- Chapter 21 -
"If I chance to talk a little wild, forgive me; I had it from my father."
~ William Shakespeare (The Life of King Henry VIII)
"Are you going to tell me where you have been last night?"
Maxim looked up from where he had his face buried in his hands and saw Balthazar sitting across the table, expectantly looking back at him.
When he had returned to the castle, he found that Balthazar was alone and that Merlin had taken Veronica on some errand earlier that morning. As of the moment, he was being interrogated and he had not been answering a single question. But if ever Balthazar press on, he might just as well be more inclined to tell the younger apprentices everything there is to know.
Sighing heavily, Maxim once again didn't answer and tried to ignore Balthazar's question, looking away into another direction.
"You can tell me. What's happened to you?" insisted Balthazar standing up from his seat and coming to sit beside his best friend instead, a much more concerned look on his blue-graying eyes. "Why is it that you've changed around me?"
Taken aback by the younger apprentice's words, Maxim swung his head to face Balthazar and saw a small hint of hurt in those blue eyes. It made Maxim's expressions softened a little, as he reached over a hand to his forehead, groaning inwardly.
"I know you're thinking that I've changed in two years," he started, keeping his gaze down on the table, "most especially around you. I can't blame you for that because we've spend many times together. But Balthazar, as we grow older things around us change." He looked up to once again meet Balthazar's eyes, there he saw a mind being caught in between understanding and confused. "But we are still best friends, aren't we?"
He was relieved when the blond slowly managed to smile, bringing a hand to his back with a friendly pat.
"I'm glad to hear that," said Balthazar, settling once more on his chair. "So, you're to tell me now?"
Chuckling to himself and shaking his head, Maxim couldn't believe how insistent Balthazar was to know.
"Alright, since it is apparent that you won't stop till you get an answer," the older apprentice simply said.
Balthazar truly didn't want to know, and had thought earlier that perhaps it was best to leave the matter be. But he wanted to make certain to himself that his best friend hadn't changed that much and was still willing to share with him about anything. And so, he was delighted that he was able to get through his brother-by-bond and sat back with a smile, ready to listen.
"I...spent the night in someone else's house. There, I said it."
When Maxim looked back to Balthazar expectantly, the blond was raising a brow at him.
"Oh, come now! What do you want from me?" cried Maxim, hoping that Balthazar wouldn't want to know the details.
"I thought we were still best friends!" exclaimed Balthazar, then scowling at the older apprentice.
Sighing an exasperated sigh, Maxim settled with the fact that perhaps it was best to tell. He needed it himself too, since he couldn't get the matter off his head and needed to talk to someone about it. The first step to be made was to tell it to someone, and the only person closes to him for it to share with for the moment was Balthazar.
"Let me start with the fact that a woman took me to her house and got me drunk," Maxim started, his expression slightly serious.
There was a long pause before Balthazar finally said, "What?"
"And that I lost my virginity to said woman," continued Maxim.
"What?" Balthazar's eyes widened, his voice was raised, louder than before.
"And the woman was five years older than me."
"WHAT?" This time, Balthazar shouted that his voice echoed in all four stone walls of the room, causing Maxim to look up the high ceiling as though asking God why he was forced to share such an experience in the first place. "Do you realize what Merlin will..."
Balthazar wasn't able to finish his sentence as a quick hand came to his mouth, cutting off the words that he was about to say.
"You don't say anything to Merlin about this, or else," warned Maxim. "Not even to Veronica, understand?" Balthazar nodded before Maxim took off his hand on the blond's mouth. "You made me say it."
"I wasn't expecting something like what you've just told me," replied Balthazar, taking in control of himself. "Although I must admit, this isn't much compared to the story of your first kiss."
Maxim felt an inward shiver having heard Balthazar mention about his first kiss. That wasn't much of a good memory, though he had no idea why he told the younger apprentice about it in the first place.
"But another thing..."
Baltahzar's voice made Maxim look back to the blond, where the older apprentice waited for whatever the blond had to say.
"When you saw Fauna last night, did you realize you still have feelings for her?"
"No," said Maxim as he shook his head.
"Then why did you disappear all of a sudden after you danced with her?"
Smiling and looking away, Maxim took a moment before answering.
"Two years was enough, I've gotten over her. But after last night, I just remembered how it used to hurt."
The older apprentice continued to look away with an unreadable look in his eyes, while Balthazar watched his best friend in silence.
