A Royal duty

Chapter 5. Sacrifice.

It was not long after the royal brother and sister had discovered their relationship towards one another that the Lady Morganna was disturbed by a dreadful commotion in the courtyard outside her chambers.

It was a cold but sunny afternoon she threw down her embroidery, she knew it would be something to do with her brother for he had gone out early that same day on a mission to fight a terrible beast. She hurried to her window.

"What is it my Lady?" asked Guinivere, also dropping her sewing to the floor as she had noticed her beloved mistress become as white as the frost upon the trees outside.

"Oh my good Lord of mercy " she gasped and burst into floods of tears "my brother, my dear brother!" she ran to the door and hurried down the narrow, winding, spiral stair case, crying out the name of her brother again and again. Guinivere persued her, almost tripping over her gown.

Morganna staggered as she entered the courtyard, she steadied herself against the wall as she beheld her father the king, carrying in his arms the limp body of the golden haired prince, her brother, Arthur Pendragon.

The prince was lifeless, his head hung down over his father's arm and his arms hung loose either side of him, his face was almost grey and his beautiful lips were purple, still his hair was shinning in the sun like a halo around his head. King Uther fell to his knees clasping his only son to his breast, rocking him as one would rock an infant, he kissed him again and again upon his fine, soft hair and was weeping for the boy unreservedly.

"Get the priest, we need the last rites, Prince Arthur Pendragon, crown prince of Camelot is dead."

Merlin saw the girls as they stood holding each other shocked and distraught, he stood beside them both,  shaking and fighting back the tears.

"My Prince is dead," he whispered hoarsely " he is gone, I could not stop it, the creature attacked him, a dreadful beast conjured up by the evil sorceress Nimueh, and now he is gone. This time that dreadful beast, neither a dragon nor a bear, threw himself at Prince Arthur, he took a fatal blow to the head, I held him, he was in my arms as he breathed his last, no potions, no prayers, no incantations can save him now."

The slender youth with the coal, black hair reached out towards Guinivere and she took his hand and held it tightly, tears were falling freely down the boy's thin cheeks, dripping onto his shirt, he wiped his wet nose with the sleeve of his shirt but it was pointless as the tears kept flowing in streams.

"I loved him, I loved him so much" he sobbed "he could be such an arrogant, conceited idiot but he had a heart so pure, he was good, so strong and so beautiful. I held him as his pulse slowed and then his heart stopped, he looked at me but did not speak as he fell back, his soul gone. "

The king and his men carried the body of the dead youth to his chamber to be prepared for prayers and burial. In vain Gaius tried to revive him although Merlin shook his head, whispering that it was too late.

"Merlin and I will bathe him and anoint him sire, then he can lie in state in the Lady chapel. This is the most tragic moment of my life since the death of our Queen, I held this boy on the day of his birth, I never thought I would out live him."

Only Uther remained as Merlin and Gaius gently and respectfully undressed Arthur and bathed his body, his strong and muscular body, the body Merlin had loved, kissed and caressed, Merlin's tears fell hot onto Arthur chest which was still now, as he bathed the precious body of his beloved Prince and lover ,although still warm it seemed as though Arthur really was not there now, this was just his shell, the real Arthur was somewhere between the physical and spirit world now.

After bathing him Arthur was anointed with expensive perfumes and oils of myrrh and rose, Merlin combed out the golden, silky hair and finally they dressed him in a simple robe of white linen to symbolise his purity of heart and on top of that a red   tabbard with a beautiful dragon embroidered in gold thread. Gaius and Merlin stood back, crossed themselves  and lowered their heads as the priest sprinkled holy water upon the boy's body and then made the sign of the holy cross upon his forehead as he said prayers for the dead. A small golden crown was placed upon Arthur's head.

Although Merlin was of the old religion he was deeply moved by the rituals of the new Roman faith, it was that much different to his own.

"He is ready to be taken to the church now" said Gaius bravely.

"I would like to carry him" said Uther as he stepped forward, looking very much like a tired middle aged man, not the majestic and distinguished king he usually was. He bent down and tenderly lifted his son into his arms. " I did not hold him enough in his childhood."

The Prince was laid in state in the chapel, candles were lit around him and the king remained alone with his son to pay his respects.

"Tomorrow the others may come and pay their respects" he said as he knelt beside the boy "but for now I need to be alone with him."

Gaius and Merlin made their way silently back to Gaius's rooms in the cellar of the castle. dignified and silent until the door was closed and exhausted Merlin collapsed into his mentor's arms and cried as he had never cried before.

He could not sleep that night and finally Gaius gave him sips of a strong sleeping draft, Valerium and Star of Bethlehem, finally he slept but not for long. He was seeing visions of the blessed Isle of Avalon, the voice of the dragon kept calling him. Sitting upright he shuddered and hurried to his feet, his head aching as if he had been drinking too much ale but the pains were from all the weeping he done.

Taking a flare in his hand he made his way to the dragon's cave. The dragon was there waiting for him.

