Ruby Morgan Box Set: Books 6-10

by LJ Rivers

  “You’re here to see him?” Cynthia asked.

  I nodded.

  “I’ll show you in.” She shifted her gaze around. “You’re lucky you ran into me. We’ll take the servants’ entrance. There are a few of Auberon’s men stationed by the main gate.”

  “Yeah, lucky,” I muttered.

  Cynthia and my boyfriend walked ahead of us. I strained to listen to what they were saying, but couldn’t make out the words. I did pick up on Cynthia’s giggles and Brendan’s chipper tone, however.

  “You good, Red?” Jen asked.

  “Sure.” I smiled at her. “Although, Red might not be a fitting nickname anymore.”

  She took my arm. “You’ll always be my Red.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Also,” she lowered her voice, “you do know B is nuts about you, right? That archeress is no match for Ruby the Red.”

  “Is it that obvious?”

  “To me? Yeah. Your dolt of a boyfriend is still oblivious, but don’t worry, he’s loyal to a fault.”

  I stared at the backs of my boyfriend and his protégé ahead of us. “I know.” At least I thought so.

  We entered the castle through a gate that lay in the shadows. Cynthia guided us past a number of servants with an authority that didn’t beg for questions. No one spoke up or looked at us for more than the blink of an eye. After climbing a tall staircase and traversing a long hall, we finally came to a stop outside a double door.

  Cynthia rapped at the doors with her knuckles. “Lord Galahad?”

  “Come,” a voice replied from inside.

  She opened the doors and ushered us inside, only to close them behind us.

  The walls were lined with books, and a sweet perfume of burning herbs tickled my nose. At the far end of the room was a giant hearth, and sitting in a large chair decorated with antlers, Galahad sat facing the fire.

  “Sir, you have visitors.”

  “At this awr?”

  I stepped ahead of the others and moved to Galahad’s side.

  The former knight of Camelot turned to me, flames painting his face in grooves of shadows and hills of light. Smoke drifted from the long pipe in his hand, clouding the surrounding air. While tiny wrinkles framed his tired eyes and drew lines around his mouth, his cheekbones were set high and his square jaw gave him a proud look. He met my gaze, his green eyes delving into mine.

  “I know you,” he said. “Why do I—?” His jaw dropped. “I do know you!”

  “You do.”

  “Oh, my.”

  I kneeled beside him and reached out. He placed the long pipe on a stand on a small table next to him and accepted my hands, staring at them as though they were made of glass.

  “I must say I’m relieved to see you’re alive, but why did you not return home?” He smiled weakly. “To Earth.”

  “I wasn’t quite done here,” I said. “My father sits on my throne, and I cannot allow him to stay there.”

  “I don’t see how you—” He raised his head, taking in the faces of my companions. “Who have you brought?”

  I glanced at my companions. “Pullhelli, Swordmaster Brendan, and my trusted friend Jen. You might remember her as Jeannine.”

  “Swordmaster! Pullhelli!” He folded his hands around the armrests. “More surprises.”

  “Good ones, I hope.”

  “Indeed. Though I wonder, what brought you to my doorstep?”

  Pullhelli came to stand next to me. “Our queen intends to march on Avalen. However, she cannot do it alone.”

  “She needs an army,” Galahad said with understanding. He stood abruptly, clasping one hand on the pommel of the sword sheathed by his hip. “A big one. I don’t have enough people to create the army she needs. Pixilon is divided, and even those who would have fought for Morgana’s legacy might not follow. The Sorcerer King has everyone trembling in their boots. I’m only alive because he thinks he can still use me. I have yet to receive an order to take the pledge and lay my sword down before his feet, though that day will surely come.”

  “I understand,” I said. “I won’t blame you for protecting yourself.”

  He shook his head. “I’m a knight, Your Majesty, and I want to help you”

  A sudden jolt of guilt pounded me in my stomach. I would have to have a talk with Galahad at some point. He deserved to know the truth about my actions in the Realm of Shadows. After all, he had pledged his sword and soldiers to me. I couldn’t have him risk his life in a war for me without the knowledge that I most likely had killed his father, Sir Lancelot, when I destroyed the realm. This wasn’t the right moment, but whatever happened here, I would have to find a moment alone with him before we continued to Talani.

