This chapter should have been out yesterday sorry!!!
Arthurs POV:
"Be careful Row!" watching her go alone didn't sit well with me I wish Merlin would just go with her. "I will be" she replied and turned the corner heading up the staircase Morgause pointed out moments ago.
The woman in red turned to face me once again. "Are you ready?" I nodded and she signalled us to follow her into the candle lit courtyard. Merlin and I stood in the centre by a stone table.
"Are you sure you want to do this? Merlin asked and I turned my head to the side facing him. "If you were granted the same opportunity would you not want to meet your father?" he paused for a moment taking in what I said. "Uther won't forgive you if he finds out you collaborated with a sorcerer."
"What if my fathers' attitude to magic is wrong?" it made sense that it was wrong. "You really think that?" Merlin seemed shocked. Of course, he would be seeing as I'm expected to follow my father's ways. "Perhaps its not as simple as he'd have us believe? Morgause is a sorceress and she has caused us no harm. Surely not everyone who practices magic can be evil?" Morgause moved to light a few more candles with her back turned to us. "We don't even know why she's doing this!" he questioned.
Before Merlin and I could carry on the lady herself turned around. "It is time" before proceeding to blow out the flame on the wooden splint. Her hand extended towards me and I shifted in my spot. This was it. I was finally going to see my mother. Would she be proud of me? Would she be angry? These questions ran through my head until I was beside the sorceress. "Close your eyes" she spoke. And with a deep breath in I did as she had said.
Before I knew it she began speaking in an ancient tongue while her hand was on my back. The wind began to howl, and the leaves rustled in response before silence returned. Her hand was off my shoulder blade and I heard her walk away. My eyes remaining closed.
"Arthur!" A woman's voice echoed. I opened my eyes slowly nervous as to what I would see. A pale woman with light blonde hair tied up on her head stood before me in a beige dress with gems all over. "Arthur!"
"Mother?" her lips grew into a smile as I called for her. "My son!" she quickly walked towards me and I met her in the middle embracing her. She gripped on to my arm with the other hand on my head bringing me closer. It was really her? "When I last held you, you were a tiny baby" blinking away my tears at the mere thought of it.
She pulled back looking up to my face still with that angelic smile. "I remember your eyes; they were staring up at me. Those few seconds I held you with were the most precious of my life!" her hand planted itself on my cheek. "I'm so sorry" I choked.
"You have nothing to be sorry for!" but I did. "It was my birth that caused you to die" a tear escaped my eye and she brushed it away. "You are not to blame." Shaking my head "I cannot bare the thought that you died because of me!"
She embraced me once again her hand brushing through my hair. "Do not think that! It is your father who should carry the guilt for what happened." My father? "What do you mean?" I felt the sigh that left her mouth brush against my neck. "It's not important, what matters is that you lived." Her sentence was heavy in sadness. "Why should my father feel guilty?"
"It is better leaving it in the past." We both pulled away and I noticed her eyes dart to the floor. "You cannot leave me with more questions. Please?" Seemingly not being able to look me in the eye she waited a few seconds before speaking once again. "Your father...he was desperate for an heir, without a son the Pendragon dynasty would come to an end. But I could not conceive". I could see she felt ashamed as her eyes still didn't meet mine. But that didn't make any sense? "So how was I born?" seconds felt like minutes as she kept quiet. "Please... tell me."
She then met my gaze, "your father betrayed me. He went to the sorceress Nimueh and asked for her help in conceiving a child... you were born of magic." No? I was born of magic? That was impossible! My father would never use it. His hatred would never allow it unless... "It's not true."
"I'm sorry Arthur, your father has deceived you as he had deceived me. To create a life one must be taken, your father knew that!" her hands gripped mine firmly as her eyes began to water. No, I muttered shaking my head. "He sacrificed my life so the Pendragon dynasty could continue. It makes you no less my son nor me any less proud of you. Now that I see you, I would have given my life willingly."
My breathing was heavy as I held back the tears and sobs that wished to come out. "Do not let this knowledge change you!" My eyes were on the floor for less than a few seconds in which she had vanished. "No!" I shouted reaching my hand out to wear she was once stood. "Bring her back!" I glanced back to the sorceress with my hand still outreached. "I can't... once the doorway is closed, its closed forever. I am truly sorry that you learnt of your mothers' fate in this way. I can only imagine how it must feel to discover your father is responsible for her death. It is an unforgivable betrayal."
The void of my mother had somehow grown. I never realised how much of a loss she was in my life until this point. Looking around once again I noticed that Morgause had left. Merlin was still standing in his spot but I couldn't bare to turn around. "Go check on Row Merlin" wishing he would give me some time alone. Thankfully for once he actually listened and dashed down the hall.
Was it true? Was I born of magic? If it was then how could my father do such a thing to his wife. From what I had heard they were so in love with one another. A piece of my heart had broken, if it was true my father would never receive my forgiveness. He has been a hypocrite for all these years, and I couldn't stand for it. How can he look me in the eyes his own son after what he has done? How can he watch me grow up and not feel a single thing?
Going over everything in my head my thoughts reached a certain girl. How had her revelations gone? Knocking myself back into my senses realising Morgause had left without even telling us anything of Row. Practically jumping to my feet, I stormed out of the courtyard back into the hallway now noticing the flamed torches lighting the way up. Of course, it was a spiral staircase, the narrowest of them all.
Making my way up to the first floor I noticed the hallway was identical, and I was instantly drawn to the large archway in front of me that had one door wide open. As I got closer, I heard what sounded like crying. Which made me panic and walk faster. Before I stepped in fully, I noticed Row looking completely expressionless with her head up against the wall.
"She's lying- you can't possibly believe her?" Merlin spoke up.
"But I do..." she turned to face him with red eyes. "I believe her because she confirmed something that nobody knows of. Do you remember the day that Arthur fought Valiant in the tournament" she whispered the next part of her sentence causing me to not be able to hear.
Well as you know he cornered me for a few minutes until Arthur arrived... during that time I learnt of a 'prophecy' he claimed was written about me. I don't even know how he came to get it but..."
A prophecy? Merlin was as intrigued as I was no doubt. "What did it say Row?"
"A girl with a true heart shall be the downfall of evil, she will unite the lands of old with Arthur Pendragon, but will meet her end on fields of red". My mouth fell open.
"That doesn't mean anything!"
"But it does Merlin... it was never meant to directly state my name, its aim was to leave me thinking and torture my mind with fear. She knew about it. Well she not only knew of it, she's the one to have created it." Who is she talking about I thought?
"It's just some words on paper Row..."
"She was brought up in the ways of the old religion... but she uses her magic for evil. She's studied and become specialised in the arts of spells, nightmares and... curses."
Merlin sat back quickly as if he realised something.
"She cursed me..."
"No" I whispered and stepped back into the hallway with a hand on the wall. Why had I even eavesdropped anyway? That was so rude and inconsiderate of me! But she was cursed? By who? What had she learnt? Her eyes were red from crying and she looked defeated.
Who was I to talk... I'd just experienced an emotional ride myself downstairs. Not wanting to be noticed I quickly walked down the stairs and out of the eery castle towards the horses.
What now? I was angry above any other emotion that was for sure. My father and I would be having a discussion, there was no doubt about that! His desire for his name to carry on was worth more to him than the life of his own wife!