The Knight (11 page)

Chapter Three

Earth

As Rhys walked slowly toward the pond, he felt a pang of guilt at sneaking away from the camp at night without an explanation to anyone.

He had hastily decided that it would have
b
een too time consuming and knowing his family well, they would not have let him go to Melusina’s Point in peace. All that was best avoided right now. The thought of the fussing he would have to endure in light of the recent attempt on his life erased the guilt immediately. He tied his horse to a tree and caught his bearings quickly before heading up the path which led to the pond. After nearly a half an hour of walking, he arrived at the water’s edge. He paused, listening to the stream and looking around to be sure he was alone. Satisfied, he went to his knees and gazed into the water.

“Why are you late?” a voice demanded.

Rhys stopped dead in his tracks.

“Why are you late?” she repeated. Rhys laughed musically looking around to see where the voice came from. She was nowhere in sight. He answered her anyway.

“You nearly stopped my heart with fright, my lady, would you mind giving me a moment to recover?”

Naida giggled and made a splash in the water. Her image formed clearly once the rippling had stopped. Rhys smiled when he saw her there. He perched at the edge and stared at her as she looked up at him longingly. He couldn’t seem to tire of her smooth round face and her rosebud mouth, which seemed permanently pink; but the most striking features were her violet eyes and long waves of flowing yellow hair, absolutely angelic. She was otherworldly, too beautiful to be real. There was a knotted feeling in the pit of his stomach as he thought this. Instinctively, he lowered his eyes as the blush rose in his cheeks.

“Why do you turn away, sir?” she asked as she stood by the pond’s edge.

“I am happy to see you, my lady. I was not even sure that calling you here would work. Imagine my surprise when I arrive to find you waiting for me.”

“Indeed, my love. Now tell me, where were you, Rhys? I have been waiting for at least an hour,” she pouted. “I thought you would not come to try to call me.”

He turned tentatively to look at her again. Relief at the sight of her dry dress washed his face.

“I almost did not. I thought I must have dreamt all this, but the more I deliberated over it, the more real it felt but I had to be sure so I decided to try.”

Rhys felt his cheeks reddening again as he spoke. He lowered his head, hoping she wouldn’t see. Naida giggled at his effort. She changed the subject quickly for his sake.

“Was Morgana’s celebration a success?”

His eyes brightened at the turn in conversation.

“Ah yes it was. Everything went perfectly. My uncle and two cousins came to surprise me.”

“Oh, that must have been wonderful. Did they stay long with you in Avalon?”

“No, they returned home with my uncle the same morning that I left. My uncle was sent to Avalon by his father as I had been sent there by mine. I do not think it was something he wanted for his sons, so they stay at home with him. They all live at Camelot.”

His expression turned sullen at this explanation.

“I see.”

For a few moments there was an awkward silence between them. They spent a long while gazing at each other before Naida cleared her throat.

“Tell me all about it, Rhys,” she said matter-of-factly.

“What do you mean?”

“You are obviously distracted. Something is bothering you. So tell me about whatever it is that is on your mind.”

He sighed deeply and stood up from the rock he was sitting on. He started pacing back and forth along the water’s edge.

“I am perplexed, my lady and these last two days have left me feeling much more so than is usual for me. I find myself rushing from task to task while my mind is wandering elsewhere. It’s a very disconcerting feeling to be more confused than I am accustomed to being.”

“Dilemma, Dilemma. Oh, how your tresses tangle and weave, capturing men with indecisiveness and insecurities.”

“What are you going on about, Naida? I have never heard this quotation before.”

“You have never heard the story of Dilemma? Surely, Murcanthia would have made certain you had a literature teacher who would tell you the myths, legends and stories that have formed the very existence of men.”

“Well, in his defense, Alwen is an excellent teacher. He has successfully managed to steer me clear of utter stupidity so far.”

They laughed overtly with each other for a moment before Rhys’ expression became grim again.

“I will tell you the story of Dilemma then, sir, considering your extreme case of ignorance.”

Rhys settled down on the grass beside the pond.

“Dilemma was a nymph who was asked by Gaia to choose which flower she would like to be sent to earth as. She had many beautiful blooms to choose from but she also was not the only nymph set to this task by Gaia. Each one chose carefully, some selected flowers which bloomed early and all through the warm months while others choose water flowers or desert flowers. But Dilemma could not make up her mind. Gaia is a very decisive deity and as such she soon lost all patience with her. She placed her in the water and commanded her to stay there forever. She said that since water does not decide where it goes, it follows the moon’s pull at the tide, the lay of the land or the force of gravity, she would never be required to make a decision on her own again. That is why when there is difficulty in making a decision we say we are having a dilemma.”

