Tales From Camelot Series 1: PENDRAGON Read online

  Uther loved his mother and his mother loved him. And to Uther's way of thinking, women ought to be more than just objects of lust or possession. He had experienced that side of the coin and found he didn't particularly care for it. Rather, to Uther's mind, like his beloved mother, women were real people with real thoughts and real feelings and real value. And they did not deserve to be treated as anything less; they certainly didn't deserve to be treated as animals.

  In a way, it had been a good thing that Uther had found himself exiled and cast away from his royal home and away from all of those things. For during his four maturing years in exile, from age 13 to 17, Uther experienced a very different perspective and a very different reality.

  He spent most of his time in hiding and in seclusion, primarily among small peasant villages and farming communities. And it was in those small villages where Uther saw and experienced men and women, working together in shops and in fields, raising their families and developing friendships with neighbors and growing in their relationships with one another. It was among those peasant villages where Uther experienced for the first time, men and women loving one another and caring for each other. And Uther knew in his heart of hearts, that this was how it was meant to be.

  And it was in one of those peasant villages, where Uther first met Igraine.

  Chapter 3

  Situated on the most southwestern tip of Britain, bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea and to the south by the English Channel, was the region known as Cornwall.

  The castle fortress at Cornwall sat overlooking the River Tamar, where Gorlois, the Duke of Cornwall, loved to walk upon the castle ramparts and look out over the river and the countryside beyond, marveling at his own greatness.

  A proud man and an evil man, Gorlois had first become the Master of the House by murdering his own father and assuming his 'rightful' place as Duke. Upon the very day Gorlois rose to power, his first act was to go in to his father's Concubines - while the rest of the castle staff and his family and even his own mother were forced to look on and watch - while Gorlois demonstrated his manly prowess and to prove to all that he was indeed the Master of the House.

  Then, he ordered for all of his father's wives to be killed - including his mother - and all of his brothers and sisters, as well. Leaving no one alive who might dare try to supplant him.

  That was his first day.

  On the second day, Duke Gorlois took his first wife. It was a pretty but very young 12-year-old girl in a nearby village in Cornwall, who had spurned his advances the previous week. He took her by force and married her by decree and then killed all of her family. Leaving the young girl all alone in the world and married to a monster.

  That young girl's name was Igraine.

  Yet in spite of the terrible and tragic events, the young girl's spirit was not broken by her cruel husband. She had a gentle spirit, and at the same time was very self-reliant and was more than a little independent. She had long brown hair which she more often than not preferred to wear in a pony tail; though she was always forced to let it down whenever in the presence of her husband. But after he would brutally have his way with her - which was commonplace and everyplace and sometimes even in public places - she would always pull her hair back in a ponytail immediately after Gorlois would leave; as a small act of token defiance.

  The following year Igraine gave birth to her first child - a daughter. Gorlois was furious with Igraine for having borne him a daughter instead of a son. And only moments after giving birth, Gorlois beat her severely and threw her body out beyond the castle walls, leaving her bleeding and unconscious, out in the rain.

  A few days later, Gorlois finally calmed down enough to bring her back into the castle, where he once more began his repeated assaults on her, in the hopes of producing a son.

  As for her baby daughter, Gorlois had been told by Igraine's nursemaiden that the child had not survived. Unbeknownst to Gorlois however, the child had indeed survived and had been secreted away to another family in a nearby village, where Igraine could sometimes visit the child while Gorlois was away. Igraine named her first daughter, Elaine.

  While Gorlois doubled his efforts in producing a son from his wife Igraine, he also took in a Mistress Companion named Gytha; a woman who was equally as cruel as Gorlois in every way. She would regularly taunt Igraine and forced her to serve her in every way imaginable; both menial and degrading. Gytha would report to Gorlois every time she would discover Igraine wearing her ponytail, which would always result in another beating.

  It was a status symbol of the day, for a noble ruler to produce a son. It wasn't so much that the ruler need an heir, as much as it was merely a status symbol and evidence of the ruler's virility. Thus, the second round of Gorlois' efforts to produce a son were done more often than not in public; in order to publicly prove his manhood and to demonstrate that the fault didn't lie with him.

  After several months of public and degrading humiliation, Igraine did finally manage to conceive. And the following year, she give birth to another child.

  Unfortunately, her second child was also ... a girl.

  Once more, Gorlois became livid with rage, and once again, moments after delivery, he beat his wife severely and left her for dead upon the birthing room floor. After he stormed away, his Mistress Gytha told the nursemaiden that if Igraine was still alive, she was to be cast away and thrown into the refuse, and forever banished from Cornwall.

  As Igraine's body was being dragged away to the refuse heap, Gytha saw that the baby in the nursemaiden's hands was still alive. And for some reason ... no one knows exactly why ... Gytha permitted the baby to live. She went on to instruct the nursemaiden that the baby would be named Morgause, and now belonged to Gytha as her personal property. It would be up to the nursemaiden to keep the child alive and healthy until her 12th birth year, after which Morgause would then be handed over to Gytha for her own uses and intents and purposes.

