"my lady!" the stableboy's joyous exclaims could be heard a mile away, "my lady, my lady!"
His aunt had scolded Sam for venturing out in the dark at so late an hour, as the main road to Camelot was no stranger to knights storming the dirt roads on horses at such a speed, you were lucky to jump out of their way.
She was with him and had been waiting since he had finished his dinner, robbing her of a good lantern which he clutched and swung about madly, in hopes it would capture in it slight who he was waiting for. It had been a worrying visit from her nephew, without a wagon for the straw to take back to the castle stables, and Sam was mysterious in his answers when she persistently questioned him on where it was and who exactly he was waiting for.
She thought that there was need to make up a bed for him to spend the night and then take him straight back to his mother in the morning, coming to the conclusion that some swine must have taken advantage of him yet again.
However, it seemed that the wagon had been on loan by him and they now returned to collect Sam and the straw they supplied from their farm, as indeed ahead of them it came slowly rolling forwards.
She was at an old age now, her hair streaming with silver stands, her back arched and skin hanging for dear life to her rickety bones, but she could still spit fire.
"I dare say," she croaked, "what is the meaning of this! who are you and why you be taking my nephews wagon. He has a job to keep true to and can't afford to lose it because of scoundrels like you, manipulating his feeble mind!"
The driver jumped down towering over her and without a covering to keep away the night's chill, the aunt could see a handsome fellow with brilliant yellow hair and a strapping build, that screamed warrior even without the sword fixed to his hip.
"forgive us, we meant no harm. Sam hasn't shared much of our mission, which we honour bound him to keep secret and like a nobleman he has done that considering your confusion."
Her bushy eyebrows lifted the folds of her brow up to her hairline, taken by the eloquent way he spoke. No one in the farmlands could mimic an accent like that and were riddled with common slang that showed their station, herself included. He had a tongue for poetry and was a fitting hero to star in them.
"Aunt," Sam disrupted, awkwardly tossing his arm up around the man's neck like they were the best of chums, with a dopey grin, "this is prince Arthur don't you know."
She seemed sceptical since it was Sam's say so, as he wasn't the best in judging character or sussing out lies when told them. But then another person made themselves known to her.
Elegant fingers pulled back the drapes of the wagon's canopy, the nails rounded and glimmering clean with the softest looking flesh, that won't have known the same hard day's work, the old woman's had.
"it's alright Bess. it is prince Arthur with myself and his servant Merlin. We're collecting Sam like he said, after he kindly leant us his wagon to use."
It had been a while since she had seen Elaina, daughter of Gorlois. The last and only time being when her sister had invited the Lady to her home, to share with her a meal in gratitude for employing her son and being a friend to him. Elaina did not owe them anything and for many nobles, it would have been a demeaning thing to supper with peasants, only this woman had expressed gladness for being welcomed into their home. Without a word of complaint, she eat the meagre scraps on her plate compared to what she must be used to and had a dance with Bess and Sam in the middle of the living space, laughing like a giddy fairy. She blended in with them unafraid for what might be whispered about her reputation as the king's ward. Instead, Elaina persistently complimented her sister, Sam and Bess for keeping such a happy home. Since then, Bess drifted often into many a fond thought about the Lady, seeing her face picture perfect with well wishes sent her way, which is why she had been sorrowful to hear the recent news concerning her welfare and was astounded to see her now.
"oh, my dear Lady Elaina!" Bess's elbow screeched like a dry door hinge, in order to cup her fair cheek needing validation she wasn't losing her mind it was truly she. "oh child, they have been saying you were about to meet our maker!"
She had no children of her own but had fantasied that a daughter just as lovely as Elaina would have been the pride of her life, so in her head, there was no harm in seeing the noblewoman that way. She was so happy, that she even dared lay a kiss on the elegant hand she saw on the drapes, taking that with her as an honour.
Sam still had Arthur in his clutches, not comprehending that the prince had enough of being pulled down to his short stature but didn't want to hurt his feelings in saying so. "we have mister Edwin to thank Aunt Bess. He saved her!"
