I said my goodbyes to Morgayne and Nancy the morning of my flight.
'She looks ready to go into labor any second.' I had confessed to Nancy. Ready to go into labor with a babe I wouldn't see born. I would be home - in Malvern, Melbourne not Rosemary Cottage, Cornwall - long before her estimated due date. I pushed the thought aside, I was torn up enough about saying goodbye to it's mother without missing the non-existent child as well. 'What if we're stuck in traffic when the baby decides to come?' I added, aiming for my usual tone. Nancy assured me that Morgayne looked perfectly healthy and still had a ways to grow. The ladies did agree to say their farewells first on the promise that Branok film some planes for Morgayne to watch. I didn't want them Googling it because so many would be the disasters and crashes. So far it didn't really feel like goodbye, I could still feel Morgayne's mind as I heaved my overstuffed suitcase into the Jeep. Tristram was chauffeuring me to the airport, Branok navigating, then Arthur would drive the boys back.
Without me.
For the ride up I shared the backseat with Arthur, leaning against his shoulder we watched Cornwall speed past our window. Gripping his hand I could feel a shivering in my chest. Nerves, maybe? But I was normally an alright flyer.
So what was this feeling, watching my knuckles whiten where they rested between Arthur's I realised what it was. I didn't want to let them go. If I wasn't around them, the living proof that all of this had happened, then it would just be a draft of a story I'd written. It would be like it hadn't really happened at all, just something I'd made up in my own head. That scared me. That the most amazing months of my life might not have been. That this wasn't real. I didn't know how to phrase it yet, to the guys, so I automatically reached out to Morgayne and found...
...nothing.
My compliments to Tristram's driving that he didn't swerve the car when I cried out from behind him. Arthur might not have known exactly what I'd been thinking, but he'd known there was some emotional turmoil - after all, it was his hand I was attempting to pulverise - even he was taken aback at my outburst.
'I can't feel her. Morgayne, she's just gone!' Branok was then turning in his seat to thunder questions at me.
'When did ye last sense her? Gone can nawt mean dead! The doctor said all were as it ought be with the babe.'
I still had my UK SIM in my phone, so I dialled Nancy.
'Everyone sush!' By everyone I meant Branok.
'Ela, have ye forgotten something?'
'Is Morgayne there? Is she alright?'
'She's here. And mostly fine, just having a bit of a cry. I think it's finally hit her, that yer leaving.'
'Can you put her on, please?'
'Aye.' Nancy must have turned the phone to her shoulder because I heard her, but muffled, call out to Morgayne. 'She's here now.'
'Morgayne? Tap your nail on the phone once for yes, twice for no.' There was a tap. 'Are you alright?' Another strong tap.
'Well maid, is she safe? The child is nawt causing her undue distress?' Branok was glaring at me from the front passenger seat. For the man of few words he was suddenly the most vocal. And I wouldn't have had it any other way. I could also see Tristram's eyes in the rearview mirror.
'She's alright.' I told the men.
'And she must remain so, she's nawt to have any strife now, nawt fer the rest of her life if I've any say.'
Speaking into the mobile again I laughed as I asked. 'Morgayne, you probably heard your very loud knight demanding that you remain well until his return.' There was a double tap, I was about to ask if she wanted me to pass the phone to him when there was another two taps. Then a string of them. Tap-tap tap-tap tap-tap tap-tap.
'She's sending you her healthy heartbeat.' There was one tap to confirm my guess. But I had become so used to knowing that the absence made me remember why I had called in the first place.
'I can't feel you anymore. Can you?'
No.
'Do you know why?'
Three taps. Maybe.
'Is it the distance? Or maybe there was a time limit?'
It could be.
'I thought I'd always have that bond with you.'
We still do.
'I'm really going to miss you, Morgayne.'
Same.
Arthur's light long-sleeve shirt caught the few tears I cried after ending the call.
I knew we were getting closer to the Newquay Airport when there were more planes in the sky. They were still distant, but they were there in greater numbers than our secluded cliff normally saw. As Branok directed Tristram soon there was an audible rumbling of the planes over head. And they were flying unbelievably low. The guys muttered together in Cornish as it almost looked like we were driving alongside one, separated by a fence.
'These are planes then.'
We cracked the windows so they could hear them better.
'Noisy beasts!'
'Not beasts, machines!' I called over the roar of the nearest one diving over us. Although there were some beasts in the fields we were driving past. The guys should see Heathrow, the amount flying to and from those runways would really shock them.
And then it was time for more goodbyes.