Rhys stared at her face in awe. He had never heard such a story in his life.

These are probably the things you learn when you live for one hundred and fifty years,
he thought.

“Naida?”

“Yes, Rhys.”

She had been watching him as several different expressions had crossed his face. She hadn’t said anything to disturb him because she was sure he was deep in thought.

“You told me you were one hundred and fifty years old, Murcanthia confirmed it. How can you look so young, much more like fifteen years old and live so long, almost twice as long as an incredibly old man.”

Naida smiled and answered, “I will start answering your question with a question, the women’s trick as you called it.”

She gave him a giggle, lowering her eyelids as she laughed. Rhys blushed a deep red when she did this. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears. Naida tried to hide her face as her cheeks turned a healthy crimson shade. They faced each other smiling again.

“Do you know where I live?” she asked carefully.

“Murcanthia told me about the destruction of Murganth and the split of the faery court. She told me about Arcadia and Eon. She said that you live with Queen Mab in Eon.”

“Yes, I do live in Eon. I am a faery as Murcanthia has no doubt already made clear. That glen in Exmoor is a gateway to my land, a part of Eon that touches Earth. It is a place that exists on sheer magic and because we are intertwined with that magic, the passage of time has a lesser effect on faeries than on humans. We age ten times slower than you do, so I guess I would be fifteen by your standards. When humans come to Eon for extended periods of time they find that they also age slower than they normally would. When a faery stays on Earth for a long time we age faster than we do in Eon.”

“It is similar in Avalon as well,” Rhys interjected. “When humans stay in Avalon, they age slower than usual. I recently got the suspicion that my aunt and others like Murcanthia, who have been there for a long time, are much older in years than they look.”

“Interesting, I didn’t know that Avalon was also a place of
tempus incognitum
.”

“I wonder what effect Avalon would have on you.”

“That would be fascinating to know.”

“Naida, where exactly is Eon?”

“That is an excellent question, Sir,” she replied, shaking her head. She didn’t know where to start with the answer. “You have mirrors in Avalon, don’t you?” she started.

“Yes, of course we do,” scoffed Rhys.

“Well, in the same way when you look into a mirror and see an image of yourself, Eon is like a mirror image of Earth. It looks exactly the same except for the things that men build for themselves like castles, huts, carts and boats. It is a copy of nature so to speak and the faeries fill it with their own creations like halls, villages and glens. Do you understand?”

“I understand, I think. But that doesn’t explain WHERE it is.” Rhys’ suspense resonated in his voice as annoyance. He winced at the unintentionally harsh tone it took.

“That is true, I apologize. I was trying not to get ahead of myself. I wanted to be sure you understand what I am telling you.”

“I know. I am sorry if I sounded intolerant.”

“It is forgotten. Eon exists exactly as the image in a mirror does. It is parallel to Earth, existing on the same plane, moving on the same path but as two straight lines which never converge. Only those who are faery or are magical in some other way can cross the barrier between the worlds.”

Chapter Four

“Erasmus has left Kenilwurt for Avalon this morning,” Gwallawc informed Rhys, handing him the parchment he had received from the messenger. “He has been summoned by the Three Sisters to begin the preparations to receive your sisters.”

“Oh, it is a shame I could not have seen him off on his journey. It is bound to be a lonely one.” Rhys was more deeply disappointed than he let his father know. Not having the chance to say goodbye to Erasmus meant that it would be a long time before he saw his dear valet and friend again.

“The wagons had been sent back yesterday, so the trip will be faster for him but he will not be alone for long, Son; I have word that he will be escorting Igraine and her court to Avalon. He rode north from Kenilwurt to the Coventry Road then onwards to meet them before they depart from Beormingaham.”

The news made Rhys smile; Erasmus held Igraine in extremely high regard and always spoke endearingly of her.

“Well, he has a noble cause and impeccable company to boot!” They shared a rare but hearty laugh at the comment and his father gave him a pat on the back.

“Father, can I name the estate and house myself or would it be improper to take the town’s name from the structure?” he asked.

“Well, usually the estate and its great hall would take the townships’ name but it is not a steadfast rule. Your uncle’s home at Strut Forth does not bear the town's name as you well know. He called it Avonlea Hall for his wife, your aunt.” Gwallawc paused for a few moments letting his words hang on the air. “Have you a name for this place, Son?”

“I think so, but I would like to see the work finished before I make the final decision.” Rhys told his father a half-truth to avoid him pressing the matter any further and it seemed to work. “I would like to review the plans at Kenilwurt with you tomorrow. I think I have a few small changes I would like to make.”

“Very well.”

“Son, Grandson!” A voice called to them from above. They both looked up to see Anlawdd descending the hill toward them. It only took him a short while to get to where they were; he was extremely agile for a man of his age.

