Queen of the Wild Magic—Chapter 7
Her eyes warmed and she smiled. "My dearest Merlin. I'm so glad to see you again."
Tears sprang from his eyes as he sobbed. "And I you."
She came closer, hovering just an arm's length away from their boat. "Don't worry, Merlin. I know why you have come. And I will help."
"You-you will?" He asked, snuffling away his tears.
"Of course." She laughed lightly. "Long have I wished happiness and love for you. How could I not? You brought so much to me." Her face sparkled with care.
"You will help me find a way to the kingdom of the Sidhe then?"
"Yes." She held up the gleaming gold sword. Looking at Arthur, she said, "Here is the sword, Excalibur, Sire." She handed it to Arthur, hilt first.
"Thank you, My Lady." Arthur bowed. He was lost in memory. He had forgotten how the sword had felt like a part of him, an extension of his own being. How the weight had always felt so right in his own hand. Now, he truly felt like a king.
The sun shone off her smile and beamed upon them. It was it nothing else mattered. For the moment, all was at peace in the world.
"Now, Merlin," She said his name like a warm embrace. She leaned forward, and held forth her hand. Her hair spilled delicately off her shoulders, and caught the sun like they were strands of burnished gold. In her closed hand was a small object.
Merlin leaned so far out of the boat to reach her, that Arthur feared it would capsize. He did his best to keep it steady while Merlin took what was offered. For a too brief moment, their hands met, and new tears welled up in his eyes. One touch. One last touch. It would have to be enough.
Inside her hand was a small pink pearl. The colors swirled around its surface like the clouds around the earth. She said, "I give you this. It is the Dorais don Domhan Eile. If you cast it on the spot where she was taken from you, it will open the way to the Otherworld." Her deep eyes were so close to his now, an infinity's worth of emotion locked inside.
With the great reluctance, he took the pearl from her palm and pulled away. A great heaviness now sat upon him.
"Before you go, there are warnings I must give. First, as you know, the door will only allow one to pass through. Once you are there, you must convince the fairies to return the Lady Addy and yourself."
Arthur asked, "How does he do that."
She smiled curiously, and looked him straight in the eye, as if there was some deep secret she was keeping. "I do not think it will be that hard. But you must be careful. The Lady Addy is in terrible danger. A danger that effects us all."
Merlin was shocked. Addy, in danger? I thought the fairies were keeping her safe. "What kind of danger? From the Sidhe?"
"I cannot say. Only that she has awoken something stronger than she knows." Her dark eyes grew sad. "My time with you is at an end. My power to come forth is almost gone."
Merlin held out a hand to her. "Will we never see each other again?"
She smiled weakly. "Who knows what the future may bring? Not all things in life are controlled by destiny. Perhaps, Merlin. But until then, do not dwell upon this meeting with sadness. Only know that I wish you well." Already she was beginning to slip back under the water from where she came.
He nodded, unable to speak. His heart was breaking all over again. "Farewell, then, Freya."
Just as her head reached the water, she said, "Farewell, Merlin." And she was gone, with not even a ripple to mark her presence. He was left with only that final memory of her gentle smile and loving look.
The wind blew around them, chilling the air. Arthur tightened his grip upon his sword. "We should go."
"Yes." Merlin answered sadly. He command the boat to sail once more, then sat back in the boat, staring off into the water, and occasionally glancing at the pearl clenched tightly in his fist.
Arthur wasn't sure if he should try to say anything to him or not. How could he comfort his friend at a time like this? What could he say to make things better? A cold snap of wind ruffled through his blonde hair and he turned around thinking he had heard someone call his name.
"Arthur." There it was again. Soft, like a ghost, coming on the wind itself. "I give a last warning to you alone." The voice of the Lady whispered. "Do not speak of this to Merlin." Arthur looked around the lake trying to locate the source of the voice. But it was nowhere and everywhere. "Arthur, when you find the Lady Addy, do not trust her."
"What? Why?" he asked out loud, but there was no further response. The wind was gone, along with the voice.
Merlin looked up. "Did you say something?"
Arthur shrugged. Do not speak of this to Merlin. "Um... no?" He tried to recover by changing the subject. "Now, are we finally going to get back your girlfriend?"
Merlin gripped the pearl tightly to his chest. When he had heard that Addy was in danger, it was like a lightning bolt to his heart. He had just lost Freya once again, he would not lose Addy, too. "Nothing on this earth can stop me."
Author's note-
Okay, folks. About halfway through, so I thought I'd give you some spoilers on how this is going to wrap up.
Oh, there will be lots (and I mean LOTS) more surprises in store. :P
Nothing will be as easy as it seems for any of the heroes. WHY?
1. Learning magic is hard
2. Arthur and Merlin are still wanted for questioning by the police
3. Wild Magic is unpredictable
4. Sometimes you just can't trust people
and 5. Destiny has a strange sense of humor/irony
Do you really want to know if this story will have a happy ending? Write me a review and maybe I'll tell you. :) Or you could write me a review anyway, even if you don't want to know.
Until next time...