  *** *** ***

  Igraine was not dead; though she was near to death. Nearly two days had passed with her lying unconscious in the refuse pile, when her body was discovered by a stranger.

  The stranger was a tall man with long white hair, wearing a brown cloak and carrying a staff.

  Chapter 4

  Two days later

  "Hello, my dear. Would you like something to eat?"

  Igraine's eyes opened in surprise. She looked at the strange man who was sitting upon the bed next to her. He had long white hair and penetrating gray eyes that seemed to stare right through her. Yet for some reason, Igraine was not afraid.

  "Where ... am I? Am I ... dead?"

  Elias smiled at her tenderly. "You are quite alive, my dear. Though you were near to death when I first found you, two days ago. You are in the home of some friends of mine and your injuries have been attended to. You have nothing to fear in this house or from anyone in this village."

  "I ... I was..."

  "I found you in Cornwall, my dear. We are now beyond its borders. I was sent by another to bring you aid. I brought you here so that you might recover and be well."

  Igraine sat up in bed and began inspecting herself. "I ... I was..."

  "As I said, my dear, your injuries have been attended to."

  But Igraine shook her head, disbelieving. "The injuries I had ... were great! They could not be attended to in such fashion! There is not so much as a mark upon me! How is this possible!?"

  "I would say and offer you answer, but I am afraid I must beg your leave. There are other matters which greatly require my attention and others who also greatly require my aid. I only wished to see you wake before my departure, and to give you assurance you are safe."

  "I do not understand. Why would you do this thing for me? Who ... are you?"

  "I am called Elias. You might say I am a distant relative. You are of the line of Kemuel; who is now in Greece. That is also where I am now bound. But be at peace, my dear, you are in the house of a kind man and his wife, and they ar
e both friends of mine. They have been watching over you these past two days and you shall be safe among them and among their village. Others ... need not know you are here."

  "I ... I was..."

  "I am aware of what has befallen you. The Duke of Cornwall has indeed banished you. You need not feel compelled to return. You are, in effect, free."

  "I ... I do not have to go back!?"

  "I would advise against returning."

  "I have only just born a daughter! I had previously born another daughter. Her name is Elaine. I cannot ...abandon her! And what is to become of my new daughter!?"

  "Your daughter Elaine still lives in secret safety with those whom you have entrusted. As for your newly born daughter, she is alive and remains ... with your nursemaiden. Your new daughter shall be placed ... in due time. But again I would advise against returning, even for a visit."

  Igraine sighed. "I suppose ... it would be in their best interest if I was not around. If my presence were to be discovered, it could put their lives at risk. Though it pains me, perhaps it is indeed better this way."

  Elias nodded. "Indeed, I would strongly advise against setting foot anywhere in the region of Cornwall. Your tears have been heard and you have been freed of your burden. Now it is time for you to begin anew. Farewell, my dear. We shall not be seeing each other, again."

  Tears came to Igraine's eyes as she looked at Elias with gratitude. "Thank you, kind sir. I can never repay for what you have done for me. I ... did not know I still had ... family. My family was all killed. I thought I was alone."

  "You are never alone, my dear." Elias winked. "If perchance you happen to see a raven, tell him I said 'hello'."

  "Huh!? What!?"

  "Goodbye, my dear. Have a good life. But remember to heed my warning."

  "I understand. I shall not return to Cornwall. I need no further convincing."

  Elias nodded and then rose to his feet. "As I have spoken, you have First Meal awaiting you upon the table. Goodbye, Igraine. Be warm and be filled."

  And then ... to Igraine's amazement ... Elias began to disappear into a fine white mist. And then he was gone.

  *** *** ***

  A short time later, while Igraine was still upon her bed in stunned disbelief, an elderly man and woman returned to the house.

  "Well, well, well!" The old man smiled as he held the door open for his wife. "Behold, our guest has finally awoken!"

  "Hello, dear." the old woman smiled as she approached. "Do not be afraid; we are friends. I am named Ceola and my husband is named Alger. You have met Elias, I take it?"

  Igraine nodded. "I ... that is ... we have ... met. And he is now ... uh ... gone."

  Ceola chuckled but didn't comment.

  "Forgive me." Igraine said, shaking her head. "Where are my manners? My name is..."

  "UH!!!" exclaimed Alger, holding up his hand to stop her. "Do not speak your name. We do not know who you are or where you are from. Elias has told us it is not for us to know."

  Ceola nodded in agreement. "You should choose a new name for yourself, child. To go with your new life."

  Igraine smiled and nodded. "Please forgive me, again. I am still ... somewhat ... overcome ... with all of this."

  "It is understandable, dear." said Ceola. "For we at least know you have been through much. Nevertheless, what name would you choose for yourself? For it would make conversation easier and introductions to those in our village more..."

  "Regan." Igraine quickly said, interrupting Ceola. With confidence, she declared "The name I would choose for myself would be ... Regan."