Deep within his own mind, Balthazar was silently wishing he went through the same things that his best friend had went through, so that he could relate to him and speak in comforting words. But alas, he couldn't, because despite he did once found a girl pretty, he never got the chance to court any. He was far busy being an apprentice, far busy of his responsibilities as a Merlinian sorcerer, and what it meant. Although, considering what Maxim had went through, Balthazar wasn't certain anymore whether he'd like the idea of falling in love, if this is what it means to get hurt because of it.
"I must be off now."
Finally, Balthazar got the courage to break in the silence, succeeding in catching the attention of the older apprentice.
"And where are you suppose to be off to?" asked Maxim, not liking the idea that he'd have to be alone in the castle all morning.
"Merlin told me to gather a few herbs," replied Balthazar. "I'll be at the forest."
But before the blond was even able to get to the door, Maxim was already on the move.
"Let me do it instead," said the older apprentice, going over to stand in front of Balthazar. "I need to clear my mind on many matters, and going out into the forest might be a good way to do it. Just tell me what kind of herbs are needed and I'll be back with it as soon as I can."
Although wanting to protest, Balthazar agreed and told his best friend what specific herbs their master asked for, and after that Maxim was gone. With one last look on the open door, Balthazar shook his head and went to practice more on his tracking spells...
He wasn't certain himself why he volunteered in doing Balthazar's little chore instead, but what he said about having the need to clear his mind had a truth in it. There were many things in his mind ever since he woke up this morning, and he wanted to console to himself with it. First question in mind was, 'What is it with him and women?'
Is he truly that unlucky, or is it because he falls too easily?
Should he take it easy, or perhaps it was the kind of woman?
Or perhaps he's not meant to be happy in love with a woman at all..?
With such thoughts in mind, Maxim almost didn't notice that he had already found the herbs he was looking for. As he bended down he slowly gathered the herbs, careful not to crush them along the process of picking them up and putting them inside the bag that he took along with him before he went out.
As soon as he stood up, he thought he heard something not so distant, and as he turned around, he had to duck as an arrow came rushing towards him. With the arrow hitting the tree behind him, Maxim drew out his sword and cast a fire ball towards the general direction where the arrow came from. To his utter surprise, a terrified voice came shouting from behind the bushes.
"No! Don't, please! It's me! I didn't know! I didn't know!"
All of a sudden, out from the bushes emerged a terrified, a then sixteen-year-old Mordred, holding up his hands to the young sorcerer.
"I didn't know it was a person. Please forgive me," explained Mordred. "I was hunting, see. Please, again I ask your forgiveness."
"No, no, truly it was my fault," said Maxim, sheathing back his sword in place. "I shouldn't have thrown a spell like that on you. I should have made certain first." He then walked over younger lad to make sure he hadn't burn him. "Are you alright? I didn't hit you, did I?"
"No, fortunately enough for me, the fire ball barely got to me," assured Mordred.
It then dawned on the sixteen year old just who the older lad was standing in front of him after he got a good look.
"Wait, aren't you, Maxim Horvath?" he asked, furrowing his brows. "I almost didn't recognized you there. But then, I suppose I should have realized it could be you. I mean, there are few young sorcerers around the kingdom."
The two then decided to walk their way out of the forest and spent most of the time talking. Well, it was Mordred who was doing most of the talking, while Maxim listened with little or no interest at all. He didn't seem to mind at first, but then Mordred had gone from annoying to simply unable to stop babbling about anything.
First, he talked about all the things he went through while in training of becoming a knight, saying that he never realized it would have to take a lot to prove himself worthy someday in becoming a Knight of the Round Table. Then he went about in discussing the rivalry that's been going on between Merlin and Morgana, how much he couldn't simply understand why it mattered so much who should reign the most powerful. It simply went on and on, jumping from one subject to another. Until he mentioned something about Veronica...
"...and then this new apprentice, the girl? What's her name? Veronica! Yes," Mordred was saying, finally catching Maxim's attention.
"I don't think she's worthy enough in becoming Merlin's apprentice," continued Mordred, oblivious to the sudden half-hearted glare from the young sorcerer with him. "Not because she's a girl, but because she's too fragile in becoming a sorceress. Of course, there's Morgana, but that Veronica girl..I don't know. I doubt whether she'd become a powerful enough sorceress someday. I'm not going to be surprised even if you say she messes up every spell being taught to her and..."
