to know my feelings toward your son?"
"Well it is good that you admire him, because I have come to regard you as part of my family and would not want you to be in an unhappy marriage." Vivian said with a smile.
"Wait Gwenhwyfar is the one getting married?!" Morgaine said with pure excitement laced within her voice.
"Yes. Merlin and I have had a discussion and have decided that you will marry Lancelot. We have both foreseen the future and know that if you do not marry him there will be great trouble within our families." Vivian said and looked at both Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar as she said this.
"What kind of trouble? Will something happen to Arthur?" Morgaine asked suddenly worried about her younger brother.
"Do not worry my darling; Arthur is fine he is studying with Merlin right now. The only thing you need to concentrate on now is the ritual, and then celebrating my son's marriage." Vivian assured Morgaine in her strong yet soothing voice. "And you Gwenhwyfar, you must now go to prepare yourself for your marriage and your husbands arrival."
"Does Lancelot know of your plans Vivian?" Gwenhwyfar asked.
"He has been summoned to Avalon, but does not know why. I will tell him when he arrives, and if I know my son fairly well enough, he will be more than willing to marry you. Now I have some things to do before tomorrow, so I want you two to go off and do not worry about anything."
Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar watched Vivian walk away down the path to her room and then made their way down to their own rooms. "Are you nervous anymore?" Gwenhwyfar asked as they walked down to where the priestesses slept.
The question caught Morgaine off guard and she knew that Gwenhwyfar knew Morgaine to well to lie. "Honestly I think I am more nervous than I was before. Before I knew what I had to do, I was just afraid of what I possibly might have to do. But now that I know what I exactly have to do I feel as if I am going to fall apart at any second."
"Well think of it this way, you will not be committed to this man after the one night. When I marry Lancelot, I will always be his and will have to go wherever he goes." Gwenhwyfar stated.
"I thought you wanted to marry Lancelot, and were happy that this had happened. You cannot deny the feelings you have for each other; they are clearly seen across both your faces whenever he comes to Avalon." Morgaine teased Gwenhwyfar.
"Oh I do want to marry Lancelot, and I admit I have strong feelings for him. But I do not wish to lose who I am once I marry him." Gwenhwyfar exclaimed.
"What do you mean lose who you are?"
"When we get married Lancelot will not live here and I will have to follow him leaving the place that I have come to know as home. I do not wish to become just another trophy wife that sits at her husband's feet."
"Oh Gwenhwyfar! I am sure that that would never happen. I know Vivian very well, and I am sure she would never agree to the marriage if she did not believe that you would be able to take care of yourself." Morgaine exclaimed.
"You really think so?"
"Yes I am truly sure. Vivian is wise in ways that even I cannot comprehend, and I am sure that they she would not approve the marriage if she doesn't believe in it. Do not worry." Morgaine then said with a smirk. "I think the only thing you have to worry about now is how to satisfy Lancelot."
Gwenhwyfar gasped and playfully hit her friend turning away so that Morgaine would not see the blush that was on her face. She tried to keep a straight face but couldn't help laughing at Morgaine's remark. "Well I guess I will just have to try my best and maybe I can invent something new." She shot back and turned to look at the reaction she would get from Morgaine. They just laughed together and kept walking to their rooms. When they reached their separate sleeping areas, they gave each other one more hug and went of their separate ways to try and get some sleep before they went onto their new paths of life.
Well there is chapter two I really hope you like it. Please send me reviews I really do like getting them no matter if they are good or bad. Thanks, and have a good day!!!
Authors Note: Well here is the second chapter to my story. Thank you to the person who told me the correct way to spell Gwenhwyfar's name, I really wouldn't have expected to spell it that way. I intended to already have the fertility festival done with but when I started to write this chapter, I just completely changed my mind. I intend to actually have Arthur and his coronation in the next chapter, so if you are going through Arthur withdrawal, don't worry he is coming soon. Please send me reviews I really do like getting them, they encourage me to write more.
Chapter Two
Goddess of the Earth and Sky We honor you through all the days. Keep us now in your sight And always watch us sing your praise.
This chant had become such a staple and fundamental part of Gwenhwyfar's life that she couldn't imagine her former life without the traditions she had come to love. Her day now consisted of the Morning Prayer, and her continuous study to become a priestess of Avalon. She had been studying for about a year under Vivian and Morgaine's tutelage and had come to regard both of them as family. It was this fact that made Gwenhwyfar worry when she learned that Morgaine was chosen to be the virgin priestess of the annual fertility rites. She had come to know Morgaine very well in the time she was in Avalon and could see how nervous Morgaine was getting as it got closer to the night of the ritual. Vivian also knew of the emotions that were being tossed about inside of Morgaine, and the day before Morgaine was to leave sat down with the two young women to sooth their doubts.
"Gwenhwyfar, Morgaine I know you are both worried about the ritual that is coming up, but I assure you there is nothing for you to worry about. Nothing will happen to Morgaine that has not been done in many rituals for many years." Vivian said as she sat talking to the two young women. "Don't you two trust me?"
