The Calling
Chapter 54

“My Liege...” said Bedivere imploringly.

Francis struggled to meet his gaze, “I’m sorry” he whispered his apology again and stared at his feet, “I’ve let you all down” he said sadly.

“Nay...” said Bedivere backing closer to his comrades, “thoust hath only failed thyself” he said, “was it worth it?”

“No” said Francis softly, “It wasn’t”

“Then let us die with honour!” raged Kay, sword in hand and his back pressed firmly against that of his three comrades. He waved his sword at the oncoming attackers and looked around the courtyard. They were hopelessly outnumbered by Morgan’s forces, but if were to die today, best die with honour.

“Hold thy swords!” shouted Morgan over the heads of the Knights. “There shall no bloodshed!” she called, then looked toward Francis, “shall there” she purred sweetly and held out her hand, uncurling her fingers in temptation.

Francis shook his head slowly, “you shall have Excalibur” he said quietly, then looked around the courtyard. “Where is Gwen?” he asked, his heart heavy.

“Thy maiden...” Morgan raised her eyebrows as she spoke, “thoust still hath feelings...” she laughed at his discomfort, “how sweet”

“If I am to hand Excalibur over, then I wish to know she is fine” he stood calmly and alone in the center of the courtyard close to the glass sphere and Morgan.

“Very well” snapped Morgan and turned to Agravain, “Bring the girl” she ordered and watched as Agravain sped from the courtyard and into the depths of the castle.

“What will you do once you have the sword?” Francis asked

“What concern is it of yours”

“I have people I care about in this world, I wish to know if they’ll be safe” Francis said, his grip tightening around the hilt of the sword, his eyes darting around the site.

“They will be spared” said Morgan, “I give thee my word as a warrior and my promise as a queen” she smiled and held her hand out.

“First the girl”

“Thy doth try my patience!” snapped Morgan, then her mood softened, “but I shall play thy game...for the time being”

The sound of footsteps from beyond the wall alerted Francis to the fact that Agravain was approaching, he listened as metal struck metal as his armour rubbed together in matrimony as he walked into the courtyard. Behind him trailed Gwen and Francis blinked hard as she glided into the moonlight and stood close to Morgan. Gone were her shirt, jodhpurs and knee length boots and in their place was a long flowing gown, bejeweled in finery of silver and golden embroidered strands running through the gown. The long pale blue gown was offset with lace which ran down her arms and showed her arms through the thin fabric as it fell down past her wrists in a large flowing cuff. Her hair fell over her bare shoulders and around her forehead ran a simple plain band with a small blue jewel set at the front of the headpiece. Francis reveled in her beauty as she glided into the courtyard and once again he felt his heart sink as she looked away as she past. The sadness in his heart was in evidence and his hand tightened around the hilt of the sword, his anger had subsided and replace with regret and sorrow at her betrayal.

“Morgan” Gwen said softly and curtsied slightly before her. Morgan smiled and indicated toward her side for Gwen to join her.

“You see” scoffed Morgan, “she is safe and well”

“Gwen” said Francis softly. She turned her head away from his voice, but remained at Morgan’s side as he spoke. “Gwen...please”

“As you see, she has chosen her side” Morgan placed an arm around Gwen and smiled, kissing Gwen’s head then looking back at Francis. “she is the daughter I never had” she laughed.

“Gwen...at least give me an answer” Francis pleaded.

“I... I’m sorry” she whispered.

“Gwen...” he said again, his voice was cracked with emotion and he could hear his own pathetic words spill from his lips.

“She can give me everything I ever wanted” Gwen said looking at Francis, tears welling in her eyes, “what can you offer?” she asked.

“Love” he said softly.

“Is that it!” laughed Morgan, “I offer her the world, and you offer her love”

“I will protect her” said Francis defiantly, “I will care for her”

“Thoust is a fool” spat Morgan, “I tire of these games...give me Excalibur!” her eyes burnt with anger as the fire within her consumed her patience.

Francis pulled the sword from the scabbard and held it aloft in the palm of his hands and stared at the cold metal of the blade. Could he...could he really surrender Excalibur to Morgan after all he had been through. He looked at Gwen and sighed, even though his heart was breaking he looked into her eyes and remembered. He remembered her smile...how it lit his heart, he remembered her eyes...how they shone and sparkled, he remembered how she made him feel, even after only a couple of meetings, he remembered how he could never be angry with her and he smiled. Yes...he could do it, he could do it for her. “I will give you Excalibur” he said quietly, “just release her”

“She is free to make her own decisions” mocked Morgan, “she has chosen to stand with me. Now the sword”

“Gwen...” Francis said again. She turned away unable to look into his eyes and he felt his heart swell under the heavy weight of rejection and guilt. He cast a glance toward his companions who stood watching the exchange, swords in hands and ready for a word...