  For it had been the name Igraine would have chosen for her second daughter; a daughter she knew she would never see again.

  "A very nice name, dear." replied Ceola. "I can see this name is of importance to you. Thus you shall be named. From this day forward, you shall be known as ... Regan."

  Chapter 5

  Six months later

  Just as Elias had spoken, Alger and Ceola were indeed kind and gentle souls; and all those in the village were also of the same manner. Igraine had learned over time that at some point in the past, Elias had been of some great help to Alger and Ceola, and to those in the village, and thus they all felt grateful and somewhat indebted to him.

  What had happened, Igraine never did learn. For she was no more keen on digging up their past than she was in them discovering hers. In turn, all those in the village respected her privacy as well, and never sought to dig any deeper.

  And so it was that Igraine - or rather, Regan - started her new life; free from the terrible life she had once known. The village was not all that different from the village she had once grown up in; before the direful day that Duke Gorlois had first laid his evil eyes upon her.

  That was one reason, why Regan went out of her way to not appear 'pretty' or even the least bit attractive. Instead, she chose clothing and apparel that made her appear 'dumpy' and unkempt, in the same manner as she kept her hair; unruly and uncombed. For Regan never wanted to tempt fate again and have some other 'monster' take an ill-fated interest in her.

  The other reason, of course, why she chose to remain somewhat disheveled, was to help hide her identity; just in case by some unfortunate chance someone from Cornwall happened to pass through and recognize her.

  Ceola had only suggested once and on only one occasion, that perhaps Regan might want to make herself more 'presentable' - for the available men in their village. But Regan's look of horror mixed with loathing made it abundantly clear that the last thing in the world that Regan wanted to do, was to attract a man. Or to have anything to do with men. For Regan's concept of ever being with a man was, in her mind, a fate worse than death.

  And so, Ceola quickly backed off the subject and never brought it up again. She also spoke to her husband Alger in private to make sure he would likewise never press the issue.

  And thus, Regan lived in peaceful seclusion, with peaceful people in a peaceful village and in a peaceful setting. And she would have been content to remain in the tranquil place for the rest of her life. Had it not been for another strange and unexpected twist of fate.

  For it just so happened, that another visitor came to their village. It was a man. A wandering knight who went by the name of Pelleas.

  ~ Fate ~

  Chapter 6

  Fate. Or Destiny. A predetermined course of events, which may be conceived as a predetermined future. Whether in general or that of an individual, it is a concept based upon the belief that there is a fixed natural order to the cosmos.

  The ironic thing about fate, however, is that man always has a choice. It is true that a man or a woman can choose their own destiny, as it were. But it is also true that destiny chooses them.

  It as if you were to stand before a door. Above the door would be written the words: "Whosoever will may enter." You stand there for a moment, and consider your options; for truly you do have an option and truly it is your choice. Then ... you make your decision to pass through the door. When you cross the threshold to the other side, you turn back around and once again see words written above the door: "Chosen before the foundation of the world".

  You had a choice. You made your choice. Then you find out you were already chosen. It makes little sense, as both sides seem to be in direct contradiction with one another; and yet both sides are, in fact, true. That is fate. That is destiny.

  And such was the fated destiny of Uther and Igraine; for it had befallen them to bring forth a son; a man who would one day change the world.

  Another curious thing about fate however, is that what is fated to happen, can come about in any number of different ways; as long as the end result is the same. The means of arriving at that point is always left to us and is always of our own doing and choosing.

  Sometimes things go smoothly. Other times, not so smoothly. Sometimes the road to get there can be rocky and painful; such as had once been the case with both Uther and Igraine. Or ... Pelleas and Regan. The day that 'Pelleas' a
rrived in the village began as a day like any other.

  Weary from a long three day walk from the last village he had passed through, Pelleas first began to look for the village well; for his waterskin was empty.

  Some villages were friendly and would freely allow a stranger to draw from their well. Other villages would kill you if you came anywhere near their precious well. Others would charge you coin for using their well.

  This particular village was of the first type, and their well was open to all who were in need; for such was the ways and the beliefs of this particular village.

  And so it was, that on that fateful day, Pelleas approached the village well, cautiously and warily looking over his shoulder for any signs of trouble from the villagers. A short distance away he saw people passing by who simply nodded politely at him in welcoming greeting. Relieved that this seemed to be the type of village that offered their water freely, Pelleas began to relax somewhat, though he still kept cautious watch for trouble; for such was the life that one leads when one is on the run and in exile.

  And as fate would have it, there was only one other person at the village well. A dumpy, unkempt and disheveled girl who was struggling with the crank which lowered the wellbucket into the well's depths. Although it hadn't gone unnoticed that the girl was also keeping a nervous watchful and wary eye upon the stranger, as well.

  Pelleas observed she wasn't particularly comfortable with a strange man visiting their village, as the girl's eyes continued darting back and forth between him and other nearby villagers in case she needed them.