The Knight Read online

  “King Arthur has decreed that the Sons of the Round Table should be gathered. They should assemble at the druid circle at Keswick and take their instruction from Merlin on how the menace in the North is to be dealt with.”

  A loud gasp escaped Rhys’ lips before he could stop it. His uncle raised an eyebrow at him, but said nothing.

  “When we leave tomorrow, you will pack your things and make the journey to gather these men on Arthur’s behalf. It will take you many weeks, but this particular race is not for the swift. Arthur believes that Mordred thinks time is what he has on his side; that no one is aware of his evil plans. He will take his time to lay them carefully because once he has risen against the King, there will be no room for him to fail unless he is to succumb to the executioner’s sword on charges of treason.

  “Rhys, the journey north will essentially begin at our ancestral home at Kenilwurt. It will be very similar to the rite of passage that others before you have had to endure. Erasmus knows the details; he has seen at least three generations of Ddraig men come of age. Is that not so, Erasmus? At least three generations, yes?”

  “Indeed, sir, at least three.”

  Three generations? Seriously, how old were these Avalonians? Rhys found himself wondering again.

  Rhys had suddenly lost his appetite. He pushed the food around on his plate distractedly as his family members tore voraciously at everything laid out on the table before them, throwing the bones to the floor for the dogs. Caradoc rose abruptly from his seat and handed the glass back to Erasmus.

  “Be at Camelot by sundown on the fifth day from this to receive the first ‘Son’ of your pilgrimage, Rhys. Your cousin, Richard will be waiting for you. Erasmus will instruct you and equip you with everything you will need to know and all you will need to take with you. Listen to everything he tells you and obey his every command.”

  “Who are the others?”

  “The Sons are eight, yourself included. Richard of Dumnonia, Gawain of Sheffield, John of Leeds, Owen of Nottingham, Thomas of Manchester, Derrick of Liverpool and Henry of Kendal.”

  “But Uncle,” Rhys said pitifully, “Why me? I am not a Son of the Round Table. Why would the king choose me to act as his surrogate?”

  “Arthur’s son is the very one who now stands against him and his kingdom. Mordred was bred and born of evil and unlike his parents; he has refused to repent of it. You are the descendant of the ‘bastard prince’ of Dumnonia, as well as the firstborn son of the Countess of Gascogne. If your mother had been a boy, you would be next in line for that duchy. Why wouldn’t Arthur choose you?”

  “Sir, I am not a knight.”

  “Not yet, Rhys. Not yet. You will ride into Camelot a squire, but you will leave a knight! Arthur will dub you, Rhys of Gascogne.”

  He looked at Erasmus and then back to Rhys.

  Sternly, he added, “Do not be late. Sons, you may stay longer with your cousin if it pleases you, but be sure to complete your preparations to leave Avalon at first light.”

  John and Richard remained seated at the table with Rhys as Caradoc noisily walked out of the rooms. Erasmus ran to catch the door and close it silently. He bolted it behind him and returned to Rhys’ side. The boy’s expression was deathly.

  “Do not be worried, Rhys. You will do wonderfully, I know it.”

  “I am unsure.”

  “No, Rhys, you are unwilling and I know it has everything to do with this girl in the forest!”

  “Girl? What girl?” Richard asked, as he overheard the admonishment Rhys was receiving. “You have not told us of any girl, Cousin.”

  “A girl?” John teased. “We demand to know everything.”

  “It is nothing, nothing which should cause any alarm. Excuse me cousins, I shall return to you presently.”

  He left the room quickly with Erasmus following closely behind him. The doors to the presence chamber closed firmly behind them. It was clear and apparent that Erasmus was losing his patience with him.

  “You must extricate her from your mind for now, Rhys. You have dire matters to attend to!”

  “I can do no such thing, sir! It feels as if she is a part of me now, Erasmus. She has a strange hold on my heart already. I seem to be living for the times we can be together again.”