"That's it!" cried Maxim, causing Mordred unable to finish his sentence.
The young sorcerer took hold of Mordred's collar with two, strong hands, gritting his teeth and glaring venomously.
"You have no right to talk about Veronica that way, you don't know her!" shouted Maxim into Mordred's face. "As for your information, I disagree with everything you said about her! She's very intelligent and is ten times worthy enough than anyone to become one of Merlin's apprentices! She had mastered spells in a short period of time compared to both me and Balthazar!"
Too afraid to reply, Mordred kept quiet under the sorcerer's angry words.
"I can't believe how you turned out to be the king's nephew, but if only you were not, I swear, I could have beaten you up into a pulp right here, right now!"
In hearing those words, it was Mordred's turn to glare at Maxim, as he shoved off both hands that gripped the collar of his tunic and stepped away from the sorcerer. He stopped short in his tracks but still standing close enough for Maxim to be able to hear him.
"What if I tell you he's not my uncle?"
Suddenly being confused, Maxim didn't answer, something in him wanted Mordred to explain further.
"What if I tell you he's my father, would you believe me?"
"What are you talking about?" Maxim asked, shaking his head.
Mordred swung around, once again facing the sorcerer there with him. "I'm talking about my father having committed a sin with my mother and the fruit of that sin was ME!"
Still not believing what he was hearing, Maxim thought that it would be best to keep quiet. And with that, Mordred took a deep breath before he was able to continue.
"I know you may not believe me, but it doesn't matter anyway," he then said. "Besides, you can always ask your dear master, he knows about it, so is King Lot. And my brother's Gawain and Agravain, but only the two of them. As for you? I don't care if you tell your colleagues, secrets don't stay unknown for long."
Mordred was had already taken his gaze off Maxim and was looking away into another direction when he said the last words.
After a few minutes of tense silence, Maxim gathered up himself from within as his expression suddenly changed into neutral, as he walked over Mordred and gave the sixteen-year-old a light tap on the shoulder, saying, "Let's go."
Blinking for a moment and watching the young sorcerer who walked on, Mordred followed suit, starting with a quick run until he was walking side by side with the taller and much older lad.
After the long walk they shared, Mordred realized that the sorcerer was taking him back to the king's castle. Just as the castle came into view they stopped on their tracks, and stood there for a long time. When Mordred turned to look at Maxim so as to say thank you at least, the sorcerer was long gone as Mordred realized he was alone, but for how long, he didn't know...
It was a longer walk back to Merlin's castle, but Maxim was willing to go through it. The walk helped him clear his mind off so many things, even the recent conversation with Mordred about the younger lad's true relationship with the King.
Shocking it was, but Maxim knew he couldn't do anything of it. What could he possibly do with such an information? It wasn't his business, besides, the family seemed to not mind at all. As long as things were in order with them, that would be the only thing that had to matter. He on the other hand was out of it, no need to get involve. Besides it was family business, and he wasn't part of that particular family.
As he drew nearer to the last remaining trees before the castle comes into sight, a dark haired girl emerged and had stopped dead on her tracks same as he when their gazes had met.
It was Veronica.
"Oh!" she said all of a sudden. "It's you! I can see you have the herbs then."
"Don't say it," said Maxim, holding out a hand to the girl. "Merlin's looking for me, isn't he?"
"Well, he did wonder what was taking you so long," replied Veronica. "But no, he didn't sent for me just to look for you, if that is what you're thinking. And I'm certain it is."
"Good. That's good," said Maxim, taking a few steps towards Veronica to join her. "I don't want him worrying about me again."
"Then perhaps you should stop disappearing without telling anyone where you're going," said the girl, looking up to her older colleague. And with such a remark, she had caused the older lad to chuckle.
"Perhaps this is the reason why Merlin favors you much," he said, a wide grin planted on his face.
"Favors?" repeated Veronica, her brows slightly frowning.
Maxim nodded. "M-hm, that's right. It's because you and only you can somehow talk some sense into both me and Balthazar."
After a few moments of considering whether the older apprentice was teasing or telling the truth, Veronica herself chuckled and said, "That's because you two sometimes don't act like your age and making me seem the eldest."
Bending over the girl to level at his gaze with hers, Maxim said, "I'm sorry, Veronica. Sometimes, I just have the need to disappear."
Still smiling sweetly, Veronica carefully placed a hand on the older apprentice's cheek and said, "You haven't done anything wrong by me."