by test
“I take it that Merlin has not told you?” Morgause’s eyes filled with haunting regret and crystalline tears pooled within their wide depths.
“I committed the ultimate betrayal against Lord Merlin. We were lovers, and planned to unite ourselves by entering into marriage. One day, while I was gathering flowers by a faerie knoll near the Broceliande Forest, the most handsome man I had ever laid my eyes upon entranced me. I confess that I was a lust-filled woman. With wanton ways. “ Her eyes filled with guilt, and she glanced toward Thaney to ensure that her innocent daughter was still safely preoccupied.
“I always resented Arthur. He had taken my birthright away from me, and he took far too much of Merlin’s time. I was jealous. It was the most intense and hate-filled jealously. So, I decided that Merlin had to pay for supporting Arthur. Arthur had just been given Excalibur by Vivienne. “ Morgause’s face contorted and mottled with red splotches. “My heart was breaking.
I knew that Merlin cared deeply for Vivienne, and I knew that soon, I would be replaced. Just as I always had. “ Her voice dropped to a cool tone, and then she smiled briefly. “Arthur is a good father to you; my father treated me much as Arthur treats you. I idolized him. Arthur’s father took my father from me. My repressed rage toward Arthur finally boiled over, and I turned on my love. I shall regret turning on Merlin until my dying day. But you see; I was prepared.
Merlin had made me his equal. Though I daresay, he is much stronger than I now. He has had much more time to strengthen himself and learn the error of his ways. My scorn was frightful. I lay with the entrancing stranger, and discovered later that he was a dark faerie that had adopted the name of Lord Cardan. I was horrified, and repulsed. I had been deceived. But I was in too deep and I had to go on with what Lord Cardan and I conspired to do. When Merlin was least suspecting it, I let my magical fire rip out at him. I shape-shifted into a white dragon, and we battled for many hours. I knew that Merlin was holding back because he was unwilling to kill me. I was his mate. I, however, held no inhibitions. I wounded him terribly, and he was forced to change back into his human form. By this time, the Lady Vivienne had returned from her brief sojourn to Avalon. She caught me by surprise, and ran me through with her own Elvin blade. I fell, and transformed back into my human form. I was weak, and dying. Lady Vivienne dug Merlin out of his cave, and imprisoned me within a sacred circle. I could not escape. I knew I had to redeem myself, and I knew there was no turning back for Merlin and me. Lady Vivienne wanted to put me before a tribunal of High Priests and Priestesses. She said that I had turned. But there was still one man that would speak in my defense. Do you know who that man was?”
“My father. “ Molly was filled with emotion at the tale that Morgause related to her. She had believed that she knew everything, but she had been sadly mistaken.
“Aye, Arthur. Arthur the brave and Arthur the true. I could not believe my ears, or my eyes for that matter. “ Morgause laughed uneasily, and then continued. “I was naked; I had been stripped of my clothes when I morphed into the dragon. He took pity on me, and gave me his cloak made of the richest brocade. He begged that I only be banished, for he knew my fate if I were to stand trial. My crimes were grim. They would be punished, under Druidic Law. Lady Vivienne and Merlin were quite fond of Arthur. They each wanted to placate and please him.
LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 97
They agreed on the terms of my banishment. I was exiled, and thrust out into the untamed wilderness. I was weak, and my powers were no longer functioning. Lot found me after a few days and immediately became besotted with me. He took me back to his kingdom, and I lived a fairly contented life with him. I heard of Merlin’s triumph over Lord Cardan, and I was sick with the thought of it, for I had discovered that I had a babe growing in my womb, and I knew that it was not King Lot’s. However, I was able to trick him, with what magic I could still command. I gave birth to Avon seven months later, and blessed be, she was a small yet strong babe, and Lot was none the wiser. Gradually, with time, my powers were restored to their former glory. “
“Who is the father of Avon? Please tell me it is not Lord Cardan!” Molly locked gazes with Morgause, and her heart stopped for the briefest of moments.