  “However,” Galahad said, “Auberon has Pixilon in an iron grip. Even though I would like nothing more than to help you defeat Merlin’s son, I’m not sure I alone can convince the people. It’s been a lot of dark years and, as it stands, people just want to stay alive. They want their families to live.”

  “But they won’t,” Brendan said. “If Auberon stays on the throne, Gwyn Fanon will descend into darkness.”

  Galahad stopped mid-pace. “How so?”

  Taking a deep breath, I stood. “I have seen the future, and it’s not bright. In fact, if Auberon stays on the throne, there will be no future left for Gwyn Fanon.”

  The knight leaned on the wall by the hearth. “Truesight?”

  “Yes. I know it’s hard to believe.”

  “No, not at all. I believe you’re telling the truth. The problem is that others will not take your word for it, and without proof it’s just words.”

  “What if I did have proof?”

  He circled a finger over the pommel of his sword, his eyes locked with mine.

  Taking a sharp breath, I stepped closer. “What if I could show them the future I’ve seen?”

  He looked at Pullhelli. “Is that possible?”

  “Halwyn,” he said matter-of-factly, and understanding dawned on the knight’s face.

  “Beads of reverie,” Galahad breathed. “Those are nothing but an ancient legend.”

  “Not anymore.”

  His eyes widened. “Is that so?” He nodded slowly. “Well, then. If I can see what you’ve seen, then perhaps I can convince a good number to join your ranks. Assuming you have enough, I might even be able to convince some to have a look themselves. It’s not unlikely that some may ask.”

  “We have enough, but I must warn you,” Pullhelli said. “Taking the beads of reverie will provide you with a true memory of what our queen has seen, but it will also take a memory away from you. Also, we do not know which it will be. It could be anything. You could lose a memory of your father or what you had for breakfast. There is no way to tell.”

  Galahad’s mouth opened and closed a few times before he returned to his chair, leaning forward to stare into the flames. “I must. No matter what I lose, this is more important.”

  “Very well.” Pullhelli retrieved a vial from somewhere in his sleeve, handing it to me.

  “You have a cup or something?” I asked.

  “Tea,” Cynthia chimed in. She moved across the room, and in not long she appeared with a cup of steaming hot tea in her hands. “This should do, right?”

  I glanced at Pullhelli, who gave me an affirmative nod.

  Taking a deep breath, I uncorked the vial and proceeded to carefully pour a few of the turquoise pearls into the cup, then handed it to Galahad. “Only if you’re sure.”

  He frowned, grabbed the cup, and downed the contents in one swallow. His eyes fluttered shut, then sprang open, his irises rolling back into his head before appearing again. His body went rigid, and I took the cup from him as it was about to slip from his fingers. Shadows and light danced in his eyes. Then a veil of tears coated them. He shivered and shuddered as the vision took hold. His mouth opened in a gasp, and tears welled, eventually spilling over and down his cheeks. I took his hands in mine while tears kept streaming from both our eyes. An inky
sheet shaded his gaze, and he grimaced as if in pain. After an excruciatingly long moment, he blinked. Shaking his head, he opened his green eyes again, squeezing my hands and leaning on his elbows.

  As he rocked back and forth, I kept my hands in his. “May the Lady save us all,” he breathed.

  “So, you see,” I said quietly. “I can’t allow this future to pass.”

  “Oh, I see perfectly.” His hands slid from mine as he got to his feet once more, returning to his previous pacing of the room. Wiping his cheeks, he kept talking, more to himself than anyone else. “I’ll gather those I trust here while you continue your quest to find more allies. Once they learn of this, they will not be able to refuse.” He stopped, raising his head to the ceiling. “You’ll need a ship.”

  “A ship?”