“Shall we start back?” Anlawdd asked.

“Yes Father,” Gwallawc replied. “I wish to be back in Kenilwurt before luncheon; the Head Tenant is scheduled to consult with me this afternoon.”

“Oh, I had just about forgotten that, Son. Yes, let’s be off then. Are you ready, Rhys?”

“Yes, sirs, we should leave now.”

The road was dusty, but soon the coolness of the Worwick highlands took hold and they donned their warm clothing again piece by piece. The trip was made in haste and in complete silence. It seemed to Rhys that the closer they came to Kenilwurt, the colder his father’s demeanor became until he was all and all his usual self again. Rhys made a silent promise to himself that when he moved into
Itheilwen,
he would invite his father there regularly, if only to allow Gwallawc a chance to shed his severity for a short time. It would be good for his health.

Eon

Mab was restless in her sleep.

She tossed and turned, mumbling incoherently in elvish. She was dreaming and in her dream she saw a boy with milk white skin, the blackest hair and piercing green eyes. He walked through a dense forest with such fervor that it was evident he was searching for something, or somewhere, or someone. A twig snapped underfoot and she saw him stop and turn to look in her direction.

It was at that moment the object in his hand caught her eye. A thin ray of sunlight fighting through the thick canopy caught on it and it glittered wildly. He stretched out his hand offering the shining prize to her. She took a step back and exclaimed loudly. On his outstretched arm, all around the sleeve of his shirt, a thick silver vine had sprouted from the object he held and become entangled; attaching itself to him and it was blooming furiously in white roses. The object in his hand was a silver branch with many perfect silver apples hanging from it.

When she woke, the moon was dark and nothing could be seen from her window, only darkness filled the room. Her chambermaid knocked tentatively at the door and slowly came into the room. She went directly to the hearth and stoked the fire that had died down there. The rising flames shed some light on the surroundings.

“He is coming,” she whispered.

“Madam?” the maid queried.

“He is coming,” Mab repeated. “
Nestaron
is coming.”

“
Nestaron?
But there has not been a ‘Healer’ for centuries, my lady.”

“Dreams that come when the moon is dark are messages from the cosmos. They are not to be ignored,” she said.

The maid stood motionless with her hand over her mouth waiting for her mistress’s next move, but Mab eased herself back onto her pillows and closed her eyes.

“Please Aria, alert Titania’s handmaid to give her lady a message. I wish to see Lady Titania first thing in the morning, even before she breaks her fast. She must come to me in my presence chamber and we will eat together there.”

“Yes, madam.”

Mab drifted back to sleep easily, but that did not stop the dream from replaying in her mind for the rest of the night.

She woke early and tended to her toilette without Aria’s assistance. When the handmaid arrived, she instructed her to take down her white silk dress. The gown was elegantly cut with wide long sleeves and a full skirt. The bodice was embroidered with thread of gold and trimmed with golden beads and white seed pearls. Aria silently tugged at the strings to fasten the dress closed and laid her lady’s slippers at her feet.

Once dressed, Mab went through to her presence chamber and found Titania seated by the fire awaiting her entry. The warrior faery did not rise but waited for the steward to seat the queen opposite her at the table. The stewards and handmaids silently left the room and the chamberlains began the meal service. They placed platters of cheese, bread and fruit before them as well as water, nectar and milk and promptly excused themselves from the room.

“What is this I hear about
Nestaron
’s return, Mab? Is this some sort of farce? Don’t we have enough to worry about with drows and demons passing through Eon to get to Earth and, as I hear it, attacking innocent humans in the dead of night?” Titania asked bluntly.

Being a warrior, she had no use for tact and diplomacy, she always went straight to the heart of the matter… or the beast.

“I had a dream, Titania; he walked toward me with the silver in his right hand and the vine growing around his arm.”

Titania opened her mouth to ask a question, but Mab answered it before she could speak a word.

“It was covered with white roses blooming full and spotless.”

“Well then, what do we do now?”

“Of that, I am not sure, Titania.”

“I am sure it will come to you soon enough, my queen.”

“Thank you, Titania. This dream was so vivid and the boy seemed to know me in it as if he has encountered our kind before.” She paused for breath then continued, “He was richly dressed and impeccably groomed, a boy of high birth and the vision was extremely unsettling.”

“Why so, my queen?” Titania asked.

“Because if he is of the right rank and he bears the right name, he may be our last hope.”

“I will ask the muses to consult their Greek astronomers on the matter immediately.”

Mab sighed, half in anguish and half in relief.

“Gratitude, Titania. You are with me among the few Eldest left in Eon. You understand what faces us now.”

Titania nodded in silence.

“Now let us eat.”

