The Knight Behind the Pillar

by John Pateman-Gee

  As with all awkward gaps of nothing there was eventually a need to fill the void. The longer the gap lasted the more desperate the need to fill it became. What words would be appropriate now to cut through the stillness, who would be the first to fight the unending quiet? Not Aries that was certain. My eyes flickered between each figure in view, knowing someone would have to speak and break under the pressure of silence.

  “I cannot understand why this man has any answers for you Ector, he is a fool.” A bitter voice finally answered the demand for a sound, “Yet, he has seemingly convinced many of his so called wisdom.”

  I knew this voice and now finally remembered where he had heard Arthur’s father’s name before. It was because this new speaker had said it in the halls earlier this morning when I was late. Craning to see him without falling out from behind the pillar I could just make him out. I caught sight of the glint of gold that continued to line his hand. I had not seen his face before and still struggled to see it now, but he seemingly had a well kept formal beard and was a dark haired man, but had little hair on his head to speak of. I was sure he was the nobleman I had stopped for in the hallway earlier.

  Regretfully Aries tried to say something of use again, “Perhaps we should meet again when he arrives.” He suggested cautiously from the side line. “It is clear my lord Sir Ector does not wish to proceed until does.”

  “I think we shall wait a little longer,” was Alain’s flat reply with sufficient pause to attest his authority, before choosing to explain. He seemed to constantly have a hand to his face and his thumb rested under his pointed chin while his remaining fingers conducted his words or occasionally stoked the end of his neatly refined black moustache. “With respect to you all it took long enough this morning to bring you altogether and I have no intention to spend more time finding you all later, or waiting as needed. As for your comments Archbishop I have met this man a handful of times in the past and I have my doubts that he is anyone’s fool. Playing the fool when it may serve him is another matter I would observe!”

  “After all,” Another stranger’s voice chipped in from the back of the room, “Did he not establish the tournament in the first place and set the challenge of the sword?”

  “Yes Leodegrance he did, that must be, now when?”

  “Ten years ago. Oh there was some fighting over it at the time then I can tell you, oh yes.” Leodegrance finished.

  I could not see Leodegrance, but he was the first friendly, almost jolly, voice I had heard so far. It was like he had to struggle to contain his laughter.

  Alain looked thoughtful for a while “That long is it.” He exclaimed, nodding to himself.

  “Yes and we laughed at him then!” Added the Archbishop, obviously keen to keep his point alive and valid.

  Alain smiled faintly as some thought amused him. “But only after thousands of men tested themselves against the sword, all of them failed and then and only then was his challenge declared a trick as you say your grace. Then we laughed at it. And yet, amazed as I am I admit, here we all are,” He said, once again pausing and the respectful silence responded. He was in control of this room without doubt I realised. Whatever the status of the others, he had the reverence needed and appeared to enjoy his influence over them. Slowly he strolled around the room to immerse himself as he continued. “As I say, a fool I think not. He set the sword as a challenge, but it was not for us to beat. After a few years of trying to pull the damm thing out and I confess I had my full of trying as well and so did every single person here. Here we are. We all forgot about it, yes, yet we each allowed the memory of it to linger in the back of our minds, that understanding that we had each once tried and failed has stayed with us. We now have a boy not even knighted who has done it, he met the challenge and because none of us did, nor did the thousands of other men, suddenly everyone in the country understands the significant of the deed and so they know this boy is special. As for Merlin, a fool I think not.”

  I looked once more at Arthur who was listening intently. I wondered what it was that meant he could pull out this sword when others had failed. Certainly Arthur didn’t look overly strong. The old rusted thing in his room only just qualified as a sword, its grace all but eroded through time. But more of a concern and to my amazement was the fact that this was indeed serious! These were various leaders of the realms and they have just got together over a boy who pulled a rusted useless old sword out of some rock!

  Trouble!

  I thought I was avoiding it this morning, but I had just walked into a real nightmare now. Instead the impossible may in fact be very possible! And I persuaded him to leave his room!

  “Of course whatever the trick was, it might have just worn thin and the sword just came out for the boy.” Said Morvid, suggesting the very answer I needed for a rational world to return.

  Leodegrance stepped into the light enough so that I could distinguish him now. An older man, maybe a little older than Alain. He had light hair, a blend of almost yellow and white. A red cheek face, notable dense eyebrows of a darker yellow or ginger with matching moustache that stuck out at the sides of his face. Certainly he had laughter lines that portrayed an age of enjoyment that complemented his voice.

  Leodegrance shocked his head, but continued to appear ecstatic “I can assure you Morvid many of us tried to pull it out having replaced the sword a number of times and it answered only to the boy, ahh,” He explained pausing to think of the name. “Arthur, isn’t it?”

  “Yes Leodegrance it is.” Alain confirmed close by.

  “Not a bad name for, you know, not bad name for one.” Leodegrance hinted raising his eyebrows suggestively.