  “This is serious, Rhys. Your coming of age officially marks the end of your childhood and your acceptance into the ranks of adulthood by all the men in your family. The fact that the king has chosen you to represent him in this significant quest is even more momentous.”

  “I cannot leave her now, Erasmus, not so soon.”

  “This affair has become much more than you have made me believe so far. I must demand that you tell me everything. It is imperative for you to do so now if I am to make this voyage as painless for you as possible.”

  “Alright Erasmus, we shall sup together here and I promise that I will tell you everything.”

  “Very well, but you must also agree to follow every piece of advice which I will supply to you bearing in mind that I want for you everything that you want for yourself.”

  “I will, sir.”

  Erasmus retreated to the doors to let himself out.

  He turned around to face Rhys and added, “I am and will forever remain your faithful servant, Master Rhys.” He bowed low to the ground and exited the room.

  Rhys washed his face and dried it on the bath linens hanging by the washstand. He smoothed his jerkin and took a deep breath before going back into the presence chamber and sitting at the table with John and Richard. They finished the meal in veritable silence, but while reposing before the fireplace briefly, their conversation returned.

  “What is planned for the morning, Erasmus?” Rhys asked, trying to sound very official in front of his cousins.

  “Well, the Lady Morgana has found immense pleasure with your performance at yesterday’s ceremony and she has asked that I express her sentiments appropriately. She was especially moved by the excellent new ale you had mentioned to her. It was decided, therefore, that you would be excused from all duties until your departure from court and she only asks that you take your suppers with her until such time.”

  Rhys was happy that his aunt approved of his work and that she was contented with Amarelle’s new brew, but he was most relieved to have these few days left in Avalon to himself.

  “Well cousins, it seems I am a carefree lad for the rest of my days at Avalon,” Rhys announced lightheartedly. “What shall we do today?”

  Richard chimed in eagerly, “Let’s hunt together this morning lads. Maybe we could bring down one of those stags Rhys has been talking about in Exmoor.”

  Nervously, Rhys tried to steer the conversation away from Exmoor Forest.

  “The herds have moved to the western plains these last days,” he said quickly. “It may be best to start the hunt there.”

  “Well then, no need to tarry,” John agreed. “Let’s hunt.”

  “It will be too long a row; we had better take a small retinue of men and a sailboat to the mainland,” Rhys added.

  “As you suggest, cousin,” John agreed.

  ***

  That morning, six of the kingdom’s finest young knights welcomed messengers at their gates. The riders had been sent out from Arthur’s castle at Cearleon, the coveted and infamous Camelot. They had all had the pleasure of visiting the wondrous city at least once before. They had all felt the weight of Arthur’s sword on their shoulders.

  The instructions were clear, concise.

  Hear ye! Knight of England!

  You are hereby summoned by order of His Majesty, King Arthur of England, to the gathering of the Sons of the Round Table.

  You are to conclude your affairs at home or abroad and be ready to join the sortie as it moves north through the country to the gathering place at Keswick. Further instructions will be issued to you by my surrogate Son, Rhys ab Tywysog of Gascogne.

  Heed his every command.

  Chapter Six

  Avalon
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br />   The hunt had been successful.

  The boys had managed to take more than a dozen hares, three large pheasants and the prized stag that Richard had been so eager over. The men had caught a wild pig in the brush while the boys were out on horseback stalking the deer herd and had a lovely roast going by the time they had returned to the camp site. They ate and lazed about for most of the afternoon and would have stayed later if the boatman had not warned them about the tide’s turn. The men broke camp quickly and returned to Avalon beaming with pride over their hunt’s success. Amarelle was sure to shower abundant praise on the boys and set a prep cook to skinning the large buck. Richard and John both agreed that Rhys should have the head since he had stunningly brought the animal down with a vaulted shot from astride Broderick, his charger.

  “He was magnificent, Amy,” John gushed. “You should have seen him standing in the saddle and shooting that arrow, riding that deer down at full tilt. I was awestruck.”