My suitcase was sitting on the walkway beside the Jeep and I had my backpack on, it had the Wine Snob laptop with our story. Even though it was saved to the cloud, I didn't want to risk losing the more physical copy. Not while I was currently losing the real life versions.
'It's not really goodbye, is it?'
'Nay mistress. Ye'll nawt be rid of us so easy, I'm getting good at writing missives on the typer-
'Computer.'
'Ye'll hear from all of us.'
'Glad to hear it.' Tristram scooped me up, back pack and all, for a hug.
'Bye fer now, little witch.' He set me back on my feet and then Branok stepped forward, intending to bow to me, but I stopped him.
'Come here, big guy. We are so past formalities.'
'I'm trying to respect ye maid, since Tristram called ye a wee witch.'
'He's not wrong though.' I tried to grab him round the middle - and almost succeeded - my hands didn't quite meet at the back.
'I did nawt want ye to remember us that way.'
'As what way? My friends?' I would not get teary dammit. 'Just promise me you'll send baby pictures.'
'Aye.'
Then it was Arthur's turn. I stood toe to toe with him and leaned against his chest, looking up at his face.
'I've left my adapters in a kitchen draw, because there will be another Aussie at Rosemary Cottage. Spoiler alert, it'll be me. I'm coming back. When I can, once I get some money together again.'
'Ela, I'd give ye the money, freely.' He stroked my cheek, catching the few tears I hadn't been able to stop from dripping out my eyes. 'Truly 'tis a selfish gift as it would get ye back to me.'
'We'll see how long I last before I give in to that offer. I can't see it being very long at all.' It was my turn to stroke his stubbled cheek, and to catch the tears that fell from his blue eyes. 'I miss you already and you're still right here.'
'Curses couldn't stop us, countries and coin won't either, but I'll miss ye something fierce.'
'I love you Arthur.'
'I love ye Ela.'
I was rushed onto my domestic flight and didn't have time to process, instead I started the long and sluggish task of editing my book. The flight to Heathrow was so quick I had barely started. Then I was let loose in the mania that was Heathrow Airport. After moping my way through security checks, there was still time before I had to board. So I found somewhere with beer battered fries and dug in, eating my feelings.
Once on the plane I sat in my window seat, my feet curled up and unable to read about the trip I'd had now that I was really leaving. As the plane took off I imagined I could spot the Jeep heading back to Rosemary Cottage. I knew they'd have made it back already and knew even if they hadn't that I'd never be able to spot it, the cars on the roads already changing to specks rather than toy-sized as my plane climbed higher. They were still there in Cornwall, my knights and my witch sister, with Nancy. They'd be waiting. And I'd come back.
All too soon my last view of England vanished behind me.
Melbourne looked like glow worms were having a disco below us as we flew lower over the city, many hours later. I checked my watch but quarter to eleven didn't mean anything to my muddled brain, I couldn't remember which time zone I'd set it to; Greenwich or Melbourne.
It was nice coming home, I just wasn't sure if this was mine anymore.
I was given two pieces of wonderful news all at once. It was December and I was still setting up the apartment in Melbourne. Turns out the hoard really had been worthy of royalty. I remembered the phone call days after I was back in the country as Arthur told me his plan.
'When I said property was a good investment I hadn't literally meant that you buy in Melbourne.'
'Ye said everything should be equal in a relationship. It's very easily in my power to help ye, besides I've no idea what's fashionable furnishings these days so ye'll be doing me a favour arranging the place. Otherwise I'd have to pay someone I've nawt met to do it. I'm trusting ye nawt to swindle me Ela.'
Before the sale he'd asked me to visit the place to ensure he was making a good purchase. Never having owned any property myself I was touched that he trusted my judgement and opinion. Being a local had some perks.
I was given access by a suited man to roam the apartment on the 28th floor of the building.
'Was Mr. Pendragon hoping to live here?' The crisply suited man showed no indication that he found the name unusual.
'I think he was hoping to have it set up with tenants by Christmas. He's not able to be in the country much.' Or leave England at all, seeing as he was an ancient and legendary king who shouldn't be alive let alone have a genuine passport.
After I came back down to earth, in a mirrored elevator, I rang Arthur. He'd said he'd be up waiting for my thoughts on the place before going to train with Tristram. Branok was only just starting to train again, going slow on the doctor's orders. Considering he had a very pregnant Morgayne next to him I didn't think he'd be going anywhere fast. Not when he could be fussing and have his gooey eyes all over her. They were the kind of pair that really did seem complete together.
'Do ye like the place?' Arthur's familiar voice spoke out of my phone. I wasn't sure yet which was worse; getting to hear and not see him or skyping to see him and having to remind my fingers that I couldn't touch him.