His teeth were crooked in his mouth, yet it did not take the joy out from his smile, as he searched for the man, "where is mister Edwin. A true hero. I would like to congratulate him very much so. Has he gone already?"
Arthur tensed under Sam's arm and on that note, he freed himself and gave the boy a hearty pat on the back with just enough of a shove to get him up to his seat to return in being the driver, as he had been when they left Camelot's gates.
"sit here Sam," the prince instructed, checking in on Elaina that the sound of their third parties name had not upset her in light of recent events.
Poor Sam, he didn't understand, "why is everyone so glum? My lady you are saved, now aren't you?"
Bess still had no clue about what was going on, or who this Edwin was but she could see it was having a profound effect on the men and lady. The glamour of a fine noble faded for what Elaina was and Bess saw without it, that her dear lady with the sunken eyes, carried a broken heart and could be doing without putting on a pretence to meet the high standards she guiltily forced her into.
"Sam my lad, you get up onto your chair and take your friends back to Camelot now. they're tired, so keep your questions to yourself, or you'll have my shoe fitted in your mouth if I hear you were yapping the entire way!"
Panic ensued him, since Bess didn't deal with empty threats and he clamoured up with the reigns at the ready, as merlin all the while had been busy loading the straw, leaving a gap for Arthur and him to fit back through, next to Elaina, should the guards at the gate check Sam's wagon.
Before they set off, Bess shook Elaina's hand firmly before she let it go, "take care child."
Without the strength to respond, Elaina squeezed the old woman's hand back, letting her hold linger until the wagon wheeling away separated them. Then the drapes fell, and she was with merlin and Arthur who since the lake, had been too scared to talk and she had preferred it that way. what she couldn't stand, was their pitying stares they thought were decreet as they cast them at her.
She squirmed in her seat, desperate to get out and away from them, needing to have a moment to herself to process what had happened. The more it was seemed to drag on before she could do that, the more it was becoming a struggle to contain herself and the anger boiling up inside.
"we left a laundry cart in the stable, we'll need to use that to smuggle you back in," Merlin commented, afraid to break the silence as they rode up to the castle.
The answer as to why became clear, when a sea of people with candles greeted them. the mourners still at large waiting for Elaina's death. She could only see the glow of their flames behind the drapes, noting that each one meant a person she must know or meant something to. she wanted to see who, thankful they cared at all but then a sharp pain hit her in the chest, because she was the only one to mourn for the person whose death actually did occur that day.
The pain had made her gasp but she waved away the worried lunges of merlin and Arthur and got herself ready to curl up in the laundry cart like they asked her too.
Before Elaina did, she noticed the lavender tide in green ribbon that had been left in the wagon after everything that had happened. She took it and as she passed Sam, who looked stricken with confusion, since no one had answered the questions he had been forbidden to ask, she gestured it at him to show she still had it.
"thank you, Sam."
This seemed to make him feel better and once again she was sealed from spectators, hauled through the castle without anyone knowing it was her. she didn't know where they would drop her off but had been glad it was her own room and not Gaius's.
It was empty and dark, an appeal which met her demands that caused her to shout out a protest when merlin went to light some candles. She didn't mean to sound so harsh, only there was little control she had over herself since all of it was currently devoted to her not falling to pieces.
Arthur beckoned merlin out the door, "Father might visit in the morning"
"and Gaius," merlin added.
"no," her voice shook, the efforts in containing her composure crumbling now she was in the safety of her room, "no visitors. Not even Gwen. Just leave me be."
They would pass the message along and just as her door clicked shut, Elaina's shoulders buckled as sobs tried retching themselves up like bile from the pit of her stomach. When she could bring them up, it cleared the way for a piercing cry and she collapsed continuing on with ugly and terribly sounds until she exerted herself into a sleep.
Through it all, she knew that Both Arthur and merlin remained behind the door listening and unable to bear the thought of leaving her, but knowing she was owed the ability to grieve.
Elaina's story will continue on in "Elaina of Camelot: the next chapter" found on this same account. Her time with Edwin has come to an end, but it seems her soul has been crying out for the other half to heal her. Enter sir Gwaine the Bold.