  I looked again at Arthur who despite my intent staring refused to look back at me. He too had said others had tried to remove the sword. The world was not rational anymore I now decided. What he was thinking, how was he reacting to all this? While my mind was struggling to take in the enormity of the situation, Arthur at least had the benefit of thinking about maybe being a king for the last few days that perhaps grounded him now. Actually, perhaps not! Thinking you’re a king all of a sudden would be the last thing to ground you!

  I froze when all at once I was aware of a figure approaching behind me as the light from the doorway flickered and turned into a shadow. Turning I realised this could only be one person and even Arthur too had become aware and glanced around. The weakness of our hiding place was if someone looked directly to the side as they entered the doorway then we would be seen for the briefest of moments. The cloak of darkness would do nothing to hide us from that angle and we would of course look very suspicious standing there peering around the pillars. To my disappointment the figure did exactly this. I couldn’t avoid eye contact as the man’s eyes fell upon me for an instant and in mid step he paused. To me this felt like an age. He appeared old, he was completely bald, but still it was hard to judge exactly how old he was as despite the greyness of his neat short beard he had a healthy complexion and clear young bright blue eyes that contemplated our existence.

  Surprisingly without a word or comment on the sight of two figures hiding behind the pillars, the man swept his cloak across the floor and continued to step on into the room as if appearing to glide silently. I questioned briefly if we had been noticed, but I was sure we had been seen and now worried why nothing was said!

  A voice boomed and I was not looking to see whose it was, “Ah Merlin, at last you have arrived.”

  It was the type of voice that had one purpose. On the outside it was to welcome someone, but its true purpose to alert the others to shut up especially if you were discussing the man in question.

  “As summoned my lords.” The deeper tone of Merlin answered, but with a degree of exuberance.

  Arthur and I both spun around to watch and were released from our idleness. At last why did Ector want to see this Merlin! Immediately the sound of Ector’s chair scraping the stone floor filled the room as he rose from his seat. His purpose could not be clearer and he
awoke from his self made seclusion within the room. Merlin had stepped forward and halted at the centre, he stood tall and confident and calmly waited. Feet away the stout Ector looked like he was about to explode, taking deep breaths to control what it was bubbling beneath.

  Whatever it was, Ector had been thinking about it for a few days now and this was the moment. “You,” He managed, but it was a false start as the stress of whatever it was briefly too much to bear. Shaking his head, he collected himself and tried again. “You sir have taken me for a fool! You have a lied to me! You have done this. And I don’t take kindly to being dragged into some game of yours.”

  “Do you know this man, Merlin?” I whispered to Arthur seeing that it was very clear Ector did, but Arthur shook his head to dismiss me quickly with his hand as I was an unwanted distraction. Arthur’s focus now was on his father and his stare was unbreakable.

  Ector was on the move now. He walked around the backs of chairs and headed towards Merlin with intent. The older man appeared unconcerned, prepared perhaps for this verbal attack for some time and I wondered if there was going to be a physical fight as well!

  Ector made it around the end of the table. “And not just me, oh no.” He declared, “These good lords, kings whoever they are, you’ve played them as well! So old man there needs to be answers now, right now. Explain to them just what you have done! Explain to me, to me, why it was my home, why my family, why you decided to use us rather than any of these good people. Why my dear, dear late wife!” Ector continued spitting the words out that came from built up exasperation and anger rather than thought. Rather than a smooth address they all knocked into each other in a rush and I could see where Arthur got it from.

  I also noted the painful memory of the thought of his wife in Ector’s tone and it was sketched very slightly across his face when said. On reaching Merlin he came to a sudden halt and Ector’s round face flush with lines of fury that creased his forehead deeply had to look up to the taller man.

  Merlin continued to stand still and calm as they faced each other. “Very…..”

  “And,” Ector cut in loudly not quite finished with Merlin yet. He went on to add with a precisely clear voice that required everyone to listen to every word, “And explain to me, sir…”

  “Ector.” Merlin snapped in realisation of what was to come and gave a warning, his voice in an extremely low tone I could have mistaken for almost a growl.

  “….who is my son?” Ector finished uninterrupted.

  Merlin looked as if he had tried and failed to stop something by closing his eyes briefly and biting his bottom lip in thought. A wave of muttering and confusion crossed over the room, I could pick up words of “what” and “did he just say son” from the other nobles and knights.

  Arthur just continued to stare on, he was motionless. I could do nothing but look back and watch as well.

  Only King Alain was brave enough or perhaps just felt it was his right to step forward. He sought quiet from others with the waving of his hands as he intervened. “What did you just say Ector I am unclear as regard to your meaning?” He asked.

  Ector ignored him and instead sought to prompt Merlin for answers by glaring at him. The man with answers stood unmoved looking at the floor.

  “Well sir, speak,” Demanded Ector when no immediate response was forthcoming, “You have a lot you got to say, please enlighten us and get on with it.”

  Merlin gave a nod in acceptance finally and then fully lifted his head. It seemed he had been waiting for this day; he had the grave expression that knew it would come to this. However, first he glanced towards our pillars for the slightest of moments. We had no chance to avoid his passing glance, I pulled back for a moment behind the pillar in a delayed reaction, but noticed Arthur did not move a muscle. No one else was looking our way, Merlin was the focus now.

