Battle With Destiny
Arthur stood shocked at what I had just revealed. "You have magic?" he asked lamely. I nodded, not trusting my voice. I felt the tears running down my face.
"I'm sorry," I finally whispered. "I understand if you don't love me anym-" but I couldn't finish because Arthur had fit his mouth onto mine. He held me to his chest and put his forehead on my shoulder.
"Don't even talk like that!" He scolded but his voice was muffled by the fabric of my dress. "I love you because you're Merlin! If magic is part of the puzzle then so be it!" He lifted his head and made me look him in eye by tilting my chin toward him. I could see the sincerity of his words. "Now stop crying and be proud of who you are!"
I straightened up and started unpacking my chainmail and fighting gear. "Arthur, you need to leave. I have to prepare for this. Alone."
"No! You've been alone for too long, I'm staying!" he crossed his arms with a sense of finality.
"I'm just cleaning my armor and sleeping, magic takes a lot out of you," I picking up my chainmail.
"I'll help you," he said grabbing a rag. We scrubbed the dust from the links and oiled them so they would slide fluidly when I moved. We wiped down my shoulderguard and bracers. Then I turned down the bed and crawled in. I felt warmth radiating from behind me so I turned to see Arthur lying next to me. "I'm just going to stay with you."
I nodded and curled, hoping that Mordred would call off the challenge. I drifted to sleep and dreamt that I was home. I walked around the palace with my little my maid, Freya, and she talked quietly to me.
"My lady, Mordred has grown up so much in these past months," she lilted. She had an almost musical voice. I remember this was our conversation the day I left for Camelot.
"Mm, he has," I said looking at her through the corner of my eye. "Do you have an interest in him Freya?" The maid looked at me. She started to turn a bit pink around her pale cheeks.
"Well, he only had eyes for you Lady Emrys," she said curling a strand of her auburn hair around her finger. "He likes to talk about you. His whole face lights up," she said dreamily. "He looks so nice and handsome when he looks like that." She looked off dazedly.
I smiled, Freya was a friend and I was glad she had found someone. She snapped back to reality. "But he's younger than I am by a few years."
"So?" I asked, "Age is but a number."
"Then why don't you have an interest in him?" she asked her big brown eyes curious.
"I already belong to someone," I said.
I woke up to a loud racket. I sat up and saw Arthur was trying to set my armor down without making noise, obviously it wasn't working. "What time is it?"
"A half-hour before your challenge," Arthur said. I yelped and grabbed my undertunic and breeches. I stepped behind the changing wall and slipped my dress off. I slipped on the tunic and breeches, tying them as I got my mailshirt. I put it over my head and put on my overtunic. When I had situated that Arthur came over and helped me with my shoulderguard and bracers. "Ready?" he asked. I nodded.
"I know this sound backwards but here," he said handing me a bit of red cloth. I recognized it immediately, it was part of his tunic. "I love you." he said kissing me on the forehead and giving me a peck on the lips. He tied the strip of cloth right above my elbow. "Be careful and come back in one piece okay?"
"I will and I love you too."
"Arthur! Come quick!" the king's ward burst in. The Lady Morgana looked at us, how close we were, and continued. "The Kings are throwing a fit! The Druid boy had issued a challenge and demands our champion come and face him at the tourney arena." She looked on the verge tears.
"I'll be there in a moment Morgana, tell them we have a champion to fight for us," he said and looked at me in passing. Morgana left us and went back where she came from. "I've got to go. Good luck." He followed Morgana out.
I walked out to the tourney arena and waited at one end while courtiers filed in. Mordred entered at the end opposite from me. "Princess Merlin!" I heard Uther yell. I looked at the kings. Uther looked flabbergasted and Father looked apprehensive.
"Lady Emrys!" I turned back to Mordred. "I wouldn't turn your back on the opponent."
"This is in Druid terms I presume?" I asked. He nodded.
"Your terms Lady Emrys?" Mordred called across the field.
"If I, Lady Emrys, win you, Mordred, shall swear upon your magic and life to come back into your apprenticeship, swear to never lay a hand on Arthur or myself or any of his or my descendants as long as your bloodline remains," I said strongly. In short, he had come back to being my apprentice, and his descendants couldn't harm any of my or Arthur's. "And terms Young Master Mordred?"
"My terms. Simple, if I, Mordred win you, Lady Emrys, you will swear on your magic that you will leave Camelot with me and never come back or come into contact with anyone here, you will also, when I come of age, be engaged to myself," he said. I heard a collective gasp from the stands and I saw everyone shift their gazes to Arthur who had a blank expression.
"I accept the terms set by you, Mordred" I said repressing a tremble.
"And I accept your terms Lady Emrys."
That's when the fight began. A blast of sheer magic blew me off my feet.
"Up to the challenge Lady Emrys?" Mordred jeered. "I can hold back since you're a woman." He taunted me to get me to lose my head.
I sent a whipping wind to jostle him off his footing. He stumbled backwards, I took the opportunity to send a strike of lightning toward his stomach. It hit him and he let out a shrill cry. I cringed at the sound. He took advantage of my hesitation and sent an inferno at me. It whirled around me wildly licking at my clothes. I took in a deep breath and sent the fire back at Mordred. It made it into a ball around his body.
"What you have in raw power I have in experience Mordred! Give in before I have to injure you!" I yelled bringing the fire closer to his body. I felt his efforts to get a reprieve but like I said I had more experience.
"You will be mine Emrys!" he yelled but the fire closed in. I knew if I could hold on a little longer than he would pass out and the match would be mine but fire was the hardest element to control, and the most draining. I felt his struggling become weaker. I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me. He took that opportunity and blasted the fire back at me. I covered my head and muttered a protection incantation.
I felt the sleeves of my tunic catch fire and I quickly put them out. They were gone, irretrievable. My arms were exposed because the chainmail sleeves had snagged on the shoulders when I had covered my head. I felt Mordred teetering on the brink of consciousness but in one last attempt to win he took shards of the destroyed decorative shield, which he had broken with his fire, and threw them at my naked arms.
I felt the warm blood making its way down my arms and Mordred passed out. I held my bleeding arms up and unknotted my chainmail from itself. I felt the dizziness overcome me and the last thing I saw was Arthur jumping out of the stands to catch me.