  “Yes, indeed. It so happens I know just the captain to ask. I trust him with my life, and he will get you to Talani. It will be dangerous to cross the Glaswelt sea now, but if anyone can manage, it’s him.” He paused for a moment, tipping his head to the side. “I’m not sure I lost a memory, though I suppose I wouldn’t know what I had lost.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “For everything.”

  “My Lord.” Cynthia stepped forward. “If it pleases you, I would like to go with the queen.”

  Unable to stop myself, my brow furrowed.

  “And you are?” Galahad asked.

  “Cynthia, My Lord. I’ve been here for a few days. I’m an archer.” Regret was written on her face. “You know me.”

  He shook his head. “Oh. Well, I don’t see why you can’t go with the queen. I’m ashamed to say I don’t recognise you.”

  Pullhelli and I shared a knowing look.

  “So, who is this captain?” I asked.

  Chapter Thirteen

  We were nearly ready to leave for the port. Our satchels were filled with new provisions and Galahad had provided us with more weapons for our journey. I looked around the room, at Cynthia, Pullhelli, Jen, and Brendan, before my eyes fell on the knight. He inclined his head at me.

  “I’ll gather everyone I can while you’re in Talani,” Galahad said. “And I will see you back here in not long. When I do, your army will have grown substantially.”

  I stared at him, wringing my hands. He was so kind and loyal, it all but broke my heart. My stomach twisted with guilt. I couldn’t leave and put all of this on his shoulders—expect him to fight my battle—without him knowing what I had done. It was time to come clean, and I would simply have to deal with the consequences.

  “Sir Galahad?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty?”

  “Could we speak in private for a moment, please? I have to share something with you.”

  “Certainly.” He gestured for the door.

  I glanced back at Brendan, who tilted his head quizzically. “Be right back.”

  He nodded, and Galahad and I stepped outside.

  I followed the knight into an adjacent room. It was sparsely furnished, with a simple but spacious bed, as well as a desk, one wardrobe and a bookcase. A familiar cloak was draped over the back of the chair by the desk.

  “Your chamber?”

  “Yes. I didn’t want to risk anyone in the castle seeing us or listening in. Only place I could think of.” He motioned for the chair. “Please, sit.”

  After I had made myself comfortable, Galahad took a seat on the bed, and we faced each other.

  “You are worried, young queen.”

  I looked at the knight. “Worried.” I tasted the word. “More like sad, to be honest.”

  “You’re carrying a heavy burden on your young shoulders. If it’s any consolation, you remind me of Morgana at your age.”

  I forced a smile. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “As you should. So, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?”

  “Right.” I bit my bottom lip, gathering up the courage to do what I had to do. “I’m about to go to war, and you should know what you’re signing up for. I don’t know how it will end, and I wish I didn’t have to do this. If only my father would listen, perhaps we could avoid this bloodshed.”

  “Even if you could talk to him, do you believe it would make a difference?” Galahad asked.

  “If given the chance, I have to at least try.”

  He cupped his chin and edged forward. “Actually, I would like a word with him myself.”

  “I can imagine. You want to know how he escaped his shadow prison.” I swallowed the lump in my throat, gathering the courage to tell him the truth. “And what happened to your father, I guess.”

  He folded his palm around the pommel of his sword. “Yes and no. Ever since I said goodbye to my father, and he went into the darkness with Auberon and the other prison guards, I have accepted that he is gone.” He chortled. “We had quite a row about that, you know. I wanted to go in his stead, but he wouldn’t allow it. If there was one time I should have disobeyed my father’s word …” His voice cracked.

  “I met him. Sir Lancelot, that is.”

  He peered at me, clearly confused. “What do you mean?”

  “My father escaped his shadow prison on multiple occasions. It took him several hundred years to manage it. Earth years, that is. As far as I know, time is not a concept within the Realm of Shadows. When he finally found a way out, he ended up in my land, about a thousand years before I was born.”

  “I think you need to tell me everything.”