  The old man then directed himself to Alain and the others behind Ector. “Over fifteen years ago I passed to Ector and his wife a baby boy. And that was Arthur.” Merlin calmly addressed the room.

  “What!” Exclaimed Arthur from my side.

  It would have been loud enough for the room to hear if it wasn’t for Ector also booming at the same time. “And you lied to us.” He accused yelling fiercely and pointing.

  Ector’s stance toward Merlin was purposefully intimidating and he obstructed Merlin’s path, but Merlin seemed undaunted and continued to avoid eye contact. There was an indescribable stillness in the air; even the dust floating and flickering in the light from above had seemingly stopped moving.

  I would have watched further to standoff between the men, only my attention had change priorities and drifted instead to Arthur. As close as he was, he was now out of my reach having now stepped forward to the side of the pillar. The room had made no reaction to Arthur’s outburst, it was not as loud as I first thought and I was relieved. All of the noble’s senses were trained on the central figures and the importance of what was being told. Except having stepped forward it was only a matter of time before Arthur would be noticed and my apprehension of being discovered tensed every muscle to a point that even to breath felt like I needed to concentrate. I contemplated leaving, but there was no hope of me leaving the room now without being seen, everyone was looking towards Merlin and Ector, and beyond them while it was a little to one side was the open view of the doorway. Besides I did not feel it was right to abandon Arthur and felt required to stay.

  When Ector had asked who his son was, Arthur had no reaction to that question and this indicated to me that he too only thought the question was about him being a king. Although Arthur not reacting earlier might have been due to total disbelief. Now Merlin had definitely confirmed Arthur was not Ector’s son, not his own blood, if he was king or not was not as important right now.

  Alain words floated across my thoughts. “Ector please, at least give this man a chance to say something useful.” He asked with authority and a touch of mid impatience as he finally stepped in to redirect Ector’s anger bubbling over.

  A pause of unforgiving silence occurred, suspense to the point you would start to shout get on with it had you been anywhere else.

  Merlin finally continued slowly, perhaps he was aware of each word’s importance and the grip of the audience he held. “I told him, Ector here that is, that the boy was of a noble family who had been lost and he needed a new home. A lie, some might think so. He was of course of noble birth and as I see it he was lost and he needed a good supportive home. For good reason I said nothing in respect that he was the son of the king, the high king, or that he might one day be king.”

  All eyes were on Merlin except two pairs. One set stared intensively on whom he thought was his father until now, an endless stare of disbelief, a moment of confusion and loss. The other pair watched the first’s as I watched someone’s life falling apart before me and the true horror this day revealed for him.

  “He was Uther’s son!” Leodegrance exclaimed in the background. With almost inappropriate light hearted amusement he continued, “Well I never, that is something, my, my, wonderful.”

  Leodegrance’s voice was a minor distraction to my thoughts and had no influence on Merlin or Ector who I noted in glancing quickly just stood there doing nothing. To say something, any word at all seemed to be at this precise time to be almost offensive. Talking was an attempt to dilute the most momentous revelation I had ever heard. I could not imagine anything more shocking to any single person, but also it was not just about a single person. This moment concerned the world, a change to the course of history!

  Not that this would matter to Arthur right now or did it? I got the immediate impression that he was close to his family from just talking in the kitchens, but in truth I had known him for a just an hour or so before his world was now destroyed in a just a few words.

  Leodegrance’s jovial outburst had sadly sanctioned a chorus of amazement to follow and voices of disbelief and questions sounded and echoed around the chamber. Ector still stood there, un
changed, except now gently nodding. Alain had stood back deep in thought with his hands together to his lips as if planning again.

  I was drawn to watch Ector more and I frowned. His face was not one of disbelief or surprise. Instead it was the face of acceptance, no I was wrong, it was defeat as anger lifted from his face and he almost appeared to relax. Did he already know the legitimacy of Arthurs claim to the throne! But how? This was my single clearest thought that was fighting against the astonishment of the news that had just transpired.

  Arthur however finally cracked. “No!” he shouted suddenly.

  His yell released me from my shocked state and with instinct I went to reach for him once more to pull him back, but it was too late.

  “Art…” I gasped before sense prevailed and stifled my voice.

  He had now stepped further forward into the centre and this time everyone saw him, “No this isn’t true,” He bellowed, “It can’t be, none of it, I can’t be, I’m not a king!”

  Ector was caught off guard and spun round to face Arthur standing there. Everyone else was immobilised in surprise and were hushed at once. I dropped back in panic behind the pillar.

  “Arthur I….” Ector stammered to a halt.

  “I’m your son!” Arthur declared defiantly against the truth.

  I could see Arthur again as I dared to peek out. Presented on the other’s faces was the obviously belief they thought he was not Ector’s son now.

  “Arthur it’s….”

  “What!” Arthur interrupted again refusing the chance to hear words he did not want to listen to. “Tell me it’s not true, I’m not a king, father please it’s not true” Arthur pleaded.

  The shock of seeing Arthur just standing had stunned him, but Ector started to nod his head. “You are King. Arthur, it’s true.” Ector admitted, his head hung, crest fallen.