Tell Me a Story
"Come here and help. These peas won't shell themselves."
"They will if you make them."
"Not today. Work is good for the spirit and the body. Come and help."
"Merlin?"
"Hmm?"
"Would you tell me about King Arthur? Please?"
"Curious about the king of legend, are you, my little imp?"
"Fourteen means I'm not little anymore!"
"True, my medium imp."
"Merlin. Please?"
"Hm, alright, let's see.. He was a sturdy, handsome man -not too tall- of golden hair and light blue eyes. Made all the maidens swoon but not all the tavern wenches! Ha! Excellent warrior. Best in the kingdom, if you didn't ask Gwaine. Very handy with a sword or any weapon really. Mace, dagger, lance, ..spoon. The cabbage head."
"No! I mean, tell me what he was like. You knew him. You really knew him! Pleeease?"
"Right. Well, he was an absolute bear to get out of bed in the mornings and a royal prat before he'd had breakfast -especially if a sausage or two were missing. But once he got going, he was …he was Arthur. Little did he know that when I called 'Rise and shine!' I really meant it. Because that's what he would do. He shone. You cannot imagine what a miracle he was."
"What do you mean?"
"He was raised by Uther, a tyrant, a hard man with a flinty heart. Arthur's own heart was always trusting, as tender and pure as a child's. The greatness of his heart cannot be overstated. Time and time again, his trust was bruised and broken but he never became bitter or cynical. He still found it within himself to forgive, to love, to want to extend mercy. Each blow to his heart led him to doubt himself rather than others -something I fought against, oh, so many times. Those were the hardest battles. You could see it in his eyes, the bewilderment, the sadness, and the thought, 'What's wrong with me? or What have I done that would make my friend do this?' It was his faith in others that blinded him to their lies and treachery. Disloyalty and falseness had no part in him so how could he comprehend it in a friend?
"The wounds that cut deepest were dealt by those he loved most. His father's betrayals of his mother and his sister.. and ultimately of his people. Morgana's treachery. His uncle Agravaine's false bond. Mordred. Guinevere's betrayal and, to my everlasting sorrow, my own lies."
"I don't think I believe that last part. You're too kind. You'd never hurt anyone you love."
"Well, I did. But I never wanted to."
"Go on. …Please?"
"What makes you think there's more to tell?"
"I know he was good. Everyone says so. You just said so, but..but there must be more to the story because there are plenty of nice people and good men. But he was great. What made him great, Merlin?"
"What made him great? Well, he was born to be king and he didn't only have to learn all the kingly royal things that all kings do, he also had to sort out the wrong thinking from the right. He had to look at everything he'd been taught from infancy, judge it all by his own moral compass and chart a new path. Unlearning and being willing to change takes courage, you know. And that was his other name, Courage. His father's morality was twisted, proclaiming nobility with his words while creating unjust laws, basically saying 'might makes right'. Uther purported to uphold his oath to protect his kingdom and her people yet viewed those people as being less. And his parenting of Arthur was a classic case of 'do as I say, not as I do ..or I'll toss you in the dungeon'."
"The dungeon! His own son?"
"Yes. No mercy ever accompanied his form of justice. He demanded that the laws and codes bend for no man yet never hesitated to exempt himself. You would think that a child raised in a home of violence and hypocrisy would stand no chance of becoming a good man, much less a great one, but, again, the greatness of Arthur's heart and his inherent nobility saved him. Blindness born of faith and purity shielded him throughout his childhood."
"Blindness!"
"Not of his eyes, Bryn. Blindness to his father's shortcomings. Arthur believed his father's noble words and took them to heart. Uther's own secrecy also shielded Arthur from seeing his hypocrisy until, as always happens in such matters, his dark deeds were uncovered and laid bare for all to see.
"So Arthur was protected until he came of age and was made crown prince and was preparing to one day take the throne. It was then that he was forced to look deeper and more closely. When he began to recognize Uther's injustices it was ..painful. I hated to see him disillusioned, hurt and burdened but I see now that it was the only path he could tread to truly become the Once and Future King. He struggled against Uther's injustice, strengthening his determination to see right done even if he had to defy direct orders and find ..creative solutions."
"Creative solutions?"
"A story or two for another time."
"Don't stop now! He changed the laws after King Uther died, right? He united Albion."
"The rise of Albion wasn't just a pretty Destiny; it was the only way he could triumph over evil and remake the world into a better one. He fought like a lion to make it so. You see, it was the only way we could all be free. Even him. You'd think if anyone were ever free, it would be a king but that's not so. No, not at all. A good king is shackled by his people's condition. He made it his sacred mission to unite Albion and establish peace and protection for every person regardless of station. He worked to turn his people's hearts to uprightness, to nurture honor and nobility and to encourage sacrifice for the greater good. To build a kingdom -a world!- of people who shared lofty ideals. Oh, yes.. Rise and shine, indeed. Although he only thought of the benefit to his people, it also happened to be the only path to his own peace and safety. It was the only way he could live a life where his heart wouldn't be his bane. I..I only ever wanted him to be safe, to be free."
"Don't cry, Merlin. I don't like it when you're sad."
"Then stop asking questions that make me do it! There now, look what's happened. My beard's all nasty and damp."
"I'm sorry, Merlin."
"It's alright. Here now, don't you cry too! Give us a hug. I'm fine, my little imp. I'm fine. Thank you for asking about Arthur. It only hurts because I miss him."