"Merlin make haste" he said in his deep and melancholy voice " take a boat to the Blessed Isle of Avalon and take Arthur with you, you must do all you can to ask the sorceress Nimueh, the one who took Arthur's life, to return his soul, only she will have magic that powerful."

"I want to kill her, I will kill her myself" cried the young Warlock angrily.

"Well you need her alive if you wish to see the return of Arthur's soul from the spirit world, as yet he will not have fully passed over, he is in the shadowy world between the physical and paradise, so you do not have long."

The dragon flew high out of Merlin's view, his chains rattling. Merlin hurried towards the church, he knew there would a holy brother keeping vigil over the dead Prince and here was when magic was going to be required.

One incantation and an "other worldly" look from the boy wizard's eyes had the two young monks in a deep sleep on the floor beside the alter, very gently he lifted Arthur over his shoulder, he was heavy and solid  and Merlin only slight in build.

"Oh for the love of the Goddess" Merlin said as if Arthur was still alive "you are so heavy my beloved."

Merlin had to drape Arthur's body in sacking and then place him most  unceremoniously into an old cart but once out of the castle walls Merlin carried him over his shoulders towards the small rowing boat moored up at the large lake that lead to the Isle of Avalon, he laid  Arthur most gently into the boat and then kissed him on his forehead.

"There now you look much more majestic then you did in that old cart, forgive me for that but we have to make haste and find out how we are to take back your precious soul, I need you Arthur, I love you, but if need be I will give my own soul for you."

He brushed back the golden hair that had fallen untidily onto Arthur's face.He Kissed him again,upon his cold blue lips,  as if deep down he hoped that love's kiss would revive him as it often did in stories, but Arthur did not stir.

Merlin rowed out towards the Island, guided by the light of the moon and the stars in the clear, black sky. At last, they reached Avalon, that magical Isle.

A beautiful woman robed  in a silver cloak greeted him as he moored the boat. Her beauty was intense and fearsome, for it was none other than the sorceress Nimueh.

"I have been expecting you Merlin." she said with a voice that was  smooth and silky  her dark eyes were large and seductive and her rose bud mouth set in a sly but sensual smile.

"You love your master so much" she said " and yet he is the son of the man who has killed so many of our people Merlin, that man deserves to feel loss, do you not think so?"

Merlin stared in disbelief, his eyes filling with tears.

"You killed my friend." he cried " My Arthur. My Arthur is more than a friend, he is the other half of me, my love, my life, I cannot live without him,  together one day we were going to bring back good and pure magic to the kingdom, the old and new religions would marry, like Arthur and I. "

"Your love is touching Merlin, but after what Uther has done? Let Arthur be with his mother Igraine now, let that man suffer."

"Uther must have been very angry and wronged to persecute us magical people Nimueh, what did you do?"

"His wife, Igraine, she was so desperate for a child and could not have one and she came to me for magic when she could tolerate being barren no more, but sadly the rules of making a life mean that things must balance out, a new life could not come without another life departing."

"So your magic killed her? you deprived Arthur of a mother's love? you deprived a woman so desperate to be a mother of the chance to nurture her own child? no wonder he is angry. Life balances itself out all the time, babies are born, people die, its part of the wheel of life, Nimueh, you are truly evil."

" I would not expect you to understand the rules of magic yet child, but you will, in time."

"I do not want to work dark magic, only good, magic can be used for good or for evil, it was in our destiny for Arthur and I to bring good magic back to Camelot, and now look what you have done. And I will not be called a child, I am not a child Nimueh."

Merlin broke down in tears as he knelt in the boat and took the Prince in his arms and held him close as he had done when he was alive, he clasped him so tightly to his chest and wept torrents of tears upon his beloved's face and head.

"If tears could raise the dead Merlin you would succeed," sneered the sorceress, " very touching indeed,ah young love, but you are not a Pheonix Merlin, only their tears can heal a fatal wound and now it is too late to heal Arthur, you want back his soul. There is just one way that can happen. Return the boy to the chapel and I will visit Uther there on the morrow, at sunrise as he goes to pay his respects, there I will give Uther a potion which he must drink, Arthur's soul will return once more to him but Uther must give his soul up for this to happen, sacrifice my dear child, that is something of both the new religion and the old."

Nimueh would not be bargained with, as if in a trance Merlin rowed back from Avalon with the body of the prince, took him back to the chapel and laid him back carefully amidst the candles which still flickered in the darkness of the chapel. Above the alter was the golden cross, the symbol of sacrifice in the new religion upon which was a carving of a dying man, a man God who died as a sacrifice, like the sacrifices Merlin had seen in the Druid's groves.

"So much death in order that there might be life" he whispered under his breath and yet  he knew this was true, an animal had to die for a man to eat, a plant had to die for the new seed to fall and become a new plant, it was all part of the mysterious wheel of mortal life. Merlin crossed himself reverently and kissed his Prince upon the head.

"What must be will be " he said gently " I must leave things to destiny, to other forces, to the God and the Goddess. Blessed be." and he stroked Arthur's pale cheek "I love you."