“Avon was a child of Beltaine. “ Morgause’s eyes fell to the floor. She shifted uneasily.
“Gifted by the Gods,” Molly murmured. Morgause smiled softly.
“Aye, she was. But with two parents such as myself and Merlin it ‘twas not unexpected.
“ Molly dropped her hands to her side. A burning sensation wound its way into her heart.
Molly fingered the pentacle that hung around her neck, and then stared out the small stained-glass window at the setting sun.
“I know that she still lives. Yet, magic hides her from me. Thaney tells me that we shall all be reunited some day. “ Morgause’s voice softened and it was haunted with love. Molly looked at Morgause out of the corner of her eye. Morgause seemed to speak the truth. Molly had no reason to doubt her words and yet….
“I never knew that Thaney was a seer. “ Molly turned toward Thaney as Morgause sighed and gave up on Gwen.
“I hid it well. Had my husband discovered Thaney’s rare gift, he would have used and abused it. Lot is a gluttonous man. She cannot force her visions. They come to her, when they are supposed to. I daresay Merlin’s quite content to have another gifted seer under his tutelage.
He has been teaching Thaney in secret for three years now. I agreed, realizing rather grudgingly that he would be the best guide. I am far outmatched when it comes to Merlin. He knows how to guide a pupil to their greatest potential. “ Morgause sighed, glancing down at Gwen. Despite Morgause’s best ministrations, Gwen had still not come round. “This will not work…I was afraid I would have to resort to drastic measures. “ Morgause moved toward the door, and called for Elyzabel.
“Pray, do not tell me that we must perform the Sharing Ritual. “ The air had become dangerously thin. Molly dragged in a lungful of air. Losing the Avalon Diaries seemed to have shifted the balance of everything. Tears filled her eyes, she should have been stronger, and she should have stopped the domino effect before the first one fell.
“We must. As it is, Elyzabel is Gwen’s only blood relative that we have at our disposal right now ... so we must use her, as she is the only candidate. Molly, we need to act quickly before Arthur and his Knights return. “
Molly raced to the window, hoping to see the sight of Arthur’s procession of Knights winding their way toward the castle. Her Light Bearers had yet to return, and she was very frightened. Uselessness stole into her being. Clenching her hands at her sides, she tried to still the jittery sensations flowing through her like water. Perhaps, this was a way for her to learn what it was like to be the person that used to wait for her to return…perhaps these experiences would serve to humble her.
LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 98
The more time that passed, the more dark tidings would come back to Tintagel. Not only did the cock crowing represent a bad omen, but it also meant that they would soon be receiving news. The blackness of night had almost draped across the landscape. Branden had yet to return, and neither had Collin. Molly was tempted to interrupt Thaney, and she would have, had she not known how dangerous it was to bother someone deep in a meditative trance.
Elyzabel walked gracefully into the bedchamber. She was wringing her hands together and seemed vastly nervous.
“’Twill be all right. “ Morgause’s tone was soft and motherly, but Molly wasn’t comforted by it and she doubted that Elyzabel would be. This was a great sacrifice she would be making. After all, who in their right mind would want to shoulder the burden of having to share some of Gwen’s memory? If the spell worked as it was meant to, it would call upon Gwen’s trapped memories, and pull them back into Elyzabel, and then transfer onto Gwen. But it was an immense burden to bear.
Elyzabel took a lock of her hair, and put it into the clay pot that Morgause held out to her.
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br /> Then, Morgause snipped a lock of Gwen’s hair, and put it into the bowl. She placed some rowan twigs into it, coupled with a good dose of mistletoe. After which, she reached for a velvet pouch that hung at her waist. She took an apple seed from it.
“This is from the Isle of Avalon. “ She threw it into the bowl, and it crackled, and then emitted a billow of colorful smoke, as Morgause’s magic ignited it.
Elyzabel lay out beside Gwen, and reached for her hand. She pulled Gwen’s hand to her chest, just as Gwen suddenly opened her blue protuberant eyes. The bowl of herbs was placed on the bed. Morgause stepped away, and pulled Molly back with her.
