Ides of the May (Children of the May 2 - updates weekly)

Chapter Twenty: The Three Deaths

I had been so involved by Queen Morgawse’s terrible story that I had heard only her voice, and barely seen or heard anything around me. But now she paused, and reached with shaking hand for the jug on her small table, and I once more became aware of my surroundings. Outside, the others had stopped their practice. The evening sun was shining in my eyes, so I shifted my seat. Morgawse poured herself more water, and sipped at it.

‘I have never told this tale to another soul, Drift of the Lake,’ she said. Her voice had hardly shaken during her story, but now it did. ‘I am telling it to you because I believe you can help the son Morgan gave me.’ She put down her cup and looked me straight in the eye. ‘I love all of my sons, Drift, even the one who was got upon me against my will. Especially him.’

‘You’ve told no other soul? Not even King Lot, my lady?’

She shook her head. ‘Lot was trapped in on the coast of the circle sea for the duration of my pregnancy. I received letters from Morgan, warning me of what Lot would do to the child when he discovered what she called my infidelity. My assumption is that Morgan was behind the things that delayed Lot’s return: first the siege, and then the storms. I concealed the fact that I was with child from everyone but Freya, retreating to my rooms and even from Gawain when it was no longer possible to hide my growing belly.

‘The child came in the spring, at the very end of April. Only Freya was with me. It was a difficult, long labour. The people of the palace thought I was shrieking in agony because I had heard a rumour of my husband’s death abroad. They tried to enter my apartments to reassure me that there had been no such news, but Freya barred the door to them. I heard my Gawain weeping outside the door at his mother’s pains.

‘But when it was over, when the pains were done, when my beautiful black-haired boy was at my breast, I realised that Freya was gone from the room. But the baby and I were not alone. Merlin had appeared in Freya’s place. He was not changed; I had not seen him in years, but he had not changed. He fixed me with those strange, swirling eyes of his, and then looked at my new baby.

‘We meet again across a new boy-child, Morgawse, he said. What have you called him?

‘I had not considered a name for him, but I spoke without thinking. Galahad, I said. His name is Galahad.

‘Merlin took a deep breath; he seemed satisfied. The empty eyes of the skull on his horrible staff seemed to flash with fire. He raised one finger and pointed at the boy. I prophesy three deaths for Galahad, he told me. The first by the cup, the second by a kiss, the third by a cut to his core. The boy has within him the power to end the age, Morgawse. Send him to me, as your mother gave up Arthur, and I will save father and son from each other.

‘The next moment he was gone, and Freya back in her place. I looked at my boy, and at once the cry went up: Lot’s ship had come into view. My husband was returned.’

The queen pinched the top of her nose, as if she was pressing the tears back into her eyes. ‘My decision had to be quick. Though my mind was muddled by the exhaustion of birthing pains, Merlin’s prophecy jolted me into clarity.’ She raised her hand. ‘I looked at my baby; he shared the black eyes my sister and Arthur both inherited from our mother. I knew then for certain that Arthur was that brother who had been taken from us, and it was he, not lamorak, who had come to me that night in lot’s form. I determined that Merlin would not take my child as he had taken the other, nameless, boy. I would not let him become another Arthur.

‘Now, I do not believe that Lot would have killed me or my child. If I had told him the truth I think it more likely that he would have hunted down Morgan, Arthur and Lamorak and tried his hand against them.’ Her eyes darted to the door. ‘I think my husband would have died. But foremost in my thoughts was the terrible fate the wizard had predicted for my son. Merlin and Morgan both wanted him. I feared – I knew – he was no ordinary child. Father and son, he said... rape and incest and magic are no beginning to a child’s life. I had to send Galahad to safety.