“The sword!” snapped Morgan.

“I give you Excalibur” said Francis holding out the sword in his hands. Morgan smiled and stepped forward, her hands reaching for the weapon. “But...” started Francis snatching the blade back and pressing its cold steel against his body, “I won’t give it to you” he said.

“Explain!” demanded Morgan.

“I give it to Gwen” he said finally staring at Morgan, “let her decide her future”

Morgan threw her head back and laughed into the air, then looked harshly at Francis, “she will not resist my will” Morgan warned, “I shall have Excalibur” she placed her hand on Gwen’s shoulder and whispered, “I offer thee thine heart’s desire...what can he offer you? Love? Love is but a fallacy. Give me Excalibur and I shall grant thee wishes”

Gwen nodded and looked into the face of the older woman and smiled. Morgan released her grip on her shoulder and Gwen turned to face Francis looking at him for the first time since she had entered the courtyard. She glided slowly across the floor and gazed at his face, pity in her eyes. “I’m sorry” she whispered as she stopped before him.

Francis looked down briefly, then looked into her eyes “don’t” he pleaded as tears welled in his own eyes, “please...”

“It’s too late...” she softly reaching for the sword, “I’ve made my choice”, she couldn’t look at Francis as she took the sword from his hands. Her hands slid around the blade and hilt of the sword and she lifted Excalibur slowly and gently from his hands, ignoring the splash of a tear as it struck the metal. She weighed it in her hands for a moment, seizing up the blade and casting her eyes along the steel to the ornate handle.

“Excalibur” breathed the voice of Morgan from behind her, “at last after all of these centuries we are reunite...” she clenched her fists in victory as the joy overwhelmed her, her face igniting with blind exultation as Gwen turned and smiled at her. “My power shall be absolute” she whispered. Morgan glanced toward Mordred who stood in the shadows, his face breaking the darkness with the force of his smile. She raised her hand to her shoulder and clicked her fingers, pointing toward Gwen and the sword. Mordred nodded and silently moved into the clearing, peeling himself from the confines of the darkness and strode confidently across the courtyard, his eyes staring mockingly in the direction of the three Knights who still stood poised against attack.

His fingers brushed against his own sword as he walked and he grinned at Gwen through the darkening evening sky. “Brother to Excalibur...” he whispered, fingering his own sword, “we shall rule this land” he stopped before the slender form of Gwen and smiled down at her, “the country shall be washed with the blood of the innocent as I seek vengeance” he breathed slowly holding his arms out toward Excalibur, his eyes wavering over Gwen’s face before lowering toward the blade in her hands, “and thee shall stand by my side as thy queen”

“I aim to please” Gwen whispered as she took Excalibur in her hands and held it aloft for Mordred. Her hands seemed tiny in comparison the handle in them and she looked straight at Mordred and smiled, “my Lord...I give you Excalibur” she whispered, her mouth turning from a smile into a determined grimace.

She thrust the sword forward toward his body and shock overcame Mordred as the metal of the blade forced its way through the chain mail around his stomach as the blade penetrated his body beneath his breast plate and forced its way through the body and severed the metal armour in his back. He looked down at the sword as it skewered his body and his hands grip the blade, cutting into the skin and covering the sword with more blood. “My Lady...” he whispered as his body slowly slid down the blade and his hand floated to her face, where it cupped her cheek.

“Fuck you!” she shouted and spat in his face, watching the saliva as it dribbled across his eyes. Her hands were doused with the warm embrace of his blood as it seeped and flowed from the growing stain spreading across his armour.

Mordred looked at her and smiled through blood stained teeth and laughed, “you would have made an excellent queen” he whispered, covering her dress with the slight spray of blood as he spoke. His eyes rolled in his head and his arms sagged as blood forced its way through his closed lips and he slid to the ground as Gwen lowered the sword. He lay on the floor unmoving in a pool of his own blood as Gwen stood over his body, covered in the blood of the Knight and Excalibur held by her side the other hand.