'Arthur, it's gorgeous.' I was sitting at a table in a cafe.
''Tis well built?'
'I'll say. It's insanely gusty here today and up there I couldn't feel a thing!' Unlike on the streets. I'd been all too aware of the havoc the northerly wind was having on my flowy floral blouse dress. I'd had to hold a handful down the short walk from Moonee Ponds train station. I'd worn a small blazer with it, hoping to appear mildly professional. The knock-off Keds maybe gave me away though.
He'd bought a sky home, it loomed over the city - twenty minutes from the CBD - and if I was given some task to occupy myself as well as insane accommodation then I was quite happy with the arrangement. If it meant I was also a kept woman, that was fine. After all, he'd been a kept man in Cornwall.
So, as I waited for news from my literary agent I desperately tried to distract myself so that I didn't check my emails five times every hour of the day, I played house on Arthur's tab. I could never afford something this big, this nice and this high up above the city. It was full of floor to ceiling windows and heavenly floorboards. Some poor soul must have laboured over their sanding to have reached this level of honeyed softness. Taking advantage of the warmer weather I was rarely wearing shoes in the place, I didn't want to be barefoot in a place that wasn't really mine so instead was sliding along in my socks as I decorated.
I'd brought the bare minimum of my stuff, only what could fit into my dad's car as he gave me a lift from Malvern to the skyrise. Basically I'd swapped out some of the warmer clothes I'd taken to England thrown a few extra summer outfits into my suitcase instead. As much as I missed Rosemary Cottage and the Cornwall coast, I was excited to strut the concrete streets of Melbourne in sandals without fear of getting dusty feet or cold toes.
Arthur was handling all the official bits and bobs from Cornwall while I got to arrange succulents in pretty pastel coloured pots in the glossy bathroom. I suspected him of being both the love of my life and an almost millionaire, instead of the naked, muddy and delusional guy he'd introduced himself as months ago.
As I played motivational music to drive my cleaning there was a cheerful ping from the laptop - considering this noise might have just alerted me to failure I was unreasonably testy that it couldn't have sounded more ominous. Sure enough, there was an email from my agent sitting at the top of my inbox. She'd emailed telling me she'd found a publisher who adored my manuscript and was wanting to publish ASAP.
That was the first piece of lovely news and it had me dancing around the apartment in triumph. The second was a letter from Nancy that awaited me in the post box downstairs. I'd all but skipped my way back to the elevator, still reeling from my first piece of good news. It set my unruly, energetic Cornish hair swinging in it's half-up pony. Standing in the mirrored cube I wasn't even self-conscious about my bare arms anymore, the scar was so pale that it blended in with my skin in most places and to spot the few loops of the tendril that were visible required a medical grade magnifying glass and lamp before they could be detected.
Back at the apartment, on the same level as the one fluffy cloud in the blue sky, I held the envelope in my hands.
Inside it was a letter and three photographs.
The first was of Branok and Morgayne, they were curled over the tiny human in Morgayne's arms. The next was Nancy cradling the infant, their beaming smiles and the tufty and flyaway hair almost matching. One grey and one black. Arthur had taken this picture, mimicking my selfie technique to get himself and Tristram on either side of Nana-Nancy. I was distracted by a pair of still blue eyes before turning my attention to the last picture. The third was an angelic sleeping pose by the newest guest on Nancy's property. I then turned my attention to the letter.
Dear Ela,
I'm writing first to tell you that everyone here in Cornwall misses you. Winsome and Goron send their love and Rosemary Cottage has turned into a boys only area now that it's just Tristram and Arthur next door. Arthur does brood an awful lot without you here, but he is getting very good at using the computer to organise his trip over to you.
There was some more about life in Cornwall before she gave me the exciting baby news.
We welcomed baby Peran Ela Knight to the house on the 7th of December 2018. She's quieter than Morgayne's first we're told, but so keen to explore already. Those big brown eyes are never still, although we're not sure how much she'd be taking in yet.
All our love from Cornwall,
Nancy, Morgayne, Peran, Branok, Tristram and Arthur.
P.S
I think Morgayne and Branok are trying to compete with who sings her the most lullabies.
Finishing it I set it on the desk in the study nook I'd made and quickly checked the world clock - it had become a permanent fixture on my computer while I was having a long distance relationship with King Arthur. Definitely an appropriate time to call them at the house. I checked I only had Wi-Fi on and clicked on Nancy's name and held the phone up against my ear with my shoulder while I waited for it to ring through.
