The Flower of King and Knights

The Bloodied Soul

Ector surveyed the thousands of prisoners has they huddled into a long and dirty mass. Many were wounded, others seemed to be waiting for death to take them away, most were scared as they saw the king before them. The king noticed a young boy holding one arm over a wound on the other.

The young lad was shaking from the stress, fear had taken over all emotions now. Ector spoke softly, “What’s your name son?”

“Bartholomew.”

“Your age?”

“Fifteen, I think.”

“Do you live far from here?”

“Maybe three days ride.”

Ector nodded lightly. “Do you have a profession?”

“I’m an apprenticed potter.”

“You enjoy that?”

“It’s all right, keeps me out of trouble most of the time.”

“Good, good.  You want to go home?”

“More than anything, Lady Morgan conscripted the lot of us into the army.”

“Really?”

“Aye, some of us haven’t had more than a day or two’s worth of training.”

“Hmm. Interesting. You can go.”

“What?”

Ector heard Sir Ector say the same thing.

“You may leave,” answered the king, who now spoke to the entire army. “All who desire to return to their homes can do so without persecution. This battle was your penance. And for many, this penance cost them their lives. If any wish to join us, to revenge the deaths of your friends, your families, or to show your scorn for those who forced this penance upon your heads, I would be forever in your debt.”

The men looked at each other as they heard the king speak. One man rose up. “Good king, we may need some time to think on this.”

“Of course, take as much time as you need. All the wounded will be returned to their families and those who wish to fight may do so. All others will again be allowed to return to their homes and villages.”

The knights looked at Ector as if he had gone mad. The king ignored their whispers and calls to him as he went into his tent. There Merlin, Cecilia, Catelin, Sir Kay, Sir Ulrich, and Sir Palomedes were discussing matters that Ector didn’t catch. Catelin saw Ector and ran to embracing him tightly.

She paused for a moment. “Ector, is any of this your blood perchance?”

“Uh, no, not really. Most of it is human blood, some of it’s giant, and there some wovern on here too.”

“Oh, wovern blood…so much for this dress.”

Merlin and Sir Kay approached the king. “Ector,” asked the mage, “Is everything all right.”

“Yeah, I. I just need some time alone.”

The men left the tent save for Catelin and Cecilia who turned to Ector. Catelin spoke first, “Ector, how come you buried Morgan’s body.”

Ceclia followed. “Yeah I thought you were going to impale her head on a spike and burn her body and all that.”

Ector was silent.

Catelin drew near. “Ector, what’s the matter?”

Ector was still silent, staring towards the fire in the middle of the tent.

Cecilia was concerned. “Ector. Ector! What did you see?”

“Morgan was pregnant.”

Both women were stunned. “What?”

“She was pregnant with Mordred’s child.”

Catelin was almost speechless. “But how could he leave her like that?”

“He had told her to not fight today. She didn’t believe that he could foresee the day’s events. And he left her at the critical moment to avoid having to sacrifice his chances of being king. There was a whole army loyal to him alone. Saxons, Finns, Frisians, Franks, Lombards, Roman mercenaries, Picts, Scots, Mercians, Dores, Irish, Woverns, theGiants of Geen, Blemiyehs, Yales, Wyverns. Greater than this army we faced today. He knew Morgan would lose. He knew she would be killed.”

Both women were silent as they looked at Ector. He seemed to be lost in a void of depression. Catelin placed her arm around him. “Ector, what’s the matter?”

He voice began to break as he spoke. “I don’t know who I am anymore. Less than four months ago I was just a university student. The worst I did was punch a bully in high school. But now here I am, I just killed a woman.”

“She tried to kill you Ector.”

“That doesn’t matter. She…that doesn’t justify anything! That wasn’t what my father worked for. That isn’t the world I want anymore. And…I…I think I’m beginning to lose myself. I don’t know who I am, I don’t know where I stand. I just don’t know if I can do this anymore.”

Catelin looked at Cecilia, who returned to the blade, to give them privacy. “Ector. Do you know why I’ve stayed with you at Camelot?”

Ector was unable to answer her.

“It’s because you’re not like these men. You’re certainly not from your own time, if what you say about those men are true, but you also have a heart that many here don’t have. You’re different, special, something that this world needs Ector. And this same woman tried to kill your father. She even tried to kill you at least once.”

“But her child didn’t. It didn’t deserve to suffer her fate.”

“What would you have done? Saved it and raised it has your own? Your sympathy and compassion is admirable, but you need to see the reality of the situation. That child would’ve turned into just like their parents. You did that child a service more than a crime. Besides, it’s mother was its aunt and its father was is cousin. That’s not something it should have to live with.”

“You’re right. But...it still doesn’t mean I don’t feel guilt about the whole affair.”

“I know, but that shows you care. Remember that when this is over. It isn’t the war that makes a king great, but he does after his rise.”

Ector smiled at Catelin. “Thank you Cate, I really needed someone to talk to.”

Catelin kissed Ector on his forehead and bid him goodnight. He could hear Caliburn humming, as he turned he could see the scabbard glowing from within it sheath. “Cee, were you eavesdropping?”

“Couldn’t really help it, can’t really walk about the camp now can I?”

“Well, what do you think of her?”

“I think she’s good for you. Not like that floozy at Avalon.”

“She was nice…and you even said you would have and I quote ‘hit that’ end quote.”

“Doesn’t mean she wasn’t a floozy. And what does that say about your taste in women.”

“Hey, I was seeing you wasn’t I.”

“I was a step up. An upgrade.”

“Really computer jokes in the fifth century?”

“Ector calm down. But to be serious, I really like her. She seems like she can be a rock of strength…”

“Pillar of strength.”

“Nobody likes a smart-ass Ector.”

“Oh shut up Cee.”

“Oh, Ector loves Catelin. Ector loves Catelin.” Cecilia began singing the phrase over and over until Ector took Caliburn out and sheathed it again. He could hear Cecilia curse as he placed the sword back onto the chair again.