The Knight Behind the Pillar (7 page)

             
Whoever the untidy figure of Morvid was, up to now no one looked as if they were keen on anything he had to say.  Archbishop Dubric gave Morvid a deep stare of disdain, but Alain tactfully cut across the growing tension and purposefully stepped between them to break eye contact.

             
“Do you need to go after him?” Alain asked Ector, sympathising for a moment.

             
“No, not yet.  Arthur is like,” He paused at a thought and looked like was considering changing his mind before deciding to continue, “His mother and just like how she was.  This is a shock to him, well it would be and he needs time to think.  He will come back in his time and if he wants to.”

             
Satisfied the required moment of empathy was over Alain returned to business.  “Well there is a lot to do then.  Firstly we shall send out messengers to convey the news Arthur is the true heir to Uthur and second…..”

             
“Now hold your horses,” Ector interrupted, having recovered from shock for a moment. “Before you start to add more colours to that map of yours and start planning your campaigns let’s get this very clear.  He might be heir, but he’s still my son, mine, and I will not stand by and allow him to be made a fool or worked as a puppet for you good lord’s purposes.  I’ve brought him up, I have taught him everything he knows and if he’s learnt anything from me, trust me, he’ll not just do as he is told.  And be assured we can leave at any time if Arthur wants.  I may not have a large army…”

             
“Now Ector lets not start that kind of talk,” Merlin stepped in.  “I’m sure all of us respect your position in this matter”

             
Ector glared at Merlin, but then said no more and stepped away. 

             
Alain looked objectionable to Merlin’s verbal rescue, but addressed the room once more instead.  “Yes, but we must make some plans and lets for now work on the assumption Ector’s son is willing and wanting to claim the throne.  I realise I sound contrary to my earlier statement saying we had time, but when we left Lot he swore he would never be ruled again.  This is a king with a lot of influence; he had gained many supporters before I had managed to leave myself.  He and others must not be allowed to change the minds of others and news of Arthur’s heritage is important to convey.”   

             
It occurred to me Merlin had smoothly become part of this collection of lords as eyes darted across to Merlin for approval of the words Alain had just spoke.  The power had moved slightly from away from Alain despite his efforts to regain control and appear in charge.  All of a sudden Merlin was no longer I, but spoke for all. 

             
But before I could think on this anymore Merlin turned directly to face me or rather my stone shield I quickly retreated back behind having again risked to peer around to watch some more. 

             
“But before that,” Merlin said setting aside Alain’s plans for the moment and no doubt gaining a disapproving look from Alain, “Perhaps the young man behind the pillar would like to go and find Arthur, check on he if needs anything and return with him to his chambers?”

             
The request hit me by surprise.  I had been uncovered by words and now had little choice but to physically show myself as demanded by the following silence.  Hesitating for as long as I dared, I gingerly stepped out to be confronted by many frowning and confused noble faces to which I quickly lowered my head in response to give the required respect.  This included Aries whose own head and shoulders lifted quickly in recognition as he registered who I was.  Then he pushed himself off the table he still leaned on as if he were about to protest at my presence, but quickly reconsidered looking about him and remembering the authority already occupying the room. 

             
I looked away from his face filling with intent and focused instead on Merlin.  Blanking the intense glaze of the others was difficult and I then I knew I did not know how to address this man as I had no idea who he was!

             
“Er, yes sir.” I answered full of nerves, but could say little more.

             
“Your name?” His low voice asked before I could move to leave. 

             
Familiar ground I was grateful for.  “I’m a squire to……” I began my usual response, but he interrupted at once. 

             
“Name” He repeated firmly.

             
I paused for a second, was I right he wanted my name and who was he anyway to ask?  This was highly unusual and stunned me.  I straighten up and this time I met his eye contact.  Having just heard that I had been in the company of the future king of Britain and it had been no mistake, the context of my astonishment that someone wanted my name was wrong.  Yet still I was very surprised and warily at the same time. 

             
“Tor,” I ventured as slow as you could say my dreadfully short name.

             
Merlin immediately appeared to gain some satisfaction.  His face appeared to light up for a moment before he moved away. 

             
With his back to me as he returned to the others he said, “Tor, good, very good.  Well I suggest Tor you better go and find him.”

             
As he walked away his decreasing interest in me influenced the others who lingered at first in their interest of my presence before they too looked away.  Except I felt like I might have just given this strange old man a physical piece of me and he went away with it now. 

             
When asked for my name I always gave my title, it was automatic.  Most squires, pages and servants did the same; even knights did most of the time as it was what you do.  For the most part it is the only thing others are interested in.  In other words it was a request to understand how far above you they were and at what level you could be of help to them.  Or putting it another way, it was about how little they should care about you!  I wondered then, had my name become private and my choice of giving over time? 

             
Merlin had just taken my name, perhaps not all of it, but along with it a piece of my privacy.  I could debate this with myself some more, but instincts now kicked in and a greater command entered my head temporarily blocking other thoughts. 

             
Move! 

             
I turned and escaped the room without looking back.

