Chapter 2 of my little Arthurian tale...


I never knew my mother, she died giving birth to me. Kay, my brother remembers little of her, he says she had blond hair like ours, bright green eyes, and a dazzling smile. Father rarely mentions her, I think her death still weighs heavily on his heart. He blamed the physicians, and had them thrown in the dungeons after my birth. Once he openly spoke of her, although not to me but to an old man with a white beard and a walking stick. The man, Merlin, came to see me on my tenth birthday, six years ago. Father was telling him all about what I had been doing, what I wanted to do, and strangely, what would happen if "She" found me. I still do not know who "she" was or is, no -one would tell me so all I know is what I heard that night when I hid behind a secret door which led into my fathers outer bed chamber.

A message came for me today, although I have not been allowed to read it yet, Father snatched it from the messengers hand and took it to his chamber. The entire house is in a state of unrest. Maids are running to and throw with clothes and armour and other various things. The banners which bear our Crest, the ones we use for tournaments have been hung from the balconies to air, even the great banner poles are being polished. The only thing wrong with this, is I don't know what is happening. No one (as usual) will tell me what is happening. Kay is with Father now, being issued instructions I suppose. I wish I could hear what he is saying, an oak door only leaks so much murmuring. Kay has been dismissed, I heard the oak door slam, Father does not usually slam doors, even when he has the foulest of tempers, something has gone wrong.

Perhaps we have been summonsed to Caerlon - maybe the King in danger and needs our support. Sir Ector has always been the first to ready himself for battle, my Father jumps at every opportunity to brandish a sword, especially against myself. He always said I had the strength of five boys my age, and I beat him every time we fought in our mock- battles. Kay would often sit aside and watch, even though he enjoyed a chance to knock Father to the ground, lately he would let me have all the glory, he said it would help me in the future, but I never understood what he meant by that...

Sir Ector had been dreading this message for the last six years. It had come from Avalon, the sacred stronghold of the Old Religion, and home to Merlin and the Lady of the Lake, Vivian, Arthur's Aunt. The day he was born, Merlin had entrusted the life of the boy to Ector, a close friend and ally of the then King Uther Pendragon. The small blond hair child was the Kings only son and heir, but for the safety of both himself and his mother Igraine, had been taken from Caerlon and into hiding until the time was right. Now, with Uther lying on his death bed, England needed a King before the Saxon's had a chance to invade and take control of all Britain. Only Ector, Merlin and Vivian knew that Arthur could do this. The boy had been raised as another son to Ector and his wife who died shortly after Arthur came to stay.

Neither Kay, Arthur, nor any one else in the castle knew who he really was, until a bearded man came late one winters night. Merlin, the wizard, sorcerer, conjurer, keeper of the Old Faith, friendto all, enemy to no one, delivered to Ector a letter, which he kept safe for years until a woman cloaked in dark blue bearing the mark of a fighting dragon came to his door, and presented Ector with the remaining part of the letter. In it detailed how Arthur came into being, and what he must do to claim his rightful place as the one true King of all Britains.

Though it pained him to have to tell his foster son of his true heritage, Ector could not help but wonder what part he was playing - he had raided the boy, loved him, taught him everything he knows and yet hadn't told him the truth. Arthur had spent his entire life living a lie, would he ever be forgiven for keeping it from him?

And what of Kay, the brother that Arthur had looked up to, aspired to be, followed like a shadow since the day he could walk, now Kay knew the truth, how would he react to the news that his brother is not his own, and is instead the heir to the throne of Britain? Only time would tell.