“Yes, my queen.”

Earth

Rhys’ mother found him in the library just before lunch that day; he was studying a new map of Red Ditch and the drawings of the house being built there. A clerk with pencils in his hair and a plethora of gadgets and instruments in his arms stood beside him clucking over the changes that Rhys meant to make to the structure.

“I would like the rooms at the end of the upstairs corridor to be the master chambers. They must be twice the size as I see here in the sketches; I enjoy my space and that will eventually be shared quarters so it must be larger.”

“So, you plan to share your chamber with your wife then, Son?” Mucuruna interrupted.

Both men were startled and the clerk dropped the ruler in his hand in a hurried effort to bow to her. She had made such a silent entry neither Rhys nor the clerk had known she was in the room. Rhys gracefully bowed his head to her.

“Lady mother, you have frightened Sir Arris and made him drop his precious instruments.”

She dipped a small curtsy and replied, “Apologies, Sir Arris. I find that my step is as silent as it was in my girlhood.” She smiled at her son and continued, “Please do not misconstrue my quiet entry for spying.”

“Not at all, my lady, you are welcome.” He recovered, “We are just reviewing some changes which Rhys desires for Red Ditch Hall.”

“I see and how goes it at Red Ditch, Sir Arris?

“Please, do not call it Red Ditch Hall again. I have decided to give it some other name so we will call it Dragon House until then,” Rhys interrupted.

“As you wish, Your Grace.”

“Please continue, son. I am interested to hear of your improvements,” Mucuruna said.

She sat on a raised divan by the window and looked out over the garden but Rhys knew she was listening intently.

He cleared his throat and continued, “Sir Arris, as I was saying, I wish for the rear chambers to be twice as large. To the rear of the privy chamber I would like a third room made for taking baths. The water should flow in from the same stream above the lake which feeds the fountain in the downstairs hallway as well as from the hot springs near the cliffs. It should be built just like a fountain but with a drain which can be opened and closed. I want it to look like a waterfall and there should be recesses for the clothing cabinets along one wall of this bathing room.”

Sir Arris scratched his head, but nodded at the same time.

“It will be wonderful, sire.”

“For the rest of the family, I wish for a bath house to be constructed over the hot springs with fountain baths, benches and dressing rooms.

“Sir Arris, I am sure you have wondered about the lighting of the rear chambers if they are to be made larger.”

“I have Sire, but I think I may make a suggestion.”

“Speak freely, sir.”

I would cut back some of the hillside gradually into stepped terraces,” he said, making a sketch on the parchment laid out in front of them. “If the land is receded then the sunlight will reach the bare stone and windows can be cut out there. The terracing will provide lovely gardening space and the plants will prevent the soil from collapsing.”

“Excellent, Sir Arris. That will do. I wish for large windows and lots of sunlight in the rooms.”

“Gratitude, Sire. I will return to Red Ditch immediately and begin making these adjustments.”

“Thank you, Arris.”

“Oh no, thank you, Your Grace,” he responded. “When it is complete, Dragon House will be the first of its kind and I will be famous for having built it.”

“Aye, Sir Arris.”

The excited clerk left the room, taking all his accoutrements with him. As the door closed, Rhys heard his mother sigh.

“How now, Lady Mother?”

“It is nothing, son,” she said, sighing again. “Only that it is abundantly clear that my son is now a man and will soon leave me again to enter his own household. I can only hope that I will be welcome there.”

Rhys shook his head and went over to his mother, sitting beside her on the divan. He took her hands in his and kissed them.

“My mother, you are my first and truest love. How could I leave you even if I wanted to? There will always be a place in my heart and in my home for you.”

Mucuruna smiled at her son and stroked the black curls away from his face. Before Rhys could guess what she was doing, Mucuruna closed her eyes and placed two fingers over her heart, then put them to the center of Rhys’ forehead. Her eyes immediately flew open and her head rocked back. For several seconds they sat there, Mucuruna was in a trancelike state and Rhys started to panic. But then just as suddenly as it had started, it was over and she let go her hold on him and fell back to the pillows.

“Mother, are you alright?”

“Yes, my dear son, I am alright.”

“What happened to you? I was quite worried.”

“I had a vision, Rhys. It was like a waking dream and it was the same one that has been plaguing me since before your arrival here. But this time, there was more and I saw you and things that will happen to you.”

“Will you tell me these things you have seen?”

“I do not think that the time has arrived for me to do so. I will tell you when the time is more auspicious.”

“It cannot be any bad news if you can show such constraint.”

“Indeed, Son. However, I do also need to tell you that I must cancel our tea for today,” she replied, grasping at the opportunity to change the topic. “Your uncle arrives this afternoon and has requested an audience with you all.”