The Bastard 2
Page 21
Everything she had mentioned was true. And, in reality, I had no answer. No way to counter her logic. Except for one thing. The same argument I had used a million times before.
It was too big a task. I was just a thief.
How could I even contemplate usurping a king, no matter how awful that King had become?
In desperation, I looked to Meghan, the woman whose advice I valued over any other.
I found her studying me with the same calm expression she normally wore, and I half expected her to say that she wouldn’t seek to sway me in either direction.
Instead, she said very clearly, “You said that you were seeking a purpose. It’s one of your rules. To know what you want. Look at your heart. But don’t ask yourself if you want to be King. Ask yourself instead how you want to live, how you want the people you know and love to live. Life is difficult within Camelot. You know that as well as any. Sure, there is joy to be had, but a single mistake – or piece of bad luck, and anyone can find themselves face down in the mud with no hope of salvation. Mordred Pendragon,” the enchantress said, echoing Elaine’s words, “you are at heart a good person. You’re seeking a purpose to guide your whole life. At first, you settled on revenge for that purpose, but that was never going to last. Next, you focused on Anwen. And now that she is with us, safe for the moment from the Blackcoats, what will you do? Will you continue as you have done, and just drift along day to day? Or will you use what you’ve got, and do what you can to help to make this place better?”
As I listened to the enchantress’ words, I felt a growing sense of horror at the abyss opening beneath my feet. Somehow, it had come to this point. I was at a crossroads, and I knew it.
I could go back. I could continue to live the life I had been living, although I doubted that I would have Elaine or Meghan in my life much longer if I did.
Or I could take the other path. The scary one. The one that led to danger beyond anything I had ever faced in my life.
But the way Meghan had framed it wasn’t the same as how Galahad had done.
Galahad – and Elaine even – had spoken in terms of taking King Arthur’s crown.
Meghan had talked about doing what I could to help the people of Camelot. The people I knew and cared about, and talked with as often as I could.
My network. And their networks beyond them.
My people.
Slowly, that sense of horror, that sense of Fate wrapping her cold hand about my heart faded. No longer did it feel like an abyss beneath my feet.
Instead, it felt like I was sitting in a cozy basement with people I cherished around me. And beyond them, in the city, were more of such people. Ember and Jacob. Rosylin, Florence, and Maisie. Gareth the blacksmith. Lady Emmeline. Cassandra. Samuel the street urchin, and dozens, scores, hundreds of others, all connected.
I felt that cold hand of Fate become warm and comforting. I didn’t care about kings, crowns, or anything like that.
But I cared about my people.
Meghan, I thought, had a pretty good understanding of people as well. She had figured me right.
I had found my purpose. I would do everything in my power to make sure that those I cared about were happy, healthy, and safe.
And if that meant taking the crown from King Arthur’s grasping hands, then so be it.
~End Book 2~
You're still here? Awesome! I hope you enjoyed reading The Bastard 2 as much as I enjoyed putting it all together.
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Until next time,
Jack
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Incubus Mini-Boss: Rise of an Incubus Overlord 2
Incubus Kingpin: Rise of an Incubus Overlord 3
Rogan’s Monsters 1: Wastelands
Rogan’s Monsters 2: Below
The Bastard
The Bastard 2
For an updated list of titles, please visit
www.jackporterwrites.com.