“I call upon the magic of the bloodline. Restore Queen Gwen to her former self, by way of her cousin Lady Elyzabel. Summon the memories which are entrapped, and let them flow freely. “
An unsettling storm brewed outside of the window, and rain began pelting against Tintagel. A clap of thunder shook the landscape. One large flash of lightning lit up the room. It almost looked as if God had taken a picture of the castle. Molly bit her lip. With the wild weather…magic could be thrown off course.
“Mayhap, we should have waited to do this,” Molly whispered, her voice muffled by the noise that had suddenly pervaded the room. Lightning illuminated the room once again as Elyzabel and Gwen’s bodies rose up off the mattress.
One powerful gust of wind tore through the room, knocking Morgause and Molly off of their feet. Molly rolled across the floor and slammed into an oak chest. “Oh, man that really smarted,” she muttered, glancing to where Morgause had landed across from her. Her aunt looked at her…wildness gleamed in her eyes.
“Something caused the spell to backfire,” she called over the howling wind. The window had been thrown open, and rain pelted into the room.
Shaking her head, Molly pushed herself to her feet. She rocked to the side when another gust of wild wind ripped through the room. She fought against the spray of the rain and scrambled over to help her aunt up. Reaching out for her hand, Morgause gripped it, and Molly pulled her up. They fell against each other as yet another blast of wind blew through the room.
They had to do something…one of them needed to conjure up a new window…before they all caught their death.
Thaney suddenly bolted upright in her chair and held her arms up high.
LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 99
“What was once true is now two. “ Molly couldn’t make sense of Thaney’s befuddled speech. Morgause whispered something inaudible beneath her breath.
“What did you say?” Molly asked, clapping her hand to her ear.
Morgause looked at her in surprise, and muttered, “It’s nothing to get excited about. “
“Well, it’s a little late for that, don’t you think?” Molly called back, pointing to Elyzabel and Gwen. She’d had just about enough of this day. She was fed up. Nothing was remotely similar to the way that it had once been.
Gwen sat up, and jumped down from the bed. Molly jumped as a jolt of surprise ran through her body.
“Did it work Lady Morgause?” Gwen asked, as Morgause and Molly exchanged a confused glance. That really didn’t sound like Gwen…oh, crap! Molly knew what had happened, and she felt quite certain that the lights were now turning on inside of Morgause’s head.
And then they each nodded their heads knowingly, and groaned. Now, they were in for it.
Gwen and Elyzabel had switched.
LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 100
Chapter Twelve
“I daresay that was an unexpected outcome. “ Morgause’s voice was strained, and she brushed her russet hair off of her forehead.
“Are you kidding me? That was about the worst thing that could happen. Really. If you thought Gwen was difficult to deal with before, just you wait until she discovers that she now inhabits Elyzabel’s body. Oh, yeah…she’ll put on one hell of a show for us. And I can guarantee you that she won’t like her new body. “
Elyzabel was frowning, and running her hands over her face and body. Molly winced when the woman passed her hands over Gwen’s breasts. Oh, yeah…now she’d be getting a clue.
Elyzabel was far bustier than Gwen. Elyzabel stood up, and quickly moved to reach for a mirror.
She held it up to her face and let out a drawn out gasp.
“I’m not in my own body!” Elyzabel wailed, causing the still sleeping Gwen to stir.
Molly had levitated Elyzabel’s body over to the bed that had recently been home to Gwen’s body. As soon as their consciousness’s had switched, Elyzabel’s body had slumped to the ground.
“Will you just shush!” Molly snapped, wincing at the severity of her tone. Elyzabel turned Gwen’s wide expressive eyes on her, and Molly lightly slapped her forehead.
“How could the spell have gone so wrong? I mean I’ve heard about the effects of the weather wreaking havoc with magic…but this is just crazy!” she turned to Morgause, who was looking out the window.
