A Journey Through Time (unedited) -Time Slipping Away Chronicles Volume 1-

Shocking News

Recap: "Arthur has found that Lancelot and Guinevere have been getting close to each other." Merlin says.

Dumbfoundedly I say, "I don't understand what your saying."

"Lancelot and Guinevere were found in bed have relations." ...

There was a long pause before Merlin continued, "in light of these problems Arthur has decided to send Lancelot away."

"He can't do that, they are friends. Lancelot saved his life in the battles. Arthur when he came back talked of nothing else." I nearly yell in panic.

"Yes they are, the penalty of his crime is death but Arthur is sparing him only because if his friendship. So Lancelot will be sent away on the boats." Merlin says dejectedly. Arthur had changed since meeting Lancelot and all of us felt like it had been a change for the better.

"When will he send Lancelot away?" I finally ask.

"After the birth of his child. He will be sent away after he sees the child that will take his place as a knight with no title to the throne. This was his gift to Guinevere to pacify her for taking away something else that she loves." Merlin said giving me a knowing look like he knew more about what I had been up to lately then he had lead on. That look gave me chills like he hadn't approved of me talking to Arthur in the garden.

I sigh and carry Mordred into my room and lay him in his bed before going to my own. I was mentally and physically exhausted, I felt like a weak child who could do nothing to help or be of service to anyone. I wanted to disappear for a while.

My sleep was uneasy as I drifted into nightmares about the wreck. My dreams were warped into something demonic, evil there was a feeling of something unnatural when I woke up forgetting everything I had dreamt the night before. But when I had awoken I felt something off, like something bad was about to happen.

I hate it when I'm right.

Later in the morning everyone was called into the great hall, Uther had an announcement. So me, Alden, Merlin, Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Lisandor, and a few of the important staff members and Knights all followed into the great hall.

"I've called you all in here today to discuss a very important matter, ...
I've decided that Lancelot who was charged with being to friendly with the next in line to be Queen, Lady Guinevere, will be sent by sea to a small colony in Africa. And he will be taking Eleanor with him."

As the words came out of his mouth I say black and it was like my ears forgot how to work. I mean did the Europeans even have slaves now, my head spun as I thought about my old history lessons that hadn't even happened yet.

I knew that some Catholic clergy, religious orders and Popes owned slaves, and the naval galleys of the Papal States were to use captured Muslim galley slaves, Roman Catholic teaching began to turn more strongly against "unjust" forms of slavery in general, beginning in 1435, prohibiting the enslavement of the recently baptised, culminating in pronouncements by Pope Paul III in 1537.

That had only been about a year ago, even though it was ancient history when I learned it. But even then I couldn't remember if the Europeans had gone to Africa to get slaves or if there slaves at the time had just been other Europeans who's clans had lost.

So thinking about the Age of Discovery that greatly increased the number of slaves owned by Christians, the response of the church, under strong political pressures, was confused and ineffective in preventing the establishment of slave societies in the colonies of Catholic countries. Papal bulls such as Dum Diversas, Romanus Pontifex and their derivatives, sanctioned slavery and were used to justify enslavement of natives and the appropriation of their lands during this era, like the Africans. It's weird to think that slavery was ok when the church preaches that all men are created equal, that we are all gods children, that we are all made of sin, and all sin is equal sin.

Merlin snapped me out of my inner dialogue, my mind still dealing from the thought of going over seas, of being away from all that I had gotten accustomed to in a time where I can't even begin to understand.

"Are you ok?" Merlin asked.

"How can I be ok?" I say looking at Arthur who is giving me a look that sad he was sorry but wasn't sure what else to do.

Merlin didn't answer the question but he instead whispered, "I'll figure out a way to stop this, I swear."

My mind laughed, I knew the Kings word was absolute. I wouldn't be able to see Mordred grow up, to be with Merlin, to help Alden, to live in the castle, and walk in the garden I had found. Once again my life was being turned upside down. Maybe this time it was my fault. I might have dealt with Arthur wrong but I felt like all of this was unfair.

Guinevere came over to me as Merlin left me alone and pulled me into the corridor, "I'm so sorry , I didn't think that Uther would send you with Lancelot." She gave me a big hug before I could answer her. My breath had been knocked out of me making it to where I couldn't answer her back for a while as she squeezed me hard.

"Ok ok" I finally managed to squeak out.

She let me go and burst into tears, she was clearly torn up that I wasn't going to be in he castle anymore.

"It's ok." I say trying to pacify her, "just promise me that you won't try and hurt Lisandor and her child anymore."

Her face turned cold, "I will make it to where Arthur doesn't have a child to take the throne."

Her face read evil intentions and I could see that it was useless to try and persuade her to do anything different so I shrugged and began to cry, for everything. Guinevere took me into her arms, this time the hug was mutual. We clung to each other in our grief, our time of need we both knew exactly what we wanted in that moment and it was to feel the warmth of another person even if just for a second. To feel like we aren't alone in our pain, so we hugged each other, each of us crying and wanting things to be different.

All know is, is that I needed to talk to Arthur and Merlin and preferably in that order.