The Man in The Cave

Chapter 24

Morgana watched Aethel rush everyone out of her bedroom, promising to help Iseult later to pick the color of the fabric of her wedding dress. Iseult greeted Morgana with a wide smile and a tight hug before leaving the bedroom, insisting Morgana had to attend the wedding. She made her best promise to be there at the ceremony with a polite smile on her face, trying not to think too much on if she would be able to fulfill said promise.

"I'm sorry aunt," Aethel mumbled, closing the door once the last girl was out, her maids and handmaids were also asked to remain outside while the two of them talked. "It's just that, with everything I'm trying to figure out how things are supposed to work and well, my parents taught me many things but not how to prepare a coronation." Aethel smiled with sadness. Morgana gave the girl a tight hug before guiding her to the chairs in her bedroom.

"There's something important we need to discuss," her voice was serious, the soft smile in the girl's face faltered. Morgana's heart fell.

"Very well." Aethel's sat down slowly.

"I told your father I would make sure you were safe, and he believed you would be an amazing queen," the corners of the mouth of the girl's mouth twitched slightly. Morgana smiled softly, trying to carefully think her next words.

"Thank you, I hope I can live to the expectation."

Morgana took a deep breath, taking the girl's hand, trying to smile but unable to fully do so, "I think, however, more than you being a queen he would have wanted you to be alive and well."

Aethel's eyebrows knit closely together. Morgana looked at Aethel in the eyes. She hadn't really begun to ponder how hard it would be to explain things to Aethel. She never had to explain anything to the her, growing up, she had taken every opportunity Guinevere was willing to give her to interact with the girl who took her stories as if they were the most amazing of fairy tales.

"You know how Emrys and I can do magic, right? Well, sometimes, some of us can get visions of the future, and I got a dream were an elder from Avalon visited me." Morgana explained, watching closely for Aethel's reaction. At first, the girl's face lit up in surprise, but then her eyebrows furrowed.

"Is it important?" she questioned; Morgana nodded.

"Very much so, they said Mordred would try to get his revenge,"

"But he can't... he's dead, isn't he?" Aethel's voice had a lot of consternation in it, eyebrows knit together, her voice faltering slightly. Morgana's lips turned into a line, wishing it were the case.

"I thought the same thing, it seems he exceeded whatever expectation was placed on him, someone will defeat him some day, someone from your family," Morgana said, "There's no way of knowing when that will be, and he still has sympathizers waiting for the next opportunity finish what he started."

There was a heavy silence in the bedroom, Aethel leant against her chair. Morgana took a deep breath, not letting go of the girl's wrist, trying not to think too much of the fact that her mom had held hers and Morgause's wrists before telling them they would move to Camelot and assuring them that as long as she lived, they would be fine.

Aethel was smart, she had seen the disaster that broke when the affair came out and when Mordred tried to take over the throne. How the previously united group of knights were quick to turn against each other taking some lives with them.

Morgana began to speak again, "I think instead of crowning you, it would be better that you hid away, I know some people, and they owe me a lot, they will make sure that you are safe."