  “He is a fine bowman, Sir John, though he never lets it go to his head,” she agreed. “He is always practicing and improving at it.”

  “Aye,” Richard chimed in. “I wish that Father could have seen it. He would be proud.”

  Rhys knew Richard was referring to Caradoc but he couldn’t help but think of his own father, Gwallawc. He excused himself from the kitchen to bathe and change, claiming he had an unfinished assignment to complete and went to his rooms. He wanted to get to the library and read some more of the Chronicus la Fae.

  ***

  Silence reigned over the tiny table in Rhys’ chambers that night. The stewards brought dish after dish and took most of it away untouched.

  “You must eat, Rhys. There is a very hard day ahead of you tomorrow and you will need your strength.”

  “I am too conflicted to eat at the moment, sir. More wine, please.”

  His glass was filled with fresh wine and he immediately put it to his lips.

  “Did my Aunt Morgana not find it strange that I would take my supper shut up in my rooms tonight? I hope she is not angry that I did not sup with her.”

  “Your aunt knows your quandary, Rhys. She was so impressed with the deer you caught today that it was easy to pardon you from the dining hall tonight. Your uncle has also created a much needed distraction for the Three Sisters.”

  “Thank you, sir. I appreciate that you compensate for my oversights, especially where it comes to Morgana.”

  “Rest assured, Rhys. I am here to be of service.” He cleared his throat and continued. “Now we discuss the matter at hand. Your journey will take you deep into the North Country; you must be properly prepared for the journey.”

  “I understand that, sir, but still I know no details of this pilgrimage. Uncle Caradoc said I should be in Camelot five sundowns from today, which is a lot of time it seems since Camelot is only a day’s ride from here.”

  “Yes, this is true.”

  Erasmus placed his fork onto his plate as a signal for it to be removed. All the food and utensils were taken to a sideboard and then with a dismissive turn of his wrist, all the stewards left the room.

  “It is a much shorter time than you think, Rhys. Your father must present you to the king at Camelot and time must be allowed for him to make the journey. You are required to cover some lessons with the monks at Glastonbury prior to appearing before Arthur, so we will leave here in the morning. You will be knighted at Camelot and then we will continue on to Kenilwurt for a little family business.”

  Rhys almost jumped up from his chair. He was pleased at the thought of going home.

  “Everything you will be required to take with you is being packed as we speak. You should take Emrys, your palfrey, considering the distances you will have to travel and the rough terrain you will encounter. He is the more resilient of your two horses, but if you choose, you are allowed a mule as well.”

  “What do you suggest?” Rhys asked, remembering his earlier promise to the man.

  Erasmus smiled and replied, “Although helpful, a mule will be an extra responsibility and may slow you down.”

  “Emrys alone will do then,” Rhys answered swiftly.

  “Brave… wise choice.”

  Rhys raised his glass slowly to his lips and sipped the mellow wine. He cleared his throat as he placed the glass back on the table.

  “Erasmus, I promised to tell you about Naida and me tonight, but as it was before, there are limitations to how much I may share with you at this point. If I depart Avalon in the morning, I will surely need your help to find out more about her.”

  Rhys paused, studying the other man’s face.

  “Go on,” Erasmus urged.

  “About a week ago, I rowed over to the mainland as I love to do and went walking in the forest. I was lying underneath a familiar tree when I found myself rather close to a glen that I had never seen before. I heard a noise above me in the trees and other sounds which lead me there to the clearing with a wondrous pond fed by a river waterfall. That is where I met her, Naida. She is a faery, Erasmus, a muse actually. She comes from her realm to Earth through the waterfall. We have spent much of the last few days talking and getting an understanding of each other and I think that we are falling in love.”

  “Oh, I see,” Erasmus said. He sighed softly before saying, “Go on then.”

  “When we parted company yesterday, I promised to find out as much as I could in the library today and we would meet again tomorrow. She does not know that I leave to go on this journey so we cannot leave before I have seen her. She must know that I am away from Avalon and that I will be back again soon. When I return, we can decide on the next course of action.”