'Hello.' It was a Cornish accent and definitely a woman speaking, but it wasn't Nancy. She did sound familiar though.
'Sorry, I was wanting Nancy?' I was sure I had clicked the right name on my contacts list. There weren't any other Cornish numbers saved in my Whatsapp besides Nancy's landline and the smartphone the guys had gifted her so she could video call me.
'Have ye nawt guessed who it is? If nawt education was wasted on ye girl.' Nancy's voice tuned in, only slightly fainter than the first voice.
'Morgayne?'
'Hi Ela.'
'Morgayne!' I think I probably would have deafened her if she hadn't had the phone on speaker. 'I know the letter said you'd said...but I didn't really think it meant that you'd actually said...I've barely been gone, this must be a record for trauma recovery.' Laughing she switched the video on.
'The Earth helped, it gave speech back to me with this one.' I watched as she gave Peran a tiny bounce on her knee at this.
'It was never its to take from you.'
With the first hand experience of it, and exposure to Myrddin Emrys's oddity and knowledge, they viewed it differently to me. They all held The Earth as this large and ancient tree - standing protectively over the world, just letting dappled golden light filter through to our picnics - whereas I saw it as a nuisance of a shrub that kept smacking me with its branches.
After a very long chat I was promised regular video time with her newborn, my goddaughter, Peran.
'Nancy helped with the name - it's normally used for boys - but she was always going to be different and we wanted something strong and sweet that she could choose to shorten, Ann, if she didn't want everyone else to know it.'
'Is Arthur around or should I ring his mobile?' He'd leased Rosemary Cottage from Nancy without an end date but could often be found at the larger house for meal times, between Nancy and Tristram there were often big cook ups for the odd family they'd formed.
'Ah, he's just...out.' Nancy was a terrible liar. Morgayne even worse because her face couldn't even try to lie. Top tip: get off video chat if you are going to tell a fib.
'Out where, Nancy?' I knew I was sounding panicky. There had to be some PTSD for people who had adventures in books. You didn't get attacked on holiday without having some emotional baggage.
'I promise it's nothing awful we're keeping from ye, Ela.' Morgayne I trusted, even miles apart she could read in my face what I needed to know.
'Okay then, you cryptic couple.'
'Ye'll find out soon I'm sure, love.' Then Nancy hung up.
I toyed with the envelope the letter had come in, now ripped across the return address - Nancy's place - I fingered the soft edges of the tear, needing to focus on something other than what Nancy had hinted at. Where was Arthur? He wasn't getting cold feet was he? I turned the envelope over, planning to trace my name in Nancy's writing with my eyes until I zoned out from wondering about the mystery. Something was off about it. This envelope looked too preserved, this should have been stuffed in countless bags if it had been sent from Cornwall. It didn't even look as though it had travelled from somewhere in Melbourne to my door. Then I realised what was wrong.
The letter didn't have a stamp.
No pretty adhesive image, nor did it have any ink marks giving it prepaid status. How did it get here then?
The doorbell rang through the beautiful apartment. Going to answer it I wracked my brains, trying to remember if there were any deliveries coming today that I'd forgotten about. As I walked across the warm floorboards nothing came to mind and peeking out the hole in the door didn't give much away. Whoever was on the other side had a cap blocking their face. But it didn't have any obvious company branding on it.
'Hello?' I called out, not wanting to make Arthur deal with an insurance claim if the place got robbed on my watch or deal with my body if it was a psycho killer on the other side of the door. Not that I could have told you what a psycho killer would sound like.
'May I beg entry, mistress?' That definitely wasn't a psycho killer - I knew that deep and smooth Cornish voice. I nearly ripped the pale wooden door off its hinges in my haste to lay eyes on Arthur.
Arthur. Here. In Melbourne.
Leaping into his arms I nearly strangled him with my excited affection. My toes barely brushed the floor as he brushed his lips over mine. I broke the kiss only to ask him every question I could think of, cupping his face in my hands to make sure he was definitely still there and not getting away from me.
'How did you get here?' I snuck a kiss in before he could answer and then asked another. 'And how on earth did you get past security?'
'I'd have rather taken a boat, as yer people did many years ago.' He dropped a gentle, absent minded kiss on my forehead. 'I just could nawt face being caged into one of the planes.' If he could afford this place straight up I thought he could probably lash out and get himself a spacious first class seat. 'I've become accustomed to the speed of yer modern travel though, all the cruises would take too long and I needed to be with ye again.' Bursting with happiness I clung to his chest.
'I love you, Arthur.'
'I love ye, Ela.'