  “I will.” And I did, continuing my account of Auberon’s cat-and-mouse game with Lancelot, Percival, and Gawain, and how they would slash their way out into my world. I told him about how they would age while they were on Earth, and thus spent as little time as possible there.

  “In fact, Auberon probably spent ten times longer on Earth than the knights. He was looking for a way back to Gwyn Fanon,” I said. “But as the centuries went by, and he had aged some ten or twenty years, he changed his approach to his conundrum. Auberon was a learned man, even at a very young age. He loved reading, and at some point during the last two hundred years—again, Earth years—he decided he would spawn a child with one of Morgana’s descendants. It so happened that he didn’t succeed in this venture until he met my mum.”

  Galahad scratched the stubbles on his cheek. “I could say I understand, but it seems inconceivable. It does, however, explain how you can have both Merlin and Morgana blood in your veins. Their magic has always been dominant in this world.”

  I told Galahad how Auberon had tricked Mum, using her vulnerability after a fight with Dad. Because I wanted him to have the full picture, I also told him about Auberon saving my life countless times, and how we had bonded during the last year.

  He didn’t comment on that part. Instead, he wanted to know about his father, Lancelot. “He came to Earth while you were there?”

  “Yes, on more than one occasion. The first time was when he, Sir Gawain, and Sir Percival came to my ma’s house in Chester.”

  “The City of Legions. I have been there many times. It’s very close to Camelot.”

  It was, I thought. “Right. Auberon came there, in my time. Which was why the three knights came, too.”

  “So, King Arthur stayed behind in the Realm of Shadows. To keep the prison ready, I presume?”

  Shifting in my seat, I clasped my hands in my lap. “My father used Excalibur to break his magical chains, and when Arthur tried to stop him—”

  “I see. I suppose it makes sense. Arthur would never give up his sword as long as he was alive. Please, go on.”

  I did, telling him how the knights failed to capture Auberon. Hesitantly, I divulged how the knights had tried to bind my powers, but couldn’t. My account moved on with Auberon and me moving inside the shadows, only to find ourselves inside the Realm of Shadows.

  “That’s where we faced your father and the other two knights. They ordered us to lay down our weapons, but my father refused. I have to be honest, at the time, I was convinced my father was not the aggressor. He had told me
his version of how Y Noson Hir came about, and I believed him. I’m not proud of that.”

  “He deceived you.”

  “Yes.”

  Galahad placed his finger under my chin and lifted my head. “Listen, child. That man is a master at deception. According to what you’re telling me, you had no reason to mistrust him. He had saved your life on many occasions, you said.”

  My fingers brushed against the soft fabric of Galahad’s cloak. “He did, though I’m starting to believe that the only reason he did that was so I could play my part in his plan to return to Gwyn Fanon.”

  “How could you know? Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

  “Well, to be fair, I think he actually loved me. Maybe part of him still does. In fact, that’s part of the reason I think he might listen to me. I just need to be alone with him.” Did I actually believe that? Was there even a shred of hope he would listen? After all, I had tried reasoning with him several times, recently inside the shadows.

  “There’s more, Sir Galahad. The reason I wanted to talk with you. I can’t ask you to fight alongside me without clearing my conscience. Or rather, give you all the facts before you risk your life and the lives of your soldiers under my banners.”

  “You can rest assured that my sword is yours. I have already pledged it and will not go back on my word. That is not the way of the Camelot knights, nor is it the way of Morgana’s soldiers.”

  “Please, hear me out. As Queen of Avalon, I’m willing to let you walk away from your pledge with no repercussions whatsoever.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “My father and his knights attacked you, didn’t they?”

  “Yes.” The word stuck in my mouth and came out like a thin croak. “They had promised Morgana to keep Auberon imprisoned, and that meant they couldn’t risk him slipping out of the Realm of Shadows again. Not after they had seen what we were capable of together, he and I.”

  “Go on.”

  “I disarmed Sir Gawain, injuring him in the process. Then I saw Sir Percival as he was about to sink his blade in my father’s neck.”

  “Which you couldn’t allow.” His voice was calm and warm, as if he were talking to his own child.