Morgause turned back to her with a thoughtful expression on her face. “I think the stars were out of alignment, they weren’t ready for such a powerful spell. “ Her eyes narrowed, and Molly shut her mouth. She wouldn’t ask any more questions about how it happened, but she needed to know how they were to fix it.
“So, what do we do now?” she asked, impatiently tapping her foot against the floor. “We can’t keep them like this forever, you know. “
“Mayhap, Arthur will not notice,” Morgause said thoughtfully, as Elyzabel began rummaging through one of Gwen’s chests.
“Not notice? What do you think my father is…an idiot or something? He’s going to notice that Gwen’s not reacting to him the same way…and he’ll come to the conclusion that magic had a hand in messing with her behavior! And then…when he puts two and two together, he’ll come to me to make it right! So, we need to figure out what to do!” Molly turned to look at Elyzabel when she began muttering beneath her breath.
“I know she had that gorgeous lilac colored gown in here, ah, ha, here it is!” Molly’s eyes widened when Elyzabel flourished a beautiful lilac silk gown and shook it out. It rippled with the effect, and draped over Elyzabel’s arms. Elyzabel threw Branden’s cloak onto the bed, and quickly slipped into the gown, foregoing the choice of any undergarments.
Molly watched the scene with interest, and placed her hands impatiently on her hips. “I think you have created a monster,” she muttered to her aunt. “Somehow I don’t think Elyzabel will mind her new station as Arthur’s queen. Look at that greedy gleam in her eyes…she’s already envisioning all of her gold and jewels!”
LADY PENDRAGON MARLEY MATHEWS 101
Gwen, in Elyzabel’s body, let out a long-suffering sigh, and then sat up. She glanced wildly around the room. Her eyes rested on Molly for a long moment, and the blank look betrayed in them, nearly sent Molly into a fit. If they’d accidentally switched their bodies, without actually restoring Gwen’s precious memories, then she was going to go ballistic.
“Molly,” she said happily, her face breaking into a rare grin. “I think I must have been dreaming before. Gwynne had me ensnared in a trap of hers, and I was fighting desperately to free myself, but those eyes of hers bored straight down into my soul. “ She shuddered. She came up for air, and scowled when she noticed Morgause. “My husband’s heart is too good and big, he should have never allowed you to seek sanctuary here. “ Molly drifted over to her stepmother and reached for her hand.
Morgause was busying herself quite spectacularly, and managed to bite her tongue long enough to slip from the room. Elyzabel was still twirling around the room, and running her hands through Gwen’s silken strands of hair. Gwen on the other hand was scratching her head, and fiddling with the front of her gown.
“Gwen, there’s something you need to know…” Molly’s voice trailed off when Gwen snorted.
“I do not recall wearing this gown this morning. Indeed, I had believed that I was wearing a black gown. “ She cocked her head to one side, and flexed her finger
s. “Where are my rings?” she asked, dread forming in her voice, as her eyes roved across the room, and rested on Elyzabel. “Molly…what’s going on here?”
“Well, there’s a bit of a story behind what happened, in hindsight you might actually have a chuckle about this…” Gwen looked from Molly to Elyzabel than back to Molly again.
Molly could see that Gwen was slowly piecing it all together…it wouldn’t be long before it clicked.
Molly thought that Gwen was taking the whole debacle rather well, until Gwen let out an ear-splitting scream that roused Thaney from her meditative trance. Thaney began screaming wildly, and jumping around in frantic circles. She brushed at herself as if she were trying to put out flames. Forgetting all about Gwen, Molly rushed to Thaney and enveloped her in a soothing hug.
“It is okay. You are safe. “ Molly clasped Thaney to her chest and tried to restrain the maddened girl. Morgause came skidding into the room and nearly slammed into Molly.
“Fire within. Fire within,” Thaney babbled incoherently, until Morgause wrapped her into her arms, and reached to cup her face.
“Thaney, you are here. With your mama and your cousin. You are not in the battle. “