  Erasmus nodded.

  “I may be able to gather some information while you are away.”

  Rhys smiled and leapt up to hug him.

  “I was right. You are definitely the right man for this. Gratitude, Erasmus.”

  “The pleasure is mine, Rhys.”

  Rhys breathlessly expanded on the details of his encounters and conversations with Naida to Erasmus, leaving out hardly any details. He told him of the glen’s location and its incredibly green grass and ancient trees. The older man’s eyes were as wide as saucers. When he was finished, they refilled their glasses and sat sipping their wine for a while before Erasmus spoke again.

  “When we leave Camelot, I will ride with you to Worwick’s Shire, to your father’s house. There, you will get to visit with your sisters and all your family members, so if you have anything to take home for them, please pack it in your trunk, along with these.”

  Erasmus reached into his jerkin and brought out a fold of black velvet cloth. He handed it to Rhys. The cloth was lumpy; there was something in it.

  “Have a look inside please,” he added.

  Rhys carefully unfolded the cloth to reveal three purple velvet bags. He opened them one by one and a look of astonishment grew on his face.

  “They are from Morgana, one for each of your sisters. You are to choose which girl gets which piece.”

  The first held a large cameo of Avalon carved from flawless mother of pearl, the edges were bound in delicate gold filigree. The detail of the relief carving was amazing. The second pouch held a brooch shaped like an open water lily, made of solid gold and painted enamel detailing. The last pouch was the most spectacular, a silver filigree cross inlaid with seed pearls and tiny rubies. Rhys returned them to their packaging and sighed deeply.

  “These are far too rich to accept as gifts. You must return them to her with my sincerest thanks.”

  He handed the cloth back to Erasmus. Erasmus raised his hand.

  “Oh no, Rhys, I cannot do that. These treasures are the heirlooms of the Three Sisters. It is a Glastenning family custom which has been in existence for centuries. These items you hold have been in your family for more than ten generations. They are passed down from the reigning Sisters to the family in which the Three Sisters appear for that generation and the ages of Avalon are measured in the number of ge
nerations that have passed the duty on.

  “Currently, we are in the Twelfth Age of the Glastenning Sisterhood. The present sisterhood is in your aunt’s family where the Three Sisters were identified as Morgana, Morgause and Elaine and now that Cadwynn, the youngest, has seen her thirteenth birthday, your sisters have been named the next to inherit the honor. The elder brother, or if there isn’t a brother, the father, must choose the piece which reflects each girl’s personality and the girls must embrace the charges of their new position. Your aunt will now be entirely in charge of their placement in life, just as the Sisters before her were in charge of hers.”

  Rhys placed the package inside his saddlebag beside the fireplace silently and returned to his seat.

  “The timing is incredible. This is the second family tradition that has caused me alarm in one day.”

  Erasmus cleared his throat in response.

  “What will this trip entail, Erasmus?”

  “Your father will brief you on the route of the pilgrimage and other details of your quest when you get home. You must be ready to leave Kenilwurt Hall on the third morning. Remember your journey takes you as far north as Keswick. That is many weeks of travel on horseback.”

  Rhys shook his head. He was not satisfied.

  “My father is not what anyone would describe as forthcoming where information is concerned, Erasmus. I would rather hear about my journey from you.”

  Erasmus laughed.

  “Alright, Rhys.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You will ride with me to Glastonbury where the monks will take you through several days of tests and training. Do not take any of this lightly, Rhys; the monks determine whether you are fit to go before the king as a squire fit for knighting or not, and Arthur has put all his hopes in you already.

  “From there, we go on to Caerleon. Your father will meet us there and when we go to Camelot, he will present you to the King. When you are a knight, and a Son of the Round Table, we will take Richard and make our way to Kenilwurt to spend a few days with your family. I, most likely will return to Avalon from there, but I should think that you and Richard will be fine on your own.