             
Once I had gained some distance away from the room I paused for a breath and a howl of amazement.  It was hard to think, to understand every word that just been said maybe what had failed to be mentioned.  I had just witnessed a new king being, well discovered somehow.  Of less importance and yet failing to stop bothering me I had also just had my name announced and drawn plainly to the attention to some of the most important lords and even kings in the land!  More worryingly, I guess, was the notion that not everyone was happy about Arthur being king, not least Arthur himself!  They said others had not accepted Arthur and what did this mean, what did it mean for Art? 

             
I decided to focus on the job given to me and I began my search for Arthur by standing still.  I wasn’t the type of person who franticly ran about looking and not seeing.  The facts were that Arthur was upset with the world, it was no longer the world he knew and still very few people in world knew who he really was.  So where in the world would he go and hide?  He would not have gone back to his chamber, that’s where everyone wanted him to be and rationally the last place to look.  He wasn’t going to be back at the kitchens, to be there now was suicide at this time of the day.  Arthur could not have visited many other areas of Caerleon yet, except the stables or unless he wanted to get lost.   While lost was an option, the stables sounded more reasonable.  Besides if you wanted to get away a horse was always useful. 

             
I turned and intended to hurry through the halls the quickest way I knew to the stables, but crashed immediately into something, no someone, along with a lot of material.  The cloth felt instantly soft as it bushed against my face in a seemingly frozen moment in time before I hit the cold unyielding stone floor.  The world was never soft.  Normally it was hard, cold, damp and surprisingly often itchy.  The sensation of soft was rare and you treasured each fibre of it if you found it.  At this moment a burr of blue and white disoriented me as I tried to unravel myself from whoever I had just collided with. 

             
“Get off me, get off right now.” A female voice yelled furiously and continued to yell as I finally found the end of what I now realised to be the end of a large dress.    

             
Sitting up I found its angry owner who had joined me on the floor.   I was captured at once.  While she gave me a stare that could have iced over the flames of hell, a smile was creeping into my own wide open eyes as I glazed intently back.  She was just beautiful, there was no other word, and it filled my brain and halted all movement throughout my entire being.  No doubt I looked a fool, but I was just taken back by the vision before me.  Dark brown hair which was long and platted passed her mostly bare shoulders exposed due to the wide neck of the dark blue and heavily embellished dress.   Signs of wealth were seemingly common these days I had certainly concluded.  My success at guessing ages had never been good, but she appeared to be around my age, perhaps older by a year or two or wanted to appear as such.  Realising her face was far too close to mine to be acceptable or respectable, we both pulled back immediately.       

             
“Err, sorry.” I murmured.

             
Then I realised it was not one dress we were tangled up in, but several including a large white garment that was being carried and the blue one that this woman actually wore.   I began working out if it was safe to attempt to find my leg covered by the dresses.  Her blue dress was clean and had no obvious patchwork or repair which in this place was a clear indication that this lady was from somewhere else.     

             
“How dare you attack me you….you filthy servant!” She yelled sitting there resolute.

             
I was instantly defensive and her words snapped me suddenly back to earth away from the memory of softness.  “Now wait one minute…” I started to protest the claim I was any servant and raising my hands in surrender.

             
As for levels of cleanliness I would have perhaps been on poor ground.  

             
“And you have the impertinence to speak!” She stated irately.  

             
“Err yes,” I replied slightly bemused with a slight grin and looking straight back at her. 

             
I was not sure I was meant to have answered or not.   So I now ventured into unknown territory.  Typical for me I was starting to find this all very amusing and this was not normally a good thing.  She was either going to start shouting for help or yell some more as I held her gaze.  Instead my relaxed self confidence was enough to disarm her.  At least she stopped flapping part of the white dress in front of her in an attempt to shoo me away as if I was a wild animal to scare away.

             
Her blue eyes narrowed, “Well, then do you care to explain why you have any right to speak me before I call for guards to remove you?” She asked, slightly calmer now but with a clear tone of authority in her voice. 

             
As for guards or anyone I was surprised no one had yet come in response to this lady’s initial cries.  Instead we were in an unexpectedly empty hallway, on the floor facing each other. 

             
“May I move first?” I requested gently, pointing to my legs hidden by cloth. 

             
She nodded her permission and slowly and with absolute care I pulled up my legs.  I didn’t want to expose her legs wherever they were as that would be unthinkable.  I pushed myself up the wall and offered my hand to help her up.

             
“And you think it is appropriate for me to touch that?  My, you certainly think something of yourself sir.” She exclaimed with a clear hint of contempt as she looked down her nose at my offering.  I just slightly tilted my head, maintained a silly smirk and continued to hold out my hand.  She thought about it for a few seconds more.  “Well, I guess it’s no worse than the dirt on this floor.” She justified while insulting me at the same time. 

             
She gathered up the separate white dress and what was also a cloak I saw now that she had been holding when we collided.  With her spare hand she reached for mine and I pulled her up, but she dismissed my hand as soon she was on her feet.  As she brushed herself down a little and straightened herself, I stood back and for a moment I admired her beauty openly.  Her fair complexion, her graceful and defined face and while thin she was no fragile flower.  I needed something to say, but knew not what.  I did not want this moment to end, I wanted to know who she was, why she was here, where she was from, even if the white dress and cloak she held was hers despite not having any use for such knowledge……and why was I feeling so hot with a strange nervous tension in my chest?   I mean!  I was sweating!