Merlin did not return back to Gaius, he was disturbed and agitated for in just under two hours time it would be dawn and Uther would go to the chapel, the father's life would given for the son just as the sun itself rose upon Camelot. He ran to the forest, he knew not why, perhaps to be alone with nature, to wait and watch.

Exhausted Merlin lay upon the cold, frosty earth, his eyes ached from weeping and yet he continued to weep, he curled up as a foetus in its mother's womb, as the body of a man laid in earth, returned to the Goddess at the end of his mortal life, curled as a sleeping animal, hibernating against the bitter winter winds. Merlin cried, alone, in pain.

He lay on the cold, frosty leaves for some time his body too numb to feel the cold now, but he was roused by the warm breath of a beast, soft and warm upon his face. Merlin sat up and before him was the beautiful Unicorn that Arthur had foolishly slain some time ago, around Lammas, making the harvests fail. Merlin reached out his cold, bony fingers and stroked the animal, he smiled through his veil of tears as the creature stooped to let him stroke his soft white head.

As Merlin drew comfort from stroking the creature the cloaked figure of an old Magician appeared, the wise one who had tested Arthur after he had slain the beast. Merlin feared and yet trusted the old man.

"Merlin, you have shown great loyalty and love for your prince and you will together bring peace and prosperity to this land after the King Uther passes off his mortal coil, it is your destiny, but it is not time yet, the king will not die at sunrise but Arthur's soul will be returned once more."

"But how can this be? there has to be.."

"Sacrifice, yes my boy, you see this beautiful beast, he was resurrected and now his time has come, he will give his life, his pure soul for the Prince, the creature must die, it is in his destiny and he knows it, a Unicorn is  a symbol of sacrifice and I want you to take his blood and smear it upon the lips of the Prince, and his soul will return, but hurry."

More tears filled the youth's eyes at the thought of the death of such a lovely creature who had died once before but was now die again, to die for Arthur.

"Be brave my boy" .

With that the old sage drew his sword and pierced the heart of the creature, it did not cry out but died instantly, the old wise man filled a jar with the warm blood which was the colour of Quick silver and gave it to Merlin who was now too stunned to weep anymore.

"Now go, make haste, I will bury the Unicorn here, beneath this tree where you buried him before, just remember both of you to come back and pay you respects."

Merlin nodded, reaching out to touch the lifeless creature, but the old man stopped him.

"Not yet son, you have work to do, touch him not until the ritual is over."

Merlin ran as fast as he could, clutching the precious jar of Unicorn blood tightly towards his chest. Panting and gasping he reached the church door, composed himself, entered the holy building and made the sign of the cross, he walked over to the body of the Prince, the monks looked up from their prayers but let him go to the body, quickly Merlin dripped a little of the silver blood around the  colourless lips of the Prince, he smeared the silver blood around those lips and into the mouth. Then he waited.

"What? where am I? whatever am I doing here, in church?" the poor Prince sat up, rubbing his eyes, dazed and confused. "What is this revolting taste in my mouth? did I eat rat stew again? was I drinking last night?"

Merlin smiled, the monks were astounded and began praising God and all the Saints in heaven for the miracle in their own church.Merlin stood at his beloved Prince's side and embraced him and kissed him, poor Arthur was a little overwhelmed but returned the embrace.

"I had a dream, well it was more than a dream Merlin" said Arthur sitting up on the church alter and dangling his feet over the edge" we were fighting a beast and then I fainted and awoke in the arms of a beautiful lady, she had golden hair and blue eyes, she was kissing me and calling me by my name."

"Our Lady?" suggested Merlin "the Holy mother of God?"

"No my own mother, she looked like me, like the picture in my father's chamber, Oh Merlin she is even more beautiful than Morganna and she held me  in her arms like that for hours and it was wonderful but then she told me to go, my time for being in Paradise is not now, I have a destiny to fulfill, you and I Merlin, so she sent me back and here I am, sitting on the alter in church, what did Gaius give me?"

Arthur rose to his feet just as his father the king entered the church.

"Why am I wearing this Merlin? its hideous, it's like a death shroud. Oh get me out of here, this is too strange."Arthur looked down at the white shift he was wearing "and my feet are frozen."

More confusion for the poor boy was to come as Uther almost threw himself upon his son's shoulders.

"Your Majesty I do declare this is a real miracle" said the Priest coming down the aisle with his smiling monks to greet the king "The Lord be praised." and he raised his arms heavenwards just as the sun rose.

Well of course Nimueh was beside herself with fury, once more she had been thrawted and she disappeared back to her cave in a furious rage to plot again how to get her revenge, the powers and forces of good were too strong for her to even enter the church.

Bells were rung out from the church and the King declared a holiday and feast but poor Arthur he was exhausted, far too tired to feast, so he spent the day in bed tended to by his beloved Kindred spirit and lover. Merlin.
As for the subject of the Prince's marriage? well that was now trivial and no longer mattered.