"Of course we trust you Vivian." Morgaine assured her. "But couldn't you tell me what is going to happen. It may help me be not as nervous if I know what I am supposed to do."
"I do not know if it will help you, but I suppose you have the right to know what is going to happen. The day of the festival you will be washed clean and then covered in the ancient symbols all over your body. You will be painted with these symbols from your head all the way down to your toes, and then given the ceremonial robe to wear. You then will be taken out of Avalon by the guards to the place where the ceremony will be taking place. There you will be blessed once more before being taken into a sacred cave where you will wait for the hunter. He will hunt down a stag, and then bring it to you as a gift. Then there in the cave you will lay with him, and consummate your union." Vivian finished with a flat voice, waiting to judge the reaction she would see in Morgaine's face.
"I have to lay with the man." Morgaine asked with a timid voice. "What will happen after the night is over."
"You will come back to Avalon, and never see the man again. You are meant to only know him for one night, and then you are to come back and help me officiate over a celebration." Vivian said in reply to Morgaine's question.
"What kind of celebration?"
"A celebration of marriage among the priestesses." Vivian said with a trace of a smile across her face.
"Marriage!" Gwenhwyfar gasped. "I thought you said that the priestesses of Avalon never marry -------
"Except in unique circumstances." Vivian inturupted. "Now Gwenhwyfar do you admit that you have certain feelings for my son?"
"Well my lady I guess I do admire him greatly and enjoy his company." Gwenhwyfar said suddenly embarrassed and afraid of where the conversation was going. "Is there a specific reason why you need to know my feelings toward your son?"
"Well it is good that you admire him, because I have come to regard you as part of my family and would not want you to be in an unhappy marriage." Vivian said with a smile.
"Wait Gwenhwyfar is the one getting married?!" Morgaine said with pure excitement laced within her voice.
"Yes. Merlin and I have had a discussion and have decided that you will marry Lancelot. We have both foreseen the future and know that if you do not marry him there will be great trouble within our families." Vivian said and looked at both Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar as she said this.
"What kind of trouble? Will something happen to Arthur?" Morgaine asked suddenly worried about her younger brother.
"Do not worry my darling; Arthur is fine he is studying with Merlin right now. The only thing you need to concentrate on now is the ritual, and then celebrating my son's marriage." Vivian assured Morgaine in her strong yet soothing voice. "And you Gwenhwyfar, you must now go to prepare yourself for your marriage and your husbands arrival."
"Does Lancelot know of your plans Vivian?" Gwenhwyfar asked.
"He has been summoned to Avalon, but does not know why. I will tell him when he arrives, and if I know my son fairly well enough, he will be more than willing to marry you. Now I have some things to do before tomorrow, so I want you two to go off and do not worry about anything."
Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar watched Vivian walk away down the path to her room and then made their way down to their own rooms. "Are you nervous anymore?" Gwenhwyfar asked as they walked down to where the priestesses slept.
The question caught Morgaine off guard and she knew that Gwenhwyfar knew Morgaine to well to lie. "Honestly I think I am more nervous than I was before. Before I knew what I had to do, I was just afraid of what I possibly might have to do. But now that I know what I exactly have to do I feel as if I am going to fall apart at any second."
"Well think of it this way, you will not be committed to this man after the one night. When I marry Lancelot, I will always be his and will have to go wherever he goes." Gwenhwyfar stated.
"I thought you wanted to marry Lancelot, and were happy that this had happened. You cannot deny the feelings you have for each other; they are clearly seen across both your faces whenever he comes to Avalon." Morgaine teased Gwenhwyfar.
"Oh I do want to marry Lancelot, and I admit I have strong feelings for him. But I do not wish to lose who I am once I marry him." Gwenhwyfar exclaimed.
"What do you mean lose who you are?"
"When we get married Lancelot will not live here and I will have to follow him leaving the place that I have come to know as home. I do not wish to become just another trophy wife that sits at her husband's feet."
"Oh Gwenhwyfar! I am sure that that would never happen. I know Vivian very well, and I am sure she would never agree to the marriage if she did not believe that you would be able to take care of yourself." Morgaine exclaimed.
"You really think so?"
"Yes I am truly sure. Vivian is wise in ways that even I cannot comprehend, and I am sure that they she would not approve the marriage if she doesn't believe in it. Do not worry." Morgaine then said with a smirk. "I think the only thing you have to worry about now is how to satisfy Lancelot."
Gwenhwyfar gasped and playfully hit her friend turning away so that Morgaine would not see the blush that was on her face. She tried to keep a straight face but couldn't help laughing at Morgaine's remark. "Well I guess I will just have to try my best and maybe I can invent something new." She shot back and turned to look at the reaction she would get from Morgaine. They just laughed together and kept walking to their rooms. When they reached their separate sleeping areas, they gave each other one more hug and went of their separate ways to try and get some sleep before they went onto their new paths of life.
Well there is chapter two I really hope you like it. Please send me reviews I really do like getting them no matter if they are good or bad. Thanks, and have a good day!!!